Ukraine-News ++ Cherson ++ Shelling kills one woman and two children

DRussian shelling hit a residential building in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, killing at least three people, according to sources in Kiev. A woman and two children died in the village of Poniativka, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, wrote in a telegram on Sunday. “Russian terrorists continue to kill civilians,” Yermak added. Cherson was recaptured by Ukrainian troops in November and has been under constant bombardment by Russia ever since.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Civil Defense Department has announced that the death toll from a heavy rocket attack on the city of Zaporizhia last Thursday night has risen to 13. An eight-month-old baby girl was found dead in the rubble of a five-storey building.

All developments in live ticker

20:00 – Russian troops continue attacks on Pakmut

The Russian military continued its efforts to capture the eastern Ukrainian city of Baghmut on Sunday. “They (Russian troops) will not stop attacking Pakmut and surrounding settlements,” the Ukrainian General Staff in Kiev said in its situation report in the evening. Numerous settlements around Pachmut were shelled by mortars and artillery. The generals in Kiev gave no information on any gains or losses in the region. So far, Pakmut is under pressure from three sides, with only one side in the west still open.

5:20 pm – Brandenburg wants to free up municipalities more because of refugees

In view of the growing number of refugees, the Brandenburg state government is planning a package of measures to free up counties, cities and municipalities. The Cabinet intends to discuss this on Tuesday. “I can confirm that the state government intends to provide a relief package to the district council conference,” Interior Minister Michael Stubgen (CDU) told a German news agency on Sunday.

For example, more places at the initial reception, longer stays in these facilities, but also the question of medical care and integration will be discussed. The Home Minister pointed out that increasing the number of seats in the initial reception cannot be the only solution. “We need a different framework for considering asylum cases,” he said.

2:11 pm – Russia’s defense minister meets with commanders in the war zone

According to Moscow, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met with commanders of his army in the war zone in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that Shoigu had been briefed on the current situation and additional projects in the pipeline. Apart from the 67-year-old, Valery Gerasimov, the commander-in-chief and commander of Russian troops in Ukraine, and his deputy, Sergei Surovykin, were also seen in the audio-free video.

It was announced on Saturday that Shoigu traveled to the front more than a year after Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began. Accordingly, he also decorated Russian soldiers in the Donbass in eastern Ukraine. It was initially not possible to independently verify how close Shoigu was to the front.

11:00 a.m. – Kiev puts Russian casualties at 500 men per day at Pakmut

According to reports from Kiev, the Russian army suffered heavy losses in the battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Baghmut. “Russian losses are up to 500 dead and wounded every day,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov told Bild am Sonntag. Russian soldiers are only “cannon fodder” among the “meat grinder tactics” used by Moscow. Information on loss statistics cannot be independently verified.

However, the city has been hotly contested for months. Mercenary Division Wagner is mainly active in the chamber. Their boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, an oligarch considered close to the Kremlin, has recruited troops in Russian prisons in the past. It is among these prisoners that the casualties are said to be the highest.

10:39 am – London: Moscow also uses field spades due to lack of ammunition

According to British military experts, disruptions in weapons and ammunition on the Russian side are now having strange consequences in the war in Ukraine. In a short daily report, the British Ministry of Defense wrote on Sunday that Moscow uses ordinary field spades in close combat. The backdrop was reports of Russian security forces being sent to attack a Ukrainian military base with only “guns and shovels”.

According to the British, the MPL-50 field spade, commonly used by the Russian armed forces — is actually an ingrained tool — tied to a myth that exalts it as a deadly weapon. It has not yet evolved since its introduction in 1869. Combat use is a symptom of brutal and low-tech hand-to-hand combat, which recent signs indicate is becoming more common in Ukraine. The reason is that Russia wants to carry out attacks despite the lack of ammunition.

10:36 am – Current situation in Ukraine

09:23 – Ukrainian pilots train in US military flight simulators

According to government sources, the US military is training two Ukrainian pilots in flight simulators. A spokesman for the US Department of Defense says the aim is to train the two pilots on their own military aircraft, not US F-16s. Training at a base in Arizona is designed to help Ukrainian pilots improve their skills. At the same time, the possibility of providing advice to the Ukrainian Air Force should be improved. Similar plans have already come from other partners. The U.S. recently reiterated that it would not deliver the fighter jets, regardless of Ukraine’s insistence.

03:24 – China plans to increase military spending by 7.2 percent

China wants to increase its military spending by 7.2 percent this year. A significant increase in the defense budget to 1.5537 trillion yuan (equivalent to 211 billion euros) emerged from the draft budget presented at the start of the week-long annual session of the People’s Congress in Beijing on Sunday. The increase in expenditure on the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army is more than the increase in total expenditure.

In his address to nearly 3,000 delegates in the Great Hall of the People, Premier Li Keqiang called for the expansion of the armed forces, which would “strengthen their combat readiness and improve their military capabilities”. A conference speaker justified the increase earlier in the day with “complex security challenges” and “China’s responsibility as a great power”.

12:00 am – President of the European Parliament calls for serious consideration of the delivery of fighter jets

EU Parliament President Roberta Metzola urges increased supply of weapons to Ukrainian armed forces. “Member states should seriously consider sending fighter jets to Ukraine,” Metzola said during a visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Saturday. He will continue to call for the provision of all equipment necessary for Ukraine’s success. Regarding Ukraine’s aspirations to join the EU, Metzola said he hoped accession talks would start early this year. She was impressed by the speed at which the country was progressing.

Metzola arrived in Lviv, 60 kilometers from the Polish border, on Friday evening. On Saturday, the Maltese-based politician met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stepanchuk. Together with Stefantschuk he laid flowers at the memorial to the fallen soldiers. Talks about the “peace formula” proposed by Kiev and the prospects of a peace summit with the broad participation of the countries of the Global South, the Ukrainian side said after Metzola’s meeting with Zelensky. Also, the Ukrainian president has promised to quickly meet the demands of the EU Commission in order to start accession negotiations this year.

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