Live: Ukraine fighting intensifies as Russia fires rockets into Kherson city

Issued on: 28/12/2022 – 09:32

9:00am: Ukraine fighting intensifies as Russia fires rockets into Kherson city

Russian forces fired 33 rockets at civilian targets in the Ukrainian city of Kherson in the 24 hours to early Wednesday, Ukraine’s military said, as fighting intensified with Russia deploying more tanks and armoured vehicles on front lines.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said in its morning report that Russia forces were attacking populated areas on the right bank of the Dnipro River near Kherson with mortars and artillery. Russia denies targeting civilians. 

Russian forces abandoned Kherson last month in one of Ukraine’s most significant gains in the 11-month war, but fighting has entered a slow, grinding phase as bitter winter weather has set in.

“There has been very little change in terms of the front line but pressure from the enemy has intensified, both in terms of the numbers of men and the type and quantity of equipment,” said Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov.

8:16am: Russian rouble slips again as volatile year-end trade continues

The rouble weakened on Wednesday, sliding past the 71 mark against the dollar, as sanctions on Russian oil and their probable impact on export revenues put pressure on the Russian currency.

The rouble lost about 8% against the dollar last week and is on course for a hefty monthly decline after an oil embargo and price cap came into force. The finance ministry has said the recent slump is related to recovering imports.

At 0705 GMT, the rouble was 1.1% weaker against the dollar at 71.19, moving in the direction of the almost eight-month low of 72.6325 struck last week.

7:51am: Gazprom to ship 42.3 mcm of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Thursday

Russia’s Gazprom said that it will ship 42.3 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Wednesday, a volume broadly in line with recent days.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AFP and AP)