Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly

1:18 PM

New railway linking China to Central Asia countries, bypassing Russia, begins construction in Kyrgyzstan.

The new route, part of China's economic expansion efforts, aims to expand Chinese commercial influence in Central Asia and Europe while bypassing Russian territory.

12:15 PM

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."

11:00 AM

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.

9:09 AM

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.

8:08 AM

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.

7:33 AM

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.

7:08 AM

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.

5:27 AM

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.

4:48 AM

Drone strike damages railway line in Russia's Voronezh Oblast, governor claims.

Debris from an intercepted drone damaged the contact network of a railway in Russia's Voronezh Oblast overnight on Dec. 28, regional Governor Alexander Gusev alleged.

4:07 AM

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.

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.”