(BRASILIA, Brazil) — Hundreds of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed three of the most emblematic official buildings in the country’s capital over refusal to accept the results of the election.
The demonstrators partook in violent protests on Sunday at the Supreme Court, Congress and the presidential office, called the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia.
Right-wing supporters of the former Brazilian president were asking the new president, leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to leave — falsely claiming that he won in a “stolen election.”
The unrest began when 100 buses full of Bolsonaro supporters arrived in the capital on Sunday for a planned protest.
Despite more than 4,000 protesters taking the streets of the capital, police presence was minimal.
Several hundred protestors broke police barriers and were able to enter the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate through the roof. Later, they were even able to break into the Planalto Palace.
All of these buildings were empty, as Lula was in Sao Paulo, and Congress and the Supreme Court are in recess until February.
Rioters were armed with sticks and committed vandalism, including destroying pieces of art such as Chinese porcelain vases in the president’s office.
By 4 p.m. local time, cavalry police were sent for intervention and threw tear gas at protesters. Rubber bullets were also fired at the crowd.
So far, 400 people have been arrested, according to Brazilian Federal District Gov. Ibaneis Rocha.
Control of the buildings has since been reestablished, according to The Associated Press.
Bolsonaro, 67, is currently in Florida, where he traveled to just before Lula was sworn in as the 39th president of Brazil. Lula also served as the country’s 35th president.
Lula, 77, said he will travel back to Brasilia Sunday and vowed to punish all invaders, including potential military police officers.
Lula also accused security forces of “incompetence, bad faith and malice, as they have been unable to stop rioters from accessing Congress.”
He said there is “no precedent in the history of our country” regarding Sunday’s events and described the violence as “acts of vandals and fascists.”
The national guard is now in charge of restoring order in Brasilia.
In a series of tweets, Bolsonaro condemned the “depredations and invasions of public buildings,” according to a translation of his tweet.
President Joe Biden condemned the violent assault on Sunday while traveling in El Paso, Texas, calling it “outrageous.”
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted, “The United States condemns any effort to undermine democracy in Brazil. President Biden is following the situation closely and our support for Brazil’s democratic institutions is unwavering. Brazil’s democracy will not be shaken by violence.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. condemns the attacks, writing: “Using violence to attack democratic institutions is always unacceptable. We join @lulaoficial in urging an immediate end to these actions.”
ABC News’ Julia Jacobo and Conor Finnegan contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Prince Harry writes in his new memoir Spare that he killed 25 Taliban fighters during his second tour of Afghanistan, according to reporting from news outlets that obtained the book ahead of its official Jan. 10 release.
The reported revelation marks the first time that Harry, the duke of Sussex, has discussed the number of people he says he personally killed during his military service.
Harry, 38, served as a British Army officer for 10 years. Known as Capt. Harry Wales in the Army, he was deployed to Afghanistan twice, from 2007 to 2008 and then again from 2012 to 2013.
According to news reports, Harry writes in his memoir that it was during his second tour of Afghanistan that he flew on missions resulting in the loss of human lives.
He reportedly writes in Spare that he thought of the Taliban fighters as “chess pieces” being taken off the board at the time.
Harry’s reported comments have sparked outcries from senior Taliban officials.
Anas Haqqani, a senior aide and brother of interim Afghan Interior Minister Siraj Haqqani, tweeted that the people Harry claims he killed “were humans.”
“The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans; they had families who were waiting for their return,” Anas Haqqani wrote. “Among the killers of Afghans, not many have your decency to reveal their conscience and confess to their war crimes. The truth is what you’ve said; Our innocent people were chess pieces to your soldiers, military and political leaders. Still, you were defeated in that ‘game’ of white & black ‘square.'”
Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban government, also issued a reply, noting the country of Afghanistan “will never forget such acts.”
“The recent confession by British prince Harry, who brutally killed 25 of our countrymen during his mission in Afghanistan, shows that such crimes are not limited to Harry but to all those occupying country forces who were in Afghanistan,” Karimi said in a tweet. “It is unfortunate that the Western countries consider themselves to be the defender & supporters of human rights, but in practical that’s their real manners. Afghanistan as Muslim nation will never forget such acts and will always defend its land.”
Some former members of the British military are also speaking out about Harry’s reported revelations in his book.
Former Royal Marine Ben McBean, who lost two limbs in Afghanistan and shared an RAF flight out of the war zone with Harry, tweeted that the prince needs to “shut up.”
“Love you #PrinceHarry but you need to shut up!,” McBean wrote on Twitter. “Makes you wonder the people he’s hanging around with. If it was good people somebody by now would have told him to stop.”
Col. Richard Kemp, a former Army commander in Afghanistan, told the BBC that Harry’s comments about his time in Afghanistan were “ill-judged.”
“I think he’s wrong when he says in his book that insurgents were seen just as being virtually unhuman — subhuman perhaps — just as chess pieces to be knocked over,” Kemp said. “That’s not the case at all. And it’s not the way the British Army trains people as he claims.”
Kemp continued, “I think that sort of comment that doesn’t reflect reality, is misleading and potentially valuable to those people who wish the British forces and British government harm, so I think it was an error of judgement.”
Harry joined the British Army in May 2005 and rose to the rank of Apache helicopter commander before leaving the army in 2015. The British Defense Ministry named Harry the best front-seat pilot, or co-pilot gunner, in February 2012 from his class of more than 20 fellow Apache helicopter pilots.
Harry spoke to ABC News’ Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts in 2016 about his service, describing it as a chance to prove himself.
“Ten years in the Army was the best escape that I’ve ever had, an escape from all sorts of intrusion,” Harry told Roberts while promoting the Invictus Games, the Paralympic-style sporting event he founded for veterans. “But I also felt as though I was really achieving something. I felt as though I was part of a team.”
“All I wanted to do was to prove to other people that I had a certain set of skills,” he said. “All it’s done over those 10 years is given me this amazing amount of knowledge and experience where I am now perfectly positioned to be [service members’] voice and champion their cause.”
Both of Harry’s tours in Afghanistan were cut short when his presence there was leaked in the press.
Harry’s memoir, Spare, is said to cover his relationship and tension with the British press, as well as his experience growing up in the royal family, his time in the military, the death of his mother, his decision in 2020 to step down from his role as a senior working royal and his life now as a husband and father.
Harry said previously that the memoir would be a “firsthand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.”
(NEW YORK) — Ovidio Guzmán, a top leader of the Sinaloa Cartel and the son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, the notorious drug lord currently serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison, has been arrested by authorities in Mexico, the country’s secretary of defense, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, announced Thursday afternoon.
