Politics Russia attacks Ukraine from the air again

Russia has once again attacked Ukraine from the air during the night. Anti-aircraft fire could be heard over Kiev shortly before midnight on Thursday evening because combat drones were threatening the capital, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Crashing debris damaged a polyclinic and surrounding buildings.

Swarms of unmanned flying objects were also detected over the Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava and Kirovohrad regions, according to the Ukrainian air force. Coming from the Black Sea, further drones attacked the coast near Odessa. Explosions were also reported from the city of Kherson in the south.

According to the governor, at least 30 Ukrainian drones were repelled in the Russian region of Rostov, as reported by the Russian state agency Tass. No people were injured. However, a large fire had broken out in an industrial complex, which was being fought by more than 100 firefighters. According to the authorities, two Ukrainian drones were also shot down over the Russian region of Bryansk.

This time, the attacks on Ukraine were initially weaker than the night before. On Thursday morning, Russia had launched one of the heaviest attacks in more than 1,000 days of war with around 90 missiles and almost 100 drones. US President Joe Biden spoke of an "outrageous attack" that once again showed how urgently the Ukrainians needed help.

The attack targeted the already damaged energy system of the attacked country. Hundreds of thousands of households were temporarily without electricity. Ukrainian energy suppliers have also announced power cuts for Friday in order to stabilize the system.

Putin threatens further missile attacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered the war of aggression against Ukraine, threatened to launch new missiles against targets in the neighboring country, including Kiev. Moscow is currently selecting targets for further strikes. "These could be military objects, companies in the arms industry or decision-making centers in Kiev," Putin said at a meeting of the Russian-dominated military alliance Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Kazakhstan's capital Astana. Last week, Russia fired the new Oreshnik missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro for the first time.

Selenskyj: Putin is sabotaging Trump's efforts for peace

Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyi assessed Putin's missile threats as disruptive fire against possible peace efforts by future US President Donald Trump. "Putin wants to escalate the situation now so that President Trump fails, so that he cannot end the war," said Zelenskyi. "Putin is the only one responsible for this war and the only one who believes in the war." The Republican Trump has announced that he will be able to end the war quickly. It is unclear how. He moves into the White House for the second time on January 20, 2025.

Questions about the age of mobilization in Ukraine

Meanwhile, Ukraine is facing questions from allies about its mobilization strategy. This was stated by Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhij Tychyj in Kiev, confirming media reports from the USA. However, he denied that this was a point of contention with Western partners. Ukraine lowered the mobilization age from 27 to 25 this year in order to attract more soldiers to its army.

Other armies draft young men when they reach the age of majority, i.e. from the age of 18. However, these age groups are small in number in Ukraine. Tychyj said that recruitment was less a question of age. The country lacks the equipment and weapons to equip soldiers who have already been mobilized. Meanwhile, Zelenskyi signed a controversial law according to which one-time desertion by soldiers who voluntarily return to military service remains unpunished.

Defense accounts for almost two thirds of the Ukrainian budget

The president also signed Ukraine's budget for 2025 into law. It provides for expenditure of 3.6 trillion hryvnia (around 82 billion euros). Almost two thirds of this, namely 2.23 trillion hryvnia, is earmarked for defense and armaments. Ukraine expects 2.05 trillion hryvnia as its own revenue. Taxes for citizens and companies will be increased significantly from November. The country is dependent on foreign financial aid to cover the shortfall. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine was entering the new financial year with confidence.

Norway gives more money

The Norwegian parliamentary parties want to support Ukraine with at least 35 billion Norwegian kroner next year, as the government of the Russian neighboring country announced after a meeting in parliament in Oslo. This is the equivalent of almost three billion euros. Almost two thirds of this will go towards military support, with the remainder earmarked for humanitarian and civilian support. It is an important signal for Ukraine, but also for those who are attacking the country, said head of government Jonas Gahr Støre, according to the NTB news agency.

SDA