[Korrespondent] 22:43 Blinken said he had discussed Zelensky's peace proposals with his G7 colleagues and called them "a good start." According to him, Ukraine has told the United States that it is currently focused on the return of its eastern and southern territories, which have been occupied since February. "But this in no way predetermines where it will go and where everything will stop," the US Secretary of State added.
21:47 The US Senate approved the country's draft budget for 2023 in the amount of $1.7 trillion, which provides for the allocation of $44.9 billion to help Ukraine.
9:36 pm Biden is ready to meet with Putin if Russia shows a serious willingness to negotiate, said White House strategic communications coordinator John Kirby.
21:08 Shmyhal said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine that 5-7 million Ukrainians are now abroad, and up to 90% want to return home. According to the prime minister's forecast, Ukrainians will return more actively in the spring.
20:22 Denmark will send 42.8 million dollars to support Ukraine, the country's Ministry of Defense announced. These funds will be used to purchase weapons and military equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The money will go to the UK-created International Fund for Ukraine (IFU).
20:19 The US Senate voted to include an amendment in the draft budget that would allow the confiscation of the frozen assets of Russian businessmen in favor of Ukraine.
19:48 Blinken said that "the chances of negotiations on Ukraine are growing thanks to the supply of US weapons to Kiev."
19:32 Canada will allocate $ 115 million to Kiev to restore the energy system, said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. The funds will be taken from tariff revenues from imports from the Russian Federation and Belarus.
19:13 The United States imposed sanctions against ten Russian naval organizations due to Russia's actions against Ukrainian ports, the State Department said.
18:29 At the Libava training ground in the Czech Republic, the first group of Ukrainian military personnel has completed training as part of the EUMAM mission. According to the commander of the ground forces of the Czech Army Roman Nakhonchik, during a three-week training course, several hundred Ukrainian soldiers have worked out basic skills. It is expected that in 2023 four more groups of Ukrainian military personnel numbering about 800 people will arrive in the Czech Republic, the first of them should begin training in January.
18:24 Putin said that on Monday-Tuesday he would sign a decree on "retaliatory measures" to the oil price ceiling, only these measures would be "precautionary", because "there is no visible damage to Russia from this ceiling, we are about sell at these prices.
18:21 Putin said that the goal of the Russian Federation is "not to spin the flywheel of the Ukrainian conflict, but to end this war, we will strive for it to be over - and the sooner the better." According to him, all armed conflicts end with negotiations, "the sooner this becomes clear to Kyiv, the better." The President of the Russian Federation also stated that "no one wants the unification of the Russian people, except for us - and we will do it and we will do it." Speaking about the pace of the "special operation," Putin said that "the intensification of hostilities leads to unjustified losses."
18:10 Zelensky's trip to the USA has become a top topic for all the world's leading media. About the reaction to the historic visit - in the material The delight of the USA, the sadness of the Russian Federation .
18:06 Zelensky recorded an evening video message on the road: "We are returning from Washington - we are going with good results. With something that will really help. When we say "patriots" in Ukraine and in the United States, we equally mean the protection of the state and people. This question resolved for Ukraine. There is also financial support. There are other agreements - about them a little later."
18:03 Putin said that in Ukraine "you can't go against that part of the people who consider themselves part of the Russian world." According to him, "a war was launched against them, but we all endured." He also stated about the involvement of the United States in the situation in Ukraine: "Our potential adversary has always tried to divide the Russian world and lead separate parts, the idea of Ukrainian separatism was born long ago."
17:55 PMC Wagner received a shipment of weapons from the DPRK, Reuters reports, citing sources in the US administration. "We can confirm that North Korea has completed the initial delivery of weapons to Wagner, which paid for the equipment. Last month, North Korea delivered missiles and projectiles to Russia for use by Wagner," the source said. According to US officials, the amount of weapons delivered is not capable of changing the dynamics of the war, but North Korean deliveries are likely to continue.
17:38 The head of the Kherson OVA, Yaroslav Yanushevich, urged residents of the Ostrov microdistrict in Kherson to evacuate to safer regions of Ukraine. According to him, due to constant enemy shelling, the Island may be left without electricity, heat and water supply.
17:09 The "administration" of Nova Kakhovka confirmed that the "head" of the village of Lyubimovka, Kherson region, Andriy Shtepa, died today in a car explosion.
17:05 Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said in an interview with Forbes that the Ukrainian energy system can be repaired before the summer so that the blackouts stop - but only on the condition that there will be no new shelling.
