Key developments on Dec. 21-22: * For the first time, Ukraine attacks Russian positions using solely ground, FPV drones * Over 12,000 civilians killed in Ukraine during Russia's full-scale war, UN says * Two Russian airports suspend flights after Ukrainian drones target Kazan, media, officials report * Slovak PM Robert Fico meets with
"The video shows how Russian soldiers shot five captured Ukrainian defenders," Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said, referring to drone footage released by the 110th Mechanized Brigade earlier on Dec. 22 that appears to have captured Russian troops shooting surrendered Ukrainian soldiers from behind.
In comments to the Kyiv Independent, the first deputy justice minister said that the precise date of the full restoration of the registries would be more clear in the coming days.
The reports of casualties come as Ukraine's Air Force reported shooting down 52 attack drones, including the Shahed type, that Russia launched against the country overnight.
The Air Force added that it lost track of 44 decoy drones that Russia launched alongside the real attack drones.
This number includes 1,820 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Dec. 22.
According to the outlets' conclusions for the year, 2024 will likely mark the "war's deadliest year," with a current count of over 20,000 deaths confirmed over the past 12 months — although final conclusions cannot yet be made as data on casualties continues to emerge.
Oryol Oblast Governor Andrey Klychkov claimed that Russian forces downed 20 drones over Oryol Oblast targeting fuel and energy infrastructure facilities.
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk defeated U.K.-born Tyson Fury by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Dec. 22 to retain his unified heavyweight championship title.
The oncology center, which has operated in a limited capacity since the start of the full-scale invasion, housed the only linear accelerator offering radiotherapy treatment in the city.
A Ukrainian woman is in serious condition after a car plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on the evening of Dec. 20. The incident has claimed five lives and left over 200 people injured, many of them critically.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 21 that he met with CIA Director William Burns in Ukraine, marking a rare public acknowledgment of their discussions during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The Russian embassy in London criticized the U.K.'s plan to transfer more than two billion pounds ($2.5 billion) to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets, calling it a "fraudulent scheme."
A source told the Guardian the situation was reaching a critical level, expressing doubts about the air defense's ability to function effectively.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he had "learned unofficially" of the upcoming visit.
Ukraine has said it will not extend the transit agreement for Russian gas through its territory, set to expire on Dec. 31.
Boris Pistorius has come out in favor of a reform of the debt brake in order to increase funding for military defense.
Russian state media Kommersant reported that the airports of both Kazan and the neighboring city of Izhevsk had suspended flights.
A military spokesperson said the drones included ground systems equipped with machine guns, and kamikaze FPV drones.
This number includes 1,860 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
The attack damaged a 9-story apartment building in the city, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. Three women and a 12-year-old boy sustained injuries.
Over 12,340 civilians were killed and more than 27,836 were wounded in Ukraine between Feb. 24, 2022 and Nov. 30, 2024, according to the United Nations.
The IMF approved the $1.1 billion tranche after completing its sixth review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), a plan to provide Ukraine with over $15 billion in budget support over four years.
The drone hit a 9-story residential building in the city's Saltivskyi district, authorities said. A 12-year-old child was among the injured.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump plans to continue military support for Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 20, citing undisclosed sources.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the approval of over 30 Ukrainian ambassadorial appointments abroad during his evening address on Dec. 20.
For Russia's military recruiters, money talks. In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin doubled the federal signing-on bonus for contract soldiers to 400,000 rubles ($3,850) — over five times the country's average monthly wage. Regional governments are expected to top this up further, although the exact amount differs in each
"This book is about my war. First, the war with my own fears that prevent me from doing anything. Second, the war with people who prevent you from achieving your goals. And finally, the war against circumstances that become obstacles in life," Ukraine's former commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said.
Ukraine is already receiving U.S. funds under the framework of the G7's $50 billion loan covered by profits from frozen Russian assets, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Dec 20.
The embassies of Albania, Argentina, Palestine, North Macedonia, Portugal and Montenegro are located in a building that was heavily damaged by the Russian attack.
Ukraine attacked the Rostov Oblast's Kamensky Combine, one of the largest chemical plants in Russia, with six U.S.-made ATACMS and four British Storm Shadow missiles on Dec. 18, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Dec. 20.
The package is expected to include air defense interceptors and artillery ammunition, one of the sources told Reuters.
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