Ukraine Invasion: Part 59

[MagicFox]

Well, it’s thread 59.

Thanks to all regular contributors, especially those doing the daily hard work. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦

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A. The agreed purpose of the thread is for the sharing of information and commentary on current events

B. If you post a link please tell us where it leads/give a precis of the content

C. Discussion and debate is welcome, but please keep it respectful

D. Please keep on topic

How deep do these sea drones travel. Shouldn't be too difficult to get under a barge. Though you'd have thought that the harbour would already be protected with torpedo nets.

It appears to be barges, boom barriers and possibly more - as you say looking back at how this sort of thing was done in WW2 using nets etc I'd expect the Russian's to have now tried to block the entrance full depth...stable door and all that.

One report here:

https://www.uawire.org/russia-seals-novorossiysk-naval-base-with-barges-after-ukrainian-drone-strike

Same as they've done with the Kerch Bridge I guess then.

I was thinking what use is a sub that you can't use, but then remembered they fire the missiles that hit Odessa :/

Very true...

Some (in fact quite a few) of their subs are cruise missile carriers or carriers of other forms of surface to surface conventional ordnance.

Quite a few nations would be quite happy to see Ukraine remove some from the Russian orbat.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️Putin envoy heads (kyivindependent.com/putin-envoy-dmitriev-heads-to-miami-for-talks-with-witkoff-kushner-as-u-s-pushes-ukraine-peace-plan-reuters-reports/) to Miami for talks on Ukraine peace plan, Reuters reports.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy, is traveling to Miami to meet U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Reuters reported on Dec.20, citing a Russian source.
Ahead of the trip, Dmitriev (kyivindependent.com/tag/kirill-dmitriev/) posted (x.com/kadmitriev/status/2002247452825440352?s=20) on X that he was "on the way to Miami."

⚡️'Alternatives to US support are uncertain' — Zelensky (kyivindependent.com/alternatives-to-us-support-are-uncertain-zelensky-says-strength-to-end-war-exists-with-trump-names-most-difficult-issues-in-negotiations/) says 'strength' to end war exists with Trump, names 'most difficult issues' in negotiations.
President Volodymyr Zelensky once again called on U.S. President Donald Trump to take an active role in negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine, as uncertainty continues to grow around the fate of ongoing U.S.-led peace negotiations.

⚡️Ukraine to replace (kyivindependent.com/ukraine-to-replace-head-of-southern-air-command-following-repeated-deadly-russian-strikes-in-odesa-oblast/) head of Southern Air Command following repeated deadly Russian strikes in Odesa Oblast.
Kyiv is looking to replace the head of the Southern Air Command, Dmytro Karpenko, following several deadly Russian strikes on Odesa Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Dec. 20.

⚡️Ukraine working on mechanism (kyivindependent.com/foreign-ministry-working-on-mechanism-to-allow-ukrainian-citizen-abroad-to-vote-in-next-election-zelensky-says/) for overseas voting for citizens living abroad, Zelensky says.

⚡️Ukrainian drones (kyivindependent.com/sbu-says-drones-hit-2-russian-su-27-jets-at-belbek-airfield-in-occupied-crimea/) hit 2 Russian Su-27 jets in Crimea, intelligence agency says.
Ukrainian long-range drones have struck two Russian Su-27 fighter jets at the Belbek military airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Dec. 20.
The drones are operated by the SBU's Special Operations Center "A" (Alpha), according to the agency.

⚡️Ukraine, Portugal sign partnership to produce sea drones (kyivindependent.com/ukraine-portugal-sign-partnership-to-produce-sea-drones-zelensky-says/), Zelensky says.

⚡️Ministry says 202 Indian citizens recruited (kyivindependent.com/india-confirms-over-200-citizens-recruited-by-russia-to-fight-in-war-against-ukraine/) by Russia to fight in war against Ukraine.
A total of 202 Indian nationals have been recruited into the Russian army since 2022, with at least 26 killed and seven missing, according to India's Foreign Ministry.
"Concerted efforts by the Government have resulted in the early discharge of 119 of them; 26 are reported to have lost their lives, and seven are reported missing by the Russian side," the report said.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
‪@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social‬
⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — DEC 21, 2025
■ Engagements well above average; Russia continues to lose well over a thousand men per day; no area gains confirmed
■ Visually confirmed equipment: 28 🇷🇺 : 12 🇺🇦 — 0.9× over the last 90 days
■ Overnight attacks remain in the double digits; decent interception rate
■ 30-day 🇷🇺/🇺🇦 strike ratio slightly up; two 🇺🇦 strikes reported

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

🦅 US intelligence says Putin seeks to seize not only Ukraine but also former Soviet republics — Reuters
According to US intelligence, Putin has not abandoned his ambitions to seize all of Ukraine and territories of former Soviet republics, including NATO member states.
This assessment contradicts statements by some negotiators in the administration of US President Donald Trump, who claim that the Russian dictator is allegedly ready to end the war.

