UNICEF earmarks $450 million for front-line regions

6:20 PM

Kyiv, Damascus hold 'similar view' on Russian military presence in Syria, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry says.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed Kyiv's position on Russia's military presence in Syria to leaders of the new Syrian administration during a diplomatic visit to Damascus on Dec. 30, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said at an online meeting attended by the Kyiv Independent.

6:10 PM

Former Armenian defense minister briefly detained in Moscow.

Armenia's former defense minister, Major General Arshak Karapetyan, was detained in Moscow on Dec. 29 and later released, the Armenian Interior Ministry confirmed for the Novosti-Armenia news agency.

5:56 PM

Opinion

I survived a Russian torture camp. So I had to see Assad's Sednaya prison

5:53 PM

Partisans allegedly set ablaze two trains near Moscow destined for occupied Ukrainian territories.

Ukrainian partisans in Russia set fire to two locomotive trains on Dec. 30 destined for occupied regions of Ukraine, according to a Telegram post from Petro Andryushchenko, an advisor to the mayor of the Russian-occupied Mariupol.

5:21 PM

War analysis

Ukraine struck hundreds of targets deep inside Russia in 2024. What did they achieve?

5:17 PM

Ukraine brings back 189 people from Russian captivity in prisoner swap.

The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs) called it one of the largest prisoner exchanges since the start of the full-scale war in 2022.

5:04 PM

Ukraine's leading phone operator Kyivstar announces new agreement with Starlink.

Ukraine's largest telecommunications operator, Kyivstar, signed an agreement to become one of the first countries with access to Starlink's direct-to-cell service, the telecom operator announced on Dec. 30.

4:42 PM

U.S. sends $3.4 billion in direct aid to Ukraine.

The United States made a $3.4 billion payment in direct budget support to Ukraine, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced on Dec. 30.

4:27 PM

Russian military suffers 427,000 casualties in 2024, Syrskyi claims.

"Russia continues to carry out constant 'human wave' assaults, suffering record losses," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

3:45 PM

Russia launched over 1,300 drone strikes, 250 missiles at Kyiv in 2024.

The capital endured over 500 air raid alerts, according to Kyiv City Military Administration head Serhii Popko on Dec. 30.

2:46 PM

Biden announces $2.5 billion security assistance package for Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced a new security assistance package for Ukraine worth nearly $2.5 billion on Dec. 30.

1:48 PM

US to send $15 billion to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets, PM says.

The United States will provide Ukraine with $15 billion, backed by future revenues from frozen Russian assets, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Dec. 30.

1:05 PM

Ukraine's foreign minister meets with Syrian leadership in Damascus.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha visited Damascus on Dec. 30, marking the first official Ukrainian delegation to Syria in years. During the trip, he held talks with Syria’s de-facto leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa.

11:29 AM

Ukraine received over $41 billion in international aid in 2024, finance minister says.

The Ukrainian Finance Ministry received $41.7 billion in international aid in 2024, Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko said in a televized statement on Dec. 30.

10:16 AM

Ukraine shot down 21 Russian drones overnight, Air Force reports.

Russia used 43 drones against Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on Dec. 30.

9:17 AM

Ukrainian FM urges EU to ban, replace Russian LNG imports.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the European Union must be banned and replaced with supplies from the United States and other partners.

8:13 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 787,940 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

This number includes 2,010 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:23 AM

Black box from Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash sent to Brazil for investigation.

The black box from the Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan, believed to have been caused by Russian air defense, is being sent to Brazil for investigation, Kazakh authorities reported on Dec. 29.

4:25 AM

Slovak Defense Minister urges Ukraine to consider territorial concessions for "war to stop immediately".

Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kalinak said that Ukraine may need to cede some territory due to the realities on the ground, Slovak news agency TASR reported on Dec. 29.

3:04 AM

Nordic, Baltic countries voice concerns about elections in Georgia, call for investigations.

The Nordic Baltic Eight countries have urged Georgia to hold new elections following disputed parliamentary elections in October and the inauguration of the new president, according to their statement published on Dec. 29.

11:59 PM

Ukraine to appoint first Military Ombudsman, Zelensky says.

"Together with the new commissioner, the human rights community, and the Ministry of Defense, we will draft a corresponding bill on the Military Ombudsman and establish the institutional framework for its operation," Zelensky said on Dec. 29.

10:37 PM

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

The child, who the Kyiv Independent has chosen not to identify, 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