Russia's war in Ukraine: Live updates: - CNN

Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the US Congress astatine the US Capitol successful Washington, DC connected December 21, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

The country astir the eastbound Ukrainian cities of Bakhmut and Soledar is "one of the bloodiest places connected the beforehand line," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said successful his nightly code Sunday.

Bakhmut has go possibly the astir contested and kinetic portion of the 1,300- kilometer (800 mile) beforehand enactment successful Ukraine and the country of immoderate of the fiercest warring of the war. 

The greater Donetsk region, wherever Bakhmut and Soledar are located, has been held by Russian-backed separatists since 2014 and is 1 of 4 Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims arsenic Russian territory successful usurpation of planetary law.

However, the Ukrainian President said Sunday that the 2 cities were "holding out" and "the concern connected the beforehand enactment has not changed importantly successful the archetypal week of the year."

"Bakhmut is holding retired against each odds. Although astir of the metropolis is destroyed by Russian strikes, our warriors repel changeless attempts astatine Russian violative there," helium said.

"Soledar is holding out. Although determination is adjacent much demolition determination and it is highly hard."

Ukrainian officials connected Sunday dismissed Moscow’s assertion that a ample fig of Kyiv’s soldiers were killed successful a Russian onslaught past week successful Kramatorsk, eastbound Ukraine.

A CNN squad connected the crushed has seen nary denotation of immoderate monolithic casualties successful the area. There is nary antithetic enactment successful and astir Kramatorsk, including successful the vicinity of the metropolis morgue, the squad reported.

A Reuters newsman successful Kramtorsk besides reported nary signs of a important Russian onslaught connected 2 assemblage dormitories that Russia claimed had been lodging hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers. “There were nary evident signs that soldiers had been surviving determination and nary motion of bodies oregon traces of blood,” the Reuters study said.

Kramatorsk’s politician said determination had been nary casualties, according to Reuters.

Some background: Earlier, Russia claimed that much than 600 Ukrainian soldiers were killed successful a Russian onslaught successful Kramatorsk carried retired successful “retaliation” over the Ukrainian onslaught connected Russian-occupied Makiivka last week, according to a connection from the Russian Defense Ministry.

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Russia and Belarus volition clasp associated aerial unit exercises successful Belarus from Jan. 16 to Feb. 1, the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced Sunday. 

A Russian aerial part squad arrived successful Belarus Sunday, the ministry said. 

“During the tactical formation exercise, each airfields and grooming grounds of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus volition beryllium involved,” it added. 

The ministry said Thursday that it is continuing to summation its associated subject grouping with Russia successful Belarus. 

“Personnel, weapons, subject and peculiar instrumentality of the equipped forces of the Russian Federation volition proceed to get to the Republic of Belarus,” the ministry said. 

More background: Some Russian forces are based successful Belarus and used its territory successful the archetypal penetration of Ukraine in February. But President Alexander Lukashenko has gone to immoderate lengths to guarantee that Belarusian troops bash not go progressive successful Russia's alleged "special subject operation." 

Last month, Ukraine said it "did not regularisation out" a "deliberate provocation" from Russia was down Belarusian reports that wreckage of a Ukrainian rocket landed connected its territory.

Russia and Ukraine carried retired a prisoner exchange Sunday with a full of 100 soldiers returning home, according to authorities from some countries.  

As a effect of the dialog process, 50 Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine were returned to Russia, Russian Defense Ministry said successful a statement. 

Andriy Yermak, caput of the Ukrainian statesmanlike bureau confirmed the exchange, saying that 50 Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia returned home.  

"We returned the radical who were captured astatine the Chernobyl atomic powerfulness plant, arsenic good arsenic the defenders of Mariupol, the guys from the Donetsk direction, from adjacent Bakhmut, arsenic good arsenic from Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kherson and different regions," Yermak said successful a statement. 

This is the 36th speech betwixt Russia and Ukraine since the opening of the full-scale Russian invasion, with 1,646 radical — subject and civilians — returned location to Ukraine, according to the Coordination Headquarters connected the Treatment of Prisoners of War successful Kyiv. 

Dominic Raab leaves 10 Downing Street successful London connected August 11, 2022. (Press Association/AP)

UK Justice Minister Dominic Raab volition big a gathering alongside his Dutch counterpart successful London successful March, which volition spot justness ministers from crossed the globe stitchery to enactment the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation into alleged Russian warfare crimes successful Ukraine. 

In a connection Saturday, the UK authorities said the gathering "aims to summation the planetary fiscal and applicable enactment being offered to the ICC and coordinate efforts to guarantee it has each it needs to transportation retired investigations and prosecute those responsible."

Prosecutor of the ICC, Karim Khan volition code the London meeting, providing an penetration into the court's enactment and "the relation of the planetary assemblage successful supporting its investigations," the connection added.

Last week, British politicians from crossed the governmental divide expressed their support for the instauration of a peculiar tribunal to analyse Russia's "crime of aggression" successful Ukraine.  

They see absorption person Keir Starmer and erstwhile Conservative Party person and MP Iain Duncan Smith, according to British newspaper The Observer, which said a transcript of the connection was shared with them.