Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 12-17-2024

Zelensky said that Hungary lacks leverage over Moscow

President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected a proposal by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to mediate peace talks with Russia, saying that Hungary – which has a substantially smaller military than Ukraine – has no leverage over Russia.

“We are a strong country, we showed it on the battlefield throughout Putin’s aggression. Does anyone else in Europe have this experience now? No. Does Orban have such an army? No. How will he put pressure on Putin? With a joke, a smile? Let him save it,” Zelensky said,  Interfax-Ukraine reported.

FPV drone efficiency in Ukrainian and Russian forces is only 20-40%, says one aerial defense commander. Issues like electronic failure, jamming, and small arms fire limit their effectiveness.

The use of First-Person View (FPV) drones by both Ukrainian and Russian forces is marked by relatively low efficiency, with effectiveness ranging between 20% and 40%, according to Robert Brovdi, commander of the separate regiment of strike unmanned aerial systems Madiar’s Birds.

Brovdi, who goes by the alias Madiar, shared his insights during an interview with Ukrinform.

Nearly two million families have lost their homes in Russia’s war

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv will allocate Hr.15 billion ($358 million) to the eRecovery state program to help about 10,000 households – about 30,0000 people – with housing who’ve been displaced by Russia’s invasion.

“Unfortunately, this won’t be enough for everyone, but we are able to allocate these funds this year.” Zelensky said at a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. “The Government will also explore options for additional funding.” 

Both sides are seeking to strengthen their position on the battlefield ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump taking office.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday pleaded with other countries to “urgently” send more aid for Kyiv’s troops, struggling against better-equipped Russian forces on several parts of the front.

He was meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, ahead of a meeting in Brussels with NATO chief Mark Rutte and several European leaders.

Some £20 million will be allocated to try to restore the power network and protect Ukrainian infrastructure and £15 million to “provide lifesaving humanitarian support

The British government Tuesday announced £35 million ($44 million) in aid to repair Ukraine’s energy grid battered by Russian strikes and help Ukrainians confronting freezing winter weather.

Some £20 million will be allocated to try to restore the power network and protect Ukrainian infrastructure, a UK government statement said.

Ilya Ponomarev, the only Russian Member of Parliament to vote against the annexation of Crimea

The EU has sent a top diplomat to initiate contacts with the rebel groups that had ousted the Assad regime from Syria and to raise the issue of Russia’s continued military presence in the country.

The EU said on Monday it had initiated contact with the new Syrian authorities, hinting the bloc could lift the decade-long sanctions on Syria if Russian and Iranian influences in the country were removed.

After a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas hinted that the bloc’s relationship with Syria depends on the actions undertaken by the new regime.

Despite the high-tech methods that have developed during the war in Ukraine to counter FPV drones many of them still get through, emphasizing a need for a close-in method of shooting them down.

Unmanned military drones have evolved exponentially as tools for surveillance, reconnaissance, logistical, and various other military applications since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

First Person View (FPV) kamikaze drones have represented the greatest area of technical development and pilot skills that, despite more effective electronic warfare (EW) and jamming systems, are still able to get through to kill and destroy personnel and equipment.

President-elect Donald Trump set a deadline for a cease-fire for January 20, the day he’s to be inaugurated. So far, only Ukraine has shifted its position since his re-election to start talks.

The shape of a deal that could end the war in Ukraine is being formed. President-elect Donald Trump set a deadline for a cease-fire for January 20, the day he’s to be inaugurated. So far, only Ukraine has shifted its position since his re-election to start talks, but Putin has said nothing. Worse, a Russian oligarch insulted the process, bluntly saying Russia won’t respond to any offer.

