War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he expects Russia to step up its attacks as Kyiv follows the European bloc’s response to EU candidate status. Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers are looking for solutions to remove millions of tons of Russian-blocked grain from Ukraine. That’s at least 20 million tons of grain, according to Reuters. On the other hand, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that there is a risk that the war could last for years. “We must prepare for the fact that it could take years. We must not let up in supporting Ukraine,” the NATO chief said in an interview with German newspaper Bild. The Western military alliance chief said that supplying Ukraine with more modern weapons would increase its chances of being able to liberate the country’s eastern Donbas region, much of which is currently under Russian control. Russian forces have managed to conquer the city of Metelkine (photo), east of the strategic city of Severodonetsk, the head of the Lugansk regional military administration, Sergei Gaidai, was quoted as saying by CNN on Monday. According to the Ukrainian official, the Russians have intensified their use of artillery and air strikes to target Ukrainian positions in and around Severodonetsk, while the fight for the strategic city continues. “They (the Russians) are working hard in the industrial area of ​​Severodonetsk and on the outskirts of the city. The same is true in the Toshkivka and Ustynivka districts. They gathered a large amount of equipment there,” Gaidai said. He said fighting was taking place in many villages around the towns of Severodonetsk and Lysiciansk. Moreover, Russian troops continue to “carry out assault operations” to gain full control of the city of Severodonetsk, but so far have not been successful, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, quoted by Sky News. New Russian attacks were launched on Sunday night, injuring three children and destroying civilian infrastructure in the town of Ivanivka, according to Kharkov Regional Police Chief Volodymyr Tymoshenko, quoted by The Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian Army said that 28 Russian soldiers were killed in southern Ukraine. Ukraine’s “Southern” Operational Command reported that it also destroyed a Russian tank, two military vehicles and 152 mm howitzers.Nearly 2 million people have been taken from Ukraine to Russia, according to Moscow data. Captains of the Azov battalion captured in Mariupol were reportedly transferred to Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. The information was revealed to the Russian agency Tass by a judicial source. The names of these commanders were not specified, but according to previous reports Sviatoslav Palamar (aka Kalina), one of the second-in-command of the Azov Battalion, and Sergei Volinski (aka Volina), commander of the 36th Brigade of the Ukrainian Army, had been transferred to Russia to be investigated.

The grain blockade
EU foreign ministers are looking for solutions to remove millions of tons of Russian-blocked grain from Ukraine. That’s at least 20 million tons of grain, according to Reuters. Russian troops continue to “carry out assault operations” to gain full control of the city of Severodonetsk, but so far have not been successful, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, quoted by Sky News. European Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said on Monday that Russia’s blockade of exports of millions of tonnes of grain from Ukraine is a war crime. “We call on Russia to unblock Ukrainian ports. It is inconceivable that we cannot imagine that millions of tons of wheat remain stuck in Ukraine while the rest of the world is starving. It’s a real war crime, so I can’t imagine it will take long,” said Josep Borrell when he arrived at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, quoted by Reuters.

ISW: Russia to use more “false narrative”
Russia is using so-called “war crimes trials” to propel false narratives about Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, warns the Institute for the Study of War. The American think tank has warned that it is possible that the Russian authorities will try to use the staged trials against the Ukrainian military, especially the fighters from the Mariupol plant, resuming the theory that the war is a “special denazification operation”. Citing the UK Ministry of Defense, the think tank said Russia’s decision to call the invasion a “special military operation” rather than a war could limit its ability to find “legal means” to punish military dissidents. and those who refuse to mobilize.”

Zelensky: Russia to intensify its attacks
President Volodymyr Zelensky says in his video message at the end of each day that he expects Russia to intensify its attacks, as Kiev is due to receive a response next week from the European bloc’s EU candidate status. “Obviously, this week we should expect from Russia an intensification of its hostile activities. (…) And not only against Ukraine, but also against other European countries. We are preparing, we are ready, we are warning our partners,” said Zelenski.

Closed Sky Over Western Ukraine
Poland may introduce anti-missile defense over the territory of western Ukraine. At the moment, Ukraine is under threat of an offensive from Belarus. Another neighbor is conducting military exercises on the border with Ukraine, pulling military equipment, mobilizing people, and conducting intelligence operations. The danger to Western Ukraine (a possible offensive route for Belarus and Russia) is a danger to Poland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. They believe that a successful operation in Ukraine will entail the surfacing of new territories by Russian soldiers. Therefore Poland is prepared to respond to the threat.

Bomb Shelter in Every New Building in Ukraine
In order to provide every Ukrainian with the most important — chance of survival, from now on all buildings in Ukraine will be built with a bomb shelter. Previously, Ukrainians had simple everyday requests for a new home: a beautiful view from the window, not an old building, a balcony, and a certain number of bathrooms. Now the priorities of the Ukrainians have changed dramatically, and in the requirements for a new apartment, the Ukrainians urge the presence of 3 walls to protect against shelling, the absence of panoramic windows (so as not to get hurt by glass fragments during the next attack of the aggressor country), and, of course, the presence of a stable supply/parking/bomb shelter.

The War in Ukraine Is Not Fashion. It Is Genocide
“The New York Times” determined that most of the Russian ammunition was unmanned. Journalists in The New York Times conducted a large-scale survey. Before making conclusions, they collected more than a thousand photos of broken missiles. All photo support is collected after the Russian shooting by different types of weapons. It should be noted that American journalists used photos that were taken by themselves and that we’re officially published by the Ukrainian authorities to prove Russian war crimes. The magazine was able to identify more than 2000 pieces of ammunition. Of the 1000 pictures with crimes, 450 will be proved in an international court concerning the case on the use of unguided weapons. 210 out of 450 ammunition strictly prohibited by international conventions. They include cassette and phosphorus ammunition, which the Russian army uses almost in all directions of war.

Britain Will Help to Restore the Kyiv Region
UK business will take part in the infrastructure restoration of the region and the capital. During the British-Ukrainian infrastructure summit, a group of specialists was formed whose task is to rebuild the city of Kyiv and the Kyiv region after the war. The parties signed a memorandum on the infrastructural restoration of Ukraine. Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov spoke about the digital infrastructure restoration management system: an open electronic portal where every Ukrainian can find information about damage, percentage of restoration, contractor, public procurement, etc. International trade Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said that UK businesses will take part in the restoration of civilian infrastructure: schools, hospitals, and transport systems. All work will be carried out in a modern way of energy efficiency, sustainability, and safety.