Thursday, December 19

Russia’s war against Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (r) and President Volodymyr Selensky speak to journalists on the sidelines of a meeting at Rutte’s Brussels residence on Dec. 18, 2024. (Ansgar Haase/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Russia detains two suspects over assassination of General Igor Kirillov, Kremlin media reports. Russian Telegram channel 112 said the suspects had already confessed to authorities.

‘Couple hundred’ North Korean troops lost fighting for Russia against Ukraine, AP reports. A senior U.S. military official did not give an exact figure but said the high casualty rate was in part due to the soldiers’ lack of battle experience.

Intercepted Russian phone call suggests North Korean troops suffering trainloads of wounded. In the call, a nurse at a Moscow hospital tells her husband, a soldier fighting in Kursk Oblast, that wounded fighters are being brought in by the trainload.

One of Russia’s largest chemical plants reportedly attacked in Rostov Oblast. The attack struck the Kamensky Combine, a chemical plant that produces rocket fuel for the Russian military, according to Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s counter-disinformation center.

Fire reported at Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov Oblast. A fire broke out at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov Oblast in the early hours of Dec. 19 following a mass drone and missile attack, Yuri Slyusar, acting governor of Rostov Oblast said.

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Zelensky, Macron discuss possibility of peacekeeping force in Ukraine. “We continued to work on the initiative of President Macron regarding the presence in Ukraine of forces that can contribute to stabilization on the path to peace,” Zelensky said after meeting with the French President on Dec. 18.

Ukraine delivered 200,000 domestically-produced drones to front-line units so far in December, Umerov says. The Ukrainian military has proven to be a pioneer in drone technology, using innovative ways to undermine Russia’s material and numerical advantage.

Peace talks with Russia only possible when Moscow runs out of resources, Ukraine’s Yermak says. “Real negotiations for a lasting peace will begin only when the enemy no longer has the resources to continue the war,” Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, said on Dec. 17.

Kursk operation prompted Russia’s first POW exchange initiative, ombudsman says. “It was at the start of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ military operation in Kursk Oblast. I believe the Kursk operation provided strong arguments in favor of Ukraine,” Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said.

UK announces $283 million military aid package for Ukraine. According to media reports, the package includes over 92 million pound ($115 million) in equipment to support Ukraine’s navy, including small boats as well as reconnaissance drones. A further 39 million pounds ($49 million) will be used to supply over 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems.

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Ukraine war latest: ‘Couple hundred’ North Korean troops lost fighting for Russia against Ukraine, AP reports

A couple hundred North Korean troops have been killed or wounded fighting in Russia’s Kursk Oblast against Ukraine, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Dec. 17, citing a senior U.S. military official. The official did not give an exact figure for North Korean losses.

Photo: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images

A shake-up in Ukraine’s drone buying reveals power struggle, alarms corruption watchdogs

The Cabinet of Ministers discreetly dethroned the former czar of drone purchases  — Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov — as the result of a one-sided power struggle from the Head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, observers allege.

Photo: Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images

As Lukashenko gears up for new election, Belarusian political detainees recount horrors endured in his prisons

“They beat me without saying anything or making demands and then took me home where a search was already underway. After the search, I was taken for questioning, and they told me to pack my things because I wouldn’t be returning home.”

Photo: TUT.BY /AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

General Staff: Russia has lost 766,690 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 1,580 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

Swedish defense minister on the prospects of EU troops in Ukraine

International response

Zelensky, NATO chief Rutte discuss air defense, ‘reliability of peace’ during meeting in Brussels. President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Brussels on Dec. 18 for talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, as Ukraine seeks to secure more air defense as well effective security guarantees from its Western allies.

Ukraine ‘discussing ideas’ with European leaders on potential peacekeeping force, Zelensky says. Ukraine is “discussing ideas with European leaders” on the potential deployment of European peacekeeping forces to the embattled country, President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters during a press briefing on Dec. 18.

EU does not expect Ukraine war ceasefire, peace talks in near future, EU official says. The EU does not anticipate potential negotiations or a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia in the near future, a high-ranking EU official told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 18.

‘Not a good idea’ — Trump’s peace envoy nominee criticizes Russian general assassination. U.S. General Keith Kellogg, nominated as Ukraine peace envoy by President-elect Donald Trump, criticized the recent assassination of Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov during an interview with Fox News on Dec. 18.

US may not be able to send remaining $5.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine before Trump takes office, NYT reports. Although the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden plans to allocate some funds from the presidential drawdown authority, it is unlikely to spend the whole amount.

World Bank approves over $2 billion in funds for Ukraine. The funding includes a $1 billion grant from the new $20 billion U.S. loan backed by frozen Russian assets. Another $1.05 billion is supported by the U.K. and Japan.

Slovak PM Robert Fico to discuss gas transit through Ukraine with EU chief. Slovakia currently imports 3 billion cubic meters of gas per year through Ukraine from Russia’s energy giant Gazprom.

Two EU accession clusters for Ukraine to open in first half of 2025, EU official says. Two European Union accession clusters for Ukraine are expected to open during the first half of 2025 under Poland’s presidency of the EU Council, a high-ranking EU official told The Kyiv Independent on Dec. 18.

In other news

Russian bombers detected in Alaskan air defense zone. Russian state media later claimed that the presence of Tu-95MS military aircraft near Alaska was part of a planned operation.

25% of Russian malls may face bankruptcy in 2025. Russian shopping centers have been hit hard by the departure of major foreign companies, rising operational costs, and increased competition from online marketplaces.

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