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Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the disputed annexation of Ukrainian territories Wednesday arsenic a important subject victory, saying it has made the Sea of Azov an inland oversea for Russia.
The Sea of Azov borders Ukraine and Russia, but Putin illegally annexed land connected Ukraine's side. Putin, speaking with members of his Human Rights Council, said adjacent Peter the Great fought for entree to the oversea centuries ago.
And helium said the recent sham referendums successful the annexed territories proved residents want to beryllium portion of Russia. Still, Putin acknowledged the "special subject operation'' helium refuses to telephone a warfare "could beryllium a lengthy process.”
Putin dismissed concerns that helium would usage atomic weapons successful Ukraine, calling them a deterrent. He has said Russia volition use “all disposable means” to support its territory, including the annexed areas of Ukraine.
“We haven’t gone mad," helium said Wednesday. "We are afloat alert of what atomic weapons are."
UKRAINE STRIKES RUSSIA: US says it 'neither encouraged nor enabled' drone attacks
Other developments:
►The fig of civilian casualties successful Ukraine whitethorn beryllium 3 times higher than the U.N. estimate, Fredrik Wesslau, the outgoing lawman caput of the European Union Advisory Mission successful Ukraine, told the Kyiv Independent.
►A large summation successful radical trying to larn Ukrainian has been the year's astir notable trend, according to the connection app Duolingo, which registered much than 1.3 cardinal specified instances since the warfare began successful precocious February. The spike was driven successful portion by involvement successful countries that person taken successful a ample number of Ukrainian refugees.
►At slightest 16 radical were killed erstwhile a truck carrying subject unit collided with a minibus in a Russian-controlled country of the hotly contested Donetsk portion of Ukraine, Russian authorities said.
►The European Union connected Wednesday projected question bans and plus freezes connected astir 200 much Russian officials and subject officers arsenic portion of a caller circular of sanctions.
►The Help Ukraine Center, a radical of volunteers that brings successful assistance done its main warehouse successful neighboring Poland, appealed to donors connected its website: “NO MORE CLOTHES PLEASE.” The halfway inactive seeks medical products, nutrient and hygiene products.
Putin tries to quash reports of different mobilization, complaints astir archetypal one
In his televised comments Wednesday, Putin tried to sprout down rumors of a 2nd mobilization of reservists and said, “There is nary request for the Defense Ministry and the state to bash that.”
A Washington deliberation vessel says that's an effort astatine appeasing the nationalist and controlling warfare accusation aft the archetypal mobilization successful September generated outcries and prompted hundreds of thousands of Russian men to fly the country.
The Institute for the Study of War says Putin is besides trying to support draftees and their families from complaining astir the conscription, which was dogged by reports that the caller soldiers were poorly trained and equipped and that galore ineligible men were forced into service.
Putin "signed a instrumentality banning rallies successful authorities buildings, universities, schools, hospitals, ports, bid stations, churches, and airports – likely to suppress riots and protests among mobilized men and their families,'' the institute said, adding that reports of different mobilization successful 2023 person been persistent.
Russia looks to Iran again to boost its dwindling arsenal
Russia is erstwhile again turning to Iran arsenic a provider of weaponry to boost a diminished arsenal, raising concerns astir the ramifications of their accrued cooperation, according to 2 officials acquainted with the matter
Particularly worrisome to the U.S. is the anticipation Iran whitethorn merchantability Russia surface-to-surface missiles, successful summation to the drones Moscow is seeking to get for its continued battle connected Ukraine, said a National Security Council authoritative who spoke to the Associated Press connected information of anonymity.
Shahed drones the Kremlin obtained from Iran person played a large relation successful Russia's run to destruct Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, though Kyiv's forces person gotten much adept astatine shooting them down.
A United Nations diplomat who besides requested anonymity told the AP that Iran intends to merchantability Russia hundreds of missiles and drones successful usurpation of the 2015 Security Council solution that endorsed the atomic woody betwixt Tehran and six large powers. Russia was 1 of them, raising the question of what it would beryllium providing Iran successful speech for the weapons.
The increasing subject ties betwixt the 2 countries could person “massive implications for information of the region,” the diplomat said.
One-third of Ukrainians driven from homes, astir retired of country
One-third of Ukrainians person been driven from their homes and the standard of civilian casualties and infrastructure harm is "shocking," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Wednesday. Türk, speaking from Ukraine astatine the extremity of a four-day visit, said 6.5 cardinal Ukrainians person fled their homes for shelter wrong the battered nation of much than 40 cardinal people. Another 7.8 cardinal Ukrainians person been recorded arsenic refugees crossed Europe, helium said.
Türk said a caller study documents the "willful'' killings of 441 civilians successful 3 bluish regions that see Kyiv during the archetypal respective weeks of the war, homicides that apt constituted a "war crime.''
"I fearfulness that determination is 1 long, bleak wintertime up for Ukraine," Türk said. "The consequences of the warfare connected the enjoyment of quality rights for radical successful the state person already been devastating, and the prognosis is precise worrying."
Freezing temperatures and deficiency of vigor and moving h2o due to the fact that of bomb-damaged infrastructure have sharply raised the hazard for radical already susceptible crossed Ukraine, helium said, among them the elderly, the precise young, the mediocre and the sick.
"My plea is to everyone engaged successful hostilities to respect (humanitarian law) fully, particularly successful the astir difficult, astir affectional circumstance," helium said, adding that "a violation by 1 enactment does not legitimize violations by another."
Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, claimed Ukraine wanted to destruct Russians “so that they halt existing arsenic a country.” He defended the rocket and drone attacks connected cities, saying attacks targeted infrastructure used for subject purposes.
Time names Zelenskyy its idiosyncratic of the year
Time Magazine named Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy its idiosyncratic of the year, saying, "This year’s prime was the astir clear-cut successful memory." The mag said Zelenskyy "galvanized the world in a mode we haven’t seen successful decades" and praised his determination not to fly Kyiv aft Russia's penetration Feb. 24.
"From his archetypal 40-second Instagram station connected Feb. 25 – showing that his Cabinet and civilian nine were intact and successful spot – to daily speeches delivered remotely to the likes of houses of Parliament, the World Bank, and the Grammy Awards, Ukraine’s President was everywhere," Time wrote. "His accusation violative shifted the geopolitical upwind system, mounting disconnected a question of enactment that swept the globe."
Russia broadcaster wants subject to people Kyiv's Maidan Square
Popular Russian broadcaster Alexander Sladkov urged the Russian subject to onslaught the halfway of Kyiv "for the involvement of bid successful the Donbas." Sladkov suggested attacks people Maidan Square, location to the Independence Monument that honors Ukraine's liberation from the Soviet Union successful 1991. Sladkov said efforts to participate into negotiations aimed astatine a cease-fire successful the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces of the concern Donbas volition stay futile until Kyiv feels the afloat effect of Moscow's might.
"Until we marque mincemeat of the halfway of Kyiv, the shelling of Donetsk volition not stop," helium said.
NATO expects large Russian violative successful spring
Russia is trying to "freeze" the warfare to regroup its troops implicit the wintertime months earlier starting a "major offensive" successful the spring, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday. He said NATO would proceed the supply of arms and enactment to Ukraine contempt concerns that Western weaponry stockpiles could beryllium depleted.
Stoltenberg said helium had nary accusation connected Ukraine's evident drone strikes into Russia but said Kyiv was warring to support itself arsenic Moscow bombards civilian infrastructure.
"They request a immense magnitude of ammunition, spare parts and besides maintenance," Stoltenberg said.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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