[Korrespondent] 23:44 Voice of America broadcasts the press conference of Zelensky and Biden.
23:27 The Ukrainian military will take several months to learn how to operate the Patriot air defense system, a Pentagon official quoted by CNN said: "Patriot requires training, and we expect it to take several months to provide the Ukrainian forces with the training necessary for its successful use."
22:58 The UK has donated 900 generators and special kits for extreme cold weather to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Defense Minister Ben Wallace said.
22:53 The situation with power supply in Kiev is by far the most difficult in the country, YASNO CEO Serhiy Kovalenko said: "There are areas that receive electricity for about five hours a day. There are those who have light for 2-3 hours a day. And there are those who have no electricity at all since the last shelling.The city cannot get power from the country's power grid due to damage to high-voltage equipment... Could it be better than now? Maybe when the repair work is completed and when the reconnection scheme is up and running. worse? Yes, if they fire at us again. More precisely, if they damage the remaining 40% of the knots."
22:25 Zelensky told Biden that his arrival in the United States indicates that Ukrainian forces are in control of the situation on the battlefield, and noted the contribution of American assistance: "I really wanted to come, and the president knows about it, but I could not, because the situation was difficult. Now, since I arrived, it means that we are in control of the situation, and this is primarily due to your support."
22:04 Zelensky handed Biden an award and a letter from a soldier from Bakhmut, the captain of the HIMARS battery, whom he met yesterday. Biden told Zelensky that the Ukrainian people "inspire the world" and accused Putin of trying to "weaponize winter." The President of the United States promised to continue to support the "great people of Ukraine."
21:07 Ukraine will finally receive the most effective weapon to protect its skies. Read more in the article How the Patriot complex will help Ukraine .
20:59 Patriot air defense systems will significantly strengthen the air defense of Ukraine and create a layered air defense system, Yuriy Ignat, speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said. According to him, the Ukrainian military will be able to easily master the new anti-aircraft missile systems, although this will still take "some time."
"Patriot is a long-range weapon that can hit aeroballistic targets at a distance of up to 150 km. These systems in certain directions could help drive Russian aviation away from our borders, namely such bombers as the TU-22M3 or enemy tactical aviation crews," Ignat added.
20:25 Zelensky published a photo from Washington and announced a series of negotiations "to strengthen the stability and defense capability of Ukraine," including with Biden. "Next year, we must return the Ukrainian flag and freedom to all our land, to all our people," the Ukrainian president stressed.
19:48 The US State Department published the details of the new aid package to Ukraine:
- one Patriot SAM battery and ammunition;
- missiles for HIMARS;
- 500 Excalibur guided artillery rounds;
- ten 120 mm mortars and 10,000 mines;
- ten 82 mm mortars;
- ten 60mm mortars;
- 37 Cougar armored vehicles;
- 120 HMMWV SUVs;
- six armored trucks;
- HARM anti-radar missiles;
- conversion systems for high-precision aviation ammunition (JDAM);
- more than 2,700 grenade launchers and small arms;
- Claymore anti-personnel mines;
- night vision devices and other optics;
- communication systems;
- means of individual armor protection;
- 45 thousand 152-mm artillery shells;
- 20 thousand 122-mm shells;
- 50 thousand 122-mm rockets for MLRS Grad;
- 100 thousand 125-mm tank ammunition;
- other property and services.
19:39 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the evening report confirmed the fire damage on December 15 and 16 of enemy ammunition depots in the Kadiyivka area of the Luhansk region - the detonation lasted more than 20 hours. In addition, on December 20, a blow was struck against the invaders who had accumulated at the field airfield in the Kakhovka region of the Kherson region. There were about 30 units of artillery systems of various types, self-propelled guns and MLRS, as well as ammunition, fuel and lubricants. Detailed information about enemy losses is being specified.
In Novobohdanovka, Zaporozhye region, the invaders organized a field hospital. In Novotroitskoye, Kherson region, the Russians reequipped a local hospital to treat the wounded. Sick local residents were forcibly "discharged", and the invaders stepped up counterintelligence measures. All this testifies to significant losses of the enemy, summarize in the General Staff.
