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Scoop of the day: Security supremo urges faster territorial defence formation

Scoop of the day: Security supremo urges faster territorial defence formation

Territorial defence

The secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, Oleksiy Danilov, stressed that it was necessary to complete as soon as possible the process of forming the command of the territorial defence forces of the armed forces, regional military authorities, brigades and battalions of the territorial defence forces taking into account the level of threats in each region of Ukraine.

"It is necessary to form a core of territorial defence in every community, people should know a clear algorithm of actions to defend their land," Danilov said.

Defence minister on Russia

Ukrainian intelligence data suggests that a large-scale escalation by Russia is likely. The most likely time of readiness for an escalation would be the end of January, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told parliament.

"I note: escalation is a likely scenario, but not necessarily. Our task is to divert it," he noted.

The minister added that Ukraine, together with its partner states, must make the price of this escalation unacceptable to Russia.

Russia steps up military training in Donbas

The Russian Armed Forces on 1 December launched a new period of operational and combat training, including in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said on Facebook.

"As part of this, the occupiers are holding events within the combat readiness week with the practice of bringing formations and units of the 1 (Donetsk) and 2 (Luhansk) army corps to the highest levels of combat readiness," it said.

Russia

The Russian news website Meduza has found out that the people detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of working for the Ukrainian special services are a 23-year-old barista and a father and son from Ternopil Region.

On 2 December, the FSB said it detained agents of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry and published their "testimonies". Two of the men (Zynoviy and Ihor Koval) were allegedly involved in espionage, while the third (23-year-old Oleksandr Tsilyk), according to the FSB, was allegedly preparing a terrorist attack in Russia.

Would-be coup

An adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhaylo Podolyak, has told LIGA.net that the coup d'etat in Ukraine did not take place because President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put this topic up for public discussion.

"Thanks to the discussion launched by the president about what some of our very influential citizens are trying to get involved in, the political mood in society has clearly started to change," Podolyak said.

Hungary

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a telephone conversation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

"Today is the 30th anniversary since Hungary was the third to recognise Ukraine's independence and became the first state with which we established diplomatic relations. We will always remember this demonstration of solidarity and support for Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.

He noted Ukraine's determination to develop good neighbourly relations with Hungary on the basis of mutual respect and constructive dialogue. "When Ukrainians and Hungarians are together, everybody wins," he added.

Donbas

One Ukrainian serviceman was wounded amid six ceasefire violations by Russia-backed militants, the Joint Forces Operation HQ has reported.

Separatists shelled Stanytsya Luhanska with 122-mm artillery and infantry fighting vehicle guns, Krasnohorivka with an anti-tank cannon MT-12, Krymske with 82-mm mortars, grenade launchers and heavy machine-guns, Zaytseve with grenade launchers and small arms, and Popasna with anti-tank grenade launchers, heavy machine-guns and small arms.

Police

Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyy has said that police officers may be given an opportunity to work part-time, for example, as security guards, Ukrinform has said.

"One of the initiatives is a possibility for police officers to use off-hours so that they could get an opportunity to earn extra income, for example by guarding certain facilities. Now we are also working on this model and in a few weeks' time we may present it," he said.

Another initiative is to use a certain part of fines for traffic violations to increase police salaries.

Bot farm

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has exposed another large-scale bot farm in Chernivtsi which set up and promoted over 20,000 bots for pro-Russian campaigners. They were used to discredit Ukraine and its army, justify Russian aggression and fan up anti-vax sentiments, the SBU said.

Gas

A new field with the scope for recovery of up to 5bn cu.m. of gas has been discovered in Kharkiv Region.

According to Ukrhazvydobuvannya's press service, the prospecting well that discovered the Mospanivske field provides 239,000 cu.m. of gas per day.

Mine incident

One miner got killed as a result of a rock fall at a mine in Kryvyy Rih. The accident occurred on the territory of the metallurgical plant of the Svitex company on 2 December, the press service of the State Labour Service has said.

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