War in Ukraine
Ukrenergo is implementing emergency power outages for the second time in a day in most regions of Ukraine. The reason is the consequences of massive missile and drone attacks; blackout schedules are temporarily not in effect.
Russian occupiers are trying to infiltrate in the direction of Siversk in Donetsk region, using small group tactics. They are taking advantage of their numerical superiority and weather conditions for covert movement between Ukrainian positions.
A criminal group that illegally transported orphaned children abroad for adoption has been exposed in Ukraine. Two women and the founder of a charitable organization have been notified of suspicion; 13 out of 25 children have already been taken out of the country.
The Security Service and the National Police prevented the illegal sale of trophy weapons and ammunition, detaining nine dealers. Among the seized items were Russian grenade launchers, Kalashnikov automatic rifles, explosives, and ammunition of various calibers.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the new US National Security Strategy contains parts unacceptable to Europe. He also noted that Europe should become less dependent on the United States.
Commenting on his son Donald Trump Jr. 's statement about the possibility of withdrawing from the Russian-Ukrainian war without seeing success in his attempts to stop it, Trump replied that "that's not quite right."
Donald Trump does not believe that Russia's war against Ukraine could escalate into World War III, emphasizing that it would not have started under his presidency. He called it a big problem for Europe, which the continent is not coping with.
Trump lashed out at traditional US allies for failing to control migration and end the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces successfully hit enemy targets in the occupied territories on the night of December 8. A UAV depot of the 9th Russian brigade in Donetsk and 6,000 m³ of fuel in Simeikino, Luhansk region, were destroyed.
US President Donald Trump stated that Russia is in a more advantageous position in negotiations with Ukraine. He also criticized European leaders for their inaction in ending the war.
Cyberpolice exposed a resident of Bukovyna who hacked social media accounts and sold them on a hacker forum. The man created malicious software, administered a bot farm, and became an "arbitrator" of the forum; he faces up to 15 years in prison.
Donald Trump called on Ukraine to hold elections, stating that the country has not had elections for a long time and the current situation is not a democracy. He also expressed doubt about the actions of European leaders to end the war.
The Cabinet of Ministers is preparing a decision on the redistribution of consumption and the direction of electricity for household consumers. Currently, three queues of hourly shutdown schedules are in effect throughout Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo XIV in Castel Gandolfo. They discussed the Vatican's efforts to return Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and Ukraine's diplomatic work with the United States.
Prosecutors have sent an indictment to court against a 35-year-old former TV presenter of sanctioned channels. Already during Russia's full-scale invasion, he disseminated videos justifying the actions of the aggressor state through his own YouTube channel.
Mexico refused to expel more than two dozen Russian spies operating under diplomatic cover, despite their identification by the CIA. Russia has intensified its intelligence activities in Mexico since the invasion of Ukraine, leveraging its proximity to the US and weaker surveillance levels.
Russian attack drones attacked gas infrastructure facilities of the Naftogaz Group on December 9. The enemy targeted critically important equipment, damage was recorded, but there were no casualties.
An oil spill occurred in the port of occupied Mariupol due to the actions of the Russian company "Orentex" during the lifting of a dredge. The damage amounted to over 2 million rubles, and the company was fined 250 thousand rubles for working without approval.
Next week's EU summit will feature "important discussions" where Ukraine and European security will be priority issues. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to participate, and the main priority of the meeting is to make decisions regarding financing Ukraine.
The Donor. ua organization and international partners have launched the "My Blood Type" initiative for rapid blood type determination among Ukrainians. Deputy Minister of Health Ihor Kuzin emphasized the importance of knowing this data to save lives in critical situations.
Pope Leo XIV received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on December 9, 2025. The Pontiff called for dialogue and the establishment of a just and lasting peace, also discussing the issues of prisoners of war and the return of Ukrainian children.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Andrej Babiš on his appointment as Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. The head of state expressed hope for further development of cooperation, including the work of Czech businesses in Ukraine.
On December 9, electricity consumption in Ukraine is increasing, but due to enemy shelling, consumers in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy regions remain without power. Emergency shutdowns have been introduced in Poltava, Sumy and Kharkiv regions, and hourly schedules of outages and power limitations for industrial consumers are in effect throughout the country.
The occupation head of Kherson region, Volodymyr Saldo, announced his readiness to transfer part of the Azov-Black Sea coast to Belarus under the guise of "resort projects. " Negotiations have been ongoing since the summer of 2024 regarding plots between Henichesk and Arabat Spit for long-term use.
Czech President Petr Pavel appointed Andrej Babiš as Prime Minister on December 9, 2025. Babiš returns to power after four years in opposition.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Italy for a meeting with Pope Leo XIV in Castel Gandolfo. A meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is also planned.
The SBU exposed two agents of Russian military intelligence who committed arson of an administrative building in Chernivtsi region. The attackers planned a series of similar arsons in western Ukraine.
On the night of November 9, UAVs attacked a number of Russian regions, including Cheboksary and Rostov Oblast. Strikes were recorded on the Energosapchast JSC plant and energy infrastructure, which led to power outages.
The SBU's Alpha Special Operations Center disabled a liquefied gas transshipment terminal in the port of Temryuk, which led to a large-scale fire. More than 20 tanks, railway tank cars, and an overpass were destroyed, with the total area of the fire being about 3,000 m².
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Rome after visits to London and Brussels. He will meet with Pope Leo XIV and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.