“Technical problems” could delay shipment of an anti-aircraft system to Ukraine

The Italian vice president and foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, assured this Tuesday that his government “has not stopped” the shipment of new weapons to Ukraine, although he acknowledged that there are “Technical Problems” in the Italian-French anti-aircraft system which could delay its delivery.

“The shield project is Italian-French, we are working intensely with the French, there are technical problems to be solved related to the military aspects”, but “it hasn’t stopped and we are working to provide it to them”, Tajani said in an interview with the radio station Radio 1.

According to some Italian media, the new shipment of weapons from Italy to Ukraine will be delayed until February due to political tensions between the different formations of the right-wing governing coalition, as well as other considerations on costs and the lack of military equipment.

“We are advancing and (the delivery) hasn’t stopped. The General Staff is working, but it takes time”, added Tajani, who recalled that his government voted “in favor of renewing the authorization to send arms to kyiv through Europe and NATO, after informing Parliament”.

Russia increases its military potential to continue fighting in Ukraine and is betting on a “nuclear shield”

“We must constantly analyze and systematize the experience of our groups in Ukraine and Syria and, based on this, create troop training programs and plans for the supply of war equipment,” said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

​

According to Shoigu, “the experience gained by our troops should become the basis for perfecting military training.”

“Taking into account the experience of the special military operation, the commander-in-chief (Russian President Vladimir Putin) has entrusted us with a number of first-rate tasks,” he said.

The main task, Shoigu specified, consists in “taking the necessary measures for the qualitative renewal of the Armed Forces and the increase of their combat capabilities”.

During his speech, the Russian Defense Minister underlined the importance of continuing to develop the nuclear triad, since “the nuclear shield has been and continues to be the main guarantor of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state” .

The Russian nuclear triad includes the strategic missile forces, strategic aviation and nuclear missile submarines.

“We will also increase the combat capability of the Aerospace Force, both in the fighter and bomber part of the scope of modern anti-aircraft defense systems, and in the improvement of drones,” he said.

Russian troops and the Wagner mercenary group control large parts of Soledar, according to London

Russian troops and units of the private military company Wagner control large parts of the Ukrainian city of Soledar in the Donetsk region, British intelligence reported today.

Over the past four days, Russian troops and Wagner’s mercenaries have made “tactical advances” into this strategic Ukrainian stronghold, where British intelligence believes they have “probably” already taken most of their control.

Soledar is located about 10 kilometers north of Bakhmut, the capture of which is a major target for Moscow, as control of both cities would open the way for the Russians to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the main Ukrainian strongholds in the Donbass.

US and Germany reinforce Ukrainian forces in the face of Russian advance

The United States and Germany are sending a number of armored vehicles, including 50 Bradley anti-tank vehicles, to Ukraine to expand its ability to move troops to the front lines and bolster its forces against Russia as the war nears its end. its first anniversary.

Russian forces say they have captured the village of Donetsk

According to a statement released by the territorial defense headquarters of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Russian forces confirmed that they had taken the village of Bakhmuts’ke in the Donetsk region.

“As of January 9, 2023, the village of Bakhmuts’ke on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic has been liberated by the Russian Armed Forces,” the statement read.

Located near Soledar and Bakhmut, the city has been close to the site of heavy fighting.

Two British nationals who disappeared in Ukraine

This was reported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom through a statement.

“We are supporting the families of two British men who disappeared in Ukraine,” an FCDO spokesman said.

Portugal strengthens its support for Ukraine

The Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, informed the Ukrainian President, Volodímir Zelenski today Portugal will strengthen humanitarian and military support and will participate in the peace formula for the country.

“I spoke today with President Zelenski. Portugal will strengthen humanitarian and military support to Ukraine and will also actively participate in the peace formula proposed by President Zelenski,” Costa wrote on his Twitter profile.

The creator of the Russian Kalibr missiles is dead

Russian Pavel Kamnev, creator of the Kalibr cruise missile systems, widely used in Russia’s military campaigns in Syria and Ukraine, died today at the age of 85, according to the press service of the Almaz-Antei concern.

Kalibrs are distinguished by their long range and can be placed on both ships and submarines.

Kamnev “was one of the pillars of the national military-industrial complex and a rocket scientist,” Almaz-Antey said in a statement.

Ukraine holds out in a key city
​

Ukrainian troops are struggling to further contain the Russian advance in the town of Soledar, control of which (along with neighboring Bakhmut) would pave the way for Vladimir Putin’s army to important strongholds in the Donbass region.

“The enemy again desperately tried to storm the city of Soledar from different directions and threw the most professional units into the battle,” made up of members of the Wagner company, said Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian ground troops.

A Ukrainian activist, awarded for her defense of human rights

Three activists from Ukraine, Iran and Turkey have won the Swedish Olof Palme Human Rights Prize for their fight for women’s rights.

Marta Chumalo from Ukraine, Narges Mohamadi from Iran and Eren Keskin from Turkey were awarded for their “efforts in the struggle to secure women’s freedoms at a time when human rights are threatened by war, violence and ‘oppression”. in a statement.

Chumalo, a psychologist and feminist, stood out for having been one of the founders of an NGO to promote women’s rights and combat gender-based violence.

The delivery of armored vehicles will “prolong the suffering” of Ukraine, the Kremlin said

The deliveries to Ukraine of armored infantry and other weapons, announced last week by several Western countries, will only “prolong the suffering” of Ukrainians and “will not change” the balance of power on the ground, the Kremlin said on Monday.

“Europe, NATO and the United States have already injected tens of billions of dollars into Ukraine and in arms deliveries,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told reporters.

“Basically, such deliveries cannot and will not change anything… Such deliveries will only prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people,” he added.

Last week, the United States announced new military aid to Ukraine, worth more than $3 billion, with 50 Bradley armored infantry units and dozens of other armored vehicles.

There are already two victims in the Kharkov market attack

The death toll from the Russian rocket attack on a market in a liberated settlement in the Kharkiv region amounted to twowhile four other people were injured.

“According to the investigation, on January 9 at about 09:10, the occupiers launched a rocket attack on the town of Shevchenkove, Kupyansk District. An enemy missile hit the territory of the local market. Two women were killed. Three more women and a 10-year-old girl were injured,” the prosecutor said in a statement to Telegram, quoted by the Ukinform agency.

Putin proposes to withdraw Russia from the European convention against corruption

Russian President Vladimir Putin presented a bill to withdraw the country from the Council of Europe Convention against Corruption (GRECO) on Monday in the Duma (the lower house of the Russian parliament).

The document, which calls for Russia’s withdrawal from the Convention signed in January 1999, was included in the basic draft of the lower house of the Russian legislature.

In the annexes to the bill, the Russian president argued his proposal for the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (EC) to withdraw Russia’s membership of the Group of States against Corruption, which monitors compliance with chords.

One dead in a Russian attack on a Kharkiv market

A woman was killed and several people were injured, including a child, in a Russian rocket attack on a market in a liberated settlement in Kharkiv region.

“In the village of Shevchenkove, Kupiansk district, there was a rocket attack (according to preliminary data with S-300) on the local market,” the head of the military administration of the Kharkov region, Oleh Syniehubov, told Telegram. by the Ukrinform agency.