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Key developments on Dec. 17:
- Ukraine's SBU assassinates Russian general charged with chemical weapons crimes, source claims
- Ukraine's Special Forces claim to kill 50 North Korean soldiers in 3 days
- Russia heavily attacking in Kursk Oblast for 3rd day, 'actively' using North Korean troops, Syrskyi says
- Zelensky rejects Orban's mediation, says he has no leverage over Putin
- Most Poles favor Ukraine peace deal with territorial concessions, poll finds
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian Armed Forces' radiation, chemical, and biological defense troops, was killed in Moscow on Dec. 17 in an operation of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent.
Kirillov and another Russian service member were reportedly killed in an explosion on the morning of Dec. 17 in the Russian capital. Ukrainian prosecutors previously charged the commander with using banned chemical weapons in the war against Ukraine.
According to the source, explosives attached to a scooter detonated when Kirillov and his aide were near the entrance of the house on Ryazansky Prospect in Moscow.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
"Kirillov was a war criminal and completely legitimate target, as he gave orders to use banned chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers," the source said.
"Retribution for war crimes is inevitable."
According to the Mash Telegram channel, the explosion occurred at around 6 a.m. local time when a service car arrived for Kirillov. The pro-state outlet Kommersant reported that the general and his aide were killed by a homemade explosive device of around 300 grams of a TNT equivalent.
Russia's Investigative Committee began investigating the case as terrorism. Two undisclosed sources told the Russian RBC news agency that the investigators consider Ukraine's involvement the most likely scenario.
Moscow's forces have been increasingly deploying gas attacks against Ukrainian troops, a Kyiv Independent investigation from August showed. Ukrainian soldiers and officers interviewed by the Kyiv Independent acknowledged that the tactic is effective, allowing Moscow to capture positions occasionally without destroying them.
In October, the U.K. issued sanctions against Kirillov and his unit over the use of chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine. The officer held senior positions within the radiation, chemical, and biological defense troops since 2012 and was appointed the department's chief in 2017, Meduza reports.
Kirillov has also repeatedly disseminated false narratives about U.S.-backed "bio laboratories" in Ukraine, supposedly researching biological weapons for use against Russia.
Martin Fornusek
Ukraine's Special Forces claim to kill 50 North Korean soldiers in 3 days
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces killed 50 North Korean soldiers and injured 47 others in three days of fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast, the unit said on Dec. 17.
The Special Operation Forces published footage of first-person-view (FPV) drones successfully targeting soldiers and equipment on the battlefield.
Russia has reportedly deployed over 10,000 North Korean troops to help oust Ukrainian troops fighting in Kursk Oblast since early August.
"Soldiers of the 8th Special Forces Regiment of Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich organized a warm welcome for North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk Oblast," the unit said on Facebook. Two armored vehicles, two cars, and one all-terrain vehicle were also allegedly hit.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify all the claims.
After reporting initial but limited clashes with North Korean troops in November, Ukraine said that over the weekend, Russia also began using the soldiers in ground assaults. The Ukrainian military intelligence agency (HUR) said that 30 North Korean soldiers were killed or injured during assaults on Dec. 14-15.
The full extent of North Korean losses might be hard to ascertain, as President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is trying to hide the casualties.
Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder confirmed on Dec. 16 that North Korean personnel had engaged in combat operations alongside Russian troops in Kursk Oblast and suffered their first casualties.
Martin Fornusek
Russia heavily attacking in Kursk Oblast for 3rd day, 'actively' using North Korean troops, Syrskyi says
Russian forces are carrying out an intensive offensive in Kursk Oblast for the third day in a row, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Dec. 17, as Ukrainian forces are on the defensive in the border region.
"For the third day, Russian forces have been conducting intensive offensive operations in Kursk Oblast, actively using North Korean units," Syrskyi said in an online address to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities held in Lviv, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
Russia reportedly deployed over 10,000 North Korean troops to help oust Ukrainian troops fighting in Kursk Oblast since early August.
