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

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Eek!

I wish you a swift, safe and peaceful recovery.

Get well soon..

And to everyone - Merry Christmas

Thanks, it all developed very quickly. I was diagnosed last Thursday and had the surgery Monday. I’m at one of the top hospitals in NYC, and the chairman of their cardiac surgery department performed the operation. I have a bit of a fibrillation, but that’s pretty common after open heart surgery and is improving.

My daughter and son in law have been here the whole time, but I haven’t been ably see much of them, which is sad.

Sending very best wishes to you MissConductUS, it sound like you are in excellent hands.

Did anyone see the King's Christmas speech?

Fabulous inclusion of, and focus on Ukraine and definitely preparing us for standing up to Russia. Charles is a king to be proud of.

@MissConductUS looks like you are in safe hands and receiving excellent care but what a shock over Christmas! Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Wishing the people of Ukraine strength and hope and peace and freedom to come. Merry Christmas to all and thank you for your support and knowledge on these threads.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-24-2025/

Key Takeaways

1. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released the latest US-Ukrainian-European 20-point peace plan on December 23, which the United States will reportedly present to Russia.
2. The Kremlin will need to compromise on demands it has long insisted on, including many that are incompatible not only with the latest 20-point peace plan but also with the initial 28-point plan.
3. Statements from Russian State Duma deputies and insider sources about Russia’s likely discontent with the latest proposals are in line with Kremlin statements and messaging in recent weeks about Russia’s demands and uncompromising negotiating position.
4. Kremlin-affiliated milbloggers are acknowledging significant Ukrainian successes in the Kupyansk direction and criticizing the Kremlin and the Russian military command for providing false battlefield reports.
5. Russian milbloggers also acknowledged that Russia’s failures in Kupyansk indicate that Russia does not have sufficient manpower or materiel to imminently defeat the northern part of the Fortress Belt while simultaneously continuing offensive operations elsewhere.
6. Russian forces continue to strike energy infrastructure in Ukraine and particularly targeted critical infrastructure in Chernihiv Oblast overnight on December 23 and 24.
7. Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk. Russian forces recently advanced near Hulyaipole.

A happy and peaceful Christmas to everyone here and Ukrainians everywhere. Get well soon @MissConductUS

@MissConductUS 💐safe and speedy recovery to you. Sounds really major!

He’s certainly done more than the government has to urge the public about what we have to confront!

Merry Christmas to all of the wonderful contributors here 🎄🇺🇦

Merry Christmas @MagicFox and thank you for your dedication to the threads, and all the others too.
I'm not much of a contributor and I name changed recently too so I'm just an invisible blow-in really 😂 but I feel passionate about Ukraine and value these threads enormously and have right from the beginning, and I learn a lot, too, from the immense knowledge of posters, so thank you all.

On another note, I've got Sky News on and they were just trailing their review of the year including clips of that awful, horrendous White House debacle and the vile Vance asking Zelenskyy if he'd ever said thank you. 🤮Vomit emoji doesn't even begin to express my feelings about that.
Zelenskyy is apparently meeting with Trump at Mar-a-lago on Sunday (was ever a place in the whole history of humanity more pretentiously named, I think not!), so let's hope for that meeting. I think Zelenskyy is a saint the way he handles them with endless patience and never loses his rag.

Merry Christmas all.

Thanks for keeping us updated

Speedy recovery @MissConductUS

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

⚡️Zelensky says (kyivindependent.com/a-lot-can-be-decided-before-new-year-zelensky-plans-to-meet-trump/) he and Trump plan to meet in 'near future'

⚡️Zelensky holds phone call (kyivindependent.com/zelensky-holds-phone-call-with-trumps-envoys-as-russia-says-talks-slow-but-steady-progress/) with Trump's envoys as Russia claims talks making 'slow but steady progress.'
Zelensky held a phone call with U.S. President Trump’s Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Christmas Day to discuss "several substantive details" of ongoing peace talks, the president said.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin confirmed it had received a revised version of the peace deal, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming on Dec. 25 that the ongoing peace talks are "seeing slow but steady progress."

⚡️Ukraine strikes (kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-forces-strike-oil-refinery-in-russias-rostov-oblast-with-storm-shadow-missiles-general-staff-says/) oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov Oblast with Storm Shadow missiles, General Staff says.
The missiles struck the refinery, triggering multiple explosions, the General Staff said, adding that the extent of the damage was still being clarified.

