The so-called “anti-war” rallies in Europe and the U.S. have marched against arming Ukraine, which in the demonstrators’ view would bring an end to Russia’s war of aggression. In reality, such protests play into Russia’s hands.
Iryna Matviyishyn is a video reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a freelance journalist with various international media. She was also an analyst, a video producer, and a project coordinator at UkraineWorld. Iryna studied journalism in Lviv and holds a master’s degree in human rights and democratization from the Global Campus of Human Rights in Europe.Read more
A Russian surface-to-air missile caused the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight near Aktau, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijani government sources reportedly confirmed on Dec. 26. The missile was fired from a Pantsir-S air defense system.
"To ensure the safety of civil aircraft flights, temporary restrictions have been introduced on the operation of Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Zhukovsky and Kaluga airports," Rosaviatsiya said on Dec. 26.
Russia's sabotage groups are trying to gain a foothold and have increased the number of attacks in Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Dec. 26 on national television.
"(M)embership in BRICS will benefit Thailand by promoting trade, investment, food and energy security," Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nikondet Phalangkun said on Dec. 26.
The Estlink 2, an undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia, was seriously damaged on Christmas Day. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible act of sabotage.
North Korean troops deployed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast continue to suffer significant losses, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on Dec. 26.
Public willingness to support Ukraine “until it wins” has dropped significantly across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, and the U.K., according to a YouGov poll reported by The Guardian on Dec. 26.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for calling Vladimir Putin Hungary's “honest partner” during Russia’s massive missile attacks on Ukraine on Christmas Day, according to a Dec. 26 statement on X.
The Ukrainian Air Force struck a plant in Kamensk-Shakhtynsky, Rostov Oblast, that produces solid propellant for ballistic missiles, Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications (Stratcom) reported on Dec. 26.
Russian forces struck the central market in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, with a drone on Dec. 26, injuring eight people, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported.
Russian shoppers continue to access luxury Western brands despite sanctions imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, The Financial Times reported on Dec. 26.
Inflation in Russia has reached its highest levels in nearly a year, driven by war spending and rising food prices, The Moscow Times reported on Dec. 25, citing Russia's Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat).
Russian companies are increasingly using Bitcoin and other digital currencies for international payments in response to Western sanctions, Reuters reported on Dec. 25.
U.S. President Joe Biden directed the Pentagon to "continue its surge" of weapons deliveries to Ukraine in response to Russia's mass attack on the country on Christmas Day, he announced on Dec. 25.
Oleksii Bezpaltsev, a 34-year-old poet and prose writer from Kharkiv, was killed in action while performing a combat mission in Kharkiv Oblast, PEN Ukraine reported on Dec. 25.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his Christmas Eve address on Dec. 24 that Ukrainians continue to hold on to their faith, unity, and traditions during the third Christmas in wartime.
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