Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky on Wednesday deemed the situation on the battlefield “extremely complex”, admitting that Ukraine lacked men and weapons. Jake Sullivan, a close advisor to American President Joe Biden, confirmed that he “hears more and more often that the Ukrainian army is rationing ammunition, or even running out of ammunition on the front.” Jake Sullivan called on Congress to end “US inaction.”
“The Russian occupiers continue to increase their efforts and outnumber” the Ukrainian forces, General Syrsky said on Telegram, with Ukraine struggling to replenish the ranks of its army. “We are doing everything possible to prevent the enemy from advancing on our territory and to hold our positions,” stressed the new commander in chief, recognizing that his forces were suffering to contain the multiple Russian assaults in the east.
Information to remember
⇒ Russia launched 26 missiles against Ukraine during the night from Wednesday to Thursday
⇒ NATO: the American blockage on aid to Ukraine is already having an “impact”
⇒ Joe Biden is more “predictable” for Russia than Donald Trump, according to Vladimir Putin
Russia launched 26 missiles at Ukraine, killing at least one
Russia launched 26 missiles against Ukraine during the night from Wednesday to Thursday, according to the Ukrainian Air Force and at least one woman, aged 66, was killed in Chugouiv in the north-east of the country. . According to Ukrainian forces, 13 of the 26 missiles were shot down. But in Chuguïv “a 66-year-old woman was killed, a residential building was completely destroyed”, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Earlier, Ukraine said it had issued an air alert for a few hours on Thursday after a group of Russian bombers took off from a base in Russia. The Ukrainian Air Force had announced the departure of several Tupolev Tu-95MS from the Olenya airfield located in the Murmansk region in northeastern Russia, indicating that missiles were ” heading towards Kiev. She raised the alert after two hours, ensuring that “the missile threat is over”.
Authorities in the capital reported that anti-aircraft defenses had “destroyed all enemy missiles” over kyiv. Explosions were officially reported in the regions of kyiv, Zaporizhia (south), Lviv (west) and Poltava (center). The Air Force had already reported, at the beginning of February and last month, the takeoff of these strategic bombers which date from the Soviet era. At the end of December, Russia used these planes to carry out a wave of strikes on Ukrainian cities, including the capital kyiv, bombings which left 39 dead.
The American blockage on aid to Ukraine is already having an “impact”
The American blockage on aid to Ukraine is already having an “impact” on the battlefield, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday. “We are already seeing the impact of the fact that the United States was not able to make a decision,” said Mr. Stoltenberg, when asked about the Ukrainian forces’ lack of ammunition, upon his arrival at the headquarters of the Alliance in Brussels.
“But I expect the United States to make a decision and Congress […] agree to help Ukraine,” he added.
Drone attack in Russia: oil depot catches fire
An oil depot caught fire overnight from Wednesday to Thursday following a Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian region of Kursk, which borders Ukraine, Russian authorities said.
“Following a Ukrainian drone attack in the Kursk region, a fire occurred in an oil depot,” regional governor Roman Starovoit said on his Telegram channel. “According to preliminary data, there are no victims,” he said, asking residents to “keep calm”.
Ukraine sends reinforcements to “Avdiivka hell”
A brigade of the Ukrainian army announced this Thursday that it had been “urgently redeployed” as reinforcements to Avdiïvka, a town in eastern Ukraine and current epicenter of the fighting where the situation is considered “extremely critical” in the face of Russian assaults.
“The third assault brigade confirms having been urgently redeployed to reinforce the Ukrainian troops in the Avdiïvka sector” indicated this unit on Telegram in a message titled “the hell of Avdiïvka”. She claims to be carrying out counterattacks on neighborhoods conquered by the Russians.
Biden more “predictable” for Moscow than Trump, according to Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin assured Wednesday that his American counterpart Joe Biden was more “predictable” for Moscow than his rival Donald Trump, but that Moscow was ready to “work” with the winner of the presidential election in the United States whoever he is. either. Asked by a journalist which president would be better for Russia, Vladimir Putin replied: “Joe Biden, he is a more experienced person. He is predictable, he is an old-fashioned politician.” The Russian president, however, refused to comment on the debates in the United States on the age of Joe Biden. “When I met Joe Biden in Switzerland, it was three years ago it’s true, we were already talking about his incapacity, but I saw nothing of the sort,” he said.
“What we need to look at is the political position and the position of the current (American) administration is extremely harmful and wrong,” added Vladimir Putin. Moscow “will work with any American leader the American people trust,” he said.
Putin thanks Tucker Carlson for his role as “intermediary” with the Western public
Vladimir Putin also said on Wednesday that he was grateful to American presenter Tucker Carlson for his widely watched interview and his role as “intermediary” with the West. “Since we are not able to have a direct dialogue today […] we should be grateful to Tucker Carlson for being able to do it through him,” the Russian president said when interviewed by a journalist and in remarks broadcast by the Kremlin.
Vladimir Putin, however, said he was “not fully satisfied” with this long interview, the first he has given to a Western journalist since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, broadcast this week and watched more than 200 million times. on X.
The Russian president said he expected “aggressive” behavior and “difficult questions” from the former Fox News star host. “I was not only prepared for this, but I wanted it, because it would give me the opportunity to respond in the same way,” Vladimir Putin said. However, Tucker Carlson “tried to interrupt me several times, but in a surprising way,” continued the Russian president. He nevertheless praised the “patience” of the conservative American journalist, who notably listened to a long, very subjective history lesson from Vladimir Putin during this interview.