Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil depot in the suburbs of the Russian city of Oryol overnight on Dec. 22, causing a fire to break out, Oryol Oblast Governor Andrey Klychkov said.
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk defeated U.K.-born Tyson Fury by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Dec. 22 to retain his unified heavyweight championship title.
The oncology center, which has operated in a limited capacity since the start of the full-scale invasion, housed the only linear accelerator offering radiotherapy treatment in the city.
A Ukrainian woman is in serious condition after a car plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on the evening of Dec. 20. The incident has claimed five lives and left over 200 people injured, many of them critically.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 21 that he met with CIA Director William Burns in Ukraine, marking a rare public acknowledgment of their discussions during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The Russian embassy in London criticized the U.K.'s plan to transfer more than two billion pounds ($2.5 billion) to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets, calling it a "fraudulent scheme."
A source told the Guardian the situation was reaching a critical level, expressing doubts about the air defense's ability to function effectively.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he had "learned unofficially" of the upcoming visit.
Ukraine has said it will not extend the transit agreement for Russian gas through its territory, set to expire on Dec. 31.
Boris Pistorius has come out in favor of a reform of the debt brake in order to increase funding for military defense.
Russian state media Kommersant reported that the airports of both Kazan and the neighboring city of Izhevsk had suspended flights.
A military spokesperson said the drones included ground systems equipped with machine guns, and kamikaze FPV drones.
This number includes 1,860 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
The attack damaged a 9-story apartment building in the city, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. Three women and a 12-year-old boy sustained injuries.
Over 12,340 civilians were killed and more than 27,836 were wounded in Ukraine between Feb. 24, 2022 and Nov. 30, 2024, according to the United Nations.
The IMF approved the $1.1 billion tranche after completing its sixth review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), a plan to provide Ukraine with over $15 billion in budget support over four years.
The drone hit a 9-story residential building in the city's Saltivskyi district, authorities said. A 12-year-old child was among the injured.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump plans to continue military support for Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 20, citing undisclosed sources.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the approval of over 30 Ukrainian ambassadorial appointments abroad during his evening address on Dec. 20.
For Russia's military recruiters, money talks. In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin doubled the federal signing-on bonus for contract soldiers to 400,000 rubles ($3,850) — over five times the country's average monthly wage. Regional governments are expected to top this up further, although the exact amount differs in each
"This book is about my war. First, the war with my own fears that prevent me from doing anything. Second, the war with people who prevent you from achieving your goals. And finally, the war against circumstances that become obstacles in life," Ukraine's former commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said.
Ukraine is already receiving U.S. funds under the framework of the G7's $50 billion loan covered by profits from frozen Russian assets, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Dec 20.
The embassies of Albania, Argentina, Palestine, North Macedonia, Portugal and Montenegro are located in a building that was heavily damaged by the Russian attack.
Ukraine attacked the Rostov Oblast's Kamensky Combine, one of the largest chemical plants in Russia, with six U.S.-made ATACMS and four British Storm Shadow missiles on Dec. 18, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Dec. 20.
The package is expected to include air defense interceptors and artillery ammunition, one of the sources told Reuters.
Lithuania's new ministerial cabinet arrived in Kyiv on Dec. 20, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said mere hours after Russia's missile attack against the capital.
The Bulgarian parliament does not have enough votes to support the signing of Bulgaria's bilateral security treaty with Ukraine due to a shift in stance from the strongest party, Euractiv reported on Dec. 20.
The bodies of 403 soldiers were recovered from Donetsk Oblast, while 57 and 12 bodies were brought back from Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk oblasts. Another 31 bodies were repatriated from morgues in Russia.
"All the Justice Ministry's data has been saved. Recovery is underway," Deputy PM and Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna said.
Editor's note: The article was updated with the latest casualty figure. Russia launched five ballistic missiles against Ukraine's capital on the morning of Dec. 20, highlighting the stark contrast between the approaching holiday season and the realities of war. Though Ukraine's Air Force reported that all projectiles were downed, missile
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed seven people and injured at least 34 others over the past day, regional authorities said on Dec. 20.
"Commander-in-Chief (Oleksandr Syrskyi) decided to withdraw Defense Forces units from the said area to avoid encirclement," the Khortytsia group of forces said.
