Ukraine War – Voices and Developments – London: Lack of ammunition is the biggest problem for Russian troops

London: Shortage of Ammunition Limits Russians Most

Saturday, December 24, 9:35 a.m.: According to British military intelligence, the Russian troops in Ukraine lack ammunition and missiles. Tens of thousands of recruits have been mobilized since October. “Despite easing immediate manpower shortages, an ammunition shortage remains most likely the most important constraining factor for Russian offensive operations,” the UK Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

Due to the limited availability of cruise missiles, Russia has also limited its long-range missile attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure to about once a week. The stock of artillery ammunition is not sufficient for larger offensive operations. This is due to the fact that numerous grenades and rockets are needed every day for defense along the front.

Kyiv: Russia brings new troops to the front to reinforce them

6.55 p.m.: According to Ukrainian reconnaissance, the Russian armed forces are bringing reinforcements to their troops on the fronts in eastern and southern Ukraine. “The enemy has increased the volume of rail transport of troops, equipment and ammunition to combat zones,” the General Staff said in Kyiv on Friday.

The areas around the front-line town of Bakhmut in the east, as well as the towns of Avdiivka, Kupyansk and Limansk in the Donbass region, were considered the main combat zones. Reinforcements on the Russian side were also recognized in the south of the country, it said. However, the new units in the Cherson region would only be used to expand the defense lines. The information could not be independently verified.

Under certain conditions Zelenskyj is ready for further visits abroad

6:11 p.m.: After his surprise visit to Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has agreed to further trips abroad in wartime, subject to certain conditions. “When a visit may have the same strategic importance as my visit to the US, when our armed forces and all of our defense forces depend on it, when one partner or another takes a leadership role in Ukraine’s peacekeeping role, when there are critical steps to accelerate our victory then my negotiations on a personal level could be an exception to the general practice in wartime,” Zelenskyy said on Friday in Kyiv at a meeting with Ukrainian ambassadors from various countries.

“I urge you to take this visit as a point of reference, as a yardstick,” said Zelenskyy, according to a report in Ukrayinska Pravda. The Ukrainian head of state left Ukraine on Thursday for the first time since war broke out on February 24 to meet US President Joe Biden in Washington and to give a speech to the US Congress. In addition to massive military aid in the billions, Biden promised Zelenskyj further support in the fight against Russia.

For appearances on the political world stage – for example at the G7 summit in Elmau, Bavaria – Selenskyj has always had himself connected digitally from Ukraine. He has been invited to Brussels for February. Among other things, an EU-Ukraine summit is planned there for February 3.

Wagner Group chief denies arms purchase in North Korea

1:14 p.m.: Where did the weapons of the Russian Wagner group come from? The US is convinced that the mercenary group is buying weapons from North Korea to fight in Ukraine. According to the Russian news agency TASS, mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin contradicted the American allegations.

“Everyone knows that North Korea has not been supplying weapons to Russia for a long time. No such thing was attempted. The rumors are nothing but gossip,” Prigozhin said on the Telegram channel of his company Concord. In the past, Wagner had acquired “quite a lot” of weapons in the USA, the mercenary boss continued in the Telegram post. “We have never violated an international trade agreement.”

It was first reported in September, citing US intelligence, that Russia was buying ammunition from North Korea. A US official said at the time that they were suspected to be short-range missiles and artillery shells.

Zelenskyj has returned to Kyiv after a trip to Washington

10:53 am: After his trip to the United States, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has returned to his official residence in the capital, Kyiv. On Friday morning, the 44-year-old, wearing an olive-green jacket and T-shirt, reported via video from his desk with a smile and a clenched fist: “We are working for victory. Have a good day everyone!” On Thursday, after returning from the USA, he made a stopover in Poland and met his counterpart Andrzej Duda.

Selenskyj had previously expressed his delight at the results of his visit to Washington and his talks with US President Joe Biden. He returns with “what really helps”. The US plans to send a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine as part of a new $1.85 billion military aid package. They also promised the Ukrainians new ammunition.