⚡️ Russia is preparing to occupy the Baltic states — Budanov
According to him, the Russian Federation has moved the timeline for a possible direct aggression from 2030 to 2027.
If the Baltic states are threatened with occupation, Russia views Poland primarily as a target for strikes rather than for occupation — a military campaign without territorial capture.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) explains the likelihood of a Russian offensive through deep historical and psychological traumas, as well as the prevailing worldview in Russian society.

The total number of vessels targeted by EU sanctions has risen to 600, about two-thirds of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” said David O’Sullivan, the EU’s special representative for sanctions enforcement.

🇸🇪 Sweden will provide Ukraine with $200 million in direct budget support in 2026, said Andrii Sybiha.

❗️Portugal is part of the “Coalition of the Willing” and is ready to take part in operations to ensure peace. In the context of a peacekeeping mission, it could deploy its forces on Ukrainian territory, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said.

Kazakhstan plans to build four new factories to produce artillery shells and mines under the ASPAN project. For the first time, ammunition will be manufactured to NATO standards. The Russian State Duma has already reacted with threats toward Astana.
According to Kazakh media, the total cost of the project is about $1 billion. Construction of the first plant, ASPAN-1, is already underway. It is expected to become operational in 2027 and will produce shells and mines. Launch dates for the other three factories have not yet been announced.
A senior Kazakh military official told RTVI that for a long time Kazakhstan had no domestic production of artillery shells, mines, or even small-arms ammunition. As a result, the army’s combat capability depended on Soviet-era stockpiles and supplies from Russia and other former Soviet republics. He stressed that under current geopolitical conditions, having its own ammunition production is critically important.
The initiative was criticized by Alexei Zhuravlev, first deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Defense. He called the move “unfriendly.”
“Why is NATO so interested in Kazakhstan? Perhaps because it borders Russia and could be turned into another Russophobic outpost,” Zhuravlev said.
He also claimed that Kazakhstan is abandoning Russian weapons, “just as it previously abandoned the Russian language and the Cyrillic alphabet.”
“Astana was not the largest customer of Russia’s military-industrial complex, but the step itself is unfriendly and requires a response. We all know how such cooperation with NATO ended for Kyiv,” the Russian lawmaker added.

Russian oil prices continue to fall sharply under pressure from US sanctions, which have disrupted established export routes to India and China, according to Argus pricing data.
Analysts say the price of Urals shipped from Novorossiysk fell to $34.52 per barrel as of December 16 — about half its level at the start of the year.
In the Baltic port of Primorsk, Russia’s main export grade was sold for $36.07 per barrel. Discounts on Urals reached $23–25 per barrel in Novorossiysk and about $24 in Baltic ports, Argus reports.
Some Urals cargoes Russia is trying to sell to China are discounted by up to $35 per barrel, Reuters sources said. That puts the price below $30 — a record low since the pandemic.
Russian oil is being sold 30% cheaper than Brent, and in some cases up to 50% cheaper, said Janis Kluge, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. As a result, Russia’s budget is losing billions of dollars every month due to sanctions.
According to Russia’s Finance Ministry, oil and gas revenues fell 34% year on year in November. In December, Reuters estimates they may drop to 410 billion rubles — the lowest level since August 2020 and 49% less than in December 2024.

The Pentagon has lifted geographic restrictions on the use of antipersonnel mines, The Washington Post reports.
The Trump administration revised a Biden-era policy that banned the use of these weapons everywhere except the Korean Peninsula.
[...]
Hegseth ordered the development of a new policy within 90 days. The memo outlines five goals, including lifting geographic limits on antipersonnel mines, allowing their use worldwide, and granting combatant commanders authority to deploy them.
The memo also states that President Trump is ending the U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program, which supported landmine clearance efforts in other countries.
The decision has drawn criticism from human rights groups and arms control experts.

Russia’s second-largest lender, VTB Bank, has lost a court case seeking to recover $274 million from its British unit, Bloomberg reports.
VTB’s lawyers argued that the UK government had unlawfully changed sanctions-related rules earlier this year governing the management of the bank’s UK subsidiary. According to the lender, the decision had “catastrophic” consequences, as it effectively nullified all claims to recover funds from the London-based unit.
Lawyers representing the administrators, Teneo Inc, which took control of the company, along with the UK government, rejected these claims and defended the changes.
Judge Rowena Collins Rice dismissed VTB’s appeal, stating that she found “no element of illegality” in the government’s decision that would justify overturning it. She concluded that the bank’s grounds for appeal were unfounded.

