Der Spiegel: Germany blocks Spain from sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

7:46 AM

Russian general charged with chemical weapons crimes reported dead in Moscow explosion.

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian Armed Forces' radiation, chemical, and biological defense troops, was reportedly killed in an explosion at a residence in Moscow the morning of Dec. 17. The previous day, Ukraine's SBU sentenced Kirillov in absentia for the use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine.

7:10 AM

West should pressure Russia into peace talks, not Ukraine, Polish FM says.

"Both the United States and the European Union must help Ukraine to achieve a better negotiating position for possible future negotiations, which should be encouraged and forced on the aggressor, not the victim."

6:33 AM

North Korean soldiers 'legitimate targets' for Ukrainian military, US official says.

U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller warned that if North Korean troops crossed the border into Ukraine to fight for Russia, that would mark a serious "escalation" in the war.

5:23 AM

Russia to mass-produce Oreshnik ballistic missiles, Putin claims.

Large-scale production of Russia's nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile is a goal for "the near future," Putin alleged at a defense ministry board meeting on Dec. 16.

3:54 AM

Russia trying to hide North Korean losses in Ukraine war, Zelensky claims.

"Russia is not only involving North Korean soldiers in assaults on Ukrainian positions, but is also trying to hide the losses of these people," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 16.

2:55 AM

Russian gas transit deal ends on December 31, won't be renewed, PM Shmyhal says.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Dec. 16 that the deal allowing Russian gas to transit through Ukraine will not be extended beyond the end of the year. His statement comes as several European countries intensify efforts to secure alternative energy supplies.

1:42 AM

EU imposes sanctions on Chinese companies, North Korean minister over Ukraine war.

The EU imposed fully fledged sanctions on Dec. 16, including asset freezes and visa bans, on Chinese firms for supplying Russia's military for the war against Ukraine.

11:30 PM

Estonia urges NATO allies to boost defense spending to counter Russian threat, Reuters reports.

"Everybody in NATO and in the EU right now has the feeling in their backbone that you should increase defense expenditure because of what is happening all over the world and with Russia," Estonia's Prime Minister Kristen Michal told Reuters.

10:14 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russia sets goal to fully occupy 4 Ukrainian regions in 2025

9:52 PM

Ukraine condemns Hungary’s ‘peacekeeping’ proposals, calls them manipulative.

Hungary, which maintains close ties with Moscow despite Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has consistently criticized EU sanctions against Russia and blocked initiatives to provide military aid to Kyiv.

9:22 PM

North Korean troops suffer casualties in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Pentagon says.

North Korean troops have joined combat operations in the Kursk Oblast, marking the first confirmed engagement of North Korean soldiers alongside Russian military, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder said on Dec. 16.

8:44 PM

'It's a tough one,' Trump says following questions on how he plans to stop Russia's war against Ukraine.

President-elect Donald Trump confirmed he had not invited President Volodymyr Zelensky to his January inauguration but noted that Zelensky would be “welcome” if he chose to attend.

8:03 PM

EU will train 75,000 Ukrainian soldiers by early 2025, chief diplomat says.

Launched in October 2022, the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM) has already trained approximately 60,000 Ukrainian troops as of August 2024, primarily in Germany and Poland.

7:28 PM

Bundestag votes no confidence in Scholz government, elections set for February.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz failed a confidence vote in the Bundestag on Dec. 16, paving the way for early parliamentary elections scheduled for Feb. 23.

6:34 PM

Ukraine possesses laser weapons, advanced drone technologies, commander says.

Speaking on Dec. 16, Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi said Ukraine’s laser system, called Tryzub, can down aircraft at altitudes exceeding 2 kilometers.

6:01 PM

EU imposes new sanctions on Belarusian officials and companies supporting Lukashenko regime.

The sanctions target judges who sentenced opposition figures, law enforcement officials involved in persecuting dissidents, and heads of penitentiaries where political prisoners are held.

5:18 PM

War analysis

As US pushes for Ukraine to lower draft age, why won’t Ukraine conscript younger men?

5:05 PM

Russia sets 2025 goal to fully occupy 4 Ukrainian regions, Defense Minister says.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said during a Defense Ministry meeting on Dec. 16 that Moscow aims to seize the entirety of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts in 2025.

4:14 PM

Ukraine charges Russian general over use of banned chemical weapons.

According to the SBU's investigation, chemical weapons have been used in more than 4,800 cases since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

4:01 PM

Assad releases first statement since fleeing to Russia, claims he never considered 'seeking refuge'.

In a post on the official Facebook page of the Syrian presidency, Assad said he was releasing the statement to address "misinformation and narratives far removed from the truth" in the wake of his overthrow.

3:00 PM

Russia must be ready for potential conflict with NATO 'within 10 years,' defense minister says.

Russia should prepare for multiple scenarios, including a war with NATO, in the next 10 years, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said.

2:20 PM

Assad airlifted $250m in cash from Syria to Russia over two years, FT reports.

The FT said Syria's central bank flew nearly two tonnes of $100 bills and €500 notes into the country, which were then deposited in sanctioned Russian banks.

1:41 PM

Norway to provide $242 million for Ukrainian naval defense against Russian Black Sea threats.

The money will be channeled through the Nansen Support Program, Norway's civil and military support program for Ukraine.

12:55 PM

Ukraine produces almost 100 new Peklo missile-drones, media reports.

Almost 100 of Ukraine's new Peklo missile-drone hybrids have been produced as the weapon entered serial production, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Dec. 16.

12:19 PM

30 North Korean soldiers killed, injured in Kursk Oblast assaults, Ukraine's intelligence claims.

North Korean losses have to be replenished by fresh soldiers from North Korea's 94th Separate Brigade, HUR claimed.