CDS Daily brief (07.10.22) | CDS comments on key events

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Humanitarian aspect:

As of the morning of October 7, 2022, more than 1,207 Ukrainian children are victims of full- scale armed aggression by the Russian Federation, Prosecutor General’s Office reports. The official number of children who died and were wounded during the Russian aggression is 418, and more than 789 children, respectively. However, the data is not conclusive since data collection continues in the areas of active hostilities, temporarily occupied areas, and liberated territories.

The Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine is working to return 32 children deported to Russia whose parents remain in Ukraine. Deputy Prime Minister – Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk also said that there are recorded facts of Ukrainian children deported to Russia being illegally adopted. She added that such [adoption] parents would be prosecuted for illegal adoption. As of September 20, Vereshchuk reported that the Russian invaders took at least 2,100 Ukrainian children deprived of parental care to the Russian Federation.

Overall, 2,608 educational institutions were damaged due to bombing and shelling by the armed forces of the Russian Federation. Of them, 313 were completely destroyed.

Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy Kateryna Chuyeva said at the briefing that As of October 6, the Ministry had verified damage to 161 objects of cultural heritage, 23 monuments of national importance, 129 monuments of local importance, 143 objects of valuable historical buildings and 9 newly discovered objects. Chuyeva emphasized that in total, the Ministry established 540 episodes of the destruction of cultural infrastructure, including heritage sites, institutions and religious buildings.

During the last day, the Russian military shelled seven regions of Ukraine, as reported in the October 7 morning round-up of Oblasts Military Administrations.

In Kharkiv Oblast, during the past day, the Russian military shelled the districts of Kupyansk (2 wounded), Chuguyiv (2 wounded), and Izyum (4 wounded). In Kupyansk, there was a fire on the territory of a furniture workshop. A 47-year-old woman was wounded in the Izyum district. She stepped on a mine while picking mushrooms in the forest.

Early in the morning, the enemy attacked two districts of Zaporizhzhia, using kamikaze drones for the first time [on Zaporizhzhia]. 1 wounded civilian and damaged infrastructure facilities were reported. In the afternoon, the Russian military shelled the residential sector of Zaporizhzhia again, the secretary of the city council, Anatoliy Kurtev, said. One of the enemy projectiles fell into the courtyard of a high-rise apartment building, damaging the building and utility networks.

The number of victims of yesterday’s rocket attacks on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia increased to 11 people killed. More than two dozen people were rescued from under the rubble, reported State Emergency Service.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the Russian military again shelled the Nikopol district all night. In Nikopol, several high-rise buildings, more than ten private houses, commercial buildings, a transport infrastructure enterprise, gas pipelines and electricity networks were damaged.

As the result of the evening shelling of Nikopol district – 1 dead civilian and 1 wounded were reported.

In Sumy Oblast, the enemy shelled Bilopolska, Novoslobidska, Shalyginska, and Velikopysarivska communities. A cultural center and a residential building were damaged in the Novoslobidska community.

At night, the enemy attacked Mykolaiv, according to the preliminary information, with kamikaze drones. The roof of a two-story building was on fire. The Mykolaiv and Bashtan districts of the region were also under fire. A civilian infrastructure facility, residential buildings, and an agricultural enterprise were damaged.

According to the mayor Oleksandr Sienkovych, in Mykolaiv, since the beginning of the war, 138 civilians have died, including one child, and another 688 people have been seriously injured. Out of 225 days of full-scale war, Russian terrorists did not shell Mykolaiv for only 35 days.

As the mayor reported, the Russian occupiers damaged 77 educational institutions, 22 cultural institutions, 17 medical institutions and 15 sports facilities in Mykolaiv. In addition, about 1,500 residential buildings were damaged, including more than 600 multi-apartment buildings.

In Donetsk Oblast, on October 6, 2 civilians were killed by enemy shelling: in Bakhmut and Kurdyumivka.

More than 22,000 people, including 3,500 children, have left Donetsk Oblast since the beginning of the mandatory evacuation. Deputy Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Tymoshenko announced this at a briefing.

In the recently liberated Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, residents reported to the police about 39 burial sites, among them might be both single and group burials; law enforcement officers are investigating the details of the crimes, Donetsk Oblast military administration reports.

