Zelenskyy calls Russia "world's biggest terrorist" - Ukrainian forces attack Berdyansk

Created: 12/30/2022, 4:56 am

By: Patrick Mayer, Bedrettin Bölükbasi, Fabian Müller

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits troops in Bakhmut.

The city in eastern Ukraine has been at the center of months of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops.

© IMAGO / ZUMA Press

Kyiv reports attacks on Berdyansk and advances in Luhansk.

Ukrainian missiles have landed in Belarus.

The news ticker.

• Ukraine

  reports

  advance

  in Luhansk: soldiers in front of the "gateway" to eastern Ukraine.

• Rocket impact

  in

  Belarus

  : A Ukrainian rocket is said to have landed on Belarusian territory.

• Massive Russian attacks

  on

  Ukraine

  : Russia appears to be striking "from multiple directions".

• This

  news ticker on military developments

  in the

  Ukraine war

  is constantly updated.

Update from December 29, 10:37 p.m .:

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia is getting closer to an international tribunal with every further missile attack against Ukraine.

"With each such missile attack, Russia is only driving itself deeper into a dead end," said Zelenskyj in his daily video address on Thursday evening, just a few hours after the most recent Russian large-scale attack with cruise missiles and so-called kamikaze drones.

The "status of the world's greatest terrorist" will affect Russia and its citizens for a long time to come.

"And every missile only confirms that this all has to end with a tribunal, that's exactly how it will be," said Zelenskyy.

In his talks with foreign heads of state and government, the Ukrainian leader is trying to win their support for an International Criminal Court modeled on the Nuremberg Tribunal, before which politicians and the military from Moscow are to answer for the war of aggression against Ukraine.

According to Zelenskyy, the latest Russian missile attack has again caused serious damage to the energy grid in large parts of the country.

"This year has two more days, maybe the enemy will try again to make us celebrate the New Year in the dark," Zelenskyy warned of further attacks.

"But no matter what they plan to do, we know one thing about ourselves: we will persevere."

Ukrainian forces attack Berdyansk – Belarus reports rocket hit from Ukraine 

Update from December 29, 7:36 p.m .:

According to their own statements, the Ukrainian armed forces attacked Russian bases in the vicinity of the industrial and port city of Berdyansk in the south-east of the country.

Around 50 Russian soldiers were "liquidated" in the process, the General Staff in Kyiv announced on Thursday.

The information could not be independently verified.

The military in Kyiv did not provide any information about the weapon systems used to attack Berdyansk.

The city on the Azov Sea lies almost 100 kilometers behind the current front lines.

Belarus reports rocket hit from Ukraine - decisive battle near Kreminna could be approaching

Update from December 29, 3:40 p.m .:

The Russian attacks on Thursday morning again caused severe devastation in Ukraine.

In Kyiv, fragments of Russian rockets fell on residential buildings in Darnytsia and Solomianka districts, causing extensive damage.

This is reported by the Nexta news agency on Twitter.

Debris hit a car in Holosiiv and a children's playground in Pecherks.

The news agency shared several images of the devastation by Ukrainian rescue workers.

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Two rockets hit a substation in the Lviv region of western Ukraine.

As a result, 282 settlements in the region were cut off from electricity.

Moscow has been targeting Ukraine's energy supply and critical infrastructure for months.

Ukraine reports advance in Luhansk: soldiers in front of the "gateway" to eastern Ukraine

Update from December 29, 1:45 p.m .:

According to their own statements, the Ukrainian military has advanced in the strategically most important city of Kreminna in the Luhansk region.

“Our soldiers continue their offensive actions in the area of ​​the city of Kreminna.

During the week, the defenders of Ukraine advanced up to 2.5 kilometers in the direction of the mentioned settlement," General Oleksiy Hromov said at a General Staff briefing.

Kreminna is considered a possible gateway to eastern Ukraine.

The American think tank Institute for the Study of the War had previously stated that the Russian army was gathering troops in the Luhansk region and preparing for a decisive battle.

The Ukrainian military governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Hajdaj, also reported on his Telegram channel on Thursday about a concentration of Russian troops and heavy fighting in front of Kreminna.

Rocket impact in Belarus: Ukrainian rocket is said to have landed on Belarusian territory

Update from December 29, 12:25 p.m .:

According to the Belarusian state news agency BelTA, a Ukrainian missile hit Belarus.

It was a missile from the S-300 air defense system, the state agency claimed.

President Alexander Lukashenko had been informed, and experts from the Investigative Commission and the Ministry of Defense had launched an investigation.

