Russian invasion - War against Ukraine: this is the situation
The annual meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will take place without the top diplomats from Ukraine and the Baltic states.
In protest against the participation of their Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov, they had canceled their attendance at the two-day conference in Skopje, North Macedonia, at short notice. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on the other hand, stood by their attendance.
Russia's leadership appeared belligerent ahead of the meeting. "We will insist on the return of the OSCE to its original principles and its original purpose," said Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, according to the state news agency Tass. He described the mood among the Russian delegation as "militantly determined". At the same time, Grushko called the non-arrival of the Balts insignificant. Their presence at the summit was not decisive for the future of the OSCE, he explained.
After more than 21 months of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the OSCE is one of the few dialog forums for security and democracy policy in which Western representatives still sit at the same table as Russia. However, Moscow has largely blocked the organization with its veto stance since the start of the war.
Baerbock: OSCE central piece of the puzzle for security in Europe
In view of Moscow's blockade, Foreign Minister Baerbock called for the OSCE to remain operational. If the OSCE is to continue to ensure the security of the 1.3 billion people in its 57 member states, "we must also give it the tools and the pilots to ensure that it remains reasonably operational and can continue - even in rough weather", said the Green politician on Wednesday before her departure for the annual OSCE ministerial meeting.
Selenskyj visited the frontline in the Kharkiv region
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has traveled to the frontline area in the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine. "There are commanders here who are defending peaceful life in Ukraine, in the Kharkiv region, in the Kupyansk section," said Zelenskyi according to a statement at a command post.
The president recalled the losses suffered. "Everyone knows that this is the highest price and therefore I ask you to take care of yourselves, your comrades, officers, soldiers," he said. He then presented awards to several commanders.
Russia reports the capture of a village in the Donetsk region
The Russian army has reported that it has captured another village in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. The village of Khromove (Artyomovskoye in Russian) has now been brought completely under Russian control, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced. The village is located to the west of the town of Bakhmut (Artyomovsk in Russian), which was occupied by Russian troops and largely destroyed during the war.
The information could not be verified. There was initially no comment from Ukraine. The capture would be a setback for the Ukrainian armed forces, who want to liberate their territories occupied by Russian troops with a counter-offensive.
Dead and injured after Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine
At least one person has been killed and ten others injured as a result of Russian missile attacks in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. In the village of Novohrodivka near Pokrovsk, a Russian S-300 missile hit a residential building and killed one resident, military governor Ihor Moros announced on Telegram. Four other people were still believed to be under the rubble, including a child.
It had previously been reported that at least ten people had been injured by rocket attacks in the Pokrovsk region. Four of them were children, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. He also spoke of missiles of the S-300 type. Photos he published showed a completely destroyed building.
According to the General Staff, Ukraine was attacked with a total of 8 missiles and 20 combat drones during the night. Of the drones, 14 were intercepted. In Khmelnytskyi in western Ukraine, according to local reports, debris from a downed drone fell on the site of a former factory. However, there were no casualties.
Nato assumes enormous Russian losses in Ukraine
According to NATO estimates, the number of Russian soldiers killed or wounded in Ukraine has exceeded the 300,000 mark. "Militarily, Russia has lost a considerable part of its conventional armed forces," said Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after an alliance meeting with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Brussels. This also included hundreds of aircraft and thousands of tanks. At the same time, Stoltenberg warned against pinning high hopes on the losses leading to a quick end to the war in Ukraine.
Russian general and police officer killed in Ukraine
The death of several high-ranking Russian military and police officers in the Moscow-occupied part of the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson is an example of the high casualties. Russian state media reported at least four police officers dead and 18 officers of the occupying forces injured in an attack on the village of Juwilejne the day before.
The Ukrainian military and independent Russian Telegram channels confirmed the attack on the meeting of occupation officials in the village located around 65 kilometers southeast of Kherson. There was talk of five police officers dead in Kiev. The Russian research group CIT (Conflict Intelligence Team), which is close to the opposition, also reported the suspected death of a Russian major general.
Lesen Sie auch:
- Despite the cancellation of attendance by Ukrainian and Baltic diplomats due to Sergei Lavrov, Annalena Baerbock and Antony Blinken will attend the OSCE meeting in Skopje.
- Alexander Grushko, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, expressed a militant determination among the Russian delegation at the upcoming OSCE meeting.
- The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a crucial dialogue forum for security and democracy policy, with Annalena Baerbock calling for it to remain operational.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyi visited the frontline in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, expressing concern for commanders defending peaceful life.
- The Russian army claimed to have captured the village of Khromove in the Donetsk region, but this cannot be verified and Ukraine has not yet commented.
- At least one person was killed and ten others injured due to Russian missile attacks in the Donetsk region, with four people still believed to be under the rubble.
- NATO estimates suggest that over 300,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Ukraine, though Jens Stoltenberg warned against high hopes for a quick end to the war.
- High-ranking Russian military and police officers have reportedly been killed or injured in the Moscow-occupied part of southern Ukraine, with several police officers dead and dozens injured.
- The annual meeting of foreign ministers of the OSCE will focus on the situation in Ukraine, with the Russian invasion and war against Ukraine being the main topic.
- The participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has sparked protests, leading to the cancellation of attendance by Ukrainian and Baltic diplomats at the OSCE meeting.
- In view of Moscow's blockade of the OSCE, Annalena Baerbock called for the organization to remain operational, as it is one of the few dialog forums for security and democracy policy in Europe.
- The meeting of foreign ministers will bring together representatives from various European nations, including Russia and Ukraine, to discuss the ongoing conflicts and seek a peaceful resolution.
Source: www.stern.de
