00:30 Mützenich wants to talk more about peace than war

While Russia continues its war against Ukraine with undiminished ferocity, SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich wants to talk more about peace than war again. "We shouldn't just be concerned with war, but also with how wars can be ended," Mützenich told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "Security policy is more than military policy." He complained that his party colleague and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had called for the country to become "fit for war" again: "We should not formulate it in such a way that we have to make Germany fit for war, but that we have to be able to defend ourselves."

23:25 USA concerned about Navalny's condition
The USA expresses concern about the conditions under which Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is being held. It is to be welcomed that, after almost three weeks of uncertainty, there is information about Navalny's whereabouts, the US State Department announced. "However, we remain deeply concerned about Mr. Navalny's well-being and the conditions of his unjust detention". The State Department statement continued: "We have told the Russian government that it is responsible for what happens to Mr. Navalny in its custody and that the international community is watching closely."

22:22 Putin increases visa fees for EU countries
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill that reintroduces fees for issuing Russian visas to citizens of certain European countries. According to the state news agency TASS, the law affects citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland as well as the entire European Union. People who were previously exempt from the visa fee, such as close relatives of Russians, pupils, students or long-distance drivers, must now pay it. The law suspends the provision that set the visa fee at 35 euros. From now on, all citizens of European countries will be charged a visa fee of between 50 and 300 US dollars, depending on the urgency and number of entries requested.

21:05 Selenskyj: Every Russian pilot must make a choice
In his address on Christmas Day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the men and women who are defending Ukraine from Russian aggressors. He also thanked the emergency services and fire departments, as well as the country's police forces. Selensky also cited recent shootings of Russian drones and jets and said that every Russian pilot must make a clear personal decision as to whether or not they want to continue participating in the war. Ukraine's air defense will become even stronger - especially when promised air defense systems are put into service. Selensky explicitly mentioned F-16 jets.

20:06 Medvedev: Foreigners who set up bases in Ukraine will be attacked
Former Russian head of state Dmitry Medvedev has declared that if a foreign military base is set up in Ukraine, Moscow will inevitably launch an attack against it, as such an attack would implicitly be directed against Russia. Putin's henchman announced this on his Telegram channel, which was also picked up by the Russian state agency Tass.

19:07 Mutual accusations about Horlivka
While officials deployed by Russia in the eastern Ukrainian city of Horlivka claim that one person was killed by Kiev's shelling of a shopping center yesterday, the Ukrainian side says that Russian attacks killed five civilians. The Russian and Ukrainian reports are difficult to verify independently.

18:41 Ukraine rejects Russian report about the capture of Mariinka
The Ukrainian military rejects Russian claims about the capture of Mariinka in the east of the country. "Our forces are still in the city," says an army spokesman on television. The respective statements cannot be independently verified.

17:56 Putin on "revival" of naval construction
Russian President Vladimir Putin attended an inauguration ceremony for new naval vessels at a shipyard in St. Petersburg. He described the introduction of the latest ships into the fleet as "further proof that our shipbuilding industry is on the rise and is now entering the rhythmic mass production of warships of various classes. This is the most important and fundamental step towards the revival and development of our shipbuilding industry," Putin said. Five frigates, eight corvettes, 13 small missile ships and more than 50 other ships of various classes are currently under construction.

16:57 Russia reports capture of the town of Marjinka
After months of fighting, Russia's army has reportedly occupied the completely destroyed town of Marjinka in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. Maryinka is now under Russian control, said Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. A video clip of the meeting was published by the Russian Ministry of Defense. This information could not be independently verified. There was initially no official reaction from Kiev. So far, the Ukrainian General Staff has only reported ongoing fighting.

15:55 University rector: Ukrainian music underestimated
According to the president of the Mannheim University of Music, music experts in Germany have not adequately appreciated Ukraine's independent music. "Many were unaware of the differences between Ukrainian and Russian culture, we made the big mistake of thinking that all these Ukrainian achievements were part of Russian culture," said Rudolf Meister in a press conference. While musicians in Russia had partly consciously and partly unconsciously distanced themselves from the European musical tradition, Ukraine had been oriented towards the West for centuries.

