The Biden administration will engage with Russia this week to discuss detained American Paul Whelan, according to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
Zelensky meets with G7 leaders as they pledge their support for Ukraine. Here is the latest news
From CNN staff
The Group of Seven leaders pledged on Monday to give “unwavering support” and solidarity to Ukraine by promising assistance with military and air defense systems.
US President Joe Biden was one of the G7 who held a virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Here are the latest headlines
US to send material, but no troops: Biden that there are no plans to send US troops to Ukraine, but he did say the country will continue to send “material” in the form of aid and weapons. Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi detailing a $37.7 billion request for Ukraine aid.
G7 pledges support: Global leaders said Ukraine will have their “unwavering support” as Russian attacks continue into the winter months. The G7 leaders condemned strikes targeting civilians and energy facilities, saying Russia will ultimately need to pay for the restoration of critical infrastructure “damaged or destroyed” through the invasion.
Zelensky proposes 3 steps for peace: At the virtual meeting, Zelensky outlined three steps for securing peace. The Ukrainian president asked member countries for more military equipment, including artillery, missiles and modern tanks, and for a commitment to increase assistance to ensure financial, energy and social stability next year. Finally, Zelensky said Ukraine would like to offer a peace solution, beginning with asking Russia to start withdrawing troops this Christmas.
Power supply issues continue: Ukraine is suffering a “significant power deficit,” according to state energy provider Ukrenergo. The destruction caused by Russian attacks has limited the capacity of thermal and hydroelectric power plants, and “additional time is needed to restore their work,” added Ukrenergo. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNN affiliate ARD that “a general blackout is indeed realistic” and gave a snippet of what his life at home has been like personally for him. “I had no electricity, heating or water for 30 hours at my home.”
Paul Whelan’s future: The Biden administration will engage with Russia this week to discuss detained American Paul Whelan, according to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. He did not give specific details about what the conversation will entail, but he dismissed the idea that the US would change a specific policy, including with respect to Ukraine, in exchange for Whelan’s release.
Link Copied!
Brittney Griner enjoys some taste of normalcy her first weekend back on American soil
From CNN's Abby Phllip
WNBA star Brittney Griner experienced a taste of normal on her first weekend back in San Antonio after spending 10 months in detention in Russia.
After receiving medical care at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Griner and her wife Cherelle moved to a more residential environment, one that has been decorated for Christmas by her agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas.
Colas told CNN that Griner is “upbeat, thankful and hopeful” after returning home on Friday. For Griner, “normal” has meant indulging in her favorites: her first drink after landing was a Dr Pepper soda.
This weekend, as members of her family visited off and on for hours, they brought some real San Antonio barbecue for her to enjoy. She received new glasses and was eating far more nutritious food and supplements compared with her time in detention.
“Her energy level was really high,” Colas said.
While in San Antonio, Griner will be receiving physical and psychological support from the US government in an effort to aid her reentry. That care is heavily focused on helping former captives regain a sense of control over their lives after lengthy detentions.
Griner had been charged and convicted in a Russian court of drug trafficking after admitting to having a small amount of marijuana in her bag while returning to the country in February to play professional basketball. She was serving a 9-year sentence in a Russian penal colony until she was released in a prisoner swap for convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout.
Griner has opted into the Department of Defense’s PISA program (Post Isolation Support Activities), which other wrongfully detained Americans, including Trevor Reed, have participated in, Colas added.
Moving forward: Griner is eager to use power and influence to help others. Especially another American left behind in Russia, Paul Whelan.
“It was one of the first things she asked me about,” Colas said. “She’s very, very concerned about that. And will be sending a message to Paul.”
Whelan also sent a message through US representatives who spoke with him in recent days: “Please tell Brittney that Paul said he’s happy she’s home,” he told her, according to Colas.
“She is absolutely thinking about the future,” Colas said. “She already talking about the position that she’s now in to help other people come home.”
Link Copied!
White House official says the administration will engage with Russia "this week" to discuss Paul Whelan
From CNN's DJ Judd
Paul Whelan stands during a hearing at a court in Moscow in 2019.
(Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images)
The White House remains “bound and determined to ensure that we work through a successful method of securing Paul Whelan’s release at the earliest possible opportunity,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday, even as he acknowledged that, over the last several months, it’s become apparent, “what Russia was asking for to secure Paul Whelan’s release was not something that we had to be able to give.”
“That is a problem we are trying to solve – we have various ways that we are working through solutions, and we will be endeavoring on a daily basis, from the President on down, to finally develop a formula that works,” Sullivan told reporters during Monday’s White House press briefing, citing “the sensitivity of these issues.”
Sullivan later told CNN’s Phil Mattingly that administration officials “will have an engagement with [the Russian federation] this week,” to address Whelan’s case, but “I won’t say more about it, because we’re trying to keep that in sensitive channels, but that’s the timetable, and we have had regular engagement, of course, along the way and the next conversation at a high level will take place this week.”
But he dismissed the idea that the US would change a specific policy, including with respect to Ukraine, in exchange for Whelan’s release.
“I can’t really answer a question as general as that – I mean, if the implication is are we going to take a different approach to Ukraine or something like that? The answer is no. We’re not going to take a different approach to Ukraine,” Sullivan said.
He confirmed that members of the National Security Council and the State Department met Monday with Whelan’s sister, Elizabeth Whelan, virtually, but told reporters that he wasn’t a part of the meeting.
“I will just say that the conversations with Paul Whelan’s family have been substantive, they have had a number of very good questions, and also a number of suggestions that they’ve put forward and we have been working to figure out what it is going to take to ultimately secure his freedom and how we can go about getting that and being able to sit down with the Russians and work out a deal,” he added.
Link Copied!
WNBA star Brittney Griner played basketball for the first time in nearly 10 months, agent says
From CNN's Kylie Atwood
WNBA star Brittney Griner played basketball over the weekend for the first time in nearly 10 months after being freed from Russian detention, her agent told CNN.
Griner was wearing a pair of black Chuck Taylor sneakers, Phoenix Suns shorts, and a T-shirt touting Title IX as she played. And her first act was to dunk, said agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas.
But despite the light workout, the two-time Olympic gold medalist isn’t ready to say when or if she plans to return to her WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury. Colas believes that she will try to “utilize her fame for good” but did not detail what that would look like.
Cherelle Griner, Griner’s wife, flew into San Antonio last week and they have been staying at the US base, spending time with family and deciding what to do with her freedom, said Colas. Griner was visited by her father, Ray, and some other family members on Saturday.
ESPN first reported on Griner’s activities over the weekend.
The "course of treatment' for returned American detainees, including Brittney Griner, is not preset, US says
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
Brittney Griner gets out of a plane after landing at the JBSA-Kelly Field Annex runway on December 9 in San Antonio, Texas.
(Suzanne Cordiero/AFP/Getty Images)
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Monday that “the course of treatment” for returned American detainees, including Brittney Griner, “is not a preset, prescribed set of steps.”
Many of the Americans who have recently been freed from wrongful detention underwent a Department of Defense Program known as PISA (Post Isolation Support Activities) to help them acclimate back to normal life. The length of that program varies but its maximum is 19 days.
Price said that the State Department would not be in a position to offer many updates going forward. Griner has been at Brooke Army Medical Center, located on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, since her return to the United States after nearly 10 months in Russian detention.
Link Copied!
Zelensky asks G7 to maintain support for Ukraine next year, outlines steps for securing peace
From CNN’s Zahid Mahmood and Josh Pennington
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a meeting of G7 leaders via video link in Kyiv on December 12.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the Group of Seven leaders Monday to maintain its support for Ukraine next year while outlining three steps for securing peace.
More military equipment: In a video statement, Zelensky said the first step is a “new force,” and he requested more military equipment from the G7.
“Russia still has the advantage in artillery and missiles, this is a fact,” Zelensky said in his statement. “Ukraine needs modern tanks — and I ask you to provide this defensive capability to us. It can be done right now.”
He also said Ukraine needed more “rocket artillery and more long-range missiles,” adding that Ukraine needs “constant artillery support with guns and shells.”
Support for financial and energy stability: The second step, according to Zelensky, was for the leaders to maintain financial, energy and social stability next year.
He also asked the G7 to commit to increasing the assistance of gas to Ukraine.
