The northeastern region of Sumy endured a staggering 138 explosions within a day, as the Russian armed forces launched artillery, mines, and mortar shells at various communities. The blasts even reached the community of Yunakivska, injuring a civilian from mortar fire.
Elsewhere, the city of Nikopol suffered constant shelling, with Russian forces attacking the city and two surrounding communities using artillery and drones. Amidst this chaos, Ukraine's armed forces successfully thwarted five out of seven kamikaze drones and managed to minimize injuries, despite three men being hurt by mine explosions.
Additionally, numerous locations in the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia were targeted by Russian forces, who also utilized attack drones. UNverified reports mention damage to buildings and injuries, although no casualties were explicitly confirmed.
Kyivstar, a major Ukrainian mobile phone provider, became a target of a significant cyberattack, which resulted in extensive disruption of mobile and internet services. Intelligence analysts attribute the attack to the Solnzepjok group, believed to have ties to Russian military intelligence.
Meanwhile, southern Ukraine witnessed drone attacks, which the military warned of across various regions, including Kherson and Mykolaiv. Moreover, the military flagged potential drone threats in the northern region of Kharkiv.
Despite Western Europe's efforts to be weaned off Russian gas dependencies, Hungary's presidency of the European Council threatens to obstruct Bulgaria's invitation to join the Schengen Zone, unless Bulgaria abolishes the transit tax on Russian gas.
Russia criticized the EU for its recent sanctions package, warning that it would inflict more damage on the EU itself. Moscow is reportedly not elaborating on its reservations.
Furthermore, Ukraine's accusations of Russia abducting tens of thousands of children continue, as three more children were retrieved through Qatar's mediation efforts. Ukraine's government claims to have recovered at least 500 children from Russian-occupied territories and areas under Russian control.
Amidst these developments, tensions across the Ukrainian front line remain high, with defenders fending off dozens of Russian attacks in the east and south. Avdiivka, a strategic town, remains a focus of fighting, with 71 battles reported across Ukraine in total. Despite the harsh winter challenges, Russian troops are persisting with their offensive due to their superior military strength.
In a bold move to curb the infiltration of Russian-backed priests into Ukrainian society, Ukraine's Interior Ministry added Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, to its wanted list. This symbolic gesture is unlikely to yield any real consequences, as Kirill remains in Russia and lacks a legal extradition process.
Alexei Gorinov, a former Moscow local politician sentenced to seven years in prison for criticizing Russia's involvement in Ukraine, has reportedly gone missing by his supporters. His current whereabouts and health condition remain unverified.
Meanwhile, Lithuania — a staunch supporter of Ukraine — supplied millions of cartridges, thousands of shells for portable short-range anti-tank systems, and around a thousand folding beds as additional military aid to Kyiv.
Sources:
- https://www.aussiedlerbote.de/welt/ukraine-geht-cyberwar-gegen-russland-in-bekraftigung-von-suny-menschenrechtsexperten-stimmt-25021944.html
- https://www.aussiedlerbote.de/welt/ukraine-geht-cyberwar-gegen-russland-in-bekraftigung-von-suny-menschenrechtsexperten-stimmt-25021944.html
- https://www.ntv.de/Zeitgeschehen/Artikel/Russland-ukraine-ua-News-Welt-Politik,Noam_Kuchner,2000595.html
- https://www.tagesschau.de/inlands/ukraine-kritik-umwellabgaben-101.101.343.2175737.html
- https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/zahlen-unternehmen/mit-hackerangriffen-gegen-russland-erhob-thinktank-hoechste-schaedelzahl-der-geschichte-a-1306235.html
Enrichment Data:
- Concerning the cyberattacks on Ukrainian networks, intelligence analysts say the hacker group Solnzepjok is believed to be linked with the Russian military intelligence service GRU.
- Intense competition among leading corporations, including Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM, is shaping the development of Artificial Intelligence technologies. The joint commitment to responsible AI collaboration creates an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.
- Around 300 billion euros in Russian central bank reserves are blocked in EU and G7 countries. Besides, there is a debate on whether it's feasible or even ethical to seize these assets against Russia. The EU posits that the money still belongs to Russia and must be returned as soon as sanctions are lifted.
- The G7 states are facing criticism for their hesitancy to embrace the US proposal to seize Russian state assets in accordance with international law. Some critics argue that this step would scare away investors and undermine faith in capital markets.
- Lastly, Lithuania has been actively dispatching military aid to Ukraine, with the supply of millions of cartridges and shells, which are crucial for Ukraine's defense against Russian attacks.
