Summary of the day
Thanks for following the Russia-Ukraine war live blog today. It will be closed shortly but you can continue to follow the latest news here. Below is a closing summary of today’s key posts.
Russian shelling has left 70% of Kherson without electricity, says the Kherson oblast governor, Oleksandr Prokudin. Shelling by Russian forces on Tuesday had “badly damaged” the infrastructure of the city, he said, adding that it was “difficult” to say when engineers would be able to complete restoration works. A railway station in the city was also attacked as a train was set to evacuate residents, killing one police officer and injuring four people, said Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko.
Ukraine’s armed forces commander has said his troops remain in an area of the eastern town of Marinka despite Russia’s assertions that Moscow is in control of the settlement. Capturing Marinka would amount to Moscow’s most significant battlefield gain since May.
A Russian politician calling for peace in Ukraine has been denied the chance to run for president. Russia’s central election commission refused to accept the former regional legislator, Yekaterina Duntsova’s initial nomination by a group of supporters, citing errors in the paperwork, including spelling. After losing Wednesday’s appeal against the commission’s decision, Duntsova said she would start working on the creation of her own political party that would stand for “peace, freedom and democracy”.
EU aid will not change the war’s outcome, the Kremlin has said. It added that such spending would only hurt Europe’s economy.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, has warned that a move by Japan to hand over Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, would have “grave consequences” for Russia-Japan ties.
Poland is getting closer to ending the trucker blockades of several border crossings with Ukraine, says the country’s prime minister, Donald Tusk. Polish drivers have been blocking several crossings with Ukraine since 6 November, demanding the EU reinstate a system whereby Ukrainian companies need permits to operate in the bloc and the same for European truckers to enter Ukraine.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has held talks in Moscow with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and said progress had been made on plans for Russia and India to jointly produce military equipment. Jaishankar added that he expected the Russian president, Vladimir Putin and the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi to meet next year.
Russia’s newest howitzers will be deployed “soon” against Ukrainian forces. The head of the state-owned defence conglomerate Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, told the RIA news agency that testing of the new self-propelled artillery units, named Coalition-SV, had been completed and mass production had already started, with the first pilot batch to be delivered by the end of this year.
Two people were killed in Russia’s overnight drone attacks on Odesa, according to updated figures posted on Telegram by the Odesa oblast governor, Oleh Kiper. A 17-year-old was among the wounded and remains in hospital.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, has thanked “all Ukrainian warriors” in a post on X. He also re-emphasised the priority for Ukraine “to strengthen our country, defend our people, and bolster our positions in all areas”.
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Poland is getting closer to ending the trucker blockades of several border crossings with Ukraine, says the country’s prime minister, Donald Tusk.
“We are close to the belief that our actions can bring results, both the talks in Kyiv and Brussels,” Tusk told a news conference. “I do not think that we will achieve the maximum that the truckers want, but it seems that what can be achieved will allow us to relieve emotions and relieve blockades on the border.”
Polish drivers have been blocking several crossings with Ukraine since 6 November, demanding the EU reinstate a system whereby Ukrainian companies need permits to operate in the bloc and the same for European truckers to enter Ukraine.
Polish farmers ended a blockade of one of the border crossings between Ukraine and Poland on Sunday, meaning that the movement of lorries was fully restored. Three other border crossings remain blocked by truckers.
Reuters reports that Poland’s deputy infrastructure minister, Dariusz Klimczak, said on Friday, after a meeting in Kyiv, that he hoped truckers’ protests on the border with Ukraine could be resolved before the end of the year.
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Putin likely to meet Modi next year, says Indian minister
Following talks held earlier in Moscow between the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Putin would also meet with the external affairs minister of India today, said a Kremlin spokesperson.
Speaking at a news conference alongside Lavrov, Jaishankar said he expected the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, to meet next year. The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as bilateral trade and investment, were discussed in the meeting, he said.
In the report by Reuters, Jaishankar declared that Indian-Russian trade was expected to top $50bn this year. Since the west imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow over the war in Ukraine, India has become one of Russia’s core economic partners by diverting much of its oil exports to India and increasing efforts at diplomacy.
A wide ranging and useful meeting with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 27, 2023
As strategic partners, discussed the international situation and contemporary issues. Exchanged views on Indo-Pacific, the Ukraine conflict, the Gaza situation , Afghanistan and Central Asia, BRICS, SCO, G20 and… pic.twitter.com/Uk9VTbZm5y
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Two people were killed in Russia’s overnight drone attacks on Odesa, according to updated figures posted on Telegram by the Odesa oblast governor, Oleh Kiper.
A 35-year-old man was killed by debris from a downed drone in a residential area, reports Reuters, while another man died later in hospital from his injuries. A 17-year-old was among the wounded and remains in hospital, Kiper added.
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Russian shelling has left 70% of Kherson without electricity, says governor
Shelling by Russian forces on Tuesday has “badly damaged” the infrastructure of the city of Kherson, says its governor. In a Telegram post, cited by both the Kyiv Independent and BBC Russian service, the Kherson oblast governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, wrote that “70% of subscribers” had been left without electricity.
