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.
As the source said, this time the “cotton” visited the drilling rig at the Rakushechnoye field (named after Valery Graifer).
According to the State Emergency Service, "Points of Invincibility" are operating around the clock in Odesa fire stations: light, heat, water, and assistance to those who need it.
Belarus's economic dependence on Russia is rapidly deepening and already covers key sectors - from foreign trade and finance to investment and the defense industry, significantly narrowing the space for Minsk's independent decisions.
In Dnipro, residents of houses on Akademika Yangelya Street, where the lights had not been turned off before, attacked a team of power engineers. The incident resulted in injuries to an employee and a delay in restoring electricity supply.
Law enforcement officers exposed a scheme of abuse of trade union funds, where leaders spent over UAH 14. 5 million for unintended purposes. The money went to recreation in Bukovel, christenings, and other private needs instead of social ones.
Russia once again attacked Odesa region, targeting energy and transport infrastructure. As a result of the strikes, the Odesa-Skhidna railway station was damaged, an employee was injured, 74.5 thousand subscribers were left without electricity, and 85 thousand without heating.
The US Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on Iran's 'shadow fleet,' used to export oil in circumvention of American restrictions. The sanctions affected 29 ships and the companies that operate them, which transported hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian oil products.
Due to Russian attacks on energy facilities in five regions of Ukraine, consumers have been cut off from power, with over 99,000 of them in Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Blackout schedules remain in effect, but additional capacities have been freed up to shorten them.
Over the past day, 193 combat engagements were recorded, the enemy launched 74 air strikes and carried out 4281 shellings. The Defense Forces hit three areas of personnel concentration and eliminated 1220 occupiers.
On the night of December 19, explosions occurred in a number of Russian regions. A thermal power plant was attacked in Oryol, and an ammonia production plant in Tolyatti.
The European Union plans to introduce its 20th package of sanctions against Russia in early 2026, continuing pressure to end the war. EU leaders call for coordination with the G7 and stronger measures against sanctions circumvention, as well as condemning third-country support for Russia.
In Odesa, an energy facility and a residential building were damaged, and one person was injured. Residents of one of the largest residential areas were left without electricity, water, and heat supply.
The United States of America has removed several companies from the sanctions list that previously supplied sanctioned equipment to Russia, including for its military-industrial complex. Among them are Cypriot Veles International Limited, Finnish Hi-Tech Koneisto, as well as Dubai and Turkish companies.
The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution on human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea and Sevastopol. 79 countries voted for the document, 16 were against, and 73 abstained.
