Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 12-10-2024

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said that potential peace negotiations for ending the war in Ukraine could begin in the next few months.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday said that peace talks on ending Russia's war in Ukraine could begin this winter.

Tusk, whose country is a staunch backer of neighboring Ukraine and next month will take over the rotating EU presidency, also announced a series of upcoming talks with foreign officials.

The Belarusian president has begun to investigate up to 30 sites at which to base the Russian missiles nearer their [Western] targets if they arrive in mid-2025 as Moscow had announced.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko announced on Tuesday, Dec. 10 that Belarus plans to position Russian Oreshnik missiles as close as possible to their targets.

Lukasenko said there are over 30 potential locations for their deployment, and the most optimal site is currently being selected.

The US has announced it would disburse $20 billion to Ukraine funded by interest from frozen Russian assets as part of a larger $50 billion aid G7 support package agreed upon in October.

US officials plan to use billions in interest from frozen Russian assets to continue supporting Ukraine, according to official statements made Tuesday.

The move paves the way for $20 billion of the $50 billion promised in October’s support package to make its way to Kyiv. 

Southern Ukraine has seen intensified strikes this autumn, reinforcing fears of a new Russian offensive in the area.

A Russian strike on Tuesday killed three people and wounded 11 others in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, the local governor said.

Southern Ukraine has seen intensified strikes this autumn, reinforcing fears of a new Russian offensive in the area.

David Satter describes how Russian leader Vladimir Putin is no master strategist, but rather a mafia boss.

As the prospect of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine grows, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service says that the tasks set by President Vladimir Putin are close to fulfillment.

The head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergei Naryshkin claimed that Moscow is close to achieving all of the objectives of its so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine.”

He echoed the recent words of Putin by claiming that the war in Ukraine was now a struggle for the “freedom and sovereignty” of Russia with the forces of the “collective West” that was trying to impose a “a protracted struggle of attrition” that would divide the nation, according to an interview with his in-house magazine Razvedchik.

The opposition’s victory over Assad’s regime represents not only a defeat for Putin’s Syrian strategy but also a death knell for the Kremlin’s operations elsewhere, according to one expert.

The victory of opposition forces over Assad's regime is a significant defeat for Russia – a fact their propaganda can scarcely hide.

Russia expended hundreds of military lives, billions of dollars, and other substantial resources to prop up Assad between 2015 and 2017. Syria has long been used as a Launchpad for Russian military operations in the Middle East and Africa.

A German-Russian citizen, born in 2003, has been arrested by Russian police for allegedly preparing to "sabotage" a rail line on orders from Kyiv, the FSB security services said Tuesday.

A German-Russian citizen has been arrested by Russian police for allegedly preparing to "sabotage" a rail line on orders from Kyiv, the FSB security services said Tuesday, quoted by Russian news agencies.

The man, born in 2003, is accused of having "prepared the sabotage of a section of railway line in the city of Nizhny Novgorod with an explosive device" in return for a "financial reward" by Ukraine's SBU security service, the FSB statement said.

Russian soldiers are damaging their own boats and leaking coordinates of docks to avoid having to launch suicidal assaults on the Dnipro islands in the Kherson region.

Russian soldiers are damaging their boats to avoid storming the islands of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region of Ukraine, reported the Ukrainian partisan movement Atesh on Tuesday, Dec 10. An agent of the Atesh movement, embedded with Russian forces in the Dnipro sector, reported an increase in sabotage cases among Russian soldiers.

The soldiers are deliberately damaging equipment, including breaking motors and puncturing rubber boats, as well as providing the Ukrainian Defense Forces with information about the locations of boat bases and fuel supplies. This is done to avoid taking part in the assault on the islands in the Dnipro Delta.

Russia has begun a large-scale pullout from Syria, evacuating troops and equipment to “home” bases. One base is under siege, while Tartus port has been secured by special forces.