15:09 Pope wishes peace for Ukraine
In his Christmas message this year, the Pope called for peace in several conflict regions - including Ukraine. Francis wished "peace for Ukraine", where the predominantly Christian Orthodox Ukrainians celebrated Christmas on December 25 for the first time this year instead of January 7. Francis also included the people in the two hostile Caucasus states of Armenia and Azerbaijan in his prayers for peace. In his Christmas message last year, Francis called in vain for an end to the "senseless war" in Ukraine. This year, Christmas is overshadowed not only by the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine but also by the war between Israel and the radical Islamic group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

14:31 Missed competitions after the start of the war: Russian and Belarusian riders will not compete at the Olympics
The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes will not compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The decision is based on the fact that the athletes have not participated in FEI events since March 2, 2022 due to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions and have therefore not been able to collect the necessary points for Olympic qualification, the FEI announced.

13:57 World Bank helps Ukraine with billions
Ukraine will receive 1.22 billion euros from the World Bank, the Ministry of Finance in Kiev announced. "The funds will be used to compensate for non-security and defense-related expenditures of the Ukrainian state budget," explains the ministry. This includes social benefits and salaries for employees of state services.

13:21 Kiev wants to present draft law on mobilization
Kiev intends to announce details of a draft law "in the coming days" that will regulate the mobilization of conscripts. This was announced by Defense Minister Rustem Umyerev on Ukrainian public radio. "We are preparing a mobilization plan that should be understandable to the public," he says. It will also regulate when rotations take place and when military service ends. The military had requested the mobilization of 450,000 to 500,000 additional soldiers. President Zelensky said that the military, the government and later the parliament would discuss "this very sensitive issue".

12:46 How premature babies are being saved in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine is leading to an increase in premature births. Caring for newborns is particularly delicate in times of war. Power cuts can be life-threatening. The "RTL Wir helfen Kindern" foundation supplies important equipment and medicines for this purpose.

12:18 Latvia donates cars of drunk drivers to Ukraine
Latvia is supporting Ukraine with cars that were previously confiscated from drunk drivers. A law was passed specifically for this purpose in February. Since then, Latvia has already sent 271 confiscated cars to Ukraine, writes the news portal "Delfi", citing information from financial authorities. The total value of the vehicles is estimated at almost one million euros.

11:30 Russian media report fire on nuclear icebreaker
According to Russian reports, there was a fire on the nuclear-powered icebreaker "Sevmorput" while the ship was in the port of Murmansk. According to the state news agency Ria Novosti, there was a fire in one of the cabins, which was quickly extinguished, citing the rescue service. No one was injured. The ship's operator, Atomflot, stated that the fire had not endangered the reactor plant. The cause of the fire is not known.

11:07 Military: Drone attacks cause damage in the port of Odessa
According to the Ukrainian military, the Russian drone attacks on Odessa have caused damage: The port infrastructure had been damaged by falling debris from downed drones, and a fire had also been started. According to the military, 17 drones were shot down in the Odessa region. This cannot be verified. The authorities are also reporting destruction in the Kherson region and in the Dnipropetrovsk region. There are no casualties.

10:36 Ukraine reports downing of Russian jets
Ukraine announces the shooting down of two Russian fighter jets following the Russian attacks at night. One Sukhoi Su-34 fighter jet had already been shot down the day before in the Donetsk region, the other Su-30CM over the Black Sea, the air force said. They also reported strikes against enemy positions, including weapons and ammunition depots. The Ukrainian military had previously announced that 28 of 31 drones and two missiles had been shot down during the night. The most drone attacks in a period of more than six hours were again in the Odessa area.

10:09 Russia sees itself ahead in the arms race with the West
Russia believes it has the upper hand in the arms race triggered by the war in Ukraine. "I don't want to boast, but I can say that we started to step up and increase production earlier than the Western countries," says Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, who is responsible for armaments, according to the RIA news agency. The question is how long the race will continue. Manturov points out that the armaments plan for the years 2025-2034 is to be adopted next year. Funds for state defense contracts have doubled in the current year compared to 2022.