⚡️Russia attacks (kyivindependent.com/russia-attacks-kherson-market-chernihiv-residential-building-causing-numerous-civilian-casualties-on-christmas-day/) Kherson market, Chernihiv apartment building on Christmas Day, killing at least 2.
Ukraine is marking its fourth Christmas under a full-scale Russian invasion.

With Germany’s help, Ukrainian communities keep kindergartens and hospitals running through blackouts
(kyivindependent.com/with-germanys-help-ukrainian-communities-keep-kindergartens-and-hospitals-running-through-blackouts/)
Сommunities across Ukraine have benefited from Germany’s support through the German federal enterprise Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), helping secure reliable energy for over 1.5 million people. By improving energy efficiency, communities can reinvest savings into strengthening local infrastructure, bringing warmth and light to more homes.

Vertep, a centuries-old Ukrainian Christmas tradition (kyivindependent.com/explaining-ukraine-vertep-a-ukrainian-christmas-tradition/)
The tradition dates back to the 16th-17th centuries and is still practiced across Ukraine today around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Originally staged as a traveling puppet theater, it is now performed by carolers who dress up in elaborate costumes and sing songs blending religious and folk themes. The colorful casts can include up to 40 characters, ranging from religious figures, shepherds, and peasants to animals.

⚡️At least 5 killed (kyivindependent.com/at-least-4-killed-35-injured-in-russian-attacks-on-ukraine-over-past-day/), 23 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day.
Russia launched 99 drones and one Iskander ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said.

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Putin is still reviewing the materials brought back from Miami by Special Envoy Dmitriev.

Pope Leo XIV called for peace in Ukraine in his first Christmas message.
He urged Russia and Ukraine to find the courage for “sincere, direct, and respectful dialogue,” with the support of the international community.

A massive oil spill occurred after Russia struck Odesa’s port, damaging storage tanks and releasing sunflower oil into the Black Sea. The oil has caused the birds’ feathers to stick together, leaving them vulnerable to the cold. Locals and zookeepers are trying to rescue the oil-covered birds. The Odesa Zoo is urging residents to bring injured animals in for treatment. https://t.me/United24media/38486

A General Chereshnya AIR interceptor has destroyed one of Russia’s most advanced reconnaissance drones — the “Prince Oleg.”
The drone was intercepted and destroyed by a Grom unit from the 55th Separate Artillery Brigade “Zaporizka Sich.”
The “Prince Oleg” is considered the most sophisticated reconnaissance UAV in Russia’s arsenal. It is designed for deep reconnaissance missions, capable of conducting photo and video surveillance at distances of up to 40–45 kilometers from the front line. The drone can operate without satellite navigation and uses a secure communication channel resistant to electronic warfare.
The successful interception of this UAV demonstrates the growing effectiveness of Ukrainian interceptor drones in countering modern Russian reconnaissance systems.

Footage from Bilytske, a town in the Pokrovsk district devastated by Russian “liberation.”
The video was filmed by aerial reconnaissance units of the “Force of Freedom” battalion of the 4th Rubizh National Guard Brigade. https://t.me/United24media/38484

Russians plan to take “military tourists” to the temporarily occupied Donbas territories — The Times.
The epicenter of Europe’s largest war since 1945 may not seem like a place for leisure, yet pro-Kremlin officials in occupied eastern Ukraine are trying to attract tourists.
Despite ongoing fighting, the occupying authorities in parts of the Donetsk region under Russian control are developing a so-called “military tourism” project, which they claim will help boost the local economy.
Kirill Makarov, the deputy prime minister of the so-called “DPR,” said tourists would be taken to “key sites of military glory.” It remains unclear where exactly they would go or how their safety would be ensured.
The initiative is part of Russia’s national “Tourism and Hospitality” project, set to launch next year. Makarov said about one billion rubles (£9.7 million) would be allocated to restore hotels and other infrastructure in the Donetsk region. He did not specify the source of the funding.
“This money will not be enough to restore hotels and other tourist infrastructure destroyed by the Russians. Even if you can find ‘military tourists’ willing to tolerate a lack of running water, fuel shortages, and similar conditions,” Ukrainian journalist Halyna Koinash wrote.
In Mariupol, Kremlin-appointed mayor Oleg Morgun said the city aims to attract one million tourists by 2030.
“The invaders plan to turn the city’s tragedy, its ruins, and mass graves into attractions and a platform for Russian propaganda — all to make as much money as possible,” the Mariupol City Council, now based in Dnipro, said.

