Ukraine has claimed to have striked a Russian industrial facility producing fuel for missiles, as Moscow says it has foiled several assissination plots on senior officers.
Kyiv said on Thursday that its air force had had carried out a strike in Russia’s Rostov region on a factory which was used to produce solid fuel for ballistic missiles used in attacks on Ukraine.
It did say what damage was caused in the attack or give an exact date, but said it had been struck in the past few days.
It comes as Russia claimed it had foiled several Ukrainian plots to assassinate senior officers and their families using bombs disguised as power banks or document folders.
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The country’s Federal Security Service said it had arrested four Russians accused of helping plan the attack, just weeks after a high-ranking oddicer was killed outside his Moscow apartment by a bomb attached to an electric scooter.
It comes weeks after Ukraine’s intelligence service killed a top Russian officer outside his apartment building in Moscow by detonating a bomb attached to an electric scooter.
Key points
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Russia claims Ukrainian assassination attempts foiled
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Biden vows continued arms support
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One killed and at least six injured as half a million without heating in Kharkiv
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Volodymyr Zelensky condemns ‘inhumane’ Russian attacks on Christmas Day
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Pope Francis calls for negotiations in Russia-Ukraine war for ‘lasting peace’
Russia declares federal emergency over Black Sea oil spill
15:15 , Athena Stavrou
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Russia has declared a federal emergency on Thursday over an oil spill caused by two Russian tankers in the Black Sea, the Emergencies Ministry said.
The tankers were hit by a storm on December 15, causing one split to in half and the other run aground.
The resulting spill has coated sandy beaches at and around Anapa, a popular resort, and caused serious problems for wildlife including seabirds, dolphins and porpoises.
More than 10,000 people have been trying to clear it up.
Russia plays down speculation over cause of Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan
14:40 , Athena Stavrou
Russia and Kazakhstan have tried to calm speculation about the cause of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash, following claims it had been shot down by Russian air defence systems.
On Thursday, Moscow urged calm as its foreign minister said it would be wrong to come to conclusions before an investigation into the crash was complete.
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The flight had been set to travel to Grozny, the capital of Russia‘s Chechnya on Wednesday, but instead diverted and crash-landed a few kilometres short of Aktau airport in Kazakhstan.
Read the full story here:
Russia plays down speculation over cause of Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash
Pope Francis calls for negotiations in Russia-Ukraine war for ‘lasting peace’ – ICYMI
14:11 , Athena Stavrou
In his Christmas Day address, Pope Francis called for a dialogue to end the Ukraine-Russia war and urged a ceasefire in Gaza, alongside appeals for peace in other conflict zones like Lebanon and Syria.
The Pope condemned the ongoing violence in Ukraine following a massive Russian missile and drone attack, reiterating his plea for a “just and lasting peace”. He also highlighted the humanitarian crises in Gaza, where hostages remain, and the plight of Christian minorities in Syria after rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
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His remarks on Israel’s “cruelty” in Gaza drew sharp criticism from Israel which called which called the comments “particularly disappointing”.
Watch: Emergency Services Arrive At Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash Wreckage Site
13:35 , Athena Stavrou
Putin’s Christmas Day attacks were designed to show ruthless force – but they may backfire
13:04 , Athena Stavrou
Half a million were left without heating and one person was killed as Russia launched more than 70 missiles at Kharkiv.
Yet 2025 will almost certainly be the year when the war ends – and it will not be the unmitigated disaster for Ukraine that seemed likely even a few months ago.
Read our Editoral here:
How Putin’s ‘ruthless’ Christmas Day attacks on Ukraine may backfire
Russia’s security must be guaranteed by any Ukraine peace deal, Lavrov says
12:28 , Athena Stavrou
Russia’s foreign minister has said that “truce is a path to nowhere” as he said a peace deal must secure Russia’s future security.
Sergei Lavrov said that a weak truce would be used by the West to re-arm Ukraine as he called for a legally binding deal on lasting peace.