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Denys Monastyrskyi, announced that in Lyman law enforcement officers found 60 bodies, of which 31 people have been identified so far. According to Monastyrskyi, almost every tenth house in Lyman was utterly destroyed, and half of the houses were seriously damaged.

In the Kherson Oblast, the area liberated by the Ukrainian defenders increased from 400 sq. km to 500 sq. km. There are 29 newly liberated towns and villages, the head of the joint press center

of the operational command “South” Nataliya Humenyuk announced. Currently, the most critical task in the de-occupied villages is to help people prepare for the winter period, they need food and construction materials, and the electricity supply must be restored, the Deputy of the Kherson Regional Council, Serhiy Khlan, said at a briefing.

In the temporarily occupied Crimea, the total number of issued mobilization summonses is about 3,000, of which at least half were given to Crimean Tatars, said the permanent representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic Crimea, Tamila Tasheva, in a comment to the newspaper El País, Ukrinform reports. According to Tasheva, mobilization is a tragedy for the indigenous people of Crimea. “They are either sent to die or forced to leave,” she emphasized.

Operational situation

It is the 226th day of the strategic air-ground offensive operation of the Russian Armed Forces against Ukraine (in the official terminology of the Russian Federation – “operation to protect Donbas”).

The enemy is trying to maintain control over the captured territories and concentrates its efforts on disrupting the intensive actions of the Ukrainian Defence Forces in some directions. The enemy continues offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions and regroups its troops in the Pivdennyi Buh direction.

The enemy fired at the Ukrainian troops’ positions along the contact line. The Russian troops carry out engineering equipment of defensive positions and frontiers in some directions and conduct aerial reconnaissance. The enemy strike at civilian infrastructure and the homes of civilians, violating the norms of International Humanitarian Law, laws and customs of war. The threat of Russian air and missile strikes persists throughout the entire territory of Ukraine. Thus, during the past day, the Russian forces launched 8 missile and 15 air strikes, and carried out more than 70 rounds of anti-aircraft fire. Three enemy Kh-22 cruise missiles did not reach their targets.

The enemy fire affected the civil infrastructure and population of more than 25 Ukrainian towns and villages, including Novomykhailivka, Zaliznychne, Spirne, Davidiv Brid, Blahodativka and Myrne. The Russian military shelled Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Nikopol solely with the purpose of destroying the critical infrastructure of the cities and the residential districts. Near the state border, Boyaro-Lezhachi, Mezenivka and Ryzhivka of the Sumy Oblast, and Dvorichne, Zarubivka, Vovchansk, and Gatyshche of the Kharkiv Oblast were shelled from barrel artillery.

Aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out 23 strikes during the past 24 hours. It has been confirmed that an enemy stronghold, 15 areas of concentration of weapons and military equipment, and 7 anti-aircraft missile systems have been hit. In addition, Ukraine’s Air defense units shot down more than 20 enemy UAVs, including five Orlan-10, fifteen Shahed-136 and one Mohajer-6.

Overall, Russian troops used a total of 86 Iranian Shahed-136 drones against Ukraine, 60% of which Ukrainian forces have already destroyed.

Over the past day, Ukraine’s missile forces and artillery hit 5 areas of concentration of enemy manpower, weapons and military equipment, 5 air defense positions, 2 artillery guns, an ammunition warehouse and a crossing.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the RF prepared for the Russian highest military and political leadership a classified report on the situation with ammunition of the main calibers. By the end of this month, the Russian command forecasts the emergence of “a difficult situation with artillery ammunition of the main calibers … interruptions with mortar ammunition are expected.” In particular, this concerns 122-mm and 152-mm artillery shells and 120-mm mines. It is also noted that the nature of possible hostilities directly depends on their pace and the amount of ammunition.

Russian troops began the forced mobilization of Ukrainian citizens in the Russian-occupied Kreminna and Starobilsk regions of Luhansk Oblast. They send Ukrainians of various ages and health conditions to the front lines without proper training and ammunition because Russian forces “benefit from the deaths of Ukrainians, regardless of whose sides we fight because it breaks the mental ties between the regions.”

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation demonstratively does not provide the mobilized with even basic military equipment.

The morale and psychological state of the personnel of the invasion forces remain low.

