Volodymyr Zelensky lowered expectations of the Ukrainian army’s advance.
(Photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire)
Kyiv Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dampened expectations of the ongoing Kiev offensive. “We must understand very clearly – as clearly as possible – that the Russian forces in our southern and eastern areas will do everything possible to stop our soldiers,” Zelensky said in his evening video address on Friday.
Therefore, one must be grateful for every kilometer that one’s own troops advance and for every success in battle, he said. The statement is an indication of the difficulties faced by the Ukrainian military in its offensive.
After the NATO summit in Vilnius, from which Zelenski returned with promises from the G7 about a security partnership instead of an invitation to join NATO, the head of state’s attention was once again focused more on current events at the front.
At a meeting with the military leadership, the combat operations, the supply of the troops and the coordination with the partners in the supply of weapons and ammunition were discussed, the 45-year-old said. He also announced an upcoming reform of military training.
In early June, Ukrainian troops in the south began their offensive to recapture areas that Russia had occupied at the beginning of its more than 16-month war of aggression. So far, the Ukrainians’ gains in territory have been small. Both sides report heavy fighting.
>> Read also: Military expert Gressel on the Ukraine offensive – “Greater progress can only be expected in August”
Ukraine: Need more reconstruction money from abroad for 2023
Ukraine complained about insufficient international funding for the “rapid reconstruction” projects planned for this year. Of the expected equivalent of around 12.5 billion euros, only just under 3.5 billion euros have been made available, said Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko, according to a statement on Friday.
Priority is given to “rapid reconstruction” as it ensures safe living conditions for the Ukrainians and economic recovery. Key areas include vital infrastructure and the energy sector, home repair and mine clearance.
Abbot of Kiev Cave Monastery now in custody
The abbot of the world-famous Kiev Cave Monastery, Pavlo, who was previously under house arrest, has now been taken into custody by a court in the Ukrainian capital. The metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is being accused of justifying Russia’s war of aggression and national hate speech, national radio Suspilne Media reported on Friday. The detention is valid until September 14th.
The abbot of the monastery has now been taken into custody.
(Photo: dpa)
The Ukrainian authorities have been taking action against the monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for months. Zelenski sees the church being riddled with spies loyal to Moscow. In fact, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was closely allied with the Moscow Patriarchate until the beginning of the war. Only then did she break away from Moscow. Despite this, she is considered politically unreliable in Kiev. The political leadership therefore wants to hand over the Kiev Cave Monastery to the still young Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Estonia extradites suspected Russian arms smuggler to US
Estonia has extradited a Russian citizen with suspected links to Russia’s FSB secret service to the United States. He is said to have helped circumvent sanctions. The charges against Wadim K. were to be read out on Friday, according to the US judiciary.
The defendant is suspected of helping the domestic intelligence agency FSB smuggle both military and civilian technology and large quantities of ammunition from US companies to Russia to support the “Russian war machine”. In doing so, he violated US export controls and economic sanctions. If convicted, K. faces up to 30 years in prison.
The 48-year-old used front companies to cover up his criminal activities, the statement said. Estonia is said to have served as a transhipment point for smuggling goods from the USA to Russia.
Estonian authorities arrested K. at the request of the United States on October 27, 2022, when he tried to bring about 35 different types of semiconductors and electronic components, several of which came from the United States and were subject to export controls, to Russia . He was extradited to the United States on Thursday.
Minsk: Wagner fighters now in Belarus training troops
Mercenaries from the Russian private army Wagner have now arrived in Belarus after weeks of speculation about their whereabouts, according to information from Minsk. The Belarusian Defense Ministry announced on Friday that the men had started work as trainers for a number of military disciplines. The camp is located in Ossipowichi, around 100 kilometers south-east of the capital Minsk.
A moderator in a ministry video said that the Wagner mercenaries shared their combat experience with the Belarusian armed forces. Soldiers in the country, which is a close ally of Russia under ruler Alexander Lukashenko and also gives up its territories for attacks on Ukraine, expressed their gratitude for the instructions in the clip.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:
What will be important on Saturday
With the cluster munitions that have arrived, the Ukraine hopes to be able to force its major offensive to recapture its own areas in the east and south. Russia’s troops continue to resist along the fortified front lines of defense.
More: All developments in the Ukraine war in our news blog