Canadian actor Angus MacInnes died at the age of 77 on December 23. He played key roles in Star Wars and other well-known films, including Captain Phillips and Hellboy.
In the framework of the 11th exchange in 2024, 189 Ukrainians, including defenders of Mariupol and Snake Island, were released from Russian captivity. Among the released are 173 privates and sergeants, 14 officers and 2 civilians.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported the return of 198 Ukrainians from Russian captivity. The exchange took place on Monday.
Over the last day, 104 combat engagements took place in various frontline areas. In the Pokrovsk sector, the enemy tried to force the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of their positions in the vicinity of 10 settlements, 23 attacks were repelled.
The Mariupol Resistance carried out sabotage at two railway facilities in the Moscow region. An electric train EP2D-0014 in Dmitrov and a diesel locomotive in Lobnya were set on fire.
Starting January 1, 2025, the MSEC will be liquidated and replaced by expert commissions in cluster hospitals. All previous decisions of the MSEC will remain in force, and the new system of assessing the functioning of individuals will be implemented in stages.
Bitcoin's price dropped to $93,670, $15,000 below its December record. The cryptocurrency is up 120% year-to-date, but expectations for Fed rates have cooled the market.
The Investigative Department identified Artem Tareev, the commander of the 234th Air Assault Regiment of the Russian Federation, who ordered the shooting at civilians in Bucha. On his orders, 13 civilians were killed, including Irina Filkina with a “red manicure.
The Cabinet of Ministers is improving the mechanism for calculating subventions for educational projects through the DREAM system. UAH 6.2 billion will be allocated for the construction of shelters, UAH 960 million for canteens, and an additional UAH 500 million for fire protection.
U. S. President Joe Biden announced a new security assistance package for Ukraine. The total amount of the new package is nearly $2.5 billion.
The separatist authorities of Transnistria have cut off gas supplies to 12 state institutions due to the upcoming cessation of transit from Russia. “Gazprom plans to stop gas exports to Moldova on January 1 due to debts.
“Kyivstar has signed an agreement with Starlink to provide satellite mobile services in Ukraine. The SMS service is scheduled to launch in Q4 2025, followed by voice and data services.
Five chemical companies owned by Russian billionaires under sanctions provide 75% of the supplies for Russian explosives factories. Reuters uncovered the supply chain by analyzing railroad cargo.
The Financial Times has uncovered schemes to smuggle European cars into Russia through Turkey, Georgia, and South Korea. German cars are sold with a markup of about 19,000 euros through Russian intermediaries.
Gostomel has completed the reconstruction of an apartment building at 67 Ostromyrska Street that was destroyed during the war. More than 60 residents can return to their fully restored homes.
Israeli airline El Al has extended its suspension of flights from Tel Aviv to Moscow until the end of March 2025. The decision was made after a comprehensive assessment of the situation and the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan.
The leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, Ahmed al-Sharaa, met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga. The meeting took place on December 30, details of the talks have not yet been disclosed.
Russia has amassed a significant number of X-101 missiles, Kalibr missiles and ballistic missiles for new attacks on Ukraine. The decrease in attacks by the Shaheda is due to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' successful strikes on the production and storage sites of components.
The Ministry of Justice has resumed the operation of the Unified Register of Powers of Attorney, the Inheritance Register and the Unified Register of Special Forms of Notarial Documents. Notaries will be able to enter all actions taken in the absence of access to the registers within 5 business days.
The DIU aerial reconnaissance discovered an enemy headquarters in the occupied territory of Zaporizzhia region. As a result of a missile strike by the Tavria air-defense system, the headquarters was destroyed, 6 occupants were killed and 3 wounded.
In Kyiv, a young construction worker took a wallet with money from his 54-year-old colleague, believing that he had worked harder than him. The attacker was detained and faces up to 10 years in prison.
A high-ranking Ukrainian delegation will visit Damascus today to meet with Ahmed al-Shara'a. This comes after a recent directive from President Zelenskyy to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish contacts with the new authorities in Syria.
Zoran Milanovic received almost half of the votes in the first round of the Croatian presidential election. The second round will be held on January 12, as no candidate has gained an absolute majority.
Donald Trump toned down his rhetoric on key campaign promises after winning the election. The president-elect recognized the difficulty of lowering prices and quickly ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian troops attacked Odesa region with drone strikes on the night of December 30. The falling debris damaged five residential buildings in Rozdilnyansky district, with no casualties.
In South Korea, a Jeju Air plane returned to the airport due to landing gear problems after the recent Boeing 737 crash. The authorities are initiating an inspection of the entire air transportation system and 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Ukraine's President discussed the downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane with Aliyev and instructed him to pass on the intelligence to his partners. According to the Ukrainian side, the plane was shot down by a Russian air defense missile.
The Government has approved a new mechanism for issuing residence permits to foreigners who help the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The document strengthens the protection of foreign soldiers and volunteers who have been at the front for at least 6 months.
Romania will hold repeat presidential elections on March 23 and April 6, 2025. The previous results were canceled due to large-scale cyberattacks and suspicions of external interference.
The hacker group Noname 057 carried out a DDoS attack on official Italian websites, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Milan airports. The consequences of the attack were neutralized within two hours.
