April 13, 2024
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 04:46 New EU agenda: Environmentalists criticize military focus +++
Environmentalists criticize drafts of a military-heavy EU strategy for the next five years. As can be seen from a sketch for the so-called strategic agenda, the areas of security, defense and competitiveness should become priorities of the international community. However, environmental and climate protection is only mentioned in passing. The Greenpeace organization says the plan aims to use a military strategy to protect people from security threats. Political campaign manager Ariadna Rodrigo criticizes: “Putting billions into tanks, rockets and guns will do absolutely nothing to help communities across Europe struggling with drought, storms or crop failures.” More weapons did not make Europe a safer place for future generations.
+++ 03:48 Ukrainian General Staff counts 81 Russian attacks +++
The Ukrainian army registers at the front within 24 hours 81 combat operations. According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army, the Russian army carried out two rocket and 72 air strikes, as well as 116 attacks with rocket salvo systems on positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas.
+++ 02:39 Nouripour before Scholz trip: China wants to make Russia a cheap gas station +++
Green Party leader Omid Nouripour calls on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to act confidently before his trip to China. “China only takes its counterpart seriously if you formulate your own interests clearly and stand by your own values,” says Nouripour ntv.de. He assumes that Scholz will also address the tough and controversial topics. Nouripour cites China’s relations with Russia as examples. “It must not be the case that China supports Russia’s defense industry directly or indirectly through North Korea and Iran. This would also affect our security interests,” says Nouripour. The Chinese government is pursuing its own long-term goals with Russia. “Beijing has an interest in Russia becoming a cheap, relatively exclusive gas station for oil and gas.”
+++ 01:38 Ukrainian rescue workers rescue five puppies from the rubble +++
Rescue workers in Ukraine have rescued five puppies from the rubble of a destroyed building. The building burned in the northeastern city of Sumy, near the border with Russia. A post on the rescue service’s Telegram channel states that the “little ones” were not injured. “This rescue story reminds us of the importance of human compassion and the willingness to help anyone, no matter the circumstances,” they add.
+++ 00:37 London and Washington ban Russian aluminum +++
Washington and London have banned metals exchanges from accepting new Russian-made aluminum, copper and nickel and banned imports of the metals into the United States and Britain. The US Treasury Department says that the London Metal Exchange and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange will no longer be able to accept new Russian aluminum, copper and nickel. Both the British and US measures will increase existing stocks of Russian metal on these global exchanges so they could continue to be traded and redeemed to minimize risk to market stability, London said. Russia uses the income from the metals to finance, among other things, the war against Ukraine.
+++ 23:19 Washington: China key factor for Russia’s army +++
According to US government circles, Russia is receiving support from China in expanding its defense apparatus. Beijing is the key factor in revitalizing the Russian military, which has otherwise suffered “significant setbacks” since the invasion of Ukraine began, a senior US official tells reporters. “Without the contribution of the People’s Republic of China, Russia would have difficulty sustaining its war effort,” he continued.
+++ 22:17 Johnson calls for more commitment to Ukraine +++
If Russia defeats Ukraine it will be a “turning point in history,” according to former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In the Daily Mail he criticizes Western countries for not providing Ukraine with the weapons it needs to defeat Russia. “Every week that we don’t do the obvious – and give Ukrainians the weapons they need – is a week that Putin gets closer to his heinous goal of tormenting a European country to death.”
+++ 21:48 Ukrainian troops receive periods of rest from everyday life at the front +++
Despite the massive pressure from Russian forces on the front lines in Ukraine, the Ukrainian military has found ways to offer its soldiers opportunities to relax. “The planned rotation of the units that have been deployed in the combat areas since the beginning of the all-out invasion continues,” the General Staff in Kiev said on Facebook. Opportunities had been found to alternately withdraw brigades from the fronts and give them a break.
You can read all previous developments here.