Ukraine
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham announced the identification of 210 facilities in Russia where Ukrainian children from the occupied territories may be held. He emphasized that this is happening in 2025, not 1945, and called for it to be stopped.
Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski, after a meeting with his European counterparts, stated that the NATO-Russia Council no longer exists.
Sanctions reportedly forced Lukoil to announce the sale of its foreign assets, and several buyers have approached US authorities for permission to negotiate with Lukoil, including oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron.
Deputy Prosecutor General Mariia Vdovychenko emphasized the need to implement European standards for protecting victims of gender-based violence. She stressed that justice must be human-centered, and a victim-oriented approach should be the only standard of work.
On December 4, hourly power outages will be applied to household consumers and power limitations to industrial consumers throughout Ukraine. The reason is the consequences of massive Russian attacks on energy facilities.
The average temperature of winter months in Ukraine is expected to be 1. 5 – 2 °C higher than normal. However, sharp cold snaps down to -18°C are possible, especially in January and February.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe with national security advisors from key European countries, as well as representatives of the EU and NATO, in Brussels. The parties agreed on further consultations to achieve lasting peace.
The European Union has added Russia to its list of high-risk countries for money laundering and as a sponsor of terrorism.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced the invitation of the Ukrainian delegation to the US to continue the peace process.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced significant progress on the issue of using frozen Russian assets. Ukraine hopes for a relevant decision to be adopted by the end of this year.
In six months, the state agency PlayCity updated gambling market rules, blocked over 2,500 online casinos, and collected over UAH 52 million in fines for illegal advertising. The lottery market was also relaunched, which will bring billions of hryvnias to the budget.
The expert emphasized that in fact, the "Shaheds" that Russia used in 2022 and those that we see now are completely different products.
Kyiv's Pechersk Court заочно sentenced former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov to 15 years in prison with confiscation of all property. He was found guilty of high treason and encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The Verkhovna Rada extended the testing period for the eExcise system until October 12, 2026. The system is expected to launch on November 1, 2026, giving businesses 10 months for testing.
The Nightmare FPV drone platform from Renegade UxS, which has proven its effectiveness in Ukraine, has been officially added to the US government's BLUE UAS Cleared List. This allows the US military to use the strike drone, bypassing lengthy defense procurement cycles.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted a bill that removes Russian and Moldovan languages from the list of languages protected by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. This prevents political manipulation and undermining the status of the Ukrainian language.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen informed the US administration about plans to develop a reparation loan system for Ukraine. This initiative involves using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine in 2026-2027, covering two-thirds of its needs amounting to 90 billion euros, with the possibility of providing 165 billion euros.
SE "Forests of Ukraine" has started selling New Year's trees, having already sold about 10,000 trees. The prices for coniferous trees are affordable, ranging from UAH 210 to UAH 280, and have hardly changed compared to last year.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 13650, which defines the format and rules of the 2026 admission campaign. The NMT will replace the EIT, retaining the list of subjects and abolishing the SAA.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to the Rada's adoption of the 2026 budget, thanking the parliamentarians. He emphasized that this is an important signal of Ukraine's resilience and stable financial provision for next year's needs.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the damage to an oil depot in the Tambov region of the Russian Federation and other important objects of the occupiers. Among them are the Livny oil depot in the Oryol region and a technical observation post in the Black Sea.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that the conditions for a "just peace" in Ukraine are unlikely to be met, although today we are closer to peace than yesterday. This comes after meetings between US envoys and Putin, which yielded no progress.
The European Commission is proposing a “reparation loan” of 165 billion euros to Ukraine, using frozen Russian state assets. This loan is part of a broader financial package worth up to 210 billion euros to support Ukraine.
Putin will pay a state visit to India on December 4-5 for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting takes place against the backdrop of India continuing to massively buy discounted Russian oil, despite warnings from Washington.
The prosecutor's office sent an indictment to court against the former head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Ivano-Frankivsk region. He organized the illegal logging of 329 trees in the "Chornyi Lis" reserve, causing damages to the state of over UAH 7.3 million.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that "almost all" of Belgium's concerns regarding a "reparation loan" for Ukraine have been addressed. This concerns the use of frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine's needs.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that it was premature for the country to participate in the NATO program for purchasing American weapons for Ukraine due to peace talks. This indicates a change in the strategy of Giorgia Meloni's government regarding Ukraine.
The European Union proposes to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's financial needs, amounting to 90 billion euros, over the next two years. This will be done through EU borrowing or a reparations loan from frozen Russian assets.
Insurance for vessels heading to Black Sea ports has more than tripled after a series of Ukrainian attacks on Moscow-linked maritime targets. According to the broker Marsh, the cost of coverage for visiting Russian ports has increased by more than 250%.
President Zelenskyy discussed personnel reshuffle in the energy sector with Prime Minister Svyrydenko. Today, the powers of some supervisory board members of state energy companies are being terminated, and new members will be appointed in December.