BelTA's report said that either the missile accidentally landed in Belarus in mid-November, similar to the impact in Poland, or that it was shot down by Belarusian air defenses.

The agency also announced that experts would continue their work.

Ukraine War: Explosions at Russian Base "Sign of Weakness"?

Update from December 29, 11:30 a.m .:

Ukraine had already attacked the Russian air base in the city of Engels over Christmas – London sees this as a sign of Russian weakness.

Also today Ukrainian media reported detonations.

According to the state news agency TASS, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded evasively to the question of additional security measures for the bases and sufficient protection for cities like Moscow.

This is not part of the presidency's competence, he explained, referring to "other departments" that are "very well" known to the journalists.

Ukraine war: Ukrainian intelligence chief sees Russia in a “dead end”

Update from December 29, 10:45 a.m .:

According to the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, the Ukraine war is in a kind of stalemate.

In an interview with the British broadcaster BBC Budanov said: "The situation is simply deadlocked, it is not moving." Russia is now "in a complete dead end" due to high losses.

But Ukraine still does not have the resources to advance in several areas.

"We cannot defeat them comprehensively in all directions, neither can they," emphasized Budanov.

The Ukrainian military is therefore expecting the arrival of new and more advanced weapons.

With a view to a possible attack from Belarus, he gave the all-clear.

According to Budanov, these are just diversionary tactics to get Ukraine to move troops from the south and east to the north.

"Currently I don't see any signs of preparations for an invasion of Kiev or northern areas from Belarus," emphasized the Ukrainian intelligence chief.

Ukraine war: Kyiv speaks of more than 120 rockets on Ukrainian territory

Update from December 29, 9:15 a.m .:

According to the government in Kiev, Russia attacked Ukraine nationwide on Thursday morning with more than 120 rockets.

The guns were fired by the “evil Russian world” in order to destroy important infrastructure and kill masses of civilians, wrote the advisor in the presidential office, Mykhailo Podoliak, on the short message service Twitter.

These were the heaviest missile attacks since December 16, when Russia launched massive aerial bombardments and warships in the Black Sea.

It was the tenth such wave since October.

Advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office, Oleksiy Arestovych, urged people to urgently seek protection.

And he warned against posting images of the explosions and impacts on social media, as this would allow conclusions to be drawn about the work of the Ukrainian air defense and could reveal their position.

Massive Russian Attacks on Ukraine - Russia strikes 'from multiple directions'

Update from December 29, 8.45 a.m .:

Ukraine is currently exposed to massive Russian attacks.

In several cities, Ukrainian air defenses are working against Russian missiles.

The Ukrainian Air Force commented on the attacks on Facebook and stated that after nighttime drone strikes, Russian attacks with cruise missiles, strategic aircraft and ships were now coming from "multiple directions".

The Ukrainian military shot down five Russian missiles over the Black Sea, the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform quoted the governor of the Ukrainian Mikolayev Oblast, Vitaly Kim, as saying.

The mayor of the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Igor Terekhov, reported rocket hits in the city's Slobid area.

Explosions also appeared in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.

"There are explosions in Lviv, stay in the bunkers," the city's mayor Andriy Sadovyi wrote on Telegram.

Ukrainian sources also reported explosions in Odessa.

Ukraine war: Russia attacks neighboring country again

Update from December 29, 8.30 a.m .:

According to military information from Kiev, Russia is again covering Ukraine with large rocket attacks.

Air alerts went off across the country on Thursday morning.

Several heavy explosions could also be heard in the center of the capital Kyiv, as a reporter from the German Press Agency reported on site.

According to reports, the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense was deployed to repel the attacks.

It was initially unclear whether there were rocket hits.

The detonations are also mainly when the Russian missiles or drones are shot down.

There have been reports of missile strikes and explosions from authorities in several parts of Ukraine to the south and west.

The new wave was expected before the end of the year.

There had already been drone attacks during the night.

The Ukrainian military said in the morning that after the night drone strikes, the enemy is now attacking from different directions with missiles launched by air bombers and warships.

There is a "high level of activity" by the occupiers, it said.

Authorities urged people to seek shelter in bunkers as a matter of urgency.

Ukrainian commander warns Russia - "surprises" in case of attack from Belarus

Update December 29, 7:50

a.m.: Ukrainian Lieutenant General Alexander Pavlyuk announced “many surprises” for Russian troops should they launch a new attack from Belarus.

