Live:Ukraine
❗️President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is speaking with journalists. Here are the key points so far:
⚡️Zelenskyy has not yet received a response from the United States to the latest proposal on the peace plan prepared by Ukraine and its European partners.
⚡️Zelenskyy will meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and possibly with other European leaders. The meetings in Berlin will continue tomorrow.
⚡️The plan will not be something that everyone likes. Any version involves many compromises. The most important thing is that it is as fair as possible for Ukraine and effective. It must not be just a piece of paper but a meaningful step toward ending the war, so that after it is signed Russia has no opportunity to start a third act of aggression against the Ukrainian people.
⚡️When the negotiations expanded beyond the framework of the 20 point agreement, several additional groups joined the Ukrainian negotiating team. The economic track is represented by Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev and Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. The security track is represented by intelligence officials and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov.
⚡️Ukraine wanted to join NATO from the very beginning, but this was not supported by the United States and some European countries. Therefore bilateral security guarantees from the United States in the format of Article 5 of the NATO Charter, as well as guarantees from European partners and other countries, are already a compromise on Ukraine’s part. For Ukraine it is important that the guarantees from the United States are supported by the US Congress.
❗️Additional statements by President Zelenskyy from his conversation with journalists.
The issue of yesterday’s release of Belarusian political prisoners, 123 people, was discussed by Ukraine at the level of intelligence services. After that, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov reported to Zelenskyy that Belarus does not want to transfer the political prisoners through EU countries but is ready to hand them over via Ukraine if the President of Ukraine supports this. Zelenskyy responded that he “certainly supports” it.
As of today, a fair option could be a ceasefire along the line of contact. Russia has a negative attitude toward this and responds by saying that Ukraine must leave Donbas. The United States proposed a compromise: Ukrainian troops would leave these territories and Russian troops would not enter them, calling it a “free Ukrainian zone.” Ukraine does not accept this idea without a mutual withdrawal of forces. At this point, there is no decision on this issue.
Poland has proposed that Zelenskyy make a visit on Friday, December 19. The President believes that the visit will not be postponed.
◾️On Monday, December 8, Zelenskyy told journalists that he had received a signal that Polish President Karol Nawrocki had invited him, but that the Polish side needed to name a date. Zelenskyy and Nawrocki have not yet met in person. The inauguration of Poland’s new president took place on August 6.
⚡️ Russia attacked Ukraine with 138 drones and one ballistic missile. Here is what is known so far about the consequences.
Zaporizhzhia. Eleven people were injured as a result of a Russian strike on the city. Among them are a child, a police officer, and two State Emergency Service rescuers.
Odesa region. Russian forces attacked energy facilities. There were no casualties. Power has already been restored to one hundred thousand consumers.
Donetsk region. In Krasnopillia, two people were injured. In Kostiantynivka, one person was killed and two were injured. Residential buildings were damaged.
Sumy region. As a result of Russian attacks on the region, residential buildings, a non residential facility, and a passenger car were damaged. No casualties were reported.
⚡️ The Kremlin said that NATO Secretary General Rutte’s statement about preparing for war with Russia is irresponsible and shows that he does not understand the scale of destruction caused by World War II.
“They do not understand it, and unfortunately Mr Rutte, by making such irresponsible statements, simply does not understand what he is talking about,” Kremlin spokesperson Peskov said.
🇭🇺Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán plans to bring 1.6 million questionnaires from Hungarians to the EU summit, who allegedly spoke out against aid to Ukraine.
"1.6 million returned national consultation questionnaires. That's how many people expressed their opinion on plans to raise taxes because of the war. I will take this with me to Brussels next week, where I will voice the position of the silent majority. I hope the armed forces won't charge anything for the excess weight," Orbán wrote on Facebook.
These are questionnaires from the so-called "national consultation" — a manipulative survey by Orbán's government regarding Ukraine's EU membership. The Prime Minister's team actively urged people to vote against Ukraine's accession, claiming it would negatively affect the lives of all Hungarians and cause huge losses to the country. There is also no information on how protected the votes in this "consultation" were from substitution and manipulation.
🇺🇦 🇺🇸 Negotiations between the Ukrainian and American delegations in Berlin will continue on Monday.
Zelenskyy's advisor Lytvyn informed journalists that the negotiations on December 14 lasted over five hours.
🇵🇱🇺🇦Zelenskyy will meet with Polish President Nawrocki for the first time on December 19 in Warsaw.
Nawrocki's spokesperson confirmed this. He also stated that the negotiations between the leaders will concern issues of security, economy, and history.
▪️ Earlier, Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski said that "President Zelenskyy would not lose his crown if, while passing through Poland, he asked for a visit to the Presidential Palace." Zelenskyy stated he was ready to come when he received the corresponding invitation.
Overnight, Moscow and a number of facilities in the Russian Federation were under drone attack. What is known now:
Moscow authorities reported from night until morning about allegedly shot down drones over the capital of the Russian Federation. The "Kovyor" (Carpet) plan was introduced at Sheremetyevo Airport.
Explosions were also heard in Belgorod — local authorities report a missile attack. Local Telegram channels write about a hit on the "Luch" TPP , which provides light and heat to part of the city.
The Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant might have also been under attack tonight. After a strike on it in September, the plant temporarily suspended operations.
Loud noises were also reported in Rostov Oblast — a power line was damaged in the Kamensky district. Residents of several microdistricts were left without water supply.
In total, the Russian Ministry of Defense claims 130 drones were shot down overnight over 12 regions.
Video 1 — Moscow, 2 — Belgorod, 3 — Astrakhan, 4 — Rostov Oblast
Russians launched 153 drones against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force reports.
Air defense neutralized 133 Russian UAVs, and another 17 hit 10 locations.
In particular, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast was under attack overnight. In Synelnykove district, a rescuer and an enterprise employee were injured. In Pavlohrad and Pyatykhatky, a transport enterprise and infrastructure were on fire.
Due to the shelling of the region, the railway's contact network was de-energized. A number of trains are delayed.