Dec 6: E-Stories
Day651 Topping up yesterday's news: GOP, Ukrainian Armed Forces Day, UA hits Crimea and Russia, overnight shelling, Ze addresses, BehindLines, RUdomestic, allied activities and much more.
Catching up…
EA Worldview’s Ukraine Up-date- hop over to Scott’s amazing hourly Ukraine up-date page. I’ll fill in with some bits and bobs.
Republican Senators and Mitch McConnell are blocking aid to Ukraine, by demanding that the bill must have a solution to the southern border. The issue has been one of the ‘problems’ Americans on both sides of the isle have never resolved. Bringing it to the fore now, at this delicate moment, is irresponsible and blackmail.
You may cite party politics as the main trigger, but frankly, they are playing with the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and the sovereignty of a power the U.S. has as an ally. The maintenance of solid alliances and a free Europe is well within the American national interests. This is exactly what the Russians have been working towards since the Soviet era: a divided U.S. ready to cave and abandon its allies.
Treasury secretary Janet Yellen Dec 5: US will be responsible for Ukraine's defeat if aid bill fails.
Congress is holding a $61.4 billion military aid package for Ukraine hostage. It is slated to be put to a vote on Dec 6. President Joe Biden said that Congress failing to vote on the funding package would be "just wrong," adding that "the failure to support Ukraine is just absolutely crazy” and "against U.S. interests."
Stories we’re following…
Russia launched a total of 48 attack drones on Dec 6 overnight on Ukraine, Ukraine’s air force said on Wednesday, adding that its air defence systems destroyed 41 of the drones before they reached their target.
Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast village destroys medical facility, causes blackout. Russian forces shelled the village of Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv Oblast, destroying a clinic and leaving residents without electricity and mobile connection, a local official said on Dec. 5.
Yet to be confirmed Ukrainian actions in Crimea and Russia:
There were from nine to 16 explosions in Crimea, near the Kerch Bridge during the night on Dec 6. The bridge was immediately closed.
Several explosions were reported on Dec 5 in Tanganrog, Russia, and in Sevastopol near Kazachya ('Cossack') bay.
One of the facilities targeted by Ukraine early on Dec. 5 was the Marine Oil Terminal in Feodosiia, Hromadske reported, citing its anonymous sources in law enforcement.
Combat Situation Update
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told Fox News that Ukrainian troops have passed the Russian first and second lines of defense and are currently facing the third. He added that Ukraine has a plan for land deoccupation for 2024.
Dec 6 is Ukraine's Armed Forces Day.
“I’m walking through the capital of our beautiful country, not some province in the middle of some Empire. From the office I go to the office of the president of Ukraine, not to someone else’s Gauleiter. In front of us is the European square with our blueyellow flags not the three colors”
“The bravery, courage, self-sacrifice of Ukrainian soldiers - heroes of different ages, from different regions of Ukraine - enables Ukraine to stand, fight, respond to the enemy and achieve success in battles, in the defense of Ukrainians.
"We remember all our soldiers who gave their lives in the fight for the state and freedom. Eternal glory to our heroes," President Zelensky.
Zaluhznyi also recorded a message.
"Today, on the day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, I thank everyone who does their hard work. I bow my head before your feat! In front of every soldier, sergeant and officer. Especially in front of those who today, in the heat of battle and under fire, in cold, frozen trenches and ruins, firmly hold the defense and destroy the insidious enemy."
Near Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, Black Sea, off Ukraine’s coast, Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners have shot down a Russian Su-24M tactical bomber heading towards Odesa region. Air Force Spokesman Yuriy Ignat stated that a Russian An-26 search and rescue aircraft is searching for the crew of the Su-24M bomber, which was shot down by Ukraine over the waters of the Black Sea.
Special forces destroy Russia’s ammo depot, Grad system in Donetsk region. The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have struck Russia’s ammunition depot and Grad multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) in the Donetsk direction with a combat drone.
WaPo: In Ukraine, a war of incremental gains as counteroffensive stalls.
During Ukraine's preparations for the counteroffensive, the US advocated concentrating forces on the advance in the south, but Ukraine insisted on attacks at three different points. The Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny believed that the huge length of the front would be a problem for Russia, The Washington Post writes.
According to the publication, US and Ukrainian officials 'sometimes sharply disagreed' regarding the strategy, tactics and timing of the counteroffensive. The US wanted the offensive to begin in mid-April to prevent the Russians from continuing to build up their positions while Ukrainians hesitated, saying they were not ready without additional weapons.
Behind the Lines
Russia has taken thousands of Ukrainian civilians hostages in the areas it has occupied, at times transferring them to prisons both in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory & Russia for reasons unknown. Alex Khrebet investigates. There are several stories attached to the main one of the civilians who managed to return to Ukraine.
Zelensky: Soldiers awarded Hero of Ukraine title will receive apartments from state. All Ukrainian soldiers who have been awarded the Hero of Ukraine title since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion and relatives of those awarded posthumously will receive apartments from the state, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 5.
Exports decrease by 40% due to blockade on Polish border - Hetmantsev. As a result of the blockade of the Ukrainian-Polish border, exports through these checkpoints decreased by 40%, and the state budget of Ukraine lost UAH 9.3 billion due to a shortfall in customs payments.
FT: Slovakia, Czechia seek extension to EU permission allowing trade of Russian oil products. Bratislava and Prague are requesting an extension to an EU sanctions exemption that allows Slovakia to sell Russian oil products to Czechia beyond today's deadline, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 5.
Bloomberg: An armada of aging oil tankers is helping to keep Russian oil flowing. Hundreds of ships are part of a “shadow fleet” that’s allowed the Kremlin to dodge Western sanctions over its war on Ukraine.
