I held a meeting on our plans for this year in relations with partners in the European Union and NATO; we are clearly formulating our tasks – address by the President of Ukraine

7 January 2024 – 18:34

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

A few summaries of the day.

First. Today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan is paying a visit to Ukraine. Our very important, very strong partner. I am grateful for the level of relations achieved between our countries – a true partnership, a strategic partnership. I am grateful for the support that Japan has provided to our country. This includes security assistance, strong leadership in the Group of Seven and in the international arena in general, economic support – we appreciate it – and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. One of our best international results is our relations with Japan. Now there is a new large package of energy support for Ukraine. I am grateful for the financial support to our country. Today we discussed our further cooperation, in particular the Ukraine Recovery Conference scheduled for February, as well as our further joint security steps, work on the Peace Formula and on strengthening sanctions against Russia. I am confident that this year will also be quite meaningful for our relations.

Second. Sweden. Today I took part in the opening of the security conference organized annually by the Swedish association “People and Defense.” It is one of the most important events in Northern Europe and the most influential in Sweden. The conference will continue throughout the week – today is the first day. I outlined our country’s vision of the challenges and opportunities for our countries – Ukraine and Sweden – and for Europe as a whole. The key is solidarity and joint action. We have already shown that our consolidation – of everyone in Europe and the free world – can overcome even the most large-scale manifestations of aggression. And this year we must accomplish even more. We must also boost cooperation in defense production – in joint projects, particularly in Ukraine. Swedish CV-90 combat vehicles and Swedish artillery – “Archers” – have already proven themselves in the hands of our warriors at the front. And our entire Europe has sufficient potential to guarantee security under any circumstances and sentiments in global politics.

Third. I held a thorough meeting on our plans for this year in relations with our partners in the European Union and NATO. Our communication, our internal changes, and the steps we expect in our relations. This also includes non-public work with partners. We are clearly formulating our tasks. The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the Prime Minister and the relevant Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense and his first deputy, international relations officials from the Presidential Office, and the Head of the Office. Our priorities are clear: to fully implement the decision on opening negotiations, to prepare our negotiation framework with the European Union, and to develop a system of relations and communication with the Alliance members so that every state and every leader feels one hundred percent that NATO will become much stronger together with Ukraine.

One more thing. Today, emergency rescue operations are still ongoing in Pokrovsk and the surrounding villages. This is Donetsk region. The consequences of the Russian missile strike, which took place yesterday. The search for people under the rubble continues. All the necessary services are working at the scene, including our rescuers from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and police officers. And I am grateful to each and every person involved in this work. I would especially like to mention Sergeant Vitaliy But, Chief Master Sergeant Volodymyr Dolzhenko, Senior Lieutenant Bohdan Machulnyi and Major Serhiy Pyshnohraiev. I am grateful for your dedication. I would also like to commend the police officers in Donetsk region: Police Sergeant Illia Petrenko, Police Lieutenant Yaroslav Yaresko and Police Captain Serhiy Levchenko. Thank you, guys.

I would also like to mention the police officers of Kharkiv region – those involved in dealing with the consequences of Russian terrorists’ strikes, those who help people, communicate with the relatives of those who died, establish the truth and record evidence of Russian war crimes. In particular, I would like to praise the police officers who worked at the scene after the Russian strike on the village of Hroza in Kupyansk district: Police Major Yulia Brazho, Major Nataliia Matviienko, and Colonel Oksana Oliynyk. I am grateful to you and all your colleagues who work for the sake of people and Ukraine.

I thank everyone in Ukraine who contributes to the strength of our country, who strengthens our positions, our warriors and the entire Ukrainian people.

Glory to Ukraine!

The cost:

"Where are your poets, Ukrainians?"
Young poet Maksym Kryvtsov was killed by Russian forces today. Russia has been deliberately killing Ukrainian intelligentsia from the 17th century and now on… pic.twitter.com/Qts6AlQfNp

— Yarema Dukh 🇺🇦 (@yarko) January 7, 2024

Today Russia silenced Maksym Kryvtsov – a soldier and a brilliant poet. I lost count of how many talents we lost in this war. But then they claim Ukrainian culture doesn’t exist. The least we can do is not to forget

Translation by Kateryna Khinkulova pic.twitter.com/4lEroGFyXL

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) January 7, 2024

Tokyo:

https://twitter.com/shashj/status/1744067583832146311

Japan has decided to contribute $37 million to a NATO trust fund to provide a drone detection systems to Ukrainehttps://t.co/x2lI24LHoU pic.twitter.com/zkG6vQZrg3

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) January 7, 2024

Chernihiv Oblast:

Russian pontoon bridge drawn by the flow of the Desna River from the territory of Russia to Ukrainehttps://t.co/dXC8PpypAG pic.twitter.com/kdQ6y1N5by

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) January 7, 2024

I think the pontoon bridge is planning to defect.

