12/30/2022
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 02:17 Great Britain sends Ukraine metal detectors and defusing devices +++
Britain has donated more than 1,000 metal detectors and 100 bomb disposal kits to Ukraine. “Russia’s use of landmines and attack on civilian infrastructure underscores the shocking ferocity of Putin’s invasion,” said British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. Manufactured by German company Vallon, the metal detectors and kits are helping Ukraine “clear land and buildings safely while reclaiming their rightful territory,” according to the Defense Ministry.
+++ 01:14 15,000 people missing in Ukraine +++
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the fate of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians has remained uncertain. “Russia has currently confirmed 3,392 Ukrainian prisoners of war, but 15,000 people are currently missing in Ukraine, including many civilians,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Alona Verbytska told the editorial network Germany. “We don’t know what happened to them,” she said. “Are they also in Russian captivity, were they abducted from Russian-occupied areas or were they possibly killed long ago?” This uncertainty is terrible, especially for the relatives, explained Verbytska. Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly pointed out that entire families, including children, are being deported to Russia from the occupied territories.
+++ 23:35 Zelenskyj: Every rocket attack brings Russia closer to the tribunal +++
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia is getting closer to an international tribunal with every further missile attack against Ukraine. “With each such missile attack, Russia is only driving itself deeper into a dead end,” says Zelenskyj in his daily video address. The “status of the world’s greatest terrorist” will affect Russia and its citizens for a long time to come. In his talks with foreign heads of state and government, the Ukrainian leader is trying to win their support for an International Criminal Court modeled on the Nuremberg Tribunal, before which politicians and the military from Moscow are to answer for the war of aggression against Ukraine.
+++ 22:28 Russian air strikes: three civilians killed in Kharkiv region +++
At least three civilians were killed in today’s Russian airstrikes in the Kharkiv region. In the city of Kupyansk, a 59-year-old died when Russian rockets hit a residential area around 1 p.m. (local time), the Kharkiv region prosecutor’s office said. About an hour later, according to the authorities, the Russians attacked a critical infrastructure facility near Chuhuiv, killing two company employees.
+++ 21:56 Sri Lanka is happy about the return of Russian tourists +++
The first Russian travelers on a new Moscow-Sri Lanka route have arrived in the troubled Indian Ocean island nation. The Russian airline Red Wings landed in the southern port city of Hambantota with 398 passengers on board. Sri Lanka is one of the few countries still actively courting Russian tourists since Russia attacked Ukraine. In October, the direct connection of the Russian company Aeroflot between Moscow and the capital Colombo was resumed. The reason for the suspension was a business dispute. Before the attack on Ukraine, most tourists in Sri Lanka came from Russia. Despite the Ukraine war, the island nation has maintained friendly relations with Russia and is not participating in sanctions. However, due to the suspended flight connection, tourist traffic had declined sharply.
+++ 21:07 Lithuania buys 18 “Caesar” artillery pieces +++
According to French sources, Lithuania will buy 18 Caesar artillery pieces from Nexter. This was announced by French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Twitter. A corresponding contract was signed during a visit by his colleague Arvydas Anusauskasin in Paris.
You can read earlier developments in the Ukraine war here.