Ukraine will stop Russian aggression and the conflict won’t turn into World War III, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said as his forces battled to keep control of Soledar and Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region.
(Bloomberg) — Ukraine will stop Russian aggression and the conflict won’t turn into World War III, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said as his forces battled to keep control of Soledar and Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region.
The Kremlin had positioned the most experienced units from the Wagner military-contracting company near Soledar, according to Ukrainian operational command spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi.
The Pentagon said 90 to 100 Ukrainian soldiers will arrive at a US Army base in Oklahoma for training starting next week on operating and maintaining the Patriot air defense system that Washington is providing.
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On the Ground
Russian troops have not taken control of Soledar despite their claims that the town in the Donetsk region has fallen, analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said in a report. Even if Soledar were to be captured, that would not portend an immediate encirclement of Bakhmut, the nearby strategically important city, they added. Russia struck Kharkiv city late Tuesday, hitting a pyrotechnics warehouse, regional governor Oleh Synyehubov said on Telegram.
(All times CET)
Zelenskiy Meets Officials in Northwest, in Lviv (12:50 p.m.)
The Ukrainian president discussed the Ukrainian–Belarusian border and the Rivne nuclear power plant, according to a statement on his website. “We don’t see anything powerful there but we have to be ready both at the border and in the regions near Belarus,” Zelenskiy said.
He also honored the memory of Ukrainian soldiers who died in battles with Russian forces.
Kherson Shelled 1,200 Times Since November; 65 Dead (11:50 a.m.)
The southern city has come under permanent Russian shelling since November, when it was liberated by the Ukrainian Army, with attacks launched from the still-occupied right bank of Dnipro river, city military administration head Halyna Luhova said in an online briefing.
The strikes since Nov. 20 have destroyed critical infrastructure, educational institutions and hospitals, as well as hundreds of residences, according to Luhova. So far, 65 people have been killed, including a child, she said. One of the city district remains without heating, as it is impossible to repair the local electricity substation due to bombarding, shelling and snipers.
Battles Continue for Soledar in Donetsk Region, Russia Says (11:30 a.m.)
Russian troops are still fighting to retake Soledar in the Donetsk region, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said after a Kremlin-backed mercenary group said its forces had conquered the town.
Ukrainian officials said their defenders are holding on in Soledar, which has been largely destroyed by weeks of intense fighting.
If the Russians were to succeed in taking the town, it would would mark a rare victory after months of setbacks in the face of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Still, Soledar’s strategic value is limited and Russia hasn’t been able to capture Bakhmut, the much larger neighboring town, despite months of efforts.
Italy Ready to Send More Weapons to Ukraine (10:20 a.m.)
Italy would do so “to reach a fair peace,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in an interview with Radio Capital, adding that parliament “would need to be informed first.”
The country has already sent 50 tons of electric material to rebuild Ukrainian electricity networks that were destroyed in Russian raids, Tajani said.
Russian Mercenaries Say They Took Soledar; Ukraine Denies Claim (10:15 a.m.)
Founder of Russian military-contracting company Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed in a video published early Wednesday that his forces had taken Soledar in Donetsk region and surrounded a group of Ukrainian troops there.
The claims are “not true,” Suspilne News cited Ukraine military spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi as saying.
EU, NATO Set Up Task Force to Shield Critical Infrastructure (10:10 a.m.)
Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, and Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, said the EU and the military alliance were starting Wednesday a joint task force to protect critical infrastructure.
Experts from both organizations “will work hand-in-hand to identify key threats to our critical infrastructure” and focus initially on the transport, energy, digital and space sectors, von der Leyen told reporters. “We want to look together at how to make our critical infrastructure technology and supply chains more resilient to potential threats,” Stoltenberg said.
Bad Weather Holds Up Ukraine Crop Exports and Inspections (9:18 a.m.)
No crop-laden vessels departed Ukraine’s Black Sea ports on Tuesday or Monday due to unfavorable weather, according to emailed updates from the Joint Coordination Centre, which facilitates the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Zelenskiy Addressed Golden Globe Awards Ceremony (8:44 a.m.)
The tide is turning in the war even though it is still not over, Zelenskiy said in a video address at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony.
There will be no Third World War as Ukraine is going to stop Russian aggression in its territory, according to Zelenskiy. “It is not a trilogy”, he said.
US Says It’s Working With EU, Ukraine to Prevent Weapons Diversion (10:03 p.m.)
The US is working with the European Union and Ukraine to prevent the weapons pouring into Ukraine from being diverted into the international arms market, a State Department official told reporters.
While the US focuses its efforts on protecting portable and high-tech weapons, the EU is concentrating on small arms and light weapons, said the official, who briefed on condition of anonymity.
The official dismissed reports of large-scale diversions of western military equipment as Russian disinformation and said the US isn’t aware of any credible reports of weapons shipments going astray.
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