Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow and Kyiv exchange hundreds of prisoners as Biden approves $6bn aid

Ukraine and Russia carried out a new exchange of prisoners of war on Monday, with Kyiv bringing home 189 former captives.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the United Arab Emirates and other partners for facilitating the swap.

“The return of our people from Russian captivity is always very good news for each of us. And today is one of such days: our team managed to bring 189 Ukrainians home,” Mr Zelensky said.

Russia’s defence ministry said that 150 Russian soldiers were freed from captivity as part of the exchange in which each side released 150 people.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has announced almost $6bn in military and budget aid for Ukraine before president-elect Donald Trump takes office next month.

“I’ve directed my administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible,” Mr Biden said in a statement.

“At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this war over the remainder of my time in office.”

Key points

• Zelensky hails return of Ukrainian POWs as ‘very good news’

• Hundreds of soldiers freed in the latest prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine

• Biden announces almost $6bn in military and budget aid for Ukraine

• Russia ‘suffering record losses’ in Donetsk, claims Ukraine military chief

• Russia condemns EU over blocking of state media on Telegram

Oil depot in Smolensk region catches fire following drone attack, Russian authorities claim

04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

An oil depot in Russia’s Smolensk region reportedly caught fire following a drone attack overnight on 31 December, according to regional authorities.

“A Ukrainian drone attack targeted a fuel and energy facility, resulting in fires,” the head of the Yartsevo district, Roman Zakharov, wrote on his Telegram channel.

The claims could not be verified independently.

North Korea’s Kim vows the toughest anti-US policy before Trump takes office

04:03 , Tom Watling

North Korea’s Kim vows the toughest anti-US policy before Trump takes office

Hundreds of soldiers freed in the latest prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine

03:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war in the latest such swap that saw the release of hundreds of captives and was brokered with the help of the United Arab Emirates, officials said Monday.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 189 Ukrainian prisoners, including military personnel, border guards and national guards — along with two civilians — were freed. He thanked the UAE for helping negotiate the exchange.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that 150 Russian soldiers were freed from captivity as part of the exchange in which each side released 150 people.

Read more here:

Hundreds of soldiers freed in the latest prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine

– AP

Biden announces almost $6bn in military and budget aid for Ukraine

03:25 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The Biden administration has announced almost $6bn in military and budget aid for Ukraine before president-elect Donald Trump takes office next month.

“I’ve directed my administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible,” Mr Biden said in a statement.

“At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this war over the remainder of my time in office.”

This includes $2.5bn more in weapons and $3.4bn in economic assistance to help pay for other government services.

If the West gives an inch on Ukraine, Putin will take a mile

03:01 , Tom Watling

If the West gives an inch when it comes to Ukraine, Putin will take a mile

The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine

02:05 , Tom Watling

The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine

Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia

01:03 , Tom Watling

Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia

Finnish investigators find anchor drag mark on the Baltic seabed following cable damage

Monday 30 December 2024 23:02 , Tom Watling

Finnish investigators find anchor drag mark on the Baltic seabed following cable damage

Catholic priest in Belarus sentenced to 11 years as crackdown on dissent continues

Monday 30 December 2024 22:03 , Tom Watling

Catholic priest in Belarus sentenced to 11 years as crackdown on dissent continues

Sweden is searching for cemetery space that it hopes it never needs

Monday 30 December 2024 21:05 , Tom Watling

Sweden is searching for cemetery space that it hopes it never needs

Nato cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US, warn leaders

Monday 30 December 2024 20:02 , Tom Watling

Nato cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US, warns Baltic leaders

Putin and Trump are deluded about each other, and Kyiv will pay for it

Monday 30 December 2024 19:00 , Tom Watling

Putin and Trump are deluded about one another – and Ukraine will pay the price

As Trump returns to the White House – what next for Ukraine in 2025?

Monday 30 December 2024 18:07 , Tom Watling

As Trump returns to the White House – what next for Ukraine in 2025?

