LIVE – Ukraine: kyiv says it is strengthening its defenses to counter the Russian push towards Chassiv Yar

The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, said that the troops defending the town of Chasiv Yar, a hot spot on the eastern front, had received additional weapons in order to better block the push of the Russian army, which wants to seize this strategic location.

“Measures have been taken to significantly reinforce the brigades with munitions, drones and electronic warfare equipment,” he wrote on Facebook, saying he had visited the units concerned.

Ukraine “strongly condemns Iran’s massive air attack against Israel”, reacted on X the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, judging that “Iran’s unacceptable actions risk provoking a new escalation in the Middle East “. “This attack also demonstrates why it is essential that all forces of the free world be united to defend the global frontiers of democracy.”

• A deterioration of the situation on the Eastern front. The situation on the Eastern Front has “considerably deteriorated in recent days”, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said on Saturday, noting an “intensification” of the Russian army’s offensive, which is pushing in particular in direction of Chassiv Yar. Russian troops are attacking Ukrainian positions in the Lyman and Bakhmut sectors “with assault groups supported by armored vehicles”, as well as in the Pokrovsk sector, he said. “This is made possible by the hot and dry weather, which made most of the open areas accessible to tanks,” explained Oleksandr Syrsky. Despite the losses, the Russian army deploys “new armored units”, which allows it to achieve “tactical successes”.

• The capture of a village near Avdiivka claimed by Moscow. The Russian army claimed the capture of Pervomaiské, southwest of Avdiïvka, itself conquered in February. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that its soldiers there had “liberated” the town. A new step forward as part of the push it is making in the region.

• Berlin sends “an additional Patriot system” to kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Germany, which had just announced the upcoming shipment of an additional Patriot air defense system, for its support to Ukraine at a “critical moment”, calling on its allies to do the same. “I am grateful to the Chancellor (German Olaf Scholz, editor’s note) for the decision to provide an additional Patriot air defense system to Ukraine and missiles” for the existing systems, he wrote on Telegram. “This is a real show of support for Ukraine at a critical time for us,” he said, urging allied countries to “follow this example.”

• Beijing supports Moscow in “its most important military expansion”. China is helping Russia carry out “its largest military expansion since the Soviet era, and at a greater pace than we thought possible” at the start of the war in Ukraine, a senior US official warned on Friday. The United States is encouraging Beijing to instead play “a constructive role” in the conflict, he said, adding: “We hope our allies will join us.”

• A former SBU agent targeted by an “assassination attempt”. A former officer of the Ukrainian security services (SBU), Vasily Prozorov, was injured on Friday in an “assassination attempt” involving his vehicle in Moscow and for which he blamed kyiv. “I have no doubt that the terrorist regime in kyiv was behind today’s assassination attempt. But it failed. I am alive and well and will continue to denounce the crimes of the authorities Ukrainians,” said this ex-officer who moved to the Russian side in a video on Telegram. He received injuries to his hands and legs, a security source who requested anonymity told the Ria Novosti news agency.

Hello everyone. Welcome to TF1info to follow the news around the war in Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022 after the Russian invasion ordered by Vladimir Putin.