Zelenskyi emphasizes the importance of protecting Ukraine
After returning from a state visit to Warsaw, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy underlined the importance of such meetings for his country’s security. With new purchases of arms abroad, Ukraine’s arsenal is filling up. When asked about the time and place of the expected spring offensive, Kiev does not want to look at the cards. Meanwhile, according to a New York Times report, classified documents have surfaced in the run-up to the offensive about US and NATO plans to support the Ukrainian military.
“Defending and protecting our people, supporting our resilience, especially our soldiers, is the main point in all negotiations and meetings,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address on Thursday.
As the day before, in Poland it is always about defense – weapons for Ukraine, ammunition for Ukraine, new defense systems for Ukraine. “And I thank Poland and our partners for making this visit really worth it.”
After the US, Poland is one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters in its defensive fight against Russia. Kiev has increased an order for wheeled infantry fighting vehicles in neighboring Poland from 100 to 150 units. This was announced by Polish government spokesman Piotr Müller a day after Zelensky’s visit to Warsaw on Thursday, according to the PAP bureau. The KTO Rosomak tanks will be financed with assistance from the US and the EU. It is a licensed version based on the Finnish military vehicle Patria AMV.
In addition, Ukraine ordered the construction of more than 50 M120 Rak (“Cancer”) self-propelled mortars. Delivery of 100 missiles for short-range anti-aircraft missile systems is also planned. According to government information from Warsaw, the total value of arms supplied by Poland to Ukraine so far is 2.1 billion euros.
A few weeks ago, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced that MiG-29 fighter jets would be delivered to Ukraine. During Zelenskyj’s visit, he got specific: Ukraine had already received eight MiG-29s from Poland. In addition, six MiG-29s are currently being prepared for transfer, Duda announced.
Secret plans to strengthen the Ukrainian army online
Secret documents about US and NATO plans to support the Ukrainian military ahead of a planned offensive against Russia have surfaced online. The newspaper “New York Times” reported that Thursday (local time), citing US government employees. The US Department of Defense is therefore investigating who is behind the publication, it said. However, according to analysts, the contents of the documents appear to have been altered in a way that could indicate a disinformation campaign from Russia, the report said.
The documents were distributed via the social media platforms Twitter and Telegram. The documents are five weeks old and contain no concrete battle plans. However, military insiders could still glean valuable information from it, such as arms delivery schedules.
On Thursday, Secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said in a radio interview that very few people in Kiev knew about the plans for the expected offensive to recapture the Russian-held territories. “Information about where, when and how some action begins on the territory of our planet is reserved for a narrow circle.” If there’s some explanation for the offensive, it doesn’t necessarily match the truth, Danilov said.
In the near future, the so-called spring offensive is expected from the Ukrainian armed forces, which were recently armed with heavy weapons and tanks from the West. An advance to the coastal town of Melitopol is expected to split the Russian forces. In recent months, the Russian army has massively strengthened and expanded its defensive positions to repel the expected attack.
Prigozhin: Capture of Bakhmut in three to four weeks
The resistance of the Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut in the east of the country is giving the Russian army something to think about. The city could be captured “in three to four weeks,” Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the infamous Wagner mercenary group, estimated on a Telegram channel attributed to him. Only a few days ago he had claimed that Bachmut had been taken.
From a Russian point of view, it is still important to break the supply lines of the Ukrainian defenders. Only then can one go to the capture and “destruction of important military objects” in the city center from different directions.
Prigozhin spoke against a background of dozens of graves of his mercenaries on Thursday. “One day this cemetery should become a memorial for future generations,” he said. His troops have suffered heavy casualties near Bakhmut in recent weeks. “Yes, it (the graveyard) is growing.”
Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut have been fiercely resisting attacks by Russian troops led by Wagner mercenaries for months.
25 years in prison for Russian opposition leader Kara-Mursa
According to the will of the Moscow prosecutor’s office, Russian opposition leader and journalist Vladimir Kara-Mursa should be sentenced to 25 years in prison for high treason. This was announced by human rights lawyer Maria Eismont on Thursday. The 41-year-old, who was in poor health after being poisoned in the past, lost 17 kilograms in custody. Kara-Mursa is one of the harshest critics of the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin and had also condemned Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
(sda/dpa/first)
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.
