major events
The Ukrainian Air Force said on Wednesday that Russia launched 81 drones to attack Ukraine overnight, of which 30 “fake drones” failed to reach their targets. And 51 were killed.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Ukraine had repeatedly dropped white phosphorus weapons from drones in September.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said law enforcement agencies had evidence of Ukraine’s use of such weapons, but did not provide details of the evidence.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, which has accused Russia of using phosphorus, Reuters reported.
Zakharova also said Russia would respond to new EU sanctions, which Moscow views as a threat to global energy security.
The European Union on Monday imposed its 15th package of sanctions against Russia, including tougher measures against Chinese entities and ships from Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet.
Russian Foreign Ministry says Russia will raise issue of killing of Ukraine’s top general at UN meeting in Moscow
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Russia will raise the issue of Ukraine’s killing of top Russian general Igor Kirillov in Moscow at the UN Security Council on December 20.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that all those involved in the killing would be traced and punished.
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops, was assassinated in Moscow on Tuesday.
preliminary summary
Hello and welcome to Ukraine Live Blog. I’m Tom Ambrose and I’ll be bringing you all the latest happenings throughout the day.
We start with that news Russia has detained an Uzbek citizen who investigators believe planted the bomb on instructions from Ukraine’s security service that killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the country’s Investigative Committee said. .
The 29-year-old man was recruited by Ukrainian special services and promised $100,000 and a trip to the European Union, news agency TASS reported, citing the country’s domestic spy agency, the FSB.
News agency RIA quoted Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk as saying that the man was arrested in the village of Chernoy in Moscow’s Balashikha district.
Kirillov, the head of the army’s chemical, biological and radiological weapons unit, was killed along with his deputy in an explosion Tuesday as they left a building in a residential area in southeast Moscow.
A source in Ukraine’s SBU security service said Kiev was behind the attack. Check out the link below to follow the story as it develops:
In today’s other news:
-
Donald Trump’s incoming Ukraine envoy, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, to travel to Kiev and several other European capitals on a fact-finding trip in early January, according to two sources with knowledge of the plans.He said he would meet senior leaders in Kiev and his team was working to organize meetings with leaders in other European capitals such as Rome and Paris, although plans could change.
-
North Korean military has suffered “several hundred” casualties in fighting against Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region, According to a senior US military officialThis will include everything from mild wounds to having a KIA [killed in action]”, the officer said, adding that the casualties included soldiers of “all ranks”. “These are not battle-hardened soldiers. They have not been in battle before… [that is] “Why are they suffering casualties at the hands of the Ukrainians?” Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, said Russia had been using North Korean troops in the center of an “intensive offensive” in Kursk for several days.
-
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, Who was blown up in Moscow on Tuesday by Ukrainian intelligence, he led the Russian military’s radiological, chemical and biological defense program – a unit that has been criticized by Ukraine, the US and Britain for its involvement in the use of chemicals on the battlefield. Was convicted, explains Dan SabbaghUkrainian troops have reported frequent use of chemical weapons, mostly teargas, whose deployment on the battlefield is illegal. The US and Britain went further in their accusations and said that Russia is using another toxic agent, chloropicrinFirst used to gruesome effect in the trenches of World War I.
-
NATO takes over from US coordination of Western military aid to Ukraine as planned, A source said on Tuesday, a move widely seen as aimed at Protect the support system against Donald TrumpNATO’s military headquarters, SHAPE, confirmed that its Ukraine mission is taking over responsibilities from the US and international organizations. U.S. Army General Christopher G. Cavoli said, “NSATU’s work … is designed to put Ukraine in a stronger position than NATO can to keep its one billion people safe and prosperous in both Europe and North America.” Keeps it in position.” Supreme Allied Commander Europe. “It’s a good day for Ukraine and a good day for NATO.”
-
The headquarters of NATO’s new Ukraine mission, called NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), is located at the US base Clay Barracks in the German city of Wiesbaden.It took over from the US-led Rammstein Group. NSATU is set to total around 700 personnel, including troops stationed at SHAPE in Belgium and logistics centers in Poland and Romania. Diplomats acknowledge that the benefits of rejoining NATO could diminish if the United States reduces NATO support under Trump. The president-elect previously threatened to pull out of NATO and invited Vladimir Putin to attack its members if they do not commit to more funding.
-
Britain on Tuesday sanctioned 20 ships that were carrying illegal Russian oil. “As [Russian president Vladimir] British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Putin’s oil revenues are fueling his illegal war, with Ukrainian families enduring cold, dark nights, often without heating, lights or electricity, due to Russia’s frequent missile attacks.
-
The Ukrainian Air Force said on Tuesday it had shot down 20 drones launched by Russia. Russia had launched a total of 31 drones and an additional 10 failed to reach their targets, it said on Telegram messenger.