19:28 After the US, Zelensky can visit the UK, as well as France and Germany, CBS reports.
19:19 Blinken officially announced a new $1.85 billion military assistance package to Ukraine, which includes, in particular, the Patriot system. The new package will consist of $1 billion in funding from Biden's executive order and $850 million from the Pentagon, the secretary said.
"Today's aid package contains, for the first time, a Patriot air defense system capable of shooting down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and aircraft at significantly higher altitudes than previously provided air defense systems," Blinken said. In addition, the new package includes "precision strikes, as well as additional ammunition and critical equipment that Ukraine effectively uses to protect itself on the battlefield."
Thus, according to him, universal US military assistance to Ukraine will reach an "unprecedented amount" of $ 21.9 billion since the start of the Biden administration.
19:07 Biden ordered to allocate $ 1 billion for the defense needs of Ukraine, including for the education and training of the military , the White House said.
18:26 The head of the SBU, Vasily Malyuk, allowed the exchange of the arrested ex-president of Motor Sich, Vyacheslav Boguslayev: "This is such an interesting figure. He is 84 years old. I think that detention as a measure of restraint can become a" life imprisonment ", given his age. I don't I want to say nothing, but everything is God's will. But I mean that he will probably give all the evidence and become a quality exchange fund."
17:58 In Mariupol today at about 14:00 there was a powerful explosion with an epicenter near the street. Kuprin. The blast wave was heard in several areas of the city. Immediately after the explosion, helicopters appeared over the city, which moved towards Berdyansk at high altitude. Some of them released heat traps, said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor.
17:25 Biden invited Zelensky to Washington to discuss not only US military assistance, but also a possible end to the war, said John Kirby, coordinator of strategic communications at the US National Security Council: "The president really believes that now, as winter approaches, when we enter into new phase of this war, this is the perfect time for the two leaders to sit face to face and talk, I have no doubt that they will be talking about President Zelensky's vision of a just world and what it looks like, what are its components and how we can help Ukraine achieve it."
At the same time, Kirby added that Russia is not interested in diplomacy right now.
17:12 Danilov said in an interview with Voice of America that the next 2-3 months of the war in Ukraine could be decisive: "We understand that today there are no opportunities for the Russian Federation to defeat us in an open battle. They are now driven into a dead end. And the rat, driven into a dead end, the most dangerous. And we are preparing very actively for the next month, two or three, which can be decisive at this moment."
The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council added that Russia "will keep going because it put everything on the line" and will not try to reduce the consequences of the war for the country.
5:09 pm The Biden administration has set up a large task force to investigate how Western-derived technology, including microelectronics from the United States, ended up in Iranian drones, CNN reported. The group included representatives of all key departments - the Pentagon, the State Department, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Commerce, the US Treasury. The group was tasked with, among other things, raising the issue with all US manufacturers whose products were found in Iranian drones shot down in Ukraine.
16:58 The Bulgarian military will take part in the training of Ukrainian forces within the framework of EUMAM, the country's Ministry of Defense announced. The program will train 60 military doctors annually. In addition, the agency reported that since the beginning of the Russian armed aggression in Ukraine, Bulgaria has provided humanitarian assistance in the amount of about 230 million euros. Sofia also sent 2,000 helmets and 2,000 body armor, 350 first aid kits, 5,000 sets of winter clothes and 5,000 pairs of winter shoes.
16:09 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi officially invited Zelensky to speak at a joint session of Congress on December 21 during his visit to Washington. She sent Zelensky a letter on behalf of the Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress.
16:06 Putin said that the Russian Federation will continue to maintain combat readiness and improve the combat readiness of the nuclear triad: "This is the main guarantee of preserving our sovereignty and territorial integrity, strategic parity, and the overall balance of power in the world."
16:00 Zaluzhny said that he had met in Ukraine with the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, General Raimund Andrzejczak: “I thanked for the international military assistance provided, including weapons, military equipment, ammunition and necessary materials. I appreciate the opportunity to conduct professional training of our military personnel on Polish territory. Together we are embodying a strategically important decision on the transition of Ukraine to the heavy armament of NATO member states. Deep gratitude to the Polish side for the treatment and rehabilitation of the wounded Ukrainian soldiers."
