Russia launched its fifth air attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv this month, Ukrainian officials reported Wednesday, saying that Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted 18 of the 19 Russian drones launched at the city as well as Odesa, Kherson and other regions.
The development comes as Kyiv struggles to obtain approval for aid packages from the US and EU, and as its troops continue to face heavy fighting amid a bitterly cold winter.
In comments to journalists Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was currently no basis for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 10-point peace plan as “absurd.” The plan includes requirements for the re-establishment of all Ukraine’s internationally-recognized borders and the withdrawal of all Russian troops.
Peskov also accused the United Kingdom of pressuring Kyiv to refuse a draft peace deal shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
US says it will extend enforcement of oil price cap
The US Treasury said it would tighten enforcement of its price cap on Russian oil by increasing actions targeting shipowners and vessels that transport Russian crude being sold above the $60 per barrel level.
“Today’s designations demonstrate our commitment to upholding the principles of the price cap policy, which advance the goals of supporting stable energy markets while reducing Russian revenues to fund its war against Ukraine,” Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said.
The cap is a joint initiative between Western allies which seeks to curb Russia’s ability to fund the war in Ukraine which sees countries signed up to the cap restrict access to financial and professional services to those transporting seaborne crude trading above the cap.
However, some have argued it requires greater enforcement following signs of ships evading the cap.
Urals crude is currently trading at a five-day average of $59.48 a barrel, according to Neste data, but has mostly been above the cap through the summer and fall.
The US said it was updating its guidance on implementing the cap, and “designating [as sanctioned] a Government of Russia-owned ship manager as well as several obscure oil traders who have emerged as frequent participants in the seaborne transportation of Russian-origin oil following the imposition of the price cap.”
Ukrainian military moving to defensive positions, UK’s MoD says
Ukraine’s armed forces are taking up a more defensive posture, the UK’s Ministry of Defense said in its latest analysis of the conflict, after their summer counteroffensive failed to achieve a major breakthrough against Russia’s army and as winter weather sets in after almost 22 months of war. “In recent weeks, Ukraine has mobilized a concerted effort to improve field fortifications as its forces pivot to a more defensive posture along much of the frontline,” the MoD said.
Russia launches fifth air attack on Kyiv this month, Ukrainian officials say
Russia on Tuesday launched its fifth air attack on Kyiv this month, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukraine’s air force reported that its air defense systems intercepted 18 out of 19 drones that attacked Kyiv as well as the southern port city of Odesa, the southern region of Kherson and other areas.
“According to preliminary information, there were no casualties or destruction in the capital,” the head of Kyiv’s military administration, Serhiy Popko, wrote in a post on Telegram.
Officials said nine people in Kherson were injured in an overnight attack by Russian drones, and that four of them were children. Additionally, two Russian surface-to-air missiles were launched at the eastern Kharkiv region, but there were no casualties from that strike, Ukrainian authorities said.
Yekaterina Duntsova applies to run against Putin for Russian presidency
Former TV journalist Yekaterina Duntsova put her name forward to stand in the Russian presidential election in March that Vladimir Putin is expected to win by a landslide. Duntsova, 40, has called for an end to the conflict in Ukraine and the release of political prisoners, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
In her interview with Reuters, Duntsova avoided using the word “war” to describe the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which Putin calls a “special military operation,” and acknowledged she was afraid.
“Any sane person taking this step would be afraid – but fear must not win,” she said.
Foreign aid approval to Kyiv appears uncertain as EU and US see increasing opposition
The US and EU both failed to approve their latest military aid packages to Kyiv, sparking concern among many supporters of Ukraine and prompting Zelensky to travel to Washington to lobby lawmakers himself.
Several Republican lawmakers are refusing to back any funding package that does not also include what they deem as sufficient funding for US border security.
Senate leaders said a deal was not likely to happen soon. Senator Dick Durbin, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, said any progress may have to wait till January.
“I hope that they’re going to prepare the text and sit down and roll up their sleeves and finish up as soon as we get back in January,” Durbin told press.
“I am certain, US and European financial support will continue,” Zelensky said during a wide-ranging press conference Tuesday. “I’m confident the United States won’t betray us.”
Zelensky: Ukrainian military is asking for up to 500,000 more people to be mobilized
Ukraine’s military is asking for between 450,000 and 500,000 more people to be mobilized, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a news conference, but he added that a final decision has not been made.
Senior military and government officials still needed to discuss “this very sensitive issue of mobilization,” and then the country’s parliament would have to vote on it, Zelensky said.
The development comes as the president once again asks Western allies for more aid funding, and as troops continue heavy fighting in Ukraine’s east amid a bitterly cold winter.
Compiled by Ana Dumbadze
