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Russia has detained an Uzbek citizen who investigators believe placed the bomb inside an electric scooter which killed General Igor Kirillov on the instructions of Ukraine’s security service, the Investigative Committee said today.
The senior Russian general was killed yesterday in Moscow and Ukraine claimed responsibility of the attack, calling Kirillov a “legitimate target”.
In response, Russia threatened the Ukrainian leadership with imminent revenge for what it described as a “cowardly and despicable strike”.
On the battlefront, North Korea suffered big casualties while fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine in the Kursk border region, a senior US military official said, a much higher toll than one given by Kyiv earlier this week.
“Several hundred casualties is our latest estimate that the DPRK has suffered,” the official said on condition of anonymity. This “would include everything from… light wounds up to being KIA (killed in action)”, the official said, with soldiers of “all ranks” among the casualties.
The North Korean forces don’t appear to be battle-hardened, the official said, suggesting this would in part explain the high rate of casualties.
Russia detains man who carried out Kirillov’s assassination – recap
Russia has detained an Uzbek citizen who investigators believe placed the bomb inside an electric scooter which killed General Igor Kirillov on the instructions of Ukraine’s security service, the Investigative Committee said.
The top Russian general accused by Ukraine of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops was assassinated in Moscow by Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service yesterday in the most high-profile killing of its kind.
Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, didn’t name the suspect, but said he was born in 1995. According to a statement by the FSB, the suspect said himself that he was recruited by Ukrainian special services.
Athena Stavrou18 December 2024 12:13
Russian volunteers tackle oil spill
Around 4,000 volunteers descended to clean a long stretch of sandy beaches along the Russian Black Sea shoreline after it was contaminated by an oil spill from damaged tankers.
A local taskforce said the two tankers near the resort city of Anapa were damaged by a storm on Sunday, polluting the sit and threatening wildlife in one of the worst ecological disasters to hit the region in years.
Numerous videos posted on social media showed birds floundering in oil, flapping their wings and struggling to fly. Black oil spots were also visible along the beaches.
Athena Stavrou18 December 2024 11:38
Ukraine denies Russia’s white phosphorus allegations
Ukraine has denied Russian allegations that its drones droppped white phosphorus in September, calling the claims “false and nonsensical”.
Kyiv said it is fully compliant with its international arms control obligations and foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said: “We are confident that by making such false accusations, Moscow seeks to shift blame for its own actions and deceive foreign audiences.”
Athena Stavrou18 December 2024 11:11
Distrust means arms control is ‘thing of past’, Russian general says
Russia’s top general has said that arms control is now a “thing of the past”, due to the lack of trust between Russia and the West.
Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov made the comments on Wednesday, adding that Russia had seeen increased activity led by NATO near Russia’s borders.
He said that after Ukraine struck Russian territory with long-range missiles, the United States had become a direct participant of the conflict in Ukraine.
Athena Stavrou18 December 2024 11:01
Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia
Tom Watling18 December 2024 10:42
The one battle President Zelensky looks set to win
The one battle President Zelensky looks set to win
For all of Russia’s recent setbacks, it is increasingly unlikely Ukraine will be able to push back invading forces to the border positions when hostilities first broke out – but it may yet force Vladimir Putin into a negotiated peace that would ensure greater security for Europe
Tom Watling18 December 2024 10:15
Russia captures two Ukrainian settlements, state news reports
Russian forces have claim to have taken control of two villages in eastern Ukraine.
Citing the defence ministry, Russian state news agency RIA reported on Wednesday that forces were now in control of Trudove and Stari Terny.
Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield reports.
Athena Stavrou18 December 2024 09:58
Ukraine’s only coking coal mine continues to operate despite Russian troop offensive, sources say
Ukraine‘s only coking coal mine – key for its steel industry – is operating at 50 per cent capacity as of Wednesday morning despite the proximity of advancing Russian forces, two Ukrainian industry sources said.
Ukrainian military analyst DeepState said Russian troops were less than 5 km (3.1 miles) from the Pokrovsk mine. The mine owner, Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest BV, said last week it had halted some operations at the mine.
“With two facilities of three (shafts) remaining, work continues,” one of the sources said.
The mine lies 10 km (6.2 miles) west of Pokrovsk, a strategic supply hub and DeepState said Russian troops were around 3 km (1.9 miles) from Pokrovsk’s outskirts.
It’s unclear at what point Metinvest might be forced to halt all operations and evacuate staff.
Ukraine‘s steelmakers’ union said in October the potential closure of the Pokrovsk mine could cause steel production to slump to 2-3 million metric tons next year from the 7.5 million expected in 2024.
Producers hope to find alternative sources of coking coal from elsewhere in Ukraine should the Pokrovsk mine be seized by Russian troops, but imports would inevitably be needed – hiking costs.
Ukrainian steel producers union said last week the country had increased its steel production so far in 2024 by 23.1 per cent to 7 million tons.
Tom Watling18 December 2024 09:45
Slovak PM Fico to meet EU’s Von der Leyen on Ukraine gas transit
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday to discuss continuation of gas transit through Ukraine, Fico said on Wednesday.
Fico told a parliamentary committee that while the Ukrainian government rejected extending a transit contract with Russia’s Gazprom, alternative solutions were possible to keep the transit next year.
Tom Watling18 December 2024 09:15
Russian general killed in Moscow scooter blast by Ukrainian agents
Tom Watling18 December 2024 08:51