Sunday, December 15

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Local residents feed street cats in the city of Pokrovsk, eastern Donetsk region, on December 14, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images)

Over 2,000 Ukrainian military personnel hospitalized for chemical poisoning since start of full-scale war, Ukrainian colonel says. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 2,000 Ukrainian servicemen have been hospitalized with chemical poisoning, and three have died, Ukrainian Colonel Artem Vlasiuk said during a Dec. 13 press briefing.

North Korean troops joining Russian assaults in Kursk, Zelensky says. North Korean units have sustained “noticeable losses” alongside Russian troops in Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 14.

Russia’s focus on Ukraine weakened support for Syria’s Assad, UK Defense Ministry says. Russia’s focus on the war in Ukraine has significantly reduced its ability to support Syria’s Assad regime, increasing the risk of losing key military assets in the region, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on Dec. 13 via X.

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North Korean troops open fire on Russian unit, Ukraine’s military intelligence claims. North Korean soldiers allegedly killed eight members of the Chechen Akhmat unit in a “friendly fire” incident, HUR said, attributing the attack to persistent language barrier problems.

Ukraine downs 58 of 132 Russian drones launched overnight, Air Force reports. Ukrainian air defense intercepted 58 drones out of 132 launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported on its Telegram channel on Dec. 14.a

Read our exclusives

Outnumbered and outgunned, Ukraine struggles to halt Russian advance near Pokrovsk

Russian troops are closing in on Pokrovsk from the east and south. After the capture of Shevchenko village just south of the city, Russian forces are less than 4 kilometers from this key logistics hub sitting in Donetsk Oblast.

Photo: Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images

How will Russia’s war in Ukraine end? The good, the bad, and the ugly scenarios

After nearly three years of heavy battles and mass strikes, Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine is showing signs of accelerating toward what could be its final act, for now at least.  

Photo: Nikoletta Stoyanova/Getty Images

With Ukraine’s ace drone unit hunting Russian soldiers near Kupiansk

Human cost of war

Suspected terrorist attack in Dnipro kills 1, injures 4. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has classified the incident as a terrorist attack and detained a 37-year-old resident suspected of acting on instructions from Russian special services.

Ukrainian film actor Yakiv Tkachenko killed in action. Yakiv Tkachenko, a theater and film actor from Dnipro, was killed in action while serving on the front line with Ukraine’s 128th Territorial Defense Brigade.

International response

UK’s Starmer urges G7 to intensify pressure on Putin with sanctions. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has emphasized the importance of inflicting “maximum pain” on Russian President Vladimir Putin through additional sanctions and enhanced military support for Ukraine.

Norway to relocate Ukrainian F-16 pilot training base to Portugal, Norwegian defense minister says. Norway will continue training Ukrainian F-16 pilots as part of its support for Ukraine’s defense and will relocate its training base from Denmark to Portugal, Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram announced in a Dec. 13 press release.

US weighs sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet, Chinese banks supporting war effort, Reuters says. Washington is considering more sanctions on “shadow fleet” tankers and has not ruled out targeting Chinese banks if they are found to be involved in Russia’s war effort, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Reuters in an interview on Dec. 13.

German CDU party highlights support for Ukraine in election program, European Pravda reports. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), one of Germany’s leading political parties, has reaffirmed its support for Ukraine as part of its platform in the upcoming German parliamentary elections, European Pravda reported on Dec. 14.

In other news

Ukraine calls for FIFA apology over map featuring Crimea. Ukraine has criticized FIFA for an “unacceptable error” after a map displayed during the 2026 World Cup draw appeared to exclude Crimea from Ukraine’s territory.

Kyiv delayed minerals deal with US to let Trump take credit, NYT reports. Ukrainian authorities twice delayed signing the agreement, officials on both sides of the negotiations said. The delays offer the opportunity for Trump to claim an early victory at the start of his term.

Ukraine sending humanitarian aid to Syria to prevent ‘food crisis,’ Zelensky says. “We are ready to help Syria prevent a food crisis … I have instructed the government to organize food deliveries in cooperation with international organizations and partners willing to help.”

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