The city of Kyiv experiences the biggest drone attack yet from Russia, resulting in five people being injured.
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More than 50 individuals, including six minors, sustained injuries during a missile strike launched by Russia on Kyiv in the early morning of Wednesday. The attack caused severe losses for Putin’s military forces prior to the start of war.
At 3am, loud blasts were heard in Kyiv as the city’s air defenses intercepted Russian missiles aiming for the calm capital for the second time this week.
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, reported that fragments from intercepted missiles landed in the eastern Dniprovskyi district of the city. This caused damage to multiple buildings, including a children’s hospital and the water supply system.
According to Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, all projectiles aimed at the capital were intercepted by Ukraine’s air defense systems.
The assault occurred at a time when a war observation research group stated that Russian military forces prior to the war have suffered significant losses.
According to a recently declassified intelligence report, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) claims that Putin’s military has suffered a significant loss of 87 percent of their active-duty ground troops since the start of the war.
According to the intelligence report, it was reported that Russian military lost approximately 315,000 out of their total 360,000 personnel by February 2022.
According to intelligence, approximately 420,000 Russian soldiers are currently present in occupied Ukraine. However, the ISW stated that these troops probably have inferior combat abilities compared to the ones they replaced.
North Korea meets with Russian governor for discussions.
According to a report on Wednesday from state media KCNA, a minister from North Korea held talks with a governor from Russia to discuss potential economic collaboration.
Discussions took place between Yun Jong Ho, North Korea’s Minister of External Economic Relations, and Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of Primorsky, a Russian province located on the country’s far eastern border.
The KCNA reported that talks centered on “enhancing economic collaboration to a more advanced stage.”
Kozhemyako announced on his Telegram channel that this is the initial visit following a lengthy pause due to the pandemic. The delegation has planned multiple meetings to enhance humanitarian relations between Primorye and the DPRK, specifically in areas such as culture, tourism, and sports.
In November, Kozhemyako informed the Russian TASS state news agency that Primorye was open to discussing the option of allowing North Korean farmers to utilize a portion of its agricultural land for farming purposes.
Kozhemyako’s visit marks the latest in a flurry of bilateral visits since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited Russia in September and met President Vladimir Putin to discuss deepening military cooperation.
Russian authorities are conducting an investigation into a radio journalist.
A state-run media source reported on Tuesday that Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation against a Russian-American journalist for disseminating false information about the military.
Alsu Kurmasheva, a reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has been held in custody since October 18. She was previously detained in June when she attempted to leave Russia following a visit with her mother.
According to her employer, she was facing unjust and inhumane persecution.
Tatar-Inform, a media outlet with ties to the government, has stated that she is being accused of intentionally collecting military intelligence that could potentially harm Russia.
According to reports, the focus of the case was a book endorsed by a journalist from Prague. The book featured tales of Russians who were against the conflict in Ukraine.
According to state investigators, her promotion of the book was viewed as intentionally spreading false information about the Russian army due to political animosity.
There has been no immediate response from Russian officials regarding the Tatar-Inform report.
Alsu Kurmasheva was previously convicted for not disclosing her US passport and was also charged with not registering as a “foreign agent.”
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Zelensky travels to Norway prior to EU summit.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has traveled to Norway to engage in talks regarding additional military and monetary support.
Mr. Zelensky is currently holding discussions with leaders from Nordic countries in preparation for the upcoming European Union summit. A decision regarding talks on Ukrainian membership is anticipated to be made during this summit.
On Wednesday, Mr. Zelensky stated that the summit will not be simple, but emphasized that Kyiv has met all requirements.
According to reports, Russia suffered a loss of 87% of its troops before the war.
According to a war monitoring think-tank, the Russian forces prior to the war have suffered significant destruction due to the conflict in Ukraine.
According to a recently declassified document from US intelligence, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Putin’s military has experienced a decrease of 87% in their pre-war active-duty ground troops.
According to the intelligence report, it was reported that Russian military personnel decreased from 360,000 to 315,000 before February 24, 2022.
According to reports, Russia has lost approximately two-thirds of its tanks from before the war, and over 25% of their military equipment stockpiles as of November 2023.
The Institute for the Study of War reports that Russia has been able to partially mitigate these damages and is still making preparations for an extended conflict.
According to reports, there are approximately 420,000 Russian troops in Ukraine, but they may not have the same level of combat skills as the previous soldiers they replaced.
According to ISW, the Russian military is currently working on a long-term plan to restructure and grow in order to be prepared for a potential future conflict with NATO.
