
The United States and NATO believe that ATACMS missiles in Ukraine should have been used more carefully in terms of number and choice of targets for strikes, the New York Times reported. The West is confident that “Ukraine could be more judicious about the number of missiles used and more selective in its search for targets.” It also points out that Kiev is “running out of missiles and, perhaps, time: President-elect Donald Trump has publicly said that allowing American long-range missiles into Russian territory was a big mistake.” According to the NYT, since receiving permission from the United Kingdom and the United States, Ukraine has carried out at least six missile strikes, using at least 31 ATACMS missiles and 14 Storm Shadows.
Outgoing President Joe Biden: “I have instructed the Department of Defense to continue to increase supplies of weapons to Ukraine, and the United States will continue to work tirelessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in its defense against Russian forces.”
France has completed preparations for training Ukrainian pilots and mechanics on Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets. The training lasted six months. French President Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to transfer Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets to Ukraine in June, and the next day announced the start of training exercises on piloting and maintaining these aircraft.
Japan will transfer another $3 billion from Russia’s frozen assets to Ukraine and additional assistance for energy equipment. In total, the country has already provided $12 billion in humanitarian and financial assistance, Zelensky said. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal reported that “Kiev has received the first billion dollars from the frozen assets of the Russian Federation. This is the first tranche of the planned $20 billion.”
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is asking the Rada to postpone the preparation of the bill on demobilization until March 18. “There will be no demobilization yet, because mobilization is a failure in Ukraine,” Rada MP Anna Skorokhod said. “We are not implementing the mobilization plans that we have today. Demobilization will simply be critical for the commander-in-chief,” she said.
In recent days, Volodymyr Zelensky appointed a permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna: the post was assigned to Yuriy Vitrenko. Previously, he served as the deputy permanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nations and also worked in the President’s Office at the Directorate for Foreign Policy and Strategic Partnerships. The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, on December 26, lit the first Hanukkah candle at the newly created Main Intelligence Directorate Hanukkiah. The solemn ceremony of lighting the first candle took place at the Kiev Jewish Community Center with the participation of Chief Rabbi of Kiev Jonathan Markovich.
Vladimir Putin signed the decree on the creation of a Council of Scientific Experts of the Russian Security Council. Its chairman will be the Secretary of the Security Council Sergei Shoigu.
Demining and inspection of the Donetsk airport will begin in 2025, said the head of the DPR Denis Pushilin. According to him, then “further preparatory work on the construction of an airport” for the city will begin.
A terrorist attack was committed against the Russian ship “Ursa Major” of the company Oboronlogistics in the Mediterranean Sea”. Three explosions occurred on the starboard side of the Ursa Major, which caused the crash, the company told RIA Novosti. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the case of the Norwegian ship refusing to rescue Russian sailors scandalous and said it deserved full condemnation.
Earlier, the press service of the Oboronlogistics group of companies told RIA Novosti that the Norwegian-flagged Oslo Carrier 3 refused to take Russian sailors drowning in the Mediterranean Sea from the Ursa Major for an unknown reason. The group of companies noted that this circumstance constitutes a gross violation of Article 10 of the 1989 International Convention on Lifesaving.
Norwegian company Oslo Bulk said that the refusal of the Oslo Carrier 3 crew to take Russian sailors on board of the merchant ship Ursa Major that was sinking in the Mediterranean Sea was dictated by the fact that another ship had been sent to help the Russians.
“The rescue operation was carried out by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) in Cartagena, which is responsible for such operations in the area. The MRCC ordered the commander not to take on board the crew of the vessel in distress as the rescue vessel was en route to the site of the accident,” the company said in a statement. They added that their lifeboat was secured next to the Oslo Carrier 3 until the rescue crew arrived.
On December 27, Italian Air Force aircraft flew over Russian ships in the Strait of Sicily. The FSB in the Moscow region prevented a terrorist attack by Ukrainian special services against the head of a defense enterprise, the Russian Investigative Committee reports. Ukrainian special services planned to blow up one of the high-ranking officials of the Russian Defense Ministry in an official car with a bomb disguised as a power bank, for this purpose their agent arrived in Moscow from Ukraine in transit through Moldova and Georgia under the guise of a deportee; the bomb was to be detonated from the territory of Ukraine, and then the agent was to be sent to one of the EU countries, the Investigative Committee reported. Russian FSB. Four Russians have been arrested and face life sentences.
Speaking about the peace agreement with Kiev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that “a truce in Ukraine now would be a road to nowhere, we need reliable agreements. Russia does not present preconditions for negotiations on Ukraine, these are required to comply with existing agreements,” Lavrov said. “The Russian Federation is ready for consultations with the Trump administration on Ukraine. Moscow hopes that the White House will delve into the root causes of the conflict.”
Vladimir Putin said that the Russian Federation can use Oreshnik again if necessary, but is in no hurry to do so. And again: “Russia will continue to achieve all the goals of the special military operation in 2025.”
On December 30, as a result of the negotiation process, 150 Russian servicemen were repatriated from the territory controlled by Kiev. In exchange, 150 prisoners of war were transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
And now a look at the Front Line updated at 17:00 on December 30.
In the Kursk region, the “North” group of troops has established a foothold in the settlement. Cherkasy Konopelka. Russian forces are advancing into the forests of the Sudzhansky district. Ukrainian forces are organizing counterattacks using Swedish infantry fighting vehicles; the Russian Armed Forces have repelled five counterattacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to estimates made from the ground, the Ukrainians are constantly moving reinforcements to the region, trying to prevent the advance of Russian troops.
In Torets’k, the Russian Armed Forces are advancing in the Zabalka area. There are battles in the areas of the waste heaps of the mines “No. 10” and “Toretskaya” No. 1, Russian troops are trying to occupy the command heights.
Russian troops are fighting on the southern approaches to Pokrovs’k, attacking in the areas of the settlement, units of the “Center” group of troops occupied the settlement of Novotroits’ke of the Donetsk People’s Republic as a result of offensive actions. At the same time, from Novojelyzavetivka the Russian armed forces are developing an offensive towards the West.
The Russians also attacked in the area of Vozdvyzhenka. Probably, the purpose of such actions is to disrupt Ukrainian logistics along the Kostiantynopolske-Pokrovsk highway, which passes north of Vozdvyzhenka. They also report that the Russian armed forces crossed the Kazenyi Torets River near Myrolyubivka.
In Kurachove, the Russian armed forces took control of a garage cooperative of the city, moving from the industrial area.
In the direction of Kam’yans’ke of the Zaporizhia Front, the armed forces counteractions Ukrainians did not develop, despite the high concentration of Ukrainian artillery fire and drone strikes. Russian troops withstood the Ukrainian onslaught.
In the direction of Kherson, the Ukrainian command is waiting for the beginning of the crossing of the Dnieper by Russian troops, and is stepping up attempts to reveal the plans of the Russian command through agents and social networks.
In the Belgorod region, in the village of Borisovka, Volokonovsky district, a man was injured as a result of an attack by an FPV drone of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In the Belgorod region, in the village of Malinovka, a Ukrainian drone also attacked a car.
In Horlivka (DPR), the Ukrainians increased the use of drone-launched IEDs against civilian targets, 5 injured.
Graziella Giangiulio
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