Kharkiv direction

• Zolochiv-Balakleya section: approximate length of combat line – 147 km, number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 10-12, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 13.3 km;
• Deployed enemy BTGs: 26th, 153rd, and 197th tank regiments, 245th motorized rifle regiment of the 47th tank division, 6th and 239th tank regiments, 228th motorized rifle regiment of the 90th tank division, 1st motorized rifle regiment, 1st tank regiment of the 2nd motorized rifle division, 25th and 138th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 6th Combined Arms Army, 27th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 1st Tank Army, 275th and 280th motorized rifle regiments, 11th tank regiment of the 18th motorized rifle division of the 11 Army Corps, 7th motorized rifle regiment of the 11th Army Corps, 80th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 14th Army Corps, 2nd and 45th separate SOF brigades of the Airborne Forces, 1st Army Corps of so-called DPR, PMCs.

Ukrainian forces completely liberated the Boriv district of Kharkiv Oblast. The enemy stopped the advance of the Defense Forces in the areas of Dvorichne and Tavilzhanka.

The enemy concentrated in this area grouping consisting of 6-7 BTGs and at least three 3rd artillery divisions, in particular:

• two BTGs of the 55th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 41st Army (they suffered significant losses after a series of counterattacks in the Petropavlivka area),

• BTG of the 15th motorized rifle regiment of the 2nd motorized rifle division (MRD) of the 1st Tank Army,

-consolidated BTG of the 59th tank regiment of the 144th MRD of the 20th Army (no more than 14-15 combat-capable tanks),

-BTG of the 252nd motorized rifle regiment of the 3rd MRD of the 20th Army, BTG of the 200th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 14th Army Corps of Northern Fleet (the total number is close to a reinforced company).

Their actions are supported by the 2c19 self-propelled artillery battery and the BM-21 “Grad” anti-aircraft missile battery, the “Uragan” anti-aircraft platoon from the Nova Tarasivka area.

A combined battalion from the 18th MRD (11th Army Corps) is preparing a battalion defense area near Verkhnya Duvanka, intending to cover the Troitske – Svatove route.

Kramatorsk direction

• Balakleya – Siversk section: approximate length of the combat line – 184 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 17-20, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 9.6 km;
• 252nd and 752nd motorized rifle regiments of the 3rd motorized rifle division, 1st, 13th, and 12th tank regiments, 423rd motorized rifle regiment of the 4th tank division, 201st military base, 15th, 21st, 30th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 2nd Combined Arms Army, 35th, 55th and 74th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 41st Combined Arms Army, 3rd and 14th separate SOF brigades, 2nd and 4th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 2nd Army Corps, 7th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 1st Army Corps, PMCs.

The enemy fired artillery of various types at the areas of Spirne, Bilohorivka, Verkhnokamianske, Serebryanka and Rozdolivka.

The command of the enemy forces concentrates the troops of the 2nd Army in the area of Kreminna and Svatove. Two BTGs from the 21st separate motorized rifle brigade are fighting with the vanguards of the Ukrainian Defense Forces on the approaches to Kreminnaya. To the north, two BTGs of the 30th separate motorized rifle brigade, which have not yet taken part in hostilities, move to the defense.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces halted their advance 20-30 km from approaching Svatove, reaching the organized defensive positions of the Russian troops. Units of the 30th separate motorized rifle brigade (a BTG) move to the defense at the Raigorodka-Karmazynivka frontier, with the task of stopping the advance of the Defense Forces in the Borova-Svatove direction. A platoon of self- propelled guns 2c3 “Akatsiya” and a platoon of anti-aircraft guns BM-21 “Grad” were deployed south of Svatove.

Ukrainian sabotage reconnaissance groups are active along the P66 route.

Donetsk direction

• Siversk – Maryinka section: approximate length of the combat line – 235 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 13-15, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 17 km;
• Deployed BTGs: 68th and 163rd tank regiments, 102nd and 103rd motorized rifle regiments of the 150 motorized rifle division, 80th tank regiment of the 90th tank division, 35th, 55th, and 74th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 41st Combined Arms Army, 31st separate airborne assault brigade, 61st separate marines brigade of the Joint Strategic Command “Northern Fleet,” 336th separate marines brigade, 24th separate SOF brigade, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 15th, and 100th separate motorized rifle brigades, 9th and 11th separate motorized rifle regiment of the 1st Army Corps of the so-called DPR, 6th motorized rifle regiment of the 2nd Army Corps of the so-called LPR, PMCs.

