The Azerbaijani President has said that the passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan killing 38 people had been damaged due to shooting from the ground in Russia.
Ilham Aliyev said he regretted that “some circles” in Russia had tried to hush up the truth about the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines planes by sowing false narratives about the causes of the crash.
On Saturday, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said he was sorry “for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace” but stopped short of admitting Russian responsibility for the crash, which killed 38 people.
Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.
Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Russia to provide clear explanations posting on X: “The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened.
“Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation.”
Key points
- Azerbaijan's president says plane that crashed was shot at from Russia
- Putin apologise for Azerbaijan plane crash - but does not take responsibility
- UK criticises ‘reckless and irresponsible’ Russia over plane crash
- Zelensky speaks to Azerbaijan’s Aliyev about plane crash
- Russia says it will stop gas exports to Moldova from 1 January
Azerbaijan's president says crashed jetliner was shot down by Russia unintentionally
03:30
Namita Singh
Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev said yesterday that the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed last week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally, and criticised Moscow for trying to “hush up” the issue for days.
“We can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia. (...) We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done,” he told Azerbaijani state television.
Mr Aliyev said that the airliner, which crashed Wednesday in Kazakhstan, was hit by fire from the ground over Russia and “rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare.”
Mr Aliyev accused Russia of trying to “hush up” the issue for several days, saying he was “upset and surprised” by versions of events put forward by Russian officials.“Unfortunately, for the first three days we heard nothing from Russia except delirious versions,” he said.
The crash killed 38 of 67 people on board. The Kremlin said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, where the plane attempted to land, to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike.
Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s drone brigade
03:05
Barney Davis
As Trump returns to the White House – what next for Ukraine in 2025?
01:02
Barney Davis
Plane unintentionally shot down by Russia - President
Sunday 29 December 2024 23:00
Barney Davis
Azerbaijan’s president has said the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed in Kazakhstan last week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally.
“We can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia. We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done,” Ilham Aliyev told Azerbaijani state television.
Mr Aliyev said the aircraft was hit by fire from the ground over Russia and rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare.
He accused Russia of trying to “hush up” the issue for several days, saying he was “upset and surprised” by versions of events put forward by Russian officials.
“Unfortunately, for the first three days we heard nothing from Russia except delirious versions,” he said.
The crash near Aktau airport on Wednesday December 25 killed 38 of the 67 people on board.
Russia says it will stop gas exports to Moldova from 1 January
Sunday 29 December 2024 22:02
Jabed Ahmed
Russian energy giant Gazprom said it would suspend gas exports to Moldova from 1 January due to unpaid debt by Moldova, which is bracing for severe power cuts.
It said the company reserved the right to take any action, including terminating the supply contract with Moldova.
Russia supplies Moldova with about 2 billion cubic metres of gas per year, which is piped via Ukraine to the breakaway region of Transdniestria where it is used to generate cheap power that is sold to government-controlled parts of Moldova.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean condemned the Russian decision, which is a precursor to a total shutdown of Russian gas exports via Ukraine and to Europe, where it flows further to Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Italy, once a current transit deal with Ukraine expires on 31 December.
Moldova will be hit the hardest by the shutdown.
“This decision confirms once again the intention of the Kremlin to leave the inhabitants of the Transdniestrian region without light and heat in the middle of the winter,” Recean wrote on Facebook, accusing Russia of using energy as a political weapon.
Moscow has repeatedly dismissed those allegations.
Former Russian national football team player dies during war
Sunday 29 December 2024 21:51
Jabed Ahmed
Aleksei Bugayev, a former member of Russia's national soccer team who played at Euro 2004, has been killed in the 34-month-old war in Ukraine, Russian media quoted his father and agent as saying on Sunday.
"Unfortunately, the news about Aleksei's death is true. It happened today," TASS news agency quoted the player's father Ivan Bugayev as telling the Sport24 news outlet.
RIA news agency quoted Bugayev's agent, Anton Smirnov, as saying intense fighting had made it impossible to retrieve Bugayev's body for burial.
Bugayev, dead at age 43, played two matches for the Russian national team in the 2004 European championship and also played for Moscow sides Torpedo and Lokomotiv as well as other provincial sides. He ended his career in 2010 at the age of 29.
