“We are not prepared to give our freedom to the terrorist Putin”
Despite military setbacks and equipment shortages, the Ukrainian leadership remains committed to its goal of fully liberating the country from Russian occupiers. “We are not ready to give our freedom to the damned terrorist Putin,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in an NBC interview on Sunday. At the same time, he called on his fellow countrymen to stick together and continue to have faith.
“Believing in Ukraine means knowing that Ukraine and Ukrainians can maintain, maintain and regain their independence,” he said in his late-night video address on Sunday.
Zelenskyy reiterated his position that no negotiations with Russia can take place at this time. “There is no dialogue with terrorists,” he emphasized. “Their word is worthless, they only want to destroy and kill.” Ukraine will continue its fight against Putin’s forces.
Zelenskyy complains about Russian air sovereignty
Zelenskyi complained about shortcomings in his country’s air defense and the air sovereignty of the Russian armed forces. “Russia controls the air,” he said in an interview with American broadcaster NBC. Ukraine needs better air defense, he said, referring to the Western-made fighter jets he demands. “Give us the means to compete with Russia in the air.” The Ukrainian military also needs drones and weapons to defend itself against such missiles.
Once some sort of balance in the air is achieved, Ukrainian ground forces can advance. “We cannot simply attack like the Russian forces,” Zelensky said, because Russia throws its soldiers into battle without taking into account its own losses. “We need our soldiers.”
Ukraine wants to reform the military service
Amid the defensive war, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rusten Umyerov plans a complete reform of the military service within the next five years. According to the draft published on Sunday, which represents “a strategic vision for the development of military personnel policy,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces should switch to contractual military service in the future. When recruiting and later advancing a soldier’s career, his previous training must be taken into account. The armed forces also strive for professional equality between the sexes.
The purpose of the concept is to meet the personnel needs of the armed forces, which are vastly outnumbered by Russia. In addition, the Ukrainian military should be able to “integrate into the Euro-Atlantic security area and ensure the interoperability of the Ukrainian armed forces with the armed forces of NATO member states.”
Continued heavy fighting for Avdiivka
Russian troops made several advances toward the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka on Sunday, according to Ukrainian military officials. More than 400 Russian soldiers were killed and twelve armored vehicles destroyed, the commander in charge of this part of the front, Olexandr Tarnawskyj, said on Telegram. The Russian attacks, supported by fighter jets and artillery, were repulsed. The information could not be independently verified.
The front line against Moscow-backed separatists has been near Avdiivka since 2014. The largely destroyed city is currently surrounded on three sides by Russian troops. The Russian-controlled regional capital Donetsk is located just a few kilometers south of Avdiivka.
The port city of Odessa in the south of the country was also attacked on Sunday evening. According to Ukrainian television, the anti-aircraft defenses were activated to repel Russian air attacks. Initially, no information was available about any damage or victims from the attacks.
Russia fires intercontinental ballistic missiles from new nuclear submarine
The Russian Defense Ministry says it has successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile of the Bulava type (NATO code: SS-N-32) that can be equipped with nuclear warheads. The missile is located under the water of the new nuclear submarine ‘Tsar Alexander III’. The ministry announced on Sunday that it was shot down from the White Sea east of Finland and hit a training area on the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
What is important today
New Russian attacks are expected on the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine.
(yam/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
