December 22, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Rhea Mogul, Jack Guy, Sana Noor Haq, Aditi Sangal, Adrienne Vogt, Leinz Vales and Matt Meyer, CNN

Updated 12:23 a.m. ET, December 23, 2022
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3:54 a.m. ET, December 22, 2022

Hillary Clinton calls Zelensky's speech "extraordinary"

From CNN's Sonnet Swire and Rashard Rose

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the opening of the Eyes on Iran art exhibition at Roosevelt Island's FDR Four Freedoms State Park on November 28, in New York.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the opening of the Eyes on Iran art exhibition at Roosevelt Island's FDR Four Freedoms State Park on November 28, in New York. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to Congress ���extraordinary,” saying the country’s fight against Russian aggression has “proven that they are a really good investment for the United States.”

The speech “connected the struggle of Ukrainian people to our own revolution, to our own feelings that we want to be warm in our homes to celebrate Christmas and to get us to think about all the families in Ukraine that will be huddled in the cold and to know that they are on the front lines of freedom right now,” Clinton said on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” Wednesday.

She said Zelensky’s historic address “strengthened both Democrats and Republicans who understand what is at stake in this fight against Putin and Russian aggression and now with their ally, Iran, as well.”

“I also think no one is asking for a blank check,” Clinton added. “I believe that the Ukrainians have proven that they are a really good investment for the United States. They are not asking us to be there to fight their war. They’re fighting it themselves. They’re asking us and our allies for the means to not only defend themselves but to actually win.”

Read more here.

11:39 p.m. ET, December 21, 2022

Former Russian space chief injured by shelling in Ukraine, state media says

From CNN's Jonny Hallam

A former director of Russia's space agency was wounded by Ukrainian shelling in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, according to state-run news agency TASS. 

Ex-Roscomos head Dmitry Rogozin, who now leads a team of Russian military volunteers in the Donbas region, was taken to hospital with a back wound after his hotel in Donetsk came under shelling, his aide told TASS.

"His life is not in danger," the aide said.

The strike in the Russian-occupied city killed at least two people and injured several more, TASS reported.

"Evidently, it was a targeted strike," Rogozin's aide said, claiming the shelling came from a 155mm self-propelled artillery system. 
3:56 a.m. ET, December 22, 2022

Zelensky delivers impassioned plea for more help fighting Russia on the "frontline of tyranny"

From CNN's Kevin Liptak and Maegan Vazquez

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the US Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on December 21.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the US Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on December 21. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a historic speech from the United States Capitol Wednesday night, expressing gratitude for American support in fighting Russian aggression since the war began — and asking for more.

“I hope my words of respect and gratitude resonate in each American heart,” Zelensky said during the joint meeting of Congress, later adding, “Against all odds, and doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine didn’t fall. Ukraine is alive and kicking.”

But alongside Zelensky’s gratitude was a plea, emphasizing that his armed forces are outnumbered and outgunned by the Russian military even as they fight on. At one point, Zelensky drew laughs from the chamber when he said, “We have artillery, yes. Thank you. We have it. Is it enough? Honestly, not really.”

On “the front line of tyranny,” Zelensky argued, American support “is crucial not just to stand in such fight but to get to the turning point to win on the battlefield.”

“The world is too interconnected and too interdependent to allow someone to stay aside and at the same time to feel safe when such a battle continues,” he added. “Our two nations are allies in this battle and next year will be a turning point, I know it — the point where Ukrainian courage and American resolve must guarantee the future of our common freedom, the freedom of people who stand for their values.”

“Your money is not charity,” he asserted. “It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.”

Read more here.

3:58 a.m. ET, December 22, 2022

Zelensky had "sincere and supportive" meeting with Biden, source says

US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet at the White House in Washington, DC, on December 21.
US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet at the White House in Washington, DC, on December 21. (Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Volodymyr Zelensky's historic visit to the United States went well and he is "pleased" with the outcome, a source close to the Ukrainian president told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

"His meetings with President [Joe] Biden were sincere and supportive. The Joint session was great and he felt real bipartisan support," the source said.

Speaking to Congress Wednesday, Zelensky spoke of the strong ties between the US and his country, while giving a message of hope to Ukrainians at home.