Qatar announces return of 6 Ukrainian children from Russia. Following negotiations mediated by Qatar, Russia has allowed six Ukrainian children to return to their families in Ukraine, Qatar's Foreign Ministry announced on Dec. 5.
Mercenaries from Nepal and Cuba are going to fight for the "Russian world".
Meanwhile in Russia
Iran, Russia agree to jointly combat Western sanctions. Moscow and Tehran signed a declaration on jointly combating Western sanctions imposed against the two regimes over their role in the war against Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Dec. 5 at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart.
Vladimir Putin will travel to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday on a rare overseas trip to discuss the Israel-Hamas war as Moscow seeks to reassert Russia’s role in the Middle East. The Russian president is making only his fifth trip abroad since the international criminal court issued an arrest warrant for him in March that accused him of responsibility for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia have signed the ICC’s founding treaty, which means they would not have to arrest him.
"Putin will be invited to the G20 summit in Brazil, but he will have to deal with an international warrant for his arrest. Brazil is a party to the Convention of the International Criminal Court and is responsible for its observance," President Lula said
Putin threatened Latvia in an address on Dec 5. Roughly 3,500 Russian citizens in Latvia had received letters from the migration authority asking them to leave the country back in September. These were people who had not completed their resident permit process and had not registered for Latvian language courses. The government said they must leave by Nov 30.
Me: Latvia is not the next country on Russia’s hit list. Moldova and Georgia would be next given the presence of Russian forces and security services in territories Russia already occupies there. After which, Kazakhstan would be a target.
The main question that Russians want to ask Putin during the “direct line” is when and how the war with Ukraine will end.
21% of Russians want to know about this, according to a Levada Center survey conducted at the end of November. Among the variations of this question were the following: “When will there be peace?”, “When will the SVO end?”, “When will we win?”, “What are [the authorities] doing to end this operation?” and “When will mobilization end?”
The Kremlin previously announced that the “direct line” with Putin will take place on December 14. It will be combined with a big press conference. This will be the president's first communication with Russians since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Rosaviation suspended the operation of almost 40 civilian helicopters produced by the Kazan Helicopter Plant (KVZ), which is part of the Rostec state corporation. The decision is due to the fact that counterfeit rubber was used in their production, including for fuel system gaskets. Because of this, helicopter engines turn off mid-flight. This follows from two airworthiness directives that the Federal Air Transport Agency issued at the end of October - beginning of November, Izvestia writes with reference to documents.
Russia’s Central Bank to ban use of Apple products at work. Starting December 25, Russia’s Central Bank will ban the use of Apple products for official purposes. As per an order issued by bank head Elvira Nabiullina, employees will be prohibited from using Apple phones and tablets at work. Many Russian ministries and corporations have already announced a ban on Apple products. In the Kremlin, the use of iPhones for official purposes is also prohibited, as stated by Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Russia is drafting a bill to ban abortions in all private clinics, Kremlin media reports. It is reports that the bill is planned to be submitted to the State Duma in spring. The initiative will also affect the reduction of the period at which the termination of pregnancy is allowed. Private clinics in several Russian regions have already stopped performing abortions - in particular, such a situation has developed in Lipetsk and Kursk regions.
Allied Support
US Senate schedules vote on Ukraine aid. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, representing the Democratic Party, has scheduled the first procedural vote on President Joe Biden's $106 billion funding request, which includes $61 billion for Ukraine, for later this week, The Hill reported on Dec. 5.
Julia Davis: “Putin's propagandists are practically savoring what they see as their inevitable victory over Ukraine, because of the GOP. Vitaly Tretyakov, dean of Moscow State University's School of Television, discussed how Russia should punish Ukrainians afterwards.”
Representatives of the European External Action Service arrived in Kyiv on Dec 5 to start consultations on the package of security guarantees for Ukraine on behalf of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. The package for Ukraine includes nine priorities of the future security obligations of the European Union for Ukraine:
assistance with (military) equipment
training of the Ukrainian military
cooperation with the Ukrainian defense industry
resistance to cyber and hybrid threats
assistance in demining
implementation of reforms related to the process of accession to the EU
strengthening the ability to control weapons stockpiles
supporting nuclear security efforts
exchange of intelligence, in particular satellite images
Hungary’s ruling party has submitted a resolution to parliament calling on the government to not support the start of talks on Ukraine’s EU accession. The moves comes as prime minister Viktor Orban is stepping up pressure on Brussels ahead of a crucial EU summit next week, Reuters reported.
UK announces $46 million humanitarian aid package for Ukraine. Cameron previously announced 29 million pounds in humanitarian aid in the leadup to his first trip to Washington as foreign secretary on Dec. 6. The U.K. has been solid in their support of Ukraine. They are also present in Ukraine to aid the UAF in training.
The Netherlands to provide $8.6 million to support law enforcement in liberated territories. The Dutch government has announced 8 million euros ($8.6 million) of funding for Ukrainian law enforcement in territories liberated from Russian occupation, the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine said on Dec. 5.
US imposes fresh sanctions on multinational network helping Russia. The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Dec. 5 imposed new sanctions targeting an international weapons procurement network that Washington says involves numerous Cyprus-incorporated entities as well as businesses registered in Sweden, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands.
Finnish customs suspects two companies of sending almost 3,500 drones to Russia. According to the agency, the companies could have exported goods worth more than three million euros to the neighboring country.
Minister: Finland plans shell production boost to arm Ukraine. "We have finalized negotiations on how Finland will continue to increase its munition production to arm Ukraine," Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said, adding that the final decision would likely be made before Christmas.