But, on December 8, Trump’s tone suddenly shifted. He blamed Vladimir Putin for the war and placed the onus on him to bring about peace. He also referred to Putin’s humiliation in Syria on his Truth Social platform: “Russia abandoned and never should have protected him [Syria’s Bashar al-Assad] in the first place and lost interest because of a war in Ukraine that never should have started and `could go on forever.’” He further pointed out that Russia and Ukraine had suffered hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded troops, and Ukraine many civilians.

s the peace talks time approaching? Bohdan Nahaylo, Editor-in-Chief of the Kiyv Post, joins TVP World to elaborate on the awaited negotiation process.

It seems probable the two ships were either part of Russia’s “shadow tanker” fleet, or en route to pump sanctions-evading Russian oil aboard a “clean” tanker.

More than nine thousand tons of oil and tar slowly leaking from a pair of Russian tankers lost in a winter storm has blotted north-east Black Sea beaches with oil and tar and soaked wetlands and birds, news reports and social media said Tuesday.

Local media and news stations aired images of sea birds covered in oil and unable to fly, swim or escape people. Most appeared to be pelicans, a bird native to the shoreline wetlands along the north-east Black Sea and adjacent Azov Sea coasts.

On Monday the majority of the members of the German parliament withdrew its confidence in Chancellor Olaf Scholz, officially clearing the way for new elections on 23 February.

On Monday the majority of the members of the German parliament withdrew its confidence in Chancellor Olaf Scholz, officially clearing the way for new elections on 23 February. Scholz will be running again as the top candidate of the SPD, but the leader of the opposition Friedrich Merz (CDU) is ahead in the polls. Europe’s press takes stock.

Hope for a better future

La Stampa (Italy) comments on the situation in Germany, where the head of government has just lost parliamentary backing:

Kyiv Post‘s sources in Ukraine‘s special services have confirmed the authenticity of the video.

Footage from a car dashboard camera, widely shared on Russian Telegram channels, captured the moment of a deadly explosion on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow on the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 17.

Kyiv Post’s sources in Ukraine’s special services have confirmed the authenticity of the video.

Exclusive first interview with former Lithuanian foreign minister since he left office earlier this month.

Kyiv Post’s Warsaw Insider spoke this week with Gabrielius Landsbergis, the former outspoken and pro-Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania from 2020 to October 2024, when his party lost in the legislative elections. He touched on the differences in the approach to Russia between Central-Eastern European countries and their Western European counterparts, his experiences over the past years, and where we stand now in the context of the war in Ukraine and whether further rotten compromises are looming.

This is the first conversation with Gabrielius Landsbergis since he stepped down as Lithuania’s top diplomat a few days ago.

Clashes captured on video: Special Operations Forces report killing 50 North Korean soldiers and injuring nearly 50 more over three days in a “warm welcome.”

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) reported on Telegram that its drone operators successfully eliminated nearly 100 North Korean soldiers, including 50 killed, in the Kursk region of Russia.

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

The Russian general in charge of the country’s nuclear protection forces has been killed in an explosion in Moscow. Lt Gen Igor Kirillov was leaving a residential block on Tuesday when a device hidden in a scooter went off. On Monday, Kirillov was charged in Ukrainefor the use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine. Kirillov had already been sanctioned by the UK, and others, for his role in Russia’s use of chemical weapons. The UK said Kirillov was also “a significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation, spreading lies to mask Russia’s shameful and dangerous behaviour.”

Ukraine was behind the killing of Kirillov in Moscow, a Ukrainian security source has said, according to both Reuters and AFP news agency.

Political changes in the US have precipitated a strengthening of European solidarity around Ukraine while Polish-Ukrainian relations continue to mature.

Setting the scene

The uncertainty surrounding the upcoming change to the US administration has become a catalyst for European countries to intensify their efforts to support Ukraine and enhance collective security. In recent weeks, we have witnessed increased diplomatic activity as well as an improvement in the political climate between Poland and Ukrainian.

The past weeks have been marked by a true diplomatic offensive aimed at securing continued support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia, advocating for a ceasefire or truce favorable to Kyiv and Europe while strengthening the levels of security among EU and NATO countries - it is difficult to speak of peace, as Russia is unlikely to change its objectives.

