Victorious news on 337th day of war: US sanctions against Wagner PMC, EU looks for ways to use the assets of Russia's Central Bank in favor of Ukraine

The US has frozen Wagner PMC's assets 

The United States has designated the Russian private military company Wagner as a transnational criminal organization, freezing its assets in the country. 

The US Treasury Department's website published information that it had expanded sanctions lists against Russian organizations and officials involved in Russian aggression against Ukraine. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and the head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov were sanctioned.

Britain to supply Ukraine with Challenger 2 tanks

Ukraine will receive not only Leopard and Abram tanks, but also British Challengers. British Minister of Defense Procurement Alex Chalk said that the UK would supply Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine at the end of March. Training of Ukrainian tankers in the use and repair of Challenger 2 will begin on January 30.

"We recognise that equipping Ukraine to push Russia out of its territory is as important as equipping them to defend what they already have. Together we will continue supporting Ukraine to move from resisting to expelling Russian forces from Ukrainian soil," Alex Chalk emphasized. 

Ukrainian doctors performed a record number of transplants

Despite the war, Ukrainian doctors performed a record number of transplants in 2022. Last year, 275 Ukrainians received a new kidney, 74 received a liver, and 35 received a new heart. In total, Ukrainian doctors performed 384 transplants in 2022, which is 20% more than in 2021.

Currently, 32 medical centers are already performing organ transplants in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ministry of Health notes that the percentage of organ transplants from deceased donors is gradually increasing in Ukraine. In 2021, the figure amounted to 53.7%, and in 2022 it increased to 55%. The increase is due to the fact that more and more Ukrainians are realizing that their consent to harvest organs from a deceased relative can save someone's life.

Ukrainian wins the World Biathlon Championships

Ternopil athlete Taras Rad won a gold medal in the 10 km biathlon at the World Cross-Country Skiing and Biathlon Championships in Sweden.

The competitions in the Swedish city of Östersund will last until January 29, with representatives from 19 countries taking part. The Ukrainian team is represented by 24 athletes with disabilities. Two athletes from Ternopil region are competing as part of the National Paralympic Team of Ukraine among athletes with musculoskeletal and visual impairments.

Frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank can be directed to rebuild Ukraine

The EU has found a way to use frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine. The Legal Service of the Council of the European Union has drawn up a plan to legally use the assets of the Central Bank of Russia frozen in the EU to rebuild Ukraine. The assets amount to at least EUR 33.8 billion. 

The plan is legally feasible provided that the assets are not expropriated and certain conditions are met. These conditions include an expiration date, an emphasis on liquid assets, and clarity that the principal and interest will be repaid to Russia at some point.