Shipments from Ukraine. Day 1031.
kyiv. Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital with ballistic missiles on Friday, December 20. An early morning Russian missile attack on central kyiv killed at least one user and injured 12, according to the city administration. The attack destroyed six embassies, a historic cathedral and other buildings in the Ukrainian capital. Ukrainian air defenses shot down all five Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles used by Russian forces to attack the capital, the air force said.
Near the small city of Pokrovsk, Russian troops killed a civilian on Dec. 17. Russian troops have been advancing into the region since last summer, and the city is now just a few miles from Moscow’s troops. The city, which now lacks water and gas, is facing a worsening humanitarian situation.
Kharkiv region. Russian forces shelled the Kupiansk district in the eastern part of the region, killing three people and wounding three others on December 19.
Ukraine has stepped up its drone deliveries to the front, with more than 1. 3 million aircraft delivered to its defense forces this year. In December alone, more than 200,000 drones were delivered. Aware of the strategic importance of drones in the conflict, Kyiv is actively seeking long-term supply contracts to accelerate this pace. However, despite increased production, drone production in Ukraine is still heavily dependent on imported components, specifically from China, exposing the country to significant external vulnerabilities.
Ukraine’s battered economy has adapted to wartime challenges and even thrived, showing surprising strength compared to Russia’s faltering financial footing, The Economist reports. Despite enduring immense challenges, Ukraine’s economy outperforms Moscow’s in critical metrics. While Ukraine’s GDP remains 25% below pre-war levels, it is projected to grow by 4% in 2024, bolstered by a stable currency and strong foreign aid flows.
However, the economy faces headwinds: a reduced labor force, electricity shortages, and a precarious fiscal scenario with a budget deficit close to 20% of GDP in 2025. Even with Western aid, adding up to a $50 billion plan from the G7, Ukraine’s long-term economic stability is uncertain. Matrix, especially if Americans decline. For now, the country’s economy remains resilient, but maintaining momentum amid mounting pressures will test Kyiv’s ingenuity.
The European Commission has transferred nearly $4.25 billion to Ukraine through the Ukraine Facility program, raising total EU financial assistance to €16.1 billion. The latest payment, part of the €50 billion facility, comes after a finding that Ukraine has met nine key reform benchmarks tied to its recovery and EU integration efforts. These reforms span business environment improvements, labor market developments, regional policy, energy sector overhaul, environmental protection and anti-corruption measures. With an additional $12.5 billion earmarked for 2025, the EU has solidified its position as Ukraine’s largest foreign financial donor.
The World Bank approved a $2 billion monetary package for Ukraine, marking a milestone as it includes a source of income from frozen Russian assets. The move follows the transfer of $20 billion in frozen Russian assets by the United States to the World Bank on December 16. The new package will shore up Ukraine’s economy and monetary stability, with $1 billion from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and $1 billion from the United States. financed the FORTIS Ukraine Fund (Providing resources to make an investment in the Financial Intermediation Fund in Ukraine), from frozen Russian assets.
Denmark has approved a $300 million military aid package to Ukraine for air defense and counter-aviation, adding aid for F-16 operations and contributions to NATO and NATO missions. the EU. Additionally, the UK will supply $285 million to Ukraine’s naval, air defence, drone and electronic warfare systems.
The G7 is considering tightening restrictions on Russian oil to limit war financing, and possible moves include reducing the price ceiling from $60 to $40 a barrel or imposing a blanket ban. Although Russia has very effectively tried to circumvent those measures with a “ghost fleet” of unregulated and uninsured vessels through popular Western suppliers, Western countries have intensified sanctions and insurance controls on those vessels. With forecasts predicting a decline in the global value of oil by 2025, Ukraine’s allies are contemplating more competitive moves while weighing potential economic consequences and maritime security concerns.
According to South Korean intelligence, at least one hundred North Korean infantrymen deployed in Russia were killed and about 1,000 wounded in fighting with Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. The heavy losses are attributed to the troops’ inexperience in drone warfare and their lack of wisdom. of the land. North Korea has reportedly sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia, as well as important military supplies. Although neither North Korea nor Russia have officially shown these deployments, Pyongyang touts its military alliance. with Russia as a deterrent against Western influence.
Ukraine’s SBU assassinates Russian general charged with chemical weapons crimes, according to Ukraine’s sources. A bomb blast in Moscow on December 17 killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirilov, who headed Russia’s radiological, biological and chemical weapon forces. Ukraine, which immediately asserted responsibility for the attack, has accused Kirilov of ordering the use against its troops of chemical weapons banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Russia is a party. Following the arrest of an Uzbek citizen allegedly employed by Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused his country’s security services of a “serious blunder.”
Cultural Front.
UNESCO grants increased protection prestige to two Ukrainian cultural sites: the Babyn Yar Memorial and the Odessa Literary Museum. This resolution brings to 27 the number of cultural houses that benefit from this prestige in Ukraine. “In times of war, foreign solidarity is very important to protect threatened cultural heritage. This resolution will increase the security of those two Ukrainian cultural sites. “The array will add a major site for Holocaust reminiscence,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in the news release.
Bathroughn Yar is the site that commemorates the massacre of some 34,000 Jews by Nazi forces near kyiv in September 1941, as well as more than 100,000 other victims, including Soviet prisoners of war and Roma. The historic center of Odessa suffered significant damage due to Russian missile attacks.
In the frontline city of Kharkiv, to signify the city’s cultural resistance, the holiday season brought several festive events to Kharkiv residents, living under the siege for almost three years. Little Zaches called Cinnabar — a play based on a satirical fairytale by Earns Hoffman — opens at The Kharkiv Ukrainian Drama Theater, Berezil stage, right before Christmas. A festival of verteps – a traditional Ukrainian portable puppet theater showing nativity scenes – occurs during the holiday season. It also features Ukrainian Christmas carols and books to showcase Ukrainian traditions and history.
An underground Music People Club, which just celebrated the anniversary of its revival amidst the war, hosts a series of music performances by Kharkiv music bands and open mics for the local youth.
By Danylo Nosov, Alan Sacks.
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