Russia-Ukraine updates: Kyiv says 64 troops freed in swap deal
Kyiv did not say when the latest prisoner swap took place or how many Russians were returned.
This live blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war for Wednesday, December 14:
This live blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war for Wednesday, December 14:
- Ukraine says it secured the release of 64 members of its military, as well as a US citizen, in the latest prisoner swap with Russia.
- The Kremlin says Patriot missile batteries would be a legitimate target as the United States finalises plans to send the systems to Ukraine to shoot down incoming Russian missiles.
- Pre-dawn attacks rock Kyiv as Russia launches its first big drone strike on the Ukrainian capital in weeks.
- The European Union has given its top human rights award, the Sakharov prize, to the people of Ukraine for their resilience during the war.
- Pope Francis urges people to spend less on Christmas celebrations and gifts this year and send the difference to Ukrainians to help them get through winter.
Zelenskyy urges Europe to back war tribunal for Russian leaders
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Europe to help set up a tribunal to try Russia’s leadership for the “crime of aggression”, as he accepted the EU’s top rights award.
“I call on all of you, your parties and states to effectively support this work. The tribunal must start working,” Zelenskyy told the European Parliament in a speech via video link.
More than 60 Ukrainian soldiers released as part of swap deal
Ukraine said that it had secured the release of 64 Ukrainian members of the military in its latest prisoner swap with Russian forces, as well as a US citizen.
“Sixty-four soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who fought in Donetsk and Lugansk – in particular participated in the defence of the city of Bakhmut – are going home,” the Ukraine presidency’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on social media.
“It was also possible to free a US citizen who helped our people – Suedi Murekezi.”
Russia’s state-run TASS news agency has reported that Murekezi was arrested in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine in June and charged with attending anti-Russian protests and inciting “ethnic hatred”.
Citing his lawyer, TASS said Murekezi was born in Rwanda and moved to the United States with his family in 1994. The lawyer said Murekezi worked in a nightclub in Kherson city and denied his client was a fighter.
American released in transfer between Ukraine, Russians
A US national has been released as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, White House national security spokesman John Kirby has said.
The head of Ukraine’s presidential administration said earlier that a US citizen has been released by Russia in an exchange involving dozens of detainees.
French TV regulator urges Eutelsat to stop broadcasting three Russian channels
French broadcasting authority Arcom has urged satellite company Eutelsat to stop carrying three Russian TV channels.
Arcom said it notified Eutelsat it needed to stop broadcasting Rossiya 1, Perviy Kanal and NTV, whose programmes on the war in Ukraine “include repeated incitement to hatred and violence and numerous shortcomings to honesty of information”.
France’s top administrative court last week ordered the regulator to review its initial decision over the distribution of the three channels in a legal win for Reporters Without Borders.
US to sanction one of Russias richest men
The United States is moving to impose sanctions on Vladimir Potanin, one of Russia’s wealthiest men, but would not sanction Nornickel, the company where he is a significant shareholder, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.
The action, which may come as early as Thursday, is expected to include sanctions against Potanin, his wife Ekaterina Potanina and a yacht he owns.
EU to possibly push for more gas deals to replace Russia
EU countries intend to push for more gas deals to replace Russian supplies next year, draft conclusions for an EU leaders’ summit on Thursday showed.
The draft, seen by the Reuters news agency, said the EU should move quickly to start jointly buying gas.
At the same time, countries should also speed up talks with reliable suppliers “to secure the supply of gas in view of winter 2023/2024 with a view to concluding long-term contracts,” said the draft, which could change before leaders adopt it.
Russia was Europe’s top gas supplier but has cut off most European deliveries since its invasion of Ukraine, sending energy prices soaring.
Brussels has said that most Russian supplies should be displaced by locally produced renewable energy and energy savings to ensure the EU meets its climate change targets.
Putin must accept ‘new reality’, Zelenskyy adviser says
An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia needs to accept the “new reality” that Ukrainian land will not remain part of Russian territory.
“It is essential for Russia (especially for Putin and Peskov) to accept “new reality’,” Mikhail Podolyak tweeted, referring to Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman. “There are no stolen Ukrainian territories within RF ‘forever’. There is only the loss of reputation as a monster-country, Russian military defeats, destroyed army, sanctions and disdain even from CSTO.”
The CSTO is the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, a Russian-led military alliance of former Soviet republics.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Ukraine must accept the new “realities” regarding Moscow’s illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions if it wants to discuss a peace deal.
It is essential for Russia (especially for Putin and Peskov) to accept "new reality". There are no stolen 🇺🇦 territories within RF "forever". There is only the loss of reputation as a monster-country, Russian military defeats, destroyed army, sanctions and disdain even from CSTO.
