War in Ukraine: massive desertion, someone close to Putin speaks out, strikes on military targets… an update on the situation

Flight abroad

Ukrainian police announced on Friday that they were “more than 200 searches” targeting networks allowing the flight abroad of men resistant to military mobilization. “To the police […] began to conduct searches in 19 regions of Ukraine at the homes of persons involved”she said in a press release.

Ukraine, which has been fighting for three years against the Russian invasion, is struggling to replenish the ranks of its army which is suffering heavy losses and desertions in the face of more numerous and better equipped Russian troops who have been gaining ground for months, in particularly in the east of the country. Last week, the police had already announced that they would carry out more than 600 searches, the first stage of a “special operation” intended to dismantle networks helping those resisting the army to cross the border illegally.

Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving their country, with some exceptions. Those wanting to escape possible mobilization therefore cross the border illegally. Unofficial estimates indicate that thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Ukrainians may have left illegally thanks to smugglers, false documents or bribes paid to border guards.

Struck with scandals, the military mobilization system is widely criticized in Ukraine and widely considered to be inefficient, corrupt and unfair, which prompted President Volodymyr Zelensky to dismiss all regional officials responsible for mobilization in 2023.

A close friend of Putin discusses the future of Ukraine

He has been part of Vladimir Putin’s very close entourage for some time. Nikolai Patrushev spoke a few days before the next presidency of Donald Trump and announced the color.

“I believe that negotiations on Ukraine must take place between Russia and the United States without the intervention of other Western countries. We have nothing to discuss with London or Brussels”he said in an interview, published on January 14 by Komsomolskaya Pravda, one of the pro-Kremlin newspapers.

The faithful or rather “advisor” of V. Putin announces that“it cannot be ruled out that in the coming year Ukraine will simply cease to exist”comments relayed by our colleagues from Monde.

“It is crucial that the international community fully recognizes the incorporation of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics [nom russe de Louhansk]as well as the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. These territories are now an integral part of our country.”he added.

Missiles on military targets

The Ukrainian army claimed Friday to have hit with missiles at least one air defense radar in the Russian border region of Belgorod, the third success of this type claimed this week by kyiv.

During the day on Thursday, Ukrainian forces carried out “precision strikes” against a Russian division responsible for anti-missile defense, in particular a radiotechnical unit, according to the Ukrainian general staff. “Combat work aimed at weakening the air defenses of the Russian Federation continues”he added in a press release. Moscow did not immediately comment on these statements.

Ukraine, which has been fighting the Russian invasion for three years, did not specify what type of missiles were used in this attack, but the country recently received the green light from Washington to strike Russia with Western missiles. long range. In difficulty on the front, Ukrainian forces have increased aerial attacks by drones and missiles against military and energy sites in Russia in recent months to hamper the logistics of Russian forces fighting on Ukrainian territory and shelling Ukrainian cities.

This week, Ukraine claimed responsibility for the night attack on Tuesday “the most massive” of the war against military and industrial installations in several regions of Russia, using Western missiles in particular, according to Moscow. On the night of Wednesday to Thursday, the Ukrainian army carried out a drone strike against an oil depot in the Voronezh region in western Russia, provoking “a major fire” which, according to Russian authorities, is still continuing on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised a systematic response to any Western missile strikes on his territory, and threatened to target the center of kyiv and even Western countries with the experimental Orechnik hypersonic missile, which has a range of several thousand of kilometers.