Putin’s forces have captured the village of Kostiantynopolske in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, just six miles from the city of Kurakhove, which they have stormed and are threatening to encircle.
Russia also launched 113 overnight drones into Ukraine, wounding eight people just hours after at least one person was killed in the capital of Kyiv in a missile attack.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, 57 drones were shot down during the attacks while further 56 drones were “lost”, likely having been electronically jammed.
On Friday, missiles hit Kyiv at around 7am local time, while a high-rise building was badly damaged. The capital’s St Nicholas Church was also damaged.
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Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin has said he should have invaded Ukraine earlier as he used an end-of-year press conference to double down on his decision to start the war.
Despite the toll his war has taken on Russia’s finances and the lives of its young men, Putin claimed that sending troops into Ukraine in 2022 has boosted his country’s military and economic power.
Key points
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Russia fires ballistic missiles at Kyiv in morning commute attack
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Russia should have sent troops to Ukraine earlier, says Putin
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Five injured in Russian missile attack in Kryvyi Rih
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Russia conducted mass cyberattack on Ukraine’s state registries
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Moscow charges Uzbek man for killing of Russian general
Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024
07:00 , Holly Evans
For the world, 2024 was riven by — and in some ways defined by — conflict on two fronts.
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The ripples after the previous year’s Hamas attacks in Israel left Gaza a shambles and tens of thousands dead, and an adjacent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is playing out across the Lebanon landscape as the year ends.
A continent away, the Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Russia’s invasion in early 2022, rages on and evolves, claiming more casualties as it goes.
Read the full article here:
Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024
Moscow sends 113 drones into Ukraine
06:00 , Stuti Mishra
Moscow sent 113 drones into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukrainian officials said. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, 57 drones were shot down during the attacks.
A further 56 drones were “lost,” likely having been electronically jammed.
The governor of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said eight people were wounded Friday night in drone attacks on the regional capital, also called Kharkiv.
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In the city of Zaporizhzhia, four people were wounded when a nine-story residential building was damaged by falling drone debris on Friday night, regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov said.
The one battle President Zelensky looks set to win
05:00 , Holly Evans
Not so very long ago, Vladimir Putin, the would-be reincarnation of Joseph Stalin, had some cause for satisfaction. True, his ill-fated “special military operation” in Ukraine had spectacularly failed in its initial stated aim of subsuming the country into a Greater Russia, resistance supposedly crumbling in days, with Volodymyr Zelensky skulking off into exile.
However, the Kremlin’s “meat-grinder” strategy has succeeded in occupying roughly a third of what was left of Ukrainian territory after the 2014 invasion. Russian troops were advancing, albeit at a glacial pace and an obscene cost in human lives.
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The attacks on civilians, homes and energy infrastructure were helping to demoralise and exhaust the Ukrainians, brave as they were. Some 40,000 fresh troops were promised by North Korea – Kim Jong Un’s elite squads, according to reports. Mr Kim and Russia’s other allies in the Middle East were assisting with the sanctions-busting; and the Iranians and Syrians (and, to a lesser degree, the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas) shared Russia’s agenda.
Read the full analysis:
The one battle President Zelensky looks set to win
Ukrainian drones strike deep inside Russian territory
04:11 , Stuti Mishra
Ukraine brought the war into the heart of Russia Saturday morning with drone attacks that local authorities said damaged residential buildings in the city of Kazan in the Tatarstan region, over 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) from the front line.
The press service of Tatarstan’s governor, Rustam Minnikhanov, said that eight drones attacked the city. Six hit residential buildings, one hit an industrial facility and one was shot down over a river, the statement said.
A video posted on local Telegram news channel Astra shows a drone flying into the upper floors of a high-rise building.
The attacks, which Ukraine didn’t acknowledge in keeping with its security policy, come after a Ukrainian attack Friday on a town in Russia’s Kursk border region using US-supplied missiles killed six people, including a child.
