Category: War in Ukraine

A military court in Moscow sentenced captured Ukrainian soldiers who fought in Kursk Oblast, Vitalii Panchenko and Ivan Dmytrakov, to 14 and 15 years in prison, respectively, Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency reported on Dec. 12.

The court convicted the soldiers of "terrorism," accusing them of "opening fire to kill both Russian servicemen and civilians." Russia often uses trumped-up charges to jail captured Ukrainian soldiers, activists, journalists, and regular civilians for lengthy terms.

According to the court, Panchenko and Dmytrakov, who served in Ukraine’s 61st Separate Mechanized Brigade, crossed the Russian border into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 7. Ukrainian forces continue to hold on to a part of the embattled Russian region as Moscow's forces are attempting to push Kyiv's troops out.

Russia's Investigative Committee also accused the two servicemen of "illegally crossing the state border," even though Russian forces wage an all-out war on Ukrainian territory. The committee further claimed that they abducted three Russian citizens to Ukraine and that Panchenko and other Ukrainian soldiers looted a grocery store in the Ukraine-held town of Sudzha.

Both Panchenko and Dmytrakov will serve the first three years of their sentences in prison, followed by strict regime penal colonies.

The statement does not specify whether the two soldiers pleaded guilty. Ukrainian officials said that the vast majority of Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia are subjected to physical and psychological torture.

The Russian media report that this is the first sentence issued by a Russian court against Ukrainian service members over alleged acts in Kursk Oblast.

In a separate case, Russian occupation authorities in Donetsk jailed nine Ukrainian soldiers captured after defending Mariupol to between 24 years and a life sentence, the city's exiled authorities reported on Dec. 11.

While Ukraine has successfully facilitated the release of some captives through prisoner exchanges, many Ukrainians remain in Russian captivity, often under severe conditions.

Russian occupation court sentences Ukrainian to 11 years for alleged espionageA Russian-controlled court in occupied Donetsk Oblast sentenced 20-year-old Mikhail Karimov, a resident of Mariupol, to 11 years in a strict regime penal colony, Mariupol City Council reported on Dec. 12.The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

An enemy missile attack with negative consequences was recorded in the Ternopil region. There were no casualties, and critical infrastructure is operating normally.

In Ternopil region, "negative consequences" were recorded as a result of a Russian missile attack, there were no casualties, and critical infrastructure is operating normally, the Ternopil RMA reported on Telegram, UNN reported.

Details

"The enemy missile attack resulted in negative consequences. There are no casualties. Critical infrastructure is operating normally. More details later," the Ternopil RMA said.

Half of Ternopil region without electricity due to Russian strikesDec 13 2024, 07:12 AM • 10281 view

Russia has lost 760,120 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Dec. 13.

This number includes 1,390 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

According to the report, Russia has also lost 9,537 tanks, 19,675 armored fighting vehicles, 31,177 vehicles and fuel tanks, 21,078 artillery systems, 1,253 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,023 air defense systems, 369 airplanes, 329 helicopters, 20,176 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.

Ukrainian military instructors to undergo NATO-standard training in LithuaniaUkrainian military instructors will receive training in Lithuania in 2025 as part of NATO’s Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP), the Ministry of Defense reported on Dec. 12.The Kyiv IndependentSonya Bandouil

Russian forces shelled more than 20 settlements in Kherson region, damaging infrastructure and residential buildings. The attacks left one person dead and four wounded, including two from a drone attack in Kherson.

Occupants shelled Kherson region once again. Unfortunately, there are victims and wounded. This was reported by the head of the Kherson RMA Oleksandr Prokudin, UNN reports.

Details

Over the past day, enemy troops struck several localities in Kherson region, including Kherson, Beryslav, Antonivka, Stanislav, and more than 20 other villages and towns. The shelling and air strikes damaged social infrastructure, residential areas, as well as gas pipelines and cars of local residents.

The attacks destroyed three multi-storey buildings and four private houses. Enemy shells left traces of destruction in many communities, causing serious damage to civilian objects.

One person was killed and two others were injured as a result of the aggression.

In addition, at about 07:30, the enemy army attacked the Dniprovsky district of Kherson with a drone. A 35-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman were wounded, suffering explosive injuries and burns; they were hospitalized in moderate condition.

Kherson region under fire: casualties and damage to residential infrastructureOct 27 2024, 07:00 AM • 18713 views

Mikhail Shatsky, a Russian expert involved in modernizing missiles launched against Ukraine, was shot dead near Moscow, a Defense Forces source told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 12.

His death was likely orchestrated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), the source claimed.

Shatsky was deputy general designer and head of the software department at the Moscow-based Experimental Design Bureau Mars and reportedly oversaw the modernization of Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles.

The Experimental Design Bureau Mars, owned by the state-owned conglomerate Rosatom, focuses on the development and manufacturing of onboard systems for automatic control and navigation in aircraft and spacecraft.

According to the source, Shatsky was seen as the main proponent of incorporating AI technology into Russian drones, aircraft, and spacecraft.

Shatsky's death was previously reported by Ukrainian-Russian anti-Kremlin journalist Alexander Nevzorov, who wrote on his Telegram channel that HUR "eliminated a particularly dangerous criminal."

Nevzorov shared photos of a person resembling Shatsky lying dead in the snow. The man was reportedly killed in the Kuzminsky forest park near Kotelniki in Moscow Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify all the claims.