The enemy fired at the areas of Soledar, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Kurdyumivka, Opytne, Zaitseve, New York, Maryinka, Shakhtarske, Vodyane and Novomykhailivka. Mercenaries of PMC “Wagner” continue their assault on Zaytseve and have partially captured Vesela Dolyna.

Russian troops continued their attacks to the northeast of Bakhmut in the area of Yakovlivka, Soledar and Bakhmutsky, and to the south of Bakhmut in the area of Odradivka, Mayorsk and Zaitseve. They led battles on the western outskirts of Donetsk – Avdiyivka and conducted ground assaults near Krasnohorivka and Vodyane and near Pobieda and Novomykhailivka.

Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled attacks by Russian troops in the areas of Vyimka, Krasne, Bakhmut, Mayorsk, Vesele, Pobieda, Nevelske, and Kamianka.

Five hundred mobilized criminals have arrived to reinforce the Russian army fighting in the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk Oblast. Officers from among former Russian law enforcement officers have been appointed commanders of the newly arrived units. In addition, the command of the Russian troops issued an order to confiscate mobile phones from all arriving mobilized personnel.

Zaporizhzhia direction

• Maryinka – Vasylivka section: approximate length of the line of combat – 200 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 17, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 11.7 km;
• Deployed BTGs: 36th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 29th Combined Arms Army, 38th and 64th separate motorized rifle brigades, 69th separate cover brigade of the 35th Combined Arms Army, 5th separate tank brigade, 37 separate motorized rifle brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army, 135th, 429th, 503rd and 693rd motorized rifle regiments of the 19th motorized rifle division of the 58th Combined Arms Army, 70th, 71st and 291st motorized rifle regiments of the 42nd motorized rifle division of the 58th Combined Arms Army, 136th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 58 Combined Arms Army, 46th and 49th machine gun artillery regiments of the 18th machine gun artillery division of the 68th Army Corps, 39th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 68th Army Corps, 83th separate airborne assault brigade, 40th and 155th separate marines brigades, 22nd separate SOF brigade, 1st Army Corps of the so-called DPR, and 2nd Army Corps of the so-called LPR, PMCs.

The infrastructure in the areas of Novoukrainka, Novodanylivka, Chervone, Novosilka, Poltavka and Mali Shcherbaky was damaged by enemy shelling.

Ukrainian troops destroyed Russian ammunition depots in Melitopol.

Tavriysk direction

• Vasylivka – Stanislav section: approximate length of the battle line – 296 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 42, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 7 km;
• Deployed BTGs: 114th, 143rd, and 394th motorized rifle regiments, 218th tank regiment of the 127th motorized rifle division, 57th and 60th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 5th Combined Arms Army, 37th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army, 429th motorized rifle regiment of the 19th motorized rifle division, 33rd and 255th motorized rifle regiments of the 20th motorized rifle division, 34th and 205th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 49th Combined Arms Army, 70th, 71st and 291st motorized rifle regiments of the 42nd motorized rifle division, 10th, 16th, 346th separate SOF brigades, 239th air assault regiment of the 76th Air assault division, 217th and 331st parachute airborne regiments of the 98th airborne division, 108 air assault regiment, 171st separate airborne assault battalion of the 7th Air assault division, 11th and 83rd separate airborne assault brigade, 4th military base of the 58 Combined Arms Army, 7 military base 49 Combined Arms Army, 224th, 237th and 126th separate coastal defence brigades, 127th separate ranger brigade, 1st and 3rd Army Corps, PMCs.

Over twenty-five towns and villages along the contact line suffered from enemy fire damage.

Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the Russian invaders in the area of Ternovi Pody.

Ukrainian troops focused mainly on regrouping in the north of the Kherson Oblast and did not conduct ground attacks on October 6. In addition, on this day, Ukrainian forces attacked with HIMARS anti-aircraft missiles a building in the city of Kherson, where Russian military personnel lived, and the Antonivskyi bridge.

The enemy is equipping defensive positions along the Beryslav-Nova Kakhovka line.

Near Mykolaiv, Ukrainian forces captured a Russian tank unit, including three soldiers: a mechanic-driver who was mobilized with experience of military service in the Russian Airborne Forces, a tank commander from the “Wagner” PMC and a gunner-operator Ukrainian mobilized from Luhansk.

Azov-Black Sea Maritime Operational Area:

The forces of the Russian Black Sea Fleet continue to project force on the coast and the continental part of Ukraine and control the northwestern part of the Black Sea. The ultimate goal is to deprive Ukraine of access to the Black Sea and to maintain control over the captured territories.

