Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko delivers a speech in the session hall of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Oct. 6, 2023, in Kyiv. (Andrii Nesterenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Wide swathes of Ukraine were without power on Dec. 22 due to bad weather conditions and Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine's Energy Ministry said.
Thirteen oblasts across Ukraine were affected by either or both bad weather and Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, impacting the power supply of close to 100,000 people.
The most affected region was Zakarpattia Oblast, where 64,300 people lost power due to high winds.
In Donetsk, Chernihiv, Kherson, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, tens of thousands of people lacked access to power or gas as a result of Russian attacks.
The ministry also said that Russian forces fired on a thermal power plant in Donetsk Oblast.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Nov. 25 that there is no specific deadline for Ukraine to accept the initially drafted 28-point proposal, easing previous statements that implied he hoped for a Thanksgiving agreement. "The deadline for me is when it’s over," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
"The absolute condition for a good peace is a set of very robust security guarantees and not paper guarantees. Ukraine has had its share of promises that were shattered by successive Russian aggressions, and real rock-solid guarantees are a necessity," French President Emmanuel Macron said.
"The president will give me a lot of space and discretion to get to the deal," U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov in a recorded phone call obtained by Bloomberg.
The arrests of NABU detectives in July were seen by critics as part of a crackdown on the bureau triggered by its investigations against Zelensky's top allies.
"The original 28-Point Peace Plan, which was drafted by the United States, has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides, and there are only a few remaining points of disagreement," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian Il-76 heavy transport aircraft as well as an experimental A-60 airborne laser complex, according to Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, on Nov. 25.
"We look forward to organizing a visit of Ukraine's president to the U.S. at the earliest suitable date in November to complete final steps and make a deal with President (Donald) Trump," said Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.
U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll traveled to Abu Dhabi on Nov. 24 for negotiations with Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, and a Russian delegation, Driscoll's spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Tolbert, confirmed to Axios.
Forces operating under the "Coalition of the Willing" would be deployed to rear locations, such as Kyiv or Odesa, to provide security and training, Macron said.
A Ukrainian army of this size would still remain the second-largest European force after Russia and put it close to its current wartime strength of about 900,000 service members.
Independent, under fire — and unstoppable with you on board
Independent journalism is never easy, and it’s even harder in wartime. Yet we can do it without paywalls, billionaires, or compromise — because of our community. Help us reach 25,000 members by the end of 2025.
0of 25,000
0 already on board, 25,000 left
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
AUD
Secure transaction
Secure transaction
Independent, under fire — and unstoppable with you on board
Independent journalism is never easy, and it’s even harder in wartime. Yet we can do it without paywalls, billionaires, or compromise — because of our community. Help us reach 25,000 members by the end of 2025.
Oleg Sukhov
