[Korrespondent] 23:13 The mayor of Kharkov, Igor Terekhov, announced the second enemy strike on the city in a day, this time - presumably by kamikaze drones. According to him, one of the infrastructure facilities is targeted.
22:34 The air force shot down five enemy drones in the Dnipropetrovsk region, presumably Iranian Shahed, the air command of Skhid reported.
21:42 PMC Wagner mercenaries made an insulting appeal to the head of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov. The reason for dissatisfaction is the poor provision of the units participating in the assault on the Ukrainian Bakhmut. PMC founder Yevgeny Prigozhin supported his fighters and confirmed the lack of ammunition. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has already intervened in a public conflict between various Russian law enforcement agencies and sent his PMC to the Donbass. More details - in the material The split in the Russian army.
21:04 Polls of Ukrainian servicemen who returned from captivity indicate that conditions in the colonies have partially improved, said Oleksandr Kononenko, a representative of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada in the security and defense sector. According to him, this was the result of pressure from Ukraine and the international community.
At the same time, he acknowledged that it is extremely difficult to establish the whereabouts of prisoners of war, because Russia does not provide this information. It also does not provide access for representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross to all places of detention of prisoners. In addition, the Russian Federation does not undertake to deliver letters, even if Ukraine knows the whereabouts of the prisoners. Thus, the Russian side does not want to officially confirm the captivity.
20:58 Russia has assembled a group of troops in Belarus in the amount of 10,200 people, head of the State Border Guard Service Sergei Deineko said. According to him, this grouping is unable to fulfill the task of re-advancing into the territory of Ukraine.
20:47 The situation in the energy system of Kiev is stabilizing, outages are becoming more predictable, in the near future it will be possible to return to the schedules, Yasno CEO Sergey Kovalenko said. He also said that the city authorities of Kyiv received 107 applications from condominiums for compensation of 70% of the cost of purchasing generators for houses. These generators can power water pumps, elevators or other equipment.
20:25 Zelensky said that he had met in Kiev with French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu: "He spoke about the security situation at the front and about the defense needs of Ukraine. We discussed further steps to strengthen the defense capability of our state with the support of France."
19:54 The United States is ordering automated fire control systems for 18 new HIMARS, which will be transferred to Ukraine, Military reports with reference to a contract posted on the US government's public procurement portal. These systems make it possible to bring together information from intelligence, infantry, artillery, aviation, etc., which gives a common understanding of the operational picture of battles and fire support.
19:18 Lavrov said that the United States explained to the Russian Federation through diplomatic channels that they did not plan to send American specialists to Ukraine to control Patriot systems.
19:13 The enemy is forced under the pressure of fire control in the south of the country to constantly relocate, look for new places. The work is aimed at ensuring that the invaders move their combat positions as far as possible from the coast, said Natalya Gumenyuk, speaker of OK Pivden. "Thus, the ability to hit our targets and settlements on the right bank is reduced," she explained.
19:08 Special acoustic sensors will be installed in the Kiev region - this will make it possible to detect Russian drones or missiles even in places where there are no people, said Andrei Nebytov, head of the Kiev region police.
18:19 In the occupied territories of the Zaporozhye region, Russian servicemen and mercenaries are leaving their places of service en masse. For search activities, separate units of the Russian Guard were sent to the city of Primorsk. According to preliminary information, more than 200 people are wanted, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in an evening summary.
18:10 Vice-Chancellor of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Märt Volmer said that most of the member states of the UN Security Council do not share Ukraine's desire to exclude Russia from this body: "It would be possible if a very large number of states considered, like Ukraine, that Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it received this status outside the procedure and illegally, and this needs to be reconsidered somehow. But in fact, there are no states that would consider that this is possible and necessary."
18:04 The first deputy head of Putin's administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, visited the Zaporizhia NPP. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that such an illegal visit is another gross violation of international law and Ukrainian legislation. The Kremlin's move also demonstrates its complete disregard for the requirements of three IAEA Board of Governors resolutions requiring Russia to immediately withdraw its military and other personnel from the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, the Foreign Ministry noted.
The agency called on partner states and EU institutions to expand sanctions against the Rosatom corporation, its affiliated companies, as well as other key representatives of the Russian nuclear industry. "We separately emphasize the need to work out mechanisms for the complete cessation of cooperation with the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear technology, as well as limiting Russia's rights and privileges in the IAEA," the statement says.
