US to send $1.25 billion in military aid to Ukraine, AP reports
The upcoming aid package is expected to include a substantial supply of air defense munitions, along with Stinger missiles and artillery rounds, according to U.S. officials.
Ukraine
Kyiv running out of ATACMS missiles, NYT reports
Two senior U.S. officials said that when Biden gave Kyiv permission to launch ATACMS into Russian territory, Ukraine likely had only about 50 of the missiles left in its arsenal.
Ukraine war latest: Russia's new Oreshnik missile relies on Western manufacturing technology, FT reports
Key developments on Dec. 27: * Russia's new Oreshnik missile relies on Western manufacturing technology, FT reports * 3 senior Russian officers killed in HIMARS, drone attack, Ukraine's military intelligence says * Ukraine working to extend basic training to 2 months, Syrskyi says * Russia ramps up production of Shahed drones, decoys at Tatarstan
US officials believe Ukraine may be forced to retreat from Kursk Oblast in spring, Bloomberg reports
U.S. officials told Bloomberg on Dec. 27 that they believe Ukraine may only have a few months left in its incursion into Kursk Oblast until Ukraine's military is forced to retreat from the region or risk being encircled by Russian forces.
2024: Ukraine in photos
The year 2024 was brutal for Ukraine. Last winter saw the fall of Avdiivka when, after several months of brutal fighting, the Russian army captured the city leveled to the ground. Ukraine struggled to hold the front line with limited resources as political infighting in the U.S. Congress had
Ukraine receives $485 million in humanitarian aid from USAID, World Bank
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in coordination with the World Bank under the PEACE in Ukraine program, has delivered $485 million in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Dec. 27.
Fall of Assad’s regime disrupts Russian army recruitment in Syria
The collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria following a lightning rebel offensive in November has shaken Assad-ally Russia’s near-decade of influence in the country. It has also had one other lesser-known consequence: disrupting Moscow’s ability to recruit Syrian fighters for its war in Ukraine. The Kyiv
Construction of fortifications in Zaporizhzhia complete, Shmyhal says
Ukraine has been building heavy fortifications near the city of Zaporizhzhia in preparations for a potential Russian offensive in the region.
Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly — Issue 6
Editor’s note: This is issue 6 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from Dec. 16-Dec. 22, 2024. This newsletter was until recently titled “Ukrainian Economy in Brief." The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial
Ukraine repelling Russian attempt to gain foothold in Kherson Oblast, military says
Ukrainian troops have thwarted a Russian attempt to gain a foothold on one of its islands on the Dnipro River delta, Vladyslav Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command, said on national TV on Dec. 27.
Ukraine completes preparations for second peace summit, Foreign Ministry says
While Ukraine aimed to hold the summit before the end of 2024, spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said the focus is on achieving substantive outcomes rather than organizing “an event for the sake of an event.”
45% of Ukrainians think Trump’s election will bring peace closer, survey finds
Overall, 23% of respondents think peace under Trump would be mostly or completely fair to Ukraine, whereas 31% believe it would be mostly or completely unfair.
Russia ramps up production of Shahed drones, decoys at Tatarstan plant, CNN reports
In 2023, the factory produced 2,738 Shahed-136 drones, with output more than doubling to 5,760 units in the first nine months of 2024.
Ukraine working to extend basic training to 2 months, Syrskyi says
“We are currently working to create conditions for the training to last 2 months in total. High-quality training means, first and foremost, the preservation of the lives and health of our soldiers,” Syrskyi said.
Ukraine sends 500 tons of wheat flour to Syria under humanitarian program, Zelensky says
The aid aims to help alleviate a looming food crisis following the collapse of the Russia-backed regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8 amid a large-scale rebel offensive.
3 senior Russian officers killed in HIMARS, drone attack, Ukraine’s military intelligence says
Video released by HUR shows a large explosion followed by what appears to be the detonation of a cluster munition.
Russia's new Oreshnik missile relies on Western manufacturing technology, FT reports
According to the Financial Times, developers of the Oreshnik posted job listings in 2024 that specified expertise in operating German and Japanese metalworking systems.
Storm damages Russian anti-drone barriers near Crimean Bridge, satellite images reveal
The images, taken on Nov. 8, Dec. 16, and Dec. 24, reveal that Russia has yet to fully repair the barriers, which are constructed from old barges.
Ukraine considers 60,000 citizens as missing persons, official says
As of late 2024, 60,000 individuals in Ukraine are considered missing under special circumstances, Ukrinform reported on Dec. 26, citing Dmytro Bohatyuk, head of the Interior Ministry’s Department for Missing Persons.
Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 6, injure 6 over past day
Overnight, Russia launched 24 drones from inside Russia, as well as two Iskander-M ballistic missiles from Voronezh and Kursk oblasts, Ukraine’s Air Force reported.
Seoul confirms Ukrainian capture of wounded North Korean soldier in Kursk Oblast
The confirmation followed a report from Ukraine's military-focused news outlet Militarnyi on Dec. 26, which first revealed the capture without specifying the date of the incident.
General Staff: Russia has lost 782,510 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
This number includes 1,650 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Moldova approves 10-year defense strategy amid tensions with Russia
The country's defense strategy seeks to increase spending to 1% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.
Ukrainian platoon commander charged with abuse of authority, accused of beating, humiliating subordinates
Ukrainian law enforcement agents have charged a platoon commander of Ukraine's 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade with abuse of authority, accusing the individual of beating and humiliating subordinates, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Dec. 26.
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine hits ballistic missile propellant plant in Rostov Oblast; North Korean troops endure heavy losses
Key developments on Dec. 26: * Ukraine hits ballistic missile propellant plant in Rostov Oblast, Stratcom reports * North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast endure heavy losses, logistical struggles, Ukrainian military intelligence says * 18 Russian soldiers allegedly killed in Ukraine's Dec. 25 attack in Kursk Oblast, military says * 'Increase in enemy activity'
Russia detains 4 suspects allegedly planning to assassinate top defense officials
According to the Federal Security Service (FSB), four Russians were involved in an alleged Ukrainian plot to assassinate senior military officers.
Historian Marci Shore: Putin’s obsession with denazification is ‘Freudian projection’
The return of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to political life has raised uncomfortable questions about the future, not only within the U.S. but also on the global stage. This is particularly true for countries like Ukraine, which relies on U.S. aid as it’s locked in a
'Increase in enemy activity' — governor on Russia's assaults in Kherson Oblast
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.
18 Russian soldiers allegedly killed in Ukraine's Dec. 25 attack in Kursk Oblast, military says
Ukrainian troops reportedly hit the command post of Russia's 810th Separate Marine Brigade in the town of Lgov in Kursk Oblast overnight on Dec. 25.
‘Praise is not practice’ – Snyder’s new book challenges America’s understanding of freedom through comparison with Ukraine
In his latest book, “On Freedom,” American scholar Timothy Snyder establishes a thought-provoking distinction between the word "liberation" and the Ukrainian wartime variant "de-occupation" to probe the fraught but necessary question: When is a person truly free? Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has left countless settlements in ruins and displaced
Willingness to support Ukraine 'until it wins' drops significantly in Western Europe, poll says
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.
Russian companies increasingly using Bitcoin amid sanctions, Reuters reports
Russian companies are increasingly using Bitcoin and other digital currencies for international payments in response to Western sanctions, Reuters reported on Dec. 25.
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