Ukraine shoots down Russian drones after EU budget defeat

By Stefan J. Bos

Kyiv said that its military shot 30 out of 31 Russian drones over 11 regions across the country out of the sky "so far" on Saturday.

It was a small victory following a massive defeat in the European Union that could impact the outcome of its war against Russia.

EU member Hungary vetoed 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in European Union aid to the wartorn nation.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he blocked the money to Ukraine to ensure that Budapest gets the billions frozen by Brussels over worries about the rule of law in Hungary. "They immediately wanted to give 50 billion euros to the Ukrainians. In essence, they wanted to give the money from the Hungarians," he said.

He added that Brussels wanted "the member states' money, including Hungary's money, to go to Ukraine. And that was the point when I said: 'Wait a minute, this is a concrete infringement; I must veto this.'"

Orban recalled that the EU restored Hungary's access to 10.2 billion euros ($11.1 billion) in frozen funds this week, but 21.1 billion euros ($23 billion) remain locked. EU leaders are however working on a plan B and will revisit the issue at an emergency summit at the end of January or early February, suggested the EU's European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.  

Opposing talks

He also opposed the start of talks on European Union membership with Ukraine. But he did not veto the move, opting instead to leave the room after pressure from Germany.

EU leaders also decided to open membership talks with Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia. Moscow praised Hungary's tough stance and condemned the EU for what it said was destabilizing the region. They pledged to open accession talks with Bosnia-Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with membership criteria is achieved.  

It came as Ukraine tried to counter Russian attacks Saturday after suffering setbacks, including what the British defence ministry described as the most significant cyber attack since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.

The attack reportedly left half of Ukraine's population without mobile phone signals or the ability to use the internet. Additionally, the cyber attack disrupted air raid sirens, some banks, cash machines, and point-of-sale terminals.

However, all didn't go well for Ukraine's military, with Russian-installed governor Vladimir Saldo, in Ukraine's partly occupied southern Kherson region, said that at least 15 Ukrainian aerial targets had been downed.

Kyiv says Russia is also stepping up efforts to capture the city of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, moving battalion reserves to the area.

In response to Russia's actions, Ukraine's interior ministry has placed the head of Russia's Orthodox church – a backer of the Kremlin's 21-month-old war against Kyiv – on its wanted list. The measure is symbolic, as Patriarch Kirill is in Russia and under no threat of arrest ahead of Christmas.