Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 319
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared the unilateral ceasefire ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Orthodox Christmas a failure.
“They said something about a supposed ceasefire, but the reality is that Russian shells have again hit Bakhmut and other Ukrainian positions,” he said.
The founder of Russia’s most high-profile mercenary group, Wagner, said he wanted his forces and the regular Russian army to capture the town of Bakhmut because it possessed “underground cities” that can hold troops and tanks.
Russian air defences shot down a drone on Saturday over a breakwater near Sevastopol – the naval base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet – the city’s Russian-appointed governor said.
President Putin praised the Russian Orthodox Church for supporting Moscow’s forces fighting in Ukraine in a Christmas message.
Diplomacy
Justice ministers from around the world will gather in London, UK, in March to boost international support for the International Criminal Court in its investigations of alleged war crimes in Ukraine, the British government said.
The United States will provide more than $3.75bn in military assistance to Ukraine and countries affected by the Russian invasion, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Friday.
A US commitment to supply Kyiv with Bradley Fighting Vehicles for the first time is exactly what Ukraine needs, Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine has placed dozens of Russian artists and other public figures on a sanctions list, including names from the world of film, pop music and opera, such as Vienna-based singer Anna Netrebko.
Economy
Ukraine will need at least $1.79bn to restore its telecommunications sector to pre-war levels, a United Nation telecommunication agency said on Friday, alleging Russia had “destroyed completely or seized” networks in parts of the country.
Costs for hiring ships to transport commodities from the Black Sea have risen by more than a fifth since the start of the year, reflecting higher war risk insurance rates, industry sources said.
