Ukraine war latest live: Ukrainian forces say they counterattacked near Lyman — and wiped out a Russian regiment
This is Jared Goyette, blogging from Kyiv on the 1,392nd day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Our top stories so far today:
- SBU says drones hit Russian equipment worth hundreds of millions at Belbek airfield in occupied Crimea
- Zelensky arrives in Brussels to attend crucial EU summit, while a Ukrainian delegation prepares to make another visit to the U.S.
- Germany backs Ukraine with $1.4 billion in defense agreements
Latest from the War Desk:
We're looking at Lyman — where there is a flicker of good news for Ukraine's Armed Forces, coming on the heels of Ukraine's success in Kupiansk last week. We're still trying to understand the details and are reaching out to sources on the ground, but here's what we know so far:
Ukrainian forces counterattacked near Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, destroying what they described as an entire Russian regiment — a unit that can number roughly 2,000 troops on paper — and improving their positions, Ukraine’s Third Army Corps reported Dec. 18.
The operation was conducted by Ukraine's Third Army Corps and units of the military intelligence agency (HUR) against the backdrop of Russia's continued push to seize more of Donetsk Oblast.
"As a result of coordinated efforts, the front line was straightened, and the tactical position of Ukrainian forces in the area improved," the unit said on Facebook.
Ukrainian forces' operation in the sector has limited Russia's ability to maneuver in the heavily forested area, the Third Army Corps said. The unit also reported that a number of Russian infantry soldiers were taken prisoner during the operation.
Lyman, located in northern Donetsk Oblast with a pre-war population of around 20,000, has been a hotspot of the front line for years as fighting raged in the Serebrianskyi Forest, just east of the city (an area where many foreign fighters with the International Legion under Ukraine's Ground Forces, saw action.)
SBU says drones hit Russian equipment worth hundreds of millions at Belbek airfield in occupied Crimea
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) struck a Russian military airfield in occupied Crimea, reportedly destroying air defense equipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the agency said in a Telegram post on Dec. 18.
The overnight attack targeted the Belbek airbase near Sevastopol and was carried out by long-range drones operated by the Alpha unit of the SBU Special Operations Center, according to the SBU.
"The operation was a direct hit on the enemy's air defense capabilities," the agency said.
According to the SBU, the strike damaged or destroyed two Nebo-SVU long-range radar systems, a 92N6 radar used in the S-400 air defense system, a Pantsir-S2 air defense system, and a MiG-31 fighter jet equipped with a full combat load.
At least 5 killed, 58 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day
At least five people have been killed and 58 others injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day, regional authorities reported on Dec. 18.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or suppressed 63 out of 82 drones Russia launched at Ukraine overnight, with the other 19 recording hits at 12 different locations the Ukrainian Air Force reported.
In front-line Donetsk Oblast, where the highest-intensity fighting across the front line continues, three people were killed and four wounded in the cities of Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka, according to regional governor Vadym Filashkin.
A total of two civilians were killed and six wounded across Kherson Oblast, as Russian forces struck the Ukrainian-controlled western bank of the river with artillery, drones, and glide bombs, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, 35 people were wounded as Russia attacked 24 settlements, with the majority coming from a glide bomb attack attack on a residential area in the regional capital of Zaporizhzhia, which also wounded five children, governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Seven civilians were wounded in Odesa Oblast as Russian drone strikes damaged residential buildings and an education facility, regional authorities said.
Four people were injured — two of whom hospitalized — after Russian drones attacked the city of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, regional governor Vladyslav Haivanenko said.
A 59-year-old man was wounded by a drone in Sumy Oblast as Russian forces struck 26 settlements along both the state border and the active front line, the regional administration reported.
In Kharkiv Oblast, a 50-year-old man was wounded by Russian shelling in the village of Zamist in the northwestern part of the region, near the state border, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,192,350 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
Russia has lost around 1,192,350 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. 18, 2025.
The number includes 1,730 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,427 tanks, 23,758 armored fighting vehicles, 70,361 vehicles and fuel tanks, 35,205 artillery systems, 1,571 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,262 air defense systems, 432 airplanes, 347 helicopters, 91,386 drones, 4,073 cruise missiles, 28 ships and boats, and 2 submarines, as well as 4,027 units of special equipment.
