WORLD BRIEFING: December 19, 2023
Israel - Hamas War
Officials say the UN Security Council will not vote on a draft resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday as expected. The US says it is working with other members on the text, but it has vetoed previous resolutions. Meanwhile, aid agencies have voiced anger and frustration over the continued plight of civilians in Gaza ahead of the vote. The language of the UN Security Council resolution has been watered down to a "suspension" of hostilities to get US backing, reports say - BBC
The health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, says more than 19,600 people have been killed and 52,500 injured in the enclave since the start of the Gaza war. Dozens more were reportedly killed overnight
Ukraine War
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky gave his annual press conference today in Kyiv. Taking questions from local and foreign journalists, he projected confidence and pushed back against questions on corruption. He expressed confidence that the tens of billions of EU and US pledged aid will come through.
The Security Service of Ukraine has issued a statement confirming the discovery of a recording device in a location potentially used by Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi. According to Ukrainska Pravda, the device was uncovered during a routine inspection of new premises intended for use by the commander-in-chief.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense plans to increase the production of kamikaze drones and embark on manufacturing 155-mm ammunition domestically. Deputy Minister of Defense Ivan Havryliuk said the intent is to bridge the gap between the required ammunition and the assistance offered by international partners. Ukraine is also intensifying the domestic production of ammunition, encompassing a wide range of categories inherited from the former USSR. Despite this, he noted that most Western systems received from partners operate with a different caliber, specifically 155 mm. Consequently, Ukraine is collaborating with Western companies to manufacture 155-mm shells locally. While the initial production volume may not be extensive, Havryliuk anticipates that the Ukrainian defense industry will generate a sufficient quantity in the coming year to address the shortfall between frontline demand and the shells provided by international partners.
Elsewhere
A high-ranking Russian military official fled to the Netherlands and is willing to surrender to the ICC and testify about Russian war crimes in Ukraine, Gulagu.net reports. He is identified as Igor Salikov, a former GRU officer and senior Wagner instructor.
Today, Russian police raided the publishing house that printed Boris Akunin, the most popular - and arguably most important Russian writer of the 21st century. Akunin's strong anti-war stance made him a target of the Putin's regime.
A volcanic eruption started Monday night on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, turning the sky orange and prompting the country's civil defense to be on high alert. The eruption appears to have occurred about 2.4 miles from the town of Grindavik, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said. Grainy webcam video showed the moment of the eruption as a flash of light illuminating the sky at 10:17 p.m. local time. As the eruption spread, magma, or semi-molten rock, could be seen spewing along the ridge of a hill - NPR
The US Treasury Department announces a new batch of sanctions against 10 entities and four individuals based in Iran, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia that it says are behind the production of Iranian drones. The network has facilitated the acquisition of UAV parts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization and its drone program, the Treasury Department says in a statement. “Iran’s illicit production and proliferation of its deadly UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to its terrorist proxies in the Middle East and to Russia continues to exacerbate tensions and prolong conflicts, undermining stability,” Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson says.