One of the front lines of the war is the Dnipro River. After the Russian soldiers were forced to retreat by a Ukrainian offensive, the Russians now control the east bank and the Ukrainians the west. But how is life in the recaptured villages, with the threat of attack still more tangible? Journalists from the “Washington Post” went on a journey through the villages in the Kherson region (source here).
It is worth looking at the entire story of the Washington colleagues. Many impressive photos and conversations with residents give a picture of the everyday life of the people who are still or again staying in the small townsoften without gas and electricity.
For example, there is the recently liberated village of Oleksandrivka. More than 2000 people lived there before the war. In the meantime there were only 16, since the recapture the number has risen again to 150. Most returnees should have found that there is hardly anything left of their homeland. “If there was a hell, it was here”village leader Natalya Kametska told the Washington Post.
There is Tiahynka, which was retaken from the Ukrainians three months ago. The journalists met 72-year-old Helena Horobets there. According to the report, she and her son have packed up their valuables and are now living mostly in their basement – fearing further shelling from the other side of the river. They survived by selling poultry and dairy products. The daughter and granddaughter fled, however. The five-year-old girl was so traumatized by the war that she stuttered and trembled.
And there is Nikopol, at the end of the journey, a city that has never been occupied by Russia. According to the mayor, more than half of the residents have fled. The city is protected by the very wide river there, making it difficult for Russian troops to penetrate. But the downside is that the Russians are still within reach.
The most important news of the day
- According to analysts at the American military think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) sets Russia in its attempts at conquest increasing around the city of Bakhmut in the Donbass region to conventional military units. Read details here.
- The scope of the current EU training mission for the Ukrainian armed forces is to be doubled. Several EU officials in Brussels announced that the new goal is to train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers in EU countries. So far, the goal has been to train around 15,000 soldiers.
- According to a document from the Ministry of Defense, Germany wants to buy eight Iris-T air defense systems for the Bundeswehr. The project is on a list of proposed procurement actions dated January 25, seen by Reuters news agency on Wednesday. Read more about this here.
- According to a survey, a large majority of people in Germany are concerned that the Ukraine war could spread. In a survey conducted by Forsa for RTL and ntv, 72 percent of the participants said they feared that the war would not be limited to Ukraine, according to the polling company. More here.
- According to insiders, the United States is preparing a multi-billion dollar aid package for Ukraine, which for the first time will also include longer-range missiles. The $2.2 billion package, to be announced later this week, also includes equipment for Patriot air defense systems, precision munitions and Javelin anti-tank weapons, two US officials familiar with the matter told Reuters. The US President’s Office initially declined to comment.
- In the Czech Republic, two massive money transporters are being converted into ambulances for Ukraine. A spokeswoman for the National Bank in Prague confirmed that the armored trucks were made available for this purpose. The vehicles used to be used to transport large amounts of cash within the country. The EU and NATO member states have their own currency, the Krone.
- Following allegations by the United States regarding the New Start nuclear weapons control treaty, the Kremlin has for its part accused Washington of violating disarmament agreements. The United States had “destroyed the legal framework in the area of disarmament and security,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in Moscow.
- In Ukraine, state investigators have apparently searched the homes of oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskyi and ex-Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. According to media reports, Kolomojskyj is dealing with “embezzlement of petroleum products” worth the equivalent of 930 million euros. In the case of Awakow, the recent crash of a helicopter with its successor on board is said to have triggered the investigation.
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