2023-10-20 19:22:37
Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening at 7:30 p.m. Between the strong declarations, the advances on the front and the dramatic results of the fighting, here is the gist of the day.
The fact of the day
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the headquarters of the Russian army for the operation in Ukraine, in Rostov-on-Don (south), the Kremlin announced on Friday. Vladimir Putin “visited the headquarters of the Russian armed forces in Rostov-on-Don on his way back from Perm”, in the Urals where the Russian leader spent the entire day on Thursday, the Kremlin said in a statement . During this trip, the Russian president met with the chief of staff and commander of military operations in Ukraine, Valery Gerasimov, who presented him with a report on the state of the Russian offensive, according to the same source.
Close to Ukraine, Rostov-on-Don has become an operational center for Russian forces in Ukraine. Putin’s last trip to military headquarters took place in August. He also went there in March.
The number of the day
105,85. This is in billions of dollars the budgetary increase requested from Congress by Joe Biden to help Israel and Ukraine, stand up to China and respond to the arrivals of migrants at the southern border. The Democratic president, for whom it will be very difficult to wrest a political consensus from Republicans in the midst of a crisis, is demanding in particular 61.4 billion dollars (of which 30 would be spent on arms) for Ukraine and 14.3 billion ( including 10.6 in armaments) for Israel. Huge figures, huge political gamble.
Sentence of the day
America’s investment in Ukraine’s defense will ensure the long-term security of Europe and the world. »
These are the words of Volodymyr Zelensky who this Friday welcomed the “powerful speech” of his American counterpart Joe Biden and expressed his country’s “recognition” on X. The day before, the American president called for new aid from the United States. United in Kiev (see figure above).
Today’s trend
Ukraine has assured that it has repelled a new Russian assault on the town of Avdiïvka, an industrial city in the East targeted in recent weeks by intense Russian attacks. “The enemy has repeated its attacks and is not abandoning its attempts to surround Avdiivka,” the Ukrainian army general staff said in its morning report on Facebook. “Our soldiers firmly hold the defense lines,” he continued, affirming that the Russian army lost around 900 men – killed or wounded – and 150 armored vehicles – knocked out of action – in this area in 24 hours.
The Russian Defense Ministry made no comment on this city in its daily report… but announced that it had repelled Ukrainian assaults on the left bank of the Dnieper. “The enemy repeatedly tried to seize bridgeheads on islands and the left bank of the Dnieper [un fleuve devenu ligne de front] (…) but without success,” affirmed the ministry, specifying that the 36th and 38th Ukrainian marine infantry brigades had carried out these assaults. The Rybar Telegram channel, close to the Russian army and followed by more than 1.2 million people, spoke of a landing of Ukrainian units near the village of Krynky on the left bank of the Dnieper, which are “ reached [y] enjoy “. Questioned by AFP, Ukrainian officials declined to comment on these operations in the southern region of Kherson, where each side controls a bank of the Dnieper.
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