DrUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posthumously honored a sniper killed in Russia’s war of aggression with the title „Hero of Ukraine”. Selinsky said in a video message distributed in Kiev on Sunday that the 42-year-old „will be remembered forever”. A video showing the unarmed man being shot dead after uttering the slogan „Glory to Ukraine” has caused an international outcry. According to Ukrainian information, the man’s identity has now been finally clarified through analysis.
According to the Ukrainian intelligence service, the soldier is believed to be a prisoner of war who was shot by Russian soldiers. A video of an alleged shooting of a man in Ukrainian uniform by Russian-speaking men also caused panic in Germany. The man shouted a salute to the Ukrainian army, „Glory to Ukraine!” before shooting. The authenticity of the video could not be initially verified by an independent party.
According to intelligence, the sniper died on December 30, 2022, and the body was handed over in February. Zelensky said the soldier was a man „whom all Ukrainians will know.” He was honored „for his courage and faith in Ukraine and” glory to Ukraine.
All developments in the live stream:
8:42 am – Germany received the remaining volumes of Russian oil in January
Oil imports from Russia to Germany practically stopped at the beginning of this year. According to the Federal Statistical Office, only a remaining 3,500 tonnes came to Germany in January, which had already been imported into the EU before the end of the year. In January 2022, Germany imported 2.8 million tons of Russian oil, according to Wiesbaden authorities. Mathematically, the imported quantity decreased by 99.9 percent.
08:22 – London: Groppe and Wagner disappear from prisoners as mercenaries
According to British estimates, the Russian mercenary group Wagner may face difficulties due to the lack of new prisoners as conscripts in the war in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense in London indicated that Moscow denied Wagner’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin the opportunity to recruit mercenaries in prisons. Half of the prisoners that were used fell victim to the heavy fighting. A nationwide recruitment drive does not make up for the losses. „If the ban continues, Prigozhin will likely have to reduce the scope or intensity of Wagner’s operations in Ukraine.” Wagner’s mercenaries are particularly active in the battle for the town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
8:05 am – Army: The situation around Bashmut remains critical
According to the Ukrainian military, the situation around Pakhmut in eastern Ukraine remains tense. The commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Oleksandr Sersky, said on Telegram that all enemy attempts to take the city will be repelled – with tanks, artillery and other firepower. Sirsky explains that the Wagner group of Russian mercenaries is attacking from several directions and is trying to break through the defenses and penetrate into the center of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces control the west of the city, while Russian mercenary units control most of the east. According to British intelligence, the front line is formed by the Pakhmutka River, which flows through the city.
07:14 – Russian governor: A missile was dropped in the Belgorod region
According to the authorities, the air defense system shot down four missiles in the Belgorod region, in southern Russia, bordering Ukraine. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that one person was injured. Two houses were damaged by missile debris. Belgorod borders the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine and has come under fire on several occasions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began more than a year ago. Ukraine rarely comments on Russia’s allegations of attacks on Russian territory or Russian-controlled territory.
03:17 – Klitschko: We were about to evacuate from Kiev in the winter
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has said he is considering evacuating the Ukrainian capital due to massive Russian air strikes on infrastructure in the winter. „In January we were very close to calling on residents to evacuate,” Klitschko told RND. The worst blackout lasted 14 hours. There was no electricity, no water, no heat.” Fortunately, the weather was mild.
Klitschko added that the infrastructure of the city, which has a population of about three million, was only saved from collapse by „a lot of strength and energy.” Municipal company employees were working around the clock. Klitschko said of the German Iris-T air defense system: The defense system saved „thousands” of lives during the air strikes on Kiev. “Our military is excited about Iris-T. Every shot is a hit, nobody misses.”
12:06 am – Ukraine has risen to become the third largest importer of arms
As a result of Russia’s war of aggression, Ukraine has become one of the world’s largest arms importers within a year. Few heavy weapons have been imported from abroad since the former Soviet republic gained independence in 1991, but military aid from the United States and Europe last year made Ukraine the third largest arms importer. This came from a report published by the Peace Research Institute Sipri in Stockholm. Only Qatar and India are ahead of Ukraine.
In the period 2018-2022, Ukraine ranked 14th with 2.0 percent of the volume of world arms imports. Its main suppliers were the USA, Poland and Germany. Sipri wrote that the supplies were vital to efforts to stop the Russian offensive. On the other hand, Russia has relied almost exclusively on weapons that it has made itself, but has also bought drones and flying bombs from Iran.
According to the report, in the wake of the Ukraine War and the strong threat from Russia, European arms imports have risen by 47 percent over the past two five-year periods — those of European NATO countries up as much as 65 percent. Globally, the volume of arms shipments between countries decreased by 5.1 percent. The USA remains the absolute industry leader, and Germany is one of the five largest suppliers.
00:05 – Klitschko praises Germany’s aid to Ukraine – calls for more weapons
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has praised Germany’s military support for Ukraine in the defensive fight against Russia – while at the same time calling for more speedy deliveries of more weapons. „I don’t want to complain and I want to thank the Germans once again,” the former world boxing champion told Liberation Network Germany (RND) in Kiev. Germany is one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine in terms of financial aid and arms supplies. But it’s true, the German government is very slow in making decisions, and for this we pay the highest price: the lives of our soldiers and the lives of our citizens.
At the same time, Klitschko said he was confident of winning. We are winning this senseless war. We are winning this senseless war. Of the consequences of defeat, he warned. “If we lose, Putin will attack Poland.” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goal is to build up the old Soviet empire. For many years, this also included part of Germany. This is The reason why it is important to support Ukraine with arms. We are fighting so that the Germans do not have to fight.”
Regarding possible negotiations with the Kremlin, he said: “We are ready for compromises, but only when the last Russian soldier leaves Ukraine,” but handing over part of Ukraine to Russia is not a compromise. Ukraine also includes the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014.
„Kick-off” is WELT’s daily news podcast. Top topic analyzed by WELT editors and today’s dates. Subscribe to the podcast at SpotifyAnd Apple PodcastAnd Amazon MusicAnd Google Podcast or directly via RSS feed.