Russian man arrested for running LGBTQ+ travel agency found dead

Monday 30 December 2024 17:05 , Tom Watling

Russian man arrested for running LGBTQ+ travel agency found dead

Putin has ruled Russia for 25 years – but what can he show for it?

Monday 30 December 2024 17:01 , Tom Watling

What 25 years of Putin has done to the world, in a presidency bookended by war

Newly released Ukrainian POWs pictured for first time

Monday 30 December 2024 16:31 , Tom Watling

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has posted the first pictures of Ukraine’s latest POWs to be released from Russia in an exchange.

Finnish investigators find anchor drag mark on the Baltic seabed following cable damage

Monday 30 December 2024 16:29 , Tom Watling

Finnish investigators find anchor drag mark on the Baltic seabed following cable damage

Zelensky thanks US for latest aid package

Monday 30 December 2024 15:58 , Tom Watling

Russia and Ukraine exchange 150 prisoners each in UAE-mediated swap, Moscow says

Monday 30 December 2024 15:27 , Tom Watling

Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner swap on Monday, with each side freeing 150 prisoners of war, Russia’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.

It said that the Russian captives had been released on Belarusian territory and would be transferred to Russia. The United Arab Emirates had served as a mediator in the swap, the statement added.

If the West gives an inch on Ukraine, Putin will take a mile

Monday 30 December 2024 14:54 , Tom Watling

If the West gives an inch when it comes to Ukraine, Putin will take a mile

First Ukrainian aid shipments to Syria to arrive tomorrow, says Zelensky

Monday 30 December 2024 14:33 , Tom Watling

The first Ukrainian aid package to Syria will arrive in the country tomorrow, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has announced.

The leader said 500 tonnes of Ukrainian wheat flour will arrive in Syria tomorrow. “And there will be more deliveries, as well as more mutually beneficial cooperation in many areas,” he added.

The support comes just weeks after a Syrian rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew the Russian-backed dictator Bashar al-Assad in a stunning offensive earlier this month. Mr al-Assad flew to Moscow upon invitation from the Kremlin, where he now lives in exile, to avoid the advancing HTS.

Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha recently led a delegation to the Syrian capital of Damascus to speak with the new administration.

“We support the Syrian people in overcoming decades of dictatorial rule and restoring stability, security, and normal life in Syria,” said Mr Zelensky.

Ukraine’s frontline mapped – ISW

Monday 30 December 2024 14:05 , Tom Watling

Below, you can see the latest updates on the frontline in Ukraine, according to The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank.

Russia ‘suffering record losses’ in Donetsk, claims Ukraine military chief

Monday 30 December 2024 13:45 , Tom Watling

Russian forces are “suffering record losses” as they carry out constant assaults in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, Kyiv’s military chief has claimed.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi says the fighting in that region, where Russian forces are advancing along multiple points, “remains the hottest” of the roughly 650-mile frontline.

“He worked in units and subdivisions conducting a defensive operation in the Donetsk region,” read a statement issued on Gen. Syrskyi’s behalf “These areas remain the hottest. The enemy continues to carry out continuous meaty assaults, suffering record losses.”

US sends final security package to Ukraine under Biden administration

Monday 30 December 2024 13:21 , Tom Watling

The United States has announced nearly $6 billion (£4.76bn) in additional military and budget assistance for Ukraine as president Joe Biden uses his final weeks in office to surge aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes power.

Biden announced $2.5 billion in additional security assistance for Ukraine. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the United States has made available $3.4 billion in additional budget aid to Ukraine, giving the war-torn country critical resources amid intensifying Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.

“At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this war over the remainder of my time in office,” Biden said in a statement.

Biden’s announcement includes $1.25 billion in military aid drawn from US stockpiles and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package, the final USAI package of Biden’s time in office.

Under USAI, military equipment is procured from the defense industry or partners, rather than drawn from American stocks, meaning it can take months or years to arrive on the battlefield.

