Hungary withdraws veto threat against Russia - EU agrees to reinstate new sanctions!
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Sunday that its forces had captured Velyka Novosilka, a town in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. The town is a key frontline defensive hub for the Ukrainian military and, if confirmed, its capture by Russian forces would mean a significant gain for Moscow.
Analysts have long predicted that it is only a matter of time until Russian forces capture the settlement, which lies just 15 kilometers from the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region and 20 kilometers from the border with the Dnipro region.
Ukrainian forces withdrew from certain parts of Velyka Novosilka to avoid encirclement, the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade said on its official Telegram channel on Sunday. The brigade is active on that part of the front line. The brigade said that although their forces are roughly equal in terms of artillery and drones, the Russians have a huge advantage in manpower.
"Our units, taking advantage of the weather conditions, skillfully withdrew from areas where there was a risk of encirclement. This does not mean that we have completely left the city, the fighting in Velyka Novosilka continues. All actions are aimed at minimizing our losses and causing maximum damage to the enemy," the statement said.
The brigade said the withdrawal would make it difficult for Russian troops to advance, as a river in the area would act as an obstacle to further advance. Fierce fighting in the Donetsk region has put Ukrainian troops in a "quite difficult" situation, the soldiers warned last week, adding that more weapons are urgently needed to ward off Russian aggression and territorial advances.
On Monday, EU foreign ministers agreed to lift sanctions against Russia. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on X, " This will continue to deprive Moscow of the revenue to finance its war. Russia must pay for the damage they are causing."
Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with EU foreign ministers, Kallas praised US President Donald Trump for pressuring Russia to end the war in Ukraine. The EU renews its sanctions every six months and the deadline for the latest extension expires on Friday. The sanctions include a ban on trade with Russia in energy, technology, finance, luxury goods, transport and broadcasting, among other things, as well as measures that freeze the assets of Russia's central bank.
Renewing sanctions is usually a formality, but recent anti-sanctions rhetoric from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has cast doubt on their renewal. In the end, Hungary dropped its veto threat. The overturn requires unanimity from all 27 member states to pass.
With the Trump administration questioning the future of U.S. aid to Ukraine and emphasizing the need to quickly broker a peace deal, both Moscow and Kiev are seeking battlefield successes to strengthen their negotiating positions ahead of any potential talks.
Over the past year, Russian forces have waged an intense campaign to blow holes in Ukraine's defenses in the eastern Donetsk region. The sustained and costly offensive has forced Kiev to relinquish a number of towns, villages and hamlets.
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