U.K. to Provide £2.3B Next Year in Military Assistance

The United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with about £2.3 billion in military assistance next year, U.K. Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace announced Thursday.

The additional funding will help the Ukrainian government purchase weapons needed to fight Russian forces, Wallace said while meeting with military officials at Manchester Airport.

"We recently donated thousands of anti-air missiles so we can bring down these drones," Wallace said, according to The Independent. He said the U.K. is "providing their knowledge and expertise about making sure we coordinate better the air defence on the ground" and is also "making sure" Ukrainian troops will be able to "win on the ground" as they battle Russian occupiers.

Wallace said Russia is "breaking international law" and mentioned allegations that have popped up over the course of the war of Russian war crimes. The National Police of Ukraine said Thursday they are investigating more than 5,300 alleged war crimes in de-occupied areas of four Ukrainian oblasts.

Wallace said that unless Russia "ceases what it is doing now, there will be long-term consequences," according to The Guardian.

Ukraine Blames Belarus Incident on Russian Air Strike

Ukraine claims the missile launched at Belarus may be a "deliberate provocation" from Russia and is prepared to conduct its own investigation into the incident.

On Thursday, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said it shot down an anti-aircraft guided missile of the S-300 complex launched into the Ivanovo District of Belarus.

"Today, at around 10 o'clock, an air target was hit by the forces of the air defense," the ministry said in a statement. "Its fragments were found in an agricultural field near the village of Gorbakha, Ivanovo district, Brest region."

During the "verification activities," Belarus preliminarily established that the wrecked missile came from Ukraine.

Belarus summoned Ukraine's ambassador to the Foreign Ministry in Minsk to file a formal protest.

The Ukraine Ministry of Defense said the Kremlin has "desperate and persistent aspirations" to involve Belarus in its war against Ukraine and noted that this incident occurred while Russian launched another missile strike on Ukraine.

"In this regard, the Ukrainian side does not exclude a deliberate provocation by the terrorist state of Russia, which laid such a route for its cruise missiles in order to provoke their interception in the airspace over the territory of Belarus," the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said in a statement.

Ukraine said it is ready to conduct its own investigation into the incident in Belarus it says is the "result of the repulse of a massive missile strike by the Russian Federation." Ukraine said it's prepared to invite outside authoritative experts from states not directly involved in the conflict to participate in such an investigation.

The Ministry of Defense also highlighted the "barbaric" missile strike launched on Ukrainian cities by Russia Thursday and said Ukraine will continue to defend itself against "Russian barbarism and aggression," in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

"The international community must take stronger action to deprive Russia of the ability to continue barbarism and missile terror against Ukraine's civilians and civilian targets, and to strengthen Ukraine's defensive, air and missile capabilities," Ukraine said.

Humanitarian Organizations Provide Generators, Water

Humanitarian organizations continue helping civilians Thursday, as several parts of Ukraine fell under the latest wave of Russian missile strikes.

Civilian casualties have been reported in connection with the latest strikes, which targeted key civilian infrastructure. Human rights advocates criticized Russia for continuing to target critical infrastructure, such as power systems and hospitals.

UNICEF officials in Ukraine said they provided generators on Thursday to remote areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, where people are living on the war's frontlines. The generators, which were delivered in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, will be used to provide people in need with safe drinking water, UNICEF Ukraine said.

UNICEF and the European Commission's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid organization were also visiting the Mykolaiv and Odessa areas this week to assess 10 schools in need of rehabilitation. UNICEF said Thursday it is also providing money to help Ukrainian families in need afford essential items like food and medicine.

The Ukrainian Red Cross was also at work in the Mykolaiv and Khmelnytskyi regions on Thursday. In Mykolaiv, the Red Cross said officials oversaw a pumping station to help deliver safe drinking water to people in the area, while officials provided food, hygiene kits and utensils to about 500 displaced people in Khmelnytskyi. The Ukrainian Red Cross said Wednesday it has helped about 10 million people since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in late February.

In Poland, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) shared a list on Twitter of items that Ukrainian refugees in Poland need the most, from monetary assistance and food or clothes to a place to live or a job. The UNHRC estimates more than 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to Poland since the start of the war.

In response to Thursday's Russian missile strikes, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said officials are "alarmed" by the destruction caused by the attacks.

