Ukraine Daily Summary - Thursday, January 19

Russia again shows it's not interested in peace -- US: Russia does not fully control Soledar or Bakhmut, fighting continues -- European Parliament urges Germany to give Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine -- Latvia announces new military aid for Ukraine -- Canada to provide 200 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine -- and more

Ukraine Daily

Thursday, January 19

Deadly helicopter crash stuns Kyiv suburb

KI-Inline_19-01-2023

A helicopter carrying state officials crashed near a kindergarten in a Kyiv suburb early on Jan. 18, killing 14 people, including Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky.

Among those killed in the crash are all nine people onboard, including Monastyrsky’s first deputy, Yevhen Yenin, and the ministry’s secretary, Yuriy Lubkovych. Five people on the ground were also killed, including a child.

Photo: Getty Images

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Police chief Klymenko appointed acting interior minister following death of Monastyrsky. The head of the National Police, Ihor Klymenko, will serve as the acting interior minister, following the death of Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky in a helicopter crash on Jan. 18, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced.

Brovary mayor declares 3-day mourning after deadly helicopter crash on Jan. 18. Brovay Mayor Ihor Sapozhko announced a three-day mourning period in Brovary, Kyiv Oblast, following the helicopter crash that killed 14 people, including a child, on Jan. 18.

Zelensky on Brovary helicopter crash: ‘Every death is the result of war.’ In a video address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the helicopter crash that killed 14 people, including the top leadership of Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, wasn’t “just an accident.”

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Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry: Russia again shows it’s not interested in peace. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s rejection of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 10-point peace plan shows that Russia is not interested in peace, said Oleh Nikolenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.

British intelligence: Russian forces control Soledar. Russian forces backed by Kremlin-controlled Wagner Group mercenaries are likely in control of Soledar as of late Jan. 16, British intelligence stated. Ukrainian forces have likely withdrawn from the Donetsk Oblast town and established new defensive lines to the west.

US: Russia does not fully control Soledar or Bakhmut, fighting continues. Russia does not fully control Bakhmut or neighboring Soledar in Donetsk Oblast, despite Russian claims, John Kirby, chief U.S. National Security Council spokesperson, said during a telephone briefing on Jan. 18, Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported.

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Helicopter crash near Kyiv: Who were the top officials killed?

The Jan. 18 helicopter crash in Brovary killed the leadership of the interior ministry, including minister Denys Monastyrsky, his first deputy, Yevhen Yenin, and the ministry’s secretary, Yuriy Lubkovych.

The three officials, along with three other people from the interior ministry and three emergency service personnel, had been en route to a “hotspot” in Ukraine where combat is ongoing, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the President’s Office.

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The human cost of Russia’s war

Governor: Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast injure 4 civilians. Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast injured four civilians on Jan. 18, according to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.

General Staff: Russia has lost 117,770 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Jan. 18 that Russia also lost 3,130 tanks, 6,225 armored fighting vehicles, 2,108 artillery systems, 442 multiple launch rocket systems, 220 anti-aircraft systems, 287 planes, 276 helicopters, 1,876 drones, and 17 boats and warships.

Brovary helicopter crash kills top interior ministry officials, children

International response

CNN: US to announce $2.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine. The United States is reportedly finalizing a $2.5 billion military aid package to Ukraine, including Stryker combat vehicles, in “one of its largest” military aid packages to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in February of last year, CNN reported, citing two undisclosed U.S. officials.

European Parliament urges Germany to give Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. The members of the European Parliament urged Germany to transfer German-build modern Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine “without further delay.”

Reuters: Germany will green light Leopard tanks if US sends Ukraine its Abrams. Germany will give the go-ahead for German-made Leopard tanks to be sent to Ukraine if the United States agrees to send its own Abrams tanks, a government official told Reuters.

Canada to provide 200 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. Canada will give Ukraine 200 Senator armored personnel carriers worth $90 million, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said during her visit to Kyiv on Jan. 18.

Latvia announces new military aid for Ukraine. The package will include Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, helicopters, machine guns with ammunition, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

AP: US to allocate $125 million to help Ukraine fix energy grid. The U.S. intends to provide $125 million to Ukraine to help electric repair crews in Ukraine, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) representative Samantha Power told the Associated Press on Jan. 18.

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