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Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 688.
Local news.
Kharkiv. Late night on January 10, two Russian missiles struck a hotel in the centre of Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, injuring 13 people, one person seriously, the regional governor reports. Park Hotel in Kharkiv is a place where international reporters and journalists preferred to stay. Russian missile strike injured Violetta-Anastasia Pedorich, a Ukrainian freelance producer working with the French public broadcaster France Télévisions, and Davit Kachkachishvili, a reporter with the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency, CPJ reports. Russian missile strikes on a hotel in Kharkiv amounted to “the intimidation of media workers in order to limit the coverage of the war”, said Ukraine’s national union of journalists.
Kharkiv region. Russian forces bombed the settlement of Vikhuvatka in the Kupiansk district on January 10, killing a 48-year-old woman as well as damaging more than 10 homes and a local shop. A few hours later, Russia launched S-300 missiles at civilian facilities in Kharkiv itself, wounding at least 11 residents.
Donetsk region. Russian bombing of the town of Avdiivka on January 10 killed a 28-year-old man. In view of this attack and others in the region, local authorities have urged residents of front line towns to evacuate.
Kherson. At least two residents of Kherson died in Russian artillery shelling of the city on January 12. In the previous 24 hours, Kherson province underwent 73 attacks by Russian forces using mortars, MLRS and drones.
World news.
Recent evidence confirms Russia’s recent use of North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine. A consortium of Ukraine’s allies has issued a joint statement denouncing this collaboration between Russia and North Korea. “The transfer of these missiles exacerbates the suffering of Ukrainians and bolsters Russia’s belligerent warfare. Our government firmly opposes such arms transactions,” stated John Kirby, U.S. NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications, on January 9. In response, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on three Russian-based organizations and one person for their involvement in the transfer of these missiles.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Kyiv on January 12 to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and address Ukraine’s Parliament. Upon Sunak’s arrival in the capital, the two leaders signed what Ukraine has labeled a “historical agreement.” The Agreement on Security Co-operation between the United Kingdom and Ukraine lays foundations for bilateral security guarantees between the countries for the next 10 years. By its terms, the UK will provide long-term advice and support for defense governance and policies to strengthen Ukraine’s ministry of defense, help Ukraine improve its deterrence by developing modern armed forces compatible with NATO and support the development of infrastructure needed for Ukraine to exercise control across its national territory. The UK also has pledged to allocate more than 2.5 billion pounds in military support to Ukraine through 2025. “Today is a day when the history of Europe has changed for good,” President Zelenskyy proclaimed. “This agreement is not just a declaration. This is a reality that will come true thanks to our cooperation and security guarantees from a major global power – the United Kingdom.”
Culture updates.
More than 7,000 murals adorning the walls of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv are to undergo digital imaging. Seeking to safeguard these invaluable artworks dating back to the XI-XVIII centuries, Swedish University professors Gunnar Almevik and Jonathan Westin have proposed the creation of digital counterparts. The project’s objective is to employ advanced technologies such as laser scanning, photogrammetry and Reflectance Transformation Imaging to fashion a comprehensive 3D model of the graffiti images for subsequent digital documentation and preservation. “This international endeavor stands as a noteworthy chapter in Ukrainian-Swedish collaboration for the safeguarding and conservation of Ukraine’s cultural heritage. Its purpose extends beyond mere preservation. It aims to showcase this heritage to the global audience,” said Fedir Androshchuk, the acting director-general of the National Museum of History of Ukraine.
By Daria Dzysiuk, Alan Sacks