Putin's "truce" and Bradleys for Ukraine: highlights of the day

IFVs from the US and Germany

The next package of military aid to Kyiv from the United States will include about 50 M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. It should be announced on January 6. The new package of military aid from the United States is worth almost $3 billion.

In addition, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, following a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden, decided to transfer a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine.

He also confirmed that he plans to provide Kyiv with Marder infantry fighting vehicles.

Christmas "truce"

On January 5, Putin instructed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to introduce a "ceasefire" along the entire contact line in Ukraine on January 6 and 7.

Before that, Moscow Patriarch Kirill called for a ceasefire from 12:00 p.m. on January 6 to 12:00 a.m. on January 7 so that "Orthodox people could attend services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."

Advisor to the head of the President's Office Mykhailo Podolyak explained in a comment to hromadske that the "truce" is part of Putin's plan: "To fix the situation for an indefinite time, and after accumulating forces to launch a new offensive."

Later, the leader of the self-proclaimed "DPR" Denis Pushilin said that he did not plan to observe the "ceasefire" on Christmas, which was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Shelling of Kherson Oblast

Russian troops shelled the central part of Kherson and the town of Beryslav.

In Kherson, the occupiers hit a house. An 18-year-old boy died on the spot from the wounds.

In Beryslav, a family - two adults and a child - died as a result of a Russian shell hitting a house.

Investigation of terrorist attack in Olenivka

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres disbanded the mission to establish the facts of the July attack on the Olenivka colony in the Donbas, which killed Ukrainian prisoners of war.

The organization explained that they could not deploy the mission due to the lack of security guarantees for the participants of the investigation.

Spokesman for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said that despite the consent to the mission from Russia and Ukraine, the UN believes that they have not received the necessary security guarantees.

Erdogan speaks with Putin and Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Before that, Erdogan held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they discussed, among other things, Ukraine.

Zelenskyy and Erdogan touched upon the topic of nuclear safety, in particular, the situation at the Russian-occupied ZNPP. The President of Ukraine stressed the need for complete demilitarization of the facility.

In a conversation with Putin, Erdogan noted that calls for peace and negotiations should be supported by a unilateral ceasefire.

Shelling of Zhytomyr highway

Law enforcement officers have identified most of the Russian military who shot 10 civilian cars on the Zhytomyr highway in Kyiv Oblast in March 2022.

In total, investigators have created a database of photos of 400 occupiers who took an active part in hostilities and committed war crimes in Kyiv Oblast.

Two cathedrals of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra returned to state

The Assumption Cathedral and the Refectory Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery have been returned to state ownership. The lease of these objects to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) has ended.

Before that, the commission, which included representatives of the National Reserve "Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra," Miller Law Firm, the UOC-MP and the Ministry of Culture, took an inventory of the property and drew up a technical inspection report of the two churches.

Limits of power consumption

All regions received electricity consumption limits that are valid from 08:00 to 23:00. If the limits are exceeded, the power company will introduce emergency shutdowns.

Electricity consumption continues to grow due to colder weather and increased activity of industry and businesses. However, at night, power plants produce enough electricity to cover consumption.

Andersen Prize without Queen of Denmark

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark refused to patronize the Hans Christian Andersen Prize after a Russian illustrator was appointed chair of the jury.

In September 2022, at the Congress of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), Russian illustrator and art professor Anastasia Arkhipova was elected chair of the jury that will award the prize.

The Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Belgian, Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian branches tried to get Arkhipova to resign. The Danish branch did not sign the letter demanding her resignation.