20 per cent of Ukraine’s arable land lost

Monday 30 December 2024 12:50 , Barney Davis

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the area of arable land available for harvest has decreased 20%, a minister said.

Vitalii Koval, Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, shared this information during a television broadcast.

“We are facing objective factors contributing to rising food prices. For instance, the area of arable land today is 20% smaller than before the war.

“This year, crops were harvested from 19.8 million hectares. Additionally, the price increase for each type of product depends on how integrated Ukraine is into the global market for that particular product,” Koval explained.

Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, the area of arable land available for harvest in Ukraine has decreased by 20%.

Six killed as Russian HQ destroyed in missile strike – Ukraine claims

Monday 30 December 2024 11:50 , Barney Davis

Footage shows the moment a Russian base is destroyed in a Ukrainian air strike killing six in occupied Zaporizhzhia.

Aerial reconnaissance by the Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence force identified the headquarters’ location, according to their post on Facebook.

Working with the Tavria Group of Forces, they carried out a “precise missile strike” on the target.

The operation resulted in the destruction of the headquarters, with six Russian personnel eliminated and three others seriously injured.

Biden announces $2.5bn package for Ukraine

Monday 30 December 2024 11:09 , Barney Davis

President Joe Biden announced $2.5 billion in additional security assistance for Ukraine on Monday as he uses his final weeks in office to surge military aid to Kyiv before Donald Trump takes power.

“At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this war over the remainder of my time in office,” Biden said in a statement.

Biden’s announcement includes $1.25 billion in military aid drawn from stockpiles and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package, the final USAI package of Biden’s time in office.

Black box from Azerbaijan crash sent to Brazil

Monday 30 December 2024 10:49 , Barney Davis

The black box from the Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan, believed to have been caused by shots from the ground in Russia, has been recovered and is being sent to Brazil for investigation

There were 67 people on board the aircraft, including 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz citizens. 38 were killed.

The government in Astana explained that the decision to send the flight recorders to Brazil was based on the fact that the Azal aircraft was manufactured there and followed “consultations with Azerbaijan and Russia.”

“In accordance with the standards of Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention, the state conducting the investigation ensures the reading of flight recorders and decides on the selection of a country to read and decode the black boxes,” the statement said, highlighting that Kazakhstan is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

No fires reported in Odesa as Ukraine thwarts drone assault

Monday 30 December 2024 09:31 , Barney Davis

Falling Russian strike drones damaged five buildings in the Rozdilna district of the Odesa region.

Odesa Regional Governor Oleh Kipe said on Telegram: “At night, Russian terrorists attacked Odesa with attack drones. Our air defense forces destroyed most of the enemy targets.

“As a result of falling debris in the Rozdilnian district, window glazing, facades and roofs of five residential buildings were damaged without subsequent burning.

“There are currently no casualties or injuries.”

Ukraine’s military intelligence says North Korean troops suffer heavy battlefield losses

Monday 30 December 2024 08:31 , Barney Davis

Ukraine’s military intelligence says North Korean troops suffer heavy battlefield losses

Ukraine’s air defence downs 21 Russian drones, Kyiv says

Monday 30 December 2024 07:30 , Namita Singh

Ukraine’s air defence downed 21 drones out of 43 launched by Russia in an overnight attack targeting six regions across the country, the Ukrainian air force said.

It said that 22 other drones were “lost”. Military analysts said Ukraine was increasingly using electronic warfare to redirect or spoof Russian drones.

Drone debris damaged residential houses in the eastern Kharkiv region and in the Odesa region in the south, regional officials said.

Ukraine to appoint first military ombudsman to address abuse in armed forces

Monday 30 December 2024 06:54 , Namita Singh

In his evening address on yesterday, Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that a candidate for the role had been selected and would be formally announced in a presidential decree today. The new position aims to address concerns of abuse within the military ranks, ensuring servicemen and women have an avenue to report rights violations.

The Defence Ministry outlined the ombudsman’s responsibilities earlier this year, stating the office would handle appeals, provide legal assistance, conduct investigations, and inspect claims of rights violations involving servicemen and their families.

