Ukrainian military pushes back Russian troops

Kharkiv

Ukrainian soldiers have regained territory north of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine.

(Photo: dpa)

Kyiv Ukrainian troops report a symbolic success in their counter-offensive in the eastern Kharkiv region: they have at least at one point advanced to the border with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wants to increasingly ask in Africa and Asia for help in the Russian war of aggression against his country.

Ukrainian troops advance from Kharkiv to the Russian border

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense released a video showing a dozen soldiers next to a border post in the national colors of blue and yellow on Monday night. According to the information, they belong to a volunteer brigade from the city of Kharkiv.

Another video clip published online shows the soldiers bringing the stake and placing it in front of a ditch with Russian border signs. The Ukrainian military had already reported in the past few days that they were gradually pushing back Russian troops near Kharkiv.

Russia had already withdrawn its troops in northern Ukraine after being stopped in front of the capital, Kyiv. Russia is currently concentrating on the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where pro-Russian separatists, with help from Moscow, have had some areas under their control since 2014.

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Governor: Ukraine still controls 10 percent of Luhansk

Despite heavy Russian attacks, the Ukrainian army still controls around ten percent of the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, according to the regional governor. In particular, the Russians have not been able to take the outskirts of the cities of Rubishne, Sievjerodonetsk and Lysychansk so far, stressed Serhiy Hajday on Sunday. In the Donetsk region, also in eastern Ukraine, three civilians were killed and 13 others injured in Russian attacks on Sunday, according to the regional administration.

Ukraine: Putin prevents rescue of injured people from Azov valley

According to the Ukrainian government, the rescue of at least the injured defenders of the Azovtal steelworks in Mariupol failed due to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The plant is under heavy fire from the Russian military – and some critics at home accuse Kyiv of having abandoned the soldiers.

Ukrainians continue to hold out in Mariupol: steel mill still under siege

Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyr emphasized that a military operation to free the trapped people is currently not possible. They are working on proposals to get them released – but “Putin just doesn’t agree to it.”

Ukraine also wants to solicit support from Africa and Asia

Zelenski wants to address parliaments in African and Asian countries, as he said in his daily video address. In the past few months, the Ukrainian President had, among other things, asked parliamentarians in Europe via video link for support.

He hopes, among other things, that this will speed up Ukraine’s accession to the EU. In a week he also wants to address the World Economic Forum in Davos, where, among other things, post-war reconstruction will be discussed.

This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:

Another goal is the tightening of sanctions against Russia, emphasized Zelenski. “The occupiers must constantly feel the increasing price of war for them.” The oil embargo against Russia is a priority. “No matter how much Moscow tries to obstruct this decision, Europe’s period of dependence on Russian energy resources is coming to an end. And that won’t change either,” said Zelenski.

Hacking of the Lviv City Hall

The city administration of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv was the target of a cyber attack by suspected Russian hackers. As a result of the attack on Friday, some city services were no longer available, Deputy Mayor Andriy Moskalenko wrote on Facebook. Part of it had been restored by Sunday.

The attackers also stole data from the city administration, which was then published on the Telegram chat service, Moskalenko wrote. The Ukraine has long been in the sights of hacker groups, which Western IT security experts attribute to the environment of Russian secret services.

That’s going to be important today

The EU foreign ministers want to discuss the latest developments in the Ukraine war in Brussels. The meeting is overshadowed by the dispute within the EU over an import ban on Russian oil. The plans for this are hanging in the balance because Hungary is unwilling to support them.

In Sweden and Finland, the parliaments meet to debate whether the two countries should join NATO. A decision on the Swedish government’s application for membership is expected on Monday. The EU Commission presents its spring economic forecast in Brussels. The prospects for the European economy are uncertain because of the war.

More: You can follow the latest developments in our news blog

source site-18