Because the struggle enters its 676th day, these are the principle developments.
Right here is the state of affairs on Sunday, December 31, 2023.
Combating
- Russia stated at least 21 people, together with three youngsters, have been killed and dozens extra injured after an assault Moscow blamed on Kyiv hit a residential space of Belgorod close to the border with Ukraine.
- Ukraine stated at the very least 21 individuals have been injured after Russia fired two S-300 surface-to-surface missiles on the northeastern city of Kharkiv, hours after the Belgorod assault. The Kharkiv regional chief prosecutor stated the missiles got here from the course of Belgorod, about 30km (19 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
- The Normal Workers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that 10 Iranian-made Shahed drones had been shot down throughout Ukraine’s Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, and Mykolaiv areas. Kyiv’s navy administration stated air defence programs within the area surrounding the capital repelled a brand new Russian bombardment late on Saturday evening.
- The Polish Military stated it ended a floor search after discovering no components of a suspected Russian rocket that it stated had violated the nation’s airspace on Friday morning. Poland earlier summoned the Russian cost d’affaires and demanded an evidence for the breach of its airspace.
Politics and diplomacy
- Russia drew sharp criticism on the United Nations Safety Council (UNSC) for its large air assault on Ukraine on Friday that broken a maternity hospital, residence blocks and colleges and killed at the very least 41 individuals. Kyiv and its allies referred to as for an pressing assembly of the 15-member physique to deal with the strikes. Russia additionally referred to as for the UNSC to convene on Saturday following the Belgorod assault, which it described as “a terrorist assault by the Kyiv regime towards a civilian metropolis”.
- United States President Joe Biden stated Russia’s missile attack was a “stark reminder” that Russian President Vladimir Putin remained dedicated to destroying Ukraine and that “he have to be stopped”. Biden urged Congress to “step up” and again continued funding for Ukraine amid opposition from right-wing Republicans.
- Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov stated the nation had exported about 13 million tonnes of cargo on some 400 ships since establishing a protected maritime hall in August, after Moscow abandoned the Black Sea grain deal brokered by the UN and Turkey that had beforehand allowed secure passage for Ukraine’s exports.