Work on the construction of fortifications continues in all frontline regions. Ukraine’s Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal showcased the existing lines of deterrence against the aggressor in the Zaporizhzhia region. https://t.me/United24media/38334

Some interesting stuff there, Khazakhstan is generally on good terms with Russia so I wonder why they are moving to NATO standard.

Russian oil prices falling is not going to help their economy unless China props them up further. Lost the British court case.

US lifting geographical limits on the use of landmines.

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

The issue of Ukraine’s financing for 2026 has been resolved, Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Silence in Miami. A second day of US–Russia talks begins (www.kyivpost.com/post/66670) with no breakthrough in sight.
Washington has ruled out trilateral talks for now, putting the onus on Russia to bridge the gap with Ukraine’s security needs.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

❗️"I'll be honest: partners have started to hold back air defense missiles a little, and we currently cannot get the full volumes we need," — Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy noted that he had proposed purchasing licenses for foreign equipment and suggested joint production with partners, but there is currently no agreement.

WSJ: Putin personally facilitated Steve Witkoff becoming the negotiator between the USA and Russia.
According to the publication, Putin analyzed Trump's inner circle. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg did not suit the Kremlin due to his tough position on Russia, and the activities of his daughter, who heads a charitable organization in Ukraine, were perceived in Moscow as a "red flag."
Contact with Witkoff was established through Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed — at that time, Witkoff was Trump's special envoy to the Middle East. As WSJ notes, Prince Mohammed maintains close ties with Kirill Dmitriev.
It was through him that Dmitriev passed his signal: Putin is ready for contact and a "gesture of goodwill" — a prisoner exchange. This concerned American Marc Fogel, who was subsequently released after Witkoff's trip to Moscow.
The White House stated to WSJ that Witkoff's appointment was exclusively Trump's decision, calling claims of influence by foreign states absurd.

Approximately fifty residents of the border village of Hrabovske in the Sumy region were taken to Russian territory, according to the village head speaking to "Suspilne."
The incident occurred on the night of December 20, 2024. No children were among those taken.
The co-founder of the DeepState analytical project reported an intensification of Russian military activity in the Hrabovske area, with the situation currently being clarified.
According to Kordon.Media, Russian forces entered the village and took away all residents who had previously signed refusals to evacuate. In Russia, these residents are expected to undergo "filtration measures."

🇺🇦🇵🇹 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro held a joint press conference. Here are the key statements:
🔴The U.S. has proposed a Ukraine–U.S.–Russia negotiation format and plans a separate meeting with Russian representatives. Zelenskyy emphasized that EU representatives must also be present.
🔴Portugal has provided €600,000 to support Ukraine's energy sector and will involve its companies and technologies in further assistance.
🔴The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is working on infrastructure to hold elections abroad. Meanwhile, elections will not be conducted in the temporarily occupied territories.
🔴Ukraine and Portugal signed a document on the joint production of maritime drones. According to Zelenskyy, this is currently one of the most promising areas of defense cooperation.
🔴Portugal's military aid to Ukraine since 2022 has reached €270 million. Throughout the war, Portugal has welcomed over 70,000 Ukrainian refugees.

Russians attacked Izyum with at least 4 KABs (guided aerial bombs); 2 people are reported dead
The Kharkiv Regional Military Administration (OVA) also reports one female victim who suffered an acute stress reaction.

Another Russian reconnaissance drone has crashed in Turkey, this time near the town of Manyas.
The drone has been sent to Ankara for preliminary forensic examination. According to early data, it is a Merlin-VR drone.

Russia has once again attacked Ukraine. Here is what is known about the consequences at this time:
Odesa Region: The death toll from the Russian ballistic missile strike on port infrastructure has risen to 8 people, with 27 others injured. A minibus passing by the site was caught in the epicenter of the blast.
Kharkiv Region: In an attack on Izyum, rescuers recovered the bodies of two victims—a man and a woman—from under the rubble. One other person was injured.
Zaporizhzhia: Three people were injured in a strike on the Polohy district. Additionally, a drone targeted a car belonging to a 74-year-old man, leaving him wounded.
Donetsk Region: Two people were wounded in the Kramatorsk district, and residential buildings in the Bakhmut district were damaged in recent attacks.

In the center of Kyiv, unidentified individuals launched a drone carrying a Russian tricolor
The drone rose into the sky and then crashed. t.me/liveukraine_media/36648

In the center of Kyiv, unidentified individuals launched a drone carrying a Russian tricolor
The drone rose into the sky and then crashed.

