2023-12-24 13:58:06
The essentials in brief:
- Corruption is considered one of the biggest problems in Ukraine and a hurdle to admission to the European Union. Now an official in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has been caught for fraud worth millions.
- Ukrainian President Zelensky thanked Germany, Finland and the Netherlands for new military aid in the fight against Russia’s war of aggression. He emphasized that well-functioning anti-aircraft defenses were the key to ending the war.
- A spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has denied reports that able-bodied Ukrainian men were to be recruited from abroad. He said the statements had been “misinterpreted”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously spoken at a press conference about the mobilization of new soldiers. The army wants to mobilize up to 500,000 more soldiers. To the report / To the speech
Live-Ticker
9:43 a.m.: Ukrainian Air Force reports 14 combat drones defeated and several deaths in Kherson
According to official information, Russia attacked Ukraine again overnight with more than a dozen combat drones. The Ukrainian Air Force said 14 of a total of 15 unmanned missiles could have been successfully fended off. The Mikolaiv, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions were affected, among others.
In the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, authorities reported casualties from Russian shelling on Saturday. Authorities said four residents were killed and nine others injured as a result of artillery shelling of residential areas in the regional capital of the same name, Kherson. There is also a child among the injured.
It took the whole night to eliminate the consequences of the Russian attacks on Kherson, wrote Ukrainian President Zelensky on Platform X. The shelling damaged, among other things, a school, hospitals and residential buildings.
The elimination of the consequences of Russian strikes on Kherson lasted all night. Terrorists deliberately target civilian infrastructure and ordinary streets. Their shelling damaged a school, a boiler facility, hospitals, city heating networks, as well as private and… pic.twitter.com/mHxWQDShgF
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa) December 24, 2023
5:24 a.m.: New sanctions against Russia’s supporters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in his video address on Saturday that he had signed decrees on new sanctions against Russia’s supporters. “Those who work for and support Russian aggression, those who follow the dishonorable path of collaboration with the terrorist state will be held accountable for their actions,” he said.
At the same time, Zelensky praised the fact that the USA had sharpened its sanctions potential in the past week. This would now focus on financial institutions that help Russia evade sanctions and work with the country’s military-industrial complex. The new sanctions are also aimed at those who help Russia export its important raw material, oil.
5:10 a.m.: Official in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense arrested for fraud worth millions
A senior Ukrainian Defense Ministry official has been arrested in Kiev on charges of millions of dollars in ammunition procurement fraud. The man is said to have been involved in embezzling 1.5 billion hryvnias (around 34 million francs) when purchasing artillery ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces, investigators in Kiev said. Defense Minister Olexi Resnikov was also fired this year following corruption scandals in the ministry.
The senior ministry official is said to have signed an unfavorable contract to procure ammunition for the Ukrainian defenders in their fight against the Russian war of aggression. The costs of purchasing from an exporter are said to have been 30 percent higher than purchasing directly from the manufacturer, which also had shorter delivery times. The investigation was ongoing, it was said. If convicted, the officer faces up to 15 years in prison.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly announced a rigorous fight against corruption and misappropriation of funds in the state apparatus. Proof of success in this fight is also considered a prerequisite for Ukraine’s membership in the European Union. The EU officially decided to start accession negotiations this month. Critics point out that the country is one of the most corrupt states in Europe.
3:19 a.m.: Zelensky thanks Germany, Finland and the Netherlands for new arms deliveries
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked Germany, Finland and the Netherlands for new military aid in the fight against Russia’s war of aggression. Germany has delivered the Gepard anti-aircraft tank, 155-caliber artillery shells and other necessary weapons, said Zelensky in his video message distributed in Kiev on Saturday evening. Germany also sent the US Patriot air defense system to Ukraine. Zelenskiy emphasized that well-functioning anti-aircraft defenses were the key to ending the war.
