Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:54 Ukraine and Sweden are discussing the potential provision of Gripen aircraft to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense reported following a meeting between Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Armed Forces Mikael Büden.
22:10 The Russians fired at the residential sector of Kherson, at the moment one person is known to be wounded, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin.
21:56 Today in Kiev the first meeting of participants in a new international coalition for the return of children deported to Russia from temporarily occupied territory took place, Zelensky said in an evening video message.
The President also stated that today the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the necessary laws in accordance with the recommendations of the European Commission in the areas of anti-corruption and the rights of national minorities. “We expect that Ukraine’s efforts will be appreciated by the leaders of the European Union and the corresponding European promises to Ukraine will be fulfilled. We had seven recommendations - we did everything that was expected of us by December,” the head of state emphasized.
Zelensky also said that he held a meeting of the Headquarters today: “As always, the commander in chief, the commanders in the directions reported on the operational situation. Kupyansk, Liman and all Donetsk directions, the south.”
19:23 In the Avdeevsky direction, the Russians have concentrated more than 40 thousand of their military personnel and do not stop replenishing their reserves from among the Storm-Z units and newly mobilized ones, said Alexander Shtupun, spokesman for the Defense Forces of the Tauride direction. According to him, the enemy is losing about 300-400 people per day. “Russian terrorists are not reducing the activity of their infantry. Avdeevka and Maryinka have the largest number of contacts, the most heated ones,” he noted.
19:12 This week, Ukrainians on social networks have repeatedly reported on visits of military registration and enlistment office workers to gyms. They handed out summonses to both visitors and coaches. For the first time such an incident occurred in Uzhgorod, but soon there were similar “raids” in Ivano-Frankivsk, Lvov, Kyiv and Dnieper. Read more in the material Agenda in the gym .
18:50 The Bulgarian Parliament overcame the President’s veto on an agreement to supply Ukraine with 100 armored personnel carriers. As Bulgarian media write, during the consideration of the bill there was a clash between deputies.
17:46 On December 12, the European Commission will allocate 10 billion euros from EU funds to Hungary, which is approximately a third of the country’s total funding, frozen due to the lack of reforms, writes The Guardian. According to diplomats, the funds will be unfrozen not because of Orban's blackmail, but because of Hungary's implementation of reforms.
17:07 Putin is going to be “re-elected” for a new presidential term. There is little doubt that he will succeed, just as he can write about “elections” in Russia without quotation marks. It is interesting that this was announced with the help of the so-called “Speaker of the DPR Parliament” Artem Zhog. Read more in the material New representation in the Russian Federation .
16:10 In Novogrodovka, Donetsk region, search work has been completed on the ruins of an apartment building, which was hit by a Russian missile on November 29. DNA testing established that one of the fragments of the bodies belongs to a woman who was considered missing, the National Police reported. Earlier, fragments of the body of her husband and the dead eight-year-old daughter were discovered. A total of five people were killed as a result of the strike.
16:03 Blinken said in his address to Republicans that 90% of the military aid that the United States provided to Ukraine was spent in the States itself: “If you look at the investments that we have made for the defense of Ukraine, it becomes clear that 90% of military aid "The money that we provided was actually spent here in the US with our manufacturers. It created more American jobs, it grew our economy. So it's a benefit to us and it's a benefit to them. We need to continue that."
15:28 Zelensky said that he had a conversation with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and emphasized the importance of further strengthening Ukraine’s air defense. According to the president, this is especially important for the front-line regions: Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye, Kherson, and Odessa - to protect the regional center and the grain corridor.
14:33 Germany transferred a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, which included, in particular, a Luna reconnaissance drone, ten Vector reconnaissance drones, 70 MGW automatic grenade launchers, six patrol vehicles, eight Zetros trucks.
13:51 According to updated information, in Pavlograd, Dnepropetrovsk region, eight people were injured as a result of a morning rocket attack, said the head of the OBA Sergei Lysak. In addition to Pavlograd, Ternovka and the Yuryevskaya community, there is also destruction in the Mezhirechskaya community. In total, more than 20 residential buildings, outbuildings, a gymnasium, and power lines were damaged.
13:27 Putin announced his participation in the presidential elections of the Russian Federation in 2024 - this will be his fifth term. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation has approved the voting dates: for the first time, presidential elections will last three days, from March 15 to 17. By December 12, a decision will be made on “elections” in the occupied territories of Kherson, Zaporozhye, Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine.
13:20 Orban said he had a “wonderful meeting” with Macron in Paris, and added that “Hungary’s position ahead of the December summit of EU leaders is very clear.” The Hungarian Prime Minister told Le Point that the EU is not ready and cannot accept Ukraine, since it is “the most corrupt country in the world,” so he “will not contribute to a bad decision” of the EU on Ukraine.
