2024-01-24 11:01:45
► A Russian military plane crashes with 65 Ukrainian prisoners on board
A Russian military plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed on Wednesday January 24 in the Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry announced. The 65 Ukrainian prisoners who, according to Moscow, were on board, as well as the crew of six and three Russian soldiers, ” were killed “added the ministry.
“At around 11 a.m. from Moscow, an Il-76 plane crashed in the Belgorod region (…). On board were 65 captured soldiers of the Ukrainian army, transported to the Belgorod region for exchange, six crew members and three attendants »indicated the ministry.
Images circulating on social networks show a device falling almost steeply, before a large explosion, accompanied by flames and black smoke.
► Moscow accuses, kyiv does not confirm
The Russian Defense Ministry accused kyiv of shooting down the Russian military plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, claiming to have observed “the launch of two missiles”.
“The Kiev regime committed a terrorist act by shooting down a Russian military transport plane that was flying from Chkalovskiy airfield to Belgorod to transport Ukrainian servicemen for an exchange”affirmed the ministry.
Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the presence of Ukrainian prisoners on the plane. Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, responsible for prisoner exchange issues, called “Ukrainian media and citizens not to draw hasty conclusions.” “The enemy is insidious. We all know the methods Russia uses to destabilize society. »
In a statement released a few hours after the crash, but which made no mention of it, the Ukrainian army promised to continue to “destroy delivery vehicles and control airspace in order to eliminate the terrorist threat, including in the Belgorod-Kharkiv area” in order to fight against Russian strikes in Ukraine.
► A Russian strike kills two in eastern Ukraine, according to regional authorities
A Russian strike left two dead and eight injured, including a 16-year-old teenager, in a village in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, regional authorities announced.
“At least 2 people killed and 8 injured following rocket attack on Girnyk”indicated Vadim Filachkine, head of the Donetsk region, accusing Russia of this attack “targeted” against civilians.
► For Olaf Scholz, European military support is insufficient
Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on European countries to increase their military support for Ukraine, judging the contributions of the 27 “not high enough” and warning against the risk of American aid disappearing, in an interview published by the weekly Die Zeit
“Europe must do more to support Ukraine in the country’s defense”declared the chancellor. “The contributions planned by European countries so far for 2024 are not high enough”he also estimated.
The Social Democratic Chancellor said he ” irritated “ to be regularly criticized in Germany for too hesitant support. Germany does ” much more “ than other European countries, he defended himself, indicating that his country was currently providing more than half of the arms support to Ukraine and that it would be “conceited to think we can do it alone in the long term”.
► Russian Parliament denounces French “mercenaries”
Russian deputies voted for a resolution denouncing the alleged presence of “mercenaries” French fighting for kyiv in Ukraine, an accusation denied by Paris which sees it as a new disinformation campaign by the Kremlin.
“It is regrettable that the French authorities, who were once with our country one of the initiators of political-military détente in Europe, are prolonging with their actions the agony of the Nazi regime in kyiv”indicates this resolution addressed to the French National Assembly and published on the website of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian Parliament.
► Nine injured in Kharkiv in new Russian night strikes
At least nine people were injured by Russian strikes overnight in Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, the regional governor announced, the day after bombings left 18 dead in the country.
“Around 10 p.m. local time, the enemy fired on (…) Kharkiv » with “S-300 missiles”explained Oleh Syniehoubov, the Ukrainian head of the region. “The attack left nine injured, including a child, a 4-year-old girl, who was treated on the spot”he lamented, specifying that “four people were hospitalized: two men and two women”.
The Russian army regularly bombs the city, which had nearly a million and a half inhabitants before the war, and has been carrying out an offensive in the region since the summer, aiming in particular to reoccupy the Kupiansk district.
►Zelensky promises a strong response
Volodymyr Zelensky promised a strong response on Tuesday evening after announcing a toll of at least 18 civilians killed and 130 injured during nighttime Russian air strikes on kyiv and Kharkiv (East).
“Let them know in Russia that the Ukrainian character knows how to respond forcefully enough”declared the Ukrainian president. “The Russian war will inevitably be brought home, where this evil comes from, where it must be suppressed”he threatened.
In recent weeks, kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of increasing the number of strikes carried out on civilian areas, sometimes with very heavy tolls, while the situation on the front is almost frozen.
► kyiv criticizes insufficient arms supplies from the West
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy criticized the West’s insufficient supply of artillery ammunition and anti-aircraft missiles in an interview with German media Bild, Welt TV and Politico on Tuesday, after new Russian strikes.
” The attacks (Russians in kyiv and Kharkiv on Tuesday, Editor’s note) clearly demonstrate the need to provide more air defense systems, as well as additional anti-aircraft missiles”Dmytro Kouleba told The world.
Regarding the situation on the front, Kouleba observes: “Insufficient artillery ammunition was a problem from the start. »“And, although Ukraine has significantly increased its production, we see that the Western arms industry is not able to produce sufficient quantities”he added.
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