Guzmán was captured by Mexican armed forces in an overnight raid in a small town just outside the city of Culiacán, the capital of the Mexican state of Sinaloa.
He was transported by military aircraft from Culiacán back to Mexico City late morning on Thursday. Officials said the operation had been in the works for more than six months.
The arrest was also confirmed to ABC News by a U.S. law enforcement official.
Ovidio Guzman has been charged since 2018 in Washington, D.C., with manufacturing or distributing for illegal importation into the United States substantial amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.
A provisional warrant was issued for his arrest in 2019, according to Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary, Marcelo Ebrad.
“This is a request for provisional detention and then there is the extradition procedure,” Ebrad told reporters.
A U.S.-based attorney who has represented Guzman since 2019, Jeffrey Lichtman, declined to comment on the arrest.
Ebrad denied that U.S. agencies had participated or provided information that led to Guzmán’s arrest and also rumors that the arrest was a “gift” to President Joe Biden who is scheduled to visit Mexico next week.
“This operation was kept extremely confidential by the authorities in charge of doing so and there was no intermediation or political consultation. There is no link between the operation and the summit,” he told reporters.
Guzmán is allegedly a major trafficker of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States and has been helping to lead a now-fractured Sinaloa Cartel since his father’s extradition years ago.
Alleged cartel members have since besieged parts of the city, with burning vehicles set up as roadblocks in what appeared to be a failed attempt to impede authorities transporting Guzmán out of the city.
Mexico’s military reported numerous blockades across the city and said that armed men even attacked the city’s main airport.
An Aeromexico flight set to take off from Culiacán to Mexico City was struck by a stray bullet at the airport and did not take off as a result.
“This morning, a bullet impact was detected in the fuselage of an Embraer 190 plane that was ready to start flight AM165 on the Culiacan-Mexico City route, which was canceled for security reasons,” Aeromexico said in a statement. “The plane never started its takeoff run. After this accident, the company’s protocols were activated and the corresponding authorities were notified, with whom we will coordinate the investigations. Customers and collaborators are safe.”
Aeromexico later said it was temporarily suspending all operations at the airport.
This is not the first time the city has come under attack during a raid to capture Ovidio Guzmán.
In a now-infamous event in October 2019, nicknamed the Culiacanazo, authorities briefly detained Ovidio Guzmán at a home in Culiacán.
Word spread quickly, however, and heavily armed gunmen flooded the city, with massive shootouts taking place between cartel members and Mexican armed forces around the city.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ordered Ovidio Guzmán released in order to avoid more bloodshed — a major embarrassment for the government and one that is routinely held up as a prime example of the power criminal organizations continue to wield in Mexico.
Ovidio Guzmán is wanted on federal charges in the United States and could face extradition to the U.S. pending legal proceedings.
His father, El Chapo, is serving a life sentence in the U.S. after being convicted in 2019 of conducting a continuing criminal enterprise, including large-scale narcotics violations and a murder conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracies, unlawful use of a firearm and a money laundering conspiracy.
ABC News’ Ivan Pereira and Kirit Radia contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The United States plans to send Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine in a new security aid package expected to come on Friday, U.S. officials told ABC News.
The White House confirmed the plan to send the vehicles later in the day in a readout of President Joe Biden’s call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
During the call, Olaf made his own major pledge to Ukraine, saying his country will send Marder infantry fighting vehicles as well as a Patriot air defense system. This will be in addition to a Patriot battery the U.S. committed to Ukraine in late December to help the country thwart Russian airstrikes.
The announcements come a day after President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country would be sending armored combat vehicles to help Ukraine in its fight.
A U.S. official told ABC News on Wednesday that Bradleys were on the list of equipment being considered. Later that afternoon, President Joe Biden confirmed it when asked by a reporter.
Bloomberg first reported that Bradleys were under consideration last Thursday.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian chief of military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov told ABC News, “We are waiting for these vehicles, these vehicles will increase our abilities in combat actions.”
The U.S. first fielded the Bradley Fighting Vehicle in the early 1980s. They are armed with a 25mm automatic cannon, a 7.62mm machine gun, and a TOW missile system that can hit armored targets more than two miles away.
“The Bradley infantry fighting vehicle is the exact type of vehicle the Ukrainians need,” said Mick Mulroy, former deputy assistant secretary of defense and ABC News contributor. “There are many available, they are relatively easy to learn to operate effectively.”
While the Bradley does not offer the same protection as a tank, it can still be used to take out Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers, according to Mulroy.
“This system could play a significant part of the effort of the Ukrainians to continue their counter-offensive,” he said.
The decision comes after French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced that his country would be sending its own armored combat vehicles to help Ukraine in its fight.
The U.S. has committed more than $21 billion in security assistance to Ukraine Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion on February 24 of last year. The U.S. announced a major presidential drawdown package in late December that included a Patriot air-defense battery to help Ukraine thwart Russian airstrikes.
(NEW YORK) — More than 10 months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.
Putin’s forces in November pulled out of key positions, retreating from Kherson as Ukrainian troops led a counteroffensive targeting the city. Russian drones have continued bombarding civilian targets throughout Ukraine, knocking out critical power infrastructure as winter sets in.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 05, 10:57 AM EST
Putin calls for Orthodox Christmas truce
Russian President Valdimir Putin has called for a temporary cease-fire in the war with Ukraine to observe Orthodox Christmas, according to the Kremlin.
Putin proposed a cease-fire beginning at noon on Friday and ending at midnight Saturday, according to the Kremlin. Orthodox Christmas Day is on Saturday.
Putin instructed his minister of defense, Sergei Shoigu, to introduce the ceasefire along the entire line of contact between the warring countries in Ukraine during the holiday.
The Kremlin said the truce is being called for with “Christian love, true faith and crystal truthfulness.”
There was no immediate response from Ukraine on whether its forces would abide by the truce.
Jan 05, 4:31 AM EST
Moscow religious leader calls for Christmas truce
On the eve of the Orthodox Christmas, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia called for the establishment of a Christmas truce in the zone of military activities.
“I, Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, appeal to all parties involved in the internecine conflict to cease fire and establish a Christmas truce from 12.00 on January 6 to 24.00 on January 7, so that Orthodox people can attend services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,” the patriarch said in a statement, published on Thursday on the website of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Jan 04, 5:29 PM EST
Biden confirms that US considering sending Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine
President Joe Biden told reporters Wednesday the U.S. is considering giving Ukrainian troops Bradley Fighting Vehicles, confirming earlier reports that such a deal was in the works.
A Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle is the U.S. Army’s main armored fighting vehicle for transporting troops into combat.
