Thursday, December 7, 2023

1612 GMT —British Foreign Secretary David Cameron used a visit to Washington to urge politicians in the United States to approve a fresh package of military aid for Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden has pleaded with Republicans for a fresh infusion of military aid for Ukraine, warning that a victory for Russia over Kiev would leave Moscow in a position to attack NATO allies and could draw US troops into a war.

"I'm not worried about the strength and unity and consensus and bravery of the Ukrainian people ... I'm worried that we're not going to do what we need to do," Cameron said.

"We've got to make sure we give them the weapons, the economic support, the moral support the diplomatic support, but crucially, that military support that can make a difference."

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1654 GMT — Ukraine urges people to save energy after plant hit

Ukraine has told residents to save energy after a power plant near the frontline was hit by shelling, in the first such warning this winter.

"This afternoon, the enemy attacked one of the thermal power plants in the front-line zone," the energy ministry said, urging people to use electricity "reasonably and economically".

1615 GMT — Putin hails ties with Iran in meeting with Raisi

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised his country's relations with Iran at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi, as the two discussed the Israel-Palestine war.

Since launching its assault on Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has sought to deepen its economic and political ties with Tehran, both of which have been sanctioned by the West.

"Our relations are developing very well. Please convey my best wishes to leader Khamenei," Putin told Raisi, referring to Iran's head of state.

"Thanks to his support, we have gained good momentum over the past year," Putin said.

Western countries have accused Tehran of supporting Russia's offensive in Ukraine by providing it with large quantities of drones and other weaponry.

1551 GMT — Russia claims Ukraine behind blasts at railway line in Buryatia

Russia has claimed that Ukraine was behind two blasts that took place on the Baikal-Amur railway line in the Russian Republic of Buryatia at the end of November, temporarily blocking traffic along the route.

A statement by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said that a Belarusian man was detained in the Omsk region, who was found involved in the explosions on two trains moving along the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) on Nov. 29 and 30.

The suspect confessed to the blasts on the orders of Ukraine’s security service, according to the statement.

The statement said explosives were detonated while the trains were travelling through the Severomuysky Tunnel, resulting in a fire and temporarily blocking movement along the railway line.

1530 GMT — Ukraine suffering power deficit due to Russian shelling, cold weather: energy ministry

Russian shelling seriously damaged a thermal power plant in Ukraine's front-line region, adding to the deficit in electricity generation registered previously due to cold weather, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry has said.

"As a result of the shelling, equipment was seriously damaged. Two power units stopped working," the ministry said on Facebook. The name of the power plant and the region where it is located was not given.

1415 GMT — Macron hosts Hungary's Orban in bid to break Ukraine deadlock

French President Emmanuel Macron meets Prime Minister Viktor Orban in a bid to break the deadlock ahead of an EU summit after the Hungarian leader threatened to block further backing for Ukraine.

Macron will host Orban at the Elysee Palace for a working dinner from 1930 GMT to discuss "several subjects" on the agenda for the EU summit next week, including "various aspects of European support for Ukraine".

That includes new financial aid and starting EU membership talks with Kiev.

1410 GMT — Japan pledges $4.5B more in aid for Ukraine, including $1B in humanitarian funds

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged $4.5 billion to Ukraine, including $1 billion in humanitarian aid to help support the war-torn country's recovery effort in an online summit of leading industrial nations.

Kishida made the announcement in Tokyo while hosting his last Group of Seven summit as this year's chairperson.

The $1 billion humanitarian and recovery aid includes funding for generators and other power supplies for the Ukrainian people to survive the winter, as well as measures to clear mines planted by Russia, the Foreign Ministry said.

The remaining $3.5 billion includes funding for credit guarantees for World Bank loans to Ukraine.

1239 GMT — Kiev, US aim to move arms production to Ukraine: statement

Kiev has announced that it had signed an agreement with the United States to help move production of arms to Ukraine, as doubts hang over Western support for its conflict with Russia.

"The memorandum sets localisation of the defence industry in Ukraine as one of the main priorities," a statement released by the Ukrainian presidency said.

"The document will facilitate the building of production facilities in our country to provide the armed forces with the necessary weapons, in particular in the areas of air defence, production of critical munitions, and repair and sustainment," it said.