Zelensky admits Ukraine does not have military strength to reclaim lost territories from Russia
03:00 , Holly Evans
Ukraine lacks the military capability to retake all the territories occupied by Russia since 2014, president Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged, as he urged the West to take stronger action to confront Moscow.
In an interview with the French newspaper Le Parisien, Mr Zelensky made it clear that Kyiv would not formally recognise Russian control over any Ukrainian territory.
“Legally, we cannot give up our territories. This is prohibited by the constitution,” the Ukrainian president said. “But let’s not use such big words. Russia actually controls part of our territory today.”
Read the full article here:
Zelensky admits Ukraine does not have military strength to reclaim lost territories
Government criticises Russia’s ‘gangster threat’ against Times journalists
01:00 , Holly Evans
The Government has criticised Moscow’s “desperate rhetoric” after a senior ally of Vladimir Putin threatened The Times newspaper over its coverage of the assassination of a Russian general.
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy security council chair, said journalists at The Times were “legitimate military targets” and should “be careful” as “anything goes in London”.
His comments followed a Times editorial in which the newspaper described the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov as “a legitimate act of defence” by Ukraine, which has claimed responsibility for the killing.
Read the full article here:
Government criticises Russia’s ‘gangster threat’ against Times journalists
Russian opposition figure says fears of his mother’s poisoning in Berlin proved false
Saturday 21 December 2024 23:00 , Holly Evans
Russian opposition figure says fears of his mother’s poisoning in Berlin proved false
Warning North Korea can produce ballistic missiles for Russia ‘in months’
Saturday 21 December 2024 22:00 , Holly Evans
North Korea has demonstrated that it could produce ballistic missiles and supply them to Russia for use against Ukraine in a matter of months, an expert said on Wednesday.
Jonah Leff told the U.N. Security Council that researchers on the ground examined remnants of four missiles from North Korea recovered in Ukraine in July and August, including one that had marks indicating it was produced in 2024.
“This is the first public evidence of missiles having been produced in North Korea and then used in Ukraine within a matter of months, not years,” he said.
Read the full article here:
Warning North Korea can produce ballistic missiles for Russia ‘in months’
UK announces new funding for Ukraine amid ‘critical’ situation
Saturday 21 December 2024 21:00 , Holly Evans
The UK has pledged a new £225 million package of support for Ukraine after the Defence Secretary said the situation in the country is “critical”.
On a trip to Kyiv, John Healey said that the UK will “step up” on international leadership on Ukraine in 2025, after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged allies to maintain their support.
The package announced on Thursday involves £186 million for military equipment through the International Fund for Ukraine, including £92 million for Ukraine’s navy and £68 million for air defence equipment.
Read the full article here:
UK announces new funding for Ukraine amid ‘critical’ situation
Ukrainian missile attack disrupts gas network in Russia
Saturday 21 December 2024 20:00 , Holly Evans
Ukraine’s missile attack in Kursk has disrupted heating and gas networks, region’s governor Alexander Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.
The attack that killed six people, including a child, also disrupted the work under way to restore supplies to more than 80 residences.
Mr Khinshtein accused Kyiv of deliberating targeting civilians in the strike.
US spending millions of dollars maintaining seized $230m yacht linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch
Saturday 21 December 2024 19:00 , Holly Evans
The U.S. has spent tens of millions of dollars over more than two years maintaining a $230 million mega-yacht it seized as part of efforts to crack down on oligarchs linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the war in Ukraine, newly unearthed documents reveal.
Ever since U.S. authorities captured the Amadea in May 2022 in Fiji, American taxpayer funds have gone to payments like $52,717.08 on food and groceries for crewmembers, $277,200 for fuel, $1,000 on iPhone 11s for the bridge captains, and $1,216.24 for special toilet brushes, among other expenses uncovered by The Washington Post, which sued the federal government to release information about the seizure.
Authorities believe the yacht, which has a pool, wine cellar, and outdoor cinema, belongs to Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2018 and has been accused of money laundering.
