Live blog: Russian shelling in Kherson kills two – governor

Sunday, December 11, 2022

Russian shelling in Kherson kills two: governor

Two people were killed and another five wounded after Russian troops shelled the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, the governor said on Sunday.

The city of Kherson was in November recaptured by Ukrainian forces during a Kiev counter-offensive.

"The enemy again attacked the residential quarters of Kherson," the governor, Yaroslav Yanushevich, said on messaging app Telegram, adding the Russian forces hit a maternity ward, a cafe and apartment buildings on Saturday.

"Last night, two people were killed due to Russian shelling," Yanushevich said, adding that five others had been wounded.

He said the region was attacked with artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks and mortars.

Body of Zambian killed in the Ukraine war is returned home

The body of a 23-year-old Zambian student who died while fighting for the Russian army in the war in Ukraine has been returned home.

The body of Lemekani Nyirenda, who was studying nuclear engineering in Russia before joining the military, arrived at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka on Sunday.

Although he had been a student, Lemekani was convicted of drug trafficking in April 2020 and sentenced to 9 years in prison.

“We were told that on August 23, he was conditionally pardoned and was allowed to participate in a special military operation in which he was killed in September," said Zambian Foreign Affairs minister Stanley Kakubo in a statement. 

International legal team visits Ukraine to assist in sexual violence probe 

An international team of legal advisers has been working with local prosecutors in Ukraine's recaptured city of Kherson in recent days as they began gathering evidence of alleged sexual crimes by Russian forces as part of a full-scale investigation, Reuters reports.

The visit by a team from Global Rights Compliance, an international legal practice headquartered in The Hague, is part of a broader international effort to support overwhelmed Ukrainian authorities as they seek to hold Russians accountable for crimes they allegedly committed during the 10-month conflict.

Moscow denies committing war crimes or targeting civilians, as well as allegations of sexual violence by the Russian military in Ukraine.

More than 50,000 alleged incidents of international crimes have been reported by Ukraine's prosecutor general since the conflict began.

Ukrainian, French leaders discuss 10-point peace plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday spoke to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and discussed the implementation of his 10-step peace plan formula to end the war with Russia.

“Had a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron. Synchronized positions on the eve of G7 online summit and Ukraine support conference in Paris. Discussed the implementation of our ten-step peace formula, cooperation on defence and energy stability of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said on Twitter.

Zelenskyy virtually addressed the G-20 summit in Bali last month and proposed a 10-step peace plan that includes the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

Erdogan and Putin discuss plans to gradually expand exports through the Black Sea grain corridor 

Ankara and Moscow can start working on the export of different food products and gradually other commodities through the grain corridor, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Sunday. The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations -particularly energy - and Syria. Read more here.

Port of Odessa not operating after Russian attack, but grain exports will continue - Ukraine minister

The Ukrainian port of Odesa was not operating on Sunday after the latest Russian attack on the region's energy system, Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky said but added that grains traders were not expected to suspend exports. 

"There are problems, but none of the traders is talking about any suspension of shipments. Ports use alternative energy sources," Solsky told Reuters.

Medvedev: Russia ramping up production of 'most powerful' weapons

Russia's ex-president Dmitry Medvedev has said the country was ramping up production of new-generation weapons to protect itself from enemies in Europe, the United States and Australia.

"We are increasing production of the most powerful means of destruction. Including those based on new principles," Medvedev said through messaging app Telegram on Sunday.

"Our enemy dug in not only in the Kiev province of our native Malorossiya," Medvedev said, using the term to describe territories of modern-day Ukraine that were part of the Russian Empire under the tsars.

"It is in Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and a whole number of other places that pledged allegiance to the Nazi."

European Parliament approves $19 billion loan to Ukraine

The European Parliament has approved a €18 billion ($19 billion) loan to Ukraine for 2023, with its president Roberta Metsol saying the country is "fighting for European values".

The loan will cover approximately half of the estimated €3-4 billion ($3.16-4.21 billion) monthly funding Ukraine needs in 2023, the parliament said in a statement on Saturday.

It said the money, in line with a European Commission’s proposal, will be used to support essential public services, including running hospitals, schools and provide housing for relocated people as well as restoration of critical infrastructure destroyed by Russia.

Ukrainian forces hunt for 'traitors' in Kherson

"Hands in the air! Documents out!" shouted Ukrainian policemen as they levelled their guns at two suspected collaborators moments after they docked their boat near the city of Kherson.

The euphoria of Kherson's liberation in November has proven to be short-lived.

Just weeks after Russians retreated from the southern Ukrainian city, authorities are working to hunt down collaborators who aided Moscow during the occupation of Kherson.

The two men held at gunpoint came from an island on the Dnipro River in the proverbial grey zone separating the Ukrainian-controlled western bank from the Russian-controlled east.

"Evacuations are only authorised at the port. It's illegal here," one of the police officers tells AFP. At the port, "officials in charge of 'stabilisation measures' check if people were involved" with the Russian occupiers, he adds.

Since pushing out the Russians, the river is now the new, major frontline of the conflict in southern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy: More than 1.5 million people without power in Odessa

Over 1.5 million people were without power in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa after a night attack by Russian "kamikaze drones", President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

The region's energy authority warned that repairs after the Friday strikes would take weeks, perhaps up to three months.

"After the night strike by Iranian drones, Odessa and other cities and villages of the region are in darkness," Zelenskyy said.

"As of now, more than one and a half million people in Odessa region are without electricity."

Ukraine attacks occupied Melitopol, Russian side says two killed

Ukraine has attacked occupied Melitopol in the country's southeast, the Russian-backed and exiled Ukrainian authorities of the strategically located city said.

The pro-Moscow authorities said a missile attack killed two people and injured 10, while the exiled mayor said scores of "invaders" were killed.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports of the attacks or deaths.

"Air defence systems destroyed two missiles, four reached their targets," Yevgeny Balitsky, the Moscow-backed governor of the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, said on the Telegram messaging app. He said a "recreation centre" where people were dining was destroyed in the Ukrainian attack with HIMARS missiles.

For live updates from Saturday (December 10), click here