16:58 The G7 countries issued a statement in which they promised to continue covering Ukraine's urgent financial needs. $32 billion has already been raised for budget assistance in 2023. This amount includes 18 billion euros from the European Union, grants and loans from individual countries, as well as a support package from the United States. The G7 countries promise to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes." They also announced the creation of an interdepartmental Donor Coordinating Council.
16:51 Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani criticized Zelensky's statements in Washington about Tehran's military support for Moscow. He once again stressed that Iran "did not supply any military equipment to either side for use in the war in Ukraine" and has always respected the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine.
"Zelensky should have known that Iran's strategic patience with such baseless accusations is not unlimited," a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said. Kanaani also advised the Ukrainian president "to learn a lesson from the fate of some other political leaders who were satisfied with US support."
16:45 Zelensky said that on the way home after a trip to Washington, he met with Polish President Andrzej Duda: "We summed up the year, which brought historical challenges due to a full-scale war. We discussed strategic plans for the future, bilateral relations and interaction at the international level in 2023".
16:19 On December 21, Putin spoke at the expanded collegium of the Russian Defense Ministry. The main topic was "special military operation", that is, the war in Ukraine, and plans for the development of the Russian army, which they want to attract hundreds of thousands more people. About the main statements of the head of the Kremlin and Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu - in the material New people and weapons .
15:54 In Kakhovka, according to preliminary information, collaborator Andrei Shtepa, nicknamed Shnyr, was blown up, whom the Russians appointed to lead Lyubimovka and Vasilyevka, Kakhovka district. As the deputy of the regional council Sergey Khlan said, Shtepa sold moonshine and drugs and willingly handed over Ukrainian activists to the Russians.
15:43 Reznikov said that he had a telephone conversation with the head of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin: "We are grateful for another package of assistance in the field of security, especially for new opportunities to protect our skies from the brutal attacks of Russia. Ukrainian soldiers will quickly master the Patriot system. They have repeatedly proved your skill."
15:20 Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov said that the main efforts of the Russian military are currently focused on the "liberation" of the "DNR", the rest of the front line, according to him, is "stabilized", its total length is 815 km.
Gerasimov also said that since the beginning of the "special operation" the West has supplied Ukraine with more than 350 tanks, 700 artillery systems, 100 MLRS, 30 helicopters, and at least 5,000 drones.
14:54 About 10,300 new graves have been found in Mariupol, most of which are located in the cemetery in Stary Krym, the Associated Press reports, citing satellite images. Since the beginning of March, a significant expansion of burial sites has been recorded. The total area where the graves are located is more than 51.5 thousand square meters. m.
14:48 Air Force Speaker Yuriy Ignat said that the Ukrainian military could take possession of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems within a few months. According to him, the process of training operators will be accelerated, but this will be enough for efficient work.
14:37 Russians fired at Kupyansk and Volchansk of the Kharkiv region today. Five people were wounded in Volchansk, four of them were employees of the Central District Hospital, Oleg Sinegubov, the head of the OVA, said.
14:25 Shmyhal said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine that it will take seven to ten days to get out of the most difficult case of a complete blackout: "In the most difficult case of a complete blackout, when everything is completely broken, the exit takes from seven to ten days. This is according to calculations of our power engineers. I emphasize that these are theoretical calculations, because the world has not yet experienced such things." The prime minister assured that the government is preparing for all possible scenarios of the development of events, and the local authorities have already been informed of their response plans in case of critical situations.
13:48 The Russians fired at Chasov Yar in the Donetsk region - one person was killed, two were injured, the President's Office reported.
13:44 The head of the Kiev OVA Oleksiy Kuleba said that as of now, the situation in communities where there was no electricity for more than 48 hours is gradually improving. These are Buchansky and Vyshgorodsky, part of the Obukhovsky and Fastovsky districts. Electricity is already being restored there and additional measures are being taken to reach the schedules.
He also said that the Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergencies instructed Ukrenergo and DTEK to reach as soon as possible understandable for residents of the Kyiv region electricity supply schedules and ensure the proper amount of power and its even distribution. Separately, it is emphasized that light should be given fairly to all residents of the region.
13:25 The SBU reported suspicion to a Roman Catholic priest who denied the crimes of the occupiers in Bucha. The rector of the parish of the Kiev-Zhytomyr diocese of the Roman Catholic Church publicly justified the armed aggression of the Russian Federation and denied the war crimes of Russians against Ukrainians.
