Ukraine's Foreign Minister Kuleba praised Chancellor Scholz for his actions at the EU summit, which contributed to a positive vote for Ukraine. Scholz asked the Hungarian prime minister to leave the room, which allowed the discussion of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations to continue.
Over the past day, Ukrainian troops conducted 64 combat engagements, struck at enemy manpower and equipment, and destroyed two anti-aircraft missile systems. The missile forces struck 4 enemy areas, hitting personnel and ammunition depots.
On the night of December 18, Ukrainian air defense shot down 5 Russian Shahid drones in several regions.
ATES guerrillas tracked down and reported the location of a Russian anti-aircraft system in occupied Sevastopol, Crimea, designed to counter Ukrainian strikes.
Elon Musk called for the settlement of the Moon and Mars, emphasizing the need to establish human bases and cities on Mars, and reflecting on the progress made since the Wright brothers' flight and the last moon landing.
North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile that was tracked by the South Korean military and Japan, indicating a flight of 73 minutes that covered 1,000 kilometers. This follows the launch of a short-range missile and North Korea's condemnation of "US preparations for nuclear war"
Pope Francis spent his 87th birthday with children and families at St. Martha's Hospital in the Vatican, sharing a cake with them and encouraging them to make Christmas preparations.
A car collides with a parked SUV in President Joe Biden's motorcade outside his campaign office in Wilmington; the president and first lady are safe.
Taiwan's Ministry of Defense reported that two Chinese reconnaissance balloons crossed the centerline of the Taiwan Strait, moving eastward at an altitude of 8. 2 km, and then disappeared. In addition, the island's military spotted six Chinese planes and two ships in the vicinity.
A severe storm in Argentina and Uruguay resulted in 16 deaths: victims of falling branches, a collapsed wall and strong winds. President Miley visited the affected area.
The United States condemns North Korea's ballistic missile launch as a violation of UN resolutions and a threat to regional security. The launch is seen as having a destabilizing effect, despite the fact that it does not pose a direct threat to the United States and its allies.
Lithuanian MEP Rasa Juknevičienė called on the EU to consider stripping Hungary of its voting rights, accusing Prime Minister Viktor Orban of undermining the EU in favor of Russia.
Polish carriers and farmers from the United Village Association intend to expand the blockade of the Dorohusk border crossing, demanding changes in agricultural policy, including a halt to sugar imports from Ukraine.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed to ensure the safety of the population.
The first chicks of sub-Antarctic penguins have hatched near the Akademik Vernadsky station: 8 out of 11 eggs were born, and a baby boom is expected, as more than 5. 3 thousand penguins live here.
Spotify has officially ceased operations in Russia: On December 14, the local legal entity Spotify LLC was liquidated. The service has already stopped operating in Russia since April 2022.
A six-story building in Calabria, confiscated from the mafia and unused since 2012, was demolished with 400 kg of TNT as a symbol of the state's fight against organized crime.
Israel and Hamas, with the mediation of Egypt, are ready to negotiate a ceasefire and release of hostages, but have unresolved issues regarding the terms of implementation.
Zelenskiy calls on the G7 countries to lead the process of seizing and using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, as discussed during recent talks with the US and other partners.
The NACP has temporarily suspended Raiffeisen Bank International's status as a sponsor of international war to hold bilateral talks with the European Commission amid Austria's insistence on removing the bank from Ukraine's blacklist.
U. S. Ambassador to Ukraine Oksana Markarova said that the U.S. budget has almost exhausted funds to support Ukraine, and only $1 billion remains for new weapons. Kyiv continues to seek further assistance from Congress.
The massive underground network is 50 meters deep in some places and wide enough for vehicles.
Armed assailants killed 16 people and wounded dozens at a Christmas party in a San Jose del Carmen fazenda in Guanajuato, a region plagued by cartel violence.
Russian special forces and the military are increasing their presence to search for guerrillas, using new radar groups and combing settlements in the temporarily occupied Kherson region.
Aleksandar Vucic's Alliance is leading in the Serbian parliamentary elections with 46. 6% of the vote and 129 seats, while Serbia Against Violence has 23% and 63 seats.
Ukraine has tested its AQ 400 Scythe kamikaze drone, which is a competitor to Iran's Shahed and boasts a range of 750-950 km and a starting price of $15,000. It carries a 32 kg explosive payload, which can be increased to 70 kg due to the range.
Legion "Freedom of Russia" reported that its units conducted a successful operation in the Belgorod region of Russia, completed their tasks and returned to Ukraine; they challenged Russian troops and confirmed their Russian volunteer identity.
The Russian shelling of the center of Krasnopillia village in Sumy region resulted in the death of one civilian and damage to vehicles and houses. The region was shelled repeatedly, with a total of 61 explosions recorded.
Zelensky thanked the GUR, SBU, Air Force, and foreign intelligence for their significant efforts, without disclosing details but noting that their actions were "powerful. " The Ukrainian president also emphasized Ukraine's determination and the importance of demonstrating to the world its ability to defend and win.
The SBU opened a criminal investigation after finding a non-functional listening device in a place allegedly used by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. The device had no means of storing or transmitting information.
