Russian invasion - Air alert in large parts of Ukraine - Kiev searches for Moscow Patriarch Kirill
After several days and nights of heavy Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has praised the work of the Ukrainian air defense. In one week, 104 of 112 attacking Shahed drones had been intercepted, Selenskyj said in his evening video on Saturday. "And the destruction of each one means that lives and infrastructure were saved," he said, thanking all the air defense soldiers.
There was also an air alert over large parts of eastern Ukraine on Sunday night. According to the air force in Kiev, Russian drones had entered Ukrainian airspace from the east and south. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff reported continued heavy fighting on the ground. Foreign experts such as the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in the USA have observed that Russia is gaining ground with its advances.
Ukraine has been fending off a large-scale Russian invasion for almost 22 months; Sunday marks the 662nd day of war. Including the Crimean peninsula, around a fifth of the country is occupied by Russian soldiers.
Dozens of battles at the front
According to its leadership, the Ukrainian army also repelled dozens of Russian attacks on the front in the east and south of the country on Saturday. The General Staff's evening report spoke of 71 battles - a slight decrease after 82 battles on Friday. The military figures could not be independently verified. Nevertheless, the figures allow conclusions to be drawn about the intensity of the fighting.
Most of the Russian attacks were once again in the city of Avdiivka and the surrounding area in Donbass - 27 battles were recorded. They were repelled, according to the report. In the Kupjansk front section further north in the Kharkiv and Luhansk regions, the Ukrainian military recorded eleven battles near the village of Synkiwka. According to ISW estimates, Russian troops have also been on the offensive there for days and are advancing. There has been no mention of Ukrainian offensive actions in the general staff reports for some time now. After the largely unsuccessful summer offensive, the Kiev troops are preparing for defense.
Western air defense equipment proves its worth in Ukraine
Among the successes of the air defense, Selenskyj cited the fact that ballistic missiles from Russia were taken out of the sky last week. "The Patriots, Nasams, Cheetahs and other systems provided by our partners are working perfectly," he said. At the same time, it is important to further improve the air defense over Ukraine, said the head of state. This was an issue in almost every one of his contacts with foreign partners.
In recent nights, Russia has attacked with swarms of combat drones. As was the case last winter, the targets are often energy supply facilities. However, Ukraine's air defense is much better equipped this winter. Nevertheless, according to civilian authorities, there were dozens of casualties and damage last week - including in Kiev.
Ukraine writes out Moscow Patriarch Kirill as wanted man
In the fight against the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, Ukraine has issued a wanted notice for Moscow Patriarch Kirill. He is accused of being one of the main supporters of the Russian war of aggression. The Ministry of the Interior in Kiev has placed the church leader, whose real name is Vladimir Gundyayev, on the list of wanted persons. His whereabouts were given as Moscow.
Kirill clearly supports the war of aggression against Ukraine ordered by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. Like Putin, he insists on Russia's claim to power over the neighboring countries where Russians live. In Ukraine, he still has influence over the priests and communities that profess allegiance to the Moscow Patriarchate.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister praises Chancellor Scholz and wants more leadership
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba praised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's commitment to Ukraine at the recent EU summit. "What Chancellor Olaf Scholz did at the summit to remove the threat of a Hungarian veto will go down in history as an act of German leadership in the interests of Europe," Kuleba told Bild am Sonntag. At the same time, Kuleba called for more German leadership. "I can only hope that this will also mean a broader and irreversible turnaround in Germany's attitude towards leading efforts to resolve the most complicated issues," he said.
The dispute over EU accession negotiations with Ukraine was considered deadlocked until the summit because Hungary was blocking them. As a solution, Scholz suggested to Prime Minister Viktor Orban that he leave the meeting for the vote. This allowed the other heads of state and government to reach the necessary consensus.
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- Amidst the ongoing conflict, Ukrainian authorities have added Moscow Patriarch Kirill to their wanted list, accusing him of supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine from his base in Moscow.
- In response to the increased Russian drone attacks, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed to international allies for further improvements in Ukraine's air defense systems, particularly in Kiev, which has suffered casualties and damage recently.
- Despite the Ukrainian military's success in repelling over 70 Russian attacks in the eastern and southern regions last week, Russian troops are reportedly advancing in the Kupjansk front section, posing a threat to Ukrainian territories such as Synkiwka in the Kharkiv and Luhansk regions.
Source: www.stern.de
