International

Russia-Ukraine updates: Russia struggling to reinforce frontline as it prioritizes emergency defensive actions

Published

2 years ago

September 12, 2022

The Ukrainian counteroffensive has Russia prioritizing defensive positions. Meanwhile, the EU’s visa agreement allowing Russians relatively easy access to visit the Schengen area was fully suspended on Monday.

Russia is struggling to get reinforcements to the frontline after the recent Ukrainian counteroffensive and is being “forced to prioritize emergency defensive actions,” according to the latest UK military intelligence report.

The report said Russia had likely ordered the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the entirety of Kharkiv adding that “Russia is likely struggling to bring sufficient reserves forward across the Dnipro River to the front line” in the south, near Kherson.

Ukrainian long-range artillery is reportedly hindering Russia from carrying out repair works on crossings across the Dnipro.

The intelligence report added that with the significant success of the Ukrainian counteroffensive Russia has been forced to “prioritize emergency defensive actions,” thereby restructuring its overall operation plan. This has also contributed to eroding the troops faith in the military leadership.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday thanked the Ukrainian forces who “liberated hundreds of our cities and villages” in a video address on Sunday. Ukraine has recaptured Balakliya, Izium and Kupiansk in its latest counteroffensive.

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EU suspends easy visa agreement with Russia

The European Union’s visa agreement with Russia, which allowed its citizens relatively easy access to visit the Schengen area, was fully suspended on Monday.

The European Council last week adopted the proposal to suspend the visa agreement with Russia, in place since 2007.

The suspension means that Russians will be issued significantly fewer visas. There will be restrictions on multiple-entry visas, as well as an increase in fees from €35 ($35) to €80. The visa processing time will also increase.

Some applicants might have their applications rejected, while others might see current visas revoked because of the tightening of the rules.

West increases weapons production

Western governments are moving to replenish their weapons stockpiles depleted by the supply to Ukraine.

Ukraine is heavily dependent on its Western allies for arms — especially crucial artillery and missile systems — in its war against Russia.

The supply of the munitions to Ukraine also drawn from reserves kept for their own defense.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a meeting of senior national armaments directors from allied countries to “discuss how our defense industrial bases can best equip Ukraine’s future forces with the capabilities that they need” and at the same time rebuild their own reserves.

Since the beginning of the war the US has supplied Ukraine weaponry worth $15.2 billion.

In July, European Commissioner Thierry Breton warned EU countries about drawing from on their stocks of weapons. “This has created a de facto vulnerability that now needs to be addressed urgently,” he had said.

Emergency IMF funding to tackle food price shocks

The International Monetary Fund is exploring options to provide emergency financial aid to countries facing food price shocks, especially caused by war, according to an exclusive Reuters report.

The measures will be discussed during an IMF executive board meeting on Monday.

One of the beneficiaries of this funding will be Ukraine, and will come without imposing conditions required in a regular fund program. At the same time, IMF officials admit that Ukraine needs a “full-fledged” financing package.

Food prices around the world have surged since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with sanctions and blocked shipping routes playing a big part.

Even though the resumption of export of grains from Ukraine has helped lower prices in recent weeks, many African and other poor nations suffering food shortages.

International

Canada’s Prime Minister, Trudeau, resigns

Published

7 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Trends Admin

Canada’s Prime Minister, Trudeau, resigns

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he will resign. He said this at a news conference on Monday, with a senior government source telling AFP the embattled premier had decided to leave office.

Trudeau, facing his worst political crisis since becoming premier in 2015, is scheduled to address reporters at 10:45 am (1545 GMT).

The government source told AFP that Trudeau had decided to step down, but the timeline remained uncertain.

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Trudeau’s political fortunes plunged to new depths following the surprise resignation in December of his former finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland.

In a scathing resignation letter, Freeland accused Trudeau of focusing on political gimmicks to appease voters, including a costly Christmas tax holiday, instead of steadying Canada’s finances ahead of a possible trade war with the United States.

Incoming US president Donald Trump has promised to impose a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian imports, a measure that could prove devastating to Canada’s economy.

Canada’s Prime Minister, Trudeau, resigns

International

Russia ‘guilty’ over downed Azerbaijan plane – Azeri president

Published

9 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Trends Admin

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russia ‘guilty’ over downed Azerbaijan plane – Azeri president

Azerbaijan president said on Monday that Russia was “guilty” over the downing of an airline last month that Baku says was shot by Russian air defences.

An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 jet crash-landed in Kazakhstan on December 25, killing 38 of the 67 people on board, after being diverted from a scheduled landing in the southern Russian city of Grozny.

