Ukraine, 12-6-23

First, a link to details of an online Zoom event this evening — Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. EST — featuring a former New York Times correspondent whose columns on Russia and Ukraine for the Berkshire Eagle have been linked on this blog since before Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Then, links to reports from Reuters, National Public Radio, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent, followed by links to an editorial in the Kyiv Post and to commentary from Indian Punchline; other articles are accessible by clicking on their sources’ names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

   

Update on Ukraine with James Brooke. An online discussion with the former New York Times foreign correspondent and former Ukraine reporter is to be held today, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. EST. The online event is free and open to all. Brooke, a veteran foreign correspondent, will offer in-depth analysis of the war in Ukraine drawing on 14 years living and working Kyiv and Moscow as a reporter for the Times, Bloomberg, Voice of America, and several business news outlets. Online registration required. Click HERE for other details and to register.

   

Ukraine prepares for a long war. Will the West stay the course? by Tom Balmforth | Reuters  KYIV — More than 21 months into the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two, fighting rages with no end in sight and neither side has landed a telling blow on the battlefield. Ukraine is going into a second winter of full-scale war with a resource-rich, nuclear-armed superpower that has more than triple Ukraine’s population. Ukrainians know . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Ukraine approaches another winter of war with U.S funding stuck in Congress. Reported by Michel Martin and Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Ukraine’s counteroffensive has resulted in little gain on the battlefield. Some EU members and some members of Congress are questioning whether aid to Ukraine should continue. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

 A plan to fund Ukraine’s defense is blocked in the Senate. What happens next? Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut about the ongoing fight in Congress over additional funding for Ukraine and border security. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

Ukraine sees ‘big risk’ of losing war if U.S. Congress postpones vital aid, by Jonathan Landay and Tom Balmforth | Reuters  WASHINGTON / KYIV —Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff said on Tuesday that the postponement of U.S. assistance for Kyiv being debated in Congress would create a “big risk” of Ukraine losing the war with Russia. Andriy Yermak’s remarks were some of the frankest yet from a senior Kyiv official as . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Russian forces wipe out command posts of two Ukrainian army brigades over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces destroyed command posts of two Ukrainian army brigades over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. Also, in the areas of . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Ukraine holds back Russian assault on Avdiivka as long winter battle looms, by Francis Farrell | The Kyiv Independent  DONETSK OBLAST — “Our working hours are as follows: first you do a 12-hour shift, then another one, until you’ve done seven of these 24-hour-shifts, and that’s your week” said Oleksandr Kolesnikov, a 47-year-old surgeon, sitting . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Russia claims nighttime seizure of U.S. Bradley fighting vehicle from Ukraine. From Reuters. Russian television has shown footage of what it says is a U.S.-built Bradley infantry fighting vehicle captured on the front line in Ukraine’s Luhansk region after it was immobilised by Russian fire and abandoned by its Ukrainian crew. The news item featured interviews with several unidentified masked members of two recovery crews, who said. . . READ MORE . . .

   

NEWER  Kyiv says organized killing of fugitive Ukrainian lawmaker Illia Kyva near Moscow. From Reuters. Kyiv said it orchestrated the assassination of a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician today, after the body of ex-lawmaker Illia Kyva, who had defected to Russia, was found outside Moscow. A source in Ukraine’s defense sector told Agence France-Presse that its SBU security services had orchestrated the assassination. Kyva was kicked out of parliament and . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Kyiv Post salutes armed forces of Ukraine. An editorial. December 6 is Armed Forces of Ukraine Day. Because of Russia’s relentless aggression against Ukraine, this date has become more significant than ever. The importance of the AFU in defending Ukraine’s freedom and territory in this deadly war cannot be overstated. The AFU is the savior and reliable protector of the country, inspiring . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Ukraine war is undergoing mutation, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky’s video conference with the U.S. senators on Tuesday [Dec. 5] was expected to be a turning point in the Ukraine war for three reasons. First, the Biden Administration has not written him off completely, and, more important, is not playing favourites in the game of thrones in Kiev. Second, Biden Administration hasn’t given up hopes that all is lost in the war. Third, most important, the U.S. is . . . READ MORE . . .