“We need final legal agreements that will fix all the conditions for ensuring the security of the Russian Federation and, of course, the legitimate security interests of our neighbors,” Lavrov said.
He added that Moscow wanted the legal documents drafted in such a way to ensure “the impossibility of violating these agreements.”
Ukraine strikes military industrial facility in Russia’s Rostov, military says
11:58 , Athena Stavrou
Ukraine said it has striked a Russian military in industrial facility in the past few days.
Kyiv’s military said on Thursday that its air force had had carried out a strike in Russia’s Rostov region on the facility in the town of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky.
It added that the facility was used to produce solid fuel for ballistic missiles used in Russian attacks on Ukraine
It did not give a date for the attack or say what damage was caused.
Russia says forces capture village in eastern Ukraine
11:28 , Athena Stavrou
The Russian Defence Ministry has said that Russian forces have captured a village of Hihant in eastern Ukraine, the RIA news agency reported on Thursday.
Reuters could not independently confirm battlefield reports from either side.
8 injured in Russian drone attack, Kyiv says
10:39 , Athena Stavrou
A Russian drone attack on a market in a Ukrainian town injured eight on Thursday morning, local authorities said.
Seven of those injured in the town of Nikopol were hospitalized after the strike damaged multiple stalls at the market, the region’s governer said on Telegram.
The drone strike comes after Russia’s Christmas Day attack on the country’s energy system killed one person in the region.
The Ukrainian military said on Thursday that it shot down 20 drones out of 31 launched by Russia overnight.
Of the 31 drones, 11 “imitator drones” did not reach their targets due to active engagement from the Ukrainian military, it added
Russia claims Ukrainian assassination attempts foiled
10:06 , Athena Stavrou
Russia has claimed it has foiled a number of plots to assassinate high-ranking officers and their families in Moscow.
The country’s Federal Security Service claimed the plot involved using bombs disguised as power banks or document folders, and added that four Russian citizens allegedly involved in planning the attack had been detained.
It comes weeks after Ukraine’s intelligence service killed a top Russian officer outside his apartment building in Moscow by detonating a bomb attached to an electric scooter.
An SBU source confirmed to Reuters that the Ukrainian intelligence agency had been behind the hit.
Professor who fled Putin’s war warns Kremlin is playing ‘Russian roulette with lives’
09:51 , Athena Stavrou
Nearly 400 scholars have fled Russia, Belarus and Ukraine since the start of the war. One of them narrates his ordeal to Arpan Rai:
Russia says civilian targets hit by Ukraine
09:07 , Athena Stavrou
Moscow has claimed that civillian targets in Russia have been hit by missiles.
Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine launched western-made missiles and drones in the attack on Thursday and vowed retaliation.
Four people were killed and five people were injured in the town of Lgov in Russia’s Kursk region after Ukrainian shelling, the region’s acting governor said on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s bold postage stamps become symbols of resistance
09:00 , Athena Stavrou
Ukraine’s postage stamps have become symbols of resistance and resilience during the war, using bold and sometimes provocative designs to boost morale and fund essential causes, the BBC reported.
Notable examples include a stamp featuring a soldier flipping off a Russian warship, which became iconic after the ship’s sinking, and others depicting a Ukrainian tractor towing a Russian tank or the mine-sniffing dog Patron.
Oscar Young from the UK-based stamp dealers and auctioneers Stanley Gibbons describes Ukraine’s war-focused approach to stamp design as highly unconventional.
“Generally stamps are artistic and polite, but to go out your way and be quite rude, placing profanity and being very gesturous on stamps – that is quite unique to these particular issues,” he told the BBC.
Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024
08:14 , Athena Stavrou
Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024
Ukraine thwart barrage of Russian drones overnight
07:31 , Athena Stavrou
Ukraine said it has shot down a barrage of drones launched by Russia overnight.
On Boxing Day morning, the military said it had shot down 20 out of 31 drones launched by Moscow. A further 11 ‘imitator-drones’ did not reach their targets due to active engagement from the Ukrainian military, it added.
