The situation at a glance: Kyiv: Ukrainian army under pressure

The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Olexander Syrsky, has described the current Russian offensive in Donbass as one of the most serious since the beginning of Moscow’s large-scale war of aggression. The army is withstanding this, but the situation at the front remains difficult, Syrskyj said in his Telegram channel after a meeting with the Czech Chief of General Staff Karel Rehka. The combat operations on various sectors of the front required a constant replenishment of the resources of the Ukrainian units. Experts speak of a brutal war of attrition with high losses on both sides.

Syrskyj also reported a conversation with US Chief of Staff Charles Brown, with whom he discussed the next steps in military aid. He didn’t give any details. “The enemy repeatedly attacks on multiple sectors of the front, exploiting air superiority and long-range firepower, and has a significant advantage in artillery fire,” Syrskyj said. The Ukrainian armed forces urgently need to be equipped so that they can continue to repel attacks.

Zelensky criticizes evasion of sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj once again criticized the circumvention of Western sanctions against Russia. In October alone, Russia used more than 2,000 drones against Ukraine, Zelensky said in his evening video speech. Such a high number of flying objects requires more than 170,000 individual components that should never have reached Russia. “They come from companies in China, Europe and America, all small but constant contributions to Russian terror,” he said.

“This ongoing supply chain once again underscores the urgent need for the world to tighten export controls on specific components and resources,” Zelensky emphasized. The sanctions would have to be tightened and more effective. Circumventing them is a crime against the people and the world, because in this way Russia also manages to strengthen the governments in Iran and North Korea.

Poland’s foreign minister rejects criticism from Kyiv

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski rejected Ukraine’s criticism of the lack of fighter jet deliveries from his country. “We have our own defense needs,” the liberal-conservative politician told the Polsat News channel. Ukraine must understand that Poland, as a “front-line state,” also has to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky had previously complained that Poland had once again found a reason not to hand over any additional MiG-29 fighter jets to his country.

According to Sikorski, the cabinet in Warsaw has submitted a proposal for a defense loan in connection with military aid to Ukraine. Sikorski argued that it could have been done this way from the start: Ukraine could buy on credit from Polish arms factories and pay the money back during reconstruction.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on Sikorski’s words with malice and said that Ukraine is already waging war on credit, handing its country over to Western companies and will end up with nothing left to repay its debts. Judging by media reports, the Polish proposal is unlikely to be well received in Kiev either.

President Zelenskyj also recently criticized Poland for not wanting to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine. In Warsaw it is pointed out that such a step would require a joint NATO decision.

Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for more than two and a half years. To do this, it relies heavily on military aid from its Western allies.