Unless the papers find out and report on it, I shall wonder forever whether this was people trying to show support for the country which is bombing them, or people providing a metaphor for the country which is bombing them.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-20-2025/

Key Takeaways

1. US delegations met separately with a Ukrainian-European delegation and a Russian delegation in Miami on December 19 and 20, respectively.
2. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that both Russia and Ukraine must make compromises to end the war after Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to his full war aims on December 19.
3. Ukrainian forces struck Russian military and oil assets overnight on December 19 to 20.
4. Three drones — at least two of which are reportedly Russian drone models — have entered Turkish airspace or crashed into Turkey since December 15.
5. Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Hulyaipole.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-21-2025/

Key Takeaways

1. Russian forces are conducting a new cognitive warfare campaign through limited cross-border attacks across a broad part of the previously dormant northern frontline in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts.
2. These two cross-border attacks likely intend to advance the Kremlin’s cognitive warfare campaign to convince the West that the frontlines in Ukraine are collapsing, such that Ukraine should concede to all of Russia’s demands.
3. Russian forces have not set conditions to start a new offensive across the international border in northern Ukraine.
4. Russian forces notably have not prepared the battlefield in northern Sumy or Kharkiv oblasts for a major ground offensive through intermediate-range strikes against Ukrainian logistics.
5. The Russian tactics in the assault in Sotnytskyi Kozachok are not consistent with Russian assault tactics across the theater and suggest the attack was designed to be seen.
6. Russian forces forcibly deported about 50 civilians from Sumy Oblast in violation of international law.
7. Russian forces have likely seized Siversk — a town with a pre-war population of less than 11,000 — after 41 months of fighting.
8. US delegations continued separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Miami on December 21 as the Kremlin continues to reject making compromises to end the war.
9. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the border area of Belgorod Oblast and near Pokrovsk. Russian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk-Lyman direction, in the border areas of Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, and near Borova and Siversk.

Russian general killed by car bomb in Moscow, officials say
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8jwn9wznx1o

Live:Ukraine

❗️Russians launched 97 drones at Ukraine; 75 of them were intercepted by air defense, the Air Force reports.

Another 19 Russian UAVs hit targets in 8 locations.

🔴 Rivne Region: Due to the overnight attack, a civilian infrastructure facility was damaged, and one of the employees was injured.

🔴 Mykolaiv Region: Another person was injured in the Snihurivka community, where Russians struck with guided aerial bombs (KABs), damaging a warehouse containing humanitarian aid.

🔴Dnipropetrovsk Region: This morning, occupiers targeted Nikopol with artillery; no injuries were reported.

🇵🇹🇺🇦 Portugal will allocate €25 million annually for the purchase of Ukrainian-made weapons, announced Ukraine's Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal following a meeting with his Portuguese counterpart Nuno Melo.

The funding will be provided over a five-year period (totaling €125 million) as part of the European SAFE initiative.

Additionally, Portugal confirmed its readiness to contribute €50 million to the PURL mechanism, which allows allies to finance the procurement of American weaponry for Ukraine.

▪️ Previously, Lisbon provided €600,000 to support Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Ukraine and Portugal also signed a document regarding the joint production of maritime drones.

❗️Fighting is ongoing in the border village of Hrabovske in the Sumy region, stated the Grouping of the Joint Forces.

They also refuted media reports claiming that Russians had entered the neighboring village of Ryasne.

Viktor Tregubov, the head of the communications department for the Grouping of the Joint Forces, stated that the Russian military actions do not appear to be an attempt at a large-scale breakthrough, but rather a provocation.

Tregubov clarified that on the night of December 20, units of the Russian 36th Brigade entered the area of the border village of Hrabovske and attempted to penetrate up to one kilometer deep into Ukrainian territory.

🇸🇪Sweden has detained a Russian vessel suspected of transporting weapons for the war against Ukraine.

On the night of December 21, Swedish authorities detained the Russian ship Adler, which stopped near Höganäs following an engine failure. It is owned by M Leasing LLC, a company currently under U.S. and EU sanctions.

Vessels belonging to this company may have been involved in transporting North Korean ammunition to Russia for its war against Ukraine.

🔹 Some European countries are ready to deploy troops to Ukraine if Putin attacks again after a ceasefire, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated in an interview with BILD.

"Of course, we are not currently discussing the public details of what this might look like," he said.

"The concept of this 'coalition of the willing' is currently being developed: how the deployment will look, what will happen on land, at sea, in the air, etc.," he told BILD.

🔸 The Ukrainian delegation has conducted a series of productive and constructive meetings with U.S. and European partners in Florida over the past three days, according to delegation leader and NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov.

"Ukraine remains fully committed to achieving a just and lasting peace. Our common priority is to stop the killings, achieve guaranteed security, and create conditions for the reconstruction, stability, and long-term prosperity of Ukraine. Peace must be more than just a cessation of hostilities; it must be a worthy foundation for a stable future," Umerov stated.

🔹 As a result of a GUR (Defense Intelligence of Ukraine) operation at an airfield near Lipetsk, Su-30 and Su-27 fighter jets were disabled

The operation was carried out on the night of Sunday by a representative of the Resistance Movement. The combined value of the aircraft could reach $100 million.