He also called for continued financial support from US lawmakers, saying: "Your money is not charity. It is an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way."
5:14 a.m. ET, December 22, 2022

5 key quotes from Zelensky's speech to Congress

Volodymyr Zelensky, center, arrives to speak during a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on Wednesday.
Volodymyr Zelensky, center, arrives to speak during a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on Wednesday. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday spoke of the strong ties between the United States and his country, while giving a message of hope to Ukrainians at home.

Here are five key quotes from his historic speech at Capitol Hill:

  1. Zelensky called for continued financial support from the US, telling Congress: "Your money is not charity. It is an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way."
  2. Zelensky urged lawmakers to strengthen sanctions against Russia and "let the terrorists be held responsible for aggression." He noted that US President Joe Biden supported his 10-point peace plan, but added that each member of Congress can assist in the implementation.
  3. The Russians "use everything" against Ukrainian cities such as Bakhmut, but Ukraine "holds its lines and will never surrender," Zelenksy said to roaring applause. "Last year, 70,000 people lived there in Bakhmut... Now only a few civilians stay. Every inch of that land is soaked in blood... Donbas changed hands several times in fierce combat, and even hand-fighting. But the Ukrainian Donbas stands," he said.
  4. Zelensky said Ukrainians will celebrate Christmas this year, despite the atrocities of the war, telling Congress: "Even if there is no electricity the light of our faith in ourselves will not be put out."
  5. Zelensky ended his speech by saying Ukraine will achieve "absolute victory," reiterating his strong opening comments, which said: "Ukraine is alive and kicking."
9:35 p.m. ET, December 21, 2022

Patriot missile systems will help Ukraine's defense but experts caution they may have limited effect

From CNN's Haley Britzky

The US announced this week that it is providing a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine — but experts say that while it will be a valuable addition to the beleaguered country’s air defense, it’s not a cure-all.

Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, former commander of US Army Europe, told CNN that there is likely some unrealistic expectations about what a Patriot battery will be able to do for Ukraine.

It won’t, for example, be available to use immediately after the US agrees to provide it — it takes months to train troops on how to use the complex system, Hertling said, adding that training US troops to serve as maintainers or repairmen takes around a year. And it won’t be able to provide blanket cover for the entire country.

“These systems don’t pick up and move around the battlefield,” Hertling said. “You put them in place somewhere that defends your most strategic target, like a city, like Kyiv. If anyone thinks this is going to be a system that is spread across a 500-mile border between Ukraine and Russia, they just don’t know how the system operates.”

Some context: Ukraine has repeatedly asked for the US Army’s Patriot — an acronym for Phased Array Tracking Radar for intercept on Target — system, as it is considered one of the most capable long-range air defense systems on the market. And though the US did not fulfill the request for the first 10 months of the war, a senior administration official told CNN that the “reality of what is going on” on the ground in Ukraine influenced their decision to do so.

In recent weeks, the Russian military has increasingly attacked Ukraine’s power grid and infrastructure as winter approached and temperatures dropped.

Read more here.

9:56 p.m. ET, December 21, 2022

Analysis: Zelensky’s Washington trip marks a victory in the PR war with Putin

Analysis from CNN's Sebastian Shukla

On the last week before the Gregorian Christmas, the optics of Russia’s war in Ukraine have taken on a different dynamic and demonstrate that the battle is not only being fought on the frigid frontlines in Ukraine, but is also becoming something of a PR tit-for-tat.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has harnessed the media to become an ever-present figure on screens across the world, beaming himself into parliaments, conferences and even music festivals.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a past master of propaganda, is driving his own agenda through his absolute control of Russian state media. Comparisons between the two show a chasm that may reflect the larger narrative of the war.

Last Friday, according to the Kremlin, Putin “spent all day working at the joint staff of military branches involved in the special military operation.”

But the only images that emerged were of Putin at the head of a table of generals, dressed in a navy suit and tie, listening to military chiefs who kowtow to his every whim. There was no mention of a location for this meeting, no readout, nor did the President make any public comments.

Zelensky, by contrast, broadcast his location to the world.

Read the full analysis here.