A Russian nuclear submarine, the Belgorod, has completed a series of tests of the super torpedo Poseidon, according to a source close to the Ministry of Defense cited by the Tass agency. “Launching tests of the Poseidon super-torpedo were carried out to evaluate the submarine’s performance at various depths,” the source specified.
Tass points out that it has no official information to confirm this. Last May, Russian TV presenter Rossija1 Dmitry Kiselyov illustrated to viewers the potential of Poseidon, stating that it is capable of “triggering a 500-metre radioactive tsunami that could wipe out the United Kingdom”.
Meanwhile, Russian airborne troops are on the ground surrounded the Ukrainian forces in the town of Soledar, in Donbass, and now they are being bombed. This was reported by the Moscow Defense Ministry, cited by the RIA Novosti agency. The Russians, the ministry specifies, have blocked the town to the north and south. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said that Russia is “in no hurry” to declare victory in Soledar. “We are waiting for the official reports, but there is a positive dynamic in the evolution”, he declared as reported by RIA Novosti.
In the morning, the Ukrainian army denied the claims of the head of the “Wagner” mercenaries Yevgeny Prigozhin that the city of Soleadr would be under Russian control. “The Russians say that Soledar is under their control, this is not true”, says the representative of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Cherevaty as reported by Ukrainska Pravda. “It appears that Prigozhin’s whereabouts are not true, and he is not in the Soledar mines,” Kiev adds.
“The fierce fighting in Bakhmut and Soledar once again shows the courage of Ukrainians in defending their homeland but at the same time highlights the importance of increasing military aid from the allies. I therefore welcome the recent announcements by the US, France and Germany that they will soon supply light tanks and infantry vehicles”. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this during a joint press conference with Commission President Ursula der Leyen Stoltenberg will take part today in the college of EU commissioners.
The Ukrainian forces, as reported by the Kyiv Independent quoting the General Staff, they repelled Russian attacks near 13 settlements in the past 24 hours. At the same time, Russia launched six missiles, 16 air raids and more than 50 attacks with multiple launch systems, which
they targeted civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kherson regions. For their part, Kiev troops struck three Russian command posts, two positions of Russian rocket and artillery troops, and eight areas where Russian troops were temporarily stationed.
Russian attacks were repulsed near the settlements of Hryanykivka in Kharkiv region, Stelmakhivka in Lugansk and Spirne, Rozdolivka, Vesele, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Mayorsk, Vodyane, Nevelske, Khasnohorivka, Mariinka and Prechystivka in Donetsk.
Russian forces hit a children’s hospital in Kherson yesterday evening, damaging a neonatal care unit: the head of the regional military administration, Yaroslav Yanushevych, announced this on Telegram, reports Ukrinform. “The Russian occupiers continue to target the Kherson Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital. Last night, the Russians attacked the medical facility again, firing on the unit where medical care is provided to newborns,” Yanushevych wrote. The six-story building was damaged. New explosions were heard in Kherson again this morning.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, in Russia from 9 January, the departure of citizens fit for military service has been limited. The Kiev services reported that the Russian FSB counterpart sent an order to all border departments of the Federation (border guards are part of the FSB) and disclosed the text: “Since January 9, 2023, the department of the border of the FSB will ensure the limitation of travel outside the territory of the Russian Federation of citizens who have a conclusion of readiness for military service”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the news of the restriction on citizens fit for military service during a press briefing this morning.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reiterated that “we are doing everything we can for Ukraine. We are ready to send more weapons as much as possibleParliament will obviously be informed before doing so. We have sent over 50 tons of electrical material for the reconstruction of the electricity grid destroyed by the Russian attacks. We are in discussions with the French for air defense weapons. Also yesterday during the meeting between the Japanese premier and Giorgia Meloni we reiterated our intention to support the total independence of Ukraine”.
Turkey has begun sending a US-designed form of cluster bomb to Ukraine, a powerful and controversial Cold War-era weapon for destroying Russian tanks, US and European officials told Foreign Policy. The weapons are designed to detonate in smaller submunitions, they can stay in the field for years if they don’t detonate right away. The law prohibits the US from exporting them. “After the US denied Kiev access to this munitions, only Turkey could supply them. This shows that Ankara is an important supporter
military of Ukraine,” the sources explained.
Meeting in Turkey between Ukrainian and Russian human rights officials, Dmytro Lubinets and Tatyana Moskalkova. The talks were held yesterday and another trilateral meeting of ombudsmen from Turkey, Russia and Ukraine is currently underway in Ankara. Yesterday, “a wide range of humanitarian issues and assistance to citizens of both countries” were discussed, Lubinets said today. According to Ria Novosti, Turkey is counting on the opening of a humanitarian corridor mediated by Ankara to help children, women and the injured affected by the crisis in Ukraine, said Turkish Ombudsman Sheref Malkoch.
At the end of the talks, Moscow and Kiev agreed an exchange of 40 prisoners of waraccording to what Moskalkova said on social media.
Moskalkova stated – as reported by Tass – that during the conversation with Lubinets she discussed the question of Russian soldiers missing in action. “We exchanged lists of missing soldiers. Today I can reveal the results, as we have found a number of people, who are alive and held captive,” she specified. “For her part, Lubinets also worked to establish the whereabouts of the missing Russian servicemen. Over 22 people were found and some of them were brought home,” she said.