Ukraine successfully returned five children from Russia and Russian-occupied territories as part of the "Bring Kids Back UA" initiative, Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak announced early on Dec. 10.
During his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Friedrich Merz, the leading contender to become Germany's next chancellor, condemned the German government's hesitance to provide long-range weaponry like Taurus cruise missiles.
"We have made clear is that if (Ukraine) produces additional forces to join the fight, we and our allies will be ready to acquit those forces and train those forces to enter battle," U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Dec. 9.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to take action toward negotiating a truce, saying on Dec. 8: "I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!"
A 73-year-old man in a town of Kindiika close to Kherson died after explosives were dropped from the drone on Dec. 8.
Russian news agencies reported on Dec. 8 that Syria's Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Russia, where they have been granted asylum on "humanitarian grounds."
Trump reiterated that he is working to end the hostilities in Ukraine, reinforcing his earlier campaign claim that he could resolve the war within 24 hours if he were in charge.
Canada unveiled a renewed Arctic strategy on Dec. 6, aiming to bolster regional security in response to growing threats from Russia.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed confidence in reaching an agreement with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on a joint strategy for Ukraine following their phone conversation.
Russian forces attacked Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Dec. 6, killing two people and injuring 17, including a six-year-old boy, according to Governor Serhii Lysak. The death toll rose to three on Dec. 7 when rescuers recovered another body from the rubble.
The suspect reportedly carried out reconnaissance missions, photographing and recording potential targets he intended to destroy with explosives or fire, Romanian prosecurors allege.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed during a briefing that the transfer is part of a coordinated effort between the U.S. and EU to support Ukraine.
Since February 2022, at least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted from Russian-occupied territories and sent to other Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine or to Russia itself.
The official, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly, noted that these discussions happen in individual capitals, not within NATO.
The package will include Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, drones, and landmines, among other equipment.
Hungarian government sources said that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump sought Viktor Orban’s opinion on strategies to end the Ukraine war. Orban, known for his close ties with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, has openly criticized EU aid for Ukraine and obstructed sanctions against Moscow.
Authorities identified the man by his initials, J.K., and detained him late on Nov. 29. He faces charges of "participating in a foreign army, police, paramilitary or parapolice formation."
A former UFO investigator with the U.K.'s Ministry of Defense has suggested potential links between recent drone incursions at the Royal Air Force (RAF) bases in the U.K. and foreign adversaries, including Russia and China. The drones were spotted between Nov. 20 and 22 over three U.S. Air Force bases in the U.K.
The raids coincide with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s Supreme Court decision to classify the LGBTQ+ movement as an "extremist organization." The ruling followed a years-long effort to suppress LGBTQ+ rights in the country.
At least 15 of Ukraine's 20 civilian airports have sustained damage since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Nov. 30.
Kim Jong Un reportedly emphasized that North Korea "will invariably support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity from the imperialists’ moves for hegemony."
A Ukrainian court has sentenced a 43-year-old woman to 15 years in prison for aiding Russian military operations and attempting to flee to Russia.
Russian lawyer Dmitry Talantov, who once chaired the regional lawyers' association in Udmurtia, was accused of posting several social media comments condemning Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian forces launched attack drones targeting Kyiv and other regions on the evening of Nov. 28. In one district of the capital, debris from a drone caused a fire on the facade of a children's medical center.
"We are now in the situation when we need more equipment to arm all the people that have already been mobilized, and we think the first priority is to send quicker, faster military aid," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on Nov. 28.
Many U.S. officials now acknowledge that Ukraine could be pushed into talks within months and might be forced to cede territory to end the war, the Washington Post (WP) reported on Nov. 26.
Kyiv has indicated it will not extend the transit deal, ending over 50 years of gas flows from Siberia to central Europe — a vital revenue stream for Russia since the Soviet era.
Unidentified drones have flown over three U.S. Air Force bases in the U.K. in the past week, U.S. officials said on Nov. 26.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said that Ukraine could manage its defense effectively if supplied with the necessary resources. "As far as I know, Ukrainians can handle all of this, when we can deliver all what they need for fighting with Russia."
"The next IRIS-T SLM (medium-range) and SLS (short-range) systems should arrive in Ukraine in the coming days and weeks, before Christmas," Major General Christian Freuding, head of the Bundeswehr's Situation Center Ukraine, told journalists in Kyiv on Nov. 25.
Officials speaking to Bloomberg confirmed that the missiles were supplied before the U.K. and the U.S. authorized Ukraine to target locations inside Russia with long-range weapons.
"We are continuing evacuation efforts, bringing both children and adults to safety," Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on air.