Read the full article here:
US spending tens of millions of dollars maintaining seized Russian mega-yacht
Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024
Saturday 21 December 2024 18:00 , Holly Evans
For the world, 2024 was riven by — and in some ways defined by — conflict on two fronts.
The ripples after the previous year’s Hamas attacks in Israel left Gaza a shambles and tens of thousands dead, and an adjacent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is playing out across the Lebanon landscape as the year ends.
A continent away, the Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Russia’s invasion in early 2022, rages on and evolves, claiming more casualties as it goes.
Read the full article here:
Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024
Government criticises Russia’s ‘gangster threat’ against Times journalists
Saturday 21 December 2024 17:00 , Holly Evans
The Government has criticised Moscow’s “desperate rhetoric” after a senior ally of Vladimir Putin threatened The Times newspaper over its coverage of the assassination of a Russian general.
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy security council chair, said journalists at The Times were “legitimate military targets” and should “be careful” as “anything goes in London”.
His comments followed a Times editorial in which the newspaper described the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov as “a legitimate act of defence” by Ukraine, which has claimed responsibility for the killing.
Read the full article here:
Government criticises Russia’s ‘gangster threat’ against Times journalists
UK may send British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers, defence secretary suggests
Saturday 21 December 2024 15:58 , Holly Evans
British troops may be sent to Ukraine to train up soldiers in its war against Russia, the defence secretary has hinted.
John Healey has said Britain needs to “make the training a better fit for what the Ukrainians need” and left the door open to it taking place in the war-torn country.
Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources have previously told The Independent discussions are ongoing about whether to send troops to the country to support it amid Russia’s invasion.
Read the full article here:
UK may send British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers, defence secretary suggests
Ukraine strikes in heart of Russia with drone attack 1,000km beyond frontline
Saturday 21 December 2024 15:00 , Holly Evans
Ukraine brought the war into the heart of Russia Saturday morning with drone attacks that local authorities said damaged residential buildings in the city of Kazan in the Tatarstan region, over 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) from the front line.
The press service of Tatarstan’s governor, Rustam Minnikhanov, said that eight drones attacked the city. Six hit residential buildings, one hit an industrial facility and one was shot down over a river, the statement said.
A video posted on local Telegram news channel Astra, verified by The Associated Press, shows a drone flying into the upper floors of a high-rise building.
Read the full article here:
Ukraine strikes in heart of Russia with drone attack 1,000km beyond frontline
Watch: Drone strikes high-rise building in Russian city of Kazan
Saturday 21 December 2024 14:18 , Holly Evans
Airport in Kazan reopens after Ukrainian drone attack
Saturday 21 December 2024 13:44 , Holly Evans
The airport in the Russian city of Kazan reopened on Saturday after temporarily closing earlier in the day following a Ukrainian drone attack, Russia’s aviation watchdog said.
Russian state news agencies reported the drone attack on a residential complex and other areas in Kazan, some 500 miles (800 km) east of Moscow.
The Defence Ministry said the city had been attacked by three waves of drones between 7:40 a.m. and 9:20 a.m. (0440 and 0620 GMT). It said three drones were destroyed by air defence systems and three others by electronic warfare systems.
There were no casualties reported, agencies said, citing local authorities. The mayor of Kazan said on Telegram that all planned mass events in the city would be canceled over the weekend and that authorities would offer temporary accommodation to evacuees.
The Baza Telegram channel, which is close to Russia’s security services, published unverified video footage showing an aerial object crashing into a high-rise building, producing a large fireball.
Kim Jong Un ‘personally overseeing’ North Korean training for Ukraine
Saturday 21 December 2024 12:48 , Holly Evans
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is personally overseeing training of soldiers to be sent to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to South Korean intelligence reports, after Pyongyang’s inexperienced forces were said to have suffered a high number of casualties.
South Korean MP Lee Seong-kweun claimed at least 100 North Korean soldiers had been killed in the war, citing a briefing to parliament by the National Intelligence Service.
“There was a report that there have been at least 100 deaths and the injured are approaching 1,000,” he said.