"Anyone who is involved in the development of the Russian military-industrial complex and support of Russian aggression in Ukraine one way or another is a legitimate target of the Defense Forces," the source said.

Ukrainian intelligence services have been linked to a number of assassinations of pro-Russian collaborators or Russian military officers inside Russia or Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine during the full-scale war.

‘Don’t overreact’ — Oreshnik missile isn’t as new as Russia claims, experts sayRussian President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 21 announced his country had launched a new type of missile in an attack on Ukraine, a demonstration of military might meant to deter Kyiv’s allies from further support against his full-scale invasion. “There are currently no ways of countering this weapon.…The Kyiv IndependentChris York

The Ukrainian Air Force warns of a possible ballistic missile attack from the south.

The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports a threat of ballistic missile attacks from the south, UNN reports .

A group of russian "Shahed" is heading from Zaporizhzhia to Dnipropetrovs'k regionMar 7 2024, 10:18 PM • 31639 views

Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated China's position on resolving the war in Ukraine during a meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, on Dec. 12, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Xi emphasized three principles: "preventing the conflict from expanding beyond the combat zone, preventing the escalation of hostilities, and preventing any party from fomenting the conflict."

He called for international efforts to create "favorable conditions" for a political settlement and reaffirmed "Beijing's neutrality."

Despite claims of neutrality, Beijing has faced scrutiny for its role in supporting Russia's war effort. Reports suggest China has supplied dual-use goods that bolster Russia’s defense industry.

In November, media sources revealed that the EU had obtained evidence of Chinese lethal support to Moscow, including attack drones.

Ukraine invited China to the peace summit back in January, but Beijing declined theinvitation as the terms they required to attend were not met.

China's leadership has denied providing military aid to either side in the conflict, maintaining its official stance of advocating for diplomatic resolution while facing international criticism for its ties with Russia.

Trump invites Xi to inauguration, CBS News reportsTrump’s team is also considering inviting other world leaders, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert

Several Tu-95MS strategic bombers were spotted taking off from the Olenya airfield. The planes pose a potential threat due to the possibility of launching long-range missiles.

The takeoff of several Tu-95MS from the airfield of Olenya was recorded. This is reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, UNN reports.

Attention:
Several Tu-95ms were spotted taking off from the airfield of Olenya (Murmansk region, russia)

– the statement said.

These aircraft are capable of carrying long-range missiles, which poses a potential threat.

The military urges citizens to remain attentive, follow official reports and be sure to respond to air raid warnings. The situation is currently under close control.

Shahed attacked a residential building in Kharkiv: what are the consequencesDec 13 2024, 12:12 AM • 3599 views

Russian attacks against Ukraine with guided aerial bombs have fallen over 50% since Western partners allowed Kyiv to target Russia with long-range missiles, the independent Russian outlet Agentstvo reported on Dec. 12, citing reports from the General Staff.

U.S. President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light to attack Russian territory with ATACMS missiles in mid-November. Within days, Kyiv reportedly also launched British Storm Shadows into Russia for the first time.

Russia carried out heavy guided bomb attacks against Ukraine from Nov. 1-20, Agentstvo reported, citing daily updates from the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces. Russia dropped at least 100 guided aerial bombs per day during that period, with the exception of only one day.

Those numbers fell significantly after Nov. 20, according to General Staff reports. Russia dropped 138 guided bombs on Nov. 20, marking the last time that the Russian Aerospace Forces targeted Ukraine with over 100 bombs in a single day.

Russian aircraft have launched fewer guided bombs on Ukraine in the first 12 days of December. The number of bombs topped 50 on only five days, according to the General Staff. The average number of bombs per day is now 40 or fewer.

Oliver Alexander, an open-source intelligence (OSINT) analyst, said the decrease was likely due to the threat long-range missile attacks posed to Russian airfields.

The Russian military may have been forced to move their Su-34 aircraft farther than 600 kilometers from the front line to avoid ATACMS strikes, affecting "maintenance, sorties rate, and flight hours," he said in a post on X.

Guided aerial bombs are precision-guided munitions that have a shorter range than missiles, but are far cheaper to produce. President Volodymyr Zelensky lobbied aggressively for long-range strike permissions, in order to target Russian military airfields amid intensifying aerial attacks.

Trump hints he won’t ‘abandon’ Kyiv but opposes Ukraine launching US missiles inside Russia“I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that?” Donald Trump told Time.The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

30 Ukrainian basic military training instructors will study in Lithuania in 2025. After the training, they will implement NATO standards and a new live-fire project in Ukraine.

In 2025, 30 Ukrainian instructors in basic general military training will be trained in Lithuania. This is reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, UNN reports.

Details

This was the result of a meeting between the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Brigadier General of Justice Serhiy Melnyk and Stasys Paldunas, an international adviser on professional military education of the Republic of Lithuania.

Upon completion of the training in Lithuania, the instructors will be able to implement the knowledge gained in the training system of the Ukrainian military and share their experience in domestic training centers.

Sergiy Melnyk emphasized that modern NATO standards are an important element in improving the level of military education and combat training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and cooperation with partners, in particular with Lithuania, provides new opportunities for training and integration of modern approaches.

In addition, the parties discussed updating the curriculum, including the implementation of a new pilot project on live fire with NATO support. The pilot project is planned to be launched next year at two educational institutions of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Ukraine and Lithuania step up cooperation in the medical field: detailsDec 9 2024, 09:38 PM • 44602 views