Live blog: US releases final package of authorised military aid for Ukraine

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

2039 GMT — The US government has announced what it said was the last remaining package of weapons available for Ukraine under existing authorisation, with Congress now needing to decide whether to keep supporting Kiev's battle against Russian invasion.

"The year's final package" includes air-defence and artillery munitions, the State Department said.

Earlier, the Secretary of StateAntony Blinken said the US will provide up to $250 million in arms and equipment to Ukraine, including air defense munitions and artillery ammunition.

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1319 GMT — Russia says redirected most oil exports to China, India

Russia has redirected its oil exports from Europe to China and India, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said, almost two years after Moscow was hit by Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict.

After President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022, Western countries hit Russia with a slew of sanctions including a European Union embargo on its seaborne oil deliveries.

"We previously supplied a total of 40 to 45 percent of oil and oil products to Europe," said Novak, who is in charge of energy policy. "This year, we expect the figure not to exceed four to five percent of total exports," Novak said in a televised interview.

As it was losing much of its market share in Europe, Moscow pivoted to other buyers including China.

"China -- whose share (of oil exports) has grown to 45-50 percent -- and India have become our main partners in the current situation," Novak said.

India, which previously received almost no shipment, has become a major buyer.

"In two years the total share of supplies to India has increased to about 40 percent," Novak said.

India has been able to snap up discounted crude from Russia before refining it and selling it to European customers, reports say. While these sales are legal, critics say they amount to a backdoor route for Russian oil and undermine the impact of the sanctions.

1427 GMT –– Ukraine probes alleged prisoner of war execution by Russians

Ukraine has opened a war crimes investigation into the alleged execution by Russian forces of three Ukrainian prisoners of war, the general prosecutor's office has said.

Authorities said the incident occurred this month near the village of Robotyne in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region and was captured in a video that was circulating online.

"This is another case of a gross violation by the aggressor country of international humanitarian law regarding the treatment of prisoners of war," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

1544 GMT –– Ukraine may have to delay salaries, pensions without foreign aid

Ukraine's government faces the prospect of delaying pensions and salaries for public servants if crucial Western financial aid is not approved soon, Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has told the Financial Times.

"The support of partners is extremely critical," Svyrydenko told the newspaper. "We need it urgently."

She said 500,000 civil servants, 1.4 million teachers and 10 million pensioners could experience payment delays.

1228 GMT –– EU aid to Ukraine will harm Europe's economy, won't change outcome of war: Kremlin

The Kremlin has said that any fresh European Union aid to Ukraine would not affect the outcome of the conflict there and that such spending would only hurt Europe's economy.

"Both Europeans and Americans are already well aware of the level of corruption (in Ukraine) and they understand that a fair portion of this money is stolen," Peskov told a regular news briefing.

"This money will not be able to change the course of events (in the Ukraine conflict)... This money is allocated to the detriment of EU economies which are already going through difficult times..," he said.

1032 GMT –– Russia warns Japan over providing Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine

A move by Japan to provide Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine will have "grave consequences" for Russia-Japan ties, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said.

Last week, Japan said it would prepare to ship Patriot air defence missiles to the United States after revising its arms export guidelines, in Tokyo's first major overhaul of such export curbs in nine years.

"The Japanese side loses control over the weapons with which Washington can now do whatever it wants," Zakharova told a weekly briefing. "It cannot be ruled out that under an already tested scheme Patriot missiles will end up in Ukraine."

Such a scenario would be "interpreted as unambiguously hostile actions against Russia and will lead to grave consequences for Japan in the context of bilateral relations", she said.

1010 GMT –– A Russian drone and artillery attack kills 6 in Ukraine and knocks out power in a major city

Russia fired almost 50 Shahed drones at targets in Ukraine and shelled a train station where more than 100 civilians were gathered to catch a train to Kiev, Ukrainian officials have said.

The barrages killed at least five people and knocked out power in most of the southern city of Kherson.

The aerial barrage came a day after Ukrainian warplanes damaged a Russian ship moored in the Black Sea off Moscow-occupied Crimea as both sides' soldiers struggled to make much progress along the front line of the 22-month war.

0739 GMT –– One killed in Russia's latest drone attack: Ukrainian authorities

One person was killed after Russian forces sent dozens of attack drones over Ukraine in their latest overnight air strike, Ukrainian authorities said.

The Ukraine air force said that 32 of 46 Iranian-made drones launched by Russia had been shot down. Most of the rest struck near the front line, mainly in the southern Kherson region.

The governor of Ukraine's Odessa region said that a 35-year-old man was killed by debris from a downed drone in a residential area. The interior ministry said four others, including a six-year-old child, were wounded.

There were no other immediate reports of casualties. The air force said the military had shot down drones over parts of central, southern and western Ukraine.

2101 GMT — EU said to be preparing $22B fund plan for Ukraine

The European Union is preparing a back-up plan worth up to $22.08 billion for Ukraine, the Financial Times has reported.

The debt-funded scheme would sidestep Hungary to release money for Kiev quickly, the report said.

All 27 EU states except Hungary recently agreed to start accession talks with Ukraine despite the Russian attack, bypassing PM Viktor Orban's opposition by getting him to leave the room during the summit when the decision was made. Orban confirmed it was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who suggested this solution.

1926 GMT — Russian forces 'shell' Kherson rail station

Russian forces have shelled the railway station in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson as a train was set to evacuate residents, killing one policeman and wounding four people, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko alleged.

Klymenko said about 140 civilians had been at the station in the early evening, and quick action by police to direct them away saved many lives.

"Thanks to the clear actions of the police, everyone was successfully taken to safe places," Klymenko said on Telegram. "Unfortunately, a police lieutenant from the Kirovohrad region lost his life due to the shelling. ... Two more police officers are in the hospital with shrapnel wounds."

For our live updates from Tuesday (December 26), click here.