Ukraine war in the live ticker: +++ Ukraine: Three dead in the attack on Kiev +++

06/01/2023

Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ Ukraine: Three dead in attack on Kiev +++

According to the city administration, three people were killed and several injured in another night Russian attack on Kiev. According to the Kiev military administration, two children are among the dead. According to the information, the attack occurred in the eastern district of Desnjanskyj.

+++ USA continues to suspend steel tariffs against Ukraine +++
The US suspends tariffs on Ukrainian steel for another year. This was announced by the Ministry of Commerce with reference to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A year ago, US President Joe Biden initially suspended the 25 percent punitive tariffs imposed by then US President Donald Trump in 2018 for one year because of the importance of the industry for the country’s economy and the contested Azovstal plant in Mariupol. Before the war, Ukraine was the 13th largest steel producer in the world and typically exports 80 percent of production.

+++ Russia reports attacks on Belgorod +++
Russia reports night shelling on the Belgorod region on the Ukrainian border. The governor of Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reports on Telegram that the city of Shebekino has been attacked. Two civilians were taken to the hospital with injuries.

+++ 01:02 SPD foreign expert calls for concrete steps towards EU expansion +++
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Michael Roth, warns against fobbing off EU accession candidates who are threatened by Russia with mere declarations of solidarity. Now that Ukraine and Moldova have been granted candidate status, further steps must be taken quickly, the SPD politician tells the editorial network Germany. The perspective of Georgia’s accession process must also be filled with life. “Abstract expressions of solidarity are no longer enough,” emphasizes Roth. He describes the admission of further states to the EU as “the EU’s most successful instrument to date for pacifying, stabilizing and democratizing Europe”.

+++ 23:48 Zelenskyj: grain agreement is important for the whole world +++
During a visit to the port city of Odessa, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky underscored the relevance of the recently extended grain agreement. “The world knows about the fundamental role of maritime grain exports in food security,” says Zelenskyj in his evening video address. “All sea-facing states in the world can now see what their ports and waters could face if Russia gets through with the Black Sea blockade,” added the Ukrainian leader. Ukraine repeatedly accuses Russia of obstructing the shipment of its grain despite the agreement. Moscow, on the other hand, complains that the promised relaxation of sanctions is not being implemented sufficiently.

+++ 22:27 Russian Foreign Minister does not manage to convert those responsible in Burundi during a visit +++
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has visited the African country of Burundi. It was the first visit by a top Russian official to the country in 60 years, according to The EastAfrican outlet. This is said to have taken place against the background of Russia’s efforts to win allies in Africa. However, nothing is said to have changed in Burundi’s position on the Ukraine war. According to the report, Foreign Minister Albert Shingiro said after the meeting in Bujumbura: “Burundi has decided to side with the solution and not with the problems. Burundi is sovereign like any other country and we choose our partners in the interest of our people.” The parties to the conflict are advised to enter into dialogue as soon as possible.

+++ 21:49 Kremlin spokesman Peskow blames Germany +++
After drone attacks on Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Germany and other Western countries of anti-Russian reactions. “One can feed Russophobia and they (the European states) feed Russophobia,” Peskov said on Russian state television in the evening. He is reacting to statements by the German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. However, he did not explicitly comment on the drone incidents in Moscow. Instead, earlier in the day, when asked how he viewed attacks on Russia’s heartland, he said: “Basically, international law says that a country defends itself.” The defense against the attack by Russian forces on Ukraine is legitimate. “However, the Chancellor has repeatedly made it clear that as far as the use of German weapons is concerned, they are there to defend Ukrainian territory.”

+++ 21:28 USA promise Ukraine further military aid worth millions +++
The US has pledged $300 million in new military aid to Ukraine. The armament package includes, among other things, ammunition for the Patriot air defense system, AIM-7 anti-aircraft missiles and Avenger air defense systems, as announced by the US Department of Defense in Washington. Also to be delivered are ammunition for Himars multiple rocket launchers, ammunition for artillery guns and tanks, and 30 million rounds of ammunition for small firearms. The latest package brings US military aid to Ukraine to $37.6 billion since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against the country, the Pentagon said.

+++ 20:50 Ukraine: Offensive activities in Bakhmut stopped – heavy artillery attacks by Russia +++
As far as the news situation is concerned, it has recently become a little quieter around the embattled city of Bachmut. According to Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, things are anything but quiet there. In a post on Telegram, she gives an update on the current situation: “The offensive activities of the Russian armed forces in the Bakhmut sector have actually been stopped,” it said. “In the news it looks as if there is a lull. But that is not the case. The enemy has increased the number of artillery attacks. The number of attacks today corresponds approximately to the times of the heaviest battles for Bakhmut.” The Ukrainian military remains in control of the outskirts of the southwestern part of Bakhmut and the entrance to the city itself, according to Maliar.

+++ 20:20 Ukrainian secret service: Russian spy caught +++
According to its own statements, the Ukrainian domestic secret service SSU has repeatedly caught a person who is said to have spied for the Russian side. According to the allegations, a woman has collected information about the locations and movements of the Ukrainian defense forces in the major city of Kryvyi Rih. She is also said to have recorded the consequences of the Russian air raids on the city and sent them to the Russian secret service FSB via Telegram Messenger. Kryvyi Rih is not far from the front. According to the SSU report, the informant is a local resident who has been supporting Russia since the start of the large-scale invasion and has openly shown it. She is said to be in custody now. There is a risk of up to twelve years in prison. The SSU repeatedly arrests people in Ukraine associated with spying for Russia.

The events of the previous day can be found here.