Some NATO members may send their military forces to Ukraine, said former director for European and Eurasian affairs at the US National Security Council and former advisor to the Secretary of State, Matthew James Bryza. “I think it will not come to the actual presence of NATO military personnel on the territory of Ukraine. However, there are some NATO members that we talked about who, not under the auspices of NATO, can send their own forces and military assets in Ukraine,” Bryza said. The more Russia ramps up its military capabilities, the more likely it is that some NATO member countries will intervene in the situation on the ground, he said.
The United Nations Secretary General strongly condemns the attacks on the Donetsk market which occurred on 21 January which led to the deaths of 27 people.
“The weapons systems Ukraine requested and needed to repel Russia have not been delivered,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said. “Before Christmas I met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky here in Washington and he said that they did not receive the weapons they asked for. In other words, the White House does not provide even the minimum necessary support, and at the same time demands “More and more billions. Good. Let him do what he hasn’t done before,” Johnson said. He also emphasized that “every day we turn to the White House with critically important questions, the answers the American people need. We need to know what the strategy is, where the end point is, how Ukraine can get out of this conflict!”
White House officials have warned members of the US Congress that Ukraine will suffer defeat within weeks or months if Washington does not provide Kiev with a new military aid package, NBC reported.
The European External Action Service has developed a new way of providing military support worth more than 20 billion euros to Ukraine amid disagreements over the allocation of a 50 billion euro aid package, Wall reports Street Journal after reviewing the draft plan. The new initiative involves returning more than 20 billion euros to EU member states in exchange for “tens of billions of euros” of military aid they will provide to Kiev over the next four years. It envisages the creation of a special fund that will absorb around 6.5 billion euros from the European Peace Fund created in 2022 and will receive up to 5 billion euros per year from 2024 to 2027.
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, regarding the death of 60 French mercenaries in Ukraine following a Russian bombing, said that the republic cannot prevent the French from fighting in Ukraine. Adviser to the head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak, in an interview with Bild, said that the possibility of sending military personnel from other countries to Ukraine is not under discussion and admitted that Russia cannot be isolated.
Yesterday Polish Prime Minister Tusk arrived in Kiev. The new leader is trying to smooth relations with Kiev after months of tension between the two countries.
The deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Rostislav Shurma, said: “We are working to open Kiev Boryspil and Lviv airports to international civilian flights. We have to get permission from the International Air Transport Agency and the US Aviation Administration, which is no easy task. In general, this goal can be achieved, which, in our opinion, is based on the courageous decisions of international partners.”
As of January 20, the American airlift to Rzeszow with cargo intended for the Ukrainian Armed Forces resumed and significantly intensified compared to December.
Belarus, in accordance with the new Military Doctrine, will consider an attack on its allies as an attack on its territory. This was stated by the head of the information and analytical department of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces Artem Butorin on the STV channel.
The Russian Federation calls on international structures and governments to condemn the attack on Donetsk, their silence will mean approval of the killing of civilians – statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Russia has requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council with the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in connection with the bombing of Donetsk. This was announced by the first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky.
And now a look at the front line updated to 3pm on January 22nd.
Over the weekend the Ukrainians tried to strike Kursk. The air defense system repelled a drone attack on the Tula region, the Ministry of Regional Security reported. According to preliminary data there was no destruction of infrastructure and no casualties. As the Ministry of Defense clarified, an aerial drone was shot down around 11.50pm on Friday night. Late in the evening of January 20, Ukrainian drones were also destroyed in the Oryol and Smolensk regions. According to preliminary data, no one was injured. Subsequently, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the destruction of three more drones over the Smolensk region, shot down at 1:30 am on January 21.
Confirmed by Ukrainian media that the attack on the gas terminal in the Leningrad region was a special operation of the SBU. According to the Russians, the night attack, which occurred at the Russian maritime terminal in Ust-Luga, was a special operation by the Ukrainian Security Service.