17:55 Zelensky, during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada, presented the commander of the Ukrainian HIMARS battery, Captain Pavel Chernyavsky, with an award from Biden, MP Oleksiy Goncharenko said. Earlier, Zelensky awarded the commander with the Military Merit Cross, but he asked to pass his award to Biden during the visit of the Ukrainian president to Washington.
17:43 The return of Kremennaya in eastern Ukraine will be another step in the Ukrainian campaign to return major cities captured by Russia after its invasion, writes The New York Times. Read more about where the Armed Forces of Ukraine are moving forward in the material Gates to Donbass .
17:39 The UK will provide the Armed Forces with Sea King helicopters, which will be used for search and rescue operations, the country's Ministry of Defense said. According to the agency, the Royal Navy has already conducted training on Sea King helicopters for ten crews of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
17:08 Since February 24, explosions and fires have occurred on the territory of Russia, as well as in Crimea, on the territory of 72 military registration and enlistment offices, military bases, warehouses and other military facilities, Nestka calculated based on open data. Most often - 44 times - military registration and enlistment offices and recruiting offices were set on fire. Other facilities, including military units, ammunition depots, airfields and other buildings associated with the military-industrial complex, have burned at least 28 times since February 24.
16:37 Shoigu sent his private military company Patriot to fight near Ugledar, Donetsk region, said Sergey Cherevaty, spokesman for the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to him, against the backdrop of an unsuccessful campaign in the direction of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Vuhledar, as well as in the Lugansk region, the Russians are trying to break through and achieve at least some result, throwing all their forces into battle.
He noted that militants of the private Patriot army, affiliated with Shoigu, appeared in the Stepnoye region near Vuhledar - it was created as a counterweight to the Wagner PMC. "Wagner PMC and Patriot PMC are competing structures. Wagner is in Bakhmut, under Ugledar Patriot. There is no direct interaction between them, they are autonomous structures," Cherevaty said.
16:23 The occupiers once again fired at Oleshki, Kherson region, as a result, one person died, the mayor of the city Yevhen Ryshchuk said.
16:19 During mass attacks, Russians launch three waves of kamikaze drones - in this way they are trying to destroy Ukrainian air defense and strike at critical targets, said OK Pivden speaker Natalya Gumenyuk. "They launch the first wave precisely to identify air defense systems, the second wave - to hit these objects, air defense systems. Already the third wave, as a rule, is directed at critical and energy infrastructure facilities that were the target of destruction," Gumenyuk explained.
16:04 In Odessa, they began to demolish the monument to Catherine II. After dismantling, it will be transferred to the Odessa Art Museum, said Deputy Mayor Oleg Bryndak.
15:58 There are signs of the creation of new, more powerful units of enemy troops in the Zaporozhye direction, but there are no signs of the formation of a strike force capable of conducting offensive operations, said Yevgeny Yerin, spokesman for the Defense Forces of the Tauride direction. According to him, everything speaks of preparing the enemy for positional defense. In particular, new minefields are being created, engineering positions are being equipped, etc.
15:29 Ukraine is developing air-to-air drones that will fight Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones, Digital Transformation Minister Mikhail Fedorov said in an interview with Associated Press. According to him, Ukraine has already purchased about 1,400 drones, mostly reconnaissance ones. Fedorov explained that after meeting the needs for reconnaissance drones, the next stage will be the development and purchase of strike UAVs. "I can already say that in February-March the situation with drones will change dramatically," the minister announced.
15:25 The Russians struck the first blow to the energy infrastructure of Ukraine on September 11 - then they hit the Kharkiv thermal power plant. Since then, Ukrainian air defense has shot down more than 420 missiles and 430 kamikaze drones, Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said.
15:19 Russia has already deported more than 13,000 Ukrainian children, Reznikov said.
15:06 Zelensky, in his speech at the last meeting of the Verkhovna Rada this year, said that Ukraine has become one of the leaders of the free world and has helped the West to unite, find itself again and stop being afraid of Russia. The theses of the President's speech are given by the People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
Zelensky also noted that the Ukrainian military-industrial complex will be one of the most progressive in the world. He is sure of victory, because now there is a national unity, a functioning state and support for peace. In addition, according to the President, Ukraine will become a leader in building green energy and will develop its own nuclear generation.
