Summary of the daily livestream with Aleksey Arestovych, Ukraine’s Presidential Head of Office Advisor, kindly brought to you by Janat: @Janat_H1
⚡️ Engels Air Field
An accident at the Engels airfield in Russia: pilots killed, 10 aircraft flew to other air bases. A massive missile attack on Ukraine was scheduled for December 26, did not occur after the flight control center was damaged and the entire duty shift was destroyed (according to rumours).
⚡️ Bryansk
According to the FSB, a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group of 4 people was destroyed in the Bryansk region of Russia. No information from Ukrainian officials that confirms or denies it.
⚡️ Frontline Update
Ongoing fighting in the area of Vuhledar and Zaporizhye region. Russia continues to strengthen its defensive positions in Tokmak-Melitopol direction. Ukraine had successful hits on military bases on the Dnieper’s left bank (Kherson region).
The fiercest fighting goes on between Maryinka and Soledar. Russian sources report that Ukrainians have had some success in Bakhmut but no official confirmation from UA General Staff.
⚡️ Kreminna: despite rumored Ukrainian advances, there are no visible signs, although Russian sources claim the front line moved closer to Kreminna.
⚡️ Informal CIS summit
Leaders of CIS states were invited by Putin to come to St. Petersburg for what they called the Informal CIS summit. Leaders of the former Soviet states have frequently gathered in the last months.
Putin has tried to involve Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in a gas union, to control Azerbaijan-Armenia relations. The unprecedented foreign policy activity of the isolated Putin within the CIS countries is an attempt to manage the resources still available to him.
In light of the canceled address to the federal assembly and other public speaking events, Putin demonstrates to the Russian population that he can still make decisions and create partnerships in the international arena. Dec 30 marks the 100th anniversary of the USSR; this summit may also have a symbolic value for Putin.
⚡️ Sanctions
RF Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated there are “significant achievements” in the negotiations about Russian fertilizer exports. Arestovych believes the prospects for easing EU sanctions on Russian fertilizers are vague.
Today, Ukraine began to consider imposing new personal sanctions on 1,400 RF citizens. The list includes predominantly intelligence officers and the banking sector. Ukrainian sanction lists become the basis for international sanctions.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Yermak announced the imposition of significant sanctions on Rosatom, which has about $200 billion worth of international contracts. Sanctions are needed to stop Rosatom from financing Russian aggression.
⚡️ RF’s place in the UN
Ukraine at the UN level will file a legal claim on the incompetence of the presence of the Russian Federation as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. RF “inherited” the seat which belonged to the USSR, and this must be disputed.
RF, a permanent member of the Security Council, violated the transition procedure and systematically violates the UN Charter: crimes against humanity, war crimes, propaganda of aggression, massive killings of civilians, etc. Supporters of the Ukrainian initiative include other members of the UN Security Council.
⚡️ Weapons
American “Patriot” air defense systems will appear on the battlefield in Ukraine sooner than RU propaganda thinks is possible.
⚡️ Engels military airfield
After the recent attack at the Engels airfield, 10 aircraft were transferred to an air base in the Far East: 7 TU-95 strategic bombers and 3 TU-160. Approximately 8-10 aircraft out of 18-20 remain at Engels but the mission control center is destroyed which endangers future missions.
According to the statement of the Russian Defense Ministry about the incident at the Engels military airfield, “Air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian drone at low altitude while approaching a military airfield in Engels. As a result of the fall of its wreckage, three servicemen were killed. Aircraft equipment was not damaged.”
Three gross lies in their statement: low altitude, personnel killed by wreckage, and no damage. The Russian air defense again demonstrated incapacity to protect its strategic airfield. The irony is that this happened on the eve of the Day of Air Defense of Russia.
⚡️ Peace Formula Summit
Ukraine’s diplomatic initiative in establishing a new International Security System: at the initiative of the President of Ukraine and at the end of February, it is planned to hold the Peace Formula Summit at the UN, with G7 support.
The Peace Formula will allow the world to end the war on the terms of Ukraine and increase the degree of global security. It is based on the 10 points of Zelensky’s address to G20. Zelensky discussed this issue with Biden during his visit to Washington, and Biden supported the idea of this global summit.
Putin’s aggression destroyed the old system of global security, so it is time to create a new system. Ukraine takes the initiative in this endeavor or as Arestovych puts it, “Ukraine begins its diplomatic offensive.”
The summit will be held possibly without the RF as this “offensive” is part of the initiative to expel RF from the Security Council.
⚡️ Saving Saakashvili
There was no reaction from the Georgian authorities. Feygin and Arestovych call everyone to participate in the Global Day of Mikheil Saakashvili Support #SaveMisha on January 4, 2023.
Feygin and Arestovych urge subscribers to go to the embassies and consulates of Georgia in capital cities around the world between 12 noon and 2PM with demands to provide Saakashvili with access to adequate medical care in the West and to ensure the trial is just. Help stop the demonstrative destruction of Saakashvili in prison. This is not an issue of internal Georgian politics, but an issue of human rights.
The next stream is on Tuesday, December 27
