Vladimir Zelensky lowered expectations for Ukrainian army advance.
(Photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire)
Kyiv Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has played down expectations for an offensive in Kiev. “We have to understand very clearly – as clearly as possible – that our Russian troops in the south and east will do everything possible to stop our soldiers,” Zelensky said in a video address on Friday night.
Therefore, we should be grateful for every mile and every victory our troops have advanced. The statement underscores the difficulties Ukrainian forces face in their offensive.
At the NATO summit in Vilnius, Zelensky brought back the G7 commitment to a security partnership, not an invitation to join NATO. Afterwards, the attention of the head of state was once again more focused on events taking place at the front.
The 45-year-old said that in meetings with military leaders, combat operations, troop supply and coordination with partners on the supply of weapons and ammunition were discussed. He also announced an imminent reform of military training.
In early June, Ukrainian troops in the south began an offensive to retake areas Russia had seized at the start of a more than 16-month-long war of aggression. So far, Ukraine has made little progress on the territory. Both sides reported heavy fighting.
>> Read also: Military Expert Gressel on Ukraine Offensive – ‘Only in August can we make more progress’
Ukraine: More overseas reconstruction funds needed in 2023
Ukraine has complained of insufficient international funding for a “rapid reconstruction” project planned for this year. Finance Minister Sergi Marchenko said less than 3.5 billion euros had been provided so far out of an estimated 12.5 billion euros, according to a statement on Friday.
Prioritize “quick reconstruction” as it ensures safe living conditions for Ukrainians and economic recovery. Key areas include critical infrastructure and the energy sector, housing repairs and demining.
Abbot of Kiev cave monastery now in custody
Pavlov, the world-famous abbot of the Kiev Cave Temple, who was previously under house arrest, has been detained by a court in the Ukrainian capital. A Ukrainian Orthodox bishop has been accused of defending Russia’s war of aggression and ethnic hatred, Ukrainian state broadcaster Suspilne Media reported Friday. The detention is valid until September 14.
The abbot of the temple is currently in custody.
(Photo: dpa)
Ukrainian authorities have been taking action against monks from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for months. Zelensky believes the church is full of spies loyal to Moscow. In fact, until the beginning of the war, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was closely allied with the Moscow Patriarchate. Only then did she leave Moscow. Still, she is considered politically unreliable in Kiev. Therefore, the political leadership wanted to hand over the Kiev cave monastery to the still young Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Estonia extradites Russian arms smuggling suspect to US
Estonia has extradited to the United States a Russian citizen suspected of having links to the FSB secret service. He is said to have helped evade sanctions. The charges against Vadim K. will be read on Friday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The defendants allegedly helped the domestic intelligence agency FSB smuggle military and civilian technology and large quantities of ammunition from U.S. companies into Russia to support the “Russian war machine.” In doing so, he violated U.S. export controls and economic sanctions. If convicted, K. faces up to 30 years in prison.
The 48-year-old man used front companies to cover up his criminal activities, the statement said. Estonia is said to have been a transit point for smuggled goods from the United States to Russia.
On October 27, 2022, Estonian authorities arrested K. at the request of the United States when he tried to bring to Russia about 35 different types of semiconductors and electronic components, some of which came from the United States and were subject to export controls. He was extradited to the United States on Thursday.
Minsk: Wagner fighters currently training troops in Belarus
After weeks of speculation, mercenaries from the Russian private army Wagner have now arrived in Belarus, according to sources in Minsk. The Belarusian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that the men had started working as instructors in several military disciplines. The camp is located in Osipovich, about 100 kilometers southeast of the capital Minsk.
A moderator of the foreign ministry video said Wagner mercenaries shared their combat experience with the Belarusian armed forces. Soldiers in the country, a close ally of Russia under Aleksandr Lukashenko and which gave up territory over the attack on Ukraine, thanked the instructions in the video.
Handelsblatt reported on the Ukraine war like this:
what’s important on saturday
With the cluster munitions that have arrived, Ukraine hopes to force a major offensive to retake its eastern and southern regions. Russian troops continued to resist along the fortified front.
more: All the developments of the war in Ukraine are in our news blog