Situation at a glance: Institute: Ukraine uses cruise missiles against Russia

According to a report by the Institute for War Studies (ISW), Ukraine has apparently used Western-made cruise missiles against targets in Russia for the first time after long-range missiles. The Washington-based think tank’s report, based on footage taken after the attack, said the Kursk counteroffensive headquarters was hit on Wednesday night. Accordingly, the Russian-North Korean headquarters in the city of Marjino was “successfully” attacked with British Storm Shadow cruise missiles and also with combat drones.

In its analysis, the institute relies on recordings from the alleged attack, which is said to have targeted the Baryatinski estate in Marjino. Russia’s army has assembled almost 50,000 soldiers near Kursk, including around 10,000 North Koreans, for a counteroffensive with which it wants to retake the areas occupied by Ukrainian troops since the summer.

After Washington’s decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons against targets on Russian territory, there was also speculation about the use of similar weapon systems from Great Britain. The government in London initially did not want to comment on this.

“We use all means to defend ourselves”

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov also neither wanted to confirm nor deny the possible use of the Storm Shadow weapon system. “We are using all means to defend our country, so we will not reveal any details,” he told US broadcaster CNN. “But we make it clear that we are capable and capable of counterattacks.”

The air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles have a range of more than 250 kilometers and can be used for precision strikes on targets such as bunkers and critical infrastructure. They are identical in construction to the French Scalp missiles.

Before the now reported attack in Mariino, Ukraine had fired on a Russian weapons depot in the Bryansk region with long-range American ATACMS missiles. The General Staff in Kiev confirmed an attack on a Russian ammunition depot near the city of Karachev.

Ukraine continues evacuation in the east

Russian troops continue to put heavy pressure on Ukrainian defenders in the Donetsk region. Meanwhile, the evacuation of civilians continues there. The Ukrainian authorities have already brought 1.17 million civilians from the parts of the Donetsk region they control to other parts of Ukraine since the beginning of August, as the regional military administration announced, according to the Ukrinform agency. There are currently almost 324,000 civilians in the area that Russia still wants to bring under its control.

The heavily contested hotspots of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove are located in the Donetsk region. Russian troops have recently gained ground there, and the Ukrainian military leadership fears further setbacks.

The General Staff in Kiev reported that 33 Russian attacks with the support of artillery and combat aircraft were registered near Pokrovsk alone on Tuesday. “The situation is difficult but under control,” it said. At Kurachowe, Russian units launched attacks against the Ukrainian defense lines a total of 23 times. As a rule, the information provided by the warring parties can hardly be verified independently.

Zelensky: Panic only helps Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the people of Ukraine not to spread panic. “The informational buildup that took place today, the panicked messages that were sent, all of that only helps Russia,” he said in his evening video message. Russia is of course a “crazy neighbor”, but this applies on January 1,001. War day just like any other war day before. The Ukrainians, on the other hand, should not allow themselves to be driven crazy – the anti-aircraft defense will be further strengthened, he said.

Zelensky made his statements against the backdrop of the closure of some embassies in Kiev, which had fueled unrest among the population. Many of his compatriots are growing concerned that Russia could escalate the war again after Ukraine used long-range Western weapons against Russian territory, according to officially unconfirmed media reports. Moscow had already fired massive rockets at Kiev over the weekend, even before Ukraine is said to have attacked Russia with ATACMS missiles for the first time.

New weapons package from the USA

In his video message, Zelenskyj also reported on further military aid for his country. The US government is providing an arms package worth $275 million. In addition to drones, artillery shells and Himars rockets, it also contains mines, which Zelensky described as particularly important for defending against Russian attacks in the east of the country. The White House had recently ordered the delivery of sniper mines, also known as anti-personnel mines, to Ukraine in order to facilitate the defense of the threatened sectors of the front in the east of the country.

Merkel did not want Ukraine to join NATO quickly

During her time in office, former Chancellor Angela Merkel tried to thwart Ukraine’s desire to quickly join NATO because, in her own words, she already feared a military response from Russia. This is how the 70-year-old Christian Democrat describes it in her memoirs, which will be published on Tuesday and have the programmatic title “Freedom,” from which “Zeit” published an excerpt in advance. Her policy towards Ukraine is still being held against Merkel in Kyiv to this day.

At the crucial NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008, Ukraine and Georgia’s candidate status was rejected. In the end there was a compromise, but it had a price, as Merkel writes: “The fact that Georgia and Ukraine did not receive a commitment to MAP status (accession candidate status) was a no to their hopes for them. The fact that NATO gave them at the same time “The prospect of a general commitment to their membership was for (Kremlin chief Vladimir) Putin a yes to NATO membership for both countries, a declaration of war.”

To this day, Ukraine hopes to become a member of NATO; President Zelensky has made his country’s admission to the alliance a central part of his so-called victory plan. Although NATO has repeatedly reiterated its support for Ukraine, the country’s accession is considered unlikely as long as it is in a state of war.