Prepared by Anna Dovha, Sofia Oliynyk, Maryana Zaviyska
Photo: Zelenskyi official telegram channel
Cities under attack.
Friday morning has started with a massive missile attack on Ukraine. In Kyiv three attacks at the infrastructure were recorded, as well as active operations of the air defense system. In Zaporizhzhia region 15 attacks have been recorded. Poltava and Kharkiv are without power. Kremenchuk, Poltava region, is without power and heating. Dnipropetrovsk region. On December 14, the cities of Marhanets and Nikopol were under Russian attack. In Nikopol, several private houses, a service station, a gas pipeline and power lines were damaged. In Marhanets, dozens of private houses and farm buildings, cars, gas furnaces, and electricity networks were damaged. On December 15, the Myronivsk, Marhanets and Nikopol communities were shelled. In the Marhanets community, there are mutilated gas pipelines, destruction of private housings and farm buildings. Mykolaiv region. On December 15, the Russian military attacked the Ochakivska community. As a result, an energy infrastructure facility was damaged there. Also, on the same day, the Russian invaders shelled the Chornomorska community where an energy infrastructure facility was damaged. No casualties were reported. Kherson region. On December 14, the Russian troops shelled the region 86 times. As a result of the attack on the city of Kherson, a shipyard, an educational institution, warehouses, a newspaper office, a school, a shop, Kherson Regional State Administration, private and apartment buildings were damaged. During the day, 3 people were killed and 13 people were injured in the region. On December 15, the Russian invaders continued to massively shell the region. Also, a critical infrastructure facility was damaged. The wreckage of the shells damaged the medical care point and the humanitarian aid center. Due to the morning shelling, 3 people were injured and 2 people were killed in Kherson. One of them is a volunteer of the Ukrainian Red Cross Emergency response team.
Human rights.
During the occupation of Kherson, the Russians set up four torture chambers, in one of them there was a special cell where children were kept in terrible conditions and subjected to torture, said Dmytro Lubinets, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament. Also, during the occupation, Russian troops and the occupation authorities have abducted 613 people on the territory of the Kherson region.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 46000 Ukrainian citizens have been deported to the territory of the Russian Federation or Crimea. Dmytro Lubinets, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament reported that the Russian Federation blocks the search for information about deported Ukrainian children.
Another exchange of prisoners took place between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, during which 64 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as a US civilian, returned home.
Forced migration.
Almost 5 million Ukrainians became internally displaced within Ukraine due to the Russian military aggression. About eight million, approximately 20% of the actual population of Ukraine, fled the country.
Foreign policy.
The European Parliament awarded the brave people of Ukraine with the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2022. The European Parliament highlights the efforts of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyн together with the role of individuals, representatives of civil society initiatives, and State and public institutions including the State Emergency Services of Ukraine, Yulia Pajevska, founder of the evacuation medical unit Angels of Taira, Oleksandra Matviychuk, human rights lawyer and chairwoman of the organisation Center for Civil Liberties, the Yellow Ribbon Civil Resistance Movement, and Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, which is currently under Russian occupation.
On December 15, the European Parliament voted by a majority for the resolution recognizing the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian people. Also, the Upper Chamber of the Czech Parliament recognized the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian people. In the resolution, the Senate of the Czech Republic condemned the crimes against Ukrainians and commemorated the millions of victims of the Holodomor in Ukraine.
The Sejm of Poland recognized Russia as a state that supports terrorism. The members of the Sejm also emphasized that the Russian Federation is responsible for the downing of the Malaysian Airlines plane (flight MH17) and for the ‘crash of the Polish Air Force plane’ (flight 101) in Smolensk in April 2010.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine needs to be judged by a special tribunal, even in absentia, to safeguard the global system and seize assets needed for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Latvian President Egils Levits said. He noted that Russia’s invasion ‘is the most serious violation of international law since 1945.’
European integration.
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has adopted a record €50 million Action Plan for Ukraine for 2023-2026. ‘The new Action Plan aims to heighten the resilience of public institutions through strengthening democratic governance and the rule of law, and protecting citizens’ human rights’, said Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić.