In September Bugayev was sentenced by a court in southern Russia to nine and a half years in prison on drug trafficking charges.
He later declared his intention to sign up to fight in the Ukraine war. Russian authorities actively recruit in prisons for the conflict.
Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops suffer heavy battlefield losses
Sunday 29 December 2024 21:00
Barney Davis
Why have some experts blamed Russian air defences?
Sunday 29 December 2024 20:00
Barney Davis
Some aviation experts have said the holes seen in the plane’s tail section after the crash indicate that it could have come under fire from Russian air defense systems fending off a Ukrainian drone attack.
Mark Zee of OPSGroup, which monitors the world’s airspace and airports for risks, said that the analysis of the fragments of the crashed plane indicates a 90-99% probability that it was hit by a surface-to-air missile.
FlightRadar24 said in an online post that the aircraft had faced “strong GPS jamming” that interfered with flight tracking data allowing it to monitor the plane’s flight path. Russia has extensively used sophisticated jamming equipment to fend off drone attacks.
It’s unclear why the pilots decided to fly across the Caspian Sea instead of trying to land in Russia after the plane was hit, he said, adding that they probably faced restrictions on landing at a closer venue and may have thought that the damage was not critical.
In Azerbaijan, Caliber online newspaper also claimed that the airliner was fired upon by a Russian Pantsyr-S air defense system and also had its systems affected by jamming equipment as it was approaching Grozny.
Putin apologises for ‘tragic’ Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash but does not take responsibility
Sunday 29 December 2024 18:00
Barney Davis
Kremlin stops short of saying they brought down plane
Sunday 29 December 2024 17:06
Barney Davis
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media on Sunday that Putin had spoken to Aliyev over the phone again, but did not provide details of the conversation.
An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defence systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner “repeatedly” attempted to land there on Wednesday, but did not explicitly say if one of them brought the plane down.
According to a readout of the call provided by Aliyev’s press office, the Azerbaijani leader Aliyev told Putin that the plane was subjected to “external physical and technical interference,” although he also stopped short of explicitly blaming Russian air defences.
Aliyev noted that the plane had multiple holes in its fuselage and that the occupants had sustained injuries “due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight.”
Crashed Azerbaijan Airlines plane was shot down by Russia, says country’s president
Sunday 29 December 2024 16:32
Jabed Ahmed
In pictures: People mourn victims of Azerbaijani air disaster
Sunday 29 December 2024 16:00
Barney Davis
Ukrainian forces film themselves setting fire to Russian infrastructure
Sunday 29 December 2024 14:05
Barney Davis
A fire in Russia’s Yaroslavl region destroyed three railway relay cabinets essential for traffic control, while cellular communications equipment in the Leningrad region also sustained damage, Ukraine has said.
Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate released footage of soldiers starting the blaze on Facebook.
They added: “In the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region, four objects with telecommunication equipment of the illegal communication operator ‘Phoenix’ used by Russia were destroyed.
“The fire also flooded the equipment for counter-communication in the territory of the Leningrad Oblast of Russia, and moreover ― destroyed three railway relay cabinets of railway traffic control in the Yaroslavl region of the aggressor state.”
Hero pilots lauded for saving lives in Azerbaijan Airlines disaster
Sunday 29 December 2024 12:59
Barney Davis
Azerbaijan paid tribute to the pilots and passengers of the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan killing 38 people after Russian air defences were used against Ukrainian drones.
Captain Igor Kshnyakin and co-pilot Alexander Kalyaninov, both ethnic Russians with Azerbaijan citizenship, and Hokuma Aliyeva, a flight attendant, were given full honours at a ceremony at the Alley of Honour in central Baku attended by President Ilham Aliyev and his wife, Mehriban.
The pilots have been lauded in Azerbaijan for landing in a way which allowed 29 people to survive but led to their own deaths.
“Only through the courage and professionalism of the pilots was an emergency landing successfully carried out,” Azerbaijan’s presidential office said.
Captain Kshnyakin’s daughter, Anastasia said:“My father always said: when I take off, I am responsible not only for my life, but also for the lives of all passengers and crew members,” Kshnyakina said.