1132 GMT — Kremlin hopes US Congress will block future Ukraine aid

The Kremlin has said it hoped US lawmakers would continue to block White House requests for emergency aid for Ukraine amid an internal feud in Washington over immigration reforms.

"It is to be hoped that there remain enough people with sober minds among American congressmen," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He accused the White House of attempting to "groom American senators" and trying to "scorch the money of American citizens in the furnace of the Ukrainian war".

The Kremlin also accused the White House of playing the Russian threat card to secure money from Congress, after President Joe Biden said Russia would eventually attack a NATO member country unless it was defeated in Ukraine.

0842 GMT —Russian drone barrage targets Ukraine port, kills one

Ukraine has said that Russia had launched a swarm of Iranian-designed attack drones overnight that damaged port infrastructure in the southern Odessa region and left one civilian dead.

Officials in Kiev say Russian forces have been stockpiling drones and missiles for attacks on Ukraine's struggling energy grid over winter months and key infrastructure.

"A total of 18 Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs were launched," the Ukrainian Air Force said, adding that they had destroyed 15 of the unmanned aerial vehicles.

The head of the Black Sea region of Odessa, Oleg Kiper, said separately that for several hours drones attacked the Izmail port district, which has been key to exporting Ukrainian grain in recent months.

"A warehouse, an elevator, and trucks were damaged. The driver of one of the trucks was killed. A fire broke out at the site, which was quickly extinguished by the State Emergency Service," he added.

0200 GMT — Kiev claims organised killing of pro-Russian politician near Moscow

Kiev has said it orchestrated the assassination of a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician after an ex-lawmaker who had defected to Russia was shot dead outside Moscow.

Since Russia attacked last February, Ukraine has claimed to be behind a spate of assassinations and attacks on pro-war Russians and former Ukrainian officials who have backed Moscow's offensive.

A source in Ukraine's defence sector told the AFP news agency that its SBU security services had orchestrated the assassination of Illia Kyva, a former pro-Russian Ukrainian lawmaker who defected to Moscow when Russia launched its offensive last year.

Russian investigators said Kyva had been shot. His body was discovered in a park in the Moscow suburbs on Wednesday.

"An unknown person fired shots at the victim from an unidentified weapon. The man died on the spot from his injuries," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement. It said it had opened a case into his death.

The Russian news agency TASS cited a police officer as saying the investigation was being treated as a "Ukrainian plot" and that search operations for the killer were underway.

0100 GMT —Republican senators block Ukraine funding bill

The Democratic-controlled Senate has failed to advance US President Joe Biden's over $106 billion spending package, which largely consists of additional military aid for Ukraine, over the exclusion of border policy changes.

The supplemental spending package failed to clear a 60-vote procedural hurdle by a vote of 49-51.

Biden accused "extreme Republicans" of "playing chicken with our national security, holding Ukraine’s funding hostage to their extreme partisan border policies."

"Let me be clear: We need real solutions. I support real solutions at the border," he said hours before Wednesday evening's vote.

"Republicans think they can get everything they want without any bipartisan compromise. That’s not the answer. That’s not the answer. And now they’re willing to literally kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield and damage our national security in the process," he added.

2339 GMT — Ukraine's latest weapons request includes THAAD and F-18s

Ukraine's latest list of US weapons it says it needs to fight the Russian military includes sophisticated air defence systems, F-18 "Hornet" fighter jets, drones, Apache and Blackhawk helicopters, according to documents seen by Reuters news agency.

Officials from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence presented a "list of armaments to meet the needs of defence forces of Ukraine" during a closed-door session of a conference in Washington attended by government officials and defence industry executives.

The comprehensive list included weapons Ukraine already has in stock, like Abrams tanks and 155-millimetre artillery, as well some weaponry such as F-16s, drones and long-range ATACMS missiles that it has asked for in the past.

But the list has a few surprises, including big-ticket items like C-17 Globemaster transport jets made by Boeing and the C-130 Super Hercules made by Lockheed Martin.

Boeing's Apache attack helicopters made the list, as did the Black Hawk helicopter made by Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky unit.

For our live updates from Wednesday (December 6), click here.