The moment when a Russian plane, carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war, appears to have crashed.
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Ukraine has asserted that they struck a runway in Crimea, which is currently under Russian occupation, as Putin plans to travel to Turkey, a member of NATO.
According to a message shared on Telegram, Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of Ukraine’s Air Force, announced that Ukraine successfully targeted the Belbek airfield located on the southern edge of the Crimean Peninsula.
He expressed gratitude to the military for carrying out the mission that occurred in close proximity to Russia’s primary naval base in Sevastopol.
The city of Moscow reported successfully stopping an attack by shooting down 20 missiles launched by Ukraine. However, some debris landed on a military facility, but did not cause any harm to aviation equipment.
It comes as a Turkish official confirmed that Russian president Vladimir Putin will visit the country in February to meet his counterpart Tayyip Erdogan.
This will mark the first visit of the Russian leader to a NATO member since their incursion into Ukraine in February 2022.
Turkey has a common sea border with both Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea. Despite Moscow’s large-scale invasion, Turkey has strived to maintain positive relationships with both countries.
It has offered military assistance to Kyiv and expressed backing for its territorial sovereignty, but is against imposing sanctions on Russia.
The most recent photos from Ukraine
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Ukraine’s ground commander declined offer to replace his boss as army chief
A source familiar with the situation stated on Wednesday that Oleksandr Syrskyi, the ground forces commander of Ukraine, was offered the position of replacing his superior Valeriy Zaluzhnyi as the commander of the armed forces. However, Syrskyi declined the offer.
According to reports from Ukrainian media, President Volodymyr Zelensky requested that General Zaluzhnyi, leader of the Ukrainian army, step down this week. However, the general declined to do so.
The anonymous source, who wished to keep the information confidential, could not specify the method or timeline of how the job offer was conveyed to Syrskyi.
Many in Ukraine view Zaluzhnyi as a hero for his successful defense of Kyiv against Moscow’s forces two years ago during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Requests for comment were not immediately responded to by the Ukrainian General Staff and president’s office.
The International Court of Justice has determined that Russia engaged in discrimination by promoting Russian education in Crimea.
On Wednesday, the ICJ declared that Russia had breached the UN treaty against discrimination by not safeguarding education in the Ukrainian language in Crimea.
According to the United Nations’ highest court, enrollment in Ukrainian language education drastically declined after Russia’s declaration in 2014 that it had annexed Crimea from Ukraine.
The court denied Ukraine’s request for compensation from Russia and dismissed allegations of discrimination against ethnic Tatars and Ukrainians following the annexation.
The countries of Ukraine and Russia have completed a prisoner exchange, with hundreds of prisoners of war being released in the first swap since a plane crash.
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced that all 207 of their people have returned home without hesitation.
We honor every Ukrainian who is being held captive, including both soldiers and civilians. Our goal is to secure the release of all of them and we are actively taking steps towards achieving it.
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The European Union will only fulfill half of their pledge to provide shells to Ukraine by March.
The European Union announced on Wednesday that it will not meet its goal of sending one million artillery shells to Ukraine by March. Only slightly more than half of the shells will be delivered by the deadline.
Following a gathering of EU defence ministers in Brussels, the leading diplomat of the bloc, Josep Borrell, stated that approximately 52% of the pledged deliveries will be fulfilled by March, although the initial goal was to complete them by the end of the year.
The objective was established as a result of Ukraine’s requirement for 155-mm artillery ammunition, which has become a crucial component in their battle against Russia’s invasion in 2022, as the conflict escalates into a fierce war of attrition.
According to Borrell, there was an initial resistance, but once things are put into action, they can accelerate. This is the reason why the EU will not meet its designated deadline.
A high-ranking American government representative in Ukraine is certain that Congress will support the proposed financial assistance package.
An experienced American stated that she was certain Congress would approve a fresh aid plan for Ukraine, showing widespread American backing for their fight.
Ukraine is heavily reliant on support from its Western allies, particularly the United States, to hold its own against Russia’s full-scale invasion, now approaching the two-year mark.
There is a lack of clarity regarding the US’s financial and military aid to Ukraine, as Congress weighs a pressing appeal from President Joe Biden for an extra $61 billion.
