military situation
In the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, the separatists, supported by the Russian army, have claimed territory in the small town of Soledar. Separatist representative Vitaly Kiselev spoke to the Russian state-run TASS on Wednesday about “good news”. Russian troops entered the city limits of Soledar and forced the Ukrainian army to retreat. Kiselyov said he was expecting a conquest within the next two days.
The military chief of the small town, Serhiy Hoshko, has contradicted the account. “There was an attempt by the Russian army to enter Yakovlivka, which Ukrainian soldiers successfully repulsed,” he told Ukrainian public television. Three houses were destroyed in the village northeast of Soledar. Four houses were also destroyed in the nearby village of Bachmutske, southeast of Soledar. Rosdoliwka to the north had also been shelled.
Putin’s Attack – 15 up-to-date graphs will help you better understand the Ukraine war
Political situation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sees a good chance that the blocked grain exports will soon be released. “The Ukrainian delegation informed me that there is some progress,” Zelenskyy said in his video address on Wednesday. He was referring to the negotiations in Turkey on lifting the Russian naval blockade of Ukrainian ports. If the Russian threat to shipping in the Black Sea can be eliminated, the global food crisis will become less acute, Zelenskyy assured. Before the war, Ukraine was one of the largest grain exporters in the world.
In his video address, the Ukrainian President also referred to his planned appearance at a forum in The Hague on the prosecution of war crimes in Ukraine on Thursday. “We must coordinate our efforts in such a way that all guilty parties receive their just punishment,” said Zelenskyy. Since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, numerous war crimes have also been recorded against the civilian population. Zelenskyj was convinced that the perpetrators would be brought before an international court.
SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich advocates not ruling out talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin under certain conditions. “You can’t force such talks,” said Mützenich of the German Press Agency. “But if President Putin is willing to hold reliable talks with the heads of state and government of the EU, NATO and Ukraine, that shouldn’t be ruled out in principle.”
In view of the looming gas crisis, the economy and consumers could face significant energy-saving measures. A draft for an emergency plan by the European Commission provides that public buildings, offices and commercial buildings should be heated to a maximum of 19 degrees from autumn. “Acting now can reduce the effects of a sudden supply interruption by a third,” says the text, which is available to the German Press Agency. There is now a “considerable risk” that Russia will stop gas supplies to Europe this year.
Companies that can replace gas should reduce their consumption, they say. The aim is to protect industries that are particularly important for supply chains and competitiveness. Households are also encouraged to voluntarily consume less. “Anyone can save gas, now,” writes the commission.
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What is important today
At the invitation of the Netherlands, high-ranking prosecutors are meeting in The Hague and dealing with issues relating to the prosecution of war crimes in Ukraine. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, and the judicial authority of the European Union, Eurojust, are also involved. Video messages are planned by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Selenskyj.
Also read: The Ukraine update on July 13 – Kyiv hopes for new US missiles, Gazprom does not want to guarantee operation of Nord Stream 1
