A KREMLIN spokesperson has dismissed President Zelensky's call for a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine before Christmas.
Putin lackey Dmitry Peskov told reporters today that Ukraine must accept the "reality" of Russia's control over parts of its country following President Zelensky's call for a Kremlin withdrawal before Christmas.
“The Ukrainian side needs to take into account the realities that have developed on the ground," he told reporters. "These realities show that the Russian Federation has new territories,” he added.
“Without taking into account these realities, any progress is impossible.”
This comes as the UK announced sanctions targeting 12 Russian military officers who are in command of troops where atrocities have taken place in Ukraine.
Read our Ukraine-Russia live blog below for the latest news…
- Henry Moore
UK could consider sending long-range missiles to Ukraine
Britain’s defence secretary, Ben Wallace, said on Monday the UK is “open-minded” about sending long-range missiles to Ukraine.
Asked by former PM Boris Johnson in parliament, about the UK’s position on sending missiles, Mr Wallace said: “I constantly review the weapons systems we could provide.
“We too have in our armour potential weapons systems that are longer and should the Russians continue to target civilian areas and try and break those Geneva conventions, then I will be open-minded to see what we do next.”
- Henry Moore
Ukraine's PM hails announcement of $1billion support for Ukraine
Following today's announcement that some 70 countries have pledged to provide $1billion in aid to Ukraine this winter, the country's Prime Minister took to Twitter to hail the decision.
In a tweet, Denys Shymhal said: "About 1 billion euros to support in the winter period was announced at the conference in Paris on the initiative of @EmmanuelMacron.
"The aggressor will not succeed in plunging us into cold and darkness. With the support of our friends, we will persevere."
- Henry Moore
UK pledges to 'hold Russia and Iran to account'
The British government today pledged to hold both Russia and Iran to account as the two states form ever-closer ties.
Taking to Twitter, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development office said Russia has plans to provide Iran with "advanced military components."
This comes as Iran is accused of providing Russia with missile drones used to strike civilian areas in Ukraine.
"We will expose this sordid deal and hold both countries to account," the UK gov said.
- Henry Moore
70 countries pledge over $1billion to Ukraine in 'powerful signal of support'
Approximately 70 countries from across the globe have pledged over $1billion in aid to Ukraine today, said French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.
This comes as France hosted a meeting of world leaders to discuss providing Ukraine with food, medicine and other support.
“This is a powerful signal to show the civilised world is supporting Ukraine,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told reporters.
“We are grateful to the countries that remain by our side when we are suffering the aggression by Russia on our territory and our civilian infrastructure”.
- Henry Moore
Who controls what in Ukraine?
The British Ministry of Defence has provided an updated map of the situation in Ukraine.
Over the past month, Russia has been driven from Kherson but continues to occupy several Ukrainian regions.
On Monday, President Zelensky called for a total Russian withdrawal from Ukraine, a request the Kremlin promptly rejected.
- Henry Moore
Civilians urged to evacuate as Russia shells Donetsk
Eight people were reportedly killed by Russian shelling in Donetsk on Monday.
“All the wounded were taken to the hospital; we are determining the extent of the damage”, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote on Telegram.
“This is another attack by the Russian army on the civilian population. This time the enemy used the Uragan MLRS. The terrorist state is continuously terrorizing peaceful Ukrainians — it is shooting and will continue to shoot at civilians until we drive it out.
“I am asking everyone: evacuate! Do not expose yourself to danger!” he wrote.
- Henry Moore
New poll shows 85% of Ukrainians believe Russia must return Crimea
A new poll conducted by Rating Group shows 85% of Ukrainians believe peace can only be achieved if Russia returns control of Crimea and the Dombas to Kyiv.
In contrast, only 9% of Ukrainian citizens believe winning back all territories controlled before February 24, 20222 would mean victory.
Since its invasion began earlier this year, the Kremlin has annexed four Ukrainian regions.
However, Russian authorities have held Crimea since 2014.
- Henry Moore
Kremlin denies Russian missiles have been placed at Europe's largest nuclear power plant
Speaking on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied claims Russia has placed weaponry near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
The Kremlin mouthpiece said Russia is in regular contact International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia of shelling the plant throughout its invasion, while Putin's government has thrown similar accusations back at Kyiv.
- Henry Moore
Russian losses surpass 95,000 as brutal invasion continues
Russian losses continued to soar over the past 24 hours, as the Kremlin continued its brutal invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, Putin's army lost 500 troops in the last day, bringing the total casualties to 95,260.
This comes as Russia continues to strike Ukraine's energy infrastructure, often leaving millions without power.
