Russia's Druzhba pipeline targeted again, Western partners pledge $1B in military aid to Kyiv - Wednesday brief
RBC-Ukraine collage
Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline was hit by another explosion overnight, with Ukrainian intelligence saying explosives and incendiary mixtures were used to damage the line. At the same time, five partner countries pledged $1 billion in new military aid for Ukraine, including funding for Patriot missile systems.
Read more about what happened on Wednesday, December 3.
Explosion hits Russia's Druzhba oil pipeline again, sources say
In Russia, an explosion occurred on a section of the Druzhba oil pipeline during the night of December 1, through which Russian oil continues to be supplied to several European countries, sources report.
According to sources in the Main Intelligence Directorate, the attack on the oil pipeline was carried out near the settlement of Kazinskiye Vyselki, on the Taganrog–Lipetsk section of the pipeline.
According to a source in the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, explosives with remote detonation and additional flammable mixtures were used to destroy a section of the pipeline to achieve greater burning.
Five countries pledge $1 billion for weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot missiles
Five countries have pledged $1 billion in additional support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces through the PURL program. It will provide Ukrainian troops with weapons, including missiles for Patriot systems.
According to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway announced it will provide $500 million to the PURL program, making it the largest donor. Norway had previously contributed $350 million.
He later clarified that Germany has committed €200 million to the PURL program.
Russian missile hits Zelenskyy's hometown: Apartment buildings damaged, one injured
On the evening of December 3, an explosion was reported in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, after Russia attacked the city with ballistic missiles.
A ballistic missile, reportedly an Iskander-M, struck an administrative building in the city. Preliminary information indicates that several nearby high-rise residential buildings were damaged as a result of the strike.
Ukrainian delegation invited to US following Witkoff’s meeting with Putin - MFA
The Ukrainian negotiation team was invited to visit the US after the US special envoy Steve Witkoff met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, states Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
After the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Sybiha said that the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, had already called Witkoff following his meeting with Putin. For security reasons, the details of the meeting in Moscow were not discussed.
At the same time, according to the minister, Umerov continues consultations on peace negotiations with officials from France, the UK, and Germany. They are coordinating positions and assessing the progress made.
Zelenskyy on peace plan: Preparing new meetings in US, everything going quite productively
The Ukrainian delegation is preparing for a meeting in the US with representatives of US President Donald Trump, according to an address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to the Ukrainian president, there is constant contact among all partners and between the partners and Ukraine, so in the coming days, the Ukrainian team expects updates regarding meetings, contacts, and negotiations.
"Everything is moving quite productively now — at the meetings in Geneva and in Florida, Ukraine was heard and listened to. And this matters. We expect it will continue this way. Only by taking Ukraine’s interests into account is an honorable peace possible," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
