VLADIMIR Putin is ‘entering most aggressive phase’ and is trying to ‘DESTROY everything’ in the Donbas region creating an ‘extremely difficult’ situation for Ukrainian forces.
Mr Motuzyanyk said Russian forces had not given up attempts to cross the river.
Ukrainian Defence Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk has said: “Now we are observing the most active phase of the full-scale aggression which Russia unfolded against our country.
“The situation on the [eastern] front is extremely difficult, because the fate of this country is perhaps being decided [there] right now.”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called the situation unfolding in the eastern Donbas region “extremely difficult”, in his daily briefing.
He also argued that a regular supply of weapons to Ukraine was the best strategy to maintain global stability and to help defeat Putin’s army.
Speaking during his nightly address, Zelensky said “the [full] strength of the Russian army was thrown [in Donbas] to attack.
“Lyman, Popasna, Severodonetsk, Slovyansk – the occupiers want to destroy everything there.”
He added: “Therefore, the supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine – MLRS, tanks, anti-ship and other weapons – is the best investment in maintaining stability in the world and preventing many severe crises that Russia is still planning or has already provoked.”
His comments come as Ukrainian defence officials warn Russia’s war in eastern Ukraine is now in its most intense stages.
Read our Ukraine war blog below for the latest rolling news and updates…
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Horrific siege in ‘new Mariupol’ sees feared Wagner mercenaries join attack
Thousands of Ukrainian troops were last night facing a fight to the death with Russian invaders in a horrific city siege dubbed “The New Mariupol”.
Brave defenders were holding out under a hail of artillery as enemy troops — including feared Wagner mercenaries — attempted to encircle Severodonetsk in the east of the war-torn nation.
Russian units have been repelled after trying to enter the city from four directions in recent days — but Vladimir Putin’s commanders have now pushed a 12,500-strong force into the battle.
As civilians fled, Ukrainian fighters ordered to hold the city were dug in under constant shellfire. However, the Russians continued to take huge losses.
Wagner is a private militia run by Yevgeny Prigozhin, one of tyrant Putin’s closest allies.
It has been accused of war crimes and human rights abuses — but observers say the Kremlin can claim: “It has nothing to do with us.”
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US closes another financial loophole for Russia
The US is cutting off another financial route for Russia to pay its international debts.
This move could push the country closer to default.
The US Treasury Department said it would end a waiver that had allowed US bondholders to accept payments, tightening sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.
While the new rules only apply to people in the US, they will make it difficult for Russia to make payments elsewhere.
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Incredible PoV video shows Ukrainian kamikaze drone smashing into Russian tank
THIS is the remarkable moment a Russian tank erupted into a fireball after a Ukrainian kamikaze drone smashed into it while the crew reportedly tucked into a picnic.
As the war rages into its fourth month, streets in Ukraine have become a graveyard for Russian machinery – with burnt-out tanks and vehicles littering the landscape.
Fresh footage obtained from the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine Monday shows defenders blasting a Russian tank as fighters are said to have been sitting on top boozing.
A spokesman for the force said: “SSO operators in Ukraine have developed skills in owning another type of modern weapon.
“An example of this is another destruction of an enemy tank along with the enemy’s manpower.
“According to our soldiers, the Russian occupiers were quietly drinking alcohol at one of the positions, sitting on the armour of their tank.
“However, the usual Russian occupation was abruptly interrupted by an unexpected attack from the air.”
The force said they used a “modern kamikaze drone equipped with a powerful explosive” to target the tank.
It suffered “irreparable damage” after the deadly device “flew straight into the tank” – with the attack filmed by a camera on the “killer drone”.
The SSO – which was founded in January 2016 and is headquartered in Kyiv – did not specify where in Ukraine the strike took place.
View the video here.
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EU accuses Russia of using food supplies as a weapon
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday that Russia is using food supplies as a weapon with global repercussions.
Speaking at the annual World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, she said “global cooperation” was the “antidote to Russia’s blackmail”.
“In Russian-occupied Ukraine, the Kremlin’s army is confiscating grain stocks and machinery (…) And Russian warships in the Black Sea are blockading Ukrainian ships full of wheat and sunflower seeds,” Ms von der Leyen added.
