Today, a Russian aircraft attempting to strike Odesa region was shot down near Zmiinyi Island – address by the President of Ukraine

5 December 2023 – 21:58

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

A few summaries for this day.

I am grateful to our defenders of the sky – just today a Russian aircraft was shot down in the area of Zmiinyi Island in the Black Sea. The aircraft was attempting to strike Odesa region. Another minus one for the terrorists. And we will continue to “subtract” the terrorists. We are strengthening our air defense, particularly in Odesa region. Gradually. Yet tangibly. I thank every country that helps.

Today I met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, which is one of the countries that support us the most, in particular in the issue of air defense. We discussed what has already been done. Among other things, we discussed the situation in the south of our country – the work of our export corridor, our grain exports. I spoke about the situation on the battlefield – about our capabilities. About the defense packages that are needed. Of course, among other topics, we managed to discuss European integration matters. Ukraine is fulfilling all the necessary requirements, and in the coming days, we expect the Ukrainian Parliament to adopt several crucial European integration bills, which are extremely important. Each deputy’s position will matter, and I am confident it will be rigorously evaluated by our entire society.

And a few of the most emotional moments today.

We are launching a new special initiative for all the Heroes of Ukraine – there are 360 of them since the beginning of the full-scale war. Every warrior and the family of a warrior who has been posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine will receive an apartment from the state. Not years from now, not someday, but now. Today, I had the honor of presenting the first documents for apartments to 21 Heroes of Ukraine. They are servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the State Border Guard Service. Among these 21, nine are fallen heroes. Soon, the state will provide apartments for all Heroes of Ukraine. All of them. Including those who fought before February 24, since 2014, the valiant men. This is fair.

It’s both highly symbolic and profoundly fair, that just before the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which we’ll be celebrating tomorrow, Ukraine is expressing gratitude to all its volunteers. To the thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions of caring Ukrainian men and women who joined the volunteer movement. During Maidan. During ATO. And now, in the time of full-scale war. Those who may feel tired but never give in to weariness. Who are always there to listen and help. Those who sometimes don’t have days off, because they know what the brigades need. Those en route to the frontlines at this very moment. Who, perhaps, is completing another important fundraiser right now. Those who provide vehicles, medical supplies, drones, and all that’s necessary. Speed and attentiveness – qualities the state still needs to learn. I thank each volunteer for being there for Ukraine. I thank all those who help in the frontline cities as well, help the internally displaced persons, the elderly, families with children. Those who contribute to the rehabilitation of the wounded. Those who understand the importance of offering warmth from compassionate hearts and the necessary support to families who have unfortunately lost loved ones in this war. I am thankful to each and every friendly nation’s citizens – who have become like family here because they are also with us, with Ukraine, sharing the need to win this war. To win because it’s about people. About humanity. It’s about how our world should differ from the dreadful times of the past. The light of the human soul must prevail.

Glory to all who fight and work for Ukraine and Ukrainians! Glory to our powerful people!

Glory to Ukraine!

🇺🇸 Busy work program in the USA ahead.
Agenda: support for Ukraine and strengthening of defence cooperation, in particular localization of production jointly with the USA.

Had an important meeting with the heads of the Committees of the House of Representatives of the US… pic.twitter.com/blKQeUAB5s

— Rustem Umerov (@rustem_umerov) December 5, 2023

🇺🇸 Busy work program in the USA ahead.
Agenda: support for Ukraine and strengthening of defence cooperation, in particular localization of production jointly with the USA.

Had an important meeting with the heads of the Committees of the House of Representatives of the US Congress @RepMikeRogersAL @RepMcCaul @RepMikeTurner

I emphasized the importance of continuing to support Ukraine in 2024.

Air superiority, air defence, drones, electronic warfare, artillery, and ammunition — our urgent battlefield needs.

I also noted the importance of strengthening sanctions pressure and control. Aggressor is increasing the production of weapons, foremost drones. This means that sanctions are not enough.

