RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russia would certainly target US MIM-104 Patriot missile systems in Ukraine if the weapons are deployed in the ongoing conflict. Media reports in the US have indicated that plans to deliver the air defense system are in the final stages.

Peskov’s remarks came in response to a question about how Russia would react to the possible delivery of the US-made systems, which Kiev currently does not have. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is now deputy chair of the National Security Council, stated in late November that such weapons and their crews would be legitimate targets if a NATO member were to deliver them.

When asked whether the Kremlin supported Medvedev’s stance, Peskov confirmed that was the case but advised against rushing to conclusions.

“In our times media reports are not reliable. Let us wait for official information,”he explained.

Medvedev’s remark came after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had praised Germany’s decision to deploy its Patriot missiles to Poland. He hailed Berlin’s support of Kiev and remarked that “decisions on specific capabilities”being sent to Ukraine were up to national governments. Some observers, including Medvedev, took this as a hint of an upcoming deployment of the weapons.

CNN claimed this week that the Pentagon is finalizing a proposal to arm Ukraine with Patriot missiles. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has to give the plan the go-ahead before it would be sent to the president for approval, the network said. Sources cited by other major news outlets confirmed the reporting.

If delivered, each missile battery would require “dozens of well trained Air Defenders to operate,” retired US Army General Mark Hertling remarked on Twitter. Preparing crews would require months, so “unless there’s been secret training going on for months, ‘approval’ doesn’t mean those systems will be on the battlefield immediately.”

The US and its allies have pledged to support Ukraine with arms, training and funding for “as long as it takes” to defeat Russia. Moscow says Western nations are simply prolonging the conflict in an attempt to hurt Russia and are pressuring the Ukrainian government not to enter into peace negotiations.

** Russian forces eliminated five Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups in the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.

"In the area of the settlement of Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, strikes were delivered against a column of the Ukrainian army’s reserves. In addition, five enemy subversive/reconnaissance groups were eliminated in areas near the settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Torskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroyed roughly 100 Ukrainian troops in four communities in the Kharkov Region and one community in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, as many as 100 Ukrainian servicemen, an armored personnel carrier and six pickup trucks were eliminated as a result of artillery fire against the amassment areas of the Ukrainian army’s manpower and military equipment in areas near the settlements of Sinkovka, Kotlyarovka, Tabayevka and Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region and Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces thwarted three counter-attacks by Ukrainian assault groups advancing towards two communities in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, artillery fire and active offensive operations of Russian troops thwarted counter-attacks by three Ukrainian assault groups advancing towards the settlements of Ploshchanka and Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

In the past 24 hours, the enemy lost over 60 soldiers killed and wounded, one infantry fighting vehicle and two pickup trucks in that area, the general specified.

Russian forces established control of the major part of the settlement of Vodyanoye in their offensive in the Donetsk area, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, the major part of the settlement of Vodyanoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic was placed under control as a result of offensive operations by Russian troops. About 50 Ukrainian soldiers, one tank, three armored combat vehicles and four pickup trucks were eliminated," the spokesman said.

Russian forces repelled counter-attacks by four Ukrainian assault groups in the southern Donetsk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the southern Donetsk direction, four Ukrainian assault groups attempted to counter-attack the Russian troop positions in areas near the settlements of Pavlovka, Novomayorskoye and Neskuchnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. All the counter-attacks were repelled and the enemy was pushed back to initial positions," the spokesman said.

The Ukrainian army lost as many as 80 soldiers, three combat armored vehicles and four motor vehicles during the battles in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Russian forces delivered strikes at Ukrainian military columns in the Donetsk People’s Republic, thwarting the enemy’s attempt to redeploy reserves to the southern Donetsk area, Konashenkov reported.

"An attempt to redeploy the enemy reserves was thwarted as a result of strikes at Ukrainian army columns in areas near the communities of Novosyolka and Prechistovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces wiped out the command post of the Ukrainian battlegroup Liman near Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the community of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the command post of the Ukrainian army’s operational-tactical battlegroup Liman was obliterated," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroyed two US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radars of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the areas of the settlements of Yampolovka and Kalinina in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radars of US manufacture were destroyed," the spokesman said.

In the area of the community of Kamenskoye in the Zaporozhye Region, Russian forces obliterated a missile/artillery armament depot of the Ukrainian army, the general said.

