Laga partly dramatic

Russia covers the whole of Ukraine with a major attack

A Ukrainian soldier takes cover during a Russian airstrike in Avdiivka (archive photo).

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

According to Ukrainian sources, Russia launched a large-scale attack on energy facilities in Ukraine on Friday. It is probably no coincidence that today's much-feared "unlucky day" was chosen for the massive attack - especially in view of the Russians' deep superstition and their President Vladimir Putin's penchant for numbers.

"Attention! City of Kiev! Stay in shelters. Enemy combat drone approaching from the north", the citizens of the metropolis were warned. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, parts of a drone fell in a district close to the city center without causing a fire or injuring people.

During the night, Russia attacked Ukraine again with a large number of combat drones after a break of several days. In the capital Kiev, the first air alarm sounded on Thursday evening after four days of calm. The Ukrainian air force reported on its Telegram channel of groups of enemy combat drones over almost all areas in the center, north and east of the country.

A Ukrainian soldier takes cover during a Russian airstrike in Avdiivka (archive photo).

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Western cities as well as Kiev under attack
Explosions were reported in Sumy, Kharkiv and Vynnytsia in the west. There were initially no precise details of the damage. In addition to the drones, the Russian army also reportedly used guided glide bombs dropped from aircraft. Russia has stepped up its attacks with Iranian-made combat drones in recent weeks, sometimes deploying more than 100 aircraft in one night. Conversely, according to Moscow's military, Russia has shot down numerous Ukrainian drones over the border regions of Belgorod and Rostov.

Dramatic situation for Pokrovsk
Meanwhile, the situation for the Ukrainian defenders on the front in eastern Ukraine continues to deteriorate. According to a prominent military blogger, Russian forces have advanced to within 1.5 kilometers of the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. Members of Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups are even already in the city, wrote the Ukrainian-born pro-Russian blogger Yuri Podolyaka on Friday. The information could not initially be independently verified. The Ukrainian military recently stated that Russian troops had destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the city. Other civilians who had previously held out there were brought to safety in Pokrovsk.

Pokrovsk is a transport hub and an important logistics center for the Ukrainian military. The fall of the city, which was home to 60,000 people before the war, would be one of the most serious setbacks for Kiev on the battlefield in months. The capture would allow Russian troops to significantly disrupt Ukrainian supply lines along the eastern front and further advance their offensive. In the Russian media, Pokrovsk is often referred to as the "gateway to Donetsk".

Encirclement near Kurakhove threatens
According to Ukrainian military observers, an undisclosed number of soldiers are also threatened with encirclement south of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region. They had long held positions there on both sides of the Suchi Jaly river, but the Russian advance into the village of Uspenivka is cutting off their withdrawal route. "It is difficult to understand the point of holding the "Uspenivka sack" if the enemy continues to gradually take Kurakhove," the military blog "DeepState" reported.

The General Staff did not comment in detail on the situation on this section of the front, but only reported fierce fighting around Kurakhove.

An aerial view of Khasiv Yar shows the frontline town in ruins after heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Selenskyj in the almost frontline city of Zaporizhzhya
Two days after a Russian missile attack that left eleven dead, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj traveled to the city of Zaporizhzhya, which is also increasingly affected by the war. He visited the damaged clinic where a missile hit on Tuesday and paid tribute to the victims. He also visited a newly built underground school for 1000 children.

"There is a lot to do in Zaporizhia: the security situation, the protection of the sky," Selensky explained in a video message. In the southern city, which had 700,000 inhabitants before the Russian war of aggression, the President discussed the situation on the approaching front with the military. If Ukrainian troops have to evacuate the last towns in the eastern Donetsk region, it will only be 130 kilometers of open steppe land to Zaporizhzhya on the Dnipro.

Ukrainian soldiers in the trenches on the front line

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Jermak: Ukraine too weak for negotiations with Moscow
Commenting on the ongoing international discussion about ways out of the war, Ukrainian President Andrij Jermak said that the country is currently not strong enough for negotiations with Moscow. "We are not ready yet. We lack weapons, we lack status," he said on Ukrainian TV. "We are talking about an invitation to NATO and clear guarantees that would ensure that (Kremlin chief Vladimir) Putin does not return in two or three years."

In Berlin, the foreign ministers of several European countries pledged their steadfast support for Ukraine and their commitment to viable security guarantees if negotiations on a ceasefire were to take place after Donald Trump takes office as US president in January. It is unclear what the guarantees could look like. There are currently no concrete plans for a European peacekeeping force. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the situation in Warsaw on Wednesday. Macron called for a close alliance with the USA.

The outgoing US administration under President Joe Biden is providing Ukraine with additional weapons to support the defense against the Russian war of aggression. The aid package is worth 500 million US dollars (around 477 million euros), as announced by the US State Department. Among other things, it includes drone defense systems, ammunition for the Himars missile launcher system and armored vehicles. Just a few days ago, the US government announced a package worth around 988 million US dollars (around 935 million euros).

Under Democrat Biden, the USA is Ukraine's largest arms supplier and most important political supporter. However, the change of power in Washington is due on January 20 - and the course with regard to Ukraine is likely to change significantly under Trump. There are concerns in Kiev that the Republican could drastically reduce US military aid. The Biden administration has therefore set itself the goal of using all the funds already approved by Congress quickly and effectively in the remaining weeks.