In Luhansk region, unknown drones attacked an oil depot in Rovenky. Fuel tanks are on fire, as confirmed by local Telegram channels.
Russia does not change its intentions to seize Ukraine and plunge cities into "blackouts. " Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky announced increased countermeasures against enemy "Shaheds" and the formation of divisions of unmanned air defense systems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that withdrawal from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions contradicts the law and public opinion. The issue of territories remains a key disagreement in peace talks, despite 90% agreement on a 20-point plan.
In temporarily occupied Luhansk, first-year medical students are being recruited as junior medical personnel due to a staffing crisis. This creates risks for patients, as the students lack basic knowledge.
Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine Oleksandr Pivnenko showed a video of the combat work of the "Typhoon" unit during the assaults on Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. The unmanned systems unit destroys Russian armored vehicles used in mechanized assaults.
Ukrainian marines eliminated enemy armored vehicles in the Pokrovsk direction. Pilots of the 88th separate battalion of the 35th separate marine brigade detected and destroyed the targets.
As of December 29, 2025, the Defense Forces of Ukraine have eliminated 1,205,690 Russian occupiers. The enemy has also lost over 11,000 tanks and 23,000 armored combat vehicles.
Russian air defense allegedly shot down two targets. Relevant videos appeared online.
On the night of December 29, residents of Maykop, the capital of the Republic of Adygea, heard explosions. The Khanskaya military airfield, where air defense operations were recorded, came under attack.
On the night of December 28, a warehouse storing Shahed-type UAVs, a pontoon crossing, and a repair unit of the Russian army in Donbas were hit.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the damage to the Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region on the night of December 28, which led to a fire. Also successfully attacked were a boat storage facility in Chornomorske, a repair unit in Antratsyt, a pontoon crossing near Nikonorivka, and a UAV warehouse in Makiivka.
The Kremlin believes it can gain more by continuing hostilities while using negotiations as a foreign policy tool. Russian dictator Putin insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as the exclusion of Ukraine's possibility of NATO membership.
ISW analysts believe that the Kremlin will have to compromise on its demands that are incompatible with the peace plan. Russia is not interested in a compromise-based settlement, as evidenced by its constant references to the 2024 demands.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to withdraw Ukrainian troops from parts of eastern Donetsk Oblast to create a demilitarized zone. This is a potential condition for peace talks, although Russia has not shown willingness to withdraw its troops.
Units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully struck several enemy targets on the night of December 24, including a synthetic rubber plant in Russia's Tula region. A storage facility for uncrewed boats in Crimea and a logistics depot in Luhansk region were also hit.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has for the first time unveiled 20 points of a "basic document on ending the war. "
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 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.
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 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.
Over the past day, December 17, the Russian army lost 950 servicemen killed and wounded, as well as 484 units of equipment. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 18.12.25 amounted to approximately 1,193,300 personnel.
The Special Operations Forces of Ukraine successfully attacked the field artillery depot of the 101st Logistics Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation in Luhansk region. The operation was carried out on the night of December 17, 2025, using FP-2 attack UAVs.
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.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the damage to the Slavyansk oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai and the Nikolaevskaya oil depot in Rostov Oblast. A field artillery depot in Luhansk Oblast and a drilling rig in the Caspian Sea were also hit.
In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the situation with teachers' salaries is rapidly deteriorating: salaries are delayed, bonuses are cut, and accruals remain non-transparent. A significant part of payments is tied to loyalty, a refusal of which leads to deprivation of bonuses.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that Russia will not make concessions regarding the occupied territories of Ukraine, considering them part of its constitution. Moscow will also not agree to the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine in any format.
Ukraine may receive security guarantees similar to Article 5 of the NATO treaty under a peace agreement discussed in Berlin. These guarantees will not be permanent, as US President Donald Trump insists on ending the war started by Russia in 2014.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated there is a chance for peace in Ukraine, noting diplomatic efforts, particularly by US President Donald Trump. He hopes for further progress during dinner with European leaders, where territorial concessions remain a key issue.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Russia to arrange a truce for Christmas, hoping for a display of humanity. He stated this at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