It is a light armored vehicle equipped with a 25mm gun that can push through enemy lines and can take on tanks.
Ukrainian officials have been asking for the vehicle to bolster their forces.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Jan 04, 1:21 PM EST
Putin sends new hypersonic cruise missiles into combat service
A Russian frigate armed with new hypersonic Zircon cruise missiles has been sent to active duty.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made the announcement during a video meeting on Wednesday with Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Igor Krokhmal, commander of the Admiral Gorshkov frigate.
“I’m sure that such a powerful weapon will let Russia defend against potential external threats and will contribute to protect national interests of our country,” Putin said.
Shoigu added: “The focus of this deployment will be to counteract threats facing Russia and to maintain regional peace and stability together with friendly countries.”
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Jan 04, 8:57 AM EST
Ukraine locates Russian outpost via data on soldiers’ cellphones
Russian soldiers using their mobile phones just after midnight on New Year’s provided Ukraine with the data to locate a Russian outpost in the city of Makiivka ahead of Ukraine’s deadly attack, according to Russia.
Six rockets were fired from U.S.-made HIMAR rocket launchers.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said 89 soldiers were killed in the attack but Ukrainian officials claim the death toll is much higher. Russian authorities have not yet compiled lists of the wounded and dead.
Jan 02, 3:36 PM EST
Zelenskyy says Russia is preparing ‘prolonged’ attack
During an evening address Monday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is preparing a long-term attack by drones to exhaust Ukrainian air defense.
Just two days into the new year, he said the country’s defense forces shot down more than 80 Shahed drones, which are made by Iran.
“This number may increase in the near future. We have information that Russia is planning a prolonged attack,” Zelenskyy said.
“Its bet may be on exhaustion. To the exhaustion of our people, our air defense, our energy. But we must do — and we will do everything — so that this goal of the terrorists fails, like all the others.”
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 31, 8:14 AM EST
1 dead, 7 injured after Russia launches missile strike against Kyiv
At least one person has been killed and seven people have been injured after Russia launched a barrage of missiles on Kyiv on New Year’s Eve.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported destruction across several districts with a luxury hotel, a bridge and police stations among the locations impacted.
It’s currently unclear how many locations have been destroyed as a result of direct hits and how many were from falling debris from intercepted rockets.
New Year’s Eve is one of Ukraine’s biggest holidays.
Dec 30, 10:28 AM EST
Putin expects China’s Xi to make state visit in spring
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he’s expecting Chinese President Xi Jinping to make a state visit to Russia in the spring of 2023.
Putin said he’s looking to deepen military cooperation between the two nations.
Putin said the visit would “demonstrate to the world the closeness of Russian-Chinese relations.”
Dec 29, 5:08 PM EST
Zelenskyy praises Air Force for ‘repelling’ Russian missile barrage
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is praising his country’s air defense, saying it “successfully repelled” a barrage of Russian missiles fired at Kyiv and other targets early Thursday.
Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian Air Force shot down 54 missiles and 11 attack drones.
“Our warriors all over Ukraine distinguished themselves and I thank all our Air Commands: Center, South, East and West,” Zelenskyy said.
He specifically cited the efforts of the 96th Kyiv, 160th Odesa and the 208th Kherson anti-aircraft missile brigades, saying their “results are the best today.”
Zelenskyy said several Russian missiles evaded Ukraine’s air defense and hit several infrastructure targets.
“Our power engineers and repair crews are doing everything to make Ukrainians feel the consequences of the terrorists’ strike as little as possible,” Zelenskyy said.
As of Thursday evening, he said there were power outages in most regions of Ukraine, including the capital city Kyiv as well as the Lviv, Odesa, Kherson, Vinnytsia and Zakarpattia regions.
“But this is nothing compared to what could have happened, if it was not for our heroic anti-aircraft troops and air defense,” Zelenskyy said.
Dec 29, 11:40 AM EST
Ukrainian missile shot down in Belarus: Defense ministry
Belarus’ defense ministry said its air defenses had downed a Ukrainian S-300 missile in a field on Thursday morning during one of Russia’s largest missile attacks against Ukraine since the start of the war.
The military commissar of the Brest region, Oleg Konovalov, played down the incident in a video message posted on social media by the state-run BelTA news agency, saying local residents had “absolutely nothing to worry about.”
“Unfortunately, these things happen,” Konovalov said.
He compared the incident to one in November when an S-300 believed to have strayed after being fired by Ukrainian air defenses landed in NATO member country Poland, and initial fears of an escalation in the war were rapidly defused.
Konovalov said the Ukrainian missile was shot down by the air defense forces around 10 a.m. local time Thursday. Fragments of the downed missile were found near the village of Gorbakha in the Brest region.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 29, 10:32 AM EST
Russia continues ‘escalating’ missile campaign, US Embassy says
Moscow has been “cruelly” targeting Ukrainian civilians by launching attacks against utilities during the winter, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on Thursday.
The rebuke came as Russia fired missiles at cities throughout the country on Thursday. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army said 69 missiles were launched, fewer than the 100 missiles that officials had estimated earlier in the morning. Officials said 54 missiles were intercepted.
Two civilians were killed as a result of shelling in the Kharkiv area, according to the region’s governor.
“The Kremlin continues its escalating campaign of missile attacks, cruelly wielding cold & dark against” Ukrainians, U.S. Embassy officials said on Twitter. “Families are again hunkering down as critical infrastructure & other targets across the country are attacked.”
Air raid sirens started wailing before 6 a.m. local time across Ukraine, sending residents scrambling into underground shelters in several cities. Missiles landed in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv and Zhtomyr.
Ukraine’s defense systems intercepted some missiles, including 16 that were shot down near Kyiv, the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Two homes in Kyiv were damaged by falling debris and three people were injured, he said.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said Russia had been “saving one of the most massive missile attacks since the beginning of the full-scale invasion for the last days of the year.”
“They dream that Ukrainians will celebrate the New Year in darkness and cold,” officials said. “But they cannot defeat the Ukrainian people.”
-ABC News’ Britt Clennett and Joe Simonetti
Dec 29, 2:29 AM EST
More than 100 Russian missiles fired at Ukraine
Russian forces early on Thursday launched a missile strike on Ukraine.
More than 100 rockets were fired in several waves, Oleksiy Arestovych, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Twitter. Some rockets were reportedly fired from carriers in the sea, while others were reportedly fired by at least a dozen fighter aircraft.
Another presidential advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Twitter that more than 120 missiles had been launched “by the ‘evil Russian world’ to destroy critical infrastructure & kill civilians en masse.”