13:21 The Washington Post writes, citing high-ranking sources, that the United States is considering three different models for ending the war in Ukraine through negotiations: the withdrawal of Russian troops from all Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and Donbass; withdrawal of troops on the line in 2014; withdrawal of troops, including Donbass, but not Crimea.
According to the publication, Zelensky categorically rejected the last two options, saying that peace can only come when the Russian occupiers withdraw from the entire occupied territory. A senior U.S. official said that during the face-to-face meeting, Biden wanted to hear "Zelensky's current views on how the world should look," but acknowledged that "it's sort of an academic discussion at the moment" as there is no sign that Russia is interested. during conversation.
13:18 The State Border Service said that Dmitry Rogozin illegally crossed the Ukrainian border: “The border guards could not personally hand over the protocol to the violator, so caring comrades “handed him over” to this person during his birthday celebration. The Border Service once again urges Russians not to violate Ukrainian law , the responsibility will surely come!
13:15 The EU is mobilizing 900 generators for Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "The EU is working to increase the flow of electricity between Ukraine, Moldova and the rest of Europe. We are also mobilizing 900 generators to supply the country with electricity, including its hospitals. And we are sending millions energy-saving light bulbs. We are with you. There will be light."
13:08 Brussels will host a Ukraine-EU summit on February 3 - the European side has already sent an official invitation to Zelensky to participate, Reuters writes.
13:02 During the shelling of a restaurant in Donetsk, where Rogozin and the "head of the government of the DPR" were wounded, the so-called "mayor" of Gorlovka Ivan Prikhodko was also injured. He received a concussion and is in the hospital, media write.
12:58 The President of Ukraine made the first trip outside our country after Russia's military invasion. For more details, see Biden-Zelensky Meeting: Key Statements .
12:50 Russian Foreign Ministry warned Greece "about the consequences" if it decides to transfer S-300 systems to Ukraine.
12:15 In Russian Murmansk, a fire broke out on the only aircraft carrier cruiser of the Russian Navy, the flagship of the Navy and the Northern Fleet, Admiral Kuznetsov, which is under repair.
11:49 Peskov said that during Zelensky's visit to Washington "there were no real calls for peace", there were no warnings about "barbaric shelling of residential buildings in Donbass", there were no words about "potential readiness to listen to Russia's concerns."
11:34 As of the morning of December 22, there is a significant shortage of capacity in the energy system, Ukrenergo reported. All types of generation are working, one more block of nuclear power plants is connected to the network, and power is being built up. At the same time, certain restrictions remain in the power transmission system caused by damage to the main networks by systematic missile and unmanned attacks. Consumption limits have been brought to all regions, the most difficult situation remains in the central region and Kyiv, as well as in the front-line regions in the east and south of the country.
11:29 Macron said that he considers it unlikely that Ukraine will join NATO as a security guarantee option for it, since the Kremlin will consider this as a confrontation under any circumstances. At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine needs to provide security guarantees in the process of deciding to end the war, but Russia also needs such guarantees.
11:26 Rosatom said that consultations between Russia and the IAEA on the Zaporizhzhya NPP were held in Moscow, the parties noted the "significant similarity of positions" on the draft declaration on the establishment of the plant's safety zone, and will continue consultations to reach the final text "as soon as possible."
10:51 The curfew on New Year's Eve and Christmas in Kiev will not be canceled - as always, it will operate from 23:00 to 5:00, said City Council Secretary Volodymyr Bondarenko.
10:35 Nancy Pelosi hopes that the US Congress will be able to approve a package of 45 billion in assistance to Ukraine in the next 48 hours.
09:48 British intelligence reports that Belarusian instructors have begun to train mobilized Russians, which is an attempt to partially fill the shortage of Russian military instructors, many of whom are stationed in Ukraine or died. According to analysts, this also indicates an overstrain of the Russian military system, because the Russian Federation has traditionally believed that the Belarusian military forces are inferior to the Russian ones.
09:19 Over the past day, as a result of enemy shelling in the Donetsk region, three people were injured, an eight-year-old child was injured in Dnipropetrovsk, in Kherson - one person died, six were injured, the OVA reported. In the Nikolaev area three wounded, including the child of ten years.
08:55 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the enemy on the morning of December 22.
- personnel - about 100,400 (+660) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3003 (+1),
- armored fighting vehicles - 5981 (+2),
- artillery systems - 1978 (+6),
- MLRS - 413 (+1),
- air defense systems - 212 (+0),
- aircraft - 283 (+1),
- helicopters - 267 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 1693 (+5),
- cruise missiles - 653 (+0),
- ships/boats - 16 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 4615 (+7),
- special equipment - 178 (+0).
