Victorious news of the 307th day of war: Russian name for Russian church, bright holidays and seizure of property worth 2 billion

Espreso TV collected the top positive news of the day for December 27, which can encourage Ukrainians despite the difficult times. 

Russian name for Russian church

The Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) declared the law that obliges the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) to change its name so that it indicates its affiliation with Russia to be constitutional. The issue was in consideration for almost 4 years. The CCU made the decision at the request of 49 MPs.

The law adopted in 2018, which has been repeatedly challenged, stipulates that a religious organization whose governing center is located in a country recognized as an aggressor is obliged to indicate this in its name. 

Bright holidays

Ukrainians can count on several days of uninterrupted electricity supply for the holidays, if Russian forces do not shell the country's critical infrastructure, the Ministry of Energy reported. The ministry emphasizes that the situation in the power grid of Ukraine is improving every day, so it is possible to increase electricity production and supply it to consumers.

In addition, having been repaired, a thermal power plant unit was put into operation, the Ukrenergo said. However, the available capacity in the power system is still not enough, as the level of energy consumption is increasing. Therefore, consumption limits have been set in the regions, exceeding which will lead to the implementation of emergency power cuts.

1,000 Kremlin agitators less and seizure of a Russian oligarch's property

During the full-scale war, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) exposed more than 1,000 hostile Internet agitators who spread fakes about the war in Ukraine. Half of them have already received notices of suspicion, and 230 have been convicted. Also, more than 2 million fake social media accounts and 45 large-scale bot farms were blocked. Ukrainian special forces say that now Russian information sabotage no longer poses such a threat as before. 

Another good news today was the SBU information that the property of a Russian oligarch worth almost UAH 2 billion was arrested. The man is Alisher Usmanov, a member of the inner circle of the highest military and political leadership of the Kremlin. Russian underground warehouses, where more than 160,000 tons of Ukrainian iron ore were stored, had bee uncovered. 

The raw materials were supposed to be illegally transported to the territory of Russia by sea.

Russia anxiously tries to hide its aircraft from getting destroyed

After the explosions at the Engels airfield, the Russian military redeployed part of the aviation to different airfields that can receive, maintain and service them. This was reported by the Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat. He added that strategic aviation is dispersed.

"After yesterday's well-known events, we see that the aircrafts are scattered there, particularly strategic aviation of the Engels airfield. Of course, there is still a certain number of aircraft there, but many of them have already been redeployed to different airfields," he said. 

Russia has lost all tanks that were in service before February 24

According to Ukrainian soldiers, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have the advantage in the Luhansk region and an important plan will be implemented soon. Yuriy Fedorenko, company commander of the 112th Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces, advisor to the Defense Committee, said that Ukrainian forces will be able to implement the general plan and take important logistics centers of the Luhansk region.

"It will happen soon, not half a year later, but in the coming months," explained the serviceman.

The evening report of the Ukrainian General Staff informs that due to significant losses of personnel among the Russian army, more Russian soldiers turn to desertion in the Luhansk region. 

In addition, units of the missile troops and artillery of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a Russian control point, 6 concentrations of manpower and military equipment, an ammunition warehouse, and another important military facility.

As noted by Defense Express expert Ivan Kyrychevskyi, based on the data of the AFU General Staff, it turns out that Russia has lost all its tanks that were in service before the war. 

"Obviously, a significant number, i.e. 1,500 tanks, was brought back from the conservation base. To restore one tank, Russia has to disassemble about 3 or 4 vehicles for spare parts," he said.