War in Ukraine
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.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his readiness to share with Poland experience in drone defense and cooperate on maritime security issues. The Ukrainian side is ready to provide consultations on repelling all types of drones, as well as to maintain a security dialogue, taking into account threats from Belarus.
The criminal prosecution of Roman Mileshko's group of aviation companies has been ongoing for more than three years without any charges being filed. A number of law enforcement agencies have found no evidence of a crime, which indicates possible pressure from competitors.
The enemy is trying to bypass the city of Siversk in the Dronivka area. Ukrainian military personnel are blocking the advance of the occupiers, who have suffered significant losses.
The Security Service of Ukraine conducted a new unprecedented special operation at a distance of more than 2,000 km from the territory of our state.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin was asked various questions during the "direct line" – from absurd and funny to quite serious ones.
The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has launched the first artificial intelligence-based service for forensic examinations. It simplifies document preparation, helps choose the type of examination, and formulate questions.
Commander of NATO's Allied Maritime Command, Mike Utley, stated that the Alliance has an advantage over Russia but is not ready for prolonged hostilities. Member countries have recognized the problem and plan to invest in increasing resilience.
In Pokrovsk, battles continue in the southern part of the city, and in Myrnohrad, isolated cases of enemy infiltration are being detected and eliminated. Ukrainian units are holding defensive lines and neutralized 123 occupiers in 24 hours in the Pokrovsk direction.
A traumatologist in Kyiv has been served with a notice of suspicion for extorting UAH 30,000 for a free operation using an Ilizarov apparatus for a wounded serviceman. The serviceman, hospitalized with injuries near Avdiivka, was forced to pay this amount.
During his annual "Direct Line" event, Vladimir Putin once again made false statements about the situation at the front, claiming that Ukraine is not ready for peace on Russia's terms. He also cynically mocked Zelenskyy's visit to Kupyansk and announced alleged successes of Russian troops near Kupyansk, Lyman, Myrnohrad, and Huliaipole.
Due to the enemy's attack on a critical infrastructure facility, traffic on the Odesa-Reni highway has been stopped. Passage through the checkpoints "Mayaky-Udobne-Palanka" and "Starokozache-Tudora" on the Ukrainian-Moldovan section is temporarily suspended.
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 Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has started testing the digital system "Property" for accounting for military property in units. This will simplify the work of supply services and allow for faster and more transparent resource management.
Ukraine has repatriated 1003 bodies, which, according to the Russian Federation, belong to Ukrainian servicemen. Law enforcement agencies will conduct examinations and identification of the repatriated bodies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held his first official meeting with Polish President Karol Navrotskyi in Warsaw. The leaders will discuss security, economic, and historical issues.
High-ranking Russian officials rejoiced after EU leaders failed to agree on using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. Instead, Kyiv will receive a €90 billion loan, while Russian funds remain blocked.
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.
French President Emmanuel Macron believes it would be useful for Europe to resume interaction with Vladimir Putin. He stressed that Europeans should find ways to do so in the coming weeks.
The European Union and its member states are ready to contribute to robust security guarantees for Ukraine, including through a Coalition of the Willing and in cooperation with the United States. The EU will address matters within its competence or those affecting its security, according to the European Council conclusions of December 18.
The Kyiv City Council has decided to remove 15 objects associated with the Russian Empire and the USSR from the capital's public space. Among them are monuments to Mikhail Bulgakov, Anna Akhmatova, Mikhail Glinka, and Soviet inscriptions.
As of the end of October, 52,960 lawyers were registered in Ukraine. Over the autumn, the list decreased by 401 representatives, but since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the number of lawyers has increased by 8%.
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.
The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine reported that the procedure for providing compensation to military personnel under the eOselia program has not yet been developed. The law provided for compensation of 50% of the first installment and additional payments after the first and second year of service.
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 European Council decided to allocate 90 billion euros in funding to Ukraine for 2026-2027. The funds will be based on EU borrowings without the use of Russian assets and without the involvement of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 160 Shahed-type, Gerbera, and other drones on the night of December 19. Air defense forces destroyed or suppressed 108 enemy drones in the south and east of the country.
Over the past day, the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed 1220 Russian invaders and 141 units of enemy equipment. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 19.12.25 amounted to over 11 million personnel.