Russian general shot down in fighter jet according to BBC Poland accuses Germany of breaching its promise on arms deliveries Habeck sees oil embargo coming Developments in the Ukraine war in the stern ticker.
Day 90 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Three months after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects more difficult weeks for his country. Again he demands more weapons from the West so that Ukraine can defend itself.
Since the beginning of the war, the United Nations has now registered more than 6.5 million people who have fled Ukraine – most of them to Poland. At least 3,930 civilian deaths have been documented, and the number of injuries confirmed by the UN is 4,532. The British secret service estimates that Russian casualties in Ukraine are already as high as those of the Soviets in Afghanistan.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) receives her Polish colleague Zbigniew Rau for talks in Berlin on Tuesday. The Foreign Office said it would be about Russia’s war in Ukraine and other international, European and bilateral issues.
8:04 p.m .: Schröder waives nomination for Gazprom’s supervisory board
According to his own statements, ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder renounced his nomination for the supervisory board of the Russian energy company Gazprom a long time ago. He also informed the company of this, Schröder said on the online portal “Linkedin”. The authenticity of the contribution was confirmed to the German Press Agency from its environment.
7:34 p.m .: State of emergency in Hungary from midnight due to the Ukraine war
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared a state of emergency in the EU country because of the Ukraine war. As Orban announced on Tuesday evening, the state of emergency that will apply from midnight is intended to protect the country from the economic effects of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Orban had already declared a state of emergency because of the corona pandemic, but this order expires next Tuesday.
7:17 p.m .: Tichanovskaya calls West to unity on Vilnius
The Belarusian opposition activist Svetlana Tichanovskaya has called on the West to unite in the face of the Ukraine war. “It is very important for us that the West remains united in supporting Ukraine and Belarus. Today, dictators are trying to break that unity, to drive a wedge between the United States and the European Union, between individual EU countries,” she said in a speech at the Lithuanian Parliament in Vilnius.
6.30 p.m .: Russians are said to have captured a city in the Donetsk region
In eastern Ukraine, according to both sides, Russian troops have captured the small town of Svitlodarsk in the Donetsk region. According to reports in the Ukrainian media, the head of the local military administration, Serhiy Hoshko, confirmed the statements made by the pro-Russian separatists. Ukraine’s largest coal-fired power plant is located near Svitlodarsk. Earlier, the separatists reported about the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the area who were threatened with encirclement.
5:34 p.m .: Former Chancellor Schröder nominated for the Supervisory Board at Gazprom
Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has officially been nominated for a seat on the supervisory board of the Russian energy giant Gazprom. This was announced by the state-owned company, as reported by several media. There has been speculation about this move before. It is still unclear whether Schröder will accept the post. In his only interview with the New York Times since the beginning of the Ukraine war, Schröder left open whether he would accept a nomination for the supervisory board post. The state-owned company Rosneft announced last Friday that Schröder would not extend his term as head of the supervisory board. Schröder is still the leading lobbyist for the Gazprom subsidiaries Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2. The Gazprom general meeting is scheduled for June 30th.
5:05 p.m .: Russia imposes entry ban on British lords
Russia has imposed a travel ban on 154 members of the British House of Lords. According to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow, this is in response to the British government’s decision in March to impose sanctions on almost all members of the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house. Among others, the conservative former British Foreign Secretary William Hague is affected by the entry ban. Russian-born media entrepreneur Yevgeny Lebedev, who received a peerage from Prime Minister Boris Johnson two years ago, is still allowed to travel to Russia.
4:46 p.m .: According to the BBC, a Russian general is killed when the plane is shot down
A Russian air force general has been shot down and killed in eastern Ukraine, according to a BBC report. Major General Kanamat Botashov’s plane was hit by a Stinger missile over the small town of Popasna in the Donbass on Sunday, the British broadcaster reported in its Russian-language service. Botashov would be the highest-ranking Russian air force officer killed since the beginning of the aggressive war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian media reported the shooting down of a Russian Su-25 fighter jet on Sunday. As the BBC now reports, citing several sources, Botashov was in the cockpit. The pilot’s death has not been officially confirmed. According to Ukrainian sources, he would be the ninth Russian general to die in the war.