“With his last flight, he proved what a true hero should be.”
UK gives Ukraine £4.5m to help Ukraine get justice for war crimes
Sunday 29 December 2024 12:30
Barney Davis
Britain has announced it is giving £4.5m to aid Ukraine’s efforts in seeking justice for war crimes committed during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The funding is designed to support Ukraine’s documentation, investigation and prosecution of war crimes, and complements the UK’s work with US and EU partners via the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group.
The Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said: “While in Kyiv, I saw first-hand the inspirational bravery of the Ukrainian people. I’m immensely proud of the support this government is providing them as they resist Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion.
“The atrocities we have witnessed in Ukraine are unspeakable - there can be no lasting peace without accountability, and UK support will help Ukraine as it pursues justice for the victims and survivors of these crimes.
“As we look ahead to 2025, our message is clear: we will stand with you in war, we will stand with you in peace, and we will stand with you as you fight for your security and that of all of Europe.”
Azerbaijan's president says plane that crashed was shot at from Russia
Sunday 29 December 2024 11:40
Barney Davis
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday that the passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan killing 38 people had been damaged due to shooting from the ground in Russia, Azerbaijan state television reported.
Aliyev said he regretted that “some circles” in Russia had tried to hush up the truth about the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines planes by sowing false narratives about the causes of the crash.
On Saturday, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin apologised to Aliyev for what the Kremlin called a “tragic incident” over Russia in which the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed after Russian air defences were fired against Ukrainian drones.
Firefighters come under enemy shelling as they attempt to tackle
Sunday 29 December 2024 11:25
Barney Davis
Rescue teams in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region came under repeated shelling from Russian forces on Sunday while responding to a fire in a residential area of Pokrovsk.
“Earlier [on Sunday], Russian forces targeted a private residential area in the city, striking a residential building. The impact sparked a fire that spread across approximately 120 square meters, which rescuers managed to contain,” Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said.
“However, due to repeated hostile fire and a threat to the lives of personnel, the fire extinguishing had to be suspended.
“Fortunately, there were no victims.”
Russia will abandon its unilateral missile moratorium, Lavrov says
Sunday 29 December 2024 10:20
Barney Davis
Russia will scrap a moratorium on the deployment of intermediate and shorter range nuclear-capable missiles because the United States has deployed such weapons in various regions around the world, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday.
Russia’s move, long signalled, will kill off all that remains from one of the most significant arms control treaties of the Cold War, amid fears that the world’s two biggest nuclear powers could be entering a new arms race together with China.
Asked by state news agency RIA if Russia could withdraw from the New START treaty before its expiry in February 2026, Lavrov said that there were currently “no conditions” for a strategic dialogue with Washington.
“Today it is clear that, for example, our moratorium on the deployment of short- and intermediate-range missiles is no longer practically viable and will have to be abandoned,” Lavrov said.
“The U.S. has arrogantly ignored the warnings of Russia and China and in practice has moved on to the deployment of weapons of this class in various regions of the world.”
US Teacher ‘wrongfully detained in Moscow’
Sunday 29 December 2024 09:35
Barney Davis
Marc Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, is serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana.
He was left out of a prisoner swap that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and corporate security executive Paul Whelan in August.
“The United States has been working to secure Marc Fogel’s release for some time,” the State Department said in a statement.
“We have long called for his humanitarian release and tried to include him in the August 1 deal, but were unable to.
“The Secretary determined Marc is wrongfully detained in October.”
Fogel’s wife, Jane, and his sons, Ethan and Sam, said in a statement they were grateful that the State Department “has finally acknowledged what we have known all along — that our husband and father, Marc Fogel, has and continues to be wrongfully detained.”
Man killed in drone strike on village of Dvorichna, Kharkiv
Sunday 29 December 2024 09:17
Barney Davis
Oleh Syniehubov, Chief of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, said via Telegram, “At 6pm in Dvorichna village, a civilian man was killed as a result of a drone dropping an explosive device.”
Syniehubov said Ukrainian positions near Vovchansk had repelled three enemy attacks in 24 hours.
He added: “One battle in the area is ongoing.”
26 civilians have been evacuated from Kupiansk and Borivske as fighting ramps up.