The Republicans are refusing to move forward with the request unless it is connected to a change in immigration policy, which is unrelated.
After engaging in discussions with Ukrainian leaders, U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland stated to journalists that there continues to be widespread, nonpartisan backing for Ukraine throughout the nation.
Americans recognize and appreciate the incredible feat that Ukraine has accomplished in standing up against Russia’s cruel aggression. They also comprehend the potential for continued growth and success if you not only survive, but thrive.
I am highly confident that the vote from Congress on President Biden’s request will reflect this understanding.
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Explanation: The disagreement between Zelensky and Ukraine’s highest-ranking military leader occurs at a critical moment for Kyiv.
According to Askold Krushelnycky, the president of the country is facing challenges in replacing his highly favored commander, despite his desire to do so.
As tensions continue to rise due to a lack of consensus among key Western allies for providing additional aid, Russia has intensified its airstrikes and ground assaults. This conflict has reached a critical point at an unfavorable moment.
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Nadezhdin, a Putin opponent who opposes war, claims to have collected sufficient signatures to be eligible for the presidential race.
Boris Nadezhdin, a candidate running for Russian presidency who opposes war, has submitted 105,000 signatures to the Central Election Commission (CEC). This is sufficient to officially challenge current president Vladimir Putin in the upcoming March election.
Although Nadezhdin is 60 years old, it is not expected for him to win.
The triumph of Putin, who is 71 years old and has held positions as both president and prime minister since 1999, is expected due to his control over all aspects of the state.
During his address at the CEC, Nadezhdin emphasized that the signatures were collected within Russia, in accordance with the regulations, and did not include those obtained from overseas.
The election board will verify the legitimacy of the signatures provided by Nadezhdin and other potential candidates, some of whom have dropped out of the competition in the past few days.
Additionally, he stated that his campaign was solely supported by what he described as numerous contributions from “average individuals.”
Nadezhdin stated that Putin made a grave mistake by initiating the special military operation in Ukraine.
Boris Nadezhdin, age 60, is seen with his followers at a spontaneous gathering in Moscow.
Russian legislators support seizing property for discrediting the military.
On Wednesday, the lower chamber of Russia’s parliament passed a law that permits the government to seize assets from individuals found guilty of purposefully disseminating false information about the military.
According to the Duma’s recorded session, the legislation was approved in its third and final reading with 377 out of 450 votes in favor and no votes against or abstentions.
Is there any legislation that penalizes those who betray our brave fighters, soldiers, and officers? A significant number of them have fled the country. But what can we do to sway them?” Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman, inquired of the legislators during the meeting.
In 2022, Russia has taken strong measures against opposition towards its invasion of Ukraine, which it refers to as a unique military operation, while the conflict between the two nations continues.
Some people living in Moscow expressed their disagreement with the punishment, but stated that they believed there should be consequences for discrediting the military.
Nikita, who only provided his first name, stated that discrediting the military could result in imprisonment or the opening of a criminal case against individuals. However, they should not have their property taken away as they may have worked hard for years or even decades to acquire it.
The International Court of Justice rejects a significant portion of Ukraine’s lawsuit against Russia.
The highest court of the United Nations has determined that Russia violated certain parts of a UN treaty on anti-terrorism. However, they did not make a decision on the accusations made by Kyiv that Moscow was accountable for the destruction of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
The judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) determined that Russia violated an anti-discrimination treaty by not providing support for Ukrainian language education in Crimea following its annexation of the peninsula in 2014.
The rulings dealt a blow to Kyiv’s legal efforts. The court denied Ukraine’s requests for reparations for both transgressions and only instructed Russia to adhere to the treaties.
In 2017, Ukraine brought a legal case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also referred to as the World Court, alleging that Russia had breached an anti-terrorism agreement by providing financial support to pro-Russian separatist groups in Ukraine.
The judges of the court stated that Moscow breached the U.N.’s anti-terrorism treaty by failing to investigate credible accusations that money was transferred from Russia to Ukraine, potentially for the purpose of financing terrorist actions.
The group of 16 judges instructed Russia to thoroughly investigate any credible accusations of funding terrorism, but rejected Kyiv’s appeal for compensation.
Source: independent.co.uk