Following charges that Moscow interfered in recent elections in Moldova, Georgia and Romania, authorities in Berlin fear that the February 23 vote will also be a ripe target for pro-Russian propaganda

As Germany heads for elections, its security services warn that Russia and its sympathisers may step up meddling and disinformation to boost extremist parties and sow doubt about the democratic process.

Following charges that Moscow interfered in recent elections in Moldova, Georgia and Romania, authorities in Berlin fear that the February 23 vote will also be a ripe target for pro-Russian propaganda.

Kirillov, who had been in his post since 2017, was sanctioned in October by Britain over the alleged use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.

[UPDATES] As of 1:20 p.m., a unique video of today’s special operation by the SBU to eliminate General Kirillov has appeared on the internet. The footage shows Kirillov and his assistant leaving a building, with the scooter standing nearby.

As soon as they come within range of the explosive device, the scooter takes off into the air. 

Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce Russia‘s war effort, including to the Kursk border region, where both Ukraine and the United States say North Korean forces have suffered casualties

Ten countries and the European Union called North Korea’s growing involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine a “dangerous expansion” on Monday, in a joint statement released by the United States.

Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce Russia’s war effort, including to the Kursk border region, where both Ukraine and the United States say North Korean forces have suffered casualties.

The package is targeted against those who provide support and services to Russia’s war effort and includes sanctions against 84 targets, made up of 54 individuals and 30 entities.

The European Union (EU) adopted its 15th sanctions package aimed at crippling Russia’s ability to wage war on Ukraine on Monday, Dec. 16, according to the press service of the European Council.

This 15th package of sanctions targets individuals, entities, and practices that support Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The measures include new listings, restrictions on maritime transport, tighter trade controls, and protections for European companies.

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

Probably the punchline for this week is all the activity in the war that hasn’t even shown up as a backpage story in the mainstream West. I get that everyone has their own lives to live, yes Christmas is coming, but sometimes I am amazed at the amount of war and destruction mainstream media seems able to ignore. But then, I am a pretty old school journalist: If it bleeds it leads. Or if it’s an animal, like a pig sniffing a Ukrainian drone.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continued fixation on the Russian “Oreshnik” ballistic missile and Russia’s non-nuclear deterrents suggests that the Kremlin may be searching for off-ramps from its continued nuclear saber-rattling narrative.
• Putin once again reiterated the false Russian narrative that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is illegitimate—firmly establishing that the deposition of Ukraine’s legitimate, democratic government is one of the Kremlin’s prerequisites for a negotiated settlement to the war.
• Russian Defense Minister Belousov also used the December 16 Russian MoD board meeting to reiterate Putin’s previously stated territorial objectives in Ukraine as another Kremlin prerequisite to a negotiated settlement to the war.
• Belousov also used his December 16 address to posture as an effective and innovative manager—sharply contrasting his leadership of the MoD with that of former Defense Minister and current Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu.
• Putin ordered the MoD to establish the Unmanned Systems Forces as part of continued efforts to centralize control over Russian irregular drone units.
• Belousov’s statements confirm that the Russian military is recruiting just enough military personnel to replace its recent casualty rates, but intensified offensive operations have and will likely continue to strain the efficacy of Russia’s cryptomobilization efforts.
• Russia continues to negotiate with the interim Syrian government to maintain its military presence at the Hmeimim Air Base and Port of Tartus in Syria, but Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov’s recent appeals to Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) suggest that talks may have hit a snag.
• Russia continues to withdraw elements of its force grouping in Syria to the western coast amid limited reports that Moscow plans to fully withdraw within one month.
• Ukrainian forces recently regained lost positions near Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka and in Kursk Oblast.
• The Russian government appointed Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov as the Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of the Russian Ministry of Defense’s (MoD) Military Construction Company, likely as part of ongoing anti-corruption efforts within the Russian MoD.