The Kyiv Independent

2022-12-23 11:32:40 Russian attacks across 7 Ukrainian oblasts kill 5, injure 14 over past day.

Russian strikes on Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk oblasts in the east and south of Ukraine killed five people and wounded 14 more, according to local authorities. Open / Comment

2022-12-23 11:31:52 These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Dec. 23, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Open / Comment

2022-12-23 09:52:24 General Staff: Ukrainian forces hit 8 Russian personnel concentration areas.

Ukraine’s rocket and artillery forces hit three Russian command points, eight personnel concentration areas, and three ammunition depots on Dec. 22, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in the latest update.

Meanwhile, Russian forces conducted six missile strikes and six airstrikes and shelled Ukrainian positions and settlements more than 70 times with multiple rocket launchers over the same reporting period. Open / Comment

2022-12-23 08:36:33 Official: Russia demolishes half of Mariupol theatre.

An adviser to Mariupol Mayor Petro Andriushchenko reported on Telegram that Russians are relentlessly tearing down bombed-out buildings: "While Mariupol in exile thinks about cultural de-occupation, the occupants in Mariupol demolished half of the Drama Theatre. So in two days, there will not even be a physical memory of it." Drama Theatre became the city's main bomb shelter until twin Russian airstrikes hit it on March 16. Open / Comment

2022-12-23 06:26:13 ISW: Putin tries to absolve himself of responsibility for conducting protracted war in Ukraine.

During a press conference on Dec. 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia seeks to end the war as soon as possible while simultaneously noting that Russia will not increase the pace of what it calls a ”special military operation” because it would lead to ”unjustified losses.”

The Institute for the Study of war said in their latest report that both statements are a part of the Kremlin’s consolidated effort to justify Putin’s costly war effort to Russian domestic audiences. Open / Comment

2022-12-23 04:48:33 Politico: Pentagon considers training Ukrainian soldiers on Patriot in US.

The Pentagon is considering training Ukrainian soldiers to operate the Patriot surface-to-air missile system at a military base in the United States, two Defense Department officials told Politico. The news comes a day after the Biden administration announced that it would provide one Patriot battery to Ukraine to help defend against Russian attacks. Open / Comment

2022-12-23 03:52:28 Japan's Rakuten company to donate 500 generators to Ukraine.

CEO of the Japanese Rakuten Group Mickey Mikitani announced on Dec. 22 that the company would donate 500 generators to Ukraine together with Koshin Ltd. The generators will be shipped to Ukraine from Japan by the end of the year amid Ukraine's widespread power outages. Open / Comment

2022-12-23 02:23:48 Putin claims Patriot systems not as good as Russian missiles, pledges to destroy them.

"The Patriot is quite an outdated system, it doesn't work as well as our S-300 (surface-to-air) missiles," Russian dictator Vladimir Putin told journalists. "We'll take this into account. It's just a way to prolong the conflict... They want to supply Patriots. Let them supply them - we'll crack them (like nuts)." Open / Comment

2022-12-23 02:00:03 Ukraine war latest: New graves in Mariupol; Zelensky meets Duda; US to transfer Russian oligarch assets to Ukraine

An analysis conducted by the Associated Press (AP) has revealed evidence of approximately 10,300 new graves being dug in Russian-occupied Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast since March, when fighting in the port city escalated. 

AP arrived at this estimate through the analysis of satellite imagery, video footage, and drone footage. These graves, which occupy over 51,500 square meters, are located in the village of Staryi Krym near the city, as well as in the smaller cemeteries of Manhush and Vynohradne. 

Photo: Maxar Technologies Open / Comment

2022-12-23 01:52:53 Associated Press: Russia, China conduct joint naval drills.

On Dec. 22, Russian and Chinese naval forces engaged in joint military drills in the East China Sea, the latest in a series of exercises that showcase the deepening defense ties between the two countries, Associated Press reported.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said the Varyag missile cruiser, the Marshal Shaposhnikov destroyer, and two corvette warships from Russia’s Pacific Fleet participated in the drills, which began the day before. Open / Comment