Kiev admits the difficult situation in eastern Ukraine – the night update without images Rarely has power been bought at a higher price

Zelenskyy: Ukrainians resist heavy fighting in Donbass

Fighting in eastern Ukraine has intensified. According to information from Kiev, the situation is particularly difficult in the north of the Donetsk region around the cities of Bakhmut and Soledar. Nevertheless, President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is convinced that his own troops will hold out and promises them reinforcements.

Despite the fiercest fighting in eastern Ukraine, Selenskyj sees no way for the Russian attackers to break through and promises reinforcements to the defenders. “Bachmut perseveres,” said the 44-year-old on Sunday in his daily video address. Neighboring Soledar is also holding out, although the situation is difficult. “This is one of the bloodiest places on the front,” he said, describing the area around the two small towns, which are only 9 miles (14 km) apart.

According to Zelensky, the commander of the Ukrainian army visited the troops in Bakhmut and Soledar on Sunday. Oleksandr Syrskyj will lead the defense and organize reinforcements and more firepower against the enemy. Syrskyj is considered a hero in Ukraine, credited with the successes in defending Kiev and retaking the Kharkov region.

The current developments in the war in Ukraine in the live ticker:

Kiev admits having problems defending Soledar

According to Kiev, the defenders in the Soledar area have been in a difficult position during the fighting in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. “It is difficult in Soledar at the moment,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar wrote in her Telegram channel on Sunday. Like Bakhmut, which has been fought for months, Soledar is part of the Ukrainian defensive wall for the agglomeration between Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Conquering the conurbation would almost amount to capturing the Donbass – one of Russia’s publicly stated goals at the start of the war.

The Russians had concentrated large forces in front of Soledar. The attacks not only involved regular units of the Russian army, but also mercenary troops, Maljar wrote. In fact, in the area around Bachmut and Soledar, the mercenaries of the “Wagner” troop, considered well equipped, attacked.

Russia and Ukraine exchange 50 prisoners

Russia and Ukraine completed the first prisoner exchange since the turn of the year. “On January 8, as a result of the negotiation process, 50 Russian soldiers who were in immediate danger were withdrawn in captivity from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime,” the Russian defense ministry said in its Telegram channel on Sunday. Soon after, the Ukrainian side confirmed the exchange.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, its own prisoners of war have already been flown by military plane to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation. There is no further information about the Russian soldiers.

Kiev, on the other hand, reported that 33 officers and 17 enlisted men had been released on its own side. “We are returning people captured in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, our defenders from Mariupol, our boys from the Donetsk region in the Bakhmut area, as well as from the Kiev region, Chernihiv, Kherson and other regions where there was fighting,” the head of the president’s cabinet, Andriy Yermak, commented on the exchange.

Belarus announces joint air force maneuvers with Russia

According to official information, against the background of the war in Ukraine, Belarus plans to conduct a two-week air force maneuver with the Russian armed forces from mid-January. “From January 16 to February 1, 2023, collective air tactical exercises of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia will take place,” the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced on Sunday in its Telegram channel.

The two countries formed the joint task force in the fall – officially to protect the external borders of the Russian-Belarusian Union. About 9,000 Russian soldiers are stationed in Belarus at this base. Ruler Alexander Lukashenko did not visit the troops until Friday. According to the Ministry of Defense in Minsk, the Russian air force units arrived on Sunday. All airfields and military training grounds of the air force and air defense in Belarus would be involved in the two-week exercises.

Recently, there has been repeated speculation about a renewed Russian attack on Ukraine from Belarusian territory.

OSCE Secretary General against Moscow’s expulsion from the organization

The Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Helga Maria Schmid, spoke out against Russia’s exclusion from the group. Keeping diplomatic channels open does not mean agreement, Schmid told the “Welt” on Monday. “Anyway, from today’s perspective, I think it makes sense for Russia to remain a member of the OSCE.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had called for Moscow to be excluded because of Russia’s offensive war against his country. “One day we will need communication channels again,” said the top German diplomat.

That will be important on Monday

In Russia, the holidays end after the turn of the year and politics returns to everyday life. At the front, Russian forces are likely to continue their attacks on Bakhmut and Soledar in the hope of a breakthrough. (sda/dpa)