Russian invasion of Ukraine: Day 658

Summary for Wednesday, 13th December w0we - DAY 658

Good morning

• A Russian missile attack targeting the Ukrainian capital has damaged a children’s hospital, with Kyiv’s mayor reporting at least 51 people injured in the “enemy attack”. “As a result of the enemy’s night missile attack [on] the capital’s Dniprovsky district, an apartment building was damaged,” the Kyiv mayor, Vitali Klitschko, posted on social media. Fifteen residents were evacuated and Klitschko said a children’s hospital was also damaged in the attack.
  
  
• US president, Joe Biden, warned Republicans they would give Russia a “Christmas gift” if they failed to provide additional military aid to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, whose meeting with top lawmakers concluded without a commitment for more support.
  
  
• Zelenskiy travelled to Washington to plead for money to back Ukraine in its war with Russia, but he faced a sceptical reception from key Republican lawmakers. Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House of Representatives, would not agree to support Biden’s request to give Ukraine $61.4bn, with objectors insisting on White House concessions on border security as a condition for a deal.
  
  
• Biden announced an additional $200m military aid package and, amid concerns that the war had reached a stalemate, insisted that Ukraine has made significant progress. “I will not walk away from Ukraine, and neither will the American people,” Biden said.
  
  
• Moscow said it was watching developments closely. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said that “tens of billions of dollars” already provided by Washington had failed to turn the tide of war and that more money would make little difference.
  
  
• Five people were injured and buildings damaged by debris from destroyed missiles in Kyiv’s Dniprovskyi district, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital said on Wednesday. The mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said on the Telegram messaging app that residents from one building were being evacuated and emergency services were working on putting out several fires started by the falling missile debris.
  
  
• A declassified US intelligence report assessed that the Ukraine war has cost Russia 315,000 dead and injured troops, or nearly 90% of the personnel it had when the conflict began, a source familiar with the intelligence said on Tuesday. The report also assessed that Moscow’s losses in personnel and armoured vehicles to Ukraine’s military have set back Russia’s military modernisation by 18 years, the source said.
  
  
• Ukraine’s biggest mobile network operator, Kyivstar, said it was the target of a major cyber-attack on Tuesday morning that temporarily knocked out its cellular and internet signal. The cyber-attack affected the air raid alert system in more than 75 settlements in the Kyiv region, the regional military administration said.
  
  
• Poland will demand the full mobilisation of the free world to help Ukraine, the newly appointed prime minister, Donald Tusk, said. He said: “We will demand full mobilisation of the west to help Ukraine. I can no longer listen to politicians who talk about being tired of the situation in Ukraine.”
  
  
• Russian forces in southern Ukraine have “advanced considerably” around the village of Novopokrovka in the Zaporizhzhia region, Moscow’s occupational authorities have said. “Our units have advanced significantly forward north-east of Novopokrovka,” the Moscow-installed head of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, wrote on Telegram.
  
  
• Europeans are generally open to the idea of Ukraine joining the EU, despite the costs and risks, but lukewarm at best about the bloc’s prospective enlargement to also take in Georgia and countries in the western Balkans, according to a survey.
  

Dozens wounded in missile strikes on Kyiv

Dozens of people have been injured in a wave of missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight, authorities say.

Fifty-three people were hurt in the attacks, including six children, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Kindergarten and hospital buildings were reportedly damaged by debris as authorities said 10 Russian ballistic missiles had been shot down.

The strikes happened after President Volodymyr Zelensky left the US.
His plea for Congress to agree more military aid for Ukraine made little progress in winning over reluctant Republicans.
EU leaders will also discuss further aid for Ukraine on Thursday, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said "we must give Ukraine what it needs to be strong today".
Mr Zelensky promised a response to Wednesday's overnight attack. "Russia has proven once again that it is a heinous country that fires missiles at night, trying to hit residential areas, kindergartens, and energy facilities during the winter," he posted on X.

Wednesday's attack on Kyiv began at around 03:00 (01:00 GMT) - the second ballistic missile strike on the capital this week. Although Kyiv has been targeted by Russian drones in recent weeks, the city had escaped missile attacks for 79 days until last Friday.
Ukraine's air force said it had shot down "all" 10 targets flying towards the city, using anti-aircraft missiles.
The windows of residential apartment blocks were blown out and parked cars were destroyed. There were loud explosions before air raid sirens went off due to them being ballistic missiles.

