Special operation, January 20: Clashes intensify along the entire front line in the Zaporozhye region

MOSCOW, January 20 – RIA Novosti. In an interview with RIA Novosti, member of the main council of regional government Vladimir Rogov said that the war has intensified almost along the entire line of contact in the Zaporozhye region.

Denis Pushilin, acting head of the DPR, told reporters that the situation in Artemovsk (Ukrainian name – Bakhmut) is close to the operational environment.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the Russian army liberated Klescheevka in the DPR, in general, up to 60 Ukrainian soldiers, three armored vehicles, two Gvozdika artillery mounts and Giacint-B and D-20 howitzers were destroyed in the Donetsk direction. Also, in the direction of Kherson, the RF Armed Forces destroyed an American M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery mount and two D-30 and Msta-B howitzers during a counter-battery fight. The ministry added that in the Kupyansk and Krasnolymansk directions, Kiev is losing about 70 military personnel per day.

The Ministry noted that the Russian army liberated Lobkove in the Zaporozhye region, and the loss of Ukrainian troops in this direction was 90 soldiers. It was stated that a hangar with weapons and military equipment belonging to the Ukrainian army was destroyed in the Kamensky region, and the US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar was also destroyed in the Malaya Tokmachka region.

The Russian Defense Ministry added that Russian air defense and warplanes shot down two Ukrainian Mi-8 military helicopters last day.

Russian President’s Spokesman Dmitriy Peskov said in a meeting with journalists that Russian President Vladimir Putin held an operational meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council. During the meeting, views were exchanged on the course of the special operations.

Responding to the call of the deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Pskov Region to the head of state, Peskov urged to focus on Putin’s words on the completion of the partial mobilization, responding to a request by journalists to comment on the data. The issue of mobilization in the Russian Federation received a response from the presidential administration, which allegedly continues the decree on the declaration of partial mobilization.

The press secretary noted that relations between the Russian Federation and the United States are at their historical lowest point, there is no hope of recovery. In his view, the conflict in Ukraine is in an upward spiral, with the West bound by a dramatic misconception that Kiev can succeed on the battlefield. Peskov added that to resolve the conflict, the West must rewind the tape to the end of last year, when the Russian Federation offered to discuss its concerns and regretted the cynicism of the past eight years.

He said that it is not worth exaggerating the importance of NATO’s shipments of heavy weapons to Kiev, that they will not fundamentally change anything, they will only add problems to Ukraine.

Peskov stressed that Moscow will closely monitor the situation regarding possible arms supplies from Latin America to Kiev.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during his meeting with the Chairman of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spolyarić, said that it is important for the ICRC to act impartially in Ukraine. According to him, Russia has always respected this mandate and appreciated the neutral and depoliticized nature of the ICRC’s work.

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Russia will do everything possible to ensure that the ICRC has access to captured Ukrainian soldiers.

Lavrov added that Kiev allows gross violations of international humanitarian law. He stressed that Moscow reaffirmed its commitment to abide by the norms of International Humanitarian Law, including the Geneva Conventions.

The Russian Foreign Minister said that Russia expects ICRC chief Mirjana Egger to discuss the most pressing issues, including the issue of detained military personnel, during her visit to Moscow.

According to a document released by the White House chief, US President Joe Biden has instructed the head of the US State Department, Anthony Blinken, to allocate up to $2.5 billion for military support to Ukraine as part of a new aid package for Kiev. The Pentagon announced that the new military aid package for Ukraine includes ammunition for NASAMS air defense systems, NASAMS air defense systems, Eight Avenger air defense systems, 59 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and 90 Stryker armored personnel carriers, 53 mine-resistant vehicles (MRAP). ) and 350 highly mobile multi-purpose vehicles and more weapons.

Germany’s new Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, told reporters that it was not possible to reach a consensus on the supply of German tanks as a result of the NATO countries and their allies’ support contact group meeting for Ukraine. To Kiev, but Berlin would continue to consider this possibility.

The newspaper Politico said a number of European countries are trying to form a coalition to pressure Berlin to transport the tanks to Kiev. It is noted that the disillusionment among the countries has increased due to Germany’s insistence on taking the first step in the supply of tanks to the USA.

Steffen Hebeshtreit, representative of the German Cabinet, denied the existence of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s requirements for the supply of Abrams tanks to the United States as a prerequisite for the supply of German Leopards to Kiev.

A senior European source told reporters in Brussels that the new seventh tranche of funds from the European Peace Fund to arm Ukraine will amount to 500m euros.

Citing European Council President Charles Michel, Bloomberg said that accepting sanctions against Russia became more difficult with each new round. He added that despite the difficulties, the EU will continue to consider new rounds of sanctions against Russia.

Pentagon President Lloyd Austin, in his speech at the Ramstein base, said that support to Ukraine will continue as long as necessary. According to him, this is “a decisive moment for Ukraine and a decisive decade for the whole world.” Austin said the conflict in Ukraine was “at a tipping point” and urged allies not to “slow down” in aid to Kiev.

Spiegel publication reported that the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) has submitted a report that the Ukrainian army is losing three-digit units per day in the battles of Artemivsk (Ukrainian name – Bakhmut), which may adversely affect all. line of defense

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, citing sources in diplomatic circles, said that the Czech Republic and Slovakia support the idea of ​​transferring German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Dutch Defense Minister Kaisa Ollongren said the kingdom is ready to pay for German Leopard tanks for Ukraine and expects a positive decision from NATO countries to send heavy weapons to Kiev.

Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the United States, told reporters that the United States and its allies are waging an all-out hybrid war against Russia on their own soil. He added that Russia has repeatedly warned the United States that its trajectories are leading the world to a disaster scenario.

Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak said Poland will equip tanks and infantry fighting vehicles and train a Ukrainian brigade as part of its new aid package to Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister told reporters.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in an interview with Fox News that it is urgent to create a safety zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, against the backdrop of the “deteriorating situation” in the region. Grossi said on the IAEA website that he will continue intensive consultations with the Russian Federation and Ukraine on the physical and nuclear protection zone in the ZNPP in the coming days and weeks. He noted that IAEA experts continue to report eruptions in the ZNPP area.

Renat Karchaa, adviser to the general director of Rosenergoatom, told RIA Novosti that the reactors of the Zaporizhzhya NPP power units could theoretically be started quite quickly if an appropriate decision was made, but the incompetence of the Ukrainian regime hampered the operation. nuclear power plant. He added that almost all of the most significant damage to the critical infrastructure of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, caused by the Ukrainian bombing, has been removed.