Russian attack - Conflict in Ukraine: the current status
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, emphasized the need for expedited supply provision to the country's soldiers under pressure. He made this statement after a meeting with the Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov and Commander-in-Chief Olexander Syrskyi in Kiev.
Zelenskyi expressed the need for a significant speed-up in deliveries to enhance the capabilities of the Ukrainian troops. He stated, "It's not Russian bombs and assaults that should define the battlefield, but our Ukrainian initiative - our air defense, our artillery, our drones." As a part of this push, the government decided to allocate an additional 15.5 billion hryvnia (367 million euros) for the procurement of drones.
The night began with an air alert warning across the entire southern region of Ukraine, emphasizing the potential presence of incoming Russian ballistic missiles. Explosions were audible in the port city of Odessa, as reported by the national broadcaster Suspilne. There is no information available regarding fatalities or damage at this time.
Ukraine is addressing the issue of limited weapon and ammunition supply through their own production. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal commented on the funding for drone purchases, "With the funds provided today, 300,000 drones will be delivered to our security and defense forces." Earlier, Ukraine had allocated 43.3 billion hryvnia for acquiring drones this year.
Due to the persistent Russian war of aggression for more than two years, Ukraine has significantly advanced the production and development of various drone types. In the absence of sufficient artillery shells at the front, the Ukrainians have been employing small FPV drones to deploy explosive devices on Russian soldiers. Furthermore, they have recently targeted Russian hinterland with these drones.
The General Staff in Kiev reported 96 battles in the past day along the over 1000-kilometer front in the east and south of Ukraine. Despite the lack of independent verification, the considerable number highlights the significant strain on Ukraine's ground forces. The region around Bachmut in the east, where Russian forces are approaching the town of Chassiv Yar, was shown to be the focal point of these conflicts. The region west of the city of Avdiivka in the Donbass area also saw heightened activity. According to consistent reports, Russian forces have managed to penetrate Ukrainian defense lines in this region.
Latvia has decided to provide Ukraine with additional military assistance for their defensive stand against Russia. The prime minister, Evika Silina, announced that the Ukrainian armed forces would receive anti-aircraft guns and unmanned surveillance aircraft from the Latvian army. Additional material and technical equipment will also be provided to Kiev, Silina said.
In recent times, Latvia has been one of Ukraine's most devoted supporters.
Ukraine has accused Russia of mistreatment and abductions of human rights activists and journalists in Crimea. Tatjana Taschewa, Ukraine's representative in Crimea, informed Germany's Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) in Berlin, "The Russians are persecuting human rights activists and journalists in Crimea, they're abducting civilians in underground cells, and torturing them there, they're making people disappear." Russia is reported to have transformed Crimea into a large military installation and serves as a launching point for their attacks on Ukraine.
In Kiev, a monument symbolizing the connection between Russia and Ukraine from the Soviet era, is presently being dismantled. The city administration revealed that the dismantling of the twenty red granite elements would take several days. In the future, they are expected to be housed in an aviation museum. The ensemble, inaugurated in 1982, was intended to commemorate the union of the Ukrainian people with the "fraternal Russian people" in 1654.
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Source: www.stern.de