- Joseph Gamp
Air raid alerts issued across Ukraine says Kyiv
Air raid sirens wailed across Ukraine on Tuesday, local officials said, after warnings by the country's leaders that Russia could launch a new wave of missile and drone strikes.
Russia has carried out several waves of attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since October, causing power outages across the country.
- Joseph Gamp
One billion euros pledged for Ukraine at Paris aid conference
Countries gathered at an aid conference for Ukraine in Paris have pledged aid worth around one billion euros to help the war-hit country this winter, France's foreign minister said on Tuesday.
Catherine Colonna said these were "new commitments, thanks to the holding of this conference. It is aid, or gifts in kind. It is not loans."
- Joseph Gamp
Kremlin says Ukraine must accept 'new realities' to resolve conflict
The Kremlin said Tuesday there could be no progress in resolving the Ukraine conflict unless Kyiv recognises occupied territories as Russian.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin's spokesman also brushed off Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal that Russia begin pulling out troops this Christmas.
"The Ukrainian side needs to take into account the realities that have developed on the ground," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"These realities show that the Russian Federation has new territories," he added.
"Without taking into account these realities, any progress is impossible."
- Joseph Gamp
UK's new sanctions unveiled to Parliament
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has told Parliament about the move to sanction 12 Russian military officers who are in command of troops where atrocities have taken place in Ukraine.
Labour's Chris Elmore (Ogmore) asked: "In her recent visit to Parliament the first lady of Ukraine (Olena Zelenska) highlighted that Russia soldiers had carried out sexual violence including rape on Ukrainian women with the consent of their commanders. Under the UN international law, as he will be aware, the use of rape in combat is a war crime.
"Could the Foreign Secretary specifically set out what he'll be doing on the diplomatic stage to ensure that when the war is over or indeed before, that those soldiers who've committed those crimes and those officers who authorised that disgusting and heinous rapes towards women are dealt with in the International Criminal Court?"
James Cleverly replied: "I had the opportunity, the privilege to speak with the first lady at the preventing sexual violence conference that we hosted in London recently. I can inform him and the House that this morning we designated 12 more Russian military officers who are in command of Russian troops where atrocities have taken place.
"We work closely with the Ukrainian chief prosecutor, the International Criminal Court and our international allies on ensuring there is an accountability framework that is effective from the people on the ground who are perpetrating these crimes directly, through those officers who are ordering them to do so, right up to and including Vladimir Putin himself, ultimately who is responsible for this – vile acts that are taking place because of his invasion of Ukraine."
- Joseph Gamp
Grain ships leave Odesa ports after pause following Russian attacks
Eight ships loaded with grain left ports in Ukraine's Odesa region on Tuesday after a pause caused by power cuts following Russian missile strikes, the Ukrainian infrastructure ministry said.
The Black Sea port of Odesa did not operate on Sunday and the ports of Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi, which are also authorised to export grain under a deal reached by Moscow and Kyiv despite Russia's invasion, had operated only partially.
"'Grain Initiative': 8 vessels with 238,600 tonnes of agricultural products for Asia and Europe left the ports of Greater Odesa," the infrastructure ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.
It said 690,000 tonnes of agricultural products would be loaded onto 23 other vessels that are in the ports in the Odesa region.
The ministry said 550 vessels with food had left Ukrainian ports so far under the initiative, exporting 13.8 million tonnes of Ukrainian agricultural products to Asia, Europe and Africa.
Credit: Reuters - Joseph Gamp
Bridge into Ukraine's Russia-held Melitopol 'damaged' say installed leaders
Russia-installed authorities on Tuesday accused pro-Kyiv forces of using explosives to damage a bridge into Melitopol, a strategic city in the Moscow-occupied part of Ukraine's southern region of Zaporizhzhia.
The attack comes after Ukrainian troops struck Melitopol at the weekend, opening a new front in Kyiv's fight to win back land in the south of the Western-backed country.
Melitopol, an important transport centre, is key to liberating the south of Ukraine.
"The bridge in the village of Konstantinovka in the eastern suburbs of Melitopol was damaged by terrorists," Vladimir Rogov, a Moscow-installed regional official, said on messaging app Telegram.
He said the attack was carried out with the help of "explosives".
Rogov did not specify the extent of the damage, but images posted on his social media showed that a middle section of the bridge had collapsed.
Rogov said the bridge was used to supply the Moscow-controlled parts of the region of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, territories which form a land corridor linking Russia and Crimea, a peninsula Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
- Joseph Gamp
EU fails to agree new package of sanctions for Russia
The European Union failed to agree on a new wave of sanctions for Russia on Monday.
“An agreement was not been reached by the ministers but I hope it will be agreed this week,” the bloc’s foreign chief, Josep Borrell, said.
However, a new $2billion package of military aid for Ukraine was agreed upon by the trading union.
