This Wednesday marks 329 days since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Denis Monastyrsky, the ukrainian interior ministerand other senior officials, have died in a helicopter crash this morning in brovary. On the other hand, kyiv will be able to improve its air defense system with three patriot systems behind the slaughter in dniprowhere a Kh-22 missile hit a block of flats, killing at least 45 people, while in the West the debate on the supply of battle tanks intensifies days before an important meeting on military support to Ukraine in the Ramstein German Air Base.
Putin: “Everything we do is aimed at ending the war in Donbas”
Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed on Wednesday that everything Russia does is aimed at “end the war” that broke out in 2014 in the Donbas region. “Large-scale hostilities in Donbas have not stopped since 2014. Everything we do today, including the special military operation, is an attempt to stop this war,” he said. “That is the meaning of our operation,” she added, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. Thus, he has emphasized that among the objectives is “to protect the people who live in those territories.” “We held out for a long time, we tried to reach an agreement for a long time. From what is seen now, we were deceived,” he said, before stressing that Moscow “has done everything possible to resolve the situation by peaceful means, although it was Clearly this was impossible.” Vladimir Putin made these statements during a meeting with World War II veterans in Saint Petersburg, hours after laying a wreath in memory of the Soviet soldiers assigned to the defense of Leningrad during the invasion of Nazi Germany.
Russia announces the capture of the town of Silj, near Soledar
The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced on Wednesday the seizure by Russian forces of the town of Silj, located next to the town of Soledar. “Volunteers from assault detachments, supported by fire from aviation and missile troops of the Southern Military District, liberated the town of Silj in the Donetsk People’s Republic,” military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in the war report. daily. According to Moscow, 90 enemy soldiers have been killed in the fighting in that direction. The wagner group this week announced control over the Silj railway station and released a video of its fighters that was recorded on January 16. According to the Wagner Group, the conquests of Silj and above all of Soledar, which kyiv still denies, will allow the mercenaries to cut off communication between the towns of Siversk and Bakhmut, the next targets of the Russian offensive.
Map of the situation in Ukraine from British Intelligence
The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing.
The map below is the latest Defense Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 18 January 2023.
Find out more about the UK government’s response: https://t.co/G2FAx8ifnX
?? #StandWithUkraine ?? pic.twitter.com/vwbKLDTaOj
— Ministry of Defense ?? (@DefenceHQ) January 18, 2023
Ukrainian Interior Minister dies after his helicopter crashes in Brovary
Ukrainian Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky has died along with his deputy and 14 other people in a helicopter crash. The vehicle crashed this morning in the Ukrainian city of Brovary, in the kyiv Region, according to the police chief. “This morning, on January 18, an Emergency Service helicopter crashed in Brovary. As a result of the plane crash, the leaders of the Ministry of the Interior died: the minister, the first deputy minister and the secretary of state,” says the Ukrainian police note. In total, 16 people are known to have died, including two children. Of them, nine were on board the helicopter. In addition, 22 people are hospitalized, including 10 children. The head of the kyiv Regional Military Administration, Oleksiy Kuleba, had initially reported on his Telegram account about the crashed helicopter near a nursery and an apartment building, although without specifying the figures for deaths and injuries.
As a result of a helicopter crash in Brovary Minister and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine died. Emergency Service helicopter crashed at local kindergarten. 16 dead, two of them children. Terrible tragedy. pic.twitter.com/KiKR5ItDoI
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) January 18, 2023
Pressure mounts on Germany to send main battle tanks to Ukraine
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace will join his Polish and Baltic counterparts in Estonia in mounting a last ditch attempt to pressure Germany into authorizing the shipment of battle tanks leopard 2 to Ukraine this week. The meeting of countries that want Western tanks sent to kyiv will come a day before a group of about 50 defense ministers meet at Germany’s Ramstein base to discuss future arms shipments to Ukraine. British Defense Ministry sources have said that the purpose of Thursday’s meeting is to “cheer up the Germans” if Berlin has not made a decision before, according to reports Guardian.
