A third Russian airfield was set ablaze by a drone strike, a day after Ukraine demonstrated an apparent new ability to penetrate hundreds of kilometers into Russia with attacks on two air bases.
FIGHTING
Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
Thanks for signing up!
A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.
The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.
* Ukraine’s military intelligence chief said Russia had enough high-precision missiles to conduct several more big air strikes on Ukraine before it runs out of stocks.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited troops close to front lines in the eastern Donbas region to mark the country’s Armed Forces Day.
* Opposition representatives from five Russian regional councils urged President Vladimir Putin to end the partial military mobilization he announced in September.
* Belarus plans to move military equipment and security forces on Wednesday and Thursday in what it says are checks on its response to possible acts of terrorism, the state BelTA news agency reported.
ANALYSIS
* When U.S. officials first floated the idea of capping Russian oil export prices in response to a planned European embargo in March, they pledged to squeeze revenues to Russia’s war machine, while avoiding a price spike. But keeping Russian oil on the market and global prices low soon became the bigger priority.
* Twin strikes on air bases deep inside Russian territory have dealt Moscow a major reputational blow and raised questions about why its defenses failed, analysts said, as attention turned to the use of drones in the war between neighbors.
ENERGY
* Russia is considering three options, including banning oil sales to a some countries and setting maximum discounts at which it would sell its crude, to counter the price cap imposed by Western powers, the Vedomosti daily reported on Wednesday.
* Western powers’ leverage over Russia has increased with their $60-a-barrel price cap on Russian crude oil, a U.S. Treasury official told Reuters.
DIPLOMACY
* U.S. lawmakers agreed to provide Ukraine at least $800 million in additional security assistance next year and to boost Taiwan with billions in aid over the next several years, according to an $858 billion defense policy bill unveiled on Tuesday.
* Hungary vetoed an 18-billion-euro ($19 bln) loan to Ukraine from the European Union as its row with the bloc over democratic backsliding rumbled on and the other 26 member states delayed a decision on releasing billions of aid to Budapest.
* The United States and Russia accused each other of not being interested in Ukraine peace talks as calls grow at the United Nations for a ceasefire and diplomacy to end the war started by Moscow’s invasion nine months ago. (Compiled by Cynthia Osterman, Robert Birsel)
