About nine and a half months after the invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin does not rule out a long war against the neighboring country.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on continued heavy Russian attacks in the eastern region of Donetsk. And the European Commission has proposed a new package of sanctions against Moscow.
Putin: 150,000 Russians have already been mobilized in the combat zone
“Of course it could be a long process,” Putin said during a meeting with representatives of a human rights council he had set up. The Kremlin chief also said that half of the 300,000 Russian reservists mobilized have already been deployed to the combat zone in Ukraine. The remaining 150,000 men are housed as “combat reserves” on military bases, Putin said.
Putin ordered the mobilization in September after a heavy defeat of his army in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, but this caused real panic in his own country. Hundreds of thousands of Russians fled abroad. The measure has now been officially completed. However, many Russians do not trust the Kremlin and fear that they or their loved ones will still be called up – especially since Putin’s government had repeatedly refused mobilization as ordered in September. According to Western intelligence services, many of the Russians called up to the front have already been killed.
Zelenskyj on fighting in Eastern Ukraine: “Every meter counts”
Selenskyj reported on ongoing heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine. Ten people were killed in recent Russian attacks on the town of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region, he said in his daily video address on Thursday evening.
On the situation around the town of Bakhmut, which is currently under particularly heavy shelling and which the Russians have been trying to take for months, he said: “There is a very hard confrontation there. Every meter counts.” He also thanked all Ukrainian soldiers who resisted the attackers.
The European Commission proposes a new sanctions package against Russia
With a ninth package of sanctions, the European Commission wants to put further pressure on Russia. “Russia continues to bring death and devastation to Ukraine,” Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, wrote on Twitter. The new package aims to add nearly 200 persons and organizations to the sanctions list.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said they were members of the Russian military, defense industry and government. Those responsible for the rocket attacks on Ukraine and the theft of Ukrainian grain, among others, will be affected.
Scholz: The risk of using nuclear weapons has decreased
According to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the danger of a nuclear escalation in the war in Ukraine has decreased. “Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons. In response to the fact that the international community has drawn a red line,” Scholz told the newspapers of the Funke media group and the French newspaper “Ouest-France” (Thursday).
“During my visit to Beijing, Chinese President Xi and I jointly declared that nuclear weapons should not be used. Shortly afterwards, the G20 countries reaffirmed this position.” When asked whether the danger of a nuclear escalation has been averted, the SPD politician said: “For now, we have something to hold on to.”
Meanwhile, Putin reiterated that Russia’s nuclear weapons were used solely to protect the country and its allies and as a deterrent. Russia’s military strategy envisages the use of weapons of mass destruction in response to an attack. “That means that if a blow is dealt to us, we will hit back,” Putin said. (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.
