Wednesday, December 20

Russia’s war against Ukraine

President Zelensky during a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Zelensky: Military proposes to mobilize 450,000-500,000 new soldiers. Ukraine’s military leadership proposed to mobilize 450,000-500,000 additional conscripts, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 19, noting that the plan has yet to address several key issues before he can support it.

UN records 142 cases of Russia’s summary executions of Ukrainian civilians.

Russia’s suspected violations in Ukraine include at least 142 summary executions of Ukrainian civilians by Russian troops since the start of the full-scale invasion, UN human rights chief Volker Turk said on Dec. 19.

Zelensky on alleged conflict with top commander: ‘I have working relationship with Zaluzhnyi.’ President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 19 that he has a “working relationship” with Commander-in-Chief General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, responding to a question about their alleged dispute. Adding that “he and the General Staff are responsible for the situation on the battlefield.”

Zelensky: Ukraine aims to liberate all its territory, but tactics may change.

Ukraine’s strategic goal of reclaiming all of its territory has not changed, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 19, adding that tactics may change based on this year’s result.

White House: Russia, China, North Korea seek to strengthen ties. Russia, China, and, to some extent, North Korea seek to strengthen mutual ties as they grow dissatisfied with the rules-based world order, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told the press on Dec. 19.

Poll: Zelensky tops list as most trusted Ukrainian political figure. Zelensky came in first, with 77% saying he is trustworthy, followed by comedian, public figure, and noted fundraiser Serhii Prytula with 69%, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko in third place with 52%.

US lawmakers will not reach deal in 2023 for more Ukraine aid. The United States Senate will not be voting on a deal this year to provide more aid to Ukraine, Reuters reported on Dec. 19.

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Moscow mayor claims air defense prevented drone attack. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Dec. 19 that air defenses near the Russian capital had shot down a drone as it approached the city.

Russia says recent US-Finland defense cooperation deal won’t go ‘unanswered.’ The U.S.-Finland bilateral defense cooperation deal signed on Dec. 18 “threatens the security of the Russian Federation” and will not go “unanswered,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Dec. 19.

Air Force: 2 Shahed-type drones destroyed over Khmelnytskyi Oblast. The drones were launched from Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, the Air Force reported on Dec. 19.

CNN: Russia uses tear gas against Ukrainian troops on southern front. Russian troops drop caustic and flammable gas on Ukrainian troops to sow panic ahead of conventional shelling, CNN wrote on Dec. 19 in its report on trench warfare on the southern front.

Military: Storms create increased risk of sea mines in Black Sea. Lengthy storms in the Black Sea have created an increased risk of naval mines drifting towards places that may endanger civilians, Nataliia Humeniuk, spokesperson of Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command, said on national television on Dec. 19, Ukrinform reported.

Ukrainian citizen who spied for Russia sentenced to 15 years in prison. The convicted spy attempted to create a group of informants to gather information about the location of Ukrainian troops in the south and also tried to recruit agents from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Military proposes to mobilize 450,000-500,000 new soldiers, Zelensky says

Ukraine’s military leadership proposed to mobilize 450,000-500,000 additional conscripts, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at his year-end press conference in Kyiv, adding that the plan has yet to address several key issues before he can support it.

Photo: Sergei Supinsky/ AFP

Reconstruction in Kyiv suburb sabotaged by local officials, discouraging foreign investors

Reconstruction in Hostomel, one of Kyiv’s northern suburbs, is being stymied by the town’s ruling military administration. Foreign companies are eager to invest and contribute to the recovery process but have been put off by the town’s administration.

Photo: Dominic Culverwell/ the Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

Update: Russian attacks against Kherson, Sumy oblasts injure 6. Russian attacks against the Sumy and Kherson oblasts on Dec. 19 injured six residents, including three children, local officials reported.

General Staff: Russia has lost 348,300 troops in Ukraine. According to the report, this number includes 1,140 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

International response

US lawmakers will not reach deal in 2023 for more Ukraine aid. The United States Senate will not be voting on a deal this year to provide more aid to Ukraine, Reuters reported on Dec. 19.

EU Commissioner: $440 million energy support fund to help Ukraine in winter. The Ukraine Energy Support Fund has already accumulated 400 million euros ($438 million) to help Ukraine get through the winter, Ukrinform reported on Dec. 19, citing European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson.

Zelensky suggests Trump’s election can strongly affect war. The result of the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election can “very strongly” influence the course of Russia’s war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press conference on Dec. 19. According to the latest polls, Trump is the frontrunner in the upcoming presidential elections.

Zelensky: Ukraine to receive new Patriot air defense systems this winter. Ukraine will receive several new Patriot air defense systems this winter, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 19 without revealing their number.

Hyundai to sell its sole Russian car plant for symbolic price. This adds the company to the list of major car producers leaving Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a wave of sanctions, also including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Toyota, and others.

US, Denmark agree on bilateral security pact. It will be officially signed later this week and fully enter into force once both countries pass the required legislation, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said.

Minister: Ukraine-EU export increased by over 40% since permit system liberalized. Since the suspension, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said that exports to the EU from Ukraine have increased by 47.5%, and imports to Ukraine have grown by 44%.

Telegraph: UK to sign 10-year pact on naval security commitments for Ukraine.

The U.K. plans to sign a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding to “keep Kyiv in the fight” against Russia in the Black Sea, the Telegraph reported on Dec. 18, citing unnamed British military sources.

Finnish court orders Russian neo-Nazi fighter into custody, awaiting potential war crimes charges. A court in Helsinki ordered the pre-trial detention of Yan Petrovsky, a Russian neo-Nazi mercenary who has fought against Ukrainian troops, as he awaits potential formal charges on war crimes he allegedly committed in Ukraine, the Finnish media outlet Helsingin Sanomat reported on Dec. 18.

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