“The terror against our power plants forced us to use more gas than expected. This is why we need additional support over this particular winter,” Zelensky said. “We are talking about the volume of about 2 billion cubic meters of gas that has to be procured additionally.”
New diplomacy: In the third and final step, Zelensky said Ukraine would like to offer a peace solution, beginning with asking Russia to start withdrawing troops this Christmas.
“I propose Russia to take a concrete and meaningful step toward a diplomatic settlement, which is being mentioned by Moscow so regularly,” he said. “Very soon we’ll have holidays celebrated by billions of people. Christmas — according to the Gregorian calendar or the New Year and Christmas — according to the Julian calendar,” Zelensky said.
More context: Earlier on Monday, G7 leaders pledged to give “unwavering support for and solidarity with Ukraine” by promising to boost the country with military and air-defense systems, condemning Russia’s ongoing “war of aggression.”
Link Copied!
Moscow-appointed Kherson governor involved in car explosion, Russian state media reports
From CNN's Josh Pennington and Denis Lapin in Kyiv
Vitaly Bulyuk, the Russian-appointed first deputy governor of Kherson region, has been involved in a car incident, Russian state media TASS and the occupied regions’ official Telegram channel reported.
There are conflicting reports about the condition of Bulyuk.
TASS is reporting, citing the head of the regional Ministry of Health Vadim Ilmiev, that Bulyuk has been injured in a “car explosion.”
Ilmiev is quoted as saying, “he is wounded, his condition is stable, of moderate severity. He is in one of the medical institutions of the region.”
However, the occupied Kherson region’s Telegram channel is reporting that Bulyuk “was not hurt” and “miraculously Vitaly Viktorivich was not injured. His life is not in danger at the moment”.
The Telegram channel did report a few more details of the incident, saying it took place in the city of Skadovsk and that “one civilian was killed.”
It was not immediately clear who the fatality was.
Link Copied!
G7 leaders pledge "unwavering support" to Ukraine, including boosting air defense systems
From CNN’s Inke Kappeler in Berlin
The Group of Seven leaders (G7) pledged on Monday to give “unwavering support” and solidarity to Ukraine by promising to boost the country with military and air defense systems, condemning Russia’s ongoing “war of aggression.”
The statement also said the leaders are determined that Russia will ultimately need to pay for the restoration of critical infrastructure “damaged or destroyed” through the invasion.
“We will hold President Putin and those responsible to account in accordance with international law,” the statement said. “We reiterate that Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric is unacceptable and that any use of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons would be met with severe consequences.”
The G7 leaders also condemned Russia’s “continued seizure” of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, adding they support the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) efforts to establish a safety and security zone.
“Russia can end this war immediately by ceasing its attacks against Ukraine and completely and unconditionally withdrawing its forces from the territory of Ukraine,” the statement said.
CNN reported earlier Monday that US President Joe Biden was among the G7 leaders that would join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the virtual meeting Monday, a senior administration official told CNN. Energy — both immediate assistance for Ukraine, as well as the European Union’s energy issues — were set to be key topics.
CNN’s Betsy Klein and Phil Mattingly contributed reporting to this post.
Link Copied!
Biden: US will continue "sending material" to Ukraine, but not troops
From CNN's DJ Judd and Betsy Klein
US President Joe Biden said Monday that there are no plans to send US troops to Ukraine.
“Are we sending troops to Ukraine? No, we’re sending material, like we have, millions of dollars,” Biden told reporters traveling with him in Virginia following a question about whether his administration is planning on sending to troops to Ukraine.
In November, the Biden administration called on Congress for additional funding to continue to support Ukraine.
Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi detailing a $37.7 billion request for Ukraine aid.
The Ukraine request is spread across four US government departments, according to a fact sheet shared with CNN. Young wrote to Pelosi that the request would “ensure Ukraine has the funding, weapons, and support it needs to defend itself, and that vulnerable people continue to receive lifesaving aid. The request also addresses the critical global food and energy shortages caused by Russia’s invasion.”
It includes $21.7 for the Department of Defense that will be spent on “equipment for Ukraine, replenishment of Department of Defense stocks, and for continued military, intelligence and other defense support,” $14.5 billion for the State Department for “direct budget support to Ukraine, critical war time investments, security assistance, to strengthen global food security, and for humanitarian assistance,” $626 million for the Department of Energy “for nuclear security support to Ukraine and for modernizing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve,” and $900 million for the Department of Health and Human Services “to provide standard assistance health care and support services to Ukrainian parolees,” per the fact sheet.