Read the full article here:
Kim Jong Un ‘personally overseeing’ North Korean training for Ukraine amid losses
113 drones sent into Ukraine overnight
Saturday 21 December 2024 11:40 , Holly Evans
Moscow sent 113 drones into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukrainian officials said.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, 57 drones were shot down during the attacks while further 56 drones were “lost”, likely having been electronically jammed.
The governor of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said eight people were wounded on Friday night in drone attacks on the regional capital, also called Kharkiv.
Russia is ready to compromise with Trump on Ukraine war, Putin says
Saturday 21 December 2024 11:03 , Holly Evans
During boasts about Russia’s military achievements in his annual marathon televised news conference, Vladimir Putin says he is ready to compromise over Ukraine in possible talks on ending his war and has no conditions for starting discussions.
The Russian president told one reporter he was ready to meet Donald Trump, who he said he had not spoken to for years.
The US president-elect has vowed to swiftly end the Ukraine war, without giving any details on how he might achieve that.
Read the full article here:
Vladimir Putin: I am ready to talk to Trump over Ukraine
Drone attacks damage residential buildings 600 miles from frontline
Saturday 21 December 2024 10:23 , Holly Evans
Ukraine has brought the war into the heart of Russia with drone attacks that damaged residential buildings in the city of Kazan in the Tatarstan region, more than 600 miles from the front line.
The press service of Tatarstan’s governor, Rustam Minnikhanov, said that eight drones attacked the city.
Six hit residential buildings, one hit an industrial facility and one was shot down over a river, the statement said.
A video posted on local Telegram news channel Astra, verified by The Associated Press, shows a drone flying into the upper floors of a high-rise building.
Local authorities said there were no casualties. Flights were halted at Kazan’s airport and all mass gatherings cancelled on Saturday and Sunday.
The attacks, which Ukraine did not acknowledge in keeping with its security policy, comes after a Ukrainian attack on Friday on a town in Russia’s Kursk border region using US-supplied missiles killed six people, including a child.
Putin praises Boris Johnson’s hair as he peddles baseless Ukraine army theory
Saturday 21 December 2024 10:00 , Holly Evans
Putin praises Boris Johnson’s hair as he peddles baseless Ukraine army theory
Russian troops capture village in Donetsk
Saturday 21 December 2024 09:32 , Holly Evans
Russian troops have captured the village of Kostiantynopolske in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the defence ministry said on Saturday.
The reports have not been independently verified.
US condemns ‘unacceptable’ Russian missile attack on Kyiv
Saturday 21 December 2024 09:04 , Athena Stavrou
The US State Department on Friday condemned a Russian missile attack on Kyiv earlier in the day that killed a civilian and damaged a building hosting several diplomatic missions.
“Any attack against diplomats or diplomatic facilities anywhere is unacceptable,” department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a post on X.
Six killed in Ukrainian missile attack on Russia’s Kursk region, acting governor says
Saturday 21 December 2024 08:31 , Athena Stavrou
Six people, including one child, were killed on Friday in a Ukrainian missile attack on the town of Rylsk in Russia’s Kursk region, the acting governor, Alexander Khinshtein, said.
Ten wounded people, including a 13-year-old, were taken to hospital with minor injuries, Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.
“What happened today is a huge tragedy for all of us,” he said. “We grieve together with the families of the victims. No one will be left without support.”
Those responsible would receive “well-deserved retribution”, he said.
Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the incident.
Two Russian airports temporarily halt operations
Saturday 21 December 2024 08:03 , Athena Stavrou
Two Russian airports have temporarily halted operations following a Ukrainian drone attack, Russia’s aviation watchdog said.
Kazan airport has temporarily halted flight arrivals and departures, Russia’s aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said via the Telegram messaging app on Saturday, following a Ukrainian drone attack on the city.
Russian state news agencies reported the drone attack on a residential complex in Kazan, a city some 500 miles east of Moscow. The TASS agency said eight drone strikes had been recorded including six on residential structures.
