Putin's war - After a break of several months: Ukraine's major prisoner exchange with Russia
Russia is continuing its series of night-time airstrikes on Ukraine. An air alert was triggered in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv late on Wednesday evening. "An explosion in Kharkiv. The occupiers are striking", wrote the head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, Oleh Synyehubov, on Telegram. There was initially no information on damage or casualties. Russian combat drones also flew over Ukraine for several hours, threatening areas in the south and west.
After days of numerous Russian airstrikes and Ukrainian counterattacks over the New Year, there was a positive sign: Both sides exchanged prisoners again after a break of several months. 230 Ukrainian men and women returned from Russian captivity. 248 Russian prisoners were released back home.
Fighting continued on the front in the east and south, albeit less intense due to an approaching cold front. In the evening report for Wednesday, the Ukrainian General Staff spoke of 47 Russian attack attempts. Thursday marks the 680th day since the start of the large-scale Russian invasion of the neighboring country.
Ukraine: Largest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the war
According to the Ukrainian Coordination Staff, the exchange of prisoners was the largest since the Russian invasion over 22 months ago. The returnees included defenders from the port city of Mariupol and Snake Island. "We think of all Ukrainians who are in Russian captivity," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in a video address. "There was a long pause in the exchange, but there was no pause in negotiations on an exchange." He said he was glad that the blockade had been overcome.
The last exchange had taken place in July last year. Ukraine had already returned 2828 of its citizens from Russian captivity during the war, said Andryj Jussow, spokesman for the military intelligence service HUR. According to information from Kiev, over 4000 Ukrainians are still in Russian captivity.
Energy supplier does not expect the power grid to collapse
The Ukrainian energy supplier Ukrenerho does not expect the power grid to collapse. "The enemy will not reach it," said Ukrenerho CEO Volodymyr Kudrytskyi in Kiev. Hits could cause problems. "But I am sure that it will only be temporary interruptions to the power supply due to damage to some systems," he said. "There will be no collapse of the power grid." Nevertheless, he advised Ukrainians to use electricity sparingly.
Last winter, Russia used drones and missiles to try to destroy the supply of electricity, heat and water in Ukraine. There were outages, but the system held up overall. There have also been attacks on the energy infrastructure this winter. According to Western experts, however, the attacks are currently primarily directed against Ukrainian defense companies.
Better power supply for occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant
To prevent a nuclear accident, the emergency power supply system at the occupied Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya has been improved. At the urging of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Russian operators of the nuclear power plant near the front line set up a system that automatically connects the nuclear power plant to a backup power line in case the main line fails. This was announced by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi in Vienna on Wednesday.
The power plant, which is currently not generating any electricity, needs electricity from outside to ensure that the reactors are cooled on a permanent basis. The nuclear power plant has already suffered several temporary power outages in the course of the Russian war of aggression.
This will be important on Thursday
The Ukrainian military continues to expect Russian attacks on the front in the east and south. The focal point of the fighting is likely to remain the city of Avdiivka in the Donbass, which is close to the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk.
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- Despite the ongoing night-time airstrikes by Russia on Ukraine, there was a positive development during the New Year celebrations – a major prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia.
- The Russian-occupied city of Kharkiv was targeted with an explosion on New Year's Eve, causing uncertainty about potential damage and casualties.
- As the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, noted in a video address, the prisoner exchange was the largest since the start of the war and included returnees from Mariupol and Snake Island.
- The city of Avdiivka in the Donbass remains a crucial focal point of fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists, with the Ukrainian military expecting further attacks on the front in the east and south.
- During the negotiations for the prisoner exchange, men and women were included in the exchange, highlighting the role of both Women and Men in the conflict.
- While the Ukrainian energy supplier Ukrenerho does not anticipate a collapse of the power grid, it advisable for Ukrainians to conserve Electricity due to potential damage from Russian attacks.
Source: www.stern.de
