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France condemns “with the greatest firmness” the new Russian strikes
France has announced that it condemns “with the greatest firmness” the latest Russian strikes which have damaged energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
“These acts constitute war crimes and in no way weaken France’s determination to support Ukraine and to fight against impunity,” wrote the Quai d’Orsay in a press release.
EU bans drone engine exports to Russia
The European Union on Friday banned the export of drone engines to Russia and to “all third countries” that can supply it with these elements in order to deprive the Kremlin of these weapons used against Ukraine.
This measure is one of the provisions of the 9th package of sanctions approved Thursday evening at a European summit in Brussels which entered into force on Friday with its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
Croatian parliament refuses to train Ukrainian soldiers
The Croatian government failed on Friday to convince parliament to vote to welcome Ukrainian soldiers for training in the Balkan country after divisive debates.
The European Union has announced the launch of the largest military training mission in its history which aims to train and train 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers in different member states to help them fight Russia.
The subject has divided the political class of the small member country of the EU and NATO.
The European Union condemns “the blind terror of the Kremlin”
The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell condemned this Friday as war crimes the missile attacks carried out by Russia against Ukraine and denounced “another example of the blind terror of the Kremlin”.
“These cruel and inhumane attacks are aimed at increasing suffering and depriving the Ukrainian population, but also hospitals, emergency services and other essential services of electricity, heating and water. They constitute crimes of war and are barbaric. All those responsible will be held to account,” he said in a statement.
kyiv residents take refuge in the metro
At least 40 Russian missiles were fired at the city of kyiv on Friday. Faced with this new wave of strikes, the inhabitants took refuge in the metro.
At least nine Ukrainian power plants hit by Russian strikes
Nine Ukrainian power plants were damaged on Friday as Russia struck massive energy infrastructure, Ukraine’s energy minister said, in remarks reported by Archyde.com.
“What we are already seeing is damage to at least nine production facilities. We are still verifying the damage,” German Galushchenko said.
Armed forces commander says 76 missiles were fired by Russia at Ukraine on Friday
Russia fired 76 missiles at Ukraine – 60 of which were shot down – on Friday according to the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Earlier today, it was reported that more than 40 missiles had been fired at the city of Kyiv alone. Again, most of them were shot down by Ukrainian defense systems.
kyiv metro paralyzed by power cuts after Russian strikes
The metro in kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, will be at a standstill all day this Friday due to power cuts due to a new salvo of Russian bombing earlier in the morning.
“Due to damage to the energy system and due to emergency power cuts, the metro trains will not run until the end of the day,” the city administration announced on Telegram.
kyiv without water or electricity: “People become even more united in these situations”, testifies a resident to BFMTV
“There were explosions when I was going to work. First, I thought it was demining work because I did not hear the alert”, tells BFMTV Alina , a Belarusian living in kyiv.
“I have children who were at home, very quickly I went to pick them up by taxi” to take refuge in the metro, continues the resident.
“People become even more united in these situations. Maybe we will have no water, no electricity. But the main thing is that there are no Russians here in kyiv,” Alina clings.
Strikes in Kharkiv: a dozen missiles hit the city, according to the regional chief
In Kharkiv, “the air alert sounded around 7:30 this morning” reports our journalist on the spot Quentin Baulier.
“It was around 9 a.m. when a series of very strong explosions shook the city,” he told BFMTV.
“A dozen missiles, according to the head of the regional administration, hit the surroundings of the city on strategic targets”, such as energy sites.
To find protection and warmth, many of the residents took refuge in the city’s metro, which stopped when the electricity went out.
Russia fired “about 40 missiles” at kyiv on Friday morning
Moscow fired “around 40 missiles” on kyiv on Friday morning, notably causing water cuts, regional authorities in the Ukrainian capital announced.
“About 40 missiles were registered in the capital’s airspace. 37 of them were destroyed by the air defense forces,” the Kyiv region’s military administration said on Telegram, saying it “resisted to one of the biggest missile attacks” since the start of the Russian invasion in late February.
In Kryvyi Rig, the rescue operation continues after the Russian strike on a building
“These photos released by the National Emergency Service of Ukraine show a residential building in Kryvyi Rih that was hit by a Russian missile on December 16. According to the agency, 2 people were killed and 6 injured, including 3 children . The rescue operation continues,” reports the Kyiv Independent.
Vladimir Putin will meet Alexander Lukashenko on Monday in Minsk
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Belarus on Monday, the Belarusian presidential press service announced on Friday, as strikes followed one another this morning in several Ukrainian cities.
He will meet Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk for a summit intended to further strengthen their alliance. Belarus, Russia’s only ally in this war, had loaned its territory to allow the Russian assault on kyiv at the start of the invasion.
According to Alexander Lukashenko, the summit on Monday will be “above all (devoted) to the economic sphere”, but the two leaders will also talk about “the politico-military situation around our countries”.
Eight dead in Ukrainian strikes in the Lugansk region
The Russian occupation authorities in the Ukrainian region of Lugansk (east) accused the Ukrainian forces of artillery fire on two localities, killing eight and wounding 23 on Friday morning.
“Early in the morning today, nationalist artillery fire targeted the town of Stakhanov and the village of Lanratovka in the Troitsky district. Eight people died, 23 of ours were injured,” the regional leader said. Russian, Leonid Passechnik.
Two dead in a Russian strike on a building in Kryvyi Rig
At least two people were killed and five others injured in a Russian strike Friday on an apartment building in Kryvyi Rig in southern Ukraine, regional governor Valentin Reznichenko announced.
“A Russian missile hit a residential building. (…) Two people died,” Valentin Reznitchenko announced on Telegram.
“At least five people were injured, including two children. All are in hospital,” he added.
To cope with the bombardments, the “electric trains” run with “reserve locomotives”
Due to the strikes targeting various Ukrainian cities, “electric trains” running in the regions of Kharkiv, Kivograd, Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk “will run with reserve locomotives”, Ukrainian Railways said Friday morning.
Water cuts in kyiv after strikes, Kharkiv and Poltava without electricity
In kyiv, the morning Russian strikes thus caused the shutdown of the metro so that the stations could serve as shelters. The mayor of the capital also indicated water cuts.
The mayors of Kharkiv (north-east) and Poltava (center-east) announced that their cities were without electricity following morning bombings. Strikes also targeted the Zaporizhia region.
Russian strikes target several Ukrainian cities
A salvo of Russian strikes fell on several cities in Ukraine this Friday morning. Among them: kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Kryvyï Rig, but also the region of Zaporijjia.
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Welcome to this live dedicated to the war in Ukraine this Friday, December 16, 2022.