Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock sees the Russian President increasingly isolated. Putin has now found a scapegoat for the Russian defeat in Kharkiv – and promptly replaces him. 250 soldiers of the German NATO brigade are preparing for a maneuver in Lithuania. All voices and developments on the Ukraine war in the ticker.
Wednesday, October 5, 2022, 7:20 a.m .: In Lithuania, the Bundeswehr has started preparations for a first exercise to increase the protection of the NATO partner. According to the Lithuanian military, a total of 250 soldiers from the German NATO brigade with equipment for a maneuver are to arrive at the Gaiziunai troop training area near the Rukla military base. There they should practice together with Lithuanian troops, local media reported on Tuesday.
A Bundeswehr spokesman in Rukla confirmed to the German Press Agency that a German advance commando should leave for Lithuania by plane on Tuesday. More training troops and about 70 military vehicles should arrive in the Baltic EU and NATO country by ferry on Wednesday, he said. After the deployment of the forces, the exercise is scheduled to begin on October 7th.
After the Russian attack on Ukraine, NATO decided to increase protection on the eastern flank. Germany is to lead a combat troops brigade with 3000 to 5000 soldiers for Lithuania. The German concept envisages stationing weapons, ammunition and a command staff on site. Most of the soldiers are kept ready in Germany.
7.30 p.m .: The US government has announced further arms deliveries for Ukraine worth 625 million US dollars (625 million euros). The package includes other Himars multiple rocket launchers, ammunition and armored vehicles, the White House announced on Tuesday. In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Joe Biden stressed that the US would never recognize the illegal annexation of parts of eastern Ukraine by Russia. Biden stressed the US government’s willingness to impose “heavy costs” on any country that supports the annexation. He promised to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression for as long as needed.
5:58 p.m .: The UN General Assembly is to deal with the illegal annexation of parts of eastern Ukraine by Russia in an emergency session. This emerges from a letter from the largest UN body to the 193 member states on Tuesday. According to diplomats, the deliberations will also include a vote on a resolution condemning Moscow’s actions. It was initially unclear whether the vote would take place on the same day because of the potentially large number of speakers.
On Friday, Russia vetoed a similar draft resolution in the UN Security Council – the most powerful body with 15 members. China, India, Brazil and Gabon abstained.
A large majority in favor of condemnation is expected when the UN General Assembly votes, but the text will have to measure itself against two previous results: In March, the General Assembly rejected Russia’s invasion by a historic majority of 141 votes. In 2014, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, 100 member states committed to a resolution emphasizing Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
1:23 p.m .: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has rejected every attempt at blackmail by Russian President Vladimir Putin with the threat of using nuclear weapons. One would “not be deterred by such threats,” said the Green politician on Tuesday after consultations with her Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau in Warsaw. Germany and Poland would “continue to support Ukraine in its right to self-defense.” However, she will not speculate about individual military movements in connection with the nuclear threat.
“Of course, since the outbreak of this war, we have been constantly comparing our findings with the allies,” said Baerbock. Putin is not doing this for the first time – this is irresponsible. The threat must be taken seriously. Also at the United Nations General Assembly in New York recently became clear “that no other country in the world would accept such attempts at nuclear blackmail”.
Rau accused Putin of wanting to bring about a “psychological crisis” in the EU and the transatlantic community with his nuclear threat. “We in Poland believe that Russian threats should never be taken lightly.” As for NATO in particular, “we will certainly respond accordingly.”
12:06 p.m .: Negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin have been banned in Ukraine. A corresponding decree by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was published on his website on Tuesday. This was preceded by a decision by the Security and Defense Council. Selenskyj had already announced the step last Friday.
The Security Council was thus reacting to the Russian annexation of four Ukrainian territories in southern and eastern Ukraine, which was internationally criticized as a violation of international law. Zelenskyi heads the council, which consists of members of the government and the heads of the army and intelligence services.
After the Russian invasion on February 24, the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Cherson are largely under Russian control. After Ukrainian counter-offensives, however, the Russian army is increasingly having to withdraw from territories that Moscow now officially regards as Russian after the annexation.
In the first weeks of the war, there were talks between Ukraine and Russia, mainly at negotiator level. The Kremlin had tied a meeting between the two presidents to conditions that were unacceptable to Kyiv. After the increasing successes of the Ukrainian army, Kyiv has practically ruled out negotiations before the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.
