Update: Russia strikes energy facilities in Dnipro, serious damage reported

4:18 AM

84 arrested in Uk-led crypto laundering investigation involving Russian oligarchs, spies.

The United Kingdom's National Crime Agency (NCA) announced on Dec. 4 that it had dismantled a multibillion-dollar money laundering scheme that has enabled criminal networks, including Russian spies and oligarchs, to evade sanctions using cryptocurrency.

1:49 AM

Colombian man arrested in Romania for acting on Russian orders to plot infrastructure attack.

The suspect reportedly carried out reconnaissance missions, photographing and recording potential targets he intended to destroy with explosives or fire, Romanian prosecurors allege.

11:58 PM

Blinken confirms Ukraine to receive $50 billion transfer from frozen Russian assets.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed during a briefing that the transfer is part of a coordinated effort between the U.S. and EU to support Ukraine.

10:57 PM

US enforces visa restrictions on Russian officials linked to Ukrainian child deportations.

Since February 2022, at least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted from Russian-occupied territories and sent to other Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine or to Russia itself.

9:59 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine's new Palianytsia missile-drone enters serial production, minister says

9:18 PM

Ukrainian businesses increasingly look beyond diesel for backup power as blackouts begin again.

As Ukraine begins yet another winter with rolling blackouts and freezing temperatures, businesses are increasingly looking beyond diesel generators to fuel their operations during power cuts, business leaders said at the Energy Security Dialogue 2024 on Dec. 4.

9:01 PM

Ukraine preparing sanctions against Georgian government amid crackdown on pro-EU protests.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Georgian authorities "are pushing the country into clear dependence on Russia."

8:26 PM

House Speaker rejects Biden's request for additional $24 billion in Ukraine aid.

"It is not the place of Joe Biden to make that decision now, we have a newly elected president, and we are going to wait and take the new commander in chief’s direction on all that, so I don’t expect any Ukraine funding to come up now," U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said.

7:53 PM

Drones

Russian drone strikes on Ukraine are surging — how bad can it get?

7:22 PM

Ukrainian drone hits special police regiment building in Chechnya, Kadyrov claims.

A drone attack hit a special police regiment building in the center of the city of Grozny in the Chechen Republic on Dec. 4, Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov claimed, Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported.

6:33 PM

Ukraine state-owned enterprises weekly — Issue 156

6:29 PM

Video

Could Ukraine build a nuclear bomb? We asked an expert.

The Kyiv Independent’s reporter Oleg Sukhov sat down with Robert Kelley to discuss whether the weapon Ukraine gave up would be of much use now and if the country still has the capacity to produce a nuclear device.

6:18 PM

Ukraine has 'hard decisions' to make about further mobilization, Blinken says.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described mobilization as "critical" for Ukraine, adding that despite having funds and ammunition, people are needed to repel Russian aggression.

5:47 PM

Ukraine Business Roundup — Historic tax increase signed 44 days late

5:42 PM

Russia gathers 300 boats to cross Dnipro River amid attempted attacks in Kherson Oblast, military says.

Russian troops are storming the Kherson direction in an attempt to gain a foothold on some islands in the Dnipro River delta, Vladyslav Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command, told Suspilne on Dec. 4.

5:23 PM

Ukraine’s gas transit operator prepared for Russian attacks after transit deal expires, operator says.

With a deal to transport Russian gas through Ukraine expiring at the end of 2024, Ukraine’s gas transit network could soon come under Russian attacks, warned Dmytro Lyppa, CEO of the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine.

5:14 PM

Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly — Issue 3

3:39 PM

Russia’s Oreshnik strike aftermath was a carefully orchestrated psyop, media reports.

The propaganda offensive was coordinated between government, military, and intelligence officials, as well as PR experts, the Moscow Times wrote.

3:19 PM

Bulgaria supplies arms, ammunition to Ukraine in its 7th aid delivery.

The exact list of supplies, provided in accordance with a decision on military support in late 2022, remains classified.

2:51 PM

NATO must provide 'whatever air defense we can give' to Ukraine, Rutte says.

NATO countries will do all they can to provide Ukraine with air defenses necessary to protect its infrastructure but there is no surplus of such systems, Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Dec. 4.

2:05 PM

Controversial bill on state leaks fails to pass parliament.

The legislation was lambasted by the media and activists as an attempt to hamper investigations into corruption and other illicit activities by officials.

2:02 PM

Opinion

Opinion: Georgia’s fight for democracy is at a breaking point

1:50 PM

Opinion

Opinion: Does a savage war of partition await Ukraine?

1:31 PM

Ukraine's new Palianytsia missile-drone enters serial production, minister says.

"A new start-up implemented the Palianytsa missile project, which has already entered serial production thanks to the support of the Defense Ministry," Defense Minister Rustem Umerov wrote in a piece published by the LB.UA outlet.

1:09 PM

Russia, Belarus to set up joint military training centers, official claims.

Russia and Belarus are planning to set up three training centers to jointly train soldiers, Gennady Lepeshko, the Belarusian security and defense senior official, claimed on Dec. 3, state-controlled news outlet Belta reported.