At least one loud explosion was heard in Kyiv, where air raid sirens were ringing for several hours on Thursday morning.
Dec 28, 1:58 PM EST
Kremlin rejects Ukraine’s Feburary ‘peace summit’
Russia has rejected a proposal from Ukraine to hold a “peace summit” in February, according to a Kremlin official.
“There is no ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine for now, that’s for starters,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wenderday. “Besides, there can be no ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine, which disregards today’s realities on Russian territory, the entry of new regions, four of them, into Russia.”
Peskov was apparently referring to recent Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia, including one this week at the Engels Air Force Base in southern Russia that killed three Russian soldiers.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 27, 1:13 PM EST
Putin bans sending Russian oil to countries imposing a price cap
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Tuesday that not only rejects a price cap on the country’s oil but bans sending crude and other petroleum products to any country that has endorsed the price cap.
The Group of Seven countries, including the United States, agreed on Dec. 3 to impose a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian oil in response to the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. Australia and the European Union also agreed to impose the price cap.
The decree Putin signed goes into effect on Feb. 1 and is valid until July 1, 2023.
The decree bans the supply of oil and oil products from Russia to those countries that place a price ceiling on contracts. The decree also forbids the supply of oil to other foreign buyers whose contracts use a price cap mechanism.
The decree includes a clause allowing Putin to overrule the ban in special cases to be determined by the Russian leader.
The price cap on Russian oil implemented by G-7 nations disallows the world’s second-largest oil exporter from selling crude at a price above $60 per barrel.
Since the outset of its war with Ukraine, Russia has sold its oil at discounted prices. As of Tuesday, Russian Urals crude was trading at $57 per barrel — an amount slightly less than the cap. But the price cap aims to ensure that Russian oil sales remain well below global oil prices, which stand at about $80 per barrel.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 26, 7:40 AM EST
Ukraine strikes bomber base in Russia, killing three
A Ukrainian drone attack on the Engels Air Force Base in southern Russia killed three, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said.
A spokesman for Ukrainian Air Force confirmed the attack, saying, “If the Russians thought the war would not touch them they were wrong.”
Russian air defence reportedly shot down a Ukrainian drone flying at low altitude, but falling debris caused the casualties in the overnight attack.
The Engels base lies just over 300 miles northeast of Ukraine’s border with Russia. The facility has been repeatedly used by Russia to carry out missile strikes on targets in Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces had attacked another Russian air base on Dec. 5, killing three and damaging two strategic bombers.
Alessandra Benedetti – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
(ROME) — Pope Francis on Thursday paid homage to his friend and retired predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, by presiding over his funeral mass at the Vatican, an unprecedented event in the modern Catholic Church.
Benedict, who died on Saturday at the age of 95, stunned worshipers in 2013 when he became the first pope to resign in more than 600 years. His funeral marked the first time a supreme pontiff presided over the previous pope’s funeral in modern times, according to church scholars.
Thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday morning. The funeral procession began before the last of the morning fog had burned off the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, where Benedict had lied in state. The mass began at 9:30 a.m. local time, moments after Benedict’s coffin had been carried into the square. Francis arrived in a wheelchair.
Francis opened his homily with Jesus’ last words, which were spoken on the cross, saying, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Francis spoke in Italian of the spirit of life that “quietly inspires us,” adding that the spirit “wishes to shape the heart of every pastor, until it is attuned to the heart of Christ Jesus.”
“Like the Master, a shepherd bears the burden of interceding and the strain of anointing his people, especially in situations where goodness must struggle to prevail and the dignity of our brothers and sisters is threatened,” he said.
He also spoke of friendship, likening it to a sustaining force amid a “shipwreck of the present life,” as Saint Gregory the Great had written in Pastoral Rule, a guide for leaders.
Francis closed his eulogy by saying, “Benedict, faithful friend of the Bridegroom, may your joy be complete as you hear his voice, now and forever!”
The ceremony had been planned to be “roughly similar” to those held for pontiffs who’ve died while still leading the church, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told reporters on Wednesday.
“The missing elements are those most pertinent to a reigning pontiff,” Bruni said, “such as the final supplications, the supplication of the diocese of Rome and the Eastern Churches that are very specific to a sitting pope.”
Heads of state and Catholic dignitaries attended, although the church offered official invitations to only Italian and German dignitaries. The Vatican advised foreign embassies that any other leaders who wish to attend could do so, but only in their “private capacity.”
The United States was represented by Joseph Donnelly, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, his office said on Thursday. The ambassador represented the U.S. in keeping “with the wishes of both the Vatican, and Pope Emeritus for a simple, solemn funeral,” officials said.
Benedict, who was born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany in 1927, had been elevated to pope when he was 78 in 2005. He retired eight years later, citing declining health.
Thousands of worshipers flocked over the last few days to St. Peter’s Basilica, where the retired pontiff lied in state in red vestments. Members of the Swiss Guard flanked Benedict, standing just outside the red velvet ropes surrounding his remains.
A constant stream of mourners flowed into the church. Many lined up for hours to pay their last respects. More than 65,000 people were said to have filed into the Basilica on Monday alone, with similar crowds on subsequent days.
The bells at St. Peter’s Basilica have not rung since Saturday, the day Benedict died, Vatican officials confirmed. Death tolls are usually rung for the death of a sitting pope.
Benedict’s remains were placed on Wednesday in a triple coffin — lined with cypress, zinc and wood — and were brought on Thursday at about 8:50 a.m. into St. Peter’s Square, where the funeral was to be held.
During the mass, Francis sat and watched as a cardinal anointed and blessed the coffin. Moments earlier, Francis had said in Latin, “May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles and Salus Populi Romani, intercede before the Eternal Father, that he may reveal the face of Jesus his Son to Pope Emeritus Benedict and console the Church on her pilgrimage through history as she awaits the Lord’s return.”
Francis in the days before and after Benedict’s death asked the church’s followers to pray for him. The two popes were reportedly friendly following Benedict’s resignation.
A Vatican press office official told reporters on Sunday that Francis was “the first” to arrive on Saturday at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, where Benedict lived within the Vatican walls, after receiving the news of Benedict’s death. Bruni said that the pontiff then stayed at the monastery for a time of prayer.
Francis on New Year’s Day asked followers to invoke “the intercession of Mary Most Holy for Pope emeritus Benedict XVI.”
The pontiff added, “Let us all join together, with one heart and one soul, in thanking God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the Church.”
Benedict’s remains were to be buried immediately after Thursday’s funeral, Vatican officials said.
