Ukraine

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.

Border guards have recorded the highest number of border crossings during martial law - 150-154 thousand people per day. In the morning, there are no queues to leave Ukraine, and the border with Moldova is the least busy.

A 43-year-old drunken Kyiv resident was launching fireworks from the window of a house on Porik Avenue. The police detained the offender and seized material evidence, and criminal proceedings for hooliganism were initiated.

27% of Ukrainian individual entrepreneurs plan to close their businesses in the near future, according to a survey of 32,000 entrepreneurs. The main reason for closing down 62% of them cited tax increases, including the introduction of the military tax.

The wounded paratroopers of the 80th Brigade made the largest Trident in Ukraine out of didukhs under the guidance of a 91-year-old craftswoman. The symbol was installed near the monument to Shevchenko as part of a rehabilitation program for the military.

The NBU has set the official hryvnia exchange rate at 41. 9910 UAH/USD, which resulted in a devaluation of 12 kopecks. On the interbank market, the dollar is trading at UAH 42.03-42.05, and the euro at UAH 43.69.

The pharmaceutical community opposed the amendments to the draft law No. 11493 because of the risks to the industry. Experts warn of possible problems with the availability of medicines and a significant increase in the price of drugs.