Ukraine

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson reported on the active work on the delivery of air defense systems that Ukraine needs. Specific systems and their locations have already been identified for further delivery.

Due to the restoration work in the state registers of the Ministry of Justice, deferrals in Reserve+ have been suspended. The registries of the Ministry of Defense continue to operate normally, but there may be delays in processing requests.

The World Bank will provide Ukraine with $2 billion through the DPL mechanism. $1 billion will come as a grant from the FIF fund at the expense of the United States, and another $1.05 billion will be provided as a loan guaranteed by Japan and the United Kingdom.

The Ministries of Defense of Ukraine and the Netherlands discussed priorities for military assistance for 2025, including air defense, artillery, and defense support. The Netherlands also plans to invest €400 million in the production of UAVs.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported the return of 503 bodies of fallen Ukrainian defenders. The transfer took place on Friday.

The entire Lithuanian government arrived in Kyiv. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys declared his support for Ukraine until victory.

The SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) has opened a criminal investigation into a large-scale cyberattack on Ukraine's state registers. According to preliminary data, the attack was carried out by hacker groups associated with the Russian Federation.

One of the two power lines connecting ZNPP to the Ukrainian power grid was disconnected due to enemy shelling. The plant remained on one power line and will be restored as soon as the security situation improves.

An air alert has been declared throughout Ukraine due to the threat of ballistic missile attacks. Earlier, the air defense system shot down 5 ballistic missiles and 40 drones during a massive attack.

After the Russian tanker accident in the Kerch Strait, a fuel oil slick has already polluted 160 kilometers of the Russian coast. Environmentalists warn of possible pollution of Ukrainian shores and mass deaths of marine animals.

Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna assured that all data in the registers of the Ministry of Justice was saved and can be restored. Restoring access to critical systems may take up to two weeks.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed the delivery of the sixth IRIS-T SLM system to Ukraine. Gepard SPAAG continues to be supplied along with ammunition, the production of which has been resumed.

Experts from Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise examine the crash sites of downed Russian missiles in Kyiv and determine their type.

For the first time, the European Council officially stated that “Russia must not win” the war against Ukraine. All 27 EU member states agreed on the new wording and called for an immediate increase in military support.

The Ministry of Justice has suspended the work of state registries due to a large-scale cyberattack by Russia. Registration of civil status acts continues in paper format, and the restoration of the systems may take up to two weeks.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces command decided to withdraw units from the area of Uspenivka and Trudove to avoid encirclement, military units continue to perform tasks at the Kurakhove-Konstantinople line, the Khortytsia military command reported.

Hackers associated with the Russian Federation have carried out one of the largest cyberattacks on Ukraine's state registries. The Ministry of Justice is working to restore access to critical systems, which may take up to two weeks.

The leader of the largest party in Bulgaria, GERB, Boyko Borisov, refused to support the signing of a security agreement with Ukraine. The interim government appealed for a mandate from parliament, but Borisov stated that the situation had changed and the agreement was no longer appropriate.

Due to the warming weather, electricity consumption in Ukraine decreased by 1. 8% compared to the previous day. Nevertheless, the power grid remains undercapacity and imports from 5 countries continue.

Viktor Orban told EU leaders that he was not ready to extend sanctions against Russia until after Trump's inauguration in the United States. At the EU summit, the Hungarian prime minister called on Europeans to “show strategic patience.

The Russian Defense Ministry claims that it attacked the SBU and Luch design bureau facilities in response to the attack on the Kamensky plant. However, Ukrainian air defense shot down all 5 Iskander-M ballistic missiles fired at Kyiv.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces shot down 5 ballistic missiles and 40 out of 65 UAVs launched by the Russian army overnight and in the morning of December 20. In Kyiv, there are casualties and wounded.

European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has called for the confiscation of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine. The EU is reassessing the risks of such a move amid a possible reduction in US aid.

Norwegian NASAMS anti-aircraft systems have been deployed in Rzeszow, Poland, and F-35 aircraft have been sent to protect the logistics center. The mission will last until Easter with the participation of 100 Norwegian troops.

The NBU has set the official hryvnia exchange rate at 41. 89 UAH/USD, which is 2 kopecks lower than the previous figure. On the interbank market, the dollar is trading at UAH 41.85-41.87, the euro at UAH 43.51-43.52.

Serhiy Rykov, an ophthalmologist, exchanged two of his paintings for a combat drone for the 72nd Brigade and supplies for 3D modeling. The doctor plans to paint a large canvas to exchange for the tank.

In Kyiv, three districts of the city were affected by the Russian attack, fires and destruction were reported. The State Emergency Service reports one dead.

There were 191 combat engagements in the frontline, with the hottest spot in the Kursk region where 60 attacks were repelled. The enemy launched 3 missile and 65 air strikes and launched 2,234 kamikaze drones.

Due to technical work to update state registries, 25 services in Diia are temporarily down. It may take up to two weeks to restore the registries after a large-scale cyberattack.

Today in Ukraine, it is mostly without precipitation, with only sporadic rain and snow in the Carpathians. Temperatures will range from +3° to +14°, with temperatures in Kyiv expected to reach +6°.