Soldiers from the 67th Motorized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are seen on a military truck on the section of the front line in the arc of the Donetsk River at Kremin forest in Donbas, Donetsk, Ukraine, on December 21, 2023. (Marek M. Berezowski / Anadolu / Getty Images)
Russia has lost around 1,195,610 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. 20.
The number includes 1,090 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,433 tanks, 23,769 armored fighting vehicles, 70,721 vehicles and fuel tanks, 35,287 artillery systems, 1,575 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,263 air defense systems, 432 airplanes, 347 helicopters, 92,488 drones, 4,073 cruise missiles, 28 ships and boats, and two submarines.
Tania Myronyshena is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has written for outlets such as United24 Media, Ukrainer, Wonderzine, as well as for PEN Ukraine, a Ukrainian non-governmental organization. Before joining the Kyiv Independent, she worked as a freelance journalist with a focus on cultural narratives and human stories. Tania holds a B.A. in publishing and editing from Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv University.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia targeted Ukraine overnight with three Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from occupied Crimea and 51 attack drones.
SSO drones also hit a Russian oil platform located at the Filanovsky oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea. The platform is owned by Russian oil company Lukoil and is used for oil and gas extraction.
"Yesterday evening, Russia carried out a missile strike on a port infrastructure facility in the Odessa region. Some of the victims were on a bus that was at the epicenter of the strike," the State Emergency Service reported.
"We agreed with our American partners on further steps and the continuation of our joint work in the near future," delegation leader Rustem Umerov said after the meeting.
"We're not concerned about an escalation with Russia, with regards to Venezuela ... I think they have their hands full in Ukraine," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Dec. 19.
The SBU's Alpha Special Operations Center's drones hit a gas turbine unit at the Rakushechnoe deposit at the platform run by Russian oil giant Lukoil, the source said.
The Kyiv Independent on Dec. 9 hosted its first live event in New York City, an evening dedicated to storytelling, investigative journalism, and front-line reporting.
European leaders have approved an interest-free loan for Ukraine, providing a financial lifeline and securing a large portion of the cash-strapped country's financing needs for the next two years.
More than 2,400 people have joined the Kyiv Independent community during our anniversary campaign, helping us reach our goal of 25,000 members by the end of 2025.
"There are sometimes difficult moments in our societies, but as presidents, we must define policies that keep us united. Without our independence, Moscow will inevitably push further into Europe and will come for Poland," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Warsaw.
