Annalena Baerbock receives the Order of Merit of Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine exchange 400 prisoners. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Russia: More than 32,000 drones are expected to be produced per year by 2030
10:08 a.m.: Russia wants to produce more than 32,000 drones per year by 2030. That is almost three times the current production volume, says First Vice Prime Minister Andrei Beloussov, according to the state news agency Tass. The Russian military is making extensive use of drones in its war against Ukraine. Iranian Shahed drones, which are comparatively cheaply manufactured, are often used. These drones were initially difficult for Ukrainian air defense to detect. Shooting them down with expensive air defense missiles was not the most cost-effective strategy. Ukraine is now using small drones to defend itself.
Kiev reports destruction of Russian command center in Crimea
8:52 a.m.: The Ukrainian military said it destroyed a Russian command point at Saky airport on the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow, during the night. “Aerodrom Saky: All targets have been shot down,” said Air Force Chief Mykola Oleshchuk, according to Ukrainian media reports. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that four Ukrainian missiles had been shot down by its own air defense system in Crimea during the night. The reports cannot be independently verified.
Ukraine shows photos of allegedly fired Kinschal rocket
8:07 a.m.: Ukraine has released footage that appears to show a Russian Kinschal hypersonic missile launched using the Patriot defense system. The state emergency service shared photos on its Telegram channel showing a crane removing the remains of a rocket from the ground. “In Kiev, engineers neutralized the warhead of an enemy Kinschal air-to-air hypersonic missile,” the agency said. The information could not initially be independently verified.
Ukraine said on Tuesday that it had shot down ten Kinshal rockets that Russia fired into Ukraine in massive attacks that left a total of six dead. The Kinschal hypersonic missile is part of an arsenal that Ukrainian President Vladimir Putin has said is indestructible because of its speed. According to the British Ministry of Defense, Moscow only uses them on targets it considers to be “high-value and well-defended.”
Zelensky promises soldiers good equipment
5:07 a.m.: A few weeks before the start of the third year of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his soldiers and promised them good equipment. “The top priority of our state is to always provide everything necessary for the defense of Ukraine and our active operations,” he said in Kiev. He named ammunition, drones, equipment and enough personnel. “Surviving this year means surviving the entire war,” he said in his evening video address.
Russia reports shooting down drones over Crimea
2.45 a.m.: Russian air defenses have shot down several missiles and drones over Crimea and the Black Sea. This is reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense. Russian air defense units intercepted five drones over the Black Sea, “thwarting an attempted terrorist attack,” the ministry reported. A second report said four Ukrainian rockets were fired over Crimea after midnight. The Ukrainian military has not yet commented on this.
On Saturday night, Russia again used combat drones against Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force tracked their flight across the country. Around midnight, the Zhytomyr area west of the capital Kiev was particularly threatened. In Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that five Ukrainian drones had been intercepted over the Black Sea. The military reports could not be independently verified. The target of a Ukrainian attack could have been the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Taurus delivery: The pressure on Scholz is growing
2:25 a.m.: Pressure is growing on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia. Politicians from the Greens, FDP and CDU emphasized the need for these weapons in the Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post” and made some serious accusations against Scholz. Here you can read more about it.