After a massive Russian attack, over 500,000 consumers in Kharkiv region were left without heat.
Nato cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US, warn leaders
Sunday 29 December 2024 05:04
Tom Watling
Russia radically expands its visa ban list for EU officials
Sunday 29 December 2024 03:34
Arpan Rai
Russia’s foreign ministry said it had responded to a new package of European Union sanctions by significantly expanding a list of EU and EU member state officials banned from entering Russia.
The European Union on Monday imposed a 15th package of sanctions against Russia, including tougher measures against Chinese entities and more vessels from Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet.
Russia‘s foreign ministry said in a statement it had responded by adding more unnamed “representatives of security agencies, state and commercial organisations of EU countries, and citizens of EU member states responsible for providing military aid to Kyiv” to its stop list.
Biden says Putin ‘apparently' took responsibility for Azerbaijan crash
Sunday 29 December 2024 03:15
Arpan Rai
Joe Biden responded to a shouted question about whether Vladimir Putin should take responsibility for the crash while he was leaving church in St Croix in the US Virgin Islands, where he is on vacation.
“Apparently he did, but I haven’t spoken to him or my team,” Mr Biden replied.
The White House said on Friday it had seen early indications suggesting the airliner was possibly brought down by Russian air defence systems and added that Washington had offered assistance to the investigation into the crash.
MSNBC on Friday cited two unidentified US military sources as saying that there was American intelligence that Russia may have mistakenly shot down the airliner after misidentifying it as an incoming drone.
Zelensky speaks to Azerbaijan’s Aliyev about plane crash
Sunday 29 December 2024 03:04
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences to Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev about the Azeri plane that crashed in Kazakhstan and which Azeri sources have told Reuters is believed to have been shot down by Russian air defences.
“The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened. Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation,” Mr Zelensky said in a statement on X after the call.
Shortly after, president Vladimir Putin apologised to Azerbaijan’s leader for what the Kremlin called a “tragic incident” over Russia in which an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed after Russian air defences were fired against Ukrainian drones.
The extremely rare publicised apology from Putin was the closest Moscow had come to accepting some blame for Wednesday’s disaster, although the Kremlin statement did not say Russia had shot down the plane, only noting that a criminal case had been opened.
Gazprom says it will halt gas supplies to Moldova starting 1 January
Sunday 29 December 2024 02:53
Arpan Rai
Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom said it will halt gas supplies to Moldova starting on 1 January, citing alleged unpaid debt by the European Union candidate country, which has brought in emergency measures as it braces for power cuts.
Gazprom said in an online statement that it reserved the right to take further action, including terminating its contract with Moldovagaz, Moldova’s main gas operator, in which the Russian company owns a majority stake. The cessation of gas will stop supplies to the Kuciurgan power plant, the country’s largest, which is situated in the separatist pro-Russian Transnistria region.
Moldova reacted by accusing Moscow of weaponising energy supplies.Gazprom supplies the gas-operated Kuciurgan plant, which generates electricity that powers a significant portion of Moldova proper. The plant was privatized in 2004 by Transnistrian officials and later sold to a Russian state-owned company.
Moldova, which has a West-leaning central government and has repeatedly complained of Russian interference, doesn’t recognise the privatisation.Earlier this month, Moldova’s parliament voted in favour of imposing a state of emergency in the energy sector over fears that Russia could leave Moldova without sufficient energy this winter.
Russia arrests 4 suspects accused of plotting to kill top military officers on Ukraine's orders
Sunday 29 December 2024 02:30
Tom Watling
NATO will step up Baltic Sea patrols as Finland probes the possible sabotage of undersea cables
Saturday 28 December 2024 23:06
Tom Watling
North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine dies, South Korea says
Saturday 28 December 2024 21:03
Tom Watling
As Trump returns to the White House – what next for Ukraine in 2025?
Saturday 28 December 2024 20:04
Tom Watling
Saturday 28 December 2024 19:26
Jabed Ahmed
The UK has called for an independent investigation into the downing of an Azerbaijani plane thought to have been caused by a Russian missile.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident, including the family and friends of those who have died.
“President Putin’s statement fails to recognise that the reckless and irresponsible actions of the Russian state pose an acute and direct threat to the interests and national security of other states.