Link Copied!
Exiled mayor of Melitopol says Russians are "redeploying" in the city
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv
An image from social media shows an attack on Melitopol on December 11.
(Citizen of Ukraine/Twitter)
Ivan Fedorov, the exiled mayor of Melitopol, said in a Ukrainian TV interview that Russian troops in the city are “redeploying” and are now “panicking” given Ukrainian strikes on the city over the weekend.
Without providing any evidence he said, “they are busy moving their military groups to other places to try to hide them.”
Fedorov also gave an update on the number of injured and killed as a result of the missile attacks, “there are dozens of Russo-fascists killed, and there are wounded, who were taken to hospitals and to Crimea: about 200 Russo-fascists went to hospitals.”
The Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine saw heavy shelling during the weekend, according to reports from both Russian and Ukrainian sources — but there were conflicting reports on injured and dead.
Link Copied!
US says "candid and substantive" meeting with China officials covered Ukraine war and North Korea threats
From CNN's Kylie Atwood
The meetings between US and Chinese officials in recent days were “candid and substantive” a senior administration official said, adding that the two sides exchanged views on issues including Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and DPRK threats to regional security on the Korean peninsula.
The meetings took place in Langfang, China, and they “are the latest in a series of engagements and part of our ongoing diplomacy with the PRC,” the official explained. The dialogue followed President Biden’s meeting with President Xi Jinping on November 14 on the margins of the G20 in Bali.
The US officials met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng on Dec. 11 and 12. The US delegation included Assistant Secretary Dan Kritenbrink, National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Laura Rosenberger, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for China and Taiwan China Coordinator Rick Waters.
One of the issues that the US side emphasized was the fact that “bringing home U.S. citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China is a personal priority for the President,” the official said.
The US delegation also touched on topics and themes that have been ongoing themes in the Biden administration’s policy approach to China.
“Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink and Senior Director Rosenberger made clear that the United States would continue to compete vigorously, stand up for U.S. interests and values, defend the rules-based international order, and coordinate closely with allies and partners,” the official said.
After their meetings, Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink and Senior Director Rosenberger traveled to Seoul and Tokyo for consultations on a range of regional and bilateral issues from Dec 12 to 14, the official said.
Link Copied!
It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know.
From CNN staff
Russian forces fired at least 30 shells in the central Dnipropetrovsk region overnight, while freed Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout has joined a pro-Kremlin ultranationalist party. US President Joe Biden is one of a number of world leaders who will hold a virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.
Here are the latest headlines:
Russian forces strike central Ukraine: Heavy artillery fire, including Grad missiles, was reported in Dnipropetrovsk overnight, a Ukrainian military official said on Telegram Monday. The communities of Nikopol and Marhanets were impacted and at least 30 shells were fired, but there were no casualties.
Bout joins ultranationalist party: Freed Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was exchanged in a prisoner swap with WNBA star Brittney Griner, has joined the pro-Kremlin ultranationalist party Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR). Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday he is not sure whether Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken with Bout.
Power supply issues continue: Ukraine is suffering a “significant power deficit,” according to state energy provider Ukrenergo. Destruction caused by Russian attacks has limited the capacity of thermal and hydroelectric power plants, and “additional time is needed to restore their work,” added Ukrenergo. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNN affiliate ARD that “a general blackout is indeed realistic” in Ukraine and gave a snippet of what his life at home has been like personally for him. “I had no electricity, heating or water for 30 hours at my home.” Only a fraction of Ukrainians are able to move out of the cities to country houses where “they have possibilities to heat stoves with wood,” he added.
Biden and Zelensky to talk Monday: US President Joe Biden will be among the G7 leaders that will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a virtual meeting Monday, a senior administration official told CNN. Energy — both immediate assistance for Ukraine, as well as the European Union’s energy issues — will be a key topic.
Ukrainian embassy receives suspicious parcel: The Ukrainian embassy in Greece has received a “bloody package,” according to Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko. It is the latest in a string of packages sent to Ukrainian diplomatic missions across Europe over the past two weeks.