4:43 p.m .: Baerbock wants to clarify ambiguities in the tank ring exchange together
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and her Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau have emphasized their willingness to clear up problems and misunderstandings in the planned exchange of tank rings. It is clear “that we cannot deliver heavy material at the push of a button or by snapping our fingers,” Baerbock said after meeting Rau in Berlin. It is “important that you are in constant communication with each other so that no misunderstandings arise”. According to a translation by the Foreign Office, Rau said that the devil is in the details on the subject. There is a will to solve the problem.
The exchange of rings is about Eastern European partners handing over Soviet-style weapons to the Ukraine and receiving more modern replacements from Germany. Poland’s President Andrzej Duda had previously accused the German government of breaching its promise to deliver tanks to his country.
4:34 p.m .: Hungary continues to block oil embargo against Russia
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to block the planned EU oil embargo against Russia. It is “very unlikely that a comprehensive solution can be found before the special summit of the European Council on May 30th and 31st,” Orban wrote in a letter to EU Council President Charles Michel, which is available to the AFP news agency. In a letter dated Monday, Orban warned that the sanctions proposed by the EU Commission would lead to “serious disruptions to the energy supply” in Hungary and a further massive increase in energy prices. At the same time, the Hungarian head of government called it “counterproductive” to discuss the sixth package of sanctions against Russia at the summit of heads of state and government as long as there was no consensus.
3:35 p.m.: Ukrainian doctor: 600 hospitals damaged by war
According to Ukrainian sources, 600 hospitals have already been destroyed or damaged as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Around 100 clinics could not be rebuilt, said the board member of the Ukrainian Medical Association Andriy Basylevych at the German Medical Association in Bremen. Many medics were killed or wounded.
Medical care is severely affected. “Women must give birth under unacceptable circumstances.” At the same time, the workload has doubled or tripled. Injuries not only to soldiers but also to civilians, women and children need to be treated, the Lviv medicine professor said on Monday.
3:13 p.m .: EU releases Ukraine import duties for one year
The European Union will waive import duties from Ukraine for a year. The member states have sealed a corresponding proposal from the EU Commission, as announced by the Council in Brussels. The European Parliament had spoken out in favor of trade liberalization just under a week ago.
The temporary lifting of import duties by the EU therefore primarily affects Ukrainian industrial products, fruit and vegetables and other agricultural products. The move is aimed at supporting exports from Ukraine to the EU and improving the situation of producers in the face of the Russian war of aggression.
3:07 p.m .: Russian security tips assume a longer Ukraine mission
The leaders of the Russian Defense Ministry and the powerful Security Council make it clear that the Russian military operation in Ukraine will last longer. “We will continue the military special operation until all goals have been achieved, regardless of the enormous Western aid for the regime in Kyiv and the unprecedented sanctions pressure,” said Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a video conference with counterparts from states of the former Soviet Union.
Shortly before, the secretary of the powerful National Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, said in one of his rare interviews that the Russian military operation in Ukraine would last as long as necessary.
3:04 p.m .: EU decides to finance further weapons for Ukraine
The EU increases funding to support the Ukrainian armed forces to two billion euros. As announced by the Council of Member States in Brussels, the outstanding decision has been taken. The political agreement on a further 500 million was reached in the middle of the month at a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
Of the extra money, $490 million will be spent on guns and ammunition, and $10 million on things like protective gear, first-aid kits and fuel. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell recently cited artillery pieces and armored vehicles as specific examples of planned arms deliveries.
The funding comes from the so-called European Peace Facility – a new EU financing instrument that can be used to strengthen armed forces in partner countries. For 2021 to 2027 it is equipped with five billion euros. According to Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD), Germany finances around a quarter. A first package of 500 million euros had already been approved at the end of February, two more followed in March and April.