“In addition,” Bruni said, “the coffin will also contain the rogito,” a written text that describes the Pontificate that is placed in a metal cylinder inside the coffin. The Vatican on Thursday issued a copy of the text, a biographical sketch of a few hundred words written in Italian. It describes Benedict’s parents, his childhood in Germany, his rise to the top of the church and his resignation.
Underneath the text, it reads: “CORPUS BENEDICTI XVI P.M.”
As white-gloved pallbearers picked the coffin up to return it to the Basilica, Francis stepped off the dais with the help of a cane. He blessed the coffin, placed his free hand on it, bowed and closed his eyes for a minute of reflection.
He stood for a moment, until his wheelchair was brought to him.
Benedict was to be interred in St. Peter’s Crypt, where more than 90 popes have found their final resting place.
(NEW YORK) — More than 10 months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.
Putin’s forces in November pulled out of key positions, retreating from Kherson as Ukrainian troops led a counteroffensive targeting the city. Russian drones have continued bombarding civilian targets throughout Ukraine, knocking out critical power infrastructure as winter sets in.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 04, 8:57 AM EST
Ukraine locates Russian outpost via data on soldiers’ cellphones
Russian soldiers using their mobile phones just after midnight on New Year’s provided Ukraine with the data to locate a Russian outpost in the city of Makiivka ahead of Ukraine’s deadly attack, according to Russia.
Six rockets were fired from U.S.-made HIMAR rocket launchers.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said 89 soldiers were killed in the attack but Ukrainian officials claim the death toll is much higher. Russian authorities have not yet compiled lists of the wounded and dead.
Jan 02, 3:36 PM EST
Zelenskyy says Russia is preparing ‘prolonged’ attack
During an evening address Monday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is preparing a long-term attack by drones to exhaust Ukrainian air defense.
Just two days into the new year, he said the country’s defense forces shot down more than 80 Shahed drones, which are made by Iran.
“This number may increase in the near future. We have information that Russia is planning a prolonged attack,” Zelenskyy said.
“Its bet may be on exhaustion. To the exhaustion of our people, our air defense, our energy. But we must do — and we will do everything — so that this goal of the terrorists fails, like all the others.”
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 31, 8:14 AM EST
1 dead, 7 injured after Russia launches missile strike against Kyiv
At least one person has been killed and seven people have been injured after Russia launched a barrage of missiles on Kyiv on New Year’s Eve.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported destruction across several districts with a luxury hotel, a bridge and police stations among the locations impacted.
It’s currently unclear how many locations have been destroyed as a result of direct hits and how many were from falling debris from intercepted rockets.
New Year’s Eve is one of Ukraine’s biggest holidays.
Dec 30, 10:28 AM EST
Putin expects China’s Xi to make state visit in spring
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he’s expecting Chinese President Xi Jinping to make a state visit to Russia in the spring of 2023.
Putin said he’s looking to deepen military cooperation between the two nations.
Putin said the visit would “demonstrate to the world the closeness of Russian-Chinese relations.”
Dec 29, 5:08 PM EST
Zelenskyy praises Air Force for ‘repelling’ Russian missile barrage
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is praising his country’s air defense, saying it “successfully repelled” a barrage of Russian missiles fired at Kyiv and other targets early Thursday.
Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian Air Force shot down 54 missiles and 11 attack drones.
“Our warriors all over Ukraine distinguished themselves and I thank all our Air Commands: Center, South, East and West,” Zelenskyy said.
He specifically cited the efforts of the 96th Kyiv, 160th Odesa and the 208th Kherson anti-aircraft missile brigades, saying their “results are the best today.”
Zelenskyy said several Russian missiles evaded Ukraine’s air defense and hit several infrastructure targets.
“Our power engineers and repair crews are doing everything to make Ukrainians feel the consequences of the terrorists’ strike as little as possible,” Zelenskyy said.
As of Thursday evening, he said there were power outages in most regions of Ukraine, including the capital city Kyiv as well as the Lviv, Odesa, Kherson, Vinnytsia and Zakarpattia regions.
“But this is nothing compared to what could have happened, if it was not for our heroic anti-aircraft troops and air defense,” Zelenskyy said.
Dec 29, 11:40 AM EST
Ukrainian missile shot down in Belarus: Defense ministry
Belarus’ defense ministry said its air defenses had downed a Ukrainian S-300 missile in a field on Thursday morning during one of Russia’s largest missile attacks against Ukraine since the start of the war.
The military commissar of the Brest region, Oleg Konovalov, played down the incident in a video message posted on social media by the state-run BelTA news agency, saying local residents had “absolutely nothing to worry about.”
“Unfortunately, these things happen,” Konovalov said.
He compared the incident to one in November when an S-300 believed to have strayed after being fired by Ukrainian air defenses landed in NATO member country Poland, and initial fears of an escalation in the war were rapidly defused.
Konovalov said the Ukrainian missile was shot down by the air defense forces around 10 a.m. local time Thursday. Fragments of the downed missile were found near the village of Gorbakha in the Brest region.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 29, 10:32 AM EST
Russia continues ‘escalating’ missile campaign, US Embassy says
Moscow has been “cruelly” targeting Ukrainian civilians by launching attacks against utilities during the winter, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on Thursday.
The rebuke came as Russia fired missiles at cities throughout the country on Thursday. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army said 69 missiles were launched, fewer than the 100 missiles that officials had estimated earlier in the morning. Officials said 54 missiles were intercepted.
Two civilians were killed as a result of shelling in the Kharkiv area, according to the region’s governor.
“The Kremlin continues its escalating campaign of missile attacks, cruelly wielding cold & dark against” Ukrainians, U.S. Embassy officials said on Twitter. “Families are again hunkering down as critical infrastructure & other targets across the country are attacked.”
Air raid sirens started wailing before 6 a.m. local time across Ukraine, sending residents scrambling into underground shelters in several cities. Missiles landed in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv and Zhtomyr.
Ukraine’s defense systems intercepted some missiles, including 16 that were shot down near Kyiv, the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Two homes in Kyiv were damaged by falling debris and three people were injured, he said.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said Russia had been “saving one of the most massive missile attacks since the beginning of the full-scale invasion for the last days of the year.”
“They dream that Ukrainians will celebrate the New Year in darkness and cold,” officials said. “But they cannot defeat the Ukrainian people.”
-ABC News’ Britt Clennett and Joe Simonetti
Dec 29, 2:29 AM EST
More than 100 Russian missiles fired at Ukraine
Russian forces early on Thursday launched a missile strike on Ukraine.
More than 100 rockets were fired in several waves, Oleksiy Arestovych, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Twitter. Some rockets were reportedly fired from carriers in the sea, while others were reportedly fired by at least a dozen fighter aircraft.
