Zelenskyj: Russian air force withdraws – the night update without photos Hardliner Johnson new Speaker of the US House of Representatives

Ahead of the EU crisis summit on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for stricter technical sanctions against aggressor Russia. “Sanctions against Russia must be extended and strengthened,” Zelensky said in a video address. This is exactly what he will say to the EU heads of state and government who will meet in Brussels from Thursday. The Ukrainian president will attend the meeting via video. European support for his attacked country is a topic at the summit, in addition to the second problem area in the Middle East.

The combat drones and missiles that Russia uses against Ukraine contain many parts from other countries, including from Western companies, Zelensky said. Moscow could circumvent the sanctions too easily. Every Russian attack on Ukrainian infrastructure is “proof that the pressure on the terrorist state is not enough.”

Damage to the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant

Zelensky also called for more anti-aircraft weapons from partner countries after explosions caused damage to buildings at the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant. “This attack on the nuclear power plant is a further reminder to all our partners of the importance of strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses.” Zelensky said this in his video speech in Kiev on Wednesday evening.

A Russian drone strike hit the western Ukrainian region of Khmelnytskyi the evening before. According to the Ministry of Energy, the pressure wave from explosions near the nuclear power plant caused the windows of several administrative buildings to crack.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed the damage. “This incident once again underlines the very precarious situation of nuclear security in Ukraine as long as this tragic war continues,” IAEA Director Rafael Grossi said in Vienna.

Zelensky: Russian air force withdraws

According to Zelensky, after successful Ukrainian attacks on Russian air bases in Luhansk and Berdyansk, Ukraine notes that the Russian air force is also withdrawing aircraft from the Crimean Peninsula. In the attacks, Kiev is said to have used US-supplied ATACMS missiles and disabled many Russian helicopters and aircraft. “First the Russian Navy flees, and now the Russian Air Force flees,” Zelenskyi said of the situation in Crimea. Ukraine will liberate all occupied territories without exception, he promised. He thanked the partners who had provided his country with longer-range weapons.

Hardly any changes at the front

According to the Ukrainian General Staff, there was heavy fighting on the almost thousand kilometer long front in the east and south of Ukraine, but little changed. The Ukrainian army repelled Russian attacks in the cities of Koupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut and Avdiivka, Wednesday’s situation report showed. In turn, Ukraine continues attacks near Bakhmut in the east and Werbowe in the south. The military information could not be independently verified. Kiev’s general staff did not comment on alleged Ukrainian advances on the Russian-occupied bank of the Dnipro in the southern Kherson region. Military bloggers reported about this.

EU focuses on Russian diamond trade

The EU is working on a twelfth package of sanctions against Russia. There are plans to restrict the trade in diamonds from Russia, senior EU officials said in Brussels. There could also be an import ban on aluminum, as well as export restrictions on other goods that can be used for civilian and military purposes.

It’s unbelievable what components Ukrainians find in Russian missiles, an official said of dual-use items. Sometimes microchips are discovered that are normally installed in refrigerators. Zelensky also points out exactly this problem.

Ideally, the new EU sanctions should be adopted this year. Sweeping import bans on crude oil, coal, steel, gold and luxury goods from Russia have long existed. In addition, there are punitive measures against banks and financial institutions.

Russia is training its nuclear forces

According to the Kremlin, Russia fired two intercontinental ballistic missiles and several cruise missiles during a nuclear weapons exercise. The maneuver took place under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief, President Vladimir Putin. An intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from a nuclear submarine, a second from a mobile launch pad at the site of the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia. The cruise missiles were launched from Tupolev Tu-95MS long-range strategic bombers.

Meanwhile, the Russian Security Council announced an increase in the size of the army. The reason for this is the fighting in Ukraine and the expansion of NATO’s military potential. This was said by former President Dmitry Medvedev, now Deputy Secretary of the Security Council. According to him, a new army corps, 7 divisions, 19 brigades, 49 regiments and a naval fleet will be created in 2024.

That will be important on Thursday

The heads of state and government of the European Union start their two-day summit conference in Brussels. The prime ministers of the Chinese-dominated Shanghai Cooperation Organization meet in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. The war in Ukraine will likely be the focus of both meetings. (sda/dpa)