As the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its 316th day, we take a look at the main developments.
This is the state of affairs on Thursday, January 5, 2023:
To fight
- Heavy fighting around the largely destroyed Ukrainian army city of Bakhmut likely to continue for the foreseeable future, a senior US government official said.
- Putin has sent a warship towards the Atlantic and Indian Oceans armed with new hypersonic Zircon cruise missiles, which he said were unique worldwide.
- So says the Ukrainian foreign minister Patriot air defense systems sent by the United States are expected to be deployed to Ukraine shortly.
- Russia says mass production of new electronic warfare systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will start in the coming months.
- Ukraine says Russia has carried out seven missile attacks, 18 airstrikes and more than 85 multi-launch missile system attacks against three cities: Kramatorsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the past 24 hours.
Diplomacy
- French President Emmanuel Macron told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that his government would send light AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicles to help in the war against Russia, a French official said after a phone call between the two leaders.
- Russia says Italy is not an “honest mediator” or potential mediator in peace talks with Ukraine because of its stance against Moscow.
- Ukraine’s efforts to increase in grain exports are aimed at speeding up ship inspections rather than including more ports in the initiative, a senior Ukrainian official said.
- A former Russian deputy prime minister has sent shrapnel from a French howitzer to Macron.