(Bloomberg) —
(Bloomberg) —
Explosions were heard early Monday in Kyiv as the city government said Iranian drones were shot down. That followed a warning by an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Russia could sharply escalate the war in a winter offensive driven by mass infantry and that Western allies needed to be prepared.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will attend a 10-nation meeting in Latvia on Monday to discuss further air-defense support for Ukraine, according to his office. Ukraine is repairing key infrastructure after Russian missile strikes on Friday, the ninth major barrage since early October.
Russia has launched over 4,000 missiles at Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion, Zelenskiy said on Saturday. The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin met with military commanders and asked for “proposals” on the next steps in the war.
(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Key Developments
- Putin’s Ambitions Put Finland’s Troops and Tanks Back In Vogue
- Putin’s War Makes Russian Stocks World’s Worst With Grim Outlook
- A Million Shells and More: Pentagon Revs Up Ukraine Weapons Aid
- EU Will Fund Cable Bringing Power From Caucasus Region
- Europe’s $1 Trillion Energy Bill Only Marks Start of the Crisis
- Germany Opens LNG Terminal in Quest to Replace Russian Gas
On the Ground
Russian forces are trying to regain positions near Lyman and restoring railway infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia to improve logistics, Ukraine’s general staff said in an update. Russia is attempting to advance near Bakhmut and Avdiivka. There were four missile strikes and 20 shellings from multiple rocket launchers on Sunday. Russian forces shelled the center of Kherson, injuring three, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of presidential staff, said on Telegram. Air defense systems were triggered in Russia’s Belgorod region, with at least four people were injured on the ground, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram. One person was killed and another injured in the surrounding region.
(All times CET)
Kyiv Says Iranian Drones Shot Down (4:31 a.m.)
Explosions were heard around Kyiv early Monday morning, with the city government saying nine Iranian-made Shahed drones were shot down. Sirens first blared at 2 a.m. local time, continuing for hours in a city still confronting power and water shortages, with temperatures below zero.
Ukraine Allies to Discuss More Aid on Air Defense (11:30 p.m.)
The leaders of the UK, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway will discuss further air defense support for Ukraine at a meeting in Latvia on Monday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said in a statement.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce a £250 million contract that will ensure a constant flow of artillery ammunition to Ukraine throughout 2023. He’ll also visit Estonia to meet UK troops and sign a bilateral technology partnership.
Zelenskiy Aide Warns of Potential Russian Winter Escalation: NYT (5:12 p.m.)
Ukraine is bracing for a major Russian escalation over the winter to tamp down political backlash at home, Zelenskiy adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told the New York Times.
The comments, made to the newspaper in emailed responses to questions, were a warning that the Kremlin plans to ramp up the war, potentially with a new mass mobilization. Ukraine’s army commander-in-chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi told The Economist last week there was “no doubt” Russia will make another run at capturing Kyiv as soon as January with fresh troops now in training.
Russia’s military appears to be laying plans for mass infantry attacks reminiscent of those done by the Soviet Union during World War II, Podolyak said.
Rheinmetall Plans New Ammo Production Line (4 p.m.)
Rheinmetall will build a new production line for ammunition to ease supply bottlenecks for Germany’s armed forces in the latest sign that Russia’s war against Ukraine is reshaping Europe’s security landscape.
The German company plans to invest more than €10 million ($10.6 million) to add the new capacity at its existing site in Unterluess, Lower Saxony. It will provide ammunition also for the 30 “Gepard” anti-aircraft guns which Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government sent to Ukraine earlier this year.
Ukraine Takes on FIFA Over World Cup Video Decision (2:30 p.m.)
Ukraine criticized FIFA, saying the football governing body had declined to show a video message from Voldymyr Zelenskiy calling for world peace before Sunday’s World Cup final in Qatar.
Ukraine’s president recorded a video in English that he hoped would be shown before the game. “FIFA blocked the initiative and will not allow” the video to be shown, CNN reported, citing a statement from the office. FIFA hasn’t commented.
Presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter that the sports body “shows lack of understanding of the disaster” Russia is dragging the world into, while Ukraine’s foreign ministry urged FIFA to not be afraid.
Ukraine’s Railway Lights Up Christmas Tree With Pedal Power (2 p.m.)
The Ukrainian railway company Ukrzaliznytsya set up a Christmas tree in the hall of a central railway station in Kyiv with lights powered by a electricity generated by a bicycle, its CEO said on Twitter.
Russian Defense Chief Visits ‘Forward Positions’ in Ukraine (11 a.m.)
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu flew over deployment area of Russian troops in Ukraine and inspected forward positions, the ministry said on its website. Shoigu is shown in a 43-second video traveling by helicopter; it’s unclear when trip took place and exactly what locations he visited.
The travel was announced two days after President Vladimir Putin met with military commanders, including Shoigu, to strategize on the way forward for what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, which is approaching the 10-month mark.
Shoigu met with field commanders at a “command and control post,” and “interacted with Russian servicemen,” according to the ministry.
