The Kremlin had earlier signaled it was preparing for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's arrival.

According to preliminary information, on Dec. 18, Russian forces illegally detained about 50 civilians — residents of the village of Hrabovske — holding them without access to communication or adequate conditions. On Dec. 20, they were forcibly taken to Russia.

The attack targeted an airfield near the city of Lipetsk, about 340 kilometers (210 miles) from the Ukrainian border, and caused two military aircraft to catch fire.

Russian LNG deliveries to China more than doubled year-on-year to 1.6 million metric tons last month, Bloomberg reported.

An explosive device attached to the underside of Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov's car detonated on Yaseneva Street in Moscow on Dec. 22.

Drone debris hit a pipeline at a terminal in Volna, a village in the region's Temryuk district, the Krasnodar Krai Emergency Headquarters said. A fire broke out as a result of the attack.

The talks focused on a revised 20-point plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, a framework for security guarantees, and economic development, according to Rustem Umerov, the head of the Ukrainian delegation.

"If Putin says no, we need to dramatically change the game, including giving Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine to hit the drone and missile factories that exist in Russia. I would go all in if Putin says no," U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said on Dec. 21.

The cargo ship Adler has previously been used to transport Russian weapons and its owner, M Leasing LLC, is sanctioned by the U.S. and EU.

Key developments on Dec. 20-21: * Ukrainian drones hit 2 Russian Su-27 jets in Crimea, intelligence agency says * France and Russia signal openness to holding separate talks as US-led peace efforts remain inconclusive * 50 civilians in Sumy Oblast abducted and forcibly taken to Russia, ombudsman says * Ukraine to replace head of Southern Air Command following repeated deadly Russian strikes in Odesa Oblast Ukrainian long-range drones have struck two Russian Su-27 fighter jets at the Belbek

Upon being released from prison in December 2013 after serving time for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred,” Russian political activist Maria Alyokhina observes that she and her fellow Pussy Riot punk group members “arrived in a different country.” Outwardly, Russia sought to convey to the world during this period that it was a serious global power through events such as the Sochi Winter Olympics. The reality, as Alyokhina writes, was completely different: just a few months later, Russi

On Dec. 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin lashed out at Western leaders during an annual meeting with his defense ministry, calling European leaders "piglets" and declaring that the goals of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine would be met "unconditionally."

Ukrainian and Russian delegations have rushed to Miami to take part in yet another round of talks with the U.S. representatives in what some see as an American effort to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

Russian forces launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile from Russia’s Rostov Oblast, along with 97 drones from Russia’s Millerovo, Kursk, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and Russian-occupied Crimea overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force.

Atesh operatives set fire at a railway hub in Bataysk, in Russia's Rostov Oblast, which Russian troops use to supply their forces in occupied parts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk oblasts, as well as Crimea.

Editor's note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights' public newsletter, The Week Ahead, covering events from December 22-31. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events delivered directly to your inbox every week. A new round of negotiations between the Ukrainian and U.S. delegations begins in Florida, focused on a proposed 20-point peace plan. Over the weekend, separate talks between the United States and Russia are also scheduled to take plac

"No matter how difficult it is for us, we need to protect as many people as possible, protect Odesa and our other regions as much as possible," President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the planned replacement.

"I believe such strength exists in the United States and in President Trump. And I believe we should not look for an alternative to the United States, because all alternatives are uncertain as to whether they can end the war)," President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters.

Liberated in 2022, Kherson is still under daily attack from Russian forces across the Dnipro River. The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko report from a city living under anti-drone nets and constant surveillance, showing how everyday life, from hospitals and schools to aid deliveries and cultural events, continues under threat, and why residents refuse to leave.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry is working on establishing a mechanism for providing Ukrainian citizen living abroad the ability to vote in the country's next election, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 20.

Sea drones have become a crucial component of Ukraine's defense toolkit, and co-production with a NATO ally could enhance long-term output and deepen European defense-industrial cooperation at sea.

According to Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Russia had mobilized 18,092 foreigners from 128 countries as of October.

The drones are operated by the SBU's Special Operations Center "A" (Alpha), according to the agency.

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy, met with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Reuters reported on Dec. 20, citing a Russian source.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia targeted Ukraine overnight with three Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from occupied Crimea and 51 attack drones.

SSO drones also hit a Russian oil platform located at the Filanovsky oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea. The platform is owned by Russian oil company Lukoil and is used for oil and gas extraction.

Russia has lost around 1,195,610 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Dec. 20. The number includes 1,090 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day. According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,433 tanks, 23,769 armored fighting vehicles, 70,721 vehicles and fuel tanks, 35,287 artillery systems, 1,575 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,263 air defense systems, 432 airplanes,

"Yesterday evening, Russia carried out a missile strike on a port infrastructure facility in Odesa Oblast. Some of the victims were on a bus that was at the epicenter of the strike," the State Emergency Service reported.

"This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance," U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X.

"We agreed with our American partners on further steps and the continuation of our joint work in the near future," delegation leader Rustem Umerov said after the meeting.

"We're not concerned about an escalation with Russia, with regards to Venezuela ... I think they have their hands full in Ukraine," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Dec. 19.

The SBU's Alpha Special Operations Center's drones hit a gas turbine unit at the Rakushechnoe deposit at the platform run by Russian oil giant Lukoil, the source said.