War in Ukraine. American defense systems, demining the territory

The day dawns in Europe and a 293rd day of armed conflict opens in Ukraine after the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. This Tuesday, December 13, 2022, a conference was held in Paris in support of the Ukraine, which has garnered more than a billion in aid, announced the head of French diplomacy Catherine Colonna.

In his daily address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked France for organizing the conference, and said he was asking for help in demining Ukrainian territory “infested with mines or other unexploded devices “.

The United States is said to be finalizing the shipment of anti-aircraft defense systems to Ukraine.

We take stock of the events that have marked the last few hours.

US air defense systems soon in Ukraine

The United States, after long hesitation, would finally be ready to respond favorably to an urgent request from kyiv and provide the Ukrainian army with a battery of Patriot missiles, American media reported citing unidentified officials. .

The final agreement could be announced this week, CNN said in particular, once the US Minister of Defense, Lloyd Austin, has endorsed it and sent it to the White House for a final green light. The Reuters news agency, to which three American representatives confided, confirms that the United States would indeed be finalizing the delivery project.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on Western capitals for modern air defense systems in recent weeks as his country is strained by intensified strikes from Moscow.

However, many points remain unknown about the transfer to kyiv of these missiles which, given their sophistication, would mark an increased commitment by the Pentagon, while Washington precisely fears an escalation by getting involved in a more direct way against Russia. In particular, it is unclear how many missiles would be supplied, where they would be deployed in Ukraine and where their Ukrainian users would be trained.

Zelensky calls for help to demine Ukraine

In his daily update posted on his social networks and on the presidency’s website, Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the European Union and France for granting new aid and for the two conferences organized in Paris.

Secondly, he said he addressed the New Zealand parliament to call for help in demining Ukrainian territory. “As of today, 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory are infested with mines or other unexploded devices,” Volodymyr Zelensky told parliament, insisting that there can be “no real peace for any susceptible child to die because of a hidden Russian anti-personnel mine”. The Ukrainian president notably asked the New Zealand army, experienced in the field, to lead efforts to clear mines and mitigate the environmental consequences of the conflict, taking the opportunity to accuse Russia of perpetrating “ecocide” in his country. .

“I have heard your calls for more support, especially with regard to the long-term impacts of war, especially on the environment, replied New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. We are with you when you seek peace, but we will also be with you when you rebuild.”

A bridge damaged by the Ukrainian army in Melitopol

Several sources seem to confirm that the Ukrainian army caused extensive damage to a key bridge in the occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine. In its latest report, the American Institute for War Studies states that the Russian occupation authorities claimed that Ukrainian “saboteurs” detonated “15 to 20 kg of explosives to destroy the bridge”.

The British daily The Guardian relays a video shared by the deposed Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Federov, shared on his Telegram channel, in which we can see that two supports of the bridge were damaged by the attack, probably making the bridge “unusable for heavy military traffic”.

Sudden review of Belarusian troops

This Tuesday, December 13, 2022, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered a rapid check on the readiness of the country’s army. The British daily The Guardian specifies that the exercises orchestrated by Belarus are taking place “mostly in the north-west of the country”, while the ISW indicates, in its latest report, that “the exercise does not seem to be cover to concentrate Belarusian and/or Russian forces near the starting positions for an invasion of Ukraine”.

The think tank, which specializes in the study of conflicts, writes that it is “extraordinarily unlikely that Belarus will invade Ukraine in the foreseeable future”.

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