Ukraine Picks Eurovision Artist in Broadcast From Bomb Shelter (10 am.)
Ukrainians chose the band Tvorchi to represent the nation at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. The UK will host the event on behalf of Ukraine, which won the broadcasting rights after its Kalush Orchestra won this year’s competition.
Tvorchi, an electro-pop duo from Ternopil in western Ukraine, was selected from ten contenders after a nationwide broadcast on TV, radio and the internet from a Kyiv underground station that’s being used as a bomb shelter.
The sing-off came a day after Kremlin troops bombarded the capital with 40 missiles, of which 37 were shot down by air defense.
Heat Mostly Back On in Kyiv After Latest Strikes, Mayor Says (8 a.m.)
Kyiv has restored operations at utilities providing heat throughout the city following the latest missile strikes by Russia on Friday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote in Telegram post.
Municipal workers will be addressing any localized issues at buildings without heat throughout the day, he said. Temperatures in Ukraine’s capital will be well below freezing Sunday and Monday before a slight thaw.
Kremlin troops fired some 40 missiles at Ukraine’s capital on Friday as part of the ninth major barrage against key infrastructure since early October. Some 37 missiles were shot down by air defense.
Kremlin Trying to Rehabilitate Putin’s Image, US Analysts Say (7:30 a.m.)
The Kremlin likely publicized Vladimir Putin’s meeting with military commanders to portray him as a competent wartime leader and rehabilitate the image of Russia’s defense ministry as well, the Institute for the Study of War said in a report.
The US-based analysts said the Kremlin wanted to present Putin as “being thoroughly engaged with the planning and execution of the war” following recent criticism from the pro-war community. “One prominent milblogger even questioned whether ‘Putin finally showed public interest in the special military operation’ at their suggestion to do so,” ISW said.
Publicizing the attendance at Friday’s meeting of top military brass, including Army General Sergei Surovikin, who commands Russia’s forces in Ukraine, was done to depict the defense ministry “as an organized, unified, and effective war-fighting institution,” they added.
UK Doubts Impact of ‘Creative Brigades’ to Cheer Russian Troops (7 a.m.)
Two “front-line creative brigades” announced by Russia’s defense ministry to entertain troops and boost morale are unlikely to alleviate soldiers’ concerns about high casualty rates, poor leadership, and lack of equipment and ammunition, the UK defense ministry said.
Russian media reported that the entertainment teams will include “opera singers, actors and circus performers,” the ministry said in a Twitter thread.
Energy Teams Restore Power to 6 Million, Zelenskiy Says (8:54 p.m.)
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Saturday in his nightly address that teams have been working nonstop to repair damage to power and water supply networks damaged Friday in Russia’s latest missile attack. Electricity has been restored to almost 6 million Ukrainians in the past day, Zelenskiy said.
The most difficult situations are in areas including the capital, Kyiv, and surrounding region, as well as Lviv, Vinnytsia, Zakarpattia, Odesa, and Chernihiv, among other regions, he added.
Putin Asks Generals for Ideas at Strategy Meeting (5 p.m.)
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches the 10-month mark, President Vladimir Putin spent Friday at the nation’s war-coordination command post, according to a Kremlin statement on Saturday.
Putin listened to reports, held a general meeting and conducted one-on-one talks with military commanders, the Kremlin said, without giving more detail. “I would like to hear your proposals on our immediate and medium-term actions,” Putin said in a short video released on Saturday
The meetings, which also included Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, came days before Putin’s planned trip to Belarus for talks with President Alexander Lukashenko, the Russian leader’s first visit to Minsk since 2019.
Kyiv Puts Up Christmas Tree Despite Russian Attacks, Power Cuts (1:02 p.m.)
Ukraine’s capital is preparing for the holidays despite the hardships of Russia’s invasion, and has put up a Christmas tree on the central Sophiyska Square, mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Facebook.
“This year, the country’s main Christmas tree is artificial, 12 meters high, and decorated with energy-saving garlands connected to a generator,” he said. “We will also arrange points for recharging gadgets next to the generator.”
Germany Opens LNG Terminal as Way Around Putin ‘Blackmail’ (12:35 p.m.)
Germany opened its first state-chartered floating terminal for liquefied natural gas as replaces Russian gas cut off in what Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Vladimir Putin’s “blackmail” of Europe.
“Germany and the EU will become a great deal more secure and independent,” Scholz said in a speech in Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea coast, citing the terminal’s 10-month build time as evidence of Germany’s speedy response.
Putin “was wrong” calculating that he could pressure Germany and the rest of Europe by making energy a political weapon,” Scholz said.
Russia Launches Cruise Missiles at Odesa (8:57 a.m.)
Russia aimed two “Oniks” cruise missiles at the Black Sea port city of Odesa early Saturday. Both were downed by Ukrainian air defence, Ukraine’s southern operational command said.
The supersonic missiles were fired from a coastal defense system in Russian-occupied Crimea, the command said.
Missiles attacks continued on the Sumy, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, Ukraine’s presidential office said in statement, citing local authorities. At least one person was killed and several injured.
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