On October 7, twelve enemy warships and boats were on a mission in the Black Sea, conducting reconnaissance and controlling navigation in the Black Sea waters. Up to 24 Kalibr missiles are

ready for a volley on four carriers: two surface and two underwater (one frigate 1135.6, one “Buyan-M” missile corvette and two submarines of project 636.3). In general, the current activity of the Russian Federation maritime groups is characterized by low intensity. The rocket threat to [the territory of] Ukraine remains high.

In the waters of the Sea of Azov, there are patrol ships and boats on the approaches to the Mariupol and Berdyansk seaports in order to block the Azov coast.

The enemy continues shelling Ukrainian ports and coastal areas. A Su-35 multi-purpose fighter jet was deployed from the “Gvardiyskyi” military airfield, which carried out two air strikes with Kh-31 missiles on the Mykolaiv Oblast.

The intensity of the movement of military equipment by road and rail transport in Crimea in the direction of the Kherson Oblast remains stably active. From Crimea, railway freight trains arrive on the territory of the Kherson Oblast, unloading military equipment and ammunition at the “Kalanchak”, “Brylivka”, and “Novooleksiiivka” stations.

“Grain Initiative”: On October 7, the bulk carrier NEW ISLAND, chartered by the UN World Food Program (WFP), left the port of Chornomorsk. It has 30,000 tons of wheat for the people of Ethiopia on board. Bulker joined the caravan with two other vessels that left the ports of Odesa and Pivdenny. Together, these vessels will deliver 56,600 tons of wheat and corn to countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. Since the departure of the first ship with Ukrainian food, 6.4 million tons of agricultural products have been exported. A total of 285 ships with food for the countries of Asia, Europe and Africa left Ukrainian ports. In particular, 5 ships that the UN WFP chartered exported more than 150,000 tons of Ukrainian wheat to Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Yemen.

Russian operational losses from 24.02 to 07.10

Personnel – almost 61,680 people (+350);

Tanks – 2,466 (+17);

Armored combat vehicles – 5,093 (+29);

Artillery systems – 1,455 (+31);

Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 344 (0); Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 177 (0); Vehicles and fuel tanks – 3,862 (+8); Aircraft – 266 (0);

Helicopters – 233 (+1);

UAV operational and tactical level – 1,067 (+20); Intercepted cruise missiles – 246 (0);

Boats / ships – 15 (0).

Ukraine, general news

As of October 1, 2022, Ukraine’s international reserves, according to preliminary data, amounted As of October 1, 2022, Ukraine’s international reserves, according to preliminary data, amounted

to 23,929.6 million US dollars. In September, they decreased by 5.9% due to the sale of currency by the National Bank on the interbank market, as well as for the country’s defense needs and payments to Ukrainians abroad. This was reported by the National Bank of Ukraine.

The number of vacancies is steadily increasing, and the competition is decreasing, reports the Ukrainian job search portal Work.ua. The labor market in Ukraine is gradually shifting from employers to job seekers. The number of current vacancies on Work.ua increased to 56,554 in September (+16% compared to August). In August, the monthly increase was 20%. The top five regions with the highest number of vacancies did not change during the month: Kyiv (16,857 vacancies), Lviv (6,530), Dnipropetrovsk (4,873), Odesa (3,256), and Ivano-Frankivsk (1,974) Oblasts made it to the top 5.

International diplomatic aspect

“We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis,” Joseph Biden said at a Democratic fundraiser. Putin is “not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons,” the POTUS warned the audience. However, according to US officials, nothing has changed in the intelligence assessments, for there is no evidence the Russian tyrant has plans to deploy a nuclear weapon imminently. One official explained that the POTUS words should be viewed in the broader sense and growing concerns of the Administration about Putin’s threats.

In his annexation speech, Putin blamed the US for deploying nuclear arms against Japan twice, thus setting a precedent. In the meantime, Putin omitted to mention his own country’s use of the ultimate weapon in September 1954. A 40 kt nuclear bomb exploded in the air, exposing some 45,000 Soviet troops to the radiation. “Snowball,” a typically inhumane Moscow operation, was meant to see the survivability of troops and equipment and their ability to set off to offense shortly after the explosion. The party leaders and top military brass were satisfied with the results, ignoring the “collateral” damage to many of their citizens. The current Moscow leadership is not that different about disregarding human life either of their people or of Ukrainians.

