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EU agrees new ninth set of punitive measures against Russia
The European Union imposes a new ninth package of sanctions on Russia. The EU is punishing nearly 200 other individuals and organizations for their role in the war against Ukraine. Three other banks, mines and Russian propaganda will also be affected, EU countries agreed.
The European Commission proposed the new set of sanctions last week. The previous eight “are already hitting hard,” says commission chair Ursula von der Leyen. But Russia continues the war and every now and then tries to leave Ukraine in the cold and in the dark with bombing.
EU agrees new ninth set of punitive measures against Russia
00:35 | The European Union imposes a new ninth package of sanctions on Russia. The EU is punishing nearly 200 other individuals and organizations for their role in the war against Ukraine. Three other banks, mines and Russian propaganda will also be affected, EU countries agreed.
The European Commission proposed the new set of sanctions last week. The previous eight “are already hitting hard,” says commission chair Ursula von der Leyen. But Russia continues the war and every now and then tries to leave Ukraine in the cold and in the dark with bombing.
The new punitive measures are expected to include the Russian military, defense industry and political parties. The assets they placed in the EU will be frozen and Europeans will no longer be able to do business with them. The same fate would befall dozens of other ministers, MPs, governors and military officers.
There will also be a ban on investment in Russian mines. The sale of drones and other war supplies to Russia is also further restricted. The committee also wants to suppress four Russian channels because they would be making propaganda.
The agreement on sanctions took some time. Poland and Lithuania felt they had not gone far enough and counted too many exceptions. For example, the Netherlands has negotiated space for the port of Rotterdam for the transit of fertilisers, which are vital for starving Africa. EU countries agreed on Thursday evening, though the measures are yet to be formally stamped on Friday.
Thursday
Zelensky: Kherson bombed more than sixteen times
11pm | The Russian army struck Kherson more than 16 times on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said in his daily speech. “Since the beginning of this day alone, Russia has bombed Kherson more than sixteen times!” cried Zelensky. ‘One day!’ One Red Cross volunteer was reportedly killed in the attacks.
The southern port city, which has been in Ukrainian hands since November 11, has been subjected to heavy shelling for weeks, affecting its electricity supply, among other things. Zelensky also spoke of “brutal Russian attacks” in the eastern Donbass region and in the northeastern Kharkov region.
Ukraine: Russians train 200,000 extra for new offensive
5pm | The Russians, who have been at war in Ukraine since late February, are training 200,000 more soldiers with the aim of launching a new offensive in the neighboring country early next year. This is what the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces affirms in an interview with the British weekly The Economist.
According to General Valery Zaluzhny, the expansion of 200,000 troops comes on top of the previous mobilization of 300,000 reservists. The army chief also says he has no doubts that the Russians will make another attempt to advance on the Ukrainian capital Kiev, after their first attempt to initiate an invasion earlier this year failed due to the fierce resistance of the Ukrainian army.
In an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksi Reznikov also said that “there are indications that the Kremlin is preparing a new wide-ranging offensive”. Reznikov has suggested that a similar Russian offensive take place in February. Other top Ukrainian officials said they expected it could arrive as early as January, according to The Guardian.
At the same time, various American media, including the New York Times, are reporting that the Pentagon plans to double the number of Ukrainian troops it trains at a base in Germany. The training expansion, which officials say has already been approved by President Joe Biden, would allow U.S. instructors to train a Ukrainian battalion — about 600 to 800 servicemen — every month starting early next year.
Since the war began in February, the United States has trained 3,100 Ukrainian soldiers in the use of specific Western-supplied weapons, such as artillery systems, according to the defense ministry.