What's new

The Russian invasion of Ukraine

2 Killed, 5 Injured After "Massive" Russian Shelling In Ukraine's Kherson

Russian shelling on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Monday killed at least two people and wounded five more, the regional governor said.

Kherson was recaptured by Ukrainian troops last month, marking a major victory for Kyiv.

"Two people died and five were wounded," governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said on Telegram, in what he described as "massive shelling" on the city.

Emergency teams were heading to the scene, Yanushevych said.

Kherson, a city with a pre-war population of around 300,000, was the only regional capital captured by Moscow.

Faced with a major counter-offensive from Kyiv, Russian forces retreated from the city in November.

Ukrainian officials said Russia destroyed "all critical infrastructure" before retreating from Kherson.

Since then the city has been repeatedly shelled.

On Sunday Yanushevych reported that two people were killed in artillery and mortars attack.

NDTV
 
Ukraine Seizes Assets, Bans Travel For Clerics With Russian Ties

Ukraine's top security officials have ordered punitive measures against seven senior clerics, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday, part of a crackdown on a branch of the Orthodox Church with longstanding ties to Moscow.

The clerics are among Orthodox leaders known to have been sympathetic to Russia's portrayal of its 10-month-old invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin says it is protecting Russian-speakers and has annexed four regions it says are historically Russian lands.

"We are doing everything to ensure that no strings are available to be pulled by the aggressor state that could make Ukrainian society suffer," Zelensky said in announcing the measure in his nightly video address.

Under an order issued by Ukraine's Security Council, all seven have had their assets seized and are subject to a ban on a range of economic and legal activities as well as a de facto travel ban.

A majority of Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians and competition has been fierce between the branch of the church historically linked to Moscow and an independent church proclaimed after independence from Soviet rule in 1991.

The Moscow-linked church severed ties with the Russian Orthodox Church after the February invasion, but many Ukrainians remain deeply suspicious of its motives. The Russian church wholeheartedly backs the invasion.

The Security Council last month ordered an investigation into the activities of the church and legislation is under consideration to limit its activities.

Ukraine's SBU security service has been staging a series of raids of property owned by the Moscow-linked church and last week accused a senior cleric of engaging in anti-Ukrainian activity by supporting Russian policies in social media posts.

A spokesperson for the Russian-linked church said last week it had always acted within the framework of Ukrainian law and that there were no legal grounds to put pressure on its followers.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev described the authorities in Kyiv as "satanists" and "enemies of Christ and the Orthodox faith".

NDTV
 
G7 pledges to meet Ukraine’s ‘urgent’ air defence requirements
Zelenskyy also appeals to G7 for tanks, artillery and long-range weapons as Russia maintains barrage of attacks.

Russian missiles, artillery and drones have hammered targets in eastern and southern Ukraine, as global economic powers pledged to beef up Kyiv’s military capabilities with a focus on air defences.

The G7 promised on Monday to “meet Ukraine’s urgent requirements” after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the virtual G7 meeting for modern tanks, artillery firepower and long-range weapons against Russia’s devastating invasion.

He also urged the G7 to help Kyiv obtain an extra 2 billion cubic metres of natural gas in light of Ukraine’s dire energy shortages as millions languish without power in subzero cold after further Russian air raids on critical infrastructure.

Separately, European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday to put another 2 billion euros ($2.1bn) into a fund used to pay for military support for Ukraine, after it was largely depleted during almost 10 months of war. More top-ups may be possible at a later stage.

British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Monday he would be “open-minded” about supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles to target launch sites for Russian drones that have hit infrastructure if Russia carried on targeting civilian areas.

Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa on Monday resumed operations suspended after Russia used Iranian-made drones on Saturday to hit two energy facilities. Power is slowly being restored to some 1.5 million people, but the situation remains difficult, national grid operator Ukrenergo said on Monday.

‘Massive shelling’
In its regular daytime report on the military situation, Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces had repelled Russian assaults on four settlements in the eastern Donetsk region and on eight settlements in the adjacent Luhansk region.

The regions are two of four in eastern and southern Ukraine that Moscow claims to have annexed after “referendums” branded illegal by Kyiv.

Later in its evening update, the General Staff said Russian artillery had hammered nearly 20 front-line settlements around the eastern city of Bakhmut, which Moscow seeks to capture but is now largely in ruins due to incessant bombardment.

Al-Jazeera
 
Kremlin Hit By Major Flu Outbreak, Vladimir Putin Set To Isolate In Bunker

A major flu outbreak has hit Kremlin and could force Russian President Vladimir Putin into isolation in a bunker, a report in Metro said. The development comes a day after officials announced that Mr Putin will not hold his annual end-of-year press conference this year. Since Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave no reason or the break with tradition, several outlets are claiming that it has been done due to health issues Mr Putin is facing. After Russia launched its offensive against Ukraine in February this year, there has been a renewed focus on Mr Putin's health.

According to Russian news agency TASS, the H1N1 flu strain will hit Russia hard this year, quoting Head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing Anna Popova.

"Yes, this year, flu came to stay. The most unpleasant thing in this situation that it is precisely the flu variant which causes the most serious damage to health. This is the flu A virus (H1N1) of the pandemic year of 2009. In 2009, it emerged for the first time as a type of flu with high spread potential and triggered the 2009-2020 pandemic," she said in an interview with the Rossiya-1 TV channel.

Metro said Russian officials are keeping the President away from people in the wake of the spread of this infectious disease. It added that Mr Putin is expected to abandon his address to the Upper House of Russian Parliament as many officials are affected by flu.

The General SVR Telegram channel, which frequently posts updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, claimed that Mr Putin will spend the New Year in a bunker in east of the Ural Mountains with his rumoured girlfriend Alina Kabaeva.

Ms Popova, meanwhile, urged the people of Russia to follow preventive measures that include masks, clean hands, face and gadgets as well as clear respiratory passages.

She also recommended people to stay at home in case they develop any of the symptoms.

NDTV
 
Russian Soldier Brutally Thrashed For Refusing To Fight In Ukraine War: Report

A Russian soldier who refused to continue fighting in Ukraine, he was beaten until his face was covered in blood, his father has claimed. The man narrated the ordeal his son suffered to the BBC, saying that he had begged his son not to go. President Vladimir Putin had on September 21 ordered a mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of Russians to fight in Ukraine, sparking protests and an exodus of eligible men from the country. Reports from Russia said authorities would call up 300,000 people with "relevant" skills or military experience.

The young Russian was among those men who enlisted. But the soldier later discussed with his father what would happen if he refused to fight.

"It was a difficult decision for him to take. I told him: 'Better to take it. This is not our war. It's not a war of liberation'," the man told the BBC. The soldier, along with several others who decided not to take part in the fight anymore, put his refusal in writing.

"They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to shoot him. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. He refused so they beat him over the head several times with a pistol. He told me his face was covered in blood," the father said while speaking to the outlet. Their identities have been protected by the BBC.

The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Mr Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 23. Initially he "believed it was right" despite his dad trying to convince him not to go to war, the BBC report said.

But his stand changed after the soldier found out he had been sent to fight with "no intelligence gathering, no preparation and no cover".

Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the army's leadership. In October, a new general was appointed to lead Russia's offensive.

Russian forces were driven out of much of the northeastern Kharkiv region in early September by a Ukrainian counter-offensive that allowed Kyiv to retake thousands of square kilometres of territory.

Russian troops also lost territory in the southern Kherson region as well as the Lyman transport hub in eastern Ukraine.

NDTV
 
Ukraine Shells Russian Town Klintsy, No Casualties Reported

The town of Klintsy in Russia's southern Bryansk region was shelled overnight by Ukraine, the regional governor said on Tuesday, adding that there were no casualties or damage.

"As a result of the work of the air defence systems of the Russian Armed Forces, the missile was destroyed, some parts hit the territory of an industrial zone," Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram.

Klintsy is a town of around 60,000 people, about 45 km (28 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Reuters was not able to immediately verify the report.

NDTV
 
Ukraine war: Explosions in central Kyiv amid air raid warning

Explosions were heard in the centre of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Wednesday, the city's mayor says.

Vitali Klitschko said blasts rocked the central Shevchenkivskyi district and emergency services had been dispatched.

Air defence systems are at work, Kyiv Governor Oleksiy Kuleba says.

BBC reporters heard loud explosions shortly after the air raid siren sounded. Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure since October with missiles and drones.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had shot down 13 Iranian-made Shahed drones, which he said amounted to all those launched by Russia early on Wednesday.

Kyiv city's military administration said a drone fragment had hit an administrative building in the city centre and four residential buildings. But a spokesperson for the city emergency services told Ukrainian media that no victims had been reported in the strike.

Kyiv governor Kuleba said: "The air defence system is operating. It's important now to stay in shelters and safe places. Russia is continuing its energy terror against our country. But we are getting stronger daily."

Ukraine has accused Iran of supplying Russia with "kamikaze" drones used in deadly attacks on 17 October, which Tehran initially denied.

Iran later admitted sending Moscow a limited number of drones "many months" before the war.

In response, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said this was a lie and that many more Iranian drones were being used.