09:40 There is an air alert throughout Ukraine
There has been an air alert throughout Ukraine since around 9.30 am our time. The Ukrainian air force warns of possible missile attacks. The alert is lifted after two hours.

09:10 Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on December 25 for the first time
For the first time, most Orthodox Christians in Ukraine will celebrate Christmas on December 25instead of January 7. Many believers already took part in the Christmas Eve services yesterday. Ukraine had changed its holiday calendar in order to distance itself from Russia. Parliament abolished the national Christmas holiday on January 7. Only the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has long been linked to Moscow, is sticking to the old date.

Solemn procession on Christmas Eve in Lviv.

Servicemen and women of the 14th Brigade at the Christmas Eve service near the front line ...

Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, at the service in Kiev.

A woman prays in the kitchen of her home before Christmas dinner in the village of Kryworiwnja.

08:33 Foreign companies withdraw from Russian gas production
Foreign shareholders are putting their participation in Russian gas production Arctic LNG 2 on hold due to Western sanctions. This means they are foregoing investments and purchase agreements, reports the newspaper Kommersant. As a result, the gas has to be sold on the spot market. The Chinese oil giants CNOOC Ltd and China National Petroleum Corp each hold a ten percent stake in the project. TotalEnergies from France and a Japanese consortium are also involved in Arctic LNG 2. Gas production is controlled by Russia's Novatek, which owns 60 percent of Arctic LNG 2.

08:01 Ukraine: Air defense intercepts drones and missiles
Russia fired 31 drones and two missiles at Ukraine during the night, the Ukrainian military reports. The air defense intercepted 28 drones and both missiles. The air strikes targeted the regions of Odessa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kirovohrad and Khmelnytskyi. Read more here.

07:24 Putin grants vacation: Dialogue with soldiers is said to be staged
According to the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian President Putin is trying to present himself as a benevolent leader who cares about the well-being of Russian military personnel on the one hand and as an effective commander-in-chief of the armed forces on the other. An interaction between Putin and soldiers at a ceremony on December 19 was probably staged for this purpose, writes ISW. The footage in question was published by a Kremlin journalist on Christmas Eve. According to the footage, Putin spoke to Russian military personnel who said that they wanted to see their loved ones, but that their commanders had to give them leave. Putin replied: "Let them rest! The commander has already decided. That's me." Meanwhile, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov was also present and simply said "that's the way it is". This scene could also serve to push Gerasimov into the "role of an inefficient bureaucrat", the ISW explains. "Putin's seemingly spontaneous granting of leave to Russian military personnel is indicative of Putin's continued efforts to portray himself as a dedicated wartime leader, responsive to the wishes of his troops and rewarding those who are loyal to him, while reminding the Russian public that Gerasimov is subordinate to him."

06:47 Shepps warns West not to let Putin win
The West cannot afford to lose the war in Ukraine, says British Defense Secretary Grant Shepps in an interview with the Sunday Times. "If we allow Putin to win this war by dragging it out, and he somehow wins it by wearing down the rest, then we will suffer the consequences. And those consequences will be incredibly harsh for Europe, the UK and the world." Sheps concludes: "So we literally cannot afford not to win this war."

06:18 Communities in the north are under fire
According to regional authorities, the north-eastern Ukrainian region of Sumy, which borders Russia, is once again coming under massive shelling. According to the report, the Russian army fired rocket launchers, artillery, mortars and mines at seven communities on Christmas Eve. According to reports, 68 explosions were recorded. No injuries were reported.