"We restate our call for the protection of civilians," the OHCHR said.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described the strikes as "inexcusable" and said they "wreaked havoc" on Ukraine's people.

"These inexcusable strikes in the middle of the winter - and during the festive season - leave millions more without more electricity, heating & water," OCHA said.

An OCHA Ukraine spokesperson reiterated OCHA's message in a Thursday tweet.

"The people of #Ukraine need a respite from this terrible war," the spokesperson said. "International humanitarian law is clear: Civilians and civilian infrastructure are #NotATarget."

Nearly All of Bakhmut Evacuated Amid Shelling

A city on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine has been nearly completely evacuated as shelling continues.

Almost 90 percent of residents, more than 70,000 people, left the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region amid a "difficult security situation," Mayor Oleksii Reva wrote in a Facebook post.

Reva said evacuations continue as some 8,700 residents remain in Bahkmut and "live under constant shelling."

"It is very difficult to live far from home, but there is no safe place in Bakhmut today," he said.

Those under mandatory evacuations will be redirected from the Ternopil region to the Cherkasy region from January 2," Reva said. People will then be provided with humanitarian aid in municipal facilities.

Kremlin Says Ukraine is Not Ready for Peace Talks

The Kremlin said Ukraine is "not ready for dialogue" regarding peace talks to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Russian media that Ukrainian officials are "unable to negotiate," calling them "outright Russophobes."

"It is obvious that Kyiv is not ready for dialogue," he said. "[Volodymyr] Zelensky churns out all kinds of ideas and peace formulas, with the illusion of succeeding, with the Western assistance, in achieving the withdrawal of our troops from the Russian territories in Donbass, Crimea, Zaporizhizhia and Kherson regions, making Russia pay reparations, voluntarily surrender to international tribunals."

A Kremlin spokesperson recently said any peace talks must include the recognition of Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts. Ukraine and its western allies called these a "sham" referendum used to illegally seized Ukrainian territory.

Zelensky outlined his peace plan at last month's G20 summit. It included the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the release of all prisoners and commitments on issues like nuclear security and food security.

Lavrov said Russia will not speak to anyone under the conditions Ukraine set.

"Whether there are any politicians in their right mind left on the territories controlled by the Kyiv regime is hard to tell, especially considering the widespread practice of suppressing any dissent and extrajudicial reprisals with them. Can a reasonable political figure emerge later in Kyiv? Only time will tell," he said.

Lavrov also claimed Zelensky has a "total lack of independence" in adopting important decision, suggesting Ukraine is acting on the direction of the West.

Over 1,000 Civilian Bodies Found in 4 Oblasts, Report

More than 1,100 dead civilians have been found in de-occupied areas of four Ukrainian oblasts, according to the National Police of Ukraine.

Oleksiy Sergeev, who heads the Department of Organizational Analytical Support and Operational Response of the National Police, provided the tally during a Thursday press briefing on de-occupation efforts in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts.

Sergeev said 1,116 civilian bodies have been found in those four oblasts since Ukrainian troops reclaimed the areas from Russian forces. Thirty-one children are among those killed, Sergeev said. Three bodies of civilians also found in Kherson on Wednesday, he added.

Investigators in the de-occupied areas of those four oblasts are also looking into 5,398 alleged war crimes, most of which were reported in Kharkiv.

At least 6,884 civilian deaths have been reported throughout Ukraine from the time the war began through December 26, according to the United Nations (U.N.) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Another 10,847 civilian injuries have been reported over the last 10 months.

The OHCHR has said U.N. officials believe the numbers of civilian casualties are likely "considerably higher" due in part to reporting delays attributed to the continued fighting. The OHCHR's data on civilian casualties reflects information verified by agency officials and does not always match numbers cited by Ukrainian officials.

Ukraine Says 11K Russian Troops Training in Belarus

An estimated 11,000 Russian troops are training in Belarusian territory as Russia's war with Ukraine continues, Ukrainian defense officials said Thursday.

During a Thursday briefing on the state of the war, Brigadier General Alexei Gromov of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russia "continues to increase its training level by conducting training at the Belarusian landfills" and estimated "up to 11,000" Russian troops were involved in the training. Accompanying those troops were more than 400 units of Russian arms and military equipment, Gromov said.

