Russia’s Defense Minister Oleksey Reznikov said that Russia is planning a major offensive to coincide with the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine on February 24. In an interview with the French media, He warned Reznikov that Russia would call up a large contingent of massed forces. Referring to Russia’s general mobilization of 300,000 conscripted soldiers in September last year, he claimed that figures at the border indicated the real size could be closer to 500,000.
In an interview on Russian state television on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that everyone wants an end to the conflict in Ukraine, But Western support for Keef was playing an important role in how Russia handled the campaign. Lavrov also said that Moscow has plans to beat the pro-Ukrainian events organized by Western and allied countries around the world to celebrate the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
A Russian missile destroyed an apartment building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk late on Wednesday The region’s governor, Pavlo Kirilenko, said at least two people were killed and seven wounded. Rescuers, law enforcement and utilities are working on the scene to get through the rubble of the destroyed building. He wrote on messaging app Telegram that people are probably still down. At least 44 people were killed last month when a Russian missile hit an apartment building in the eastern city of Dnipro.
Two more Russian missiles hit Kramatorsk on Thursday. The head of the regional military administration said the latest strikes have resulted in civilian casualties. Pavlo Kirilenko, But it is not clear how many there are. city mayor, Oleksandr Honcharenko, She confirmed that a strike had taken place and urged residents to stay in shelters.
Two people were killed in Russian bombing of the Kherson region of southern Ukraine on Wednesday, according to local officials. The regional military administration said that a 25-year-old man was killed in the city of Kherson, while a 44-year-old woman was killed after Russian forces shelled a residential area in the village of Komishany.
More than a dozen senior officials of the European Union, incl head of the The European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv on Thursday with promises of more military, financial and political aid. It is a symbolic trip meant to highlight support for Ukraine as the first anniversary of the Russian invasion approaches.
the most senior diplomat in the European Union, Josep BorrellAnd it has announced that the number of Ukrainian forces to be trained by the European Union will be doubled to 30,000 this year. He also promised 25 million euros for demining areas that Ukraine had regained control of.
Ursula von der Leyen announce International Crime Prosecution Center Ukraine will be set up in The Hague. “You will coordinate the collection of evidence, and will be an integral part of the joint investigation team that our agency, Eurojust, supports,” said the President of the European Commission.
Volodymyr Zelensky The European Union urged more sanctions against Russia, and said it had discussed a new sanctions package with von der Leyen. The Ukrainian President, speaking at a joint press conference in Kyiv with the President of the European Commission, said that the speed of the EU sanctions campaign against Russia It had “slowed down a bit”, while Russia was “increasing its pace in adapting to the sanctions”.
Austria declared four Russian diplomats persona non grata for behaving in a manner contrary to international agreements. The State Department said Thursday, without elaborating.
A UK Ministry of Defense update said Russia’s role as a “reliable source of arms” is very likely to be undermined by its invasion. Ukraine and international sanctions. Even before the war, Russia’s share in the international arms market was declining, the defense ministry said.
At least eight people have died after a fire broke out in a dormitory for construction workers in the city of Qurum sevastopol, Russian officials said. The fire broke out in temporary housing for workers building the Tavrida highway, a road linking Sevastopol with the city of Simferopol, according to the Russian-installed Sevastopol governor. Mikhail Razvogaev.
Heavy fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, as Russian forces try to gain ground near the strategic logistics hub of Liman, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said Wednesday evening. Zelensky said that the Russian forces are trying to make gains that they can show on the anniversary of their invasion on February 24, 2022. A definite increase in the offensive operations of the occupiers has been noted on the front in the east of our country. The situation has become more difficult.”
Shell’s annual profit more than doubled to a record close to $40 billion (£32.3 billion) after a war-related wholesale gas price hike in Ukraine It boosted its performance, as consumers struggled to pay huge energy bills.
Norway will increase spending from its sovereign wealth fund in the coming years to fund military and civilian aid UkraineAnd Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoer informed parliament on Thursday.
A former commander of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group who fled to Norway told Reuters he wanted to apologize for the fighting in Ukraine. He was speaking to bring the perpetrators of the atrocities in the conflict to justice. Andrei Medvedev, who fled across the Russian-Norwegian border on January 13, said he witnessed the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners who were taken to Ukraine to fight for Wagner.
Britain’s defense secretary, Ben Wallace, said he did not think it was the right approach “at the moment” to send British fighter jets to Ukraine. He said it was ‘Not a strong decision’, adding, “I’ve learned two things: Never judge anything and never rule anything out.” Meanwhile, Downing Street Keep excluding supplying British aircraft to Kyiv, saying it was impractical due to the aircraft’s complexity. On Wednesday, the prime minister’s spokesman said it could take years to fully train a pilot to fly a British fighter jet, adding that Britain’s focus was “how we can help Ukraine defend their country and step back this year”.
The statements of the United Kingdom came as its former Prime Minister Boris Johnson He called on Western leaders to “give the Ukrainians the tools to finish the job”, including heavy tanks and aircraft. Addressing the Atlantic Council in Washington, Johnson urged the West “To stop focusing on Putin and focus entirely on Ukraine.”