President Vladimir Putin simplified the acquisition of the Russian citizenship for residents of the Kherson and Zaporozhzhia regions in southern Ukraine, with a decree published today on the Federation’s legal information portal. Ria Novosti reports it. The document is “on the determination for humanitarian purposes of the categories of persons entitled to apply for admission to citizenship of the Russian Federation according to a simplified procedure”. Kherson was the first major Ukrainian city to be fully occupied, Zaporizhzhia is still under Ukrainian control, but almost surrounded.
Ukraine denounces a “flagrant violation“of its territorial integrity after Moscow’s decision to grant Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens from the occupied southern areas of the country.
Meanwhile, Putin went to the Mandrika Central Military Hospital in Moscow to visit some of the gods for the first time wounded soldiers in the war in Ukraine. This was reported by the Ria Novosti agency. Putin, wearing a white coat, was accompanied by Defense Minister Serghei Shoigu
“Today we are taking further steps to keep the pressure on Putin and his cronies high. First, we add the violations of EU sanctions to the list of European offenses. Anyone who violates the sanctions must be brought to justice “. The president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen writes in a tweet.” We then present stricter rules to track and freeze illicit profits, including from the violation of sanctions. We will not let the oligarchs thrive on the Russian war machine. Their assets should be seized and possibly used to rebuild Ukraine, “she adds.
Ukraine, the lack of water puts a strain on the city of Mykolaiv
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NEW BOMBING – “Russian troops have already got very close to Severodonetsk, so they can fire with mortars too. The city is continuously bombed, 24 hours a day. There is heavy fighting on the outskirts of the city, while bombs and missiles are dropped from bombers, the situation is very difficult “. This was announced by the head of the Lugansk regional military administration Sergiy Gaidai, quoted by UNIAN. “The Russians also have losses – he said – the only thing is that there are many. Our fighters are simply shocked that they come out of everywhere “.
At least one person died and three others were injured today due to the Russian bombing of the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia (south): the press service of the regional military administration reported on Telegram. The news agency Ukrinform reports. Four cruise missiles were fired, one of which hit a shopping center in the Oleksandrivskyi district and two others hit civilian structures in the Shevchenkivskyi district. The fourth missile was shot down by the Ukrainian air defense.
This morning’s Russian missile attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia also destroyed the factories of the Ukrainian company Motor Sich, a manufacturer of engines for military aircraft, including drones: the spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov, said. the Ria Novosti agency. “High-precision long-range air and sea missiles launched on the city of Zaporizhzhia destroyed the workshops of the Motor Sich plant, which produced aircraft engines for the Ukrainian Air Force fighter aviation, including unmanned vehicles,” said the spokesman.
Ukrainian sources say six civilians were killed and eight wounded in attacks by the Russian army on shelters set up in the eastern city of Severodonetsk. “The Russians deliberately hit civilians hiding from the bombing,” the Lugansk regional military administration wrote on Facebook, quoted by Ukrinform. One injured woman had a leg amputated. “The Russians know that air-raid shelters are set up in the Severodonetsk Azot and they are directing the bullets there, so be careful: there could be traitors among you,” warned the head of the military administration Sergy Gaidai.
Soldiers from the Donetsk and Lugansk Republics, together with the Russian army, “broke through the defense of the Ukrainian armed forces on Svetlodar Bulg, in the Lugansk region”. The ambassador of Lugansk to Russia, Miroshnik, announced on Telegram. Rain of bombs over Zaporizhzhia and Severodonetsk.
THE CLOSE OF THE EU – European Commission move to confiscate the assets of oligarchs who are trying to escape sanctions. In detail, he proposes to add the violation of EU restrictive measures to the list of EU offenses and strengthened rules on the recovery and confiscation of assets, which will also contribute to the implementation of EU restrictive measures. Brussels proposes the directive to use ‘Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine’. Assets of over 10 billion frozen. Moscow is open to a corridor for the exit of ships carrying grain from the port of Mariupol, but on condition that sanctions are lifted.
Russia intends to continue paying its foreign debt in rubles if the US prevents it from doing so in dollars. This was stated by the Moscow Ministry of Finance, quoted by the Tass agency. The US Treasury has said it will not renew the expiring license granted to Russia today to pay coupons to US creditors in dollars, thus effectively pushing the country into default, despite having the reserves to honor its debt. The payments, the ministry stressed, will be made in rubles “with the possibility of subsequent conversion into the original currency” provided for by the bonds issued.
ANSA agency
Russia had said it was ready for dialogue with all international partners. However, he warns: “Sanctions are removed to avoid a food crisis” (ANSA)
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THE PLAN OF PEACE OF ITALY – The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, did not want to comment on the peace plan for Ukraine presented by Italy, but nevertheless said that the position of the vice president of the Russian Security Council, Dmitri Medvedev, on the document is “very important”. The Interfax agency reports. Peskov declined to make further comments until the official text of the plan is sent through diplomatic channels.
THE EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS – Moscow is willing to discuss an exchange of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners only after the Ukrainian fighters who surrendered at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol have been tried. This was stated by the Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrey Rudenko, quoted by the Interfax agency. The question of the exchange of the pro-Kremlin politician Viktor Medvedchuk with Ukrainian prisoners is not on the agenda, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko, reported by TASS.
Commander Prokopenko talks to his wife: ‘We are fine, so far no violence’. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accuses NATO of “literally doing nothing” against the war at the Davos Economic Forum.
Medvedev rejects the Italian plan, the Kremlin cautious
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NEW ZELENSKY APPEAL – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking in a video message about the worsening situation in the Donbass region, asked foreign governments to continue to provide military support in the form of weapons and equipment because this is “the best investment to maintain stability in the country. world”. The Guardian reports it. The country’s ability to resist Russia was a surprise and a source of inspiration for the rest of the world, he added. “We must always remember that we have survived these three months thanks to the enterprise of tens of thousands of people who defended the state. And at the cost of tens of thousands of lives of Ukrainian men and women killed by the occupiers. Eternal memory to all those who have been killed. who gave their lives for Ukraine, “he said.
CHILDREN KILLED AND DISAPPEARED – 238 (yesterday 234) Ukrainian children were killed in the war from February 24 to this morning, while 433 were wounded: the office of the attorney general of Kiev announced, reported by the UNIAN agency. Then there is the drama of the missing children, over 1900 according to Ukrainian sources.
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ANSA agency
‘Relatives are looking for them, especially in Donetsk, Mariupol, Kharkiv’ (ANSA)
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