Wednesday, December 6

Russia’s war against Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky presents one of the first 12 service people awarded the Hero of Ukraine title with a certificate for receiving housing from the state on Dec. 5, 2023. (Presidential Office)

Zelensky cancels address to US senators as Republicans rally against aid package. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that President Volodymyr Zelensky canceled his video address to U.S. senators scheduled for Dec. 5, The New York Times reported.

Zelensky awards Ukrainian volunteers on International Volunteer Day. President Volodymyr Zelensky presented 40 Ukrainian volunteers helping the military and civilians with the Golden Heart state awards on Dec. 5, the Presidential Office reported.

Zelensky: Soldiers awarded Hero of Ukraine title will receive apartments from state. All Ukrainian soldiers who have been awarded the Hero of Ukraine title since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion and relatives of those awarded posthumously will receive apartments from the state, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 5.

Iran, Russia agree to jointly combat Western sanctions. Moscow and Tehran signed a declaration on jointly combating Western sanctions imposed against the two regimes over their role in the war against Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Dec. 5 at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart.

FT: Slovakia, Czechia seek extension to EU permission allowing trade of Russian oil products. Bratislava and Prague are requesting an extension to an EU sanctions exemption that allows Slovakia to sell Russian oil products to Czechia beyond today’s deadline, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 5.

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Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast village destroys medical facility, causes blackout. Russian forces shelled the village of Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv Oblast, destroying a clinic and leaving residents without electricity and mobile connection, a local official said on Dec. 5.

Qatar announces return of 6 Ukrainian children from Russia. Following negotiations mediated by Qatar, Russia has allowed six Ukrainian children to return to their families in Ukraine, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced on Dec. 5.

Air Force: Ukraine downs 10 of 17 attack drones launched by Russia overnight.

The drones were reportedly launched from Russia’s Kursk Oblast and from Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai. Russian forces also attacked with six S-300 missiles, targeting civilian targets in Donetsk and Kherson oblasts, the Air Force said.

Russia claims Ukrainian drones shot down over Crimea. Russian air defense allegedly shot down 35 Ukrainian drones over the Crimean peninsula around 6:00 a.m. Moscow time on Dec. 5, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed in a post on Telegram.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine holds back Russian assault on Avdiivka as long winter battle looms

With the Ukrainian counteroffensive that began in summer now having clearly ended, this new intense phase of the Battle of Avdiivka is solid evidence of the overall initiative shifting back to Russia.

Photo: Marek M. Berezowski/Anadolu via Getty Images

Efforts to legalize cannabis to help Ukrainian veterans cope with trauma stymied by opposition in parliament

Ukraine could have as many as four million veterans when the war is over. A group of lawmakers, backed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, are pushing to legalize medical marijuana as a way to treat the growing number of soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Photo: Pavlo Gonchar/Sopa Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Ukraine war latest: Putin to visit Saudi Arabia, UAE; Qatar announces return of 6 Ukrainian children from Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Dec. 6. Following negotiations mediated by Qatar, Russia has allowed six Ukrainian children to return to their families in Ukraine.

Marek M. Berezowski/Anadolu via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Prosecutor’s Office: Russian attack in Donetsk Oblast kills 1, injures 5. Russian forces struck the front-line town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, killing one resident and wounding another five when they were receiving humanitarian help, the regional prosecutor’s office reported on Dec. 5.

Russia has lost 333,840 troops in Ukraine. Russia has lost 333,840 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Dec. 5. This number includes 1,030 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

International response

The Netherlands to provide $8.6 million to support law enforcement in liberated territories. The Dutch government has announced 8 million euros ($8.6 million) of funding for Ukrainian law enforcement in territories liberated from Russian occupation, the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine said on Dec. 5.

US Senate schedules vote on Ukraine aid. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, representing the Democratic Party, has scheduled the first procedural vote on President Joe Biden’s $106 billion funding request, which includes $61 billion for Ukraine, for later this week, The Hill reported on Dec. 5.

Minister: Finland plans shell production boost to arm Ukraine. “We have finalized negotiations on how Finland will continue to increase its munition production to arm Ukraine,” Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said, adding that the final decision would likely be made before Christmas.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Toma Istomina, Elsa Court, Oleksiy Sorokin, Dinara Khalilova, Dmytro Basmat, and Rachel Amran.

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