As of: February 13, 2024, 4:57 a.m
By: Lukas Rogalla, Bedrettin Bölükbasi
Comments
Press
Split
Russia could gradually gain the upper hand in the war, warns a European intelligence agency - which is calling for more weapons for Ukraine.
The news ticker.
Attack with “Zircon”: Ukraine reports first use of Russian hypersonic missile
Secret service warns: “Russia is trying to gain an advantage”
The information processed here comes from international media and news agencies, but also from the warring parties Russia and Ukraine and their allies.
In particular, the information on losses suffered by the armies involved in the Ukrainian war cannot be independently verified.
Update from February 12th, 10:48 p.m.:
After the restructuring of the military leadership, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj held a meeting of the high command with the new members for the first time.
Among those present at the meeting was Colonel General Olexander Syrskyj, who was appointed commander-in-chief last week, as Zelenskyj said in his evening video address on Monday.
It was about the situation on the front in the east and south of the country, he added.
It was also discussed how the critical infrastructure - such as electricity and water supplies - could be protected in the best possible way.
Attack with “Zircon”: Ukraine reports first use of Russian hypersonic missile
Update from February 12th, 8:55 p.m.:
According to Kiev, Russia has used a hypersonic “Zircon” missile for the first time.
This is the preliminary conclusion of an analysis of the fragments of a rocket attack on February 7th, reports the
Reuters
news agency , citing the head of the responsible research institute, Oleksandr Ruwin.
He commented on Telegram.
There was no statement from Moscow.
The “Zirkon” has a range of around 1,000 kilometers and reaches nine times the speed of sound.
This would make it more difficult for Ukrainian air defense to intercept them.
According to Ukraine, at least five people were killed and parts of the energy network were damaged in Russia's attack on February 7th.
Test of a Russian “Zircon” hypersonic missile in February 2022. (Archive photo) © Russian Defense Ministry/Imago
Intelligence: Russia gains the upper hand militarily in the Ukraine war
Update from February 12th, 3:30 p.m.:
According to intelligence information from Norway, Russia is in the process of gaining the military upper hand in Ukraine thanks to a larger troop reserve and material support from countries such as North Korea and China.
Kiev will need "substantial" Western military assistance to have any hope of reversing the situation, military intelligence chief Nils Andreas Stensönes said on Monday at the presentation of the Norwegian security services' annual risk assessment report.
“In this war, Russia is currently in a stronger position than a year ago and is gaining an advantage,” Stensönes said.
Moscow can “mobilize about three times as many troops” as Ukraine, he emphasized.
Russia is adapting to sanctions “better than expected” and the industry is able to “produce enough ammunition, combat vehicles, drones and missiles” to “sustain the war effort throughout the year.”
According to Stensönes, Russia receives military support from Iran, Belarus and North Korea.
According to his findings, China does not supply any weapons, but rather "machines, vehicles, electronics and spare parts" that are useful for Russia's defense industry.
My news
No immunity: Trump now turns to the Supreme Court
Russia and SpaceX reject Starlink allegations – Ukrainian secret service remains steadfast
Tanks in urban warfare: Putin is threatened with a new catastrophe like in Groznylesen
Ukraine threatens serious loss of Avdiivka: Kiev takes risks
Putin's troops in trouble: Swedish tank mixes up the Ukrainian front
Rattling “Renaissance”: Tanks will play a major role in the war of the futureread
Do Russian troops use Starlink?
Moscow and Musk reject reports
Update from February 12th, 2:15 p.m.:
The government in Moscow and Elon Musk have independently rejected Ukrainian information that Russian troops in Ukraine use the US high-tech billionaire's Starlink satellite internet service.
Starlink is not certified in Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
“So it cannot be officially delivered and therefore has not been officially delivered.
So it can’t be used in any way.”
Musk had previously stated on his online service X (formerly Twitter) with regard to the Ukrainian information: “This is completely wrong.
To the best of our knowledge, not a single Starlink terminal has been sold directly or indirectly to Russia." Despite this, Ukraine renewed its allegations on Monday: "Starlink is freely accessible in Russia via a detour from third countries," said a spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence on Monday TV.
“Compared to last year, the use of Starlink by the Russian army on the front line has become more systematic and regular,” Andriy Yusov added.
The Ukrainian secret service refers, among other things, to radio messages it intercepted from the other side.
Ukraine war: Kiev reports new losses for Russia
Update from February 12th, 1:15 p.m.:
On Sunday, Ukraine also reported significant losses for Russia in the Ukraine war.
In total, almost 400,000 soldiers have now been killed or injured.
Soldiers:
395,990 (+790)
Tank:
6416 (+10)
Armored Fighting Vehicles:
11,977 (+21)
Artillery systems
: 9481 (+6)
Aircraft:
332
Helicopters:
325
Drones
: 7302 (+45)
Air defense systems:
666
Ships/Boats
: 24
Automotive equipment and tankers:
12599 (+7)
Submarines:
1
Multiple rocket launchers:
981
Source:
Ukrainian General Staff as of February 12, 2024. The information about Russia's losses comes from the Ukrainian army.
They cannot be independently verified.
Russia itself does not provide any information about its own losses in the Ukraine war.
First report from February 12th:
Damascus - The Iranian-made “Shahed” kamikaze drones are the most important weapon for the Russian army in attacks on both the Ukrainian military and against the Ukrainian infrastructure.
Russia is now so familiar with drones that they can now be manufactured on Russian territory.
Nevertheless, Russian soldiers continue to be trained in the use of the “Shaheds” - in Syria, according to Ukraine.
Drone use in the Ukraine war: Russian operators are trained in Syria
Russia is apparently paying several billion euros to import Iranian Shahed Kamikaze drones.
© IMAGO/Sobhan Farajvan
The Ukrainian military intelligence service GUR said on the short message service Telegram that Russian drone operators would be trained at the Shairat air base in the Syrian city of Homs.
The training program is led by the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, it said.
Accordingly, the Russian operators are being trained in the use of the Shahed-136 and Ababil-3 as well as Raad drones.
A Hezbollah commander named Kamal Abu-Sadiq is responsible for the training.
Russia is Syria's key ally in the civil war, saving Bashar al-Assad's regime from almost certain military defeat against predominantly Sunni rebels in 2015.
Iran is also allied with the Syrian regime.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is showing a military presence together with pro-Iranian militias such as Hezbollah.
Kremlin wants to use Syrian mercenaries: They are being trained for the war in Ukraine
According to a statement from Ukrainian military intelligence, not only Russian soldiers but also Syrian mercenaries are trained at the Shairat air base.
The Russian military wants to use these mercenaries as drone operators in the war of aggression against Ukraine.
(bb)