The Ukraine Update: What Happened Tonight
- Boss Wagner: “As long as the oligarch children do not fight there will be no complete mobilization”
Yewegny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, warned that Russian elites and oligarchs “will live in a state of well-being” during the war and prevent Russia from fully mobilizing. “As long as the oligarch children do not go to war, there will be no full mobilization,” Prigozhin said. In the same context, Prigozhin announced a new Wagner Center in St. Petersburg, aimed at IT specialists and startups.
Prigozhin wants to create a “comfortable environment for the development of new ideas to increase Russia’s defense capabilities, including information”. Prigozhin also accused the city governor of corruption. The US think tankInstitute for the Study of War‘concludes from the latest developments that Prigozhin is seeking to further expand his position and play a decisive role in shaping the war.
- The Russians continue to withdraw from Dnipro
As the Russian army apparently continues to expect Ukrainians to advance towards the city of Kherson, they continue to move troops and military installations across the Dnipro River. This summarizes the analyzes of the US think tank “Institute for the Study of War”. Ukrainian military sources reported that Russian forces are preparing to move artillery units and weapons from the west bank of the Dnipro, possibly moving them in other directions.
Russian-backed Kherson Occupation MP Kirill Stremousov said Russian forces have also begun to establish positions in Bilozerka (6km west of Kherson) and Chornobaivka (1km north of Kherson). The fact that Russian collaborators are preparing the defense of Chornobaivka is particularly noteworthy, as Chornobaivka is the last settlement along the front line north of Cherson.
The current front line is located less than 20 km northwest of Chornobaivka. The simultaneous evacuation of military installations from the West Bank and preparations to defend critical areas around Kherson would indicate that Russian control of the West Bank is seriously threatened, ISW said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the successes of air defense after the day with heavy Russian missile attacks. Of about 50 Russian cruise missiles and missiles, 45 were shot down, he said in his video message. He demanded that his country need more weapons to repel air strikes. Russia already has to use more missiles to hit a target than before.
With the missile attacks, the Russian military has been pursuing a new tactic since October and is targeting mainly energy supply systems. Therefore, many states have pledged help to strengthen air defenses. The first of four Iris-T systems came from Germany, which Ukrainians praise as being very accurate.
- United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator: The Black Sea is clear at night
The Russian Defense Ministry has again accused Ukraine of abusing the protected maritime corridor in a night drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet. United Nations Emergency Aid Coordinator Martin Griffiths opposed this view to New York. “If there are no Initiative ships in the area, the corridor has no special status,” he told the Security Council. Furthermore, on the night of the alleged attack on Saturday, there were no merchant ships in the sea area. “The protected maritime corridor is not open at four in the morning.” Therefore, there has been no violation of the agreements.
- Bomb accusation: IAEA begins inspections in Ukraine
Following the Russian allegations that Kiev wants to use a “dirty bomb”, the IAEA has planned inspections in the Ukraine started, as announced on Monday by the head of the authority, Rafael Grossi. As a result, two sites are checked for possible undeclared nuclear activities and materials. Russian President Vladimir Putin had Ukraine accused of working on a nuclear bomb. Kiev firmly denied the allegations and called for an IAEA mission. Grossi wants to report on the results of this week’s screening.
It will be important on Tuesday
Chancellor Scholz visits a BASF chemical plant in Schwarzheide in Lusatia. He is also concerned with the economic consequences of the Russian aggressive war against Ukraine. The chemical industry is one of the largest consumers of natural gas, which has become scarce and expensive.