According to the Ukrainian news agency Unian, Russia has the desire to draw Belarus into the Ukraine war, Pavlyuk said, adding: "They want to force them down a path from which there is no turning back." However, according to Ukrainian observations, Belarus does not want to go in enter the war.

If this were to happen, however, they would be able to repel the attack from Belarus, the lieutenant general assured.

"We have set up quite a strong group in that direction, which can not only stop, but also destroy," Pavlyuk emphasized, adding: "There will be a lot of surprises if they decide to march."

Ukraine War: Russia launches kamikaze drone attacks

Update from December 28, 11:05 p.m .:

According to Ukrainian information, the Russian military launched a new wave of attacks with so-called kamikaze drones in the Ukraine war on Wednesday evening.

The drones were aimed at various targets in the south and east of the country, the command center of the Ukrainian air defense south said on Facebook about the current situation in the war in Ukraine.

Five drones were shot down in the Dnipro region.

"Let's stay in a festive mood," it said.

Ukraine War: Russia flies new drone strikes on Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kharkiv

The arrival of several groups of drones was also reported from the Donetsk region, Zaporizhia and Kharkiv.

Observers also reported flights towards Odessa.

According to reports from the Unian agency, numerous unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down.

Further details were not initially available.

Most recently, the Russian military used so-called kamikaze drones made in Iran against Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

The supply of water and electricity across the country was severely affected.

Update from December 28, 10:45 p.m .:

The losses of the Russian invasion army are apparently still high in the Ukraine war.

daily lists the attackers' alleged casualties, citing the Ukrainian General Staff.

More than 103,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the February 24 invasion.

More than 3,000 main battle tanks and more than 6,000 wheeled and infantry fighting vehicles were allegedly destroyed or captured.

In addition, there are said to be 283 planes shot down and 267 helicopters disabled.

Russia lost almost 2000 artillery cannons and systems.

The information provided has not been independently verified.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's peace plan: Ukraine President calls on Russia to withdraw

Update from December 28, 9:55 p.m.:

Parts of the peace plan drawn up by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an end to the Ukraine war have allegedly become public.

It is also about the military battles between the armies of Ukraine and Russia.

According to the news channel Al Jazeera English, Zelenskyj's draft includes the following points:

• Release of all prisoners and deportees, including prisoners of war and children deported to Russia.

• Withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities, restoration of Ukraine's state borders with Russia.

• Establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes.

• Nuclear security, with a focus on restoring security around Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhia, which is currently occupied by Russia.

Ukraine war topical: Great Britain supports – London supplies Kyiv with special helicopters

Update from December 28, 8:55 p.m .:

Great Britain continues to support Ukraine in its military defense against Russian aggression and will now also supply the country with so-called “Sea King” helicopters for the Ukraine war.

reports

, citing the British Ministry of Defense in London.

The "Sea King" is a multi-purpose transport helicopter for sea and coastal areas.

The model is also used by the German Navy.

The British are considered one of the biggest supporters of the Ukrainian armed forces and have provided them with M270 multiple rocket launchers, among other things.

Russian Foreign Minister: Sergey Lavrov.

© IMAGO/Sergey Guneev

War in Ukraine: Foreign Minister Lavrov wants to disrupt western supply lines

Update from December 28, 7:50 p.m .:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expects the supply routes for weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainian army from abroad to be interrupted soon.

"We see that Ukraine is getting more and better Western weapons," Lavrov said during an interview on Russian television on Wednesday.

Therefore, there are demands among military experts to interrupt these delivery routes.

"Railway lines, bridges and tunnels" are being considered, said Lavrov.

"I expect they'll make professional decisions about how to make those deliveries more difficult or, ideally, stop them altogether."

Around 6,900 civilians killed: New UN estimates on the Ukraine war

Update from December 28, 6:45 p.m.:

According to the latest estimates by the United Nations (UN), around 6,900 civilians have been killed in the Ukraine war so far.

As reported by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, almost 11,000 civilians have also been wounded as a result of the fighting.

About 1,800 women and 400 children were among those killed, the UN reported.

Most of the civilians died from heavy artillery, multiple-missile systems or rocket fire. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj: There are hardly any civilians left in Bakhmut

Update from December 28, 6:20 p.m.:

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, hardly any civilians live in the heavily contested city of Bakhmut.

“Last year, 70,000 people lived there.

Now only a few civilians are left," Zelenskyy said in a post on Facebook this Wednesday.

In the post, Zelenskyj showed photos intended to document the extent of the destruction in the frontline city in Donbass.

There is "no place" in the city that is "not covered in blood," he wrote.

