The defense expert of the FDP parliamentary group Marcus Faber assumes that there will be movement on the issue of supplying Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. In the early start of RTL and ntv he says: “I think that there will be movement. You see, a year ago I was already with you and that was 14 days before the Leopard 2 was released, after eleven months of debate . We’ve been talking about the Taurus cruise missile for eight months now. I think eight months ago most people didn’t even know what it was. That’s why I’m quite confident that people in the Chancellery, like most of the Bundestag, have been on board for a long time “We will come to the realization that it makes sense to do what the British and French have already done and deliver the Taurus.”
+++ 09:09 Moscow’s attrition strategy must not work: General calls for more ammunition for anti-aircraft defense +++
Ukrainian General Serhiy Nayev warns of an acute shortage of ammunition in his country’s air defense system. The ammunition for Ukraine’s mobile air defense systems is currently sufficient “to withstand the next violent attacks,” said Najew on Wednesday during a visit to troops near Kiev. In the medium and long term, Ukraine “of course needs the help of Western countries to replenish its missile stocks.” “It’s primarily about more ammunition.” “Of course we would like to have more missiles for the Patriots and the systems themselves,” says the commander responsible for the mobile air defense units in the capital Kiev and northern Ukraine, referring to US Patriot defense systems. Because the Russian army wants to “really exhaust the air defense system.” From Kiev’s perspective, the massive wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine at the turn of the year highlights the urgency for increased Western supplies of air defense systems, combat drones and medium-range missiles.
+++ 08:36 Russian missiles in Poland’s airspace: Warsaw does not rule out provocation +++
Warsaw and its Western partners do not rule out a provocation by Moscow with the Russian missile that briefly flew through Polish airspace on December 29th. That’s what Polish security officer Jacek Siewiera says in an interview with TVN24. In a major attack on Ukraine at the end of the year, Russia fired 158 drones and missiles, 114 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses. Polish officials claim that one of the Russian missiles crossed the border into Poland before turning back. Siewiera, the head of Poland’s National Security Office, now states that Polish authorities “have enough information to confirm that this missile was launched by Russian systems.” “It is difficult to assume that the border crossing 40 kilometers from the border was accidental,” comments Siewiera, indicating Moscow’s intention. When asked whether the incident could have been a deliberate provocation, Siewiera said: “I can’t rule it out. The allies aren’t ruling it out either.” The Polish official links the incident to the new Polish government.
+++ 08:08 Number of victims after major Russian attack on Kiev rises to 32 +++
The number of Ukrainians killed in Russia’s mass attacks on Kiev on December 29 rises to 32 after two more bodies were found in the rubble, says Serhii Popko, the head of the Kiev military administration. Yesterday, Wednesday, the number was raised to 30 after another wounded person died in hospital. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, this was the deadliest attack on civilians in Kiev since the full-scale invasion began.
+++ 07:33 US government sees no corruption in Kiev when it comes to weapons supplied +++
Biden administration says US weapons provided to Ukraine ‘will be used appropriately on the battlefield’ White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday. “We have seen no evidence that the Ukrainian military has been corrupted or abused across the board,” Kirby said. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, the United States has provided $44.2 billion in military assistance and more than $47 billion since Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine in 2014. In September, the United States sent staff to Kiev to assess the use of American military aid, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General.
+++ 06:58 Russian governor: 600 people evacuated in Belgorod +++
Yesterday, Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out further missile and drone attacks on the southern Belgorod region. The region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, later explains that 600 residents had to be evacuated due to unexploded ammunition. A total of 323 houses within 500 meters were evacuated while sappers assessed the danger, he said. Several villages came under fire and a power line was interrupted, Gladkow continued. There have been repeated attacks on the southern Russian region since the weekend. According to Russian information, 25 people were killed.