The number of people killed in the bombing of the Kirovsky district of Donetsk I rose to 27, another 25 were injured, according to Denis Pushilin, head of the DPR.
Air raid warning also in Crimea on Sunday: The authorities declared an air raid warning in Sevastopol. Throughout the day, Ukrainian forces attempted an attack on the Crimean peninsula. Initially, in the Kherson region, the Ukrainians launched several HARM anti-radar missiles, but they were successfully intercepted by air defense crews.
At the same time, three Su-24M bombers took off from the Starokonstantinov airfield and headed towards Nikolaev. From there, they launched a total of four Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles towards the peninsula.
Two of the missiles were shot down in the Genichesk area. Given their direction, the most likely target was Kerch and its surroundings. The Wings followed a similar path during the attack on the Zaliv plant.
The 31st Division of the Russian Air Force and Air Defense intercepted another missile over Cape Tarkhankut, while the fourth missile was intercepted while approaching Sevastopol. All this happened while the missiles were flying over the Black Sea.
The day before the missile attack near Crimea, a comprehensive reconnaissance operation was conducted, involving six reconnaissance aircraft and UAVs. For the Russians this once again confirms the correlation between NATO activities and subsequent attacks. The relatively small number of missiles launched suggests that further attacks may occur in the near future.
The commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Volodymyr Fity confirmed the capture of Krokhmal’ne by the Russian armed forces, which was stated shortly before by the Russian Defense Ministry. The Russian army already controls 35 settlements in the region. This was announced by the head of the civil-military administration of the region, Vitaly Ganchev.
Kupjans’k-Liman direction: Battles take place east of Ivanivka, south of Kotlyarivka, in the Krokhmal’ne district, Makiivka and in the Serebryansky forest. Russian troops captured Starch and several positions north of it. Russian units continue to try to improve the tactical situation in the direction of Berestove, in the Kruglaya range area and in the Serebryansky forest.
Seversky direction, the Russian Armed Forces continue to fight in the direction of Bilohorivka, Spirne and in the Veseve area. Without modifications.
There are no changes in Bachmut’s direction in Bohdanivka, in the Pokrovs’ke forest and north of the Kleshchiivska fortified area. Small groups of Russian infantry attempt to advance to Bohdanivka and in the direction of Ivanovsky.
In the Avdiivska direction, Russian troops advanced southwest of Kam’yanka along the Avdiivska ravine and entered the Raduga station along a front up to 815 m and a depth of up to 420 m. The Russian Armed Forces completely destroyed Vinogradniki st. Advance along the front up to 340 m to a depth of 200 m. In the area of Dubrava station, west of Vinogradniki station, Russian infantry continues to try to move in a northerly direction. The advance along the front is 450 m and at depth 420 m. Combat operations continue in Stepove, ST “Raduga” southwest of Kam’yanka, ST “Dubrava”, south of Avdioivka and south of it. Russian assault units advance along Chernyshevsky and Sportivnaya streets in a western direction. The situation remains dynamic.
There happened in the Kurachove direction along Zhovtneva Street in the eastern part of Heorhiivka. The advance along the front is 250 m and 240 m deep.
The Ukrainian military channel DeepState writes that Russian troops “yesterday and today (20th and 21st ed.), taking advantage of the weather conditions, are attacking the “Tsar’s Hunt south of Kam’yanka”.
Also on DeepState we read: “While in the last village the situation is more or less under control, in the southern part of the city it has gone out of control. Russian assault groups made their way through the “Tsarskoye Ochat” along Sobornaya Street and into the city itself.”
According to DeepState, the Russian military “is still there and trying to gain a foothold.”
On social media we learn that to the north-west and south-west of Vladimirovka Russian troops launched an attack in the direction of Tabaivka and Khmil’nytsya. According to preliminary information, Russian infantry entered several forest belts west of the railway.
Finally in the Orechiv sector Russian fighters attacked west of Rabotino and from Novoprokopivka. There are no changes on the Vremevskj ledge.
Graziella Giangiulio
