European leaders will try this Thursday to persuade Viktor Orban to accept that the EU begins accession negotiations with Ukraine and demand that he give up his veto on key aid to Kiev. Vladimir Putin is invited on Russian television to answer questions from his compatriots. Follow the latest information.
09:28
A MARATON OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR VLADIMIR PUTIN
Vladimir Putin, bolstered by Ukraine's difficulties and the West's hesitancy, appears on Thursday at a marathon session of questions from journalists and citizens, a week after he announced his intention to stay in the Kremlin until at least 2030. The Kremlin chief must answer questions sorted by The Russian authorities, from journalists and citizens, take stock of the “year”.
09:25
MOSCOW PUBLISHES wanted notice against Ukrainian intelligence chief
Russian authorities on Thursday put the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service (GUR), Kirill Budanov, on the wanted list, as this structure is blamed for several attacks against Russia. The name of 37-year-old Kirill (Kyrylo in Ukrainian) Budanov now appears in the Russian Interior Ministry's database of people wanted for violations of the criminal code. The authorities have not specified what they accuse him of.
Kirill Budanov, who has headed the military intelligence department in the Ukrainian Defense Ministry since 2020, is accused by Russian authorities of organizing the October 2022 attack that partially destroyed the bridge between Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow, and Russia .
08:49
Drones intercepted by the Ukrainian army
Ukraine said on Thursday it had intercepted 41 of the 42 explosive drones Russia fired into its territory overnight, a new attack that highlights growing pressure from Moscow on the ground in recent days. “41 (explosive drones, editor's note) Shahed destroyed” out of “a total of 42 captured,” the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement on Telegram. According to this source, Russia fired from its soil “in waves” from three directions, “mainly targeting Odessa,” the major Ukrainian port in the south of the country.
According to the local military administration, eleven people were injured, including three children, and eleven buildings were damaged. According to the Air Force, the Russian army also fired S-300 missiles at the southern Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, but did not provide any information about the consequences of these attacks.
08:47
Drones heading towards neutralized Moscow
Russia said on Thursday it had neutralized nine Ukrainian drones en route to Moscow, hours before Vladimir Putin took part in a question-and-answer session in the Russian capital. “An attempt by the Kiev regime to use aerial drones to carry out a terrorist attack against sites on Russian territory was foiled,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
According to the same source, “nine Ukrainian drones were destroyed or intercepted” over the Kaluga region, 160 km from the Russian capital and Moscow. For his part, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin clarified on the Telegram network that two of these drones, which were “heading towards Moscow,” were neutralized in the Naro-Fominsk district near the Russian capital. According to initial information, the falling debris from these drones “did not cause any damage or injuries,” he emphasized.
07:01
FIRST UKRAINIAN MOBILE OPERATOR VICTIM OF A CYBER ATTACK
Ukraine's first mobile operator, Kyivstar, announced on Wednesday the “gradual” restoration of its services following a major computer attack the day before that Ukraine attributed to Russia. “Our specialists have begun restoring telephone calls across Ukraine,” spokeswoman Irina Lelitchenko said, noting that the restoration of services will be “gradual” and difficulties therefore remain “possible.”
06:59
“There is too much fear of Russia”
Europe must not let fear of provoking Moscow dictate its decisions at the risk of jeopardizing its support for Ukraine, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas warned on Wednesday ahead of a crucial summit. “There is too much fear of Russia and this fear can give (Moscow) excessive power: Russia only understands that strength and weakness amount to provoking Russia,” she told AFP. “We have to reach an agreement on the 50 billion to Ukraine. This is extremely important for the EU, but also as a message to the United States, we hope that they will follow our example.”
06:56
KREML SAYS UKRAINIAN ARMY “QUICKLY LOSING ITS POSITIONS”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured in an interview published on Wednesday that the Ukrainian army was “rapidly” losing ground on the front and that the collapse of Western support was putting Kiev in a “difficult situation.” The United States, Ukraine's big ally in this conflict, “is wondering where its money is going” because “there is no victory on the battlefield,” he told Russian media Izvestia. “In addition, the Ukrainian armed forces are rapidly losing their positions.”