"North Korean mercenaries have already suffered heavy losses," Ukraine's commander said, adding that Kyiv's troops are holding the defenses, destroying personnel and equipment.
The Special Operation Forces said that they had killed 50 North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast in three days and injured 47 more. The full extent of North Korean losses is hard to ascertain, as President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is trying to hide the casualties.
Despite the losses within Russian and North Korean ranks, the Ukrainian soldiers fighting in Kursk Oblast seem to be increasingly on the back foot, facing a Russian advantage in manpower and equipment.
Citing Ukrainian soldiers, The Economist wrote that Ukraine likely lost around half of the territory it had captured in the initial phase of the operation in August and September. An officer talking to the outlet connected this development to the redeployment of elite units that first spearheaded the offensive.
Ukraine likely seeks to hold on to a piece of Russian territory as a possible bargaining chip ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's expected push for peace negotiations.
Martin Fornusek
Zelensky rejects Orban's mediation, says he has no leverage over Putin
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has no leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukraine does not need his mediation in potential peace talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 17.
“Ukraine is a strong country and has proven it on the battlefield throughout Putin's aggression. Does anyone else in Europe have this experience now? No. Does Orban have such an army? No. How will he put pressure on Putin? With a joke, a smile? Let him keep it,” Zelensky said, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
Hungary has maintained close ties with Moscow despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, frequently criticizing EU sanctions on Russia and blocking military aid to Kyiv.
Zelensky said that Ukraine needs direct relations with the United States, rejecting Orban's role as an intermediary.
“Prime Minister Orban... will not succeed. I won’t let him or people like him in,” he said, clarifying that his remarks were directed at Orban, not the Hungarian people, who he argued overwhelmingly support Ukraine.
Zelensky’s comments followed escalating tensions after Orban’s recent phone call with Putin and his criticism of Zelensky for allegedly rejecting a Christmas ceasefire proposal.
Ukrainian officials have dismissed these claims, emphasizing their focus on achieving a just peace through strength.
“Negotiations on a sustainable peace will begin only when the enemy does not have the resources to continue the war,” Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said on Dec. 17, adding that Ukraine’s victory plan was created to bolster its position.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
Most Poles favor Ukraine peace deal with territorial concessions, poll finds
For the first time, a majority of Polish citizens support ending the war in Ukraine even if it requires Ukraine to cede territory, Polish Radio reported on Dec. 17, citing a survey by the Polish Center for Public Opinion Research (CBOS).
The survey found that 55% of respondents prioritized ending the conflict over Ukraine’s territorial integrity, up from 39% in September 2024 and 26% in April 2022.
Only 31% of Poles believe Ukraine should continue fighting without concessions to Russia, a significant drop from 46% in September 2024 and 59% in April 2022.
CBOS noted that this shift reflects a growing fatigue with the ongoing war, especially as Polish society had previously been predominantly in favor of Ukraine continuing the fight.
The survey highlighted that younger Poles aged 18-24, residents of smaller cities, individuals with less education, and those with more conservative views were more likely to support a negotiated peace.
In contrast, a recent poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) revealed that nearly two-thirds of Ukrainians remain willing to endure the war "as long as it takes."
This figure has declined slightly from 73% in late 2023 to 63% in October 2024, but the majority still firmly reject territorial concessions.
The contrasting attitudes underscore the challenges facing Ukraine as it braces for renewed Russian offensives and continued pressure from some Western quarters for negotiations.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov recently stated Moscow’s aim to fully occupy Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts by 2025, signaling no intent to halt aggression.
President-elect Donald Trump also weighed in on the conflict during a Dec. 16 news conference, describing the war as “horrible” and expressing his intent to make “a little progress” toward peace, though he provided no specifics.
Trump has previously suggested reducing U.S. aid to Ukraine to pressure both sides into negotiations.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
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