There were no casualties reported, agencies said, citing local authorities.
The Baza Telegram channel, which is close to Russia’s security services, published unverified video footage showing an aerial object crashing into a high-rise building, producing a large fireball.
Rosaviatsia said it was also introducing temporary restrictions at the airport in Izhevsk, a smaller city northeast of Kazan.
Ukrainian missile attack disrupts gas network in Russia
Saturday 21 December 2024 07:30 , Stuti Mishra
Ukraine’s missile attack in Kursk has disrupted heating and gas networks, region’s governor Alexander Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.
The attack that killed six people, including a child, also disrupted the work under way to restore supplies to more than 80 residences.
Mr Khinshtein accused Kyiv of deliberating targeting civilians in the strike.
Russia and Ukraine exchange missile attacks, officials say, killing at least 1 person in Kyiv
Saturday 21 December 2024 07:00 , Tom Watling
Russia and Ukraine exchange missile attacks, officials say, killing at least 1 person in Kyiv
Russia vows ‘quick’ retribution after Ukraine attack
Saturday 21 December 2024 06:30 , Stuti Mishra
Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, said Moscow would be quick to respond to the Ukrainian attack that killed six, including a child.
“As you can well understand, our response to this targeted crime against peaceful Russian citizens will not be long in coming,” he told the UN security session.
What will it cost to defend Britain from a growing Russian threat?
Saturday 21 December 2024 06:00 , Tom Watling
What will it cost to defend Britain from a growing Russian threat?
Six killed in Russia, including one child, in a Ukrainian missile attack
Saturday 21 December 2024 05:30 , Stuti Mishra
Six people, including one child, were killed on Friday in a Ukrainian missile attack on the town of Rylsk in Russia’s Kursk region, the acting governor, Alexander Khinshtein, said.
Ten wounded people, including a 13-year-old, were taken to hospital with minor injuries, Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.
“What happened today is a huge tragedy for all of us,” he said. “We grieve together with the families of the victims. No one will be left without support.”
Those responsible would receive “well-deserved retribution”, he said.
Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the incident.
Khinshtein said Ukraine had fired US-supplied HIMARS rockets, damaging several buildings including a school, recreation centre and private residences in Rylsk, some 16 miles (26km) from the border with Ukraine‘s Sumy region.
Ukraine’s scooter bomb killing could alter the course of the war
Saturday 21 December 2024 05:00 , Tom Watling
Ukraine’s scooter bomb killing could alter the course of the war
Russian forces edge closer to key Ukrainian city
Saturday 21 December 2024 04:00 , Tom Watling
Russian forces edge closer to key Ukrainian city as Putin faces ‘massive cost’
The one battle President Zelensky looks set to win
Saturday 21 December 2024 03:00 , Tom Watling
The one battle President Zelensky looks set to win
Russian opposition figure says fears of his mother’s poisoning in Berlin proved false
Saturday 21 December 2024 02:00 , Tom Watling
Russian opposition figure says fears of his mother’s poisoning in Berlin proved false
Government criticises Russia’s ‘gangster threat’ against Times journalists
Saturday 21 December 2024 16:17 , Holly Evans
The Government has criticised Moscow’s “desperate rhetoric” after a senior ally of Vladimir Putin threatened The Times newspaper over its coverage of the assassination of a Russian general.
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy security council chair, said journalists at The Times were “legitimate military targets” and should “be careful” as “anything goes in London”.
His comments followed a Times editorial in which the newspaper described the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov as “a legitimate act of defence” by Ukraine, which has claimed responsibility for the killing.
Read the full article here:
Government criticises Russia’s ‘gangster threat’ against Times journalists
Who was Igor Kirillov, Russian general killed by bomb in Moscow?
Saturday 21 December 2024 01:00 , Tom Watling
Who was Igor Kirillov, senior Russian general killed by bombing in Moscow?