+++ 06:19 Ukrainians are tired of war: “Telemarathon” by Zelenskyj and Co nerve +++
Once called a “weapon” by President Volodymyr Zelensky, after nearly two years of war, many Ukrainians say they are fed up with the government-backed telemarathon that airs around the clock, reports the New York Times on January 3rd. Oksana Romaniuk, head of the Kiev Institute of Mass Information, called it state propaganda and said: “Everyone is tired of this image that says: we win, everyone likes us and gives us money.” Since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022, Ukrainians have seen only one television news program focused on political leaders canvassing support abroad and troops shelling Russian positions. There are also catchy slogans and mood-enhancing topics. Most Ukrainians saw the telemarathon as vital at the start of the war. “It was life-saving content,” said Khrystyna Havryliuk, a well-known local journalist. But in the third year of the war, the number of Ukrainians who trust the telemarathon has dropped significantly – from 69 percent in May 2022 to just 43 percent in December 2023, a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology showed.
+++ 01:39 Ukraine reports new attacks on Kharkiv +++
Russian air strikes were again reported from Kharkiv late in the evening. According to the military administration, there is damage to civilian infrastructure in the city center. Nothing is known about any injuries so far.
+++ 23:06 Ukrainian energy supplier does not fear serious failures +++
The Ukrainian state energy supplier Ukrenerho does not expect the power grid to collapse, even if Russia uses the coming cold weather to launch new attacks. “The enemy will not achieve this,” says Ukrenerho boss Volodymyr Kudrytskyj. Hits would cause problems. “But I am sure that it will only be a matter of temporary interruptions in the power supply due to damage to some facilities,” said Kudrytskyj. However, he still advises Ukrainians to use electricity sparingly.
+++ 22:01 France sees the Belgorod attack only as Ukrainian self-defense +++
The French Foreign Ministry comments on the attack on the Russian city of Belgorod, which Moscow blames on Ukraine and which killed 24 people and injured over 100 others. Kiev has not claimed responsibility for the attack. “There is an attacking State, Russia, which is carrying out a strategy of terror by deliberately attacking key civilian infrastructure in violation of international humanitarian law, and an attacked State, Ukraine, which is acting in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations acts in self-defense,” says a representative of the French Foreign Ministry. “Russia can end this conflict and the associated human tragedies for which it bears full responsibility. To do this, it must withdraw all its troops from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine.”
+++ 21:17 Emergency power supply in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant improved +++
To prevent a nuclear accident, the emergency power system at the occupied Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia has been improved. At the insistence of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Russian operators of the frontline nuclear power plant have set up a system that automatically connects the plant to a backup power line in the event of a main line failure. IAEA head Rafael Grossi announced this in Vienna. The power plant, which currently does not generate electricity, needs external electricity to ensure the long-term cooling of the reactors. Temporary power outages have already occurred several times at the nuclear power plant as a result of the Russian war of aggression.
+++ 20:38 USA rejects report about changed Ukraine strategy +++
The US rejects a media report that it is seeking a change in Ukraine’s strategy in the war against Russia. In response to a question from journalists, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry stated that this was “not true”. The medium Politico reported on December 27th that the USA and European representatives were secretly changing their focus. Accordingly, the Ukrainian goal of a complete victory over Russia should no longer be pursued. Rather, an improvement in the situation before negotiations to end the war is advocated. An unnamed US government official and a European diplomat were cited as sources.
+++ 20:04 Experts are not allowed to enter the reactor halls of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant +++
Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been prevented from inspecting the reactor halls of three units in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to the organization. Experts were not allowed to enter the reactor halls of units one, two and six in the past two weeks, explains IAEA Director Rafael Grossi. “This is the first time that IAEA experts have not been given access to a reactor hall of a unit that was in cold shutdown.” In addition, access to some parts of the power plant’s turbine halls remains restricted, explains Grossi. The IAEA is also waiting for access to the reactor roofs planned for December 19, which “did not take place due to safety concerns.” Grossi further explains that his team will continue to request access to the reactor halls, where the reactor core and spent fuel are located.
You can read all previous developments here.