War in Ukraine
Rheinmetall AG CEO Armin Papperger said that a peace agreement in Ukraine will not change future demand for weapons, as Europe enters a prolonged period of rearmament. The company expects European and German defense spending to grow, aiming for 50 billion euros in sales by 2030.
On the night of December 5, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the infrastructure of the Temryuk seaport and the facilities of the Syzran oil refinery. Damage to the Saratov oil refinery has also been confirmed.
The United States has updated its national security strategy, which envisages the restoration of relations with Russia, the cessation of the war in Ukraine and preventing NATO expansion. The document also emphasizes the independent strengthening of Europe's defense and the importance of the Indo-Pacific region.
NATO Commander-in-Chief Alexus Hrynkevych stated that the Alliance must be ready to respond to the growing hybrid threats, which include cyberattacks and disinformation. He noted that Russia is behind some hybrid incidents in Europe.
A deputy of the Kharkiv City Council was served with a notice of suspicion of high treason and intentional failure to submit annual declarations. According to the investigation, in 2021–2024, the deputy disseminated pro-Russian narratives and facilitated the subversive activities of the Russian Federation.
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the unity of Europe and the US in supporting Ukraine, rejecting reports of a possible betrayal of Washington. He refuted skepticism about peace talks, stressing the importance of cooperation.
The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine has recognized a number of public organizations and societies as critically important for the functioning of the economy. Among them are NGO "Wikimedia Ukraine", NGO "Slidstvo.Info" and LLC "Knyharnya Ye".
The US is trying to block EU plans to use frozen assets of the Russian central bank to support a loan to Ukraine. Washington believes that these assets are necessary to secure a peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow.
European leaders are warning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to succumb to Russia's demands without ironclad security commitments from the United States. They advise clearly defining America's role in security guarantees for Kyiv before agreeing to Russia's demands.
In 2026, the security and defense sector will receive UAH 2. 8 trillion, of which UAH 1.4 trillion will go to military personnel's monetary allowance. The government assures that payments to military personnel will be made in full without delays.
Since December 1, a program for issuing housing certificates for internally displaced persons, military personnel, and people with disabilities has been in effect. As of this morning, 16.5 thousand applications have been submitted, but the terms for receiving the first certificates remain unknown.
The IMF welcomes discussions in Europe on the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. The Fund emphasizes compliance with international law and non-disruption of the functioning of the global monetary system.
21 countries are participating in the PURL initiative to purchase American weapons for Ukraine, with total commitments amounting to $4. 18 billion. A recent visit to NATO headquarters brought in about a billion in additional contributions and five new participating countries.
In the morning, six regions of Ukraine were switched to emergency power outages. This happened due to a night attack by the enemy on energy facilities, which caused damage to equipment and local blackouts.
The International Monetary Fund has named conditions for a new four-year EFF program with Ukraine, which provides access to 8. 1 billion US dollars. Among the conditions are the adoption of the 2026 budget, expansion of the tax base, and a number of others.
Russian occupiers shot a Ukrainian prisoner of war in Svyato-Pokrovske, southwest of Siversk. A soldier of the Ukrainian Defense Forces came out of cover with his hands raised, but immediately after exiting, he received a burst of automatic fire and fell.
The SBU counterintelligence prevented a terrorist attack in Mykolaiv by detaining a 20-year-old FSB agent. He was preparing to blow up a car with Ukrainian military personnel by planting an improvised explosive device.
Due to enemy shelling of energy infrastructure, as of this morning, consumers in Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Odesa regions remain without electricity. In all regions of Ukraine, hourly outage schedules and power limitations are applied from 00:00 to 23:59.
In the Chechen capital, a drone attacked the Grozny-City skyscraper, causing a powerful explosion and destroying the facade of several upper floors. The damaged building houses the Chechen Security Council, the Ministry of Tourism, the Accounts Chamber, and other government agencies.
In Ukraine, 11,792 official volunteers have been registered, an 11% increase over the year. Ukrainians collect an average of UAH 2.95 billion monthly on Monobank accounts, and the total amount of donations over 11 months is UAH 32.47 billion.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kremlin head Vladimir Putin met in New Delhi, discussing peace efforts regarding Russia's war against Ukraine and expanding economic cooperation. Agreements on mobility, supplies of Indian products, and the leasing of a submarine are expected.
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko met with German Ambassador Heiko Thoms on December 4. The parties discussed bringing Russia to justice for international crimes and protecting investments.
Czech President Petr Pavel will appoint populist ANO party leader Andrej Babiš as prime minister on December 9. Babiš intends to take office in time to represent the country at the EU summit on December 18-19.
On the night of December 5, Russia attacked Ukraine with 137 drones of the Shahed, Gerbera, and other types, 80 of which were shot down or suppressed. 57 drones hit 13 locations in the north, south, east, and center of the country.
As a result of the Russian strike on Dnipropetrovsk region on December 5, a 12-year-old boy was killed and three people were injured. Russians attacked the region with UAVs, artillery, FPV drones, and Grad MLRS at night.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported 167 combat engagements over the past day, with 52 enemy attacks repelled in the Pokrovsk direction. The enemy launched 61 air strikes and carried out 6,664 shelling attacks.
US President's special representative Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner met with Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov in Miami. The meeting took place at the request of Witkoff and Kushner, who are Florida residents.
The Kremlin is offering a non-aggression pact on Odesa and Mykolaiv as a "concession" in negotiations, even though Russian forces are unable to capture them. Statements by the deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma's defense committee indicate attempts to influence peace talks.
The UK government plans to transfer £8 billion of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. These funds could cover more than two-thirds of Ukraine's financial needs for the next two years.
On December 4, Russian troops suffered significant losses: 1240 soldiers, 424 UAVs, and 1 aircraft. The total combat losses of the enemy since 24.02.22 reached 1,178,610 liquidated personnel.