Russia is now also recruiting women for the war – the nightly update without photos Italy demands that the Louvre return seven ancient amphorae

Female soldiers with a six-month contract

According to media reports, Russia has started recruiting women for combat missions in the war against Ukraine. The independent internet portal Istory wrote on Monday that snipers and drone operators were recruited into the mercenary unit “Redut”, which is subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Until now, women in the Russian army have only served as medics and in the kitchen.

The female soldiers are offered a six-month contract with a monthly salary of approximately 2,200 euros. In the event of injury there is a bonus of 30,000 euros, in the event of death approximately 50,000 euros must be paid out to the surviving relatives. Corresponding advertisements appeared on the Russian social network “Wkontakte”. Beginners would be trained with the weapon within a month.

Due to unexpectedly high losses in his army, Russian President Vladimir Putin officially announced the mobilization of 300,000 reservists last fall. Experts assume that, in view of the presidential elections scheduled for spring 2024, the Kremlin wants to avoid further mobilization until then and is therefore recruiting more and more volunteers.

Zelenskyy calls for continued support for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj wants to continue promoting support for his country through international conferences. “The world’s attention to Ukraine, to the protection of freedom and international law must be maintained – we are doing everything we can to achieve this,” Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Monday. He announced that a parliamentary summit of the “Crimea Platform” will take place on Tuesday. The ‘Crimea Platform’, a diplomatic initiative by Kiev, aims to draw international attention to grievances on the peninsula, which has been annexed by Russia since 2014.

In his speech, Zelenskyy also focused mainly on the situation at the front and, among other things, praised the steadfastness of the Ukrainian soldiers in the Avdiivka sector of the front. Fighting has been going on for months over the small town in the immediate vicinity of the city of Donetsk, which has been controlled by Russian troops since 2014. Over the past two weeks, the Russian army has significantly increased pressure in the area. Moscow is trying to encircle the Ukrainian troops stationed there with an offensive. So far the Russians have not succeeded.

Forced evacuation of children in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine

After massive Russian shelling, authorities in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson ordered a forced evacuation of families with children. This affects more than twenty municipalities and the city of Beryslaw on the Dnipro River, as the regional administration announced on Telegram on Monday. So far, only 450 children and their relatives have responded to an official request in mid-September to seek safety.

Refusals now require coercive measures, it is said. According to the Ministry for Reintegration, more than 800 children are taken free by bus and train to safer areas in the west of the country. The arrangement became necessary because of the almost daily artillery bombardments and intensive use of glide bombs by the Russian air force against targets on the Ukrainian-controlled bank of the Dnipro. Civilians were repeatedly killed and injured.

That will be important on Tuesday

A parliamentary summit of the Crimean Platform begins in Prague, with which Ukraine wants to draw attention to Crimea, which has been annexed by Russia since 2014.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal are expected at a German-Ukrainian economic forum in Berlin on Tuesday. There is a video greeting from Ukrainian President Zelensky. The conference will focus on investment projects of German companies in Ukraine. (sda/dpa)