15:54 Putin said that he would not "repeat the mistakes of the past, when we destroyed our economy in the interests of increasing our defense capabilities." He assured that he would not engage in "the militarization of the country and the militarization of the economy."
In addition, Putin said that "even now" he considers the Ukrainian people "fraternal".
15:48 Shoigu announced the need to increase the number of Russian armed forces to 1.5 million military personnel, including 695,000 contract soldiers. At the same time, according to him, when recruiting the armed forces, it is necessary to gradually increase the age of conscription from 18 to 21 years, and raise the limit to 30 years. In addition, when drafting, it is necessary to ensure the possibility "at the request of citizens" to enter military service under a contract from the first day of entering the service.
Shoigu stated that it was necessary to "continue conducting a special military operation until the tasks were fully completed," and instructed to increase the number of contract servicemen to 521,000 by the end of the year, taking into account the replacement of the mobilized in the groupings and the recruitment of new formations. Putin, in turn, said that he agreed with Shoigu's proposals for further structural changes in the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
Shoigu also said that, given "NATO's desire to build up military potential near the borders of Russia," measures are required to create a group of troops in the north-west of the country.
15:35 Lithuania has sent the first batch of warm sweaters and thermal kits to Ukraine, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said. In total, 19,000 sweaters and 15,000 thermal kits for the Armed Forces of Ukraine will arrive in Ukraine in the coming weeks.
14:40 Shoigu said that 27 countries have already spent $ 97 billion on arms supplies to Ukraine, allegedly there are "NATO staff officers, artillerymen and other specialists" at the front in Ukraine, and "more than 500 NATO satellites" are working for Kiev.
14:34 Putin again stated that 300,000 people have been drafted into the ranks of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, 150,000 of them are training at training grounds, "and this is a sufficient reserve for conducting an operation." In turn, Shoigu noted that partial mobilization was carried out to "stabilize the situation, protect new territories and carry out further offensive actions." According to the minister, during the "special operation" more than 250,000 servicemen gained combat experience.
Shoigu also said that in the interests of the “special operation”, the supply of the “most in demand” weapons in the army was postponed from 2024-2025 to 2023.
14:29 Putin said that in January Admiral Gorshkov with "the newest Zircons" will enter combat service. He also stressed that information about NATO forces and weapons should be "analyzed and used to build the Russian armed forces." In addition, Putin announced the need for the development and use of drones in the army - they "should be everywhere." According to the President of the Russian Federation, the Russian servicemen "should be at the highest level." Putin drew the Defense Ministry's attention to the fact that "there are no restrictions on financing the army."
14:22 Mercenaries of the Liga PMC, which is part of the Wagner group, arrived at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border to prepare a provocation, the Center for National Resistance under the MTR of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports, citing the Belarusian underground. The mercenaries were divided into two groups of 80-90 people and arrived in the area of the village of Krupeiki (Loevsky district, Gomel region) to carry out their tasks. They have lightly armored vehicles and tilt trucks. The groups are reinforced with engineering units.
At the same time, Belarus introduced a temporary restriction on entry and entry within the border strip of the Loevsky district. One of the provocation scenarios is the shelling of the territory of Belarus, allegedly by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The mercenaries arrived in Belarus on September 20 - then 300 units of Ukrainian military uniform, which the Russians seized in warehouses in the Kherson region, were delivered to the territory of the security company GardService, where they were stationed.
13:46 Orban said that next year Hungary will remain as far away as possible from the war in Ukraine: "Europe is already drifting towards war. Those who supply weapons are ankle-deep in them, those who train soldiers are waist-deep who trains an entire country at war is up to his neck in war."
13:20 As a result of enemy shelling of Ochakov of the Nikolaev area two people - mother and the child are wounded, the head of OVA Vitaly Kim reported.
13:18 Peskov said that the Kremlin does not expect positive results from Zelensky's visit to Washington: "Arms supplies continue, the range of supplied weapons is expanding. All this, of course, leads to an intensification of the conflict and, in fact, does not bode well for Ukraine."
