Cover photo: An armored infantry vehicle during exercises in Syria, December 8, 2021. Baderkhan Ahmad/AP
- This new $3 billion US aid notably includes 50 Bradley M2A2 armored tracked vehicles. “The Bradleys will further enhance Ukraine’s ability to conduct complex maneuvers in virtually all weather conditions and terrain, particularly in the south and east of the country,” said Laura Cooper, deputy deputy secretary of defense for Russia at the Pentagon. However, this unprecedented aid does not include the tanks that Kyiv is asking for from the West.
- Artillery duels in Bakhmout, a nearly deserted town in the east. The shots were heard on both sides of the front line, despite the ceasefire unilaterally decreed by President Vladimir Putin to mark Orthodox Christmas.
- This first major truce since the country was invaded, ten months ago, was to come into force on Friday midday Moscow time (10am in France) and run until Saturday evening (10pm in France). The Russian army assures that it respects this, but accuses Kyiv of continuing the bombing, according to its daily report published on Friday.
- Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of “using Christmas as an excuse to try, albeit temporarily, to halt the advance of Ukrainian forces in Donbass. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Thursday the ceasefire “is not [pouvait] not and not [devait] not be taken seriously”.
- A fire station in Kherson was bombed caused several victims, as well as the city Kramatorsksaid the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine.
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko visits Russian troops stationed at a military base in his country, the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced on Friday.
- On Friday, Germany announced the delivery of around 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine before the end of the first quarter.
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Read all our articles, analysis and reports on the war in Ukraine
Factual. Vladimir Putin orders a ceasefire on January 6-7, the Orthodox holiday
Factual. USA and Germany deliver lightly armored vehicles to Kyiv
Analyze. In Belarus, the political trial of Ales Bialiatski, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
decryption. Russia now controls only 16% of Ukrainian territory
decryption. France announces sending “light tanks” to Ukraine
Video. Kyiv: Pictures from one of the many strikes of December 31st
Report. In Kupyansk teachers in the dock after the Russian occupation
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