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WORLD NEWS Thursday 22 december 2022
Kremlin warning: More U.S. arms to Ukraine will

aggravate war

By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO
Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The
Kremlin warned Wednes-
day that increasing the
supply of U.S. arms to
Ukraine would aggravate
the devastating 10-month
war ignited by Russia’s in-
vasion, and Russia’s de-
fense minister called for ex-
panding Moscow’s military
by at least 500,000 people.
Speaking during a meeting
with his top military brass,
Russian President Vladimir
Putin said Moscow would
take lessons learned in the
conflict to “develop our
armed forces and strength-
en the capability of our
troops.” He said special
emphasis would go to de-
veloping nuclear forces, Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in the launch ceremony of The Kovykta gas condensate
which he described as “the field via videoconference in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. Associated Press
main guarantee of Russia’s
sovereignty.” year as draftees or signing massive $1.8 billion pack- ing Putin by expanding into
The bullish rhetoric from a contract with the military age includes for the first eastern Europe.
Moscow came as Ukrainian as volunteers. time a Patriot missile bat- In Ukraine, Russian forces
President Volodymyr Zel- He also said Russia would tery and precision guided pounded populated ar-
enskyy prepared to meet form new units in the coun- bombs for fighter jets, U.S. eas with more missiles and
with President Joe Biden in try’s west in view of ambi- officials said. artillery Wednesday. They
Washington, where U.S. of- tions by Finland and Swe- Volodymyr Fesenko, head shelled areas around the
ficials announced a huge den to join NATO. of the Kyiv-based Penta city of Nikopol in Ukraine’s
new military aid package The Kremlin’s plans marked Center independent think southeastern Dniprop-
for Kyiv. a return to the Soviet-era tank, said Zelenskyy’s visit etrovsk region overnight,
Putin also said the Russian military structure, which could help map out future its governor, Valentyn
military’s new Sarmat inter- Russia abandoned during strategy. Reznichenko, said on
continental ballistic missile recent reforms that saw “This is indeed a very sig- Telegram on Wednesday
will enter service shortly. the creation of smaller nificant and symbolic visit,” morning. Nikopol is located
The Sarmat is intended to units. Some Russian military Fesenko told The Associ- across the Dnieper River
replace aging Soviet-built experts have argued that ated Press. “Zelenskyy for from the Zaporizhzhia Nu-
ballistic missiles and form the more compact units in- the first time dared to leave clear Power Plant. Russian
the core of Russia’s nuclear tended for use in local con- Ukraine and is counting on forces currently occupy
forces. Putin has hailed its flicts were undermanned being able to maintain, and the plant, Europe’s largest
capacity to dodge missile and underequipped for a possibly even strengthen, nuclear power station.
defenses. massive conflict like the ac- U.S. military and economic The Ukrainian president’s
Defense Minister Sergei tion in Ukraine. assistance to Ukraine.” office reported Wednes-
Shoigu said the beefed-up Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Moscow also was involved day that Russian attacks
Russian military will include Peskov said the expansion in high-level diplomacy. The on Tuesday killed five civil-
695,000 volunteer contract of Western weapon sup- deputy head of Russia’s Se- ians and wounded 17. The
soldiers, 521,000 of whom plies to Ukraine “leads to curity Council, Dmitry Med- General Staff of the Armed
should be recruited by the an aggravation of the con- vedev, met Wednesday Forces of Ukraine said Rus-
end of 2023. The Russian flict and, in fact, does not with Chinese President Xi sia unleashed five missiles
military had about 400,000 bode well for Ukraine.” Jinping. Medvedev, a for- and 16 airstrikes on Ukraini-
contract soldiers as part of Peskov’s comments were mer Russian president, said an territory and 61 attacks
its 1-million-member mili- the first official Russian re- in a video statement that from multiple-launch rock-
tary before the fighting in action to news that Zelen- he and Xi discussed an ar- et systems.
Ukraine began. skyy was heading to Wash- ray of topics, including “the General Staff spokesper-
All Russian men ages 18 to ington in his first known for- conflict in Ukraine.” Med- son Oleksandr Shtupun
27 are obliged to serve in eign trip since Russia’s Feb. vedev did not elaborate. said Ukrainian forces re-
the military for one year, 24 invasion triggered a war China has refused to con- pelled attacks around
but many use college de- that has killed thousands demn Russia’s invasion more than 25 populated
ferments and health ex- and laid waste to towns of Ukraine and criticized areas in eastern Ukraine’s
emptions to avoid the and cities across Ukraine. sanctions against Moscow. Kharkiv, Donetsk and Lu-
draft. Shoigu said the draft The White House an- Beijing has only referred to hansk provinces, with the
age range will be changed nouncement of the military the invasion as the “Ukraine cities of Bakhmut and Av-
to 21 to 30, and the recruits aid for Ukraine came just situation” in deference to diivka continuing to be key
will be offered a choice hours before Zelenskyy was Moscow, and accused the targets of Russia’s grinding
between serving for one expected to arrive. The U.S. and NATO of provok- offensive. q