Ukraine Daily

Sunday, December 11

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A man tries to recover his belongings of his destroyed home in a rocket impact after a Russian shelling over Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast. The explosion caused mass devastation of civilian buildings. (Photo by Celestino Arce/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

More than 1.5 million people without power in Odesa Oblast following latest Russian attack. The situation in Odesa Oblast is extremely difficult following Russia’s overnight drone attack with Iranian-made drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Dec. 10.

Russia shells maternity hospital in Kherson. Russian troops shelled a maternity hospital in the southern city of Kherson, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the President’s Office, reported on Dec. 10. No one was injured, according to Tymoshenko.

Mayor: Explosion reported in Russian-occupied Melitopol. Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov reported that a local church, which Russian troops had reportedly occupied “several months ago,” caught on fire on Dec. 10. He also reported an explosion in Melitopol. Fedorov did not provide additional information.

General Staff: Ukraine hits Russian base in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, injuring 150 Russian soldiers. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Dec. 10 that Ukrainian forces struck a concentration of Russian troops in the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

UK Defense Ministry: Iran’s support for Russian military ‘likely to grow’ in coming months. Iran is currently “one of Russia’s top military backers” worldwide, the U.K. Defense Ministry said on Dec. 10.

Update: Russian missile strike on Sumy Oblast damages 20 houses. Governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky said on Dec. 10 that a Russian missile strike on the previous day had damaged civilian infrastructure in the Velykopysarivska community, which borders Russia.

ISW: Putin risks losing support of proxies over military failures in Donbas. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is running the risk of losing the support of some former proxy leaders and veterans in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas over Russia’s failure to push back Ukrainian forces west of the city of Donetsk, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest update.

Law enforcement alleges Moscow church deacon spreading pro-Russian propaganda. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Dec. 10 that it had exposed a deacon, a lower-ranked church official, during a raid at one of Zaporizhzhia’s churches that belong to the controversial Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, controlled by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Police record 47,000 Russian war crimes committed in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Head of the National Police Ihor Klymenko said on Dec. 10 that this number includes torture, rape, and murder of civilians committed by Russian troops.

Ukraine finds over 300,000 explosive devices since start of full-scale invasion. According to Deputy Interior Minister Kateryna Pavlichenko, about 30% of Ukraine’s territory still needs to be demined.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Governor: Intense Russian shelling of Kherson Oblast kills 2, wounds 8. Russia’s intense shelling of liberated areas in Kherson Oblast has killed two civilians and wounded eight over the past day, Governor Yaroslav Yanushevych reported early on Dec. 10.

Governor: Russian shelling injures 4 people in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko said that the region’s Nikopol and Marhanets communities had been shelled with heavy artillery during the night.

General Staff: Russia has lost 93,760 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Dec. 10 that Russia had also lost 2,940 tanks, 5,917 armored fighting vehicles, 4,535 vehicles and fuel tanks,1,927 artillery systems, 397 multiple launch rocket systems, 211 air defense systems, 281 airplanes, 264 helicopters, 1,603 drones, and 16 boats.

International response

EU Council adopts 18 billion euro assistance for Ukraine despite blockage by Hungary. The EU Council said on Dec. 10 that it reached an agreement on a “legislative package that will enable the EU to help Ukraine financially throughout 2023 with 18 billion euros.” The proposal will be submitted to the European Parliament “for possible adoption” next week.

Germany refuses to give Patriot air defense to Ukraine, says they are part of NATO defense. German top foreign affairs official Tobias Lindner said on Dec. 10 that Germany didn’t have free access to U.S.-made Patriot systems and couldn’t transfer them to Ukraine. “The Patriot systems we send are part of NATO’s collective defense system,” Lindner said.

Germany to provide Ukraine with 470 power generators. The German embassy in Ukraine announced on Dec. 10 that the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) will provide Ukraine with 470 electric generators “of different power classes” worth 19.5 million euros.

Lithuania’s President: Belarus’ offer to transport Ukrainian grain is a trap. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda wrote that Belarus’ offer to transport Ukrainian grain through its territory to Lithuania is just another attempt to escape sanctions. “It is a trap. Let’s not fall into it,” Nauseda said.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Daria Shulzhenko, Teah Pelechaty, Alexander Query, Asami Terjima, Oleg Sukhov, and Lili Bivings.

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