Kyiv Post Morning Memo – Everything You Need to Know on Monday, Dec. 5

Good morning from Kyiv where it’s day 5 of winter and a bone-freezing -6C. There was one relatively short air raid alert on Saturday but no actual attack on the capital, though one is still expected in the very near future.

What’s happening today?

Today’s big news is that the Russian oil price cap agreed by EU, G7 and Australia will come into force, as western nations seek a way to punish the Kremlin financially for its invasion of Ukraine without upsetting the already fragile global economic markets.

It’s a complicated affair with global implications but U.S. and European officials are confident it will work.

You can read how it will work and what it hopes to achieve here.

What was Zelensky’s latest message?

In his daily address on Sunday evening, President Zelensky spoke rather grimly of “these 90 winter days” Ukraine has just entered but that enduring them and making it through will bring the country 90 days closer to victory.

“The enemy really hopes to use winter against us: to make winter cold and hardship part of his terror,” he said. “We have to do everything to endure this winter, no matter how hard it is. And we will endure. To endure this winter is to defend everything.”

“Russia still has missiles and an advantage in artillery. Yes, but we have something that the occupier does not have and will not have.

“We defend our home, and that gives us the strongest motivation possible. We fight for freedom, and that always multiplies any force. We defend the truth, and this unites the whole world around Ukraine.”

What’s the latest military situation?

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has some good news today, noting the number of sorties conducted by the Russian air force has “reduced significantly”.

“Russian aircraft now probably conducts tens of missions per day, compared to a high of up to 300 per day in March 2022,” it said.

The MoD says this is “likely due” to “continued high threat from Ukrainian air defences, limitations on the flying hours available to Russian aircraft, and worsening weather” and probably will remain at a low rate throughout the winter.

The Institute for the Study of War’s Dec. 4 daily assessment covers a multitude of topics, most notably:

• Ukrainian officials have indicated that Ukrainian forces plan to continue offensive operations over the coming winter to capitalize on recent battlefield successes and prevent Russian forces from regaining the battlefield initiative.
• Ukraine’s ability to maintain the military initiative and continue the momentum of its current operational successes depends on Ukrainian forces continuing to conduct successive operations through the winter of 2022-2023.
• Russian forces likely publicly executed by hanging residents in occupied Luhansk Region on accusations of partisan activity.

Anything else I need to know about?

Sure, here are some brilliant Kyiv Post articles you might have missed over the weekend:

• Local Start-Up Making Modular Homes for Families Made Homeless by Russia’s War
• This is What Happens When Your Child’s Having Surgery During a Missile Attack in Kyiv
• Hot Dogs, Coffee, Bolster Fight in Eastern Ukraine
• Author John Sweeney Says Putin Playing a De-Civilization Game In Ukraine

And that’s it for today’s Morning Memo.

Kyiv Post will bring you the latest news throughout the day and we’ll be back with another edition tomorrow.