WAR IN UKRAINE: December 19, 2022

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 299

  • A wave of Russian drones attacked Kyiv overnight and into the early hours of Monday morning, triggering air raid sirens twice. In all, Ukraine’s air defence managed to shoot down 30 out of 35 incoming drones. According to official video, at least one caused severe damage to a power station and officials warned of more emergency power outages today. Daytime temperatures in the Ukrainian capital are expected to dip to -4C and overnight to -7C. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the attacks damaged several homes and power lines.

  • Kyiv Metro has issued the following announcement: “Tomorrow we will open two metro stations of the capital - "Maidan Nezalezhnosti" and "Khreshchatyk" - and the transition between them. These stations have been closed since the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion.”

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to travel to Belarus for talks with Alyaksandr Lukashenka as analysts and military officials say he may seek to persuade the Belarusian strongman to deploy soldiers alongside Russian forces in a joint attack on Ukraine, reported RFE/RL. In response to news of the visit, opposiion leader-in-exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Twitter: “Belarus is not for sale. Our independence is not for sale. The dictator Lukashenka can't make agreements on behalf of our people - he only represents himself. And he won't save his own skin - he will be held responsible for his crimes against Belarusians & Ukrainians.”

  • Weeks after Izyum was liberated, the remains of 146 people found there have still not been identified. They're here because the main morgue is overwhelmed with more unidentified bodies from Russian missile strikes and mass graves across the Kharkiv region. "The number of bodies we have right now is really high," explains Oleh, a pathologist at the Kharkiv Bureau of Forensic Expertise. "They all remain here while DNA tests are done." There is a generator now but keeping the container cool during regular power cuts caused by Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure is challenging - BBC

  • Russian Defense Minister Shoigu claims to "visit" troops in occupied Ukraine. Attaching a short video of Shoigu in a military helicopter, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that he had spoken with troops about the current battlefield assessment “on the front line” and at a “command post.” It was unclear when Shoigu’s visit really took place or whether he had come to Ukraine at all. Meanwhile, Russia transfers more military equipment to Belarus. Russia transferred at least 50 Ural military trucks to Belarus on Dec. 16, the Belarusian Hajun, a watchdog that monitors the movement of Russian troops, reported on Dec. 18 - Kyiv Independent

  • The Pope said that the war in Ukraine has reached global proportions and will not end in the near future. “I don't see an end anytime soon because this is a world war. Let's not forget that. Many hands are stirring the cauldron of war. It's worldwide.” — Pope Francis. «I think war is started when an empire begins to weaken. And when there are weapons to be used, tested and sell. There is a lot at stake,” — said Pope Francis.

  • A new Russian propaganda video is trying to convince middle-aged Russian men to volunteer to go to Ukraine and kill innocent people in order to be able to buy phones for their daughters. Watch here

Required reading…

Opinion: Zelensky’s biggest test yet

Opinion by Michael Bociurkiw

Published 4:28 AM EST, Mon December 19, 2022

OdesaCNN — Less than a year into his term as president of Ukraine, Volodomyr Zelensky’s skills as negotiator were put to the test in his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It was 2019. And the successful TV comedian turned commander in chief had traveled to Paris for a summit to negotiate a peace deal with Putin. Despite the doubts of many, Zelensky managed to walk away giving few concessions.

Already, there were clues as to the type of leader who earlier this month was named TIME magazine’s “Person of the Year.”

Read my full CNN OpEd here

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