The commander of the Ukrainian Army Group Donetsk, Olexander Luzenko is according to consistent media reports after several serious defeats in Kiev replaced been. He will be replaced by Alexander Tarnawsky the Internet portal “Ukrainskaya Pravda” reported, citing a military source. The new appointment has not yet been officially announced. The crisis facing Ukrainian troops in the east of the country has worsened in recent weeks.
Lutsenko was in charge of the sector of the front around the strategically important cities Pokrovsk and Kurachowe responsible. Kurakhove has already been partially captured by Russian troops and is on the verge of collapse. The Ukrainian army has already held the city longer than many experts previously predicted. However, some units are now threatened with encirclement.
Military observers accuse the army leadership of errors in defense
The military leadership also received sharp criticism for the inadequate defense at Pokrovsk. There it allowed Russian troops south of the city to break through what were actually well-developed and conveniently located defense lines. This now threatens not only the encirclement of Pokrovsk, but also a further advance of Russian troops towards the area Dnipropetrowsk.
Tarnavsky is one of the most famous generals in Ukraine. He led Ukraine’s successful counterattacks in the south of the country in 2022, which led to the recapture of Cherson led. However, his attempt failed in the summer of 2023, including in the neighboring one Saporischschja to force a breakthrough and later in the defense of the Avdiivka fortress in the area Donetsk.
Heavy fighting continues
In its situation report late on Friday evening, the General Staff in Kiev recorded continued heavy fighting, especially in the Donetsk region. In total, there were 190 clashes along the front during the day, it said. The focus was therefore on the section in front of Pokrovsk, where the Russian troops made 56 advances.
The section between the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions in southern Ukraine, where there were 34 Russian attack attempts, is also heavily contested. At Kurakhove, however, the pace of attacks has slowed somewhat; according to Ukrainian counts, Russian troops have attacked there 26 times. The information cannot be independently verified.
Mutual bombardment with drones
The hinterland of Ukraine was once again targeted by the Russian armed forces on Saturday night. Drone attacks have been reported in a number of regions, including the Black Sea region Odessa.
On the other side, according to media reports, the Ukrainians attacked a fuel depot in western Russian territory Orjol. Videos circulating on social networks show explosions and fire. The governor of the region, Andrei Klytschkow, later wrote on Telegram that there was a fuel fire as a result of a drone attack. Parts of drones shot down damaged the glazing of several private houses.
Zelensky calls for action against Putin after rocket attack
The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj in turn called for action from the West after Russia’s heavy combined missile and drone attack against his country the previous night. Steps are necessary, the Kremlin boss Wladimir Putin showed: “His terror will not work,” said Zelenskyj in his evening video message.
Putin is relying on war to stay in power. Ukraine’s Western partners should therefore worry less about stability in Moscow and more about their and global security. He thanked the USA for another aid package worth $500 million.
Russia carried out one of the most massive air attacks on Ukraine on Friday night. According to Zelensky, the Russian military used around 200 drones and 94 missiles. “They specifically waited for freezing weather to make the situation worse for the people,” said Zelensky, accusing the Russian leadership “cynical terror” against the civilian population.
The Ukrainian president also confirmed a planned trip to Brussels next week. There, the heads of state and government of the European NATO states want to talk to Zelensky about further support for Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia, and possible security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire.
Expert: Up to 150,000 soldiers needed for peacekeeping
A possible peace in Ukraine can, according to the Federal Army Colonel Markus Reisner However, it can only be secured with a robust peacekeeping force. Since, in his opinion, a pure observer mission would not be enough, soldiers would also have to be armed to ensure peace, said Reisner in an interview with “Welt am Sonntag”. “In my view, at least 100,000 to 150,000 soldiers would be necessary to successfully secure peace in Ukraine.”
A possible peace mission is currently being discussed in various international committees by the US President-elect Donald Trump brought into play. According to Reisner, the Europeans alone cannot secure a demilitarized zone in Ukraine.
Russia shuts down messenger Viber
Meanwhile, the Russian authorities blocked the messenger service Viber. The Russian telecom regulator Roskomnadzor said access was blocked due to various legal violations by the operator. It is said that the messenger was used, among other things, for terrorist and extremist goals, for selling drugs and for spreading false information.
The public prosecutor’s office was investigating the spread of “information aimed at destabilizing the political and social order in Russia,” the state news agency Tass reported.