Russia celebrates this Thursday, February 2, the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, a turning point in the Second World War and a symbol of patriotism. This celebration takes on increased symbolic importance, as the President of the European Commission arrived in kyiv on Thursday. Ursula von der Leyen said the EU plans to complete a new sanctions package against Moscow by the anniversary of Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Russian forces recently scored their first success in months by taking Soledar, a town in eastern Ukraine. And many observers believe that Moscow is preparing a new major offensive around February 24.
At least three dead in strike in Kramatorsk
Rescuers were active this Thursday at dawn to try to find survivors in the rubble of an apartment building in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, destroyed by a Russian strike. The strike took place on Wednesday February 1 around 9:45 p.m. against eight buildings in the center of Kramatorsk, one of which completely collapsed, Donetsk police said on their Facebook account. About 100 police were deployed to search the rubble.
At least three people were killed and around 20 injured in the Russian missile launch, police said. “Three people were killed and twenty others injured” and “at least eight apartment buildings were damaged, including one completely destroyed. People could be under the rubble,” Donetsk police said. “More than a hundred police officers are at work at the scene of the attack,” she said.
“Peaceful people are dead and lie under the rubble,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote after the rocket fire. “It’s the daily reality of life in our country. A country bordering on absolute evil,” he said. The city of Kramatorsk is located in the eastern region of Donetsk.
Poland ready to send fighter jets
Poland would be willing to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine if there is a consensus within NATO, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday. “If there was a decision by all (member states) of NATO, I would be in favor of sending these fighter planes,” said Mateusz Morawiecki in an interview with the German daily. Picture.
“My assessment depends on what the member countries of NATO decide together,” he added, stressing the need for “strategic reflection from the whole of NATO” for such a decision.
Last week, the West reached a plateau in military aid to Ukraine when Germany and the United States finally announced the shipment of heavy tanks. But Volodymyr Zelensky is calling for even more extensive assistance, including the delivery of long-range missiles and combat aircraft.
A new set of sanctions against Russia
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen assured Ukraine of the full support of the European Union, arriving in kyiv on Thursday accompanied by her commissioners for a meeting on the eve of an EU-Ukraine summit.
“By February 24, exactly one year after the start of the invasion, we aim to put in place the tenth sanctions package,” she announced at a joint press conference with the Ukrainian president. Volodymyr Zelensky. Existing sanctions “erode the Russian economy”, said Ursula von der Leyen, estimating that the Russian oil price cap was costing Moscow “around 160 million euros a day”.
“I am reassured to see the anti-corruption bodies on alert and quickly detecting cases of corruption,” she also added alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose “rapid reaction at the political level” she praised for that this fight has “tangible results”.
For his part, the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov accused, on Thursday, the West of supporting Ukraine to put an end to “the Russian question”, accusing the head of the European Commission by name. Ursula von der Leyen “said that the result of the war must be the defeat of Russia, and such a defeat that it will not recover for decades,” Sergei Lavrov said in a television interview.
Russia’s warning to Israel
Russia warned Israel on Wednesday against possible arms deliveries to Ukraine, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “looking into the matter”. “When it comes to arms deliveries (to Ukraine), we do not classify countries according to geography. We are saying that all countries that deliver arms must understand that we will consider (these arms) as legitimate targets for Russian armed forces,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said of the possibility of Israeli supplies.
Since the beginning of the Russian offensive in Ukraine last February, Israel has sought to remain neutral in this conflict, for example not supplying arms to kyiv despite repeated requests from Volodymyr Zelensky. Israel has also asserted privileged ties with Moscow, the Jewish state having more than a million citizens from the former Soviet Union and Russia having troops in Syria, a neighboring country of Israel. On Wednesday, however, Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was considering military aid for Ukraine, while offering to mediate in the Ukrainian conflict.
Two state-of-the-art drones offered for a symbolic dollar
A US defense company said on Wednesday it wanted to supply two sophisticated combat drones to Ukraine for just a token dollar and called on the US government to approve the deal.
General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, a subsidiary of General Atomics, said it had been urging Washington for months to deliver to Ukraine its powerful Gray Eagle and Reaper drones (also called “killer drones”), used by the American armed forces during surveillance and targeted attack operations in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and other conflict areas. These drones, which can travel long distances at medium altitude, are among the technologies that would strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities in the war between it and Russia, according to the manufacturer.
The United States has provided Ukraine with several small combat and surveillance drones, but none have the advanced technologies and long-range capabilities of General Atomics’ devices.