Ukraine also hopes to regain sovereignty over its own airspace through the announced deliveries of F16 fighter jets next year. So far, Russia is superior. The existing anti-aircraft defenses have recently shown their effectiveness in defending against Russian drones and missiles, said Zelensky. Fighter bombers were also shot down. “The ability to shoot down Russian fighter jets is one of the keys to ending this war justly,” he said. “I would like to thank all the partners who are already supporting us and preparing the necessary steps for help in the coming year.”
Selenski also specifically thanked the Netherlands and Finland, which had sent additional aid packages of 100 million euros each. He didn’t give any details. The president said that Ukraine had become even stronger in the days before Christmas.
I am grateful to our warriors for downing three Russian “Su” aircraft over our Kherson region today in Ukraine’s south.
This is the result of our Air Forces, specifically the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade of Odesa.
Thank you, warriors! Every Russian pilot must know that… pic.twitter.com/1O1KcTC6pw
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa) December 22, 2023
Saturday, December 23rd
10:35 a.m.: Ukraine repels Russian attacks in the Donetsk region
According to the General Staff in Kiev, the Ukrainian armed forces repelled new attacks by Russian troops near the city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region and on the left bank of the Dnipro. Russia continues to try to encircle the city with its troops, the staff said. “Our fighters are holding firm on defense and inflicting significant losses on the occupiers,” it said in a statement. There has been fighting over Avdiivka for months.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, the Russian army is unable to drive out the Ukrainian troops that have established themselves on the left bank of the Dnipro.
Freitag, 22. 12.
6.55 p.m.: Russian drones attack the Ukrainian port city of Odessa
The southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa has been attacked by several Russian drones. Local media reported several explosions that were initially attributed to the use of anti-aircraft defenses. The air traffic control had previously reported the approach of several waves of so-called kamikaze drones over the Black Sea and asked the residents of the city and the surrounding area to seek shelter. Air alerts were also triggered in other regions of Ukraine. There have been no reports of damage or injuries so far.
3:53 p.m.: Russia reports new Ukrainian drone attacks
According to the Defense Ministry, Russia’s air defense system has once again repelled several Ukrainian drone attacks, including in the capital Moscow. In Moscow, the authorities reported temporary delays in takeoffs at Domodedovo Airport. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced that anti-aircraft defenses had destroyed a drone flying towards the capital. There was no property damage or injuries, he said. The information could not be independently verified.
15.09: Ukrainian Air Force reports shooting down of three Russian fighter-bombers
The Ukrainian Air Force says it has shot down three Russian fighter jets. This happened on Friday afternoon in Kherson in the south of the country, said the head of the Ukrainian Air Force.
Russian military observers confirmed at least one shot down. There were also images circulating of a possible rescue operation by pilots who had parachuted out. Their authenticity could not be independently verified.
2:52 p.m.: EU is sending 500 electricity generators to Ukraine
The EU is providing Ukraine with an additional 500 electricity generators. Russia’s ongoing brutal attacks have left the country’s energy infrastructure vulnerable, the European Commission said in Brussels. Despite the efforts of local authorities, it is impossible to restore all of the destroyed power grids in a timely manner.
According to the Commission, the generators now made available come from an EU warehouse in Poland and are worth around 16.5 million euros. The devices also include those that could supply entire hospitals with energy in the event of a power outage, it was said. 40 of the 500 generators should go to schools.
In total, with the delivery now announced, the EU has already sent more than 5,500 electricity generators to Ukraine via the EU civil protection mechanism. Transformers, high-voltage systems and LED light bulbs are also supplied, for example.
In these dark, cold months, we are bringing light to Ukraine.
We are sending 500 generators, to power hospitals and schools.
Another token of our unshakable solidarity and support to Ukraine and its people.
We #StandWithUkraine https://t.co/jwKMXwUAUs
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 22, 2023
1:54 p.m.: Netherlands is preparing to deliver fighter jets
The Dutch government has decided to initially prepare 18 F-16 fighter jets for delivery to Ukraine. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said this according to the Archyde.com news agency. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed corresponding discussions on the news platform X.
I spoke with @MinPres Mark Rutte to thank the Dutch government for its decision to start preparing the initial 18 F-16 jets for their delivery to Ukraine.
