Rebels enter Damascus, Assad reportedly flees capital
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad boarded a plane out of Damascus on Dec. 8 as rebel forces swept into the capital, two senior army officers told Reuters.
Dmytro Basmat
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US announces $988 million military aid package for Ukraine
The latest aid package will be pulled through the remaining $2 billion in funding from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) — a Pentagon-led program for supplying arms to Ukraine through contracts with U.S. defense companies.
US officials believe Assad's regime may fall within days, CNN reports
The regime of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad may fall within days as Syrian rebels continue to advance on the country's capital Damascus, five different U.S. officials told CNN on Dec. 7.
Zelensky praises 'productive' meeting held with Trump, Macron, stresses 'peace through strength'
The previously unannounced meeting comes ahead of Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20. It also marks the first in-person encounter between Zelensky and Trump since Trump won re-election.
Zelensky to meet with Trump, Macron on Dec. 7 during visit to Paris
President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as well as French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris for a trilateral meeting on Dec. 7, amid world leaders' visit to France for the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Hungary requests US sanctions exemption for Russian natural gas payments
Hungary has requested the United States to provide the country with a sanctions waiver to further continue payments for Russian natural gas imports through Gazprombank, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Dec. 4.
Georgian police detain opposition leader amid protests
Georgian police detained Nika Gvaramia, the leader of the Coalition for Change opposition party, on Dec. 4 amid government crackdowns as pro-EU protests in the country continue.
Yermak-led delegation meets with VP-elect Vance, members of Trump's team in Washington, media reports
A Ukrainian delegation, led by Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, met with top incoming government officials as well as aides to President-elect Donald Trump in Washington on Dec. 4, various media outlets reported.
84 arrested in UK-led crypto laundering investigation involving Russian oligarchs, spies
The United Kingdom's National Crime Agency (NCA) announced on Dec. 4 that it had dismantled a multibillion-dollar money laundering scheme that has enabled criminal networks, including Russian spies and oligarchs, to evade sanctions using cryptocurrency.
NATO unlikely to issue membership invite to Ukraine at upcoming meeting, Reuters reports
NATO countries will likely sidestep Ukraine's call to provide the embattled country with an invitation into the military alliance during the upcoming NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting on Dec. 3-4, Reuters reported, citing multiple diplomats.
Russian drone attack on Ternopil damages energy infrastructure
An overnight Russian drone attack on Ternopil on Dec. 3 damaged energy infrastructure in the city, Mayor Serhiy Nadal said.
Zelensky disputes media reports of 80,000 Ukrainian military casualties
"Recently, some in, I believe, the American press reported that 80,000 Ukrainians had been killed. I want to tell you that, no, (the number of those killed is) less, much less," Zelensky said, while refusing to provide a detailed number of casualties.
Russian, Syrian jets intensify bombing campaigns in rebel-held territory of Syria, Reuters reports
Russian and Syrian fighter jets have struck the rebel-held city of Idlib on Dec. 1 amid attempts to push back an insurgency that has taken over most of Aleppo, Reuters reported, citing Syrian army sources.
EU delivered 1 million shells to Ukraine, fulfilling pledge, Kallas says; no estimate for 2025 yet
The European Union has delivered 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine, fulfilling the pledge it initially promised to deliver by the spring of 2024, the EU’s new top diplomat Kaja Kallas told the Kyiv Independent on the sidelines of her visit to Kyiv.
US not considering returning nuclear weapons to Ukraine, Sullivan says
The United States is not considering returning to Ukraine the nuclear weapons the country previously agreed to give up under the Budapest Memorandum, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in an interview on Dec. 1.
Russia launched nearly 350 missiles, over 2,500 attack drones at Ukraine in November
Russia launched a total of 347 missiles as well as over 2,500 Shahed-type attack drones at Ukraine in November, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a news conference on Dec. 1.