Moscow has admitted its air defences were operational in the area at the time, which it said was under attack from Ukrainian drones.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologised that the “incident” occurred in his country’s air space but has not responded to claims the plane was hit by Russian weapons.

“The guilt for the death of Azerbaijani citizens lies with representatives of the Russian Federation,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Monday, according to a statement published by his office.

Aliyev was meeting surviving crew and family members of crew who died in the incident.

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The Azerbaijani leader, who is close to Putin, has issued rare fierce criticism of Moscow over the crash, demanding an apology, admission of guilt and the punishment of those found responsible for the “criminal” shooting of the plane.

On Monday he said Russia’s “concealment” of the causes and “delusional versions” being put forward “cause us justifiable anger”.

Initial statements by Russia’s air transport agency that the plane had been forced to divert after a bird strike have triggered fury in Baku.

Aliyev said air defence measures for Grozny — the capital of Russia’s southern Chechnya region, where the plane was set to land — were only announced after the plane had been “shot from the ground”.

“If there was a danger to Russian airspace, then the captain of the plane should have been informed straight away,” Aliyev said.

He also questioned why the plane was sent hundreds of kilometres (miles) across the Caspian Sea to the Kazakh city of Aktau for an emergency landing.

“Why it was directed to Aktau, we have no information,” Aliyev said.

Azerbaijan says preliminary results of its investigation show the plane was hit accidentally by a Russian air defence missile.

Russia has opened its own criminal probe but has not said whether it agrees with Baku’s assessment.

The plane’s black boxes have been sent to Brazil for analysis.

Russia ‘guilty’ over downed Azerbaijan plane – Azeri president

International

Ukraine launches new offensive in Russia’s Kursk

Published

15 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Trends Admin

Ukraine launches new offensive in Russia’s Kursk

Ukraine has launched a counter-attack in Russia’s Kursk region, the Russian defence ministry says.

As officials in Ukraine also suggested an operation was under way, Moscow said it had met the attack with artillery and air power.

Ukrainian forces entered Kursk region in August, seizing a chunk of territory. Russian forces have pushed them back in some areas without managing to eject them entirely.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that security guarantees leading to an end to the war would only be effective if the US under Donald Trump provided them.

During a podcast interview with Lex Fridman, Zelensky praised the incoming US president’s influence and suggested Trump had the leverage to at least halt Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Trump pledged during his election campaign to quickly end the war, without giving details.

Zelensky said “Trump and I will come to an agreement and… offer strong security guarantees, together with Europe, and then we can talk to the Russians”.

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According to the Russian defence ministry, a Ukrainian assault detachment consisting of two tanks, one military engineering vehicle and 12 armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) attacked near the village of Berdin around 09:00 (06:00 GMT) on Sunday.

Russian forces hit back, it said, destroying both tanks, the military engineering vehicle and seven armoured fighting vehicles. Fighting continued, it added.

Aerial video of a column of armour moving through snow-covered countryside in daylight and coming under fire, with vehicles taking hits, was published by Russian state news agency Ria.

The BBC was not immediately able to verify the Russian footage or claims.

Speaking earlier, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said there “was good news from Kursk Region” and that Russia was “getting what it deserves”.

Ukraine’s top counter-disinformation official Andriy Kovalenko said in a Telegram post on Sunday: “The Russians in Kursk are experiencing great anxiety because they were attacked from several directions and it came as a surprise to them.”

Oner Russian blogger, Yury Podolyaka, suggested the operation might have been diversionary, while another, Alexander Kots, did not rule out that the main attack could be launched somewhere else.

Kyiv’s forces are reportedly suffering from manpower shortages and have been losing ground in the east of Ukraine in recent months, as Russian troops advance.

It comes as the Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched another drone attack on Ukraine overnight.

It said it had shot down 61 drones over Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, and Khmelnytskyy regions

There were no direct hits, but a few houses were damaged in Kharkiv Region by an intercepted drone, the air force said.

In November, Ukraine reported its troops had engaged in combat with North Korean troops in the Kursk region.

The reported appearance of North Korean soldiers was in response to a surprise attack launched across the border by Ukrainian troops in August, advancing up to 18 miles (30km) into Russian land.

Moscow evacuated almost 200,000 people from areas along the border and President Vladimir Putin condemned the Ukrainian offensive as a “major provocation”.

After a fortnight, Ukraine’s top commander claimed to control more than 1,200 sq km of Russian territory and 93 villages.

Some of that territory has been regained by Russia.