This is Jared Goyette, blogging from Kyiv on the 1,392nd day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Our top stories so far today: * SBU says drones hit Russian equipment worth hundreds of millions at Belbek airfield in occupied Crimea * Zelensky arrives in Brussels to attend crucial EU summit, while a Ukrainian delegation prepares to make another visit to the U.S. * Germany backs Ukraine with $1.4 billion in defense agreements Latest from the War Desk: Russian drone hits civilian c

The fund's board of directors reached final consensus on several administrative steps on Dec. 18, paving the way for the fund to accept investments starting in early 2026.

A Russian strike drone hit a civilian car traveling across a bridge in Odesa Oblast on Dec. 18, killing a woman and injuring her three children, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said.

Zelensky is expected to meet Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

About the author: Archil Jangirashvili is a Georgian lawyer and academic specializing in law, political ethics, and human rights. The question of whether Russian society bears responsibility for Vladimir Putin’s actions has been raised repeatedly since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This debate is not confined to Eastern Europe; it also actively circulates in Western political and academic circles. Often, it produces a comforting illusion: the source of today’s threa

A Russian ballistic missile system known as Oreshnik has been deployed to Belarus and is entering active combat duty, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said during a press conference on Dec. 18.

European leaders are expected to decide on Dec. 18–19 whether to proceed with a "reparations loan," a plan to lend up to 210 billion euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.

According to the survey, 77% of Ukrainians are aware of the investigation, and 59% believe President Volodymyr Zelensky bears responsibility for the recent corruption scandal.

Zelensky was commenting on a potential future election as part of a peace or ceasefire deal that Ukraine has been discussing with the U.S.

About the author: Cyril Kabbara is the founder and CEO of Shark Robotics. This week, my company, Shark Robotics, a French high-tech scale-up and a world leader in civil protection robotics, delivered 40 Colossus robots to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SESU). The purpose is simple and essential: to protect those who protect all the others. This mission is personal to me. Before creating Shark Robotics, I served as a French Army soldier in a special reconnaissance unit. I was deployed to A

The new sanctions bring the total of sanctioned "shadow fleet" ships to 600, according to the Council of the EU.

Ukrainian forces counterattacked near Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, the Third Army Corps said, claiming an entire Russian regiment was destroyed and prisoners were taken.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has struck a Russian military airfield in occupied Crimea, reportedly destroying air defense equipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the agency said in a Telegram post on Dec. 18.

The discussions will concern the 20-point peace plan, security guarantees, reconstruction, and all relevant steps and documents, Zelensky told journalists.

Igor Taro, the interior minister of the Baltic nation, said it remains unclear whether the incident was intentional but emphasized that there is no threat to Estonia's security.

Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil tanker in the Port of Rostov overnight on Dec. 18, local officials in Russia's Rostov Oblast reported.

Kyiv has signed several new defense agreements with Berlin totaling 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion), Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Dec. 17, a day after the Ramstein-format meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG).

Russia attacked the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia with KAB bombs the morning of Dec. 17, injuring at least 26 people, including a child, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

U.S. and Russian officials are set to meet in Miami this weekend to discuss efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, Politico reported on Dec. 17, citing two unnamed sources.

The U.S. Senate on Dec. 17 approved a $900 billion defense spending bill that includes $800 million in military assistance for Ukraine, following the House of Representatives’ passage of the legislation last week.

As dust settles from a historic deal that saw Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko free 123 political prisoners in exchange for a partial U.S. sanctions relief, the main question remains unanswered — what now? Trump’s newly appointed special envoy, John Coale, arrived in Minsk on Dec. 12 and secured the biggest prisoner release so far, with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and leading opposition figures Viktar Babaryka and Maria Kalesnikava walking free the following day. The inc

Ukrainian forces have regained control over 16 square kilometers (6.2 square miles) in the northern part of Pokrovsk, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Dec. 17 following his participation in the 32nd Ramstein-format Defense Contact Group meeting.

"The clock is ticking on Roman Abramovich to honor the commitment he made when Chelsea FC was sold and transfer the 2.5 billion pounds to a humanitarian cause for Ukraine," Starmer said on Dec. 17.

The man is suspected of helping Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) coordinate strikes on Ukrainian Armed Forces' warehouses with ammunition and drones.

If Russia's demands were not met through diplomatic efforts, Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would "liberate" what he claimed were its "historical lands" on the battlefield.

Oleksandr Korniyenko was appointed deputy speaker of the parliament in 2021. Since then, the party has been led by lawmaker Olena Shuliak.

ODESA, Ukraine — Rolling into Odesa’s downtown, the constant hum of hundreds of generators drowns the ability to converse. Just days earlier, the region came under a massive strike involving Shahed-type attack drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. The city, home to one million residents, was plunged into near-complete darkness on Dec. 13, with hundreds of thousands of residents left without electricity, while water and heating services became scarce. “The emergency situation that a

The U.S. is planning new sanctions on Russia’s energy sector to ramp up pressure on Moscow if President Vladimir Putin rejects a peace deal with Ukraine, Bloomberg reported citing sources familiar with the situation.

The Kyiv Independent’s Martin Fornusek sits down with Denmark’s European Union Affairs Minister Marie Bjerre and Sweden’s European Union Affairs Minister Jessica Rosencrantz to discuss Ukraine’s progress toward EU accession, Hungary’s continued block on opening negotiation clusters, and the impact of Ukraine’s latest major corruption scandal.

Mstyslav Chernov’s "2000 Meters to Andriivka," a documentary chronicling Ukrainian troops’ perilous advance to retake a strategically important village from Russian forces, has been nominated for best documentary feature.

As Ukraine abandons hope of joining NATO anytime soon, it seeks the next best alternative: security guarantees based on the alliance's Article 5. President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials have been clear: any peace deal not backed up by real force invites future Russian aggression — much like the infamous Budapest Memorandum. Following recent meetings in Berlin between Ukraine, U.S. and European officials, Washington appears open to providing the so-called "Article 5-like" security guar

"The lesson will be that European solidarity ends where fear of action begins, even in self-defense,” Iryna Mudra, Zelensky’s top legal advisor, told the Kyiv Independent.