Julia Shramko
On the night of December 31, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 127 attack UAVs of various types. Defense forces shot down or suppressed 101 enemy drones in the north, south, and east of the country.
National security advisors from the "coalition of the willing" countries and Ukraine will meet on January 3 in Ukraine. After that, a meeting at the level of leaders will take place in France on January 6.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Heorhiy Tikhyi, stated that Russia invented the mystification about the attack on the residence – all they needed was to create a false justification for Russia's rejection of peace efforts.
The court remanded three 18-year-old residents of Ivano-Frankivsk in custody in the case of a fatal fight near a nightclub. One suspect was taken into custody without bail, and the other two were placed under round-the-clock house arrest.
The Ministry of Defense has started testing military registration through the "Reserve+" application. Men who turn 17 in 2026, or those aged 25 to 59, are invited to participate in the testing.
Attackers who inflicted bodily harm on folk ensemble artists to be tried in Lviv region.
Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykola Trofymenko announced a complete update of the Admission Procedure to higher education institutions in 2026. Changes include the cancellation of motivational letters and a reduction in the number of applications from 15 to 12.
Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykola Trofymenko announced that 48 universities in Ukraine have agreed to launch "winter admission" to the zero course. This is a preparatory stage for the main admission.
Russian attack UAVs attacked the vessels "Emmakris III" and "Captain Karam", which were heading to the port to load wheat. As a result of the attack, there are wounded among civilians.
Actor Idris Elba has been awarded a knighthood for his services to youth. He founded the Elba Hope Foundation, which provides grants to organizations in the UK, USA, and Africa.
Ursula von der Leyen held talks with European leaders on support, security and reconstruction of Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of the country's accession to the EU.
Russian pipeline gas exports to Europe in 2025 decreased by 44% to 18 billion cubic meters, which is the lowest figure since the mid-1970s. This happened after the closure of the Ukrainian route and the cessation of fossil fuel imports from Russia.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that "peace is on the horizon" after leaders' talks on Ukraine. The US is ready to participate in security guarantees for Ukraine, including the presence of American troops.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced another round of coordination in the "Berlin format" with the participation of European and Canadian partners. He emphasized the advancement of the peace process and the need for transparency and honesty from all parties, including Russia.
As a result of the Russian attack, facilities in the ports of Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk were damaged, as well as oil tanks. One person was injured, and a civilian vessel under the Panamanian flag was damaged.
China called on all parties to refrain from escalation and promote de-escalation of the situation after Russia's statements. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian emphasized the need to create conditions for a political settlement.
European leaders will meet on Tuesday at 11:00 AM to discuss the situation in Ukraine. This conversation is part of high-level diplomatic talks that have been ongoing since November.
Meta Platforms has agreed to acquire Singaporean AI startup Manus, which conducts in-depth research and performs tasks for paying users. The deal is valued at over $2 billion, with Manus maintaining independent operations while integrating its agents into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The Defense Forces control the northern part of Pokrovsk and block the enemy's advance in the central part of the city. All approaches to the city are under the control of Ukrainian drones, and in Myrnohrad, defensive lines are held and the enemy is eliminated on the approaches.
Moderate snow is observed in Ukraine, up to 12 cm has fallen in Ternopil region. In Prykarpattia, due to snow drifts, truck traffic is restricted on a section of the R-24 road.
As a result of enemy shelling in Chernihiv region, more than 75,000 consumers are without electricity, and settlements in Kharkiv and Sumy regions are also de-energized. Due to large-scale destruction, there are no blackout schedules on the left bank of Kyiv, Kyiv region, and Odesa region.
Emergency power outages have been introduced in Kyiv, and Vyshhorod in the Kyiv region is in its fourth day of fighting for light in cold conditions. Emergency outages continue in Odesa, and in Kherson, the enemy shells the CHP almost daily, making its restoration impossible.
The largest passenger traffic, accounting for 50% of the total, is recorded at the Ukrainian-Polish border. Although there are no queues like before Christmas, certain checkpoints, such as "Krakovets," "Shehyni," and "Ustyluh," remain the busiest.
Ukraine's government bonds rose on Monday after positive signs in peace talks to end the war. Some bonds reached their highest level since the sovereign debt restructuring.
The burning of residual gas in the main pipeline, which depressurized on December 29, continues in Zakarpattia region. There is no threat of flame spread or gas supply disruption.
On the night of December 30, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with two ballistic missiles and 60 attack UAVs. Air defense forces shot down one missile and 52 drones; hits were recorded.
Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday, with Brent futures down 2 cents to $61. 92 and WTI down 5 cents to $58.03. This followed a 2% rise.
Kyiv police brought the driver to administrative responsibility for petty hooliganism. The man attached a mock PFM-1 anti-personnel mine, printed on a 3D printer, to the roof of his Volkswagen.
The CIA launched a drone strike on a port facility on Venezuela's coast, marking the first known US attack on a target inside the country. The strike targeted a remote dock that the US government believed was being used by a Venezuelan gang to store and move drugs.
Over the past day, 151 battles took place on the front, with the most active clashes recorded in the Pokrovsk and Huliaipole directions. The enemy launched 47 air strikes, dropping 129 guided aerial bombs, and carried out 3651 shelling attacks.