Ukraine

Ukrainian forces have successfully targeted the Kombinat Kristal oil storage facility in the city of Engels, located in Russia's Saratov Oblast, marking a significant military operation. Numerous explosions were reported in the area, with a large-scale fire breaking out at the site.

A recent survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in December revealed that 38 percent of Ukrainians are willing to accept territorial concessions in exchange for peace. This marks a noticeable increase compared to previous months, reflecting a shift in public opinion over the course of the past year.

Local residents take shelter in a metro station during an air strike alarm in Kiev on Dec. 31, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russia launched an aerial attack on Ukraine Tuesday, striking the capital and other regions with multiple missiles and drones.

The Financial Times in an op-ed yesterday lays out the next steps for Ukraine, which means “threatening” to shut down pipelines that still carry Russian gas to Europe.

Donald Trump is expected to continue providing military assistance to Ukraine during his second term, while pushing for NATO allies to significantly increase their defense spending, the Financial Times reports. The plan involves NATO member states doubling their defense expenditure to 5% of GDP, alongside offering European Union countries more favorable trade terms with the United States.

A draft agreement between Bulgaria and Ukraine outlines several commitments between the two nations, including the potential supply of electricity from Bulgaria to Ukraine, as well as military training initiatives.

The European Commission has approved an allocation of nearly 4.1 billion euros to Ukraine as part of the first pillar of the country facility, bringing the total funding under this mechanism to 16.1 billion euros. The funds are intended to support Ukraine's ongoing reforms and recovery efforts amid the ongoing challenges it faces.

Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia plans to visit Kyiv next month and is open to holding meetings in Moscow if invited, Bloomberg reports, as the new administration aims to end the nearly three-year war as soon as possible.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that Ukraine will not extend its current gas transit agreement with Russia, which is set to expire on January 1, 2025.

Ukraine's military forces confirmed a strike on the Stalnoi Kon linear production dispatch station, an oil depot located in Russia's Oryol Oblast, on the night of 13-14 December. The facility, described as one of the largest oil product terminals in the area, sustained significant damage, causing a large fire.