War in Ukraine
The President of the European Commission also emphasized that "Europe's defense is our responsibility," summarizing plans to increase defense spending and production.
South African state broadcaster presenter Nonkululeko Mantula, accused of recruiting citizens to fight for Russia, has been released on bail along with four co-accused. The court rejected her request for the return of her passport, as she had repeatedly visited Russia.
The President of Ukraine summarized his meetings in London with European leaders. The unity of allies, security guarantees, reconstruction, and further defense support for Ukraine were discussed.
A blogger from Chernivtsi was sentenced to 5 years in prison for disseminating information about the deployment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She voiced the coordinates and published a video, despite warnings from the military.
The President of Ukraine has concluded his visit to London, leaving Downing Street after a meeting with the Prime Minister of Great Britain. He is now heading to Brussels for talks with NATO and EU leaders.
Negotiations between the US and Ukraine on a peaceful settlement have reached a dead end due to disagreements over Donbas. Washington is looking for a way to force Kyiv to abandon the territories, while Ukraine insists on maintaining the current demarcation line.
More than 7,000 digital officers will appear in Ukraine's Security and Defense Forces, who will work in all commands and branches of service, starting from the battalion level. This will accelerate the digitalization of the army and more effectively implement digital products in the military.
In Ukraine, power outage schedules will be applied on December 9. The restrictions will affect all regions and will last for the entire day.
Ukraine's Universal Bank, part of Serhiy Tihipko's TAS group, held a meeting with international fixed-income investors. The meeting, organized by Morgan Stanley, could potentially allow the bank to quickly issue new bonds to the market.
NielsenIQ's Russian subsidiary is actively recruiting staff for high-risk markets, including occupied Ukrainian territories and Iran, as revealed by job postings on HH. ru. The company's internal research previously labeled occupied Ukrainian lands as "new Russian regions."
A meeting of European leaders with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took place. After a group photo, Macron and Merz left Downing Street, while Starmer and Zelenskyy continued face-to-face negotiations.
Expert Alexander Gabuev predicts the exhaustion of the Kremlin's economic resources in 12-18 months if sanctions are strengthened. He notes that time is working against Putin, and further sanctions could shorten this period.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces are holding back the Russian occupiers' offensive, repelling 22 out of 25 attacks in the Pokrovsk direction. In total, 87 combat engagements have taken place on the front since the beginning of the day.
On December 8, during a combat mission in the eastern direction, Lieutenant Colonel Yevhen Ivanov, senior navigator of the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade, was killed. The circumstances of the loss are being investigated.
Macron stated that his talks with Zelenskyy in London aim to bring the positions of the US, Europe, and Ukraine closer regarding a potential peace agreement. He emphasized the need for a unified strategy among partners to end the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published photos from a meeting with the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany. He thanked them for their support, emphasizing that ensuring security is a joint effort.
The United States has updated its National Security Strategy, which envisages restoring relations with Russia and ending the war in Ukraine. Expert Oleksandr Kraiev noted that the current US Administration's priority is to restore strategic relations with the Russian Federation.
The EU Council officially adopted the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) with a budget of 1. 5 billion euros. Of this amount, 300 million euros have been allocated to support the Ukrainian defense-industrial complex. The program aims to strengthen the EU's defense readiness and modernize the Ukrainian defense industry.
Lithuanian law enforcement officers have notified a Russian serviceman of suspicion in a war crimes case in Melitopol. He is accused of torturing civilians and prisoners in a "filtration camp" in 2022.
The wife of the commander of the Third Army Corps, Andriy Biletskyi, journalist Tetiana Danylenko, spoke about the changes in their family's life due to the full-scale war. Instead of foreign trips, they spend their vacations in frontline cities, where Biletskyi inspects new facilities for his units.
Russian special services plan to organize protest actions in Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv. Their goal is to destabilize the situation and put pressure on the Ukrainian leadership.
German Foreign Minister Wadeful in Beijing called on China to use its influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. He emphasized China's key role in resolving the conflict.
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office accused Ukraine's top military command of genocide against Donbas residents, starting in 2014. The list includes Zaluzhnyi, Poroshenko, Yermak, and other Ukrainian figures and politicians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany held a meeting in London. Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of unity between Europe, Ukraine, and the USA.
Soldiers of the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied involvement in the dam explosion in the Pryvillia area of Donetsk region. They stated that the video was published on a Russian Telegram channel, and the dam was destroyed by a Russian aerial bomb on November 27.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the British Prime Minister's residence on Downing Street in London. He will meet with the leaders of Great Britain, France, and Germany.
In Zaporizhzhia, a group of four individuals, including the owner and director of a limited liability company, who systematically stole natural gas from the main pipeline system, has been exposed. The suspects connected to the system bypassing metering devices, selling the gas through a mobile refueling station.
President of the European Council António Costa criticized the new US national security strategy, accusing Washington of trying to influence political processes in the EU. He emphasized the need to strengthen Europe's defense capabilities and its readiness to take on a leadership role in NATO.
The US Congress has provided $800 million in aid to Ukraine in the defense budget for two years, allocating $400 million each for 2026 and 2027. The total US defense budget for 2026 will be $901 billion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the destruction of a number of enemy objects in the occupied territories, including ammunition depots and UAVs. In the Temryuk seaport, 20 tanks were destroyed, which is 70% of the total number.