Ukraine

The Russian vessel Ursa Major, which was under U. S. sanctions, sank in the Mediterranean Sea. 14 crew members were rescued, two are considered missing.

Ukrainians have purchased books 75 thousand times under the Winter eSupport program. Mykhailo Fedorov published a list of the 10 most popular books chosen by citizens.

Inna Miroshnychenko spoke about her intention to give birth or adopt a fifth child with her husband, Timur. The couple is currently raising four children, including two adopted children.

A security expert criticizes Olena Duma's highest rating as head of the ARMA for 2024 amid scandals. The agency is accused of corruption, fake disability certificates, and lack of public control.

The Government has approved a list of positions in the National Police, the State Bureau of Investigation, the NABU, and the State Emergency Service that require English language skills. The requirement will come into force 4 years after martial law is lifted.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has appointed Daniil Menshikov as Deputy Head of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine. He will be responsible for digital development, transformation and digitalization.

Ukrainian defense forces are actively defending Makarivka in Donetsk region, trying to regain their positions and preserve logistics routes. Over the past day, 252 combat engagements took place, with the hottest spots in the Kursk and Vremivsk sectors.

Japan and the United Kingdom have provided $1 billion to Ukraine under the World Bank's DPL program. The funds will be used to strengthen the economy and finance social and humanitarian expenditures.

A member of the Verkhovna Rada's National Security Committee spoke about the impossibility of mass demobilization due to threats to national security. The rotation system for the military is also not fully implemented due to the escalation at the front.

The Cabinet of Ministers has adopted a resolution on flexible terms for the implementation of grant projects for veterans - 3, 5 or 7 years. Defenders who pay taxes on the amount of the grant will be able to receive an additional grant payment.

More than 30,000 18-year-old Ukrainians have registered for the eBook program to receive UAH 908 to buy books. More than 15 partner bookstore chains have joined the program.

The National Security and Defense Council and the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security denied the information about the draft law on lowering the mobilization age from 25 to 18. The 17th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine denied that its representative was involved in spreading these rumors.

The government plans to attract more than $38 billion in foreign aid to cover non-military budget expenditures. In 2023, direct budget support from international partners amounted to about $41 billion.

The Avdiivka Humanitarian Hub “VPOraisemo” has been launched in Brovary to help IDPs from Donetsk region. The hub will provide humanitarian and counseling assistance, including social protection, pensions and legal services.

Vitaliy Mykolenko, a footballer for the Ukrainian national team and Everton, and his wife Victoria are expecting their first child. The player recently suffered a foot injury before the Euros and missed the match against Romania.

An obstetrician-gynecologist at a private clinic was convicted of misjudging a CTG scan and performing a late cesarean section. Due to the medical error, the newborn baby died 55 days after delivery.

Fog with visibility of 200-500 meters is expected in Ukraine on December 24-25, except for the western and most southern regions. The State Emergency Service has declared a yellow level of danger due to possible traffic complications.

The man offered employment for a senior position in the Ministry of Internal Affairs for 60 thousand dollars, posing as a relative of the minister. The fraudster was detained while receiving a $10,000 advance and sentenced to 7 years in prison.

Soldiers of the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 22nd Mechanized Brigade set up a Christmas tree in the Kursk region of Russia. In this area, Ukrainian defenders repelled 46 enemy assaults and withstood 385 artillery attacks.

The European Union is using gas reserves at a record pace due to cold weather and reduced imports. Storage utilization has fallen by 19% since September, reaching 75% in December.

The former head of the Khmelnytsky tax office announced the appointment of Sokur's people to the State Tax Service's commission of auditors. According to her, this is due to possible embezzlement of funds for the construction of fortifications.

Moldova will be able to use the unused part of the 2,100 MW quota for electricity imports from the EU shared with Ukraine. The country plans to import 400 MW through Romanian power lines to cover the deficit on the Right Bank.

The Hungarian prime minister predicts that the war in Ukraine will end in 2025 through peace talks or the destruction of one of the parties. He also criticized the West's spending to support Ukraine and called Putin an “honest partner.

The FSB conducts checks on the correspondence of relatives of the AFU military in the occupied territories. If contacts are found, people are offered either to cooperate with the occupiers or to be deported to Russia within hours.

The Ministry of Culture has declared the construction of a five-story hotel near the grave of Tzadik Nachman in Uman illegal. The construction violates the rules of cultural heritage protection and was officially rejected by the Ministry.

Electricity consumption remains high due to lower temperatures. Due to weather conditions, two settlements in Kyiv region are without power, and energy is imported from five countries.

Over the past day, Russia attacked Ukraine with 60 attack UAVs from the directions of Bryansk, Millerovo and Prymorsko-Akhtarsk. The defense forces destroyed 36 drones over 8 regions and neutralized 23 imitator drones.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine found a notebook of a North Korean mercenary in the Kursk region with a greeting to a friend. In the note, soldier Gyong Hong-jong congratulates his friend on his birthday while on the territory of the Russian Federation.

According to the results of the voting on the UAF social networks, the match against Iceland in the Euro 2024 playoff final was named the "Match of the Year". The victory over the Icelanders received 48.5% of the fans' votes.

The SBU and the National Police detained a group of people involved in the illegal sale of weapons and ammunition. The SBU seized improvised explosive devices, plastid, TNT and combat grenades from the suspects.