The EU has provided Ukraine with almost 150 million euros in humanitarian aid
Category
Economics
Publication date

The EU has provided Ukraine with almost 150 million euros in humanitarian aid

European Commission
EU

The European Union has allocated €148 million for humanitarian aid to Ukraine and projects in Moldova for Ukrainian refugees. The total amount of EU humanitarian aid has reached €1.1 billion.

Points of attention

  • The European Union has recently allocated 150 million euros in humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Moldova for Ukrainian refugees.
  • The funding focuses on emergency assistance such as food, shelter, clean water, and winter health care for regions affected by the war with Russia.
  • A part of the aid is directed towards humanitarian projects in Moldova, supporting Ukrainian refugees and host communities.
  • The second tranche of grant assistance amounting to 150 million euros is aimed at initiatives like school meals, infrastructure restoration, and agricultural support.
  • The EU's support comes as Ukraine faces urgent humanitarian needs with 12.7 million people requiring assistance due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.

The EU has provided new humanitarian aid to Ukraine

As Russia's aggressive war continues to devastate Ukraine, some 12.7 million people are in need of urgent assistance.

In particular, 140 million euros have been allocated for humanitarian projects in Ukraine.

The funding will be directed towards emergency assistance, including food, shelter, clean water, health care and winter protection. Key priorities are supporting vulnerable populations in the heavily war-affected regions of eastern and southern Ukraine.

In addition, €8 million has been allocated for humanitarian projects in Moldova. The support will focus on providing assistance to Ukrainian refugees and host Moldovan communities.

What is known about the new tranche to Ukraine from the EU?

On December 25, 2024, the European Union provided Ukraine with a second tranche of grant assistance in the amount of €150 million to support rapid reconstruction. Part of it will go to school meals.

As reported by the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine on December 25, the funds will be directed to:

  • free meals for primary school students — 65 million euros,

  • restoration of port infrastructure — 50 million euros,

  • support for agriculture — 20 million euros,

  • restoration of critical infrastructure — 15 million euros.

This tranche is part of the agreement between Ukraine and the EU under the "Support to the Rapid Recovery of Ukraine" program, the total amount of which is 300 million euros.

Category
Ukraine
Publication date

The Russian army has problems with artillery — Estonian intelligence

Kiviselg
Source:  ERR

Russia has begun using North Korean artillery systems on the front, indicating Russia's increasingly critical situation with artillery systems and its dependence on imported weapons, said Colonel Ants Kiviselg, head of the Estonian Defense Forces' intelligence center.

Points of attention

  • Russian army facing artillery issues and increasingly relying on imported weapons, as revealed by Estonian intelligence.
  • Ongoing conflict in the Donetsk region between Russian and Ukrainian forces, with strategic strikes on key Russian infrastructure.
  • Both Russia and Ukraine employing airstrikes and missile attacks to weaken each other's military and economic targets.
  • Russia's use of North Korean artillery systems on the front reveals the critical situation with Russian artillery systems.
  • Current tactics indicate that both sides are focused on undermining the economic potential of the enemy to influence the course of the war.

The Russian army has problems with artillery

Kiviselg noted that the most notable tactical observation was the appearance of North Korean artillery systems on the front as part of Russian units.

This indicates Russia's increasingly critical situation with artillery systems and its dependence on imported weapons.

Kiviselg believes that in the 151st week of the war, trends that have already developed earlier persist, with Russian troops continuing to maintain the tactical initiative.

Although Russia has been able to tactically strengthen its military potential, it has not been able to achieve a complete advantage that would allow it to exert diplomatic pressure. Therefore, at present, the Russian Federation is not interested in ending hostilities and continues offensive operations.

Ants Kiviselg

Ants Kiviselg

Head of the Estonian Defence Forces Intelligence Center

The main fighting is taking place in the Donetsk region in the Pokrovsky direction, where Russian troops are trying to advance in the western and eastern directions from the city.

Although the pace of advance has slowed, offensive pressure remains high, with an average of 164 attacks per day across the entire front.

Russia is likely trying to take advantage of the last few weeks of freezing winter weather, which allows it to use armored vehicles on frozen terrain. However, this winter has been milder than expected, so Russian troops are forced to use roads to move their equipment. This makes it easier for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to repel attacks.

Within a week, Russian troops were able to make slight advances in the directions of Velyka Novosilka, Toretsk, Godynnyk Yar, and Kupyansk.

In Kursk, Ukrainian units retreated to the positions they held before the new offensive on January 5. During the week, Ukrainian forces conducted several attacks in Kursk Oblast. Some settlements or districts are changing hands.

The reorganization of North Korean units operating in the Kursk region has not yielded significant results, the head of the intelligence center added.

Kiviselg added that Ukraine's rapidly effective defense, which is both fast-adapting and technically capable, withstands massive enemy pressure and gradually undermines its offensive capabilities.

Current situation on the front

At the same time, Ukraine continues to strike key Russian infrastructure. Over the past week, Ukraine has increased the number of strikes on Russian fuel and chemical industry enterprises.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the morning of January 14, Ukraine carried out one of the most massive air strikes on objects in Russia, hitting targets at a distance of 200–1,100 km deep into the country — in the Bryansk, Saratov, Tula regions and in the Republic of Tatarstan.

The attack hit the Aleksinsky Chemical Plant in the Tula region, which produces ammunition, gunpowder, and materials for the Russian military-industrial complex. An ammunition depot at the Engels airfield in the Saratov region, which mainly stored high-explosive bombs, guided bombs, and cruise missiles, was also hit. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also struck the Saratov oil refinery. A large fire was reported at the facility after the strike.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out a second attack on the oil storage facility in Engels. The previous attack took place on January 8. The oil depot burned for five days and was extinguished only a day before the new attack.

On the night of January 15, Russian forces, in turn, attacked Ukraine, involving six Tu-95MS bombers and eight Tu-22M3 bombers that took off from the Olenegorsk airfield in the Murmansk region.

The main targets of the Russian military were Ukrainian energy infrastructure and military facilities. The attack used cruise missiles, strike drones and ballistic missiles. A total of 43 missiles and 74 drones were launched. Ukraine shot down 30 missiles and 47 drones, and 27 drones deviated from course.

Both sides seek, first of all, to undermine the economic potential of the enemy, and thereby influence the course of the war, Kiviselg noted.

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