Live blog: Several wounded in Kherson as Russia targets Ukraine cities

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

1508 GMT –– Ukraine said that nine people, including four children, had been wounded by Russian shelling in the southern city of Kherson, as drones targeted the capital Kiev and the second-largest city Kharkiv.

"During the evening shelling of Kherson by the Russian occupiers, nine people were injured, four of them were children," said Roman Mrochko, head of Kherson, adding that the children were between two and 13 years old.

He said a mother and her three children had been hospitalised but were in a "moderate" condition.

On the same night, a Ukrainian Red Cross warehouse storing aid intended for residents of the Kherson region was destroyed.

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1634 GMT –– Germany to seize more than $790M from Russian financial group

Prosecutors in Germany said they would move to confiscate more than $790 million from the Frankfurt bank account of a Russian financial institution, marking the country's first such attempt.

German authorities have previously moved to freeze Russian assets in response to Moscow's military offensive against Ukraine in 2022, but have stopped short of attempts to confiscate money.

A source familiar with the matter said that the institution was the National Settlement Depository (NSD), the domestic payments agent owned by Moscow Exchange which plays an important role in Russia's financial system as a key intermediary with international markets.

German prosecutors said in a statement, which did not name the NSD, that the move was prompted by a suspected attempt to breach EU sanctions on June 3, 2022.

Unidentified officials from the institution sought to withdraw 720 million euros from its Frankfurt bank account, a transaction that was rejected, the statement said.

1633 GMT –– US imposes more Russian oil price cap sanctions

The US imposed new sanctions on alleged violators of a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian oil and tightened compliance rules for insurance firms and shippers.

Firms across the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong were identified for economic sanctions, including UAE-based Sun Ship Management D Ltd., which Russian state-owned fleet operator Joint Stock Company Sovcomflot owns. Also sanctioned were Hong Kong-based Covart Energy, which has increased its share of the trade of Russian oil since the price cap policy was implemented, and Hong Kong-based Bellatrix Energy.

The price cap coalition also announced that it will soon require service providers, including shippers and movers of Russian oil, to receive attestations from their purchasers and sellers each time they lift or load Russian oil.

The coalition will also require insurance and freight firms to share these documents upon request with entities further down the supply chain, a Treasury news release states.

1605 GMT –– Ukrainian army proposal to call up more civilians gets mixed reaction in Kiev

A Ukrainian army proposal to conscript up to 500,000 more civilians has produced mixed feelings in Kiev, with many people saying more troops are needed to fight Russia but some suggesting it is pointless unless they get more weapons.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the army 's proposal on Tuesday but said he had not yet decided whether to back it.

Ukraine does not provide details of current troop numbers but has previously said it had around 1 million people under arms.

Such a move would be intended to help replenish exhausted Ukrainian forces nearly two years of Russia's military offensive, but could risk a backlash from those who oppose it.

1505 GMT –– Analysts say Ukraine's forces are pivoting to defence after Russia held off their counteroffensive

Ukraine’s armed forces are taking up a more defensive posture, a military analysis said, after their summer counteroffensive failed to achieve a breakthrough against Russia’s army and as winter weather sets in after almost 22 months of the war.

“In recent weeks, Ukraine has mobilised a concerted effort to improve field fortifications as its forces pivot to a more defensive posture along much of the front line,” the UK Ministry of Defense said in an assessment.

The Kremlin’s deep defences held firm against Ukraine’s months-long assault, using Western-supplied weapons but without essential air cover, along the around 1,000-kilometre front line.

1211 GMT –– Truckers vent frustration at Poland-Ukraine border

Polish truck drivers blocking border crossings with Ukraine are wary of ending their protests after Poland’s new Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak signalled the new government’s support for their demands but called for the blockades to be ended.

“We aren’t going anywhere until we see changes on the ground,” a Polish truck driver protesting at Medyka, a key border crossing between Ukraine and Poland, said. “We have been given promises before, but they are not always fulfilled,” he said.

Kolodziejczak visited the border on Dec. 19, saying: “Imports of agri-food products from Ukraine are one of the greatest threats to our agriculture. Today I was in Medyka at the farmers' protest. The demands raised here are valid, and we are working to ensure that they are met as quickly as possible. Farmers' place is not on the road,” he said.

