The Ukrainian army is fighting hard: the situation on the key axes of the front, Syrsky spoke about the work on the Ukrainian air defense system, Trump asked his aides to arrange a phone call with Putin — CNN.
Syrsky spoke about the work on the Ukrainian air defense system and explained thanks to which Ukraine can defeat
Ukraine is developing its own air defense system capable of intercepting Russian missiles.
This was stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, in an interview with war correspondent Andriy Tsaplienko for “TSN. Tyzhden”, broadcast during the marathon on “Yedyni Novyny” television on Sunday evening, January 19.
“We already produced, during the Soviet era, all the management systems for anti-aircraft missile complexes. This means that we have the capabilities and resources to create our own national air defense system, and this work is underway,” the general assured.
Asked whether Ukraine could have its own equivalent of the Patriot system, Syrsky smiled: “I hope it will be just as good, or even better, than the Patriot.”
Answering a question about Ukraine’s ability to intercept the “Oreshnik” missile, Syrsky admitted: “Unfortunately, we do not have any yet, but we must do everything to develop them.”
“This threat pushes us to create an air defense system that would not only be air but also anti-missile,” he added.
Asked whether these Ukrainian systems are still in a theoretical state or are in concrete development, Syrsky replied: “Work is actively moving in this direction. I hope we will achieve the desired results soon.”
Syrsky also stressed that in order to carry out offensive actions against a numerically superior enemy, “we must exploit the areas in which we have an advantage.”
“No matter how long you defend, you will eventually go backwards. And we are obliged to hold the defense on almost the entire front line. Therefore, we must implement what we have an advantage in. We are the first in the world to create Unmanned Systems Forces, and we continue to actively develop them by expanding their scope. We are also making progress in the development of ground robotic platforms,” recalled the Commander-in-Chief.
The Ukrainian army is fighting hard: the situation on the key axes of the front
According to statistics from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, since the beginning of January, about 150 clashes have been recorded on average every day in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Their intensity varies according to sections of the front, which often reflects the areas where the situation is most critical.
Names of localities like Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Chassiv Yar, Kupiansk or Velyka Novosilka appear more and more frequently in the news, accompanied by the mention “difficult situation”. In most of these towns, civilians are still present.
Pokrovsk (critical sector)
The situation is critical in the Pokrovsk sector. The Ukrainian army is regularly losing positions in this direction and, since its withdrawal from Avdiivka a year ago, it has been unable to stabilize the front line.
Currently, Russian forces have chosen not to directly assault Pokrovsk but to bypass it from the south to cut off the logistics of the Ukrainian forces. As of January 19, the occupying forces are 3 kilometers from Pokrovsk and 5 kilometers from the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The number of roads leading to Pokrovsk is gradually decreasing. The Russians recently permanently cut off the Mejova – Pokrovsk road, after destroying several Ukrainian vehicles on this section. In recent days, they have also advanced north of this road, partially penetrating the villages of Kotlyne and Udačne, the last localities before the administrative boundary with the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Velyka Novosilka (direction Novopavlivka)
The situation is close to crisis point. On January 18, the Russians launched an assault on Velyka Novosilka with two vehicle columns, some of which unfortunately managed to enter the village. They took advantage of unfavorable weather conditions (fog, snow, rain) to neutralize the visibility of the Ukrainian drones.
-A few days earlier, they had taken control of Vremivka, a strategic village on the logistics route between Zelené Pole and Velyka Novosilka.
Toretsk
The situation there is difficult: Ukrainian forces control around 30% of the city, where intense urban fighting is taking place. Their main objective is to neutralize Russian soldiers who infiltrate buildings.
A risk of total loss of Toretsk remains. The city, located on high ground, represents an ideal location for artillery and radio-electronic reconnaissance operations.
Four 200 meter high slag heaps, located to the west of the city, are particularly strategic. Their capture would allow the Russians to control the Pokrovsk – Kostiantynivka road and other key areas by fire. Fortunately, these positions remain under Ukrainian control for the moment.
Chassiv Yar (direction Kramatorsk)
The situation there is difficult. Ukrainian forces control around 30% of the city, while 20% is in a “gray zone”. In mid-January, the Ukrainian army had to abandon the Chasiv Yar refractory factory, which constituted an important fortified position. The fighting is now taking place in residential areas badly damaged by artillery.
Lyman (direction critique)
The situation is tense. In early January, Russian forces managed to cross the west bank of the Zherebets River near the village of Ivanivka.
The most intense fighting took place around the towns of Ivanivka, Terny, Yampilivka and Torske, where the Russian army sought to extend its control.
Incursions towards Kolodyazi, the next village after Ivanivka on the right bank of the Zherebets River, are increasing, which illustrates Russia’s expansion ambitions in this sector.
Trump asked aides to set up phone call with Putin — CNN
US President-elect Donald Trump has asked his aides to arrange a phone call with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin within days of his inauguration, scheduled for January 20, CNN reports, citing sources.
During this conversation, Trump plans to discuss a personal meeting with Putin in the coming months, in an attempt to end the war in Ukraine, according to the same sources.
Officials from the president-elect’s national security team have been working on this phone call for several weeks. It is not yet known whether a date has been set for this conversation.
A direct discussion with the Russian dictator would mark a clear break with the approach of Joe Biden, who has not spoken to Putin for almost three years, writes CNN.
For his part, Trump takes another perspective. According to a person familiar with his thinking, he believes that direct interaction with Putin is precisely what is needed to find a solution to end the war.
It remains unclear to what extent Trump intends to continue the Biden administration’s strategy regarding arms deliveries and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