Novomikhailivka, Russian occupied Donetsk Oblast:

“Perun Group” of the 79th Brigade strikes on Russian targets and makes sure that Russians will not be able to evacuate any of their AFVs, abandoned during the unsuccessful attempts to attack Novomikhailivka. Donetsk region
https://t.co/1v9v94mARr pic.twitter.com/3JVPc99lbU

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) January 7, 2024

 

An update on the Shagol air field in Chelyabinsk, Russia:

In reference to the attack against the Shagol Airfield in Chelyabinsk, Russia, which occurred 3 days ago (see repost) and of which Pro-Russian social media users denied that it happened, a 16-year old from Dagestan has been put into pre-trial detention in Chelyabinsk. He is… https://t.co/BPpH53X33N pic.twitter.com/gozavEpFE4

— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) January 7, 2024

In reference to the attack against the Shagol Airfield in Chelyabinsk, Russia, which occurred 3 days ago (see repost) and of which Pro-Russian social media users denied that it happened, a 16-year old from Dagestan has been put into pre-trial detention in Chelyabinsk. He is accused to set fire on the very same airfield.

Source: https://t.me/astrapress/45579

#Russia #Ukraine #Chelyabinsk

Moscow Oblast, Russia:

In the Moscow Region, people were forced to make a bonefire to keep themselves warm.

Reason is that in many houses the heating systems have stopped working. While this is hardly uncommon in crumbling Russia, what is new that companies who made sure for replacement parts are… pic.twitter.com/gNS3dVahk2

— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) January 7, 2024

 

In the Moscow Region, people were forced to make a bonefire to keep themselves warm. Reason is that in many houses the heating systems have stopped working. While this is hardly uncommon in crumbling Russia, what is new that companies who made sure for replacement parts are working for the war industry and are crippled by “accidents”.

Sources: https://t.me/The3rdForceUA/22237…

https://t.me/ssternenko/24156…

#Russia #Moscow

For you Electronic Warfare (EW) enthusiasts, here are some excerpts from The Financial Times reporting on Ukrainian and Russian EW capabilities.

Russia’s record number of aerial attacks on Ukraine over the New Year period has highlighted Kyiv’s struggle to bolster its electronic warfare technology aimed at jamming and diverting enemy drones and guided missiles.

Both sides have invested heavily in systems that can neutralise each other’s drone armies, but Moscow maintains the upper hand as it had already focused on these capabilities before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago.

Ukrainian forces are however trying to catch up.

Mykola Kolesnyk, commander of a Ukrainian drone unit, said electronic warfare (EW) duels with the Russian forces were fierce and relentless. He described them as “invisible scissors that cut off the connection . . . of a device that is remotely controlled”.

Ukraine and Russia are both using tens of thousands of drones a month. Both have this year increasingly turned to cheap, commercially available first-person view drones controlled by operators using a head-mounted camera.

“The Russians have been producing so many lately that it’s becoming a huge threat,” said Col Ivan Pavlenko, chief of EW and cyber warfare at Ukraine’s general staff. “What’s happening here, the massive use of drones, is new . . . So EW becomes increasingly important.”

Pavlenko called on allies to deliver more capabilities that can “suppress or spoof” the satellite guidance system (GNSS) of Russia’s guided missiles and drones.

“Delivery to Ukraine of a sufficient number of powerful GNSS jammers or at least signal amplifiers could also help counteract enemy air attacks.”

Also, with Russia’s EW systems requiring high-tech components such as amplifiers, synthesisers and software, it was important for western allies to impose sanctions on those components, he said.

The ubiquity of drones on the battlefield is one reason why Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive this year failed to make any significant territorial gains and why the land war is now largely static. Any grouping of tanks or armoured vehicles can be spotted and destroyed within minutes.

Russia has increasingly deployed EW to push off-course Ukraine’s western-supplied, precision-guided munitions, such as Himars rockets and Excalibur artillery shells. Moscow has also used its EW capabilities to mimic missile and drone launches in order to confuse Ukraine’s air defences and identify their locations, Pavlenko said.

Without EW protection, Ukrainian troops are easy prey for drone-guided artillery strikes, drones dropping bombs and kamikaze strikes by exploding unmanned aerial vehicles.

One Ukrainian soldier bemoaned the lack of EW protection for his unit, which was largely wiped out during weeks of intense bombardment on the eastern front, with Russian drones “hitting us like mosquitoes”.

“What radio-electronic warfare? . . . We had none. I don’t even want to recall those days in the trenches. Our boys were falling like flies,” he added.

Gen Valeriy Zaluzhny, commander-in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, warned in November that EW was “the key to victory in the drone war” — and in breaking the deadlock along the frontline.

Much more at the link!

That’s enough for tonight.

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