Because the battle enters its 692nd day, these are a very powerful developments.
Right here is the state of affairs on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.
To struggle
- Ukraine mentioned it shot down a Russian A-50 spy aircraft and an Il-22 command put up aircraft within the Sea of ​​Azov space. Military chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi praised the Ukrainian air power, saying it had “completely deliberate and executed” the operation. Natalia Humeniuk, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s Southern Army Command, advised a briefing that Russia had used the aircraft extensively to organize for and perform long-range missile assaults on Ukraine. “We anticipate such a strike [on the A-50] be fairly painful and on the very least delay highly effective missile assaults,” she mentioned.
- Colonel Normal Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s second navy commander, mentioned the nation’s troops had been in “lively protection” towards the Russians advancing in a number of instructions alongside the japanese entrance with the intention of taking full management of the economic Donbas area conquer regardless of heavy losses. in males and provides. Russia additionally hoped to regain misplaced floor within the southern areas of Kherson and Zaporizhia, he added. “Our targets stay unchanged: to carry our positions… to exhaust the enemy by inflicting most losses,” Syrskyi advised Reuters information company in an interview.
- The Russian Protection Ministry mentioned air protection techniques destroyed three Ukrainian-launched Tochka-U missiles over the Kursk area in southwestern Russia. There have been no reviews of injury. The Tochka-U is a short-range ballistic missile.
Politics and diplomacy
- Switzerland mentioned it will host a summit on Ukraine’s 10-point peace method on the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was within the nation on Monday to fulfill Swiss officers and world leaders on the World Financial Discussion board in Davos. Measures in Zelensky’s method embody the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, an finish to hostilities and the discharge of all prisoners and detainees. Zelenskyy mentioned it was necessary that China attended the talks.
- The Kremlin has dismissed weekend talks on proposals from officers from 83 international locations, saying no progress on peace may be made with out Russia’s involvement. Russia at present occupies a couple of fifth of Ukrainian territory.
- The United Nations on Monday requested donors for $4.2 billion to assist war-ravaged communities in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees by 2024. The UN Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that greater than 14.6 million individuals, or 40 p.c of the inhabitants, in Ukraine will want humanitarian help this 12 months on account of Russia’s large-scale invasion. Greater than 6.3 million individuals have fled overseas. In accordance with OCHA, 4 million individuals, together with nearly a million kids, are nonetheless displaced within the nation.
- Russia mentioned it has sentenced greater than 200 Ukrainian prisoners of battle to lengthy sentences, some for all times. Alexander Bastrykin, the top of Russia’s Investigative Committee, advised state information channel RIA Novosti that the POWs had “dedicated murders of civilians and abused prisoners.” [of war]’ and that the persecutions would proceed.
- Russia has jailed a 20-year-old pupil for 5 years for allegedly collaborating with Ukrainian particular providers and planning sabotage assaults on navy bases. FSB safety providers within the central Russian metropolis of Kurgan mentioned the person had beforehand been arrested on suspicion of collaborating with a international state.
- Russia mentioned it aimed to deepen ties with North Korea and construct on talks between President Vladimir Putin and North Korean chief Kim Jong Un on the Vostochny Cosmodrome final 12 months, when international ministers of the 2 international locations had been getting ready to fulfill in Moscow. The USA and others have accused Pyongyang of sending weapons to Russia to be used within the battle in Ukraine.
- Putin spoke on the cellphone with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and mentioned Ukraine, with the 2 wishing one another properly within the upcoming elections, the Kremlin mentioned.
- Yuriy Nikolov, a outstanding Ukrainian investigative journalist who has incessantly criticized senior authorities officers, mentioned unidentified males tried to interrupt down his door and demand that he be a part of the military. Nikolov, who was not dwelling on the time, mentioned he didn’t know who was accountable.