Russia has begun a large-scale withdrawal from Syria, using military aircraft and naval vessels to evacuate troops and equipment. The primary route out is via the Khmeimim Airbase to Russian airfields in Ulyanovsk, Chkalovsky, and Privolzhsky, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) reported on Tuesday.

Several An-124 and Il-76MD aircraft, as well as naval vessels, including the cargo ship Sparta II and the landing ship Alexander Shabalin, have been deployed in support of the operation. Other ships, such as the Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky, have already departed for the Mediterranean.

A massive number of strikes reportedly hit key military facilities, including air bases, fighter jets, missile systems, chemical production sites, and depots.

The Israeli Air Force has carried out one of its largest strike operations, targeting more than 250 military installations across Syria, according to Army Radio Galey IDF.

The air attacks reportedly hit key military facilities, including air bases, fighter jets, missile systems, production sites, and depots. Significant damage was reported in multiple regions, including the provinces of Hama, Homs, and Latakia, where Russian military bases are located.

Some believed the fall of the Syrian regime would result in the departure of Moscow’s military presence in the country, but a deal to maintain that presence might be in discussion.

With Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ousted on Sunday, many believed that Russia’s military presence that helped Assad maintain its iron grip on the country would have no option but to soon depart.

However, a source in the Kremlin told Russian state media TASS on Sunday that it received guarantees from Syrian rebel groups that Russian interests, including its military bases, would be protected.

Priceless treasures from an art museum in Kyiv that were moved to Poland to save them from the destructive power of Russian bombs have gone on display at Warsaw’s Royal Castle.

Priceless treasures from an art museum in Kyiv that were moved to Poland to save them from the destructive power of Russian bombs have gone on display at Warsaw’s Royal Castle.

The Khanenko Museum transported 40 items to Warsaw following a Russian aerial attack in late October 2022. Though the artworks in the museum’s permanent collection were not directly damaged in the assault, the decision was made to send them to Poland so they could be displayed at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

Bond market focuses on reserve securities and hryvnia strengthens despite much larger FX shortage. Weekly Insight for Dec. 9

Bond market focuses on reserve bonds

Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) received an oversubscription for all offered bonds, and it was the largest for reserve securities.Last week, the MoF continued to offer new 3.5-year notes, which the NBU has added to the list of designated reserve bonds that banks can use to cover a part of their mandatory reserves from this Wednesday.

At last week's primary auction, the MoF offered UAH7bn of these bonds; they were oversubscribed by a factor of 8x. High competition between banks allowed the MoF to slash interest rates by almost 80bp, implying the cut-off rate was 15.48%, and weighted-average rate was 15.22%.

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Israeli forces have carried out large-scale attacks across Syria, targeting three major airports and other strategic military infrastructure, including in the capital, Damascus. Meanwhile, toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s prime minister says he has agreed to hand power to the opposition-led Salvation Government, headed by Mohammed al-Bashir - Al Jazeera

The main Islamist rebel leader in Syria says senior officials of the Assad regime who were involved in torturing political prisoners will be named. Abu Mohammed al-Jolani says rewards will be offered for information about senior army and security officers involved in "war crimes.” Meanwhile rescue workers say they have ended their search for possible detainees in secret cells or basements at Saydnaya military prison without finding anyone. Specialised teams assisted by K9 dog units and individuals familiar with the layout had been combing the prison, as crowds gathered in the hope of finding their missing relatives. In Damascus, rebel fighters reportedly say they've found more than 40 bodies in a hospital morgue showing signs of torture - BBC

Latest from the British Defence Intelligence.

• On 29 November 2024, Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed elements of a S-400 air defence system in Simferopol, Crimea.Social media highlighted an explosion and detonation of rocket fuel associated with the destruction of air defence system components. Two impact craters measuring 13.5m, dispersed debris and five emergency response vehicles were identified from imagery.
• This is the second reported successful targeting of Russian S-400 air defence systems by Ukrainian Armed Forces in November, following the destruction of a S-400 air defence system in Kursk Oblast on 23 November 2024.

