Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on January 26 replaced the commander of a key army responsible for defending the city of Pokrovsk, which is at high risk of falling into the hands of Russian forces.
In a video address on the evening of January 26, President Zelensky said he had assigned Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi to command the Khortytsia operational-strategic group, whose area of responsibility covers most of Ukraine’s eastern front.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on January 25.
"These are the areas of the most intense fighting," Mr. Zelensky stressed, adding that he discussed the change of command in a meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian army Oleksandr Syrskyi, according to Reuters.
Mr. Drapatyi's appointment will help combine the combat work of the Ukrainian army with the proper training of brigades, according to Mr. Zelensky.
Drapatyi will replace Major General Andriy Hnatov, who is in charge of the Khortytsia operational-strategic group from June 2024. Hnatov will become deputy chief of the general staff to run training and communications. This is the third time President Zelensky has replaced the Khortytsia commander in less than a year, according to Reuters.
Russian forces have been steadily advancing into the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine towards Pokrovsk, attempting to cut off supply lines to the Ukrainian army. Pokrovsk is one of Ukraine’s main defensive strongholds in the Donetsk region and has been the focus of fierce fighting for months.
Washington asks USAID to stop projects in Ukraine?
In another development, Ukrainian television network Suspilne on January 26 quoted a source in the US Agency for International Development (USAID) as revealing that Washington had asked USAID to stop projects in Ukraine following a 90-day foreign aid freeze issued by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The order, which took effect on January 24, has left many aid agencies in limbo as they are required to halt work on existing projects while Washington audits foreign aid programs.
Initially, senior diplomats in the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs requested an exemption from the freeze on USAID’s activities in Ukraine, citing national security concerns. However, an anonymous USAID official told Suspilne that USAID was still ordered to stop projects in Ukraine and spending on them.
There is currently no information about Kyiv's or Washington's reaction to the above revelation.
USAID, one of the world's largest official aid agencies, is heavily involved in Ukraine's wartime needs and has provided more than $2.6 billion in humanitarian assistance, $5 billion in development assistance, and $30 billion in direct budget support since Russia began its military campaign in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, according to The Kyiv Independent .
The aid freeze has left hundreds of foreign aid contracts, worth more than $70 billion in fiscal year 2022, in limbo as the review process takes place over the next 85 days, according to the Financial Times .
Ukrainian officials and NGOs warn that the pause could jeopardize important initiatives, including support for schools, hospitals and infrastructure development.
However, the 90-day aid freeze does not affect military aid to Ukraine, President Zelensky affirmed at a press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu on January 25.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tong-thong-zelensky-thay-chi-huy-doi-quan-chu-chot-lan-3-trong-mot-nam-185250127081834899.htm
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