Russia has been targeting Ukraine's energy grid in recent months in a bid to demoralise its population.

Global leaders have said the strikes civilians infrastructure amount to a war crime, but last week Russian President Vladimir Putin defended the attacks and said they were in response to blast on the Russian bridge to annexed Crimea on 8 October.

The strikes come amid reports that the US is preparing to arm Ukraine with its state-of-the-art Patriot air defence system. Senior defence officials told the Reuters news agency that the announcement could come as soon as Thursday.

The system is among the most advanced in the world and is usually in short supply. Due to its long-range capability it could potentially shoot down Russian missiles and drones before they come within range of Ukrainian cities.

But unlike Ukraine's existing air defence systems, Patriot systems require large crews to operate them, and it could take several months to train Kyiv's forces to use it effectively.

Russia would likely view any attempt to arm Ukraine with Patriot defences as an escalation. Former president Dmitry Medvedev - who is now deputy chairman of the national security council - warned against the move last month.

BBC
 
Generators ‘as important as armour’ to Ukraine surviving winter, says Zelenskiy
Ukraine president calls for more infrastructure aid to counter Putin’s ‘blackout and energy terror’

Generators are as important as armour in helping Ukraine survive Vladimir Putin’s energy terror this winter, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has told an emergency conference in Paris convened to coordinate infrastructure and humanitarian aid to the country over the next four months.

A total of €1.05bn (£900m) in financial and in-kind aid was pledged but the Ukrainian president said as well as surviving the winter the country needed an additional €1.5bn to restore the long-term damage to the energy grid.

The aim of the conference is to set up an international coordination mechanism to ensure Ukraine secures the right mix of generators, transformers, equipment for the restoration of high-voltage networks, and gas turbines.

“We will do everything to counter the blackout and the energy terror. Most of our power plants are damaged or destroyed by the bombings,” Zelenskiy said in an address to the conference by video link.

“Every day our engineers have to disconnect millions of Ukrainians for these repairs. Currently there are 12 million. And every day we expect new Russian strikes. That’s why the generators have become as important as armour to protect the population.”

Energy experts say the key task for Ukraine is not to avoid black-outs but to ensure that each day all neighbourhoods are receiving at least three hours of electricity, which requires a complicated distribution of the grid.

The French-inspired conference is designed to coordinate humanitarian aid to Ukraine and is being attended by more than 40 countries and 30 multilateral bodies.

Pledged aid included generators and power transformers plus assistance with food, water, health, transport and rebuilding. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, announced funding for the purchase of 30m energy-saving lightbulbs that Ukraine had requested to reduce pressure on its power grid.

The meeting will also put in place a system to coordinate international aid for the winter so donors do not double-up. A web-based platform will enable Ukraine to list its civilian aid needs and allow donors to show what they will supply in response.

Russia has repeatedly targeted the Ukrainian power grid and other critical infrastructure in missile and drone attacks since early October as it has faced battlefield setbacks but the bombardment has not so far led to a second mass wave of refugees, according to the latest figures from the EU’s Frontex agency cited by the Warsaw University migration expert Maciej Duszczyk.

He said there had been only a slight net increase of 10,000 Ukrainians crossing the border in the past week, with 65% of them going to Poland.

“The next two months are crucial, but the exodus may be lower than in April because Ukraine’s morale about winning the war is higher,” he said. He added that although the temperature was projected to drop below freezing at night it was due to be about 5C by day, relatively mild for a Ukrainian winter.

Olena Zelenska, the president’s wife, addressed the conference in person and asked Europeans to imagine being under the Russian bombardment.

“How do you feel what this war is doing to our country and our people?” she asked. “How do you feel what more than 4,000 missiles that hit Ukrainian cities mean? What does 50,000 missiles launched in a single day against our country mean? What are 2,719 educational establishments affected or destroyed? How do you feel over 1,100 medical establishments destroyed or affected? Can you imagine half of France without electricity?”

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said in a speech opening the conference that Moscow’s bombardments of civilian targets was a war crime. Often accused of trying to secure a premature peace, he said the 10-point peace plan proposed by Zelenskiy at the G20 in Bali “constitutes an excellent basis on which we will build together”, and “it is up to Ukraine, the victim of this aggression, to decide on the conditions for a just and lasting peace”.

The Kremlin on Tuesday rejected Ukrainian peace proposals that would involve a withdrawal of Russian troops, saying Kyiv needed to accept new territorial realities.

“The Ukrainian side needs to take into account the realities that have developed during this time,” said the spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. “And these realities indicate that new subjects have appeared in the Russian Federation. They appeared as a result of referendums that took place in these territories. Without taking these new realities into account, no kind of progress is possible.”

Ukraine and its western allies have dismissed as sham referendums the votes used by Russia as a pretext to illegally annex four Ukrainian regions, none of which it fully controls. Moscow has rejected charges that its talk of diplomacy is an attempt to buy time to allow its depleted forces to regroup after nearly 10 months of war and a series of defeats and retreats.

The UK Foreign Office, meanwhile, announced it was sanctioning 12 Russian commanders for their role in attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Maj Gen Robert Baranov, identified by the investigative website Bellingcat as the commander of programming and targeting Russian cruise missiles.

The Foreign Office views the dozen as the most senior officers involved directly in the assault on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, and the sanctioning makes them prime targets for possible future war crimes tribunals.

The UK said it was also sanctioning four Iranians, including the co-owner and managing director of Mado, an Iranian drone engine manufacturer.

The Foreign Office, citing UK defence intelligence reports, claimed “Russian armed forces are struggling to replenish their missile reserves, while they are increasingly forced to rely on second rate drones supplied by Iran to keep up their inhumane bombardments of the Ukrainian people”.

James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, said: “The Iranian regime is increasingly isolated in the face of deafening calls for change from its own people and is striking sordid deals with Putin in a desperate attempt to survive.”

The Guardian
 
As Winter Begins, Russian Military Commander Makes Video Appeal: "Boys Are Freezing"

A video appeal made by the commander of a Russian regiment seeking more equipment and medical supplies for the fight in Ukraine is going viral. The appeal comes just ahead of the harsh winter that's about to begin. Sergei Tsivilyov, the commander of a group of mobilised soldiers from Russia's Kemerovo Oblast region, is heard saying in the video that the men arrived nearly "completely exposed".

As the video began, the military commander said, "I'm a combat training instructor of the 247th regiment, Stavropol city. I'd like to appeal to the governor of Kemerovo region, Sergei Yevgenyevich."

"The fighters that you sent to us to Stavropol Krai are almost completely naked. They have no medical supplies. The medical supplies they have is only one tourniquet," he added.

Tsivilyov then asked one of the fighters to come forward.

"They have almost no protection, just two pieces of body armour. Everything else, the sides, are completely exposed. They have practically nothing else," the commander said.

"No thermal underwear, the boys are freezing. But to complete objective on the territory of Ukraine, it's quite cold there," the military commander added.

The clip has been posted on Twitter by user Dmitri, who is with WarTranslated, an independent project that translates material about the war into English. It has been viewed more than 4.27 lakh times.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Western allies have pledged an additional $1.1 billion in emergency winter aid, responding to requests from President Volodymyr Zelensky to help the country withstand Russia's onslaught against its energy grid.

In a video message, Zelensky said Ukraine needed assistance worth around 800 million euros in the short term for its battered energy sector.

NDTV
 
Ukraine Says Shot Down Swarm Of Iranian-Made Drones Launched By Russia

Ukrainian forces said today they had shot down an entire swarm of Iranian-made drones launched at the capital by Russian troops in their latest attack on Kyiv.

Explosions rang out over a central neighbourhood in the early hours of Wednesday, the mayor said, and AFP journalists saw law enforcement and emergency service workers inspecting metal fragments at a snow-covered impact site.

"The terrorists started this morning with 13 Shaheds," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, referring to the Iran-made weapons.

"According to the preliminary information, all 13 were shot down by our Ukrainian air defence systems."

He added that residents of the capital, which has now been subjected to nearly ten months of air raid sirens and frequent aerial attacks since Russia invaded the country in February, should stay alert to government warnings of incoming attacks.

Kyiv region officials praised the Ukrainian air defence and electronic warfare units for downing the latest wave of suicide drones.

US ambassador in Ukraine Bridget Brink said following the morning attacks that Kyiv could continue to rely on Washington's backing.

"More support is on the way," she wrote on Twitter.

- 'Fight through winter' -

Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on social media at 6:41 am local time (0441 GMT) that "explosions" had been heard in the central district of Shevchenkivsky and that emergency services were responding.

"Debris from downed drones hit one administrative building and four more residential buildings suffered minor damage. No one was injured," added Sergiy Popko, the head of the Kyiv regional military administration.

Since a series of key battlefield setbacks this summer and autumn, Russia has been pummelling critical infrastructure across Ukraine with missiles and drones, plunging millions into cold and darkness in winter.

Moscow last week also targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure, piling pressure on the country's power grid, whose operators have for weeks been forced to implement rolling blackouts.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said this week that between 40 and 50 percent of the country's grid was out of action because of Russia's strikes.

