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Kyiv suffers ‘largest ever’ drone attack by Russia leaving ‘five wounded’
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A Ukrainian councillor detonated two grenades at a village meeting and injured up to 26 people as it was livestreamed to Facebook, according to police.
A man was filmed standing near a door and taking grenades out of his jacket before tossing them onto the floor in Transcarpathia, Ukraine.
A number of explosions followed, leaving the room filled with smoke and bodies on the ground. It is not clear why he carried out the attack.
Six people are in hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to Ukrainian police. A police statement said: “As a result, 26 people were wounded, six of whom are in a grave condition.”
It comes as Vladimir Putin’s forces are using Ukrainian prisoners of war as human shields to advance on enemy positions, according to a US think tank.
The Institute for the Study of War said footage showed Russian soldiers covering themselves behind Ukrainian POWs as they advance on Ukrainian positions near Robotyne.
The prisoners in the video appear unarmed, while the Russian soldiers force them forward at gunpoint, according to the ISW.
Recommended Ukraine’s a step closer to joining the EU. Here’s what it means, and why it matters Putin claims he’s in talks to free Americans jailed in Russia Ramaswamy says eastern Ukrainians don’t mind Russian occupation Putin confronted by critical text messages beamed on screen at year-end news conference
Key Points Hungary blocks ￡43bn EU funding for Ukraine hours after Kyiv membership talks agreement Putin holds first major news conference since full-scale invasion of Ukraine Watch Vladimir Putin’s news conference live here with translation Putin admits Russian frontline gains are ‘modest’ Putin says Ukraine counteroffensive was a failure
Show latest update 1702715737 Ukraine shoots downs 30 Russian drones over 11 regions -air force
Ukraine’s air defence and mobile groups of drone hunters shot down 30 out of 31 Russian drones over 11 regions across the country on Saturday, the air force have said.
A series of explosions resounded throughout the Ukrainian capital Kyiv as air defence units engaged Russian drones just after midnight, local time.
“This is the sixth air attack on Kyiv since the start of the month,” said Serhiy Popko, head of the city’s military administration.
“Tonight, after three days of ballistic threats, the enemy again launched Shaheds on the capital. The drones attacked in groups, in waves, and from different directions,” Mr Popko said.
Tom Watling 16 December 2023 08:35
1702714363 Ukraine puts head of Russia’s Orthodox church on ‘wanted’ list
Officials in Ukraine have put the head of Russia’s Orthodox church, a pro-Kremlin figure who has supported Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the country, on its “wanted” list.
Patriarch Kirill is now “an individual in hiding from the bodies of pre-trial investigation”, according to a post of Ukraine’s interior ministry’s wanted list. Kyiv’s security services accused him of stoking the war.
Ukraine puts head of Russia’s Orthodox church on ‘wanted’ list Patriarch Kirill is now ‘an individual in hiding from the bodies of pre-trial investigation’
Tom Watling 16 December 2023 08:12
1702710000 Ukrainians sift through wreckage after another round of shelling
The aftermath of recent shelling in Yasynuvata (Yasinovataya), Russian-controlled Ukraine
(AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainians sifting through the rubble
(AFP via Getty Images)
Sam Rkaina 16 December 2023 07:00
1702706400 Battle to get ￡43bn in EU aid to Ukraine after Hungary’s Orban blocks it – and why it’s so important
Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban has blocked a critical €50bn (￡43bn) EU financial aid package for Ukraine, throwing into doubt Europe’s continuing support for Kyiv as it faces a tough winter battling Russia‘s forces.
A few hours previously, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky had celebrated the EU finally agreeing to open up membership talks, a deal which was achieved after Mr Orban agreed to leave the room when the rest of the 26 nations voted. However, Mr Orban told Hungarian state TV on Friday that he could still block the years-long process of Kyiv’s admittance to the bloc further along the line if he believes it undermines Budapest’s interests.
“If we don’t want Ukraine to be a member of the European Union, then the Hungarian parliament votes it down. And until the issue gets to the parliaments, it’s a very, very long process, and as they counted and I did, there are about 75 occasions when the Hungarian government can stop this process,” Mr Orban said.
Click below for the full story.
The battle to send ￡43bn in EU aid to Ukraine after Hungary’s Orban blocked it With the US Congress also struggling to agree on sending fresh funds to Kyiv, this is a key moment
Chris Stevenson 16 December 2023 06:00
1702702800 Ukraine soldiers hold service as Christmas approaches
Ukrainian servicemen of the 72nd mechanized brigade light candles during the sacred liturgy before the upcoming Christmas at the frontline near Vuhledar, Ukraine
(AP)
Chaplain Ivan of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine reads a prayer for Ukrainian servicemen of the 72nd mechanized brigade
(AP)
A Ukrainian serviceman of the 72nd mechanized brigade lights a candle
(AP)
Sam Rkaina 16 December 2023 05:00
1702699200 Symbolic victory for Kyiv on EU membership – but the real headache over western aid remains
Ukraine’s fate in the war against Russia was in the hands of its allies on both sides of the Atlantic this week – and the result was one symbolic victory and one monumental headache.
