War in Ukraine: new officer, Russian presidential election, drone attack in kyiv, Elon Musk… update on the situation

Volodymyr Zelensky et Oleksandr Syrskyi ce 10 février 2024. MAXPPP – Pool /Ukrainian Presidentia

Tous les jours, Midi Libre fait le point sur la situation en Ukraine. Ce dimanche 11 février 2024, découvrez les dernières actualités autour de ce conflit.

A new officer at the head of the Army

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Oleksandr Pavliuk, former Deputy Prime Minister of Defense, Commander-in-Chief of the Army, according to a decree published this Sunday.< /p>

Lieutenant General Pavlyuk, who held ministerial functions for a year, replaces General Oleksandr Syrskyi, appointed last Thursday commander of the Ukrainian armed forces. Volodymyr Zelensky has undertaken to reshuffle the Ukrainian general staff as Ukraine enters its third year of war against Russia on February 24.

Russian drone attacks on kyiv and southern Ukraine

Russia launched drone attacks against Kiev and southern Ukraine overnight from Saturday to Sunday, the Ukrainian army said, specifying that&#39 ;at least one civilian had been injured.

The Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram that its air defense systems destroyed 40 of 45 Iranian-designed Shahed drones launched by Russia during the night. "The air alert lasted almost two hours in the capital", the head of the air force said on Telegram ;military administration of the capital, Serhiy Popko.

According to initial information, no casualties or damage have been reported in the capital or its surroundings. Ukraine's Southern Military Command said on Telegram that its air defense systems destroyed 26 Shahed drones launched by Russia over several southern regions, mainly over the Mykolaiv region. At least one civilian was injured in the attack targeting southern Ukraine, the army said.

Residential buildings and a gas pipeline were damaged by falling debris from a drone in Mykolaiv, the southern Ukrainian military command said. Four drones were also shot down over the port of Odessa, the army said.

The submission of candidacies for the Russian presidential election is closed

The submission of candidacy documents for the Russian presidential election has been closed, the Tass news agency reported this Sunday.

President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to win the election, and three politicians who all support the war in Ukraine are on the list of candidates for next March's election. In addition to Vladimir Putin, the electoral commission (CEC) authorized Vladislav Davankov, vice-president of the Duma and member of the New People party, Leonid Slutsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), loyal to the Kremlin, and the candidate of the Communist Party, Nikolai Kharitonov.

Vladimir Putin, 71, in power since 1999 as head of state or government, is seeking a new six-year term as an independent candidate and not as a candidate of the ruling party, United Russia (UR). For the head of the Kremlin, the election is a formality.

With the support of the state, public media and the almost total absence of dissent in public opinion, he is certain to win.

Russian army uses Starlink in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian intelligence

The Russian army begins to use it in a systemic way   Starlink satellite communications service, designed by American billionaire Elon Musk's company SpaceX, in the territories it occupies in Ukraine, Ukrainian intelligence said this Sunday.

Starlink, which offered terminals to Ukraine following the Russian invasion of February 2022, assures that it is not in business with the Russian government or the # 39;Russian army. "Cases of use of said equipment by the Russian occupiers have been documented. This is beginning to take on a systemic dimension", indicates the Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense in a press release, quoting its spokesperson, Andriy Yousov.

The terminals are used in particular by the Russian 83rd Air Assault Brigade, engaged in combat in the towns of Klichtchiivka and Andriivka, in the Donetsk region (east). The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The GUR claims to have intercepted an exchange between two Russian soldiers on the activation of Starlink terminals.

The alleged audio document was posted on Telegram. Ukrainian intelligence does not specify the provenance of the Starlink terminals – whether they were acquired abroad or were taken from Ukrainian forces.

On February 8, Starlink declared in a press release broadcast on X that its terminals were not active in Russia and denied any transaction with Russian authorities. "If SpaceX learns that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we will investigate and take action to disable the terminal if confirmed&quot ;, the company said.