In temporarily occupied Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region, four Russian occupiers with a "Ural" were blown up. This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
On the night of December 29, Russia attacked Ukraine with 25 Shahed-type attack UAVs. Defense forces destroyed or suppressed 21 enemy drones in the north, south, and east of the country.
Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine Oleksandr Pivnenko showed a video of the combat work of the "Typhoon" unit during the assaults on Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. The unmanned systems unit destroys Russian armored vehicles used in mechanized assaults.
Ukrainian marines eliminated enemy armored vehicles in the Pokrovsk direction. Pilots of the 88th separate battalion of the 35th separate marine brigade detected and destroyed the targets.
As of December 29, 2025, the Defense Forces of Ukraine have eliminated 1,205,690 Russian occupiers. The enemy has also lost over 11,000 tanks and 23,000 armored combat vehicles.
JATEC representatives took part in the final phase of NATO exercise Loyal Dolos 2025, which assessed the combat capabilities of an Alliance unit. Ukrainian experts for the first time practiced the mechanisms of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.
Russian air defense allegedly shot down two targets. Relevant videos appeared online.
On the night of December 29, residents of Maykop, the capital of the Republic of Adygea, heard explosions. The Khanskaya military airfield, where air defense operations were recorded, came under attack.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a full agreement on the peace plan might be reached in January 2026, while Donald Trump expects it within a few weeks. The plan is 90-95% agreed upon, with security guarantees and the military dimension being 100% agreed.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced 90% agreement on the 20-point peace plan and 100% agreement on security guarantees and the military dimension. This became known after a meeting with US President Donald Trump, who estimated the plan's agreement at 95%.
President Zelenskyy emphasized respect for the Ukrainian people and the complexity of the issue.
On the night of December 28, a warehouse storing Shahed-type UAVs, a pontoon crossing, and a repair unit of the Russian army in Donbas were hit.
Negotiations between the US and Ukrainian presidents focus on security guarantees and territories.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported 38 airstrikes and 2,539 shellings of Ukrainian troop positions. In the Pokrovsk direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine neutralized 146 occupiers.
US President Donald Trump said that talks to end the war are in their final stages, and a decision could be made soon. He stressed that his only deadline is to end the war.
US President Donald Trump stated that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is serious about a peace deal, and explosions are heard from both sides. He emphasized that both Ukraine and Russia are carrying out attacks.
The Presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump, have begun their meeting. Zelenskyy emphasized that the meeting is dedicated to peace talks and a plan, and thanked Trump for his support.
On December 20, Russian troops shot three Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers south of Huliaipole. The soldiers were supposed to take positions that had previously been abandoned by another unit.
Ukrenergo announced that on December 29, scheduled power outages and power restrictions for industrial consumers will be in effect in most regions of Ukraine. This is due to the consequences of Russian missile and drone attacks on energy facilities.
Pope Leo XIV sent three trucks with over 100,000 servings of instant soups to the regions of Ukraine most affected by the hostilities. This humanitarian aid, received from a Korean manufacturer, is important for the population facing damage to civilian infrastructure.
Since the beginning of the day, 103 combat engagements have been recorded at the front. The enemy is actively operating in the Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka, and Oleksandrivka directions, where fighting continues.
Fierce fighting continues in Huliaipole, with part of the city under the control of Russian troops. The occupiers are actively storming positions, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine are holding a significant part of the city, inflicting tangible losses on the enemy.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Ukraine is trying to change the situation on the battlefield instead of preparing for negotiations. Lavrov also accused European countries of blocking peace efforts.
Russian troops are accumulating and consolidating in the south of Pokrovsk, trying to enter the northern part of the city. The occupiers are also trying to penetrate Myrnohrad with small sabotage and reconnaissance groups.
Russia again attacked the Kherson CHP, causing significant damage. An employee was injured and hospitalized.
In Sumy region, a Russian drone attacked a vehicle delivering bread in the Stetskivka старостат (starostat). As a result of the strike, the car was damaged, but the people inside were not injured.
US President Donald Trump went to play golf in Palm Beach before meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, Kovalenko, stated that fighting for Huliaipole, Pokrovsk, and Myrnohrad is ongoing. Defense forces control the northern part of Pokrovsk, while the enemy resorts to propaganda in Myrnohrad.
Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine, denied the Russian command's statements about the capture of Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian units are in the city and its western outskirts, despite intense enemy attacks.
Following a local ceasefire brokered by the IAEA, repair work has begun on the power line near the ZNPP. The IAEA team is monitoring the repairs, which will last several days, to prevent a nuclear accident.
