10:49 p.m.: Ukraine denies complete capture of Krynky by Russia
Ukraine has denied the complete capture of the village of Krynky in the Kherson region. Russian forces have made no progress on the eastern bank of the Dnipro, the Ukrainian military said on the Telegram news service. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s statement was a “falsification of the facts.”
Shoigu had previously claimed that Russian troops were in control of the entire village. Russia’s military left the western bank of the river at the end of 2022. However, it is still in areas on the eastern bank where the Ukrainian army was able to recapture some parts in November.
9.45 p.m.: EU calls for independent investigation into Navalny’s death
The European Union (EU) has summoned the Russian representative to the EU and called for an independent international investigation into the death of Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny. This is reported by the EU diplomatic service. Navalny’s body should also be handed over to his family immediately.
“The EU side conveyed the EU’s outrage over the death of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, for which President (Vladimir) Putin and the Russian authorities ultimately bear responsibility,” it said. The Kremlin has denied involvement in Navalny’s death.
9:39 p.m.: Scholz assures the Baltic states of support
At the traditional Matthiae meal in Hamburg City Hall, Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized NATO’s cohesion and defense preparedness. Germany is firmly on the side of the Baltic states, he said to Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who, like him, was invited to the banquet as a guest of honor. “Your security – the security of Estonia and the Baltics – is also our security.” With the permanent stationing of a Bundeswehr combat brigade in Lithuania from 2025, Germany is sending a clear signal: “Security in NATO is indivisible. We are ready to defend every square meter of the alliance’s territory.”
7:45 p.m.: Putin congratulates Defense Minister Shoigu
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on the capture of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka. He urged him to expand Russia’s advantage on the battlefield. Shoigu said the military had hit Avdiivka with up to 460 attacks per day, equivalent to 200 tons of explosives. “We put the enemy in such a state that he was forced to flee the unbearable conditions,” Shoigu said.
6:33 p.m.: Eleven children back in Ukraine, according to the human rights commissioner
According to information from Kiev, eleven Ukrainian children who were separated from their relatives have returned to Ukraine. There are six girls and five boys between the ages of two and sixteen, Ukrainian human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said on Telegram. The children and young people were then brought back from the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine and from Russia. When returning to the government-controlled area, Qatar and the United Nations Children’s Fund reportedly mediated. Lubinez emphasized that some of the children are said to have already received Russian passports and Russian guardians.
According to information from Kiev, almost 20,000 Ukrainian children and young people without relatives have been abducted to Russian-controlled areas or to Russia since the Russian war of aggression began almost two years ago. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an international arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvowa-Belova on allegations of deportation of minors. The Kremlin denies the allegations of forceful abduction of children and speaks of alleged evacuation measures.
5:39 p.m.: USA is planning a package of sanctions against Russia
In response to the death of opposition leader Navalny, the White House says it is preparing further “extensive sanctions” against Russia. National Security Council communications director John Kirby said Tuesday that the new package will be unveiled this Friday.
Kirby did not explain to what extent the new sanctions will complement existing ones. Kirby justified the tightening by saying that Russia had not complied with the demand for an independent investigation into Navalny’s death. US President Biden had already announced on Monday that he was considering further sanctions.
5:16 p.m.: Russia should advance after taking Avdiivka
After the capture of Avdiivka, Russian President Putin is calling for his soldiers to advance further. In the city in eastern Ukraine, which has been fought over for months, the Ukrainian defenders were forced into a chaotic retreat, says Putin. The Russian military should build on this success on the battlefield. According to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the Russian offensive continues and troops are moving west.
5:15 p.m.: Moscow bans US radio station activities in Russia
Moscow has banned the US broadcasting group Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) from continuing to broadcast in Russia. A document in the Russian Justice Ministry database declares the US-funded media’s activities to be “undesirable.” The AFP news agency reports this after looking at the writing. The ban also threatens the employees of the broadcasting group with legal prosecution in Russia.
Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression, the Kremlin has increasingly taken action against critical voices and has already banned several foreign organizations. RFE/RL has also been under pressure for a long time. The employee Alsu Kurmasheva was arrested in October. The journalist is accused of not registering as a “foreign agent”. Recently, a court rejected her request to transfer her from pretrial detention to house arrest for health reasons.
