The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on January 4 that it would retaliate after accusing Ukraine of launching ATACMS missiles provided by the US at the Belgorod region the day before.
“On January 3, a missile attack from Ukraine into the Belgorod region was conducted using US-made ATACMS tactical combat missiles,” AFP quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying.
US newspaper: Ukraine doesn’t have many ATACMS missiles left, so we have to be sparing
“These actions by the Kyiv government, supported by the West, will be met with retaliation,” the ministry added, saying all the missiles had been shot down.
Previously, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that the country’s air defense systems shot down 8 long-range ATACMS missiles and 72 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of Ukraine, but did not specify the time, location or damage. Thai.
US-made ATACMS missile in one shot
The US-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) has a range of up to 300 km and its supply to Ukraine caused Russia to respond by using new missiles to attack Ukraine and warning of the possibility of a nuclear attack. hypersonic missile aimed at Kyiv.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that air defense forces shot down 10 Ukrainian UAVs flying over Russian territory on the morning of January 4, including 3 over the Leningrad region. Pulkovo Airport in the city of St Petersburg in the Leningrad region on the same morning suspended incoming and outgoing flights.
A representative of the Russian Federal Aviation Agency (Rosaviatsia) said the suspension began at 7:45 a.m. to ensure the safety of civil aircraft, then was lifted at 10:15 a.m.
Rosaviatsia has not said the reason for suspending flights, but some airports in Russia were previously temporarily closed when there was a risk of Ukrainian UAV attacks in the area, according to Reuters. Governor Alexander Drozdenko in Leningrad said Russian forces shot down two UAVs near Luga Bay.
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the above information
Points of conflict: The hottest fronts in Ukraine; Russia looking for an alternative to Syria?
.
Russia wants to cut off Ukraine’s supply lines
The Ukrainian army said on January 4 that Russian forces continued to attack near the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region to cut off supply routes to the Ukrainian army.
Control of the road and rail route east of the Donetsk region could cause serious difficulties for the Ukrainian army on the eastern front and also allow Russia to intensify its advance westward.
“The Pokrovsk direction remains the hottest direction and the Russian side has attacked 34 times (in the last 24 hours), trying to break our defense system south of Pokrovsk,” according to Viktor Trehubov, spokesman for the group. Khortytsian army of Ukraine.
Pokrovsk has a coal mine that is the sole source of coking coal for Ukraine’s huge steel industry. This city had a pre-war population of about 60,000 people. Ukraine estimates that about 11,000 of them remain in the city.
Mr. Trehubov said Russian forces were trying to block supply routes by dispatching small groups of soldiers to villages south of Pokrovsk.
“They (the Russians) didn’t go straight into the city because that would mean intense urban fighting. So they first tried to bypass the city and disrupt the logistics chain,” according to the official.
Regarding the general situation, on January 4, the Ukrainian Air Force said that the country’s air defense force shot down 34 Russian UAVs, in addition to 47 other UAVs that disappeared on the radar screen. Previously, these UAVs launched from Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia.
The UAVs were shot down in the Ukrainian regions of Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Mykolaiv. Downed UAVs caused damage to homes and injured several people in Chernihiv and Sumy provinces.
Russia has not commented on the above information but has always denied all accusations against civilians in the conflict.
Ukraine forced Europe to ‘wean off’ Russian gas, Moscow lost $5 billion in revenue
Poland assumes the presidency of the European Council
Poland on January 3 held an event marking the country’s assumption of the presidency of the European Council, amid growing political division as the region faces a series of major global challenges.
Suffering from a stagnant economy, the European Union (EU) is preparing for Donald Trump’s return to the White House this month with an “America first” spirit and the possibility of imposing US tariffs on European exports.
The EU also faces deteriorating trade relations with China and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In that context, Poland is seeking a leading role in shaping European policy, especially on security, according to Reuters.
“If we are powerless, Europe will not be able to survive… Let us do everything so that Europe and Poland do not have to pay the highest price for freedom, strength and sovereignty. Let us do everything so that Europe is strong again,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a gala in Warsaw.
Also in attendance was European Council President Antonio Costa, who emphasized the importance of continued support for Kyiv.
“This year, we must continue to stand with Ukraine as much as possible, for as long as necessary, to win a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Therefore, we must continue to consider our country Defense is a strategic priority of the European Union,” Mr. Costa said.
In another development, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen canceled her attendance at a number of events in the first two weeks of January, due to severe pneumonia, according to commission spokesman Stefan de Keersmaecker. The spokesman did not provide any further details about Ms. von der Leyen’s condition.