❗️ The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has officially confirmed the assassination of Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov.

An explosive device detonated under his car in Moscow today.

Sarvarov served in the General Staff as the Head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Army. He previously fought in North Ossetia, Chechnya, and Syria.

⚠️ Over night, Russians launched 86 drones at Ukraine. Air defense shot down 58.

🔴 Kryvyi Rih was the most affected. The "I am a Veteran" administrative service center was destroyed, and the main "Viza" Administrative Services Center (TSNAP) was seriously damaged.

🔴 Near Korosten in the Zhytomyr region, a freight train derailed, reportedly due to a Shahed drone attack. On the adjacent track, the locomotive of a passenger train also derailed following an emergency stop; the driver and his assistant were hospitalized. Another female passenger sustained a cut from shattered glass.

🔴 In the Odesa region, the occupiers launched a massive strike on energy infrastructure. Warehouse buildings containing fertilizer and agricultural machinery were also damaged.

🔸 Swedish Customs has released the Russian cargo vessel Adler.

The ship and its owner, M Leasing LLC, are under EU and US sanctions—they are suspected of transporting North Korean weapons for the war against Ukraine.

The Swedish Prosecutor's Office decided not to launch an investigation into the suspected violation of sanctions. According to maritime surveillance data, the vessel is continuing its journey.

United 24 Media:

🔹 “This week, Russia has launched about 1,300 strike drones, nearly 1,200 guided bombs, and nine missiles of various types across Ukraine. The Odesa region and the south have been particularly affected. Our services continue working to restore normal life in the regions,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

🔸 Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, said that changes to the US “peace plan” proposed by Europe and Ukraine are preventing a long-term settlement.

He also declined to comment on whether he had any information about the progress of meetings between Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev and US officials in Miami.

🇺🇦🇵🇹 Portugal will allocate €25 million annually for the purchase of Ukrainian weapons.

This was announced by Ukraine’s Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal after a meeting with his Portuguese counterpart, Nuno Melo.

In addition, Portugal is ready to allocate €50 million for the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine under the PURL mechanism.

🔹 Romania will open its second-largest logistics hub for Ukraine next month, working alongside the hub in Rzeszów, Poland, DefenseRomania reports, citing NATO Deputy Commander of the NSATU mission, General Mike Keller.

According to him, the new logistics and coordination center will significantly increase the throughput of aid on the Alliance’s eastern flank and ease the burden on the Polish hub.

The center will operate under direct NATO command and will specialize in the transfer of artillery, air defense, and electronic warfare equipment.

🔸 By kidnapping people in Hrabovske in the Sumy region, Putin’s Russia is showing that it is no different from terrorist groups like ISIS, Boko Haram, or Hamas, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

“We demand the return of our civilian hostages. These 50 people, along with thousands of other civilians forcibly deported to Russia, including Ukrainian children, must be brought home.

We call on all states and international organizations to join the demand for the release of innocent civilians kidnapped from their homes.

This specific war crime is already being investigated in Ukraine and must receive an appropriate response at the international level.

This once again highlights the constant threat of living next to Russia. That is why Ukraine needs real, lasting peace. Living next to terrorists requires strength and reliable security guarantees.”

🔹 Orbán said that Ukraine’s collapse would be a “catastrophe” for Hungary.

Stability in the neighboring country is crucial for Hungary, which supplies Ukraine with electricity and gas.

“The collapse of Ukraine would be a catastrophe for Hungary. Stability nearby is important. The war is weakening Ukraine day by day. Anyone who truly supports Ukraine must strive for peace — and must strive for it now,” Orbán said in a statement.

🗣 Ukraine remains fully committed to achieving a just and sustainable peace, Witkoff said after talks in Miami with U.S., Ukrainian, and European delegations.

Trump’s special envoy said the discussions focused on developing a 20-point plan, aligning positions on a framework for multilateral security guarantees, agreeing on a framework for U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, and further elaborating a plan for economic development and prosperity.

“Particular attention was paid to the timing and sequencing of next steps. Our shared priority is to stop the killing, ensure guaranteed security, and create the conditions for Ukraine’s recovery, stability, and long-term prosperity,” the statement said.

🤡 The Kremlin said that most proposals from Ukraine, the EU, and the US “will not be suitable.”

“I think that most of the proposals will not be suitable for us, because we will adhere to what we agreed on in Anchorage and at other meetings with American representatives,” Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said.

🔸 Worst since September 2024: IAEA assesses the situation at Ukrainian nuclear power plants after Russian attacks, warning that nuclear safety is under pressure.

Strikes on Ukraine’s power grid appear to be coordinated to cause maximum disruption, and their frequency and scale show that overall grid stability is deteriorating rather than improving, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.

