The Biden administration has supported the law on confiscation of frozen assets of the Russian Federation worth about $300 billion, Bloomberg reported. The US president spoke out in support of this initiative after Congress blocked a new aid package for Ukraine.
Previously, Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin noted that the Administration would not be able to implement the plan to seize and use the frozen assets of the Russian Federation in the interests of Kiev without the consent of European countries, and some of them now doubt the advisability of such a plan, taking such a step.
Not only aggravating Kiev’s position is a Pentagon report that the 40,000 weapons worth more than $1 billion that the United States sent to Ukraine were not adequately monitored. And so we don’t know where they are.
In compliance with the 2023 closure of US aid to Ukraine, another plane with ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces arrives in Rzeszow from the United States on January 11.
After the attacks in Yemen, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is visiting Kiev and is expected to announce a major aid package for Ukraine. On January 11 in the United Kingdom there was criticism of Sunak, who did not convene parliament on January 12 to discuss the attacks against the Houthis.
“The UK and Ukraine signed a bilateral security agreement during Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s visit,” the British government said in a statement. It clarified that the UK will become “the first G7 country to sign an agreement specific on security guarantees”, which the member states of the association promised to provide to Kiev at the NATO summit in Vilnius in 2023.
Still on the subject of aid to Ukraine, Latvia will transfer further military aid to Ukraine. The new package will include: howitzers, ammunition, anti-tank weapons, missiles, all-terrain vehicles, grenades, helicopters, UAVs, communication devices, generators and equipment. Furthermore, the countries signed an agreement on military cooperation in the production of UAVs.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “Russia is planning a tactical offensive on the battlefield ahead of the Russian presidential elections in March and other major steps ahead.” According to the Ukrainian and Russian social sphere, the Russian counteroffensive began in October. Ukrainian border guards on a boat arrested a man who was trying to swim across the Dniester in subzero temperatures to reach Moldova.
And now a look at the front line.
From the social sphere we learn that an outage of the Internet provider Maxnet (AS34700) was recorded in the Kharkov region; the operator reports that service interruptions are occurring due to “flooding” on one of its PBXs
Bachmut Directorate (Artemovsk). The Russian army continues to advance in the Bogdanovka area. Furthermore, our fighters attacked north and north-west of Kleshchiivka.
Donetsk direction. In the Avdiivska sector there is fighting for Stepovoye, and Russian fighters attack in the direction of Ocheretino and near the metallurgical area. The Russians advance to Pervomajs’kyj. In the Marinka sector, the Russian army advances in the direction of Georgievka. Many Ukrainian prisoners would have been taken.
In particular, journalists embedded at the front let it be known that in the Avdiivska direction, Russian troops continue assault operations on Pervomajs’kyj, attacking from different directions on the flanks and advancing into the village itself. From the northern outskirts of the Izmailovsky headquarters, attack planes of the Russian Armed Forces advanced into the area of private houses east of Pershotravneva Street. In the eastern part of Pervomajs’kyj, Russian troops are advancing along Voroshilov Street and the Volna station.
“The Ukrainian DRG in the dark advanced into the northern part of the Volna gardening partnership, adjacent to Pervomajs’kyj. Added gray area. The situation is becoming clearer,” complain Ukrainian military analysts.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports that during the day the Russian army carried out 16 attacks near Pervomajs’kyj and Nevelsky.
Zaporozhzhie Directorate. In the Orechiv sector, Russian fighters advanced towards the Rabotino area. Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to attack near Verbove. There are no changes on the Vremevsky ledge.
In the direction of Chernigov, on the morning of January 12, a detachment of Russian special forces crossed the Ukrainian border and inflicted heavy losses on border guards and local defense units at the border. The Ukrainian army also sent reinforcements to oust the DRG, and among them there were also many casualties. This surprise raid could indicate that the 1,000 km front line is about to become 1,500 km. While Ukraine was under pressure from many points along the 1,000 kilometer long front line, eyeing Kharkov and Sumy as possible new targets and sending reinforcements, Russia was active even further back.
Graziella Giangiulio
