NATO countries have identified air defense systems for rapid transfer to Ukraine. According to Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tikhy, this involves the supply of 20 systems such as HAWK, NASAMS and IRIS-T by the end of 2024. “As a result of negotiations, it was possible to identify a number of systems, missiles and other equipment that could be transferred to Ukraine in a short time. Currently, active work with partners to implement these steps continues,” he noted.
The United Kingdom, Germany and the United States are stepping up surveillance of the North Sea, including the use of Poseidon P-8 anti-submarine aircraft, amid fears that “Russia may target underwater energy links.”
According to President Joe Biden: “About 80,000 American troops are deployed in NATO countries in Europe, in particular to deter Russian aggression.” “In this context, the United States has deployed forces to conduct counterterrorism operations and to advise, assist and accompany the security forces of selected foreign partners in counterterrorism operations.”
Also the United States according to Reuters, “is preparing a new military support package to Ukraine worth $988 million as part of a program to purchase new weapons for the Ukrainian armed forces.” “The new aid package will reportedly include missiles and UAVs.”
Apparently contradicting himself on the sending of weapons to Kiev, newly elected Donald Trump in a statement to the press said: “Ukraine has senselessly lost 400,000 soldiers and many more civilians. We must immediately cease fire and start negotiations.” Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky contradicted Trump by saying: “Ukraine has lost 43,000 military personnel killed and 370,000 wounded.”
The US embassy in Kiev has announced a “growing threat” of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine’s infrastructure and urges US citizens to “exercise greater caution,” the embassy said in a statement.
Two EU countries have refused to support the EU’s draft 15th sanctions package, Politico reported. Latvia and Lithuania refused to support the package because it also extended a provision allowing Western companies to continue operating in Russia despite existing sanctions.
On December 6, a diplomatic incident at the OSCE summit, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski addressed the Russian delegation to the OSCE: “You should not be here”: “My message to the Russian delegation is: ‘we do not fall for your lies, we know what you are doing: you are trying to rebuild the Russian empire and we will not allow you to do that,’” the Polish Foreign Ministry told the Russian delegation.
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Trump in Paris. The Elysée announced a trilateral meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky; it seems that Trump was not enthusiastic about the meeting. Zelensky also met with the Austrian Chancellor in Paris: “We talked about intensifying our joint efforts to achieve a global, just and lasting peace. As the capital of a neutral country, Vienna is always ready to host future peace negotiations,” the Austrian leader said.
A new head of the State Space Agency will be appointed in Ukraine. The current acting director, Vladimir Ben, has already written a letter of resignation. The second batch of F-16s from Denmark has arrived in Ukraine, Zelensky said: “The planes supplied by the Danes from the first batch are already shooting down Russian missiles and saving our people, our infrastructure. Now our air shield has been further strengthened. If all partners had been so decisive, it would have been possible to make Russian terror impossible,” he said.
Andriy Yermak asked Trump’s team to wage war until the borders are restored in 2022. In addition, the head of the Presidential Office, during his visit to the United States, suggested that Trump’s team consider Ukraine’s accession to NATO. It seems that both proposals were received very coldly.
On December 9, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal arrived in Kiev. During his stay in Kiev, Michal will meet with Vladimir Zelensky, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal and Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk.
On December 6, Vladimir Putin was in Belarus where he gave a speech regarding the deployment of Oreshnik missiles in Belarus: “The Security Guarantee Treaty defines the mutual obligations of allies to ensure the defense of Russia both and Belarus. Moreover, as we have already said, with the use of all available forces and means. That is why we decided to fulfill the requests of the Republic of Belarus and the President of Belarus for the placement of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus. Of course, the latest systems such as Oreshnik have no analogues in the world. In the case of group use they are comparable to the use of nuclear weapons, but they are not weapons of mass destruction for two reasons. First, unlike weapons of mass destruction, these are precision weapons. It does not hit areas and achieves results not due to its power, but due to accuracy. First. Second: in the case of group use – one, two, three complexes – the impact force is the same as nuclear, but it does not contaminate the area, it has no radioactive consequences, since there is no nuclear component in the warhead of these missiles”.
The new generation missiles will be installed in Belarus: “in the second half of next year, when the production of such complexes, the serial production of these complexes in Russia will increase, and when these missile systems will enter service with the Russian strategic forces.”
Russia will close the airspace over the Kapustin Yar training ground from December 10 to 13, when it will probably conduct new tests on the Oreshniks.
And now a look at the front line as of 17:00 on December 9.
In November, the Russian Armed Forces occupied 4.7 times more territory of Ukraine than in the whole of 2023, Ukrainian resources support them.
In the Kursk region, the Russian Armed Forces are achieving successes in the Plekhovo area with heavy fighting.
In Toretsk, during the retreat, the Ukrainian Armed Forces mined several areas. Russian forces are taking control of significant heights. Russian troops continue to storm urban areas.
In the direction of Pokrovs’k, the Russian army has advanced south of Dachens’ke and continues to attack the settlement from the southeast. Russian forces are moving into the area of the settlement. Shevchenko is the last settlement south of Pokrovs’k. Ukrainian resources write that Russian troops are preparing to storm the city.
In the direction of Kurachove, Russian forces continue offensive operations north of the Kurakhovsky reservoir, and from the south of Kurachove our Russian troops are storming Ukrainian troops
In the direction of the Velyka Novosilka District Russian units have advanced east of Rivnopil’ in the direction of the Storozheve front up to 6 km to a maximum depth of 2 km. Blahodatne was taken by the Russians.
At night in the Rostov region, air defense forces and means destroyed three UAVs: two in the Millerovo area and one near Kamensk. The Russian air defense system worked at night over Belgorod and the Belgorod region: air targets were shot down on the approach to the city. During the day, Shebekino, Tavrovo and Otradnoye were under attack. UAVs hit high-rise buildings.
In the DPR, 8 civilians were injured by Ukrainian fire: Ukrainian troops used IEDs on a city bus and fired on Selidovo with NATO-caliber artillery.
Graziella Giangiulio
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