Several advances by Russian troops were repulsed in Bakhmut and Avdiivka
(Photo: dpa)
Kyiv According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Russian military is sticking to its previous tactics of targeted attacks against the Ukrainian energy grid. In order to alleviate the suffering of the population, winter aid worth billions is to be launched at an international conference in Paris on Tuesday.
“After every Russian attack, we restore the system as far as possible,” said Zelensky in his daily video address on Monday evening. Everything is being done to bring new equipment into the country and repair the damage.
Nevertheless, it should be borne in mind that Russia has not given up its tactics. “The lack of massive rocket attacks only means that the enemy is preparing for new ones and can strike at any time,” Zelenskiy said.
According to estimates by the Ukrainian military intelligence service, Russia still has an arsenal of around 360 cruise missiles. This would be enough for at least five waves of attacks, said spokesman Vadim Skibizkyj.
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For weeks, the Russian armed forces have been targeting the entire energy infrastructure with missiles and so-called kamikaze drones. As a result, massive failures in the water and power supply are the order of the day. This tactic is primarily intended to wear down the civilian population in winter and stir up unrest.
In this context, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke on Monday of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “cynical tactics” and “barbaric attacks against critical national infrastructure”.
Kiev: Battles for Bakhmut and Avdiivka continue
Heavy fighting for the villages of Bakhmut and Avdiivka in Donbass in eastern Ukraine continues, according to reports from Kiev. Several advances by Russian troops were repelled there, the Ukrainian general staff said on Monday evening.
Several attacks with Russian multiple rocket launchers were reported from Cherson in southern Ukraine. There were dead and injured, it said. The information could not be independently verified.
In several attacks by the Ukrainian air force and the barrel and rocket artillery, Russian troops and armored vehicles were targeted, sources in Kiev said. However, the military did not provide any more detailed information about the location.
Scholz: Make preparations for the time after the end of the war
Chancellor Olaf Scholz held out the prospect of a return to economic cooperation with Russia if the war in Ukraine were to end. Scholz said on Monday at the 70th anniversary of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations that Russia would remain the largest country on the European continent even after the end of the war. It is therefore important to make preparations for this time. “One thing is clear: the relationships we had are currently being reduced,” said Scholz.
The Chancellor has pledged further support to Ukraine after a video link with the G7 countries.
(Photo: IMAGO/Christian Spicker)
The G7 countries pledged their continued support to Ukraine in its defensive struggle against Russia. The states are still firmly on the side of Ukraine, said Chancellor Scholz on Monday evening in Berlin after a switching conference with the other heads of state and government and the Ukrainian President Selenskyj. They will support Ukraine “as long as it is necessary”.
At the same time, the economic pressure on Russia is kept high. On behalf of the G7, the Chancellor again called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to “stop the senseless killing in Ukraine and withdraw his troops”.
Zelenskyj proposes Russia’s withdrawal for Christmas
The Ukrainian President indirectly suggested to Moscow that the occupying forces should be withdrawn from Ukraine by Christmas. With this step, Russia can show its true intentions, Zelensky said in a video link to the G7 summit in Berlin on Monday.
Should Russia withdraw its armies from Ukraine, this would ensure a reliable cessation of hostilities. “And I see no reason why Russia isn’t doing it now, at Christmas. The answer from Moscow will show what they really want there,” Zelensky was quoted as saying by the Unian state agency.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:
That will be important on Tuesday
The EU states have just agreed in Brussels on a package worth billions for Ukraine, which has been badly hit by the war. Emergency aid for the winter is now to be mobilized at an international conference in Paris.
At the meeting on Tuesday with representatives from around 70 countries, international organizations and the European Union, the focus is on repairing the infrastructure destroyed by the Russian war of aggression, above all the power and heat supply. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Monday estimated the extent of the damage to the power grid at one billion dollars.
More: Don’t miss any developments in the Ukraine war – everything new in our news blog