Monday, December 23

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Activists hold banners urging for the return of Ukrainian POWs from Russian captivity during a rally, while a symbolic fire divides a table featuring a Christmas dinner for a civilian and one for a POW on Dec. 22, 2024 in Lviv. (Stanislav Ivanov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Putin threatens ‘more destruction’ for Ukraine after Kazan drone strike. “Whoever, and however much they try to destroy, they will face many times more destruction themselves and will regret what they are trying to do in our country,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Dec. 22.

Oil depot in Russia’s Oryol Oblast targeted by ‘massive’ Ukrainian drone strike, governor says. Oryol Oblast Governor Andrey Klychkov claimed that Russian forces downed 20 drones targeting fuel and energy infrastructure facilities in the region.

North Korea preparing to ship more troops, drones to Russia, Seoul says. North Korea is preparing to deploy additional troops and weapons, including kamikaze drones, to aid Russia in its full-scale war against Ukraine, the South Korean military said on Dec. 23.

New IMF forecast predicts war in Ukraine ending in late 2025 or 2026. The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) updated projections for Ukraine outline two scenarios regarding Russia’s ongoing war.

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Ombudsman reacts to alleged Russian execution of Ukrainian POWs. “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.

Full restoration of state registries expected within weeks, Justice Ministry says after major cyberattack. 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.

More than 1,000 applications submitted to join Ukrainian Legion in Poland, ambassador says. Over a thousand applications have been submitted to the Ukrainian Legion in Poland, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar said in an interview with Suspilne on Dec. 22.

Air Force reports downing 52 Russian drones overnight. The Air Force added that it lost track of 44 decoy drones that Russia launched alongside the real attack drones.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: For the first time, Ukraine attacks Russian positions using solely ground, FPV drones

Ukrainian forces successfully attacked Russian positions using only ground and first person view (FPV) drones instead of infantry, an army spokesperson claimed on Dec. 20.

Photo: Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu Agency/Getty

Human cost of war

At least one killed, 10 wounded by Russian attacks over previous day, local authorities say. The reports of casualties come as Ukraine’s Air Force reported shooting down 52 attack drones launched overnight.

General Staff: Russia has lost 774,100 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. 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.

International response

Putin, Slovak PM discuss gas transit, standardizing ‘mutual relations,’ Fico says after Kremlin meeting. “In a long conversation … Putin and I exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine, the possibilities of an early peaceful end to the war, and on mutual relations between the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation, which I intend to standardize.”

Trump claims Putin wants to meet with him ‘as soon as possible.’ “President Putin said that he wants to meet with me as soon as possible. So we have to wait for this. But we need to end that horrible, horrible war.”

BMW dismisses employees involved in scheme to illegally deliver cars to Russia. BMW discovered irregularities that allowed cars to be transferred to Russia from its branch in Hanover, the German automaker said on Dec. 22.

In other news

Trump names 5 picks for Pentagon jobs. Trump’s picks include Elbridge Colby, who opposes Ukraine’s NATO membership but supports tougher sanctions on Moscow, and Michael Duffey, who froze military aid to Kyiv in 2019.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Toma Istomina, Asami Terajima, Oleksiy Sorokin, Sonya Bandouil, and Abbey Fenbert.

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