2:37 p.m .: Ukrainian Foreign Minister calls for faster arms deliveries
In view of the heavy Russian attacks in the east, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called for faster military aid from the West. “It is too early to conclude that Ukraine already has all the weapons it needs,” Kuleba wrote on Twitter. “The Russian offensive in Donbass is a merciless battle, the largest on European soil since World War II.”
In particular, his country needs multiple rocket launchers and long-range artillery quickly. Kuleba wrote that he also spoke to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the phone about the delivery of heavy weapons. Once again he accused neighboring Russia, which started the war three months ago, of stealing Ukrainian grain.
2:20 p.m .: The Kremlin distances itself from the UN diplomat after resignation
The Kremlin has distanced itself from the man after the termination of a Russian diplomat at the United Nations in Geneva. “One can probably only say here that Mr. Bondarev no longer belongs to us – rather that he is against us,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday in Moscow, according to a report by the Interfax news agency. Embassy counselor Boris Bondarev resigned on Monday after 20 years in protest at Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Peskov said: “He condemned the actions of the Russian leadership – and the actions of the Russian leadership are supported by practically the entire population of our country. This means that this gentleman spoke out against the generally prevailing opinion of our country.”
1:46 p.m .: Moscow is preparing to abolish the age limit for military service
Russia is preparing to abolish the age limit for military service. This emerges from the agenda of the Moscow Duma, Russia’s lower house, for Wednesday. According to the explanations of the bill, under the current provisions only Russian citizens between the ages of 18 and 40 can enlist in the army, while foreigners can enlist between 18 and 30 years.
However, for the use of weapons “with high precision” it is important to bring “highly specialized specialists” to the army, the explanations continue. Apparently, the idea of lifting the age limit is being considered. The aim of this measure is to attract specialists in the fields of medical support, engineering and communication.
1.40 p.m .: Poland accuses Germany of breaching its word on arms deliveries
Poland’s head of state Andrzej Duda has accused the German government of not keeping promises on arms deliveries. Specifically, it is about a ring exchange of tanks. Germany had promised its neighbors Leopard tanks to replace the existing Polish tanks delivered to Ukraine. “Germany promised to deliver these tanks. They didn’t fulfill that promise. And frankly, we’re disappointed about it,” Duda told Welt.
By giving Ukraine its own tanks, Poland has weakened its own military potential and used up its own military stocks, Duda said. “That’s why we had hoped so much for support – support from NATO as a whole, support from the United States – but also support from Germany.” A large part of the Polish armed forces consists of German tanks of the Leopard type. Therefore, one would have been “very happy” about a ring exchange. In addition, Duda criticized the fact that the federal government was not doing enough to support the Uraine. Poland had delivered tanks to Ukraine, among other things, because of the lack of German commitment.
1:35 p.m.: Poland orders six more Patriot anti-aircraft batteries
In view of the war in Ukraine, Poland wants to order six additional Patriot batteries for its air defense from the USA. This was announced by Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak from the national conservative governing Law and Justice Party (PiS) in Warsaw. The basis for this is a memorandum between the two states from 2017. Z
According to this information, the order also includes a supply of defense missiles as well as training and logistical support. The government in Warsaw had already ordered two Patriot batteries from the NATO partner in 2018. Delivery is expected later this year. The Patriot system (“Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target”) from the US manufacturer Raytheon is used to combat aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. In March, after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the US Army temporarily transferred two Patriot batteries from Germany to Poland.
1:29 p.m .: Germany is helping to set up combustion centers in Ukraine
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has promised Ukraine further support in providing medical care to the population. Germany will help to set up burn centers in Ukraine, “because burn wounds and burn trauma are particularly pronounced there,” he said at the Doctors’ Day in Bremen. This goes back to a request from the Ukrainian Minister of Health Viktor Liaschko.
Also at Liaschko’s request, Germany will provide people who have lost limbs “with prostheses of the best quality”, Lauterbach continued. There are a lot of people affected by the war, “unfortunately, a lot of children too.” The prostheses should enable them “to at least be able to participate in life again”. Lauterbach also referred to the long-running initiative to fly seriously injured soldiers and civilians from the Ukraine to Germany and accommodate them in special clinics here. Germany takes care of these people “as best we can,” he emphasized.