“Due to yesterday’s Russian shelling, the energy infrastructure of Kherson was severely damaged. 70% of subscribers remain without power supply,” he wrote.
“The power engineers are already working. Now they determine the extent of the damage, and then they immediately begin emergency restoration work. It’s difficult to say when they will be completed.”
A railway station was one of the buildings struck in the attacks. Ukrainian officials claim it came as a train was set to evacuate residents, killing a police officer and injuring four other people.
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Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, has thanked “all Ukrainian warriors” in a post on X. Alongside a selection of military images, he wrote: “I thank all Ukrainian warriors, everyone who works and helps, for the remarkable things they have done and continue to do for Ukraine.”
He also emphasised that the priority for Ukraine remained the same: “To strengthen our country, defend our people, and bolster our positions in all areas.”
Yesterday, Zelenskiy posted a video update on X about a meeting on Ukraine’s work with Nato in 2024. In the video, Zelenskiy said:
Ukraine’s strategy in relations with the alliance is absolutely clear: it is the foundation of security for both Ukraine and the entire [of] Europe, including Ukraine. We are formulating the corresponding tactics of action in line with this strategy.
The priority remains the same: to strengthen our country, defend our people, and bolster our positions in all areas.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 27, 2023
I thank all Ukrainian warriors, everyone who works and helps, for the remarkable things they have done and continue to do for Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/V5GY3xRAu7
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Russian politician calling for peace in Ukraine denied chance to run for president
A Russian politician calling for peace in Ukraine has lost her appeal against election officials’ refusal to accept her nomination for the country’s presidential race, the Associated Press reports.
President Vladimir Putin is all but certain to win March’s vote.
The former regional legislator Yekaterina Duntsova has been promoting her vision of a “humane” Russia “that’s peaceful, friendly and ready to cooperate with everyone on the principle of respect.”
Over the weekend, Russia’s central election commission refused to accept Duntsova’s initial nomination by a group of supporters, citing errors in the paperwork, including spelling.
On Wednesday, Russia’s supreme court rejected Duntsova’s appeal against the commission’s decision.
After losing the appeal, Duntsova said she would start working on the creation of her own political party that would stand for “peace, freedom and democracy”.
She said:
We will win the right to live without fear, speak freely and feel confident about the future.
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EU aid wont change war's outcome, says Moscow
Any fresh European Union aid to Ukraine will not affect the outcome of the conflict, the Kremlin has said.
It added that such spending would only hurt Europe’s economy.
Commenting on EU plans to provide €20bn ($22.1bn) to Ukraine that would sidestep opposition from Hungary, the spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was up to EU taxpayers to realise that their money was being misspent.
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Summary of the day so far
The time in Kyiv is 1.30pm. Here are the key developments from the day so far:
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has held talks in Moscow with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and said progress had been made on plans for Russia and India to jointly produce military equipment.
Ukraine’s armed forces commander has said his troops remain in an area of the eastern town of Maryinka despite Russia’s assertions that Moscow is in control of the settlement. Capturing Maryinka would amount to Moscow’s most significant battlefield gain since May.
Russia’s newest howitzers will be deployed “soon” against Ukrainian forces. The head of the state-owned defence conglomerate Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, told the RIA news agency that testing of the new self-propelled artillery units, named Coalition-SV, had been completed and mass production has already started, with the first pilot batch to be delivered by the end of this year.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, has warned that a move by Japan to hand over Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, would have “grave consequences” for Russia-Japan ties.
Russia has lost 355,750 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, according to data published by the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces on Wednesday. This includes 790 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day. The Guardian has been unable to verify the figures.
One person was killed after Russian forces sent dozens of attack drones over Ukraine in their latest overnight airstrike, Ukrainian authorities said. Ukraine‘s interior ministry also reported another death from overnight shelling of Kherson.
Russian forces shelled the railway station in Kherson as a train was set to evacuate residents, killing one police officer and injuring four people, said Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko.
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India and Russia have made progress in talks on plans to jointly produce military equipment, according to Reuters. The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, shared the update on Wednesday after talks in Moscow with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
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Here are some of the the latest images coming out of Kherson, where a railway station was shelled overnight:
Russia’s newest howitzers will soon be deployed against Ukrainian forces as part of its “special military operation”, Sergei Chemezov, the head of the state-owned defence conglomerate Rostec has told the RIA news agency.
Speaking on Wednesday, Chemezov told Russia’s state news agency that testing of the new self-propelled artillery units, named Coalition-SV, had been completed and mass production had already started, with the first pilot batch to be delivered by the end of this year.
Reuters reports Chemezov as saying:
I think they will appear there [on the battlefield in Ukraine] soon, since howitzers of this class are needed to provide an advantage over western artillery models in terms of firing range
Russia’s Tass state news agency reported earlier this month that single Coalition-SV howitzers had already been deployed to the frontline in Ukraine.