Hundreds of people took part in a Christmas procession through the central streets and squares of Kyiv. Participants walked through the city center, celebrating the holiday in a peaceful, joyful atmosphere. Even though an air raid siren sounded, people continued singing Christmas carols. https://t.me/United24media/38472

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

Trump rattles the US diplomatic corps. (www.kyivpost.com/post/66973)
The mass recall of ambassadors is set to have wide-ranging consequences for American diplomacy.

The United States is discussing the possibility of jointly managing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant without Ukraine’s involvement, Putin said.
He claimed that the US is interested in using the plant for cryptocurrency mining. At the same time, Putin said that electricity supplies to Ukraine are also being considered at Washington’s initiative.
Putin added that Ukrainian specialists continue to work at the plant but now hold Russian passports.

Zelensky is expected to travel to Florida in the coming days (www.kyivpost.com/post/66946) for high-stakes talks at Mar-a-Lago, a potential venue for a meeting with US leadership, sources tell Kyiv Post.
The visit could take place as early as Dec. 28 if everything goes according to plan.

How Ukraine became Europe’s fastest-growing tech partner: Ukraine’s IT sector exports totaled $6.4 billion in 2024, (www.kyivpost.com/post/66855) with 93% of firms working for foreign markets. Kyiv Post spoke with Kharkiv IT Cluster’s Olga Shapoval on what this means for the EU.

Windfall Tax on Banks Hurts Future Investors – Acting Ukrgazbank CEO spoke with Kyiv Post about the US IFC’s stance on equity conversion, (www.kyivpost.com/interviews/66870) the bank’s appeal to investors, and why windfall taxes undermine economic certainty.

Zelensky said he spoke with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who expressed support for Ukraine and called Russia “barbarians who do not even believe in God.”

Kyiv security services have detained an FSB agent (www.kyivpost.com/post/66971) who was attempting to assassinate an officer of Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR).
The suspect was arrested after pulling out a pistol and aiming it at the intelligence officer inside a venue in the capital.
The detainee is a 28-year-old citizen of a Central Asian country. He was recruited by Russian handlers in his home country and promised $50,000 and legalization in a European state in exchange for carrying out the killing.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

Ukrainian military forces have liberated 5 villages in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to the 225th Separate Assault Regiment.
The liberated villages are Orestopil, Novoselivka, Sosnivka, Khoroshe, and Vorone. The liberation operation lasted over 100 days throughout the fall of 2025.
The villages were liberated with the support of fighters from the 20th Army Corps. For all 100 days, soldiers of the 3rd Assault Battalion of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment remained in their positions; they have been nominated for awards.

Information has appeared online regarding the seizure of a command and observation post by Russians in Huiliaipole, Zaporizhzhia region.
The Southern Defense Forces stated that an investigation will be conducted into this matter.
In a video released by the occupiers, it is claimed that a laptop, an unlocked smartphone, maps, stamps, and other items were left behind at the headquarters.

The Russian army attacked the ports of the Odesa region throughout the night; elevators and vessels were damaged, according to Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba.
Vessels flying the flags of Slovakia and the Republic of Palau, as well as enterprise warehouses, were struck. There are partial power outages.
Additionally, Russians attacked a terminal in the Mykolaiv region, damaging a vessel under the flag of Liberia.

On Christmas Day, Russia once again attacked Ukraine with drones and missiles. Here is what is currently known about the consequences:
🔴Chernihiv. The number of casualties following a drone strike on a high-rise building has risen to 10, including 3 children. An 80-year-old woman was killed. The building suffered significant damage between the second and fourth floors.
🔴Kherson. Russians shelled the city center, hitting a market while people were preparing for the holiday. One person was killed, and at least three others were injured.
🔴Dnipropetrovsk Region. Russia damaged 3 enterprises, 2 private homes, and power lines in the Nikopol and Synelnykove communities.
🔴Donetsk Region. Volunteer Vyacheslav Ilchenko, founder of the "Nezlamna" (Indomitable) Foundation, was killed when a Russian FPV drone struck an evacuation vehicle near Kostiantynivka. Two other volunteers were injured.