What’s known about the brazen bombing that killed a top Russian general in Moscow
Saturday 21 December 2024 00:00 , Tom Watling
What’s known about the brazen bombing that killed a top Russian general in Moscow
Zelensky admits Ukraine is not capable of reclaiming lost territories
Friday 20 December 2024 23:00 , Tom Watling
Zelensky admits Ukraine does not have military strength to reclaim lost territories
Kim Jong Un ‘personally overseeing’ North Korean training for Ukraine
Friday 20 December 2024 22:00 , Tom Watling
Kim Jong Un ‘personally overseeing’ North Korean training for Ukraine amid losses
Blinken will avoid Ukraine and the Middle East at a divided UN Security Council
Friday 20 December 2024 21:00 , Tom Watling
Blinken will avoid Ukraine and the Middle East at a divided UN Security Council
Putin: I am ready to talk to Trump over Ukraine
Friday 20 December 2024 20:00 , Tom Watling
Vladimir Putin: I am ready to talk to Trump over Ukraine
US spending millions of dollars maintaining seized Russian yacht
Friday 20 December 2024 19:00 , Tom Watling
US spending tens of millions of dollars maintaining seized Russian mega-yacht
Turkey and Russia engage in delicate maneuvers over Syria after Assad’s downfall
Friday 20 December 2024 18:00 , Tom Watling
Turkey and Russia engage in delicate maneuvers over Syria after Assad’s downfall
Russian central bank holds rates steady at 21% amid criticism from key business figures
Friday 20 December 2024 17:00 , Tom Watling
Russian central bank holds rates steady at 21% amid criticism from key business figures
Russia and Ukraine exchange missile attacks, officials say, killing at least 1 person in Kyiv
Friday 20 December 2024 16:00 , Tom Watling
Russia and Ukraine exchange missile attacks, officials say, killing at least 1 person in Kyiv
Russian chemical weapons chief Kirillov is buried with military honours
Friday 20 December 2024 15:08 , Tom Watling
A Russian general assassinated by Ukraine was buried with full military honours on Friday as Moscow launched an apparent revenge attack on what it said was a Ukrainian intelligence service command centre in Kyiv.
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who was chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was the most senior Russian officer to be killed inside Russia by Ukraine.
He was killed outside his Moscow apartment building on Tuesday along with his assistant when a bomb attached to an electric scooter went off in an attack for which Ukraine‘s SBU security service took responsibility.
State news agency RIA said Kirillov was buried in a ceremony outside Moscow attended by Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council.
It said the ceremony had taken place at a Defence Ministry memorial complex called the Pantheon of the Defenders of the Fatherland.
Video footage of the funeral showed an honour guard carrying a coffin draped in the national flag and Kirillov’s cap on top of it as solemn music played. The honour guard then fired shots into the air in a snow-covered cemetery as the national anthem played and mourners looked on.
Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024
Friday 20 December 2024 14:28 , Tom Watling
Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024
Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia
Friday 20 December 2024 14:00 , Tom Watling
Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia
Footage shows Syrians throwing stones at Russian convoys
Friday 20 December 2024 13:28 , Tom Watling
Images show destruction of Kyiv church
Friday 20 December 2024 13:00 , Tom Watling
Russians targeted historic area of Kyiv, damaging St. Nicolas Cathedral. The blast wave destroyed the stained glass windows of the neo-Gothic cathedral and damaged the historic building. Russia brings barbarism and death.
📷 Ukrainian Institute of Restoration, Serhiy Korovayny pic.twitter.com/yLufTjFml5
— Bohdana Neborak (@BohdanaNeborak) December 20, 2024
US spending millions of dollars maintaining seized Russian yacht
Friday 20 December 2024 12:39 , Tom Watling
U.S. spending tens of millions of dollars maintaining seized Russian mega-yacht
We have some more pictures of the aftermath of Russian missile strikes on Kyiv
Friday 20 December 2024 12:14 , Tom Watling
Kim Jong Un ‘personally overseeing’ North Korean training for Ukraine
Friday 20 December 2024 11:37 , Tom Watling
Kim Jong Un ‘personally overseeing’ North Korean training for Ukraine amid losses
Ukraine claims Russia suffered highest daily losses of war
Friday 20 December 2024 11:20 , Tom Watling
Ukraine has claimed that Russian forces suffered more than 2,000 casualties on Thursday, the highest alleged losses in a day since the start of the full-scale invasion.