1104 GMT –– Kremlin: Search for Ukraine peace plan without Russia's participation 'absurd process'

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the search for a "peace formula" for Ukraine without Russia's participation an "absurd process that has no potential for results."

"This 'peace formula,' which has been mentioned and is often mentioned, you know, here you just need to open your eyes and look at the facts -- they are trying to look for a formula for peace without Russia's participation," he told a news conference in Moscow, referring to Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy's 10-point peace plan presented last year.

"To say the least, this is an absurd process. This is a process that has no potential for any results."

0918 GMT –– EU upholds sanctions against Russian billionaire Abramovich

The European Union's top court upheld sanctions against Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich that had been placed upon him after Russia's military offensive against Ukraine.

After President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the EU sanctioned Russian officials and a host of Russian businessmen, such as Abramovich, while freezing hundreds of billions of dollars of Russian assets.

Abramovich had launched a legal challenge against this.

"The General Court dismisses the action brought by Mr Abramovich, thereby upholding the restrictive measures taken against him," said the EU's top court in a ruling.

Abramovich, who also holds Israeli citizenship and is a former owner of Chelsea football club, became one of the world's most powerful businessmen after the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union. Forbes estimates his net worth at $9.2 billion.

0656 GMT –– Putin calls for 'severe' response to foreign efforts to destabilise Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a "severe" response to foreign agents who aim to destabilise Russia by aiding Ukraine.

"The Kiev regime with direct support of foreign special services has taken the path of terrorist methods, practically state terrorism," Putin said in a video address.

"These are acts of sabotage against civilian sites, transport and energy infrastructure, attacks against civilians and representatives of authority," he said.

Numerous sabotages on Russian railroads and drone attacks attributed to Ukraine have been reported since Moscow launched its offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.

"The attempts by foreign special agents to destabilise the political and social situation in Russia must be severely stopped," Putin said in his address on security agency workers' day.

0339 GMT — Nine wounded in Kherson

Ukraine has said nine people, including four children, were wounded by Russian shelling in the southern city of Kherson as drones also targeted the capital Kiev and second-largest city Kharkiv.

"During the evening shelling of Kherson by the Russian occupiers, nine people were injured, four of them were children," said Kherson mayor Roman Mrochko, adding that the children were between two and 13 years old.

A mother and her three children were hospitalised but "their condition is moderate. They have contusions and… explosive injuries", the mayor said on Telegram.

Several Iranian-made "Shahed" drones were also shot down by Ukrainian air defences as they headed toward Kiev, according to the head of the capital's military administration, Serhii Popko.

Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov reported at least two strikes near residential buildings in his city. "Information about casualties and destruction is being clarified," he wrote on Telegram.

0140 GMT — US Senate leaders say no Ukraine aid before year's end

The Democratic and Republican leaders of the US Senate have said that Washington will not be able to approve new aid for Ukraine before year's end, as the two sides continue to seek a compromise.

"As negotiators work through remaining issues, it is our hope that their efforts will allow the Senate to take swift action... early in the new year," Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican Mitch McConnell said in a joint statement.

"In the time remaining this year, Senate and Administration negotiators will continue to work in good faith toward finalising their agreement."

"Challenging issues remain, but we are committed to addressing needs at the southern border and to helping allies and partners confront serious threats in Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific. The Senate will not let these national security challenges go unanswered."

2326 GMT — Ukraine says Russia launches air raid on Kiev

Russia has launched its fifth air attack this month targeting Kiev, with Ukraine's air defence systems destroying all weapons on approach to the Ukrainian capital, Keiv's military claimed early on Wednesday.

"According to preliminary information, there were no casualties or destruction in the capital," Serhiy Popko, head of Kiev's military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app.

The full scale of the attack was not immediately clear. Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

Russia started carrying out strikes on Ukraine's energy, military and transport infrastructure in regions far from the front line in October 2022, six months after Moscow troops failed to take over Kiev and withdrew to Ukraine's east and south.

Most of southeastern Ukraine remained under air raid alerts at 2300 GMT, with Ukraine's air force saying that the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions were under threat of Russian ballistic missile attacks.

For our live updates from Tuesday (December 19), click here.