Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? Don't panic, 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening at 7:30 p.m. Who did what? Who says what? Where are we ? The answer below.
The fact of the day
This Monday, Vladimir Putin's candidacy for the next presidential election was confirmed by the Russian authorities. This is no surprise to anyone as there was no tension nor was there a real declared opponent. With one exception: Boris Nadejdine is still trying to confirm his candidacy, which has caused unexpected enthusiasm in recent weeks.
Vladimir Putin, 71, who was re-elected in 2018, is seeking a fifth term in office in the March 15-17 election. This election appears to be a simple formality as Kremlin critics have been stifled by repression, particularly since Russia's attack on Ukraine nearly two years ago.
The number of the day
4. This is the number of nuclear reactors that Ukraine plans to build in 2024 at its Khmelnitsky power plant in the west of the country. This is intended to “balance the capacities of the occupied Zaporizhzhia power plant” in the south.
However, the Energy Ministry said in a press release that it was aware that the process would take “time” but remained confident that Kyiv would eventually regain control. This power plant, which previously produced 20% of Ukraine's electricity, has been the target of multiple strikes and suffered power outages related to the fighting. Moscow and Kiev accuse each other of trying to bring about a catastrophe there.
Today's statement
The enemy claims to have conquered Tabaivka, which is not true. »
The Russian army claimed on Monday to have taken control of a Ukrainian hamlet in the Kharkiv region (northeast). The city of Tabaivka “has been liberated,” the Russian defense minister hastened to declare via Telegram. It is a hamlet located about thirty kilometers from the city of Kupiansk, an area where Russian forces have been on the offensive since the summer.
The Ukrainian army, which had found out about the information spread on the networks, was not counted on. Even before the official announcement of this capture, the Ukrainian army denied it. “This is not true,” ground forces spokesman Volodymyr Fitio told Ukrainian television. And added: “The fighting is currently still ongoing.”
Today's trend
This Monday, the Ukrainian army, which is trying to gain ground on the left bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region while the entire front has been largely frozen since the end of 2022, reiterated that its troops continue to act decisively against the Russian soldiers. And that they were in the process of “expanding” their beachhead on this river bank.
“Despite significant losses, the enemy continues to try to dislodge our units from their positions,” the General Staff said in its morning report, noting that “eight offensive operations” by Russia the previous day had “failed.”