What happened this week in the war in Ukraine? With this overview of nine articles you are once again completely up to date. Follow all the current news in our live blog and in the app The morning.
1. ‘Occupiers must know they have nowhere to hide’: why Ukraine no longer denies it is behind attacks in Russia
Ukraine no longer makes a secret of being behind attacks on Russian territory. By claiming spectacular attacks, the Ukrainian armed forces are showing the population that they can hit Russia behind the front. That could give Ukrainians courage after a failed counter-offensive and uncertainty about arms support from the West. The attacks behind the border also put a spotlight on the growing capabilities of Ukraine’s defense industry.
Read the analysis here.
2. ‘Everyone is boiling with anger’: in Kharkiv, a new radio station provides an outlet for angry and concerned residents
Northern Ukraine’s Kharkiv is bombed almost every day. The new FM station Radio Nakypilo acts as a megaphone for the fears and frustrations of residents. While there are occasional grumblings about local bureaucrats and inefficiency, most of the anger is directed at Russia, especially after rocket attacks.
“Burn in hell to the seventh generation. Curse the unwashed Russians,” wrote one listener, Tetjana Arshava, on the station’s Instagram page after a rocket attack that killed several people.
Read the report.
3. Large-scale NATO exercise is mainly intended as a message to Moscow: escalation is a bad idea
NATO will hold the largest military exercise since the end of the Cold War, called Steadfast Defender, from February to May. Such exercises are nothing new in themselves, but their size and location are also intended as a signal to Moscow. “It is very important that we show that we are prepared for all possible scenarios.”
Read the analysis.
4. ‘We hope we can replace this president’: support for Boris Nadezhdin is growing, but can he take on Putin?
Long lines on the streets of Moscow, that was a while ago. Support for potential presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin is growing. One question remains: can he actually participate in the elections?
“Nadezhdin is the only candidate who speaks out against the war, that is why I am here,” says 30-year-old Anton from Kaluga province. “They probably won’t allow him into the elections,” says Anton. “But this is an opportunity to show that there are many people against the war and against the incumbent power.”
Read the report.
5. Ukraine wants refugees to return, but the EU is on the brakes: half of the Ukrainians in our country indicate that they want to stay in Belgium
Will the protected status of Ukrainian refugees be extended? European migration ministers considered this question on Thursday. What started more than two years ago as a temporary shelter for war refugees is increasingly taking on a permanent character, especially now that the war is becoming increasingly hopeless. Should we continue to invest in sheltering millions of refugees, while Ukraine would prefer to see them return? Or does Europe owe it to itself to provide shelter for refugees in need?
Read the article.
6. ‘Without the Americans we are nowhere’: why Europe is suddenly afraid of a war with Russia
“We are moving into an era where anything can happen at any time. An era in which we must expect the unexpected.” Admiral Rob Bauer, the Dutch chairman of the NATO Military Committee, believes it is high time that we prepare for war. First of all, he refers to the Western armed forces.
Bauer isn’t the only one concerned. One after another, army leaders from Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden have warned of a possible war with Russia in recent weeks.
Is that correct? Read it here in the analysis.
7. Bloomberg: Putin willing to engage in peace talks and ‘greater flexibility’ in demands, Kremlin denies
Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to have sent the US a signal that he is willing to hold peace talks about Ukraine. He would like to show ‘greater flexibility’ in this regard, writes the American press agency Bloomberg. Although it may be a Russian attempt to sow division in the West. Officially, the Kremlin denies the reports.
Read the article.
8. In Melbourne, Ukrainian tennis players draw attention to the war: ‘People accept what is happening now’
There are many of them and they make themselves heard. The Ukrainian tennis players at the Australian Open draw extensive attention to the war in their country, a battle that they notice no longer affects the spectators and fans. “People forget that the war is there,” Dajana Jastremska repeated again on Monday, after her fourth-round victory in Melbourne. “It is already difficult to play knowing that it is war, but the most difficult thing is to simply accept what is happening now.”
Read the article.
9. After ‘Almost Naked Party’, image restoration of Russian celebrities follows: ‘Everything in accordance with military logic’
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned celebrities for “jumping around without pants” at an “almost naked” themed party in Moscow in December, sparking a storm of outrage over the celebrities’ decadence. Since then, several well-known Russians who were present at the party have been trying to save their reputations. “I understand the outrage of our people. Especially from those who defend us at the front.”
Read the story.
