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Attacked kindergarten dormitory in Dnipro: Russia praises its successes

Photo: AFP

Ukraine has been defending itself against a war of aggression by the Russian government for more than two years. Since the beginning, the Kremlin army has also taken action against civilian facilities. Now, according to the authorities in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, eighteen people, including five children, have been injured in a new rocket attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj said in his evening video address that a university and a kindergarten had been damaged. The region's governor, Serhiy Lysak, said on Telegram that twelve of the injured were still in hospital.

Meanwhile, Russia itself praised its successes. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the Russian army is pushing the "Ukrainian units back to the west." According to Russian media, Shoigu told a meeting of commanders that Russian forces had captured 403 square kilometers of territory since New Year's Day and gained control of five towns and villages in eastern Ukraine in March. Zelenskyj denied Shoigu's statements, and the reports from both sides about the military situation cannot be independently verified.

Lower age for reservists

In order to remain fit for military service, Ukraine has lowered the draft age of reservists from the previous 27 years to 25. A corresponding entry was published on the parliamentary website on Tuesday. Based on the birth rates at the end of the 1990s, a good 400,000 more men could be drafted to defend against the Russian attackers. A decision is also expected next week that will tighten the rules for mobilization.

Zelenskyj also signed a law on Tuesday that will adjust military fitness. In the future there will only be “suitable” and “unsuitable”. Men who were previously classified as “conditionally fit” must appear again at the muster commission. With a third law, the head of state also paved the way for an electronic military register.

NATO is also discussing further support for Ukraine. As several diplomats confirmed to the dpa news agency, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is proposing, among other things, the establishment of a special NATO mission. The core task of the “NATO Mission Ukraine” would, if approved by the member states, be the coordination of arms deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces. The USA is currently responsible for this coordination. Stoltenberg also suggests a new aid package worth 100 billion euros.

The foreign ministers of the NATO states plan to meet this Wednesday in Brussels to advance preparations for the next alliance summit. Specifically, the focus will be on the question of how support for Ukraine can be made even more effective.

USA insists on further support

In Paris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also insisted on continued support for Ukraine in defending itself against Russia's war of aggression. “We have reached a critical moment when it is absolutely crucial to continue to provide the Ukrainians with the defense support they need, especially when it comes to ammunition and air defense,” Blinken said during a visit to the French defense company Nexter.

The US Secretary of State was cautious about the question of whether attacks on Russian oil refineries were the right strategic approach for Ukraine. "As far as Ukraine is concerned, our view and policy from the beginning has been to do everything in our power to help Ukraine defend itself against this Russian aggression," Blinken said. "At the same time, we neither supported nor enabled attacks by Ukraine outside its territory."

Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, confirmed reports of the appointment of Admiral Alexander Moiseyev as the new commander-in-chief of the Navy. The 61-year-old, who previously headed the Russian Northern Fleet, replaces Nikolai Yevmenov, who has held the post since 2019, as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced.

No official reasons for the reshuffle were given. However, in the course of the war started by Moscow, the Russian Black Sea Fleet repeatedly suffered heavy losses from Ukrainian attacks. According to Kiev, the enemy fleet lost almost a third of its combat ships.

mrc/dpa/Reuters