During a mission from December 1 to 12, IAEA experts visited more than 10 substations to assess the damage and identify steps to strengthen the resilience of nuclear power plants’ external power supply.

Grossi noted that outages on December 13–14 caused power fluctuations and temporary shutdowns at the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and South Ukraine nuclear power plants, forcing units to operate at reduced capacity.

Kyiv Independent:

⚡️Russian troops launch nearly 100 drones overnight, killing 4, injuring 19.

Russian forces launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile from Russia’s Rostov Oblast, along with 97 drones from Russia’s Millerovo, Kursk, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and Russian-occupied Crimea overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force.

⚡️Ukrainian partisans sabotage key railway hub in Russia's Rostov Oblast, group claims.

Atesh operatives set fire at a railway hub in Bataysk, in Russia's Rostov Oblast, which Russian troops use to supply their forces in occupied parts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk oblasts, as well as Crimea.

⚡️50 civilians in Sumy Oblast abducted and forcibly taken to Russia, ombudsman says.

According to preliminary information, on Dec. 18, Russian forces illegally detained about 50 civilians — residents of the village of Hrabovske — holding them without access to communication or adequate conditions. On Dec. 20, they were forcibly taken to Russia.

⚡️'Not under discussion': Kremlin denies preparations for trilateral US-Ukraine-Russia talks.

Ukrainian and Russian delegations have rushed to Miami to take part in yet another round of talks with the U.S. representatives in what some see as an American effort to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

⚡️France and Russia signal openness to holding separate talks as US-led peace efforts remain inconclusive.

On Dec. 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin lashed out at Western leaders during an annual meeting with his defense ministry, calling European leaders "piglets" and declaring that the goals of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine would be met "unconditionally."

⚡️Ukrainian, US delegates hold another round of talks as Russian team meets Americans in Miami.

The meeting is part of ongoing diplomatic negotiations in Washington's latest push to secure a peace deal. A Russian team is also expected to meet with U.S. delegates again on Dec. 21.

🔸 Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian drones hit 2 Russian Su-27 jets in Crimea, intelligence agency says

Ukrainian long-range drones have struck two Russian Su-27 fighter jets at the Belbek military airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea; French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin have said they are willing to "engage in dialogue;" and more.

🔹 ‘We are f–king fascists’ — Pussy Riot memoir looks at everything wrong with Russia

Upon being released from prison in December 2013 after serving time for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred,” Russian political activist Maria Alyokhina observes that she and her fellow Pussy Riot punk group members “arrived in a different country.”

Alyokhina’s new book, “Political Girl: Life and Fate in Russia,” covers the period from her first release from prison to her escape from Russia in the spring of 2022, a span that coincides with some of the darkest moments in the country’s recent history.

⚡️Update: Ukraine-US talks in Miami focus on peace plan, security guarantees, economic development, Umerov says.

The U.S.-Ukraine discussions focused on four key elements: the details of the 20-point peace plan, a framework for multilateral security guarantees; an agreement on U.S. security guarantees, and an economic development plan, delegation head Rustem Umerov said.

"Our common priority is to stop the killings, achieve guaranteed security, and create conditions for the reconstruction, stability, and long-term prosperity of Ukraine."

⚡️Ukrainian drone attack sets Russian pipeline ablaze in Krasnodar Krai, officials say.

Drone debris hit a pipeline at a terminal in Volna, a village in the region's Temryuk district, the Krasnodar Krai Emergency Headquarters said. A fire broke out as a result of the attack.

⚡️US Senator Graham says Tomahawks should go to Ukraine if Putin rejects peace deal.

"If Putin says no, we need to dramatically change the game, including giving Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine to hit the drone and missile factories that exist in Russia. I would go all in if Putin says no," U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said on Dec. 21.

⚡️ China's Russian LNG imports hit record, making Moscow second-largest supplier.

Russian LNG deliveries to China more than doubled year-on-year to 1.6 million metric tons last month, Bloomberg reported.

⚡️Ukrainian partisans set ablaze Russian Su-30, Su-27 fighter jets in Lipetsk Oblast, HUR says.

The attack targeted an airfield near the city of Lipetsk, about 340 kilometers (210 miles) from the Ukrainian border, and caused two military aircraft to catch fire.

⚡️ Azerbaijan's president cites 'busy schedule' to skip Russia summit despite Kremlin expecting his attendance.

The Kremlin had earlier signaled it was preparing for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's arrival.

Kyiv Post:

🔹 A Warning Against Appeasement – Interview With Karl von Habsburg (Part I)

In the first of this two-part interview, Karl von Habsburg warns Europe against appeasement, the importance of understanding Ukraine’s true fight, and the risks of a wider European invasion.

🔸 Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says US intelligence does not believe Moscow can occupy Ukraine, contradicting European and NATO assessments of Russian ambitions.

