Author: dmitriy.vasyura@gmail.com

UK Defence Intelligence has noted that most of the Russian advances in recent weeks have been centred on three fronts in Donetsk Oblast.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence update on X (Twitter) dated 7 December, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The update specifically highlights three areas in Donetsk Oblast: the Pokrovsk axis, the Kurakhove axis, and the Velyka Novosilka axis, which are closely interconnected.

On the Pokrovsk axis, Russia has been making gradual progress towards the city of Pokrovsk. Russian forces have seized the town of Selydove and are expanding their front in the area. Russian troops remain about 6-7 km from Pokrovsk itself.

In addition, the update says Russian troops are likely engaged in fighting in the centre of Kurakhove.

"Kurakhove forms an important section of the front line and its seizure would allow Russian forces to consolidate positions in the area and set conditions for further advances westwards," the update says.

UK intelligence also drew attention to a limited counteroffensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces north of Velyka Novosilka, which allowed them to retake the village of Novyi Komar from Russian troops.

"Despite this, Russian efforts to cut off the supply routes on the northern approach to Velyka Novosilka and encircle the town continue. Russian forces are also pushing towards Velyka Novosilka from the south, recently capturing the village of Blahodatne," the update says.

Background:

• In a previous update, UK intelligence reported that in November, the average daily casualties (killed and wounded in action) of Russian occupation forces in Ukraine reached a new record.
• Earlier, the Estonian General Staff reported that neither Ukraine nor Russia had been able to make significant breakthroughs on the front lines during the week, although active hostilities continued along the entire war zone.

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Powerful storm Darr covered the UK and Ireland, leaving more than 400 thousand consumers without electricity. Mass events and football matches were canceled due to dangerous wind gusts of up to 130 km/h.

Great Britain and Ireland were hit by a strong storm, more than a hundred thousand people were left without electricity, writes UNN with reference to Sky News.

Details

Millions of people in the UK and Ireland have asked to stay at home due to bad weather.

Nearly 400,000 consumers in Ireland were left without electricity due to storm Darr.

The Weather Service expects gusts around the coast of Northern Ireland to reach speeds of about 130 km/h.

Storm Dara is the fourth named storm of the season after Ashley, Bert and Conal.

About three million people in parts of Wales and south-west England have received an emergency alert from the government.

Due to bad weather, the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool was canceled.

Also, the Liverpool Christmas market was temporarily closed.

The organizers said that such measures were taken to ensure the safety of merchants and visitors.

"We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Our number one priority is safety, and we want people to have fun and visit safely," the organizers said in a statement.

Recall

Storm Burt brought 80% of the monthly precipitation and winds of up to 132 km/h to Britain. The disaster caused flooding, the death of 5 people, flight cancellations and left thousands of homes without electricity.

The EU summit on 19 December will focus on the situation in Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expected to attend.

Source: a letter of invitation from European Council President António Costa to EU leaders, reports European Pravda

Details: The upcoming EU summit will be the first since António Costa became president of the European Council.

Quote: "The situation in Ukraine will be at the forefront of our discussions. I have just returned from a visit to Kyiv, on the first day of my mandate. We need to stand with Ukraine for as long as necessary and do whatever it takes for Russia’s invasion to be defeated and international law to prevail," Costa stated.

He stressed that the December meeting of the European Council provides a crucial opportunity to send a clear and united message of support for Ukraine and a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace.

"I have invited President Zelenskyy to come to Brussels on the occasion of the meeting of the European Council to share with us the latest developments on the ground and his views on how Europe can best support Ukraine," Costa added.

The summit will also focus on the EU’s global role.

"I believe that we need a comprehensive and strategic discussion, without written conclusions, on the way forward regarding our global engagement and priorities in a multipolar landscape marked by geopolitical tensions," he said.

Ahead of the summit, an EU-Western Balkans summit will take place on 18 December.

Background:

• Earlier, Costa said Ukraine could play a significant role in addressing vulnerabilities in the EU's competitiveness.
• Additionally, he emphasised that only Ukraine can define what constitutes a "just peace" in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

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Donald Trump joined 40 world leaders at the opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral after a five-year renovation. The restoration of the historical monument cost 700 million euros and was completed earlier than expected.

US President-elect Donald Trump arrived in Paris on Saturday to join other world leaders at the re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral in the French capital, noting its surprisingly rapid recovery half a decade after the devastating fire, reports UNN with reference to AFP.

President Emmanuel Macaron cites Notre Dame as an example of French creativity and resilience, but its revival so soon after the 2019 fire that destroyed its roof and spire comes at a difficult time for the country.

The media notes that Macron has achieved great success by attracting Trump to the rediscovery, on his first foreign trip after the election.

The president-elect is due to hold talks with Macron and possibly also meet with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, one of dozens of other world leaders arriving in Paris that day.

But the sense of national achievement in restoring Paris' beloved symbol has been undermined by political upheaval that has left France without a proper government and in a budget crisis.

According to media reports, Macron hopes that the first full-fledged service inside Notre Dame and the presence of about 40 world leaders in Paris can evoke a fleeting sense of pride and unity — as it was at the Paris Olympics in July and August.

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The rediscovery "is proof that we can do great things, we can do the impossible, and the whole world has admired us for it twice this year," Macron said in his televised address on Thursday, referring to the widely praised Olympics.

However, during a visit with television cameras last week, he somewhat dispelled the intrigue behind the reopening by showing the freshly cleaned limestone walls of the cathedral, new furniture and a vaulted wooden roof carved from ancient oaks selected from the best forests of France.

The renovation cost about 700 million euros ($750 million), funded by donations, and the reopening took place within five years, despite forecasts that it could take decades.

The workers had to overcome problems related to lead pollution, the COVID-19 epidemic and the death of the general in charge of the project during a hiking trip in the Pyrenees last year.