Ukrainian forces strike Melitopol: The Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine saw heavy shelling at the weekend, but there are conflicting reports on the number of casualties. Exiled city mayor Ivan Fedorov initially claimed 200 Russians were killed, before rowing back the number of casualties to “dozens” dead. Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-installed governor of Zaporizhzhia region, where Meliopol is located, said that two people were killed and 10 more injured.
Link Copied!
Ukrainian president will join G7 leaders for a virtual meeting Monday
From CNN's Betsy Klein and Phil Mattingly
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his office in Kyiv, Ukraine.
(President of Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will join leaders of the Group of 7 nations, including US President Joe Biden, for a virtual meeting this morning, a senior administration official confirmed to CNN.
The leaders will “discuss the progress we’ve made together under Germany’s presidency to address the most pressing global challenges of our time,” the senior official said.
Energy, as it relates to Ukraine and the European Union, will be a key topic.
The meeting comes after Biden and Zelensky spoke by phone Sunday. On the call, Biden highlighted how the US “is prioritizing efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense through our security assistance,” the White House said in a statement.
Link Copied!
Kremlin spokesman unsure if Putin has spoken with Bout
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Radina Gigova
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday he is not sure whether Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken with freed Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Peskov also commented on Bout joining the pro-Kremlin nationalist party Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR).
“This is not our question, this is Bout’s personal choice,” Peskov said. “If he sees party prospects for himself, well, good for him. This is his own business.”
Earlier on Monday, Russian state news agency TASS quoted Bout as saying that for now he is not planning to run for political office or participate in elections.
TASS also quoted LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky as saying that Bout will be invited to a meeting of the State Duma’s committee on international affairs.
During the call with journalists, Peskov was also asked whether WNBA star Brittney Griner, with whom Bout was exchanged in a prisoner swap, had filed a petition for clemency.
“All necessary procedures were performed in accordance with the law,” Peskov said without elaborating further.
Link Copied!
"Significant generation deficit" after all of Ukraine's thermal and hydroelectric power plants damaged in Russian attacks, prime minister says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv
Apartment buildings without electricity during a power outage after critical civil infrastructure was hit by Russian drone attacks in Odesa, Ukraine, on December 10.
(Serhii Smolientsev/Reuters)
All of Ukraine’s thermal and hydroelectric power stations have been damaged in the relentless Russian missile strikes targeting the country’s power system, Ukraine’s prime minister said Sunday.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that “there is a significant [power] generation deficit” in the country’s energy system, following eight waves of Russian attacks targeting critical infrastructure.
Ukraine’s state energy provider Ukrenergo said Monday that destruction caused by Russian attacks has limited the capacities of thermal power plants, and “additional time is needed to restore their work.”
Power and water supplies are gradually being restored around the key port of Odesa, which was hit by Russian drone strikes over the weekend, the city’s mayor said.
“The situation in Odesa region is still difficult, the restoration of power supply to consumers continues,” Ukrenergo said in an update posted on Facebook on Monday.
Link Copied!
Viktor Bout joins pro-Kremlin nationalist party and claims leader helped with his release
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Radina Gigova
Alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout sits in a temporary cell ahead of a hearing at the Criminal Court in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 20, 2010.
(Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images)
Freed Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was exchanged in a prisoner swap with WNBA star Brittney Griner, has joined the pro-Kremlin ultranationalist party Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), according to state media.
“Leonid Eduardovich [Slutsky] has done a lot to free me. LDPR strongly supported me,” said Bout. “It is my honor, it is my duty to do all I can not only to help, but also to be actively involved in the work [of the party].”
Bout, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death” by his accusers, was released Thursday from US detention while serving a 25-year prison sentence on charges of conspiring to kill Americans, acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles, and provide material support to a terrorist organization. He claimed that the LDPR’s leader helped with his release.
“It has been my motto throughout this difficult time not to lie and not to be afraid,” he added. “This helped me. I hope that now at this difficult time for Russia, LDPR always stands for you, for Russia and for the truth.”