This is 19-year-old Ukrainian Kateryna Endeberia from the Donetsk region. After the Russian invasion, she moved to Britain, where she studied at a local college. However, she was forced to leave the institution—as she was being pressured to study the Russian language there.
Kateryna's story was shared by The Guardian. In 2022, the girl moved to the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. There, she completed a foundation year at a local college, studying economics, politics, and statistics.
However, when she struggled with certain subjects, teachers repeatedly suggested that she study Russian instead. Kateryna's father serves in the military, and she herself is originally from Donetsk. She called such proposals offensive and tactless, adding that she was also bullied at the institution because of her accent.
Consequently, she left the college and is now studying at home instead, using her friends' notes. Kateryna plans to take her exams as a private candidate in 2026.

Get well soon @MissConductUS 🌻

I did watch the King’s speech and was moved by it and by the Ukrainian choir singing Carol of the Bells at the end

Good God, how utterly crass of that poor woman's teachers! Are they completely ignorant of world affairs?

And why is there no GCSE or A-level Ukrainian while there is Russian and Polish just as there is French and German? Time we got that organised, I would think.

Must admit I got a bit grumpy when I saw that story a day or two ago.

You can be darn sure if the young lady had been a refugee from one side of a more fashionable conflict the teachers would have downed tools at the first hint of any suggestion that she should learn the opponents language....

Ignorance doesn't even begin to describe it...

Something here about possible reintroduction of GCSE Ukrainian (discontinued in 1995 due to lack of demand).

https://www.ukrainianworldcongress.org/uk-explores-ukrainian-language-to-gcse-curriculum/

It does mention this problem of Ukrainian students having to take GCSE Russian.

I suspect students have been falling foul of entrance requirements set by universities & FE colleges that include "one foreign language" – and of course English doesn't count. Many Ukrainians will already have learnt Russian so could easily get the Russian GCSE which is already offered.

But obviously it would be better all round if they could just sit a Ukrainian GCSE.

I think this problem may only have worked its way through the system this year because of the 2-year lead-up to GCSEs. My Ukrainian friends' daughter in the UK finished her Ukrainian schooling remotely, Covid-style, and took Ukraine's exams; she was quite close to finishing when they arrived here. But Ukrainians who arrived younger will have started GCSE courses.

Though that doesn't excuse it.

The exam boards should have got onto this in 2022. Given the numbers of young Ukrainians we know are here in the UK, this is a very predictable situation.

Sky News reporting overnight Russian drone attack on Kyiv leaving one dead and a third of Kyiv without power.
Russia is a scourge on the whole world. How will this end?
Love and sympathy to all Ukrainians, especially those who've lost loved ones, and those without power. The cynicism and cruelty of these actions make me so sad and angry.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️Top anti-Putin Russian commander killed (kyivindependent.com/top-anti-putin-russian-commander-killed-in-ukraine/) fighting for Ukraine.
Denis Kapustin, also known by his nom de guerre "White Rex," leader of the Russian Volunteer Corps, was killed by an FPV drone on the southern front, according to preliminary reports.

⚡️Trump says Russia-Ukraine peace has 'good shot (kyivindependent.com/trump-says-russia-ukraine-peace-has-good-shot-new-york-post-reports/),' New York Post reports.

⚡️Russia's mass missile attack targets Kyiv (kyivindependent.com/russias-mass-missile-attack-targets-kyiv-ahead-of-upcoming-trump-zelensky-meeting/) ahead of upcoming Trump-Zelensky meeting.
Several waves of explosions were heard across the capital, according to Kyiv Independent reporters on the ground, as well as in Kyiv Oblast, where power outages were reported in the town of Brovary and surrounding areas following the strikes.

⚡️Russia's mass missile attack injures 5 (kyivindependent.com/russias-mass-missile-attack-targets-kyiv-ahead-of-upcoming-trump-zelensky-meeting/) in Kyiv ahead of upcoming Trump-Zelensky meeting.

⚡️'Missiles and drones speak for Russia' – Zelensky blasts Moscow (kyivindependent.com/missiles-and-drones-speak-for-russia-zelensky-blasts-moscow-ahead-of-trump-meeting/) for 10-hour air attack ahead of Trump meeting.

⚡️Russia continues systematically recruiting foreign fighters (kyivindependent.com/russia-is-systematically-recruiting-foreign-fighters-for-war-ukraine-says/) for war, Ukraine says.
Russia is continuing to systematically recruit foreign nationals for its war against Ukraine, said Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, on Dec. 26.
In December alone, more than 150 foreign nationals from 25 countries were identified as having been recruited into the Russian army, with about 200 more preparing to join.

