Julia Shramko
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who returned to Brussels for the EU summit, prioritizes European unity and support for Ukraine.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban remains opposed to the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU, insisting that three of the seven preconditions are not met.
European Council President Charles Michel will meet with the leaders of several EU member states, Macron, Scholz and Orban, to make progress on Ukraine, ahead of the EU summit in Brussels.
Finland reopened two border crossing points with Russia, with lines of more than 50 cars at Niirala and calm traffic at Vaalimaa. There were no reports of asylum seekers, as most of the people crossing the border were dual nationals or locals.
Ukraine received about $900 million from the IMF for priority budget expenditures after the second program review was approved.
European Commission unblocks more than €10 billion in EU funds for Hungary.
Bad weather in Ukraine has left 225 settlements in five regions without power; restoration work continues and main roads remain passable.
Five Shahed drones were destroyed by air defense in Mykolaiv region; Russian troops shelled Ochakiv, the outskirts of Snihurivka and the Kutsurubska community, with no casualties reported.
Russian troops shelled Kupyansk, damaging several private houses and outbuildings.
Russian attacks on Odesa and Kherson regions result in casualties and damages.
An air alert was declared in Kyiv, Kyiv and Chernihiv regions due to a missile threat, and residents were urged to take shelter.
Truck traffic from Ukraine to Slovakia has partially resumed at the Uzhhorod checkpoint. The traffic was previously blocked by Slovak carriers on December 11.
During the day, Russian troops attacked Kherson region 114 times, killing one person and wounding one; critical infrastructure and residential areas were targeted.
According to the General Staff of Ukraine, since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops have suffered about 342,800 personnel losses and lost 5,692 tanks and other military equipment.
European Council President Charles Michel calls on the EU to provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros and open accession talks, emphasizing the need for collective strength and determination.
MEPs called on EU leaders to start EU membership negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's statements against Ukraine's accession, emphasizing the strategic importance of EU enlargement. They insisted that the Copenhagen criteria should be met without accelerating the process.
Ukraine is working with international partners to create a comprehensive reform matrix covering areas ranging from the economy to education, reaffirming its commitment to reform despite Russian aggression.
Kyivstar's mobile network has been subjected to a cyberattack, which has led to interruptions in service. To prevent overloading of other networks, national roaming for Kyivstar subscribers has been temporarily blocked.
Russian troops attack Kherson.
Ukraine and Turkey will soon ratify the free trade agreement, which will enter into force in early 2024.
The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine reports no shortage of electricity and no blackout schedules.
Ukrainian court sets December 29 as the deadline for familiarization with documents in the case of forgery of documents by a Ukrainian MP.
Ochakiv and Solonchaky, Mykolaiv region, were shelled by enemy artillery, no casualties reported.
Nikopol was shelled twice by Russian artillery at night, with no casualties; damage assessment is ongoing, while other areas of the region were quiet.
Electricity consumption in Ukraine is declining slightly as the weather warms up; TPPs and CHPs are undergoing repairs of power units, with no planned outage schedules.
President Zelenskyy is in Oslo for the Ukraine-Northern Europe summit, where he intends to discuss strengthening defense and economic ties and thank Norway for its support.
More than 50 people, including a child, were injured as a result of Russian missile shelling of Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says all 10 Russian ballistic missiles fired at Kyiv were shot down and all victims have been provided with aid. Zelenskyy confirmed powerful new agreements to build up defense capabilities.
The nighttime rocket attack by Russian troops on Kyiv injured 53 people, including six children, and caused material damage in several districts of the city. There were no reports of fatalities.
Russian shelling of Kupyansk, Kharkiv region, leaves one dead and one wounded.