Russia's military invasion of Ukraine continues.
Russian and Ukrainian forces continue to fight in various parts of Ukraine, and many civilians have fled the country. We will keep you updated on developments regarding the situation in Ukraine on the 26th (Japan time), including the situation of the battle and the diplomacy of the countries involved.
(There is a 7 hour time difference between Japan and Ukraine, and a 6 hour time difference with Moscow, Russia)
High Commissioner for Refugees Grandi: “The dilemma of rebuilding and destruction at the same time”
Next month will mark two years since Russia began its military invasion of Ukraine.
According to UNHCR, as of this month (January), approximately 6.3 million people have fled outside Ukraine, and approximately 3.7 million people have taken refuge within Ukraine, which is about one-quarter of the population. Approximately 10 million people remain displaced from their homes.
On the 24th, UNHCR's High Commissioner for Refugees Grandi said in an interview with NHK in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, where he was visiting, ``I don't see any major movement of people returning to their places of residence. This is because I am concerned that it will not be easy to return as the situation continues."
He then emphasized the need for support, saying, ``People need support to rebuild their lives, such as helping them find work again and repairing their destroyed homes.''
To date, UNHCR has helped restore more than 27,500 homes destroyed in the fighting, but as Russian attacks continue, more people are losing their homes, and High Commissioner Grandi said: He expressed concern, saying, ``Destruction is progressing at the same time as reconstruction, and we are in a big dilemma.''
Furthermore, High Commissioner Grandi stated that as fighting between Israel and the Islamic group Hamas continues in the Gaza Strip in Palestine in the Middle East, interest in Ukraine has declined, saying, ``The financial support necessary to continue humanitarian assistance is becoming scarce.'' '' and appealed for continued international support.
Hard-line supporter of invasion of Ukraine jailed for criticizing Putin's government
On the 25th, a court in Moscow, Russia's capital, sentenced Igor Gilkin, who has criticized the Putin administration's response to the military invasion of Ukraine, to four years in prison for calling for extremist activities.
Gilkin's attorney says he will appeal.
Gilkin is a hard-liner who strongly supported the military invasion of Ukraine, and while the war situation was at a stalemate, he criticized the Putin administration, the Russian Ministry of Defense, and others on the Internet.
He also criticized President Putin, calling him ``cowardly and mediocre,'' and it appears that the Putin administration was becoming more wary of anti-regime movements, and Gilkin was detained by authorities in July last year.
Gilkin led the military wing of a pro-Russian militant group in eastern Ukraine 10 years ago in 2014, when a Malaysia Airlines flight from the Netherlands was shot down in July of that year, killing 298 people on board. A year ago, he was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Dutch court in absentia for his involvement in the incident.
[Ukraine special site] Click here for war situation maps and explanatory articles
Fire breaks out at Russia's state-owned Rosneft oil refinery in southern Krasnodar region
A fire broke out at the refinery of Russia's state-run oil giant Rosneft in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia from late night on the 24th to early morning on the 25th.
Regarding this, Ukrainian media reported, citing sources, that drone strikes carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine are continuing to target fuel provided to the Russian military.
In Russia, a fire broke out on the 21st at the terminal of the major private gas company Novatek in the port of Leningrad Oblast in the northwestern region, and Ukrainian media reported that it was a drone attack by the Security Service of Ukraine.
Ukrainian citizen of Kiev: ``I can't believe Russia's announcement''
Regarding the incident in which a Russian military plane is said to have crashed, killing Ukrainian prisoners of war, people in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, said that while it would be a tragedy if it were true, they simply could not believe Russia's announcement. I did.
Among them, a man in his 20s said, ``I watch the news with great interest, but I don't have enough information.I think the Ukrainian government doesn't have reliable information yet.''
A man in his late 30s also said that the maintenance level of the Russian plane was low and that it was possible that it crashed due to technical problems, adding, ``I cannot believe that the Ukrainian military shot down the Russian plane, and that there were a large number of prisoners of war.'' I believe that the fact that he was on board was information manipulation by Russia.Believing what Russia says is the same as believing in the existence of Santa Claus,'' he said, expressing his distrust of Russia.
Another woman in her late 40s said, ``I believe it's Russian disinformation. If this is true and many people die, it would be a tragedy, but the world would know that Russia is the terrorist.'' He said he hoped the international community would help uncover the truth.
Ukrainian media “It is not clear whether there were prisoners on board”
The Ukrainian side has avoided making any clear statement about its involvement in the crash of the military plane, and President Zelenskiy on the 24th condemned the Russian side and insisted that he would ``request an international investigation.''
In addition, Ukrainian media reported on the 25th that a spokesperson for the Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said that no bodies could be seen in the footage purported to be from the crash site, and that only five bodies were taken to the local morgue after the crash. He also pointed out that it was not clear whether there were 65 Ukrainian prisoners on board, as Russia claims.
Russian military plane “all dead” black box analysis to investigate cause
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 24th that a Russian military plane carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers and others was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile from the Ukrainian side in the western Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine, and all of them were killed. announced that he had died.
Russia's state news agency reported on the 25th that the Russian Ministry of Defense will analyze the black box recovered from the crash site to determine the cause of the crash.