Ukraine's General Staff denies Guardian report about air defense personnel being transferred to infantry units

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces denied claims that air defense personnel are being reassigned to infantry roles due to troop shortages, calling the allegations "not credible and incorrect" in a Dec. 21 Facebook post.

The statement responded to a Guardian report suggesting that highly trained air defense specialists were being moved to the front lines, weakening Ukraine’s defenses. The General Staff clarified that reassignments only involve personnel not tasked with maintaining or operating high-tech equipment, emphasizing that Ukraine’s air defense remains effective.

Ukrainian MP Mariana Bezuhla, cited in the Guardian report, warned that such measures could reduce air defense capacity, strain U.S.-Ukraine relations, and risk compromising classified information if captured personnel are inadequately prepared.

The controversy follows escalating aerial threats, with Russia targeting Kyiv and other regions on Dec. 20. The day before, President Putin proposed testing Western air defenses by launching an Oreshnik missile at Ukraine.

Russia attacked Zaporizhzhia leaving 4 injured, including a child

Russia attacked Zaporizhzhia on the evening of Dec. 20, injuring four people, including a 12-year-old boy, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov reported. A 9-story apartment building was damaged in the strike.

The same night, a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv injured another 12-year-old child.

Zaporizhzhia has faced frequent Russian attacks, including a Dec. 10 missile strike that killed 10 people and injured 22, and a Dec. 6 aerial bomb attack that killed 10 and injured 24. Ukrainian forces continue to strengthen fortifications in the region amid fears of a Russian offensive.

Ukraine will continue strikes on Russian military facilities, increasingly relying on domestically produced weapons - Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to continue targeting Russian military sites with an increasing reliance on domestically produced drones and missiles.

"We’ll keep striking Russian military bases and infrastructure involved in terror against our people," Zelenskyy said in an evening address, expressing gratitude to global allies for supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts and pressuring Russia.

Zelenskyy also highlighted the aftermath of Russian attacks, including clearing rubble in Kyiv after a Dec. 20 missile strike and ongoing recovery efforts in Kherson, where a targeted bombing hit an oncology clinic. He condemned the attack on the clinic, the only facility in the region offering radiotherapy, as a cruel act against the people of Kherson.