 

And Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament) speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, too.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) December 5, 2023

In hindsight, this was a bad idea:

On this day in 1998, #Ukraine and the #US signed an agreement to eliminate Ukraine's 44 heavy bombers and 1,068 X-55 cruise missiles. pic.twitter.com/3WGQrRxwlJ

— Volodymyr Tretyak 🇺🇦 (@VolodyaTretyak) December 5, 2023

For those keeping Advent calendars this season:

Ukrainian Advent Calendar: Day 5

Today, we extend our big thanks to @DefenceHQ and @Armees_Gouv for the extremely effective Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG long-range cruise missiles. Ukraine is also grateful to the UK and France for constant military, economic, and political support.… pic.twitter.com/uoUl2HNvfP

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) December 5, 2023

Ukrainian Advent Calendar: Day 5

Today, we extend our big thanks to @DefenceHQ and @Armees_Gouv
for the extremely effective Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG long-range cruise missiles. Ukraine is also grateful to the UK and France for constant military, economic, and political support.

Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG missiles became a great surprise for the occupiers and strong reinforcement for our troops. Ukrainian warriors effectively use missiles and inflict the greatest losses on the enemy.

Guess what Weapon of Victory will be presented tomorrow?

When the night falls, Ukrainian special forces start their hunt for the enemy.

📹: Kraken Regiment pic.twitter.com/Qy7uWmhSBW

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) December 5, 2023

Donbas:

Donbas is cold tonight.
It’s as dusty as always, it smells like soot, medicals, and diesel fuel.

City streets are dark and empty. Not too many lights in windows.
Roads are full of endless streams of trucks, roaring ambulances, and tank transporters rushing in and out.

So much… pic.twitter.com/8VPruSRJ0K

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) December 5, 2023

Donbas is cold tonight.
It’s as dusty as always, it smells like soot, medicals, and diesel fuel.

City streets are dark and empty. Not too many lights in windows.
Roads are full of endless streams of trucks, roaring ambulances, and tank transporters rushing in and out.

So much sacrifice and valor are being committed by so many so that ancient Kyiv could hear the coming of Christmas carols tonight.

For those wondering, it appears that Illia Ponomarenko is either doing a tour as a medic or is embedded with a team of medics as a reporter:

Tired like hell… tomorrow is a night with a mission evacuating gravely wounded troops to rear front hospitals.
Medevac vehicles go on, and on, and on…

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) December 4, 2023

Zaporizhzhia Axis:

The 65th Mechanized Brigade's drone operators destroyed an enemy armored personnel carrier in the Zaporizhzhia direction. pic.twitter.com/fQNOlY51Do

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) December 5, 2023

SMArt (or BONUS) artillery round destroying Russian T-72B3. Zaporizhzhia region. https://t.co/ZrEtvtJDEg pic.twitter.com/9h03LxYnam

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) December 5, 2023

Avdiivka:

The latest Russian assault against Stepove north of Avdiivka ended like the previous assaults, in a disaster. At least two MT-LBs and around a dozen dead Russians litter the ground. According the source there were even 4 destroyed IFVs and 40 killed Russians.

Source and full… pic.twitter.com/RuDCqpk4lb

— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) December 5, 2023

The latest Russian assault against Stepove north of Avdiivka ended like the previous assaults, in a disaster. At least two MT-LBs and around a dozen dead Russians litter the ground. According the source there were even 4 destroyed IFVs and 40 killed Russians.

Source and full video: https://t.me/khornegroup/1123

#Ukraine #Donetsk #Avdiivka

 

"Russian Volunteer Corps" [RDK], fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, took part in the Avdiivka battle in late October. Details of the operation are revealed in the following video.

An assault group from the 1st assault platoon of the RDK conducted a successful assault in the… pic.twitter.com/8B2emwT0MA

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) December 5, 2023

“Russian Volunteer Corps” [RDK], fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, took part in the Avdiivka battle in late October. Details of the operation are revealed in the following video.

An assault group from the 1st assault platoon of the RDK conducted a successful assault in the area of the Avdeevka Coke chemical plant.

