Ukraine News: Zelenskyy accuses Russia of “genocide” in the Donbass

Day 93 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: For the Ukrainians in the east, the situation is getting more and more precarious by the day. The city of Sieverodonetsk in the Luhansk region was shelled by artillery and from the air on Thursday, Governor Serhiy Hajday said. The Ukrainian general staff announced that the attack on the city and its suburb Borivske was unsuccessful. The military information was not independently verifiable. In another nearby village, in Ustynivka, the Russian side was said to have achieved a partial victory.

The major cities of Sieverodonetsk and Lysychansk are currently the extreme Ukrainian outposts in the east. But there are also fights in the rear of these cities, which means that Ukrainian troops are threatened with being cordoned off. The city of Lyman has been lost on the northern side of this possible pocket, Presidential Advisor Olexy Arestovych confirmed on Ukrainian television. On the southern side there was fighting for the towns of Komyshuvah, Nirkove and Berestove.

2.03 a.m .: According to media reports, the USA may want long-range missile systems for Ukraine

According to a media report, the US government is considering sending advanced long-range missile systems to Ukraine. The US-made weapons systems could fire missiles hundreds of kilometers away, CNN reported, citing several officials. A new military aid package could be announced as early as next week. Ukraine asked for these types of weapons, it said. However, the US government has been hesitant because of fears that Ukraine could use the missile systems for attacks on Russian territory. The question arises whether this could lead to a Russian retaliation, according to CNN. US President Joe Biden put into effect a new billion-euro aid package from the US for Ukraine with a volume of almost 40 billion dollars (38 billion euros) just over the weekend. Around half of the total amount from the package goes to defense.

1.29 a.m .: Zelenskyj accuses Russia of “genocide” in the Donbass

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of “genocide” in eastern Ukraine. In the Donbass, Moscow is pursuing “an obvious policy of genocide,” he said in his daily televised speech. The Russian offensive could result in the region becoming “uninhabitable”. He accused the Russians of wanting to reduce Ukrainian cities to rubble. “All of this, including the kidnapping of our people and the mass killing of civilians, is a blatant genocidal policy being pursued by Russia.”

At the end of February, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the war against Ukraine under the pretext of ending the alleged “genocide” of the Russian-speaking population in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. In April, Ukraine’s parliament passed a resolution calling Russian military attacks in the country “genocide”. US President Joe Biden expressed a similar sentiment, saying that Putin appears to want to “eradicate the idea that you can even be Ukrainian”. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed this statement.

12:33 a.m .: Teachers’ unions call for more effort to integrate Ukrainian children into schools

The teachers’ unions have warned of the poor conditions for the integration of Ukrainian children in German schools and called on politicians to take action. “With a view to the coming school year, it must be ensured that the children and young people who have fled Ukraine are integrated into the regular classes at schools in Germany,” said Maike Finnern, head of the Education and Science Union (GEW). , the editorial network Germany.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has noticed a great deal of interest in integration courses to teach language and culture among the refugees from the Ukraine. So far, “within a few weeks, more than 80,000 entitlements to participate have already been granted,” reported the “Welt”, citing the BAMF. “17,000 Ukrainians are currently taking part in an integration course.”

“The entire spectrum of society comes from the Ukraine,” from the academic to the unskilled, said Benjamin Beckmann, head of the BAMF integration course department. “But almost all of them have good learning requirements, above all a good school education. We don’t need any literacy courses for them and practically no duplicate learning courses.” According to Beckmann, 95 percent of Ukraine refugees can start their integration course directly with the normal language course.

0.05 a.m .: Melnyk disappointed with Scholz’s appearance in Davos

After his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) of lacking leadership and disregard for Ukrainian interests. Melnyk told the “Bild” newspaper: “Militarily, Ukraine is simply being let down by Berlin.” It was hoped in Kyiv that Scholz’s speech in Davos would “hear what concrete steps the traffic light will take to give us massive support so that Ukraine wins this war.” But that didn’t happen.

“Unfortunately, that was a non-negotiable report, especially with regard to the immediate delivery of heavy weapons from Germany to smother the Russian offensive in the Donbass,” Melnyk told the newspaper. He attacked Scholz directly: “The leadership and courage are probably missing.” “Unfortunately, there were no encouraging signals to the Ukrainians” when it came to Ukraine’s candidacy for EU membership.