War in Ukraine: ATACMS missiles fired, Russians approach Pokrovsk, ceasefire at Christmas… an update on the situation

Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Wednesday, December 11, 2024, discover the latest news about this conflict.

Moscow says kyiv attacked Russian airfield with 6 US ATACMS missiles

The Russian military said Ukrainian forces attacked an airfield in Taganrog, southern Russia, on Wednesday using US ATACMS missiles, promising “a response.”

“It has been established with certainty that six US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles were used,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that two were “shot down” and “the others … diverted by electronic warfare equipment.” Vladimir Putin has presented as a red line the Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil with Western weapons.

Orban's call to Putin undermines European 'unity', Zelensky accuses

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban of undermining European “unity” in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine with his phone call to Vladimir Putin.

“No one should promote their own image at the expense of unity” and “unity in Europe has always been the key” to ending the Russian invasion, Zelensky said. “There can be no discussion about the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine, without Ukraine,”, he added, in a message on Telegram.

Ukraine claims it did not “discuss” with Orban a ceasefire over Christmas

kyiv claimed on Wednesday that it had not “discussed”with Viktor Orban of a possible Christmas ceasefire with Russia, as well as a major prisoner exchange, refuting the Hungarian Prime Minister's statement that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has “rejected” the idea.

“As always, the Hungarian side has not discussed with Ukraine. And as always, Hungary has not warned (Ukraine, editor's note) about its exchanges with Moscow”, deplored Dmytro Lytvyne, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, in a written message to the media.

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Russian assets: US financial aid to kyiv is “theft”, denounces Moscow

The $20 billion aid package released Tuesday by the United States for Ukraine, which will be financed by the interests of Russian assets frozen due to sanctions, is a “theft”, denounced Russian diplomacy on Wednesday, which promised retaliation.

“The allocation of another loan announced by the United States Treasury Department is a banal theft”, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared in a statement, castigating the “Russophobic momentum” of Joe Biden's government, a few weeks before the end of his term. “No pseudo-legal trick, heavily seasoned with hypocrisy and double standards, will go unanswered”, he warned.

Russian troops less than 3 km from Pokrovsk

The Ukrainian military said Wednesday that Russian troops have destroyed or captured several of its positions near the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a strategic logistics and rail hub for kyiv that is also home to Ukraine’s only coke mine.

Russian forces have been advancing toward Pokrovsk at an accelerated pace and are now 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the southern outskirts of the city, according to DeepState, a Ukrainian organization that maps front lines from open sources. “Due to prolonged clashes, two of our positions have been destroyed and one has been lost. Currently, measures are being taken to restore the positions,”, Nazar Volochyn, the Ukrainian military’s spokesman for the eastern front, said in televised comments.

Pokrovsk, located about 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the border between Ukraine’s Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, has been the scene of some of the heaviest fighting since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine for months. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take office on January 20, has called for an immediate ceasefire and a swift end to the war.

Ukraine announced Monday that it plans to hold a summit in December with its key European allies to coordinate a common position and ensure that Ukraine is in a strong position on the battlefield for any negotiations. Russia, which Ukraine says has more than 70,000 troops on the Pokrovsk front, has been advancing rapidly toward Shevchenko, south of the city, in recent weeks.

Its forces are now trying to take control of the village and are sending in reconnaissance and sabotage groups, Voloshyn said, adding that Ukraine is containing them for now. The fall of Pokrovsk, a major logistics hub for the Ukrainian military in the east of the country, would be the biggest military setback for kyiv in months.

The city is also home to the only domestic supplier of coking coal for Ukraine’s once-important steel industry. The mine, which was still active on December 6, is located 10 km west of Pokrovsk, opposite the Russian advance.