Russian governor says Ukrainian drone debris caused fatal fire in shopping centre
07:00 , Andy Gregory
Falling debris from a Ukrainian drone that was shot down caused an explosion and a fatal fire in a shopping centre in the city of Vladikavkaz in Russia’s North Ossetia region, the local governor has said.
Sergei Menyailo, the regional governor, alleged that air defence systems shot down the drone at 8:3am Moscow time.
One woman was reported to have been killed inside the shopping centre. The governor’s assertion could not be immediately verified.
Russia’s defence ministry said 119 Ukrainian drones had been destroyed in the last 24 hours.
Ukrainian poet Oleksii Bezpaltsev killed in combat
06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Oleksii Bezpaltsev, a celebrated 34-year-old Ukrainian poet and prose writer from Kharkiv, was killed during a combat mission in Kharkiv Oblast, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Known for his modernist style and underground literary influence, Bezpaltsev published two collections of short stories and participated in literary slams, the outlet said.
PEN International reports that at least 102 cultural contributors, including writers and artists, have been killed since the war began.
Prior to his service in Kharkiv, Bezpaltsev had fought on the Pokrovsk front.
Kremlin rejects claims exiled Syrian dictator Assad’s wife is seeking a divorce in Moscow
06:00 , Andy Gregory
The Kremlin has sought to dismiss reports that Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s wife is seeking a divorce, after the couple were forced to flee to Russia.
Kremlin rejects claims Assad’s wife is seeking a divorce in Moscow
Russian ship under US sanction sunk in ‘act of terrorism’, says owner
05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
A Russian cargo ship that sank after an explosion ripped through its engine room was a victim of an “act of terrorism”, the vessel’s owner has said.
The Ursa Major cargo ship went down in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain on Tuesday, leaving two of its 16-person crew missing, according to Russia’s foreign ministry.
The vessel, built in 2009, had been placed under sanction by the United States for its ties to Russia’s military after the invasion of Ukraine.
Russian state news agency RIA reported that Oboronlogistika, the company which owns the cargo ship, said in a statement that the vessel had been targeted in “a terrorist act”.
The company, which is part of the Russian defence ministry‘s military construction operations, said the 14 crew members located had reported consecutive explosions on the ship at 10.50am.
Read more here:
Russian ship under US sanction sunk in ‘act of terrorism’, says owner
Starmer condemns Russia’s ‘bloody and brutal war machine’ after Christmas Day attack
05:00 , Andy Gregory
Russia’s “bloody and brutal war machine” has shown no respite even at Christmas, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said, as he condemned strikes against Ukraine’s energy grid.
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports on the international reaction to yesterday’s attacks:
Starmer condemns Russia’s ‘bloody and brutal war machine’ after Christmas Day attack
Pope Francis calls for negotiations in Russia-Ukraine war for ‘lasting peace’
04:53 , Maroosha Muzaffar
In his Christmas Day address, Pope Francis called for a dialogue to end the Ukraine-Russia war and urged a ceasefire in Gaza, alongside appeals for peace in other conflict zones like Lebanon and Syria.
The Pope condemned the ongoing violence in Ukraine following a massive Russian missile and drone attack, reiterating his plea for a “just and lasting peace”. He also highlighted the humanitarian crises in Gaza, where hostages remain, and the plight of Christian minorities in Syria after rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
His remarks on Israel’s “cruelty” in Gaza drew sharp criticism from Israel which called which called the comments “particularly disappointing”.
Russia accused of ‘state-sponsored terrorism’ with huge attack on Ukraine’s energy targets on Christmas Day
04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
A large-scale Russian missile and drone attack targeting Ukraine’s energy system on Christmas Day has been condemned as “inhumane” by president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Half a million people were left without heating in Kharkiv in temperatures just a few degrees above freezing, as blackouts were reported in Kyiv and other regions.
At least one person was killed and six others wounded in the attack, described by one Ukrainian energy chief as Vladimir Putin’s “state-sponsored terrorism”.
