Ukraine: Russia uses more sexual violence – the nightly update without photos Democracy under pressure – but are dictatorships really better?

Selenskyj appeals to perseverance

In view of the winter that has already set in, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenky has called on the population to show endurance and resilience. “The enemy very much hopes to use winter against us: to make the winter cold and hardship part of their terror,” he said in his daily video address on Sunday night. “We have to do everything we can to survive this winter, no matter how hard it is.” Getting through this winter means getting through everything.

Russia does have an advantage with missiles and artillery. “But we have something that the occupier does not have and will not have. We protect our home and that gives us the greatest possible motivation,” stressed Zelenskyj. The Ukrainian people are fighting for freedom and defending the truth.

“To survive the winter, we need to be more resilient and united than ever,” Zelenskyj said.

Winter of war: UNHCR expects more displaced persons in Ukraine

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expects an increase in displacement within Ukraine as a result of the ongoing Russian war of aggression rather than a large flow of refugees to the EU countries. “The most likely scenario is further displacement within Ukraine,” UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi said in an interview with Der Spiegel published on Sunday. “I hope there will be no more large refugee flows.” At the same time, he limited himself: “But war is unpredictable.”

In view of the winter weather and continued Russian attacks on the country’s civilian infrastructure – especially on electricity and heating facilities – there have been repeated fears that many more Ukrainians could now flee to the EU. The German ambassador in London, Miguel Berger, issued a statement to this effect on Sunday. “We are very concerned about this because these attacks on energy infrastructure mean that many people could be forced to leave Ukraine in freezing temperatures.”

According to UNHCR, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February led to the largest displacement in decades. As recently as early November in New York, Grandi said that about 14 million people had been driven from their homes since the start of the war. Nearly eight million have sought protection abroad, one million of them in Germany.

Russian missiles hit Zaporizhia

Several Russian missiles hit the city of Zaporizhia on Monday night. The targets of the attacks were industrial buildings and energy infrastructure objects, the state agency Unian reported. No information was given about possible casualties or the extent of the damage.

Ukrainian judiciary: dramatic increase in sexual violence by Russians

Ukrainian Attorney General Andriy Kostin denounced a “dramatic increase” in sexual assaults by Russian soldiers. As a result of the Russian offensive war, all genders and age groups are affected, both children and the elderly, Kostin told the Funke media group and French newspaper Ouest-France (Monday). Russian soldiers used sexual violence in a targeted way – as a “method of war to humiliate Ukrainians”, he claimed.

Four months ago, only 40 cases of sexual violence were recorded, now there are more than 110. “Strong upward trend.” There is also a large number of unreported cases. “In many cases, people are raped, tortured and then killed by Russian soldiers. Rapes often take place in front of family members and children,” says Kostin. Occupied territories are particularly affected. According to Kostin, Russian commanders often ordered or at least supported rape. The information provided by the Attorney General could not initially be independently verified.

According to Kostin, nearly 8,500 civilians, including 440 children, have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war more than nine months ago. More than 11,000 civilians were injured. The attorney general’s office has so far dealt with 50,197 war crime cases, he told newspapers.

The current developments in the live ticker:

Oil sanctions against Russia take effect

From Monday, crude oil from Russia may only be imported into the European Union in exceptional cases. The import restriction is based on a sanctions regime adopted by the 27 member states in June because of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. It came into force shortly after the decision, but provided transitional periods for the oil embargo. Also coming into effect on Monday is a regulation designed to force Russia to sell oil to customers in other countries for up to USD 60 per barrel in the future. Russia has already threatened countermeasures. (sda/dpa)