Skirmishes
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.
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.
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.
The youngest victim of the Sydney shooting during the Hanukkah celebration was 10-year-old Matilda from a Ukrainian family. The girl died in the attack, which killed a total of 15 people.
The General Staff released its evening report as of 10:00 PM on December 18, 2025, recording 183 combat engagements. The Russian army carried out 49 airstrikes, 2409 kamikaze drone attacks, and 3104 shellings.
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office announced that British citizen Aiden William Davies has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for "mercenary activities. " He fought in Ukraine against Russia, having signed a contract with the International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine.
Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on southern and northeastern Lebanon, approaching the deadline for Hezbollah's disarmament. This occurred ahead of a ceasefire compliance committee meeting and meetings in Paris regarding aid to the Lebanese army.
A session of the Albanian Parliament turned into a large-scale clash: the opposition lit flares, threw bottles, and blocked the rostrum. The reason was a protest against election falsification and a demand for the resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister, who is under investigation.
The UN Human Rights Office accused the Sudanese group RSF of massacring over 1,000 civilians in the Zamzam camp in North Darfur. Militants used sexual violence and blocked food supplies, leading to starvation.
Professional astrologer Ksenia Bazylenko presented a general astrological forecast for 2026, which will be a time of changes and trials, as well as great potential. She noted that the world enters 2026 in a state of deep fatigue, but this is also a unique chance for renewal and development.
Nearly 7,300 demonstrators and 1,000 tractors are present in Brussels' European Quarter to protest against the EU-Mercosur agreement. The demonstration marched through the streets of Brussels earlier in the day but was eventually dispersed.
The 12th separate army aviation brigade reported the death of the Mi-24 helicopter crew. Fundraising has been opened to help the four families of the deceased pilots.
In the north and south of Pokrovsk, small arms battles continue, the occupiers are active in the western outskirts, particularly in the village of Hryshyne. The defense forces are destroying the enemy and its logistics with heavy bombers, FPV drones, and other means of destruction.
Since the beginning of the day, 98 combat engagements have been recorded, the enemy is actively operating in the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka directions. The defense forces are repelling attacks in several directions, and battles are ongoing in many locations.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the destruction of a number of enemy targets in the temporarily occupied territories, including the 55Zh6 "Nebo-U" radar in Crimea and a fuel and lubricants depot in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. A UAV depot in Makiivka was also hit, and two S-400 air defense system launchers in Belgorod Oblast were destroyed.
Police are investigating the beating of a district officer by three servicemen of the Odesa RTCC and SP. One of the attackers was intoxicated, all suspects have been notified of suspicion.
The head of the children's services in Zhytomyr region has been notified of suspicion of official negligence that led to the death of a woman and her 9-year-old daughter from stab wounds inflicted by her husband.
The United States has approved an $11. 1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the largest ever arms package for the island. The move comes amid increasing military pressure from China and includes HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, and Javelin anti-tank missiles.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine straightened the front line and improved their tactical position in the Lyman direction. As a result of joint assault operations by the Third Army Corps and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, a regiment of the Russian army was destroyed, and a significant number of occupiers were taken prisoner.
Over the past day, 134 combat engagements took place on the front line, which is half as many as the day before. The greatest activity was observed in the Pokrovsk direction, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine repelled 38 enemy attacks.
On December 18, the US military struck a vessel in the Pacific Ocean that was transporting drugs. The operation resulted in the deaths of three people involved in drug trafficking and terrorism.
Estonia has begun the construction of the first five of 600 defensive bunkers on the border with the Russian Federation, which are to be built by the end of 2027. These structures are designed to protect soldiers from artillery shells and are part of the Baltic defense line against potential attacks.
As of the evening of December 17, the Defense Forces are holding back a massive onslaught by the occupiers, with 125 combat engagements recorded during the day. The enemy used over 3100 kamikaze drones and 82 guided aerial bombs to strike at the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In Nigeria, armed men attacked a church in Kogi State, abducting at least 13 parishioners. The attack provoked a shootout with local hunters.
The President of Mexico is ready to mediate negotiations between the US and Venezuela to prevent a regional conflict. This happened after Donald Trump imposed a blockade on oil tankers and increased military presence in the region.
Since the beginning of the day, 87 combat engagements have taken place. The enemy is actively operating in the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka directions, having carried out 60 shellings and airstrikes.
The situation near Siversk is tense, the enemy is trying to bypass the city. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are blocking the advance and destroying assault groups that have penetrated the city.
Charles James Spencer-Churchill, the 70-year-old Duke of Marlborough, is accused of three counts of intentional strangulation that occurred between November 2022 and May 2024. He has been summoned to Oxford Magistrates' Court after his arrest last May.
Putin also noted that politicians in Europe are raising the "degree of hysteria" and "instilling fears" about the inevitability of a clash with the Russian Federation.
Australian authorities have filed 59 charges, including murder and terrorism, against 24-year-old Navid Akram, who survived an attack on a Sydney beach. 15 people died in the incident, and his father was killed by police.