Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 309

Published

2 years ago

December 29, 2022

Press Room

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 309

Right here is the state of affairs because it stands on Thursday, December 29.

Combating

Air raid sirens rang out throughout Ukraine as a number of areas Kyiv, had been going through a Russian missile assault. Sounds of explosions had been heard within the capital, Kyiv, the place the regional administration mentioned air protection techniques had been activated to fend off the continuing missile assault. Authorities in a number of areas mentioned some Russian missiles have been downed.
Russia has shelled greater than 25 settlements round Kherson and Zaporizhia, inflicting civilian casualties and damaging civilian infrastructure in Kherson metropolis and area, based on the Basic Employees of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Combating was significantly intense across the strategic japanese metropolis of Bakhmut in Donetsk province and Svatove, additional north in Luhansk province, Britain’s defence ministry mentioned.
Kyiv-based navy analyst Oleh Zhdanov famous that Kharkiv metropolis and area have suffered heavy assaults, and a regional gasoline pipeline has been broken.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov mentioned in a Telegram publish that town has come beneath assault twice, “presumably” from Iranian-made Shahed drones, 5 of which Ukraine’s japanese air command individually reported downing over town of Dnipro.
Ukrainian officers are calling on residents to evacuate from Kherson amid renewed Russian assaults on the southern metropolis.
An Australian man, Sage O’Donnell, has been killed combating in Ukraine, Australia’s Division of International Affairs and Commerce (DFAT) mentioned.

Diplomacy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed parliament to stay united and praised Ukrainians for serving to the West “discover itself once more”.
The Kremlin rejected Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace plan, reiterating that proposals to finish the battle should settle for Russia’s annexation of 4 Ukrainian areas: Luhansk and Donetsk within the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhia within the south.
Russia is not going to use Zelenskyy’s “peace system” as a foundation for negotiations and believes Kyiv continues to be not prepared for actual peace talks, Russia’s RIA information company cited overseas minister Sergey Lavrov as saying, including that Kyiv’s concept of driving Russia out of japanese Ukraine and Crimea with Western assist was “an phantasm”.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, has referred to as for additional help for his nation in heading off the Russian invasion, saying “peace doesn’t fall from the sky. It must be fought for.”

Economic system

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin mentioned the nation’s economic system, battered by Western sanctions, shrank by greater than 2 p.c over the previous 11 months.
UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres named a retired Kuwaiti vice admiral, Abdullah Abdul Samad Dashti, as coordinator of shipments from Ukraine as a part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Related Topics:europe Featured news Russia russia ukraine war Ukraine

Click to comment

Brussels, my love? Poland's New Year's resolution

Published

3 minutes ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

Brussels, my love? Poland's New Year's resolution

In this edition, we ask if Poland’s Donald Tusk can steer Europe to safety as he takes on the rotating presidency of the EU’s Council; and whether the extraordinary interventions of Elon Musk make him the king of free speech — or a threat to democracy.

We are joined by Antonios Nestoras, founder of think tank EPIC, Dorota Bawolek, Brussels correspondent for Poland’s TVP and Euronews senior reporter Jack Schickler.

In the first ‘Brussels, my love?’ episode of 2025, we look ahead to the challenges likely to be faced this year in Europe and the world.

The panel looks at the implications of a new Presidency for the EU’s Council, after Warsaw took over the reins chairing ministerial meetings as of 1 January.

Dorota Bawolek says the EU will be in safe hands with Prime Minister Donald Tusk at the helm.

“The Polish government at the moment is the most stable one in Europe,” she said, citing a governing coalition of social democrats, liberals and the centre-right. “Europe is lucky to have Poland driving her for the next six months.”

Antonios Nestoras said he’s happy to see Poland take over from Hungary, and welcomes Warsaw’s pledge to “make Europe strong again”.

“If the EU cannot provide security, then what the hell are we doing here?”, he said.

The panel also reacted to Elon Musk’s fervent support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in upcoming elections, and his attacks on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Jack Schickler called it an “extraordinary intervention”.

“Russia isn’t the only place with oligarchs: the US has some of its own,” he said, though “I doubt that we’ll see sanctions”.

Antonios Nestoras says Elon Musk has a brilliant mind but should stay out of politics.