Russians demolish bombed theater in Mariupol

10.45 a.m.: The ruins that remain of the Mariupol theater after the shelling in March are now being demolished for good. Another piece of Ukrainian culture is being wiped out.

When the Russians attacked the theater with rockets on March 16, 2022, several hundred people were killed. People sought shelter from the bombs in the theater building. On the square in front of the building the word “Дети” (children) was written in big letters. The attack caused horror around the world.

In late November, satellite images showed that the Russians were hiding the ruins of the theater behind high scaffolding covered with a stretched tarpaulin. Videos now show the final removal of the remains of the theater.

London: Putin’s expansion of the army is likely to be difficult

9:14 a.m.: Plans to increase the size of the Russian army are likely to pose a major challenge, according to British military experts. That’s according to the UK Defense Ministry’s intelligence update on the war in Ukraine on Friday. According to the plans presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the army will be expanded by 30 percent to 1.5 million soldiers. “It remains unclear how Russia will find the recruits to achieve such an increase at a time when its armed forces are under unprecedented pressure in Ukraine,” the British statement said.

Just a slip of the tongue? Putin speaks of “war” in Ukraine for the first time

7:47 a.m.: “Our goal is not to further turn the flywheel of the military conflict – but on the contrary to end this war,” Russian President Vladimir told reporters in Moscow on Thursday, describing his actions in Ukraine for the first time as a war. This was reported by the US broadcaster “CNN”. In Russian propaganda, the war is usually belittled as a “military special operation”.

The war in Ukraine has been going on for ten months. In Russia, people who criticize illegal acts in Ukraine or describe them as war face up to 15 years in prison and fines. St. Petersburg city councilor Nikita Yuferev – who fled Russia because of his critical attitude – now called for Putin to be prosecuted for “spreading misinformation about the army”.

A US official told CNN that Putin’s comments were likely a slip of the tongue. It remains to be seen whether this is a deliberate provocation by the head of the Kremlin after the massive promises of aid during the visit of Ukraine President Zelenskyy in Washington. On the question of negotiations with Ukraine, Putin only said: “All conflicts, including armed ones, end in one way or another with some kind of negotiations.”

Kretschmer to Ukraine War: Weapons no more important than talks

Friday December 23, 2022 06:31: Saxony’s head of government has triggered opposition with his demand to “freeze” Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Even months later, he sees no alternative to the ceasefire.

According to Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU), Germany must become more active in finding a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict. “For decades, that was one of the strengths of the Federal Republic. Germany enjoys a lot of trust in the world because it has faced up to its own history,” he told the German Press Agency in Dresden. German chancellors and foreign ministers remained willing to talk in the most difficult conflicts and helped mediate peace.

“Guns are no more important than talks. By dealing with history, Germany has become a credible negotiating partner,” emphasized Kretschmer. The mediation mission is also an issue of the European Union, of the Europeans. “The war is here, the US is thousands of miles away. It is therefore first and foremost the task of the Europeans to find a solution to the conflict. The destruction inflicted in Ukraine is enormous, innocent people are being harmed. The dying must stop.”

In the spring, Kretschmer had repeatedly spoken out in favor of a diplomatic solution, coining the formulation that the war had to be “frozen”. He had been openly criticized and hostile for this, including by the former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk. However, Kretschmer remained true to his line and pointed out that there was no alternative to an armistice and that the war had to come to an end. He now sees himself confirmed by statements by French President Emmanuel Macron and others.

“We can’t just talk about arms deliveries to Ukraine,” said Kretschmer. Calling for negotiations is basically a matter of course. In the past few months, however, this has unfortunately been a blank space. Back in the spring, his argument was based on the assessment that the development would lead to extreme shortages with price increases and the collapse of supply chains. “Unfortunately, that’s how it happened. We cannot turn back history, but we must work now to end this war as soon as possible.”

Kretschmer had repeatedly described Russia’s war against Ukraine as a crime and thought sanctions were the right thing to do. At the same time, he advocated not allowing relations with the large European neighbor in the east to be completely severed and that raw materials should later also be sourced from Russia again. Kretschmer argues that Russia will still exist after the end of the war and that is a fact.

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