Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 303

Because the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters its 303rd day, we check out the principle developments.

Right here is the scenario because it stands on Friday, December 23.

Zelenskyy returns to Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has returned from america, his first journey overseas since Russia’s invasion on February 24.
The administration of US President Joe Biden introduced one other $1.85bn in army help for Ukraine, together with a Patriot missile system, as Zelenskyy started his go to.
“We're getting back from Washington with good outcomes. With one thing that can actually assist,” Zelenskyy stated on Telegram.

Russia stated Ukraine buying Patriot missiles from the US wouldn't assist settle the battle or stop Moscow from attaining its objectives.
In the meantime, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated his aim was “to not spin the flywheel of army battle, however, quite the opposite, to finish this conflict”.
He added: “We are going to try for an finish to this, and the earlier the higher, after all.”
“All armed conflicts finish a method or one other with some sort of negotiations on the diplomatic observe,” Putin stated.
These feedback drew fast US scepticism, with White Home spokesman John Kirby saying Putin had “proven completely zero indication that he’s prepared to barter” an finish to the conflict.

The White Home stated a non-public Russian army firm, the Wagner Group, took supply final month of infantry rockets and missiles from North Korea to assist bolster Russian forces in Ukraine.
Nevertheless, Wagner’s head Yevgeny Prigozhin dismissed the discuss as “gossip and hypothesis”.
North Korea’s international ministry denied the report, calling it “groundless”, the official KCNA information company reported, and blamed the US for “bringing bloodshed and destruction to Ukraine by offering it with numerous sorts of deadly weapons”.
South Korea’s international ministry condemned North Korea’s alleged arms cargo, including it supported the US’s push to boost the difficulty on the United Nations Safety Council.

On the battlefront, the Basic Employees of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated on Fb on Thursday that combating within the japanese Donetsk area remained centered on Bakhmut and close by Avdiivka.
Close to Bakhmut, Russian forces shelled about 10 cities, whereas near Avdiivka, they pounded the cities of Kostiantyivka and Marinka in addition to Vodiane and Nevelske, the Ukrainian army stated. It was not potential to independently confirm the accounts.

Russia might lower oil output by 5-7 % in early 2023 because it responds to worth caps on its crude and oil merchandise by halting gross sales to the international locations that assist them, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak informed state tv.
Detailing for the primary time the Russian response to the $60 per barrel worth caps launched by Western international locations, Novak stated the cuts may quantity to 500,000-700,000 barrels per day.