The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell sits down with Oleksii "Leo," a Ukrainian battalion commander with the legendary Azov Brigade, as it holds the line in one of the hottest sectors of the front in Donetsk Oblast. They discuss Russia's rapid advances in the east, Ukraine's manpower shortage, and Azov's personnel practices, as well as potential scenarios for the future of the war — as Russia shows no signs of stopping and Ukraine refuses to capitulate.
"Neither de jure nor de facto will we recognize Donbas as Russian," Zelensky told reporters on Dec. 15 following the second round of talks in Germany.
Russia's central bank has filed a lawsuit seeking 18.2 trillion rubles ($229 billion) in damages from Euroclear, escalating Moscow's dispute with the Belgium-based securities depository as the EU considers how to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.
In a joint statement issued Dec. 15, European leaders outlined a six-point security and recovery framework for Ukraine, committing to long-term military support, a European-led and U.S.-supported multinational force operating inside Ukraine, and legally binding measures to respond to any future attack.
Ukrainian forces hit the Astrakhan gas processing plant on Dec. 15, targeting what Kyiv described as a "key enterprise in Russia's oil and gas industry," the General Staff reported.
Quantum Systems and Frontline Robotics announced on Dec. 15 a joint Ukrainian-German venture to launch the first "industrial-scale" foreign-based production of drones for Ukraine's military.
Encircled Russian troops in Kupiansk are still getting limited drone drops — and a Ukrainian official says some included flags, not food.
For the first time, Ukrainian underwater drones have successfully attacked a Russian submarine, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported on Dec. 15.
Nadya Tolokonnikova, a co-founder of the group, said the verdict aims "to erase Pussy Riot's very existence from the Russian consciousness."
A KIIS poll found 75% of Ukrainians rejected a Donbas pullback plan without security guarantees, while most supported freezing the front line with strong protections.
Ukraine’s Security Service said its long-range drones struck Russian offshore oil platforms in the Caspian Sea for the third time in a week, halting operations at one site.
Less than one-tenth of Ukrainians support holding immediate elections, even in the absence of a ceasefire with Russia, according to a recent poll.
