Wednesday, December 18
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Ukrainian army medics treat Ukrainian soldiers injured in combat, in a stabilisation point in the direction of Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast on Dec. 17, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo / Anadolu via Getty Images)
Ukraine’s SBU assassinates Russian general charged with chemical weapons crimes, source claims. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and another Russian service member were reportedly killed in an explosion in Moscow on the morning of Dec. 17.
Trump’s Ukraine peace envoy plans January trip to Kyiv, European capitals, Reuters reports. The Trump administration’s incoming Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, plans to visit Kyiv and several European capitals in early January as part of the new administration’s effort to address the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russia may encircle Ukrainian forces near Velyka Novosilka, monitoring group says. According to DeepState’s map, Ukrainian troops in Makarivka south of Velyka Novosilka have been almost surrounded. Analysts warn that the situation around Makarivka is becoming more critical as Russian troops continue their advances.
Zelensky rejects Orban’s mediation, says he has no leverage over Putin. “Ukraine is a strong country and has proven it on the battlefield throughout Putin’s aggression. Does anyone else in Europe have this experience now? No. Does Orban have such an army? No. How will he put pressure on Putin? With a joke, a smile? Let him keep it,” Zelensky said, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
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Ukraine ‘strongly condemns’ African delegation’s visit to Russian-occupied territories. “Their statements during this visit about opposing colonialism, made on Ukrainian land illegally seized by Russia in the course of its neocolonial war of aggression against Ukraine, are completely absurd,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Russia heavily attacking in Kursk Oblast for 3rd day, ‘actively’ using North Korean troops, Syrskyi says. “For the third day, Russian forces have been conducting intensive offensive operations in Kursk Oblast, actively using North Korean units,” Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Defense Ministry to investigate alleged abuse of service members in engineering brigade. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Dec. 16 ordered an investigation into the alleged abuse, extortion, and humiliation of soldiers in the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade by their commanders.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine’s SBU assassinates Russian general charged with chemical weapons crimes
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and another Russian service member were reportedly killed in an explosion on the morning of Dec. 17 in the Russian capital. Ukrainian prosecutors previously charged Kirillov with using banned chemical weapons in the war against Ukraine.
Photo: AFPTV / AFP via Getty Images
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Who was Russian General Igor Kirillov, Ukraine’s latest assassination target?
Moscow’s forces have been increasingly deploying gas attacks against Ukrainian troops, a Kyiv Independent investigation from August found, and Igor Kirillov has since been sanctioned by the U.K. for his role in their use. Ukrainian soldiers and officers interviewed by the Kyiv Independent acknowledged that the tactic is effective.
Photo: Sefa Karacan / Anadolu via getty Images
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Anne Applebaum explains the playbook of autocracies in new book
As Ukraine’s Western allies grapple with how far they can go in supporting the embattled country against a war of total annihilation, Russia’s intent reveals not only a profound contempt for the Ukrainian people, their history, but also a broader aspiration to reshape the world into a landscape marked by the erosion of individual freedoms.
Collage of the book cover “Autocracy, Inc.” by Anne Applebaum and a photo by Vladimir Smirnon / POOL / AFP via Getty Images.
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Human cost of war
Ukraine’s Special Forces claim to kill 50 North Korean soldiers in 3 days. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces killed 50 North Korean soldiers and injured 47 others in three days of fighting in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, the unit said on Dec. 17.
Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 4, injure 6 over past day. A Russian attack killed one person in the front-line town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
International response
NATO takes lead in coordinating Western military aid to Ukraine, Reuters reports. NATO has assumed responsibility for coordinating Western military aid to Ukraine through the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine center, Reuters reported on Dec. 17, citing its sources.
UK sanctions 20 Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tankers, announces financial aid to Ukraine. The United Kingdom sanctioned 20 vessels of Russia’s “shadow fleet” and pledged 35 million pounds ($44 million) in aid to repair Ukraine’s energy grid, the British government said on Dec. 17.
Slovak energy company, partners call for continued gas transit via Ukraine. Slovakia’s state-owned energy company SPP and its partners in Hungary, Italy, and Austria called for continued gas transit through Ukraine in a declearation published on Dec. 17.
Most Poles favor Ukraine peace deal with territorial concessions, poll finds. The survey found that 55% of respondents prioritized ending the conflict over Ukraine’s territorial integrity, up from 39% in September 2024 and 26% in April 2022.
In other news
Ukraine sets goal to open all EU negotiation clusters in 2025, Zelensky says. “During Poland’s EU presidency, we expect to open at least two clusters and six in total. To be honest, our goal is very ambitious — to open all the clusters next year,” Zelensky said at the All-Ukrainian Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
Ukraine’s parliament supports bill on multiple citizenship in first reading. The legislation lists permissible cases for holding multiple citizenship and simplifies procedures for foreigners to obtain Ukrainian citizenship.
Poland-Ukraine relations show progress on historical issues, defense cooperation, Tusk says. President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Lviv on Dec. 17 to discuss bilateral cooperation, historical reconciliation, and coordination with Western partners.
MP Boyko calls Putin ‘war criminal,’ apologizes for pro-Russian statement after interrogation. “I do not want my words to be used by the Russian Federation or war criminal Putin to justify their aggression against our country,” Boyko said. “If my words insulted some Ukrainians who are fighting on the front line or working on the home front to achieve victory, I want to apologize.”
MP expelled from Zelensky’s party faces trial on charges of assaulting war veteran. The bureau said it had completed the investigation against Tyshchenko on charges of illegally detaining and assaulting a war veteran in Dnipro.
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