Nfter the heavy attacks at the beginning of the week, Russia once again launched widespread attacks on Ukraine. Irrespective of this, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi promised his compatriots that the infrastructure that had been destroyed would be rebuilt soon. The shelling, which was apparently aimed in particular at energy infrastructure, completely destroyed several substations in Lemberg in the west of the country. Many residents were cut off from electricity.
The shelling on Tuesday only delayed the repair of previously damaged objects, Zelenskyj said in his video speech on Wednesday night. “Where there have been losses, there is already our will to build. Where there were any enemy hopes, there will be only ruins of Russian statehood.” Russia fired 28 rockets at his country on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian air defense intercepted 20 of them. Almost all of the 15 drones were shot down.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov thanked the US and Germany for arms deliveries and announced “a new era of air defense” for his country.
Meanwhile, the G-7 pledged continued support for Ukraine. The seven leading democratic economic powers condemned in the strongest possible terms the recent Russian missile attacks. After a video conference with Zelenskyy, the G7 leaders issued a joint statement recalling that “indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians constituted a war crime”. They threatened Russia with further sanctions against individuals and institutions inside and outside the country that supported the war of aggression politically or economically. The G7 pledged further financial, humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine.
Despite Moscow’s recent escalation, another exchange of prisoners took place between the two countries, according to information from Kyiv. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, met Russian President Vladimir Putin and once again called for a protective zone around the occupied Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia.
Biden: Putin ‘significantly miscalculated’
According to US President Joe Biden, Kremlin chief Putin misjudged his war of aggression against Ukraine. “I think he’s a rational player who has miscalculated significantly,” Biden said in a CNN interview aired Tuesday night (local time). Putin had wrongly assumed that the Ukrainians would submit to a Russian invasion. “I think he thought he was going to be welcomed with open arms,” Biden said. “I think he just miscalculated completely.” Biden assumes that Putin will not use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. “Well, I don’t think he will,” he replied when asked.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has again threatened Russia with consequences if nuclear weapons are used. “If Russia uses nuclear weapons, it will have various consequences, including the use of smaller nuclear weapons,” said the Norwegian to the news portal “ZDFheute.de”. He doesn’t want to go into too much detail. “The most important thing is to prevent that from happening.” The risk of Russia using nuclear weapons remains low, Stoltenberg said. “But the escalation in Ukraine and the nuclear threat to Russia makes it necessary that we take them seriously and be prepared.”
Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) sharply condemned the Russian attacks before a meeting of NATO defense ministers this Wednesday. “Putin openly terrorizes the civilian population by firing rockets into Ukrainian cities. His contempt for people obviously increases with the failure of his plans,” Lambrecht told the newspapers of the Funke media group. The delivery of air defense systems is therefore the right step.
Lambrecht had announced that the first of four state-of-the-art Iris-T SLM air defense systems would now be made available to Ukraine. According to a “Spiegel” report, the unit has already been handed over. According to the Ministry of Defense, three more units will be delivered in the coming year.
What will be important on Wednesday
The Ukrainian Defense Minister Resnikov thanked Twitter for arms deliveries from the United States and Germany on Wednesday night. “A new era of air defense” has begun in Ukraine, Resnikov wrote. The Iris-T air defense system from Germany has already arrived. Nasams rocket launcher systems from the USA are on the way. “That’s just the beginning. And we need more. Undoubtedly, Russia is a terrorist state,” the minister wrote. He thanked Lambrecht for their “strong willingness” to support Ukraine. “We will win,” Reznikov tweeted.
The UN General Assembly in New York is voting on the illegal Russian annexation of Ukraine this Wednesday. The vote is also seen as a global mood test on Moscow’s war of aggression. A corresponding resolution to vote condemns Russia’s annexation and declares it invalid. In addition, the Kremlin is asked to reverse the incorporation of the partially occupied regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Cherson.