More than 1.2 trillion hryvnias were allocated for defense during the year, and this money is only from internal taxes and duties, while international assistance goes to humanitarian purposes, the president noted. Separately, he stressed the need to release all Ukrainians from captivity and said that 1,456 of our people had been returned since the beginning of the war. In addition, it will be necessary to return the Ukrainians who are now abroad, because they should not remain refugees.
Zelensky is convinced that the restoration of Ukraine will be the largest economic project in Europe. He called on the deputies to develop a legislative framework to encourage foreign businesses to enter Ukraine now, especially for companies that have left the Russian Federation.
14:22 Swiss OSINT analyst Benjamin Pitt has published satellite images showing how the invaders are digging in in the south of Crimea. In particular, the photo probably shows the location of the trenches near the radar station near the village of Lazurnoe.
13:49 Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto believes that Russia can use nuclear weapons in case of defeat in the war: "The use of tactical nuclear weapons is planned by Russia. For us it is unthinkable, but for Moscow - yes, if the point of no return is passed, if they risk to be defeated. In short, the danger is potentially there, although very unlikely."
At the same time, Crosetto assured that Italy would continue to support Ukraine, including by providing military assistance: "If possible, we will certainly help them defend themselves: Russia has crossed a border that it should not have crossed."
13:28 Danilov said that Ukraine has come half way to victory, but the most difficult stage is ahead: "Russia continues to set maximalist goals in the war with Ukraine - the elimination of statehood, the destruction of Ukrainians as a nation. The time of maximum concentration - we have passed half the way to victory. But the most difficult period lies ahead - to finally kick the aggressor off our land and punish him for his crimes."
12:57 Putin's decree approving simplified procedures for renouncing Ukrainian citizenship and acquiring Russian citizenship is void and indicates Russia's unwillingness to negotiate, its leadership's desire to continue the war, the absorption of the territory of Ukraine, the forced assimilation and genocide of the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"The procedure for issuing Russian passports to Ukrainian children and adolescents from 14 to 18 years old, which was introduced without the consent of the recipients, is a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights and proof of the genocide of Ukrainians committed by Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine regards it as another crime of Russia against sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, grossly violating the Constitution and laws of our state, the current norms of international law and the international obligations of Russia," the statement reads.
12:51 Peskov said that "no peace plan for Ukraine can exist if it does not take into account the entry into Russia of four new regions."
12:46 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggests that the Russians' attempts to capture Bakhmut are close to climax. The troops of the invaders have noticeably degraded, they lack personnel and ammunition. Combat losses force the Russian military to use detachment-sized assault groups. Analysts recall that this was already observed in August in the Kherson region - then the Russian forces also degraded from company and battalion tactical groups to separate detachment groups.
According to ISW, the Russian advance in the Bakhmut area will continue to slow down, and possibly even stop, if the Russian troops do not receive significant reinforcements in manpower and ammunition in the near future.
12:39 Russians shelled the village of Kizomys, Kherson region: three people were injured, including a 14-year-old child, the President's Office reported.
12:18 French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu arrived in Kyiv , TF1 reports.
11:57 Not only the military command of the Russian Federation, but also the Russians who came to work in the city have already left Kremennaya in the Lugansk region, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. According to him, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine de-occupy Kremennaya, the turn of other Lugansk cities will come, because they are so destroyed that they are not suitable for defense. According to Gaidai, after the liberation of Kremennaya, there are two options for the development of events: go to Starobelsk, the main logistics center of the region, or help Bakhmut and go to Rubizhnoye and Severodonetsk in order to split the group of invaders in this direction.
11:26 On December 27-28, Budanov visited the forward positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in Bakhmut, where special intelligence officers work, the press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate reported. He listened to the report of the commanders of the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, defined tasks and awarded the soldiers.
11:12 In the Kharkiv region, in the area with. Bugaevka, Chuguevsky district, two people, including a seven-year-old child, were blown up by an explosive device in the forest, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said. Both received blast injuries and were hospitalized.
10:55 As of December 28, the shortage of electricity in the system has increased - this is due to the shutdown of some blocks of power plants due to the shelling of gas infrastructure in the eastern region, Ukrenergo reported. At the same time, due to relatively warm weather, consumption restrictions have not been applied at night for the fourth consecutive day. The available capacity in the system is not enough to meet all the needs of consumers in the country, so consumption limits have been brought to all regions.
