+++ 11:47 Ukrainian Air Force expects problems due to bad weather +++

The worsening weather conditions are making the work of the Ukrainian mobile fire teams more difficult, explained Yuri Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, on Ukrainian television. "The weather is not a problem for anti-aircraft missile systems, but it will definitely be a problem for mobile fire teams," Ihnat said on TV, according to the Ukrinform portal. "Poor visibility and fog, plus the nights are longer than the days. And as the statistics show, attacks are mostly carried out at night. This makes the work of the units, which need a visual reference to the target, much more difficult," said Ihnat.

+++ 11:17 Putin on TV: War will continue +++Inhis question and answer session on Russian television this morning, President Vladimir Putin made it clear that the war against Ukraine will continue. "There will be peace when we have achieved our goals," said Putin at his end-of-year press conference in Moscow. According to ntv correspondent Rainer Munz, a new government is set to come to power in Kiev, a regime that is friendly to Russia. "It's all predetermined, that's what they wanted to show. It is interesting to see how confident Putin is on the outside," said Munz. The president also spoke about the "consolidation" of society, which, according to Munz, means nothing other than fines or penal camps whenever you express dissent. "That means consolidation of society. No one speaks up anymore."

+++ 11:00 Russian drone triggers alarm launch of German Eurofighters +++Russiandrone attacks on Ukraine violated NATO airspace over Romania on Thursday night. This triggered alarm launches by German Eurofighters. According to dpa, Russian aircraft were also identified by German crews through visual contact without an order from NATO to shoot them down. During the wave of attacks on targets in Ukraine, up to 70 Russian drones of the type Shahed 136 were registered, one of which exploded over Romanian airspace according to preliminary findings. The incident is considered significant.

+++ 10:51 Ukraine reinforces defense lines to the north +++Morethan two days after a suspected Russian act of sabotage, millions of customers of Ukraine's largest mobile phone provider Kyivstar are still without mobile telephony and internet. Even in the capital Kiev, no connection is currently possible via Kyivstar. Even the company's website only shows a warning. Kyivstar's network went down completely on Tuesday morning. The provider claims to have a good 24 million subscribers.

+++ 10:12 Ukraine strengthens defense lines to the north +++Thefront line runs in the east of Ukraine, but the armed forces are now also building additional barriers on the defense lines of the northern border with Belarus. In the Chernihiv region, according to the commander of the armed forces, Serhii Naiev, the first and second lines of defense are being reinforced in the most vulnerable regions. "If the threat increases, additional forces will be stationed on the prepared lines," announced Commander Naiev. "We will be ready to respond appropriately to any developments. The troops post a video on the Internet.

+++ 09:47 Due to Ukraine blockade: EU heads of government want to exert influence on Orban today +++Thestart of the EU summit in Brussels has been delayed followingblockade threats by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, among others, want to speak to Orban again before the summit. The Hungarian is threatening to block the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine. One of the sticking points at the two-day summit will be further financial aid for Ukraine. The Commission has proposed 50 billion euros, of which 17 billion should flow as a grant from the EU budget, while Kiev should receive the remaining 33 billion as loans.

+++ 09:30 Ukraine: Russia has lost 1300 soldiers since yesterday +++TheUkrainian defense forces say they have injured or killed 1300 Russian soldiers in the past 24 hours. In addition, according to Ukraine, 10 tanks were knocked out, 12 artillery systems, 22 armored vehicles and 33 drones.

+++ 08:49 For thefirst time since the start of the war: Putin answers questions in a TV spectacle

After a break last year due to the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding his first major Christmas press conference again today. The question and answer session for journalists will be combined with the TV show "The Direct Line" as a media spectacle on state television, in which citizens can describe their problems. The program will be called "Results of the Year" and will begin at 10 a.m. CET.

