Ukrainian war, Putin: «Russia threatened by German panzers». Crimea, fire near the Kerch bridge: 8 dead. Lavrov: We will come out stronger

«Russia is once again threatened by German tanks», in this case the Leopards. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking in Volgograd at the ceremony commemorating the Soviet victory in Stalingrad.

The West aims to resolve “the Russian question” by inflicting such a defeat on Moscow that it “cannot recover for decades.” “All of NATO is fighting against us,” added the minister.

“I am unequivocally in favor of peace.” Words by Sergei Lavrov, who stated that those who want peace, rather than preparing for war “must be ready to protect themselves”. Overcoming the current geopolitical situation, he added, will make Russia stronger and make us “able to protect ourselves even better in any situation.” The Tax reports it.

Lavrov complains that European leaders change their minds about supplying new types of weapons to Ukraine.

War criminal always blames others. pic.twitter.com/rGzmi8afqB

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) February 2, 2023

With the new weapon systems, the West will also supply Ukraine with military personnel, because it is impossible for Ukrainians to train for their use in two or three months. This was stated by Foreign Minister Lavrov to the RIA Novosti agency. “If these weapons are delivered – the minister said – very likely combat groups will also be provided. Apparently (these soldiers) will be discharged from their armies and registered as mercenaries, with an appropriate certificate”.

«At least 5 people were injured following a new missile attack on Kramatorsk, after those yesterday and this morning: the Russians targeted the city center with two rockets that damaged a pediatric ward, 16 buildings and a school ». This was reported by the regional military leader Pavlo Kyrilenko, quoted by the Ukrainian media. In yesterday’s attack on the eastern city, three people were killed and 21 were injured.

Europe “was on Ukraine’s side from day one. We know that the future of the continent is written here. We know you are fighting for more than yourself. What is at stake is freedom: this is a struggle of democracies against authoritarian regimes». This was stated by the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, in some statements to the press in Kiev alongside the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. «Vladimir Putin – he continues – tries to deny the existence of Ukraine, but what he risks instead is the future of Russia. It has been nearly a year since Putin launched the brutal invasion of him, a year of suffering but also of legendary bravery on the part of the Ukrainian people. A year of impressive unity of the international community », she concludes.

The death toll from the fire in Sevastopol rises to eight victims and two injured, where the flames destroyed the structure of the builders of the new Tavrida motorway, a link that connects Crimea and Russia with the Kerch bridge. This was announced by the Russian authorities.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation said: «The fire in the building module near Sevastopol has been completely extinguished, the analysis of the structures has been completed. As a result of the fire, 8 people died, 2 were injured. The blaze spread to a two-story residential building on Neftyanaya Street and happened around 2 in the morning.

“Russia has brought the war back to Europe, but Ukraine continues to fight back. Pleased to announce to PM Denys Shmyhal that the EU Military Assistance Mission Eumam will train an additional 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers, bringing the total number of trained personnel to 30,000.” The High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell writes it on twitter, on a visit to Kiev. “I also announced to the Prime Minister that the EU will provide 25 million euros to support demining efforts in areas at risk. Protecting civilians and their livelihoods is a priority,” Borrell added.

Six people died due to a great fire that broke out last night in Sevastopol, in the Crimea, a territory occupied by the Russians: the victims were engaged in the construction of the new Tavrida motorway, a link that connects with the bridge Kerch Crimea and Russia, a crucial node from a political and military point of view. In October, the bridge over the Sea of ​​Azov was hit by a powerful explosion which caused part of the structure to collapse. The highway was opened in 2020 by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself. The news of the fire was relaunched by the Ukrainian media reporting Kommersant.

The invasion of Ukraine and international sanctions have undermined Russian arms exports. British intelligence writes this in its latest report on the situation in Ukraine, disclosed by the London Ministry of Defence. Even before the invasion, Russia’s share of the international arms market was declining. Now Russia will almost certainly prioritize the deployment of newly manufactured weapons to its own forces in Ukraine over supplying it to export recipients.

A shortage of components is also likely to impact the production of export-bound assets such as armored vehicles, attack helicopters and air defense systems, the report said. Finally, Russia’s ability to ensure support for existing export contracts, i.e. the supply of spare parts and maintenance, is likely to be severely undermined for at least the next three to five years, he concludes.

The West aims to resolve “the Russian question” by inflicting such a defeat on Moscow that it “cannot recover for decades.” This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with RIA Novosti. “All of NATO is fighting against us,” added the minister.

Russian troops bombed Kramatorsk in Donetsk in the evening, in particular they hit a residential building, where there are reportedly two dead and seven wounded. This is reported by Ukirinform, citing the head of the regional administrator, Pavlo Kyrylenko. The city council of the town in a message on Telegram added that a rocket also hit the cemetery.

There Russia is planning a major offensive on the first anniversary of the invasion ofUkraine, on February 24: Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told the French media. Reznikov has warned that Russia will use a large contingent of mobilized troops, referring to the recruitment of 300,000 men last September. But based on the number of soldiers at the border, the actual size of the mobilization could be closer to 500,000, he said.

“Let’s not underestimate our enemy,” Reznikov commented. “Officially they have announced 300,000, but when we see the troops at the borders, according to our assessments there are many more,” he added. According to Reznikov, the offensive will probably be concentrated in two areas: the east of the country, which has seen heavy fighting in recent weeks, and the south. “We think that since (Russia) thrives on symbolism, it will try to do something around February 24,” he concluded.