UK defense pact, positive GDP news, problems at Romanian border
Your slice of the headlines in Ukraine. Daily. Monday, January 15, 2024.
● UK, Ukraine sign 10-year security deal
During his visit to Kyiv on Jan. 12, UK PM Rishi Sunak signed a 10-year security agreement with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which entails the UK providing material and intelligence security support to Ukraine through the next decade, Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.
● Prospects of peace as frontlines in Ukraine ossify and foreign aid dwindles
New reports about a secret meeting between Ukraine, its G7 allies, and a group of the Global South countries held in Saudi Arabia in late 2023 have fueled speculation about the possibility of freezing the Russo-Ukrainian war.
● No clarity from Zelenskyy on revised mobilization bill
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he “has not seen” the final draft of the revised mobilization bill the Defense Ministry is expected to produce in the near future, Interfax-Ukraine reported on Jan. 12.
● ‘Improper reporting’ – ISW dismisses claims Ukraine lost track of U.S. weapons
Reports suggesting that U.S. military aid for Ukraine is not being properly tracked are related to the technological aspects of such reporting and do not indicate misuse by Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its Jan. 11 report.
● More than 20 missiles, including three Kinzhals, failed to hit their targets in Jan 13 attack on Ukraine
More than 20 weapons failed to reach their targets, including three out of six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, in Russia’s early morning attack on Ukraine, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on national television on Jan. 13.
● Ukraine's economy rises 5% in 2023 after nearly 29% GDP plunge in 2022
Ukraine's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5% in 2023 after plummeting 28.8% in 2022, according to a preliminary estimate by the Economy Ministry, First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko said at a webinar held on Jan. 11 by the Center for Economic Strategy.
● Pro-Russian blogger Gonzalo Lira allegedly dies in Ukrainian detention center
Pro-Russian blogger Gonzalo Lira, who held both U.S. and Chilean citizenship, has allegedly died in a Ukrainian detention center on Jan. 12, according to reports on X (Twitter).
● Sanctions have had minimal impact on Moscow's ability to import arms and military equipment - Study
Despite sanctions, Russian imports of military components and equipment have decreased only slightly the U.S.-funded news outlet Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on Jan. 12, citing a joint study by the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) and the Yermak-McFaul Expert Group on Russian Sanctions.
● Ukrainian poet and soldier Yaryna Chornohuz: Army service is ‘women's business’ too
About 100,000 women can cover the recruitment needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said Ukrainian poet and soldier Yaryna Chornohuz in a Jan. 12 Facebook post.
● Dnipro holds memorial for 46 killed in 2023 Russian missile strike
Residents of Dnipro city have held a memorial to mark the one-year anniversary of a 2023 Russian missile strike on an apartment building that killed 46 people, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty reported on Jan. 14.
● Romanian farmers disrupt truck movement at Siret checkpoint
Romanian farmers have again begun to impede the movement of freight through the Siret Romania-Ukraine border crossing, the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service said on Telegram on Jan. 14.
● Political scientist explains why the Ukrainian conscription system failed
The Ukrainian government created a new bill on conscription because the pre-existing conscription system had failed, political scientist Oleh Sahakyan said in an interview with Radio NV on Jan. 12.
● Ukrainian FM Kuleba meets French counterpart Séjourné for defense talks in Kyiv
Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, met with his French counterpart, Stéphane Séjourné, who arrived in Kyiv on Jan. 13, according to a video posted on Facebook.
● How much additional funding Ukraine needs to finance state salaries
The United States and the EU are yet to allocate additional—and much needed—financing for Ukraine. State budget funding, payments in the public sector and, ultimately, the salaries of Ukrainian troops depend on this allied assistance. Otherwise, Kyiv’s only option is to print currency, leading to hryvnia devaluation and soaring inflation.
● Russia denies IAEA access to parts of occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP
Russian troops continue to deny experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to the reactor halls at the occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, the IAEA reported on Jan. 12.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
