Ukrainian drones made up over 96% of UAVs military used in 2024, defense minister says
The domestic drone industry "reached unprecedented production volumes" in 2024, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Dec. 28.
Ukraine
Putin names Ukraine main source of 'extremism' in new decree
Russia's updated anti-extremism strategy names Ukraine among the "main sources of extremism" and enshrines the concept of "Russophobia" for the first time.
Ukraine receives 1st shipment of US LNG
"Despite Russia's attempts to destroy our energy system during the war, we have won another victory on the energy front," Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, said on Dec. 28.
Russian shelling in Kherson Oblast injures 8, including 2 teens
The wounded victims, including a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, have been hospitalized, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
Zelensky teases multiple 'important personnel decisions' coming soon
"We are preparing several important personnel decisions," President Volodymyr Zelensky said via his official Telegram channel the evening of Dec. 28. "The decrees will be announced soon."
Greece to deliver 24 Sea Sparrow missiles to Ukraine, media reports
Sea Sparrows are U.S.-made short-range missiles that can be launched from the sea or ground to intercept cruise missiles or aircraft.
How climate change threatens Christmas traditions in Ukrainian Hutsul region
IVANO-FRANKIVSK OBLAST — Father Vasyl Diychuk, 41, shows the spot near the river where his village used to build an ice town on Epiphany, celebrated in January. A line of parked cars would stretch for several kilometers — people from all over Ukraine and abroad came to Sokolivka to see the chapels,
Azerbaijan Airlines crash highlights Russia's failure to close airspace amid war
The Dec. 25 Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash, likely caused by Russian air defense, shines light on a glaring issue the Kremlin has long swept under the rug. By unleashing its war against Ukraine, Russia has made its airspace a dangerous place. While Ukraine banned civilian flights over its territory hours
Russian-friendly politician reinvents himself in Ukraine as election speculation loom
A video published on TikTok by Yuriy Boyko, a pro-Russian lawmaker and former head of the banned Opposition Platform — For Life, was met with public outrage in Ukraine. In his Dec. 14 video, Boyko repeated long-standing Russian propaganda points of radicals controlling Ukrainian streets. Sitting in his office and looking
Putin 'appears to have ordered Slovakia's Fico to open second energy front against Ukraine,' Zelensky says
Zelensky said this was "the only possible meaning" of Fico's threats to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply in the winter, given Russian attacks on power plants and the distribution network.
Putin apologizes to Azerbaijani president over plane crash, yet doesn't acknowledge Russia's responsibility
The statement did not address the claims that a Russian air defense missile may have downed the Azerbaijani Airlines plane.
Russia suffered 421,000 casualties in 2024, 'highest price' since start of invasion, Syrskyi says
The figure includes both dead and wounded and is part of the total losses of approximately 785,000 Russian troops since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022.
Russia detains suspect allegedly planning to assassinate defense official, pro-war blogger, Russian media report
Russia claimed that the detained man was acting on instructions from Ukrainian intelligence.
Ukraine destroys drone storage facility in Russia's Oryol Oblast, General Staff reports
Ukraine's General Staff said this combat operation "significantly reduced the enemy's ability to carry out airstrikes using kamikaze drones against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure."
Russian airport suspends flights after Ukraine drone attack, official claims
Operations at the airport were suspended at 6 a.m. amid a Ukrainian drone attack allegedly targeting the Russian regions of Voronezh, Rostov, and Belgorod.
General Staff: Russia has lost 784,200 troops in Ukraine since start of full-scale invasion
This number includes 1,690 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Ukraine plans to open over 150 underground schools by fall 2025
There are currently 79 underground education facilities under active construction, Deputy Education Minister Nadiia Kuzmychova said.
North Korean troops suffer over 1,000 losses in Kursk Oblast in past week, White House official says
"It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said on Dec. 27.
Ukrainian drones can hit targets 2,000 km away, military intelligence claims
"From what we can tell — it's no longer a secret — Ukrainian long-range unmanned aerial vehicles can hypothetically operate up to 2,000 kilometers," military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov said.
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.
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.
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