NATO suggests heavier weaponry for Ukraine

NATO announced on Sunday, January 15 that Kyiv may expect further shipments of heavy weaponry from Western nations in the near future, as President Vladimir Putin lauded his forces for the alleged takeover of a Ukrainian city.

The death toll from a Russian missile attack on a residential tower in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro has risen to 30. The hunt for people trapped beneath the debris continues.

Following Kyiv’s demands to its partners for the vehicles, artillery, and missiles it deems indispensable for its defense, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Ukraine may anticipate more heavy weaponry.

“The recent commitments for heavy warfare equipment are significant, and I expect more in the near future,” Stoltenberg told the German newspaper Handelsblatt ahead of a meeting this week of a committee that oversees military shipments to Kiev.

Putin praised the capture of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, a salt-mining hamlet that was home to 10,000 people before to the fighting, as a big victory days after Russia claimed to have accomplished the feat.

Putin stated in a Sunday interview that everything is proceeding according to plan and there is a positive momentum. “I’m hoping that our soldiers will wow us more than once.”

This Monday, the Russian defense ministry stated that Soledar had been “completely liberated.”

Ukraine refuted the accusations and stated that severe combat was ongoing in Soledar.

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The Institute for the Study of War, located in the United States, stated on Sunday that “it is exceedingly improbable that Ukrainian forces still control positions within the village of Soledar proper.”

If this triumph is confirmed, it follows months of devastating defeats for Russia.

In the struggle for the town, both sides have suffered serious losses, but Wagner commander Yevgeny Prigozhin maintains his soldiers led the advance.

Later, the Russian defense ministry praised the “bravery” of Wagner’s forces at Soledar. Initially, the Russian defense ministry did not name Wagner when it claimed victory.

Following rumors of infighting between Wagner and the official military, the nod was an extraordinary acknowledgement of the contentious unit.

Saturday night, Prigozhin lauded his mercenaries in a thinly veiled shot at the Russian army command, which has been criticized for poor coordination and being too far removed from the ground.

Wagner, which has been accused of human rights violations in the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Syria, and Ukraine, has recruited tens of thousands of prisoners to fight in Ukraine.

Sunday, Ukrenergo said that the energy infrastructure was “being restored,” but that the attacks had “raised the energy deficit.”

“The duration of disruptions might extend,” it conceded.

However, Yaroslav Yanushevych, the leader of the military administration in the southern Kherson area, stated that it was once again under “heavy onslaught.”

He stated that Russian airstrikes had struck people and vital infrastructure, including the Red Cross and a center for crippled children.

The Russian army stated that it had targeted “military command and related energy facilities” and that all objectives had been met.

However, Ukrainian officials blasted Russian “horror” after a tower block in Dnipro was struck by a major wave of attacks that triggered nationwide power disruptions.

According to regional adviser Natalia Babachenko’s broadcast statements, at least 30 people were murdered and dozens more were injured in the incident.

A 15-year-old girl was among the deceased, according to officials, after scores of people, including a lady rescued on Sunday, were hauled from the wreckage.

Babachenko stated that 30 to 40 persons are still buried beneath the rubble.

The Ukrainian army stated that the block was struck by a Russian X-22 missile that it was unable to intercept.