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) December 14, 2022
Podcast: A cold and dangerous winter – Russia’s gift to Ukraine
As winter sets in, Russia is targeting Ukraine’s power grid. Homes are without heat and light. Multistorey apartment buildings no longer have functioning elevators, and families are relying on camping stoves to do their cooking.
What does a “weaponised winter” mean for Ukrainians, especially with months of freezing temperatures, ice and snow still ahead of them?
Listen to our reporter Rory Challands, who is reporting from Kyiv, on The Take:
Germany approves F-35 fighter jets in moves to refresh reserves
The German parliament’s budget committee approves a 10 billion euro ($10.50bn) purchase of F-35 fighter jets produced by the US, two committee members told the Reuters news agency.
This is one of the first major defence projects that Berlin will tap into money from a 100 billion euro ($106bn) special fund that Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in a significant policy shift days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
The money is meant to bring the Bundeswehr’s (federal defence) weapons and equipment back up to standard.
Germany aims to buy 35 F-35 stealth fighter jets in total, including missiles and other weapons and equipment, with the first eight aircraft to be delivered in 2026.
The US jet will replace the ageing Tornado, the only German jet capable of carrying US nuclear bombs, which are stored in Germany to be used in case of a conflict.
A major prisoner swap is possible, Red Cross chief says
The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross says she sees the possibility of a major prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine.
“On an all-for-all exchange, it has happened in the past,” Mirjana Spoljaric Egger told reporters. “It is a known practice, and it can happen in the Russia-Ukraine international conflict as well.”
“So this possibility is certainly one that can be taken by the parties,” she said while declining to give details.
Ukraine passes EU recommended legislation in steps to join bloc
Ukraine’s parliament has passed all the reforms needed before talks on joining the EU, the assembly’s speaker said.
The European Commission, the EU executive, granted Ukraine the status of candidate member in June on the understanding that Kyiv takes a series of recommended legislative and policy steps.
These included enacting legislation on a selection process for Constitutional Court judges, strengthening the fight against corruption, harmonising media regulation with EU standards and protecting national minorities.
“We can say with confidence that the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) has completed its part of the work and adopted all the necessary systemic bills to implement the recommendations of the European Commission,” Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said in a statement.
The European Commission has said it will report on them by the end of 2022.
Ukrainians awarded EU’s top human rights prize
The people of Ukraine are awarded European Union’s top human rights prize for their resistance to Russia’s invasion and defiance during the continuing war.
Yulia Pajevska, the founder of the medical evacuation unit Angels of Taira, human rights activist Oleksandra Matviichuk and Ivan Fedorov, mayor of the occupied city of Melitopol, received the award during a solemn ceremony in Strasbourg, France.
“We have witnessed the inspiring resistance of ordinary citizens making the ultimate sacrifice to delay a column of tanks, senior citizens standing up to face down Russian troops with nothing but pride as their weapons. Brave women forced to give birth in underground metro stations,” said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
“To these people, the message from Europe has been clear. We stand with Ukraine. We will not look away,” she said.
The 27-nation bloc awarded the “brave people of Ukraine” the prize in October.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 294
Click here for a roundup of the war’s key events from day 294.
Keep reading:
Who controls what?
Here are four maps we update daily, charting the latest war developments.
US citizen among latest Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap
A US citizen was among 64 prisoners handed over to Ukraine by Russian forces in the latest prisoner exchange, the head of Ukraine’s presidential administration said.
Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram, “Another exchange of prisoners. We continue to return ours. 64 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who fought in the Donetsk and Luhansk areas, in particular, participated in the defence of the city of Bakhmut, are going home. These are officers, privates and sergeants, our heroes.
“It was also possible to free a US citizen who helped our people – Suedi Murekez. The bodies of the 4 dead were also returned”.
Last week, the Guardian, quoted Murekez as saying he was detained in June in Kherson, where he had been living for the past three years.
Italy to discuss energy prices at next EU summit
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Rome will bring the energy price issue up at an upcoming European Union December 15-16 summit.
“There is unfortunately no substantial news from the European energy council … talks are ongoing”, so “we will bring the issue to the table at the European Council tomorrow,” Meloni said as she addressed the Italian upper house.
Meloni said on Tuesday that Italy would take action independently to deal with the bloc’s energy crisis without a timely and effective EU action.
Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials discuss border security
The president’s office said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top military officials discussed moves to ensure border security.
The office emphasised securing the border in a statement issued after a supreme command meeting, without saying which part of the border was focused on.
The statement comes as Belarus, a neighbouring country and Moscow ally, undertook several military activities in the past week.