“We call for a full and independent investigation.”
Both US officials and an Azerbaijani minister have blamed the crash on Russian air defences responding to a Ukrainian drone attack.
US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, in push to get aid out before leaving office
Saturday 28 December 2024 19:05
Tom Watling
Zelensky urges China to put pressure on North Korea over aid to Russia
Saturday 28 December 2024 18:03
Tom Watling
Zelensky hails Ukrainian medics
Saturday 28 December 2024 17:14
Tom Watling
Under constant air raid alerts and shelling, during power outages, in the challenging times of a full-scale war, our people, despite all these hardships, receive high-quality and professional care from our doctors.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2024
Ukrainian medics provide assistance and care to those affected,… pic.twitter.com/J1Jo7Y1uSr
Ukraine kills three Russian officers in strike on occupied Zaporizhzhia - report
Saturday 28 December 2024 16:32
Tom Watling
Ukrainian forces recently conducted a HIMARS strike against a Russian staff meeting in occupied Zaporizhia Oblast, reportedly killing three Russian officers, following Ukrainian warnings about the possibility of renewed Russian offensive operations in western Zaporizhia Oblast. https://t.co/EaqvSNdeIy pic.twitter.com/S60oUbR7Sn
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) December 28, 2024
Russia says it has radically expanded its visa ban list for EU officials in response to new sanctions
Saturday 28 December 2024 16:01
Tom Watling
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it had responded to a new package of European Union sanctions by significantly expanding a list of EU and EU member state officials banned from entering Russia.
The European Union on Monday imposed a 15th package of sanctions against Russia, including tougher measures against Chinese entities and more vessels from Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had responded by adding more unnamed “representatives of security agencies, state and commercial organisations of EU countries, and citizens of EU member states responsible for providing military aid to Kyiv” to its stop list.
Putin apologise for Azerbaijan plane crash but does not take responsibility
Saturday 28 December 2024 15:27
Tom Watling
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible.
Putin‘s apology came as allegations mounted that the plane had been shot down by Russian air defenses attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.
An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner “repeatedly” attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane.
The statement said Putin apologised to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev “for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace.”
Zelensky speaks to Azerbaijan’s Aliyev about plane crash
Saturday 28 December 2024 15:01
Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he expressed condolences to Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev about the Azeri plane that crashed in Kazakhstan and which Azeri sources have told Reuters is believed to have been shot down by Russian air defences.
“The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened. Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation,” Mr Zelensky said in a statement on X after the call.
I spoke to @presidentaz Ilham Aliyev and expressed condolences to him and the people of Azerbaijan regarding the tragic crash of flight J2-8243 of Azerbaijan Airlines. We acknowledged the heroism of the pilots and the entire crew of the aircraft.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2024
The key priority now is a… pic.twitter.com/s4DAgXdEaK
Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s drone brigade
Saturday 28 December 2024 14:28
Tom Watling
Ukrainian drone deliveries increased 19-fold in 2024, says military chief
Saturday 28 December 2024 14:04
Tom Watling
Ukraine’s deliveries of drones to its military units increased 19-fold in 2024 following the creation of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Kyiv’s military chief has announced.
Speaking after an end of year meeting, General Oleksandr Syrskyi described the increase use of drones as an “extremely important component, necessary in the conditions of modern technological warfare”.
“Compared to last year, the volume of deliveries of unmanned systems to our units increased 19 times,” he said. “The number of enemy targets hit and destroyed increased 3.7 times.”
You can read his full statement below.
Провів нараду щодо підсумків діяльності Збройних Сил України за 2024 рік.
— Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (@CinC_AFU) December 28, 2024
Нищимо агресора всіма можливими засобами. Так, від початку 2024 року загальні втрати задіяних у наступі окупантів уже перевищили 421 тисячу осіб вбитими і пораненими. https://t.co/bnAUR2dzN4 pic.twitter.com/OIvGLddkle
Satellite images show Russian drone base hit by Ukraine
Saturday 28 December 2024 13:32
Tom Watling
Satellite imagery has shown the construction of a Russian drone base that Ukraine says it significantly damaged.