The latest round of attacks on Wednesday came one day after Zelensky issued urgent appeals to around 70 countries and international organisations at a Paris conference to help Ukraine withstand Russian attacks this winter.

In a video message from Kyiv, Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukraine needed assistance worth around 800 million euros in the short term for its battered energy sector.

He also said that his country needs spare parts for repairs, high-capacity generators, extra gas and increased electricity imports.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Ukraine's allies to provide his country with more weapons to help it "fight through the winter" and sustain Kyiv's military advances.

NDTV
 
Spend Less On Christmas, Send Difference To Ukrainians, Urges Pope Francis

Pope Francis on Wednesday urged people to spend less on Christmas celebrations and gifts this year and send the difference to Ukrainians to help them get through the hunger and cold of winter.

The pope, who has been making appeals for Ukraine at nearly every public event since Russia invaded its neighbour in February, made the unscripted plea at the end of his weekly general audience.

"Brothers and sisters, I tell you, there is so much suffering in Ukraine, so much, so much," he said, adding that he wanted to draw attention to the particular problems Ukrainians will bear in the coming months.

"It is beautiful to celebrate Christmas, but let us lower the level of Christmas spending. Let's have a more humble Christmas, with more humble gifts, and send what we save to the Ukrainian people, who need it," he said, prompting several rounds of applause in the audience hall.

"They are suffering so much, they are going hungry, they feel the cold and many are dying because there are not enough doctors and nurses available," he said.

He spoke as millions of civilians enduring Europe's biggest conflict since World War Two have had to contend with cuts to power, heat and water caused by Russian attacks on infrastructure as sub-zero temperatures take hold.

"Let's not forget. Christmas, yes. In peace with the Lord, yes. But with Ukrainians in our hearts. Let's make this concrete gesture for them," he said.

Pope Francis spoke on the same day the Ukrainian national church in Rome, Santa Sofia, issued a new appeal to Italians to donate clothing and medicine that volunteers have been taking to Ukraine by the truck load since March.

NDTV
 
^
Catholic church is est to be worth more than £100 billion, why doesn't it donate £10 billion instead of asking people to send money to Ukraine?

Meanwhile we dont hear much about Ukraine in the west now. The reason is Ukrainians are running out of weapons and sadly running out lives to fight. Some est thousands are being killed in the battle for Bakhmut.

When Russia captures Bakhmut , they will have a strategic area which allow further attacks on other areas.

Europe and US are still sending over aid , taxpayers money while Europe is freezing.

Russian reservists will soon be heading to fight in their hundreds of thousands to finish this war off. By Spring or at worst by summer Ukraine will be done as a viable nation.
 
Last week I was in Berlin, Warsaw and a small town in Norway. NOBODY IS FREEZING
 
UN Rights Chief Details Civilian Executions In Ukraine

In just the first weeks of Moscow's war in Ukraine, Russian forces summarily killed hundreds of civilians, the UN rights chief said today, decrying likely war crimes.

Volker Turk told the United Nations Human Rights Council his office had documented the summary executions and direct killings of 441 civilians across just three regions of Ukraine from the time Russia's full-scale invasion began on February 24 until April 6.

Turk said the direct killings of 341 men, 72 women, 20 boys and eight girls had been documented in 102 villages and towns across the Kyiv, Chernigiv and Sumy regions during that time-frame.

"The actual figures are likely to be considerably higher as we are working to corroborate an additional 198 alleged killings in these regions," he told the council.

In the Kyiv suburb of Bucha alone, where hundreds of bodies were discovered after the Russian army was driven out in March, the investigators documented the killing of 73 civilians, and were working to corroborate 105 additional cases.

"There are strong indications that the summary executions documented in the report may constitute the war crime of wilful killing," Turk said.

- 'Truly chilling' -

A line of country representatives took the floor to voice their outrage over the findings and ongoing violations in Ukraine.

Ukrainian ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko told the council the findings "once again point to the drastic human rights ramifications caused by the unprovoked and unjustified Russian aggression".

French ambassador Jerome Bonnafont said the murders of innocent civilians "for no apparent reason in front of their homes, in the street" were "truly chilling".

And the European Union's ambassador Lotte Knudsen said the bloc was "appalled by the reported extrajudicial killings, torture and other horrendous attacks on civilians in Ukraine by Russian forces."

"The scale of brutality goes far beyond human understanding," she said, insisting "accountability... must be ensured."

Turk, who last week visited the war-torn country, also stressed the need for accountability for all violations committed in the conflict.

He said Ukraine had taken numerous steps to ensure accountability for violations, but was facing capacity constraints to investigate cases.

- Accountability 'sorely lacking' -

By contrast, he said his office had seen no evidence that Russia had held a single soldier or commander in rank accountable for illegal killings or for failing to try to stop them.

"Accountability remains sorely lacking," he said.

Turk provided harrowing details of some of the killings documented.

Russian soldiers had executed civilians in makeshift detention sites, while "others were summarily executed on the spot following security checks, in their houses, yards, and doorways", he said.

Civilians were also "struck on roads while moving within or between settlements or while commuting to work".

In Mokhnatyn village in the Chernigiv region, investigators had documented the killings of an 18-year-old man, and 17-year-old twin boys when a Russian military column passed them on the road.

"The first vehicle of the column stopped, aimed its cannon at the 18-year-old, and opened fire. The victim was killed instantly, with the force of the impact tearing parts of his body away," the report said, adding that soldiers then emerged from the armoured vehicles and shot the twin boys.

- Torture, sexual violence -

The report also detailed how Russian armoured vehicles and tanks fired at residential buildings, killing civilians in their homes.

Beyond the period examined by the report, Turk said his team had continued to document ongoing gross violations affecting both civilians and combatants in the conflict, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture and sexual violence.

The UN rights chief and many of the diplomats at Thursday's meeting also voiced alarm at the ongoing attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine, which have left millions without electricity, heat or water as freezing winter temperatures set in.

With these attacks, Russia is "effectively adding freezing to starvation as a weapon of war," US ambassador Michele Taylor said.

NDTV
 
Ukraine's Zelensky Urges "Complete Isolation" Of Russia In 2024 Olympic Games

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday Russian athletes should face "complete isolation" and not be welcomed back at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Zelensky told International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach that he strongly opposed moves by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at the 2024 Paris Games provided they do not participate under their countries' colours or flags.

US officials said Monday there was "unanimous interest" among delegates to an IOC summit to come up with a pathway that would allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to return to competition.

Russia and Belarus have been isolated from international sport ever since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February.

However, Zelensky blasted the American moves, claiming that "since February, 184 Ukrainian athletes have died as a result of Russia's actions".

Zelensky told Bach he was disappointed with the presence of the president of the Russian Olympic Committee at the IOC summit on November 9.

"One cannot try to be neutral when the foundations of peaceful life are being destroyed and universal human values are being ignored," he said in a statement.

Zelensky added that the only response is "the complete isolation of the terrorist state on the international stage. In particular, this applies to international sports events."

At this year's Winter Olympics in Beijing, Russian athletes were only allowed to compete under the country's Russian Olympic Committee flag due to previous doping violations.

However many athletes from Russia competed in uniforms in the colours of the Russian flag.

NDTV
 
Britain's Andy Murray has been recognised for donating over £500,000 of his prize money to help Ukrainian children affected by the war.
 
daytrader said:
G7 pledges to meet Ukraine’s ‘urgent’ air defence requirements
Zelenskyy also appeals to G7 for tanks, artillery and long-range weapons as Russia maintains barrage of attacks.

Russian missiles, artillery and drones have hammered targets in eastern and southern Ukraine, as global economic powers pledged to beef up Kyiv’s military capabilities with a focus on air defences.

The G7 promised on Monday to “meet Ukraine’s urgent requirements” after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the virtual G7 meeting for modern tanks, artillery firepower and long-range weapons against Russia’s devastating invasion.

He also urged the G7 to help Kyiv obtain an extra 2 billion cubic metres of natural gas in light of Ukraine’s dire energy shortages as millions languish without power in subzero cold after further Russian air raids on critical infrastructure.

Separately, European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday to put another 2 billion euros ($2.1bn) into a fund used to pay for military support for Ukraine, after it was largely depleted during almost 10 months of war. More top-ups may be possible at a later stage.

British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Monday he would be “open-minded” about supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles to target launch sites for Russian drones that have hit infrastructure if Russia carried on targeting civilian areas.

Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa on Monday resumed operations suspended after Russia used Iranian-made drones on Saturday to hit two energy facilities. Power is slowly being restored to some 1.5 million people, but the situation remains difficult, national grid operator Ukrenergo said on Monday.

‘Massive shelling’
In its regular daytime report on the military situation, Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces had repelled Russian assaults on four settlements in the eastern Donetsk region and on eight settlements in the adjacent Luhansk region.

The regions are two of four in eastern and southern Ukraine that Moscow claims to have annexed after “referendums” branded illegal by Kyiv.

Later in its evening update, the General Staff said Russian artillery had hammered nearly 20 front-line settlements around the eastern city of Bakhmut, which Moscow seeks to capture but is now largely in ruins due to incessant bombardment.

