War in Ukraine: at least 13 dead in Zaporizhzhia, number of civilians killed, Zelensky in Germany this Thursday… an update on the situation

Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Wednesday, January 8, 2025, discover the latest news about this conflict.

Two Russian firefighters killed in the fire at an oil site hit by Ukraine

Two firefighters died on Wednesday in a fire at an oil site in Engels, in the Saratov region (west), struck during the night by Ukrainian drones because, according to kyiv, it was supplying the Russian air force.

“Unfortunately, (the work of) liquidation (of the fire) left two dead – men from the fire-fighting service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations”, indicated the governor of this region located some 500 km from the Ukrainian border. He also reported an “increase in the size of the fire”.

At least 13 dead, 30 injured in Russian airstrike on city of Zaporizhzhia

At least 13 people have been killed in a daytime Russian airstrike on the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, according to a new report from the region's governor.

“Thirteen dead as a result of the enemy strike on Zaporizhzhia”, Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram, revising upwards the previous toll of one dead and 30 wounded.

More than 12,300 civilians killed since the start of the war, according to the UN

More than 12,300 civilians have been killed since the start of the war in Ukraine and the number of victims has increased recently due to the use of drones, long-range missiles and gliding bombs, a United Nations (UN) official said on Wednesday. Russia, which is gaining ground in eastern Ukraine, has carried out regular attacks on remote towns using these weapons in recent months.

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These attacks contributed to a 30% increase in the number of civilians killed in Ukraine between September and November 2024, or 574 people, compared to the previous year, according to UN data. In total, according to UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif, more than 12,300 civilians have been killed in Ukraine, including 650 children. The United Nations has repeatedly warned that its tally was an underestimate, since it only included deaths that its teams were able to verify.

“Russian armed forces have intensified their operations to seize new territories in eastern Ukraine, with a severe impact on civilians in frontline areas,”, Nada Al-Nashif told a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva.

“We are deeply concerned about the impact on civilians of the increased use of drones and new weapons,” she added, noting that Russia had used 2,000 long-range drones in November. These examples of increasing violations of international law may amount to war crimes, Nada Al-Nashif told the UNHRC.

Russia's senior adviser, Yevgeny Ustinov, called the report biased. Moscow denies targeting civilians in Ukraine since the war began in February 2022. Ukrainian Ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko called Russia's recent actions against his country “calculated, cruel and designed to inflict maximum pain and destruction”.

Of the civilian deaths recorded by the U.N., 35 occurred in Ukrainian-controlled parts of Kherson and were caused by camera-equipped drones between September and November 2024. The drones, also known as “first-person view drones”, allow operators to distinguish civilians from combatants on their screens.

Some civilians have also been killed in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have stepped up an offensive that began in August, Nada Al-Nashif said, citing Russian figures. UN human rights monitors do not track casualties in Russia due to lack of access to the country and limited publicly available information.

Zelensky to attend meeting with Ukraine's allies in Germany on Thursday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would attend a meeting in Germany on Thursday in the “Ramstein format”, which brings together Ukraine's key allies, to discuss how to help the country in the face of the Russian invasion.

“Tomorrow (Thursday), I will attend a Ramstein format meeting and I “We also plan to hold talks with partners at the level of defense ministers and military commanders,” Zelensky said in his daily address on social media on Wednesday.