Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously honored a sniper killed in the Russian war of aggression with the title "Hero of Ukraine". The 42-year-old is "a man who will be remembered forever," said Selenskyj in a video message yesterday.
The video of the unarmed man who was shot dead after uttering the slogan "Glory to Ukraine" caused international outrage. According to Ukrainian information, the identity of the man has now been finally clarified through analysis.
According to the Ukrainian secret service SBU, the soldier is believed to be a prisoner of war shot by Russian soldiers. A video of an alleged shooting of a man in a Ukrainian uniform by Russian-speaking men also sparked consternation in Germany. The man shouted the salute of the Ukrainian army "Glory to Ukraine!" before the shots were fired. The authenticity of the video could not initially be verified by an independent party.
More battles for Bachmut
In the strategically important city of Bakhmut, Ukrainian units are still fighting Russian attackers. Enemy infantry, supported by artillery, stormed a base of border guard troops also fighting in Bakhmut, the Ukrainian army said. The attackers were also pushed back with the help of grenade launchers.
Kiev once again underlined the importance of the battle for Bakhmut. Key Russian forces and reserves would be tied down and suffered significant casualties, it said. The head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, spoke of a "very difficult" situation.
Ukraine rises to become the third largest arms importer
As a result of the Russian war of aggression, Ukraine has become one of the world's largest importers of armaments within a year. Since the former Soviet republic gained independence in 1991, few heavy weapons have been imported from abroad - but last year, military aid from the USA and Europe made Ukraine the third-largest arms importer.
This emerges from a report published by the peace research institute Sipri in Stockholm. Only Qatar and India are ahead of Ukraine. In the period 2018-2022, Ukraine ranks 14th with a share of 2.0 percent in the volume of global arms imports.
MP expects increase in defense budget
According to Ukrainian deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak from the Holos party (voice), the parliament in Kiev is planning a massive budget increase in the near future because of the war. Accordingly, the defense budget in the Supreme Rada is to be increased by the equivalent of twelve billion euros. Overall, this would correspond to a budget increase of a good 19 percent. Schelesnjak did not provide any information on the financing of the alleged changes. According to the current budget, between 50 and 60 percent is to be financed from abroad.
Ischinger: Prepare the peace process for Ukraine
The former head of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, spoke out in favor of preparing framework conditions for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. "Apart from deliveries of arms and financial support, we have to offer perspectives to the growing critical chorus of questions in the USA just as we do in Germany," he wrote in a guest article for the Berlin "Tagesspiegel".
Klitschko praises Germany's help and calls for more weapons
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko praised Germany's military support for Ukraine in the war against Russia - and at the same time called for more speed in further arms deliveries. "I don't want to complain and I want to thank the Germans again," said the ex-boxing world champion to the editorial network Germany (RND).
"Germany is one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine in terms of financial aid and arms supplies. But it's true, the German government is far too slow in making its decisions, and for that we are paying the highest price: the lives of our soldiers and the lives of our citizens ."
Both sides speak of shelling
Russia accused Ukraine of shelling locations in the contested Donbass. Three civilians were killed and at least nine injured in Perewalsk, according to the Russian administration in Luhansk, which was deployed by Moscow. Ukraine fired the US Himar rocket launcher. Kiev spoke of Russian shelling of civilian objects. A child was injured in Biloserka. The information provided by both sides could not be independently verified.
Kharkiv marked by war
A good year after the start of the Russian invasion, the second largest Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has also been hit by attacks. "Today around 1.1 million people live in Kharkiv, half as many as before the war," said Mayor Ihor Terekhov, referring to the numerous refugees. Around 150,000 residents are homeless due to constant shelling.
Internal investigation into an alleged assault
The Ukrainian army opened an internal investigation into an alleged assault by an officer on a soldier at a training center in the Zhytomyr region. The command shares the outrage at the incident, the military said. The suspect is suspended and will be severely punished if proven guilty. A video had previously appeared on the Internet that allegedly shows an officer manhandling a soldier.
What is important today
Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko is holding talks in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Politically and financially dependent on Moscow, Lukashenko has made his military bases available for Russia's attacks on Ukraine. The Stockholm peace research institute Sipri publishes a report on global arms exports and imports. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is likely to make itself felt for the first time.
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