New attacks, and a possible wave of displaced persons to be expected. Thursday, January 26, eleven people were injured and eleven others died by Russian strikes, having targeted energy installations in particular. Asked by AFP the same day, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, then warned that Europeans should prepare for a probable new wave of displaced people fleeing the fighting. “Any escalation of war is likely to cause further displacement, one way or another, and we must be prepared for that,” he said.
This new wave of bombardments comes the day after the green light from Washington and Berlin for the transfer of dozens of heavy tanks to kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the decision, saying it was an “important step for final victory”.
A new wave of displaced people according to the UN
“As we have seen everywhere, in Mariupol, in Kherson, whenever the fighting escalates, people will naturally try to take cover,” said Filippo Grandi, the High Commissioner for Refugees, in reference to two major battles of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022. And to add: “We say to the Ukrainian government, but also to the governments of neighboring countries, to be ready, to prepare for any eventuality”.
Ukraine attacked by 55 Russian missiles
A missile attack took place on Thursday against Ukraine, targeted by more than fifty Russian missiles, said the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Valery Zaluzhny. The anti-aircraft defense “destroyed 47 cruise missiles, including 20 near the capital” kyiv, he said on Telegram. Of the 55 “high precision” missiles, two were of the KH-47 Kinjal type and four were KH-59s fired from Mig-31 and Su-35 aircraft respectively, the army said. Ukrainian air on Telegram. Another 40 missiles, of the Kh-101 and Kh-155 types, were fired from Tupolev-75 bombers beyond the Caspian Sea and nine of the Kalibr type from Russian surface boats and submarines at sea Black, according to the same source.
At least 11 people were killed and 11 others injured in these strikes. “Emergency” power cuts were triggered Thursday morning in kyiv and in three regions.
The previous evening, Ukraine had already shot down a set of 24 Russian-launched, Iranian-made suicide drones, according to the Air Force.
Australian Open: controversy in the Djokovic clan
Srdjan Djokovic, at the center of a controversy at the Australian Open with pro-Russian fans, announced on Friday that he was giving up attending the semi-final of his son Novak in order not to stir up tensions. “I had no intention of making headlines or causing any disruption […] So that there is no disruption during the semi-final for my son or his opponent, I chose to watch the game from home,” he said.
A video posted on a pro-Russian Australian YouTube account on Thursday showed Srdjan Djokovic posing outside the stadium with a man holding a Russian flag with the face of President Vladimir Putin. The video was captioned: “Novak Djokovic’s father makes bold political statement”.
Germany and the United States will send heavy tanks
Under pressure for several weeks, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also agreed to send 14 Leopard 2 heavy tanks to Ukraine, despite his reluctance, and while claiming to want to avoid “an escalation” which would lead to a war between Russia and NATO. They should arrive “at the end of March, beginning of April”, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday.
After long procrastination, Washington announced on Wednesday the delivery of 31 Abrams tanks to theUkraine, thereby further pushing the boundaries between aid and co-belligerence. To avoid being accused of participating directly in the war, Joe Biden also immediately affirmed that the act did not constitute an “offensive threat against Russia”.
Until recently, the United States said it was not ready to provide its most advanced heavy tanks, the Abrams, to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion, justifying this refusal by questions of maintenance and training. Last week, the Pentagon’s number three, Colin Kahl, pointed out that the Abrams tank was “a very complicated piece of equipment”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed this turnaround during his daily address, while calling for long-range missiles and fighter jets. In the immediate term, “the key now is the speed and volume” of tank deliveries, he said. The delivery of these tanks is “an important step for the final victory”, added Volodymyr Zelensky.
Independent media Meduza deemed “undesirable”
Russian justice declared Thursday “undesirable” the independent media Medusa in Russia, paving the way for criminal proceedings against its journalists, a new episode of repression that targets civil society in the country.
Medusa, a popular online Russian-language newspaper based in Latvia to evade censorship, was launched in March 2014. For almost a year, its articles have been widely critical of the Russian military operation in Ukraine and the crackdown on Russian civil society. . The Prosecutor’s Office explained in a statement on Thursday that it had “established that its activity represents a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order and security of Russia”.