Course of the war:
Putin wants to win back the support of his own people and is apparently preparing an attack on his own country – under a “false flag”. This is reported by the military experts of the “Institute for the Study of War” (ISW). The Kremlin already seems to be creating the conditions for this. The goal: the administrative district of Belgorad on the border with eastern Ukraine.
In support of the project, Kremlin propagandists are spreading the hypothesis that the Ukrainian armed forces want to invade Belgorod. According to the “ISW”, other Russian sources also state that the Russian armed forces must therefore regain control of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv Oblast in order to minimize the risk of a Ukrainian attack.
Russian military bloggers have also reinforced calls for Russia to retake the liberated areas of the Kharkiv Oblast, as this would prevent the Ukrainians from launching further attacks towards Kupyansk and Vovchansk.
Russian claims about an impending Ukrainian attack on the Belgorod region are absurd and only aim to scare the public into supporting the war, ISW said. Ukraine has no strategic interest in an invasion of Russia and is not in a position to carry it out on this scale.
The Russian military is apparently strengthening its positions in the eastern Zaporizhia and West Donetsk oblasts, experts at the Institute for the Study of War report. According to this, pictures have been posted on social media showing Russian trucks and vehicles moving from south to north in Melitopol over the past few weeks.
Also, geolocated images show that Russian military vehicles moving through Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast are carrying a significant amount of military equipment. Russian forces may be strengthening their positions in eastern Zaporizhia Oblast and western Donetsk Oblast to prepare for threats from Ukrainian attacks or to reinforce a resumption of the offensive in Donetsk, ISW said.
Voices and developments in the war in Ukraine:
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, is anticipating a dramatic winter for the Ukrainian capital, which has a population of around three million, because of the power cuts. “This is the worst winter since the Second World War,” he told the “Bild” newspaper. One must be prepared for the “worst scenario” of widespread power failures at low temperatures: “Then parts of the city would have to be evacuated,” he said . “But we don’t want to let it get that far!”
The ex-boxing world champion accused Russian head of state Vladimir Putin of wanting to drive Ukrainians to flee Kyiv by attacking civilian infrastructure. “Putin wants to terrorize people, let them freeze without light.” This is how pressure should be exerted on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “But that’s not going to happen. My impression is that people are only getting angrier, more determined. We will not die or flee like Putin wants us to,” Klitschko said.
He asked Germany to urgently send generators, protective clothing and humanitarian goods in addition to weapons for defense.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the establishment of more than 4,000 warming rooms for the people of the attacked country who are plagued by cold and darkness. “All basic services are provided there,” he said in his evening video address on Tuesday. “This includes electricity, mobile communications and internet, heat, water, first aid. Completely free of charge and 24 hours a day.”
Zelenskyj called the facilities in administration buildings or schools “points of stability”. The official name on a government website also translates to “points of steadfastness.” “I am sure that if we help each other, we will get through this winter together,” he said.
“Should there be another massive Russian attack and the power supply cannot be restored within a few hours, the work of the ‘points of stability’ will be activated,” said Zelenskyy. Local authorities should provide information “on where to find support in the event of a prolonged power outage”. Companies are also asked to provide rooms or help.
As a result of the Russian attacks on the electricity grid, Ukraine has had to contend with power cuts, but also with problems with heating, water and gas supplies.
According to the Ukrainian Security Council, Russia still has enough missiles for three to four attacks of the same severity as on November 15. At that time, about 100 rockets were fired. “The Russians have resorted to a shameful practice of destroying the infrastructure on which the lives of the elderly, children and women depend,” Council Secretary Oleksy Danilov told Radio Liberty we’re going to have a difficult winter, but that doesn’t mean we should give up or capitulate.”
Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov published an overview of the allegedly remaining Russian missile arsenal, although the information from Kyiv cannot be independently verified. 829 of the Iskander-type surface-to-surface missiles, more than four-fifths of the stock, were said to have been fired. In the case of Ch-101 and Ch-555 air-to-surface missiles, half of the arsenal is still there.
As in the previous days, ground fighting was mainly reported from the Donbass in eastern Ukraine. There were reports of an attack by Ukrainian drones from the city of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia on Tuesday evening. City chief Mikhail Rasvozhayev announced that two drones had been shot down. They should have attacked a power and heating plant in the Balaklava district. The Black Sea Fleet intercepted three more drones over the sea near the port city.
As the naval base of the Black Sea Fleet, Sevastopol is strategically important for Russia. The Ukrainian military has repeatedly attacked the city from the air with combat drones and once from the sea with remote-controlled unmanned boats.
The NATO member Czech Republic is changing its defense plans because of the Russian war against Ukraine in order to be prepared for a possible escalation. One must primarily prepare for a large-scale war against a highly developed opponent, said Chief of Staff Karel Rehka, according to the CTK agency in Prague.
The Czech Republic has almost 27,000 professional soldiers and around 3,600 reservists. Most recently, the training had focused more on participation in peacekeeping and anti-terrorist operations abroad, such as in Mali.
That will be important on Wednesday
Ukraine speaks of terror in the face of atrocities by Russian soldiers against civilians and attacks on civilian objects. That is why Kyiv is trying to have Russia condemned internationally as a state sponsor of terrorism. The parliaments of the Czech Republic, Estonia and other countries have already passed such resolutions. A similar vote is also pending in the EU Parliament in Strasbourg.
A classification of Russia as a terrorist state would have consequences, especially in the USA. But President Joe Biden’s administration is wary of putting Russia alongside countries like Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea. The legal classification could be an obstacle if negotiations and a peace process were to take place.
The German Vice President of the EU Parliament, Nicola Beer, is expected to hold talks in Kyiv on Wednesday.
Also read: The Ukraine update in the evening – Gazprom threatens gas throttling by Ukraine – Crimea reports drone attacks
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