According to the General Staff of Ukraine, since the beginning of the invasion, Russian troops have lost approximately 352,390 soldiers and 5,854 tanks in Ukraine.
President Zelenskyy signed three decrees awarding 247 Ukrainian defenders, 176 of them posthumously, with various state awards for courage and service.
Over the past day, Ukrainian troops fought 75 combat engagements, thwarting numerous assault attempts in various directions and repelling enemy attacks, inflicting significant losses. In the Kherson sector alone, the enemy made 17 unsuccessful offensive attempts.
Russian troops shelled Ochakiv and the surrounding area with artillery on December 22, causing no casualties, Vitaliy Kim said.
Ukrainian troops conducted 12 air strikes against enemy manpower and equipment, and their air defense shot down 3 Su-34 aircraft. Missile units carried out 75 fire attacks on enemy positions, warehouses and control centers.
Slovakia transfers 16 fully equipped surplus ambulances from the Bratislava Ambulance Service to Ukraine with the assistance of the Catholic charity organization Spis.
In Kharkiv, a dispute in a parking lot led to a fight, as a result of which one person sustained a head injury and another received a non-fatal stab wound; police are investigating the incident as an intentional light bodily injury.
The Ukrainian military shot down all nine Russian Shahid drones launched from Crimea and Russia over Odesa and Khmelnytsky regions.
Japan's Honorary Emperor Akihito celebrated his 90th birthday with his family, including the current Emperor Naruhito, who has recovered from heart failure and eye surgery.
Mohammed Dovtayev was sentenced to 3. 5 years for spying on an opposition TV channel in London with the aim of a potential terrorist attack. He claimed to be interested in architecture, but prosecutors proved that his goal was to identify security vulnerabilities.
NASA has shared a photo of NGC 2264, a Christmas tree cluster with stars ranging in age from 1 to 5 million years, located about 2,500 light-years away.
The IDF has released surveillance footage showing an extensive network of Hamas tunnels in Gaza City, including command posts and infrastructure.
WHO reported a 52% increase in the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide over the past four weeks: 854,673 new infections and 3,005 deaths.
Japan has increased its military budget for 2024 to $56 billion, up 16. 5 percent from 2023, amid concerns about military expansion by China and Russia. The budget will fund defense technology upgrades, including hypersonic missiles and Aegis destroyers.
French senators visited Poland and Ukraine, advocating for increased supplies of drones, artillery, and military equipment to Ukraine, discussing the course and needs of the conflict.
The US State Department has approved the sale of Stinger missile systems to Germany, Italy and the Netherlands to strengthen their air defense under a $780 million deal.
Five people have been arrested in northern France during an anti-terrorist operation amid warnings of a "very high terrorist threat" during holiday celebrations.
The United States accused Iran of involvement in planning attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which led to a change in shipping routes. Iran denies any involvement; meanwhile, a US-led naval coalition has been formed to protect maritime traffic.
The UN Security Council adopts a resolution on immediate, unimpeded humanitarian assistance to Gaza with 13 votes in favor, with the United States and Russia abstaining. The resolution emphasizes the protection and delivery of aid to the Palestinian civilian population.
Russian authorities are taking Ukrainian children to a propaganda event in Moscow, claiming that Ukraine does not exist and seeking to change their self-identification.
A plane flying from Dubai to Nicaragua with 303 Indians on board was detained in France on suspicion of human trafficking, leading to the arrest of two passengers.
Ukraine's industry intends to produce ammunition for one million drones, with expected delivery to the defense forces in 2024, Defense Minister Oleksandr Kamyshyn announced.
Three Turkish soldiers were killed and four wounded in a terrorist attack in northern Iraq, prompting Turkish air strikes that neutralized four terrorists.
President Biden signs the US defense budget for 2024 at $886. 3 billion, including $800 million in aid to Ukraine.
Firefly Aerospace has successfully launched an Alpha rocket carrying Lockheed Martin's Tantrum satellite, demonstrating rapid on-orbit sensor calibration. The launch took place from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Two volunteers and a photographer were injured as a result of Russian shelling in Donetsk, prompting the Donetsk Prosecutor's Office to launch a war crimes investigation.
Ukraine returned four citizens from Russia and facilitated the reunification of Russian families, which was confirmed by the Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets. Humanitarian aid was also exchanged for prisoners of war.
Business activity is growing in Odesa region.
Kiper organized systematic support for the military from the communities. Now the communities submit their proposals to the region, and the region, in turn, satisfies the requests of the command.
The Odesa regional military administration is strengthening its defense against Russian attacks, forming mobile firing groups and purchasing vehicles, despite the fact that some drones enter the region through Moldova and Romania.
