Once a day, NU.nl gives you an overview of the situation in Ukraine. This time: Russia has sentenced two British prisoners of war and a Moroccan man from Mariupol to death. Furthermore, according to the British Defense Ministry, Russian troops have increased military pressure around the Ukrainian city of Izyum.
If the Russians manage to completely capture the city of Izyum, the road to nearby Kramatorsk will be open. In this way the eastern city of Severodonetsk, where there is heavy fighting, can be surrounded.
The British report in their daily intelligence update that Russian troops have increased their efforts over the past two days.
Fighting has been going on for some time around Izyum, which is about 115 kilometers southeast of Kharkiv. Since April, the Russians have made little progress. So now new attempts are being made to take the city completely.
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Fighting for ‘every house’ in Severodonetsk
The battle for the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk has degenerated into fierce street fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops. “We are fighting for every house and every street,” Ukrainian army commander Petro Kuzyk told Reuters.
Sometimes, according to Kuzyk, the Russians succeed in pushing back a few houses or blocks. But to really turn the tide, he says heavier arms deliveries are required.
Severodonetsk has been the subject of fierce fighting for days. The Russians largely control the eastern Ukrainian industrial city. Ukrainian troops have been pushed back to the outskirts of the city.
A Ukrainian soldier runs through a building in Severodonetsk.
A Ukrainian soldier runs through a building in Severodonetsk. Photo: AP
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Ukraine would lose 100 to 200 soldiers a day
The Ukrainian army is currently losing “100 to 200 soldiers a day”. An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told BBC News† Never since the beginning of the war did Ukraine estimate the losses of men so highly.
Adviser Mykhailo Podolyak blames the large death toll on the imbalance between the warring parties: Russia has far more troops and weapons at its disposal than Ukraine.
According to Podolyak, Ukraine needs as many as 300 missile systems to match Russia’s firepower.
British POWs sentenced to death by Russia
British POWs Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, who are held in Mariupol, have been sentenced to death by Russian forces along with a Moroccan man. Among other things, this reports BBC News according to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
28-year-old Aslin and 48-year-old Pinner dived a little less than two months ago in a video message on Russian television. In it, they asked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a prisoner of war swap.
The duo has now been sentenced to death along with 21-year-old Moroccan Saadun Brahim. They were part of the defense of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol when they were captured, writes The Guardian.
Wealthy Russians challenge sanctions in EU court
More and more Russian oligarchs and companies that have been put on the European sanctions list because of their links to the Kremlin are turning to the EU Court of Justice to challenge the sanctions. According to insiders, more than thirty lawsuits have already been filed, including by billionaires such as Roman Abramovich, Mikhail Fridman and Igor Kesaev.
In recent weeks and days, they knocked on the door of the General Court, part of the court in Luxembourg. No details are known about any of the cases and some have been anonymized.
Remarkably enough, the lawsuit of the cigarette dealer and arms producer Kesaev will be conducted in Dutch, presumably because he has a Dutch lawyer. It is not yet known when that case will be heard. According to The Financial Times Kesaev would have deposited 1 billion euros in the Netherlands.
Cabinet accidentally announces delivery of drones
Finally, the cabinet accidentally announced that the Netherlands has supplied drones to Ukraine. The report “accidentally” ended up in the spring memorandum, Minister Kajsa Ollongren (Defence) wrote to the House of Representatives on Thursday.
It is not about armed drones, but about unmanned aircraft with which reconnaissance can be carried out. Defense normally only announces which goods will be delivered in exceptional cases.
The Netherlands has meanwhile delivered a total of 130.4 million euros worth of military goods to Ukraine.
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