December 19, 2023
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 07:02 Ukraine lacks artillery ammunition – its own drones should close the gap +++
Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi explains that both the Ukrainian and Russian forces have problems with artillery ammunition. This is what the “Institute for the Study of War” reports in his current analysis. But Western officials reportedly estimate that Russian forces are currently firing five to seven times more artillery fire than Ukrainian forces. Russia is said to have supplied itself with 122 mm artillery shells in North Korea, among other things. Ukraine, on the other hand, is dependent on Western partners who supply the ammunition, but always face obstacles. According to Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister General Ivan Havrilyuk, Ukraine is therefore focusing on domestic production of drones. This is intended to compensate for the lack of artillery ammunition to some extent. However, the production of 155 mm ammunition, which is used as standard in the West, is also to be promoted with the help of Western companies.
+++ 06:24 Gloomy forecast: Trump would stop aid to Ukraine and expand relations with China +++
In a possible second term, Donald Trump is expected to install loyalists in key positions at the Pentagon, State Department and CIA, such as several current and former aides and diplomats explain to Reuters. This outcome, which gives Trump greater freedom of action than during his first term, would empower him to make significant changes to the U.S. stance on the war in Ukraine and trade relations with China. If Trump comes to power, he will likely immediately cut defense aid to Europe and further dismantle economic ties with China, advisers believe. Eight European diplomats interviewed by Reuters said there were doubts about whether Trump would honor Washington’s commitment to defend NATO allies and there were acute fears he would cut off aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia . Earlier this year, Trump said he would not commit to providing aid to Ukraine, saying he simply wanted to end the war “in 24 hours.”
+++ 05:45 China is moving closer to Moscow in the energy sector +++
China wants to strengthen cooperation with Russia in the energy sector. “Faced with the volatility of the world energy market and external risks and challenges, Russia and China always adhere to the principles of mutual trust and mutual benefit, continuously develop energy cooperation, and thus make a positive contribution to ensuring global energy security,” quoted The Russian state news agency RIA called the Chinese ambassador to Russia, Zhang Hanhui. China expects to expand cooperation along the entire production chain in the energy sector.
+++ 04:38 Russia lists crime writer Akunin as a “terrorist” +++
After his criticism of the war against Ukraine, the well-known writer Boris Akunin is listed as a “terrorist” and “extremist” in Russia. The Russian financial supervisory authority Rosfinmonitoring now lists Akunin, who has been living abroad for years, in a corresponding directory. In addition, Russia’s investigative agency confirmed that a case was opened against the Kremlin critic in absentia not only for allegedly justifying terrorism, but also for “false news” about the Russian army. Akunin, who was born in 1956 in Georgia, which was then part of the Soviet Union, and whose real name is Grigori Chkhartishvili, is best known for crime novels.
+++ 03:05 I let Kremlin TV court Roger Waters +++
During an appearance on Russian state television, the controversial Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters was visibly flattered when the presenter asked him whether he would move to Russia. War supporter Olga Skabeyeva quotes the Ukrainian ambassador in Vienna, who, as a Putin supporter, recommended such a move to Waters. “We would welcome you with open arms,” says Skabeyeva. Waters replies: He takes the invitation seriously and will inform you of his decision.
+++ 01:10 Zelenskyj considers new EU sanctions to be effective +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj welcomes the new EU sanctions against Russia. These would really hit Russia’s economic basis for the war, he says in his evening video speech. The twelfth sanctions package affects, among other things, the Russian diamond trade.
+++ 23:58 “Enormous reserve”: Putin promotes women’s rights +++
Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling on employers in male-majority industries to hire more women. “Girls represent an enormous reserve for Russia,” Putin said at a meeting with the winners of a professional competition. “In the areas in which they are not yet working, they must exploit their full potential.” Russia has been suffering from a shrinking workforce for years due to persistently low birth rates. This has been exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine.
+++ 22:50 Ukraine’s army chief Saluschnyj criticizes Zelensky +++
According to a media report, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valery Zalushnyj criticized President Volodymyr Zelensky for firing all heads of regional recruiting offices. “They were professionals who knew how to do it, and now they’re gone,” the Interfax Ukraine agency quoted Zalushnyj as saying. Zelensky fired all regional heads of Ukraine’s recruiting offices in August as part of a crackdown on corruption. When asked about the Defense Ministry’s recent plan to increase military recruitment, Saluzhny says the old system should be reinstated. “It is still a little early to assess recruitment. As for mobilization, it is not necessary to strengthen it, but to return to the limits (and) to the frameworks that worked before.”
+++ 22:23 Pentagon warns: Ukraine funds will expire at the end of the year +++
The US Defense Department will run out of money to send weapons and equipment to Ukraine after December 30, the Pentagon’s comptroller warned in a letter to Congress in Washington. To avoid this, Congress would have to approve additional funds. President Joe Biden’s administration has asked lawmakers for $61 billion. “It is important that Congress respond promptly to the administration’s pending supplemental request,” the staffer requests.
You can read all previous developments here.