1:15 p.m .: Germany in talks to increase oil and gas production
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is campaigning for an increase in oil and gas production to counteract the high energy prices. “We are now discussing with all these countries that produce oil and gas and trying to convince them to increase their capacities so that this would help the world market,” Scholz said in an interview with Deutsche Welle in Pretoria, South Africa. He expects a very difficult situation with fuel prices, said Scholz. It will not be possible to keep these low with the help of subsidies. However, it is necessary to increase the supply of gas and fuel so that states can pay their bills.
1:07 p.m .: After three months of war, Russia is confident of victory
After three months of war against Ukraine, Russia is confident of victory despite setbacks. “Despite the extensive Western aid to the Kiev regime and the sanctions pressure on Russia, we will continue the special military operation until all tasks are completed,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, according to the Interfax agency. Shoigu repeated the claim that Russia felt compelled to carry out the attack “to protect our people from genocide and also to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine.” The deputy head of the National Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, declared: “All the goals set by the President (Vladimir Putin) will be achieved. It cannot be otherwise, because the truth, including the historical one, is on our side.” At the same time, the former secret service chief, who is one of Putin’s closest confidants, prepared his compatriots for prolonged fighting. “We’re not chasing any deadlines,” he told the tabloid Argumenty i Fakty.
12:54 p.m .: Moscow court orders detention of blogger
A court in Moscow has ordered the detention in absentia of Russian blogger Michael Nacke for allegedly discrediting the Russian army and its offensive in Ukraine. As the court announced on its website, the 28-year-old Nacke is accused of having spread mendacious information about the Russian armed forces in his video blog on YouTube, which is distributed outside Russia.
Since the start of the military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Russian legislation has punished this accusation with severe penalties. In particular, it is forbidden to use the terms war or invasion in connection with the Russian offensive or to accuse the Russian army of war crimes.
12:39 p.m .: Ukraine war endangers global stability
Russia’s war in Ukraine is a threat to global stability, according to former Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko. There is a risk of a food crisis if Ukraine cannot export its grain. “And in many parts of the world, hunger is leading to civil unrest,” Jaresko told the German Press Agency on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. A corridor must urgently be opened in Ukraine for the export of 20 million tons of grain from the previous harvest. The country attacked by Russia is considered the granary of Europe and was one of the world’s largest exporters of corn and wheat before the war.
12.17 p.m .: Germany supports Ukraine with a 150 million euro aid loan
Germany is supporting Ukraine with an aid loan of 150 million euros. On behalf of the federal government, the state development bank KfW signed the loan agreement with the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance, as announced by the KfW banking group in Frankfurt. It is another untied financial loan from the federal government for the country attacked by Russia.
The “Economic Emergency Aid Program Ukraine” is intended to provide the Ukrainian government with liquidity to pay for state social security payments, pensions and salaries for school and hospital staff and for ordering medicines. “We are helping to prevent a drastic deterioration in the supply situation for large parts of the population and can at least partially cushion the socio-economic effects,” explained Christiane Laibach, member of the KfW Executive Board.
12.07 p.m .: EU finance ministers are discussing billions in aid for Ukraine
The finance ministers of the European Union are discussing new billions in aid for Ukraine in Brussels. Deputy Commission President Valdis Dombrovskis promoted his authority’s proposal to provide nine billion euros as emergency aid. With this, the EU Commission wants to help avert national bankruptcy in the Russian war of aggression.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who will head the Council of Ministers until the end of June, spoke of a “good idea”. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that Ukraine’s financial needs by June will total more than 14 billion euros. Le Maire said he would also consider Brussels’ proposal to use Russian funds frozen under EU sanctions to rebuild Ukraine.
12.04 p.m .: According to Von der Leyen, Russia’s actions are reminiscent of the “dark past”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen drew parallels to the Soviet era with regard to the Russian handling of grain in Ukraine. “In Russia-occupied Ukraine, the Kremlin’s army is confiscating grain stocks and machinery,” said the German politician at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday. “This reminds some of a dark past – the days of Soviet confiscation of crops and devastating famine of the 1930s.”
