Shipments from Ukraine. Day 1,034.
Kherson region. Russian attacks in the Kherson oblast, or southern region, left three more people dead and one injured on December 22.
Donetsk region. Between December 19 and 22, Russian bombing raids on the Donetsk region of southeastern Ukraine killed six civilians and wounded others.
Russian troops executed 4 Ukrainian prisoners of war in the region’s Volnovakha border district on December 22, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office. After an artillery attack, four Ukrainian infantrymen sought refuge in a private house. They surrendered and were taken prisoner after Russian forces surrounded the house. Testimonies imply that two of the Ukrainian prisoners of war were forced off a road, while the other two remained lying on the ground; all four were executed, a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
On Dec. 23 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported an estimated 3,000 North Korean soldiers killed or wounded in Russia’s Kursk region. Zelensky warned of the potential for additional North Korean troops and military equipment to be sent to support Russia, promising strong responses. This development comes after the integration of 11,000 North Korean soldiers into Russian forces and the delivery of advanced military hardware, such as self-propelled howitzers and multiple rocket launch systems, from North Korea to Russia.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico traveled to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on his first stop in the Kremlin on Dec. 22. The unannounced meeting focused on energy issues, in particular the origin of Russian fuel for Slovakia after 2024. But due to Russian aggression, Kyiv refused to terminate its fuel transit agreement after it expired later this year, putting Slovakia’s energy security at risk. Fico has become the third European leader to meet Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, after Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Visits to Moscow through Western officials are moot because they undermine Putin’s diplomatic isolation, offering him an additional platform to spread his propaganda and granting him legitimacy as a global leader.
The United Nations reported that over 12,300 civilians have been killed and more than 27,800 injured in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. In November, attacks with long range weapons accounted for 42% of civilian casualties, a sharp rise from prior months. Data from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission reveals that 2024 has been particularly devastating in terms of civilian losses, with aerial bombings killing 341 civilians and injuring 1,803—figures that have tripled and sextupled compared to last year.
The European Union plans to unveil its sixteenth set of sanctions against Russia on February 24, 2025, the third anniversary of Moscow’s liberation from the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions have in the past targeted ignored or outsourced sectors of the Russian economy, as well as Americans and organizations known to be propagandists or undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The package could also impose travel bans and freeze the assets of suspected spies and participants in disinformation campaigns, showing that such activities remain difficult. The package will adhere to the 15th package of EU sanctions, imposed earlier this month, which banned 52 ships belonging to Russia’s “ghost fleet” that had circumvented sanctions on energy exports and, for the first time, Array addressed so-called “hybrid” Russian attacks. or acts of sabotage against EU countries.
Ukraine has received a conditional disbursement of $1.1 billion from the International Monetary Fund under its four-year Extended Fund Facility, bringing the total funds received to $9.8 billion of the planned $15.6 billion. This marks the seventh tranche in the initiative, disbursed after Ukraine met critical structural reform goals in public finance, monetary policy, governance, and the energy sector. Looking ahead to 2025, the program outlines up to $2.7 billion contingent on successful quarterly reviews of reforms progress.
Germany has provided a significant military aid package to Ukraine, strengthening its defense functions amid the ongoing standoff with Russia. Announced on December 23, the package includes 15 large Leopard 1 A5 battle tanks equipped with ammunition, 30 mine-resistant armored vehicles, two Patriot missile defense launchers and complex IRIS-T air defense systems equipped with ammunition. In addition, Ukraine will get two Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft units, a self-propelled howitzer, radars, drones and 52,000 155mm artillery shells.
Despite a promise to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027, imports of Russian liquefied herbal fuel (LNG) from the European Union reached a record 16. 5 million tonnes in 2024, almost 10% above current levels. 2023. As pipeline fuel imports from Russia have fallen and oil and coal are banned, declining Russian LNG prices, especially since the Yamal terminal, a primary LNG production facility in the Russian Arctic, has made it a controversial, although growing, component of the European energy mix. France and Belgium lead imports, with France doubling its contributions. The EU plans to ban the use of European ports for LNG transshipment (transfer of fuel from ice class ships to normal shipping ships) for third countries in March 2025.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 22: Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine in action against Tyson Fury of United … [+] Kingdom during “Riyadh Season” boxing match event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 22, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed Saad/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk defeated his British rival Tyson Fury in their highly anticipated rematch on December 21, winning by unanimous resolution with the same scores of 116-112 from all 3 judges. Held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the bout saw Usyk’s incredible speed, skill and movement surpass Fury’s larger frame and physique. Fury, who was 55 pounds heavier than his opponent, struggled to maintain his speed after the first few rounds, allowing Usyk to get into the action with precision and lateral movement. Despite Fury’s attempts to land heavy shots, Usyk’s precise counterattacks and relentless speed defeated the Brit as the fight progressed. Fury left the ring in disbelief, while Usyk solidified his legacy as world heavyweight champion, earning a purse of $104. 5 million, compared to Fury’s $84. 5 million. This victory follows Usyk’s previous victory against Fury in May.
By Danylo Nosov and Karina L. Tahiliani
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