12:39 The Supreme Court of Finland did not agree to the extradition of Russian militant Yan Petrovsky to Ukraine and ordered his release. The Russian appears in the SBU investigation - in 2014, he fought against Ukraine together with “LPR” militants as part of the Rusich group. The court explained that it could not give consent to his extradition due to the conditions of detention in Ukrainian prisons, and referred to the relevant decision of the ECHR. According to the court, Petrovsky risks being subjected to “conduct contrary to human dignity.”
11:58 Russian Tu-95MS bombers fired several waves of missiles at Ukraine. Their flight was disguised as a training flight. Read more in the article What is known about the morning attack .
11:26 In the south, the enemy is increasing the fortification equipment of positions and is trying to tighten up reserves, has increased the number of observation posts and firing positions, continues to put pressure on the right bank with artillery shelling, and is intensifying the use of drones. At the same time, no signs of the formation of offensive groups have been identified, the Southern Defense Forces report.
10:43 Washington will try to persuade Russia to negotiate peace on Ukraine’s terms by the end of 2024, said Biden’s deputy national security adviser Jonathan Feiner. During this time, the US and EU plan to increase weapons production and help Ukraine do this in order to strengthen its position at the front. Washington plans to push Moscow to make a choice: sit down at the negotiating table or “deal with a stronger Ukraine, backed by a more powerful industrial base in the United States and Europe” and capable of going on the offensive, Feiner noted.
10:27 As a result of a massive missile attack on the Dnepropetrovsk region, there is destruction in Pavlograd, Ternovka and the Yuryevsk community, said the head of the OBA Sergei Lysak. An industrial enterprise, 16 private houses and five country houses, a church, and cars were damaged.
10:08 Air defense destroyed 14 of 19 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles , which Russia attacked in the morning from seven Tu-95MS strategic bombers, the Air Force command reported. Some of the missiles were aimed at infrastructure facilities in the Dnepropetrovsk region, the second group, having reached the Dnieper, changed the direction of movement towards Kyiv.
09:10 In the morning, Russia attacked Ukraine with X-101/555/55 missiles from ten Tu-95MS strategic bombers from the Engels area of the Saratov region. The head of the Kyiv city military administration, Sergei Popko, noted that the enemy did not use strategic aviation for 79 days. Air defense forces destroyed all missiles flying in the direction of Kyiv as they approached the city. There is no information about casualties or destruction.
The head of the Kyiv Police Department, Ruslan Kravchenko, added that no hits were recorded in the area of critical or residential infrastructure, and according to operational information, there were no casualties. The falling debris damaged private homes in several communities in the area.
09:03 As a result of a morning missile attack on the Pavlograd district of the Dnepropetrovsk region, one person was killed, four were injured, two of them in serious condition, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak. He added that this is preliminary data, the information is being clarified.
08:56 The Biden administration is ready to strengthen migration policy and accelerate the deportation of refugees in order to get Republicans in Congress to approve an aid package for Ukraine, Reuters writes, citing sources.
08:45 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of December 8:
- personnel - about 337,220 (+990) people,
- tanks - 5626 (+8),
- armored combat vehicles - 10,508 (+26),
- artillery systems - 8057 (+12),
- MLRS - 919 (+0),
- air defense systems - 605 (+0),
- aircraft - 324 (+0),
- helicopters - 324 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 6136 (+20),
- cruise missiles - 1571 (+0),
- ships/boats - 22 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 10,591 (+30),
- special equipment - 1159 (+3).
08:34 As a result of night strikes on Kharkov with S-300 missiles, two people were injured, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OBA. A hit was recorded in a children's playground, residential buildings, an educational institution, and about 20 cars were damaged. In addition, over the past 24 hours, the enemy fired artillery and mortars at more than 17 settlements in the region. In the village Three people were injured in Podol, Kupyansky district.
08:23 Over the past 24 hours, 89 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In particular, the Defense Forces repelled 30 enemy attacks in the Avdeevsky direction (in areas east of Novobakhmutovka, Avdeevka, south of Tonenkoye, Pervomaisky, Donetsk region) and 24 attacks in Bakhmutsky (in the areas of Bogdanovka, Ivanovsky, Kleshcheevka and Andreevka, Donetsk region).
In addition, in the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian forces repelled enemy attacks in the Sinkovka area of the Kharkov region; on Limansky - in the Ternov region of the Donetsk region; on Maryinsky - in the Marinka and Novomikhailovka districts of the Donetsk region; in Zaporozhye - in the areas west of Verbovoy and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region. The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Shakhtarsky direction. At the same time, the Defense Forces continue assault operations south of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, and in the Kherson direction they hold their positions on the left bank of the Dnieper.