Al-Jazeera
Click to expand...

This is sheer madness the number of 2.1bn. I am seriously concerned the strain this war is making on the UK and EU's economies. You fork out a huge cash amount, then top it up with expenses of managing the influx of refugees, then you top it up with the production out put slow down due to energy crisis and then we anyhow have inflationary issues soaring, the cpi is through the roof. And we havent even touched the impact of loss of human lives from both sides regardless

Countries like australia that are far away from conflict zone had a record CPI of 7.3%. The last time it was at this level was in 1990. I shudder to think what the data would be for EU and UK. The egos of putin and zelensky coupled with the US agenda of the war to continue is going to put a huge dent in the economy.

Eventually both of these idiots (putin and zelensky) will end up writing a book or earn money through effing speeches and seminars, while the economy will take years to recover.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ukraine has accused Russia of planning a wide-ranging ground offensive for early in the new year, despite recent Russian military setbacks.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and senior officials have warned that Kyiv and its allies must guard against complacency.

The offensive could come in the eastern Donbas region, in the south, or even towards Kyiv, senior generals say.

Western analysts say Russia's ability to conduct successful offensive ground operations is rapidly diminishing.

Britain's most senior military officer Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said this week that the war would only get worse for Moscow, which he added was now facing a critical shortage of artillery munitions.

BBC
 
MenInG said:
Ukraine has accused Russia of planning a wide-ranging ground offensive for early in the new year, despite recent Russian military setbacks.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and senior officials have warned that Kyiv and its allies must guard against complacency.

The offensive could come in the eastern Donbas region, in the south, or even towards Kyiv, senior generals say.

Western analysts say Russia's ability to conduct successful offensive ground operations is rapidly diminishing.

Britain's most senior military officer Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said this week that the war would only get worse for Moscow, which he added was now facing a critical shortage of artillery munitions.

BBC
Click to expand...

Do you not see the contraditctions in this report from the BBC? In the first paragraph they say the Russians are preparing for new offensives but then in the final two paragraphs they came the Russians aren't capable for an offensive.

Come on BBC and western experts, make up your minds.
 
bones said:
Do you not see the contraditctions in this report from the BBC? In the first paragraph they say the Russians are preparing for new offensives but then in the final two paragraphs they came the Russians aren't capable for an offensive.

Come on BBC and western experts, make up your minds.
Click to expand...

No contradictions, they are reporting that Ukraine thinks Russia is planning a new offensive... but western analysts doubt they can.

The BBC isn't saying anything, just reporting both sides of a story.

40 missiles launched at Kyiv today.. 37 shot down.

What is the point?
 
PM Modi Tells Putin Dialogue, Diplomacy Only Way Forward On Ukraine War

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called upon Russian President Vladimir Putin, and reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy as "the only way forward" in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the government said. The two leaders spoke over a phone call.

Meanwhile, the Russian side, in its statement, said, "At the request of Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin gave fundamental assessments of Russia's line on the Ukrainian direction".

Following up on their meeting in Samarkand on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, the two leaders also reviewed several aspects of the bilateral relationship, including energy cooperation, trade and investments, defence and security cooperation, and other key areas, the PM's office said.

The Prime Minister also briefed President Putin on India's ongoing Presidency of the G-20, highlighting its key priorities.

"He also looked forward to both countries working together during India's Chairship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation," the media release from the PM's office said.

The leaders agreed to remain in regular touch with each other.

PM Modi had earlier in his message to Russia, in an attempt to de-escalate tensions, said that "today's era is not of war", earning wide praise from the West which saw it as a "public rebuke" to Russia. The PM's anti-war message also found a mention in a declaration by leaders of the G20 summit gathered in Indonesia's Bali last month.

Russia had, however, accused the West of cherry-picking from India's stand, while staying mum on things that put them in a spot -- like India's massive increase in crude oil imports from Russia against repeated appeals by the West, and also Ukraine.

Russia's Ambassador to India Denis Alipov had said the remarks have been consistent with India's position on the issue.

"The West uses only those quotes that suit them while ignoring other parts," he had said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had last week said that India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have become the "voice of the world", especially of the developing countries, in pushing for an end to the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy as soon as possible.

He also said that India is among the countries with whom all sides are sharing their views.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had last week in an exclusive interview with NDTV hit out at India over imports of cheap Russian oil, referring to it as being ''morally inappropriate.''

''The opportunity for India to buy Russian oil at a cheap price comes from the fact that Ukrainians are suffering from Russian aggression and dying every day,'' he had said.

When asked about his views on Mr Jaishankar pointing to Europe on oil imports from Russia, saying 'what India imports is a fraction of what the European nations import', he called it "completely wrong.

"It is completely wrong to explain the purchase of oil from Russia by the argument that Europeans are doing the same. I think it is morally inappropriate because you are buying cheap oil not because of Europeans but because of us, of our suffering, of our tragedy, and because of the war that Russia launched against Ukraine," he had said.

PM's phone conversation with President Putin comes a week after it was reported that PM Modi is unlikely to travel to Russia for the annual India-Russia summit this year.

With the last annual summit held in India in December last year - which saw Russian President Vladimir Putin travel to India for a six-hour visit - it was Russia's turn this year to host the meeting.

But now in its 11th month of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has not proposed a summit and no dates have been announced as the year draws to a close.

NDTV
 
The latest propaganda is that at least 90% of the missiles launched were intercepted. Well either that's a lie or the 10% of missiles that weren't intercepted did a lot of damage because once again more energy infrastructure was hit.

Here is another interesting event. Zelensky has been told no he cannot give a speech during the World Cup final.
 
Russian Strikes Across Ukraine, Water Supply Hit In Kyiv, Metro Suspended

A fresh barrage of fatal Russian strikes hit cities across Ukraine early Friday, cutting water and electricity in major urban hubs and piling pressure on the grid in sub-zero temperatures.

AFP journalists in Kyiv reported several loud explosions and the mayor said the metro had stopped running to allow residents to take shelter in underground stations.

The strikes killed two people and injured several others -- including children -- in the southern city of Kryvyi Rig, President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown.

"Another wave of massive Russian attacks on energy infrastructure," Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on social media, adding that: "There will be emergency power outages."

The onslaught is just the latest of several waves of strikes that began in October after a series of embarrassing battlefield defeats for Russia in Ukraine.

Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv, near the border with Russia, was without electricity, its mayor said.

The central cities of Poltava and Kremenchuk also had no power.

Air raid sirens were sounding across the entire country while the extent of the damage was being assessed.

Regional officials in Kryvyi Rig said rockets had hit a residential building.

"Two people have died," governor Valentyn Reznichenko said, adding that "at least five people were injured, including two children. All are in hospital."

Oleksandr Starukh, the head of the frontline Zaporizhzhia region, which houses Europe's largest nuclear power plant, said the territory under Ukrainian control has been targeted with more than a dozen Russian missiles.

Water cuts in Kyiv

There were explosions in several central districts of Kyiv, and water supplies were disrupted, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

He said metro services had been suspended so that stations could be used as bomb shelters.

"Due to damage to energy infrastructure, there are interruptions to water supplies in all areas of the capital," Klitschko said on social media.

"Metro traffic is temporarily stopped on all lines."

Earlier, Russian shelling in the southern city of Kherson recently recaptured by Ukraine cut power.

Kherson has been subjected to persistent Russian shelling since Moscow's forces retreated in November.

The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that a Ukrainian Red Cross volunteer had been killed by the strikes in Kherson and urged that humanitarian "personnel and property" be spared.

Moscow has said the strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure are a response to an explosion on the Kerch bridge connecting the Russian mainland to the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.

The Kremlin has also said Kyiv was ultimately responsible for the humanitarian impact of the strikes for refusing to capitulate to Russian negotation terms.

The wave of attacks has spurred urgent pleas from Kyiv for greater air defence capabilities from Western allies.

And Ukrainian defence officials have credited newly supplied systems for downing Russian missiles and drones.

Defence officials said this week Ukraine forces had shot down a swarm of more than a dozen Iranian-made attack drones launched at Kyiv.

Separately on Friday Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he will visit Belarus next week for talks with his counterpart and ally Alexander Lukashenko.

Minsk said the pair will hold one-on-one talks as well as wider negotiations with their ministers on "Belarusian-Russian integration".

NDTV
 
bones said:
The latest propaganda is that at least 90% of the missiles launched were intercepted. Well either that's a lie or the 10% of missiles that weren't intercepted did a lot of damage because once again more energy infrastructure was hit.

Here is another interesting event. Zelensky has been told no he cannot give a speech during the World Cup final.
Click to expand...

Limited damage, the power didn't go out in Kyiv for example. These attacks are becoming more and more useless, actually not for Ukraine as they are now swaying the US and the UK to send the Patriot defence system and Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
 
Ukraine war: Putin meets generals as reports of offensive grow

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with his military chiefs, amid reports that he is seeking to launch a new wave of attacks in Ukraine.

The Kremlin said he spent most of Friday at the headquarters of the "special military operation".

Footage showed Mr Putin flanked by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Armed Forces chief Valeriy Gerasimov.

