Portugal will allocate 25 million euros annually for five years to purchase Ukrainian defense products as part of the SAFE initiative. The Ministers of Defense of Ukraine and Portugal discussed further cooperation and Ukraine's critical needs.
The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center forecasts wet snow, fogs, and a drop in temperature in Ukraine for the new week. Precipitation and black ice are expected in some regions.
Fighting continues in the village of Hrabovske, Sumy region. Ukrainian troops are pushing the occupiers back into Russian territory, while there are no Russians in the neighboring village of Riasne. Russian troops forcibly removed 50 Ukrainians from Sumy region, the Human Rights Commissioner demands information about their whereabouts.
Thousands gathered on Sydney's Bondi Beach a week after an attack on a Jewish festival that killed 15 people. The event was attended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and other high-ranking officials, as authorities step up the fight against antisemitism.
A brawl with shooting occurred between two groups near Bessarabska Square in Kyiv. Police have opened a criminal case on charges of hooliganism and are establishing the circumstances of the incident.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the need for consultations with European partners after diplomatic work in the USA. He emphasized that genuine signals from Russia remain negative, despite constructive negotiations.
Over the week, Russia launched about 1,300 attack drones, almost 1,200 guided aerial bombs, and nine missiles of various types at Ukraine, with the Odesa region being particularly affected. Ukraine is countering this Russian terror by receiving financial and security assistance from international partners.
Russian servicemen illegally detained and forcibly removed about 50 civilians from Sumy region to Russia. The Ombudsman of Ukraine appealed to his Russian counterpart and the ICRC regarding their return.
On the M-15 Odesa — Reni highway within the Mayaky settlement, traffic restrictions in both directions have been lifted. Traffic was temporarily stopped on December 18 after Russian attacks.
Kremlin aide Yuriy Ushakov stated that no one seriously discussed the initiative for a trilateral meeting of experts from Russia, the US, and Ukraine. He also noted that the changes to the peace plan, introduced by Ukrainians and Europeans, do not contribute to reaching agreements.
Healthcare facilities in the south of Odesa region are operating normally, and emergency teams are working without interruption. Hospitalization routes have been adjusted to take into account bypass roads, ensuring a full range of medical care.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin's schedule does not include a phone call with Donald Trump until the end of the year. Putin will hold bilateral meetings with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenka.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has prohibited participants of protest actions from holding a march in Tbilisi from December 21 to December 31, 2025. Demonstrators are ordered to gather on the stairs at the entrance to the parliament, without obstructing the movement of citizens.
On the night of December 21, the enemy attacked Ukraine with 97 attack UAVs of various types. Air defense forces neutralized 75 drones, but 19 drones hit targets in eight locations.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth commented on the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. The US will continue maritime interdictions as part of Operation "Southern Spear" to eliminate illegal criminal networks.
In the Zaporizhzhia direction, 255 km of non-explosive barrier strips, 340 km of anti-tank ditches, and over 2. 1 km of the "Egoza" barrier line have been built. Major General Oleksandr Yakovets reported to Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal on the high pace of fortification construction.
UN staffer Bol Roch Mayol was found dead in South Sudan days after his detention. An army lieutenant and two soldiers were arrested after confessing to the murder.
Denmark's military intelligence service accuses Russia of cyberattacks on a Danish water company in 2024 and DDoS attacks on websites. As a result of the attack on the water company, homes were temporarily left without water due to burst pipes.
ByteDance Ltd. plans to generate approximately $50 billion in profit in 2025, having already exceeded its internal target. The company achieved a net profit of around $40 billion in the first three quarters of the current year.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the next step in the Gaza peace process should be the appointment of a Peace Council and the identification of a group of technocrats. This will strengthen stabilization forces and ensure the daily management of the enclave.
Over a third of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel have undergone biological material sampling, with 95% of samples delivered to the Genomic Information Accounting Center. This is critically important for the rapid identification of defenders in cases of their disappearance.
Due to traffic restrictions in the mentioned directions, the Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Otach checkpoint on the border with Moldova in Vinnytsia region is currently overloaded.
After the attack on the bridge in the Mayaky area of Odesa region, the authorities focused on providing alternative routes for transport in southern Ukraine. This applies to passenger and freight transportation, as well as transit flows, taking into account the security situation and road capacity.
Political expert Mykhailo Shnaider stated that NAB top official Magamedrasulov is being made into a "savior of the nation," but he will face disappointment from Ukrainians. The expert recalled suspicions against Magamedrasulov regarding his involvement in a scheme to sell technical hemp and abuse of influence over the tax service.
On December 20, scheduled hourly power outages and power restrictions for industrial consumers will be in effect in most regions of Ukraine. This is due to the consequences of Russian missile and drone attacks on energy facilities.
Due to damage to bridges in Odesa region, postal operators "Ukrposhta" and "Nova Poshta" warned of possible delays in parcel delivery. In particular, traffic on the M-15 "Odesa – Reni" highway section was completely blocked.
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko met with U. S. Chargé d'Affaires Julie Davis and FBI attaché Jamie Volkert, discussing the results of international cooperation. Ukraine satisfied all 5 U.S. requests for extradition and fulfilled 46 American requests for legal assistance.
A record harvest of sugar beets in Belarus, about 5 million tons, has become a risk factor due to the oversupply in the Russian market. This leads to a drop in sugar prices and a deterioration of the economy for farmers and processors.
Citizens heading to Odesa are informed about restrictions and redirected to alternative routes due to complicated traffic on the Odesa-Reni highway. It is recommended to choose checkpoints in Vinnytsia and Chernivtsi regions.
As a result of the Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia, the number of injured reached seven. Four of them received assistance on the spot and will be treated at home.
