Thursday, December 28

Russia’s war against Ukraine

57-years-old Doctor Oleksei, who works at a stabilization point, walks in the building heavily damaged by the attacks in Donetsk Oblast on Dec. 25, 2023 (Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Military: 465 documented cases of Russia using chemical weapons in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. Ukraine has recorded 465 cases of Russia’s use of ammunition containing poisonous chemicals since the start of the full-scale invasion in February last year, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Dec. 27.

Ex-Supreme Court chief found guilty of illegally accepting gift as he awaits ruling on other bribery charge. Vsevolod Kniaziev, the former head of Ukraine’s Supreme Court, was found guilty by a court in Kyiv of illegally accepting a gift after it was revealed he was renting an apartment in an elite neighborhood of Kyiv for Hr 1,000 ($26) a month, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) reported on Dec. 27.

US announces $250 million in military aid for Ukraine, exhausting last remaining funding. The U.S. announced a $250 million military assistance package comprised of weapons and equipment for Ukraine, exhausting the last remaining funds the U.S. will provide until Congress approves the Biden administration’s funding requests, the U.S. State Department announced on Dec. 27.

Politico: Russia attempting to use Ukrainian POWs to foment unrest at home.

Families of POWs told Politico that after months of silence, they suddenly received calls from their family members in Russian custody, in which the POWs encouraged their families to protest against the government, claiming that “Kyiv does not want to take us back.”

Foreign Ministry: Territorial concessions to Russia will only lead to more aggression. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko was responding to a comment from German lawmaker Michael Kretschmer, the head of the state of Saxony, who suggested that the Ukrainian government temporarily give up territory in exchange for a ceasefire with Russia.

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Official: Russia’s full-scale invasion has killed over 400 Ukrainian athletes. Some in Russia have complained about supposed unfairness of only being able to compete without the Russian flag, said Vadym Gutzeit, the head of Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee. “We’re losing people… Is that fair to us?” he added.

Top collaborator in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast sentenced to 15 years in jail in absentia. Denis Pushilin, the head of the Russian illegal occupation administration in Donetsk Oblast, was found guilty of undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity and collaborationism, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported on Dec. 27.

Zelensky: Ukraine triples weapons production in 2023. Ukraine tripled its domestic production of equipment and weapons in 2023 compared to the year before, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 27.

Ombudsman confirms Russia used Ukrainian POWs as human shields. Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has confirmed the authenticity of a video in which a Russian soldiers is seen using Ukrainian POWs as human shields, the New Voice of Ukraine reported on Dec. 27.

Poll: 58% of Ukrainians believe Ukraine will win war in short term. Among those who believe in victory in the short term, 6% believe Ukraine will win in the next few months, 21% believe Ukraine will win by the summer of 2024, and 31% believe a Ukrainian victory will take one to two years.

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Ukraine war latest: Military says Russia trying to bypass Avdiivka, avoid fighting within city

Russian forces continue to attack Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast but are trying to bypass the city. Ukraine may have to prioritize spending on defense above paying salaries if the EU and U.S. do not approve more aid soon.

Photo: Vlada Liberova / Libkos via Getty Images

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Kuleba: ‘Europe doesn’t know how to fight wars’

Sitting down with the Kyiv Independent for an interview in Kyiv, Ukraine’s top diplomat discussed the country’s acquisition of Western weapons, diplomatic challenges, European defense industry concerns, and ongoing aid obstacles.

Photo: Olena Zashko / The Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 4, injure 21 over past day. Russian troops targeted Odesa with kamikaze drones overnight, killing one person and injuring at least three, including a 17-year-old teenager, Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces wrote.

General Staff: Russia has lost 355,750 troops in Ukraine since start of full-scale invasion. This number includes 790 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

International response

US announces $250 million in military aid for Ukraine, exhausting last remaining funding. The U.S. announced a $250 million military assistance package comprised of weapons and equipment for Ukraine, exhausting the last remaining funds the U.S. will provide until Congress approves the Biden administration’s funding requests, the U.S. State Department announced on Dec. 27.

Ukraine opens embassy in Ghana with Rwanda, Mozambique, Botswana to follow. Ukraine has opened a diplomatic mission in Accra, the capital of Ghana, and plans to open embassies in Rwanda, Mozambique, and Botswana, the Foreign Ministry announced on Dec. 27.

Economy Minister warns of delays to salaries, pensions if Western aid stops.

Ukraine may have to prioritize spending on defense above paying salaries if the EU and U.S. do not approve more aid soon, Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said in an interview with the Financial Times on Dec. 27.

Indian foreign minister: India’s ties with Russia are ‘very strong, very steady’. India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is in the midst of a 5-day trip to Russia, where he met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet with Jaishankar later on Dec. 27.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Elsa Court, Teah Pelechaty, Dinara Khalilova, Nate Ostiller, Dmytro Basmat, and Rachel Amran.

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