It comes amid Ukrainian claims that Moscow is preparing to launch a new offensive after a string of defeats.

"We will listen to the commanders in each operational direction, and I would like to hear your proposals on our immediate and medium-term actions," Mr Putin was seen telling military leaders in footage on state TV.

Kyiv's forces have made a series of major advances in recent months, including retaking Kherson - the only major city captured by Russian forces so far.

And the collapse of Moscow's forces in eastern Ukraine earlier this year saw military bosses come in for sustained criticism from pro-Kremlin media figures.

General Gerasimov's presence ends rumours circulating online that he had been dismissed from his position. The 67-year-old has been the target of intensive criticism from hawkish commentators, who have accused him of being too cautious.

Air Force General Sergei Surovikin - who was appointed as Russia's commander in Ukraine in October - was also present at the meeting, photos released by state media showed.

The meeting followed claims by the commander of Ukraine's military, Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi, that Moscow could seek to launch a new offensive in early 2023. He warned that Russia was preparing around 200,000 troops for the attack.

"I have no doubt they will have another go at Kyiv," he added. "I know how many combat units I have right now, how many combat units I have to create by the end of the year - and, most importantly, not to touch them in any way now. No matter how hard it is."

He added that the attack could originate "in the direction of Kyiv" and may be launched from Belarus.

In February, Russian troops advanced towards the Ukrainian capital Kyiv after crossing the border from Belarus.

While the country's leader Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly denied that his forces will join in the invasion, thousands of Russian troops are currently in the country taking part in what Moscow's defence ministry called "intensive combat training".

Mr Putin will visit his Belarusian counterpart in Minsk on Monday.

But analysts have questioned Russia's ability to launch a new offensive on the Ukrainian capital, and White House spokesperson John Kirby said that US intelligence officials "aren't seeing any indication that there's an imminent move on Kyiv".

Senior US defence officials told the Reuters news agency that Russia had been forced to use decades-old ammunition with high failure rates as it burns through its supplies.

They added that "the rate of fire that Russia has been using its artillery and rocket ammunition" could see them run out of reliable munitions by early 2023.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian workers have spent much of Saturday trying to restore power supplies after a wave of Russian strikes hit the country's energy grid on Friday.

Part of Kyiv remained without power, but mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city's metro system had restarted and the water supply had been restored.

He also posted photos on Telegram of a large Christmas tree that's been adapted to meet the constraints of a wartime winter. The tree will be lit with energy-saving bulbs run off a generator, he said.

Power has been restored in the country's second city of Kharkiv, authorities said, after it was left without electricity for hours following Friday's wave of strikes that targeted energy stations across the country.

Russia has launched more than 1,000 missiles and Iranian-made attack drones since the wave of strikes on power infrastructure began on 10 October. International leaders - including French President Emmanuel Macron - have said the strikes amount to a war crime.

The UK's Ministry of Defence says there had been an "uptick" in Russia's campaign of long-range strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure in recent days.

BBC
 
1-Year-Old Found Dead After Russian Strike On Ukraine Building: Official

Rescuers recovered the body of a one-year-old boy from the rubble of a Russian strike on a residential building in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, the regional governor said on Saturday.

"It is difficult to write about something like this," Valentyn Reznichenko said on the Telegram messaging app of the Friday morning attack, which he said killed four people in total.

The strike coincided with a wave of missile attacks on critical Ukrainian infrastructure that officials in Kyiv said was one of the largest since Russia invaded on Feb. 24.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the officials' comments.

NDTV
 
FIFA Rejects Ukraine President Zelensky's Request To Share Message Of Peace At World Cup Final: Report

World Cup organiser FIFA has rejected a request from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to deliver a message of world peace ahead of the tournament's final in Qatar on Sunday, CNN reported.

As per the outlet, Mr Zelensky wanted to deliver a message via video to fans in the stadium in Qatar ahead of the game but was surprised by the negative response. However. CNN reported that talks between Ukraine and the sport's governing body are still ongoing.

The Ukrainian President has repeatedly appealed for peace and assistance on the world stage at government and cultural events, including to Israel's parliament, US lawmakers, the Grammy Awards, the Cannes Film Festival and the G20 summit. Mr Zelensky has also done interviews and conversations with a diverse array of journalists and famous entertainers, including Sean Paul and David Letterman.

FIFA, on the other hand, has gone to extreme lengths to keep political messaging out of its showcase tournament in Qatar. According to CNN, criticism of Qatar's treatment of LGBTQ people and migrant workers grew louder in the weeks leading up to the World Cup. To this, FIFA boss Gianni Infantino responded with an explosive tirade and accused Europe and the West of hypocrisy.

FIFA also banned players from wearing rainbow-themed anti-discrimination armbands and barred fans from displaying flags besides those of the teams at play and other political messaging. However, the world cup organisers have made an exception for the Palestinian flag, which has been featured predominantly during the games.

Meanwhile, Russia's team was banned from the tournament after the invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces have been pounding Ukraine with missile barrages in recent weeks, hitting energy infrastructure in an apparent attempt to freeze Ukrainians into submission during the winter.

NDTV
 
ex-q-zit said:
FIFA Rejects Ukraine President Zelensky's Request To Share Message Of Peace At World Cup Final: Report

World Cup organiser FIFA has rejected a request from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to deliver a message of world peace ahead of the tournament's final in Qatar on Sunday, CNN reported.

As per the outlet, Mr Zelensky wanted to deliver a message via video to fans in the stadium in Qatar ahead of the game but was surprised by the negative response. However. CNN reported that talks between Ukraine and the sport's governing body are still ongoing.

The Ukrainian President has repeatedly appealed for peace and assistance on the world stage at government and cultural events, including to Israel's parliament, US lawmakers, the Grammy Awards, the Cannes Film Festival and the G20 summit. Mr Zelensky has also done interviews and conversations with a diverse array of journalists and famous entertainers, including Sean Paul and David Letterman.

FIFA, on the other hand, has gone to extreme lengths to keep political messaging out of its showcase tournament in Qatar. According to CNN, criticism of Qatar's treatment of LGBTQ people and migrant workers grew louder in the weeks leading up to the World Cup. To this, FIFA boss Gianni Infantino responded with an explosive tirade and accused Europe and the West of hypocrisy.

FIFA also banned players from wearing rainbow-themed anti-discrimination armbands and barred fans from displaying flags besides those of the teams at play and other political messaging. However, the world cup organisers have made an exception for the Palestinian flag, which has been featured predominantly during the games.

Meanwhile, Russia's team was banned from the tournament after the invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces have been pounding Ukraine with missile barrages in recent weeks, hitting energy infrastructure in an apparent attempt to freeze Ukrainians into submission during the winter.

NDTV
Click to expand...

Well done, FIFA.

Zelenksy needs to understand not everything has to revolve around him.
 
Last edited:
The Russian MoD reported that yesterday's strikes, in addition to hitting Ukraine's power structure, destroyed four Ukrainian S-300 SAM radars that had been uncovered.

The Russian Defence Ministry also reported that most of the missiles were launched by the Ukrainian air defence system against false targets, which were deliberately launched to mislead the Ukrainian air defence system.

Missiles are launched in 3 waves:

1- Decoys to detect SAMs
2- Attack SAMs
3- Attack infrastructure
 
Al Jazeera:

Rescuers recovered the body of a one-year-old boy from the rubble of a Russian strike on a residential building in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, raising the death toll to four.

Ukrainian local authorities say air raid sirens wailed across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv, a day after Russia carried out a major missile attack on critical infrastructure.
 
◾️Russian forces take control of Yakovlevka, Donetsk Republic (DPR), West Russia (former East Ukraine), with troops in process of clearing out final remnants of Ukrainian soldiers.

◾️ Russian troops destroy 3 Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in DPR and Zaporozhye region, South Russia (former South Ukraine).

◾️Up to 25 Ukrainian soldiers killed by Russian forces near Kupyansk, Kharkov region, East Ukraine.
 
UK’s PM Sunak to announce $304m in new military aid for Ukraine
Sunak’s office says the new package will include ‘hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery ammunition’ for use against Russia.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to announce a new $304m package of military aid for Ukraine to bolster its counteroffensive against Russia.

The package includes “hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery” and aims to ensure “a constant flow of critical artillery ammunition to Ukraine throughout 2023”, a statement from the prime minister’s office announced on Monday.

Sunak will make the announcement during a summit of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in Latvia later on Monday, his office said.

The JEF summit brings together leaders from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, and was called to discuss the “ongoing efforts to counter Russian aggression in the Nordic and Baltic regions”, the statement said.

At the meeting, Sunak will call on Nordic, Baltic and Dutch counterparts to maintain or exceed 2022 levels of support for Ukraine in 2023.

“The UK is already Europe’s leading provider of defensive aid to Ukraine, including sending Multiple Launch Rocket Systems and recently, 125 anti-aircraft guns,” the statement added.

“We have also provided more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition since February, with the deliveries directly linked to successful operations to retake territory in Ukraine.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the UK has committed some $7.43bn in aid, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a Germany-based group that tracks support for Kyiv.

