01/11/2023
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 00:59 Ukraine: Kharkiv bombed shortly after Baerbock’s visit +++
According to the regional governor, the city was bombed just a few hours after Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s surprise visit to Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine. On Telegram, Governor Oleg Synegubov urged residents to stay in the shelters. “The occupiers are bombing us again!” he continues.
+++ 23:12 mercenary group Wagner reports conquest of Soledar +++
The Russian mercenary group Wagner says they have taken control of the long-contested town of Soledar. Russian news agencies cite a statement by the group’s head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, that fighting is still going on in the city center. “The number of prisoners will be announced tomorrow,” he announced. The information cannot be independently verified. A Ukrainian statement is not available.
+++ 22:11 Zelenskyj: “The free world has everything that is needed to stop Russian aggression” +++
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine needs more modern weapons in view of Russian preparations for further escalation. “The free world has everything that is needed to stop Russian aggression and inflict a historic defeat on the terrorist state,” Zelensky said in his evening speech.
+++ 21:37 Kyiv: Heavy fighting for the city of Soledar continues +++
According to information from Kyiv, Russian troops continued their assault attacks on the city of Soledar in eastern Ukraine today. “Heavy fighting to defend Soledar continues,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar said on Telegram. “Regardless of their casualties, the enemy continues to attack.” The area in front of the Ukrainian defense lines was “littered with the bodies of the attackers”.
+++ 20:58 Ukrainians are to be trained on “Bradley” tanks in Grafenwoehr, Bavaria +++
The training of Ukrainian soldiers on the “Bradley” armored personnel carriers announced by the USA is to take place at the military training area in Grafenwoehr, Bavaria. This was confirmed by Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder. The United States announced last week that it would also provide 50 Bradleys as part of the latest arms deliveries to Ukraine. The tanks are scheduled to arrive in Ukraine in the coming weeks, Ryder said. According to the US military, the armored tracked vehicles usually have a cannon, a machine gun and armor-piercing missiles. With the Bradleys, the US also wants to deliver 500 anti-tank missiles and 250,000 rounds of 25mm ammunition. This would allow Ukraine to do more against Russian main battle tanks and other armored vehicles, the Pentagon spokesman said.
+++ 20:30 Russia announces modernization of district military replacement offices +++
Around ten and a half months after the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that it would modernize the district military replacement offices. For example, databases should be updated and cooperation between local and regional authorities improved, said Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, according to the Interfax agency. Rumors have been circulating among the Russian population for weeks that the political leadership is preparing a second wave of mobilization. The Ukrainian secret service also assumes this. The Kremlin, on the other hand, denies this. In order to be able to send more soldiers to the front in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin had around 300,000 reservists drafted last fall. The convening offices were largely responsible for the implementation of this order. In many places, however, chaotic conditions during recruitment were described at the time.
+++ 19:53 Ukraine is preparing for a possible new attack on Kyiv +++
The Ukrainian military is preparing for a possible new attack by Russian ground forces from Belarus in the direction of the capital Kyiv. Defense positions in the north of the country have already been prepared or strengthened, said Lieutenant General Oleksiy Pavlyuk, who is responsible for the defense of Kiev. In order to prevent rapid tank advances by Russian units, larger minefields were laid at all points accessible to tanks. If the attackers could not get through these barriers, it would be easier for Ukrainian artillery to smash the troop concentrations. Right at the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in February last year, the Ukrainian armed forces repelled an advance by Russian troops from Belarus towards Kyiv.
+++ 19:22 Further conference of the Ukraine contact group in Ramstein +++
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has invited the members of the so-called Ukraine Contact Group to a meeting at the US Ramstein Air Force Base in Rhineland-Palatinate. The third meeting of this kind will take place on January 20, the largest US air base outside the United States announced. Defense ministers and senior military officials from numerous countries are expected to discuss further support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg had previously said in Brussels that Ramstein should deal with further arms deliveries to Ukraine. Discussions are to be held with the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov on what types of weapons are needed and how the allies can make these weapons available.
You can read earlier developments in the Ukraine war here.