08:41 Russia has already lost more than 100,000 personnel , 3,000 tanks and about 6,000 other armored vehicles in Ukraine, the General Staff said in a morning report . Over the past day, the Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Novoselovskoe, Stelmakhovka, Ploschanka and Chervonopopovka in the Luhansk region and Berestovo, Yakovlevka, Soledar, Bakhmut, Experienced, Kurdyumovka, Ozaryanovka, Mayorsk, New York, Krasnogorovka, Nevelskoye and Maryinka in the Donetsk region.
07:35 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Russia will not be able to significantly increase the army during the war, as Shoigu said the day before. The formation of such forces is costly and time consuming, and Russia was not able to fully staff its units and regiments even before a full-scale invasion and did not fully staff the new division, which it announced the creation of in 2020, analysts recalled. They stressed that the Russian economy is in recession and its resources to replenish the army have been significantly reduced after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, the Russian officer corps is "gutted" by losses in this war, ISW points out. Therefore, Shoigu's statements were probably made to appease the blogging community, who accuse the Kremlin of not taking serious action. They also create informational conditions for conducting future waves of mobilization under the pretext of staffing units and strengthening the military power of the Russian Federation in the future.
ISW also believes that Putin announced an increased nuclear readiness to appease domestic nationalist audiences and intimidate the West. According to analysts, the Russian president's statements about nuclear weapons, in particular Avangard hypersonic warheads or Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, do not at all indicate Russia's preparations for their use. The Kremlin regularly uses nuclear rhetoric to show strength to the far-right Russian community, which has accused the Russian Defense Ministry of not being decisive enough. ISW believes that Kremlin officials will hesitate to use nuclear weapons on the battlefield.
06:34 The Biden administration has introduced new restrictions on the export of technology for the Russian PMC Wagner.
03:56 Zelensky addressed the US Congress during his visit to the US . The Ukrainian president was greeted with a standing ovation. He said that next year will be a turning point: "This is the moment when the courage of Ukraine and the determination of the Americans will ensure the freedom of people who stand up for their values."
According to Zelensky, the battle for Bakhmut will determine how the war in Ukraine will develop further. Therefore, Ukraine needs US military assistance, in particular, Patriot air defense systems - "so that Bakhmut is not only a fortress that grinds the Russian army, but that - like the battle of Saratoga - the fight for Bakhmut changed the course of our war for independence."
The President also stressed that the lack of modern armored vehicles and aircraft in the Ukrainian army significantly delays the war and allows the occupiers to kill civilian Ukrainians. At the request of Bakhmut's defenders, he handed over the flag of Ukraine to the US Congress and said that this flag is a symbol of Ukrainian victory.
03:33 The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is allocating more than $375 million for Ukraine, Biden said at a joint press conference with Zelensky in Washington. These funds will provide food and cash assistance to more than 1.5 million Ukrainians, as well as help them stay warm.
00:50 Biden said that the war between Ukraine and Russia will not do without negotiations with Putin: "All politics is personal, it is about looking into the eyes. There is no substitute for sitting opposite each other and looking into the eyes. Is this a friend , or an enemy." At the same time, he expressed confidence that Putin would lose the war.
00:29 The ex-head of Roskosmos Dmitry Rogozin was wounded during the shelling of a hotel in Donetsk, there is no threat to his life, his assistant told the Russian media. Local publics report shelling of a restaurant where Rogozin celebrated his birthday. The persons accompanying him were allegedly wounded, as well as the "chairman of the DPR government" Vitaly Khotsenko, and his bodyguard died.
00:25 Zelensky said that for him, as a president, a fair world is "the absence of compromises on our territory and compensation for all losses."
"Zelensky and I have absolutely the same vision of the world," Biden said. He expressed confidence that the unity of the United States and allies in support of Ukraine will continue in 2023.
00:19 Zelensky said that he did not intend to convey any messages to Putin, because it is the Russian president who should now be interested in maintaining at least some kind of relationship with the civilized world. Zelensky called Putin inadequate and recalled how many times he lied about not intending to attack Ukraine. "He is no longer a subject of the civilized world," the Ukrainian president stressed.
00:16 Biden said that providing Patriot systems to Ukraine is not an escalation, but a defense. And if Russia had not attacked Ukraine, there would have been no need to provide these weapons to Ukraine.