Calls for the appointment have grown louder following allegations of abuse within Ukraine’s 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade. Senior Lieutenant Vladyslav Pastukh has been accused of abusing his authority, including beating and humiliating subordinates. Meanwhile, Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk, his godfather, was detained yesterday for failing to address claims of torture and misconduct in his command.

“There was a request from our military, and it is an objective necessity — to create a special institution of a Military Ombudsman,” Mr Zelensky said. “We need a person who can effectively protect the rights of our warriors.”

One of the reported incidents included subordinates being tied to a wooden cross and left immobilised for hours under Pastukh’s orders.

With the new appointee, Mr Zelensky pledged to collaborate with the human rights community and the Defence Ministry to draft legislation establishing a robust institutional framework for the Military Ombudsman’s office.

Russia claims several Ukrainian plots to kill senior officers foiled

Monday 30 December 2024 06:07 , Barney Davis

Russia claims it foiled several plots to kill senior officers with disguised bombs

Slovakia rejects Ukraine accusations of opening up second energy front

Monday 30 December 2024 05:48 , Namita Singh

Slovakia has rejected Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s accusation that prime minister Robert Fico had opened a “second energy front” against Kyiv on the orders of Russia as a gas transit dispute deepened between the countries.

Foreign minister Juraj Blanar said on Sunday Slovakia was closely monitoring communications from Ukraine regarding Mr Fico’s statements and said Mr Zelensky’s suggestion of an alliance with Russian president Vladimir Putin was “fabricated”.

“We fully understand that they are exposed to a long-term war conflict, but that is why they should not create new enemies and fabricate a formation of a second front because member states of the European Union, including Slovakia, support Ukraine and its people,” Mr Blanar said in a Facebook post.

Ukraine pumps Russian natural gas through its territory to several European countries including Slovakia but it is expected to halt the flow when the existing transit deal – signed before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine – expires at the end of the year.

Mr Fico, who visited Mr Putin in Moscow a week ago, said on Friday Slovakia would consider reciprocal measures against Ukraine such as halting electricity supplies if Kyiv stops the gas transit from 1 January – spurring Mr Zelensky’s accusation that Slovakia was opening up a second energy front.

The Slovak prime minister also posted on Facebook yesterday, calling on the European Commission to pay close attention to the matter and repeating his claims that the loss of gas transit across Ukraine would hit European consumers and businesses.

“We are coming to a conclusion that must be unacceptable for the European Union and its goals,” Mr Fico wrote in an open letter. “Unilateral stoppage of transit through Ukraine towards Slovakia will cost European citizens, businesses and infrastructure tens of billions.”

Former Russian national team member killed in Ukraine war

Monday 30 December 2024 05:00 , Namita Singh

Aleksei Bugayev, a former member of Russia’s national soccer team who played at Euro 2004, has been killed in the 34-month-old war in Ukraine, Russian media quoted his father and agent as saying yesterday.

“Unfortunately, the news about Aleksei’s death is true. It happened today,” Tass news agency quoted the player’s father Ivan Bugayev as telling the Sport24 news outlet.

RIA news agency quoted Bugayev’s agent, Anton Smirnov, as saying intense fighting had made it impossible to retrieve Bugayev’s body for burial.

Bugayev, dead at age 43, played two matches for the Russian national team in the 2004 European championship and also played for Moscow sides Torpedo and Lokomotiv as well as other provincial sides. He ended his career in 2010 at the age of 29.

In September, Bugayev was sentenced by a court in southern Russia to nine and a half years in prison on drug trafficking charges.

He later declared his intention to sign up to fight in the Ukraine war. Russian authorities actively recruit in prisons for the conflict.

Russia condemns EU over blocking of state media on Telegram

Monday 30 December 2024 04:54 , Namita Singh

Russia has accused the European Union of censorship after its state media channels were reportedly blocked on Telegram across several EU countries.

