Day 339 since the beginning of the war: Aerial photos are said to show extensive destruction in the embattled Wuhledar. Ukraine approves drone companies. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Drone footage shows massive destruction in Wuhledar
8:40 a.m.: On Saturday morning, the Russian-language media project Nexta published aerial photos of the small town of Wuhledar in the Donetsk region on Twitter. The drone video is said to show numerous destroyed homes and public spaces after Russian attacks.
The Telegram channel “War 2022” published footage on Friday afternoon that is supposed to show the shelling itself. Accordingly, the city is said to have been hit by thermobaric missiles from the Russian army. Also known as vacuum bombs, these weapons disperse liquid, powdered or gaseous explosives up to several kilometers in the air. Their use is contrary to international law.
Wuhledar is located directly on the front in south-eastern Ukraine. From there, the Ukrainian artillery controls a railway line that runs through Russian-occupied territory – and thus throttles supplies for Putin’s troops on the Crimean peninsula. For Russia, taking the city would be an important strategic achievement. You can read more about the importance of the Battle of Wuhledar here.
Tense situation in Donetsk – the most important thing from the night
UN: No new wave of refugees from Ukraine
4.20 a.m.: According to the United Nations, the currently violent Russian rocket attacks have not triggered any new large movements of refugees from Ukraine. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, told the German Press Agency in Kyiv on Friday. During a visit to the neighboring Republic of Moldova, the authorities confirmed to him that there are currently not more people leaving Ukraine.
However, because of the winter, fewer people returned to Ukraine than before Russian missile attacks on Ukraine’s power system began last October. “The winter is very hard with the conflict in some regions,” said the 65-year-old. That’s not very encouraging for a lot of people. All in all, Grandi was in Ukraine for six days and visited the cities of Odessa, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv and Poltava.
Israel: Helping Ukraine behind the scenes
1.20 a.m.: According to the Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, his country supports Russia’s attacked Ukraine more than is publicly known. Israel is helping, “but behind the scenes and much more than is known,” the diplomat told the newspapers of the Funke media group (Saturday).
He asked for understanding for the Israeli reluctance on the subject: “We have the Russians in Syria. As you know, the Israeli army regularly prevents arms deliveries from Iran to Syria and Lebanon. These include Iranian drones and missiles that Russia in the Ukraine uses,” said Prosor. He also stated that there is a large Jewish community in Russia. “Those are the two main reasons we’re keeping a low profile.”
UNHCR: Russia violates child protection
12:23 a.m.: According to the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Russia violates the principles of protecting children in times of war. “Giving them (Russian) citizenship or adopting them goes against the basic principles of child protection in wartime situations,” Grandi said in a Reuters interview during a visit to the UNHCR office in Kyiv.
