Ukraine defends itself against attack near Kharkiv – The night at a glance
Published: Tuesday, May 14th 2024, 05:30
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Ukraine is attempting to repel a major new attack by Russian troops in the border region near the megacity of Kharkiv. Russian forces advanced on Monday to the northern edge of the city of Vovchansk about 40 kilometers northeast of Kharkiv. The Ukrainian General Staff in Kiev said that the area was being cleared of attackers. The Russian military blog Rybar reported that the Russian units had established themselves there.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that Ukraine must do everything in its power to prevent the front from expanding. "Our task is clear: to thwart Russia's attempt to expand the war," he said in his evening video address. Tuesday night began for Ukraine with Russian drone attacks, particularly in the south, according to the air force.
Ukraine has been fending off a large-scale Russian invasion for more than two years. In view of the deteriorating situation in Ukraine, Germany and the Nordic countries have pledged further arms deliveries to Ukraine.
Ukraine regroups troops
Zelensky and the General Staff claimed that the defenders had the situation under control. In the border region near Kharkiv, which has been under attack since last week, there are counterattacks, the president said on Monday in Kiev. "The area has been reinforced." The leadership is not losing sight of other sections of the front either. "Of course, we will not leave the areas around Donetsk without the necessary support and supplies, namely in the direction of Kramatorsk and Pokrovsk." According to military experts, one aim of the new Russian attack is to force Ukraine to withdraw troops from other threatened sections of the front in the east.
"The Ukrainian soldiers are inflicting losses on the enemy, recapturing their positions and achieving tactical successes in some areas," the General Staff report stated. Over the course of the day, there were 140 battles on the front in the east and south. Selenskyj confirmed military information that a Russian Su-25 fighter jet had been shot down in the Donetsk region.
US institute criticizes restrictions on the use of weapons
The new Russian attack will cause major problems for Ukraine in the coming months, wrote the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in an analysis. In the analysis, expert George Barros criticized Washington's ban on Ukraine using weapons supplied by the USA against Russian territory. This restricts Ukraine's ability to defend itself. For the Russian army, on the other hand, it creates a kind of reserve in which it can prepare its attacks unhindered. The Russian air force can launch glide bombs on the city of Kharkiv from its own airspace without hindrance. The USA and Germany have imposed restrictions in the hope that this will prevent an escalation with Russia.
New arms commitments from the North
In view of the Russian offensive in north-eastern Ukraine, Germany and the Nordic countries pledged additional weapons. "We are united in our support for Ukraine in its defense against the Russian attack," assured Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a meeting with the heads of government of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland in Stockholm. "We will continue to support Ukraine - for as long as necessary."
Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that the situation on the battlefield was critical and that it was time to react and do more. "We don't want to see another Mariupol in Kharkiv. That is why every single country in the West, in the European Union, must do everything it can immediately." However, there were no concrete new commitments at the meeting, such as for more Patriot air defense systems. The German government is currently trying to organize additional Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine.
Berlin lowers expectations for peace conference
Scholz dampened expectations for the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland in June. "Nobody should have exaggerated expectations: We are not negotiating the end of the war there," Scholz told Stern magazine. "At best, it is the start of a process that could lead to direct talks between Ukraine and Russia. In Switzerland, it will be about the safety of nuclear power plants, grain exports, the issue of prisoner exchanges and the necessary taboo on the use of nuclear weapons. Once again, this is all still in its infancy."
Following his appeals for more arms deliveries, the Social Democrat was disappointed with Europe's involvement in the war in Ukraine. It was "frankly still not enough", he summed up. "That is depressing, because Ukraine urgently needs more air defense systems. Putin obviously wants to destroy Ukraine's infrastructure."
©Keystone/SDA
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