Selenskij calls for strengthening air defence, Putin continues to arm

The Ukrainian President Wolodimir Selenskij has the western partners to more speed in the promised deliveries to strengthen air defence “Not all of the promises made at the summit in Washington regarding air defense have yet been implemented,” he warned in his evening video address.

Russia’s President Wladimir Putin defended the recently ordered Increasing troop strength.

Russia is taking targeted action against Ukraine’s energy and heat supplies

Especially at the beginning of autumn, however, it is important to efficient air defence Selenskij said, referring to the systematic Russian attacks on energy and heat supplies once again spoke out against freezing the conflict. Ukraine and the whole of Europe need long-term security. This can only be achieved through a just peace.

He did not comment in detail on the situation at the front. Right at the beginning he praised the Drone attack on an ammunition depot near the northwestern Russian town Toropez.

According to media reports, a Ukrainian drone attack had caused a series of explosions in the depot the night before. The fire spread to the nearby town of Toropets, and residents had to be evacuated. According to authorities, several people were injured.

Fighting in Kursk goes according to plan

The fighting in the western Russian region Kurskwhere Moscow troops tried to counter the Ukrainian counteroffensive, are, according to him, going according to Kiev’s plan. According to independent military observers, the Ukrainians were actually able to repel the Russian attacks. stop for nowWhat is unclear, however, is whether the subsequent Ukrainian push to encircle Russian troops was successful.

The defenders of the cities, besieged by Russian troops Pokrovsk, Torezk and Kurachowe in the eastern Ukrainian region Donetsk He promised reinforcements soon. According to him, new brigades have been set up, but are not yet fully equipped with weapons.

In its evening situation report, the General Staff in Kiev described the fighting between Pokrovsk and Kurakhove in particular as heavy. More than half of the more than 150 Russian attack attempts during the day had taken place in that sector of the front. Several of these attacks were still ongoing, it said.

Increase of 2.4 million men: Putin talks about increasing troop strength

Meanwhile, Kremlin chief Putin held a video conference with high-ranking military and defense industry officials. In it, he also justified the recent increase in troop strength. This was necessary for the new military districtshe said. The troops being formed there will need new soldiers who are well trained in weapons. “It was precisely to solve this problem that the decree on determining the strength of the armed forces was published a few days ago,” Putin said.

On Monday, Putin ordered by decree that the armed forces to about 2.4 million menincluding 1.5 million soldiers – since the attack on Ukraine in February 2022, the target strength of the military has thus been increased for the third time.

The Kremlin announced the creation of new military districts for the Leningrad region – the Soviet name Leningrad is still used in Russia for the area around St. Petersburg – and Moscow at the end of 2023. This will be accompanied by the construction of new military bases and units. The need for the military districts was explained by the Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerassimov At the time, the reason given was the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO, among other things. Gerasimov did not address the trigger for these events, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

In the video conference, Putin called for further armament and militarization. In the future, the Russian army will no longer receive new, modern weapons piecemeal, but in series, he announced. The knowledge gained from the war should also be used in the weapons factories and missile laboratories, said the Kremlin chief, who plans to visit a weapons factory in St. Petersburg on Thursday.