Friday, December 20

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A dog is rescued from the rubble of a building struck by a Russian missile in the city of Kryvyi Rih overnight on Dec. 19, 2024. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Telegram)

‘Dumbass’ — Zelensky blasts Putin’s Oreshnik threats, ‘high-tech’ duel proposal with the West. At a press conference in Brussels on Dec. 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent threats of using the new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile against Kyiv to test Western air defense systems in what he called a “high-tech duel” with the West.

Fire, casualties reported in Kyiv amid Russian missile attack. Klitschko reported that multiple cars were on fire in the Holosiivskyi district of the city due to the falling debris from a missile. At least two people were injured as a result of the attack.

Putin says full-scale invasion of Ukraine should have been ‘earlier,’ expresses willingness to meet Trump. When asked what he would have done differently if he could go back to February 2022, the month Russia launched its all-out war against Ukraine, Putin responded, “Knowing what’s happening now, back in 2022, I would’ve thought the decision ought to have been taken earlier.”

Ukraine must decide between ‘carrying on the fight or looking to negotiate ceasefire,’ Blinken says. In a wide ranging interview with MSNBC on Dec. 19, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke about prospects for a potential ceasefire in Ukraine as well as support for the embattled country ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in January.

Ukraine won’t extend Russian gas transit, Zelensky confirms. “We will not engage in extending the transit of Russian gas. We will not give (Russia) the opportunity to earn additional billions on our blood,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky dismisses ceasefire as Putin’s ploy to regroup, seeks coordinated peace plan. “We need coordinated work for a lasting peace, not just the suspension of hostilities that Putin seeks in order to buy time,” Zelensky said.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

Zelensky meets top EU officials in Brussels, discusses ’just peace’ approach. “As we approach the start of the new year, we really need unity between the United States, the EU, and European countries,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said. “Only together, the U.S. and Europe can truly stop (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and save Ukraine.”

Ukraine won’t limit army’s strength as part of potential peace talks, Zelensky says. “We simply have no right to limit the strength of our army in any case,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukraine’s economy healthier than Russia’s in some indicators, The Economist reports. Ukraine’s economy has adapted itself well to the realities of the full-scale war while Russia’s economy faces increasingly unfavorable forecasts, The Economist wrote on Dec. 19.

Russia building road to connect Crimea, Mariupol, with Russia’s Rostov Oblast, Putin claims. Moscow has already built a 40-kilometer-long segment between the Russian city of Taganrog and occupied Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian cyberattack targets Ukrainian government services. In the largest cyberattack in recent months, several government services were targeted, including state registers the Ministry of Justice oversees. Russia has regularly targeted Ukrainian companies and government institutions with cyberattacks since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky blasts Putin’s Oreshnik threats, calling him ‘dumbass’

Vladimir Putin proposed the “high-tech duel” during his annual press conference on Dec. 19. He suggested launching an Oreshnik at a site in Kyiv while challenging the West to deploy their air defenses to intercept it, claiming the missile was unbeatable.

Photo: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images

North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast boost Russia’s manpower, despite vulnerabilities

North Korean troops fighting in Kursk Oblast are especially vulnerable to drones but still managed to help Moscow advance a few kilometers in the partially Ukrainian-occupied region in southwest Russia, according to Western military experts analyzing open-source data.

Photo: Kim Won Jin / AFP via Getty Images

Can Ukraine sustain its F-16 fleet if Trump halts US aid?

As the outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden rushes to provide last-minute aid to Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office in January, the State Department has recently announced a $266 million maintenance sales package for Ukraine’s F-16 fighter jets.

Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The tragic story of two brothers forever separated by Russia’s war

The U.N. estimates that at least 11,743 civilians have been killed and 24,614 injured since the start of the full-scale invasion. However, the actual number of civilian casualties is likely much higher as it doesn’t account for fatalities in the Russian-occupied territories.

Photo: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine / Telegram

Human cost of war

Russian losses exceed 750,000 troops, expected to surpass 1 million within 6 months, UK estimates. The U.K.’s latest estimate are in line with figures from Ukraine’s General Staff, which, as of Dec. 19, sits at 768,220 troops lost since the start of the war. The figures do not specify killed or wounded, though the overall consensus is that it includes dead, wounded, missing, and captured.

At least 100 North Korean soldiers killed, 1,000 wounded in Russia-Ukraine war, South Korean official says. At least 100 North Korean troops have been killed while fighting for Russia against Ukraine, a South Korean lawmaker said after an intelligence briefing, the BBC reported on Dec. 19.

6 injured in Russian attack on residential building in Kryvyi Rih. A Russian missile struck a two-story residential building in the city of Kryvyi Rih overnight on Dec. 19, injuring six people, including a child.

5 killed, 7 injured in fire at detention facility housing war deserters in Russia’s Sakha Republic. Five people have been killed and a further seven injured in a fire at a detention center in the city of Yakutsk, which houses Russian soldiers who deserted their units during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian officials reported.

Ukraine’s Special Forces report killing 12 North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces reported on Dec. 19 that they had killed 12 North Korean soldiers and injured 20 others, preventing their advance in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

International response

EU leaders call for more military aid to Kyiv, pledge Ukraine’s inclusion in key decisions. “Only Ukraine as the aggressed country can legitimately define what peace means — and if and when the conditions are met for credible negotiations,” said Antonio Costa, president of the European Council.

Denmark allocates $292 million to bolster Ukraine’s air defense, minister says. The announcement comes amid intensified Russian attacks against Ukraine, including one of the largest aerial strikes on Dec. 13, which targeted energy infrastructure across Ukraine.

G7 discusses slashing Russian oil price cap, complete ban, Bloomberg reports. Discussions reportedly include lowering the current $60-per-barrel cap to approximately $40 or even implementing a complete ban on Russian oil supplies.

In other news

Russian court orders two-month detention for suspect in General Kirillov assassination. A Moscow court ruled on Dec. 19 to place the suspect in the killing of General Igor Kirillov in pre-trial detention for two months. Kirillov was killed in Moscow on Dec. 17, with a bomb attached to a scooter.

Belarus sentences 2 Belarusians, Ukrainian to 11-25 years for alleged terrorism. Two Belarusians and one Ukrainian were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 11 to 25 years by Belarusian authorities for their alleged involvement in preparing terrorist acts, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported on Dec. 19.

Ukraine’s brigade commander arrested over alleged power abuse after media investigation. A court in Ternopil took into custody Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk, commander of the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade, suspected of abuse of power, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported.

This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Contact partnerships@kyivindependent.com for more details.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Kateryna Denisova,

Toma Istomina, Tymur Zadorozhnyy, Olena Goncharova, Dmytro Basmat, and Volodymyr Ivanyshyn.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.