New Year
SBU Head Vasyl Maliuk summarized 2025, noting the "Spiderweb" special operation, the destruction of 41 Russian strategic aviation aircraft, and an underwater explosion that shook the Crimean Bridge. A Russian submarine in the port of Novorossiysk was also hit.
Five key fashion trends for 2026, including opulence, historical references, massive jewelry, transparency and lightness, and updated sunglasses.
Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba summarized the results of 2025 in the transport industry, noting an increase in seats on international trains and the launch of the Eurotrack. The "transport visa-free regime" with the EU was extended, and digital systems such as eCherha and e-TTN were introduced.
Japan, South and North Korea officially entered the New Year. Traditional ceremonies were held in Seoul and Japan, and a large-scale fireworks display in Pyongyang.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Ukrainians on the upcoming New Year. He emphasized that 2025 was made possible thanks to Ukrainian defenders.
In his New Year's address, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced that the country had reached "new heights" in economy, technology, and defense. He emphasized the inevitability of Taiwan's annexation and reaffirmed the course for an internal party purge.
The State Duma of the Russian Federation announced possible disconnections of mobile internet on New Year's Eve, explaining it as concern for citizens. Throughout 2025, mobile internet was disconnected more than 11 thousand times in Russian regions.
Residents of Australia and New Zealand welcomed the New Year 2026, thousands of people took to the streets of cities, including Canberra and Wellington. In Sydney, where a terrorist attack previously occurred, about 1 million people watched the fireworks under close police supervision.
Damage to the underwater telecommunications cable between Helsinki and Tallinn was recorded on December 31, 2025. Finnish police are investigating the incident, having identified a vessel with a dropped anchor chain in Finland's exclusive economic zone.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has cost Russian taxpayers approximately $550 billion, which is equivalent to 24 annual Russian higher education budgets. A significant portion of these expenditures is hidden, and the financing of the war is shifted to the population through new taxes and rising prices.
In Kharkiv on December 31, a man shot a serviceman of the TCR, damaging his uniform but not injuring him. The assailant was detained after a special police operation was launched.
Champagne, which originated in the French region of Champagne, became a symbol of positive emotions thanks to the improvement of winemaking technologies by the monk Dom Pierre Pérignon. The drink, which gained royal status at the court of Louis XIV, later became available to the bourgeoisie and artists, and was subsequently popularized by Hollywood.
About 12,000 passengers will celebrate New Year's Eve on Ukrzaliznytsia trains. More than 8,000 railway workers will be on duty on the holiday night, ensuring the movement of over 120 trains.
In the Kyiv region, a family was poisoned by carbon monoxide due to a faulty gas water heater and lack of ventilation. A 45-year-old couple and their 4-year-old daughter were affected; the mother and child have been hospitalized.
On New Year's Eve, the curfew will operate on its usual schedule, and police will patrol in an enhanced mode. Pyrotechnics are prohibited, but party poppers and sparklers are allowed.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine attacked a sea oil terminal and an oil refinery in the city of Tuapse, Krasnodar Krai, Russia.
Russia again attacked energy facilities in several regions of Ukraine, causing blackouts in five regions, including over 170,000 consumers in Odesa region and thousands in Brovary district of Kyiv region. Bad weather also left part of the residents of Khmelnytskyi and Ternopil regions without electricity.
Around 300 members of the PCS union, who guard the Palace of Westminster, are preparing to strike on New Year's Eve over disputes concerning pay and conditions. This will be the fourth day of the strike, and Docklands Light Railway cleaners will also strike over a separate pay dispute.
Numerous ice rinks are available in Kyiv, including "Winter Country at VDNH", "Crystal Ice Rink" and the futuristic arena at Cosmo Multimall shopping center. These locations offer both outdoor and indoor venues for winter entertainment.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the Russian-Ukrainian war is part of the Kremlin's plan against other European countries. He emphasized that this aggression directly threatens the freedom and security not only of Germany but of all of Europe.
During the night, the enemy again attacked Bila Tserkva, injuring a man born in 1964 and causing an acute stress reaction in a woman born in 1977. Two multi-story residential buildings were damaged, with broken windows and mangled balconies.
149 combat engagements were recorded on the fronts of the Russian-Ukrainian war on December 30. The enemy launched three missile and 58 air strikes, carried out 3495 shellings and 5791 kamikaze drone attacks.
On December 31, cloudy weather with clearings, light snow, and gusty winds is expected in Ukraine. The air temperature during the day will be 2-7°C below zero, in the south of the country from 4°C below zero to 1°C above zero.
Simple rules for drinking alcohol that help avoid unpleasant consequences.
The final episode of Netflix's "Stranger Things," which will run for 2 hours and 8 minutes, will be released on January 1 at 3 AM Kyiv time.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported that Santa crossed the border, bringing gifts and "security guarantees. " A Ukrainian border guard stopped Santa, who confirmed that he was bringing gifts not only for children.
Five mulled wine recipes, including classic, black tea-based, white wine-based, non-alcoholic, and one from Yevhen Klopotenko. Each recipe includes a detailed list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions.
The Coca-Cola New Year's caravan, which has been traveling through Georgia since December 19, was unable to complete its planned route due to heavy snowfall and unfavorable weather conditions. Coca-Cola Bottlers Georgia announced that safe movement of the caravan proved impossible in the western regions of the country, and it did not reach Batumi and a number of other settlements.
Four children aged 8-11 fell through the ice while caroling in Kolomyia. They were rescued by a cadet, a student, and a local resident who provided first aid.
The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine states that Russia is spreading fake news about a 91-drone attack on Putin's residence in response to successful negotiations between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States. This information operation is aimed at disrupting agreements, justifying future attacks on Ukraine, and discrediting the Ukrainian leadership.