Explosions heard in Mariupol

2:14 AM

Slovakia threatens to cut electricity supplies if Ukraine ends Russian gas transit.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Dec. 27 that his government will evaluate potential reciprocal measures against Ukraine, including halting electricity supplies, if Ukraine stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia after January 1.

11:57 PM

Zelensky urges China to help stop North Korean military aid to Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky urged China to use its influence over North Korea to prevent the deployment of North Korean soldiers to the frontline, during his evening address on Dec. 27.

9:39 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russia's new Oreshnik missile relies on Western manufacturing technology, FT reports

9:36 PM

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.

9:24 PM

Photos

2024: Ukraine in photos

8:51 PM

NATO to 'enhance military presence' in Baltic Sea following damage to undersea power cable, Rutte says.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Dec. 27 that "NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea" following the recent damage to the Estlink 2 power cable in the Gulf of Finland likely caused by Russia.

8:24 PM

Video

Exposing the diamond industry — How Russia funds its war on Ukraine.

7:37 PM

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.

7:35 PM

Investigations

Fall of Assad’s regime disrupts Russian army recruitment in Syria

6:15 PM

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.

5:30 PM

'Weapon' may have brought down Azerbaijan Airlines plane, Azerbaijan's transport minister says.

Azerbaijani Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev said on Dec. 27 that an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan was due to 'external interference,' with authorities investigating "the type of weapon used in the interference."

5:28 PM

Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly — Issue 6

5:20 PM

China’s Xi Jinping to visit Russia next year, Kremlin’s Beijing ambassador says.

Speaking to Russian media, Ambassador Igor Morgulov said plans for several bilateral events were being "drawn up" but that Xi’s trip was a priority.

4:39 PM

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.

4:17 PM

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.”

3:28 PM

Belarus weekly

Belarus Weekly — 2024 in review: Drone incursions, deepening alliance with Russia, totalitarianism

3:15 PM

Loud bang heard before Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed, passengers tell Reuters.

The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) on Dec. 27 said the aircraft had been hit by “a Russian Pantsir S1 air defense system on Russian terrain.”

3:14 PM

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.

2:57 PM

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.

1:29 PM

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.

12:50 PM

Opinion

Trump's China strategy hinges on crippling Russia’s economy

12:49 PM

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.

12:12 PM

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.

11:42 AM

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.

11:11 AM

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.