WAR IN UKRAINE: December 6, 2022
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 286
The governor of Kursk in western Russia said a drone strike took place Tuesday at an airfield in the region, which borders Ukraine. It comes one day after Moscow claimed Ukraine used drones to attack two military air bases deep within Russian territory. Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attacks - CNN
The leader of the Kremlin-backed separatists in the occupied eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk says that Russia and Ukraine will each hand over 60 prisoners of war in the latest in a series of prisoner exchanges. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have fought off a fresh round of Russian attacks in the east, Ukraine's General Staff said, as technicians race to restore electricity following Moscow's latest wave of missile strikes that caused power disruptions across the country amid dropping temperatures - RFE/RL
The EU is considering a ban on new investments in Russia's mining sector. The EU's ninth sanctions package will also block civilian assistance to Russia's arms industry, as well as tightening financial sanctions on Russia. However it is very uncertain whether the measure will receive unanimity, as Hungary appears to be tying Ukraine-related measures to its own need for EU funds
After the last massive Russian attack on the Ukrainian infrastructure, the deficit in the energy system remains at the level of 19% of the projected consumption - Prime Minister Shmyhal
Children from occupied areas of Ukraine have been taken to a camp in Chechnya for "military-patriotic" training in November, according to Russian officials. The children were described as "socially troubled" and designated for "reeducation.” Watch the RFE/RL report here
Required reading…
Blasts deep inside Russia hand Putin a fresh problem, with no obvious answer
Moscow’s accusation that Ukrainian drones struck two airbases deep inside Russia has once again raised the febrile question of escalation nine months into the war.
The strikes are an extraordinary breach of Russia’s assumptions that it can protect its deep interior, from which safe harbors its strategic bombers have caused carnage across Ukraine with relative impunity.
These are airbases very far inside Russia, and whatever the truth of the strikes – whether they represent a new long-distance drone capability Ukraine has advertised, or there’s another explanation – this is just not something that was meant to happen when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his “10-day invasion” in February. Week by week, there are yet more signs that Moscow’s military machine cannot do what it says on its can.
Read the full CNN analysis here