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Ukraine: 200 bodies found in basement in Mariupol’s ruins
Workers digging through the rubble of an apartment building in Mariupol found 200 bodies in the basement, Ukrainian authorities said yesterday, as more horrors come to light in the ruined city that has seen some of the worst suffering of the 3-month-old war.
The bodies were decomposing and the stench hung over the neighbourhood, said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor.
He did not say when they were discovered, but the sheer number of victims makes it one of the deadliest known attacks of the war.
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Hungary announces ‘state of danger’ over war in Ukraine
Hungary has declared a legal state of danger in response to Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine, the prime minister announced Tuesday, allowing the right-wing nationalist government to take special measures without the participation of the legislature.
In a video on social media, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the war in Ukraine represents a constant threat to Hungary which was putting our physical security at risk and threatening the energy and financial security of our economy and families.
In response, he said, a war state of danger would take effect beginning Wednesday, allowing the government to respond immediately and protect Hungary and Hungarian families by any means possible.
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Kyiv: Battles in east could decide Ukraine’s fate
A spokesman for the Ukrainian defence ministry has said that battles being fought in eastern Ukraine could decide the country’s fate,.
Russian forces are trying to encircle Ukrainian troops in twin cities straddling the Siverskyi Donets River in eastern Ukraine.
Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said the Russian have not given up on trying to cross the river.
“Now we are observing the most active phase of the full-scale aggression which Russia unfolded against our country,” he told a televised briefing.
“The situation on the (eastern) front is extremely difficult, because the fate of this country is perhaps being decided (there) right now.”
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Help those fleeing conflict with The Sun’s Ukraine Fund
Many of you want to help the five million caught in the chaos — and now you can, by donating to The Sun’s Ukraine Fund.
Give as little as £3 or as much as you can afford and every penny will be donated to the Red Cross on the ground helping women, children, the old, the infirm and the wounded.
Donate here to help The Sun’s fund
Or text to 70141 from UK mobiles
£3 — text SUN£3
£5 — text SUN£5
£10 — text SUN£10Texts cost your chosen donation amount (e.g. £5) +1 standard message (we receive 100%). For full T&Cs visit redcross.org.uk/mobile
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EU suspends import duties on war ravaged Ukraine
EU ministers Monday agreed to suspend import duties on all products from Ukraine in a bid to help the country’s battered economy survive Russia’s military assault.
EU executive vice president Valdis Dombrovskis said the suspension was a temporary measure that “will make it easier for Ukraine to continue trading in the face of Russia’s aggression and will provide overall support to the Ukrainian economy.”
Bilateral trade between the EU and Ukraine, an agricultural export powerhouse, accounted for 52 billion euros ($56 billion) of trade last year, according to the EU executive.
The figure has doubled since 2016, but since the outbreak of the war in late February Ukraine’s agricultural and industrial production has been hit hard, with the country’s access to the sea blocked by the Russian navy.
The International Monetary Fund has warned that Moscow’s onslaught will cause Ukraine’s economy to collapse by 35 percent this year.
Already approved by the European Parliament, the regulation will enter into force the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, a statement said.
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Russian attack in Donbas ‘largest one on European soil since WWII’
Ukraine’s foreign minister has said the Russian offensive in the eastern Donbas region is “the largest one on European soil since WWII”.
Dmytro Kuleba tweeted: “Too early to conclude that Ukraine already has all the arms it needs.
“Russian offensive in the Donbas is a ruthless battle, the largest one on European soil since WWII.
“I urge partners to speed up deliveries of weapons and ammunition, especially MLRS, long-range artillery, APCs.”
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Moment Russian tanks trying to hide in back gardens are obliterated
THIS is the dramatic moment Russian tanks are obliterated after they were spotted hiding in back gardens.
The attack took place in the village of Zirkuni in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv Oblast after the tanks were seen by Ukrainian drones.
Footage shows the tanks driving around, frantically looking for somewhere to hide as Russian forces attempt to retake lost positions in the area.
One of the tanks can be seen reversing into a residential yard, hoping the trees would conceal their position.
