Ukraine First Lady Olena Zelenska and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a memorial service for victims of the Brovary helicopter crash, January 21, 2023

Saturday’s Coverage: No Decision on Battle Tanks for Kyiv

Source: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 0705 GMT:

Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has compared Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine to World War II and Napoleon’s 1812 offensive when “practically all of Europe united to try to conquer Russia”.

Kirill, a fervent support of the invasion, declared that today “the whole western world has taken up arms against Russia” because the country offers “a very attractive alternative” to globalization and the West’s “general rejection of traditional values”.

He called on parishioners to support the invasion with action:

If we say that the Church is with our people, then every congregation should help those who are in the line of fire. We need to mobilize our parishioners to collect things and food. Look for opportunities, collect money, send parcels, if possible go yourself, support service members.

UPDATE 0701 GMT:

The latest Russian attacks across the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine have killed two civilians.

Another two civilians were wounded in Bakhmut, near the frontline.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: At a memorial service for the victims of Wednesday’s helicopter crash in Brovary near Kyiv, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has paid tribute to all those killed during Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

Fourteen people, including a child, died in Brovary when the helicopter fell in foggy conditions near a nursery. Ten of the victims were aboard the helicopter, including Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, his deputy, and five other senior Ministry staff.

Zelenskiy posted on Telegram:

Pain is filling the heart. The indescribable sadness is covering the soul. Ukraine is losing its best sons and daughters every day.

Thank you for your important and decent work for the benefit of Ukraine. You are forever in our hearts. Eternal memory!

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal added, “This tragedy left a scar on every Ukrainian. Some lost a mother, a father. And some lost a child. It is impossible to describe in words what a grief this is.”