I also thanked the Netherlands for actively supporting the opening of Ukraine’s EU accession talks and emphasized the… pic.twitter.com/bYCMpZLA3p
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa) December 22, 2023
12:14 p.m.: Biden wants to punish Russia’s supporters
With a decree from American President Joe Biden, the USA wants to expand its legal options to impose sanctions on Russia’s supporters in the war of aggression against Ukraine. Biden will sign a corresponding order today, a high-ranking government official in Washington announced. This gave the American authorities a precise tool to specifically target financial institutions that supported Russia’s war machine through the processing of transactions. So-called secondary sanctions will then be possible for the first time. This is done in coordination with partners and allies.
The previous sanctions had had an effect, but the Kremlin had found ways to circumvent them, said the government representative. A number of companies that helped Russia circumvent the measures have already been prosecuted. The key point is the financial system, because it requires transactions to procure weapons and military equipment. The aim is to “throw sand in the gears of the Russian war machine and destroy its supply chain.”
American President Joe Biden wants to weaken Russian supplies with a decree.
Evan Vucci / AP
12:01 p.m.: Kremlin threatens West to respond to confiscation of Russian assets
Russia has threatened to confiscate Western assets if its frozen funds in the EU or the USA are confiscated. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov complained about increasingly intense discussions in the USA, for example, about using Russian funds to rebuild Ukraine, which was attacked by Moscow and destroyed in many places by the war. “If someone confiscates something from us, then we will see what we can confiscate in response,” Peskov said, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.
Russia’s assets in the West are frozen because of Moscow’s war against Ukraine. The EU and the USA want to prevent Russia from using this to finance its war. The government in Kiev is demanding access to the funds in order to compensate for the war damage.
9:15 a.m.: 24 of 28 Russian drones destroyed according to Ukrainian air defense
According to its own information, Ukrainian air defense repelled 24 of 28 Russian drone attacks during the night. The targets of the Russian attacks included the capital Kiev and the regions of Odessa, Mikolaiv and Kherson, the military said. In Kiev, debris from a downed drone hit a high-rise building, causing severe damage to apartments on the upper floors and a fire, as shown in photos from the authorities.
Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko announced that one person had been taken to the hospital. Another injured person was treated on the spot. Another house in the capital was also hit by drone pieces, it was said.
Authorities said three houses in the Kiev area were damaged by fallen debris. Infrastructure has also been destroyed by drone strikes in other areas.
A residential building in Kiev destroyed by a Russian drone strike.
Stringer / Archyde.com
4 a.m.: German Justice Minister: We will not force Ukrainians to serve in the military
Ukraine’s problems in mobilizing soldiers to repel the Russian invasion will have no practical consequences for Ukrainians living in Germany, according to German Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann. “It will not be the case that we now force people to do military service or conscription against their will,” the FDP politician told the German Press Agency.
“I cannot imagine, since our constitution stipulates that no one has to serve as a weapon against their will for German citizens, that we can then force people from other countries to do so,” said Buschmann. Union parliamentary group vice-president Johann Wadephul (CDU), however, showed understanding for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s concern to recruit Ukrainian men living abroad. “It is an urgent moral appeal, and we should definitely support it politically. These people are here because there is a war going on there – and they simply have to make a contribution to ending this war,” said Wadephul on the TV channel Welt.
2:44 a.m.: NATO Secretary General believes Putin’s war goal is no longer achievable
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg assumes that Russia can no longer achieve its war goals in Ukraine despite major military efforts. The purpose of the invasion ordered by President Vladimir Putin was to prevent Ukraine from moving towards NATO and the European Union, he said in an interview with the German Press Agency. After almost two years of war, Ukraine is now closer to NATO and the EU than ever before.
“President Putin has lost Ukraine forever,” said Stoltenberg, noting that Russia saw Ukraine as part of its sphere of influence for decades. This is a major strategic defeat for Russia. He is absolutely certain that Ukraine will at some point achieve its goal of joining NATO.
