Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:48 Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal asked for an emergency meeting with international donors, as Ukraine faced “extremely high uncertainty” about the 2024 budget, Bloomberg writes, citing a letter from the Ukrainian prime minister to the Interdepartmental Donor Coordination Platform. The letter states that funding is needed as early as January and should be aimed at budgetary needs - government support, salaries for teachers, civil servants and pensions.
21:36 In the West, talk about the confiscation of frozen Russian assets in favor of Ukraine has intensified. They are valued at approximately $300 billion. The Biden administration hopes in this way to compensate for the inability to allocate additional funds in Congress. About what can come out of this, see the material How to confiscate assets .
20:40 Zelensky in an evening video message reported “good results” in protecting against collaborators and spotters, as well as in combating crime. In addition, he noted the work of the export corridor in the Black Sea: “Already more than 12 million tons of cargo. The results for December are especially significant, and this is felt at the level of our entire economy.”
The President also said that he had just spoken with Pope Francis and discussed work regarding the Peace Formula: “More than 80 states are already in the process at the level of their representatives. There will be more. I am grateful to the Vatican for supporting our work.”
19:39 The Russian Army is shelling the center of Kherson with artillery, residential buildings were hit, and fires broke out in some places. Currently, two casualties are known, the OVA reported. In addition, the Russians struck Novotyaginka, one person was wounded.
19:12 The million ammunition that the European Union promised to Ukraine by March will probably be delivered by June, said Lithuanian Member of the European Parliament Petras Auštrevičius. According to him, today more than 400 thousand “have been sent or are on their way to Ukraine.”
“I hope that by June we will have a million. Maybe there will be a delay of three or four months, but the main thing is that this continues after June,” Auštrevičius noted. At the same time, he emphasized that this million is “not the last thing Ukraine needs,” therefore the defense industry both in the West and in Europe must develop.
19:03 The Russian Army shelled Nikopol in the Dnepropetrovsk region and the villages of the Pokrovsk community, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak. In the regional center, one person was killed and one was injured. 17 private houses and two high-rise buildings, an administrative building, and power lines were damaged.
18:48 The Defense Forces warned Ukrainians that during the New Year holidays the occupiers may intensify shelling. First of all, residents of front-line zones should be vigilant, therefore, for their own safety, they should leave for other regions. Read more in the material Evacuation from front-line territories .
18:00 The Office of the Prosecutor General clarified that as a result of today’s Russian shelling of the village of Belenkoye, Zaporozhye region, two fishermen were killed, five more civilians, of whom two were emergency gas service workers, were injured. In addition, during the enemy attack on the city of Orekhov, one person was killed and four were wounded.
17:46 Russian propaganda media claim that a “volunteer battalion” named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky, allegedly consisting of Ukrainian prisoners of war, has begun to participate in hostilities against Ukraine. Read more in the article New fake of Rospropaganda .
17:29 Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Ermak said that he had a “productive” telephone conversation with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó. They discussed, in particular, the organization of a meeting between Zelensky and Orban “in the near future.”
17:17 Three Ukrainian prisoners of war, whom the Russians shot in the Zaporozhye region, were soldiers of the 82nd separate air assault brigade of the DShV, the command of the Air Assault Forces reported. They noted that three soldiers were captured after being wounded and concussed to varying degrees of severity. Their bodies were evacuated from the battlefield.
17:12 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense announces another hybrid campaign against Ukraine, which is being prepared in the Kremlin. In particular, it is planned to launch a powerful information and psychological campaign against the top military-political leadership of Ukraine, using the theme of the next presidential elections. The goal of the campaign is to undermine the legitimacy of the President of Ukraine and the leadership of the state among countries that are supposedly allies and partners of the Russian Federation, as well as among Ukrainian citizens.
16:58 Ukraine may become the country with the lowest birth rate in the world, writes El País, citing a report by the Joint Research Center of the European Commission Agency. Thus, by the end of 2023, the birth rate in terms of the number of children born per woman is expected to be 0.7. This is three times less than the population replacement rate (two children per woman) and means that only two children are born for every six adults.
In Ukraine, even before the war, this figure was only 1.2 children per woman, and now the country may even find itself in last place in the world rankings.
16:29 The Russian Army fired artillery at the shoreline of the Dnieper River in the village of Belenkoye, Zaporozhye district - two people were killed, three were wounded, said the head of the OVA Yuri Malashko.
16:04 The Russians fired at Zolotaya Balka in the Novoaleksandrovsk community of the Kherson region, one person was wounded, the OVA reported. Over the previous 24 hours in the region, one person was killed and six were injured as a result of Russian shelling.
15:23 During 2023, the United States provided Ukraine with 34 packages of military assistance totaling more than $24 billion, Zelensky said.
14:59 Europe “doesn’t know how to fight,” and Russia will gain an advantage if the West fails to increase weapons production, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said in an interview with The Kyiv Independent. "Weapons production is not the most popular area of business. Unfortunately, our friends have spent too much time thinking about how and when to increase the production of weapons and ammunition... Europe clearly has an advantage in its technology. The problem and challenge that "What they are facing is scaling up the production of this technology. I'm sorry to say this, but this will not be enough if the situation does not change. And Russia will be ahead of us," the minister said.
He also added that many EU countries have become more reliant on unilateral arms transfers, avoiding a pan-European mechanism.
14:07 The Russians shelled the village of Glushkovka, Kupyansky district, Kharkov region, three people were wounded, regional police reported.
13:56 Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmitry Lubinets said that the bill on mobilization will be finalized: “There are some norms that contradict the Constitution, but yesterday there was a working meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Defense, where we have already reached a compromise - how to ensure the law on mobilization and respect human rights."
