French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to raise the possibility of deploying European soldiers to Ukraine at the upcoming EU leaders' summit on Dec. 18-19, if a ceasefire deal is eventually reached between Russia and Ukraine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on Dec. 13, citing EU diplomats.
Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil depot in the city of Oryol overnight on Dec. 14, causing a large fire. Governor Andrey Klychkov later said that 11 drones were downed over the Oryol region.
Members of President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration have held discussions with White House officials as part of the incoming administration's ongoing effort to establish a ceasefire once Trump is inaugurated in January, NBC News reported on Dec. 13, citing sources familiar with the talks.
"I truly believe this will be resolved in the next few months," Kellogg said in an interview on Fox Business. "The only person who can do this is President Donald Trump, and he will do it. They're tired of killing each other out there. This is time," Kellogg added.
Key developments on Dec. 13: * Russia launches one of the largest aerial attacks on Ukraine's energy grid * Ukraine resisting Russian encirclement attempts at 4 Donetsk Oblast villages, military says * Ukraine's new Ground Forces chief announces reforms focused on personnel, tech * Russia mulls attacking Ukraine with Oreshnik nuclear-capable missile this weekend,
In December 1994, Russian troops launched a brutal and eventually unsuccessful military campaign against Chechen rebels, effectively beginning the First Chechen War. Thirty years later and two wars since, Chechnya, under strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, has become a key pillar of Russian President Vladimir Putin's oppressive regime. After losing the first
The unnamed official said that Russia wanted to use the weapon to intimidate Ukraine and its supporters, but the Oreshnik "does not change the rules of the game on the battlefield."
Ukrainian forces are enjoying success in the Kupiansk sector, where two Russian bridgeheads that emerged during the crossing of the Oskil River were destroyed, Estonian intelligence said.
For a decade, the world has seen how Russia has scarred Ukraine’s landscape with tens of thousands of bombs and missiles. The spiritual wounds — and awakenings — experienced by millions of Ukrainians are less visible. Almost a third of Ukrainians say their religious faith has grown since the war broke
The statement comes as analysts raise concerns about a growing risk of Ukrainian units being encircled in the area.
Editor's note: This article is based on a publicly available research report on scenarios for the end of Russia’s war on Ukraine by KI Insights, the Kyiv Independent’s research unit. Read Francis Farrell's full report here. After nearly three years of heavy battles and mass strikes, Russia’s
"I hope to talk about peace, about peacekeeping, as soon as possible in Ukraine, but also in Gaza and Lebanon," Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told journalists in Madrid when asked about the possibility of Rome deploying peacekeepers in Ukraine.
Moscow deployed four Kinzhal air-launched missiles, two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, one Kh-23 North Korean ballistic missile, 55 Kh-101 and Kh-55SM cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS bomber planes, 24 sea-launched Kalibr missiles, seven Iskander-K cruise missiles, and one Kh-59/69 missile, the Air Force said.
The proposed changes include a revamped recruitment system with "zero tolerance for corruption," improved military training tailored to front-line needs, and integration of advanced technology into training and operational processes.
The court convicted the soldiers on terrorism charges, accusing them of "opening fire to kill both Russian servicemen and civilians." Russia often uses trumped-up charges to jail captured Ukrainian soldiers, activists, journalists, and regular civilians for lengthy terms.
This number includes 1,390 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Russia launched a large-scale aerial attack against Ukraine early on Dec. 13, firing missiles across multiple regions.
Ukrainian military instructors will receive training in Lithuania in 2025 as part of NATO's Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP), the Ministry of Defense reported on Dec. 12.
Russian attacks against Ukraine with guided aerial bombs have reportedly fallen by over 50% since Western partners allowed Kyiv to target Russia with long-range missiles.
The Kyiv Independent's journalists Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko followed a group of Ukrainian military medics as they journeyed from the heat of battle in war-torn Ukraine to the serene forests of Sweden for a short mental health retreat.
As of December 2024, 301 Ukrainian civilian women are in Russian captivity, with 25 detained before Russia's full-scale invasion and 276 taken since, according to Olha Skrypnyk, head of the Crimean Human Rights Group (CHRG), speaking on Dec. 11.
Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated China's position on resolving the war in Ukraine during a meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, on Dec. 12, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Dec. 12 that the alliance is not ready for the threats it will face from Russia in the coming years, urging a shift to a wartime mindset with significantly higher defense spending.
The EBRD's new Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Guarantee Facility will initially help reinsurance companies cover risks connected to land-based transport, focusing on small and medium businesses.
"I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that?" Donald Trump told Time.
Mikhail Shatsky, a Russian expert involved in modernizing missiles launched against Ukraine, was shot dead near Moscow, a Defense Forces source told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 12.
French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting Warsaw on Dec. 12 to brief the Polish prime minister on his meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump last week and to discuss Europe's support for Ukraine and ways to end Russia's war.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least one civilian and injured at least 11 over the past day, regional authorities reported early on Dec. 12.
Lawmakers from both chambers of the U.S. legislature requested the director of national intelligence, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to compile a report on different policy impacts on Ukraine and U.S. security, according to The Hill.
This number includes 1,390 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that "non-standard decisions" are needed near the embattled city of Pokrovsk, after the military reported that Russia had destroyed two Ukrainian positions in the area.
President Volodymyr Zelensky slammed Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Dec. 11 following his hour-long call to Russian President Vladimir Putin during which the two discussed the war in Ukraine.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, eight years after it annexed the Crimean Peninsula and led an armed aggression in Ukraine’s east.
In February 2014, almost immediately following the end of the EuroMaidan Revolution in Ukraine, Russia swiftly moved to annex and occupy Crimea. Within months, Russian proxy forces took control of parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
By the start of 2022, Russia had amassed nearly 200,000 troops on Ukraine’s border. At 4:50 a.m. on Feb. 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a speech that Russia was to carry out “a special military operation.” Within minutes, missile strikes were launched on Ukrainian cities and the full-scale invasion had begun.
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