The UK is the second-biggest donor nation to Ukraine after the United States, which has pledged some $51bn in humanitarian, financial and military aid, according to the Kiel Institute.

Sunak’s office said the British leader had updated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the latest aid last week.

The pair had met in person when Sunak visited Kyiv last month.

Zelenskyy is meanwhile expected to address the JEF summit in the Latvian capital, Riga, via video link, according to Sunak’s office.

The JEF meeting will also discuss further air defence support for Ukraine, which has been scrambling to fend off Russian missile attacks on its critical infrastructure, including its power grid, it said.

The discussions in Riga will also touch on support for Finland and Sweden ahead of their accession to NATO, it added.

Al-Jazeera
 
Russian "Kamikaze" Drone Flies Over Nuclear Plant: Ukraine

The Ukrainian atomic energy agency accused Russia on Monday of flouting nuclear safety by sending a "kamikaze" drone over part of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant in the Mykolaiv region just after midnight.

Energoatom said the Iranian-made Shahed drone had been detected at 00:46 early Monday over the station and said it was calling on the international nuclear community to protect atomic sites from the risks of war.

"This is an absolutely unacceptable violation of nuclear and radiation safety," Energoatom wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Invading Russian forces currently occupy another Ukrainian nuclear power plant, the Zaporizhzhia complex, Europe's largest, near front lines in Ukraine's southeast. Talks are ongoing to establish a safety zone around the plant.

Both sides have accused the another of shelling the Zaporizhzhia site and Ukraine has said Russian forces are pressuring its Ukrainian staff, including through violence, to sign contracts with a subsidiary of Russia's atomic agency.

Moscow is not known to have commented directly on these accusations. In October, President Vladimir Putin issued a decree transferring the Zaporizhzhia plant from Energoatom to a subsidiary of Rosatom, a move Kyiv said amounted to theft.

NDTV
 
cpleigh said:
Limited damage, the power didn't go out in Kyiv for example. These attacks are becoming more and more useless, actually not for Ukraine as they are now swaying the US and the UK to send the Patriot defence system and Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
Click to expand...

How many of the 150 missiles do Russia still have?

A leading British army general has admitted that British Royal Marine troops have been deployed on “discreet operations” inside Ukraine
Click to expand...

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/12/18/lkiw-d18.html

Why not send them all in. All the Dads army to Ukraine, instead of hiding them inside?
 
Part of Ukrainian army positions from which Kiev forces ATTACKED Donetsk city last night have been destroyed.

Center of Maryinka, Donetsk Republic, has been cleared of Ukrainian troops by Russian-led forces - Acting Head of Donetsk People’s Republic Pushilin.
 
Overnight Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure plunge 9 regions - including capital Kiev - into darkness as emergency schedules for power outages introduced.
 
◾️Russian Armed Forces shoot down 4 American anti-radar HARM missiles over Belgorod region

◾️4 Ukrainian army sabotage groups destroyed near Liman, Donetsk Republic

◾️Russian forces thwart Kiev army attempt to assault Donetsk Republic territory with use of artillery support.
 
Reddy said:
Overnight Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure plunge 9 regions - including capital Kiev - into darkness as emergency schedules for power outages introduced.
Click to expand...

I would estimate over 50% of Ukraine has on power atm.

Putin is on his way to Belarus(if not landed already).

Ukraine is being softened up, for when the Russian forces arrive they can walk through many towns.
 
KingKhanWC said:
I would estimate over 50% of Ukraine has on power atm.

Putin is on his way to Belarus(if not landed already).

Ukraine is being softened up, for when the Russian forces arrive they can walk through many towns.
Click to expand...

The power situation is very bad, around 50 per cent and going down with each missile attack.

The Ukrainians have used up most of their trained forces, this is why we are seeing massive number of casualties, the Ukrainian elite will send another hundreds of thousands of poor Ukrainian men to die to satisfy their NATO puppet masters.
 
Last edited:
One In Four Ukrainians At Risk Of Mental Disorder Due To Conflict: WHO

A World Health Organization official said on Tuesday that 10 million people, or about a quarter of Ukraine's population, may suffer from a mental health disorder in relation to the conflict there.

"WHO estimates that up to 10 million people are at risk of some form of a mental disorder, varying from anxiety and stress to more severe conditions," Jarno Habicht, WHO's representative in Ukraine told a Geneva press briefing via video link.

More severe conditions include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by distressing events. Cases are rising after 10 months of conflict, prompting a separate UN agency to launch online support services.

Ukraine's health care system has been under pressure since Russia invaded in February. So far, there have been at least 700 attacks on its health care system, WHO data shows, and Russia's increase in attacks on critical infrastructure since October has added to the challenges by causing blackouts.

Moscow denies targeting civilians in what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine.

Habicht said respiratory diseases would increase with the cold weather and insufficient heating as would car accidents caused by unlit streets due to blackouts.

"The health system is functioning. But as it is 10 months it's a huge stress test " he said. "We are constantly seeing new challenges."

NDTV
 
Gauleiter of the Kiev region reported that after the strikes on December 16, 80% of the entire Kiev region is without electricity.
 
Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation: Three aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force were shot down in the DPR - two MiG-29s and one Su-25, also, the enemy lost two Mi-8 helicopters.
 
Zelensky in Washington: Ukraine's leader heads to US for first foreign trip

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is on his way to Washington, where he will meet US President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

It is his first foreign trip since Russia invaded in February.

The White House has also confirmed the trip and said it will supply Ukraine with a Patriot missile battery, significantly increasing the country's air defence capability.

Mr Zelensky will also address Congress and hold a number of meetings.

"On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of Ukraine," he wrote on Twitter.

Mr Zelensky regularly hosts foreign leaders in the capital, Kyiv, and has visited troops around Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president has also spoken frequently to world leaders over the telephone and by video call - often from his office in Kyiv.

But the surprise visit to a foreign country marks a first since the war began and also signals the importance of Ukraine's relationship with the US, which has played a leading role in providing military support.

In its briefing ahead of Mr Zelensky's visit, the White House confirmed a new package of nearly $2bn (£1.6bn) of security assistance for Ukraine.

That includes a new Patriot missile system, which will help Ukraine to protect its infrastructure against Russian attacks. Ukrainian officials have long been appealing for more powerful air defence systems from the West.

Russia has been targeting Ukraine's energy sector, plunging millions into darkness in winter with temperatures several degrees below freezing.

The White House said it will train Ukrainian troops on how to use the Patriot system in a "third country" and that this "will take some time".

Work is also currently under way in the US to push through a bill that would give Ukraine more than $40bn (£33bn) in extra funding heading into 2023.

In terms of overall spending on direct military support since the start of the conflict, the US has committed far more than any other country.

President Zelensky says the monthly cost of defence for Ukraine was about $5bn (£4.1bn).

His visit to Washington comes a day after he made an unannounced visit to the front-line city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have fought a fierce, months-long battle.

He met troops and handed out awards to soldiers, the presidency said.

The visit was a significant show of defiance - and a demonstration of support for Ukrainian forces engaged in some of the fiercest battles in recent weeks.

Soldiers gave Mr Zelensky a Ukrainian flag with their names signed on it and asked him to give it to President Biden and the US Congress, in a moment that was captured on camera.

On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded medals inside the Kremlin to figures involved in the Russian invasion.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the US military estimates that at least 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured, along with some 40,000 civilian deaths.

The UN has recorded 7.8 million people as refugees from Ukraine across Europe, including Russia. However, the figure does not include those who have been forced to flee their homes but remain in Ukraine.

BBC
 
Vladimir Putin believes Russia is not to blame for the war in Ukraine, adding both countries are "sharing a tragedy".

During a televised address with senior military officials, the Russian president said he continued to see Ukraine as a "brotherly nation".

In February, President Putin sent up to 200,000 troops into Ukraine sparking a war which has led to thousands of deaths.

He claimed the conflict was "the result of the policy of third countries".

The theory, which implies Western expansion is the cause, has been repeatedly dismissed outside Russia.

During his address President Putin claimed the West had "brainwashed" post-Soviet republics, starting with Ukraine.

He said: "For years, we tried to build good-neighbourly relations with Ukraine, offering loans and cheap energy, but it did not work."

President Putin's longstanding concerns appear to stem from Nato's growth since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Nato's original goal was to challenge Russian expansion after World War Two, but the Kremlin has long argued Nato's acceptance of former Soviet allies as members threatens its security.

Tensions between the Kremlin and the West increased after the overthrow of pro-Kremlin Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, following months of street protests.

In his address President Putin continued: "There's nothing to accuse us of. We've always seen Ukrainians as a brotherly people and I still think so.

"What's happening now is a tragedy, but it's not our fault."

Russia has launched more than 1,000 missiles and Iranian-made attack drones in a wave of strikes on Ukraine's power infrastructure which began on 10 October.

The attacks have plunged millions into darkness.
 
I see that fraud Zelensky has travelled to the US…in the middle of a so called war. They guy is a fraud/puppet.
 