Moscow is not only using the energy supply as a weapon, a similar pattern is emerging in food security. Russia is deliberately bombing grain stores in Ukraine and blockading Ukrainian ships carrying wheat and sunflower seeds in the Black Sea. In addition, Russia is hoarding its own food “as a form of blackmail.” Deliveries have been halted to push up world prices and wheat is being traded against geopolitical support. “There is only one thought behind it: Russia uses hunger and grain to exercise power,” said von der Leyen.
11:31 a.m .: More than 45,000 Ukrainian refugees in Greece and Cyprus
A good 30,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Greece since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Among them are 7715 minors, as reported by the Ministry of Citizen Protection. In addition, 15,000 people from Ukraine have been admitted to the EU country of Cyprus, according to reports from the Cypriot state radio. In both countries, people receive a social security and tax number as well as a work permit for the next twelve months in a fast-track procedure.
A number of the refugees have already found work in the tourism sector on the holiday islands for the summer season, the Athens business press reported. The Greek tourism industry has been complaining about a shortage of workers since the beginning of the season – around 55,000 positions are said to be unfilled, service workers in particular are being sought.
11 a.m.: According to the study, Germans want to suppress the Ukraine war
According to a study, the Germans are trying to largely suppress the war in Ukraine. After a collective state of shock at the beginning of the war at the end of February, every effort is currently being made to invoke normality, said the psychologist Stephan Grünewald, founder of the Rheingold Institute, on Tuesday in Cologne. “But that only partially succeeds. The war is always present in the background, comparable to tinnitus, an irritating ringing in the ears.”
The study is based on 130 deep psychological interviews. Twelve test persons were questioned in group interviews in the past week. The shock from the beginning could not be sustained in the long run, said Grünewald of the German Press Agency. Therefore, after this initial phase, attempts are now being made to hide the reality of war from everyday life.
10.46 a.m .: Habeck provides for a possible failure of gas deliveries from Russia
Robert Habeck’s (Greens) Federal Ministry of Economics is taking precautions in the event that Russia should stop its gas supplies to Germany. A planned law provides for the transfer of hard coal-fired power plants that are scheduled to be shut down into a network reserve and the availability of hard coal and lignite-fired power plants already held in reserve to be extended, as the economics department announced on Tuesday. The new rules will provisionally apply until the end of March 2024.
The aim is to take this energy source out of power generation if there is a threat of a gas bottleneck, so that gas remains available for other purposes. Hard coal-fired power plants with an output of 2.1 gigawatts are affected, which are to be shut down in October and another 0.5 gigawatts, which are due to be shut down in 2023.
10:40 a.m.: Ukraine uses western artillery to fight Russian troops
According to an army spokesman, the Ukrainian troops are “successfully” using newly delivered artillery systems from the West in their fight against the Russian armed forces. After initially deploying its own Soviet-era howitzers, Ukraine has been able to use modern artillery systems from allied nations at the front for several weeks, including US-supplied M777 howitzers, army spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk recently told AFP.
These have already proved very helpful in combat, he said. “For the Ukrainians shooting the M777, it’s like switching from a steam engine to an electric car,” said Pletenchuk, who works for the military administration of the Mykolayiv region. He did not comment on where the weapons were used.
10:34 a.m .: Greens consider concessions in return for an EU oil embargo to be conceivable
The Greens consider concessions in return for a European oil embargo against Russia to be conceivable. “We can talk about support options and deadlines,” said party leader Ricarda Lang on RTL/ntv. She was referring to Hungary, which recently saw problems with such an embargo. Ultimately, however, “all European countries would have to make their contribution to the oil embargo”.
In the interests of the European continent and Eastern Europe, the Hungarian government must also “be willing to go along with an oil embargo,” said the Green Party leader. Ultimately, it is not just about solidarity with Ukraine, but above all with all Eastern European partners.
