While we have not informed you today about our current media policy on the war, we have been keeping an eye out for the most recent updates.
Here’s what happened in the 24 hours:
Night Attack
Plans for the commander-in-chief.
Protesters arrested
Dozens of people at a rally in central Moscow were detained, a human rights group said.
At least 27 other people were arrested at a protest against the mobilization of Russian men to fight in Ukraine, OVD-Info reported.
New air defence systems
He said the systems could simply “knock anything down,” but gave no additional details.
This is the newest on the ground, according to the Institute for the Study of War. . .
EU members have approved a €50 billion (£39 billion) aid package for Ukraine, but what does it look like?
The gigantic sums of money promised make headlines, so it can be difficult to determine which ones to pay attention to.
Here we take a look in more detail at the state of Ukrainian finances.
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The two key players are the EU and the United States. As of December, the EU and its countries had pledged €133 billion in support, followed by the United States with €71 billion, for the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
The rest of the world donated only 37 billion euros.
Most of the U. S. aid is for military support, while the EU has presented most of its aid in the form of monetary support.
Ukraine’s spending
A single day of fighting costs about 125 million euros, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said.
So it’s not unexpected that Ukraine spends almost all of its domestic revenue stream on the defense sector and the military, but that does mean it wants big injections of money to pay for social benefits, salaries, and pensions.
The government expects a budget deficit of around €40 billion this year and hopes to get €38 billion in foreign aid to cover it.
EU aid
Kyiv expects €18 billion to come from the EU Mechanism for Ukraine: the €50 billion package agreed today will be implemented until 2027.
What about U. S. aid?
Kiev needs 7. 8 billion euros to help cover its budget deficit, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said.
President Joe Biden has asked Congress for about $97 billion to fund border security plans with Ukraine, Israel and the United States, but Republicans rejected the sum in October.
A vote will be held in the Senate next week after discussions on investment in those three areas.
the one of the world
Ukraine expects to receive €5 billion in IMF loans this year, which are related to some reforms by Ukraine.
Another €1. 4 billion is expected from foreign monetary institutions, the World Bank added.
Financial measures are also expected from the United Kingdom and Japan, while negotiations are ongoing in Canada, Norway and South Korea.
China has demanded Ukraine immediately remove Chinese companies from a list of firms designated as “international sponsors of war”.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told Reuters there would otherwise be unspecified “negative impacts”.
Ukraine has listed 48 corporations around the world, totaling 14 Chinese, as aiding or contributing to Russia’s war efforts.
The blacklist, which has no legal implications, takes issue with what it describes as extensive cooperation between Chinese and Russian companies in sectors including oil and gas.
The U. S. has eight companies on the list, while France and Germany have four each.
Before the war, China was Ukraine’s largest trading partner and remains Ukraine’s largest customer for grain, sunflower oil, and iron ore.
Under Kyiv’s Black Sea shipping corridor, 30% of maritime exports were shipped to China.
Ukraine has been careful not to aggravate the situation in the world’s second-largest economy and has continually called on Beijing to join Kyiv’s diplomatic efforts.
While a key assembly on aid to Ukraine is announced.
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, after an EU summit that secured 50 billion euros in aid, the U. S. Senate will vote before next Thursday on a bill that provides a budget for Ukraine, Israel and border security.
“We can’t just shirk our day-to-day jobs just because the task is difficult,” said the House’s most level-headed Democrat, Chuck Schumer.
Joe Biden asked Congress for nearly €97 billion in October, but Republicans in the House rejected the sum.
Explanation: The two main players helping Ukraine are the EU and the US, but Ukraine has not yet secured any new investment this year.
As of December, the EU and its countries committed €133bn in support, followed by the US with €71bn, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
The rest of the world donated only 37 billion euros.
Ahead of the summit, anonymous data and leaks explained the consequences Hungary could suffer if it didn’t play along, including damage to its economy and a freeze on Budapest’s right to vote on EU decisions.
Another diplomat said, “It’s reached a boiling point. “
He claimed victory by saying he had a “control mechanism” in place (normal aid reviews) to save face, but this “has no force,” the diplomat said.
Three other foreigners were wounded in the attack on the city of Beryslav in Kherson province, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
A Ukrainian national was also injured, according to police.
Sky News independently verifies this information.
By Sean Bell, Military Analyst
Although the alleged sinking of the Russian ship is unlikely to replace the course of the war, it is an example of Ukrainian technological innovation.
The Ukrainians no longer have an established navy, they are still capable of attacking the Russian Black Sea fleet and forcing the Russians to hide their military ships.
The Russians are conducting sealift to supply most of the logistical resupply of their forces in Ukraine. Therefore, even if those Ukrainian attacks have a tactical objective, they will cause Russia to reconsider the deployment of its military assets, namely in and around Crimea.
Ukraine has had a difficult winter so far. Last year’s long-awaited spring offensive bore no fruit and the front line remains largely static. President Putin’s confidence has returned, while the West seems to have waned in Ukraine.
However, the 27 members of the EU earlier today agreed unanimously to provide a €50bn package of aid for Ukraine. EU President Ursula Von der Leyen described it as a very good day for Europe.
While the money will be welcome, what President Zelensky wants is a military capability.
Russia has bolstered its defense trade base to meet its needs for ammunition and weapons, and North Korea and Iran are offering Russia a developing range of military capabilities.
The recent announcement that the West will not deliver the promised 1 million artillery shells until March hints at the broader challenge that will have to be faced if the military in Ukraine is to meet or exceed what is required.
Regardless, the destruction of yet another Russian Black Sea Fleet ship will undoubtedly lift Ukrainian morale after what has been a very difficult few weeks for President Zelenskyy.
Ukrainian military intelligence has released spectacular-looking maritime drones destroying a Russian warship.
The GUR reported that the Ivanovets missile ship was patrolling the Black Sea near Lake Donuzlav.
A black-and-white video appears to show a large explosion before the ship tilted about 90 degrees and sank.
Russia has accused the United States of making plans to place nuclear weapons in the UK as part of a “never-ending cycle of escalation”.
Researchers at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) say RAF Lakenheath, an air force base in Suffolk, is being refurbished to store US weapons, but neither the UK nor the US have confirmed reports.
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, who is in charge of arms control, said it would not be a deterrent to Russia.
“If they say that the reintroduction of nuclear weapons into the UK has a deterrent effect on Russia, then they are wrong,” he told Russia Today.
“We urge them to stop… this endless circle of escalation.”
Five NATO countries — Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey — host a total of about 100 U. S. tactical nuclear weapons at six bases, according to the FAS.
In separate comments, Mr Ryabkov said Russia will not deploy nuclear weapons abroad beyond Belarus.
Vladimir Putin said Moscow transferred some tactical nuclear weapons to its neighbor last year, but the SAF said there is no conclusive evidence of this.