Ukraine war latest live: Kyiv shifts focus to soldier training and safety amid continued Russian offensive, Syrskyi says
Hello, this is Tania Myronyshena reporting from Kyiv on day 1,384 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Today`s top story so far:
Ukraine will focus on strengthening its army through better mobilization, recruitment, and high-quality training as it continues to resist Russia’s full-scale invasion, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Dec. 8, following a recent meeting with military personnel.
The changes come amid growing scrunity of Ukraine`s military leadership during Russian ongoing offensive, as the country also struggles with mobilization and a shortage of personnel on the front lines in the fourth year of full-scale war.
"The enemy continues its advance, so we have no choice but to strengthen our defense and reinforce our army to continue repelling Russia’s full-scale aggression," Syrskyi wrote on Facebook.
The new efforts aim to overhaul the preparation of servicemen by improving both the structure and conditions of military training.
Among the key changes, the military is extending the duration of Basic General Military Training (BGMT) to 51 days, and introducing specialized instruction and an adaptation period within combat units.
Additional measures include improving the selection and training of instructors, modernizing training center infrastructure, and providing psychological and tactical adaptation support to newly mobilized personnel.
An audit of training centers across Ukraine identified top-performing facilities that will serve as benchmarks for other units. To increase safety and ensure consistent training, the military is relocating programs away from front-line areas, assigning army corps to training grounds in central and western Ukraine.
Syrskyi also called for urgent improvements to protective infrastructure, citing unsatisfactory conditions in some training centers.
"We have no right to be careless with the safety of our servicemen. I have issued the necessary orders to address the identified problems," Syrskyi said.
Russian soldiers jailed over torture, murder of American pro-Kremlin fighter last year
Last updated 3:23 p.m. Kyiv time.
A court in Russian-occupied Donetsk sentenced four Russian soldiers to prison in the case of the murder of American pro-Kremlin fighter and propagandist Russell Bentley, Russia's Investigative Committee said on Dec. 8.
Vitaly Vansyatsky, Vladislav Agaltsev, Vladimir Bazhin, and Andrei Iordan were given sentences in the range of 1.5 to 12 years for their involvement in the crime last April.
Bentley, also known under the moniker "Texas," went missing on April 8, 2024. In September that year, the Investigative Committee accused the four soldiers of murdering the American and attempting to conceal the crime.
According to the court, Vansyatsky, Agaltsev, and Iordanov attacked and tortured Bentley to death on April 8. Vansyatsky and Agaltsev then allegedly blew up a car with the man's body, and on April 9, Bazhin helped to hide Bentley's remains.
All four soldiers pleaded guilty. Vansyatsky and Iordanov were sentenced to 12 years in prison, Agaltsev to 11 years, and Bashin to 1.5 years. The first three soldiers were also stripped of their rank.
No agreement on Donbas yet, Zelensky says as he visits London to discuss US-led peace efforts with European leaders
Last updated 3:20 p.m. Kyiv time.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the U.K. on Dec. 8 to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders amid renewed efforts to settle the Russia-Ukraine war, Sky News reported.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are also arriving to meet the Ukrainian leader in London as Kyiv's European partners seek to coordinate strategy in the face of the latest U.S. push for a peace deal.
Europe's leaders have privately expressed concerns that they are being sidelined from the negotiations, as the original 28-point peace plan, drafted by Russia and the U.S. and unveiled last month, imposed harsh conditions on Ukraine.
While the original proposal has been revised in subsequent talks that the U.S. held separately with Ukraine and Russia, Zelensky told Bloomberg that "sensitive issues," such as security guarantees and the status of the eastern Ukrainian regions, remain to be agreed upon.
"There are visions of the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine — and we don't have a unified view on Donbas," Zelensky told Bloomberg in a phone interview. The president said he aims to reach separate agreements on security guarantees with Western partners, specifically Washington.
At least 10 killed, 43 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day
At least 10 people have been killed and 43 others injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day, local authorities reported on Dec. 8.
Russia launched 149 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force reported. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 131 drones. Sixteen drones made it through, striking 11 locations, while debris from downed drones fell on four additional sites.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian attacks targeted 10 settlements, killing five people and injuring 11 over the past day, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
In Donetsk Oblast, Russian strikes killed two people and injured one in the city of Druzhkivka. Another Russian attack killed a person and injured another in the city of Kostiantynivka. One civilian was killed in the attack on the city of Lyman, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian drones attacked the village of Kryvorizhzhia, killing a 51-year-old man. A Russian attack on the Pavlohrad district resulted in four injured civilians, including a 14-year-old boy. A Russian FPV (first-person-view) strike against the Nikopol district also injured a 13-year-old girl, Governor Vladyslav Haivanenko reported.
In Sumy Oblast, 12 people were injured over the past day, according to the local military administration. The city of Okhtyrka saw the most casualties, with Russian drones striking a nine-story residential building and injuring five women and two men.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian attacks injured six people, targeting the Zaporizhzhia and Polohy districts, the local military administration reported.
In Chernihiv Oblast, Russian forces attacked the regional center of Chernihiv, injuring three, and struck the village of Semenivka with drones, injuring a woman, Governor Viacheslav Chaus reported.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian strikes injured two civilians over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,181,680 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
Russia has lost around 1,181,680 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. 8.
The number includes 810 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,403 tanks, 23,689 armored fighting vehicles, 69,182 vehicles and fuel tanks, 34,917 artillery systems, 1,562 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,253 air defense systems, 431 airplanes, 347 helicopters, 88,457 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
