In Lviv, a woman used pepper spray against war veteran Andriy Kulko, who was held captive by Russia for almost two years. The incident occurred due to a request to throw out garbage that the woman was storing in the entrance.
New burial trenches have been recorded in temporarily occupied Mariupol, linked to the exhumation of bodies and rising mortality among the civilian population. Local authorities and the Center for the Study of Occupation report a shocking scale of new burials in the third year of occupation.
In Prykarpattia, a law enforcement officer was notified of suspicion of large-scale fraud. He appropriated 2.7 million hryvnias of state aid intended for the father of a fallen National Guard servicewoman who died defending Azovstal.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine seeks peace, but not at the cost of its own statehood. He emphasized that only pressure can force Russia to end the war, which has been ongoing for 1407 days.
Ukrainian communities have handed over almost 40 buses to Odesa to solve problems with passenger transportation caused by massive Russian shelling and a difficult situation with electricity supply. This assistance will compensate for the impossibility of using 40% of the city's electric transport.
The Mariupol City Council reported that the occupiers changed the profile of the city's museums, using them for ideological processing and glorification of the invasion participants. Valuable exhibits, including paintings by Aivazovsky and Kuindzhi, were taken to Donetsk and Russia, and replaced with portraits of "DPR" militants and Russian military personnel.
Russians plan to create tourist sites, so-called "places of military glory," in the occupied Donbas and attract investments there for "tourism development. "
In occupied Mariupol, a systemic scheme is operating to redistribute property that Russian entrepreneurs restored at their own expense after 2022. After the completion of the work, the legal status of the objects remains undefined, and the property is transferred to loyal structures.
Russian media are actively disseminating publications about the "reconstruction of the theater" in Mariupol. The goal of the campaign is to create an illusion, particularly in the West, that the occupied Ukrainian territories are actively developing under Russian rule.
Prosecutors have sent to court the case of an employee of the Territorial Recruitment Center and Social Support (TCC and SP) who beat a defender of Mariupol. The incident occurred in December 2025, and the victim sustained minor bodily injuries.
In temporarily occupied Mariupol, ticket sales have resumed at the drama theater, despite it being destroyed by Russian troops. The first performances, including "Chic Wedding" and "The Scarlet Flower," are scheduled for late December.
On the night of December 18, the tanker "Valeriy Gorchakov", part of Russia's "shadow fleet", was hit in the port of Rostov-on-Don. This tanker was spotted in the waters of the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk; there are dead and wounded.
Zelenskyy appointed Vadym Boichenko as head of the Mariupol City Military Administration. The new status of the body allows for prompt decision-making in the interests of the community, removing restrictions caused by the incapacity of the deputy corps.
In Odesa, TCC military personnel detained and beat Roman Pokydko, a marine of the 36th brigade, who had been released from captivity six months ago and was undergoing rehabilitation. A service investigation has been launched into the incident and criminal proceedings have been initiated.
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.
The Security Service of Ukraine is investigating criminal proceedings against a group of aviation companies associated with businessman Roman Mileshko, opened by the National Police in 2022. Investigators have repeatedly checked the facts indicated in the case file and found no confirmation, which indicates the custom nature of the persecution and attempts to pressure the business by competitors.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented 20 apartment certificates to Heroes of Ukraine and families of fallen soldiers. This event took place on the eve of the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the Ukrainian military on the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, thanking them for defending the country. He emphasized the importance of remembering the fallen and noted the contribution of various units and women to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The occupiers plan to transfer the Mariupol port under full external control of the Russian Federation, integrating it into Rostov's logistics hubs. This is an actual confiscation of strategic infrastructure, which is already being used to export Donbas resources.
Vladimir Putin demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas, threatening military seizure of new territories if they refuse. He announced an increase in "returned" territories and made false statements about Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, Siversk, and Vovchansk.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, spoke about Andriy Biletskyi's significant role in the air breakthrough operation to the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, which was surrounded by Russians. Thanks to his leadership, it was possible to deliver reinforcements, weapons, medicines, and evacuate the wounded.
In temporarily occupied Mariupol, Russian security forces carried out a large-scale raid, involving over 90 people, including St. Petersburg police. They checked yards, parks, and houses, drawing up protocols for violations of the regime of stay by foreigners.
Ukraine's Defense Forces struck military targets and Russian military-industrial complex facilities, including the "VNIIIR-Progress" plant in Cheboksary. A command post, a Tor-M1 air defense system, ammunition depots, and an enemy personnel concentration area were also hit.
The Center for Countering Disinformation of Ukraine stated that Russia systematically turns the issue of water resources in the occupied territories into a tool of propaganda and justification for war. The Kremlin uses the "water issue" as a justification for the full-scale invasion, as well as to divert attention from real problems with water supply in the temporarily occupied territories.
The Main Directorate of Intelligence has published data on ten Russian teachers who have moved to the occupied territories to ideologically re-educate Ukrainian children. They participate in the "Zemsky Teacher" program, receiving compensation and spreading propaganda.
The head of the Russian occupation administration in Zaporizhzhia region, Yevhen Balytskyi, was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment. He organized the theft of almost half a million tons of Ukrainian grain and its export to the Russian Federation.
In occupied Mariupol, the number of attacks by stray dogs is increasing; according to the occupiers' estimates, there are at least 10,000 of them. The occupation authorities promised a shelter, but instead, the animals are being shot, which they call "sterilization."
The Kalmius River in the area of the Pavlopil reservoir has critically shallowed due to the diversion of water by the Russians. This will destroy the hydrological system of the Donetsk region and cause an environmental catastrophe.
A Russian serviceman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for raping a woman in the occupied village of Makariv in the Kyiv region. The combat vehicle commander threatened the woman with execution before raping her.
The Russian occupation authorities are developing logistics infrastructure around Mariupol, having started the construction of a dual-purpose bridge near the village of Kalynivka. This facility will become part of the Novoazovsk-Crimea bypass road and the new Mariupol-Taganrog railway line.