The group cleared enemy trenches and inflicted losses on the enemy, then transferred the position to the AFU. It is said that ex-Wagner mercenaries were part of the group.

RDK lost one fighter, and 7 were wounded. Russians lost 11 dead and 16 wounded.

https://t.me/russvolcorps/794

Bakhmut:

Destruction of the Russian T-72B3M obr.2016. By the 92nd Brigade. Bakhmut front.https://t.co/ECf7m52wDq pic.twitter.com/26hPqfhepN

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) December 5, 2023

Donetsk Oblast:

Targeting of the Russian BM-21 Grad MLRS and Grad ammunition. Donetsk. https://t.co/Whe1woevv7 pic.twitter.com/XucQmvoCuY

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) December 5, 2023

Hlavdiivka, Russian occupied Kherson Oblast:

Strikes on Russian military convoy. Hladkivka, Kherson region. ~23km from the right bank. https://t.co/vANK1kNZIq pic.twitter.com/0RO56e9ypk

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) November 10, 2023

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1731954408299053290

The Polish-Ukrainian border:

While some trucks are again able to cross from Poland into Ukraine, many drivers remain stuck in queues near the border. To help them cope with lack of access to food on the highway and freezing temperatures, our teams provided bowls of hearty barley soup with meat and veggies. pic.twitter.com/LWMNtCdqk4

— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) December 4, 2023

Last night in comments wjca asked:

So, given that, what do you think Biden could constructively (and realistically) do NOW?

The simple answer is that what he and his team are now doing is everything they can realistically do now. My issue is not that President Biden is not a good person, nor that he doesn’t care about Ukraine. Rather it is when they needed to act in a more proactive manner they didn’t. And now they are left with the limited options that we see being pursued. Unfortunately, those limited options are less than optimal.

One might argue that this isn’t just a bad signal for Ukraine but also for the US, EU and NATO, collective security of Europe. And that it will embolden Russia. https://t.co/shBhN2wHtA

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) December 5, 2023

The Financial Times has the details: (emphasis mine)

Republicans in Congress are piling pressure on Joe Biden to accept new curbs on immigration in exchange for extra funding for Ukraine, as rising tensions on Capitol Hill risk thwarting the US president’s foreign policy goals.

The White House this week warned that in the absence of approval from lawmakers, US aid to Kyiv would dry up by the end of the year, jeopardising Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and making it easier for Vladimir Putin to “prevail” in his war on the country.

Biden has requested about $60bn in funding for Ukraine as part of a $106bn package that includes additional assistance to Israel and US allies in the Indo-Pacific.

But despite the pleas from Biden and many Democrats, Republicans are demanding big concessions from the White House on policies to curb immigration across the border with Mexico.

“We have to effect real policy change at the border, and that is a necessary condition to anything we do going forward,” Mike Johnson, the Republican House Speaker, told reporters on Tuesday.

The White House also needed to answer a number of crucial questions for any negotiations to proceed, Johnson added.

“What is the objective? What is the end game in Ukraine? How are we going to have proper oversight over the funds, the precious treasure of American taxpayers?”

The Speaker’s hardline stance reflects deepening scepticism about help for Ukraine within the base of the Republican party, but even some of the party’s senators who back aid to Kyiv say Biden needs to give ground on immigration.

“Now is the time to pay attention to our own border in addition to these other important international concerns,” Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, told reporters.

The tougher position of Republican lawmakers came as Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate majority leader, was preparing to hold a vote on the $106bn aid package on Wednesday that appeared doomed to fail.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was planning to address senators during a classified closed-door briefing on Tuesday ahead of the vote, but his appearance was cancelled at the last minute.

Two Ukrainian officials close to Zelenskyy confirmed to the Financial Times that the president did not and would not address US Senators on Tuesday, but did not provide an explanation.

Earlier in the day, Schumer blasted the Republican position.

“Our Republican friends are saying they’ll defend democracy only at a price unacceptable to Democrats, and the price is forcing Congress to accept radical immigration policies that come straight from Donald Trump,” he said.