05:43 Ex-NATO Supreme Allied Commander: "We can afford military aid for Ukraine"
Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis calls for more help for Ukraine. "It's a very dangerous situation and the real action is not actually taking place in Kiev. The real action is taking place in Washington," Stavridis said on the radio program "Cats Roundtable". "We need to provide military support to Ukraine. Their cause is just." Stavridis calculates that half of the Russian army has been destroyed without US soldiers being "killed or even endangered" and that the country has done so with "the equivalent of five percent" of the annual US defense budget. "We can afford it and we should do it. So I'm only worried about the war in Ukraine if the US and our European allies don't fulfill our obligation to support Ukraine," Stavridis continues.

04:58 Ukraine: Russian SU-34 fighter jet shot down
The Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleschuk announces on Telegram that the armed forces have destroyed a Russian SU-34 fighter-bomber that was heading towards Mariupol. "It has been confirmed that our air defense missile system hit the SU-34 fighter-bomber heading towards Mariupol. It did not return to the airfield," writes Oleschuk. At the same time, the air force commander reports that combat missions against Russian SU-30s are taking place in the Black Sea in the direction of Odessa.

03:36 Russians report dead and injured in Donetsk
In the Russian-occupied areas of the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, one woman has been killed and six civilians injured in Ukrainian shelling of the town of Horlivka, a Russian official says. A shopping center and several buildings were destroyed.

02:37 Five dead after Russian shelling in Kherson
According to Ukrainian reports, five civilians have been killed in Russian attacks in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson. Three people died in the shelling of a residential building and an apartment in the city of Kherson, a woman was killed in a drone attack in a small town south of Kherson and another woman was killed when a town further north came under heavy shelling, according to the regional police. Gas and water supplies were also partially disrupted by the attacks, which also hit a medical facility, said the head of the press office of the Kherson regional military administration, Oleksandr Tolokonnikov.

01:37 EU counts 4.1 million Ukrainian refugees
According to the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA), the number of asylum seekers in Germany and Europe has risen massively this year. In October alone, the agency registered around 123,000 applications, the highest monthly figure for seven years, EUAA Director Nina Gregori told the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper. The total number of asylum applications in the EU will be "well over one million" in 2023. The number of refugees from Ukraine has also continued to rise. At the end of October, 4.16 million Ukrainians were registered in the EU as enjoying temporary protection - 320,000 more than in January, says Gregori. At the end of October, Germany was the most important host country in the EU with around 1.17 million Ukrainian refugees, while Poland was the second most important with 957,000 Ukrainians.

23:37 Another break with Moscow: Ukraine celebrates Christmas on 25.12.
Orthodox Christians in Ukraine have prepared to celebrate Christmas on December 25 instead of January 7 for the first time. Many believers already took part in the Christmas Eve services on Sunday. The majority of them supported Kiev's decision last summer to postpone the date for Christmas in order to distance itself from Russia. In his Christmas message recorded in the famous Cave Monastery in Kiev, President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized in the evening that all Ukrainians celebrate Christmas "together", "on the same day, as one big family, as one nation, as one united country". The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, spoke of a "local turning point". For the first time, Ukraine was celebrating "Christmas together with the whole world on December 25", Makeiev explained in the online service X.

22:40 Girkin supporters gather in Moscow
Hundreds of supporters of imprisoned former separatist leader Igor Girkin have gathered in Moscow to support his candidacy for next year's Russian presidential election. Over 300 of them gathered in a hotel in the Russian capital to campaign for Girkin. Among them were many women, elderly people and military veterans. Some wore T-shirts with Girkin's face and the slogan "Freedom for Strelkov", his pseudonym. The military blogger supports the current Russian offensive in Ukraine, but strongly condemns its military strategy as not tough enough.

22:04 Russians step up attacks on Dnipro bridgeheads
On December 24, the Russian armed forces apparently stepped up their attacks on the left bank of the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine. This is according to information from the Ukrainian High Command. According to the information, the defenders repelled 23 Russian attacks. However, the Russian attackers received a "good thrashing" and suffered "considerable losses", according to the army command. The Ukrainians held the front line and their positions. Yesterday, Saturday, the defenders reported 15 repulsed attacks from there. Ukrainian units have established bridgeheads on the southern bank of the Dnipro.

You can read all previous developments here.