Some background: Since it was founded in 1991, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia – whose name belies its xenophobic views – has backed a hardline, ultranationalist ideology, advocating for Russia to retake former Soviet countries. For three decades, the party’s founder and longtime leader, far-right politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, espoused fringe views on Russia’s revival as a great power and imperial expansion, which have now become mainstream in Russia with the invasion of Ukraine. Zhirinovsky died in April.
Link Copied!
Conflicting claims on casualties after Ukrainian forces shell Russian-occupied city of Melitopol over the weekend
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv and Sebastian Shukla in London
The Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine saw heavy shelling at the weekend, according to both Russian and Ukrainian sources, but there are conflicting reports on the number of casualties.
Following an “evening of strikes on Russo-fascist bases, 200 occupiers were roasted [killed]” and 300 more wounded, wrote Ivan Federov, the exiled mayor of Melitopol, on Telegram on Saturday.
Fedorov later rowed back on these claims, instead saying there were “dozens” dead.
Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-installed governor of Zaporizhzhia region, where Meliopol is located, confirmed there had been explosions in the city in a Telegram post.
Balitsky posted a video showing emergency services attending a huge fire on Saturday night.
Balitsky described the target of the attack as a “recreation center” where civilians and military personnel were “having dinner on Saturday night,” but he did not name the target.
According to Balitsky, there were two dead and 10 injured in the attack.
“Three of them need to be hospitalized, and now they are being treated as inpatients in a medical facility,” he said.
On Sunday night, Fedorov told Ukrainian television that “yesterday the enemy had a disappointing day and a disappointing night in the temporarily occupied Melitopol district.”
He listed three sites that were struck, including a “restaurant-hotel complex on the outskirts of Melitopol – ‘Prival Okhotnika’ [‘Hunter’s Rest’].”
The other two were a checkpoint 20km (12 miles) from Melitopol in Novobohdanivka, and a military unit that was “completely destroyed” near the village of Semenivka.
Melitopol lies south of the city of Zaporizhzhia and to the east of Kherson. It is a major Russian logistics hub and has been in Russian hands since the early days of the invasion.
Some background: Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, underlined the importance of the city in comments made to local media outlet Feigin Live on Saturday.
“If Melitopol falls, the entire defense (of the occupiers) to Kherson collapses, the Ukrainian armed forces jump right to the border with Crimea on the isthmus,” said Arestovych.
The attacks on Melitopol came as Ukrainian forces also struck a hotel in Luhansk which allegedly housed a Wagner mercenary unit.
The Ukrainian embassy in Greece has received a “bloody package,” according to Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko.
Last Wednesday, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said that suspicious packages which have been sent to Ukrainian diplomatic missions across Europe over the past two weeks all displayed the same “sender’s address,” the Tesla dealership in Germany.
CNN has reached out to the Tesla Germany press office for a comment but has not yet heard back.
Nikolenko went on to say that Greek police have launched an investigation into Monday’s incident.
“We look forward to the acceleration of the investigation by German law enforcement,” he added.
Nikolenko also said that Monday’s incident brings the total number of threats sent to Ukrainian embassies and consulates to 33 cases across 17 countries.
“1 attempted terrorist attack, 2 mine alerts, 1 case of vandalism, 1 written threat and 28 bloody packages,” he added.
“As Dmytro Kuleba said, no matter how hard the enemies try to intimidate Ukrainian diplomacy, they will not succeed. We are working towards victory,” said Nikolenko.
Link Copied!
"Our mere existence is illegal." As Moscow toughens anti-gay law, LGBTQ Russians fear for the future
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Sana Noor Haq
Activists say a new legislative package that beefs up an existing anti-gay law is a threat to LGBTQ people in Russia.
Young mothers Yana and Yaroslava don’t want to leave Russia with their 6-year-old son. But they fear a harsh new anti-gay law passed by Russian lawmakers will leave them little choice.
“We are citizens, same as everyone else. We pay taxes, support charities. But the government is doing everything to force us to leave the country. Honestly, it is scary to stay,” Yaroslava told CNN.
Russia’s upper house of parliament gave its final approval in late November to a new legislative package that toughens an existing law on so-called “LGBTQ propaganda,” and it was signed into law Monday by President Vladimir Putin. The added restrictions on “propaganda” seen as promoting “non-traditional sexual relations and/or preferences” carry heavy penalties – a move activists say will put LGBTQ communities under heightened scrutiny and surveillance.
