Because the battle enters its 657th day, these are the principle developments.
Right here is the scenario on Tuesday, December 12, 2023.
Preventing
- The Ukrainian army mentioned Russian forces unleashed an enormous new offensive on the japanese Ukrainian metropolis of Avdiivka, simply northwest of the Russian-occupied metropolis of Donetsk. Army spokesperson Oleksandr Stupun instructed Ukrainian tv that combating had been intense with 610 artillery shellings reported close to Avdiivka over the earlier 24 hours. There was no fast remark from Russia on the combating within the space. About 1,500 folks stay in Avdiivka out of a pre-war inhabitants of some 32,000.
- 4 folks had been injured after Russia attacked Kyiv with eight long-range ballistic missiles within the early hours of the morning. The missiles had been shot down by Ukrainian air defences and other people had been damage after being hit by the particles or shards of glass.
- In a separate Russian assault, Ukrainian air defences shot down 18 Shahed drones aimed on the south.
Politics and diplomacy
- Talking on the primary day of his go to to Washington, DC, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that failing to take care of assist for Ukraine would play into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy is because of meet President Joe Biden and Home of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday as Republicans within the US Congress resist further Ukraine funding.
- Zelenskyy additionally met Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva, hours after the fund’s government board authorised a brand new $900m disbursement for Ukraine. Georgieva and Zelenskyy spoke for almost an hour on the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC. Zelenskyy thanked the IMF for its assist. Georgieva famous that the board, excluding one nation, was unanimous in its assist for Ukraine.
- Zelenskyy described his transient chat with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the sidelines of the inauguration of Argentinian President Javier Milei on Sunday as “frank”. Orban has threatened to dam extra European Union monetary assist for Kyiv and is against Ukraine becoming a member of the group. EU leaders will talk about Ukraine’s membership at a summit on Thursday.
- Russia’s Federal Safety Service (FSB) mentioned it had arrested 18 “agents and accomplices” of Ukraine’s particular providers it claimed had been a part of a community of assassins concentrating on pro-Russian figures in occupied Crimea and japanese elements of Ukraine. Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
- The EU added six folks and 5 entities to their Iran sanctions record over their alleged assist for Russia in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The sanctioned embody the Shahed drone-maker Shakad Sanat Asmari, its CEO, deputy CEO and chief scientist. Different firms concerned in drone manufacturing had been additionally focused.
- Russia’s central election fee mentioned March’s presidential election would come with voting in 4 areas of Ukraine that it partly occupied and annexed final 12 months. Ukraine, which rejected the annexation together with most members of the United Nations Basic Meeting, has already mentioned that any Russian vote within the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson areas can be null and void, and that it’ll prosecute any observers despatched to watch voting.
Weapons
- The UK mentioned it transferred two minehunters to Ukraine. The transfer is a part of a brand new Maritime Functionality Coalition, led by the UK and Norway, geared toward offering long-term army assist to bolster maritime safety within the Black Sea.
- US nationwide safety spokesman John Kirby mentioned Washington was more likely to announce further army help for Ukraine earlier than the tip of the month within the expectation that Russia was more likely to goal Ukraine’s vitality services because the climate will get colder.
