Continued unrest in the Russian region of Belgorod

Kyiv, Moscow After fighting in the Russian region of Belgorod on the border with Ukraine, the situation remains tense on Wednesday. The Russian authorities gave the all-clear, but later confirmed a drone attack. However, only one car was damaged. Meanwhile, there are still conflicting reports about control over the largely destroyed Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

The authorities of the Belgorod region have lifted the state of alert imposed with reference to fighting. The legal status of an “anti-terrorist operation” has ended, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced on the online service Telegram.

Gladkov later confirmed reports of an explosion in Belgorod Tuesday night. According to him, an explosive device was dropped on the road from a drone. A car was damaged, the governor wrote and published a photo of a vehicle with dents and cracks in the windshield. According to preliminary information, no one was injured.

Moscow: “More than 70 Ukrainian terrorists” killed near Belgorod

According to the Russian account, fighting has been going on in the Belgorod region since Monday against dozens of “representatives of Ukrainian military units”. Ukraine denied having anything to do with the attacks. In Kiev, it was pointed out that volunteer corps made up of Russian citizens claimed responsibility for the attacks.

According to the Russian account, more than 70 Ukrainian terrorists were killed and four armored vehicles and five SUVs destroyed in fighting in the Belgorod region. The information could not be verified. The Russian authorities also spoke of 13 injured residents. A man had been killed.

The Ukrainian armed forces have already received about 220,000 artillery shells and mortar shells through the new EU ammunition supply initiative. This was announced by a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels. In addition, according to their information, around 1,300 missiles were delivered, including anti-tank missiles, anti-ship missiles and anti-aircraft missiles.

In March, the EU states promised Ukraine to provide a million new artillery shells and missiles for the defensive war against Russia within twelve months. They are to be organized from the stocks of the Member States, but in future also via new joint procurement projects.

Zelensky plans to add more marines

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to expand the country’s marine infantry. With the formation of a Marian Infantry Corps, new brigades are to be added to existing units, Zelensky said in his evening video address on Tuesday. “And we will equip them with modern weapons and equipment,” he added. Zelensky had previously visited Ukrainian marines at the front.

According to official information, Selenski was traveling between the towns of Wuhledar and Marjinka when he visited the front on Tuesday. Both places are considered focal points of the war and are heavily contested. Ukraine has been fighting the Russian war of aggression for 15 months.

This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:

“Our troops control the south-western outskirts of the city in the district of “Flugzeug”,” said Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar on Tuesday about the situation in Bakhmut, which has been heavily contested for months. Fighting continues in the suburbs. There, the Russian troops had partly gone over to the defense. The Ukrainians gained “insignificant” territory north and south of Bakhmut. Moscow had announced at the weekend that it would take the now completely destroyed city.

Russia: Military jet wanted to intercept US bombers

Russia reported on Tuesday an incident in which a military jet was dispatched to intercept two US bombers in case they crossed the border. The Pentagon spoke of a long-planned exercise in Europe. Interaction with the crew of the Russian plane was “safe and professional,” a US Department of Defense spokesman said.

According to the military, the Russian Su-27 interceptor took off after two foreign aircraft approached Russian airspace over the Baltic States, the Itar-Tass and Interfax news agencies reported. They had been identified as American B-1B supersonic bombers. The machines would then have moved away from Russian airspace.

What will be important on Wednesday

On Wednesday there could be new information on the situation in Russia’s Belgorod region and the embattled Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is expected in Beijing on his visit to China after attending an economic forum. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is traveling to Romania, which borders Ukraine, for a three-day state visit.

More: Current news on the development of the Ukraine war can be found in our news blog