Russia started using cruise missiles again last week after 79 days, officials said.
"Ballistics [are] used precisely so that people have no chance to hide in bomb shelters," Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ukraine's Armed Forces General Staff identified the projectiles as Iskander-M ballistic missiles, as well as S-400s: extremely fast missiles intended for air defence, but which have also been used to hit ground targets.

One man, Oleksander, told the BBC that the windows in his apartment were blown out in the middle of the night. He started crying as he recalled seeing his neighbours and their children being taken away by ambulance.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's biggest mobile network operator says it hopes to restore operations on Wednesday after what appeared to be the largest cyberattack since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Tuesday's attack on Kyivstar, which has more than half of Ukraine's population as mobile subscribers, has put millions of people in danger of not receiving air raid alerts. A Russian hacking group, which targeted internet providers and Ukrainian websites earlier this year, said it was behind the latest cyberattack.
The port city of Odesa was also attacked for "several hours" by drones overnight, a regional military chief said. Two men were reportedly injured and there was damage to civil infrastructure.

The Ukrainian president arrived in Norway on Wednesday for a previously unannounced visit to discuss support for his country's defences.
He flew there after a trip to the US, where he made a last-ditch effort to win new military aid from Congress before the currently approved amount runs dry.
But hopes that Mr Zelensky could use his powers of persuasion to unlock military aid in Washington DC appear to have fallen flat.
US President Joe Biden warned Republicans that they would give Russia a "Christmas gift" if they failed to provide additional military aid to Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky said afterwards that he and Mr Biden had "just agreed to work on increasing the number of air defence systems in Ukraine, and the terrorist state demonstrated how critical this decision is".
"Each additional system and missile is vital for Ukraine, our cities, and our people. They are saving lives," he added.
Mr Zelensky's push for aid came ahead of a summit of European leaders where Ukraine hopes to be given a start date for talks on joining the EU.

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has reaffirmed his position that the EU should not open accession talks. "The EU is preparing to make a terrible mistake and we must prevent that even if 26 (members) want to make the mistake," Mr Orban told local website Mandiner.
"If we want to give support to Ukraine, a geostrategic signal, then we should, but this is not membership."
Hungary has repeatedly been at odds with its EU partners over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It has watered down sanctions against Russia and last December vetoed a deal to grant Ukraine €18bn (£15.5bn) in 2023.

The EU's executive is expected to unblock €10bn in funding for Hungary on Wednesday, in a move criticised as an attempt to persuade Mr Orban to loosen his objections to helping Ukraine.
"Ukraine is not only fighting against the invader, but for Europe, and joining our family will be Ukraine's ultimate victory. And for this, we have a decisive role to play," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament.
However, Mr Orban told the Hungarian parliament on Wednesday that the idea of Ukraine joining the EU was in stark contrast to Hungary's national interest.

Zelensky faces political deadlock in Washington - video

In a statement on the Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight, Ukraine’s president, Voldymyr Zelenskiy, said: “There will be a response. Certainly.”

Russia attempted to strike Kyiv with 10 ballistic missiles at 3 a.m, this night. All of them were shot down. I am grateful to our Air Defense Forces and partners. I thank all of our services helping the victims of the fallen debris. We keep working to enhance our capabilities, and we have powerful new agreements. We are working to expedite their implementation.
President Biden and I just agreed to work on increasing the number of air defense systems in Ukraine, and the terrorist state demonstrated how critical this decision is. Each additional system and missile is vital for Ukraine, our cities, and our people. They are saving lives.
Russia has proven once again that it is a heinous country that fires missiles at night, trying to hit residential areas, kindergartens, and energy facilities during the winter. There will be a response. Certainly.

Latest intelligence update from the UK's Ministry of Defence

Here are some of the images from the newswires of the damage caused by the overnight strikes on Kyiv:

Russian forces retake several Ukrainian positions on Kherson Oblast's left bank – ISW

Russian troops have pursued offensive operations on Kherson Oblast's left bank and have secured some progress.

• US intelligence reportedly assessed that Russian offensive operations in eastern Ukraine in autumn 2023 and through the upcoming winter aim to weaken Western support for Ukraine instead of achieving any immediate operational objectives.
  
  
• Russian forces may be conducting costly offensive operations at a time unfavourable for ground manoeuvre to time the potential shift in battlefield initiative with ongoing conversations in the West about continued support to Ukraine.
  
  
• US intelligence also assessed that the war in Ukraine has devastated the pre-war Russian military, although Russia has partially offset these losses and continues to prepare for a long war in Ukraine.
  
