The latest Ukraine-Russia war: Putin is ‘preparing a new push on Kyiv’ with the bombing of Kharkiv with air strikes

[ad_1]

Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine’s war will not continue if Vladimir Putin dies

To get free, real-time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox, sign up for our breaking news emails.

Ukrainian defense chiefs said that Vladimir Putin’s forces are expected to launch a new offensive into Ukraine early next year, including a new attempt to seize Kyiv.

“The Russians are preparing about 200,000 new soldiers. I have no doubt that they will go through another round in Kyiv,” Ukrainian General Valery Zaluzhny said yesterday, warning of new attacks as early as January.

This was echoed by Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who said Kyiv was seeing mounting evidence that Russia was planning a new large-scale offensive.

In his evening address, Volodymyr Zelensky said that “brutal Russian attacks continue” in Donbass as they have in recent weeks.

“The occupiers throw everyone and everything they have into the attack. They cannot defeat our army, so they physically destroy every town and village until there are no buildings, not even walls, that can be used for any kind of defense….”

This comes at a time when European Union leaders agreed to provide 18 billion euros to Ukraine to finance the war-stricken country next year, in addition to imposing the ninth package of sanctions on Russia.

Key PointsShow Latest Update 1671179629 Key infrastructure across Ukraine hit in Russian missile attacks

Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched a new wave of missiles at Ukraine today.

Air defense systems across the country have come into force.

Local officials say major infrastructure has been damaged in the eastern city of Kharkiv and in the Odessa region on the Black Sea.

Witnesses told Reuters they heard explosions in Kyiv, but it is uncertain if they were caused by missiles breaching defenses at this point. No injuries have been reported at this stage and there are no details as to what was injured.

The governor of Sumy in the north says the missiles caused a power outage in his area today.

(Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Lucy Scholding Dec 16, 2022 08:33

Putin will visit Belarus on Monday

Agence France-Presse reported that President Putin is scheduled to visit Belarus on Monday.

It comes as the British Ministry of Defense warned that Belarus had reported conducting “readiness exercises”.

Russia has also reportedly sent additional units of mobilized reservists to Belarus.

But the Defense Ministry says the forces from Belarus are unlikely to be a large enough force capable of carrying out a successful offensive into northern Ukraine.

Lucy Scholding Dec 16, 2022 07:41

Russia’s Defensive Lines Show Throwback to War of ‘Abandoned’ Positions – Mod

The British Ministry of Defense said today, citing photos from recent weeks, that Russian forces continued to make great efforts to build extensive defensive positions along the front line.

“It is possible that they gave priority to the northern sector around the town of Svatov,” the ministry noted.

She added, “Russian constructions follow traditional military plans for fortification, which have been largely unchanged since World War II. Such constructions are likely to be vulnerable to both accurate and modern indirect strikes.

The Ministry of Defense said: “The construction of major defensive lines is a further illustration of Russia’s return to a positional war that has been largely abandoned by most modern Western armies in recent decades.”

Urban Rai Dec 16, 2022 06:56

Russia doubles its intercontinental missile tests in 2023

Russia will double the number of test launches of its ICBMs in 2023 to eight from four in 2022, the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces said in Moscow today.

Sergei Karakaev told the military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda that the eight test flights will take place from two locations – one near Murmansk in the north and one near Volgograd in the south.

He added that four launches were made this year and “confirm the high reliability of the missile systems.”

Urban Rai Dec 16, 2022 06:45

16711701368 dead and 23 wounded in a Ukrainian bombing in Luhansk – TASS

At least eight people were killed and 23 injured in the village of Lantratyvka in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region, the official Russian news agency TASS reported.

More details await the attack.

Urban Rai Dec 16, 2022 05:55

More than 100 attacks and four missiles fired at Ukraine – it’s official

The Ukrainian General Staff said today that Russian forces launched four missiles, 23 airstrikes and 78 MLRS attacks against Ukraine in the past 24 hours.

In contrast, the Ukrainian aviation launched no less than 22 raids on areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment along with three strikes on Russian sites of anti-aircraft missile systems, the Supreme Military Office said.

Ukrainian forces also shot down two Orlan-10 drones.

Urban Rai Dec 16, 2022 05:46

1671167967US looks to expand aid to Ukraine – Report

The United States is looking to expand its support for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion as officials in Kyiv present evidence that Moscow will again go to the Ukrainian capital in the early days of 2023, Politico reported, citing six people with knowledge of the developments.

The Biden administration is considering sending other weapons such as Joint Direct Attack Munitions kits, which turn unguided aerial munitions into smart bombs, and ground-delivered small-diameter bombs that would help Ukraine significantly expand its strike range, two US officials and another person familiar with the matter said. conversations. He said.

Experts predicted a slow winter fight in Ukraine with Russia prolonging the offensive with few gains but deploying reservists.

Urban Rai Dec 16, 2022 05:19

Kherson bombed more than 16 times, two killed

Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces bombed Kherson more than 16 times yesterday as the invading forces continued their “brutal and large-scale offensive” in the eastern Donbass region.

Kyrilo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president’s office, said the bombing killed two people in central Kherson. Officials said the attack also damaged the city’s electricity grid, which has been restored.

The Ukrainian Army’s General Staff said Russia’s main focus on the front line in the east remains the eastern cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka. The senior military official said Russia is also trying to gain a stronger foothold in the Zaporizhia region of southern Ukraine.

Urban Rai Dec 16, 2022 04:42

1671164810EU approves new sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war

The European Union has approved a new round of sanctions – the ninth since the start of the war in Ukraine – aimed at stepping up pressure on Russia.

This tranche of sanctions designates nearly 200 additional people and bans investment in Russia’s mining industry, among other steps.

In addition, the European Union is providing 18 billion euros in financing to Ukraine next year.

“Our joint determination to support Ukraine politically, financially, militarily and in the humanitarian field as long as it is necessary has not been interrupted,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after talks between 27 EU leaders in Brussels.

The package was approved after days of deliberation during a meeting of ambassadors from the 27-country bloc.

The Czech Republic, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, said the package would be confirmed under written procedures on Friday. Details will then be published in the legal records of the block.

Read the full story here:

Urban Rai Dec 16, 2022 04:26

Russia is preparing for attacks in January, and is going to make a new attempt to capture Kyiv – Ukraine

Citing evidence, Ukrainian defense officials said Russian forces were looking to launch a new offensive in January along with a second attempt to capture Kyiv.

Ukrainian General Valery Zaluzhny and General Oleksandr Sersky said the attacks could come in January.

“The Russians are preparing about 200,000 new soldiers,” Zaluzhny told The Economist. “I have no doubt they will make another trip to Kyiv.”

The officials said the military push could come from the eastern region of Donbass – where Russia has already bombed neighboring Ukraine, the south or Belarus, along with another ground assault on Kyiv, which Moscow failed to capture early in the invasion.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said the country is seeing mounting evidence that Russia is planning a new large-scale offensive.

This could happen in February, he said, pointing to the possibility that half of the 300,000 enlisted soldiers will enter the battlefield after completing their training.

“Second part of the mobilization, 150,000 roughly… doing at least three months to get ready. That means they are trying to start the next wave of attack probably in February, like last year. This is their plan,” Mr. Reznikov told the Guardian.

Earlier this week, Moscow dismissed Volodymyr Zelensky’s plea for a Christmas truce, thrusting Ukraine into its 11th month of war.

Lucy Scholding Dec 16, 2022 04:05

[ad_2]