December 12 was President Volodymyr Zelensky Day in the United States. The speech behind closed doors in the US Senate did not move souls and it was learned from the senators themselves that the vote for support for Kiev, Israel and Taiwan will be postponed to January.
Biden said he approved a new $200 million military aid package for Ukraine, the White House reports. Joe Biden reportedly said to Zelenskyj: “I don’t want you to lose hope.”
Zelensky told the White House he wanted to “work faster with frozen Russian assets,” which amount to more than $300 billion. Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said it will be nearly impossible for the US Congress to pass an aid package for Ukraine before Christmas. During a press conference he said that this would be “virtually impossible” to do before Christmas. “It is virtually impossible to even reach an agreement, between Republicans and Democrats at Biden’s request, to get it through the Senate and the House before Christmas,” McConnell said.
President Zelensky at a meeting with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson in Washington raised the issue of supplying Kiev with ATACMS tactical missiles with a longer flight range. The newspaper Politico reports this, citing a source. The publication does not mention the rocket modification requested by Kiev.
By the end of 2023, the United States will transfer two more tranches of military assistance to Ukraine totaling just under $1 billion, at which point official funding will have run out. If the Biden Administration does not make concessions on the construction of the wall on the border with Mexico and on the revision of immigration laws, the chances of passing a new bill to allocate funds to Ukraine under the Biden Administration’s terms will be close to zero.
Italy believes it is important to continue supporting Ukraine, but does not agree to review the EU’s multiannual budget only for the purpose of finding resources for Kiev. This was stated by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, speaking in Parliament on the eve of the last EU summit of the year.
Hungary’s position on Ukraine’s EU membership is not up for negotiation; Budapest does not seek tactical advantages for itself in this situation, but firmly believes that Ukraine and the EU are not willing to start negotiations on Kiev’s accession to the European Union, said the head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Peter Szijjáró.
“Will we conclude some kind of compromise in connection with the start of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU? Again, I want to say, this is not a tactical question. As this question is in itself, it is not connected with anything and we will not be connected, it’s about nothing and we don’t talk. We do not take part in any bargaining, search for compromises, buying and selling. The issue of Ukraine and its ties with the EU has historical significance, stands on its own and it does not depend on any other issue,” Szijjártó told Hungarian journalists after the EU General Affairs Council meeting.
In Ukraine, after Zeilenskiy’s visit to the USA, a change in military leadership was expected, but Defense Minister Rustem Umerov explained that: “There is no need to make changes in the military leadership of Ukraine now,” he said. So Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny and Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Sergei Naev will remain in their posts. Zelensky told US senators that Ukraine is considering conscripting men over 40 to reinforce front-line troops, Senator Wicker said.
In Russia according to a statement by the Federal Air Transport Agency, in the coming months 31 Russian airports will be equipped with standard means of detecting and controlling drones with the ability to counter them.
And now a look at the front line updated at 1.00 pm on December 13th.
Battle for Avdeevka: Over the past 3 days the Russian army has carried out assault operations in at least 16 sectors. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports that the Russian army in the direction of Avdiivska carried out 37 attacks last day alone in the areas east of Novokalinovo, east of Novobakhmutovka, Stepovo, Avdiivka, south of Severn, south of Tonenk, Pervomaisk and Nevelsk, trying to break through the defenses of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Ukrainian military intelligence is alarmingly reporting the situation in the Avdiivka area. In recent days, due to changing weather and under the cover of fog, Russian troops have become more active. Heavy fighting continues in the Stepovoy area in three directions (on both flanks of the village and in the frontal direction). The Russian armed forces have made progress northward. On the remains of the fence of the Avdiivska metallurgical enterprise, battles are constantly taking place, the AKhKZ itself is under constant fire.
South of the treatment plants, the Russian army continues to try to wedge itself between the ponds and the private sector adjacent to the factory and the railway. Russian troops are also attacking in the direction of Severn, Tonenk and Pervomaisk.
“The industrial area in the southeast of Avdiivka was completely lost by Ukraine 10 days ago, while the Russians were gaining a foothold there. In addition, attacks on the private sector in the industrial sector have become more frequent. And this is no longer only the deployment of reconnaissance groups, but full-fledged raid and assault operations. Attacks in at least 4 places to the west of the industrial zone and on the outskirts of the Vinogradniki station, as well as battles between Kolosov and Yasinovatsk alley”, writes the social sphere Ukraine.
Furthermore, the Russian Armed Forces of Vodyanoye are storming the landings northeast of the village, towards the 9th district of Avdiivka. Partial progress by the Russians.
Left bank of the Dnpr. Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainians have not taken any active action. Conducts aerial reconnaissance and periodically attacks with FPV drones. He transferred 10 boats with landing forces, more than half were destroyed on the approach and at the landing point. Russian troops are storming enemy positions.
Ukrainian losses according to Russian social sphere amount to 72 people, 6 boats, 4 UAVs, 2 machine gun crews, Strela-10 air defense system.
Battle for Marinlka. The battle for the city of Marinka is almost completed near Donetsk. Units of the Russian Armed Forces of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division hoisted a flag over the last house on Kashtanovaya Street: to completely liberate the city, the northern part remains to be liberated.
Since the majority of the Ukrainian formations retreated to the west, to Georgievka, the clearance of the resistance centers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in this area was only a matter of time. The advance towards Georgievka is complicated by the landings between two settlements: the Ukrainian armed forces managed to mine the approaches and equip a reserve line.
However, over the past week the Russian Armed Forces have focused on inflicting damage on Kurakhovo, Maksimilyanovka and Georgievka. Therefore, with the correct use of assault groups, demining groups and proper organization of cleanup, a relatively rapid leap forward is quite possible. North of the Maryinka reservoir we continue: the Russian armed forces advance along the roads of Ivan Franko and the “Paris” Commune. Further advance of the RF Armed Forces without control on the hills to the north is useless: immediately after the Paris Commune road there is a vacant lot where any unit will be in plain sight.
About 2% of the city’s territory remains under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that Russian troops took the southern part of Marinka. The advance of the Russian troops reached up to 350 meters on the front and up to 340 meters in depth.
Direction Kherson. The epicenter of the fighting is still Krynki. Ukrainians try to settle in the forest; the Russian armed forces not only stop the attempts, but also move the Ukrainian positions to the shore. All this under heavy enemy artillery fire from the right bank.
North of Krynok, Russian troops are mining waterways to complicate Ukrainian movement on boats and carry out rotations. The Russians continue to attack on the right bank; near Tyaginka two Ukrainian artillery units and one armored vehicle unit were eliminated.
Moreover, in the rear of the right bank, the Russians destroy with aviation and artillery the places where Ukrainian manpower and equipment are accumulated. Ukrainian radio intercepts provide information about a landing in other areas of the left bank previously unused for the transfer of troops, perhaps this information is misleading and aimed at distracting and dispersing Russian forces.
Graziella Giangiulio