Another presidential advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Twitter that more than 120 missiles had been launched “by the ‘evil Russian world’ to destroy critical infrastructure & kill civilians en masse.”
At least one loud explosion was heard in Kyiv, where air raid sirens were ringing for several hours on Thursday morning.
Dec 28, 1:58 PM EST
Kremlin rejects Ukraine’s Feburary ‘peace summit’
Russia has rejected a proposal from Ukraine to hold a “peace summit” in February, according to a Kremlin official.
“There is no ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine for now, that’s for starters,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wenderday. “Besides, there can be no ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine, which disregards today’s realities on Russian territory, the entry of new regions, four of them, into Russia.”
Peskov was apparently referring to recent Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia, including one this week at the Engels Air Force Base in southern Russia that killed three Russian soldiers.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 27, 1:13 PM EST
Putin bans sending Russian oil to countries imposing a price cap
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Tuesday that not only rejects a price cap on the country’s oil but bans sending crude and other petroleum products to any country that has endorsed the price cap.
The Group of Seven countries, including the United States, agreed on Dec. 3 to impose a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian oil in response to the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. Australia and the European Union also agreed to impose the price cap.
The decree Putin signed goes into effect on Feb. 1 and is valid until July 1, 2023.
The decree bans the supply of oil and oil products from Russia to those countries that place a price ceiling on contracts. The decree also forbids the supply of oil to other foreign buyers whose contracts use a price cap mechanism.
The decree includes a clause allowing Putin to overrule the ban in special cases to be determined by the Russian leader.
The price cap on Russian oil implemented by G-7 nations disallows the world’s second-largest oil exporter from selling crude at a price above $60 per barrel.
Since the outset of its war with Ukraine, Russia has sold its oil at discounted prices. As of Tuesday, Russian Urals crude was trading at $57 per barrel — an amount slightly less than the cap. But the price cap aims to ensure that Russian oil sales remain well below global oil prices, which stand at about $80 per barrel.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 26, 7:40 AM EST
Ukraine strikes bomber base in Russia, killing three
A Ukrainian drone attack on the Engels Air Force Base in southern Russia killed three, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said.
A spokesman for Ukrainian Air Force confirmed the attack, saying, “If the Russians thought the war would not touch them they were wrong.”
Russian air defence reportedly shot down a Ukrainian drone flying at low altitude, but falling debris caused the casualties in the overnight attack.
The Engels base lies just over 300 miles northeast of Ukraine’s border with Russia. The facility has been repeatedly used by Russia to carry out missile strikes on targets in Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces had attacked another Russian air base on Dec. 5, killing three and damaging two strategic bombers.
(KYIV, Ukraine) — There will likely be further strikes into Russian territory, Ukraine’s military intelligence head, Kyrylo Budanov, told ABC News in an interview from Kyiv, without specifically saying whether Ukraine would be behind them.
Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the Dec. 26 attack on Russia’s Engels Air Force Base, which is located more than 800 miles from the Ukrainian border, but Budanov admitted he was “glad to see it.”
He added the attacks would come “deeper and deeper” inside of Russia, but would only be able to comment on his country’s responsibility for the attacks after the war was over.
And when asked about attacks on Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, Budanov said, “Crimea is Ukrainian territory, we can use any weapon on our territory.”
In late December, Budanov made a public appearance in Bakhmut in Donetsk, the hottest point of the 800-mile front line. What he saw shocked him.
“Soldiers showed me a section where dead bodies are piled up like something you would see in a movie,” he said.
“There are hundreds of dead bodies just rotting away in the open field, in places they are piled on top of other bodies like makeshift walls, when Russian troops attack on that field they use those bodies for cover, like a shield,” he continued. “But it’s not working. There are actual fields of dead bodies there.”
Budanov said Russia’s weaponry is depleting, forcing it to resort to “cheaper,” more “plentiful” solutions, like the Iranian-made, self-destroying Shahed drones, which have sowed fear and panic in the population.
Tehran denies supplying drones to Russia, though the U.S. Department of Defense said Russia has bought hundreds of them.
Russia fired 84 drones at Ukraine in the first two days of 2023, all of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses.
The U.S. announced it would supply a Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine in late December, bringing the Biden administration’s total military aid for Ukraine close to $22 billion. President Joe Biden recently signed a $1.7 trillion government funding bill that includes $47 billion of additional aid for Ukraine.
“I want to express gratitude for all the help we had, and ask to continue to support Ukraine,” said Budanov, telling U.S citizens, “I promise it will not take too long now, and every taxpayer in the U.S. will be able to see where every cent went. We will change this world together.”
Budanov also said they are expecting U.S. Bradley Armored Fighting vehicles to be sent to Ukraine soon: “We are waiting for them. We’re looking forward to them very much. This will significantly improve the combat ability of our units.”
Budanov said he expects fighting to be the “hottest” in March, adding that Ukraine is planning a major push in the spring.
“This is [when we will see more] liberation of territories and dealing the final defeats to the Russian Federation,” he said. “This will happen throughout Ukraine, from Crimea to the Donbas.”
The Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly said it will not give up an inch of territory.
“Our goal, and we will achieve it, is returning to the borders of 1991, like Ukraine is recognized by all subjects of international law,” said Budanov.
As for the future of Russia, Budanov said there are several scenarios in play, but the message is clear: “You should not be afraid of the transformation of Russia. It will only benefit the whole world.”
Putin’s regime “is a laughingstock for everyone,” Budanov said, adding the Russian troops are all but reduced to defending territories they still occupy within Ukraine — “and not for much longer.”
“Russia is not a military threat to the world anymore, just a tall tale,” he added.
The only issue remaining, Budanov said, is Russia’s nuclear arsenal “and the uncontrollable regime” that will lead “the whole world to realize the necessity of Russia’s denuclearization or at least an international overseeing of its nuclear arsenal.”
“A terrorist country swinging a nuclear bat at everyone and spewing threats is not a regime that has an ethical or political right to be in control of weapons of mass destruction,” Budanov added.
Moments after the interview ended, Budanov warned our team that rockets had been fired at Kyiv from the Black Sea. Hours later, Russia unleashed another massive aerial attack against Ukraine — ringing in 2023 with terror.
(NEW YORK) — Iranian women were banned from the national soccer stadium and all live soccer games for more than 40 years, but that didn’t stop some women from defying the mandate.
A new ESPN 30 for 30 podcast called “Pink Card” follows three generations of women defying the ban.