◾️6 Ukrainian servicemen lay down their weapons and surrender in Krasny Liman, Donetsk Republic

◾️Russian forces occupied new commanding heights and frontiers in Donetsk, ELIMINATING more than 170 Ukrainian soldiers, and destroying 3 US-made M-777 howitzers.

◾️ Russian troops destroy 2 Ukrainian warehouses of artillery ammunition in Kharkov, East Ukraine. and Zaporozhye.
 
daytrader said:
Zelensky in Washington: Ukraine's leader heads to US for first foreign trip

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is on his way to Washington, where he will meet US President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

It is his first foreign trip since Russia invaded in February.

The White House has also confirmed the trip and said it will supply Ukraine with a Patriot missile battery, significantly increasing the country's air defence capability.

Mr Zelensky will also address Congress and hold a number of meetings.

"On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of Ukraine," he wrote on Twitter.

Mr Zelensky regularly hosts foreign leaders in the capital, Kyiv, and has visited troops around Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president has also spoken frequently to world leaders over the telephone and by video call - often from his office in Kyiv.

But the surprise visit to a foreign country marks a first since the war began and also signals the importance of Ukraine's relationship with the US, which has played a leading role in providing military support.

In its briefing ahead of Mr Zelensky's visit, the White House confirmed a new package of nearly $2bn (£1.6bn) of security assistance for Ukraine.

That includes a new Patriot missile system, which will help Ukraine to protect its infrastructure against Russian attacks. Ukrainian officials have long been appealing for more powerful air defence systems from the West.

Russia has been targeting Ukraine's energy sector, plunging millions into darkness in winter with temperatures several degrees below freezing.

The White House said it will train Ukrainian troops on how to use the Patriot system in a "third country" and that this "will take some time".

Work is also currently under way in the US to push through a bill that would give Ukraine more than $40bn (£33bn) in extra funding heading into 2023.

In terms of overall spending on direct military support since the start of the conflict, the US has committed far more than any other country.

President Zelensky says the monthly cost of defence for Ukraine was about $5bn (£4.1bn).

His visit to Washington comes a day after he made an unannounced visit to the front-line city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have fought a fierce, months-long battle.

He met troops and handed out awards to soldiers, the presidency said.

The visit was a significant show of defiance - and a demonstration of support for Ukrainian forces engaged in some of the fiercest battles in recent weeks.

Soldiers gave Mr Zelensky a Ukrainian flag with their names signed on it and asked him to give it to President Biden and the US Congress, in a moment that was captured on camera.

On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded medals inside the Kremlin to figures involved in the Russian invasion.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the US military estimates that at least 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured, along with some 40,000 civilian deaths.

The UN has recorded 7.8 million people as refugees from Ukraine across Europe, including Russia. However, the figure does not include those who have been forced to flee their homes but remain in Ukraine.

BBC
Click to expand...

Zelensky while addressing Congress was wearing a sweatshirt.

Has this guy got no manners, or even a suit he could wear?

No wonder no one takes this comedian seriously, he literally is the joke himself.
 
Ukraine war: Zelensky urges US to help it defeat Russia

Ukraine is "alive and kicking" and will never surrender, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, in a defiant address to US lawmakers on his first foreign trip since Russia's invasion.

US military aid to Ukraine is not charity, but an investment in security for the future, Mr Zelensky said.

His appeal comes amid signs US support is likely to face greater scrutiny in Congress from Republican lawmakers.

However, President Biden vowed to stick by Ukraine "for as long as it takes".

Mr Biden pledged a new $2bn (£1.7bn) aid package and promised another $45bn.

At a joint news conference, Mr Biden told reporters he was "not at all worried" about holding the international coalition together.

Amid concerns that some allies may be feeling the strain of the conflict's cost and disruption to global food and energy supplies, the US president said he felt "very good" about the solidarity of support for Ukraine.

Mr Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin had "no intention of stopping this cruel war".

As Ukraine's most important ally, the US has already committed $50bn (£41bn) of humanitarian, financial and security assistance - far more than any other country.

Mr Zelensky - wearing his trademark combat-green sweatshirt and boots - expressed hope that Congress would pass an extra $45bn in aid to Ukraine - currently before the US Senate - to "help us to defend our values and independence".

Republicans - who will take control of the House of Representatives in January - have warned they will not write a "blank cheque" for Ukraine.

But Mr Zelensky, who travelled on a US Air Force jet from the Polish city of Rzeszow, said that "regardless of changes in the Congress", he believed there would be bipartisan support for his country.

After the White House meeting, the 44-year-old Ukrainian president gave an address to a joint session of Congress, where he was welcomed with a standing ovation.

Speaking in English, he told US lawmakers his country was still standing "against all odds" and predicted "a turning point" in the conflict next year.

While vowing Ukraine would never surrender, he said it needed more weaponry.

"We have artillery, yes, thank you," he told his audience. "Is it enough? Honestly, not really."

"For the Russian army to completely pull out, more cannon and shells are needed," he added.

Concluding his speech, Mr Zelensky presented Congress with a battle flag signed by the defenders of Bakhmut, a frontline city in the east of Ukraine that he visited on the eve of his Washington trip.

The package of security assistance announced by Washington on Wednesday includes a new Patriot missile system, which is expected to help Ukraine protect its cities from missiles and drones that Russia has fired at critical facilities.

A rare moment of levity arose in Wednesday's news conference as Mr Zelensky, a former comedian, answered reporters' questions.

The Ukrainian president said: "What's going to happen after the Patriots are installed? After that we will send another signal to President Biden that we would like to get more Patriots."

"We are in a war, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry," he deadpanned in English, as the audience in the East Room laughed.

Mr Biden chuckled and said: "We're working on it."

Russia's foreign ministry has said the delivery of the advanced surface-to-air missile system would be considered a provocative step.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Putin said he believed his country was not to blame for the war in Ukraine, adding both countries were "sharing a tragedy".

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the US military estimates that at least 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured, along with some 40,000 civilian deaths.

The UN has recorded 7.8 million people as refugees from Ukraine across Europe, including Russia. However, the figure does not include those who have been forced to flee their homes but remain in Ukraine.

BBC
 
Reddy said:
◾️6 Ukrainian servicemen lay down their weapons and surrender in Krasny Liman, Donetsk Republic

◾️Russian forces occupied new commanding heights and frontiers in Donetsk, ELIMINATING more than 170 Ukrainian soldiers, and destroying 3 US-made M-777 howitzers.

◾️ Russian troops destroy 2 Ukrainian warehouses of artillery ammunition in Kharkov, East Ukraine. and Zaporozhye.
Click to expand...

For balance can we also post ukranian successes? Still not taken bakhmut... In fact Ukraine has counter attacked and pushed them way back and broken through Russian lines.
.Ukraine now just outside Kremina
 
◾️Russian forces continue the offensive in Donetsk Republic, up to 100 Ukrainian soldiers ELIMINATED.

◾️ Russian Aerospace Forces shot down 2 Ukrainian MiG-29 aircraft and a Mi-8 helicopter.

◾️Several Ukrainian units DESTROYED in the Krasny Liman direction.

◾️Russian forces ELIMINATED 2 Ukrainian sabotage groups in the settlements of Sladkoye and Levadnoye.

◾️Russian Air Force launches 2 missile strikes on the positions of Ukrainian Grad ("Hail") rocket launchers and Smerch systems.
 
I think its fair to say that no one cares about this war anymore.

Putin is in full control, West reduced to peace talks options, and the World Cup trumped this war in terms on front page news and breaking head lines.
 
in_cutter said:
I see that fraud Zelensky has travelled to the US…in the middle of a so called war. They guy is a fraud/puppet.
Click to expand...

His wife spent something like 40 grand on shopping apparently. This is what we are paying for.
 
Vladimir Putin Says End To Ukraine War "The Sooner, The Better"

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia was aiming for a speedy end to the conflict in Ukraine and that fighting should end as soon as possible.

"Our goal is... to end this conflict. We are striving for this and will continue to strive... so we will seek to make sure that it all ends, and the sooner, the better," President Putin told reporters.

NDTV
 
[MENTION=145891]cpleigh[/MENTION] - I have placed you on ignore. It doesn't unfortunately stop the site from alerting me when you mention or quote my posts.

I can only assume you have issue with the article I posted with the transcript of Zaluzhny's statement.

300 tanks + 600 Infantry Fighting Vehicles + 500 Howitzers is what he needs, that's basically the British Army.

Zaluzhny is asking for a brand new army, which begs the question as to what's happened to the original army they had and their original equipment. What's happened to all the equipment that's been flooding into Ukraine these last few months? If they're winning surely they have most of it in tact? Or I say this quietly, maybe MSM has been lying all along? Maybe the Ukrainians have suffered horrific losses?
 
Today's briefings:

◾️ Russian forces continue their offensive in Donetsk, more than 80 military units completely DESTROYED, ELIMINATING more than 115 Ukrainian soldiers and mercenaries

◾️Russian Aerospace Forces DESTROYED strongholds of the Ukrainian army in Artemovsk region.

