Tuesday, December 10

Russia’s war against Ukraine

German opposition figure Friedrich Merz, CDU candidate for chancellor and federal CDU chairman, stands at the Wall of Remembrance for fallen soldiers in Kyiv on Dec. 9, 2024. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via Getty Images)

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Trump ‘formulating a concept’ to end Russia-Ukraine war. Russian President Vladimir Putin should seek an end to the war as he lost 700,000 people to hostilities, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said in comments for the New York Post published on Dec. 8.

Ukraine assembling coalition for united stance on ending war, President’s Office reports. Ukraine is assembling a coalition of partners to create a working group aimed at bolstering its defense and forming a united diplomatic stance on ending the war, the president’s spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov said on Dec. 9.

Zelensky plans to call Biden to discuss NATO invitation for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Dec. 9 his intention to call U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss Ukraine’s invitation to NATO.

US says it’s ready to train, arm new soldiers if Ukraine changes conscription policy. “We have made clear is that if (Ukraine) produces additional forces to join the fight, we and our allies will be ready to acquit those forces and train those forces to enter battle,” U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Dec. 9.

Ukraine won’t trade young soldiers’ lives for better weapons, Zelensky says. “The priority should be providing missiles and lowering Russia’s military potential, not Ukraine’s draft age. The goal should be to preserve as many lives as possible, not to preserve weapons in storage.”

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Russia’s defense spending surges to record levels, media reports. Russia’s spending on “national defense” reached an unprecedented $43 billion in the third quarter of 2024, The Moscow Times reported on Dec. 9.

Russian military suppliers exploit loophole to source US microchips. Russian distributors allegedly integrated Texas Instruments’ online store into their trading platforms, enabling customers in Russia to access semiconductor inventories and prices, and place orders.

SBU releases video of Sea Baby naval drones repelling Russian helicopter attack. The skirmish took place overnight on Dec. 6 in Kerch Bay, east of the occupied peninsula, when Russian helicopters, planes, and Raptor-class patrol boats attempted to intercept the drones, the SBU said in a statement.

Ex-chief of Russian-run Olenivka prison allegedly killed in car bombing in occupied Donetsk. Serhii Yevsiukov, the former head of Russia’s Olenivka prisoner of war (POW) camp in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast, was allegedly killed in a car bombing in occupied Donetsk, the Russian media reported on Dec. 9.

Russian court sentences Crimean resident to 15 years for alleged state treason. A Russian-controlled court in occupied Crimea sentenced a 33-year-old local resident to 15 years in a strict regime colony on charges of state treason, Russia’s prosecutor’s office reported on Dec. 9. The man was accused of transmitting information about the movement of Russian military equipment to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.

Read our exclusives

Assad’s downfall shows Kremlin is not invincible, undermines trust in Russian-led alliances

As Assad has fled Syria and has been granted asylum in Russia, the fate of Russian military bases in Syria now hangs in the balance. The Kremlin’s international prestige has also suffered a heavy blow. The implications of Assad’s overthrow for Ukraine are less certain.  

Photo: Delil Soulemalil/AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky ‘may consider’ deployment of foreign peacekeepers to ensure ceasefire

Ukraine “may consider” French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to deploy foreign peacekeepers on its territory but only after getting a clear understanding of the NATO membership timeline, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 9.

Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky / X

Ukrainian gift guide 2024

If you’re unsure what to get your loved one for a gift this holiday season, look no further than Ukraine. The country has loads of exciting brands and products guaranteed to bring cheer to the people in your life.

Image: The Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

Russian attacks kill 1, injure 9 civilians in Kherson, Donetsk oblasts. Overnight on Dec. 9, the Russian military attacked Ukraine with two Kh-59/69 cruise missiles from the Black Sea. During the night attack, Russia also launched 37 Shaheds and other unidentified drones, Ukraine’s Air Force reported.

Russia claims bodies of Il-76 crash victims given to Ukraine, Kyiv says examinations ongoing. Russia has transferred the bodies of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) who died in a plane crash over Russia’s Belgorod Oblast in January, Russian Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova claimed in an interview with state-run RIA Novosti published on Dec. 9.

General Staff: Russia has lost 754,590 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 1,220 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

When Ukraine was the third-largest nuclear power

International response

Russian losses in Ukraine prevented Moscow from saving Assad regime in Syria, Biden says. “Additionally, Russia’s support for Assad also failed. And that’s because Ukraine, backed by our American allies, has put up a wall of resistance against invading Russian forces, inflicting massive damage on the Russian forces,” U.S. President Joe Biden said.

German opposition leader vows Ukraine won’t fight one-handed. During his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Friedrich Merz, the leading contender to become Germany’s next chancellor, condemned the German government’s hesitance to provide long-range weaponry like Taurus cruise missiles.

Estonian PM arrives in Kyiv to meet Zelensky. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the PM said in a post on X on Dec. 9.

Pope Francis calls for Christmas ceasefire ‘on all war fronts.’ “Let us continue to pray for peace, in tormented Ukraine, in the Middle East — Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and now Syria — in Myanmar, in Sudan, and wherever people suffer from war and violence,” Pope Francis said on Dec. 8.

UK sanctions illicit gold trade, says it funds Russia’s war. The latest round of sanctions imposes asset freezes on five individuals involved in the illicit gold trade, including the CEO of Paloma Precious, which has purchased more than $300 million of Russian gold.

NATO jets intercept Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea. The F-35s, deployed under NATO’s eastern airspace monitoring mission, intercepted a Russian An-72 transport aircraft and an SU-24 reconnaissance aircraft.

Transnistria declares economic emergency over Russian gas supply threat. Leader of Moldova’s Russian-occupied Transnistria region, Vadim Krasnoselsky, signed a decree on Dec. 9 introducing a 30-day economic state of emergency due to the risk of Russian gas supply disruptions, Newsmaker media reported.

Opinions and insights

10 reforms that defined the decade for Ukraine

“Ukraine is a nation of reforms, constantly striving for improvement through roadmaps and input from domestic and international partners,” writes Andrii Borovyk, executive director of Transparency International Ukraine.

Photo: Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts mark a decade of transformation

“Today, on International Anti-Corruption Day, the EU and Ukraine can acknowledge the progress made over the past 10 years in fighting corruption,” EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova writes.

Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

In other news

Syrian opposition takes full control of Latakia province hosting Russian bases, Russian media reports. Syrian opposition fighters took control of the Latakia province, where Russian military facilities – the Kheimin airbase and the Tartus naval base – are based, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Dec. 9, citing a Syrian source.

Russia seeks Turkey’s help to withdraw troops from Syria, CNN Turk reports. According to the outlet’s correspondent in Ankara, Russia has proposed relocating its forces to Turkish-controlled areas of Syria before transporting them to Russia by air.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Boldizsar Gyori, Martin Fornusek, Oleksiy Sorokin, Tim Zadorozhnyy, and Olena Goncharova, and Abbey Fenbert.

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