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Putin’s forces have captured the village of Kostiantinopolsky in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, just six miles from the town of Kurahov, which they stormed and are threatening to encircle.
Russia also launched 113 drones overnight into Ukraine, wounding eight people just hours after at least one person was killed in the capital Kiev in a missile attack.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, 57 drones were shot down during the attack, while another 56 drones were “lost”, possibly due to electronic jamming.
On Friday, missiles hit Kyiv at around 7 am local time, while a tall building was heavily damaged. The capital’s church of Saint Nicholas was also damaged.
Meanwhile, the Russian president Vladimir Putin said he should have attacked Ukraine earlier as he used a year-end press conference to double down on his decision to go to war.
Despite the toll his war has taken on Russia’s finances and the lives of its young men, Putin has argued that sending troops to Ukraine in 2022 has strengthened his country’s military and economic power.
113 drones were sent to Ukraine during the night
Moscow sent 113 drones to Ukraine overnight on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, 57 drones were shot down during the attack, while another 56 drones were “lost”, possibly due to electronic jamming.
The governor of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Oleh Sinyehubov, said eight people were wounded Friday night in drone attacks on the region’s capital, also called Kharkiv.
Holly Evans21 December 2024 11:40
Russia is ready to compromise with Trump on the war in Ukraine, says Putin
During the praise of Fr Russiamilitary achievements at his annual marathon televised press conference, Vladimir Putin he says he is ready to compromise Ukraine in the eventual talks about ending their war and there are no conditions for the start of talks.
The Russian president told a journalist that he is ready to meet Donald Trumpwith whom, he said, he had not spoken for years.
The US president-elect has promised to quickly end the war in Ukraine, without providing any details on how he might achieve it.
Read the full article here:
Holly Evans21 December 2024 11:03
Drone strikes damage residential buildings 600 miles from the front line
Ukraine brought the war into the heart of Russia with drone strikes that damaged residential buildings in the city of Kazan in the Tatarstan region, more than 600 miles from the front line.
The press service of Tatarstan Governor Rustam Minnikhanov announced that eight drones attacked the city.
Six hit residential buildings, one an industrial building, and one fell over the river, according to the announcement.
A video posted on local Telegram channel Astra, verified by The Associated Press, shows a drone flying onto the upper floors of a high-rise building.
Local authorities said there were no casualties. Flights were suspended at Kazan airport, and all mass gatherings were canceled on Saturday and Sunday.
The attacks, which Ukraine has not acknowledged in line with its security policy, followed Friday’s Ukrainian attack on a town in Russia’s border region of Kursk using US-supplied missiles that killed six people, including a child.
Holly Evans21 December 2024 10:23
Putin praises Boris Johnson’s haircut as he puts forward a baseless theory about the Ukrainian military
Putin praises Boris Johnson’s haircut as he puts forward a baseless theory about the Ukrainian military
Vladimir Putin praised Boris Johnson’s haircut as he mentioned a quote that there is no online record of the former prime minister ever saying. During a four-hour phone call on Thursday (December 19), the Russian president said: “Prime Minister Johnson with the shiny hair… He said they should fight to the last Ukrainian, that’s what they’re doing now. They are running out of Ukrainians who want to fight, I don’t think there are any more.” Mr Putin appeared to be referring to a theory put forward by the Kremlin that Mr Johnson was obstructing peace talks between Kiev and Moscow, something the former prime minister denied, telling the Times it was “complete nonsense and Russian propaganda”.
Holly Evans21 December 2024 10:00
Russian troops occupied a village in Donetsk
Russian troops captured the village of Kostiantynopolske in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the defense ministry said on Saturday.
The reports have not been independently verified.
Holly Evans21 December 2024 09:32
The US condemns the “unacceptable” Russian missile attack on Kiev
The US State Department on Friday condemned a Russian missile attack on Kiev earlier in the day that killed a civilian and damaged a building housing several diplomatic missions.
“Any attack on diplomats or diplomatic facilities anywhere is unacceptable,” department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a post on X.
Athena Stavrou21 December 2024 09:04
Six people died in the Ukrainian missile attack on the Russian Kursk region, the acting governor said
Six people, including a child, were killed Friday in a Ukrainian missile attack on the town of Rylsk in Russia’s Kursk region, Acting Governor Alexander Khinstein said.
Ten wounded, including a 13-year-old, were taken to hospital with minor injuries, Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.
“What happened today is a huge tragedy for all of us,” he said. “We mourn together with the families of the victims. No one will be left without support.”
Those responsible will receive “deserved retribution,” he said.
Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the incident.
Athena Stavrou21 December 2024 08:31
Two Russian airports temporarily suspend operations
Two Russian airports have temporarily suspended operations following a Ukrainian drone strike, Russia’s aviation watchdog said.
Kazan airport has temporarily suspended flight arrivals and departures, Russia’s aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said on the Telegram messaging app on Saturday, following a Ukrainian drone attack on the city.
Russian state news agencies reported a drone attack on an apartment complex in Kazan, a city about 500 miles east of Moscow. The TASS agency announced that eight drone strikes were recorded, including six on residential buildings.
No victims were reported, the agencies reported, citing local authorities.
The Baza Telegram channel, which is close to Russian security services, released an unverified video showing an aerial object crashing into a multi-story building, producing a large fireball.
Rosaviatsia said it was also imposing temporary restrictions at the airport in Izhevsk, a smaller city northeast of Kazan.
Athena Stavrou21 December 2024 08:03
The Ukrainian missile attack disrupted the gas network in Russia
The Ukrainian missile attack on Kursk disrupted heating and gas networks, regional governor Alexander Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.
The attack, which killed six people, including a child, also disrupted ongoing work to restore power to more than 80 apartments.
Mr Khinshtein accused Kiev of plotting to target civilians in the attack.
Stuti Mishra21 December 2024 07:30