◾️Russian troops destroyed 2 warehouses of Ukrainian artillery ammunition, and 2 M-777 howitzers.
 
cpleigh said:
so they can end it sooner? stop playing daft now. WHilst u cry about Ukraine begging for weapons you accept your hero in the Kremlin having to 'beg' Iran and North Korea for them too.
Click to expand...

Russia doesnt have to beg anyone, although you think it only had 150 missiles a month ago, Russia has thousands and thousands otherwise your maths would have added up by now.

If Ukraine has won according to you, why is the puppet begging US for another 40 odd billion?
 
KingKhanWC said:
Russia doesnt have to beg anyone, although you think it only had 150 missiles a month ago, Russia has thousands and thousands otherwise your maths would have added up by now.

If Ukraine has won according to you, why is the puppet begging US for another 40 odd billion?
Click to expand...

Even MSM are admitting now just how massive the missile attacks have been.
 
KingKhanWC said:
Russia doesnt have to beg anyone, although you think it only had 150 missiles a month ago, Russia has thousands and thousands otherwise your maths would have added up by now.

If Ukraine has won according to you, why is the puppet begging US for another 40 odd billion?
Click to expand...

which part of 'so the can end it quicker' are you struggling with?
 
bones said:
[MENTION=145891]cpleigh[/MENTION] - I have placed you on ignore. It doesn't unfortunately stop the site from alerting me when you mention or quote my posts.

I can only assume you have issue with the article I posted with the transcript of Zaluzhny's statement.

300 tanks + 600 Infantry Fighting Vehicles + 500 Howitzers is what he needs, that's basically the British Army.

Zaluzhny is asking for a brand new army, which begs the question as to what's happened to the original army they had and their original equipment. What's happened to all the equipment that's been flooding into Ukraine these last few months? If they're winning surely they have most of it in tact? Or I say this quietly, maybe MSM has been lying all along? Maybe the Ukrainians have suffered horrific losses?
Click to expand...

or maybe they have or had enough to be able to fight a defensive war, but now want to attack Crimea?
 
KingKhanWC said:
If Ukraine has won according to you, why is the puppet begging US for another 40 odd billion?
Click to expand...

Ukraine doesn't have a working Electric Grid (the backbone of any industrialised country) but they can win the war with 40 billion.

If anything the Russians showed on 2 occassions this year that if they wanted to, they could launch a massive wave of missile attacks all over Ukraine and Ukraine would be utterly powerless to stop it even with all the intel and weapons being supplied by the west.

By the way have you seen the weapons given to Ukraine, MSM and our resident experts tell us how state of the art they are. Ukrainian men on the ground describe them as left over trash.
 
France has a huge problem around the corner with its nuclear energy its leading company EDF is already in massive debt and problems .

Europe is going to rue listening to Americans and sanctioning russian gas .
 
Today's briefing:

◾️ Russian forces continue their offensive in Donetsk, ELIMINATING more than 140 Ukrainian soldiers and foreign mercenaries

◾️Russian Aerospace Forces DESTROY a Ukrainian Su-27 aircraft fighter, Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters, and intercepted 15 drones during the day.

◾️ 50 Ukrainian soldiers KILLED as a result of Russian strikes on Ukrainian military positions in Kharkov, East Ukraine.

◾️ 400 Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile systems DESTROYED by Russian troops since the start of the Special Operation.
 
cpleigh said:
which part of 'so the can end it quicker' are you struggling with?
Click to expand...

According to you Ukraine won the war 6 months ago but now you want think money,arms will end it quicker? lol.

Check the google earth map of Ukraine at night, its in the dark.

The Nazis are pretty much wiped out now. Ukraine is left with demanding pensioners and disabled people to fight. There are women in Ukraine demanding where their fellas are. Over 300k missing people, where are they?
 
According to some, Russia doesn't have any weapon left. How are they still continuing then?
 
Today's briefing:

◾️Over 80 Ukrainian soldiers killed by Russian army advancing in Donetsk Republic

◾️Over 30 Ukrainian soldiers killed by Russian forces near Kupyansk, Kharkov region, East Ukraine.

◾️Russian Armed Forces destroy Polish-suppplied Crab self-propelled artillery piece in Donetsk Republic.
 
Ukrainian armed forces suffering colossal losses in Artyomovsk-Bakhmut, Donetsk Republic, losing(killed/injured) up to 1 battalion per day - Lugansk People’s Republic Militia officer Andrei Marochko.
 
Today's briefing:

◾️Russian forces destroy Ukrainian army maintenance hub near Kramatorsk, Donetsk Republic, Russia (ex-Ukraine), where there were 2 US-supplied HIMARS rocket launcher systems, 2 Carnation self-propelled artillery pieces and 5 D-30 howitzers.

◾️Russian forces destroy US-supplied M777 artillery in Donetsk Republic, from which shelling of residential areas of Donetsk city was carried out.

◾️Russian troops destroy Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group and mortar crew in Lugansk Republic, Russia (ex-Ukraine).

◾️Russian offensive in Donetsk Republic continues successfully, with line of advance moving to more advantageous positions.
 
Today's briefing:

◾️Over 40 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Donetsk Republic as result of Russian artillery strikes

◾️4 Ukrainian Msta-B howitzers and 2 D-20 howitzers destroyed near Kharkov, Kherson and in Donetsk Republic.

◾️Russian forces destroy another US-supplied M777 artillery piece, which had been used to strike residential areas of Donetsk city.
 
Reddy said:
Today's briefing:

◾️Over 40 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Donetsk Republic as result of Russian artillery strikes

◾️4 Ukrainian Msta-B howitzers and 2 D-20 howitzers destroyed near Kharkov, Kherson and in Donetsk Republic.

◾️Russian forces destroy another US-supplied M777 artillery piece, which had been used to strike residential areas of Donetsk city.
Click to expand...

Also:

Thirteen-year-old Nika Selivanova made a heart shape with both her hands, waving goodbye to her best friend Inna who was pressed up against the glass partition that divided the entrance hall of Kherson's train station from the waiting area.

Moments earlier, they'd hugged, tears welling up in their eyes. Inna had kissed Asia, a tan dachshund dog wrapped up in a warm blanket, carried by Nika in her arms.

The girls didn't know when they might see each other again.

Nika's family was leaving Kherson, not sure of where they would end up eventually. For now, they were heading to the western city of Khmelnytskyi, hoping they would get some help there.

The past few days in Kherson had simply been too much for Nika's mother Elena.

"Before, they [Russian forces] shelled us seven to 10 times a day, now it's 70-80 times, all day long. It's too scary." Elena said. "I love Ukraine and my dear city. But we have to go."

Elena and her three daughters are among more than four hundred people who have left Kherson since Christmas Day, after a sharp increase in the intensity of the bombardment of the city by the Russian military.

Elena left by train, in an evacuation facilitated by the Ukrainian government.

BBC
 
Russia offers free sperm freezing to soldiers sent to Ukraine
Russia’s health ministry will provide financial support for sperm freezing to soldiers sent to fight in Ukraine

Russian troops who have been mobilised to fight in Ukraine will have the right to get their sperm frozen for free in cryobanks, Russia’s state news agency TASS has reported.

Citing Igor Trunov, chairman of the Russian Union of Lawyers, TASS reported on Wednesday that Russia’s health ministry responded to his appeal for budgetary assistance for soldiers who want to avail themselves of such services.

...
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022...t-to-ukraine-entitled-to-sperm-freezing-media
 
Russia bans oil exports to countries that imposed price cap
Putin responds to ‘unfriendly’ move by G7, EU and Australia in wake of attack on Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin has delivered Russia’s long-awaited response to a western price cap, signing a decree that bans the supply of crude oil and oil products to nations that impose the cap.

The ban will come into effect on 1 February and last for five months, according to the decree published on Tuesday on a government portal and the Kremlin website.

In early December, the G7, the European Union and Australia agreed to a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil because of Moscow’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.

...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...l-exports-to-countries-that-imposed-price-cap
 
Reddy said:
Today's briefing:

◾️Over 40 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Donetsk Republic as result of Russian artillery strikes

◾️4 Ukrainian Msta-B howitzers and 2 D-20 howitzers destroyed near Kharkov, Kherson and in Donetsk Republic.

◾️Russian forces destroy another US-supplied M777 artillery piece, which had been used to strike residential areas of Donetsk city.
Click to expand...

Do you only post Russian daily updates? ha ha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Bhaijaan
Narendra Modi: A true global leader - The ultimate statesman and ambassador of peace
3 4 5
Replies
361
Views
50K
Champ_Pal
C
Slim
Racism against Indians in Canada and the paranoia of being misidentified as one
2 3
Replies
192
Views
5K
JaDed
JaDed
Tera Gawaandi
'Russian invasion of Ukraine must be stopped immediately' : COAS Bajwa
Replies
74
Views
8K
Poseidon
P
Buffet
The role of the Ashes Test series in defining the legacy of England and Australia players
Replies
21
Views
366
Buffet
Buffet
The Bald Eagle
Former Pakistan cricket team captain Saeed Anwar's controversial views over women entering the workforce resulting in more divorces has gone viral
2
Replies
115
Views
3K
Justcrazy
Justcrazy
Back
Top