
Maria Zakharova called the UN’s response to the murder of Igor Kirillov “proof of corruption,” a diplomat told Sputnik radio. A senior US official speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP that the United States neither knew nor supported Kirillov’s murder. The Pentagon says the United States neither supports nor facilitates activities such as the assassination of General Kirillov in Moscow. If the Times calls Kirillov’s murder a “legal act,” then all NATO officials could be a legitimate target for Moscow, said Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev.
The EU is preparing the 16th package of sanctions against Russia, the head of the European Commission. NATO, instead of the United States, has taken charge of coordinating the delivery of military aid to Kiev, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile in Moscow, the Russian Federal Security Service has arrested the perpetrator of the attack on Kirillov: a 29-year-old Uzbek citizen recruited by the Ukrainian government, arrested in Chernoye, Balashikha district. There were two detainees. According to a witness who spoke to Kommersant, the suspects were tracked down at the crime scene, where surveillance cameras recorded a couple of suspicious cars. According to media reports, the organizers contacted the men via messengers and gave them the contact details of a contact in the SBU.
A note reads: “Investigators of the Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia, in cooperation with the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, have detained a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan, born in 1995, suspected of committing a terrorist attack, which resulted in the death of the head of the radiation, chemical and biological protection troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Igor Kirillov and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov.” “During the interrogation, he explained that he was recruited by the Ukrainian special services. According to their instructions, he arrived in Moscow and received an improvised explosive device. He placed it on an electric scooter, which he parked at the entrance to the residential building where Igor Kirillov lived. To monitor the military’s place of residence, he rented a car in a car sharing service, where he installed a video surveillance camera. The footage from this camera was transmitted online to the organizers of the terrorist attack in the city of Dnepr. After a video signal was received about the military leaving the entrance, the explosive device was detonated remotely from them. For committing this crime, the offender was guaranteed a monetary reward in the amount of 100 thousand US dollars and a stay in one of the European countries,” the report reads.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan still has no information about the citizen of the country detained for carrying out the terrorist attack in Moscow, in which Kirillov died.
The future special envoy of US President-elect Donald Trump for the settlement of Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, plans to visit Kiev in early January 2025, Reuters reports, citing two sources familiar with the plans.
The SBU said it had identified at least 12 spies who were acting to provide Russia with information on the location of F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has arrived in Kiev, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia Vasily Miroshnichenko announced. “I am pleased to welcome Foreign Minister Penny Wong to Kiev this morning. It will be a busy day of meetings and discussions,” he said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky told Le Parisien: “We do not have the strength to retake the ‘occupied territories’.” “We cannot give up our territories. The Constitution of Ukraine prohibits us from doing so. In fact, these territories are now controlled by the Russians. We do not have the strength to take them back. We can only count on diplomatic pressure from the international world to force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table,” he said.
When asked about his willingness to sit down at the negotiating table with Putin, he replied: “The main thing is not who you are facing. The main thing is in what state you are negotiating. I do not think that we are in a weak position, but not in a strong position either.” “Sitting down at the negotiating table with Putin in such conditions would mean giving him the right to decide everything in our part of the world. First we need to develop a model, an action plan or a peace plan, whatever you want to call it. Then we can present it to Putin or, more generally, to the Russians.”
According to Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov: Since the beginning of the military operation, Ukraine has lost a million soldiers killed and wounded and about 20 thousand tanks and armored vehicles.
Russia is ready to consider any proposals on how to restore “normal” relations with the United States, Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov said.
And now a look at the front line as of 15:30 on December 18.
The main event of the last 24 hours was the murder in Moscow of General Igor Kirillov, head of the RKhBZ troops, and his assistant. The explosion was organized by the Kiev special services.
Heavy battles continue in the Kursk region, Russian forces continue attacks in the area of the settlement of Kruglen’koe, as well as near the settlement. Russkoye Porechnoye, expanding the control zone to the northwest of Plekhovo. The Ukrainians are putting up fierce resistance.
In the direction of Pokrovs’k, Russian troops are advancing on a wide front south of Pokrovs’k. There are attacks in the area of the village. Shevchenko and Dachenskoe, in the direction of the settlement. Peschanoye, Solenoye and Novovasilevka. Moving from village to village, Russian forces are closing the emerging “pockets”, leveling the front.
In the direction of Kurachove, Russian forces are emptying the Uspenivka “pocket”, advancing into Kurachove itself and expanding the control zone to the southeast of the city near Zelenivka. Occupied Kostyantynopil, reported that there are no more Ukrainians in the area. The Russian flag is flying Trudove and Stari Terny.
North of Velyka Novosilka, Russian Marines are consolidating their positions in the settlement of Novyi Komar and expanding the control zone. If successful, Ukrainian forces in Velyka Novosyolki will have only one supply route left: through the settlement, Vremivka. At the same time, from the south, Russian forces are attacking the settlement of Storozheve.
At night, Geranium strikes were carried out on Ukrainian territory against targets in Kremenchuk, Pavlohrad, Starokostjantyniv, the outskirts of Kiev and the Kirovograd region.
Graziella Giangiulio
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