Ukraine destroys Russian $5 million radar system in Crimea, military intelligence claims

10:37 PM

16-year-old arrested in Russia over anti-government school poster.

The child, who the Kyiv Independent has chosen not to name, allegedly put up posters titled "Heroes of Russia" with photos of Denis Kapustin and Aleksiy Levkin on Dec. 26. Kapustin and Levkin are fighters in the Russian Volunteer Corps, a militant group established by Kapustin who has fought alongside Ukraine and opposes the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

9:01 PM

Latvia to provide over 1,000 drones to Ukraine.

Latvia will transfer over 1,000 "combat drones of various types" to Ukraine through the international drone coalition, the country's Defense Minister Andris Spruds announced on social media on Dec. 28.

8:15 PM

Poland prepared to increase energy exports to Ukraine in place of Slovakia, Bloomberg reports.

Poland is ready to increase domestic electricity production if Slovakia halts the delivery of backup power supplies to Ukraine, an unnamed Polish official told Bloomberg on Dec. 29.

7:54 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine prioritizing security guarantees over immediate NATO membership, senior diplomat says

7:26 PM

Opinion

Fragmented financial oversight undermines Ukraine’s economic future

7:13 PM

Opinion

Why is my life considered more important than a Ukrainian life?

5:53 PM

Russia rejects Trump team's reported peace deal proposals on Ukraine, FM Lavrov says.

Earlier reports from the Wall Street Journal indicated that Trump’s team is considering a plan to delay Ukraine’s NATO membership by at least 20 years in exchange for continued Western arms supplies and the deployment of European peacekeepers to monitor a ceasefire.

5:01 PM

Russian telecom equipment destroyed in occupied Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's intel says.

Four facilities housing telecommunication equipment for the illegal operator Phoenix, used by Russian forces, were destroyed in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on Dec. 29.

1:57 PM  (Updated:  December 29, 2024 4:44 pm)

Russia must admit guilt over downing Azerbaijani airliner, pay compensation, Azerbaijan's president says.

An Azerbaijan Airlines plane was rendered "uncontrollable" by electronic warfare, and its tail section was damaged by fire from the ground while flying over Russia before crashing, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told the media, the Trend News Agency reported on Dec. 29.

4:32 PM

Video

Ukraine This Year: the top moments that shaped 2024

In this year-end wrap up of Ukraine This Week, host Anna Belokur covers the 2024 events in Ukraine and what they meant.

4:19 PM

Poland aims to fully fortify border with Belarus by mid-2025, senior official says.

Poland plans to complete its fortified border wall and close the border with Belarus by next summer, aiming to curb what it sees as Russia's and Belarus's "hybrid war" through illegal migration, Polish Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Duszczyk told the Financial Times on Dec. 29.

4:01 PM

Russia claims Ukrainian pilot surrendered in Kursk Oblast, Ukraine denies.

Ukraine's Air Force on Dec. 29 denied claims spread by Russian media about a Ukrainian pilot surrendering to Russian forces in Kursk Oblast.

3:34 PM

Ukraine secures over $156 million for defense industry from European allies, defense minister says.

The funds will support the production of long-range drones, missiles, and artillery, which are critical to Ukraine’s defense strategy.

3:11 PM

Commander of Ukrainian engineering brigade charged with inaction over soldier abuse.

Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation detained Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk, commander of the 211th Brigade, on Dec. 29, accusing him of failing to address abuse and torture allegations involving his subordinates.

2:32 PM

Child casualties in Ukraine within 9 months of 2024 surpass 2023 figures, UN reports.

Child casualties in Ukraine during the first nine months of 2024 have exceeded the total for 2023, highlighting the devastating impact of the war on children, the U.N. Humanitarian Aid Organization for Children (UNICEF) said on Dec. 27.

2:09 PM

Russia attacked Ukraine with over 280 bombs, 370 drones, 80 missiles this week, Zelensky says.

Russia has escalated its aerial assault on Ukraine, launching more than 280 KAB guided bombs, nearly 370 attack drones, and over 80 missiles in the past week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 29.

1:33 PM

Putin's apology over Azerbaijani plane crash 'apparent' admission of responsibility, Biden says.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Dec. 28 that Russian President Vladimir Putin's apology over a deadly Azerbaijan Airline crash appears to acknowledge Moscow's responsibility for the disaster.

12:35 PM

Zelensky extends condolences over deadly South Korean plane crash.

President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences on Dec. 29 to the families of victims and the people of South Korea following a tragic Jeju Air plane crash that killed at least 176 people, marking the worst disaster involving a South Korean airline in decades.

12:20 PM

Russia may escalate hybrid warfare near NATO borders, Yermak warns.

"The appearance of North Korean troops dressed in Russian uniforms or Iranian proxies on the borders of NATO countries is quite realistic if Russia is not stopped now. The North Korean military is already fighting in Europe. Who could have thought of this before?" Andriy Yermak said.

11:56 AM

Ukraine prioritizing security guarantees over immediate NATO membership, senior diplomat says.

Ukraine’s accession to NATO remains on the agenda but is not a top priority for diplomatic efforts, Andrii Melnyk, Ukraine’s new permanent representative to the U.N., told Berliner Morgenpost on Dec. 27.

11:43 AM

Russia could inflict 'substantial' casualties by unconventional attack against NATO, allied official says.

"What really worries me is that one of these attacks, as I say, will break through in a big way," Deputy Assistant Secretary General James Appathurai told Sky News.

11:04 AM

Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 2, injure 14 over past day.

Overnight, Russia launched 10 drones from Crimea and six S-300/S-400 missiles from Russia's Belgorod Oblast, targeting the Kursk and Sumy oblasts, Ukraine’s Air Force reported.

10:29 AM

Anti-Western Kavelashvili sworn in as Georgia's president, pro-EU Zourabichvili disputes legitimacy.

Georgian anti-Western politician Mikheil Kavelashvili, an ally of the ruling Georgian Dream party, was inaugurated as the country's sixth president on Dec. 29 in a move seen as illegitimate by the opposition.

9:57 AM

German peacekeeping role in Ukraine hinges on Russia's consent, Merz says.

"If a peace agreement is reached and Ukraine needs security guarantees, we can only discuss this if there is a clear mandate under international law. I don’t see it at the moment. I would like such a mandate to be given in consensus with Russia, not in conflict," Friedrich Merz said.

9:34 AM

Azerbaijan to change rules for temporary stay of Russian citizens.

Azerbaijan will change the rules for the temporary stay of Russian citizens on its territory in the coming days after Russia announces stricter rules for the stay of foreigners, the Azerbaijan State News Agency reported on Dec. 28.