  
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with various US officials, including President Joe Biden, and spoke to Congress about US military assistance to Ukraine in Washington, DC on 12 December.
  
  
• Russian forces conducted a series of drone and missile strikes targeting Ukraine on 12 December.
  
  
• Ukrainian officials stated that Russian special services may have conducted the major cyberattack on Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar on 12 December.
  
  
• The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported that GUR cyber units recently conducted a successful cyber operation against the Russian Federal Tax Service (FNS).
  
  
• Russian news outlet RBK reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has designated prominent Russian milbloggers as "trusted persons" in his presidential election campaign for the first time.
  
  
• A St Petersburg court sentenced three underage Uzbek migrants and their parents to deportation for extinguishing the Eternal Flame in St Petersburg amid ongoing tension between Central Asian communities in Russia and Russian authorities.
  
  
• Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, near Avdiivka, west and southwest of Donetsk City, in the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia Oblast border area, and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast on 12 December and advanced in some areas.
  
  
• The Russian State Duma adopted a series of laws on 12 December to help further bolster Rosgvardia’s and the Federal Security Service’s (FSB) force generation capacity.
  
  
• Russian occupation authorities continue to use the Kremlin-funded pseudo-volunteer "Dvizheniye Pervykh" (Movement of the First) youth organisation to indoctrinate Ukrainian youth in occupied Ukraine with Russian and cultural national identities.
  

Marinka Has Fallen To The Russians

Russian occupiers have captured the completely destroyed city of Marinka, reported a number of Russian and Ukrainian military bloggers.
They refer to a publication by Nikolai Voroshnov, an air intelligence officer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"Marinka has fallen, the Kurakhove fortress awaits us soon," he wrote on his Facebook profile.
The officer with the call sign Canada also writes:
"It is less than 14 km to Kurakhove in a straight line. Fields, plantations, a farm and a small village. After Avdos, they will throw all their forces into a breakthrough in the Kurahovo-Vuhledar direction. This is almost certainly where the next offensive fist will be. Kurakhove Fortress is also waiting for us soon".
The information has not yet been officially confirmed by either the authorities in Kyiv or Moscow, and cannot be verified by an independent source.
But other pro-Ukrainian military bloggers also write about the capture of Marinka by the Russians. This can also be judged from photos in a number of Telegram channels, which show the Russian flag above a dilapidated building in the city.
The invaders also advanced in the region of Bakhmut.
Earlier today, however, the officer of the 5th separate amphibious assault brigade, Alexei Tarasenko, during a telethon, stated that "the enemy has achieved certain successes due to the presence of fresh units."
"In some sections of the front, the Russian occupiers achieved some success thanks to the presence of fresh units. The offensive potential of the enemy in the direction of Ivanivka, Klishchiivka and Andriivka has not yet been exhausted," said the officer of the 5th separate amphibious assault brigade.

Claim that Russians have captured Marinka is false – Commander

Oleksandr Tarnavskyi. PHOTO: "Army. INFORM"

The Russians are assembling forces in the Marinka area in preparation for future assaults and are claiming that they have captured the whole city.

Source: Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Commander of the Tavriia Operational Strategic Group, on Telegram

Quote: "The containment of the enemy continues in the areas of Novomykailivka and Krasnohorivka – 11 attacks have been repelled. In the Marinka area, the enemy is amassing forces for further assaults. They continue to spread disinformation and provocations about the alleged complete capture of the city. The defence of Marinka continues."

Previously: On 5 December, UK Defence Intelligence reported that the Russians had captured most of Marinka, but that the city has been completely destroyed.

On the left bank of the Dnipro, at least a division of Russians is operating against units of the Defense Forces, details from a military expert

 “I would not talk about de-occupation; for now we are talking about the tactical operation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces on the left bank of the Dnipro, that is, about creating the preconditions based on which we can then talk about the development of some more active actions. The most difficult thing is the balance of forces and means. That is, we understand that the operation on the left bank is carried out mainly by the forces of the Ukrainian Marine Corps, and, in general, small units are located on the left bank. The total number there is approximately 1,000 people. Against them… at least an enemy division is drawn up, which indicates a ratio of forces of 1:10,” said the military expert.

 “Here we can talk about negative and positive factors. That is, on the one hand, we cannot concentrate and provide a large number of forces on a certain section of the front on the left bank of the Dnipro. But, on the other hand, we have the opportunity to disperse our units, which is what we are doing, to conduct operations on wider sectors of the front, to put it mildly, unnerving the enemy, not allowing him to calm down and forcing him to keep such colossal forces and means on this shore. And, by the way, our defense of Avdeevka is a direct consequence of the fact that the enemy, even if he wants to, is physically unable to provide an even higher density of troops, forced to send these troops to other directions,” said the military expert.