Ukraine received a terrific morale boost when the European Union voted to begin membership talks with Kyiv at a summit in Brussels. That was a smack in the face for Russian president, Vladimir Putin, who on the same day had tried to gloat that all-important military and financial support for Ukraine was fading in the West.
The decision in Brussels came after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban left the room, taking his objections with him, while the agreement was sealed, seemingly having agreed to do so. In that way, he could say he had no part in it. Moldova was given a green light at the same time.
Click below for the full analysis.
A victory for Kyiv on EU membership – but the headache over Western aid remains Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's one-man mission to block critical European funds, mixed with a similar impasse in the US Congress leaves Ukraine with a big problem, writes Askold Krushelnycky
Sam Rkaina 16 December 2023 04:00
1702695600 Russian military affiliated group carried out hack, Ukraine says
Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov said on Thursday that the company might need several weeks to reinstate all its services after the attack.
Tuesday’s attack on Kyivstar, which counts more than half of Ukraine‘s population as mobile subscribers, knocked out services and damaged IT infrastructure and air raid alert systems in several regions. Komarov said customer data was not compromised.
On Wednesday, a group called Solntsepyok, believed by Ukraine‘s security service SBU to be affiliated with Russian military intelligence, said in a post on the Telegram messenger app that it carried out the attack.
Kyivstar’s CEO said the hackers used an employee’s compromised account for the attack but how exactly they got access to it is being investigated.
Sam Rkaina 16 December 2023 03:00
1702692000 Mobile service restored in Ukraine after cyberattack
Ukraine‘s biggest mobile operator, hit by a mass cyberattack this week, said on Friday that it had restored mobile internet throughout Ukraine and restored international roaming.
In a statement on Facebook, Kyivstar said it was working on restoring SMS text messaging. The network, it said, was operating on all standards, including 4G.
“This means that the quality of all communications will soon improve, even if it is now working at reduced speed,” the statement said.
“In some localities, there could still be short-term difficulties with communications. But our specialists are eliminating them quickly.”
Kyivstar’s Dutch-based parent company Veon Ltd. had in an earlier statement announced the resumption of services.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Sam Rkaina 16 December 2023 02:00
1702688400 Explosions resound in Kyiv, air defence units engage Russian drones
Explosions resounded through the Ukrainian capital early on Saturday as air defence units engaged Russian drones, witnesses HAVE said.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the anti-aircraft units had gone into action as groups of drones flew near the city. There were no immediate reports of casualties or serious damage.
The witnesses reported a series of loud blasts just after midnight. They said air raid sirens went off on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, but on the opposite bank police warned residents of the air raid alert through loudspeakers.
After an initial set of explosions, air defence units again went into operation on the Dnipro’s eastern bank. Klitschko said anti-aircraft activity was focused on the Darnytskyi district east of the river.
Sam Rkaina 16 December 2023 01:00
1702684860 Macron ‘still open to dialogue’ with Putin
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday he would still consider talking to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin if it helps create a sustainable peace between Ukraine and Russia.
Mr Macron and Mr Putin enjoyed a good working relationship before Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022. In the weeks preceding the start of hostilities, Mr Macron’s diplomatic efforts failed to stop the war but he then kept open a line of communication with the Russian president for months.
Their diplomatic and personal links deteriorated badly as the war dragged on. Earlier this year, Mr Macron weighed the possibility of stripping Mr Putin of France’s highest medal of honour.
Mr Putin was asked on Thursday during his year-end news conference by a journalist from the French channel TF1 about his views on France and Mr Macron.
Mr Putin said: “At some point the French president stopped the relationship with us. We didn’t do it, I didn’t. He did. If there’s interest, we’re ready. If not, we’ll cope.”
Speaking in Brussels at the end of a summit where EU leaders decided to open membership negotiations with war-torn Ukraine, Mr Macron said he remained open to dialogue with Mr Putin on finding a peaceful solution if the Russian leader reaches out to him.
“I didn’t start the war unilaterally, breaking the treaties I’d agreed to. And it wasn’t France that decided to commit war crimes in the north of Ukraine, making discussions virtually impossible,” Mr Macron said. “Well, we have to be serious, so I have a very simple position. I haven’t changed my number.”
Sam Rkaina 16 December 2023 00:01
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1/ 1Up to 26 injured as Ukrainian councillor detonates grenades at meeting
Up to 26 injured as Ukrainian councillor detonates grenades at meeting
Ukraine National Police
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