WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
Ukraine's Zelenskiy tells France, Germany to provide 'game changing' weapons
France and Germany have the opportunity to be "game changers" in the war against Russia by not hesitating in delivering heavy weapons and modern fighter jets to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a visit to Paris on Wednesday.
Zelenskiy arrived in Paris for a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after holding talks in Britain earlier in the day where he urged his Western allies to give Ukraine "wings for freedom" by sending warplanes to help turn the tide against Moscow.
He travels to Brussels on Thursday where he will attend a European leaders summit.
"We have very little time. I'm talking now about the weapons needed for peace and to stop the war started by Russia," Zelenskiy said.
"France and Germany have the potential to be game changers and that's how I see our talks today. The sooner we get heavy long range weapons and our pilots get modern planes ... the quicker this Russian aggression will end."
Western countries have scaled up their pledges of military aid for Ukraine this year with promises of hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles as well as longer range weapons, but have so far refused to deliver Western-made combat planes.
Macron said operational matters would be discussed during the dinner, reiterated that Russia could not be allowed to win the war and that Paris like Berlin would continue to support as long as necessary the military support Ukraine needed to secure its future.
Ahead of Thursday's meeting in Belgium, Scholz sought to stress Kyiv's position in Europe.
"I am taking a clear message to Brussels: Ukraine belongs to the European family," Scholz said.
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE
Russian forces hammer Ukrainian manpower, equipment in over 120 areas
Russian forces struck 74 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and equipment in over 120 areas in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.
"In the past 24 hours, operational-tactical and army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 74 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 123 areas," the spokesman said.
Russian combat aircraft and artillery struck Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the Kupyansk area, eliminating over 35 enemy troops in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kupyansk direction, assault and army aviation aircraft and artillery of the western battlegroup struck manpower and equipment of units from the Ukrainian army’s 14th and 92nd mechanized brigades near the settlements of Olshana, Pershotravnevoye, Krakhmalnoye and Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region and Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
The Ukrainian army lost over 35 troops, an armored personnel carrier and a motor vehicle in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.
Russian forces eliminated over 130 Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, operational-tactical and army aviation aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrowers of the battlegroup Center inflicted damage on amassed manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 66th mechanized, 25th airborne, 95th air assault and 81st air mobile brigades," the spokesman said.
The strikes eliminated "over 130 Ukrainian troops, an infantry fighting vehicle, three armored combat vehicles and a Grad multiple rocket launcher," the general specified.
Russian forces also obliterated a Ukrainian ammunition depot in the Kharkov Region, Konashenkov reported.
Russian forces eliminated over 140 Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk area in the past day, he said.
"In the Donetsk direction, over 140 Ukrainian personnel, one tank, three pickup trucks, three motor vehicles and also a Msta-B howitzer were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of offensive operations by assault teams and gunfire of the southern battlegroup," the spokesman said.
Russian forces also destroyed two Ukrainian ammunition depots near the communities of Avdeyevka and Slavyansk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the general added.
Russian forces eliminated roughly 75 Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
In the southern Donetsk direction, army aviation and artillery of the battlegroup East inflicted damage on units of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized, 1st tank and 35th marine infantry brigades near Ugledar and Vodyanoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the spokesman said.
"As many as 75 Ukrainian troops, one tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, three armored combat vehicles and two motor vehicles were destroyed in that area in the past 24 hours," the general specified.
Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian mortar squad in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kherson direction, a mortar team of the Ukrainian army was destroyed in counter-battery fire near the settlement of Olgovka in the Kherson Region," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroyed the aircraft industry plant in Kharkov engaged in modernizing unmanned aerial vehicles and loitering munitions for the Ukrainian army, Konashenkov reported.
"In Kharkov, workshops of the aviation industry enterprise modernizing unmanned aerial vehicles and loitering munitions were obliterated," he said.
Russian forces wiped out three Ukrainian ammunition and fuel depots in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In areas near the settlements of Novomikhailovka, Ugledar and Dobrovolye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, three Ukrainian ammunition and fuel depots were destroyed by artillery fire," the spokesman said.
Russian forces struck the headquarters of the Ukrainian army’s 79th air assault brigade in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Also, the headquarters of the Ukrainian army’s 79th air assault brigade was struck near the settlement of Krasnogorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
Russian air defense forces destroyed 11 HIMARS rockets and 10 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities shot down 11 rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and also destroyed 10 unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Zhitlovka, Stelmakhovka and Krasnorechenskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Skelky and Verkhnyaya Krinitsa in the Zaporozhye Region, Staraya Zburyevka in the Kherson Region, Trudovskoy and Kuibyshevo in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Tabayevka in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 382 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 206 helicopters, 3,046 unmanned aerial vehicles, 403 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,789 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,011 multiple rocket launchers, 4,022 field artillery guns and mortars and 8,291 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.
Reuters/TASS
