This is the live blog of Wednesday 14th December, read the latest updates in the live blog Thursday 15 December.
Eleven Russian oligarchs can earn money in the EU without sanctions
17:03 | Eleven Russian oligarchs are missing from the European sanctions list, according to research by Follow The Money. These oligarchs have close ties to the Kremlin, but European interests are too great to sanction these wealthy Russians. ‘This is going to cost us too much money,” says Jesse Pinster of Follow The Money.
The EU imposed the sanctions on the basis of a meeting in the Kremlin. On the day the war in Ukraine started, Putin invited 37 oligarchs. “This meeting was explicitly used as a reason for twelve oligarchs to be sanctioned,” Pinster says. “But eleven people who were there are not even on the sanctions list.”
Anger over delays in emergency aid payments Ukraine: ‘Scheinemacher should have run faster’
4:40 pm | Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Liesje Schreinemacher ‘should have run much faster’ transfer emergency aid to Ukraine. This is what D66 MP Alexander Hammelburg said after the minister himself complained that the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development take a long time to provide emergency support to the country at war.
America still sends Patriot missiles to Ukraine
2:50 pm | The United States will still send Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine. Sources tell CNN that the Defense Department in Washington will announce the delivery this week. According to BNR foreign commentator Bernard Hammelburg, this is a “major and important decision” because the Patriots are “the most sought-after defensive weapon in the world.”
UK trains Ukrainian judges
1:15 pm | Ninety Ukrainian judges are being trained with UK help to try Russian soldiers for war crimes. The first group started training last week. This was announced by the British news channel Sky News.
The idea behind the British aid is that Ukraine will be able to pursue the suspects as the war continues. Fourteen Russian soldiers have been convicted so far, according to Sky News. More than 43,000 crimes related to Russia’s invasion have been reported in Ukraine.
The training sessions are held in an undisclosed location by Howard Morrison, a British judge who has worked for the International Court of Justice (ICC), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague, which is not recognized by Russia, is now investigating the war. Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky calls for a special court for the Russian leadership. The Netherlands has announced plans to host the court.
Pope: less money for Christmas, more for Ukraine
11:30 am | Pope Francis is urging people to spend less money on gifts and the holiday season this year. According to him, the money they save may be better suited to Ukrainians who are facing cold and hunger due to the war.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church made his appeal during his weekly hearing at the Vatican. ‘It’s nice to celebrate Christmas, but let’s spend less. Let’s have a humbler Christmas.” He hopes that believers will make a ‘concrete gesture’ to Ukraine.
Even before winter arrives, millions of Ukrainians are already battling the extreme cold. This is due to Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities. As a result, many people have no or only occasional electricity, heat and water.
Ukraine: All Iranian drones shot down this morning
09:35 | Ukraine says it has shot down all Iranian drones fired by Russia at Kiev. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted a video on Telegram thanking the Ukrainian Air Defense Forces for shooting down 13 of 13 attack drones.
“This morning the terrorists launched 13 Shahed [drones]… all 13 were shot down by our air defense forces. Well done guys. I am proud!’ he said.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has been increasingly successful in repelling Russian airstrikes against its energy infrastructure. During the last major attack on Dec. 5 – which targeted targets across Ukraine and in Kiev – Russia said it shot down 60 of the 70 missiles fired.
Cement producer Holcim leaves Russia
07:55 | World’s largest cement maker Holcim leaves Russia, Holcim sells its Russian holdings to local management who will produce under a different brand. The sale will not have a significant impact on the business as the unit generated less than 1% of group net sales in 2021.
The group first deconsolidated its Russian unit and announced it would leave the country in March following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The company initially continued its business and said it was supplying essential building materials.
“Holcim’s board expresses its sincere concern about the tragic human suffering in the region,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.
Explosions in Kiev
07:30 | Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reports that there have been several explosions in the center of his city. “Emergency services on the way,” he writes on Telegram. According to Ukrainian media reports, Russian forces have carried out drone strikes on Kiev. Kiev’s air defenses shot down 10 Iranian-made Shahed drones, according to the mayor.
The cities of Zhitomyr and Vinnitsha, both within a radius of 200 kilometers west of Kiev, were also reportedly attacked. Nothing is known yet about possible damage and casualties.
Ukraine dissolves the Kiev court for corruption
03:00 | Ukraine is dissolving the Kyiv District Administrative Court on the recommendation of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), which likens the court to a “criminal organization”. On Tuesday, President Volodimir Zelensky signed the law approved by the parliament. “This story has come to an end,” he said in his nightly video message about the breakup. “But reforms continue, even in times of war.”
The reforms Zelensky referred to are partly necessary because Ukraine wants to become a member of the European Union. In June, the European Union gave its blessing to Ukraine and neighboring Moldova to join the bloc. To this end, both countries need to undertake comprehensive reforms in areas ranging from justice policy to food security. In particular, Ukraine faces widespread corruption.
Pavlo Vovk, the president of the dissolved court, called the decision to eliminate the court “purely political and hasty,” he wrote on Facebook. “Those who applaud him today will soon regret it.”
Zelenskyj calls for international help to de-mine Ukraine
02:00 | Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky has asked the international community to assist his country in clearing mines and other unexploded explosives, which he says are scattered over an area comparable in size to Cambodia or Uruguay.
Zelenski presented his plea for help in a video address to the New Zealand parliament. He asked the New Zealand military, which he said has experience in demining, to lead the effort.
According to Zelensky, the Black and Azov Seas are also contaminated with mines floating in the water. He accused Russia of committing “ecocide” in his country.
