Syrian authorities announced the arrest of Taha al-Zubi, known as Abu Omar Tibiya, ISIS's "wali" of Damascus, during a "carefully planned" operation. A suicide belt and weapons were seized from him; the US Army Central Command did not confirm the operation.
As a result of the night attack by Russians on the port and industrial infrastructure of Odesa region, one person was killed and two more were injured. Administrative, production, and warehouse premises were damaged, and fires broke out.
The Hungarian Prime Minister believes that Brussels allegedly "does not want peace between Russia and Ukraine. "
Two Ukrainian citizens were detained at the Ukrainian-Slovak border while attempting to import 2 kg of methamphetamine. During searches, another 1.7 kg of the substance was seized from them, with a total value of approximately 9.5 million hryvnias.
On Wednesday, December 24, a fire was recorded in the area of an oil refinery in Russian Saratov. Local "media" and Telegram channels published photos and videos from the scene.
On December 23, a Kilauea volcano erupted in Hawaii, with lava fountains reaching up to 426 meters in height. The force of the eruption disabled a surveillance camera at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
The Kremlin will formulate its position based on the information received and will continue contacts, Putin's spokesman said.
The Russian authorities are considering postponing the construction of an Arctic railway worth over $10 billion due to uncertainty regarding funding sources. The Northern Latitudinal Railway project, which involves connecting railways and building a bridge, could be delayed by three years.
Law enforcement officers served a notice of suspicion to a group of individuals for seizing 70 million hryvnias from the Kharkiv city territorial community. This happened during the procurement of goods in the energy sector at prices inflated by 2.5 times.
The Security Service of Ukraine detained two pro-Kremlin agitators in Mykolaiv and Volyn who justified Russian aggression. Among those detained are a university postgraduate student and a deserter from the Armed Forces of Ukraine who spread pro-Russian posts.
As a result of Russian strikes on the Pivdennyi port in Odesa region, a vegetable oil spill occurred in the Black Sea. The port's water area is temporarily closed to eliminate the consequences.
China, transitioning to electric vehicles, exports surplus gasoline cars, filling markets in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America. 76% of China's car exports are gasoline models, which allowed it to become the world's largest car exporter.
In Kharkiv, on December 24, subway train traffic was temporarily stopped due to Russian shelling. Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported explosions in the suburbs, and the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, is clarifying the consequences of the hits.
The United States Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Matthew Whitaker, added that Russia has never been willing to acknowledge the loss of millions of its troops.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War stated that these "attacks" are provocative and accompanied by loud statements from Russian officials and propagandists.
The proportion of Russian citizens who consider it necessary to continue hostilities against Ukraine has decreased to 25%, which is the lowest figure since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. These are the data from the December survey by the "Levada Center", cited by the Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Kovalenko.
Russia planned to build 2062 vessels by 2035, but funding has been secured for only 593, casting doubt on over 1500 projects. Ship construction in Russia is 2.5–3 times more expensive than in China due to low labor productivity and technological backwardness.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. They discussed the decision on 90 billion euros in financial aid to Ukraine for 2026-2027, adopted on December 19.
On December 19, the European Union approved €90 billion in funding for Ukraine, which the country will repay after receiving reparations from Russia. Journalists found out how this process took place.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled a mechanized assault by Russian occupiers in the Kostiantynivka direction on December 22. Soldiers of the 28th separate mechanized brigade destroyed enemy infantry and tanks.
Law enforcement officers have notified a Dnipro city council official and three individuals of suspicion for causing UAH 3. 3 million in budget losses. They organized a scheme to embezzle funds by entering into contracts for the supply of windows and doors at inflated prices.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine appealed to the NEURC regarding the postponement of planned changes in water tariffs. The government believes that water tariffs should remain unchanged throughout the war.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a package of decisions to strengthen the country's defense industry at the submission of the Ministry of Defense. A new experimental project is being launched for the Motor Sich enterprise, accelerating the design of new facilities and providing them with water, gas, heat, and electricity through a simplified procedure.
The Southern Military Court in Rostov-on-Don is considering a treason case against Anton Kuur, a native of Tuva, who participated in the invasion of Ukraine. This may be the first such case since the beginning of the full-scale aggression.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, stated that Russia's economy allows it to produce weapons and hire mercenaries, which enables the Kremlin to continue the war. He emphasized that Putin and his elites do not see Russia's future without Ukraine.
The National Museum of the History of Ukraine received a rare sword from the Kyivan Rus' era, found near Radomyshl in the Zhytomyr region, dating back to the second half of the 10th – early 11th century. Two axes were also handed over to the museum, and the artifacts were found by Viktor Moshchenko and his daughter Natalia.
On December 23, PJSC "Zaporizhstal" was completely de-energized due to massive Russian shelling of energy infrastructure, which led to an emergency shutdown of production. Thanks to the prompt actions of the personnel, a man-made accident was avoided and emissions were minimized.
Antony Blinken also noted that Donald Trump's approach to pressuring Ukraine is flawed.
In Ukraine, in 2024 and 2025, there was a significant increase in the number of men aged 25+ in professional pre-higher education. This phenomenon indicates a possible use of education as a way to defer military service.
A Politico columnist predicts that the Russian-Ukrainian war will end next year on terms extremely unfavorable to Ukraine. This is due to the EU's inability to agree on the use of frozen Russian assets and insufficient funding.