The massive attack came as Ukraine officially celebrated Christmas on 25 December for only the second time, in a move to reduce the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, which celebrates on 7 January.
It provoked outrage from outgoing US President Joe Biden who vowed to deliver more weapons to Ukraine after sending hundreds of air defence missiles in recent months. “The Ukrainian people deserve to live in peace and safety,” he said.
Read more here:
‘State-sponsored terrorism’ as Russia attacks Ukraine energy targets on Christmas Day
British army tests ‘game-changing’ weapon in the war against drones
04:00 , Andy Gregory
British army tests ‘game-changing’ weapon in the war against drones
Biden vows continued arms support for Ukraine after Russia’s Christmas Day attack
03:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
US president Joe Biden condemned Russia’s Christmas Day attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and cities, underscoring the US commitment to supporting Ukraine.
“The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the Ukrainian people’s access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid,” Mr Biden said in a statement.
He instructed the defence department to continue accelerating arms shipments to Ukraine.
However, uncertainty looms over future aid as president-elect Donald Trump, who has voiced scepticism about the scale of US involvement in the conflict, prepares to take office.
Keith Kellogg, Trump’s pick for special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, also criticised Wednesday’s attack.
“Christmas should be a time of peace, yet Ukraine was brutally attacked on Christmas Day,” Kellogg said. “The US is more resolved than ever to bring peace to the region.”
Russia ship bound for Syria sinks in Mediterranean
03:00 , Andy Gregory
A Russian cargo ship that Kyiv says was intended to collect weapons from military bases in Syria has sunk on route in the Mediterranean Sea.
Officials in Moscow said two crew members are missing after an engine room explosion sank the Ursa Major between Spain and Algeria. Fourteen other crew were rescued and taken to Spain.
The vessel left the Russian port city of St Petersburg on 11 December, according to ship tracking data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). It was last seen sending a signal at 10.04pm GMT on Monday between Algeria and Spain.
Ukraine’s military intelligence claimed on Monday that the ship had been sent to Syria to remove weapons and military materiel after the fall of Moscow-backed Bashar Al-Assad.
Ukraine and South Korea disagree on North Korean losses
02:00 , Andy Gregory
Ukraine’s president Zelensky and South Korean officials have provided different estimates of North Korean troops killed or injured as they fight alongside Russian forces.
Seoul’s top military officials say that around 1,100 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded in Ukraine’s Kursk region. Meanwhile, Zelensky put the figure much higher, at over 3,000.
The Ukrainian president has warned that more North Korean troops will likely join the invading Russian forces, criticising world leaders for doing “almost nothing” to curb collaboration between the two nations.
South Korean military sources have corroborated his claim, saying there is evidence that North Korea is preparing to send more resources to Russia.
Russian gas flows faster in face of Ukraine criticism
01:00 , Andy Gregory
Russia’s Gazprom said that it would send 42.4 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday, up from 42.1 mcm on Monday.
The slight uptick in distribution comes after Zelensky said he would not allow contracts for gas exports which flow from Russia to Europe through Ukraine to be renewed.
In reaction to the announcement, Slovakia PM Robert Fico met with Putin on Monday for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Gazprom’s exports to Europe and beyond decreased sharply following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, dropping by 90 billion cubic metres (bcm) in a single year to 63.8 billion over the year.
This dropped again in 2023 to 28.3 bcm, and is estimated to reach 32 bcm overall for 2024.
However, these figures are all staggeringly low compared to Gazprom’s pre-war exports, with the 2018/19 peak of 180 bmc remaining far out of reach.
Ukraine launches first robot-only assault on Russia
Wednesday 25 December 2024 23:59 , Andy Gregory
Ukraine has successfully mounted its first robot-only assault against Russia, its the military says, as unmanned vehicles pushed back Moscow’s forces over the weekend.
In a display of modern warfare, Kyiv used dozens of remote-controlled vehicles mounted with machine guns, as well as unmanned kamikaze drones, in a raid near the Ukrainian-held town of Lyptsi, the Ukrainian military said.
