Economists say Russia's position is weaker than ever, as the Kremlin has spent most of its cash reserves and borrowed funds. Tough new sanctions against Russia's oil sector could lead to an economic crisis next year.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that only Russian dictator Vladimir Putin can immediately end the war, despite joint efforts for a ceasefire. He also emphasized the importance of negotiations in Berlin and the coordination of positions among European partners, the US, and Ukraine.
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk announced that the new law on elections during martial law will be a one-off. The working group is preparing a draft law for safe and democratic elections.
As of November 2025, communities and regions have allocated UAH 47 billion to support the Defense and Security Forces. Of this amount, over UAH 41 billion has already been financed, which accounts for almost 90% of expenditures.
On the evening of December 22, the enemy attacked Odesa with attack UAVs, damaging port infrastructure and a civilian vessel. No information about casualties has been reported.
In the city of Saki, on the territory of the Holy Ilinsky Temple, a lesson for "Orthodox scouts" was held with the participation of "Bars-Crimea" fighters, where minors were given firearms. Religious objects in the temporarily occupied territories are increasingly used for militarized work with children, involving priests as intermediaries.
On December 20, 235 combat engagements were recorded at the front. The enemy launched 70 air strikes, dropping 166 guided bombs, and carried out 3609 shellings.
The Russian economy is facing growing difficulties, including inflation and declining revenues, but this will not bring Putin to the negotiating table. Experts believe that the Kremlin can sustain the current pace of hostilities for many more years, as the Russian economy is not a critical factor for ending the war.
A massive power outage left 130,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco (California, USA) without electricity. This led to the closure of restaurants, shops, and significant disruptions to transport links.
On December 20, Russian troops lost 1130 soldiers and 116 UAVs. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 21.12.25 amount to 1,196,740 people.
Partisans of the ATESH movement carried out an act of sabotage at a railway junction in Bataysk, setting fire to relay cabinets. This disrupted the operation of the main logistics hub that supplies the occupation forces in the southern directions.
On December 21, cloudy weather without significant precipitation is expected in most of Ukraine, with most regions covered by fog. Air temperature will range from 2°C below zero to 3°C above zero, and up to 6°C above zero in Zakarpattia, Prykarpattia, and the south of the country.
Italian police arrested 384 people and seized 1. 5 tons of drugs during a large-scale anti-drug trafficking operation. 655 people are under investigation, 35 kg of cocaine and 40 firearms have been confiscated.
The icon of St. Ilya Muromets of Kyiv-Pechersk, who will become the patron saint of warriors, was handed over to the Special Operations Forces. Ilya Muromets, a real historical figure of the 12th century, was a warrior of the princely retinue, and then a monk of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin is ready for dialogue with French President Emmanuel Macron. According to him, this is possible if there is mutual political will, which "can only be positively assessed."
Elon Musk's fortune grew to $749 billion after the court's decision on Tesla options was overturned. This allowed him to become the first person whose fortune exceeded $700 billion.
The goal of Ukraine's attacks on Russia's "shadow fleet" tankers is to increase the risks and costs of transportation, as well as to pressure Russia's partners. Ukraine will pursue a "decisive policy" regarding attacks on tankers heading to Russian ports for oil.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated that Reuters' information about Putin's intentions to seize all of Ukraine and part of Europe is lies and propaganda. She accused the publication of spreading a false narrative to block Donald Trump's peace initiatives.
Special envoy of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Kirill Dmitriev, assessed the negotiations between the delegations of Russia and the US in Miami as constructive. "Discussions" with Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will continue on Sunday.
The United States of America has seized an oil tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela. This happened after US President Donald Trump announced a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the United States has enough power to force Russia to end the war against Ukraine. He emphasized that this could be a "diplomatic victory" for the US, and President Trump is "strong enough to do it."
The United Kingdom has cut funding for countering Russian propaganda in the Western Balkans from £40 million to £24 million for 2025-26. This funding is aimed at combating national security threats and strengthening democratic institutions.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin personally chose Steve Witkoff, a special representative of US President Donald Trump, as a key intermediary to promote his vision for settling the war against Ukraine. Witkoff suits the Kremlin due to his lack of political past and institutional ties, as well as his experience working with authoritarian regimes.
Residents of occupied Donetsk region complain about multi-hour queues at mobile operator service points due to mass blocking of numbers and forced re-registration of SIM cards. This is an element of total control over the communications of the population in the temporarily occupied territory.
President Zelenskyy stated that Viktor Orban is blocking Ukraine's EU accession due to an election campaign, realizing that membership is a guarantee of security. Kyiv and EU leaders consider membership in the bloc a strong security factor.
The number of citizens' appeals regarding violations of labor rights in Russia exceeded 70,000, which is 50% more than last year. Wage arrears reached 2.2 billion rubles, which is the highest level since August 2020.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accused EU officials of wanting to harm Russia, comparing it to Hitler's Germany's invasion of the USSR. He stated that Europeans want to use the war in Ukraine to weaken Russia, seeing it as a threat.
Since the beginning of December 20, 220 combat engagements have been recorded on the front. Russian invaders launched 42 air strikes, dropping 101 guided bombs, and used 1684 kamikaze drones.
French President Emmanuel Macron believes that European countries should directly engage in dialogue with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes the importance of fighting for the United States of America as an ally.
Sweden will provide Ukraine with $200 million in direct budget support by 2026. This funding will meet people's daily needs during the war, including critical public services.
