Here is the situation on SATURDAY DECEMBER 2, 2023. (647 Day)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed that the winter marks a new phase of the ongoing conflict, acknowledging that the desired outcomes were not achieved during the summer counteroffensive. Zelenskiy highlighted the impact of the international community’s attention shifting due to the Middle East tragedy. In response, he emphasized the need for changes in Ukraine’s mobilization system as part of an overarching strategy to enhance the country’s military position.
During a military command meeting, scenarios were discussed to yield concrete results by 2024 amidst the prevailing wartime conditions.
Despite minimal observable movement, Russia claimed advancement on all sections of the Ukrainian front. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu asserted the competence and decisiveness of Russian servicemen, stating their strategic positioning and expanded control zones.
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree increasing the maximum number of Russian armed forces personnel by 170,000, setting the regular strength at 1,320,000 servicemen.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated that Moscow saw no indication of Kyiv’s readiness for a political resolution. He emphasized that Russia had no reason to alter the objectives of its ongoing “special military operation.”
Tensions persisted on the Polish-Ukrainian border, with Ukrainian truckers stranded and threatening a hunger strike if their demands were unmet. Although measures were agreed upon to alleviate border crossing issues, the core demands of protesting Polish truckers were not addressed. Slovak truckers announced plans to block a border crossing with Ukraine.
In a separate development, a Russian court extended the detention of Russian American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva until February 5.
SOURCE THE GUARDIAN
