War in Ukraine
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.
Two Ukrainian citizens have been sentenced to life imprisonment for treason. They provided the enemy with coordinates of Ukrainian Armed Forces units and military facilities for air strikes on Zhytomyr, Donetsk, and Odesa regions.
Units of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted damage on a number of military and infrastructure facilities in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia regions and in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Among the hit targets are an oil depot, a floating craft base, a radar station, deployment points and substations.
The settlement of Rodynske, Pokrovsk urban community, Donetsk region, remains under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The 14th National Guard Brigade refutes the occupiers' statements, destroying enemies who penetrate the city.
Romania has contributed 50 million euros to the PURL initiative, aimed at purchasing American weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This step, according to Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu, will strengthen regional security and is in line with Romania's NATO commitments.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has ordered the expansion of the buffer zone in Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv regions by 2026. This statement was announced by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov.
During the night, Russia attacked two DTEK energy facilities during an enemy strike on the Odesa region, causing significant damage that will require time to restore. In December, 10 substations were damaged, and since the beginning of the year, 25 energy facilities in the region have been attacked.
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.
Agents of the ATESH partisan movement burned down a communication tower in Novosibirsk, which provided command and communication for Russian army units. This facility was also used to intercept civilian and military communications.
After Russian attacks in the Pivdennyi port near Odesa, sunflower oil polluted the coast and the Adzhalyk estuary. According to Greenpeace Ukraine, the pollution could remain on the seabed for over 6 years, harming wildlife.
In Vyshhorod, Kyiv region, electricity supply has been fully restored after almost 100 hours of absence. Energy workers restored light for 356,500 families in 46 settlements of Kyiv region.
The hryvnia exchange rate at the end of 2025 turned out to be stronger than predicted, which casts doubt on the government's pessimistic expectations for 2026. Expert Ihor Garbaruk points to the risk of budget non-fulfillment due to an overestimated planned exchange rate.
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.
The German government shares Ukraine's concern that Russia's claims of an alleged drone attack on the president's residence could be used for escalation. President Zelenskyy rejected the accusations, and the Kremlin threatens to strengthen its negotiating position.
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.
In Odesa, six people, including three children, were injured as a result of the night attack by the Russian Federation. Part of the city lost electricity, water, and heat supply, and damage to infrastructure and residential buildings was recorded.
Discounts on Russian oil at export terminals again approached historical highs, reducing margins and leading to losses. More than half of Russian oil companies are eligible for zero or reduced mineral extraction tax rates.
On the night of December 31, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 127 attack UAVs of various types. Defense forces shot down or suppressed 101 enemy drones in the north, south, and east of the country.
On December 30, Russian troops lost 1,000 soldiers and 552 UAVs in the war with Ukraine. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 31.12.25 are estimated at 1,207,910 personnel.
ATESH agents in the Zheleznodorozhny district of Voronezh destroyed a locomotive that was used to transport military cargo for the Kupyansk group of Russian troops. This complicated the formation of echelons and disrupted the schedules for sending trains with weapons.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a law that allows ignoring sentences of international criminal institutions if Russia did not participate in their creation. This law is an attempt to protect the Kremlin leadership from international responsibility for war crimes.
On the night of December 31, explosions occurred in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, likely due to a drone attack. In Tuapse, the AVT-12 unit at the oil refinery, a key primary oil refining unit, is on fire.
Ukraine has provided Europe with a list of all companies that supplied spare parts for the Russian "Oreshnik" complex. Now, Western partners are expected to make administrative decisions regarding sanctions against these firms.
In December 2025, Ukraine carried out at least 24 attacks on Russian oil refineries, tankers, and pipeline infrastructure. These actions increased pressure on Russian exports and contributed to a reduction in petrodollars, a key source of war financing.
Odesa and the region were subjected to a massive drone attack, damaging residential, logistical, and energy infrastructure. Hits on high-rise buildings were recorded in two districts of the regional center. A fire broke out in apartments in one of the buildings. There are casualties, including children.
Technicians successfully restored a power line near the ZNPP under security guarantees provided by both sides of the conflict. This allowed the resumption of electricity transmission between the ZNPP and the Zaporizhzhia TPP, which is a key route for power supply.
On the night of December 31, the enemy attacked the Kyiv region with drones. In Bila Tserkva, an apartment building was damaged, windows were blown out and balconies from the first to the sixth floor were damaged, explosions thundered in Kyiv.
On the night of December 31, the enemy attacked Odesa with attack UAVs, which led to the absence of electricity, water, and heating in parts of the city. As a result of the attack, warehouses of a logistics company caught fire, and a multi-story residential building was hit.
The Kremlin is actively promoting the forced mobilization of reservists to participate in hostilities in Ukraine, as Russia suffers disproportionately high losses. Dictator Putin signed a decree allowing the deployment of reservists to training camps from 2026 to protect critical facilities.