Belarus has remained an ally of Russia's over the course of the war. Gromov said the situation along the Ukraine-Belarus border "remains controlled and stable," though Belarusian defense officials reported Thursday that a missile launched from inside Ukraine was detonated after crossing into Belarusian airspace. The Ukrainian ambassador to Belarus was called to Belarus' Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the reported missile landing.

At this point in the war, Belarusian troops have not been directly involved in the fighting, but Belarus has provided Russia with training space and other assistance since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in late February. Serhii Deineko of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service said earlier this week that the Russian troops gathering in Belarus would not be enough to carry out a new attack against Ukraine.

Gromov said in his Thursday update that the number of Russian troops training in Belarus combined with the Russian troops currently based in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk regions was "twice the size" of the force that attacked Ukraine's capital city at the start of the invasion. However, even if Belarusian ground and special operations forces were to get involved, the number of troops amassed would still be "less than that which participated in the full-scale invasion," Gromov said.

Catherine the Great Statue Replaced With Ukrainian Flag

A statue of Russian Empress Catherine the Great was removed from the Ukrainian city of Odesa Thursday morning.

The Empress, who founded the southern port city, is synonymous with Russian imperialism.

Her statue was removed after the regional council passed a de-Russification" resolution to dismantle Russian monuments.

Other Russian monuments were taken down in Odesa. They are expected to be transferred to the Odesa Art Museum.

The monument to Catherine II was then replaced with the Ukrainian flag.

Ukrainian Missile Reportedly Lands in Belarus

A missile believed to have been fired from inside Ukraine reportedly landed in Belarusian territory on Thursday.

The Belarus Ministry of Defense told the state-owned news outlet Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA) that Belarusian troops shot the missile, later identified as a Soviet-era S-300, out of the sky once it crossed the Ukraine-Belarus border.

Belarusian defense officials said the missile is believed to have been launched in Zabolotye and was spotted nearing Belarusian airspace at about 10 a.m. local time. Belarusian defense officials shot the missile down near Gorbakha in Belarus' Ivanovo District.

One Gorbakha resident told BelTA they experienced "a sound wave and a shock wave" as the missile approached. Another local resident described hearing a "massive noise" and said they "thought it was war."

There were no initial reports of injuries in connection with Thursday's reported missile landing. BelTA reported that officials with the country's investigative arm traveled to the missile landing site to further assess the situation.

Later Thursday, the Belarus Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ukraine's ambassador to discuss the reported incident. The ministry shared a photo of the missile in question on social media.

"We demanded that Ukraine conduct a thorough investigation, hold those responsible to account & take comprehensive measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, as they can lead to catastrophic consequences for everyone," spokesperson Anatoly Glaz said in a ministry tweet.

One woman who lives close to where the missile fell said Belarusian law enforcement instructed her to stay inside and advised they might need to explode the equipment.

"Certainly, I blame Ukraine," the resident who lives near the missile landing site told BelTA. "Zelenskyy says he is allowed to do anything. But what is he allowed to do? To kill people? I thank god for our president, who cares for the people."

Belarus has remained a Russian ally over the course of the war. Ukraine defense officials recently reported that about 11,000 Russian troops are believed to be training in Belarus as the fighting between Russia and Ukraine continues.

Thursday's reported missile landing in Belarus came about six weeks after a missile landed in Poland, killing two people. U.S. and Polish intelligence officials have said they believe that missile was also fired from inside Ukraine.

Russian Airbase Reportedly Hit by UAVs

A Russian airbase was attacked this week marking the second time in one month, according to military intelligence from the United Kingdom.

Russian media reported that uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) were responsible for the strike on the Engels Air Base, one of the main operating bases of Russia's strategic bomber fleet.

"Russia has long given a very high priority to maintaining advanced ground based air defences, but it is increasingly clear that it is struggling to counter air threats deep inside Russia," the UK Ministry of Defence reported Thursday.

One of Russia's main challenges is likely the heavy demand on its fleet of modern, medium-range air defense systems that would be expected to counter UAVs, the UK reports. These systems are currently required to protect field headquarters near the frontline of the battle in Ukraine.

This comes as the UK continues to lead a training program for Ukrainian troops as they prepare to defend against more Russian attacks.

The UK Army Reserve infantry is providing Ukrainian soldiers with instruction on weapons handling, offensive and defensive tactics, medical training for the battlefield and cyber security awareness.

