12/14/2024
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 02:35 Media: General of the Donetsk Army Group deposed+++
The commander of the Ukrainian Army Group Donetsk, Olexander Lutsenko, has reportedly been replaced after several serious defeats in Kiev, according to media reports. He will be replaced by Olexander Tarnavskyj, reports the internet portal “Ukrainskaya Pravda”, citing a source in the armed forces. The new appointment has not yet been officially announced. The crisis facing Ukrainian troops in the east of the country has worsened in recent weeks. Lutsenko was responsible for the sector of the front around the strategically important cities of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. Kurakhove has already been partially captured by Russian troops and is on the verge of collapse. The British army has already held the city longer than many experts previously predicted.
+++ 01:32 Merz wants to abolish citizen's allowance for Ukraine refugees +++
Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz would like to change the system for war refugees from Ukraine if he wins the election. “For newly arriving foreign war refugees, we will switch from citizen’s money back to the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act. In return, we immediately give them a work permit and ensure that professional qualifications are recognized more quickly. People can learn the language better on the job than exclusively in courses that are fully booked for weeks,” says the CDU politician to the “Rheinische Post”.
+++ 00:31 New EU foreign policy chief criticizes the Chancellor's Ukraine course +++
The new EU foreign affairs representative Kaja Kallas is clearly criticizing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Ukraine course. “Ukraine needs more long-range weapons, more ammunition, so that it can be strong when negotiations take place. The stronger Ukraine is militarily, the stronger it is at the negotiating table. That should be our focus,” Kallas told the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Scholz has repeatedly rejected delivery of the long-range Taurus cruise missile to Ukraine. Kallas also expressed criticism of the Chancellor's refusal to name a victory for Ukraine in the defensive war against Russia as a goal. “I don’t understand why people are afraid to use those words,” she says. It's all about simple questions: “Do you want the international rules to apply? Do you want a world where strength does not triumph over right? Are the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and should these be respected? If you answer yes to all of these questions, then you have to want Ukraine to win.
+++ 23:09 Ukraine extends import ban on Russian goods +++
The Cabinet in Ukraine has adjusted a regulation that prohibits the import of Russian products for a longer period of time. This emerges from the Parliament website. The import ban would have expired at the turn of the year, now it lasts until December 31, 2025. But it can also end sooner: If Russia's “discriminatory and/or unfriendly measures towards Ukraine” end, the resolution could be repealed. Such a ban was introduced for the first time in 2015.
+++ 22:02 Zelensky accuses Russia of a “deliberate, cynical act of terrorism” +++
Volodymyr Zelensky accuses Russia of a “cynical act of terrorism” in his evening speech. “Today Russia tried to overload our air defense systems. This time they carefully waited for freezing weather to make life even more difficult for people. “The attack coincided with a cold wave – a deliberate, cynical act of terrorism against the population,” said the local president. “Thanks to the accuracy of our defense systems and the reliability of our air defense systems, many lives were saved.” “The country's partners should focus on how they can guarantee stability and security in the world instead of paying attention to Putin,” Zelensky said. “I am deeply grateful to everyone who is helping us move closer to peace.”
+++ 21:47 Zelenskyj launches new technology meeting +++
According to a report by the Ukrainian portal “Blyskavka”, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is holding a technology meeting for the first time. “Today we concentrated on the first, most important task, namely the defense of the sky,” he said afterwards. “This is about defending against Shahed drones and missiles. There are already initial sketches of how we can further strengthen our defense.” Accordingly, Ukraine is working on a new air defense system. However, further details are not yet known.
You can read all previous developments here.