Meanwhile, it’s an overstretch to draw parallels with the Cuban Missile Crisis, for at that time, there was a possibility of a direct clash between the two superpowers. Under the current circumstances, a nuclear exchange between Moscow and Washington DC might be triggered only in case of a retaliatory strike on Russian territory and escalations spiraling out of control. Therefore, along with warning the Kremlin of catastrophic consequences, the US should engage China and India in amplifying the message.

“The way out of conflict is for Russia to leave Ukraine,” Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin explained a possible off-ramp for Vladimir Putin. In sharp contrast to the Finnish formula, Angela Merkel, a former Chancellor of Germany, promotes her failed policies of Russia’s privileged role and de facto Moscow’s veto over policies towards Ukraine and others. “European security architecture can be developed within the framework of international law, which ultimately

requires the inclusion of !. Because as long as we haven’t really managed to do this, the Cold War won’t really be over either,” she said.

So, Angela Merkel sides with Vladimir Putin in his blame game for the alleged guilt of the West for not giving Russia a proper place in Europe. It also means blaming the West (for poking a bear) that Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014. She presumes that it is possible to expect either Putin’s regime or a successor to obey international law. However, Putin clearly stated that Russia isn’t going to honor the rules-based order. The chances of moderates replacing Putin in the Kremlin are slim, while hawks are arguing for a more rigid stance on Ukraine and against the West. The idea of ending the Cold War by integrating Russia as a part of the European security architecture is not feasible because the revisionist power wants precisely the opposite: restoring the Cold War’s rules. Angela Merkel might have forgotten that just before launching its full-scale offensive in Ukraine, the Kremlin issued the ultimatum, demanding to disband the European part of NATO and drive the US out of the continent. The former Chancellor fails to admit that her appeasement strategy is part of the problem. Berlin’s policies led Germany and Europe to addiction to Russian energy and money. Promoted by Angela Merkel’s government, the Partnership for Modernization project helped Putin’s regime to enrich itself and gain economic and military strength for wars and aggressive policies. Berlin de facto has been exerting Russia’s veto power, denying Georgia and Ukraine’s right to collective defense (NATO) and self- defense (Merkel’s government weapons ban and Scholz’s government self-limitation on types of weapons allowed to send).

The Ukrainian Parliament has adopted a resolution on the necessity to return to Japan its Northern Territories. The document aims at restoring Japan’s territorial integrity and historical justice. The Soviet Union attacked Japan in 1945, violating the Neutrality Pact of 1941, which had allowed Moscow not to worry about fighting on two fronts, thus relocating Red Army units and armaments from the far East. After the surrender of Japan, the Soviet Union illegally annexed four Japanese islands (Habomai, Shikotan, Kunashiri, and Etorofu). For years Japan has been trying to negotiate the return of the illegally annexed territories, but Moscow has never been serious about the negotiations. The resolution of the Ukrainian Parliament won’t solve the issue, but Ukraine’s victory will provide an opportunity for Japan. Restoration of Japan’s sovereignty over its Northern territories will result in a peace treaty, thus symbolically putting an end to the Second World War.

The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize was shared by jailed Belarus rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian civil rights group Memorial, and the Ukrainian Centre for Civil Liberties. The laureates “have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human rights abuses, and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.” Undoubtedly, all candidates are well-respected personalities and organizations and deserve the Prize. It’s a good sign of support for three nations suffering from brutal Russian tyranny and carrying on their unequal fight for freedom; however, they deal with different scopes, threats, and challenges. In the meantime, the country’s grouping interplays with the ideological cliche of three Slavic peoples that the Kremlin and the Russian Church consider “one people”. As the Baltic states are not happy with being referred to as former Soviet Republics, so are Ukrainians for
putting them in the “trinity basket.” It’s as if the United States would have been referred to as a former British colony. Centre for Defence Strategies (CDS) is a Ukrainian security think tank. We operate since 2020 and are involved in security studies, defence policy research and advocacy. Currently all our activity is focused on stopping the ongoing war.

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Centre for Defence Strategies (CDS) is a Ukrainian security think tank. We operate since 2020 and are involved in security studies, defence policy research and advocacy. Currently all our activity is focused on stopping the ongoing war.

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