Ukraine war: Putin’s forces unleash new offensive as UK sends fresh weapons to Kyiv

A Ukrainian soldier has described to The Independent the “very difficult” situation facing those fighting in Avdiivka, a small town in eastern Ukraine that has become the flashpoint of the frontline.

Serhiy Zhuykov, a Ukrainian section chief and sniper currently stationed nearby to the town, said: “We try to stay but there are many, many Russian attacks on our army. It is difficult, very difficult.”

A British Ministry of Defence update from this morning suggested that as much as 40 percent of combat engagements across the frontline at the moment are occurring near Avdiivka.

Whenever 52-year-old Anna is agitated, she senses the chilling touch of a gun barrel between her brows — a haunting reminder of an encounter with a group of Russian soldiers on her street about a year ago.

On that day, amid tears and screams, the soldiers threatened to kill her and her husband, fired bullets on the ground between their feet and then dragged her brother-in-law to an unknown location, apparently furious that he couldn’t guide them to where they could find alcohol.

Hungary said on Monday it would not bow to pressure from other European Union states to give the green light for accession talks with Ukraine, setting the stage for a showdown at an EU summit this week.

Ukraine’s foreign minister said it would be “devastating” for his country and the EU if the 14-15 December summit did not get the go-ahead for membership talks and more financial and military aid for Kyiv to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

Hungary has been blocking Ukraine’s membership ostensibly over the EU withholding funds to Budapest.

Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto said: “The topic of this week’s debate will be mostly Ukraine. Most European politicians want to make significant decisions that are completely unprepared and present strategic agreement on the future of Europe.

“We continue to make our decisions in accordance with European and national interests and do not allow any kind of pressure, regardless of who it comes from, blackmail or blackmail.”

Russia will hold its presidential election in four annexed regions of Ukraine, Interfax news agency quoted the country’s central election commission as saying on Monday.

Russia claimed last year to have annexed the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, though it does not control all their territory. Moscow has imposed martial law in the areas of the four regions that it does control.

President Vladimir Putin confirmed last Friday, in comments to Russian soldiers who have fought in Ukraine, that he will run again for president in the election due in March 2024.

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Below are some of the latest photos from Ukraine.

Below is a look at the aftermath of a Russian ballistic missile strike on a southeastern district of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.

A series of loud explosions rang out in Ukraine’s capital just after 4 am local time this morning, according to accounts of events on Telegram, as the city was under its nightly curfew, followed by air raid sirens.

The Ukrainian air force said all eight missiles were intercepted.

But the Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that in the Darnytskyi district of eastern Kyiv the debris of an intercepted missile fell without catching fire.

The aftermath of that can be seen on the video below.

One person was injured during the nightly attack, though it is unclear if that person was residing in the Darnytskyi district.

Workers on Saturday (9 December) dismantled the Soviet-era monument of Red Army General Mykola Shchors from Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, as a gesture of the country’s “‘de-Communisation” process.

The Ministry of Culture gave permission to take down the statue and authorities were seen working for hours to dismantle the statue.

A few passers-by watched the proceedings and clapped when workers finished taking down the monument.

Heorhii Lukianchuk, a Kyiv resident, said he ran to witness this “historical moment” and that it will “be on the pages of history books.”

Nearly 40 percent of fighting on the frontline is taking place at times around one town in eastern Ukraine, the British Ministry of Defence has said.

During its latest intelligence update, the MoD said nearly “40 percent of all combat engagements have likely taken place” around Avdiivka, a small town in Donetsk Oblast most famous for its larging coking plant.

The Russian forces appear to have prioritised this area, committing up to eight brigades and hundreds of heavy vehicles to capturing the town, but have made only minor territorial gains, measurable in kilometres.