The Independent was not able to verify these numbers, though British intelligence recently suggested that Russian losses were notably high as Moscow’s troops advanced on Donetsk. They put the average figure over recent months between 1,000 and 1,200.
On December 20, russian personnel losses reached 2,200 soldiers.
It’s the highest daily number since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
The previous record — 2,030 soldiers — was set on November 29, 2024.
We make the occupiers pay the highest price for their terror. pic.twitter.com/3WxdnZjf30
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) December 20, 2024
Ukrainian military pulls back from areas in the east
Friday 20 December 2024 11:01 , Tom Watling
The Ukrainian military said on Friday its forces had pulled back from the area around Uspenivka and Trudove villages in the eastern region of Donetsk to avoid being encircled by advancing Russian troops.
With the war now in its 33rd month, the Ukrainian forces are engaged in intense defensive battles and are stretched thin as the Russians press forward along the front line.
“The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has decided to withdraw the units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces from the area in question to avoid encirclement,” Ukraine‘s Khortytsia group of forces said on Telegram.
Military units had avoided being surrounded and would continue to operations in the Kurakhove-Konstantinopolske area, a statement said.
Ukraine‘s General Staff reported 18 battles on the Kurakhove front in the past day with Russian forces attempting to advance to the north of the town.
The Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday its forces had taken control of two more settlements in Donetsk region, Uspenivka and Novopustynka. It claimed control of Trudove on Wednesday.
Kyiv mayor visits site of latest Russian attack
Friday 20 December 2024 10:41 , Tom Watling
North Korea can produce ballistic missiles for Russia ‘in months’
Friday 20 December 2024 10:18 , Tom Watling
Warning North Korea can produce ballistic missiles for Russia ‘in months’
US to announce final package of new arms for Ukraine in coming days, sources say
Friday 20 December 2024 10:06 , Tom Watling
The Biden administration will announce in the coming days its final Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package, using up the remaining funds set aside to buy new weapons for Ukraine, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The package includes air defense interceptors and artillery munitions, according to a third source, but the exact contents are expected when the package is announced in the coming days. The package will be worth about $1.2 billion, said the sources.
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. The USAI package could be among the last steps the United States takes to provide direct military support to Ukraine as Kyiv braces for the return of President-elect Donald Trump, who has publicly questioned military aid and vowed to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office on 20 January.
Since Russia’s invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, the United States has committed $175 billion in aid for Ukraine, including approximately $61.4 billion in security assistance.
About half of that security assistance has come through the USAI program, and the rest has gone toward pulling from existing military stocks via presidential drawdown authority.
There is $5.6 billion remaining of presidential drawdown authority.
Russia and Ukraine exchange missile attacks, officials say, killing at least 1 person in Kyiv
Friday 20 December 2024 09:53 , Tom Watling
Russia and Ukraine exchange missile attacks, officials say, killing at least 1 person in Kyiv
In pictures: Life in Pokrovsk as Russians advance within miles of the city
Friday 20 December 2024 09:24 , Tom Watling
Pictures have dropped showing the last remaining citizens of the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.
Russian forces are just a few miles from the outskirts of the city having advanced steadily throughout the year.
The city had a prewar of population of around 60,000 but only a few thousands citizens remain.
Ukrainian church damaged after Russian strikes on the capital
Friday 20 December 2024 09:00 , Tom Watling
The video shows the aftermath of a Russian attack on Kyiv that damaged St. Nicholas Church, one of Kyiv’s most beautiful architectural landmarks (the 2nd photo shows the church before the attack)
The business center located in front of the church was severely damaged.… pic.twitter.com/HAHwP2IfFp
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) December 20, 2024
Russia fires dozens of missiles and drones across Ukraine
Friday 20 December 2024 08:33 , Tom Watling
Russia fired nearly 50 missiles and drones at Ukraine overnight, Kyiv’s air force has reported.