Peabody Award-winning host and executive producer Shima Oliaee sat down with ABC News Live’s Phil Lipof to talk about bringing the fight toward freedom to life, her own personal identity as the daughter of her soccer-loving Iranian mom and how it all connects to the ongoing protests in Iran for women’s rights.
LIPOF:Shima, thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate it. Iranian women have been banned from watching soccer inside that stadium, we’re told, to allegedly prevent them from temptation of men’s bare legs. How did Iran’s national soccer stadium turn into a battleground for women’s rights?
OLIAEE: As soon as [former Supreme Leader Ruhollah] Khomeini came into power, basically, all of their legal rights started being stripped one by one. And by 1981, every woman was fully veiled. They went from very Parisian-like outfits, short miniskirts. My mom said she was protesting in a miniskirt in ‘79 as a freshman in college. And it went from that to full, thick black pants, long-sleeved shirts and a full hijab or chador by the time we get to 1981.
And women were still allowed in the stadium at the time, which they’d never been banned from. They go to the national soccer stadium, Azadi Stadium. At the time it was called Aryamehr. And the guards at the gate tell them they are no longer allowed inside the stadium, that they’ve been banned from all live soccer games. The guards laughed and said, ‘Actually, on top of this, this national stadium has been renamed. It’s called Azadi Stadium. That means Freedom Stadium, and you will never be allowed inside again.’ And for 40 years that remained true.
LIPOF:I find it interesting the podcast follows four decades of experiences of different women impacted by the ban. Why four decades?
OLIAEE:What I noticed was, in the ’80s, there was a certain way that women kept hope alive, and that was also during the Iraq-Iran war, and that was in secret spaces. It wasn’t in public spaces.
But by the ’90s, and this critical game that actually happens that we describe in the series, it’s a World Cup qualifying match between Australia and Iran. The entire country explodes with joy and women are part of it. So it’s the first time in the ’90s that you see women do things that are illegal for them to do and they break into Azadi Stadium and rip off their hijabs.
LIPOF: You also choose to showcase your personal experiences, being an Iranian-American. Let’s take a look.
OLIAEE, speaking on podcast: “I often felt like that — split in two. At school, I was ashamed of telling people where my family was from. It’s not like I was fully aware of what was happening in the world — what the Gulf War was, the Iranian hostage crisis. But growing up in the ’90s in Reno, Nevada, I knew being from the Middle East wasn’t something to be excited about.”
LIPOF:There are so many ways to tell a story. You know this. Why did you feel it was important to share your own personal experience?
OLIAEE:All the Iranian women in my family were the most intimidating people in my family. So I kind of didn’t understand why, in Western media, I was seeing a lot of repressed images of women in the Middle East. And also what I would see —
[Old footage plays on screen]
Yeah, that’s my mom coming back from a coed match. Look at her! Oh my gosh, she’s so funny. Look at her! She’s like, ‘I just scored a goal.’ She’s bragging about her great — Oh my gosh. Yeah, she was MVP on her team. She let me know that.
LIPOF:Something to be proud of.
OLIAEE:She’s very sporty.
But yeah, she loved soccer. She wouldn’t talk about the trauma from Iran. She would talk about soccer. And I saw all these strong Iranian women in my family. And when I would look to Western media to understand where I came from, I would see a lot of screaming men with beards and really bad eyebrows.
There was an image that had seeped into me as an American. I had misconceptions, and I actually wanted to replace the sounds of screaming men that were kind of seared into our brain through the hostage crisis with —
LIPOF: Pictures of your mom in her uniform.
OLIAEE:With my mom freaking out about her soccer game. I mean, in the last episode, she literally cannot focus on the revolution that’s happening right now, because she’s about to win her match.
So with that, the sound of joy. And all three generations of women that I interviewed who basically defied the regime, defied death in order to even speak about what had been happening the last 20 years. They shared their joy.
LIPOF:Just before we go, you talked about executions. And right now, there are people being executed. There are people who are going to be executed. How do you think the world should be reacting to what’s happening in Iran?
OLIAEE:I mean, this is what’s so hard. It’s so easy to turn away and distract ourselves from what’s happening. I think this is what I really want people to get from the podcast. When you hear this series, what you see is that the same tactics of the regime have been used for 40 years.
They lie, too. They say, ‘Oh, we’re not executing. Oh, we’ve banned the moral police.’ All of these other stories have come out in the last several weeks as these protests have taken over Iran.
And I think the lessons that the women learned are crucial lessons for women in every country. There’s so many ways that we can learn about what not to do and also what we need to do. And I hope that that’s what this series brings, is a little bit of clarity and wisdom for today — and courage.
LIPOF:Thank you so much for joining us. You can listen to the ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcast series. It is called “Pink Card” and it’s available now.
(NEW YORK) — More than 10 months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.
Putin’s forces in November pulled out of key positions, retreating from Kherson as Ukrainian troops led a counteroffensive targeting the city. Russian drones have continued bombarding civilian targets throughout Ukraine, knocking out critical power infrastructure as winter sets in.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 03, 7:24 PM EST
Russia says 89 killed in missile strike by Ukraine
Russia’s Defense Ministry has said 89 people were killed by a Ukrainian missile strike in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region.
According to the ministry, Ukraine launched launched six HIMARS missiles, provided by the U.S., at a building in the town of Makiivka, four of which hit the target.
“Families and friends of these servicemen will be fully assisted and supported,” the ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine claimed hundreds of Russians were killed in the attack.
Neither side’s claims could be independently verified.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Jan 02, 3:36 PM EST
Zelenskyy says Russia is preparing ‘prolonged’ attack
During an evening address Monday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is preparing a long-term attack by drones to exhaust Ukrainian air defense.
Just two days into the new year, he said the country’s defense forces shot down more than 80 Shahed drones, which are made by Iran.
“This number may increase in the near future. We have information that Russia is planning a prolonged attack,” Zelenskyy said.
“Its bet may be on exhaustion. To the exhaustion of our people, our air defense, our energy. But we must do — and we will do everything — so that this goal of the terrorists fails, like all the others.”
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 31, 8:14 AM EST
1 dead, 7 injured after Russia launches missile strike against Kyiv
At least one person has been killed and seven people have been injured after Russia launched a barrage of missiles on Kyiv on New Year’s Eve.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported destruction across several districts with a luxury hotel, a bridge and police stations among the locations impacted.
It’s currently unclear how many locations have been destroyed as a result of direct hits and how many were from falling debris from intercepted rockets.
New Year’s Eve is one of Ukraine’s biggest holidays.
Dec 30, 10:28 AM EST
Putin expects China’s Xi to make state visit in spring
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he’s expecting Chinese President Xi Jinping to make a state visit to Russia in the spring of 2023.