“The recent activities of the enemy and the way to confront it were … analysed. Particular attention was given to ensuring the security of Ukraine’s state border,” the statement said.
Russia oil exports rose in November, ahead of G7 price cap
Russia’s oil exports rose in November ahead of the G7 price cap which came into effect on December 5, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.
But lower global prices and steeper discounts for Russian oil meant Moscow’s revenue fell by $700m to $15.8bn, the IEA said.
The energy watchdog said it expects the price cap to reduce Russia’s oil output by 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) next year.
Despite the big freeze, Ukrainians are returning: migration agency
With temperatures in Ukraine continuing to fall to -10 degrees Celsius, data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) found that only seven percent of people were leaving the country.
“Nearly 18 million people – 40 per cent of Ukraine’s population – need urgent humanitarian aid,” said IOM Chief of Mission in Ukraine, Anh Nguyen.
“We must support them during winter, particularly those with no access to shelter or heat. IOM urges stakeholders to scale up their efforts as the needs keep growing with each passing day.”
The organisation also found that 43 percent of households have used up their savings for survival purposes. A further 63 percent of respondents are rationing their use of gas, electricity and solid fuel.
As of December, the IOM reported that “over 5 million people who had been displaced within Ukraine or beyond, have returned home”.
“There were only 700,000 persons living in Kharkiv in March and now there are over 1.1 million. People are coming back and are determined to stay. We need to take care of them,” said Ievhen Hryschenko, the technical director of the Kharkiv Heating Networks.
EU united in support for Ukraine, says German chancellor
The EU is united in its support for Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Germany’s parliament.
“Anyone who thinks he can undermine the values of the EU, to which every member state has committed itself, by blocking its foreign and security policies, will fail,” he told legislators on Wednesday.
Hungary dropped its objections to an EU loan to Kyiv after the EU partially unfroze financial support for Hungary.
Support for Ukraine, including sanctions against Russia, would be maintained and intensified for as long as President Vladimir Putin kept up his war against Kyiv, Scholz added.
“Nobody is suffering as much from Russia’s war as the Ukrainians – and we stand firmly by their side,” he said.
Russian shelling targets Kherson regional headquarters, says Kyiv
Multiple Russian rocket launchers hit the regional administration building on the central square of the recently liberated southern city of Kherson, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office said.
Ukraine recaptured Kherson from Russian forces on November 11.
Since leaving the city, Russian forces have been shelling Kherson from the opposite side of the Dnieper River.
No proposals on ‘Christmas ceasefire’: Kremlin
The Kremlin says it has not received any proposals about a “Christmas ceasefire” in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russia this week to withdraw its troops by Christmas as the first step towards a peace deal.
Asked whether Moscow had seen proposals for a “Christmas ceasefire,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “No, no such offers have been received from anybody. This topic is not on the agenda”.
Peskov said on Tuesday there would be no peace with Kyiv until Zelenskyy accepted the “realities” on the ground, referring to the regions it annexed following “referendums”, Kyiv and the West have referred to as a “sham”.
Patriot defence system would be legitimate target: Kremlin
The Kremlin says that US Patriot missile defence systems would be a legitimate target for Russian attacks against Ukraine, should the United States authorise them to be delivered to support Kyiv.
Washington is finalising plans to send the Patriot missile defence system to Ukraine, a decision that could be announced as soon as this week.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Patriots would “definitely” be a target for Russia but that he would not comment on unconfirmed media reports.
The Patriot is considered one of the most advanced US air defence systems, including aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
US to send Patriot air defence system to Ukraine
US officials say Washington will approve sending the Patriot air defence system to Ukraine, finally agreeing to multiple requests from Ukrainian officials for more powerful weapons to shoot down incoming Russian missiles.
The formal approval is likely to come later this week and could be announced as early as Thursday, said three officials, who spoke to the Associated Press anonymously because the decision is not final and has not been made public.
Two officials said the Patriot would come from Pentagon stocks and be moved from another country overseas.
The Patriot defence system would be the most advanced surface-to-air missile system the West has provided to Ukraine to help repel Russian aerial attacks.
First major drone strike in weeks on Kyiv rocks capital
Russia attacked Kyiv with Iranian-made Shahed drones early on Wednesday, but air defence systems prevented significant damage to the city, Ukrainian authorities said.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said there were explosions in the central Shevchenkivskyi district, and two administrative buildings were damaged but mentioned no casualties.
Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said the attack was deliberately timed for when it was dark to make it harder to shoot the drones down but that Ukrainian air defence systems had been effective.
“The air defences worked well,” he said. “Thirteen (drones) were shot down.”
“Well done, I am proud,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a brief video message, praising the air defence systems.