Volodymyr Dehtiarov, a representative for Ukraine’s Khartiia Brigade, said: “We are talking about dozens of units of robotic and unmanned equipment simultaneously on a small section of the front.”
The assault took place between Russian-held Hlyboke and Ukrainian-held Lyptsi, in the Kharkiv region near Ukraine’s north-western border.
Kyiv has struggled with a shortage of manpower as the fight against invadin Russian troops continues into 2025. Ukranian officials have said the nation’s military consists of around 800,000 while Russia has committed 1.7 million troops to its war so far.
Modern assaults such as Ukraine’s robot only attack may prove to be crucial in the coming year as the officials look to tackle the imbalance of troops.
Editorial: Putin’s Christmas Day attacks were designed to show ruthless force – but they may backfire
Wednesday 25 December 2024 23:29 , Jabed Ahmed
How Putin’s ‘ruthless’ Christmas Day attacks on Ukraine may backfire
Protests and anger as Slovakia PM meets Putin
Wednesday 25 December 2024 23:00 , Andy Gregory
Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico has drawn criticism from the European community and Slovakian citizens after he met face-to-face with Vladimir Putin the day before Christmas Eve (23 December).
Mr Fico became only the third European leader to visit the Russian president in Moscow since its invasion of Ukraine was ordered in February 2022.
The pair discussed “the international situation” and the delivery of Russian natural gas, according to the Kremlin.
Mr Fico says his visit was a reaction to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement that he would no longer allow Russian natural gas to flow to other European countries through pipes in Ukrainian soil.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry slammed the “weakness, dependence and short-sightedness” of Mr Fico’s energy policy in a statement, calling it a “threat to the whole of Europe.”
Meanwhile, protests have taken place in Bratislavia, Slovakia’s capital, as citizens show their support for Ukraine and disappointment at Mr Fico’s meeting.
Russian ship under US sanction sunk in ‘act of terrorism’, says owner
Wednesday 25 December 2024 22:32 , Jabed Ahmed
Russian ship under US sanction sunk in ‘act of terrorism’, says owner
US to continue weapons surge to Ukraine after Russia’s Christmas attack, Biden says
Wednesday 25 December 2024 22:24 , Jabed Ahmed
President Joe Biden has said he asked the US Defense Department to continue its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine after condemning Russia’s Christmas Day attack against some of Ukraine’s cities and its energy system.
“The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the Ukrainian people’s access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid,” Biden said in a statement.
Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy system and some cities with cruise and ballistic missiles plus drones on Wednesday, Ukraine said. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Washington has committed $175 billion in aid for Ukraine.
Putin must not be rewarded for Ukraine invasion, warns Estonia’s PM
Wednesday 25 December 2024 22:01 , Andy Gregory
Europe’s frontline countries remain adamant that Vladimir Putin must not be rewarded for his invasion of Ukraine, and that the safety of the continent relies on Ukraine’s success.
“To be very frank, when Russia is fighting with Ukraine and Russia is defeated in Ukraine, there is no need to ask who is next,” Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal told The Independent.
“If we allow Russia as a regime, as a thug, as a bully, to take something by force, and after that, we say, yes, let’s agree that half of what is taken is theirs, then that would be a very bad message for the future of the democratic world.”
‘I have to be here. My family understands’: Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s drone brigade
Wednesday 25 December 2024 21:31 , Jabed Ahmed
In the forests near Kharkiv, Askold Krushelnycky speaks to soldiers spending Christmas fighting a hi-tech battle against Vladimir Putin’s forces
Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s drone brigade
Nato ‘cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US’
Wednesday 25 December 2024 21:03 , Andy Gregory
Nato is “not ready” to fight against Vladimir Putin’s Russia without the US, the leaders of the alliance’s three frontline states have told The Independent, as they called on allies to drastically increase defence spending.
In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, the leaders of Latvia, Estonia and Finland have urged the alliance to stop “endlessly debating” how to cope with the looming threat of Russia, saying it is time to bolster Europe’s defences.
