War against Ukraine: this is the situation
With the sudden onset of winter in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has drawn the attention of the population to the particularly difficult situation of soldiers on the front line. Meanwhile, the General Staff in Kiev reported new heavy fighting, particularly in the east of the country. At the same time, the general spoke of high losses suffered by the Russian attackers.
Instead of the usual reports on the situation on the fronts, the snowstorm in the south and east of the country forced the Ukrainian head of state to address the unusual topic of the weather in his evening video address. "Now, when it is so difficult, when the conditions are so difficult, we should all be especially grateful to those who are maintaining the defense of our country," said Selenskyj. In particular, he mentioned the soldiers "in the positions, at posts and in mobile fire units". They are all deployed in winter conditions to "protect Ukraine, the life of our state and our independence".
A heavy snowstorm initially hit the entire Black Sea coast of Ukraine on Sunday, causing considerable problems in many places. In addition to the power supply in some areas, road traffic also collapsed, while central parts of the country initially had to contend with cold and sleet. The snowstorm also paralyzed traffic and public life on the Crimean peninsula, which was occupied by Russia and annexed in violation of international law.
Last winter, the Russian military attempted to put pressure on the Ukrainian population with air strikes against the country's energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian government is expecting a similar scenario this winter.
Kiev: Russia suffered heavy losses last week
According to Ukrainian reports, the Russian armed forces suffered heavy losses in the various combat zones in Ukraine last week. "6260 occupants and 672 units of weaponry and military technology were destroyed," the Unian agency quoted Deputy Defense Minister Olexandr Pavlyuk as saying. The destroyed weapon systems included 78 tanks, 113 armored personnel carriers and 130 artillery systems. The information could not be independently verified.
In the daily updated list of Russian losses in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, the Ukrainian General Staff on Sunday listed 324,830 soldiers who had either been killed or wounded. The number of Russian tanks destroyed so far was given as 5513. The Ukrainian armed forces also claim to have shot down 5900 drones in the fight against Russian air strikes. These figures cannot be verified either.
Neither Kiev nor Moscow publish the actual losses of their armed forces. In the summer, US experts recently estimated Russian losses at around 120,000 dead and 180,000 wounded, while 70,000 soldiers are said to have been killed and around 120,000 wounded on the Ukrainian side.
Heavy fighting in the east and south of Ukraine
The Ukrainian military leadership reported a series of Russian attacks, particularly in the east of the country. Around Avdiivka, five Russian attacks had been repulsed. Heavy Russian artillery attacks were reported from the Kherson region in the south of Ukraine. The reports could not be independently verified.
On Sunday, the Ukrainian military warned of the danger of a new seizure of the industrial city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region in view of the ongoing Russian offensive in the east of the country. "The Russian occupiers have not given up their intention to attack the city of Kupyansk, they want to occupy it again," said the spokesman for the Ukrainian army troops, Volodymyr Fitjo.
What will be important on Monday
New fighting is expected in eastern Ukraine around Avdiivka and in the south of the country around the Ukrainian bridgeheads on the Dnipro near Kherson.
Despite the ongoing conflicts in eastern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky empathized with the soldiers enduring harsh winter conditions on the front lines, expressing gratitude for their relentless defense of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin's forces reportedly suffered heavy losses last week, with an estimated 6260 troops and 672 pieces of weaponry destroyed, according to Ukrainian reports.
Source: www.dpa.com
