Russian war of aggression
War against Ukraine: That’s the situation
A Ukrainian soldier stands with his dog at a trench in Bakhmut. photo
© Libkos/AP/dpa
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy praises the resistance of his troops in the battle for the city of Bakhmut. He also sees successes in the fight against Russian agents. The developments at a glance.
Despite heavy attacks by Russian troops, the Ukrainian armed forces maintain their control of the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, which has been fought over for days. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zalushnyi said measures would be taken “to stabilize the front line around this city”. After a phone call with US Chief of Staff Mark Milley, he described the situation in the Donetsk region as tense because Russia is carrying out up to 50 attacks there every day. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the resistance of the soldiers.
In the Donetsk region, enemy attacks would be repelled, said Zelenskyj in his evening video message. The commander-in-chief Zalushnyi had previously said: “In some sectors of the front we managed to regain previously lost positions and gain a foothold there.” At the same time he spoke of heavy fighting for the cities of Wuhledar and Marjinka.
However, the Ukrainian armed forces need solid firepower, for which sufficient weapons and ammunition are needed, said Salushnyj in the conversation with Milley. He was concerned about the use of Russian naval drones. These are a threat to civil shipping in the Black Sea.
Independent Russian media reported that it was previously unknown that Moscow had such surface-operated drones. An unverifiable video was also circulated on social networks, which is said to show an explosion on a bridge in Odessa. A suspected drone can also be seen there, speeding towards the bridge and detonating.
The United States is providing Ukraine with more military support in the war than any other country. The Ukrainian government had recently called for fighter jets in addition to main battle tanks from the West and modern air defense. Zalushny thanked Milley for his support and praised the US chief of staff for showing understanding of Ukraine’s requirements in the fight against Russia and for a victory.
Poland rules out going it alone in fighter jet delivery
Meanwhile, Polish President Andrzej Duda ruled out that his country would single-handedly supply fighter jets to Ukraine. Such a decision must be made jointly by the NATO allies, the head of state told the British broadcaster BBC a few days before a planned visit to London. Duda stressed that handing over F-16 fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine would be a “very serious decision” that was not easy to make.
His country’s air force had fewer than 50 of these American-made machines – these were not enough for Poland. The national conservative politician also pointed out the logistical challenges of a possible delivery to Ukraine, which has been fighting against the Russian war of aggression for almost a year.
Poland, among others, had recently urged the NATO partners to approve the delivery of fighter jets after battle tanks. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki recently said that he would only be in favor of deploying fighter jets if this were a NATO decision.
Selenskyj wants to continue taking action against Russian agents
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is not only fighting against the Russian enemy on the battlefield, but also against state agents. In his video speech, he announced further steps in the fight against Russian agents. The secret service, investigators and prosecutors can already show significant results in protecting state institutions from those who work for the aggressor state Russia, Zelenskyy said.
The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine will continue this work, Zelenskyy said. He did not give details. However, the secretary of the National Security Council in Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, announced a meeting for Monday on the next steps. According to Zelenskyj, the aim is to strengthen state institutions and protect them from internal and external influence.
Selenskyj, who has visited several European countries in the past few days, wants to bring Ukraine into the European Union as quickly as possible. The state administration, which is still often characterized by corruption and abuse of power, still has a long way to go before negotiations on EU membership can begin. “The state will continue to modernize the institutions, their processes and procedures,” Zelenskyj announced in the video message.
What will be important on Sunday
In the Donetsk region, Ukrainian and Russian troops continue to fight for the city of Bakhmut, which is of strategic importance for Moscow in its quest to occupy the entire region. According to information from both sides, there are high losses in the fighting. The battle for Bakhmut is currently the bloodiest in eastern Ukraine. Hundreds of civilians are said to be still there.