“We are not ready. That’s absolutely clear,” says Latvia president Edgars Rinkevics. “We can’t keep simply hoping for a situation where the US remains much involved in Europe.”
“We have to ramp up our defence capabilities,” Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal adds, “because of Russia’s threat, and its inability to be a democracy and operate in a rule-based world”.
Tom Watling and Millie Cooke have the exclusive report:
Nato cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US, warns Baltic leaders
Full report: ‘State-sponsored terrorism’ as Russia targets Ukraine on Christmas Day
Wednesday 25 December 2024 20:20 , Andy Gregory
A large-scale Russian missile and drone attack targeting Ukraine’s energy system on Christmas Day has been condemned as “inhumane” by president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Half a million people were left without heating in Kharkiv in temperatures just a few degrees above freezing, as blackouts were reported in Kyiv and other regions.
At least one person was killed and six others wounded in the attack, described by one Ukrainian energy chief as Vladimir Putin’s “state-sponsored terrorism”.
You can read the full report on today’s events below:
‘State-sponsored terrorism’ as Russia attacks Ukraine energy targets on Christmas Day
Ukrainians have highest trust for Trump in Europe, survey suggests
Wednesday 25 December 2024 19:42 , Andy Gregory
Just over 44 per cent of Ukrainians trust US president-elect Donald Trump, around 10 points less than president Joe Biden, a survey by the New Europe Centre showed.
In comparison, a separate June poll by the Pew Research Center suggested that Hungarians trusted Mr Trump the most at 37 percent, followed by Britain at 30 per cent and then France with 16 per cent of the population trusting him.
“This high level of support is likely due to the expectation of a clearer and more decisive policy towards Ukraine from the new US administration,” New Europe Centre researchers said.
70 per cent of Ukrainians support ‘West German’ model for Nato accession, survey shows
Wednesday 25 December 2024 19:00 , Andy Gregory
Just over 70 per cent of Ukrainians support gradual Nato accession akin to West Germany’s model, a new survey by the Kyiv-based New Europe Centre showed.
This invitation would cover Ukraine, but the alliance’s defensive umbrella would only extend to occupied territories after liberation.
Different Nato accession pathways are gaining traction in both the West and Kyiv as Russia holds a military advantage on the battlefield and the prospect of liberating occupied territories militarily remains slim.
Kremlin calls US transfer of funds to Kyiv covered by frozen Russian asset profits ‘theft’
Wednesday 25 December 2024 18:31 , Andy Gregory
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that $1bn reportedly sent to Ukraine by Washington via the World Bank and covered by profits generated by frozen Russian assets amounted to theft.
“This money has been stolen from us. And those reserves that are blocked, they are also blocked absolutely illegally. This is contrary to all norms and rules,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
“Such illegal actions, including the transfer of this billion, may, of course, in the long term become a reason for our legal action. And we will, of course, use every opportunity to protect our rights and our property rights.”
Moldovan president says Russian missile violated its airspace
Wednesday 25 December 2024 17:52 , Andy Gregory
Moldova’s president has condemned the violation of its airspace by a Russian missile, as Vladimir Putin’s forces launched vast attacks on Ukraine.
Maia Sandu said: “While our countries celebrate Christmas, the Kremlin chooses destruction — targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and violating Moldova’s airspace with a missile, actions that clearly violate international law.
“Moldova condemns these actions and stands in full solidarity with Ukraine.”
Woman, 53, killed in Russian shelling in Kharkiv district, prosecutors say
Wednesday 25 December 2024 17:25 , Andy Gregory
A woman is reported to have been killed by Russian shelling in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
The Kupiansk prosecutor’s office said it had opened a pre-trial war crimes investigation after a 53-year-old woman was killed by Russian shelling on the village of Novoosinove, which damaged residential homes and outbuildings, broadcaster Suspilne reported.
