News Feed

1:05 PM

Russian attack on Kherson injures 1, damages kindergarten.

Russian forces carried out the attack at 11 a.m., damaging the walls and windows of the building, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

1:00 PM

Military confirms death of Russian troops who killed Ukrainian POWs.

The group of Russian soldiers who were recorded executing two Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) in Donetsk Oblast has been killed, Oleksandr Shtupun, the spokesman for the Tavria group of forces said on air on Dec. 4.

12:33 PM

Kyiv resident who allegedly aided Russian New Year's Eve strike detained.

The 40-year-old suspect left for Russia via a third country at the end of 2022 and volunteered himself to work with Russian intelligence services in exchange for Russian citizenship, according to the report.

12:23 PM

Media: Zelensky 'bypassing' Zaluzhnyi in communication with some commanders.

President Volodymyr Zelensky is allegedly "bypassing" Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi in communication with some military commanders, complicating the latter's ability to fully command Ukraine's Armed Forces, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Dec. 4, citing anonymous sources.

11:12 AM

Opinion

Opinion: Europe knows that climate action is vital to global security

10:48 AM

Processing of empty trucks begins at Poland-Ukraine border checkpoint.

Customs services began processing empty trucks departing from Ukraine to Poland at the Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv checkpoint in accordance with an agreement between Kyiv and Warsaw, the State Border Guard service announced on Dec. 4.

10:06 AM

Russian attacks kill 3, injure 11 in Donetsk, Kherson oblasts over past day.

In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed and another injured in Russian attacks against Kostiantynivka, the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration said on Dec. 4.

9:41 AM

Finland seeks Poland's experience in border protection.

Finland plans to use Poland's experience with border security amid the growing migrant crisis on the Finnish-Russian border, the Polish Radio reported on Dec. 3.

9:12 AM

Ambassador: Some compromises found with Polish side on border blockade.

Ukraine continues negotiations with the Polish government, and some points of contact have been found, Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Zvarych commented. "And we really hope that these proposals, which we worked out together with the Polish government, will be enough for the protesters to stop the protest."

8:11 AM

Russia has lost 332,810 troops in Ukraine.

Russia has lost 332,810 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Dec. 4. This number includes 770 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:44 AM

Russia launches drone attack from occupied Crimea.

Russian forces launched 23 Shahed drones into Ukraine from occupied Crimea during the early hours of Dec. 4, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on Telegram.

5:21 AM

ISW: Russia censoring relatives of mobilized personnel on social media.

The Russian state is censoring relatives of mobilized Russian personnel on social media for fear of their protests' possible negative effects on Vladimir Putin's still unannounced 2024 presidential campaign, the Institute for the Study of War reported in their daily assessment on Dec. 3.

1:58 AM

Russia shells 4 communities in Sumy Oblast.

Russian forces attacked four settlements in Sumy Oblast on Dec. 3, the local military administration reported on Telegram.

11:39 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russian infantry activity rising in southeast, general says

10:17 PM

Air Force: Russia launches drone attack against southern Ukraine.

Russia launched a group of Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones against Ukraine on the evening of Dec. 3, leading to a risk of drone strikes in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts, Ukraine's Air Force reported.

9:49 PM

Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast kill 1, injure 2.

Russian attacks in Avdiivka and Kostiantynivka killed one person and injured two others, the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported on Dec. 3.

8:09 PM

Lukashenko arrives in China to meet with Xi.

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko arrived in China for negotiations on economic and trade investments with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Lukashenko's press office reported on Dec. 3.

6:47 PM

Update: Russian attack on Kherson kills 2, injures 7.

The death toll of the Russian artillery strike on Kherson rose to two people as of 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, according to Roman Mrochko, the head of the city’s military administration.

5:39 PM

Russian attack on residential, medical buildings in Kherson kills 1, injures 4.

Russian troops launched a heavy artillery attack on Kherson, hitting a residential building and two medical institutions, local authorities reported on Dec. 3.