Russian forces destroyed the Ukrainian army’s ammunition depot of about 2,000 Grad rockets in Kramatorsk in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the community of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 81st air mobile brigade storing about 2,000 rockets of Grad multiple launch rocket systems and over 3,000 artillery shells of various caliber was wiped out," the spokesman said.

Russian air defense forces destroyed a HIMARS rocket and three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities destroyed three unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Peremozhnoye and Tokmak in the Zaporozhye Region and Rachevka in the Kherson Region. In addition, a rocket of the American HIMARS multiple launch rocket system was intercepted near the community of Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 343 Ukrainian warplanes, 183 helicopters, 2,658 unmanned aerial vehicles, 396 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,099 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 931 multiple rocket launchers, 3,685 field artillery guns and mortars and 7,599 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Moscow on Wednesday said no "Christmas ceasefire" was on the cards after nearly 10 months of devastating war in Ukraine, even as the release of dozens more prisoners including an American showed that some contacts between the two sides remain.

Russia and Ukraine are not currently engaged in talks to end the fighting, which is raging in the east and south and reached Kyiv again on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions more displaced and cities reduced to rubble since Russia invaded its neighbour on Feb. 24.

"There is no calm on the front line," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a regular evening video address, describing Russia's destruction of towns in the east with artillery: "So that only bare ruins and craters" remain.

Zelenskiy said this week Russia should start withdrawing by Christmas as a step to end the conflict, Europe's biggest since World War Two. Moscow rejected the proposal outright, saying Ukraine must accept the loss of territory to Russia before any progress can be made.

Despite the lack of peace talks, hundreds of detainees have been freed in swaps in recent weeks. The releases - along with progress on talks to resume Russian exports of an ingredient in fertilizer and the extension of a grains deal - have shown the two sides maintain at least limited contact on several levels.

The latest exchange of dozens of detainees included a U.S. citizen, Kyiv and Washington said on Wednesday.

The head of Ukraine's presidential administration Andriy Yermak identified the American as Suedi Murekezi, who he said had been "helping our people" before ending up in Russian custody. The Washington Post said Murekezi was a U.S. Air Force veteran born in Uganda.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby did not name the freed American, citing privacy concerns.

"We certainly welcome that news," Kirby told reporters.

Kirby said the scale of the ongoing violence tempered hopes for an imminent end to hostilities.

"Just given what we're seeing in the air and on the ground in Ukraine, it's difficult to conclude that this war will be over by year's end," Kirby said in response to a question about the prosects for a negotiated peace with Russia President Vladimir Putin.

"So there is active fighting going on right now. We would expect that that will continue for some time going forward."

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Wednesday an all-for-all prisoner of war swap deal was an option in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The ICRC emphasized it was up to the two countries to reach an agreement on the issue.

ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said a major swap could build confidence and that such exchanges had in the past constituted "the first step to a broader agreement".

Neither the Red Cross or the two sides have made public precise numbers for each country's war detainees but there are believed to be thousands of such prisoners.

Ukraine has pushed for more captives to be returned as part of talks with Russianrepresentatives seeking the reopening of an ammonia gas pipeline through Ukraine, Reuters has reported. The pipeline is widely seen as important to lowering world prices for fertilizer made with the gas.

DRONES STRIKE KYIV

Violence returned to Kyiv, with the first major drone attack on Ukraine's capital in weeks. Two administrative buildings were hit, but air defences largely repelled the attack. Zelenskiy said 13 drones had been shot down.

In one Kyiv district, where snow lay on the ground, residents said they heard the loud whirring engine sound of an Iranian Shahed drone followed by a powerful explosion at a building next to their homes.

"I want this all to be over... For (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, that bastard, to die," said Yana, 39, who had been getting ready for work.

One attack appeared to have ripped through a chunk of the roof of a nearby walled-off brick building. It was unclear what the building was used for.

Shocked residents, wrapped up against the cold, said no one appeared to have been hurt.

The white tail of a drone could be seen in the wreckage. It had M529 Geran-2 written on it and a handwritten message "For Ryazan!!!", an apparent reference to what Moscow says was a Ukrainian attack on an airstrip deep inside Russia this month.

Geran-2 is the name Russia gives the Shahed aircraft.

RT/TASS/Reuters