Ukraine Plans to Make Air-to-Air Combat Drones

Technology officials in Ukraine say the country plans to develop the types of drones that can engage in air-to-air combat.

Development of this military technology could assist Ukrainian troops as they battle Russian missile strikes, many of which have targeted civilian infrastructure in recent months and knocked out power supplies amid chilly winter temperatures.

Ukraine has already purchased about 1,400 drones, mostly for intelligence purposes, Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told the Associated Press. Ukraine plans to adapt the drones so they can be used for air combat, as conditions "will change drastically" by February or March, Fedorov added.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation is fairly new in Ukraine and has been led by Fedorov since its launch in 2019. Over the past 10 months of the war, Fedorov is one of the officials who has pushed for expanded service by Starlink, the satellite internet operation linked to Elon Musk through SpaceX. Fedorov identified the ongoing war as the first significant conflict of its kind to take place during widespread internet availability.

While Ukraine has had access to drones used for intelligence-gathering purposes over the course of the war, Fedorov said the "next stage" of development for Ukraine's military technology will be to develop strike drones.

"These are both exploding drones and drones that fly up to three to 10 kilometers and hit targets," Fedorov said. Officials are already conducting research to move this technological goal forward, he added.

Ukraine has fought against frequent Russian missile attacks over the last several months, with the latest attacks on Thursday once again targeting key civilian infrastructure. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said troops shot down 54 of 69 missiles that Russia launched Thursday into Ukraine.

Ukrainian Military Official Says Fighting is in Deadlock

Fighting between Ukraine and Russia is reportedly in a deadlock as neither side advances, according to the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence agency.

Kyrylo Budanov told the BBC that "the situation is just stuck" and "it doesn't move."

After Ukrainian forces made significant advances to take back the city of Kherson, the frontlines of the war have hit the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region. According to recent intelligence, Russia appears to be building up its defenses as the winter season slows ground offensives.

Budanov said Russian was "now completely at a dead end" suffering significant losses. He said the Kremlin may announce another conscript mobilization to bolster troops on the battlefield.

Ukrainian forces, however, still lack some of the equipment necessary to advance in many areas, he added.

"We can't defeat them in all directions comprehensively, neither can they," Budanov said. "We're very much looking forward to new weapons supplies, and to the arrival of more advanced weapons."

Russian Ruble Hits Lowest Value in Months

The Russian ruble has hit an eight-month low Thursday as the West enacts new economic sanctions on the Kremlin.

The ruble was about 72 to the dollar, down 18 percent from the beginning of the months. This is the weakest the currency has been since April.

The price of Russia's biggest import, oil, has gone down about a third from its peak in June.

"The ruble will continue to weaken because there's no fundamental demand [for it]," Vladimir Milov, a Russian opposition politician, told the New York Times Monday.

This comes as G7 countries place a price cap on Russian oil and the European Union banned Russian crude oil imports earlier this month, as part of the latest round of sanctions aimed to financially punish Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told reporters this week that these sanctions are squeezing the Russian export income and will possibly push Moscow's budget deficit higher that expected next year.

Siluanov also told Russian media that Moscow will set the price for its oil on the basis of market prices and inflation in Russia will hit about 12 percent at the end of the year.

Russia Launches Massive Missile Attack

Russia launched a new missile strike across Ukraine Thursday, including against the capitol city of Kyiv. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry called this one of the "most massive missile attacks" since the beginning of the invasion in February.

The attack knocked out power to most of Lviv and nearly half of Kyiv amid freezing temperatures, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukrainian defenses shot down 54 of the 69 air and sea-based cruise missiles and anti-aircraft guided missiles Russia fired on Ukrainian infrastructure, according to the commander in chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The strike hit civilian properties and damaged Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said there was "some damage" to the country's power generation facilities and energy grid during the latest strike. He said the Kyiv and southern Odessa regions will be the most impacted.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said 40 percent of the capital's consumers are without electricity after the attack as power engineers work to restore the power supply.

Klitschko said Ukrainian forces shot down 16 Russian missiles but the fallen debris injured at least three people damaged several homes in the capitol city.

About 90 percent of Lviv was without power as a result of the strike, Mayor Andriy Sadovy said on Telegram. There were also interruptions to the water supply.

Missile strikes also hit the Kharkiv region, killing at least two people and wounding one other, according to Kharkiv Regional State Administration Oleg Synegubov.