Key developments on Dec. 18: * 'Couple hundred' North Korean troops lost fighting for Russia against Ukraine, AP reports * Sweden 'does not exclude' more direct physical presence in Ukraine to bolster defense * Russia detains two suspects over assassination of General Igor Kirillov, Kremlin media reports * Peace talks with Russia only possible
U.S. General Keith Kellogg, nominated as Ukraine peace envoy by President-elect Donald Trump, criticized the recent assassination of Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov during an interview with Fox News on Dec. 18.
“It was at the start of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ military operation in Kursk Oblast. I believe the Kursk operation provided strong arguments in favor of Ukraine,” Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said.
Two European Union accession clusters for Ukraine are expected to open during the first half of 2025 under Poland’s presidency of the EU Council, a high-ranking EU official told The Kyiv Independent on Dec. 18.
The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers discreetly dethroned the former czar of drone purchases — Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov — as the result of a one-sided power struggle from the Head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, allege observers. A new decree shifted a key office in the drone purchasing process
In response to a question over whether Sweden would potentially take part in a more direct physical presence in Ukraine amid talks of potentially deploying peacekeepers to monitor a possible ceasefire, Jonson said he doesn't "exclude that possibility."
The EU does not anticipate potential negotiations or a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia in the near future, a high-ranking EU official told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 18.
The Ukrainian military has proven to be a pioneer in drone technology, using innovative ways to undermine Russia's material and numerical advantage.
In the call, a nurse at a Moscow hospital tells her husband, a soldier fighting in Kursk Oblast, that wounded fighters are being brought in by the trainload.
Although the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden plans to allocate some funds from the presidential drawdown authority, it is unlikely to spend the whole amount.
Slovakia currently imports 3 billion cubic meters of gas per year through Ukraine from Russia’s energy giant Gazprom.
"Real negotiations for a lasting peace will begin only when the enemy no longer has the resources to continue the war," Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, said on Dec. 17.
Russian Telegram channel 112 said the suspects had already confessed to authorities.
A senior U.S. military official did not give an exact figure but said the high casualty rate was in part due to the soldiers' lack of battle experience.
This number includes 1,580 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
The Ukrainian documentaries “The Porcelain War” and “Once Upon a Time in Ukraine” have been shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards, the U.S. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Dec. 17.
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has received an order to supply Ukraine with 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles, the company announced on Dec. 17.
The Trump administration's incoming Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, plans to visit Kyiv and several European capitals in early January as part of the new administration’s effort to address the Russia-Ukraine war.
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Lviv on Dec. 17 to discuss bilateral cooperation, historical reconciliation, and coordination with Western partners.
Key developments on Dec. 17: * Ukraine's SBU assassinates Russian general charged with chemical weapons crimes, source claims * Ukraine's Special Forces claim to kill 50 North Korean soldiers in 3 days * Russia heavily attacking in Kursk Oblast for 3rd day, 'actively' using North Korean troops, Syrskyi says * Zelensky rejects Orban's mediation,
NATO has assumed responsibility for coordinating Western military aid to Ukraine through the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine center, Reuters reported on Dec. 17, citing its sources.
Editor’s Note: This is issue 158 of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly, covering events from Dec. 9-14, 2024. The Kyiv Independent is reposting it with permission. Corporate governance of SOEs The Cabinet of Ministers completes the composition of Ukrenergo’s new supervisory board. On Dec. 10, the Cabinet of Ministers
Editor’s note: This is issue 5 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from Dec. 9-Dec. 15, 2024. This newsletter was until recently titled “Ukrainian Economy in Brief." The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial
LATEST: Russia detains two suspects over assassination of General Igor Kirillov, Kremlin media reports Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov met his demise in Moscow on Dec. 17, reportedly killed by a bomb attached to a scooter planted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). "Kirillov was a war criminal and a
"For the third day, Russian forces have been conducting intensive offensive operations in Kursk Oblast, actively using North Korean units," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
The legislation lists permissible cases for holding multiple citizenship and simplifies procedures for foreigners to obtain Ukrainian citizenship.
Slovakia's state-owned energy company SPP and its partners in Hungary, Italy, and Austria called for continued gas transit through Ukraine in a declearation published on Dec. 17.
"Their statements during this visit about opposing colonialism, made on Ukrainian land illegally seized by Russia in the course of its neocolonial war of aggression against Ukraine, are completely absurd," the Foreign Ministry said.
A Russian attack killed one person in the front-line town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and another Russian service member were reportedly killed in an explosion in Moscow on the morning of Dec. 17.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Dec. 16 ordered an investigation into the alleged abuse, extortion, and humiliation of soldiers in the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade by their commanders.
This number includes 1,600 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
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