According to the general staff, the Ukrainian army encountered strong Russian resistance in the east of the country during its counter-offensive. The staff’s evening situation report on Sunday spoke of ongoing Russian attacks between Donetsk in the east and Kupyansk in the northeast region of Kharkiv. Accordingly, 27 battles took place in the last 24 hours along a front of about 230 kilometers.
The Russian side used more artillery and air force, he said. More than 60 towns in the front section are said to have come under fire from Russian rockets and artillery. The information initially could not be independently verified.
Here’s where you’ll find third-party content
In order to display the embedded content, your revocable consent for the transmission and processing of personal data is required, as providers of the embedded content such as third-party providers require this consent. [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (which can be revoked at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about it. You can withdraw your consent at any time via the privacy button at the bottom of the page.
All developments in the live ticker:
21:48 – Attack on Odessa: Zelenskyy thanks international sympathy
After the Russian attacks on the port city of Odessa, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed words of gratitude to his own people and international allies. “I thank everyone who is with Odessa,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video on Sunday night, recognizing the achievements of volunteer first responders, doctors and local officials in the southern city. “It’s very important to help each other and our city!” he added.
7:26 pm – UNESCO condemns Russian attack on Ukrainian port city of Odessa
UNESCO has strongly condemned the Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, which also hit the old town, which is a World Heritage Site. In a statement published in Paris on Sunday, the UN cultural organization was “deeply dismayed” by the bombing that hit “several cultural sites”. UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay described the attack as an “escalation of violence against Ukraine’s cultural heritage”.
16:57 – USA: Ukraine has retaken half of the occupied territory
According to the United States, Ukraine has already recovered about half of the areas that Russia originally occupied during its invasion. However, the latest counter-offensive is only in its infancy and will be a “very tough fight”, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN. “It’s not going to happen in the next week or two,” he said. It will likely take “several months”.
Read too
15:30 – Putin welcomes Lukashenko and says the counter-offensive failed
For the second time since the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his Belarusian ally Alexander Lukashenko. The two visited a museum honoring the Russian Navy not far from the Russian metropolis of St Petersburg on the Baltic Sea. According to the head of the Kremlin, the working visit will continue on Monday.
Authoritarian Belarus is considered Russia’s most important ally in the 17-month-old war. Rockets are fired from Belarusian territory. Once again, Putin and Lukashenko downplayed the ongoing Ukrainian counter-offensive. Lukashenko said: “There is no counter-offensive.” Putin replied: “There is. But it failed.” Ukraine started its counter-offensive to liberate the occupied territories a few weeks ago. She is not progressing as fast as she had hoped.
Putin and Lukashenko
Credit: AFP/ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK
Lukashenko also commented on soldiers from the Russian Wagner private army, who were resettled in Belarus after a failed uprising against Moscow. “The Wagner people started trying to get us going,” he said. The mercenaries wanted “to take a trip to Warsaw and Rzeszów”, he added. Both are cities in Poland. Lukashenko assured that the mercenaries would remain stationed in the central areas of Belarus.
Read too
Poland’s government has previously expressed concern that Russian fighters are now in the neighboring country. Therefore, Polish troops will be transferred to the border with Belarus.
1:17 pm – Zelenskyi announces retaliation for attacks on Odessa
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced retaliation after Russian attacks on the port city of Odessa. “Missiles against peaceful cities, against residential buildings, against a cathedral… There can be no excuse for Russian evil,” Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram channel on Sunday. “As always, this evil will also lose. And there will definitely be retaliation against Russian terrorists in Odessa.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: dpa/Clodagh Kilcoyne
10:44 – UK: Increased artillery fire in north-east Ukraine
Russia attaches greater importance to the northeastern parts of Ukraine, says Britain, while elsewhere it is under pressure in its war of aggression. The British Ministry of Defense announced in its regular intelligence update on the war in Ukraine that there has been an increase in artillery fire north of the front line in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Kharkiv in recent days. Presumably there were also more attacks by smaller Russian units there.
The British wrote that Russia has probably made only small progress in this regard. “But its renewed activity in the north underscores its importance to the Kremlin, while at the same time it is under considerable pressure in the southern area of Zaporizhia.” Luhansk is almost certainly one of Russia’s key targets in the war of aggression.
Here you can find Twitter content
In order to display the embedded content, your revocable consent for the transmission and processing of personal data is required, as providers of the embedded content such as third-party providers require this consent. [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (which can be revoked at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about it. You can withdraw your consent at any time via the privacy button at the bottom of the page.
9:55 am – “Moscow must finally be punished for this barbarism”, says Melnyk
The former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany sharply criticized the nighttime attacks on Odessa. Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister wrote on Twitter with several emojis: “How angry. The Russians tonight destroyed the center of Odesa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the largest Orthodox church, the Transfiguration Cathedral. Many victims. The world is just watching. Hello traffic light, wake up. Moscow must finally be punished for this barbarism. Or?”
Here you can find Twitter content
In order to display the embedded content, your revocable consent for the transmission and processing of personal data is required, as providers of the embedded content such as third-party providers require this consent. [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (which can be revoked at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about it. You can withdraw your consent at any time via the privacy button at the bottom of the page.
Authorities say at least one person has died in renewed Russian attacks on the Ukrainian port city. Another 19 people were injured overnight, including four children, the head of the military administration, Oleh Kiper, said on his Telegram channel. According to authorities, port infrastructure and six residential buildings were damaged. The Transfiguration Cathedral was also hit. Photos on social media showed significant damage to the well-known Orthodox church.
The interior of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa, badly damaged in a missile attack
Source: dpa/Libkos
04:15 – Strack-Zimmermann sees deficits in secret services in crisis situations
Defense Committee Chair Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann believes that German intelligence services are no longer adequate in crisis situations. “Of course they need more staff, but they should also be given the green light to be closer to the action,” the FDP politician told the German Press Agency. “We also base our expertise on friendly services. We then derive our information from that and get an idea of the situation. Could it be that other countries are looking at the research a lot more and more closely?”
Read too
After the armed uprising of the head of the Russian mercenary organization Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, against Moscow’s military leadership, criticism was leveled at the Federal Intelligence Service (BND). Chancellor Olaf Scholz indicated that the BND was surprised by the uprising.
01:32 – Leopard tank repair center in Poland starts working
A repair center in Poland for Leopard tanks delivered to Ukraine, requested by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), has been completed and put into operation. The announcement was made by Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. “The repair center in Gliwice is up and running! The first two Leopards have already arrived at the Bumar factory from Ukraine,” wrote the national-conservative minister on Twitter.
1:20 am – Kremlin: Putin and Lukashenko meet for briefing
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will meet on Sunday, according to the Russian government. Lukashenko is on a working visit to Russia and will hold talks with Putin about developing the “strategic partnership” between the two countries, the Kremlin said.
Read too
00:01 – The NATO-Ukraine Council meets on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments
At Ukraine’s request, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is calling a meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council for next Wednesday. The aim is to discuss the latest developments and discuss the transport of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea, alliance spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said. The meeting must take place at ambassadorial level.
You can listen to our WELT podcasts here
In order to display the embedded content, your revocable consent for the transmission and processing of personal data is required, as providers of the embedded content such as third-party providers require this consent. [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (which can be revoked at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about it. You can withdraw your consent at any time via the privacy button at the bottom of the page.
“Kick-off” is WELT’s daily news podcast. The most important topic analyzed by the WELT editors is the dates of the day. Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and more, or directly via the RSS feed.