13:18 The most difficult month of the year for the Defense Forces in the Tauride direction was December due to constant enemy attacks on Marinka and Avdeevka, said Alexander Shtupun, spokesman for the Defense Forces of the Tauride direction.
12:49 As a result of the Russian explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in the occupied city of Oleshki alone, “at least hundreds” of people were killed, according to an Associated Press investigation. This city was at that time one of the most densely populated in the flood-affected areas with about 16 thousand inhabitants. Russia said 59 people drowned in its territory. The exact death toll will likely never be known, even if Ukrainian forces retake the territory and conduct an on-site investigation, journalists say.
12:04 The Office of the Prosecutor General has reason to suspect military personnel from the Russian 76th Guards Air Assault Division, also known as the Pskov Airborne Division, of the execution of three Ukrainian prisoners of war. The head of the department for combating crimes in armed conflict, Yuriy Belousov, said that the names of the dead Ukrainian Armed Forces military personnel have been established, are currently being verified and will be made public later.
11:26 The Russians fired from the MLRS at Volchansk, Chuguevsky district, Kharkov region - one person was killed, one was wounded, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov.
11:14 In the Black Sea, a civilian ship flying the flag of Panama, which was loading grain at one of the Danube ports, was blown up by a Russian mine, the Southern Defense Forces report. The ship lost speed and control, and a fire broke out on the upper deck. To avoid flooding, the captain kept the bulk carrier aground. Two sailors were injured.
10:45 The United States is trying to advance the issue of confiscation of Russian assets by the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, writes the Financial Times. According to the newspaper, a meeting of G7 leaders may take place on this day. Currently, working groups proposed by Washington are considering legal issues related to confiscation in strict secrecy.
At the same time, Germany, France, Italy and the EU “expressed some reservations” and emphasized the need to “carefully evaluate” the legality of the confiscation of Moscow’s assets. Europe, where most of the assets are located, is more cautious, fearing possible consequences for financial stability, as well as retaliatory actions from Russia.
10:27 The military leadership of the Russian Federation is trying to scale up the training of junior lieutenants and reduce the duration of the corresponding training schools due to the high losses of junior officers in the war in Ukraine. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, those who have undergone accelerated training and received the primary officer rank are immediately sent to the front.
In addition, Russia is working to strengthen the combat effectiveness of the assault units, where, in particular, they are driving men from the occupied Ukrainian territories. Also among the Russians’ intentions for 2024 is to prepare special groups to carry out sabotage attacks and provocations in the southern regions of Ukraine.
09:56 Defense and negotiations instead of defeating the invaders on the battlefield - more and more often in the West you can find talk about just such a new strategy for Ukraine in the war against Russia. Read more in the material Discussions in the USA .
09:29 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Russian troops have recently advanced into the western Zaporozhye region - likely after Ukrainian forces withdrew to more suitable positions near Rabotino for the winter. However, according to analysts, the return of these positions by the Russian army is not particularly important at the moment.
08:41 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of December 28:
- personnel - about 356,670 (+920) people,
- tanks - 5940 (+27),
- armored combat vehicles - 11,015 (+42),
- artillery systems - 8391 (+15),
- MLRS - 935 (+1),
- air defense systems - 617 (+1),
- aircraft - 329 (+0),
- helicopters - 324 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 6503 (+32),
- cruise missiles - 1620 (+0),
- ships/boats - 23 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 11,180 (+40),
- special equipment - 1247 (+7).
08:33 In the Kiev region, from December 28 to January 6, counter-sabotage and security measures will be strengthened. The corresponding decision was made by the Defense Council of the Kyiv Region, said the head of the Defense Forces Ruslan Kravchenko. The events will be carried out with the participation of the SBU, the National Police, the National Guard and the 114th separate terrorist defense brigade. The number of checkpoints in the region will be increased, and crowded places will also be subject to inspection: shopping centers, supermarkets, train stations, medical institutions, etc.
07:58 Over the past 24 hours, 56 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In the Avdeevsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 15 enemy attacks east of Novobakhmutovka, Avdeevka and another 17 attacks near Severny, Pervomaisky and Nevelsky, Donetsk region. In the Kherson direction, where Ukrainian forces continue to expand the bridgehead, the Russian army carried out 13 unsuccessful assault operations.
In addition, in the Kupyansky direction, the Defense Forces repelled nine enemy attacks near Sinkovka and east of Ivanovka, Kharkov region; on Limansky - three attacks in the Serebryansky forestry area of the Lugansk region; on Bakhmutskoye - two attacks near Bogdanovka, Donetsk region; on Maryinsky - three attacks in the areas of Maryinka and Novomikhailovka, Donetsk region; in the Zaporozhye direction - three attacks west of Verbovoy and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region.
07:09 At night, air defense destroyed seven of the eight Shahed attack UAVs that Russia attacked from the Primorsko-Akhtarsk area, the Air Force command reported. The drones were shot down within the Dnepropetrovsk, Kirovograd and Zaporozhye regions.
05:17 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that air defense systems allegedly destroyed two “Ukrainian drones” over Crimea at night.
01:20 Putin, at a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Moscow in March, told him that Russia would fight in Ukraine for at least five years, Nikkei Asia writes, citing sources. The head of the Kremlin also assured his Chinese colleague that Russia would still emerge from the conflict as a winner.
00:52 A series of explosions occurred in Sevastopol. Crimean publics report that local residents heard five explosions. Later, the “governor” of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozzhaev, stated that air defense forces allegedly shot down one drone. He did not comment on the remaining explosions.