Ukraine

In 2024, the Air Force of Ukraine destroyed more than 1,300 missiles, 1,400 drones, 40 airplanes and 6 helicopters. The Ukrainian Air Force flew more than 20,000 sorties, of which almost 9,000 were with Western weapons.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally congratulated Oleksandr Usyk on his return home after the fight with Tyson Fury. The meeting took place on December 31, and the boxer plans to resume training only at the end of April.

The second meeting of the Technology Council discussed strengthening air defense and domestic arms production. The President spoke about system solutions for missile defense and the development of the defense industry.

The Ministry of Environment has assessed the extent of environmental damage caused by Russian aggression. 3 million hectares of forests were destroyed, more than 6,500 environmental crimes were recorded, and 180 million tons of CO₂ were emitted.

The head of the GRU, Kirill Budanov, commented on the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, hinting at the possible involvement of Ukrainian intelligence. Assad fled to Russia, and Ahmad al-Sharaa became the new leader of Syria.

Producers of alcohol and bioethanol will pay a guaranteed tax on the maximum possible production volume. The law will remain in force until Ukraine joins the EU or until 2030.

In Kryzhopol, an explosion occurred in the office of the head of the company when a former employee entered. The incident killed three people and injured another.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces struck at the Yartsevskaya oil depot in the Smolensk region of Russia. Powerful explosions and a fire of oil tanks were recorded at the facility, which supplied the Russian army.

Wholesale prices for tangerines in Europe have reached record levels, approaching €2 per kilogram. The reason was a poor harvest in Turkey and weather disasters in the EU in 2024.

The regulator confirmed that gas tariffs for households will remain unchanged, despite the new tariffs for GTSOU. The moratorium on tariff increases for households will remain in effect until 2022.

The head of the GUR refused to comment on the impact of the operation in Kursk region on the situation at the front. Budanov confirmed that Russia is capable of continuing the war at the current level.

The cost of the consumer basket in Ukraine increased by up to 15% in 2024. Dairy products (up to 30%), vegetables and fruits (up to 35%) rose the most, while bread and meat showed moderate growth.

Starting from January 1, 2025, the cost of issuing biometric documents in Ukraine will change. An ID card will cost from UAH 558, and a foreign passport from UAH 1,042.

There were 117 combat clashes on different parts of the front, with the Russian army most actively attacking in the Pokrovske direction - there have already been 30 battles there. The Ukrainian military successfully repelled most of the enemy's attacks, and some battles are still ongoing.

Russia stops supplying gas through Ukraine after the transit agreement expires on January 1. Europe has found alternative sources, but the loss of Russian gas has affected the EU economy.

The head of the GRU confirmed the participation of the North Korean military in the war against Ukraine in the Kursk region of Russia. According to the White House, over the past week, the DPRK has lost about a thousand troops there.

The NACP temporarily suspends the Data for Declarations function due to problems with the registers of the Ministry of Justice. Other functions of the Register of declarations continue to work as usual.

The service of closing a sole proprietorship in a few clicks is again available on the Diia portal. The process takes two minutes, and the tax authorities deregister you on the same day.

Chief of the GUR Budanov reported on a new threat - the massive use of fiber-optic drones by Russia. Ukraine is looking for a technological solution to combat them.

In 2024, more Ukrainians were released from Russian captivity than in 2023. In total, 3956 people have been released since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, including 1358 in 2024.

Ombudsmen of Ukraine and Russia meet in Belarus to discuss conditions of detention of prisoners of war. The day before, 189 Ukrainians, including the defenders of Mariupol and Zmeinyi Island, were released as part of the exchange.

The state budget of Ukraine received UAH 2. 2 trillion in taxes and fees, of which more than UAH 1 trillion was provided by the Tax Service. In addition, UAH 453.6 billion of international aid and UAH 546.1 billion of unified social tax were received.

The Cabinet of Ministers has allowed educational institutions to use the remaining educational subvention for the purchase of multimedia and computer equipment for the subject “Defense of Ukraine”. The relevant resolutions were amended.

The auctions for commercial fishing for aquatic bioresources scheduled for January 3 have been canceled due to a Russian cyberattack on state registers. The auctions will be postponed until after the registers are restored.

There are 460 veterans' support specialists in Ukraine, and their number will grow every month. The state provides comprehensive support, from free dental prosthetics to housing and business grants.

The government has updated the rules for crossing the border for men aged 18-25 who served under contract in the Armed Forces. A special certificate from the unit commander and a military registration document are now required to leave.

The DIU demonstrated the results of fires at Russian military infrastructure facilities in 2024. The fires covered the territory from Moscow to Siberia, damaging logistics and communication facilities.

Turkey's president said that a just end to the war between Ukraine and Russia remains the country's priority. Erdogan hopes for a new era in the north in 2025.

The Cabinet of Ministers has allocated UAH 1. 77 billion in subventions to local budgets for the New Ukrainian School program. The funds will be used to provide quality and affordable general secondary education.

The U. S. Census Bureau predicts that the global population will grow by 71 million people in 2024. In the United States, an increase of 2.6 million people is expected, while in Ukraine, the population is projected to decline to 35.8 million.