As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 295th day, we take a look at the main developments.
Here is the situation as of Thursday, December 15th.
in the fight
- Russia says there is no “Christmas ceasefire” after nearly 10 months of war in Ukraine, and Kyiv has rejected calls to begin withdrawing troops by Christmas as a step toward ending Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.
- Multiple Russian rocket launchers hit the regional administration building in the central square of the recently released southern city of Kherson.
- The Kremlin has said Patriot missile defense systems would be a legitimate target for Russian attacks on Ukraine if the United States were allowed to help Kyiv.
Rescuers and police experts examine the remains of a drone after an attack on an administrative building in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. [Sergei Supinsky/AFP]
diplomacy
- Ukraine says it has secured the release of 64 members of the Ukrainian military, as well as a US citizen, in a recent prisoner swap with Russian forces.
- Echoing a Kremlin comment, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia must accept the “new reality” that Ukrainian lands will not remain part of Russian territory.
- A spokesperson for the European Union said that the Ukrainian Parliament has approved all the necessary reforms before the talks to join the bloc.
the economy
- Germany’s parliament’s budget committee has approved a 10 billion euro ($10.5 billion) purchase of US-made F-35 fighter jets, two committee members told Reuters news agency.
- The US is moving to impose sanctions on Vladimir Potanin, one of Russia’s richest men.