However, the garden failed to provide coverage, with the tanks soon going up in flames after a strike by Ukrainian fighters.
Footage emerged last week, showing an obliterated Russian tank after three Ukrainian grenades ignited the ammo on board.
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Everything YOU need to know about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Here are the key questions answered regarding Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.
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Putin is a ‘madman’
Alexei Navalny the jailed Russian opposition leader has condemned President Vladimir Putin in a live court hearing.
The opposition leader called him a “madman” who started a “stupid war” in Ukraine.
Navalny said: “This war was built on lies. One madman has got his claws into Ukraine and I do not know what he wants to do with it – this crazy thief.”
Navalny was previously sentenced by a court to nine years in a strict regime colony for fraud and contempt of court.
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Situation in Ukraine’s Lugansk worse ‘with every hour’
The governor of Ukraine’s eastern Lugansk region said Tuesday that the situation there was worsening “with every hour” as advancing Russian troops seize more territory and “completely destroy” a key city.
“The situation is very difficult and unfortunately it is only getting worse. It is getting worse with every day and even with every hour,” governor Sergiy Gaidai said in a video on Telegram. “Shelling is increasing more and more. The Russian army has decided to completely destroy (key city) Severodonetsk.”
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EU accuses Russia of using food supplies as a weapon
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today that Russia is using food supplies as a weapon with global repercussions.
Speaking at the annual World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, she said “global cooperation” was the “antidote to Russia’s blackmail”.
“In Russian-occupied Ukraine, the Kremlin’s army is confiscating grain stocks and machinery (…) And Russian warships in the Black Sea are blockading Ukrainian ships full of wheat and sunflower seeds,” Ms von der Leyen added.
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Ukraine: 200 bodies found in basement in Mariupol’s ruins
Workers digging through the rubble of an apartment building in Mariupol found 200 bodies in the basement, Ukrainian authorities said today, as more horrors come to light in the ruined city that has seen some of the worst suffering of the 3-month-old war.
The bodies were decomposing and the stench hung over the neighbourhood, said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor.
He did not say when they were discovered, but the sheer number of victims makes it one of the deadliest known attacks of the war.
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British warships could be sent to protect freighters carrying Ukrainian grain
The Royal Navy could be sent to the Black Sea unders plans to create a “protective corridor”. This would allow ships carrying Ukrainian grain to leave the country.
The UK is in talks with allies, including Lithuania, about the formation of an “alliance of the willing” to help lift the Russian blockade of Ukraine’s ports.
It is thought that Egypt and other countries reliant on Ukrainian produce could also help.
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Kyiv: Battles in east could decide Ukraine’s fate
A spokesman for the Ukrainian defence ministry has said that battles being fought in eastern Ukraine could decide the country’s fate,.
Russian forces are trying to encircle Ukrainian troops in twin cities straddling the Siverskyi Donets River in eastern Ukraine.
Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said the Russian have not given up on trying to cross the river.
“Now we are observing the most active phase of the full-scale aggression which Russia unfolded against our country,” he told a televised briefing.
“The situation on the (eastern) front is extremely difficult, because the fate of this country is perhaps being decided (there) right now.”
-
Hungary announces ‘state of danger’ over war in Ukraine
Hungary has declared a legal state of danger in response to Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine, the prime minister announced Tuesday, allowing the right-wing nationalist government to take special measures without the participation of the legislature.
In a video on social media, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the war in Ukraine represents a constant threat to Hungary which was putting our physical security at risk and threatening the energy and financial security of our economy and families.
In response, he said, a war state of danger would take effect beginning Wednesday, allowing the government to respond immediately and protect Hungary and Hungarian families by any means possible.
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Von der Leyen: EU summit unlikely to find solution on Russia oil embargo
European Union leaders are unlikely to strike a deal on an oil embargo against Russia at their summit yesterday and today, head of the bloc’s executive Ursula von der Leyen said.
“I don’t think the summit is the right place for that… We should not stare at the summit,” she told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday. She added that negotiations with member states were ongoing.
Von der Leyen’s Commission has proposed phasing out Russian oil imports by the end of the year in most EU member states, while Hungary and others could be given more time.