As the Kremlin prepared to finalize the expansion of the 2013 discriminatory anti-gay law, members of the LGBTQ community in Russia told CNN they feared the uncertain future ahead.
“We are the most vulnerable category within LGBT. We have a child, and they (Russian authorities) can put pressure on us,” Yaroslava said.
Russian attack kills at least 1 in Donetsk, Ukrainian official says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
A man walks past a damaged building in Donetsk region on December 11.
(Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)
A Russian attack killed at least one civilian and injured three others Sunday in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to a Ukrainian military official.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, said Monday the casualties were reported in the settlement of Velyka Novosilka.
The city of Donetsk has been occupied by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, however Ukrainian forces remain within a few miles of its limits and maintain a majority of control over the region.
In October, Russia’s legislature approved President Vladimir Putin’s decision to annex four parts of Ukraine, namely Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Luhansk, despite not having full control of those regions. The move is illegal under international law.
Link Copied!
Brittney Griner is recuperating at a Texas military medical facility
From CNN's Nouran Salahieh
Brittney Griner is seen aboard a plane before her departure to the United States in Abu Dhabi, UAE on December 8.
(RIA)
Finally back on American soil after nearly 10 months of imprisonment in Russia, WNBA star Brittney Griner is spending time at a medical facility in Texas before she returns to her regular life.
The basketball star — who was released Thursday as part of a prisoner exchange between the US and Russia for notorious convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout — arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio for a routine evaluation early Friday, and officials have not specified how long she will be there.
Richardson and his center privately work on behalf of families of hostages and detainees. He previously traveled to Russia to discuss Griner’s release, as well that of Paul Whelan, a former US Marine who remains in custody.
Griner’s release through the prisoner exchange took months to negotiate and marked an end to months in confinement after the basketball star was arrested on drug charges at a Russian airport in February and then sentenced to nine years in prison.
The Texas facility Griner is at would stand in stark contrast to the Russian penal colony she was held in before her release.
Heavy artillery fire in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, official says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Heavy artillery fire, including Grad missiles, was reported in Dnipropetrovsk overnight, a Ukrainian military official said on Telegram Monday.
Valentyn Reznichenko, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said the communities of Nikopol and Marhanets were impacted and at least 30 shells were fired. There were no casualties, he added.
Nikopol sits across the river from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Representatives of the State Emergency Service are inspecting the affected areas for more details, he added.
Link Copied!
Ukraine's counteroffensive will resume after ground freezes, defense minister says
From CNN's Mariya Knight in Atlanta
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Sunday said Ukrainian forces will resume “active counteroffensive actions” when the ground freezes and “becomes firmer for easier passage of equipment”, at a press conference with his Swedish counterpart, Defense Minister Pal Jonson, in Odesa.
Reznikov also vowed that “the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not intend to stop.”
“Therefore, we are taking advantage of the moment when the ground becomes firmer,” he continued.” I am convinced that we will continue our counterattacks, the campaign to liberate our territories.”
The Defense Minister called Ukraine’s plan “very simple.” “It is the liberation of all temporarily-occupied territories of Ukraine as they were in 1991, when Ukraine’s borders were internationally recognized,” he said.
Reznikov said he believes Russians “are fighting civilians in order to persuade the Ukrainian government to start negotiating on Russia’s terms, but they will not succeed in it.”
Link Copied!
Biden and Zelensky speak by phone to discuss recent US assistance for air defense
From CNN's Sam Fossum and Jack Forrest
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks with US President Joe Biden from his office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 12.
(President of Ukraine)
President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on Sunday to discuss Russia’s invasion and recent US efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses.
Zelensky thanked Biden for an additional $275 million in security assistance, which the Pentagon announced Friday, as well as for the wider and “unprecedented” US support of Ukraine’s sovereignty in the face of Russian aggression, according to a statement published on the website of Ukraine’s Presidency.
The package announced last week includes weapons and artillery rounds, as well as equipment to help Ukraine boost its air defense.
Zelensky said the “unprecedented defense and financial assistance” from the US helped “not only to succeed on the battlefield,” but also to “maintain the stability of our nation’s economy,” according to the Ukrainian statement.
