As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 325th day, we take a look at the main developments.
Here is the situation as it stands on Saturday, January 14, 2023:
Fighting
- Russia said its forces wrested control of the war-scarred town of Soledar in east Ukraine.
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces continued to fight in Soledar and other cities in the Donetsk region.
- Founder of Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, insisted that his forces spearheaded the offensive for Soledar and complained that Russia’s military took credit for taking over the city without mentioning his fighters.
- France hopes to deliver “AMX 10-RC” light combat tanks to Ukraine in two months, said its armed forces minister, Sebastien Lecornu.
Diplomacy
- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, after meeting US President Joe Biden in Washington, DC, emphasised the importance of standing up to Russia’s invasion.
- The European Union needs to keep increasing pressure on Russia and supporting Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
- A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested confiscating the assets of Russians who discredit the armed forces and oppose the war in Ukraine.
- At least four Chinese-owned supertankers are shipping Russian Urals crude to China, according to trading sources and tracking data, as Moscow seeks vessels for exports after a G7 oil price cap restricted the use of Western cargo services and insurance.
