DUkraine reported a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Saturday night. Late on Friday evening, air defense was active around the capital Kiev, as the military administration there announced on Telegram. Initially nothing was known about possible victims or damage. People were called upon to seek protection in cellars and other safe accommodations. Drone attacks were also reported in other parts of the country, such as Kharkiv in the east and Kherson in the south.
Meanwhile, the Black Sea region of Odessa was attacked with rockets on Friday evening, according to official Ukrainian information. At least three people were injured. Among the victims was a 96-year-old woman who was rescued from the rubble of her house, wrote military governor Oleh Kiper. The information provided by the warring parties can hardly be verified independently.
Lithuania provides further military aid
Meanwhile, Lithuania is providing Ukraine with further military aid to defend itself against Russia. The Baltic EU and NATO country has handed over launchers and other equipment for the Nasams air defense system to Kiev, the Defense Ministry in Vilnius said. Anti-drone systems and generators were also delivered. “We hear Ukraine’s needs and call on our allies to hear them too,” Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas was quoted as saying in a statement.
In his evening video address on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude for Lithuanians’ continued support for the Ukrainian people. “Our alliance is really noticeable,” he said.
Canadian Leopard 2 tanks in Latvia
Latvia’s NATO partner Canada has meanwhile stationed 15 Leopard 2 tanks in the Baltic state. “This is an important step towards strengthening NATO’s deterrence and combat capabilities in the region,” wrote Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds on the X platform, formerly Twitter. This brings the expansion of the current troop presence to brigade level closer.
Kremlin defends pardoning criminals
In Russia, the Kremlin defended its much-criticized practice of releasing convicted criminals from prison for military service. In addition to the classic pardon procedure, in which a prisoner’s application must be approved by several authorities, there is another option, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov: “The second way is that they pay off their debt with blood. The convicted, including serious criminals, pay for their crimes with blood on the battlefield.”
The background is the recently announced pardon of a convicted murderer by President Vladimir Putin. The man from the Siberian city of Kemerovo, who was originally sentenced to 17 years in a prison camp for killing his ex-girlfriend in 2020, was reportedly released early because he agreed to fight in Ukraine. The case caused heated discussions and outrage in Russian media and social networks.
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