Earlier, we reported that Ukraine’s General Staff said they had hit this Russian drone base in the Oryol region to the north of Kursk, during a Boxing Day operation.
Images showing the aftermath of the attack are yet to be published.
1/2 Construction of the 'Shakhed'/'Geran' loitering munitions storage facility in Oryol Oblast began in late August 2024. Here’s a timelapse created using @planet HR satellite images of the facility from January to December 2024. https://t.co/5OmVRprbcn pic.twitter.com/PvfmJPlGai
— Mark Krutov (@kromark) December 28, 2024
Russia stockpiling missile for larger aerial attack, suggests MoD
Saturday 28 December 2024 13:16
Tom Watling
The British Ministry of Defence suggests that Russia appears to be stockpiling missiles to launch “larger, less frequent strike wave” against Ukraine.
You can read their latest update below.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 28 December 2024.
— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) December 28, 2024
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/mRK0lNQuNE#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/cNlQEXKYVl
Zelensky criticises Slovak PM threats to cut Ukraine’s electricity supply
Saturday 28 December 2024 13:00
Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Voldoymyr Zelensky has accused Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico of “opening up a second energy front” against Ukraine on behalf of Vladimir Putin.
“It appears that Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak people’s interests,” he wrote.
“Fico’s threats to cut off Ukraine’s emergency power supply this winter while Russia attacks our power plants and energy grid can only be explained by this.”
Mr Zelensky’s comments follow a threat from Mr Fico to stop the supply of electricity to Ukraine if the Ukrainian president went through with a plan to end the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine by 1 January next year, despite this date being the end of the current contract.
Mr Zelensky says Russia is using the profits of this gas sale to continue its invasion of Ukraine. Mr Fico says the end of the Russian gas transit will drive up costs for the European Union and hit the bloc’s competitiveness.
Earlier this month, Mr Fico visited Mr Putin in Moscow, becoming one of only a handful of European leader to do so since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The visit prompted widespread criticism among other European states, who have largely cut all ties with Russia.
It appears that Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak people’s interests. Fico's threats to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply this winter while Russia attacks our power plants and energy grid can only be…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2024
Pokrovsk suffers power outage after repeated Russian attacks
Saturday 28 December 2024 12:36
Tom Watling
The Ukrainian area of Pokrovsk has been cut off from power after repeated Russian attacks, the local administration has reported.
The city of Pokrovsk is a linchpin of the defence of the wider Donetsk region and its capture has been a primary objective of the advancing Russian forces for months.
Recently, Vladimir Putin’s troops have advanced within a few miles of the city’s outskirts.
The local administration said they do not know when the power supply will be restored. Over the past three days, the city has been repeatedly hit by Russian drones and shells.
NATO to step up Baltic Sea patrols
Saturday 28 December 2024 12:00
Tom Watling
Ukraine says it has destroyed Russian drone warehouse
Saturday 28 December 2024 11:21
Tom Watling
Ukraine says it has destroyed a warehouse for the storage, maintenance and repair of “Shaheed” drones in the Russian region of Oryol
Ukraine’s general staff of the military said a Boxing Day operation successfully targeted a warehouse just north of the border region of Kursk.
“The operation significantly reduced the enemy’s potential to conduct airstrikes with strike UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure,” they wrote on Facebook.
The Independent was unable to verify this.
Zelensky urges China to put pressure on North Korea over military aid to Russia
Saturday 28 December 2024 10:44
Tom Watling
Ukraine says it has recovered diary of killed North Korean soldier
Saturday 28 December 2024 10:09
Tom Watling
Ukraine’s special operations forces say they have recovered the diary of a North Korean soldier killed while fighting in the Russian region of Kursk.
You can read one of the translated diary entries below.
Diary of KIA North Korean soldier in Kursk Oblast. Part 3, "Kim's SOF"
— SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES OF UKRAINE (@SOF_UKR) December 28, 2024
SOF operators eliminated a North Korean SOF soldier in russia’s Kursk region, recovering his diary. The entries reveal that North Korea sent elite troops to support russia, not ordinary soldiers. 1/9 pic.twitter.com/rn0pFI0X7C
US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, in push to get aid out before leaving office
Saturday 28 December 2024 09:41
Tom Watling
