The Russian army captured 13 Ukrainian soldiers and 52 civilians in the village of Hrabovske in the Sumy region. President Zelenskyy reported that among the civilians were women and children who had not been evacuated.
The total number of combat engagements on the front reached 100, 33 of which were in the Pokrovsk direction. The enemy was also active in the Kostiantynivka and Orikhiv directions.
Viktor Trehubov, head of the communications department of the Joint Forces Group, stated that the forced removal of about 50 residents of the village of Hrabovske, Sumy region, is a planned provocation. The occupiers use civilians as a "human shield" for manipulation on the battlefield and in the information space.
In Nigeria, the last 130 schoolchildren abducted on November 21 from St. Mary's Catholic boarding school have been released. In total, 230 students have been rescued and will be able to celebrate Christmas with their families.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Russia is no different from ISIS terrorists after the forced removal of 50 civilians from Hrabovske in Sumy region to the Russian Federation. Ukraine demands the return of all civilian hostages and calls on the international community to join the demand for their release.
Russian servicemen illegally detained and forcibly removed about 50 civilians from Sumy region to Russia. The Ombudsman of Ukraine appealed to his Russian counterpart and the ICRC regarding their return.
On December 20, two road accidents involving eight cars occurred on the Kyiv-Chop highway in the village of Bila Krynytsia. Two people were injured, but after examination, they were released home.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, at an away meeting in Zaporizhzhia, reallocated budget funds. Over UAH 700 million was directed to the restoration of medical facilities, energy autonomy of universities, safety of schoolchildren, and aid to affected regions.
Denmark's military intelligence service accuses Russia of cyberattacks on a Danish water company in 2024 and DDoS attacks on websites. As a result of the attack on the water company, homes were temporarily left without water due to burst pipes.
In the Turkish province of Kocaeli, local residents discovered a crashed Orlan unmanned aerial vehicle. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident to determine its route and purpose of being in Turkish airspace.
The head of Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration, Vitalii Kim, emphasized the need to create conditions for investments in Ukraine's economy for its recovery.
In the Obukhiv district of Kyiv region, the prosecutor's office is investigating a case of mass animal cruelty. 51 dead animals were found and another 39 cats, kept in unsanitary conditions, were rescued.
On the evening of December 18, a Russian UAV struck the Kharkiv region. As a result of the attack, there is one fatality and several wounded.
An enemy attack drone hit a civilian car moving on a bridge in the Odesa district. A woman in the car was killed, and her three children were taken to the hospital with injuries and an acute stress reaction.
Three Russian border guards illegally crossed the border of Estonia, an EU and NATO member. They crossed the control line on the Narva River on foot and then returned to Russian territory.
Over the past day, 134 combat engagements took place on the front line, which is half as many as the day before. The greatest activity was observed in the Pokrovsk direction, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine repelled 38 enemy attacks.
Ukraine receives reinforcements for its air defense systems amid attacks, including automated turrets and missiles to destroy Russian drones, totaling £600 million. The supplies include modern air defense systems, as well as RAVEN and GRAVEHAWK systems for protection against low-flying targets and deep strikes.
On December 17, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on the creation of a number of new military administrations in the Dnipropetrovsk region. This decision was made in pursuance of the law "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law."
Lioness Vasylina, rescued from Kharkiv region, died in a rehabilitation center in South Africa. She did not wake up, showing no signs of illness, after being evacuated and living with lion Nikola.
The Foreign Intelligence Service reports that Russia is developing a new General Scheme for Population Resettlement. The document highlights deep demographic and spatial problems in the country, rather than offering realistic solutions.
The Ukrainian side submitted proposals to Poland regarding search and exhumation work under martial law. This happened during the fifth meeting of the Ukrainian-Polish working group on historical memory.
The Kyiv Court of Appeal upheld the verdict against ex-president Yanukovych, sentenced to 15 years for organizing illegal border crossing and inciting desertion. His accomplice, the former deputy head of the State Protection Department, received 10 years in prison.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported 151 combat engagements over the past day, more than half of which occurred in the Pokrovsk, Oleksandrivka, and Kostiantynivka directions. The enemy launched 90 airstrikes and used 5,471 kamikaze drones.
Thailand said a rocket attack from Cambodia caused the first confirmed civilian death in border fighting. A 63-year-old villager died on Sunday in a shelling in Kantaralak district of Sisaket province.
Thailand has imposed a curfew in Trat province, bordering Cambodia, due to the spread of fighting. Residents are prohibited from leaving their homes between 7:00 PM and 5:00 AM without permission from the military or local authorities.
Elon Musk's xAI company and the government of El Salvador are launching a large-scale educational program for over a million schoolchildren in 5,000 public schools. The project will use the Grok chatbot for personalized learning, adapted to the individual pace and interests of students.
The mayor of Artsyz announced that energy workers do not plan to restore electricity supply in the city for a week. The forecast for villages and the military town is also unsatisfactory; water supply will be on schedule.
The Russian army attacked Kharkiv with a drone, hitting the roof of an administrative building. In the Chuhuiv district, a drone hit a car, injuring a 10-year-old girl and a 65-year-old woman.
Units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl region. The plant is one of the largest refineries of the occupiers, capable of processing 15 million tons of oil per year.
A court in Uzhhorod sentenced a woman for leaving her 10-year-old daughter without help, which led to her death after a brutal beating by her stepfather. The mother received 5 years in prison with a probationary period of 2 years and 8 months.