Disinformation.
Stanislav Zharin, the authorized representative of the Polish government for the security of the information space, reported that Russian propaganda has increased in Poland, claiming that the economic situation in the country is constantly deteriorating due to the government’s alleged policy of supporting Ukraine.
Energy security.
During the conference on support for Ukraine in Paris, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres to send UN experts to the energy infrastructure of Ukraine as soon as possible.
Also, during an online speech at the meeting of the European Council, the President of Ukraine said that Ukraine needs the support of the European Union for the purchase of 2 billion cubic meters of gas and electricity for 800 million euros to compensate for the damage caused by Russian strikes on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Ukraine expects to cover the electricity shortage in the system as much as possible by importing electricity from Europe. At the same time, an ENTSO-E decision is needed to increase the capacity of interstate crossings, the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko said.
Kyiv received from the US government 4 excavators and more than 130 generators for work at the boiler and heat supply stations of the Ukrainian capital.
Economic security.
In total, in 2022, the UN provided more than $4.5 billion in aid to the population of Ukraine, affected by the aggression of the Russian Federation, and to Ukrainians who fled the country. For the UN, the priority directions for providing assistance to Ukraine were energy, demining territories, and the economy.
The European Commission has disbursed a 3rd installment of €500 million under the 5 billion exceptional 2022 Macro-Financial Assistance for Ukraine to contribute to Ukraine’s macroeconomic stability and strengthen its overall economic and financial resilience.
Infrastructure.
Russia caused damage to the infrastructure of Ukraine in the amount of $136 billion. The report from the Kyiv School of Economics notes that as of November 2022, energy infrastructure, industry, state and private enterprises suffered the most damage. In addition, compared to the September report, the amount of industrial enterprise losses increased by $3 billion, and energy infrastructure losses increased to $6.8 billion.
Sanctions.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) of the US Department of the Treasury has updated the list of persons subject to sanctions in connection with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In particular, the Russian governors of the Krasnodar Krai, Belgorod and Kursk regions were included in the sanctions list. Among the institutions and organizations, the private investment company ‘Interros’, the public joint-stock company ‘Rosbank’, the joint-stock company ‘VTB-Leasing’ and a number of other structures related to ‘VTB’ were included in the list.
The Canadian government has reinstated sanctions on turbines for the Nord Stream gas pipeline. According to the ministers, Canada made this decision because the circumstances surrounding the exemption from sanctions have changed and no longer serve their purpose.
Sport.
During the telephone conversation with President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi reported that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 184 athletes were killed. Also, he called on the IOC to isolate the Russian Federation at international sports events.
Recent polls.
74% of EU citizens approve of the European Union’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, according to the survey conducted by Eurobarometer between 12 October and 7 November 2022. In all EU Member States, a majority of citizens approve of the EU’s support, with highest support levels shown in Sweden (97%), Finland (95%), the Netherlands (93%), Portugal (92%), and Denmark (92%).
Statistics.
- General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the total estimated losses of the Russian military as of 10 a.m., December 16, 2022: personnel – around 97 270, tanks ‒ 2980, APV ‒ 5952, artillery systems – 1946, MLRS – 410, anti-aircraft warfare systems – 211, fixed-wing aircraft – 281, helicopters – 264, operational-tactical level UAV – 1648, cruise missiles – 592, boats and light speed boats – 16, soft-skinned vehicles and fuel tankers – 4563, special equipment – 172.
Christmas in the air.
Thinking of Christmas shopping? Check some of the Ukraine supporting brands delivering worldwide:
- Made with Bravery the official Ukrainian marketplace of different goods and gifts produced in Ukraine.
- Here and Now sustainable eco pottery by Yuliya Makliuk. Part of the profit goes for reconstruction needs of Irpin and support of armed forces.
- Saint Javelin former journalist project that distributes profits to support rebuilding Ukraine and its humanitarian needs.
- OLIZ silk scarves and clothes. 50% of income goes to the Ukrainian army and volunteers.
Every action counts, no contribution is too small!
- Support Hurkit Foundation established and supported by Kyiv activists, previously standing for urban development, now supporting the military in the hotspots.
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