Rustem Umerov reported on contacts with the American side. An agreement was reached on a high-level meeting with President Trump in the near future.
Russia attacked Odesa and Mykolaiv with drones on the night of December 26. An infrastructure facility was hit in Odesa, and a power outage occurred in the Mykolaiv district.
Oil prices rose on Friday after the US increased economic pressure on Venezuelan oil supplies and launched airstrikes against militants in Nigeria. Brent futures rose to $62.30 and WTI to $58.41 amid low market activity due to the Christmas holidays and expectations of an annual price decline.
Over the past day, 121 combat engagements were recorded at the front, half of which occurred in the Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka, and Oleksandrivka directions. The enemy launched 1 missile and 66 air strikes, using 1 missile and 172 guided aerial bombs.
On December 25, a man attacked two TCR servicemen in Dnipro, inflicting stab wounds on them. The police opened criminal proceedings on the fact of threat or violence against an official.
Nvidia makes its largest acquisition ever, buying the assets of AI chip startup Groq for $20 billion. Groq's founders, creators of Google's Tensor Processing Unit, will join Nvidia.
Mykola Leontovych's score of "Shchedryk" has been exhibited at New York's Carnegie Hall. This became possible after the facsimile was transferred to the Carnegie Hall archive.
The number of people injured in the Russian UAV strike on a five-story building in Chernihiv has risen to 8, three of whom are in serious condition. An 80-year-old woman died, and the drone hit an apartment on the third floor.
In Dnipro, a man inflicted knife wounds on two military personnel from the Territorial Recruitment Center (TCR) during a notification process. The injured were hospitalized, and shots were fired into the air to apprehend the assailant.
The Kardashian family held their annual Christmas party in an intimate format, foregoing a lavish celebration. Khloé Kardashian explained that this was due to her mother Kris Jenner's recent 70th birthday.
US Democratic senators have urged Donald Trump not to recall nearly 30 career ambassadors, warning of a threat to national security. They believe this would create a vacuum that Russia and China would fill, leaving more than 100 embassies without leadership.
The volume of medical training in the basic general military training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been tripled, to 30 hours of intensive classes. The training includes the M.A.R.C.H. algorithm and practicing self-help under fire.
Prosecutors served a notice of suspicion on the director of a special school in Cherkasy region due to the mass infection of 14 children and 6 adults with Salmonella enterica bacteria. The cause was a violation of sanitary rules and norms for preventing infectious diseases.
On December 25, in the afternoon, emergency power outages were introduced in a number of regions of Ukraine. The reason was damage to the energy system as a result of the Russian army's attack.
Five people have died after a helicopter crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The aircraft was on a medical rescue mission, and among the dead are a guide, a doctor, a pilot, and two foreign tourists.
At noon on Christmas Day, Russian terrorists massively shelled the center of Kherson, hitting the Central Market. As a result of the attack, a 47-year-old market employee died, and retail outlets were destroyed.
In Ukraine, the average monthly temperature in January 2026 is expected to be 1-7° below zero, which is 1. 5° below normal. The monthly precipitation is forecast to be within the normal range, 28-79 mm.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned Ukraine in her Christmas greetings. She expressed hope for a just and lasting peace, as well as for Ukraine's secure future in the EU.
Police are investigating the explosion of an AUDI Q7 car in Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi, which occurred on December 24 at about 10:00 PM. No one was injured in the incident, the vehicle was damaged, and a criminal proceeding has been opened on the fact of attempted premeditated murder.
The Novoshakhtinsk oil products plant has been attacked and is on fire in Novoshakhtinsk, Rostov Oblast, ASTRA reports.
Police detained a resident of Snovsk, suspected of setting fire to belongings and special clothing in a hospital. He faces up to 10 years in prison for intentional destruction of property.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, visited the soldiers of the "Timur Special Unit" on the Zaporizhzhia front. He spoke with the soldiers, checked their working conditions, and awarded the intelligence officers.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved a mixed financing mechanism for the procurement of innovative medicines, allowing regional health departments and hospitals to participate. This will ensure that patients with severe and rare diseases receive the necessary medications.
Netflix has released the first teaser for the film "Peaky Blinders: Immortal". The premiere of the film, in which Cillian Murphy will play Tommy Shelby, will take place on March 20, 2026.
The head of the German parliament's foreign policy committee, Armin Laschet, stated the need for a German-French initiative to coordinate European plans for a ceasefire in Ukraine. He emphasized that Europe must develop its own strong foreign and security policy, agreed upon with Ukraine, which could then be presented to Russia from a position of strength.
The government has expanded the possibilities for civilians affected in temporarily occupied territories to obtain the status of a person with war-related disability. The basis for granting the status is the decision of the Interdepartmental Commission under the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
As a result of Russian attacks on Christmas night, consumers in four regions were cut off from power, and emergency blackouts occurred in Odesa region. Restriction schedules are in effect throughout Ukraine around the clock.
Paramount Skydance revised its takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, including Larry Ellison's personal financing of $40.4 billion and an increased breakup fee. However, WBD's fifth-largest shareholder, Harris Oakmark, considers the changes insufficient, demanding a greater incentive.
A car with the words "Happy Chanukah" was set on fire in a Melbourne suburb early on Christmas morning. The suspected antisemitic incident occurred less than two weeks after a terror attack in Sydney that killed 15 people.
A Kyiv resident injured a police officer by hitting him with a Mitsubishi car and was detained after a pursuit. He is being prepared for a notice of suspicion for resisting a law enforcement officer.