🔹 OPINION:* No To Any Deals Pandering to Putin’s Imperial Delusions*
Why Ukraine’s borders should be protected and not surrendered for the sake of illusory ‘deals.’

🔸 A Warning Against Appeasement – Interview With Karl von Habsburg (Part II)

In the second of this two-part interview, Karl von Habsburg explains why Putin’s strategy of “sitting on bayonets” can never win out, and his advice for the people of Ukraine.

No Deal in Miami: Unity on display, divisions beneath.

Three days of talks highlighted unity between Washington and Kyiv – and how aggressively Russia is trying to split the West.

🔸 Vance suggests Trump administration won’t be “shipping off money to Ukraine”

Rather than being invited to peace talks, Vance has been shipped off to the desert to fire up the so-called “Christian” right-wing base.

🔹 A successful overnight operation by Ukraine’s Intelligence damaged two high-value Russian fighter jets at a military airfield near Lipetsk.

The strike targeted a Su-30 and a Su-27—aircraft Russia has been using in its war against Ukraine. The combined cost of the damaged jets is estimated at up to $100 million.

🔸 A massive traffic jam stretched 24 kilometers along the Polish–Ukrainian border on Sunday, with trucks waiting up to 37 hours to clear customs as holiday traffic surged.

🔹 Ukrainian drones blasted ships near Putin’s prized Kerch Bridge, sparking huge fires across more than 1,000 square meters.

Two vessels and nearby piers were hit close to the strategic crossing linking Russia to occupied Crimea. Crews were evacuated as flames tore through the site, according to reports.

🔸 Zelensky said Ukraine will impose sanctions by the end of the year on Chinese citizens working with Russia’s military industry.

He added that sanctions will also target those who justify Russia’s aggression and promote Russian influence through popular culture, as well as athletes who use their sports careers and public attention to glorify Russian aggression.

Well, Trump has appointed someone to Greenland who wants it to join the US.

Not sure if this is true or not but if it is those poor horses https://x.com/Daractenus/status/2003064744618741962

Footage here of the "cavalry charge", assuming it's real. It's only two men on horses.

Drone vs horseman: Ukrainian FPV strike ends bizarre Russian cavalry charge

I'm sorry to say one of the horses must have died (I do hope quickly) from a drone explosion. The other horse is ridden off, falls and unseats its rider, and is then seen getting up while the rider scuttles for cover. I do hope the second horse doesn't have a leg injury from when it went over.

(Yes I know in the grand scheme of things, where civilians including children are being killed, it's silly to worry about horses. But I do anyway.)

I worry about the animals too.

Of course there may have been more than one attempted charge using horses. That's just the one I found.

Longer video on Russian use of horse-transport if you scroll down on this page:
https://ukrainetoday.org/real-footage-russian-troops-charge-on-horseback-in-a-disaster-rfu-news/

There's even a camel supposedly being used to carry loads.

And some grainy aerial video of a Russian soldier with what is clearly a donkey or a close relation of a Shitland Shetland pony. Anyone who has had dealings with either of these will understand why I say this...

@MissConductUS , one of your beloved Bradleys is there, doing sterling work evacuating Ukrainians from a building under fire.

Oh that article is from March 2025, so clearly use of horses has been going on for a while.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️ Ukraine war latest live (kyivindependent.com/ukraine-war-latest-update-2025-12-22/): 'Extremely difficult' situation as Russian forces attempt to cross Siverskyi Donets River.

⚡️ Entire oblasts in Ukraine 'almost completely without power (kyivindependent.com/explosions-heard-as-russia-launches-missiles-drones-towards-western-cities-hundreds-of-kilometers-from-front-line/)' after mass Russian missile, drone attack.
At least three people have been killed, and 12 others injured.

⚡️ Vance touts 'breakthrough' in talks (kyivindependent.com/vance-says-ukraine-russia-peace-far-from-certain/), but says Ukraine-Russia peace far from certain.
"I think that we've made progress, but sitting here today, I wouldn't say with confidence that we're going to get to a peaceful resolution," U.S. Vice President JD Vance said.

⚡️ Update: Ukraine's Budanov 'optimistic (kyivindependent.com/vance-says-ukraine-russia-peace-far-from-certain/)' as Trump team brings 'new impetus' to peace talks.'

⚡️ Czechia's security council to decide future (kyivindependent.com/czechias-security-council-to-decide-future-of-ukraine-ammunition-initiative-on-jan-7/) of Ukraine ammunition initiative on Jan. 7.
"In principle, the ammunition initiative has certainly been a good thing; the question is whether it has occurred without corruption," Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said.

A dark Christmas (kyivindependent.com/over-120-000-people-left-without-power-as-russia-strikes-3-energy-facilities-in-odesa-oblast/) looms in Odesa Oblast as Russia hammers energy facilities, bridges, ports
Russian attacks have plunged Odesa Oblast into darkness and cold just days before Christmas, cutting power to more than 120,000 residents after strikes on three energy facilities on Dec. 22.