Ukrainian Air Defense: 420 missiles and 430 kamikaze drones shot down

Update from December 28, 4:50 p.m .:

Since September, the Ukrainian air defense has apparently shot down more than 420 missiles and more than 430 Kamikaz drones from Russia.

This was announced by the spokesman for the Air Force Yuri Ignat, according to the official Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform.

Although the Russian military used a very large number of missiles, they still have a large number of missiles at their disposal.

Zelenskyj describes the situation in Bakhmut - "no place that is not covered by blood"

Update from December 28, 2:10 p.m .:

Russian and Ukrainian troops continue to fight fiercely in front of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.

Russia has been trying to take the city for several months, but without success.

Now the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj also commented on the current situation in Bakhmut in the short message service Telegram.

He also shared photos showing the destruction in the city.

"Last year 70,000 people lived here, now only a few civilians remain," Zelenskyj wrote, adding: "There is no place that is not covered in blood." There is "not an hour when the terrible roar of artillery does not sounds".

Nevertheless stand Bachmut.

"Our defense troops are standing, the Ukrainian Donbass is standing," assured the president, referring to the fighting.

War in Ukraine: Apparently Russian commanders are also fleeing Kreminna

Update from December 28, 12:40 p.m .:

It is said that not only Russian soldiers from lower ranks are fleeing in Luhansk Oblast, but also the military leadership in the region.

Russian military commanders have left the embattled city of Kreminna, Ukrainian military governor of Luhansk Serhiy Hajdaj has claimed, according to Ukrainian news agency Unian.

In addition, civilians brought to Kreminna from Russia are also on the run.

The military governor underscored that the recapture of Kreminna could open the way for Ukrainian troops towards the city of Starobelsk, as well as towards Rubishne and Sievarodonetsk.

Ukraine war: UN reports new number of civilians killed

Update from December 28, 11:15 a.m .:

According to the latest UN counts, almost 6,900 civilians have been killed in the Ukraine war.

Almost 11,000 unarmed people were wounded, said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva.

Among those killed were 1,800 women and around 400 children, it said.

According to the UN, most of the recorded civilian casualties were caused by the use of explosive weapons with long-range effects, including heavy artillery fire, multiple missile systems, missiles and airstrikes.

The OHCHR assumes that the actual numbers are considerably higher.

Reports from some locations with intense fighting have been delayed and have yet to be confirmed.

This applies, for example, to the regions around Mariupol and various places in the Luhansk region.

Putin's soldiers fleeing in fear of death?

Ukraine reports wave of Russian desertions in Luhansk

Overview of December 28:

Munich – In the Russian war of aggression, the roles have been reversed: In some places, the Ukrainian military is currently on the offensive and is trying to recapture areas occupied by Russian troops.

The heaviest fighting is currently taking place in eastern Ukraine.

Putin's soldiers in Luhansk desert - Russian military increases number of patrols

In view of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, things are looking particularly dangerous for the Russian military in Luhansk Oblast, which was annexed by Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin.

The Ukrainian general staff reported on Facebook that because of the high losses in their own ranks, more and more Russian soldiers were deserting and giving up their combat positions in Luhansk.

According to the General Staff, the Russian military leadership is now taking appropriate measures.

"In order to keep the situation under control, the Russian military leadership has increased the number of patrols to apprehend and repatriate deserters," the General Staff statement said.

However, this representation cannot be independently verified.

The Ukraine War in Pictures - Destruction, Resistance and Hope

View photo gallery

Ukraine war: Heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine - "continued pressure" on Russian army

Indes rückt die ukrainische Armee auf die strategisch wichtige Stadt Kreminna in Luhansk vor. Die Stadt gilt als das Tor zu den von Russland besetzten Großstädten Sjewjerodonezk und Lyssytschansk. Nach mehreren schweren Niederlagen im Ukraine-Krieg versucht das russische Militär, die Kontrolle über Kreminna aufrechtzuerhalten. Mehrere ukrainische Angriffe auf der Swatowe-Kreminna-Linie seien zurückgeschlagen worden, meldete die US-Denkfabrik Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Unter Berufung auf russische Quellen hieß es, ukrainische Truppen würden sich neu gruppieren und dabei Verstärkung aus Charkiw im Nordosten der Ukraine holen.

According to British assessments, Putin's troops in Kreminna are "under constant pressure" from Ukrainian forces.

The British Ministry of Defense said Russia had probably strengthened its front line in the area in Luhansk Oblast in recent days.

It has established extensive new defenses there and will likely focus on holding the position.