Senator Graham suggested that Donald Trump forcibly seize vessels of Russia's "shadow fleet" if Moscow refuses peace talks on Ukraine. He also proposed imposing "crippling" tariffs on countries that finance the Russian war machine.
Iraq has signed a multi-billion dollar deal with Turkey, exchanging crude oil for the construction of dams and land reclamation systems. This is intended to provide the country with water due to the critical shallowing of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine will redirect up to 1 GW of electricity for the needs of the population by December 24. This will reduce the number of outages, balancing the energy system.
The United States has detained the Panamanian-flagged tanker Bella 1 near Venezuela. This happened amid an intensified oil blockade of the Nicolás Maduro regime. The vessel was en route to Venezuela for loading.
On December 22, hourly power outage schedules will be in effect for household consumers in most regions of Ukraine, and power restrictions for industrial consumers. This is due to the consequences of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities.
Over the past day, seven civilians were injured in shelling in the de-occupied territories of Kherson region. Russian troops used artillery, mortars, MLRS, and drones, damaging houses, transport, and infrastructure.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the need for consultations with European partners after diplomatic work in the USA. He emphasized that genuine signals from Russia remain negative, despite constructive negotiations.
Healthcare facilities in the south of Odesa region are operating normally, and emergency teams are working without interruption. Hospitalization routes have been adjusted to take into account bypass roads, ensuring a full range of medical care.
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.
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.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy considers a ceasefire along the current front line to be fair. He emphasized that Ukraine cannot withdraw from its territories, and the Russians will remain in the temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Tomorrow, December 21, hourly power outage schedules and capacity restrictions will be introduced in Ukraine. This is due to the consequences of Russian attacks on energy facilities.
Ukraine has submitted its vision to the US on the most difficult issues, including territories, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and reconstruction funding. The results of discussions between the American and Russian sides are expected.
Hungarian state energy company MVM Group and Romanian E. ON Group have mutually agreed to terminate the agreement for the acquisition of a 68% stake in E.ON Energie Romania and a 98% stake in E.ON Asist. The Romanian government did not support the deal due to concerns about MVM's ties with Russia.
In the fall, the US presented a 28-point peace plan for Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal named five potential obstacles to peace between Russia and Ukraine.
After Russia's deadly attack on the Odesa region, which damaged transport infrastructure, alternative routes across the Dniester have been created. They are already operational, allowing people to move with certain restrictions.
The song "Shchedryk" was written at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1936, its English version was released, which is known to the world as "Carol of the Bells".
On December 19, in the Volgograd region of the Russian Federation, the main gas pipeline "Central Asia - Center" failed due to "ground subsidence. " Gas transportation has been stopped indefinitely, and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine points to a trend in the development of geological processes near objects that finance the war.
On the morning of December 20, due to Russian attacks, consumers in Mykolaiv, Kherson, Donetsk, and Odesa regions were left without power. The occupiers also targeted employees of one of the border thermal power plants, but there were no casualties.
Today, December 20, Ukrzaliznytsia begins selling tickets for additional carriages to Chisinau from Odesa and Kyiv. This decision is an operational response to the complications of crossing the Moldovan border by other modes of transport.
On the night of December 20, Russians attacked Ukraine with three Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 51 attack UAVs. Air defense forces shot down 31 enemy UAVs, and hits from ballistic missiles and 20 attack UAVs were recorded in 15 locations.
On the night of December 19, the Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully hit the Russian military ship of project 22460 "Okhotnik" in the Caspian Sea. A Lukoil drilling platform and an RSP-6M2 radar system in occupied Crimea were also hit.
IAEA head Rafael Grossi stated that the situation in Ukraine's energy system is the worst since September 2024, when substation monitoring began. Constant instability in the power grid undermines nuclear safety, and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has lost external power supply 12 times.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the situation at the front, calling it "difficult" due to the increasing number of Russian troops. He noted that Kupyansk, which he recently visited, remains under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, despite enemy pressure and problems with missile supplies.
On the evening of December 19, Russian troops attacked Mykolaiv and the region, which led to power outages in part of the city and individual settlements. All necessary services are working at the shelling sites.
Eve Air Mobility successfully conducted the first flight of its full-scale electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) prototype in Brazil. This is an important step towards certification and entry into service in 2027.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, at an away meeting in Zaporizhzhia, reallocated budget funds. Over UAH 700 million was directed to the restoration of medical facilities, energy autonomy of universities, safety of schoolchildren, and aid to affected regions.
On December 20, scheduled hourly power outages and power restrictions for industrial consumers will be in effect in most regions of Ukraine. This is due to the consequences of Russian missile and drone attacks on energy facilities.
Gas prices in Europe have fallen to pre-war levels, but European factories continue to close or relocate. Experts believe that relief came too late, and businesses have lost faith in stability on the continent.
The global oil market is experiencing an oversupply of "black gold," pushing oil prices down. A record 1.3 billion barrels of crude oil are in transit or awaiting buyers in the world's oceans.