Yesterday, channels belonging to the Ria Novosti news agency, Rossiya 1, Pervyi Kanal, NTV television, and newspapers Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta became inaccessible in nations including France, Belgium, Poland, Greece, the Netherlands, and Italy, according to reports.

Neither Telegram nor EU officials have commented on the alleged disruptions, leaving the cause unclear.

Russia criticised the move, describing it as an “act of censorship. “The systematic cleansing of all undesirable sources of information from the information space continues,” said foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova.

The EU has previously banned the distribution of Russian state media within its borders, accusing outlets like Ria Novosti, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta of spreading propaganda.

Moscow has vowed to respond to what it sees as an escalating act of suppression against its state-owned media platforms.

Azerbaijan president seeks investigation by international experts

Monday 30 December 2024 04:30 , Namita Singh

Azerbaijan was “in favor of a group of international experts” investigating the crash, president Ilham Aliyev said.Baku had “categorically refused” Russia’s suggestion that the Interstate Aviation Committee, which oversees civil aviation in the Commonwealth of Independent States, investigate it.

“It is no secret that this organisation consists mostly of Russian officials and is headed by Russian citizens. The factors of objectivity could not be fully ensured here,” Mr Aliyev said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media yesterday that Vladimir Putin had spoken to Mr Aliyev over the phone again but did not provide details of the conversation.

The Kremlin said a joint investigation by Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan was underway at the crash site near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.

The plane was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned towards Kazakhstan, hundreds of kilometers across the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed while making an attempt to land.

Passengers and crew who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny.

Russia must admit its guilt in shooting down Azerbaijan plane, says Aliyev

Monday 30 December 2024 04:00 , Namita Singh

Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan made three demands to Russia in connection with the crash that killed 38.

“First, the Russian side must apologise to Azerbaijan. Second, it must admit its guilt. Third, punish the guilty, bring them to criminal responsibility and pay compensation to the Azerbaijani state, the injured passengers and crew members,” he said.

Mr Aliyev noted that the first demand was “already fulfilled” when Russian president Vladimir Putin apologised to him on Saturday. Mr Putin called the crash a “tragic incident” though stopped short of acknowledging Moscow’s responsibility.

He said that an investigation into the crash was ongoing, and that “the final version (of events) will be known after the black boxes are opened.”

Azerbaijan’s president says crashed jetliner was shot down by Russia unintentionally

Monday 30 December 2024 03:30 , Namita Singh

Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev said yesterday that the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed last week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally, and criticised Moscow for trying to “hush up” the issue for days.

“We can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia. (…) We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done,” he told Azerbaijani state television.

Mr Aliyev said that the airliner, which crashed Wednesday in Kazakhstan, was hit by fire from the ground over Russia and “rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare.”

Mr Aliyev accused Russia of trying to “hush up” the issue for several days, saying he was “upset and surprised” by versions of events put forward by Russian officials.“Unfortunately, for the first three days we heard nothing from Russia except delirious versions,” he said.

The crash killed 38 of 67 people on board. The Kremlin said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, where the plane attempted to land, to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike.

Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s drone brigade

Monday 30 December 2024 03:05 , Barney Davis

Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s drone brigade

As Trump returns to the White House – what next for Ukraine in 2025?

Monday 30 December 2024 01:02 , Barney Davis

As Trump returns to the White House – what next for Ukraine in 2025?

Plane unintentionally shot down by Russia – President

Sunday 29 December 2024 23:00 , Barney Davis

Azerbaijan’s president has said the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed in Kazakhstan last week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally.

“We can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia. We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done,” Ilham Aliyev told Azerbaijani state television.

Mr Aliyev said the aircraft was hit by fire from the ground over Russia and rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare.

He accused Russia of trying to “hush up” the issue for several days, saying he was “upset and surprised” by versions of events put forward by Russian officials.

“Unfortunately, for the first three days we heard nothing from Russia except delirious versions,” he said.

The crash near Aktau airport on Wednesday December 25 killed 38 of the 67 people on board.

EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel