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Ukraine reportedly strikes oil depot in Russia's Oryol Oblast

1:30 AM

(Updated: December 14, 2024 7:25 am)

Ukraine reportedly strikes oil depot in Russia's Oryol Oblast.

Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil depot in the city of Oryol overnight on Dec. 14, causing a large fire. Governor Andrey Klychkov later said that 11 drones were downed over the Oryol region.

6:49 AM

Russia appears to be withdrawing military assets from Syria, satellite images suggest.

At least two AN-124 heavy military transport planes were spotted at Khmeimim air base, located in Latakia on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, with their nose cones lifted, signaling readiness to load cargo, according to satellite images collected by Maxar.

5:42 AM

EU to impose first sanctions on Russian intelligence over disinformation campaigns, Bloomberg reports.

The proposed measures target more than a dozen individuals and three entities, including Russian intelligence officers and media entrepreneurs, according to Bloomberg. The sanctions aim to counter destabilizing operations globally.

3:28 AM

Russian authorities block Viber messaging app.

Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, announced on Dec. 13 that it had blocked access to the Viber messaging app.

2:45 AM

Macron expected to raise possibility of peacekeepers in Ukraine at upcoming EU summit, RFE/RL reports.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to raise the possibility of deploying European soldiers to Ukraine at the upcoming EU leaders' summit on Dec. 18-19, if a ceasefire deal is eventually reached between Russia and Ukraine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on Dec. 13, citing EU diplomats.

12:46 AM

Biden administration sharing information on Ukraine war with Trump's team ahead of potential peace talks, NBC reports.

Members of President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration have held discussions with White House officials as part of the incoming administration's ongoing effort to establish a ceasefire once Trump is inaugurated in January, NBC News reported on Dec. 13, citing sources familiar with the talks.

11:23 PM

War will be 'resolved in next few months,' Trump's Ukraine peace envoy believes, plans to 'listen' ahead of peace talks.

"I truly believe this will be resolved in the next few months," Kellogg said in an interview on Fox Business. "The only person who can do this is President Donald Trump, and he will do it. They're tired of killing each other out there. This is time," Kellogg added.

Ukraine war latest: Russia launches one of the largest aerial attacks on Ukraine's energy grid

11:02 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russia launches one of the largest aerial attacks on Ukraine's energy grid

Key developments on Dec. 13: * Russia launches one of the largest aerial attacks on Ukraine's energy grid * Ukraine resisting Russian encirclement attempts at 4 Donetsk Oblast villages, military says * Ukraine's new Ground Forces chief announces reforms focused on personnel, tech * Russia mulls attacking Ukraine with Oreshnik nuclear-capable missile this weekend,

10:19 PM

Chechnya

How Kadyrov became so powerful, and why Chechnya remains vital for survival of Putin's regime.

In December 1994, Russian troops launched a brutal and eventually unsuccessful military campaign against Chechen rebels, effectively beginning the First Chechen War. Thirty years later and two wars since, Chechnya, under strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, has become a key pillar of Russian President Vladimir Putin's oppressive regime. After losing the first

10:15 PM

Zelensky to meet with EU, NATO leaders in Brussels on Dec 19.

Brussels will host a two-day European Summit in the EU Council buildings on Dec. 18-19.

8:53 PM

Former prosecutor general reportedly appointed Ukraine's ambassador to Netherlands.

Kostin submitted his resignation on Oct. 22 following a National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) meeting headed by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

7:40 PM

Russia mulls attacking Ukraine with Oreshnik nuclear-capable missile this weekend, FT reports.

The unnamed official said that Russia wanted to use the weapon to intimidate Ukraine and its supporters, but the Oreshnik "does not change the rules of the game on the battlefield."

The West is pushing Ukraine toward concessions that will backfire

7:14 PM

Opinion

The West is pushing Ukraine toward concessions that will backfire

French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Premier Donald Tusk met on Dec. 12 in Warsaw. High on the agenda was how to support Ukraine in the “new Transatlantic context.” On the sidelines of the visit, the Élysée emphasized that “France’s position is that it is necessary to support Ukraine

The collapse of Assad’s regime shows the limits of Russian airpower

7:10 PM

Opinion

The collapse of Assad’s regime shows the limits of Russian airpower

After a decade-long civil war, Bashar al-Assad was firmly ensconced in Damascus — a far cry from the summer of 2012 and again in 2015, when policymakers, analysts, and pundits alike believed his rule was on the brink of collapse. The intervention of the Russian Air Force in the fall of

6:52 PM

Belarus weekly

Belarus Weekly: Putin, Lukashenko sign security treaty, promise Oreshnik deployment in Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko sign a security pact, announcing the potential deployment of Russian Oreshnik missiles in Belarus. Lukashenko frees 29 more political prisoners amid an ongoing pre-election civil society clampdown. Exiled Belarusian activists to face a record 17 in absentia charges for aiding

6:36 PM

Russia advances toward Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, Ukraine makes progress near Kupiansk, Estonian intelligence says.

Ukrainian forces are enjoying success in the Kupiansk sector, where two Russian bridgeheads that emerged during the crossing of the Oskil River were destroyed, Estonian intelligence said.

Breakaway churches, spiritual awakenings, prayers in captivity. How war is changing Ukraine’s faith

6:19 PM

Religion in Ukraine

Breakaway churches, spiritual awakenings, prayers in captivity. How war is changing Ukraine’s faith

For a decade, the world has seen how Russia has scarred Ukraine’s landscape with tens of thousands of bombs and missiles. The spiritual wounds — and awakenings — experienced by millions of Ukrainians are less visible. Almost a third of Ukrainians say their religious faith has grown since the war broke

5:36 PM

Georgian parliament bans masks, fireworks during protests.

The fine for wearing a mask or using lasers or fireworks is 2,000 Georgian lari ($712).

3:53 PM

Ukraine resisting Russian encirclement attempts at 4 Donetsk Oblast villages, military says.

The statement comes as analysts raise concerns about a growing risk of Ukrainian units being encircled in the area.

3:23 PM

Ukraine not ready for negotiations without strong Western support, Yermak says.

Regarding U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s repeated promises to quickly end the war, Yermak said, "There is no plan yet, and we have not seen it for sure. We know that several opinions and positions are being discussed."

3:06 PM

Dutch Supreme Court dismisses Russia's appeal in Naftogaz's $5 billion arbitration case.

The Supreme Court of the Netherlands has rejected Russia's appeal, upholding a decision by the Hague Arbitration Court requiring Russia to pay $5 billion in compensation to Ukraine’s state-owned Naftogaz for misappropriated assets in occupied Crimea, Naftogaz reported on Dec. 13.

2:49 PM

Italy willing to join potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, defense minister says.

"I hope to talk about peace, about peacekeeping, as soon as possible in Ukraine, but also in Gaza and Lebanon," Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told journalists in Madrid when asked about the possibility of Rome deploying peacekeepers in Ukraine.

2:15 PM

EU defense commissioner takes shelter in Kyiv amid massive Russian aerial strike.

Andrius Kubilius, the newly appointed European defense commissioner, spent the morning of Dec. 13 in a shelter in Kyiv during a large-scale Russian missile attack, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova said on X.

2:05 PM

Moldova announces state of emergency over expected halt of Russian gas.

Moldova's parliament on Dec. 13 voted to introduce a 60-day-long state of emergency starting Dec. 16 over the expected halt of Russian gas transit via Ukraine.

1:13 PM

Putin orders 'emergency support' for struggling Russian coal industry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for urgent measures to support the country’s coal companies, which face multibillion-dollar losses and risk mass bankruptcies, The Moscow Times reported on Dec. 12.

12:55 PM

Ukraine downs 161 of 287 Russian missiles, drones in mass aerial attack.

Moscow deployed four Kinzhal air-launched missiles, two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, one Kh-23 North Korean ballistic missile, 55 Kh-101 and Kh-55SM cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS bomber planes, 24 sea-launched Kalibr missiles, seven Iskander-K cruise missiles, and one Kh-59/69 missile, the Air Force said.

12:33 PM

Ukraine's new Ground Forces chief announces reforms focused on personnel, tech.

The proposed changes include a revamped recruitment system with "zero tolerance for corruption," improved military training tailored to front-line needs, and integration of advanced technology into training and operational processes.

12:13 PM

Massive fire engulfs warehouse in Russia's Novosibirsk.

A massive fire engulfed a warehouse in Russia's Novosibirsk overnight on Dec. 13, covering 5,000 square meters, Russian media reported.

