Day 295 since the start of the war: Poland and the Baltic States block sanctions against Russia. Ukraine accuses Russian troops of abusing children. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
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Ukrainian army chief warns of renewed Russian attack on Kyiv
4:23 p.m.: The Ukrainian supreme commander Valery Saluschnyj expects a new major Russian offensive in the coming year. “In the worst case, at the end of January,” he told the British magazine “The Economist” on Thursday. The Russians would train around 200,000 fresh soldiers for this. He cannot yet say whether the offensive will start in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass, in the south or in the north of Belarus.
But one thing is clear: sooner or later, the Ukrainian capital Kyiv will be the target again. “I have no doubt that they will attack Kyiv again,” Zalushnyj said. He also called for new weapons for a victory over the Russian army. “I need 300 main battle tanks, 600 to 700 armored personnel carriers and 500 howitzers,” said the 49-year-old.
This would make it possible to push the Russian troops back to the positions before the invasion on February 24, said Zalushny. However, he is currently receiving less funding than he needs. Larger operations cannot be carried out with it, but a new one is being worked out. “She’s on her way,” the general assured.
Zelenskyj demands modern tanks and anti-aircraft defenses from the EU
4:14 p.m: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the EU states to supply modern tanks to defend against the Russian attackers. “There is no rational reason why Ukraine shouldn’t get it now,” he said on Thursday at the EU summit, to which he was connected via video.
“I ask you to show leadership. The one who will be the first to deliver modern tanks will open up the possibility of deliveries from all over the world and will be remembered as one of the greatest defenders of freedom of our time,” Zelenskyy said.
The same applies to long-range artillery and missile systems, which could hasten the end of Russian aggression. “All of this would mean a direct saving of millions of lives.” Overall, military support in the next six months should not be less than in the past six months.
Gift from Ukraine explodes: Poland’s police chief in hospital
5:52 p.m: Poland’s police chief was taken to hospital with minor injuries after a gift from Ukraine exploded. Jaroslaw Szymczyk received the gift from high-ranking officials from the security sector in Ukraine, as the Polish Ministry of the Interior announced in Warsaw on Thursday. “One of the gifts that the police chief received during his working visit to Ukraine on December 11 and 12 exploded,” the statement said.
He suffered minor injuries and is in the hospital where he remains under observation, it said. A civilian employee of the national police headquarters also suffered minor injuries, but did not have to go to the hospital.
Szymczyk met with heads of the Ukrainian police and state emergency services in Ukraine. The package is a “gift from one of the heads of the Ukrainian services,” the ministry said. “The Polish side has asked the Ukrainian side to provide an explanation,” the ministry added.
3:28 p.m: A gift that the head of the police agency received during a working visit to Ukraine exploded in the headquarters of the Polish police. Police chief Jaroslaw Szymczyk suffered minor injuries in the explosion and was taken to a hospital, the Interior Ministry in Warsaw said on Thursday. A civilian employee was also slightly injured but did not require medical treatment.