Uncertainties about the outcome of the war. During a major press conference, Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Tuesday that “no one” could predict the date of the end of the war against Russia. “I don’t think anyone knows the answer,” not even “our commanders or our Western partners,” he said. However, the Ukrainian president is certain: the United States “will not betray” Ukraine and Washington’s promises will be “respected”.
A massive mobilization. Another important point in the Ukrainian head of state’s speech was that he proposed mobilizing “450,000 to 500,000 people” to continue fighting the Russian invasion, adding that he needed “more arguments supporting this idea” because he is a “very important figure”. “When we talk about mobilization, we must understand that for one soldier, there are six civilians who work to finance it,” he stressed. However, “how can we find three million additional taxpayers from January?” he asked again.
Massive production of drones. At the same time, Ukraine wants to produce “one million drones” for its army in 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday, as these devices play a crucial role in the war against Russia. According to Ukrainian officials, Ukrainian forces need 100,000 to 120,000 drones of various types per month to hold out against the Russian army.
No new American envelope. The leaders of the United States Senate noted on Tuesday that Congress would end the year without validating the envelope of 61 billion dollars insisted on by kyiv and the White House. After several weeks of negotiations, Republican and Democratic negotiators did not reach an agreement.
New Russian strikes. Several Russian drones attacked kyiv overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, at least two strikes targeted the city of Kharkiv in western Ukraine, and nine people were injured in bombings in Kherson in southern Ukraine. country, authorities announced. “During the bombing of Kherson this evening by the Russian occupiers, nine people were injured, including four children” aged between two and thirteen, said the city’s mayor, Roman Mrochko. Among these injured, “a mother and her three children were hospitalized. Their condition is moderate. They have contusions and explosive injuries,” he added, specifying that the five other injured were treated on site.