Ukraine lost half of the territories it controlled in the Kursk region, the Ukrainian armed forces went on defense – The Economist. The SBU eliminated the general of the Russian chemical forces in Moscow. Agreements reached at the Washington summit: a significant amount of air defense systems were promised to Ukraine.
Agreements reached at the Washington summit: a significant amount of air defense systems was promised to Ukraine — Zelenskyi
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that on the occasion of the NATO summit in Washington, a significant amount of air defense systems was promised to Ukraine, as compensation for the inability to invite Ukraine to Join the Alliance at this point. He urged partners to keep their promise.
During a speech at the summit of the Joint Expeditionary Force member countries, Zelensky said that on the night of Friday, December 13, the Russians carried out a massive missile attack against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
“They were waiting for the cold to arrive to strike. This attack involved 94 missiles and nearly 200 kamikaze drones. Fortunately, we managed to defend ourselves. But we know that this is just a pause, and that Russia will try to strike again as soon as it is ready. They always act like this,” he wrote.
The president added that Ukraine needs a reliable guarantee of protection against air terror, which implies the availability of a sufficient number of air defense systems.
“We need the full implementation of agreements on the delivery of air defense systems, including those reached at the NATO summit in Washington. We remember that a significant amount of air defense systems was promised to us as compensation for the inability to invite Ukraine to the Alliance at that time. I am asking for your help to keep this promise,” he said.
Zelensky added that the Defense Forces need 12 to 15 additional systems beyond those promised, in order to protect the country against missile strikes.
The Ukrainian leader is convinced that this goal is achievable and that the key to achieving it is the political will of his partners.
Ukraine lost half of the territories it controlled in the Kursk region, the Ukrainian Armed Forces went on defense – The Economist
By mid-December, 4.5 months after the Ukrainian Armed Forces entered the Kursk region of Russia, Ukraine lost half of the territories it previously controlled. Currently, every Ukrainian unit has switched to defensive mode, with the situation complicated by weather conditions and constant shelling, reports The Economist.
The publication spoke with servicemen who spoke openly about Ukraine’s problems on this section of the front.
In particular, the artillery commander of the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade, Major Ivan Bakrev, claims that Russian troops are “tightening the screw” and that this was already happening even before the engagement of North Korean soldiers.
According to him, the Russians have a “huge” advantage in almost every area — in manpower, in artillery, in equipment — and alternate between mechanized and infantry attacks to powerful effect.
Bakrev said Ukraine had already lost “about half” of the territories it once controlled. The decline began when Ukraine replaced elite units with less experienced troops at the end of September.
“It was a mistake,” said the major.
According to Bakrev, the Russians are currently trying to isolate the main Ukrainian grouping by attacking from the eastern and western flanks. The publication points out that the urgency of the Russian counterattack could be linked to the approach of Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“Putin wants the Kursk issue to be resolved by January 20, and not to become an embarrassing topic for discussion. Volodymyr Zelensky seems just as determined to keep this territory as a bargaining chip. Ukrainians are resisting, although conditions on the ground (and underground) are becoming increasingly grim,” writes The Economist.
Sergeant Ruslan Mokrytsky, 33, of the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade, described the difficult conditions of fighting in the Kursk region. According to him, the Russians can drop “up to 40 glide bombs on a single position in a few hours”.
“Rain, slush, snow, cold, mud, insects, worms, rats and hovering bombs… In Kursk, death is always next to you, practically holding your hand,” he declared.
He added that Ukrainian forces nevertheless continue to find ways to respond to new challenges, including Russian chemical attacks.
“If the Death Star appeared above us, we would find a solution,” Mokrytsky stressed.
The publication points out that 4.5 months may be too short a time frame to judge the operation in the Kursk region.
“This operation, born out of a moment of desperation for Ukraine, whose commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky faced the threat of dismissal, did not achieve its objective — to divert Russian forces from the main efforts in the Donetsk region. It cost Ukraine some of its elite troops. However, it eased pressure in other regions and provided rare political support to Ukraine in a difficult year. The soldiers seem to think the counter-offensive was worth it, if only to give the Russians a dose of their own medicine,” concludes The Economist.
The SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) eliminated a general of the Russian chemical troops in Moscow
On December 7, in the capital of Russia, Moscow, an explosive killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the radiological, chemical and biological protection troops of the Russian Armed Forces, as well as his assistant. The explosion took place near a residential building on Ryazanski Boulevard, as the men entered the lobby. An explosive device was activated in a scooter which was located near the hall.
Russia’s Investigative Committee called the deaths of Kirillov and his assistant a terrorist attack. According to the public Baza, referring to sources, the investigators in charge of the case are outraged by the actions of the police officers and members of other emergency services who were the first to arrive at the scene of the explosion. The place near the hall remained unsecured for a long time, passers-by and residents of the “Sereda” residence moved freely, and the scooter, where the bomb was probably hidden, was clearly visible, photographed by anyone who wanted it. .
Previously, the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) had notified Kirillov in absentia of a war crime charge. Under the order of this Russian general, since the start of the large-scale war, more than 4,800 cases of use of chemical weapons by the enemy have been recorded. During the full-scale invasion of Russia, more than 2,000 servicemen of the Ukrainian Defense Forces were sent to military hospitals and other medical facilities suffering from varying degrees of chemical poisoning.
The attack on Igor Kirillov, head of the radiological, chemical and biological protection troops of the Russian Armed Forces, was a special operation of the Security Service of Ukraine. According to a source in the Ukrainian intelligence service “Ukrainska Pravda”, the scooter bomb was detonated as Kirillov and his assistant entered the building on Ryazansky Boulevard in Moscow. According to the source, both were killed.
“Kirillov was a war criminal and an absolutely legitimate target, as he gave orders to use banned chemical weapons against the Ukrainian military,” the source said.
