Against Putin’s soldiers and against forgetting in the West: Ukraine in a war of attrition Scattered minefields, no electricity: snowstorm makes war in Ukraine more difficult

On Saturday, Federal President Alain Berset experienced first-hand what it means when a country is at war: during his visit to Kiev, the joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky had to be abruptly canceled due to a missile alert.

Berset was sent to the protective basement of the presidential palace and had to stay there for twenty minutes. Ultimately it turned out to be a false alarm.

Berset and the Swiss delegation were never in danger. But just a few hours earlier, the threat to the Ukrainian capital was acute. Russia released 75 Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones on Kiev early this morning. It was the largest drone attack since the war began 643 days ago.

On Holodomor Remembrance Day

Fortunately, Ukrainian air defenses were able to shoot down most of the drones. Nevertheless, there was damage and five injuries among the civilian population.

And especially on the day of the commemoration of the Holodomor, Stalin’s mass murder of almost four million Ukrainians who fell victim to a calculated famine ninety years ago. Russian President Vladimir Putin turns out to be not only a cold-blooded warlord, but also a great cynic.

The situation is messy – “Ukrainian fatigue” is spreading

Federal President Berset went to Ukraine to promise Zelenskiy ‘long-term’ support from Switzerland. Even though the world is currently being hit by numerous crises, Ukraine will not be forgotten, according to Berset’s central message.

In fact, the focus of global attention is elsewhere, namely in Israel. As Ukraine’s most important ally, the US is directly involved in the negotiations to free Hamas hostages and has several aircraft carriers and warships on the ground.

The ongoing budget dispute in Washington also jeopardizes military aid to Kiev. Even if his American contacts assure him that there is no “Ukrainian fatigue,” President Zelensky would do well to be concerned.

And what about Europe?

The situation in Europe must also give Zelensky a headache. The largest economic power, Germany, is sinking into the 60 billion hole in the national budget after the ruling of the Karlsruhe Constitutional Court.

And at EU level there is a deep blockade on everything related to Ukraine. It is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who is determined to force a change in strategy. Use the pry bar if necessary.

He informed Brussels about this in a letter last week and indicated that he wanted to use his veto right at the EU summit in mid-December.

Not only would more than 50 billion euros in urgently needed aid funds for Kiev remain blocked. But also the latest package of sanctions against Russia and the start of EU accession negotiations, which is important for the morale of Ukrainians. If the breakthrough is not achieved, Ukraine’s year could end in ruins.

Nearly a thousand soldiers a day – Putin wants Avdiivka at any price

The soldiers at the front pay the price. The situation there is, in a word: difficult. This is simply due to the weather conditions. Heavy storms raged in southern Ukraine and the Black Sea coast this weekend. Temperatures have fallen sharply in all parts of the country. Where the earth is not yet frozen or covered with snow, it has often turned into a barely passable mud landscape.

At the same time, the Russian army is increasing pressure on various sectors of the front. While Ukrainian troops wait for the artillery shells promised by the EU, Moscow is said to have already received 1 million shells from North Korea. In recent months, Russia has also built up cruise missiles, which are now being used specifically against Ukrainian infrastructure.

Moreover, as in the battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Putin’s generals rely on the enormous number of soldiers they send in waves against Ukrainian positions. The setting is now the city of Avdiivka, also in the east. According to information from British intelligence, almost a thousand Russian soldiers have been killed or injured every day near Avdiivka in recent weeks, more than at any time since the start of the war.

Despite the heavy losses, the Russians are making progress: the city is now surrounded on three sides, Reuters news agency reports. As with Bakhmut, the matter appears to be only a matter of time.

(aargauerzeitung.ch)