10:21 a.m .: Astronaut Maurer was able to see war in Ukraine from space
The German astronaut Matthias Maurer, 52, was able to see the war in Ukraine from space. “In the beginning, the country got completely dark at night, so all the lighting in the cities was reduced. You actually only recognized Kyiv, and the whole country around it was completely dark black,” said Maurer in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”. . Then he saw lightning at night – and he knew: “There were rockets.” During the day there were “huge columns of smoke, deep black columns of smoke” over cities like Mariupol.
“Well, that was very, very clear to see with the naked eye from space. And in those moments I actually felt much closer to the country than I would have felt from Germany,” said the Saarlander, who was at his mission on the International Space Station orbited the earth every 90 minutes. “And something like quarrels or wars, seen from above, seems a hundred times more irrational than even seen from the ground,” he said.
9.56 a.m .: Aviation authority extends flight ban for southern Russia
Because of the war in Ukraine, the Russian authorities have again extended the flight bans in the south of the country – this time until the end of May. A total of eleven airports will remain closed until May 31, according to the Russian aviation authority Rosawiyazija. It is the 15th extension of the flight bans.
The cities of Rostov-on-Don, Voronezh and Krasnodar as well as the Black Sea resorts of Anapa and Gelendzhik are affected. Bans also apply to the western Russian cities of Belgorod and Bryansk, from which Ukrainian attacks on infrastructure objects have been reported in recent weeks. Crimea, annexed by Russia since 2014, is also affected by the restrictions. The airport in Simferopol may not be approached.
9.53 a.m .: According to a survey, medium-sized companies are feeling the consequences of the Ukraine war
The Ukraine war is clearly having an impact on German SMEs: Between January and April 2022, energy costs rose year-on-year for more than every second SME, as the KfW development bank explained on Tuesday. On average, energy costs rose by a significant 41 percent. 40 percent of the companies have already passed on the additional costs to their customers in the form of price increases.
“The increased energy prices as a result of the war in Ukraine are already clearly noticeable for many medium-sized companies,” explained KfW chief economist Fritzi Köhler-Geib. However, most companies assumed that they could bear the additional costs. The data comes from a special survey by the KfW SME Panel, around 2,400 companies took part in the survey.
9.46 a.m .: The ECB is not currently assuming a recession
Despite the war in Ukraine, the European Central Bank (ECB) is currently not assuming a recession in the euro area. “At the moment we don’t see a recession in the euro zone,” ECB President Christine Lagarde told Bloomberg TV news channel at the World Economic Forum in Davos. An economic downturn is currently not the central bank’s baseline scenario. The euro and Bund yields rose after the statements.
Lagarde identified some forces that acted as a counterbalance to the strains of the Ukraine war. Among other things, she referred to the low level of unemployment and the high level of savings in private households.
9.03 a.m .: Ukrainian general staff reports of heavy fighting in the east
According to Ukrainian sources, Russian troops in the Donbass are still aiming for the complete conquest of the Luhansk region. “The enemy does not stop attacking,” said the Ukrainian general staff on Tuesday morning. In particular, attempts are being made to encircle the strategically important cities of Sieverodonetsk and Lysychansk.
At the same time, Russia’s armed forces at Sievjerodonetsk also suffered particularly high losses, it said. This information could not initially be verified. Fierce fighting also continued around the town of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.
7.25 a.m .: Russia is trying to take key positions in Donbass
According to the Ukrainian government, the Russian armed forces are trying to seize key positions in eastern Ukraine with heavy bombardments. The situation in the Donbass is “extremely difficult” because the Russians are trying to “eliminate everything alive,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday night. Russia is trying to encircle the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. The Ministry of Defense reported fierce fighting around Bakhmut.
The fall of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region would give Russian troops control of a crucial hub that currently serves as the command center for much of Ukraine’s war effort in the east. “We have reached a point where we are in the process of making evacuations mandatory,” said the head of Bakhmut’s military administration, Serhiy Kalian. The governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Gajday, on the other hand, reported that the shelling in Severodonetsk was so heavy that evacuations were impossible.