4:20 p.m.: Navalny’s widow’s X user account was mistakenly blocked
The user account of the widow of the dead Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny on the short message service X (formerly Twitter) has now been blocked. “Account blocked,” says a note on Yulia Navalnaya’s account. The account has now been activated again: The platform’s defense mechanism against manipulation and spam had previously incorrectly marked Yulia Navalnaya’s account as violating the rules, says X. When the error was noticed, the account was activated again.
3:34 p.m.: Soon “Nawalny Square” in Berlin?
A few days after the death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, there are calls for a street, square or building in Berlin to be named after him. Berlin’s Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey (SPD) told the Tagesspiegel that such a step would be a sign of encouragement for all those who defended his legacy under threatening conditions. Navalny’s fight for freedom is immortal, said Berlin’s former mayor. “Continuing this and remembering him is the responsibility of all Democrats.”
A petition calling for the street in Berlin-Mitte, where the Russian consulate is located, to be named after Navalny found almost 22,000 supporters online within one day. The Future Berlin Foundation also called for a place in Berlin to be named after the Russian opposition figure and recalled that Navalny was treated in the Berlin Charité in 2020 after a poison attack against him. From Berlin he then voluntarily returned to Russia to continue his fight for human rights and democracy – which now cost him his life.
3:10 p.m.: Ukraine starts cooperation with German arms manufacturer MBDA
Ukraine plans to cooperate with the German arms manufacturer MBDA Deutschland on air defense systems. The state-owned arms company Ukroboronprom announced a corresponding declaration of intent with MBDA on Tuesday. The focus would be on cooperation on air defense systems and concepts, especially to defend against drones. Potential areas of partnership included research, development, production and investment.
MBDA Germany produces air defense and guided missile systems, components and subsystems for the air force, navy and army. The company is a subsidiary of the defense group MBDA, which is owned 37.5 percent by Airbus and 37.5 percent by BAE Systems. The remaining 25 percent belongs to the Italian defense company Leonardo.
2.43 p.m.: Study – Mental health affected by war across Europe
The start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has led to a collective collapse in mental well-being internationally. This happened regardless of the individual characteristics of the people such as age, gender or political orientation, as shown by an international study now published by the University of Münster. Accordingly, the measurable collective psychological impairment at the beginning of the war was greater than after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 and the Corona lockdown in 2020. However, how quickly people were able to recover from this psychological shock depended on their personality.
Political and social actors should therefore also focus on mental health in times of crisis. This is particularly important for people who are already more susceptible to stress, says the scientist.
The study is based on around 45,000 individual surveys from 1,300 people surveyed from 17 European countries, including Germany, Sweden, France, Poland and Great Britain in a two-month time frame before and after the outbreak of war on February 24, 2022. The study does not include people in Ukraine and Russia.
2:32 p.m.: British report: Russia wants to destabilize Europe
According to British observers, Russia is expanding its ability to destabilize European countries. In a comprehensive report Tuesday, researchers at the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank, said Moscow’s actions and efforts to gain influence in the Middle East and Africa pose a strategic threat to NATO.
“As the war in Ukraine drags on, Russia has an interest in creating crises in other regions,” wrote authors Jack Watling, Oleksandr Danylyuk and Nick Reynolds. They named the Balkans as a vulnerable region. Russia also has an interest in destabilizing Ukraine’s partners. With a series of upcoming elections across Europe, there is a wide range of opportunities for Moscow to increase polarization.
Russian efforts to destabilize countries such as Moldova have failed due to security failures and the mass expulsion of Kremlin employees, the report said. Now the Russian military is increasing its ability to carry out unconventional attacks.
2:05 p.m.: Strack-Zimmermann wants to vote for the Union’s motion on Taurus
Before the second anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine, there is new anger in the coalition over the arms deliveries to Kiev: On Tuesday, the prominent FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann praised a joint Bundestag motion by the traffic light parties that called for the delivery of “long-range weapon systems”. However, since he does not name the Taurus cruise missiles requested by Ukraine, the FDP politician “also” wants to vote for a Union proposal that requires their delivery.