10.20 a.m .: After Russia’s State Duma, the Federation Council has now also ratified Moscow’s illegal incorporation of the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Cherson. The upper house of the Russian parliament voted unanimously in Moscow on Tuesday to admit the regions to the Russian Federation, the state news agency Tass reported.
On Friday, President Vladimir Putin signed the internationally unrecognized accession treaties with the occupiers deployed by Moscow. The State Duma approved it on Monday. The approval of both chambers was considered a formality.
Putin still has to sign the annexation law before it comes into force. In addition, the State Duma has already passed various laws to integrate the Ukrainian territories. A transitional period until 2026 is envisaged until these laws are fully implemented.
10:13 a.m .: According to British military experts, the Russian state is no longer able to provide sufficient equipment and military training for a large number of recruits. One indication is that the draft cycle is set to start a month later than usual this year, the UK Defense Ministry’s daily briefing on the war in Ukraine said on Tuesday. The annual call-up of around 120,000 conscripts in Russia differs from the recently decided partial mobilization of reservists.
“The challenges of housing, training, equipping and deploying mobilized and conscripted personnel are significant,” the statement said. Flaws in Russian administration and logistical systems are undermining these efforts, according to the British.
The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine at the end of February, citing intelligence information. In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a targeted disinformation campaign.
9:47 a.m .: Since the partial mobilization of the Russian military almost two weeks ago, more than 200,000 Russian citizens have entered neighboring Kazakhstan in Central Asia. According to the Kazinform state agency, Interior Minister Marat Akhmedschanov gave this number to journalists on Tuesday. Since September 21, 147,000 Russians have left the ex-Soviet republic. The minister said nothing about the background.
“Yesterday more than 7,000 citizens of Russia arrived in Kazakhstan, and about 11,000 left the country,” Akhmejanov said. There will be no entry restrictions for Russian citizens. According to him, 68 applications for naturalization have been made so far.
According to official reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to draft in around 300,000 reservists to hold the occupied territories after the Russian army was defeated in Ukraine. He had therefore ordered partial mobilization, which caused panic among many Russians. Many traveled abroad – in addition to Kazakhstan, for example, to Armenia, Georgia and Turkey.
6:00 a.m .: Russian President Vladimir Putin is still trying to identify those responsible for the disaster in the Kharkiv region about a month ago. His latest scapegoat: General Alexander Zhuravlev. According to a Russian media report, the commander of the Western Military District was recently replaced by General Roman Berdnikov. The US “Institute for the Study of War” (ISW) analyzes that Putin probably wants to shift the blame for the defeat in Kharkiv.
He is trying to link the youngest slippers – including those in the city of Lyman – with a face, according to the “ISW”. And prevent further defeats. Should the Russians lose further areas around Kharkov and also in the Luhansk region, Putin would already have a new scapegoat ready in Berdnikov, according to the “ISW”. According to the analysis, this could attract ever-increasing criticism.
05:11: Russia has put Marina Ovzyannikova, the former journalist of the state-controlled Channel One, on the Interior Ministry’s “wanted list”, the Russian state media TASS reported on Monday. The television journalist became known around the world for protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with an anti-war poster during a live broadcast
Ovzyannikova was then placed under house arrest by a Moscow court until October 9. If convicted, she faces a long prison sentence for spreading false information about the Russian armed forces. Her ex-husband, Igor Ovsyannikov, said she escaped from house arrest and took her daughter with her, TASS said.
3:26 a.m .: According to a report by the British newspaper “Times”, Ukraine wants to apply as a venue for the 2030 World Cup. Ukraine is said to be part of Spain and Portugal’s joint bid for hosting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is said to have approved the application.
The new partnership is to be officially announced by the football bosses of Spain and Portugal during a press conference at Uefa headquarters on Wednesday, with the message said: football can restore hope and peace. Although security guarantees would be required, it is expected that by 2030 the Russian invasion will be over and the country’s reconstruction will be in full swing.
Ukraine’s involvement is seen as a potentially powerful vote-winner among Fifa’s 211 member associations and a way to counter efforts by Saudi Arabia to present a joint bid with Egypt and Greece for 2030. Uefa wants the 2030 World Cup to be held exclusively in Europe. The tournament will be held in Qatar this year and in the USA, Canada and Mexico in 2026.
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