Monday, February 6. Russia’s War On Ukraine: Daily News And Information From Ukraine

Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 348.

As Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues and the war rages on, reliable sources of information are critical. Forbes gathers information and provides updates on the situation.

In the past 24 hours, Ukrainian air forces have launched 11 strikes on Russian targets, including two strikes on Russia’s air defense missile system positions, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Russian troops have launched five missile strikes and 12 air strikes, and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) 36 times in Hola Prystan and Kherson damaging residential houses, resulting in casualties among civilians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on Russia’s nuclear industry today, Feb. 6, as proposed by his National Security and Defense Council. “Today our country imposed additional sanctions against the terrorist state, in order to bolster our diplomatic efforts to extend global sanctions to this part of the Russian aggression machine,” Zelensky said. “Russia is the only country in the world that allows its military to shell nuclear power plants and use them as a shield,” “The terrorist state uses the nuclear industry as one of the elements of foreign expansion. To put pressure on other states. To threaten the sovereignty of other states. All of these are sufficient reasons for Russia’s nuclear industry to be subject to global sanctions. And we are working on this with our partners.”

The Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, designated the Russian mercenary military contractor Wagner Group as an “international criminal organization” on Feb. 6, calling on other governments to follow suit, said Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk. Subsequently, a resolution asking the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to bar Russian Federation members from its Parliamentary Assembly’s statutory bodies was also adopted.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is moving Christmas to Dec. 25 from Jan. 7 in a turn toward the West and away from Russia. The UGCC will begin using the Gregorian calendar for all fixed-date holidays, but continue calculating moveable feast holidays like Easter using the Julian calendar. The change is “in response to numerous requests from the faithful and having conducted preliminary consultations with our clergy and monastics,” the church’s press service said. The new calendar goes into effect Sept. 1 2023, but the Paschalia, or current method of calculating Easter and a shared tradition with Russia, will continue.

In Russian-occupied Berdyanks, a port on the sea of Azov in Ukraine’s south-eastern Zaporizhia region, three loud explosions were heard at 1 pm local time, Feb. 6, the head of the town’s military administration, Victoria Galitsina, told Suspline broadcasting. “As of now, there are three known explosions.” she adds. “Two missiles apparently were shot down by the enemy’s air defense systems. One appears to have reached its target.”

On the Culture Front.

Ukrainian brands T. Mosca and RDNT presented their Autumn Winter 2023 collections on Feb. 2 at Copenhagen Fashion Week “spotlighting incredible and resilient Ukrainian talent,” announced event organizers. The designers at T.Mosca, a brand that specializes in knitwear, “wanted to emphasize the festivity the brand is famous for, because you have to make a holiday out of every day you live!” organizers said, describing their partnership with the Ukranian brands as way “to uplift their fellow fashion organization in turbulent times of war.”

By Daria Dzysiuk, Karina L. Tahiliani