FUkrainian soldiers receive 100,000 hryvnia (around 2,500 euros) a month in addition to their military pay for their deployment on the front lines in the fight against Russian troops. This was announced by the Ukrainian military leadership on Wednesday in order to end speculation about pay and allowances. “A soldier who serves the country and protects it from the aggressor, risking his own life and health and performing duties under extremely difficult conditions, must be highly motivated,” the General Staff statement said.
The 100,000 hryvnia are “reserved for defenders who fight directly at the front”. Soldiers who perform tasks in the combat area but are not directly involved in combat, as well as air defense soldiers, received an additional 30,000 hryvnia (737 euros). Those deployed in the rear receive no front-line allowances.
The basic military pay for all soldiers was raised to almost 20,000 hryvnia (490 euros) from the beginning of February. According to the General Staff, the Ukrainian armed forces are paid fairly, which “does not create preconditions for social tensions and respects the soldiers who risk their lives and health”. The General Staff called on Ukrainians to end populism in this regard and instead focus on defending the country, it said.
According to official information, Russian soldiers receive a front-line bonus of 158,000 rubles (around 1760 euros) on top of their basic military pay of 37,000 rubles (412 euros). However, many soldiers complain on social media that they never received this money.
All developments in the live ticker:
04:40 – Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov for talks in Nicaragua
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was received in Nicaragua as part of his trip to strengthen relations with Latin America. Lavrov met with the authoritarian President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, in the capital Managua on Wednesday. “We welcome him very warmly as fraternal peoples, as peoples who believe in peace,” Murillo said just before the meeting.
The government of the Central American country has repeatedly expressed its approval of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia and Nicaragua are in favor of constructive and respectful dialogue between states and a multipolar world order, Murillo added in her daily audio message to state media after Lavrov’s arrival.
11:18 p.m. – Zelenskyy: Ukraine is preparing new troops for frontline action
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine is preparing new troops for action at the front. Specifically, these are border troops that he visited on Wednesday in Volhynia in the border triangle of Ukraine with Belarus and Poland. Border troops from Ukraine are already deployed on the fronts, including in the heavily contested city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
“Together with all our defense and security forces, the border guards are fighting at the front, even in the most difficult areas,” said Zelenskyy in his nightly video address. They are “real heroes who have successfully completed hundreds and hundreds of combat missions”. “We are also preparing new units – border guard units – to join our active operations, to join the movement that we are gradually developing.”
10:36 pm – Kiev claims Putin’s doppelganger visited front
According to Kiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin was represented by a double during his alleged visit to the front in the occupied territories of Ukraine. “It wasn’t the real Putin,” Ukraine’s National Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov claimed without evidence on TV. “In order to be able to speak to the real Putin, you have to be in quarantine for at least 10 to 14 days.” The Putin spotted in Kherson was “an ordinary double, of which there are several, as you know.”
According to Danilov, Putin is “a frightened man” and it is simply impossible to imagine that he has decided to visit the front. According to the Kremlin on Tuesday, Putin had visited both the occupied areas of the Kherson region in the south and Luhansk in the east of Ukraine and met with leading military figures. The exact time of the alleged visit was not given by the Kremlin.
8:18 pm – US government announces new military aid to Ukraine
The US government has announced new military aid for Ukraine in the amount of 325 million US dollars (almost 297 million euros). The package mainly contains ammunition for weapon systems such as the Himars multiple rocket launchers and artillery shells, said spokeswoman for US President Joe Biden, Karine Jean-Pierre. According to the White House, the new aid comes from stocks of the US military.
“This new security assistance will enable Ukraine to continue valiantly defending itself in the face of Russia’s brutal, unprovoked and unjustified war,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
7:30 p.m. – Putin complains about difficulties with deliveries to annexed areas
Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken of difficulties in delivering goods to parts of Ukraine that were conquered last year. The government must take care of this problem. According to his office, on Monday Putin visited the Luhansk and Kherson regions, which Russia unilaterally annexed.
6:46 p.m. – According to Scholz, Ukraine needs “more of the same”
According to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the West must be prepared to support Ukraine for a long time. “More of the same” is currently the motto, says Scholz during a visit to Lisbon. He refers, for example, to ammunition deliveries and other weapons for air defense.
“Kick-off Politics” is WELT’s daily news podcast. The most important topic analyzed by WELT editors and the dates of the day. Subscribe to the podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or directly via RSS feed.
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