Comment | What the Christmas Day bombing of Ukraine tells us about Putin’s aims
Wednesday 25 December 2024 16:58 , Andy Gregory
In a comment piece for Independent Voices, historian Mark Almond writes:
Ukrainians faced another barrage of Russian rockets and drones on Christmas Day, showing that Vladimir Putin’s war grinds on regardless of the calendar.
You may think – as a born-again Russian Orthodox believer – Putin is saving the season of goodwill for 7 January. Unlike Ukraine (which dropped the old Orthodox calendar and adopted 25 December as its holiday), Putin’s Russia cleaves to old imperial Russian tradition.
But changing the date of Christmas was not so much a theological realignment with the Catholic West, as a geopolitical signal of Kyiv’s determination to integrate with Nato and the EU.
That is, of course, a red rag to Putin.
And behind the Kremlin’s insistence on fighting to save the Russian “soul” of a Western-drifting Ukraine, there are crude practical benefits of seizing the territory where today’s fighting is worst.
What the Christmas Day bombing of Ukraine tells us about Putin’s aims
Russian region declares emergency situation as Black Sea oil spill fallout widens
Wednesday 25 December 2024 16:06 , Andy Gregory
Authorities in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region have declared a region-wide emergency, saying that oil was still washing up on the coastline 10 days after two ageing tankers ran into trouble.
The oil is from the tankers which were hit by a storm on 15 December. One of the vessels split in half, while the other ran aground.
The pollution, which has coated sandy beaches at and around Anapa, a popular summer resort, has caused serious problems for seabirds and everything from dolphins to porpoises and over 10,000 people have been trying to clear it up.
Veniamin Kondratiev, governor of the Krasnodar region, said that he had decided to declare a region-wide emergency because oil was still polluting the coastline in the Anapa and Temryuk districts.
Ukraine destroyed Russian arms depot in drone attack, SBU source claims
Wednesday 25 December 2024 15:41 , Andy Gregory
Ukrainian drones have recently destroyed an ammunition depot at the Kadamovsky military training ground in Russia’s Rostov region, a source in Ukraine’s SBU security service told the Kyiv Independent.
“It was used by the enemy to supply its troops in the Kramatorsk sector [in Ukraine’s Donetsk region],” the source was quoted as saying.
“Now the Russians have significant logistical difficulties, which significantly affect their ability to conduct combat operations.”
Ukraine officially marks Christmas Day on 25 December for second year
Wednesday 25 December 2024 15:16 , Andy Gregory
This is the second year that Ukraine has officially celebrated Christmas on December 25, in a move to separate itself from Russia’s cultural influence.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Ukraine’s Orthodox Christians, celebrates Christmas on January 7, following the ancient Julian calendar.
Last year Mr Zelensky signed a law moving Ukraine’s official Christmas Day to December 25, with a goal of abandoning the “Russian heritage” of the Orthodox Christmas.
Russia accuses Nato of trying to turn Moldova into a logistical centre to supply Ukrainian army
Wednesday 25 December 2024 14:51 , Andy Gregory
Russia’s foreign ministry has claimed Nato is trying to turn Moldova into a logistical centre to supply the Ukrainian army and bring its military infrastrucure closer to Russia.
Maria Zakharova, the ministry’s spokesperson, made the accusation at a weekly news briefing during which she claimed the majority of Moldova’s population did not want to join the military alliance.
She cited what she said was a large transfer of weapons to Moldova in recent months and what she said were the pro-Western views of Moldova’s president Maia Sandu.
Starmer says it is ‘vital we redouble our resolve to bolster Ukraine’
Wednesday 25 December 2024 14:27 , Andy Gregory
Here are more of the comments from Sir Keir Starmer on Vladimir Putin’s Christmas Day attacks on Ukraine.
The prime minister said: “I condemn this ongoing assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
“I pay tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainian people, and the leadership of President Zelensky, in the face of further drone and missile attacks from Putin’s bloody and brutal war machine, with no respite, even at Christmas.
“As we go into the New Year, it remains vital that we redouble our resolve to place Ukraine in the strongest possible position to end Russia’s illegal aggression against the Ukrainian people.”
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