13:03 Boris Johnson supported the worldwide flash mob Ukraine Hour - on Wednesday, December 21, at 20:00 local time, everyone is invited to turn off the festive lights as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. "Russia's barbaric and illegal invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the loss of millions of Ukrainians of electricity, water and life necessities. I support #hourforukraine today at 20:00 in solidarity with them. Victory for Ukraine!" - wrote the former Prime Minister of Great Britain.
12:50 US plans to arm Ukrainian defenders with smart bombs known as Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). It is reported by CNN, citing its sources. The TV channel thus confirmed the earlier information of the Washington Post newspaper about the transfer of this type of weapon to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The bombs are expected to be included in a new military aid package for Ukraine. About what smart bombs are and how they will help Ukraine - in the material New weapons that Kiev will receive .
12:37 Putin will deliver a "voluminous speech" today about the "special operation" in Ukraine during an expanded collegium of the Russian Defense Ministry, the Kremlin said. Then he will meet with permanent members of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. The results of the "special operation" in 2022 and plans for 2023 will be discussed.
11:49 The SBU conducts searches in the Sofroniyevo-Molchensky male monastery of the UOC-MP of the Sumy region.
11:45 Biden is expected to meet Zelensky on the White House lawn at 21:00 Kyiv time, the press conference will begin at 23:30, media reports.
11:16 Over the past day, the Russians fired at the territory of the Kherson region 71 times: one person was killed, six were injured, the head of the OVA, Yaroslav Yanushevich, said.
11:13 The State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted a law providing for criminal liability up to life imprisonment for the creation of a sabotage community, training and assistance to sabotage, their financing and propaganda.
11:11 The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, will visit Moscow on Thursday, December 22, the Russian envoy in Vienna said. According to him, the creation of a protective zone around the Zaporozhye NPP is on the agenda, representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian Guard, Rosatom and Rostekhnadzor will take part in the consultations.
11:09 On the morning of December 21, a significant shortage of capacity in the energy system remains, Ukrenergo reported. Consumption limits have been brought to all regions, exceeding which leads to emergency restrictions. Currently, all types of generation are working, but the situation in the central region, in particular in Kyiv, remains difficult.
10:54 Russians are preparing provocations in the Kakhovka direction, Natalya Gumenyuk, speaker of OK Pivden, said. In particular, according to her, they are withdrawing their weapons, equipment and units, but are shelling the occupied territories in order to blame the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
10:52 The leadership of the US Congress is working on a bill that recognizes Russia as an aggressor state, and not a sponsor of terrorism, writes The Hill. According to the publication, such a recognition will provide the US President with new sanctions powers against Russian officials. Recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism would lead to Moscow's international isolation and force the US to impose additional restrictions on countries interacting with the Kremlin.
10:43 The SBU has repeatedly prevented assassination attempts on Ukrainian officials, in particular on the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov, and Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov, said the head of the Security Service, Vasily Malyuk. Malyuk himself also remains one of the Russians' targets for elimination.
10:34 Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a meeting with Medvedev, who visited Beijing, expressed the hope that Russia and Ukraine "will maintain rationality, restraint and hold a comprehensive dialogue." Medvedev conveyed Putin's message to Xi Jinping, the Security Council said.
10:13 British intelligence reports that Russian troops, reinforced by the Wagnerites, have advanced slightly on the eastern outskirts of Bakhmut over the past week, and street fighting continues in the city. According to preliminary data, the Russians have already gained a foothold in the eastern industrial areas of the city, and at times even moved into the residential sector.
Intelligence notes that there has been no street fighting in Ukraine since the capture of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk in July. Analysts suggest that the Russian army will be ill-prepared for them.
09:57 The Ukrainian delegation at a meeting with Biden will ask for ATACMS missiles with a range of about 300 km, as well as reconnaissance and strike drones Gray Eagle and Reaper, writes Politico.
09:19 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of December 21.
