Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 631.
Local news.
Donetsk region. A Russian missile yesterday struck a four-story building in the settlement of Selydove, killing three residents and wounding five others. One more resident remains trapped in the rubble, authorities believe.
Kherson region. Russian shelling of a village in Bilozer hromada (community) today killed one person and wounded four others. A resulting fire also damaged an administration building, a shop and several vehicles.
Frontline.
According to a recent assessment by the Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces apparently are attempting to regain battlefield superiority through simultaneous offensive operations in eastern Ukraine.
Combat around Avdiivka, Kupyansk and Marinka is the most intense. “Russian forces will likely struggle to fully regain the initiative across the theater,” says the study. “The Russian military command will likely have to decide whether to keep certain Russian elements on certain sectors of the front to defend against ongoing Ukrainian offensive operations or to redeploy them to support offensive operations elsewhere that will likely culminate without reinforcements.” Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army has gained a foothold on the left bank of the Dnipro River.
World.
The EU has pledged to allocate a further €110 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine. This new funding will provide cash assistance, food, water, shelter, healthcare and psycho-social support, and offer Ukrainian refugees and their host communities in Moldova a special financial boost as well. “As Russia’s missiles wreak havoc in Ukraine, the humanitarian community must be ready to assist the most vulnerable people affected during harsh winter months,” said Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management. Including this addition, EU humanitarian assistance to Ukraine now amounts to €843 million.
The Czech Republic is freezing Russian assets acquired since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged other countries to follow suit. “Russian money should be used for Ukraine’s recovery instead of murder and destruction,” he said.
On Thursday, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron visited Black Sea port city of Odesa during Russia’s full-scale invasion, to pledge continued support for the Ukrainian war effort.
Culture.
UNITED24, a charity platform begun by Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy, is launching #LEGOwithUKRAINE, a project to reinforce awareness of the nation’s cultural heritage and raise funds for its post-war recovery. For a donation of as little as $24, a contributor may compete for a LEGO copy of three Ukrainian architectural sites: Kyiv’s Mother Ukraine, Crimea’s Swallow’s Nest and Mariupol’s Old Water Tower. The sets are offered in a limited edition of just five for each site based on designs by three Ukrainian LEGO enthusiasts. “I chose the Swallow’s Nest for the project with UNITED24 because it reminds me of Crimea, evoking pleasant memories of family vacations on the peninsula,” said Artur Samkow, one of the creators. “This is longing for our Ukrainian Crimea.”
By Daria Dzysiuk, Alan Sacks