It would be the EU’s harshest sanction yet in response to Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Von der Leyen also said the negotiations were mainly focusing on working out details now: “I don’t think that this will be a topic at the Council that will be decided there”.
She was echoed by an EU official.
“There is no way that such a technical subject could be negotiated by the heads of state and government at the summit,” the official said.
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Incredible PoV video shows Ukrainian kamikaze drone smashing into Russian tank
THIS is the remarkable moment a Russian tank erupted into a fireball after a Ukrainian kamikaze drone smashed into it while the crew reportedly tucked into a picnic.
As the war rages into its fourth month, streets in Ukraine have become a graveyard for Russian machinery – with burnt-out tanks and vehicles littering the landscape.
Fresh footage obtained from the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine today shows defenders blasting a Russian tank as fighters are said to have been sitting on top boozing.
A spokesman for the force said: “SSO operators in Ukraine have developed skills in owning another type of modern weapon.
“An example of this is another destruction of an enemy tank along with the enemy’s manpower.
“According to our soldiers, the Russian occupiers were quietly drinking alcohol at one of the positions, sitting on the armour of their tank.
“However, the usual Russian occupation was abruptly interrupted by an unexpected attack from the air.”
The force said they used a “modern kamikaze drone equipped with a powerful explosive” to target the tank.
It suffered “irreparable damage” after the deadly device “flew straight into the tank” – with the attack filmed by a camera on the “killer drone”.
The SSO – which was founded in January 2016 and is headquartered in Kyiv – did not specify where in Ukraine the strike took place.
View the video here.
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Russia says it has completed demining of Azov Sea port of Mariupol
Ukraine’s defence ministry has said that Russian forces have completed removing mines in the Azov Sea port of Mariupol.
Mines have been removed from the territory of the port and nearby waters, the ministry added in a statement.
Russia said it had established full control of Mariupol last week after.
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EU suspends import duties on war ravaged Ukraine
EU ministers today agreed to suspend import duties on all products from Ukraine in a bid to help the country’s battered economy survive Russia’s military assault.
EU executive vice president Valdis Dombrovskis said the suspension was a temporary measure that “will make it easier for Ukraine to continue trading in the face of Russia’s aggression and will provide overall support to the Ukrainian economy.”
Bilateral trade between the EU and Ukraine, an agricultural export powerhouse, accounted for 52 billion euros ($56 billion) of trade last year, according to the EU executive.
The figure has doubled since 2016, but since the outbreak of the war in late February Ukraine’s agricultural and industrial production has been hit hard, with the country’s access to the sea blocked by the Russian navy.
The International Monetary Fund has warned that Moscow’s onslaught will cause Ukraine’s economy to collapse by 35 percent this year.
Already approved by the European Parliament, the regulation will enter into force the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, a statement said.
-
Help those fleeing conflict with The Sun’s Ukraine Fund
Many of you want to help the five million caught in the chaos — and now you can, by donating to The Sun’s Ukraine Fund.
Give as little as £3 or as much as you can afford and every penny will be donated to the Red Cross on the ground helping women, children, the old, the infirm and the wounded.
Donate here to help The Sun’s fund
Or text to 70141 from UK mobiles
£3 — text SUN£3
£5 — text SUN£5
£10 — text SUN£10Texts cost your chosen donation amount (e.g. £5) +1 standard message (we receive 100%). For full T&Cs visit redcross.org.uk/mobile
-
Moment Russian tanks trying to hide in back gardens are obliterated
THIS is the dramatic moment Russian tanks are obliterated after they were spotted hiding in back gardens.
The attack took place in the village of Zirkuni in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv Oblast after the tanks were seen by Ukrainian drones.
Footage shows the tanks driving around, frantically looking for somewhere to hide as Russian forces attempt to retake lost positions in the area.
One of the tanks can be seen reversing into a residential yard, hoping the trees would conceal their position.
However, the garden failed to provide coverage, with the tanks soon going up in flames after a strike by Ukrainian fighters.
Footage emerged last week, showing an obliterated Russian tank after three Ukrainian grenades ignited the ammo on board.
