24.12.2022, Moscow.
We publish a summary of events concerning the situation around Ukraine as of 7 p.m., December 24.
Russia
Briefing by Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, Commander of the NBC Protection Troops of the Russian Armed Forces:
- The Russian Federation presented evidence of Ukrainian and US work with bioweapons components;
- The head of the US delegation did not respond to Russian allegations of violations of the Biological Weapons Convention;
- US presses for creation of loyal biological research investigation mechanism at UN;
- Transfer of biological research to third countries allows the USA not to be held accountable for them;
- US blocks inspections of laboratories according to the Biological Weapons Convention rules after Russian experts visit;
- US government spends state budget funds on dual-use biological research despite formal prohibitions;
- US special services and pharma giants oversee military and biological programs in Ukraine;
- The Pentagon shifts unfinished research in Ukrainian projects to Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
Aleksandr Lukashenko flew to Moscow.
Belarusian exports to Russia may reach a record $22-23 billion by the end of the year, Prime Minister Golovchenko said. The average figure for previous years was $12-13 billion.
Georgia and Romania to set up a joint military committee. Tbilisi and Bucharest will work together on the development of armies, military technologies and other issues related to defense. Back in October, Georgian Defense Minister Burchuladze signed a cooperation agreement with Romania.
The parties intend to pay special attention to stability in the Black Sea region. Also Georgia, Azerbaijan, Romania and Hungary formalized an agreement on laying an electric cable across the Black Sea. The cable will allow selling electricity produced in Azerbaijan and Georgia to Europe.
NATO’s multinational battlegroup, established in Hungary in connection with the military conflict in Ukraine, has reached full operational readiness – Hungarian defense minister.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, “Ukraine can only fight as long as the US supports it with money and weapons. If the Americans want peace, there will be peace.”
Ukraine
The Cabinet of Ministers terminated five agreements with Belarus.
The strategic agreements reached between Ukraine and the USA in the coming months will definitely strengthen the Armed Forces in key areas, Zelenskyy said in his speech at the Ukrainian ambassadors’ conference “War and New Horizons in the World.” He noted that during his trip to the USA, Ukraine received a significant reinforcement of its air defense system, and the US Congress also agreed to allocate Ukraine about $45 billion for next year.
The footage of the Polish Crab self-propelled tracked gun-howitzer destroyed near Dnipropetrovsk has been published. According to available information, these units are operated exclusively by Polish crews.
“The Russian Armed Forces have already used 540 Iranian drones on the territory of Ukraine,” Chief of the Main Directorate of Military Intelligence of Ukraine Kirill Budanov said. In total, according to intelligence, Iran has supplied Russia with 1,700 such UAVs.
Zelensky appointed new ambassadors to Latvia and Bulgaria.
Emergency blackouts continue in Kiev.
The electricity deficit in the Kiev region is over 50 percent, the head of the regional military administration Kuleba said.
Due to the power shortage, the Kiev administration decided to suspend operation of ground electric transport.
Kharkov has renamed the Pushkin Drama Theater to the Kharkiv Academic Theater.
Western countries and their supporters
NATO General Breedlove has called for an “attack” on Russia. He believes that Western countries need to supply Kiev with long-range missiles so that the Ukrainian army will be able to strike at the territory of the Russian Federation.
US Army Ground Forces Commander Christine Wormuth said that the US industry could currently produce about 14,000 155mm shells in a month. A military source told the Washington Post that the Ukrainian military produces such a number of shells in two days.
The Dutch government intends to allocate €2.5 billion for assistance to Ukraine in 2023. Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced this after a phone conversation with Zelensky. In his turn, Zelensky confirmed the fact of the talks with Rutte and thanked him for such substantial support.
Clashes between Kurds and police started in Paris. Thousands of Kurds took to the streets after yesterday’s incident in the city centre, where a 69-year-old pensioner shot Kurdish activists. Three people were killed as a result. The man admitted he did it because of his racist beliefs.