“It could go down as a major turning point where the west didn’t live up to its responsibilities and things turned away from our democracies and our values and towards autocracy.”

The briefing, which included appearances by senior Biden administration officials, broke up early and in acrimony as lawmakers clashed over the legislation.

“I’m not a big fan of political theatre. What I saw inside that briefing looked like an exercise in political theatre,” Chris Murphy, the Democratic senator from Connecticut, told NBC.

Olivia Dalton, the deputy White House press secretary, told reporters flying with Biden to Massachusetts for a series of re-election fundraisers that the administration still believed “there can be and must be a path forward that delivers on not just our promises to Ukraine but our vital national security interests”.

More at the link.

The much trumpeted briefing for the senators accomplished nothing. Nothing will move in the house.

Right now Putin feels emboldened. He sees what is going on in Washington DC and Brussels and thinks his strategy is working. Which is why he’s taking hard line positions like this:

.@StateDeptSpox says US made "substantial proposal" to Russia to free WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan. "That proposal was rejected by Russia"

— Shaun Tandon (@shauntandon) December 5, 2023

Putin’s overarching strategy right now is to buy time. He needs time for the appropriated funds to support Ukraine to run out in the US, which will be at the end of this month. He needs time for Orban and his other catspaws in the EU to derail already agreed to, as well as additional EU funding for Ukraine and Ukraine’s ascension into the EU. He needs time for the refugee crises he’s helping to create to make space for his neo-Fascist allies in the EU member states to leverage increased refugees to come to power. The longer Putin can drag the war out, the closer he comes to winning. The longer it takes for the US, the EU, and the EU member states to actually get Ukraine what it needs to win, not merely to survive, the closer Putin comes to victory. Moreover, this victory is an abject lesson for everyone else in the world that the US, the EU, and NATO cannot be relied upon. That when they say “we are with you to the end,” what they mean is “we are with you as long we can keep fractious coalitions together and short attention spans focused, then you are on your own.”

Establishing a long term US funding stream to ensure Ukraine has the material, equipment, and money it needs to win is only hard now because a decision was made to not do it when it would be easier if not easy. That decision was strategic malpractice. And as a result, it gives the truth to Putin’s lies and puts Ukraine and Ukrainians are at risk.

"From the beginning, Putin hoped the war would demonstrate that American power and American alliances can be defeated, not only in Ukraine but everywhere else. He still does, and for this purpose the war remains useful to him."https://t.co/fHKxTyToLC

— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) December 5, 2023

From The Atlantic:

Putin backs far-right and extremist movements in Europe, provides thugs to support African dictatorships, and colludes with China, Iran, Venezuela, and other autocracies. From the beginning, Putin hoped the war would demonstrate that American power and American alliances can be defeated, not only in Ukraine but everywhere else. He still does, and for this purpose the war remains useful to him.

The fighting creates food shortages in Africa, thereby generating more unrest and more demand for Russian mercenaries. The war stokes discontent in Europe as well, giving pro-Russian parties a boost. Americans and Europeans view turmoil in country after country as a series of isolated conflicts, but Putin doesn’t think that Ukraine and the Middle East belong to different, competing spheres. On the contrary, since the conflict in Gaza erupted, he has intensified his relationship with Iran, invited leaders of Hamas to Moscow, and attacked Israel because of its links with the U.S., hoping that the spread of violence will decrease Western support for Ukraine. Iranian drones have terrorized Ukrainian cities; Iran, in turn, distributes Russian weapons to its proxies. Hezbollah is thought to have Russian anti-ship missiles that it could use against U.S. warships in the Mediterranean at any minute.

Much more at the link!

As children in Ukraine await St. Nicholas to bring sweets under their pillows, army aviation is all set up pic.twitter.com/R6gZ3QP2hk

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) December 5, 2023

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron tweets or videos tonight. Here is some adjacent material from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

Ukrainians adore hugging their little brothers. pic.twitter.com/fcycpIktwn

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) December 5, 2023

Open thread!