The war in Ukraine puts neighboring NATO countries on high alert. Polish fighter jets and those of its allied countries have been deployed on Tuesday to protect the airspace of Ukraine after Russia launched attacks on the west of Ukraine, near its territory. This was confirmed in a statement by the Polish Armed Forces.
Moscow and Kiev have continued exchanging attacks in the past hours parallel to the negotiation of a possible peace deal. Russia's offensive on Kiev has affected the Ukrainian energy system, causing outages in different locations, including the capital, Kiev. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones have reached and set fire to a petrochemical plant in Stavropol, Russia. These are the latest episodes of a war in Ukraine that is approaching its fourth year.
Russia Issues Arrest Warrant in Absentia for Kasparov for "Justifying Terrorism"
Russian justice issued an arrest warrant in absentia on Tuesday against Russian opposition figure and chess player Garry Kasparov, accused of justifying terrorism due to his criticisms of the war in Ukraine.
"The court issued a precautionary measure against Kasparov of arrest in absentia for two months from the moment of his detention in Russia or his extradition to Russian territory," said the judge, quoted by the Russian news agency TASS. The former world champion was accused of "publicly justifying terrorism on telecommunication networks, including the internet," a crime that could result in a sentence of five to seven years in prison for Kasparov.
Kasparov, included in the Russian list of foreign agents in May 2022, has been living outside of Russia for over a decade. Last October, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) opened a criminal case for "organizing a terrorist community" and "attempting to usurp power" against tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and other prominent Russian exiled opposition figures, founders of the Anti-War Committee of Russia (CAR), among whom Kasparov is included.
Russia Launches Over 600 Drones and Dozens of Missiles Against Ukraine, According to the Prime Minister of Ukraine
Russian forces launched over 600 drones and dozens of missiles last night and during the early hours against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, in what Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko describes as a "deliberate and cynical attack by Russia on the eve of Christmas."
"The enemy used over 600 drones and dozens of missiles. It was a deliberate and cynical attack by Russia on the eve of Christmas. At a time when people are preparing for the holidays, the enemy tried to leave Ukrainian families without light, heating, and a sense of security," she denounces in a message posted on her Telegram account. She adds that immediately after the nighttime bombing, all services were coordinated to eliminate the consequences of the attack. She specifies that the energy facilities in western regions of Ukraine were the most affected by this combined attack.
Russian Attacks in Zaporizhia Kill a 4-Year-Old Child and Injure Two Others, According to Zelensky
A massive Russian attack on Ukraine on Tuesday has killed at least three people, including a four-year-old child, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"This Russian attack sends a very clear signal about Russia's priorities. The attack essentially took place amid negotiations aimed at ending this war," he states in a post on the Telegram messaging app. Zelensky urges Ukraine's Western partners to increase pressure on Moscow.
Fire Extinguished at the Oil Pipeline in the Russian Port of Taman, Hit by a Ukrainian Attack
Local authorities in the Russian region of Krasnodar reported on Tuesday that the fire at the fuel supply oil pipeline in the port of Taman had been extinguished. On Monday, a fire on a tanker and a dock was also extinguished, caused by a drone attack, according to local authorities.
Large-Scale Power Outages in Ukraine
Ukrainian authorities announced on Tuesday power outages in several regions of the country following Russian missile and drone attacks on their infrastructure. These bombings have led the Polish military to deploy aircraft to protect their airspace.
"Russia is attacking our energy infrastructure again. Emergency power outages have been introduced in several regions of Ukraine. As soon as the security situation allows, rescue teams and energy sector workers will begin repairing the damage caused by the attack to restore electricity supply in the regions as soon as possible," according to the ministerial statement posted on Facebook. The ministry adds that emergency outages will be lifted once the situation in the energy system stabilizes. "We urge everyone to remain calm and follow official information," it adds.
Ukrenergo also reports on Telegram that "as a result of the massive missile and drone attack on the energy infrastructure, emergency power outages have been implemented in several regions of Ukraine" and asks the population to pay attention to messages from the distribution system operators in their region. "If you have electricity now, please, use it sparingly!"
Poland Deploys Fighter Jets After Russian Attack on Ukraine
"Polish and allied aircraft were deployed early on Tuesday to ensure the safety of Polish airspace after Russia launched air attacks on western Ukraine, near the border with Poland," the Polish Armed Forces, a NATO member country, reported in a statement.
"Combat aircraft were sent, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems were put on high alert," added the operational command in a post on the X social network. "These measures are preventive in nature and aim to secure and protect the airspace, especially in areas adjacent to threatened regions," it assures.
The Stavropol Petrochemical Plant in Stavropol Attacked for the Second Time by Ukrainian Drones
Ukrainian drones have attacked a petrochemical plant located in an industrial area in the Russian region of Stavropol, in the North Caucasus, causing fires. "Enemy drones attempted to attack targets in Budennovsk, anti-aircraft defense systems are working (...) There are several fires in the industrial zone. Emergency services are working at the scene," Governor Vladimir Vladimirov wrote on his Telegram channel. "According to preliminary data, there are no casualties, and no damage to residential buildings or city service infrastructure is observed," he added.
The governor has asked the local population not to record videos of the attacks or publish them and to be attentive to the situation. The Telegram channel Astra assumed, based on images posted on social media, that the target of the attack was the Stavrolen petrochemical plant, specialized in the production of polyethylene and polypropylene, which had already been attacked at the end of October.
Russia Attacks Ukraine's Energy System, Causing Emergency Outages in Kiev
Russia once again attacked Ukraine's energy sector, causing emergency power outages in several regions, including the capital, Kiev, and its surroundings, as reported on Tuesday by the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy.
Zelensky Says Progress in US-Led Peace Talks is "Quite Solid"
The initial drafts of the US proposals for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia meet many of Kiev's demands, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, although he suggested that it is unlikely that any of the parties in the nearly four-year war will get everything they want in the negotiations to reach an agreement. "Overall, it looks quite solid at this stage," said the Ukrainian leader about recent talks with US officials who are trying to guide the neighboring countries towards compromises.
"There are some things that we are probably not ready for, and I am sure there are things that the Russians are not ready for either," said Zelensky to journalists in Kiev. US President Donald Trump has been pushing for a peace agreement for months. However, the negotiations have encountered strongly conflicting demands from Moscow and Kiev.
US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he had "productive and constructive discussions" in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives, although Trump was less effusive the following day when he said that "talks are progressing." Zelensky said that "almost 90%" of Ukraine's demands have been incorporated into the draft agreements.
Russia Launches Aerial Attack on Kiev, According to the Ukrainian Army
Russia launched an attack early Tuesday morning on Kiev, according to the head of the military administration of the Ukrainian capital, Timur Tkachenko. "Please stay in shelters until the all-clear signal is given!", Tkachenko said on the Telegram messaging app.