⚡️Mindich speaks to Ukrainian media for first time (kyivindependent.com/mindich-speaks-with-ukrainian-media-for-first-time-since-leaving-country-amid-corruption-scandal/) since fleeing country, denies guilt, claims no contact with Zelensky or Yermak.
Timur Mindich, a close associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky and suspect in a major corruption investigation, gave his first media interview since leaving Ukraine in November, speaking with Ukrainska Pravda in an interview published Dec. 26.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
‪@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social‬
⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — DEC 27, 2025
■ Engagements and casualties well above the 7-day average; no confirmed area change
■ Notable losses of armored vehicles; unarmored vehicle losses also well above average
■ Visually confirmed batch: 65 🇷🇺 : 60 🇺🇦 (after corrections) — 0.9× in the last 90 days (1.2x in 2025)
■ Overview of overnight attacks not available at the time of writing; a major wave reported
■ Heavy 🇷🇺 strikes; the 30-day strike ratio rises

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

Massive air attack on the night of December 27: Kyiv hit hardest
On the night of December 27, a large-scale air raid alert was declared across Ukraine. Kyiv came under threat of ballistic missile strikes, followed by a massive drone attack.
The enemy deliberately targeted critical infrastructure and residential areas.

In Kyiv and the Kyiv region, energy workers are restoring power supply to around 600,000 consumers.
Due to the combined drone and missile attack, there are disruptions to water and heating supplies in the capital.

❗️The main target of the ongoing night attack was Kyiv. Since the night, Russia has launched nearly 500 UAVs and 40 missiles, including Kinzhal missiles, President Zelenskyy said.

❗️All sensitive territorial issues will be discussed primarily with the Ukrainian people through debate and a referendum, President Zelenskyy said.
He added that Ukraine has its own “red lines,” including its territories and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and will not recognize the occupation under any circumstances.
According to the president, holding elections or a referendum amid ongoing attacks is impossible. Russia’s actions today, he said, clearly demonstrate its response to calls for peace talks.

❗️The 20-point peace plan developed by Ukraine together with the United States is 90% ready, President Zelenskyy said.
He noted that the first drafts of several documents have already been prepared. However, some issues still require discussion at the leadership level, particularly security guarantees.

President Zelenskyy held talks on coordinating positions with Rutte and leaders of Ukraine’s allies ahead of a meeting with Trump.

More than half of the weapons currently used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces are produced in Ukraine, Prime Minister Svyrydenko said.
According to her, in 2025 more than 75% of budget spending on weapons and equipment was allocated to purchases from Ukrainian manufacturers. The government says increasing the share of domestically produced weapons on the front line and strengthening the country’s ability to provide for its own defense remain key priorities for 2026.

Police released footage showing the aftermath of the attack on Kyiv.
At least 19 people were injured, including adults aged 25 to 75 and two children aged 9 and 16.

Ukrainian drone operators have learned to strike Russian cavalry with precision, killing the rider while leaving the horse unharmed. https://t.me/United24media/38506

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

Zelensky has departed for talks with Trump and will visit Canada ahead of his trip to the United States.

Zelensky said that Russia is using Belarus to bypass Ukraine’s air defense lines.

Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Budanov said Russia plans to recruit more than 400,000 soldiers next year.

Zelensky said the United States has proposed 15-year security guarantees for Ukraine as part of the peace plan.
In his view, Ukraine needs guarantees for a longer period and added that he would consider it a major success if Trump agrees during their meeting at Mar-a-Lago this Sunday.

The number of minors placed on Russia’s official (www.kyivpost.com/post/67000) “terrorists and extremists” register more than doubled in 2025, with the youngest addition being a 14-year-old boy.

Russia’s war effort depends on oil — and Ukraine has found a way to strike at its financial lifeline.
In this analytical explainer, former U.S. Navy SEAL Chuck Pfarrer breaks down Ukraine’s covert maritime campaign targeting Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” — a global network of tankers used to bypass sanctions and fund Moscow’s war.
www.kyivpost.com/videos/66992

From threats to erase Ukraine to calls to “burn dog owners,” Russian officials’ (www.kyivpost.com/post/65958) sometimes bizarre rhetoric might shed light on the Kremlin’s mindset as peace talks unfold.