Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening. Between the strong declarations, the advances on the front and the results of the fighting, here is the essential part of this Thursday, the 1009th day of the war.
Fact of the day
The Ukrainian army claimed this Thursday to have intercepted dozens of explosive missiles and drones sent during a “massive” air attack carried out by Russia on energy infrastructure during the night. Power outages were seen across Ukraine, plunging at least a million residents into darkness.
“This is a response to the continued attacks against our territory using ATACMS missiles,” Vladimir Putin quickly justified. Several of its missiles supplied by the United States had been fired by Ukraine in recent days.
The Russian president also threatened this Thursday to order a strike against the Ukrainian capital kyiv with its experimental hypersonic intermediate-range missile Orechnik. “We do not exclude the use of Orechnik against military targets, military-industrial installations or decision-making centers, including in kyiv,” he asserts. Vladimir Putin assures of the power of his missile. “If we use several of these systems in one strike then, from the point of view of its power, it is comparable to the use of a nuclear weapon”, he claims, comparing the missile to “a meteorite”.
Today's statement
« “The fact that he so often uses harsh threats in his rhetoric speaks to his weakness rather than his strength.” »
The lyrics are by Donald Tusk this Thursday. The Polish Prime Minister, Ukraine's supporter and neighbor, refuses to be alarmed by the new threats made by Vladimir Putin. “We will not let ourselves be frightened by threats of this kind, we will support Ukraine as long as it needs it,” insisted Donald Tusk. On Wednesday, Poland, the Baltic and Nordic countries said they wanted to strengthen their military support for Ukraine and called for an extension of sanctions against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, called on his allies on Thursday evening to offer a “firm response” to Vladimir Putin’s “blackmail”.
The number of the day
18.1 billion euros. This is the amount of financial support for Ukraine for which the European Union confirmed its commitment this Thursday. The aid is provided as part of a G7 loan which will be repaid by interest on frozen Russian assets. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal welcomed a “courageous step” on the part of the EU. “It’s not just aid, it’s a precedent for holding Russia accountable for its crimes,” he responded.
These 18.1 billion euros are in addition to some 120 billion in aid provided to kyiv by the EU and member states since the invasion by Russia. This new support comes as uncertainties hover over the future of American support after Donald Trump's return to the White House.
The trend
While the supply, announced by the United States, of antipersonnel mines to Ukraine is debated, Finland is seriously considering reintroducing stocks of antipersonnel mines into its arms. “This review is motivated by the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine and the degraded security situation,” the Defense Ministry said, adding that a report on the subject will be published next year.
The Ottawa Convention prohibits these explosive devices in a majority of countries. Finland signed the Ottawa Convention in 2012 but believes that the security situation is no longer the same today. Helsinki has since destroyed all of the mines on its soil, a million of them. The Nordic country, which shares a 1,340-kilometer-long border with Russia, abandoned decades of military non-alignment and joined NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
Our file on the war in Ukraine
Some 164 countries and territories recognize the Ottawa Treaty, including Ukraine, but not the United States or Russia. The text prohibits member parties from the acquisition, production, storage and use of antipersonnel mines.
kyiv accuses Moscow of carrying out “genocidal activities” by using antipersonnel mines in Ukraine.
