24.05.2024
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 01:15 Moscow court sentences Kremlin opponent to 25 years in prison for sabotage +++
A military court in Moscow has sentenced a 36-year-old to 25 years in prison for sabotage and membership in a unit fighting for Ukraine. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the unusually long prison sentence was imposed on Vladimir Malina for terrorism, high treason and sabotage. According to the indictment, the barman from Moscow was a member of the “Legion for the Freedom of Russia”, a group of Russians fighting for Ukraine. Last year he set fire to a railway switchboard and planned acts of sabotage. Malina was arrested in June.
+++ 23:55 Poland and Greece demand EU build air defence shield +++
Against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Poland and Greece have called on the EU to set up an air defence shield to protect European countries. “Europe will be safe as long as the skies above it are safe,” said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a joint letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Such an air defence shield must be a project that responds to the “great vulnerability of our security,” said the two heads of government.
+++ 22:26 Heavy attack on Crimea? Video shows alleged explosions +++
There are apparently explosions in the Russian-occupied Crimea. It is suspected that Ukraine is attacking targets on the island with the ATACMS missiles delivered by the USA a few weeks ago. A Videothe on the Crimean coast in the town of Alushta The video, which was taken in the morning, shows at least one explosion. However, there is no confirmation yet. The Russian air defense system also appears to be active, as can be seen from the recording. The governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksjonov, appointed by the Russian occupiers, admitted on Telegram that there had been missile attacks on Simferopol and Alushta. Two people were allegedly killed and an empty commercial facility was hit. However, Russia usually plays down Ukrainian attacks or claims to have shot down all missiles and drones. Recently, Kiev has increasingly targeted Russian air defense systems and radars. Some sources speculate that this is the case this time too.
+++ 22:00 Another arrest? Putin’s military purge is likely to continue +++
Pro-Russian channels report that Vladimir Verteletsky, head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s department for ensuring the state defense order, was also arrested. He is accused of fraud on a particularly large scale. Shortly before, Vadim Shamarin, the deputy chief of the army’s general staff, was arrested. Shamarin was the fourth high-ranking military officer to be arrested since April. The wave began with the replacement of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
You can read all previous developments here.