Stoltenberg also pointed out that Russia is paying an enormously high price for its war. The country has already lost hundreds of aircraft and thousands of tanks and 300,000 soldiers have been killed or wounded. As a result of the war, inflation is rising and living standards are falling. Russia is also more politically isolated than before.
Thursday, December 21st
11:51 p.m.: Drone attack on Ukraine – Kiev reports fire in high-rise building
According to authorities, a high-rise building was hit in a new Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko spoke of an impact on the upper floors of the building and of a fire. Emergency services are on duty. An injured person was taken to the hospital.
According to preliminary information from Kiev’s military administration, debris from a downed drone fell into the residential building in the southwest part of the city. There are also said to have been impacts from debris from drones shot down in other parts of the city. There was an air alert in the city of over a million inhabitants and in other regions of the country.
11:05 p.m.: Kiev denies media reports about recruiting Ukrainian men abroad
Around 200,000 Ukrainian men of military age currently live in Germany. Initially, several media outlets reported that they would be drafted next year. Now a spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry is putting the reports into perspective.
Kiev denies media reports about recruiting Ukrainian men abroad
12.15 p.m.: EU pays out last billion-dollar loan to Ukraine for now
The EU has announced the disbursement of another aid loan for Ukraine. As Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced, this is about the last 1.5 billion euros from a total of 18 billion euros in support program for 2023. This was agreed by the EU member states in December last year.
It is unclear what will happen next year with financial aid for the country attacked by Russia. A new aid program worth 50 billion euros for the next four years was actually supposed to be agreed at the EU summit at the end of last week. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban prevented this with a veto.
If no solution is found with Hungary in the coming weeks, the other EU states want to act in a circle of 26. A special EU summit on how to proceed has been announced for February 1st.
8:50 a.m.: Russia carries out drone attacks on Ukraine
Russia attacked Ukraine again on Thursday night with swarms of kamikaze drones. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the Iranian-made Shahed drones flew in from the east and south. In the east and center of Ukraine there was an air alert from the evening hours of Wednesday, depending on where the drone swarms were headed.
According to its own statements, Ukraine was able to fend off the majority of Russian combat drones. Of a total of 35 unmanned aerial vehicles, 34 were destroyed on approach, the air force of the attacked country announced on Telegram on Thursday morning.
The General Staff in Kiev reported continued fierce ground fighting on many sectors of the front in the east and south of Ukraine.
00:27: Ukraine wants to bring men back into the army from abroad
In Ukraine’s search for additional soldiers, the new Defense Minister Rustem Umjerov wants to recruit men living abroad for military service next year. Ukrainians of military age between 25 and 60 in Germany and other countries should be asked to report to the armed forces recruiting centers. Umjerow announced this in an interview with “Bild”, “Welt TV” and “Politico”. The minister spoke of an invitation. However, he made it clear that there would be sanctions if someone did not follow the request.
The Ukrainian military wants to mobilize 450,000 to 500,000 more soldiers to repel the Russian invasion. However, the financial and political framework conditions have not yet been clarified. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the mobilization a “sensitive issue.”
Umjerov said that justice is important. In the future, it should be clear to those affected in advance how they would be trained and equipped, where and when they would serve and when they would be released. Despite the ban, many Ukrainian men have fled abroad because of a possible draft.
12:06 a.m.: Ukraine is increasingly relying on drones
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine is increasingly relying on drones of all kinds to defend itself against the Russian invasion. Zelensky said this in his evening video speech on Wednesday. They are also working on improving the effectiveness of drones.
The importance of drones of all sizes has increased significantly in the almost 22 months of war. Using small camera drones, Ukrainian and Russian soldiers observe the enemy’s every move on the battlefield. Such aircraft can also drop small explosive charges over tanks or trenches. The Ukrainians are partly making up for their lack of artillery ammunition. Ukraine is further developing its drones and giving them greater range. So far, however, the damage they cause when attacking targets in Russia has been limited.
Russia has very effective technology for jamming the electronics of enemy drones. At the same time, Russia uses Iranian-made drones almost every night, which crash over their target at the end of the flight with an explosive charge.
With agency material.
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