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Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, has warned that a move by Japan to hand over Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, would have “grave consequences” for Russia-Japan ties.
Reuters reports that Zakharova made the comments on Wednesday. Japan, which had already joined its western allies in imposing economic sanctions on Russia, expanded its export blacklist earlier this month. It also includes a ban on Russian diamonds for non-industrial use.
Updated
Russia has lost 355,750 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, according to data published by the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces on Wednesday and cited by the Kyiv Independent. This includes 790 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.
The report also details Russia’s military vehicle losses. They are:
5,913 tanks
10,973 armoured fighting vehicles
11,140 vehicles and fuel tanks
8,376 artillery systems
934 multiple-launch rocket systems
616 air defence systems
329 airplanes
324 helicopters
6,471 drones
23 ships and boats
One submarine
The Guardian has been unable to verify the figures.
Updated
One person was killed after Russian forces sent dozens of attack drones over Ukraine in their latest overnight airstrike, Ukrainian authorities said on Wednesday.
A 35-year-old man was killed by debris from a downed drone in a residential area, the governor of Ukraine‘s Odesa region said. The interior ministry said four others, including a six-year-old child, were wounded.
According to Reuters, the Ukraine air force reported that 32 of 46 Iranian-made drones launched by Russia had been shot down. These were downed over parts of central, southern and western Ukraine, it added. Most of the rest struck near the frontline, mainly in the southern Kherson region.
Ukraine‘s interior ministry also reported a separate fatality from overnight shelling of Kherson.
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Ukraine military chief disputes Russian claim to control Marinka in east
The commander of Ukraine’s armed forces said on Tuesday his troops remained in an area of the eastern town of Marinka despite assertions by Russia’s defence minister that Moscow was in control of the settlement, which has been reduced to ruins after many months of fighting.
Reuters reports that Valery Zaluzhnyi acknowledged to reporters that the town was in ruins, but said Ukrainian troops were still positioned on its northern flank.
Deepstate, a popular Ukrainian war blog, reported late on Tuesday that Russian troops had taken over all areas of the town that had previously been outside its control.
Reuters could not confirm reports of military activity from either side.
Capturing Marinka would amount to Moscow’s most significant battlefield gain since May.
Zaluzhnyi told journalists that Russian forces had for two years been bearing down on Marinka, a short drive from the Russian-held regional centre of Donetsk. He said:
At this time today, our troops are still in northern areas. Our troops had readied a defensive line outside this locality, but I can say that this locality no longer exists.
Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister, said in a televised video with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on Monday:
Our assault units … have today completely liberated the settlement of Marinka.
Putin said taking the town would enable Russian troops to be able to operate in a wider area.
Zaluzhnyi said Ukrainian forces were resolved to defend any corner of the country, be it in Marinka or Bakhmut or Avdiikva, two other towns in the country’s east subject to months of fighting.
Bakhmut was captured by Russian troops in May and Ukrainian forces have been trying to secure nearby villages in a counteroffensive launched soon after. Avdiivka, adjacent to Marinka, remains in Ukrainian hands, but has been under fierce attack for two months.
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Opening summary
We’re restarting our rolling coverage of the war. Here’s an overview of the latest developments:
Ukraine’s armed forces commander has said his troops remain in an area of the eastern town of Marinka despite Russia’s assertions that Moscow is in control of the settlement.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi acknowledged on Tuesday the town was in ruins after prolonged fighting but said Ukrainian troops were still positioned on its northern flank.
Capturing Marinka would amount to Moscow’s most significant battlefield gain since May.
More on that story shortly. In other news:
Russian forces shelled the railway station in Kherson as a train was set to evacuate residents, killing one policeman and injuring four people, said Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko.
The Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee has approved Sweden’s bid for Nato membership but it still needs to pass a full vote of the parliament.
The Ukrainian air force said it struck Russia’s Novocherkassk navy ship during an air attack on Feodosia in Crimea, controlled by Russia. Ukraine said the ship was destroyed while Russia said it was damaged. Footage and photographs showed powerful explosions, fires over a port area, and burnt wreckage.
The Ukrainian army chief, Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said he was not satisfied with the work of military draft offices responsible for mobilising troops. His comments came a day after Ukraine’s parliament published the text of a draft law including lowering the age of men who can be mobilised to 25 from 27.
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s defence minister, said he wanted “to express deep gratitude” to the British government “for providing basic training to Ukraine’s combat air pilots”.
Taiwan’s economy ministry said it expanded a list of sanctioned goods for Russia and Belarus. The list includes equipment for making semiconductors, where Taiwan is a world leader, as well as certain chemicals and medicines.
Japan’s Mitsui & Co has decided to pull its employees out of Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. The decision is yet another blow for the project. Fearing the backlash from US sanctions targeting the project, foreign shareholders have suspended their participation.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, will hold talks with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in Moscow on Wednesday, Russia’s foreign ministry has said. The ministers plan to discuss bilateral ties as well as the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
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