Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? Do not panic, 20 minutes takes stock for you every evening at 7:30 p.m. Who did what ? Who said what? Where are we ? The answer below:
The fact of the day
A presidential decree dating from August already planned to increase the number of combat personnel to 1.15 million from January 1. And this Wednesday, during a meeting in the presence of the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, considered it “necessary” to increase the number of his army to 1.5 million soldiers and raise the age limit for military service. “In order to ensure the fulfillment of tasks to ensure Russia’s military security, it is necessary to increase the strength of the armed forces to 1.5 million servicemen, including 695,000 under contract,” Sergei Shoigu said. Vladimir Putin immediately announced that he “agreed” with these proposals.
sentence of the day
What is happening is, of course, a tragedy. A common tragedy. But this is not the result of our policy, it is the result of the policy of third countries. »
These are the words of Vladimir Putin, released during a meeting with senior army officers during which he set the objectives for Russian troops in 2023. The Russian president also paid brief tribute to the Russian soldiers fallen during the offense.
The number of the day
30. This is the age of Russian conscripts, which must therefore be increased from 27 to 30 years old. During the meeting, Vladimir Putin recalled that 300,000 Russians had been mobilized and that, among them, “a part” was already in combat. “150,000 (mobilized) are being trained on military bases. It is a sufficient reserve to carry out operations, a strategic reserve which is not used in military operations, ”further detailed the Russian leader.
The trend of the day
Always higher, stronger, faster. Russia will continue to develop its military potential, including the “combat readiness” of its nuclear forces, Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. “The armed forces and the combat capabilities of our armed forces are constantly increasing every day. And this process, of course, we will develop it, ”said the head of the Kremlin. And to add: “We will continue to maintain and improve the combat readiness of our nuclear triad. »
How ? By increasing the numbers of the Russian army, therefore (read above), but also with the entry into service “in early January” of the new Russian hypersonic cruise missiles, Zircon, which belong to the new family of armaments developed these last years by Moscow. But also by deploying naval bases for “support ships, emergency rescue services and naval repair units”, in the two occupied Ukrainian cities of Berdiansk and Mariupol.
“We have no funding limitations. The country and the government give everything the army asks for. Absolutely everything ! “Finally let Vladimir Putin know. And “one of the priorities” of this reinflated army will be to “continue to carry out the special operation [en Ukraine] until its tasks have all been fulfilled,” said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.