Day: December 26, 2024

Sumy and other settlements in the region were heavily hit by Russian forces on December 26. Fires and destruction were reported in various cities due to the enemy’s shelling. There is also information about one casualty, according to the Sumy Regional Military Administration (RMA).

In the RMA’s summary released at 2 AM (Kyiv time) on December 27, the situation along the border was detailed as of 9 PM on December 26.

According to the administration, throughout the day, Russian forces carried out a total of 169 shelling attacks on the border territories and settlements of the Sumy region.

“311 explosions were recorded. Shelling affected the Sumy, Khotyn, Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, Velykopysarivka, Novoslobidske, Putyvl, Berezivka, Esman, Shalyhyne, Druzhba, and Seredyna-Buda communities,” the RMA reported.

Details of aftermath

It is noted that one person was killed in the Krasnopillia community, which came under mortar fire (70 explosions), attacks by FPV drones (7 explosions), drops of VOGs from UAVs (27 explosions), and airstrikes with KAB bombs (1 explosion).

“As a result of the shelling, a private house was destroyed and caught fire. One civilian was killed,” the administration stated.

Regarding the shelling of various settlements, the RMA noted that in the Sumy community, the enemy also used missile weaponry.

“In the Sumy community, the enemy launched an attack with a strike drone (1 explosion). A private house was damaged in the attack. There was also a missile strike,” the RMA reported.

Additionally, a multi-apartment building and a private house were damaged in the Seredino-Bud community, which was shelled with mortars (37 explosions), attacked by FPV drones (4 explosions), and struck with VOGs dropped from UAVs (6 explosions).

As a result of the shelling, a multi-apartment building and a private residential house were damaged.

Russian shelling of Sumy region

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Sumy region has continuously suffered from shelling. Additionally, enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups (SRGs) occasionally attempt to operate in the region. Russian forces have been actively shelling the region with artillery and aviation.

On December 27, during the day, the Sumy RMA reported that the Russian military carried out massive shelling of the region’s border territories using various types of weapons.

It was also reported that explosions from the shelling could be heard in Sumy.

Additionally, on December 10, DeepState analysts reported online about Russian advances in the Sumy region near the border village of Oleksandria. However, the Sumy RMA and border guards stated that no enemy incursion had been recorded in that area.

RBC-Ukraine reported in a separate article on whether there was a border breach in the Sumy region and what was happening there.

Taiwan’s presidential office conducted its first-ever “tabletop” exercises involving government agencies without military participation. The goal was to simulate a military escalation with China amid fresh threats from Beijing, reports Reuters.

According to anonymous sources from the agency, the three-hour drills involved dozens of central and local government bodies, as well as public organizations. The exercises were led by Vice President Lai Ching-te and National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu.

The training was part of Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to build the capacity of government institutions and civil society to manage emergencies, ranging from natural disasters to military conflicts.

A security official familiar with the situation stated that the exercises simulated scenarios, including high-intensity conflict in the gray zone with China and a situation where the island is on the brink of conflict. The readiness of Taiwan’s government agencies and civil society to respond was tested.

During a media briefing at the presidential office late Thursday, Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang announced that the government plans to prepare over 50,000 volunteers across the island next year. Their task will be to respond to emergencies, including providing first aid.

According to Liu, the Taiwanese government aims to involve sectors such as taxi drivers and security guards in these efforts to ease the burden on government agencies during emergencies. She also noted that various government bodies have been asked to create backup systems and develop rapid recovery plans in case of disruptions.

President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan is racing against time to enhance its disaster response capabilities and strengthen deterrence against enemy forces in the event of an invasion.

“The peace and stability in the first island chain is being collectively challenged by authoritarian states,” Lai said without specifying the country.

The first island chain refers to a group of archipelagos stretching from Indonesia in a north-eastern arc to Japan, encompassing the South China Sea and the East China Sea.

History of Taiwan-China confrontation

After their defeat in the civil war against the communists in the late 1940s, Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek and his supporters fled to Taiwan.

The Kuomintang relocated the government of the Republic of China from the mainland to Taipei. Since then, Taiwan has become an independent country, though it nominally laid claim to the territory of mainland China, where the communist People’s Republic of China (PRC) was established.

Since the 1980s, Taiwan has gradually transitioned to a democratic system with free elections and guarantees of human rights. The majority of the island’s residents consider themselves indigenous Taiwanese and do not wish to become part of communist China.

In January 2024, Lai Ching-te, Vice President of the Democratic Progressive Party, won the presidential election. He announced a course toward further strengthening Taiwan’s ties with the United States and Western countries.

Risk of China’s invasion into Taiwan

Recently, China has intensified training of its naval forces in the waters of the region, seeking to exert pressure on Taipei.

Chinese President Xi Jinping considers Taiwan an inseparable part of China and has declared his intent to reunite the island with China. He is the most aggressive in attempting to conquer and annex Taiwan by military means.

Lai Ching-te stated that China views the annexation and elimination of Taiwan as a major national priority.

Amid recent damage to electrical cables in the Baltic Sea, the European Union plans to impose sanctions on Russia’s so-called shadow fleet. Additionally, security measures around Europe’s critical infrastructure will be strengthened, according to Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

A joint statement from the European Commission and the High Representative on the investigation into the damage to power and data transmission cables in the Baltic Sea indicates that the December 25 incident is “the latest in a series of likely attacks on critical infrastructure.”

“We commend the Finnish authorities for their swift action in boarding the suspected vessel,” Kallas said.

The head of European diplomacy also noted that the EU is working with Finnish authorities on the investigation.

She added that the European Commission is fully in solidarity with Finland, Estonia, and Germany.

“We strongly condemn any deliberate destruction of Europe’s critical infrastructure. The suspected vessel is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment while funding Russia’s war budget. We will propose further measures, including sanctions, to target this fleet,” Kallas said in the statement.

She also pointed out that Europe is enhancing measures to protect underwater cables in response to these incidents in the Baltic Sea. These include “enhanced information exchange, new detection technologies, as well as in undersea repair capabilities, and international cooperation.”

“We remain committed to ensuring the resilience and security of our critical infrastructure. At present, there is no risk to the security of electricity supply in the region,” Kallas emphasized.

Cable outage in the Baltic Sea

On December 25, Finland reported damage to an underwater power cable connecting it to Estonia in the Baltic Sea. Finnish national electricity grid operator Fingrid revealed that the Estlink 2 cable, which links Finland and Estonia, was damaged.

It later emerged that two communication cables belonging to Elisa Group and one from CITIC Telecom were also affected.

On December 26, Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal said the country plans to strengthen protection for critical infrastructure after the incident with the cable in the Gulf of Finland (a bay in the eastern Baltic Sea bordering Finland, Estonia, and Russia). NATO allies may be involved in these efforts.

The Finnish authorities have not ruled out the possibility of deliberate damage to the underwater power line. Two vessels were recorded in the area where the cable was damaged at the time of the communication breakdown.

On December 26, media reports indicated that Finnish authorities were investigating a possible Russian shadow tanker involved in the incident.

Additionally, Finnish President Alexander Stubb called on the world to counter the risks posed by Russia’s shadow fleet vessels.

Later on Thursday, it was reported that Finnish police conducted a special operation on a Russian shadow tanker suspected of being involved in this act of sabotage.