09/14/2022
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 01:33 Merz: Many Europeans are waiting for the German decision on tank deliveries +++
CDU leader Friedrich Merz accuses the federal government of unnecessary hesitation in delivering tanks to Ukraine. He would have issued export permits for Marder-type armored personnel carriers, which are in industrial yards and are not used by the Bundeswehr, says the ZDF program “Markus Lanz”. On this point he agrees with the FDP and the Greens. Together you would also have a majority in the Bundestag for this, notes the Union faction leader. Ukraine is surprisingly well positioned to defend itself. “But we could have done more,” said Merz. That is also the opinion of many Europeans who are waiting for a decision from Germany.
+++ 00:44 Third reserve power line from Zaporizhia works again +++
The third emergency power line at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine has also been restored. A line supplies the system with external power, which is necessary for cooling and other important safety functions. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the other two lines would be held in reserve. The first of these lines was put back into operation on Saturday, the four main lines have been destroyed.
+++ 23:51 Ukraine: Russian occupiers had torture prison in Balaklija +++
Ukrainian authorities report indications of suspected crimes by the Russian occupying forces in recaptured areas. In the city of Balakliya, the invaders maintained a torture prison in the local police station, senior Ukrainian police officer Serhiy Bolvinov wrote on Facebook. Around 40 people were always locked up in the basement during the occupation, which lasted several months. “The occupiers took away those who served in the military or had relatives there, and they also looked for those who helped the army,” said the head of the Kharkiv police investigation department. According to witnesses, prisoners were tortured with electric shocks. From other places in the region there are still unverified reports about the finding of murdered people.
+++ 23:03 IMF considers “full financing program” for Ukraine +++
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is in talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about long-term cooperation. It could result in a full-fledged financing program for Ukraine, says IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. An IMF team will meet with the Ukrainian authorities in the coming weeks. In addition, members of the Executive Board would welcome an IMF proposal aimed at expanding emergency assistance to countries hard hit by Russia’s war in Ukraine. This would provide Kyiv with about the same amount of funding as the $1.4 billion it received in March.
+++ 22:15 Selenskyj calculates: 4000 square kilometers completely freed +++
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine has complete control of more than 4,000 square kilometers – the area of almost 750,000 football pitches – of territory retaken from Russian forces. The country is also in the process of stabilizing its control over another 4,000 square kilometers, says Zelenskyj in his daily video address. On Monday he said Ukraine had recaptured 6,000 square kilometers in its latest counter-offensive. However, Ukrainian officials point out that it is important to distinguish between taking territory and ensuring the complete security of that territory.
+++ 21:47 EU pulls back on gas price cap +++
The European Commission will initially not present a proposal for a gas price cap, as some countries had called for. EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson emphasized in the European Parliament that an upper limit on the purchase prices for Russian pipeline gas would combat the current manipulation of supply volumes and prices. However, more work is needed “to assess possible negative impacts on some Member States”. The EU Commission is also analyzing how an upper limit for all gas imports to Europe could work and what effects it would have, says Simson. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to present a law tomorrow with concrete emergency measures against the high electricity prices.
You can read earlier developments relating to the Ukraine war here.