“He is really naïve if he thinks that the twentieth century divisive politics that AfD stands for is the solution for the future that can save Germany,” he said. “None of the European countries can be saved by themselves: we need Europe”.

Watch ‘Brussels, my love?’ in the player above.

World

Manhattan's Top Federal Prosecutor Williams Joins Law Firm Paul Weiss

Published

10 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Manhattan's Top Federal Prosecutor Williams Joins Law Firm Paul Weiss

By Sara Merken (Reuters) – Damian Williams, the former top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, will return to law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison as a partner in New York, the firm said on Friday. Williams was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in 2021 by …

World

Trump issues warning to Maduro as Venezuelan leader enters third term, US expands sanctions

Published

11 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Trump issues warning to Maduro as Venezuelan leader enters third term, US expands sanctions

Join Fox News for access to this content

You have reached your maximum number of articles. Log in or create an account FREE of charge to continue reading.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

President-elect Donald Trump issued a warning ahead of the inauguration of contested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who took up the top job for a third term on Friday.

Despite significant opposition both at home and abroad to the July election in which Maduro claimed victory without providing ballot-box proof, the Venezuelan leader, deemed a “dictator” by American lawmakers, is now set to hold office until 2031.

On Thursday, opposition leader María Corina Machado emerged from months of hiding to join hundreds of anti-Maduro protesters in the capital city of Caracas and demand that opposition candidate Edmundo González be sworn in instead.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds a news conference at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, July 31, 2024, three days after his disputed reelection. Maduro banned the social network X from Venezuela for 10 days after accusing it of being used by his opponents to create unrest after the election. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)

TWO AMERICANS ARRESTED IN VENEZUELA ON EVE OF MADURO INAUGURATION OVER ‘TERRORISM’ CLAIMS

Machado was briefly detained by government security forces after they “violently intercepted” her convoy as she attempted to leave the protests, the Associated Press reported.

Trump took to social media to demand she remain “safe and alive.”

“Venezuelan democracy activist Maria Corina Machado and President-elect Gonzalez are peacefully expressing the voices and the will of the Venezuelan people with hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating against the regime,” he wrote. “These freedom fighters should not be harmed, and must stay safe and alive.”

The opposition figure was apparently forced to record several videos before she was released, though the details of those recordings remain unclear.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado addresses supporters at a protest against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, the day before his inauguration for a third term. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

THOUSANDS OF VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS TAKE TO THE STREETS AHEAD OF MADURO’S THIRD INAUGURATION

Maduro’s supporters have reportedly denied that Machado was arrested.

On Friday, the Biden administration backed the efforts by the opposition leaders and, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia should be sworn in, and the democratic transition should begin.

“Today, Nicolás Maduro held an illegitimate presidential inauguration in Venezuela in a desperate attempt to seize power. The Venezuelan people and world know the truth – Maduro clearly lost the 2024 presidential election and has no right to claim the presidency,” the secretary said in a statement. “The United States rejects the National Electoral Council’s fraudulent announcement that Maduro won the presidential election and does not recognize Nicolás Maduro as the president of Venezuela.

“We stand ready to support a return to democracy in Venezuela,” Blinken added.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Friday slapped a new round of sanctions on the Maduro regime, this time targeting “officials who lead key economic and security agencies enabling Nicolás Maduro’s repression and subversion of democracy in Venezuela.”

Eight officials were named in the sanctions, including the recently appointed head of Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA, Hector Obregon, as well as the nation’s transportation minister, Ramon Velasquez, according to a statement by the department.

“In addition, OFAC is sanctioning high-level Venezuelan officials in the military and police who lead entities with roles in carrying out Maduro’s repression and human rights abuses against democratic actors,” the statement said.

A supporter of Venezuela's opposition holds his arms up and shouts with fellow supporters ahead of President Nicolas Maduro's inauguration.

A supporter of Venezuela’s opposition reacts while gathering with fellow supporters ahead of President Nicolas Maduro’s inauguration for a third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 9, 2025. (Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)

Maduro was also once again targeted by Washington’s sanctions, and the reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction was increased to $25 million.

The same amount was offered up for the Venezuelan Minister of Interior, Justice, and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, along with a $15 million reward for Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.

Members of the military and police were also named in the sanctions.

Blinken confirmed on Friday that some 2,000 Maduro-aligned individuals have had visa-restrictions imposed on them.