- Joseph Gamp
Ukraine PM says nuclear agency mission will 'secure' nuclear plants
Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said Tuesday that the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA agreed to dispatch permanent teams to the country's nuclear plants, including the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia plant, a hotspot of fighting.
Ukraine's atomic sites have been a key concern throughout the nearly 10 months of the conflict, with attacks around several facilities — including Chernobyl — raising fears of a nuclear incident.
"The missions are aimed at securing the plants and recording all attempts to externally influence them, in particular shelling by the Russian aggressor," Shmygal said in a statement on social media following a meeting in Paris with Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The prime minister said the IAEA's teams would deploy to plants at Zaporizhzhia, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, Pivdennoukrainska and Chernobyl without specifying a time frame.
Shmygal added that during the meeting with Grossi he had repeated a call for the "demilitarisation" of the plant in Zaporizhzhia, describing it as a priority for Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
- Joseph Gamp
Putin and Xi to hold talks by end of the year claims Russian media
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will hold talks to discuss the events of 2022 in late December, the Russian business daily Vedomosti reported on Tuesday.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesman, told the newspaper that the date and the agenda of the meeting are already known, but an official announcement will come later.
The newspaper, citing an unnamed source close to the Russian presidential administration said that it is unlikely that the meeting will be face-to-face.
"Details are being worked out," the source told Vedomosti.
Russia has moved closer to China since sending its armed forces into Ukraine in February.
- Joseph Gamp
World must 'rethink nuclear safety' says Ukraine energy minister
The world must "rethink nuclear safety" after Russia's seizure of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko told AFP ahead of a Tuesday conference in Paris.
The international gathering hosted by France aims to raise funds to repair Ukraine's damaged infrastructure as well as highlight the country's support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia.
With at least 40 percent of Ukraine's energy infrastructure demolished in the past two months, Galushchenko will join the conference to ask for materials and funds to get Ukrainians through the winter.
Speaking to AFP on Monday, he said Russia's war in Ukraine "completely changes our understanding of nuclear security", pointing to the capture of the Zaporizhzhia plant as a turning point.
- Joseph Gamp
Belarus carries out inspection of troop combat readiness – report
Belarus has launched an unannounced inspection of its troops' combat readiness, its defence ministry said on Tuesday.
The nation's defence ministry said: "The activities will be comprehensive in nature; troops will have to move to the designated areas as soon as possible, carry out their engineering equipment, organise protection and defence, and set up bridge crossings over the rivers Neman and Berezina."
It added that military equipment and personnel will be moved and movement along certain public roads would be restricted.
- Joseph Gamp
Governor says Russian town of Klintsy shelled by Ukraine
The town of Klintsy in Russia's southern Bryansk region was shelled overnight by Ukraine, the regional governor said on Tuesday.
He added that there were no casualties or damage.
"As a result of the work of the air defence systems of the Russian Armed Forces, the missile was destroyed, some parts hit the territory of an industrial zone," Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram.
- Henry Moore
UK could consider sending long-range missiles to Ukraine
Britain’s defence secretary, Ben Wallace, said on Monday the UK is “open-minded” about sending long-range missiles to Ukraine.
Asked by former PM Boris Johnson in parliament, about the UK’s position on sending missiles, Mr Wallace said: “I constantly review the weapons systems we could provide.
“We too have in our armour potential weapons systems that are longer and should the Russians continue to target civilian areas and try and break those Geneva conventions, then I will be open-minded to see what we do next.”
- Henry Moore
G7 agrees to joint support plan for Ukraine as war rages on
During Monday's virtual summit the G7 agreed upon a joint aid plan for Ukraine.
This new agreement sets out plans to provide both long and short-term support for Ukraine as the country continues to fight for its freedom.
Plans to send Ukraine new air defence systems were also agreed upon.
- Henry Moore
Civilians urged to evacuate as Russia shells Donetsk
Eight people were reportedly killed by Russian shelling in Donetsk on Monday.
“All the wounded were taken to the hospital; we are determining the extent of the damage”, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote on Telegram.
“This is another attack by the Russian army on the civilian population. This time the enemy used the Uragan MLRS. The terrorist state is continuously terrorizing peaceful Ukrainians — it is shooting and will continue to shoot at civilians until we drive it out.
“I am asking everyone: evacuate! Do not expose yourself to danger!” he wrote.
- Henry Moore
Zelensky calls for peace in Ukraine ahead of Christmas
In a video message addressed to G7 leaders one Monday, Ukraine’s President Zelensky called for peace ahead of Christmas.
“If Russia conducts a withdrawal of its forces from Ukraine, then it will also ensure a reliable end of hostilities,” he said.
“I see no reason why Russia should not do this now – in time for Christmas.”
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