Russia continues shelling eastern Ukraine. Moscow wants to focus on the “liberation” of Donetsk. The news ticker.
- Troop Movements: Russia moves tanks in Mariupol.
- State visit: Zelenskyj delivers historic speech before the US Congress.
- Editor’s note: Read the latest developments in Ukraine conflict in our news ticker. The information processed here Ukraine war come partly from the warring parties Russia and the Ukraine. They can therefore not be independently checked in part.
+++ 6.42 p.m.: The Wagner Group, the Russian mercenary group that reports to Vladimir Putin, has received a shipment of arms from North Korea to support Moscow forces in Ukraine, according to the US. “We can confirm that North Korea has completed an initial arms shipment to the Wagner Group, which paid for the equipment. past month North Korea delivered missiles to Russiato be used by Wagner,” an anonymous US official told the news outlet Reuters.
Ukraine War: G7 pledges $32 billion to Ukraine
+++ 5.50 p.m.: The G7 pledged $32 billion in financial support to Ukraine. In a report published by the federal government Explanation announced that the G7 will commit up to $32 billion to support Ukraine in 2023 and make further efforts to support it.
Ukraine War: Zelenskyj meets Duda on way back to Kyiv
+++ 5.05 p.m.: On his way back from the United States, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Poland. There he met with counterpart Andrzej Duda. Zelenskyj shared a video on his Telegram channel that showed him meeting Duda. The two heads of state discussed “strategic plans for the future, bilateral relations and cooperation at the international level in 2023,” Zelenskyy said. He called Duda “a friend of Ukraine” and thanked him for his “constant and powerful support”
+++ 4:28 p.m.: According to the Russian chief of staff, the situation on the front in Ukraine has stabilized. The military leadership in Moscow sees its own positions in the occupied areas of Ukraine as secure. “Taking into account the measures taken to strengthen the combat effectiveness of the troops, the situation along the front line has stabilized,” Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday.
Russia is now focusing on the “liberation” of the Donetsk region. This is also where the toughest fighting is currently taking place, especially in the suburbs of the city of Donetsk itself and in the industrial city of Bakhmut, fierce fighting is frequent. The Ukrainians suffered heavy losses, explained Gerasimov. The Ukrainian air defense is helpless against the Russian supersonic missiles of the type “Kinzhal” – despite the arms deliveries from the West, which he put at a value of 100 billion dollars.
Russia is about to launch another missile attack on Ukraine
+++ 4.10 p.m.: Russia is likely to launch a full-scale missile attack on Ukraine on December 22nd or 23rd. The news portal reports Ukrainska Pravda referring to informants from the Defense Intelligence Service of Ukraine. Russia will “use all available cruise missiles with a range of 500 km or more,” the report says. At least 67 cruise missiles and possibly unmanned drones are expected to attack targets in Ukraine. In the last major attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Russia fired 74 rockets. The information is not independently verifiable.
Ukraine war: Russia passes life imprisonment for “saboteurs”
+++ 3.45 p.m.: The Russian lower house has passed tougher penalties for “saboteurs”. A corresponding law was passed by the deputies on Wednesday, as the Duma announced on Wednesday. According to the law, domestic and foreign “saboteurs” can be sentenced to up to life imprisonment.
In this way, “our country and our citizens are to be protected from the threat of terrorism and sabotage,” the Duma said. Its chairman Vyacheslav Volodin also referred to the ongoing “military special operation” in Ukraine. The penalties for saboteurs should be “as severe as possible.” For the law to come into force, it still has to be passed by the upper house and signed by President Vladimir Putin.
Russia announces destruction of Patriot defense system
+++ 2.32 p.m.: Russia wants to destroy US Patriot anti-aircraft systems as soon as they arrive in Ukraine. Earlier, during the visit of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, the United States pledged weapons for the fight against the Russian military. As a result, the US was effectively at war with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, according to the Russian news agency interfax.
When asked about Moscow’s reaction to the promised US arms deliveries for Kyiv, Peskov said: “Demilitarization is one of the goals of the military special operation.” US arms are therefore also part of this demilitarization. According to Peskov, the United States and other countries are constantly supplying Ukraine with new types of weapons with greater technical capabilities. “That does not contribute to a quick settlement of the situation – on the contrary.” Peskov complained that the civilian population in Donbass was constantly being shot at with Western weapons and that the USA had not said a word about it.
The arms deliveries would “unfortunately continue the suffering of the Ukrainian people,” said Peskov. Russia had emphasized that it could overcome any anti-aircraft defense with new hypersonic missiles. Experts expect Russia to continue shelling Ukrainian infrastructure.
Putin surprisingly admits “mistakes” – Russia “on the rise again”
+++ 1.25 p.m.: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and President Vladimir Putin have admitted complications with partial mobilization in September. Like the US magazine Newsweek reported, Shoigu admitted during a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and top military officials that his ministry had had difficulties in calling up the reservists.
“With the beginning of partial mobilization, the Russian Ministry of Defense encountered certain difficulties,” the minister said in Moscow. According to him, “the system of mobilization training” was not adapted to the “new economic conditions”. According to Newsweek, Putin himself also acknowledged “mistakes” in the partial mobilization of 300,000 reservists. According to Ukrainian figures, more than 100,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine.
Rheinmetall supplies military trucks to Ukraine
+++ 12.30 p.m.: While the US has pledged to deliver the Patriot anti-aircraft system to Ukraine, new support is also coming from Germany. The armaments group Rheinmetall is delivering 26 brand-new HX 8×8 military trucks to the Ukrainian armed forces on behalf of the German government. The company reported on Thursday. According to Rheinmetall, the order volume is 12.5 million euros.
+++ 11.30 a.m.: Russia continues to focus its offensives on eastern Ukraine. According to the news agency, the Russian armed forces last day Ukrinform the Cherson region alone was shelled 60 times. One person died and six others were injured. Two substations were also destroyed by the shelling. Furthermore, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports that the Ukrainian troops were able to repel 16 attacks on settlements. The attacks were concentrated in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
Russian military ‘on the march again’: troop movement in Mariupol
First report from Thursday, December 22, 10:30 a.m.: Kyiv – Russian troop movements are reported in Mariupol. The troops are “clearly reinforcements,” reports Petro Andriushchenko, mayor of the port city, on Telegram. “That [russische] The military is on the rise again. The priority direction of movement is Mariupol-Manhush-Berdiansk. There is still a large manpower, at least 15 tanks on tank transporters discovered over the course of two days, and all kinds of other military equipment,” Andriushchenko said. The mayor also posted pictures of the equipment seen.
Andriushchenko also reports on troop movements in the Sea of Asvo. The port of Mariupol is said to have noticed repairs near the berths. “According to our sources, attempts are being made to divide or separate civilian and military berths. There is information about the intention to use Russian Navy boats and military support ships in the port of Mariupol,” Andriushchenko said.
News about the Ukraine war: Zelenskyj visits the USA and asks for heavy weapons
As Russia moves troops the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyj, is on a short visit to the USA. There he thanked in a speech before the US Congress the United States for their support against Russia. “Despite all odds and doomsday scenarios, Ukraine did not fall. Ukraine is alive and well,” Zelenskyi said on Wednesday evening before the two chambers of parliament. It is his first official trip abroad since Russia attacked Ukraine. On Thursday he should arrive back in Kyiv after the half-day visit.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for heavy weapons that his country needed for a victory against Russia. the United States have promised further deliveries in the form of the Patriot air defense system, but that is not enough, according to Zelenskyj. Instead, he called for American tanks and planes. So far, the US government under Joe Biden Kyiv Nearly $22 billion in military aid provided. (editorial with agencies)