During his annual "Direct Line" event, Vladimir Putin once again made false statements about the situation at the front, claiming that Ukraine is not ready for peace on Russia's terms. He also cynically mocked Zelenskyy's visit to Kupyansk and announced alleged successes of Russian troops near Kupyansk, Lyman, Myrnohrad, and Huliaipole.
Due to the enemy's attack on a critical infrastructure facility, traffic on the Odesa-Reni highway has been stopped. Passage through the checkpoints "Mayaky-Udobne-Palanka" and "Starokozache-Tudora" on the Ukrainian-Moldovan section is temporarily suspended.
Law enforcement officers uncovered a scheme for selling mephedrone and amphetamine throughout Ukraine, two men were detained. Drugs worth UAH 95 million were seized during searches in Kyiv, Cherkasy, and Odesa regions.
Ukraine has repatriated 1003 bodies, which, according to the Russian Federation, belong to Ukrainian servicemen. Law enforcement agencies will conduct examinations and identification of the repatriated bodies.
High-ranking Russian officials rejoiced after EU leaders failed to agree on using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. Instead, Kyiv will receive a €90 billion loan, while Russian funds remain blocked.
The prosecutor's office will appeal the court's verdict against a man who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for systematic violence against children. The man is accused of domestic violence, molestation and rape, as well as inducing the use of psychotropic substances.
Due to Russian attacks on energy facilities in five regions of Ukraine, consumers have been cut off from power, with over 99,000 of them in Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Blackout schedules remain in effect, but additional capacities have been freed up to shorten them.
French President Emmanuel Macron believes it would be useful for Europe to resume interaction with Vladimir Putin. He stressed that Europeans should find ways to do so in the coming weeks.
The European Union and its member states are ready to contribute to robust security guarantees for Ukraine, including through a Coalition of the Willing and in cooperation with the United States. The EU will address matters within its competence or those affecting its security, according to the European Council conclusions of December 18.
The Kyiv City Council has decided to remove 15 objects associated with the Russian Empire and the USSR from the capital's public space. Among them are monuments to Mikhail Bulgakov, Anna Akhmatova, Mikhail Glinka, and Soviet inscriptions.
As of the end of October, 52,960 lawyers were registered in Ukraine. Over the autumn, the list decreased by 401 representatives, but since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the number of lawyers has increased by 8%.
Last month, over 5. 3 thousand diesel cars were registered in Ukraine, which is 2% more than in November 2024. Most of them are used cars imported from abroad.
ObmenAT24 service topped the Finance. ua rating as the most reliable crypto exchanger.
Over the past day, 193 combat engagements were recorded, the enemy launched 74 air strikes and carried out 4281 shellings. The Defense Forces hit three areas of personnel concentration and eliminated 1220 occupiers.
The European Union plans to introduce its 20th package of sanctions against Russia in early 2026, continuing pressure to end the war. EU leaders call for coordination with the G7 and stronger measures against sanctions circumvention, as well as condemning third-country support for Russia.
The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine reported that the procedure for providing compensation to military personnel under the eOselia program has not yet been developed. The law provided for compensation of 50% of the first installment and additional payments after the first and second year of service.
The European Council decided to allocate 90 billion euros in funding to Ukraine for 2026-2027. The funds will be based on EU borrowings without the use of Russian assets and without the involvement of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 160 Shahed-type, Gerbera, and other drones on the night of December 19. Air defense forces destroyed or suppressed 108 enemy drones in the south and east of the country.
The National Bank of Ukraine set the official exchange rates for December 19: the dollar remained at 42. 33 hryvnias. The euro lost 3 kopecks, and the zloty gained 1 kopeck.
On Friday, December 19, stable weather without precipitation will persist in Ukraine due to high atmospheric pressure. Dense fogs are possible on the Left Bank, in the west, and in Zhytomyr region, which will worsen visibility on the roads.
The European Union has agreed to finance Ukraine with 90 billion euros over two years. Ukraine will repay these funds only after receiving reparations from Russia, and frozen Russian assets will remain frozen.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz revealed details of the agreement between EU leaders on providing financial assistance to Ukraine for 2026–2027.
Negotiations between the US and Russia on a peaceful settlement of the war in Ukraine are planned in Miami, where the Russian side will be represented by Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The meeting will take place after consultations in Berlin, where security guarantees for Kyiv and possible territorial concessions were discussed.
The countries of the European Union have agreed to provide Ukraine with 90 billion euros in aid for 2026-2027. This was stated by the President of the European Council, António Costa.
Two FSB informants, exposed in Khmelnytskyi region in April 2024, have been sentenced to 12 and 10 years in prison. They installed hidden mini-cameras near operational airfields of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in western Ukraine to track combat aircraft.
US President Donald Trump signed into law the defense policy bill for fiscal year 2026 with a record budget of $901 billion. The document allocates $800 million to Ukraine - $400 million for each of the next two years as part of the Security Assistance Initiative, which provides for the purchase of American weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution on human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea and Sevastopol. 79 countries voted for the document, 16 were against, and 73 abstained.
The U. S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has fully launched the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, which will begin reviewing projects in 2026. The fund will focus on critical minerals, energy, transportation, logistics, and technology, attracting private capital.
US President Donald Trump will sign into law on December 18 the defense policy bill for fiscal year 2026, which regulates military pay raises and measures to respond to geopolitical threats, and also provides for the allocation of $800 million to Ukraine for the purchase of American weapons.
European Union leaders have not reached an agreement on using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. Discussions on providing a loan will continue on December 19 at the summit in Brussels.