10:43 Over the past two weeks, Ukraine has agreed to supply more than 600 generators, Kuleba said. Seven autotransformers will come from the governments of Lithuania, Ireland and Poland; 543 generators with a capacity of more than 100 kW - from Germany, Norway and Spain; 24 transformers - from Finland; 45 transformers - from Azerbaijan; 19 powerful generators - from Israel.
10:40 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of December 28.
- personnel - about 103,770 (+550) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3017 (+1),
- armored combat vehicles - 6037 (+13),
- artillery systems - 1999 (+1),
- MLRS - 418 (+0),
- air defense systems - 212 (+0),
- aircraft - 283 (+0),
- helicopters - 267 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 1707 (+0),
- cruise missiles - 653 (+0),
- ships/boats - 16 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 4660 (+8),
- special equipment - 179 (+0).
10:29 British intelligence predicts that Russia will make it a priority to hold the front line near Kremennaya, given the importance of the area for the logistical support of its troops in the Donbass. In recent days, Russia has reinforced the front line in the Kremennaya Lugansk region amid increased pressure from Ukrainian forces. Analysts recall that Kremennaya became quite vulnerable after the Ukrainian Armed Forces moved forward west through Liman in October.
10:06 As a result of the morning strike on Kharkov, one person was wounded, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said.
09:24 The head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Sinegubov, announced a missile attack on the Sloboda district of Kharkov. In many areas of Ukraine air raid alert.
09:21 In the Kursk region, two employees of the FSB border department were blown up by a mine, ASTRA reported. According to journalists, an armored personnel carrier with border guards ran into a mine near the Krupets checkpoint.
09:18 Over the past day, three people were injured in the Donetsk region, two in Kharkiv (one of the wounded was blown up by an explosive device), in Kherson - also three, the OVA reported.
09:04 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that the Russian authorities are trying to force the West to make concessions and put pressure on Ukraine for negotiations. Analysts say the Kremlin is likely to continue to focus its grievances on the West and ignore Ukraine as a sovereign entity while supporting ongoing information operations.
Moscow routinely portrays Ukraine as a pawn of the West, devoid of any actual sovereignty, in order to deprive Ukrainian officials of the right to participate in future direct negotiations and instead present negotiations with Russia as the responsibility of Western officials, the ISW says. The Kremlin will constantly portray Ukrainian officials as dragging out the war while reiterating its military goals by trying to influence Western officials to force Ukraine to negotiate on more favorable terms for Russia, analysts have concluded.
08:56 The Gomel regional court passed a sentence on three Belarusians accused of sabotaging the railway, along which trains with Russian military equipment were traveling to participate in the war against Ukraine. Three residents of Svetlogorsk were sentenced to 21 to 23 years in prison with a fine and confiscation of property. At the moment, this is the most severe sentence in cases of sabotage on the railway.
08:47 Danilov said that Ukraine will be able to get Russian planes in the Far East: "The enemy began to hide them. They understand that Ukraine can get them deep in the territory of the Russian Federation, and there are not so many bombers left. We are talking about Tu-95MS bombers and Tu-22MZ. Now the Russians have overtaken them to Primorsky Krai, but if necessary, we will get to the Far East."
08:33 The enemy is conducting offensive operations in the Bakhmut and Avdeevsky directions and is trying to improve the tactical situation in the Limansky direction, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in the morning report . Ukrainian defenders repulsed the attacks of the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Ploschanka and Chervonopopovka in the Lugansk region and in the areas of Spornoye, Yakovlevka, Soledar, Bakhmutskoye, Podgorodnoye, Bakhmut, Andreevka, Kleschievka, Avdeevka, Vodyanoye, Maryinka, Pobeda and Zolotaya Niva in the Donetsk region.
According to the General Staff, in Sevastopol, the invaders stepped up campaigning for entry into military service under a contract in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
04:45 Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 702 critical infrastructure facilities have been damaged, and more than 35,000 facilities have been destroyed in total, First Deputy Interior Minister Yevgeny Yenin said. Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions suffer the most from shelling.
00:04 Repair of Ukraine's energy infrastructure is complicated by the shortage of necessary components and the incompatibility of components that Western partners can transfer to Kiev, CNN reports, citing an American source. According to him, the United States and partners are faced with the problem of disrupting the global supply chain for the equipment needed for repairs. Washington is trying to solve this problem together with the private sector.
In addition, some of the important network repair components that are used in the US are not suitable for Ukraine, as they are designed to work on other frequency bands.