**Russian Authorities Jail 9 Ukrainian Soldiers**
The Russian occupation authorities in Donetsk have jailed nine Ukrainian soldiers who were defending Mariupol. The city’s exiled authorities reported this on December 11. The soldiers were captured after a long siege of the city and its Azovstal steel plant in the spring of 2022.
**Long Prison Sentences**
The soldiers from the 36th Marine Brigade have been sentenced to between 24 years and life imprisonment. Their names are: Andrii Shestak, Nazarii Moroz, Vladyslav Yavorskyi, Vadym Shulha, Serhii Yampolskyi, Maksym Kolbasin, Dmytro Shalara, Volodymyr Penzin, and Kostiantyn Romaniuk.
**Russian Tactics**
The Russian occupation authorities have accused the soldiers of shelling a village near Mariupol in March 2022. This is a common tactic used by Russia to jail Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) on trumped-up charges. Ukraine’s former Prosecutor General said that nine out of ten Ukrainian POWs are subjected to physical and moral torture.
**New Sanctions**
The European Union has agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia. The document will not be published due to its sensitive content. The sanctions aim to put pressure on Russia over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
**Ukraine’s Defense Efforts**
Ukraine has allocated 26.3% of its gross domestic product (GDP) for defense and security expenditures, including funds for arms purchases and drone production.
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