People walk through the Fomin Botanical Garden in Kyiv on Dec. 21. Kyiv saw its first heavy snowfall of the season on the evening of Dec. 20. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Kyiv had its first heavy snowfall of the season on the evening of Dec. 20, with 13 centimeters of snow rapidly covering the capital.
Municipal workers clean the snow in the Taras Shevchenko Park in central Kyiv on Dec. 21. Kyiv saw its first heavy snowfall of the season on the evening of Dec. 20. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Traffic ground to a halt across the city while the number of road accidents surged. For example, a tram derailed on Kyrylivska Street in the Podil neighborhood.
Traffic remained slow on Dec. 21 as Kyiv was dealing with the consequences of the season's first heavy snowfall. Mask wearing is mandatory on public transport in Kyiv, but passengers often pull their masks down during the ride. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
The city authorities reported that they deployed 287 snow plows and 354 municipal workers to clean the snow off the streets.
A boy sleds down a hill in central Kyiv on Dec. 21. Kyiv saw its first heavy snowfall of the winter on Dec. 20. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
The snowfall was accompanied by a cold snap: Temperature fell to -9 degrees Celsius on Dec. 21 and is expected to stay below zero for most of the week. Due to the cold weather, heating points have opened in Kyiv.
Kyiv saw its first heavy snowfall of the season on the evening of Dec. 20. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
On the bright side, Kyiv saw its first glimpse of sunlight in several weeks the day after the snowfall. Daily snowfalls are forecasted to begin again on Dec. 24.
Real winter came to Kyiv on Dec. 20-21, with the season's first heavy snowfall and the temperatures sliding to minus 9 Celsius. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Russian forces struck the central market in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, with a drone on Dec. 26, injuring six 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.
President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, denounced Russia's mass attack on early Christmas morning, emphasizing that "Christmas should be a time of peace."
Footage of the plane shows traces of a large surface-to-air missile impact on the tail section of the plane, according to Russian independent media outlet Meduza.
In a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Zelensky expressed his gratitude for Japan's previous aid to Ukraine, which has totaled $12 billion and "makes it possible to save thousands of lives."
The declaration comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed during a press conference on Dec. 19 that Ukraine would not extend the transit agreement for Russian gas through its territory, which is set to expire on Dec. 31.
The Shchedryk unmanned aerial vehicle has increased resistance to electronic warfare and can be tasked with monitoring the actions of Russian troops on the battlefield, the Defense Minitsry said.
"(The depot) was used by the enemy to supply its troops in the Kramatorsk sector (in Donetsk Oblast). Now the Russians have logistical difficulties, which significantly affect their ability to conduct combat operations," a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said.
Russia launched more than 70 missiles, including ballistic ones, and over 100 drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. More than 50 missiles and "a significant number" of drones were shot down, he added.
"This fire strike is part of a comprehensive campaign to weaken the ability of the Russian Armed Forces to coordinate military operations against the people of Ukraine," Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications said.
According to Kazakhstan's Transport Ministry, the plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines had 37 Azerbaijani passengers, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz, along with five crew members on board.
Anastasia Bobovnikova, a spokesperson of the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, said that fighting with the use of armored combat vehicles, motorcycles and buggies took place in the village of Nelipivka north of Toretsk.
Russia added 65 organizations to the list in 2024, include the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ), founded by George and Amal Clooney, and the independent Russian media outlet the Moscow Times.
Preliminary reports say that a Russian ballistic missile hit a four-story apartment building in the city, according to Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul. "Unfortunately, we're preparing for difficult news," Vilkul said in a statement.
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