Russia Has Snatched Away Ukraine's Drone Advantage

Ukrainian Army receives six top secret weapons monthly

Teacher imprisoned for condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine placed in solitary confinement

Closing Summary

• A Russian missile attack overnight on the Ukrainian capital damaged residential buildings and a children’s hospital, with Kyiv’s mayor reporting that at least 53 people, including six children, were injured. Ukraine’s air defence systems downed all 10 ballistic missiles targeting the capital at about 3 am, he said on Telegram.
  
  
• Debris hit several residential buildings in the Dniprovskyi district. At least 20 people were taken to hospital, including two children. Thirty-three civilians received treatment on the ground, the capital’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said.
  
  
• In a statement on the Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight, Ukraine’s president, Voldymyr Zelenskiy, said: “There will be a response. Certainly.” Posting on X, he said: “Russia has proven once again that it is a heinous country that fires missiles at night, trying to hit residential areas, kindergartens and energy facilities during the winter. There will be a response. Certainly.”
  
  
• Zelenskiy paid a surprise visit to Norway and said his critical priority was to strengthen Ukrainian air defence. At a summit with Nordic leaders, he said: “Today we talked and will talk about such specific things that can save thousands and thousands of Ukrainian lives, as well as increasing pressure on the aggressor,” as he called for more support for Kyiv in its war with Russia.
  
  
• Hungary will stick to its stance that the EU must not start membership talks with Ukraine but should aim for a strategic partnership instead, its prime minister, Viktor Orbán, said. He also reiterated that the issue should be taken off the agenda of the bloc’s EU leaders summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, as Hungary will not approve the start of accession talks with Ukraine. Hungary opposes granting Ukraine more financial aid and has threatened to veto plans to advance its EU membership bid.
  
  
• The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, told the European parliament ahead of the summit: “As the war drags on, we must prove what it means to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.” Her commission wants the summit to take a decision this week to start EU membership talks with Ukraine once it meets the four outstanding conditions previously set out.
  
  
• Zelenskiy has said the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, had no reason to block Ukraine’s EU membership. Most of the EU’s 27 members want to open talks on Ukraine’s accession at a summit this week and agree billions of euros in further support for Kyiv in its war against Russia’s invasion. But both moves are being blocked by Hungary.
  
  
• The US president, Joe Biden, has warned the Republicans that they would give Russia a “Christmas gift” if they failed to provide additional military aid to Ukraine.
  
  
• Zelenskiy travelled to Washington on Tuesday to plead for money to back Ukraine in its war with Russia, but he faced a sceptical reception from key Republican lawmakers. Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House of Representatives, would not agree to support Biden’s request to give Ukraine $61.4bn, with objectors insisting on White House concessions on border security as a condition for a deal.
  
  
• Biden announced an additional $200m military aid package and, amid concerns that the war had reached a stalemate, insisted that Ukraine has made significant progress. “I will not walk away from Ukraine, and neither will the American people,” Biden said.
  
  
• Zelenskiy has insisted he received a “positive signal” during his trip to Washington this week that the US would continue its support and assistance to Ukraine – despite suggestions that it could be losing support from its staunchest ally. He said he was confident of the US’s backing. Citing conversations with “congressmen, senators, representatives of both parties, with administration of the president and with him personally, from the speaker of the United States” he said: “I received a positive signal concerning support of Ukraine and assistance from the side of the United States.”
  
  
• Norway will donate 3 billion crowns ($273 million) to Ukraine , prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre told a joint press conference with Zelenskiy on Wednesday. The funds are part of a package agreed previously by Norway’s parliament, of 75 billion crowns (£5.5bn) over 5 years.
  
  
• Denmark’s government will present a new support package for Ukraine worth €1bn (£860,000) to parliament on Thursday, prime minister Mette Frederiksen said on Wednesday at a press conference with Nordic leaders and Zelenskiy in Oslo.
  
  
• Ukraine’s biggest mobile network operator, Kyivstar, aimed to restore some of its services later on Wednesday after an “unprecedented” cyber-attack, the company’s chief executive, Oleksandr Komarov, said. Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency told Reuters it was investigating the possibility that Russian security services were behind the attack. Moscow had no immediate comment.