The Ukrainian counter-offensive continues. But to accelerate its breakthrough in the east, the Ukrainian army is demanding more resources. The commander-in-chief of the army calls in particular for F-16 fighter planes. At the same time, Volodymyr Zelensky asks his troops to reinforce the border with Belarus, after the arrival of the Wagner group in this country. Here’s what to remember from the day.
Ukrainian army chief calls for fighter jets
The Ukrainian army is limited in its counter-offensive by a lack of armament, in particular combat planes, estimates its commander-in-chief Valery Zalouzhny in an interview published by the washington post. “It annoys me”he says about Westerners who complain about kyiv’s slow progress against the Russians, when he would like them to deliver weapons to them more quickly.
To compete with Russian air power, Ukraine needs the promised F-16 fighter jets as soon as possible, insists the general-in-chief. “We don’t need 120 planes. I’m not going to threaten the whole planet. A small number will be enough”he said again in the columns of the American daily. “But they are necessary, there is no other solution.”
Zelensky orders to strengthen the border with Belarus after the arrival of Wagner
Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered to strengthen the security of the border with Belarus in the face of the arrival in this country allied with Moscow of fighters from the paramilitary group Wagner after an abortive rebellion in Russia. He explained that he was informed about the situation in Belarus by Ukrainian and foreign intelligence services, as well as by border guards.
In a previous message, the Ukrainian President referred to “measures to strengthen this area”, without detailing them. After his aborted revolt in Russia a week ago, the boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner agreed to go into exile in Belarus thanks to mediation led by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Moscow.
Russia will be ‘stronger’ after Wagner’s rebellion, says Lavrov
Russia will be “stronger” after the abortive rebellion of the Wagner group, which shook Russian power last week, assured its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov. “Russia has always emerged more solid, stronger, from all the difficulties (…) It will be the case again this time. We already feel that this process has begun”, he said at a press conference in Moscow.
Wagner’s rebellion ended on Saturday evening with an agreement providing for the exile in Beliorussia of Evguéni Prigojine. No sanctions were announced against the mutineers and the security services said they had dropped charges against them, which many Western analysts and officials saw as a sign of Kremlin weakness. Since then, the authorities have been trying to show a return to normal after these events.