'Article 5 cannot apply to entire territory of Ukraine during wartime,' Zelensky says on potential NATO invite
"We understand that Article 5, when you are a member of NATO, cannot apply to the entire territory of Ukraine during wartime, as countries are against the risks of being drawn into the war," Zelensky said during a news conference alongside Antonio Costa, the new President of the European Council.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrives in North Korea for official visit
Belousov will participate in meetings with "the military and political leadership of the DPRK," the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Russian soldiers suspected of executing 4 more Ukrainian POWs near Pokrovsk
Four unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were apparently shot and killed by Russian forces in Donetsk Oblast earlier this November, adding to the five previously reported executions of Ukrainian soldiers, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Nov. 28.
Russian attack on residential building, kindergarten in Sumy kills 2
A Russian missile attack on Nov. 26 struck a residential building and kindergarten in the city of Sumy, leaving at least two people dead, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported.
No indication North Korean troops are moving into Ukraine, Pentagon says
"What we're seeing is that (North Korean troops are) positioned around the Kursk region, not moving into Ukraine at the moment," Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Nov. 25 during a press briefing.
G7 allies expected to increase pressure on China over support for Russia, Bloomberg reports
The foreign ministers of Group of Seven (G7) countries are expected to agree to increase diplomatic pressure on China over the country's support for Russia's 'war machine' in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 25, citing an early draft of a communique seen by the publication.
Record number of Russian attack drones entered Belarus overnight, monitoring group says
A record 38 Russian Shahed-type attack drones entered Belarusian territory overnight on Nov. 24-25, with at least one of the drones reportedly shot down by the Belarusian Air Force, the monitoring group Belarusian Hajun reported.
Zelensky criticizes Brazil, G20 leaders for showing 'weak position on war'
President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Group of 20 (G20) leaders on Nov. 23 following the most recent summit in Brazil, adding that Brazilian President Lula da Silva, the current holder of the G20 Presidency, showed a "weak position" on Russia's war in Ukraine.
Russia damaged over 300 port facilities, 20 foreign vessels in the past year, Zelensky says
Russia has damaged 321 port infrastructure facilities, as well as 20 foreign merchant vessels since July 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 23 at the International Conference on Food Security in Kyiv.
West should 'not set red lines' on providing military support for Ukraine, French foreign minister says
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the BBC in an excerpt of an interview published on Nov. 23 that Western allies should "not set and express red lines" on providing Ukraine with military support against Russian aggression.
Ukraine has lost over 40% of territory previously gained in Kursk incursion, Reuters reports
Ukraine has lost over 40 per cent of the territory it previously gained in Russia's Kursk Oblast due to Russian counterattacks, Reuters reported on Nov. 23, citing a source in Ukraine's General Staff.
Zaluzhnyi: Use of technological advancements will prevent 'serious' front line breakthrough until 2027
"When robots began to appear massively on the battlefield, they made any movement of soldiers impossible. The inability to fight robots led to a standstill. We couldn’t move forward towards the Russians, and the Russians, accordingly, couldn’t move forward either," Zaluzhnyi said.
Increasing number of Ukrainians favor peace talks, poll suggests
As attitudes around potential future peace negotiations continue to shift in Ukraine, 52% of Ukrainians now say that they would like to see their country negotiate an end to the war "as soon as possible," according to a survey published by Gallup on Nov. 19.
US to announce $275 million military aid package to Ukraine, AP reports
The new aid package will include HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) ammunition, artillery shells, and Javelin surface-to-air missiles, in addition to a wide range of spare parts and equipment, according to officials.
Russia behind recent bomb threats at Czech, Slovak schools, Czech intelligence chief says
Michal Koudelka, the director of the Czech Security Information Service, said on Nov. 18 that Russia was behind a flurry of bomb threats made against schools in Czechia and Slovakia in recent months.
Nordic countries equipping citizens with pamphlets offering advice in case of war
The governments of Norway, Sweden, and Finland have begun the distribution of informative pamphlets to citizens, providing them with advice in case of the outbreak of war or other emergency situations, BBC reported on Nov. 17.
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