The Ukraine navy rejected as false Russia’s declare that it carried out a “retaliation” rocket assault Sunday that killed 600 Ukrainian troops housed in Kramatorsk within the hotly contested Donetsk area.
Serhii Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s forces within the east, advised The Related Press that the missiles broken civilian infrastructure however that the “armed forces of Ukraine weren’t affected.”
Earlier, Russian Protection Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-Basic Igor Konashenkov stated Russian intelligence “detected and reliably confirmed” via a number of impartial channels the placement of some non permanent bases of Ukrainian servicemen in Kramatorsk.
“On account of an enormous rocket strike on these non permanent bases of Ukrainian models, greater than 600 Ukrainian servicemen have been killed,” he stated.
The ministry stated the assault was in retaliation for a Ukraine strike per week in the past on buildings housing Russian troopers in Makiivka, about 60 miles south Kramatorsk. That strike killed 89 Russian servicemembers, the Kremlin stated; Ukraine authorities estimated the loss of life toll was a lot increased.
Sunday’s missile strike got here hours after the tip of {a partially} noticed, 36-hour unilateral cease-fire Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered to mark Russian Orthodox Christmas.
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Different developments:
►50 Ukrainian fighters returned residence in a prisoner swap with Russia, Ukrainian authorities stated. Thirty-three have been officers, 17 have been privates and sergeants. Russia stated 50 of its troops have been freed.
►Ukrainian tennis participant Ekaterina Volodko defeated Russian Valeria Savinykh within the finals of a tennis event in Thailand.
►Russia and Belarus will carried out joint tactical air power workout routines from Jan. 16 to Feb. 1, Belarusian officers introduced. Belarus has been Russia closest ally for the reason that Ukraine invasion greater than 10 months in the past.
UKRAINE HAILS US MILITARY AIDas ‘very highly effective’; Christmas cease-fire stated to falter
Bosnian Serbs award Putin with medal of honor
The Bosnian Serb separatist chief on Sunday awarded Russian President Vladimir Putin with the very best medal of honor for his “patriotic concern and love” for the Serb-controlled half of Bosnia.
“Putin is answerable for creating and strengthening cooperation and political and pleasant relations between RS (Republika Srpska) and Russia,” the Bosnian Serb president, Milorad Dodik, stated on the awards ceremony within the Bosnian Serb stronghold of Banja Luka.
Dodik, who visited Putin in September in Moscow, has maintained shut ties with the Russian president regardless of Russia’s struggle in Ukraine. The medal shall be offered to Putin in the course of the subsequent assembly between the 2, Russian Ambassador Igor Kalbukhov stated.
Moscow has usually been accused by the West of looking for to destabilize Bosnia and the remainder of the Balkans via its proxies in Serbia and Bosnia. Dodik has brazenly advocated tearing away the Serb-controlled half of Bosnia from a Bosniak-Croat federation to hitch it up with neighboring Serbia.
Russia bracing for Ukrainian offensive in spring, British say
Russia has been bolstering its fortifications in Zaporizhzhia, involved {that a} main Ukrainian breakthrough within the southeastern area would severely problem the viability of Russia’s ‘land bridge’ Russia and Crimea, the British Protection Ministry says. The ministry, in its newest evaluation of the struggle, additionally says the Russians are involved that Ukrainian success within the Luhansk area would additional undermine the Kremlin’s professed struggle intention of ‘liberating’ the Donbas.
“Deciding which of those threats to prioritize countering is probably going one of many central dilemmas for Russian operational planner,” the evaluation says.
Contributing: The Related Press