7.24 a.m .: Ukrainian defense adviser calls main objective in Mariupol “achieved”
Despite the fall of the port city of Mariupol, an adviser to the Ukrainian defense minister sees the main military objective there as having been achieved. “The main objective was achieved in Mariupol. It was to hold back the Russian groups, (…) more than 20,000 Russian soldiers. And this was made possible thanks to the exploits of the defenders of Mariupol and the defenders who were later in Azovstal” , said Jurij Sak on Tuesday in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”. As a result, the Russian troops would not have been able to conquer other areas in eastern Ukraine.
Azovstal’s soldiers would have given Ukrainians time to regroup and receive more military aid from their international partners. “From this perspective, the goal was achieved,” says Sak. The last Ukrainian fighters at the Azov steelworks in Mariupol surrendered last week.
5.01 a.m .: Left-wing politician Pellmann admits errors in assessing NATO
Left-wing member of the Bundestag Sören Pellmann is campaigning for his party to correct its course on Russia and NATO. “If you ask outside today: Is NATO an important alliance?, quite a few will say yes,” said Pellmann of the German Press Agency. The fear of an escalation of the Ukraine war and the skepticism that arms deliveries would end the war are growing among the population. But: “The demand for a dissolution of NATO is currently not an issue.”
The Leipziger is East Commissioner of the left parliamentary group. He has publicly stated that he is considering running for the federal presidency of his party. At 12 p.m. he wants to make a statement in Berlin.
12:17 a.m .: Lavrov advises Russia to focus more on Eurasia
According to the Russian Foreign Minister, the West’s “dictatorial position” towards Russia is accelerating the development of his country’s economic relations with China. Moscow will only rely on itself and on those states that “have proven their reliability,” Sergey Lavrov said, according to the state agencies Ria and Tass on Tuesday night.
According to Lavrov, the future lies in the Eurasia region. In addition to China, he also named India and Iran as important partners. In his opinion, Russia should no longer rely on Western supplies. Rather, Russia will “seriously consider” whether it needs to resume relations if the West offers something.
12:12 a.m .: Ukrainians report three civilians killed
According to Ukrainian sources, three civilians were killed in Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine on Monday. Six other people were injured, the governor of the Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, wrote on Telegram. The Ukrainian army said it had destroyed eight tanks, one drone, six aircraft and other military equipment on the Russian side. A Russian missile is said to have been shot down in the Novoukrainka region. The information could not be independently verified.
According to Ukrainian information, Russia is expanding the command structures of the military police in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian general staff wrote on Monday evening that 19 so-called commander’s offices had been set up in the occupied regions of Cherson and Zaporizhia.
0.10 a.m .: Selenskyj calls for more weapons
After three months of war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demanded modern anti-missile weapons and combat aircraft from the West against Russian attacks. Many people “would not have died if we had received all the weapons we ask for,” said Zelenskyy in a new video message on Monday evening. Since the war began on February 24, his country has been the target of 3,000 airstrikes and nearly 1,500 rocket attacks. The vast majority of attacks were aimed at civilian objects.
All of Ukraine’s partners agree that his country’s fight against Russia serves to “protect the common values of all countries in the free world,” said Zelenskyy. That is why his country has a right to arms assistance. The situation remains difficult in eastern Ukraine, where the Russian army has concentrated its activities. He does not expect that Russia will give up the occupied territories in the Kharkiv region and other regions. “The coming weeks of war will be difficult,” he added.
12:04 a.m .: Habeck sees an oil embargo coming soon
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck sees an oil embargo against Russia, in his own words, “within reach”. There are only a few countries that are reporting problems – especially Hungary, said the Vice Chancellor on Monday evening in the ZDF “Heute Journal”. You can be considerate here. But then “something has to happen” in Hungary as well. Habeck added: “Well, I think within a few days we will also achieve the breakthrough.”
The EU Commission has proposed to end imports of Russian crude oil in six months because of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. As a compromise, the Commission proposes giving Hungary more time. The proposal does not go far enough for the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.