Ukraine accuses Russia of using banned tear gas ++ high Russian losses Is there a need for an AfD ban? What speaks for and against

Ukraine accuses Russia of regularly using banned tear gas against Ukrainian soldiers in their trenches. Ukraine’s General Staff said 626 cases have been counted since the war began almost two years ago. In the first days of January 2024 there were 51 cases, with an increasing trend of up to 10 attacks per day. The grenades containing the irritating gas CS, which is also used by the police in many places, would be dropped by drones or fired by artillery.

The use of tear gas in war is banned by the Convention against Chemical Weapons, which Moscow is also a signatory to. There was no independent confirmation of the Ukrainian information. The American Institute for War Studies (ISW) picked up the information in a report on Saturday evening, but did not cite additional sources.

The British-Russian research institute Rusi wrote in June 2023 about the possible use of irritating gas by Russian troops, based on a report on Russian state television. Since the Ukrainian soldiers have their NBC protective equipment against nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, the tear gas cannot cause them much harm, the institute analyzed. Wearing gas masks is a hindrance during combat. (sda/dpa)

According to the Ukrainian armed forces, Russia has lost more than 369,000 soldiers in Ukraine since it began its invasion almost two years ago. This figure includes the 700 deaths suffered by Russian forces in the past day.

According to a statement from the British Ministry of Defense last week, the Russian army will lose 500,000 soldiers next year. The Defense Ministry said: “The average daily number of Russian casualties in Ukraine increased by almost 300 in 2023. If the numbers continue next year, Russia will have lost more than half a million people in Ukraine.”

(dsc, via theguardian.com)

New French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné (photo) has assured Ukraine of France’s continued support. “Despite the mounting crises, Ukraine is and remains France’s priority,” Séjourné said on Saturday during a visit to Kiev, just a day after taking office. “In Ukraine today it is about defending the basic principles of international law, the values ​​of Europe and also the security of the French,” the Foreign Minister emphasized after a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.

France apparently wants to do more

According to Ukrainian media, the meeting also discussed the perspectives of the EU and NATO for the country attacked by Russia. In view of the current particularly violent attacks, Kuleba again appealed to the West to block the export of goods to Russia that could be used for weapons production. “I would like to remind you that numerous Western-made parts have been found more than once in Russian missiles that flew over the heads of Ukrainians,” he said.

Séjourné said that at the EU summit in early February, France wanted to do everything it could to ensure that new financial aid to Ukraine was approved. The money is also intended for long-term investments in infrastructure and for the energy transition.

Séjourné also emphasized: “Ukraine’s future lies in the European Union.” The French Foreign Minister was also expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Kiev.

(sda/dpa)

On Saturday evening, Ukraine again reported drone attacks on its own cities. According to Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, this has happened Explosions near the Ukrainian capital. The anti-aircraft defenses are in action, he wrote on his Telegram channel. Initially nothing was known about any damage.

In the western Ukrainian city Zhytomyr According to media reports, the power has gone out in large parts. 21 substations were unexpectedly shut down, the city parliament announced on Facebook on Friday. Employees of the power plant are said to be repairing the damage. Little was known about the causes and duration of the power outage. (sda)

Given the agreement with London, the Ukrainian president was optimistic that negotiations on military aid to Ukraine would now move in Washington. “I see it more positively now than in December”he said at a press conference.

Pressure is applied until results are achieved. The US is Ukraine’s main arms supplier in its defense against the Russian invasion. Recently, however, the US Congress has paralyzed the White House’s gun aid efforts due to domestic political wrangling. (sda)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky compared London’s aid pledges to Kiev to US security guarantees for Israel after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s visit. “This day is already written in the history of our country: today we have an agreement, a security agreement with Britain, which we have been working on for a long time,” Zelenskyj said in his daily video address on Friday.

Many have heard about the security agreements between the US and Israel. “Now we have created such a model for our time.” That gives confidence for the defensive battle against Russia, according to the 45-year-old.

British Prime Minister Sunak also promised Ukraine military aid of 2.5 billion pounds (2.9 billion euros) this year. The package also included thousands of combat drones, he said on Friday during an unannounced visit to Kiev. Sunak signed a security deal with Zelensky. It pledges support to Ukraine now, but also in the event of a future conflict with Russia, as the British government has announced.

According to media reports, there was a power outage in large parts of the western Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr. A total of 21 substations were unexpectedly shut down, the city parliament announced on Facebook on Friday. Employees of the power plant are said to be repairing the damage. Little was known about the causes and duration of the power outage.

In the autumn and winter of 2022/2023, Russia intensively shelled energy supply facilities in Ukraine to break the will of the local population to resist the invasion. Although there has been no such regular attack on energy infrastructure this winter, Ukraine’s power grid is considered vulnerable to the attacks. According to weather maps, it is currently freezing almost ten degrees in Zhytomyr. (sda/dpa)

According to media reports, in the latest prisoner of war exchange between Russia and Ukraine, Moscow brought back criminals who fought mainly within its own ranks. Of the 248 soldiers who returned to Russia during the exchange, 180 were recruited in prisons for the war in Ukraine, the independent internet portal reported stories on Friday. Among those returning home are convicted murderers, kidnappers and robbers, many of whom are repeat offenders. It was the first prisoner exchange between the two hostile neighbors in six months.

According to Ukrainian sources, Kiev had proposed a more extensive exchange of prisoners of war. “But of the 600 people who could have returned to Russia, the Russian side only agreed to 248.”, the Telegram channel of the Ukrainian POW project reads “Khotshu schitj” (“I want to live”). There is no official information from Moscow about this.

On the Ukrainian side, 230 captured soldiers were released during the exchange. Among the freedmen were defenders of the port city of Mariupol and Snake Island. According to information from Kiev, more than 4,000 Ukrainians are still in Russian captivity. (sda/dpa)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes for further strengthening of his country’s air defenses in view of the continued Russian attacks from the air. More Western aid will come, he said at a news conference on Friday after a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “One thing is on the way, we have already agreed on other new things.” At the same time, Zelensky admitted that the country’s current air defense system still had gaps. In addition to Patriot systems, anti-aircraft complexes with other ranges were also missing, he said.

Moreover, given the agreement with London, Zelenskyi was optimistic that negotiations on military aid to Ukraine would now move in Washington. “I see it more positively now than in December”, he said. Pressure is applied until results are achieved.

Britain has pledged 2.5 billion pounds (2.9 billion euros) in military aid to Ukraine this year. In addition, both countries signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in the security sector. In Kiev there was talk of “security guarantees” from London against a future attack. However, in the document itself, the word ‘guarantee’ appears only once – in reference to Ukraine, which guarantees intellectual property protection in Britain. London does not commit to providing military assistance against an attack. (sda/dpa)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj congratulated new Swiss President Viola Amherd on her presidency and thanked her for Swiss support for Ukraine. Zelensky announced this on Friday on the short message platform X.

I spoke to the President of the Swiss Confederation @Violapamherd and wished her a successful term in office.

I am grateful to Switzerland for its support of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and for organizing the upcoming meeting of national security and foreign policy advisers in Davos in January…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 12, 2024

In their conversation, the two sides emphasized the growing dynamics of bilateral dialogue between Ukraine and Switzerland, the short message continued. Zelenskiy also thanked Switzerland for hosting the Ukrainian conference scheduled before the Davos World Economic Forum.

A media spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Defense, Civil Protection and Sports (DDPS) confirmed Zelensky’s call upon request on Friday. (sda)