Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on December 16 met with navy commanders and vowed to strengthen air defenses because the tense nation continued to take hits from a number of Russian missile and drone assaults, whereas he additionally promised to proceed his diplomatic offensive with Western companions to maintain the move of help coming.
“We’re making ready for additional strengthening of [our] air protection,” Zelenskiy mentioned in his nightly video tackle.
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“The theme of air protection arises in nearly each assembly in talks with world leaders. There might be extra programs, extra safety for the sky,” he added.
Zelenskiy additionally vowed to keep up his international diplomatic push for help and assist as the vacation season nears.
“Christmas is approaching,” he mentioned. “Whereas political exercise could calm down in lots of nations, we proceed to work rigorously with all companions who may also help now and supply assist sooner or later.”
Zelenskiy’s feedback come on the heels of a whirlwind worldwide journey — together with stops in Argentina, the US, Norway, and the U.S. navy headquarters in Germany — as he seems to be to bolster assist.
Zelenskiy mentioned earlier within the day that Ukraine was decided to mobilize assist and ”work with companions to protect unity within the protection of Ukraine” amid mounting challenges to U.S. and European funding within the twenty second month since Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion started.
EU leaders used an agreed loophole at a two-day summit on December 14-15 to skirt Hungarian opposition to accession talks with Ukraine. Nevertheless, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to be blocking a proposed main funding bundle for Ukraine.
EU leaders have mentioned they might flip to an alternate plan at an emergency summit in late January or early February, reportedly consisting of loans to Kyiv versus outright grants.
In the meantime, U.S. President Joe Biden has been struggling to succeed in a cope with Republicans in Congress to move stalled laws to assist Ukraine in its battle with Russia.
U.S. lawmakers started leaving Washington on December 14 with out a deal to ship extra navy help to Kyiv, as opposition Republicans proceed to demand concurrent adjustments to U.S. border safety coverage as a situation for Ukrainian help. The administration is in search of $110 billion in protection funding to be earmarked for Ukraine and Israel.
On the battlefield, Russia and Ukraine every claimed on December 15-16 to have downed dozens of the opposite’s assault drones above Ukrainian territory in Russian-occupied Crimea and different components of southern and japanese Ukraine but additionally in Kyiv, with Ukraine saying the Russian assaults had been aimed toward many civilian targets.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko suggested residents to remain in shelters as air defenses across the capital fired at a number of waves of incoming drones late on December 15.
The top of Kyiv’s navy administration, Serhiy Popko, later mentioned there have been no casualties and restricted harm within the metropolis.
In his video tackle, Zelenskiy mentioned the nation’s air defenses “in only one night time destroyed 30 [Iranian-made] Shahed drones.”
Total, he added that 104 of the 112 Shahed drones utilized by Russia have been destroyed over the previous week.
Drone assaults in Russia’s border areas have grow to be extra frequent, and Moscow and its outer suburbs even have been focused.
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Russian forces launch drone strikes nearly each day on Ukrainian cities and cities. Large drone assaults had been launched on southern Ukraine this week, and ballistic missiles had been fired at Kyiv, wounding dozens of individuals.
The Russian Protection Ministry mentioned on December 15 that its forces had downed 26 Ukrainian assault drones over occupied Crimea.
Explosions from air defenses sounded within the Crimean port metropolis of Sevastopol, the Moscow-appointed governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, mentioned.
Probably the most intense combating continues to be grinding on in a lot of japanese and southeastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Basic Workers mentioned a monthslong Russian effort to encircle the japanese metropolis of Avdiyivka, in Donetsk, was persevering with however mentioned Ukrainian troops had been ”standing their floor” within the face of at the least 17 assaults by Russian forces prior to now day.
It additionally mentioned Ukraine’s forces had been holding positions on the left financial institution of the Dnieper River within the Kherson area as Russian forces try to interrupt by way of the protection strains within the Lyman path.
It added that 71 fight clashes happened within the space throughout the day.
RFE/RL can not independently verify accounts by both facet in areas of the heaviest combating.