What did 27 December 2022 show about the war's pressures?
A look back at a day of front-line claims near Kreminna and a Russian decree answering the oil price cap.
What did the war look like on 27 December 2022? Two strands stood out: a claimed advance in Luhansk Oblast and a move by Moscow in the contest over oil revenue.
On the ground, Ukrainian forces said they were closing in on Kreminna, in Luhansk Oblast, part of the fighting along the Svatove-Kreminna line. According to governor Serhiy Haidai, Russian fighters in some parts of the city had been forced to retreat to neighbouring Rubizhne. The account was a claim by the Ukrainian side, made as the battle continued.
On the economic front, Russian president Vladimir Putin issued a decree prohibiting exports of Russian oil and petroleum products to countries and organisations that adhere to the US$60-per-barrel price cap. Australia, the European Union and the G7 member states had agreed the cap earlier in December. The decree was set to remain in effect from 1 February to 1 July.
The day also followed an incident on 26 December, when three Russian military members were killed by debris after Russia shot down a drone approaching the Engels air base in Saratov Oblast, Russia.
Taken together, these reports from 26 and 27 December 2022 show a conflict being pursued at once in Luhansk Oblast, in Russian territory and in the sphere of sanctions and energy exports.