Russia has employed a recently developed missile launch site in order to make it more difficult for Ukrainian air defense operations.
According to the UK’s Ministry of Defence, Russia has recently implemented a new launch site in order to disrupt Ukrainian air defense strategies.
The Ministry of Defense reported in their most recent update on defense intelligence that Russia deployed a minimum of 15 Shahed One Way Attack Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (OWA UAVs) from the Balaklava area of Crimea.
This marks the establishment of the fifth OWA UAV launch site that has been confirmed for Russian operations against Ukraine. The other four sites include Cape Chauda, Yeysk, Primorsko, and Kursk.
The defense ministry stated that it is highly probable that Russia is spreading out its OWA unmanned aerial vehicle launch capabilities in various locations. This is being done as a precautionary measure and to make it more difficult for Ukrainian air defense to counter.
It is possible that Russia will utilize more launching locations in reaction to attacks from Ukraine, causing Ukraine to adjust to different routes for these systems.
The head of the European Union states that they will continue to stand by Ukraine for however long is necessary.
On Wednesday, the leader of the European Union urged the organization to maintain its support for Ukraine until the necessary measures have been taken.
Ukraine is anticipating a significant message regarding its potential membership in the European Union at the upcoming European leaders’ summit on Thursday.
“As the war drags on, we must prove what it means to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament ahead of the leaders’ summit.
The Commission has suggested that the summit make a decision this week to begin discussions on EU membership with Ukraine, once it fulfills the four conditions previously outlined to progress Kyiv’s EU aspirations.
The European Union’s executive in Brussels proposed that this could occur in March.
Hungary is against providing Ukraine with additional financial assistance and has warned that it will veto any efforts to progress Kyiv’s membership in the EU.
Hungary is strengthening their opposition to Ukraine’s negotiations for membership in the European Union.
Hungary maintains its opposing stance on Ukraine’s negotiations for EU membership.
During a recent interview with local news broadcasters, Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that Ukraine should strive for a strategic partnership.
During the interview, Mr Orban stated that the EU is on the verge of making a grave error and it is crucial that we take action to prevent it, even if the majority of 26 members are in favor of it.
If we desire to provide assistance to Ukraine as a geostrategic gesture, then we may do so, but this does not equate to membership.
The Prime Minister of Hungary was observed having a intense conversation with the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Argentina during the weekend.
Mr Orban has repeatedly opposed Ukraine’s EU membership and boasts about his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During the inauguration of Argentina’s new president Javier Milei, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky conversed with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The main goal of Russian offensives was to diminish Western support.
According to US intelligence, Russia’s military actions during autumn were primarily focused on diminishing Western assistance.
The war monitoring organization known as The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that intelligence showed Putin’s attacks had secondary goals.
According to US intelligence, attacks have led to significant Russian casualties without any significant gains on the battlefield.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), US National Security Council Spokesperson Andrienne Watson claimed that Russian forces have experienced over 13,000 fatalities and have lost 220 military vehicles on the Avdiivka-Novopavlivka front since initiating offensive actions in October 2023.
A Kyiv official has stated that there should be no doubts about the effectiveness of Western weapons.
The chief of staff for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the reliability of Western weapons should not be questioned, considering the recent attack.
Overnight, the Ukrainian air force reported shooting down 10 ballistic missiles launched by Russia.
On the Telegram messaging app, Andriy Yermak, chief of staff for Zelensky, stated that there is no doubt about the efficacy of Western weapons when used by Ukrainian soldiers.
“Unfortunately, there are casualties and damaged homes due to debris from Russian missiles. Kyiv is currently being targeted by ballistic missiles.”
More than 50 non-military individuals, including a 5-year-old child, sustained injuries due to fragments from missiles that were intercepted during the assault.
51 individuals were harmed in a missile attack in Kyiv.
A total of 51 individuals, including six minors, sustained injuries during a missile strike on Kyiv, Russia, on Wednesday morning.
At 3am, loud blasts shook Kyiv as the city’s air defense systems intercepted Russian missiles aimed at the calm capital for the second time this week.
Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, reported that a residential building, a private residence, and multiple vehicles were harmed by debris from intercepted missiles. The incident also caused damage to the windows and entrances of a children’s hospital located nearby.
According to Serhiy Popko, the leader of Kyiv’s military administration, Ukraine’s air defense systems successfully intercepted all missiles aimed at the capital.
Paramedics transport an injured civilian from a location where an apartment building was hit by a missile launched by Russia.
Source: independent.co.uk
