10.12.2022
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 01:57 Nahles praises the willingness of Ukrainian refugees to integrate +++
Employment agency boss Andrea Nahles certifies that refugees from the Ukraine have a great will to integrate in Germany. 59,000 now have a job that is subject to social security contributions, and another 18,000 have a mini job. 116,000 are currently taking integration courses. One problem when looking for a job is the language. “According to our survey, regarding 15 percent of the Ukrainian refugees speak some German, but they often don’t speak English,” the former federal labor minister told the newspapers of the Funke media group. That is why the “majority” of the refugees found themselves in low-skilled jobs.
+++ 00:44 Putin: Russia might include pre-emptive strikes in its military doctrine +++
Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering including the possibility of pre-emptive strikes once morest other countries in the country’s military doctrine. Such an attack might be possible to disarm another state, says the Kremlin chief in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek. “The United States has the concept of a pre-emptive strike,” Putin said when asked by a journalist. Perhaps Moscow should “adopt the US ideas in order to guarantee its own security”. At the same time, the Kremlin boss adds: “We’re just thinking regarding it at the moment.”
+++ 23:18 Belarus allows Ukrainian grain deliveries to pass +++
Belarus wants to allow Ukrainian grain to be transported through its own territory for export from Lithuanian ports. A UN spokesman said there were no preconditions for the agreement. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had previously met with Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Ambrazevich in New York. Ambrazevich repeated his government’s request to be allowed to export its own fertilizers, which are currently subject to sanctions.
+++ 22:18 EU countries freeze almost 19 billion euros in Russian assets +++
EU member states have frozen assets of Russian oligarchs and companies worth 18.9 billion euros as part of sanctions. According to EU statistics available to AFP news agency, Belgium tops the list with frozen assets worth 3.5 billion euros, followed by Luxembourg with 2.5 billion euros, Italy with 2.3 billion and Germany with 2.2 billion. Ireland, Austria, France and Spain have also each frozen more than €1 billion worth of Russian assets, according to data reported up to November 25.
+++ 21:51 Russia faces record surplus in current account +++
Russia is heading towards a record current account surplus on high earnings from exports of oil, gas and other commodities. According to the central bank in Moscow, this more than doubled between January and November. The surplus totals $225.7 billion, up from $108.6 billion a year earlier. The current account records all transactions with other countries, from goods to services. Russia is benefiting from high global commodity prices, which are boosting its export earnings. At the same time, however, imports are falling as a result of Western sanctions imposed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. According to the Institute of International Finance, exports are responsible for much of the current account surplus. Imports are recovering only gradually. Russia is trying to find new partners.
+++ 21:25 Zelenskyj: Russians destroyed Bachmut +++
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the situation in important areas of Donbass in eastern Ukraine remains very difficult. The Ukrainian armed forces repelled the Russian attacks, says Zelenskyj in his evening video address. The Russian army suffered heavy casualties. However, the Russian soldiers destroyed the city of Bakhmut, one of the epicenters of the recent fighting, Zelenskyy adds.
+++ 20:52 All thermal and hydroelectric power plants of Ukraine damaged +++
Because of the Russian attacks on the Ukrainian power grid, people can expect power cuts throughout the winter. Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal said this at a cabinet meeting in Kiev. Although the situation is currently “under control”, there are still shortcomings in the power supply due to the damage. “All thermal and hydroelectric power plants in the country were damaged.” In addition, around 40 percent of the high-voltage grid systems were damaged to varying degrees. “Therefore, the power supply restrictions are still significant in most regions,” he sums up. “Let’s face it, this winter we will constantly live in the conditions of limited electricity consumption,” he said, according to the state agency Unian. Priorities would have to be set.
Read more regarding this here.
+++ 20:32 Rheinmetall is developing new anti-aircraft systems for Ukraine +++
The German armaments manufacturer Rheinmetall is making a new development for the Ukrainian military. According to the “HandelsblattThey are to be delivered at the beginning of 2024 and cost a total of 182 million euros. Skynex is similar to the German Gepard tank, which repels attacks from drones or cruise missiles. The federal government is to bear the costs.
Read earlier developments in the Ukraine war here.
