Ukraine-News: Withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Sieverodonetsk ordered

Day 121 of the Ukraine War: As a new candidate for EU membership, Ukraine can hope for a future in a common Europe. At the same time, however, the military situation in the eastern Luhansk region is becoming increasingly precarious for the Ukrainian army. Russian troops are fighting and trying to encircle the strategically important city of Lyssychansk. Additional important weapons such as multiple rocket launcher artillery systems and patrol boats come from the USA.

The most important developments in star-Ticker.

9:44 am: Authorities – Russian representative killed in attack in Ukraine

According to Russian information, a representative of the authorities was killed in an attack in Cherson in southern Ukraine, which is occupied by the Russian army. “It was a targeted attack,” the authorities said, according to Russian news agencies. “An explosive device was planted in his car.” The victim was responsible for sports and youth in the administration for the Kherson region.

Such attacks on Russian officials are becoming more frequent in the areas of Ukraine controlled by the Russian army. The Russian army had already taken the area around Cherson, which borders on the annexed Crimean Peninsula, shortly after beginning its Ukraine offensive at the end of February. Since then, the area has been brought ever closer to Russia. A week and a half ago, Russia began issuing Russian passports, and the Russian ruble was introduced as a means of payment.

9.36 a.m .: London – Russian Air Force is likely to have a shortage of personnel

According to British intelligence experts, the Russian air force is likely to be suffering from a shortage of personnel. This was suggested by statements by a recently captured Russian fighter jet pilot who said he was in the service of the Wagner mercenary force, according to a statement on the Ministry of Defense website in London.

“The deployment of retired close air support personnel now under contract to Wagner demonstrates that the Russian Air Force is likely to have difficulty supporting the invasion of Ukraine with sufficient aircrew,” the statement said.

8.49 a.m .: The head of the Federal Network Agency expects “huge price jumps” in the gas price

The head of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, expects “huge price jumps” in gas prices in Germany. “Depending on the building, it can double or triple,” said Müller on Friday in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”. The gas price increases from last fall and thus from the time before Russia attacked Ukraine are currently being passed on, which means price increases for customers by 30, 50 or 80 percent in some cases. Müller said his authority is currently drawing up scenarios for the further development of natural gas deliveries to Germany. “Most scenarios are not nice,” said Müller.

Müller told the broadcasters RTL/ntv that the price level had risen by 50 percent since the throttling of Russian gas deliveries last week. “We know that a maintenance window is imminent on July 11,” he said. Then the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will be shut down completely “and we don’t know what will happen afterwards”.

He will “do everything to ensure that we avoid freezing in private households,” said the head of the authority. However, he has “great concern that we can maintain industrial production in this way”. Therefore, above all, gas must be saved and stored.

7:45 a.m.: Ukrainian troops ordered to withdraw from Sievjerodonetsk

After weeks of bitter resistance against the Russian attackers, the Ukrainian army has to withdraw from the strategically important city of Sievjerodonetsk in the east of the country. The withdrawal of Ukrainian troops has been ordered, the governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Hajdaj, said in the online service Telegram. The Russian units had recently taken over the city almost completely.

The city is practically “in ruins” because of the constant bombardment by Russian troops, the governor explained. “There’s just no point in staying in positions that have been under constant fire for months.” The entire strategic infrastructure of the industrial city was destroyed. “90 percent of the city is damaged, 80 percent of the houses will have to be demolished.”

The capture of Sieverodonetsk in the Luhansk region is a strategically important goal for Russia. The declared goal of the Russian armed forces is to take over the entire Donbass region, which also includes the Donetsk region. Parts of the economically important area in eastern Ukraine have been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014.

4.31 a.m .: Ukrainian politician warns refugees against hasty return

Warnings are coming from the Ukraine against a hasty return of the approximately five million war refugees who have been taken in by Europe. “There are two essential prerequisites: We have to find ways and means to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure, at least partially. And where they are going, there needs to be a functioning anti-missile defense system – as it more or less exists for Kyiv now,” said Olena Sotnyk , advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanischyna, after talks in Berlin.

Olena Haluschka, board member of the Ukrainian organization Anticorruption Action Center, named the clearing of mines and hidden booby traps in areas that the Ukrainian side had recaptured from the Russian army as a further prerequisite. At their meetings with German politicians, the two women reported that the main thing they had urged was a rapid delivery of more weapons. They described the fact that the tank howitzers promised by Germany had now arrived at the front as a “turning point”. The two meetings with members of the Bundestag and representatives of the Bertelsmann Foundation made positive comments about Berlin’s support for Ukraine’s status as a candidate for EU membership.

12:31 a.m .: USA promises Ukraine further arms deliveries of 450 million dollars

The United States has pledged a further $450 million in weapons supplies to Ukraine. “This package contains weapons and equipment,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Thursday. Among other things, Himars multiple rocket launchers, tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition and patrol boats would be delivered. The latest package brings US arms sales to Ukraine to $6.1 billion since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against the country, according to Kirby.