Because the warfare enters its 660th day, these are the principle developments.
Right here is the scenario on Friday, December 15, 2023.
Preventing
- Ukraine’s Air Power mentioned Russia launched 42 drones and 6 missiles, principally focusing on the southern Odesa area. Air defence techniques destroyed many of the Iranian-made Shahed drones however 11 folks have been injured by falling particles, which additionally broken buildings and warehouses.
- The air power mentioned Ukraine was additionally attacked by Russian fighter jets dropping Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. One missile was shot down over the Kyiv area, however one other two hit the west of the capital the place there’s an air base. Kyiv regional governor Ruslan Kravchenko mentioned no casualties have been reported, or injury to crucial and civilian infrastructure.
- Talking at his annual press convention in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned his forces have been “bettering their place on nearly the complete line of contact” in Ukraine and that there can be no peace till Russia had achieved its objectives.
- Russia mentioned it shot down 9 Ukrainian drones heading in direction of Moscow. There have been no studies of harm.
- Romania summoned Russia’s ambassador over a “new violation” of its airspace after a drone crashed on its territory leaving a crater 1.5 metres deep close to the city of Grindu, which faces the Ukrainian port of Reni on the opposite facet of the River Danube.
- Russia added Kyrylo Budanov, the top of Ukraine’s navy intelligence (GUR), to its record of individuals “wished” for felony offences. Moscow, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, accuses Budanov of organising a 2022 assault that partially destroyed the bridge it constructed linking the peninsula to Russia.
Politics and diplomacy
- European Union leaders agreed to formally open accession talks with Ukraine, in a choice Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed as a “victory” for Ukraine and Europe. America, in the meantime, welcomed the transfer as “historic”.
- EU leaders additionally agreed to impose a twelfth spherical of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The most recent sanctions will goal diamond exports and enhance enforcement of an oil value cap designed to cut back the amount of cash Russia makes by promoting crude to non-EU international locations.
- A Russian courtroom overturned its determination to fantastic Oleg Orlov, the co-chair of Nobel Prize-winning human rights group Memorial, after discovering him responsible of “discrediting Russian forces” after he mentioned Russian troopers have been committing “homicide” in Ukraine. The transfer means Orlov may now be jailed.
- A Russian courtroom upheld a choice to maintain Wall Road Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in detention forward of his trial on alleged expenses of espionage that he denies. Requested concerning the journalist’s extended detention throughout his annual press convention, Putin mentioned he hoped for an answer with the US. “There are contacts on this problem and dialogue is ongoing, but it surely’s not easy,” he mentioned. Gershkovich was arrested in March.
- Igor Girkin, a 52-year-old hardline nationalist who is healthier identified by his alias Igor Strelkov, went on trial in Moscow on expenses of extremism after criticising the Kremlin’s navy technique in Ukraine. Girkin, a 52-year-old hardline nationalist who is healthier identified by his alias Igor Strelkov, was a prime commander within the Russian-backed armed teams in japanese Ukraine that started combating Kyiv in 2014. He was arrested in July.
Weapons
- Zelenskyy made an unannounced go to to Germany that media studies mentioned would deal with securing armaments for the warfare. The Ukrainian president visited the US navy base in Wiesbaden, the place he mentioned he was “as soon as once more satisfied of the wonderful high quality of US navy help to Ukraine”. Ukraine is making an attempt to persuade right-wing Republicans within the US to again billions of dollars in additional aid that they’ve been blocking in Congress.
- Ukrainian media mentioned the nation had taken supply of a further Patriot air defence system as Russia steps up aerial assaults on the nation.