War in Ukraine: two localities taken by the Russians, general killed in Moscow, Zelensky in Brussels… an update on the situation

Volodymyr Zelensky in the Lviv region of western Ukraine on December 17, 2024. MAXPPP – IMAGO/PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE OFFICE apaimages

Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Wednesday, December 18, 2024, discover the latest news around this conflict.

Suspect arrested after Moscow general's assassination

Russia on Wednesday announced the arrest of an Uzbek national who confessed to involvement in the bombing that killed Russian general Igor Kirillov in Moscow on Tuesday.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has claimed responsibility for the killing of the officer, whom kyiv accuses of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops. In a statement, the Russian Investigative Committee said the suspect had confessed to having come to Moscow on a mission for Ukrainian intelligence.

Russian media outlet Baza, known for its links to the security services, released a video of the suspect's statements, which Reuters could not immediately authenticate. Sitting in a van, wearing a coat, the man explained that he had bought an electric scooter and then received an explosive device to carry out the attack a few months later. He described how he placed the device on the scooter, which he parked in front of the entrance to the building where Igor Kirillov lived.

He also said he had installed a surveillance camera in a nearby rental car, according to investigators, and added that the assassination's instigators, who he said were based in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, had used the camera to monitor the events. In the video, the suspect, who is believed to have been born in 1995, claims to have detonated the device remotely after Kirillov left the building.

He claims Ukraine offered him $100,000 for his mission and asylum in a European country. Investigators said they were identifying other people involved in the attack and the Kommersant daily reported that another suspect had been arrested. Reuters could not confirm the report.

Zelensky arrives in Brussels to meet European leaders

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday he had arrived in Brussels where he is due to meet with leaders of major European powers to discuss the war in Ukraine, just weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House.

“I have arrived in Brussels for important negotiations with our European partners. Europe needs a strong and unified position to ensure lasting peace,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X.

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Kremlin accuses Ukraine of 'act of terrorism' after general's assassination Russian

The Kremlin accused kyiv on Wednesday of an “act of terrorism”after the assassination in the street in Moscow of Russian General Igor Kirillov, a reaction from the Russian presidency that comes more than 24 hours after the attack claimed by Ukraine.

“It is obvious who is behind this act of terrorism. This demonstrates once again that the Kiev regime does not shy away from terrorist methods”, declared Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in reference to Ukraine.

Russian army claims capture of two towns in eastern Ukraine

Moscow claimed Wednesday the capture of two new towns near the town of Kurakhove, in eastern Ukraine, where kyiv's forces are losing ground every day to more numerous and better-armed Russian troops.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that its men had taken control of the towns of Stari Terny and Trudove, located near the mining town of Kurakhove, which has been the target of Russian assaults for several weeks.

The Ukrainian army, undermined by a lack of men and weapons, has been on the defensive for over a year. Since the fall, its forces have been retreating more and more rapidly. In addition to the towns of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk, the Russians are seeking to conquer Kurakhove, located near a major deposit of lithium, a rare mineral.

In this sector of the Eastern Front, Russian troops are gaining ground from the Ukrainians on a daily basis. They have been inside Kurakhove itself for several days, where nearly 20,000 people lived before the conflict.

The Russian army advanced 725 km² into Ukrainian territory during the month of November, its largest territorial gain in a month since March 2022 and the first weeks of its large-scale assault, according to an AFP analysis using data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite heavy losses within his army, has made the conquest of Donbass in eastern Ukraine his priority. On Monday, the Kremlin's master assured that his forces have the initiative on “the entire line” front, claiming to have captured 189 Ukrainian localities.

Ukraine will be one of the main topics discussed on Thursday during his press conference in Moscow with Russian journalists and citizens to “take stock” of the past year.

His Defense Minister, Andrei Beloussov, specified on Monday that Russia was currently advancing on average “30 km² per day”.

The The difficulties of the Ukrainian army and the uncertainties over the sustainability of American aid to kyiv with the return in January to the White House of Donald Trump have revived speculations on possible peace talks, after nearly three years of a conflict which has caused hundreds of thousands of victims, civilians and soldiers combined.