Five Russian servicemen were sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison for torturing four civilians in the city of Trostianets during the occupation of Sumy region. The occupiers beat detainees, simulated executions, and held them in inhumane conditions.
Turkish authorities have detained 115 people suspected of involvement with the "Islamic State," who were planning attacks during the Christmas and New Year holidays. Istanbul police conducted searches at 124 locations, seizing weapons.
The Central Bank of Russia has developed a concept for regulating the cryptocurrency market, which provides for strict control over digital assets. Cryptocurrencies are recognized as currency values, but their use as a means of payment in the Russian Federation is prohibited.
On the eve of Christmas, the work of the French national postal service La Poste was paralyzed by a large-scale DDoS attack. The pro-Russian hacker group Noname057 claimed responsibility.
Prosecutors of the Chernivtsi Regional Prosecutor's Office and BEB detectives uncovered abuses during the procurement of landscaping services in Chernivtsi, which led to losses of UAH 3. 5 million. Two city council officials have been notified of suspicion for abuse of office.
Declassified transcripts of conversations between Putin and Bush have been released, in which the Russian leader openly opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO, warning of conflict. He considered Ukraine an artificial state and its entry into the Alliance a threat to Russia.
Indian company Reliance Industries Ltd. has resumed purchases of Russian crude oil from non-sanctioned suppliers. India's largest refinery has chartered Aframax tankers to receive Russian oil.
A 31-year-old man cultivated and sold psilocybin mushrooms, disguising them in chocolate bars. The value of the seized substances exceeds one million hryvnias.
Ukrainian PEN has compiled a list of the best domestic publications of the year for the eighth time, which includes 252 books. Among them are prose, poetry, non-fiction, children's books, art publications, and humanities.
The government has adopted a resolution allowing applications for gambling licenses to be submitted through Diia. This is an important step towards the digitalization and transparency of the gambling business.
The Ministry of Development has decided on the mandatory evacuation of children from 19 settlements in Donetsk Oblast. About 200 people with limited mobility are also being evacuated from Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The National Bank of Ukraine presented a silver commemorative coin "Spirit of Christmas" with a face value of 10 hryvnias, decorated with a didukh and a scene of a pre-Christmas meal. The mintage of the coin is limited to 15,000 pieces, and its sale will begin in January 2026.
Venezuela's National Assembly has approved a law criminalizing activities that disrupt shipping and trade, including the seizure of oil tankers. The document provides for fines and imprisonment of up to 20 years for supporting or participating in such actions.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine will receive three million FPV drones by the end of this year, which is almost 2. 5 times more than last year. The vast majority of drones are domestically produced, and almost 15,000 ground-based robotic systems have also been supplied.
Official death certificates confirm that Rob and Michele Reiner died from multiple stab wounds on December 14 at their home in Brentwood. The couple's bodies were cremated, and their children, Romy and Jake, expressed deep pain at the loss.
The Trump administration announced tariffs on Chinese semiconductor imports due to Beijing's pursuit of dominance, but postponed their implementation until June 2027. This decision is a result of an investigation into China's unfair trade practices.
On December 24, gold surpassed $4,500 per ounce for the first time, while silver and platinum also reached record highs. This is due to investments hedging geopolitical and trade risks, as well as expectations of interest rate cuts in the US.
The US Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's proposal to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, despite objections from local and state officials. The court noted that the president's authority to federalize the National Guard applies only in "exceptional" circumstances.
7,826 churches of the Moscow Patriarchate remain in Ukraine, despite a law prohibiting their activities. Only 934 religious communities have transferred to the OCU in almost 4 years of full-scale war.
In Germany, representatives of centrist parties accused the right-wing Alternative for Germany party of collecting data that is of interest to Russian special services.
From December 24 to 26 and from December 29 to 31, test shuttles will run in Kyiv between Darnytsia and Vydubychi. This will allow reducing train intervals to 15 minutes during morning and evening peak hours.
The Cherkasy prosecutor's office has sent to court the case of an anesthesiologist accused of improper performance of duties, which led to the death of a child. The investigation believes that the doctor violated instructions regarding the dosage of anesthesia during a planned operation in November 2024.
A Croatian court has sentenced a 20-year-old man to 50 years in prison for fatally stabbing a seven-year-old schoolboy and injuring four others. The attack took place last December at a school in a suburb of Zagreb.
Ukraine ranked 40th among 195 countries in the Government AI Readiness Index 2025, moving up 14 positions. The country surpassed the US and Great Britain in some criteria, particularly in the digitalization of public services.
Poland has installed the first elements of an anti-drone system on the border with Belarus near the town of Krynki. The system will become operational in January, detecting, tracking, and neutralizing unmanned aerial vehicles.
The price of spot gold rose to $4,476. 15 per ounce, and US gold futures climbed to $4,509.80. Spot silver rose to $69.44 per ounce, renewing its record at $69.98.
In the Kharkiv region, a junior medical brother of the Chuhuiv branch of forensic medical examination was exposed for appropriating mobile phones of fallen Ukrainian soldiers. He has been notified of suspicion of theft committed under martial law, repeatedly.
Large-scale schemes for illegal border crossing by conscripts have been exposed in four regions of Ukraine. The organizers transported men to Moldova and Hungary for tens of thousands of dollars, and also issued fictitious disability documents.
In the first 9 months of 2025, global vehicle production exceeded 68. 7 million units, which is 4% more than last year. China remains the largest producer, having manufactured over 24.3 million units.
Poland scrambled its military aircraft and put air defense systems on alert in response to Russia's massive attack on Ukraine on December 23. These actions are preventive in nature to ensure the security of Poland's airspace.
