HERE IS THE SITUATION ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 29, 2023. (674 DAY)
In a tragic incident along southern Ukraine’s front line, two fishermen lost their lives when a village on the banks of the Dnipro River was shelled by Russia. Additionally, five individuals sustained injuries in the attack.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s southern military command reported that a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, en route to one of the country’s River Danube ports for grain loading, encountered a Russian mine in the Black Sea. This resulted in the vessel losing speed and control, leading to a fire onboard. Out of the 18-member crew, two individuals were injured, with one—an Egyptian national—taken to the hospital. To prevent sinking, the captain intentionally grounded the ship, and Ukraine intends to use tugs to bring it safely into port.
Ukraine’s air force reported successfully intercepting seven out of eight Shahed drones launched by Moscow overnight. The downed drones were scattered across three central and southern regions.
In the Black Sea port city of Odesa, a fire erupted in a multistorey building struck by one of the downed drones, as confirmed by Oleh Kiper, the regional governor. Information regarding casualties is currently under verification, and residents are advised to remain in shelters due to an ongoing drone threat.
On a different front, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed to have thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack over Crimea, the region annexed by Russia in 2014.
In a tragic incident along southern Ukraine’s front line, two fishermen lost their lives when a village on the banks of the Dnipro River was shelled by Russia. Additionally, five individuals sustained injuries in the attack.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s southern military command reported that a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, en route to one of the country’s River Danube ports for grain loading, encountered a Russian mine in the Black Sea. This resulted in the vessel losing speed and control, leading to a fire onboard. Out of the 18-member crew, two individuals were injured, with one—an Egyptian national—taken to the hospital. To prevent sinking, the captain intentionally grounded the ship, and Ukraine intends to use tugs to bring it safely into port.
669 Day the Russia-Ukraine War Conflict Updates (russianoligarchs.com)
Ukraine’s air force reported successfully intercepting seven out of eight Shahed drones launched by Moscow overnight. The downed drones were scattered across three central and southern regions.
In the Black Sea port city of Odesa, a fire erupted in a multistorey building struck by one of the downed drones, as confirmed by Oleh Kiper, the regional governor. Information regarding casualties is currently under verification, and residents are advised to remain in shelters due to an ongoing drone threat.
On a different front, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack over Crimea, the region annexed by Russia in 2014.
The United States, in collaboration with the United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada, has put forth a proposal within the Group of Seven (G7) countries to investigate strategies for seizing $300 billion in frozen Russian assets. This initiative, as reported by Britain’s Financial Times, aims to have various options prepared for G7 leaders to deliberate upon during a potential meeting around February 24.
A Moscow court jailed two men for taking part in a poetry recital critical of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Poet Artyom Kamardin, 33, was sentenced to seven years for reciting the poem, while Yegor Shtovba, 23, got five and a half years for attending the anti-mobilisation protest. Supporters shouted “Shame!” after the sentences were announced, and some people were later detained by police, according to the AFP news agency.
Belarus’s President Alexander Lukashenko attended a government-organised event for a new group of children brought from Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine, amid international outrage over his country’s involvement in Moscow’s forced deportation of Ukrainian children. Officials did not say how many Ukrainian children were in the latest group.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he discussed Ukraine’s peace formula in a call with Pope Francis, noting that more than 80 countries were “already involved” in the process. Zelenskyy has said the framework will next be discussed in Davos, Switzerland. The formula requires Russia to withdraw all its troops from Ukrainian territory, including regions it has been occupying since 2014, before talks can begin.
Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, said he had a “productive phone call” with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto to discuss a meeting between Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the “near future.” Earlier this month, all European Union states except Hungary agreed to start accession talks with Ukraine, and Budapest blocked a new EU budget providing aid to Ukraine.
FAQ
Can the Ukraine war end in 2024 as Russia, US go for elections in 2024