In an update on the Telegram messenger app, Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired five ballistic missiles and 40 drones, while an additional 20 drones were lost before they reached their target.
The five missiles were fired at Kyiv at roughly 7am local time, the air force added, killing at least one person and destroying the roof of a high rise building, as well as several other houses.
At about 7:00 AM on December 20, 2024, Russia launched five Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles at Ukraine’s capital. These missiles were fired from Russia’s Voronezh and Bryansk regions.
All five Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles were successfully intercepted and destroyed.… pic.twitter.com/0ABZcR8Kvx
— Ukrainian Air Force (@KpsZSU) December 20, 2024
In pictures: Kyiv hit by Russian missile attack
Friday 20 December 2024 08:21 , Tom Watling
Russia is ready to compromise with Trump on Ukraine war, says Putin
Friday 20 December 2024 08:00 , Namita Singh
During boasts about Russia’s military achievements in his annual marathon televised news conference, Vladimir Putin says he is ready to compromise over Ukraine in possible talks on ending his war and has no conditions for starting discussions.
The Russian president told one reporter he was ready to meet Donald Trump, who he said he had not spoken to for years.
My colleague Alastair Jamieson reports:
Vladimir Putin: I am ready to talk to Trump over Ukraine
Video: Putin repeats fake Boris Johnson quote in bizarre Ukrainian army claim
Friday 20 December 2024 07:37 , Namita Singh
Turkey receives sanctions waiver for gas payments to Russia
Friday 20 December 2024 07:19 , Namita Singh
Turkey has received an exemption for gas payments to Russia from sanctions imposed on Gazprombank by the United States, Turkish energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar said.
In November, the US imposed new sanctions on Russia’s Gazprombank as president Joe Biden stepped up actions to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine before he leaves office in January.
Gazprom to send 42.4 mcm of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Friday
Friday 20 December 2024 07:06 , Namita Singh
Russian gas producer Gazprom said it would send 42.4 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine today, the same volume as yesterday.
Ukraine hits Russia with 10 longer-range Western missiles, says Russia
Friday 20 December 2024 07:00 , Alex Croft
Ukraine posts picture of British missiles heading towards Russian forces
The Ukrainian defence ministry has posted a photo purporting to show a British-made Storm Shadow missile being fired towards Russian forces.
Restrictions on the use of missiles to strike inside of Russia were lifted recently, prompting the Kremlin to accuse Ukraine’s western backers of trying to escalate the war. Those concerns were dismissed on the basis that the move was still defensive in nature, intended to blunt Russia’s ability to attack Ukraine.
One dead in Russian missile attack on Kyiv
Friday 20 December 2024 06:47 , Namita Singh
One person has been killed in a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, according to the head of city’s military administration.
The morning attack sparked fires across the city, in addition to damaging an office building, Serhiy Popko said this morning, citing preliminary information.
European leaders line up to support Ukraine ahead of Trump’s presidency
Friday 20 December 2024 06:39 , Namita Singh
European leaders are voicing their support for Ukraine as Russia continues to gain ground on the battlefield.
“We need to stand with Ukraine, and every step … needs to be taken with Ukraine and in the presence of the European Union,” said Luxembourg prime minister Luc Frieden. “The future of Ukraine is decided in Europe and not elsewhere,” he said.
Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof underlined that only Ukraine can determine the conditions for talks, “and it is not for us to talk about that. At the moment, Ukraine has not yet indicated that they are prepared to do so.”
The message of support for Ukraine has strengthened amid Ukraine’s weakened position in the war as president-elect Donald Trump is set to assume office next month.
Volodymr Zelensky has also doubled down on his diplomatic efforts, calling on the EU and the US to stay united next year, saying that “only together the United States and Europe can stop Putin and save Ukraine.” He said that the only effective security guarantee remains Nato membership.
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