Russia appoints new commander of military operations in Ukraine
Russia has reorganized command of its operations in Ukraine, a Western official confirmed to British broadcaster BBC on Saturday. They will now be led by General Alexander Dvornikov.
“This commander has extensive experience in Russian operations, which he gained in Syria, so we expect overall command and control to improve,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. With this new appointment, Russia wants to improve coordination between the different units. Until now, Russian troops were organized and commanded separately, the official explained. Russia is struggling to achieve its war aims, 44 days into the invasion, failing to capture major cities like kyiv. She now focuses on the Donbass region, in the east of the country. “Unless Russia is able to change tactics, it is difficult to see how it will be able to achieve even the limited goals it has set for itself,” the official continued.
Three quarters of registered refugees in Belgium do not ask for accommodation
Of the 30,807 Ukrainian refugees officially registered in Belgium, only 7,101 have requested a reception place at the registration office set up in Heysel, according to figures from the Immigration Office, relayed on Saturday by the newspaper De Tijd.
More than three quarters of them therefore stay in our country without benefiting from any government aid.
It should be noted, however, that regarding 12,000 registered Ukrainians are minors and therefore accompany a parent, relative or family member. This means that thousands of adult Ukrainians are fending for themselves.
Some of them are hosted by a network of more than 5,000 Ukrainians, who were already in our country before the war. The others are hosted by volunteers or have organized themselves.
The fact that thousands of Ukrainians do not apply for a reception place complicates the already difficult work of the authorities, because it is then necessary to wait for them to register in the register of foreigners of the communal administration where they stay to have a record of their arrival in Belgium. Their registration is also the starting point for all social assistance, their integration and their professional support.
The IMF opens an account to financially support Ukraine
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has opened a new account to send donor funds to Ukraine. The tool was approved Friday evening by the IMF’s executive board, he said in a statement.
Countries wishing to support Ukraine financially can do so securely through this account, for example in reserve currencies or special drawing rights. These are units of account within the IMF that all member countries have. The Fund will then transfer the money collected to the Ukrainian account. Canada recently announced that it will provide the Ukrainian government with up to one billion Canadian dollars (730 million euros) in new loan resources through this new instrument. Canada is therefore the first country to use this account administered for Ukraine at the IMF, but other countries and organizations will also be able to deposit money there. Ukraine needs cash to finance the war with Russia. Direct consequences of the war: the incomes do not cease decreasing and the economy is shaken. The army and aid to citizens also cost a lot of money. The fund estimates that due to the war, the Ukrainian economy might shrink by 25-35%.