11:46 AM

Russia deals 'massive blow' to Ukraine's thermal power plants, energy company says.

"DTEK thermal power plants were attacked. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties," the company said. The plants' equipment was "seriously damaged," with energy sector employees already working on repairs.

11:15 AM

Google to suspend payments for Russian app developers, Russian IT portal claims.

Google Play will indefinitely halt processing payments to app developers with bank accounts in Russia starting Dec. 26, Habr, a Russian IT portal, reported on Dec. 12.

10:23 AM

Trump tells Macron, Zelensky he wants European troops monitoring Ukraine ceasefire, WSJ reports.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump wants European troops to monitor a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 12, citing undisclosed official sources.

9:24 AM

Russia jails 2 Ukrainian soldiers deployed in Kursk Oblast for 14, 15 years.

The court convicted the soldiers on terrorism charges, accusing them of "opening fire to kill both Russian servicemen and civilians." Russia often uses trumped-up charges to jail captured Ukrainian soldiers, activists, journalists, and regular civilians for lengthy terms.

News Feed

5:19 AM

Trump names 5 picks for Pentagon jobs.

Trump's picks include Elbridge Colby, who opposes Ukraine's NATO membership but supports tougher sanctions on Moscow, and Michael Duffey, who froze military aid to Kyiv in 2019.

3:30 AM

Putin threatens 'more destruction' for Ukraine after Kazan drone strike.

"Whoever, and however much they try to destroy, they will face many times more destruction themselves and will regret what they are trying to do in our country," Putin said on Dec. 22.

2:13 AM

Putin, Slovak PM discuss gas transit, standardizing 'mutual relations,' Fico says after Kremlin meeting.

"In a long conversation ... Putin and I exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine, the possibilities of an early peaceful end to the war, and on mutual relations between the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation, which I intend to standardize."

12:44 AM

Trump claims Putin wants to meet with him 'as soon as possible.'

"President Putin said that he wants to meet with me as soon as possible. So we have to wait for this. But we need to end that horrible, horrible war."

11:28 PM

More than 1,000 applications submitted to join Ukrainian Legion in Poland, ambassador says.

Over a thousand applications have been submitted to the Ukrainian Legion in Poland, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar said in an interview with Suspilne on Dec. 22.

10:21 PM

New IMF forecast predicts war in Ukraine ending in late 2025 or 2026.

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) updated projections for Ukraine outline two scenarios regarding Russia’s ongoing war.

9:34 PM

Ukraine war latest: For the first time, Ukraine attacks Russian positions using solely ground, FPV drones.

8:11 PM

Slovak PM Robert Fico meets with Putin in Moscow.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on December 22, according to the state-owned TASS news agency.

6:58 PM

Ombudsman reacts to alleged Russian execution of Ukrainian POWs.

"The video shows how Russian soldiers shot five captured Ukrainian defenders," Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said, referring to drone footage released by the 110th Mechanized Brigade earlier on Dec. 22 that appears to have captured Russian troops shooting surrendered Ukrainian soldiers from behind.

4:52 PM

Full restoration of state registries expected within weeks, Justice Ministry says after major cyberattack.

In comments to the Kyiv Independent, the first deputy justice minister said that the precise date of the full restoration of the registries would be more clear in the coming days.

3:34 PM

At least one killed, 10 wounded by Russian attacks over past day, local authorities say.

The reports of casualties come as Ukraine's Air Force reported shooting down 52 attack drones, including the Shahed type, that Russia launched against the country overnight.

3:57 AM

(Updated: December 22, 2024 1:08 pm)

Oil depot in Russia’s Oryol Oblast targeted by ‘massive’ Ukrainian drone strike, governor says.

Oryol Oblast Governor Andrey Klychkov claimed that Russian forces downed 20 drones over Oryol Oblast targeting fuel and energy infrastructure facilities.

12:40 PM

Air Force reports downing 52 Russian drones overnight.

The Air Force added that it lost track of 44 decoy drones that Russia launched alongside the real attack drones.

10:08 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 774,100 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

This number includes 1,820 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Dec. 22.

5:15 AM

Media identifies nearly 85,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine.

According to the outlets' conclusions for the year, 2024 will likely mark the "war's deadliest year," with a current count of over 20,000 deaths confirmed over the past 12 months — although final conclusions cannot yet be made as data on casualties continues to emerge.

2:19 AM

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