Ukrainian defenders withdrew from Siversk in Donetsk region due to the enemy's superiority in manpower and equipment. The city remains under the fire control of the Defense Forces, which allows blocking the enemy's advance and inflicting damage on them.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled a mechanized assault by Russian occupiers in the Kostiantynivka direction on December 22. Soldiers of the 28th separate mechanized brigade destroyed enemy infantry and tanks.
Large-scale schemes for illegal border crossing by conscripts have been exposed in four regions of Ukraine. The organizers transported men to Moldova and Hungary for tens of thousands of dollars, and also issued fictitious disability documents.
As a result of the ninth massive attack by the Russian Federation, Rivne, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi regions are almost completely de-energized. There are also power outages in 6 more regions, and emergency blackouts have been applied in Odesa region and throughout Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that there are about 1,100 Russians in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, and about 100 in Kupyansk, Kharkiv region. He noted that Ukrainian troops are holding their positions despite significant pressure from Russia.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov announced "slow progress" after talks in Miami on a plan to end the war in Ukraine. Negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and Donald Trump's envoys were productive, but without significant breakthroughs due to contentious issues.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the destruction of the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in the Krasnodar Krai and a naval base in Crimea. An enemy ammunition depot and a UAV launch site in Donetsk Oblast were also hit.
The former director of "Lymansky Forestry" has been served with a notice of suspicion of abuse of office. In 2023–2024, the forestry enterprise purchased 3,000 cubic meters of timber without production necessity, overpaying more than UAH 1.6 million in state funds.
The European Union has extended economic sanctions against Russia for another six months, until July 31, 2026. These measures, introduced in 2014 and expanded since February 2022, cover trade, finance, energy, and other sectors.
Christmas week began with massive Russian attacks on Ukraine; Russia attacked energy infrastructure in 5 regions. As of morning, a significant portion of Odesa residents are without electricity. Schedules are in effect, but efforts to reduce them continue by freeing up capacity.
On the night of December 22, Russia attacked Ukraine with 86 attack UAVs, 58 of which were shot down/suppressed. 26 drones hit 12 locations and debris fell in one location.
Partisans of the ATESH movement carried out an act of sabotage at a railway junction in Bataysk, setting fire to relay cabinets. This disrupted the operation of the main logistics hub that supplies the occupation forces in the southern directions.
Residents of occupied Donetsk region complain about multi-hour queues at mobile operator service points due to mass blocking of numbers and forced re-registration of SIM cards. This is an element of total control over the communications of the population in the temporarily occupied territory.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy considers a ceasefire along the current front line to be fair. He emphasized that Ukraine cannot withdraw from its territories, and the Russians will remain in the temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
In the fall, the US presented a 28-point peace plan for Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal named five potential obstacles to peace between Russia and Ukraine.
The Minister of Defense heard a report on the construction of fortifications in six regions. 2,130 platoon strongholds and over 3,000 km of anti-tank ditches have already been built.
The song "Shchedryk" was written at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1936, its English version was released, which is known to the world as "Carol of the Bells".
On the morning of December 20, due to Russian attacks, consumers in Mykolaiv, Kherson, Donetsk, and Odesa regions were left without power. The occupiers also targeted employees of one of the border thermal power plants, but there were no casualties.
The occupiers made gains near Dronivka, Vyshneve, and in Siversk in Donetsk region. DeepState updated the combat map on December 19.
On December 19, fierce battles continue on the front, with 148 clashes recorded. The occupiers carried out over 3,400 kamikaze drone attacks and launched 26 air strikes, 66 of which were KABs.
The Defense Forces conducted a special operation to destroy enemy armored vehicles near Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast. An anti-aircraft missile system, tanks, combat vehicles, and motor transport were destroyed.
As of 4:00 PM on December 19, 52 combat engagements were recorded at the front. The enemy is showing the greatest assault activity in Donetsk Oblast, terrorizing the border areas of Sumy Oblast with artillery shelling.
Leonid Kuchuk, the founder of the Odrex clinic, and his partner Tigran Arutyunyan, started with the gambling business. Kuchuk, who currently lives abroad, continues to control his business in Ukraine.
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.
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.
Russian troops advanced in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, according to DeepState. The enemy has made gains near Dronivka, Nykonorivka, Pankivka, and in Huliaipole.
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 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.
The Russian dictator confirmed his intention to seize territories that he considers "historical lands of Russia. " This primarily refers to the south and east of Ukraine.
The US is considering new sanctions against Russia's energy sector, including its "shadow fleet" of tankers, if Putin rejects a peace deal with Ukraine. These measures could be announced as early as this week, as discussed by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with European ambassadors.