He told the American president that “Russian missile terror” has led to the destruction of about 50% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, while thanking the US for allocating aid specifically for the reconstruction of Ukraine’s energy systems.
Biden also highlighted the $53 million package announced late last month to support Ukraine’s electrical system as it faces a barrage of attacks from Russia, according to the White House statement.
Trump says he rejected deal to free American held in Russia since 2018
From CNN's Kristen Holmes
Former US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he turned down a deal with Russia while he was in office to free detained American Paul Whelan in exchange for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Whelan has been held in Moscow since 2018, when Trump was President.
Bout was freed by the United States last week in a prisoner exchange for basketball star Brittney Griner — a deal Trump called “crazy and bad.”
Without explaining how, Trump added that he “would have gotten Paul [Whelan] out.”
On Sunday, Fiona Hill, a former national security official under Trump, said a deal to exchange Bout for Whelan was a possibility during his tenure.
“[Trump] was not particularly interested in Paul’s case in the way that one would have thought he would be,” Hill told CBS.
Link Copied!
Ukraine launches missile attack on Russian-occupied Melitopol, explosions reported in Donetsk and Crimea
From CNN's Josh Pennington, Julia Kesaieva, Tim Lister and Mariya Knight
Multiple explosions have been reported in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine, in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and in annexed Crimea — including at a Russian military barracks.
The explosions in Melitopol came amid reports from officials on both sides that Ukraine had launched a missile attack on the city on Saturday, while Russian state media said 20 missiles hit the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic on Sunday morning.
Separately, reports also emerged of multiple explosions in Russian-annexed Crimea, including at a military barracks in Sovietske.
Melitopol’s Moscow-installed administrators said four missiles hit the city, killing two and injuring 10, while Melitopol’s mayor reported several explosions, including at a church occupied by Russian forces.
However, Ukrainian officials have not commented on the explosions in Crimea or in the Donetsk People’s Republic and CNN is unable to verify the cause of the blasts or the extent of the damage.
Eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut is "holding on" as fighting rages all around it, military says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Ukrainian artillerymen from the 24th brigade load an ammunition inside of a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer at a position along the front line in the vicinity of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on December 10.
(Ihor Tkachov/AFP/Getty Images)
Ukraine’s forces are clinging to the eastern town of Bakhmut as fighting rages all around it, the military said.
Speaking about Russian troops, the Ukrainian military said: “You have not entered anywhere, you will not enter anywhere. You will never take Bakhmut.”
The military added: “No matter what they say, no matter what they write, Bakhmut was, is and will be Ukraine.”
Some context: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this week that the situation is very difficult for his troops along the front line in the country’s Donbas region.
Bakhmut is located in Donetsk, which is part of the Donbas and was among the four territories of Ukraine annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in violation of international law.
Link Copied!
Situation in Odesa is "controlled, although not easy" amid power outage, mayor says
From CNN's Mia Alberti
Power and water supplies are gradually being restored around the key port of Odesa after the region was hit by drone strikes, the city’s Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov said in a statement on Telegram.
The number of people without power in the region decreased from 1.5 million on Saturday to 300,000 on Sunday.
“The situation is quite controlled, although not easy,” he said.
Trukhanov said his administration is re-launching pumping stations and delivering water by truck to zones where shortages continue. Regarding power supply and heating, the official said 43 out of 140 boiler houses are still not working.
The head of Odesa regional state administration, Maksym Marchenko, said in a statement that “power is gradually returning to Odesa”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that the damage was done by Iranian-made drones, which Russia launched overnight Friday into Saturday.
US hostage affairs official details Brittney Griner's flight back to US
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
The top US hostage affairs official on Sunday reflected on conducting the prisoner swap that led to Brittney Griner’s release, saying the WNBA star immediately thanked the crew returning her to the United States.
Carstens, who led the mission to the UAE, provided CNN with new details about Griner’s trip home. Griner, who he described as “an intelligent, passionate, compassionate, humble, interesting person, a patriotic person, but above all, authentic,” seemed healthy and full of energy during the trip.
She was given a sense, he said, that she would be going home that day, and it felt real the moment he was able to board the other plane and tell her that “on behalf of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, and Secretary of State Tony Blinken, I’m here to take you home.”