- personnel - about 99,740 (+510) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3002 (+7),
- armored combat vehicles - 5979 (+5),
- artillery systems - 1972 (+12),
- MLRS - 412 (+2),
- air defense systems - 212 (+0),
- aircraft - 282 (+1),
- helicopters - 267 (+1),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 1688 (+8),
- cruise missiles - 653 (+0),
- ships/boats - 16 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 4608 (+9),
- special equipment - 178 (+1).
09:08 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, two civilians were killed - in Vugledar and Torsk. In addition, in Svyatogorsk, law enforcement officers found the bodies of two civilians killed during the occupation. Eight more people were injured in the region, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, said.
09:05 Belarus has restricted access to three districts of the Gomel region bordering Ukraine - Loevsky, Braginsky and Khoiniki. They border on the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions of Ukraine.
08:43 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that the Kremlin is putting pressure on Lukashenka so that he does not have the opportunity to maneuver and, as a result, agrees to Russia's demands. Despite the deployment of Russian tanks in Belarus, analysts still see no signs of an attack on Ukraine from Belarus. At the same time, Russian military personnel will probably control the S-400 systems based in Belarus.
The ISW also notes that Putin's decision to reward people from his entourage who did not even take a direct part in the hostilities, in contrast to Zelensky's visit to the front line in Bakhmut, caused criticism among Russian nationalist forces.
In the meantime, Prigozhin further undermined Putin's reputation (perhaps not on purpose) in the Russian information space by trying to boost his authority against the backdrop of Zelensky's visit to Bakhmut. Prigozhin is also trying to legalize PMC Wagner, deprive it of the stigma of a "mercenary" and again present the group as a legitimate military formation in Russia that supports Russian national interests, analysts say.
08:35 The White House also confirmed that Zelensky will visit Washington on Wednesday, December 21. He is scheduled to address the joint session of both houses of Congress and meet with Biden for a total of several hours in the country. At the meeting between Biden and Zelensky, it is planned to discuss the strategic situation on the battlefield, sanctions and Western assistance to Ukraine.
Washington also announced a new $2 billion assistance package to Ukraine, which will include a Patriot air defense battery. The White House called the visit a signal to Putin that Washington will support Kyiv for as long as it takes.
08:28 Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled attacks by invaders in areas of 25 settlements. Among them - Masyutovka, Kharkiv region; Podkuychansk, Dibrova and Belogorovka in the Luhansk region and Verkhnekamenskoye, Veseloye, Yakovlevka, Bakhmutskoye, Bakhmut, Vodyanoye, Sands, Nevelskoye, Marinka, Novomikhailovka and Prechistovka in the Donetsk region, the General Staff said in the morning report .
According to the General Staff, since December 12, Russian troops have been preparing for the forced evacuation of residents of the city of Vasilyevka and nearby settlements of the Vasilyevsky district of the Zaporozhye region.
08:12 After visiting the advanced positions in Bakhmut, Zelensky went to the United States on an official visit, the Office of the President reported.
05:19 British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said that Russia lost more than 100 thousand people in the war against Ukraine, including liquidated, wounded and deserters, and now, perhaps, the resignation of the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov is being prepared, since Putin does not want to be responsible for the failure of the war and huge losses.
03:26 The World Bank approved an additional package of financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $610 million. Funds will be allocated to address urgent needs for assistance and restoration of the state.
02:18 CNN reports that Zelensky will visit Washington on Wednesday, December 21, where he is scheduled to meet with Biden and speak in Congress. According to other media reports, the Ukrainian president is already on his way to the United States - on an American military plane that took off from the Ramstein base in Germany.
00:33 Macron said that Ukraine will receive Crotale air defense systems and Caesar self-propelled guns from France: “In recent days, France has sent Ukraine more weapons, rocket launchers, Crotale, equipment in addition to what we have already done. We are also working with the Minister of the Armed Forces, so that in the first quarter of 2023 we can again supply useful weapons and ammunition so that Ukrainians can protect themselves from bombing."
00:14 After Zelensky's trip to Bakhmut, Russian deputy Andrei Gurulev wrote that Putin was also allegedly at the front. Peskov later confirmed this information. However, investigative journalists of the Agency studied the video of Putin's visit to the headquarters and concluded that he visited the headquarters of the troops of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don.