Russia, emboldened by the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, therefore claimed a “significant” advance in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. According to the Ukrainians, his army also launched a major offensive around Avdiivka and Mariinka, hotspots on the Eastern Front.
06:53
US Senate leader “hopes” for a deal “soon”.
US Senate leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday he “hopes” an agreement will be reached “soon” on an envelope for Ukraine, which is widely debated in Congress and is crucial to that country's war . Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Washington on Tuesday to increase pressure on the American ally, which is currently struggling with the $61 billion extension demanded by Joe Biden.
Democrats support this envelope. Republicans, aside from a handful of elected officials on the radical right, are not entirely opposed to it. But in return for their vote, they are demanding a significant tightening of the United States' immigration policy, which is at the heart of many negotiations. “Negotiations between Democrats, Republicans and the Biden administration continue today,” Chuck Schumer said. After a meeting on Tuesday, he reported “great progress” in the talks. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre also said she was “encouraged” by the “progress” made.
06:49
MAJOR RUSSIAN ATTACK ON Kyiv
Dozens of people were injured in Kiev on Wednesday by a volley of Russian missiles, the worst in the capital in months and underscoring growing pressure from Moscow as Ukraine seeks help from the West. The Ukrainian capital has been on the defensive since the failure of its summer counteroffensive, particularly as the West, led by the Americans, is now reluctant to decide on the extent of political, military and financial aid to its ally. Ukrainian.
Anti-aircraft defenses shot down the ten ballistic missiles fired at around 3 a.m. (local time), but the debris fell on populated areas, including a children's hospital. No deaths have been reported and the hospital center remains operational. On the other hand, 53 people were injured across the city, 20 of whom were hospitalized, including two children, according to the Ministry of Health. In addition, at least nine Russian Shahed drones were launched from Odessa late Tuesday evening and were also shot down.
Russia has not communicated about these attacks. But the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that aviation, drones, missiles and artillery destroyed Ukrainian ammunition depots and drone construction sites at an unspecified time and location.
06:45
EU seeks exit from Hungarian veto
European leaders will try on Thursday to persuade inflexible Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to accept the start of accession negotiations with the EU and waive his veto on aid. “Very difficult summit”, “complex meeting”, negotiations that could extend beyond Friday, diplomats and European leaders were already preparing for hours of discussions on Wednesday.
Viktor Orban said it again in his parliament on Wednesday: Europeans would make a “terrible mistake” if they agreed to start accession negotiations with Ukraine at this summit in Brussels. “We have to prevent it, even if the other 26 members disagree,” he emphasized.
06:43
WELCOME
Hello everyone. Welcome to TF1info to follow the latest news surrounding the war in Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022, after the Russian invasion ordered by Vladimir Putin.
Russia continues to welcome Ukrainians' difficulties. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured in an interview published on Wednesday that the Ukrainian army was “rapidly” losing ground on the front and that the collapse of Western support was putting Kiev in a “difficult situation.” The United States, Ukraine's great ally, “is wondering where its money is going” because “there is no victory on the battlefield,” he told Russian media Izvestia. “Furthermore, Ukrainian forces are rapidly losing their positions,” he added.
Russia, emboldened by the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, has increased its attacks across the front in recent weeks. On Tuesday, it claimed “significant” progress had been made in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. According to the Ukrainians, his army also launched a major offensive around Avdiivka and Mariinka, hotspots on the Eastern Front. The AFP is unable to verify these claims by the belligerents.
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Dmitry Peskov also judged that there were “reservations” about Western countries’ support for Kiev, even if they “still repeat that they will support Ukraine as much as necessary.” The delay by his allies puts Ukraine “in a difficult situation,” he added. The American Congress, which has already committed more than $110 billion to Ukraine, is currently stuck on a new tranche of aid.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, fearful that a US blockade could have a contagion effect on European aid, is doing everything he can to ensure support from his allies. In particular, he traveled to the United States this week to meet Joe Biden, who warned that cutting off aid to Ukraine was a “Christmas present” for Vladimir Putin.
The editorial team of TF1info