Zelenskyj praises Scholz for a new aid package. 19 miners are trapped in a mine after a Russian attack. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Germany promises Ukraine closer health cooperation
3:34 p.m.: Germany has promised further help with health care for Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia, and wants to deepen cooperation even further. This war is also a war against civilians, health facilities and children, said Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach after a German-Ukrainian conference in Berlin. The SPD politician signs a joint declaration with his counterpart Viktor Ljaschko for closer cooperation, among other things, in training experts and exchanging knowledge about reforms in the healthcare system.
Lauterbach says it is also about steps for Ukraine to join the EU. Under no circumstances should Russia’s murderous war hinder Ukraine from meeting the necessary conditions. Ljaschko thanks the great German support during the war and with a view to reconstruction. Around 1,000 seriously injured people have already been brought to Germany for treatment. More than 1,600 medical facilities have been destroyed or damaged, and 140 of them can no longer be rebuilt. Among other things, it is difficult to transport medicines in the country.
The focus in Berlin was also on the serious consequences of the war for mental health, especially among children. The first ladies of Ukraine and Germany will take part in the conference. Olena Zelenska, the wife of President Volodymyr Zelensky, reports that the war and its traumatic experiences are omnipresent for people. Elke Büdenbender, the wife of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, emphasizes that psychological wounds should be taken seriously. It is important to train medical staff so that they can recognize psychological damage and initiate appropriate treatment.
Russia’s Defense Minister reports on alleged gains in territory
3:31 p.m.: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu sees his army on the offensive against Ukraine. He reported to high-ranking military officials about alleged gains in territory. “Our units are advancing, expanding the zone under their control, improving their position on the front line,” the minister said at a meeting in Moscow. The Russian army has captured the villages of Tabaivka and Krokhmalne in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine as well as the village of Wessele near Bakhmut in Donbass, says Shoigu.
However, the combat situation in these villages with only a few houses was not entirely clear. Tabaivka is heavily fought over, but is still in Ukrainian hands, says the military spokesman for the section of the front there on television in Kiev. “There are artillery duels.” The Ukrainian General Staff also reported on Thursday evening that Tabaivka had been shelled by Russian artillery, meaning there were Ukrainian defenders in the village. Other Ukrainian military observers pointed Tabaivka and Krokhmalne to the Russian side on Friday. The Russian advance in this area is part of their attempt to retake the city of Kupyansk, which was evacuated in 2022.
In the case of the village of Wessele northeast of Bakhmut, Russian sources had already claimed a conquest a few days ago; Ukrainian observers continued to see Wessele in Kiev’s hands on Friday. “After the failure of the enemy’s counteroffensive, the Russian armed forces have the strategic initiative on the entire front line,” said Shoigu in Moscow. Ukraine, on the other hand, is throwing its last reserves into the fight and mobilizing with force “so as not to allow a collapse of the defense.”
Report: German medic killed in Ukraine
3:22 p.m.: A German woman has reportedly been killed in Ukraine. As the Euromaidan Press portal reports, it is the paramedic Diana “Snake” Wagner. According to the information, she served in the Karpatska Sich Battalion. Wagner once fell in love with Ukrainian culture, she studied the language, applied for citizenship and dreamed of a life in Ukraine, it is said. The information cannot currently be independently verified. There was no comment from either Ukraine or Russia.
