Things to remember from Friday 23rd December

Aid to Ukraine is changing the dimension. The US Congress actually gave its agreement on Friday, December 23, to a large program of public funding, which includes a large envelope: 45 billion dollars to support Ukraine in humanitarian aspects but especially the military. Broadly, this aid package makes it possible for the US to transfer military equipment to Ukraine, but purchase weapons on behalf of kyiv while providing financial support. Francinfo compiles the latest developments on this war front as it enters its eleventh month.

Tram services stopped at the queue to save electricity

The poor state of Ukraine’s electricity network, which has been bombed relentlessly by the Russian military in recent weeks, has prompted the Ukrainian capital to suspend its tram and trolleybus system. The move was announced Friday by the city’s mayor, Vitaly Klitschko on his Telegram account (in Ukrainian). “Buses are now plying on all land-based electric transport lines”, he noted. The kyiv metro is still 100% operational, with only two of the capital’s 50 stations closed, which its mayor welcomed.

Washington calls on Vladimir Putin to “recognize the reality” of the conflict

The United States called on Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to acknowledge the reality of the conflict in Ukraine after the Russian autocrat used the word “war” in a press conference – which is illegal even in Russia. Triggered on February 24, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is officially called a “special military operation” in Russia, and using the banned term can lead to heavy fines for media or internet users.

Revelations about the disintegration of the Russian army

“Our army is not ready”, “we ran away”, “No one gives us food”… Here are some excerpts from phone conversations between Russian soldiers and their relatives, intercepted by Ukrainian services and aired in recent days by a British newspaper Guardian. Winter-related difficulties, a lack of logistical preparation or even a drop in morale are often made public in these conversations. At the source of these revelations, Ukrainian intelligence is thus a pawn in the battle against the Russian army.

Ukrainian grain production drops sharply to 2022

noticeable drop. The grain harvest in Ukraine, one of the world’s leading producers, will eventually be 40% lower than in 2021, the Grains Association said on Friday. National. questioned, “Occupation of part of territories, hostility in fields, destruction of infrastructure”It was reduced“about a quarter” The total area of ​​fields cultivated by grain producers compared to the previous year, explained the director of this association, Sergey Ivashchenko. For operators who succeeded in saving their production, a second problem arose: the blockade of Ukrainian ports by the Russian military, which significantly reduced the export of this precious resource at the beginning of the year.