War against Ukraine: this is the situation

Russian invasion - War against Ukraine: this is the situation

In view of uncertain military aid for the coming year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphatically called on the international community to join forces in the fight against Russia's aggression.

"Russian terror must be defeated. Terror must always fail. And all of us in the free world must ensure this together," Selensky said on Thursday in his evening video address shortly before the end of the year.

Everything must be done to ensure that everyone "shows strength together" in the coming year. Selensky thanked Pope Francis for his peace wishes for Ukraine and the USA for a new military aid package.

The United States had supplied new missiles for air defense as well as Himars cruise missiles, 155 and 105 millimeter caliber artillery ammunition and additional armored vehicles. "Everything we need," said Selenskyj. The Ukrainian military repeatedly emphasizes that it needs much more ammunition for the defensive fight against the Russian war of aggression that has been going on for more than 22 months. Some of the Western allies have supply problems.

During the night, Russia once again massively attacked the neighboring country with drones and missiles from various directions, according to the Ukrainian air force. There was an air alert in large parts of the country. In the early morning, there were reports of strikes and explosions from the cities of Lviv in the west and Kharkiv in the east of the country.

Kiev has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression, with which Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin wants to destroy the neighboring country as a state, since February 24, 2022. Ukraine, which is striving to join the EU and NATO, is relying on help from the West in its fight against the invasion.

Russia expands arms production

In Russia, on the other hand, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, who started the war almost two years ago, was informed by Sergei Chemezov, head of the Rostech company, about a "massive expansion" of arms production. The production of ammunition for firearms had been increased 50-fold and the production of tanks seven-fold, said Chemezov. He did not give specific figures. Following complaints from the Russian military about a shortage of ammunition, Putin had the war economy ramped up throughout the country.

Former Kremlin chief Dmitry Medvedev told the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti that Moscow would continue its war until all goals were achieved, including the demilitarization of the country. Medvedev, who is deputy head of the National Security Council, also specifically referred to Odessa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kiev as "Russian cities" that are currently "occupied" by Ukrainians, among others. Putin had recently told military officers that Russia had no interest in the areas in western Ukraine that once belonged to Poland.

Russia again punishes opponents of the war

Meanwhile, two opponents of the war have once again been sentenced to long prison terms in Russia. The two young men had caused a stir last year with a public action against Russia's war of aggression in which they recited poems. A court in Moscow has now sentenced the poet Artyom Kamardin to seven years in prison and the author Yegor Shtovba to five and a half years in prison.

The court accused the two of discrediting the Russian army. The Federal Foreign Office in Berlin criticized the sentences. "The Russian regime is allowing the judiciary to stifle freedom of expression," the ministry announced on the X portal (formerly Twitter). Human rights activists criticize the fact that the Kremlin-controlled judiciary repeatedly imposes long prison sentences on opponents of the war in particular in order to deter other people from protesting against Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Selensky appoints new governor

The eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, which is being fought over by Ukrainian and Russian troops, has a new governor. President Zelensky appointed Vadym Filashkin by decree published on Thursday. Filashkin had already been deputy governor for the region since February 2019.

His predecessor Pavlo Kyrylenko was appointed head of the Cartel Office in Kiev in September. Russia is laying claim to the Donetsk region. More than half of the area on the border with Russia is occupied by Russian troops.

What is important today

Russian troops see themselves on the offensive with territorial gains, particularly in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. In contrast, the Ukrainian military says it is continuing to do everything in its power to repel the Russian attacks.

Message from the Ukrainian President Kremlin head Putin at the meeting with Rostech boss