Putin said he’s looking to deepen military cooperation between the two nations.
Putin said the visit would “demonstrate to the world the closeness of Russian-Chinese relations.”
Dec 29, 5:08 PM EST
Zelenskyy praises Air Force for ‘repelling’ Russian missile barrage
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is praising his country’s air defense, saying it “successfully repelled” a barrage of Russian missiles fired at Kyiv and other targets early Thursday.
Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian Air Force shot down 54 missiles and 11 attack drones.
“Our warriors all over Ukraine distinguished themselves and I thank all our Air Commands: Center, South, East and West,” Zelenskyy said.
He specifically cited the efforts of the 96th Kyiv, 160th Odesa and the 208th Kherson anti-aircraft missile brigades, saying their “results are the best today.”
Zelenskyy said several Russian missiles evaded Ukraine’s air defense and hit several infrastructure targets.
“Our power engineers and repair crews are doing everything to make Ukrainians feel the consequences of the terrorists’ strike as little as possible,” Zelenskyy said.
As of Thursday evening, he said there were power outages in most regions of Ukraine, including the capital city Kyiv as well as the Lviv, Odesa, Kherson, Vinnytsia and Zakarpattia regions.
“But this is nothing compared to what could have happened, if it was not for our heroic anti-aircraft troops and air defense,” Zelenskyy said.
Dec 29, 11:40 AM EST
Ukrainian missile shot down in Belarus: Defense ministry
Belarus’ defense ministry said its air defenses had downed a Ukrainian S-300 missile in a field on Thursday morning during one of Russia’s largest missile attacks against Ukraine since the start of the war.
The military commissar of the Brest region, Oleg Konovalov, played down the incident in a video message posted on social media by the state-run BelTA news agency, saying local residents had “absolutely nothing to worry about.”
“Unfortunately, these things happen,” Konovalov said.
He compared the incident to one in November when an S-300 believed to have strayed after being fired by Ukrainian air defenses landed in NATO member country Poland, and initial fears of an escalation in the war were rapidly defused.
Konovalov said the Ukrainian missile was shot down by the air defense forces around 10 a.m. local time Thursday. Fragments of the downed missile were found near the village of Gorbakha in the Brest region.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 29, 10:32 AM EST
Russia continues ‘escalating’ missile campaign, US Embassy says
Moscow has been “cruelly” targeting Ukrainian civilians by launching attacks against utilities during the winter, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on Thursday.
The rebuke came as Russia fired missiles at cities throughout the country on Thursday. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army said 69 missiles were launched, fewer than the 100 missiles that officials had estimated earlier in the morning. Officials said 54 missiles were intercepted.
Two civilians were killed as a result of shelling in the Kharkiv area, according to the region’s governor.
“The Kremlin continues its escalating campaign of missile attacks, cruelly wielding cold & dark against” Ukrainians, U.S. Embassy officials said on Twitter. “Families are again hunkering down as critical infrastructure & other targets across the country are attacked.”
Air raid sirens started wailing before 6 a.m. local time across Ukraine, sending residents scrambling into underground shelters in several cities. Missiles landed in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv and Zhtomyr.
Ukraine’s defense systems intercepted some missiles, including 16 that were shot down near Kyiv, the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Two homes in Kyiv were damaged by falling debris and three people were injured, he said.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said Russia had been “saving one of the most massive missile attacks since the beginning of the full-scale invasion for the last days of the year.”
“They dream that Ukrainians will celebrate the New Year in darkness and cold,” officials said. “But they cannot defeat the Ukrainian people.”
-ABC News’ Britt Clennett and Joe Simonetti
Dec 29, 2:29 AM EST
More than 100 Russian missiles fired at Ukraine
Russian forces early on Thursday launched a missile strike on Ukraine.
More than 100 rockets were fired in several waves, Oleksiy Arestovych, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Twitter. Some rockets were reportedly fired from carriers in the sea, while others were reportedly fired by at least a dozen fighter aircraft.
Another presidential advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Twitter that more than 120 missiles had been launched “by the ‘evil Russian world’ to destroy critical infrastructure & kill civilians en masse.”
At least one loud explosion was heard in Kyiv, where air raid sirens were ringing for several hours on Thursday morning.
Dec 28, 1:58 PM EST
Kremlin rejects Ukraine’s Feburary ‘peace summit’
Russia has rejected a proposal from Ukraine to hold a “peace summit” in February, according to a Kremlin official.
“There is no ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine for now, that’s for starters,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wenderday. “Besides, there can be no ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine, which disregards today’s realities on Russian territory, the entry of new regions, four of them, into Russia.”
Peskov was apparently referring to recent Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia, including one this week at the Engels Air Force Base in southern Russia that killed three Russian soldiers.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 27, 1:13 PM EST
Putin bans sending Russian oil to countries imposing a price cap
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Tuesday that not only rejects a price cap on the country’s oil but bans sending crude and other petroleum products to any country that has endorsed the price cap.
The Group of Seven countries, including the United States, agreed on Dec. 3 to impose a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian oil in response to the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. Australia and the European Union also agreed to impose the price cap.
The decree Putin signed goes into effect on Feb. 1 and is valid until July 1, 2023.
The decree bans the supply of oil and oil products from Russia to those countries that place a price ceiling on contracts. The decree also forbids the supply of oil to other foreign buyers whose contracts use a price cap mechanism.
The decree includes a clause allowing Putin to overrule the ban in special cases to be determined by the Russian leader.
The price cap on Russian oil implemented by G-7 nations disallows the world’s second-largest oil exporter from selling crude at a price above $60 per barrel.
Since the outset of its war with Ukraine, Russia has sold its oil at discounted prices. As of Tuesday, Russian Urals crude was trading at $57 per barrel — an amount slightly less than the cap. But the price cap aims to ensure that Russian oil sales remain well below global oil prices, which stand at about $80 per barrel.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Dec 26, 7:40 AM EST
Ukraine strikes bomber base in Russia, killing three
A Ukrainian drone attack on the Engels Air Force Base in southern Russia killed three, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said.
A spokesman for Ukrainian Air Force confirmed the attack, saying, “If the Russians thought the war would not touch them they were wrong.”
Russian air defence reportedly shot down a Ukrainian drone flying at low altitude, but falling debris caused the casualties in the overnight attack.
The Engels base lies just over 300 miles northeast of Ukraine’s border with Russia. The facility has been repeatedly used by Russia to carry out missile strikes on targets in Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces had attacked another Russian air base on Dec. 5, killing three and damaging two strategic bombers.