5:10 PM

Crossing point for empty trucks at Ukraine-Poland border to open on Dec 4.

The Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv border crossing between Ukraine and Poland will be opened on Dec. 4 for empty trucks, the State Border Guard reported on Dec. 3.

4:06 PM

Official: Russia has lost over 7,200 troops, 530 units of military equipment over past week.

Starting from Nov. 27, Russia has lost 62 tanks, 117 armored personnel carriers, 75 artillery systems, six multiple-launch rockets systems (MLRS), five air-defense systems, 144 vehicles, and 27 units of some special equipment, according to First Deputy Defense Minister Oleksandr Pavliuk.

2:46 PM

Commander: Russian infantry activity rising in southeastern front line.

Russian forces have reduced the number of airstrikes against Ukraine but intensified infantry activity on the southeastern front line, General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of the Tavria Group, reported on Dec. 3.

2:22 PM

Ministry reports power outages in over 900 settlements due to weather, war.

Over 500 settlements in a dozen Ukrainian regions experienced power outages due to bad weather, and over 400 more lost power due to Russian attacks and equipment disturbances, the Energy Ministry reported on Dec. 3.

1:10 PM

Police dismiss lawmaker Dubinsky’s claims of being beaten, injured in jail.

Kyiv Police dismissed the claim of Oleksandr Dubinsky, a lawmaker charged with treason, who said on Dec. 2 that he had been beaten and injured at a pre-trial detention facility.

11:25 AM

Military confirms Russian troops executed 2 Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk Oblast.

Russian troops killed two Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered as prisoners of war (POW) in Donetsk Oblast, the Strategic Communications Directorate of Ukraine’s Armed Forces confirmed on the evening of Dec. 2.

MORE NEWS

News Feed

Edit post

Danilov: Russia may begin full mobilization after 2024 presidential election

by Nate Ostiller and The Kyiv Independent news desk November 20, 2023 5:57 PM 2 min read

Oleksii Danilov, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary, speaking to the International Security Forum in Halifax, Canada, on Nov. 20. (National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine)

This audio is created with AI assistance

Russia may begin full mobilization after the 2024 Russian presidential election on March 17, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksii Danilov warned in a speech to the International Security Forum in Halifax, Canada, on Nov. 20.

"After (Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin’s (next) enthronement, the regime will be anchored, (which) basically means giving it a free hand. That is why Ukraine and the global community have 3-4 months to prepare relevantly," Danilov said.

Russia is moving toward a total war footing and is ready for a long war, according to Danilov. In addition, Russia appears to have the ability to adapt and be surprisingly resilient in the face of wide-ranging sanctions.

Danilov also suggested that there is growing concern in Ukraine that its Western allies are increasingly thinking about negotiating with Russia, potentially by seeking a ceasefire, a notion that is rooted in a fear of Russia that has persisted despite the poor performance of the Russian military since Feb. 24, 2022.

Such temptations should be resisted, Danilov said, because Russia only understands the "language of force."

Without a concerted effort from the West to continue to support Ukraine and to seek a full collapse of the Putin regime, "a new “axis of evil” awaits the world in 15-20 years. This axis will include not only (North Korea), China, Iran, and Russia, but also some European countries."

He did not name which European countries he was referring to.

Putin is expected to announce that he will seek another term but has not made an official announcement yet. It is unclear if other candidates will nominally participate, but if Putin decides to run, his victory is all but assured.

Freedom House, a nonprofit advocating international democracy, gave Russia a 0/4 score in its 2022 report card on political freedoms in the country.

The U.K. Defense Ministry said on Oct. 10 that chances of a new wave of mobilization being announced before the election were low. It did not, however, comment on the possibility of further mobilization after the election.

Authors: Nate Ostiller, The Kyiv Independent news desk

Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.

Freedom can be costly. Both Ukraine and its journalists are paying a high price for their independence. Support independent journalism in its darkest hour. Support us for as little as $1, and it only takes a minute.