New Russian missile attack rocks country, hits power grid

The Russia-Ukraine conflict requires the United States to change its approach to international sanctions, US Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo wrote in an essay on Foreign Affairs.

This adjustment began in early 2021, when Secretary Janet Yellen called for a review of US policy. That review found that sanctions work well when coordinated with U.S. partners, closely aligned with foreign policy goals and rooted in economic analysis.

“The previous sanctions were not properly remedied,” Adeyemo said. “Overall, the number of U.S. punishments increased by 900 percent from 2000 to 2021—some more artificial than others.”

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, US sanctions against Russia have been guided by three goals, Adeyemo wrote. “Deny Moscow access to the money it needs to pay for its war, cut Russia off from resources to support its weak economy, and reduce its military capabilities.”

Read the full essay at Foreign Affairs.

— Christina Wilkie

Russian missiles have damaged electrical infrastructure in southern and eastern Ukraine, energy minister German Galushchenko said on Facebook, according to Google translation. He warned of a drop in power output or sudden outages.

Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of the city of Kharkiv, earlier today confirmed the damage to the region’s electrical infrastructure in the latest Russian bombing of Ukraine. Moscow has launched more than 60 missiles as part of the attack, Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform said Yuriy Ihnat, spokesman for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, said that major infrastructure had been destroyed after Russia’s latest missile attack.

“There is a lot of destruction of infrastructure, first of all, the power system,” he said, according to Google’s translation of his Telegram messages.

“I ask you to be patient with what is happening now. I know that there is no light in every house, no heating, no water source… We will do our best to return the work of the Russian activist.

Other sources say the entire city of Kharkiv is out of power, and emergency shutdowns have been implemented across the country.

– Matt Clinch

Russian forces shelled the Kherson region 30 times on December 15, killing four people and injuring nine others, according to Yaroslav Yanushevych, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration. . His comments were reported by Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform.

Russian shells hit homes, highways, health care facilities and humanitarian aid sites, Yanushevych said.

The world’s largest shipping company, MSC, said on Thursday that it is continuing to ship goods through the Black Sea, avoiding Ukrainian ports that are considered the worst, such as Odessa.

CEO Soren Toft told CNBC that while “sanctions will continue,” food, humanitarian aid and medical supplies to Russia will continue.

“I don’t think it’s my job to do politics,” he said. “There are 150 million Russians, and I don’t want to get rid of the originals.”

—Karen Gilchrist‏

Russia could launch a new attack on Ukraine in January, according to Ukrainian officials.

The head of the army of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and General Oleksandr Syrsky have all spoken to The Economist magazine, published on Thursday, showing their predictions for next year.

“The Russians are preparing for some 200,000 new soldiers,” Zaluzhny told the newspaper.

Read more here.

– Matt Clinch

The Associated Press is now reporting, citing the Ukrainian authorities, that there were explosions in at least three cities of Ukraine on Friday morning – Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih in the south and the northern city of Kharkiv.

“Explosions in Kharkiv for the second day in a row. A building was previously under missile attack. There is an electrical problem … Be careful and stay in cover,” Kharkiv said. Mayor Ihor Terekhov spoke via Telegram, according to Google Translate.

– Matt Clinch

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Friday morning that explosions had hit the city after the sounds of wind were heard across the country.

“Explosions in the Desnyan area of ​​the city. All services go to the scene … Stay in shelters!” Klitschko said, according to a Google translation of his Telegram post.

“Another explosion in Kyiv, in the Dnipro region.”

There was a flurry of new Russian attacks on Friday morning as Reuters reported that air strikes were ringing in places like the capital Kyiv.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the president’s office, said via Telegram message application: “Do not ignore air raid warnings, stay in shelters.”

—Marty Clinch

The Pentagon will expand combat training for Ukrainian soldiers, using the winter months to teach more complex combat skills, US officials said.

The US has trained about 3,100 Ukrainian soldiers in the use and maintenance of several weapons and other equipment, including howitzers, armored vehicles and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS. But senior military commanders for months have been talking about expanding that training, stressing the need to improve the ability of Ukraine’s companies and battalions to move and coordinate attacks across the battlefield.

A battalion can have more than 800 soldiers; The company was smaller, two hundred troops.

According to officials, the training will take place at the Grafenwoehr training ground in Germany. And the goal is to use the winter months to sharpen the skills of the Ukrainian military so that they are better able to withstand an increase in Russian aggression or expansion efforts. Russian land revenue.

— Associated Press

The European Union said it has approved a new package of sanctions aimed at increasing pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine.

The package, the details of which have not been revealed, was approved after days of deliberation at a meeting of ambassadors of the 27-nation group.

The Czech Republic, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, said the package would be approved in writing on Friday. Information will be published in the group’s legal records.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, last week announced travel bans and asset freezes for nearly 200 more Russian officials and military personnel as part of the new move.

The targets of the new sanctions have been identified as government ministers, legislators, regional governors and political parties.

— Associated Press

Four ships carrying grain and vegetable oil have left ports in Ukraine, the organization that controls agricultural exports from the country said.

Shipments are scheduled for India and Turkey.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a trade deal in July between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, saw three major Ukrainian ports reopened after Russian shipping was blocked in banning exports for months. More than 13.9 million tons of grain and other products have left Ukraine since the agreement.

The agreement between the signatories will take about three months to complete.

— Amanda Macias