⚡️Ukraine's military reportedly strikes (kyivindependent.com/ukraines-military-reportedly-strikes-russias-stavrolen-petrochemical-plant-russian-media-reports/) Russia's Stavrolen petrochemical plant.
Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the Stavrolen petrochemical plant in Budyonnovsk, located in Russia's Stavropol Krai, overnight on Dec. 22, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

⚡️ Ukraine war latest live (kyivindependent.com/ukraine-war-latest-update-2025-12-22/): Russia planning mass attacks over Christmas, Zelensky says.

⚡️Ukraine confirms (kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-drone-attack-damages-russian-pipeline-in-krasnodar-krai-officials-say/) 2 ships, oil pipeline damaged in drone strike on Russia's Krasnodar Krai.
Ukrainian drones struck the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in the village of Volna, Krasnodar Krai, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on Dec. 22.

⚡️ Ukraine war latest live (kyivindependent.com/ukraine-war-latest-update-2025-12-22/): Russian soldiers on horseback taken out by Ukrainian drones.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
‪@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social‬
⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — DEC 23, 2025
■ High casualties and equipment losses, including two aircraft and notable armored losses
■ Russian area gains of 10 km², slightly above the 30-day average of 9 km²
■ Officer death batch: +80 (daily average has risen to 5.4) ■ Ongoing aerial attacks — including the use of multiple missiles
■ 🇷🇺 air and MLRS strikes below average; double-digit 🇺🇦 strikes reported

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

Russia is developing a weapon targeting Starlink that could also threaten the ISS and China’s Tiangong space station, the Associated Press reports, citing intelligence agencies from two unnamed NATO countries.
The area-of-effect weapon is designed to flood Starlink orbits with hundreds of thousands of high-density spherical elements, potentially disabling multiple satellites at once.
Such a system would pose a serious risk of collateral damage to other assets in low Earth orbit, including the International Space Station and China’s Tiangong station.
Experts warn that after an attack, pellets and debris from damaged satellites could fall back toward Earth, possibly damaging other orbital systems along the way. The most vulnerable components, analysts say, would be solar panels.
According to analysts, Russia’s goal is to neutralize the West’s advantage in space.

The Pokrovsk sector, where pilots of the 18th Special Operations Center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces operate, remains one of the hottest areas of the front.

❗️Combined Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Key points as of this morning:
▪️ Russian forces launched Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea. Preliminary reports indicate the missiles were fired from the Russian Navy frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen.
▪️ A massive drone attack is taking place in parallel. As of this morning, about 80 Shahed attack UAVs have been recorded in Ukrainian airspace.
▪️ Explosions were reported in the Kharkiv, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Cherkasy, and Khmelnytskyi regions.
▪️ Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko reported air defense activity in the capital.
▪️ Ukrenergo said emergency power outages were introduced in several regions due to strikes on energy infrastructure.

Due to the massive Russian attack on December 23, Ukrainian nuclear power plants were forced to reduce electricity generation, leaving consumers in eight regions without power.
“The restoration of nuclear power plants to nominal capacity will take place gradually, as the energy sector repairs networks damaged by the enemy,” Acting Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov said at a briefing.

Over the past 1,000 days, Russian forces have advanced less than 1% of Ukrainian territory and are failing to achieve their strategic military objectives, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said.
He also noted that the Russian economy is in poor condition, with zero growth, depleted reserves, high interest rates, and high inflation, adding that the situation is not improving.

621 out of 673 air targets were destroyed over Ukraine during the latest attack.
Among the enemy targets:
• 587 of 635 strike UAVs were shot down;
• 0 of 3 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles were intercepted;
• 34 of 35 Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles were destroyed.
Unfortunately, missile strikes and 39 strike UAVs were recorded at 21 locations across the country, with debris falling at eight additional sites.
Three Kinzhal missiles did not reach their targets. Their crash sites are being clarified.

Gold prices have risen to record highs amid expectations of looser US Federal Reserve policy and heightened geopolitical risks, Bloomberg reports.
According to the agency, both gold and silver have hit new all-time highs. Gold climbed more than 1.5%, surpassing its previous record of $4,381 per ounce, while silver approached $70 per ounce.
Bloomberg notes that both metals are on track for their best annual performance since 1979.

Most Czechs believe the new government should continue providing aid to Ukraine, according to a poll by the NMS agency.
Only 18% of respondents oppose any support. Meanwhile, 57% approve of humanitarian aid and 56% support diplomatic assistance.
Around a quarter of those surveyed back financial and military aid. The study indicates that the main public debate is not about whether to help Ukraine, but about the form that assistance should take.