Ukraine-Russia war – latest news: Putin has massed 500,000 troops for a new major offensive

Ukrainian Protection Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stated in his current statements that Vladimir Putin is probably going making ready a brand new main offensive and should strike Ukraine on the primary anniversary of the warfare on February 24.

Based on Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has mobilized almost 500,000 troopers for the assault.

Mr. Reznikov stated Russia had a a lot bigger variety of new troops than simply the formally introduced 300,000 troops from the primary wave of mobilization in September.

“They formally introduced 300,000 troops, however after we see the troops on the border, in response to our estimates, the quantity is way greater,” he instructed the French BFM community.

The minister added that Moscow would possibly “attempt one thing” to mark the primary yr of the invasion on February 24, marking a grim new chapter within the ongoing warfare.

Nonetheless, he added that Ukrainian commanders and forces would transfer to “stabilize the entrance and put together for a counterattack” forward of the anticipated Russian advance.

Mr. Reznikov stated he “believes that 2023 will be the yr of navy victory,” and that Ukrainian forces “can not lose the initiative” they’ve gained in current months.

A former commander of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group who fled to Norway apologizes for preventing in Ukraine.

“Many take into account me a scoundrel, a felony, a assassin,” stated 26-year-old Andrei Medvedev. He stated, “Initially, over and over, I wish to apologize, and although I do not understand how will probably be acquired, I wish to say I am sorry.”

“I wish to make it clear that I am not that individual. Sure, I served on Wagner. There are some moments (in my story) that folks do not like, and I’ve completely joined them, however Nobody is born clever.”

He crossed the Russian-Norwegian border final month after witnessing the killing and abuse of Russian prisoners taken to Ukraine to struggle for Wagner.

Medvedev stated he fled throughout the Arctic border, climbed via a barbed-wire fence and escaped border patrol with canines, and heard guards fireplace pictures as he ran via a forest and over the frozen river that separates the 2 nations.

Wagner, a proxy group waging warfare on Russia’s behalf, is locked in a bloody battle of attrition in Ukraine’s jap Donetsk area.

A Russian arms vendor, his son, a gaggle of entrance corporations throughout Asia, Europe and the Center east Officers introduced yesterday that their management had grow to be the most recent goal of US sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russian arms vendor Igor Zymenkov, his son, and firms linked to the “Zymenkov Community” in Singapore, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Israel, amongst others, have been recognized by Treasury division Workplace of Overseas Property Management Monetary Sanctions.

Practically two dozen folks and organizations linked to a sanctions evasion community supporting Russia’s military-industrial complicated had been named in a press launch issued on Wednesday.

Safety providers searched the house of one in every of Ukraine’s most distinguished billionaires yesterday, allying themselves with a determine as soon as seen as a patron of Volodymyr Zelensky in what authorities described as a wartime anti-corruption purge.

The motion, days forward of a summit with the European Union, seems to replicate Kyiv’s willpower to show it could actually dealer billions of {dollars} in Western assist and shed a status as one of many world’s most corrupt nations.

Photos posted on social media appeared to indicate enterprise tycoon Ihor Kolomosky sporting a tracksuit and being seen within the presence of a safety officer of the State Safety Division at his residence. Reuters couldn’t instantly confirm the authenticity of the photographs.

In a press release that didn’t point out Kolomoiskiy’s identify, the SBU launched the identical photographs, however the individual’s face is blurred.

The SBU stated it had uncovered the embezzlement of greater than $1 billion at Ukraine’s largest oil firm, Ukranafta, and its largest refinery, Ukratnafta. Kolumowski, who has lengthy denied any wrongdoing, beforehand owned stakes in each corporations, which Zelensky ordered to be seized by the state in November below martial regulation.

Kolomosky couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.

The Kremlin stated long-range missiles from america would escalate the battle however not change its trajectory.

“The particular navy operation will proceed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, utilizing the Russian time period for an invasion.

It’s believed that Russia and Ukraine are making ready their forces for brand new assaults, and Ukrainian Protection Minister Oleksiy Reznikov warned {that a} Russian push may start as quickly as February 24.

“We preserve telling our companions that we’ve got to be prepared for this, as shortly as attainable. Reznikov instructed French BFM TV.

Germany’s protection minister, Boris Pistorius, stated the nation wanted to shortly order new Leopard tanks to exchange these destined for Ukraine.

He added that he didn’t care the place the cash to exchange the Leopard tanks got here from.

Pistorius stated on a go to to a tank battalion within the western city of Augustdorf that was chosen to produce 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

“The place will the cash come from? Let me put it casually as follows: Frankly, I do not care. It’s crucial that we get them (tanks) in shortly,” Pistorius added.

Volodymyr Zelensky stated the state of affairs on the entrance traces in jap Ukraine was “getting harder” in a somber evaluation in his in a single day speech.

“There’s a sure enhance within the offensive operations of the occupiers on the entrance – within the east of our nation. The state of affairs is turning into an increasing number of critical,” he stated.

Zelensky added: “We now have been steadily going via all this time, from February to February. The enemy is now attempting to get at the least one thing to indicate on the anniversary of the invasion that Russia allegedly has some possibilities.

In such circumstances, all of us should be significantly united, particularly targeted on the nationwide curiosity, and in consequence, we should be significantly versatile. I am assured we’ll keep that method,” he stated.

Britain’s exit from the European Union The UK was allowed to “do issues in another way” when it got here to offering weapons Ukraine In its battle towards the invading Russian forces, the previous PM Boris Johnson He stated.

With out Brexit, he stated, supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine with anti-tank missiles wouldn’t have taken place.

Johnson made the remarks following a speech he gave on the Atlantic Council in Washington right now.

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The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster stated offering fighter jets was “not an instantaneous answer” for Ukraine within the warfare towards Russia due to the time it took to coach Kyiv pilots.

Oliver Dowden was requested what he stated about former Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging the UK authorities to decide to supplying fighter jets to Ukraine.

The Cupboard minister instructed ITV’s Peston programme: “I actually suppose we should be agency in supporting our Ukrainian allies.

“Now, I feel it is just a little untimely to begin speaking about planes and every part else, however in fact we’re not ruling something off the desk.

“There are coaching instances and such related to that, so it is not an instantaneous repair, no.”