The European Union on Dec. 12 added four individuals to the list of sanctions against Iran, as well as four entities “for their role in the development and delivery of UAVs used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.”
Russia has been using Iranian-made kamikaze drones to attack Ukraine since September, launching attacks against civilians and destroying energy facilities across the country.
In late November, Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, claimed that Iran was transferring the blueprints for its drones to Russia in an effort to avoid sanctions for selling drones directly. However, it may take some time before Russia is able to start production, Ihnat said then.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in October that Russia had ordered over 2,400 Iranian-made attack drones.
On Dec. 2, Canada introduced another round of sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities, including a company that helps develop Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones deployed by Russia in its war against Ukraine.
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Friday, December 19
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"Nevertheless, we see, feel, and know about certain signals, including from (Ukraine), that they are ready to engage in some kind of dialogue," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 19 that Ukraine knows where the Oreshnik would be deployed in Belarus and is sharing this information with its Western allies.
Over 73,000 consumers in Odesa Oblast and over 26,000 in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast remain without power, Ukrenergo wrote on Telegram.
In "a new unprecedented special operation" in neutral waters more than 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine, Russia's QENDIL tanker sustained "critical damage" and can no longer be used for its intended purpose, the source claimed.
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"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.
Ukraine will conduct necessary examinations to identify the bodies, which Russia says belong to Ukrainian soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
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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.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a $900 billion defense spending bill on Dec. 18, approving a sweeping package that includes $800 million in military assistance for Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Dec. 18 that he hopes Ukraine will move quickly amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war.
Friday, December 19
A Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter crew was killed in combat, the 12th Separate Army Aviation Brigade reported Dec. 18. "This is an irreparable loss for our aviation, for our country, and for the families who were waiting for their loved ones at home," the brigade said.
Democratic members of the U.S. Congress released additional photos from the Jeffrey Epstein estate on Dec. 18, including images of a Ukrainian woman's passport.
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.
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