Russia claimed “total control” of Avdiivka, in eastern Ukraine, on Saturday. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin of the conquest of this industrial city which was “a powerful defensive node of the Ukrainian armed forces”, according to a press release from his ministry. It is “an important victory”, reacted the Russian president.
The Ukrainian army announced on the night of Friday to Saturday its withdrawal from Avdiïvka after months of tough fighting and intensification of Russian attacks with a view to seizing this largely ruined city. And this despite very high losses in men and equipment. It was a “fair decision” intended to “save as many lives as possible,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. “In order to avoid being surrounded, it was decided to withdraw to other lines,” he added.
Information to remember
⇒ Yulia Navalnaïa meets EU foreign ministers this Monday in Brussels
⇒ Ukraine investigates alleged execution of eight prisoners of war
⇒ Ukrainian Prime Minister in Japan to intensify the reconstruction of his country
Navalny’s wife meets EU foreign ministers
Yulia Navalnaïa meets the foreign ministers of the European Union this Monday in Brussels, three days after the death in a Russian prison of her husband, Russian opponent Alexeï Navalny. “On Monday, I will welcome Yulia Navalnaïa to the EU Foreign Affairs Council,” declared Sunday evening the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell on X. “EU ministers will send a strong message of support to the fighters of freedom in Russia and will honor the memory of Alexei Navalny,” he wrote.
Yulia Navalnaya, 47, said she held Russian President Vladimir Putin “personally responsible” for his death and called on the international community to unite to inflict defeat on “this terrifying regime”. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani estimated that Yulia Navalnaïa’s statements “will help all Europeans to better understand what type of violent system we must confront and contain in Ukraine.” “This makes us feel the threat that weighs on the citizens of Russia and all regions of our Europe, a continent where violence, brutality and war have been reestablished in a shameful and irresponsible way,” added Antonio Tajani in a statement.
Death of Navalny: authorities extend investigation
Investigators have informed the mother of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his lawyers that the investigation into his prison death has been “prolonged,” Navalny’s spokeswoman said Monday.
“We don’t know how long this will last. The cause of death is still ‘undetermined’. They are lying, playing for time and not even hiding it,” said spokesperson Kira Iarmich on X.
Ukraine investigates alleged execution of eight prisoners of war
The Ukrainian prosecutor’s office announced on Sunday that it had opened investigations into the alleged execution by Russian soldiers of eight prisoners of war in eastern Ukraine, notably near Avdiivka, the day after the withdrawal of Kiev forces from this city. . “The shooting of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Avdiivka and Vesselé: investigations have begun,” the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said on Telegram.
Earlier in the day, the Telegram channel DeepState, close to the Ukrainian army, claimed that the Russian army had executed by shooting six Ukrainian soldiers, including four wounded, surrounded in a position south of Avdiivka, probably on Thursday , before the complete Ukrainian withdrawal from this industrial city. “The armed forces are verifying the circumstances of the death of a group of Ukrainian servicemen captured when they were leaving the Zenit position on the southern outskirts of Avdiivka,” spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy said on television on Sunday evening. Ukrainian military in this area.
The Ukrainian army had announced the day before that soldiers had been captured during the withdrawal from Avdiivka, without giving details. Ukrainian ground forces for their part accused Russian soldiers on Sunday of having executed by shooting two prisoners of war in another area of eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian Prime Minister is in Japan
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Chmygal, visiting Tokyo this Monday, called on Japan and its private companies to invest in the “economic miracle” which he said awaits his country, once the war against Russia has ended. Since the start of the Russian invasion two years ago, “Japan has provided Ukraine with more than 10 billion dollars” in various aid, making the Japanese archipelago Kiev’s fourth largest financial partner, underlined Denys Chmygal during a conference with representatives of the Tokyo government and the Ukrainian and Japanese business circles.
“The private sector will be the main driver of Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts […] We want to work with Japan on the modernization and reconstruction of Ukraine, we want you to be part of the Ukrainian economic miracle” after the war, he said. “Companies that invest now in Ukraine will be able to generate profits and have incredible opportunities in the coming years,” he further boasted.
Ukraine’s needs for its reconstruction and economic recovery are colossal and continue to grow: they were reassessed at $486 billion last week by the World Bank, the UN, the European Union and kyiv. This is $75 billion more than the previous estimate, which dated from March 2023.