Russian interests and propaganda remain a big issue for Bulgaria.

Bulgarian lawmakers want a parliamentary commission to investigate Russian influence, Ivaylo Mirchev, a member of We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria, told Euractiv.

The news comes following the discovery of a link between a cluster of companies in Bulgaria and a network of Russian influence identified in Romania during the annulled presidential elections.

The Ukrainian officer, who uses the callsign "Goth", was speaking to AFP in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia made in November its largest gains in a month since March 2022.

Lighting his pipe, the commander barely reacted to explosions in the distance as he explained how his men were dying, overwhelmed by Russian soldiers storming eastern Ukraine despite heavy losses.

The Ukrainian officer, who uses the callsign "Goth", was speaking to AFP in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia made in November its largest gains in a month since March 2022.

The Biden administration reportedly pushed for a lower draft age, saying it would help Ukraine quickly grow its military to fill gaps on the front lines.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has drawn the line at lowering the country’s draft age from 25 to 18, despite suggestions from the US to expand the pool of eligible recruits.

Instead, he’s calling on Washington to send more weapons and focus on weakening Russia’s military power.

President-elect Trump has stamped his seal on US diplomacy on crises in Syria and Ukraine as his second spell in the White House approaches.

Donald Trump does not take office until Jan. 20, but on the world stage he is already acting as if he is US president.

President-elect Trump has stamped his seal on US diplomacy on crises in Syria and Ukraine as his second spell in the White House approaches.

Stefan Korshak, Kyiv Post’s military correspondent, shares his perspective on the developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In general, there’s been more positive news this week than for the last little while, but of course, that’s partly because of the low bar.

The Fighting

Zelensky stated that Kyiv is ready to consider Macron’s proposal to deploy foreign troops until joining NATO, but only with clear security guarantees.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready to consider French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to deploy foreign troops on Ukrainian territory until the country joins NATO.

Zelensky made this statement just prior talks with Friedrich Merz, leader of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU), in Kyiv on Monday.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• The Kremlin continues to cautiously signal that it can ensure the security of Russian military bases in Syria in the short-term but notably has expressed uncertainty about the long-term future of the military bases against the backdrop of the volatile and rapidly evolving political situation in Syria.
• Russia has removed some vessels from the Port of Tartus to a nearby area offshore.
• The Syrian Embassy in Moscow confirmed to Kremlin newswire TASS on December 9 that former Syrian President Bashar al Assad is in Moscow.
• Russia continues to face staggering costs required to maintain its war effort against Ukraine, with mounting economic strain, labor shortages, and systemic corruption threatening the sustainability of the Russian defense industrial base (DIB).
• Russian President Vladimir Putin promoted Chechen Akhmat Spetsnaz Commander Apty Alaudinov and Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov amid ongoing Kremlin efforts to shift blame for Russia's inadequate response to Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast onto local government officials and away from the military.
• The Russian government claimed to have returned the bodies of deceased Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) who were allegedly killed in the January 24 Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft crash in Belgorod Oblast.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk and Velyka Novosilka.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to highlight Russian officials who sponsor Russian volunteer units in Ukraine and the "Time of Heroes program," which places veterans of the war in Ukraine in leadership positions within the Russian federal and regional governments.

“The most important thing is to work together on how to end this war,” Zelensky said, adding, “I am planning to call Biden soon” about NATO; Russian finances are in pretty bad shape, ISW says.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he was grateful for US President-elect Donald Trump’s “strong resolve” to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine after he met with Trump in Paris last week. Still, he later added that there was little point in discussing Ukrainian matters with the once and future president until he held power in Washington.

AFP noted that French President Emmanuel Macron hosted three-way talks with Zelensky and Trump at the Elysée Palace on Saturday after the unveiling of the newly renovated Notre Dame Cathedral, but it wasn’t until Zelensky’s online remarks this week that the new foreign policy began to take shape.