CNN, citing Ukrainian officials, reported that Russia is stepping up the “illegal annexation” of occupied territories and the replacement of Russian driver’s license plates. On the other hand, the spokesperson of the European Commission said that a summit with Ukraine will be held in February, and more than ten senior EU officials will visit Kyiv. (Reported by Helen Qi)
CNN quoted the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine as saying that Russia began to ask people to change their Russian driver’s licenses in the occupied areas, and issued Russian license plates with the meaning of Russian numbers. Officials pointed to Russia’s threat that anyone who does not use a Russian driver’s license and number plates will be banned from driving and even personal vehicles may be confiscated. In addition, the Russian army forcibly drove the local people from their homes in order to provide accommodation for the army.
In the much-watched town of Surdar in eastern Ukraine, some Ukrainian soldiers said that they were told they would be withdrawn, but now they seem to be abandoned. Soldiers pointed out that food was running out, water was almost out, and there were many wounded soldiers, but soldiers were told to hold out till the end. Suledar, which had a population of about 10,000 before the war, had no strategic value in itself. According to military sources, there are currently about 500 civilians in Suledar.
The Russian mercenary Wagner Group claimed to have occupied the entire Sultar, but the Ukrainian Air Mobility Brigade claimed that it was fighting back locally. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the regular Russian army was operating in Suldar and surrounding areas, without mentioning the Wagner mercenary group, but the Wagner group denied that the Russian regular army was involved in the attack on Suldar. Wagner seized Sultar with the aim of nearby Bakhmut, the report said.
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