+++ 08:28 Russia puts Ukrainian intelligence chief on wanted list +++InRussia, the authorities have put the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov, on their wanted list. His name appeared today in a Russian Interior Ministry database of people wanted for violations of the Criminal Code. It is not known what Budanov is accused of. Budanov's influential authority has been held responsible for several attacks against Russia since February 2022, including the attack on the Crimean Bridge in 2022. In November, Kiev accused Moscow of poisoning Budanov's wife Marianna Budanova, an advisor to Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

+++ 07:40 Ukraine: 41 of 42 Russian drones shot down +++TheUkrainian air force says it shot down 41 of 42 attacking drones in the south of the country last night. The drones were launched in waves from three directions, including from Crimea, according to an internet post. Around midnight, six missiles were also launched from Russian-occupied Kherson.

A Russian soldier during a drone operator training course.

+++ 07:19 Habeck: No "trickery with Ukraine aid +++Federal Minister for Economic AffairsRobert Habeck rejects accusations that the coalition government "tricked" with Ukraine aid in the 2024 budget. In the event of a change in the situation in Ukraine, the coalition reserves the right to suspend the debt brake at a later date and to take out additional loans in order to provide more support in the defense campaign against Russia. "In my opinion, this is also completely in line with the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court," Habeck said on ZDF television yesterday evening. The accusation of trickery comes from CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz, who said yesterday in the Bundestag that the "emergency situation" that would be necessary to suspend the debt brake was already completely foreseeable. "You know that under the current circumstances, this country has absolutely no chance of winning this war," said Merz. Like a number of experts, the Union is calling for the Taurus cruise missile to be delivered as quickly as possible.

+++ 06:55 Russia reports nine drone attacks repelled +++ According to Russia, it repelled nine Ukrainian drone attacks on Thursday night. They were intercepted over the Moscow and Kaluga regions, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced according to the state news agency Tass. This could not initially be verified independently. It happens time and again that Russia claims to have successfully repelled attacks, but then damage is reported. Moscow's mayor Sergei Sobyanin had previously written on Telegram that two drones had been intercepted in the Moscow region.

+++ 06:34 Zelenskyi wants proof of "unwavering EU support +++ Ahead oftoday's EU summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has demanded proof of the EU's unwavering support and unity. In a telephone conversation with EU Council President Charles Michel, he explained that this was necessary "to strengthen Ukraine's stability in the face of Russian aggression and on its path to EU membership", according to a post on Telegram. With a 60 billion aid package for Ukraine still stuck in the USA because the Republicans are blocking it in Congress, Europe is all the more called upon to provide stronger and more continuous aid.

Following his visit to Washington, President Selensky yesterday urged the Nordic states to provide further military assistance.

+++ 05:05 Russia: Two drones intercepted over Moscow +++TheRussian air defense has reportedly shot down an enemy drone over Moscow. According to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, there were neither injuries nor damage. A drone had already been intercepted around two hours earlier.

+++ 03:44 Military administration: Russia shells seven communities in Sumy region +++Russianforces attacked seven communities near the border with Sumy region last day, according to the local military administration. The shelling targeted the communities of Seredyna-Buda, Velyka Pysarivka, Krasnopillia, Bilopillia, Yunakivka, Novo Sloboda and Khotin. The Russian troops fired twelve times during the day, causing at least 68 explosions and striking with mines, grenade launchers and mortars. No casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure were reported.

+++ 02:50 Kremlin: US support for Ukraine dwindling +++Russiasays it is observing a decline in US support for Ukraine. "The Americans are asking themselves what they are actually spending the money on," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the daily newspaper Izvestia. "The Kiev regime has promised the Americans a victory on the battlefield if they give them 100 billion dollars." The Americans would now realize that they had been deceived. "There is no victory on the battlefield, the Ukrainian forces are rapidly losing their positions. This process cannot be stopped." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington ended without a pledge of further US aid. The Republican Chairman of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, did not want to support US President Joe Biden's demand for 61.4 billion dollars for Ukraine.

+++ 01:35 First responders deploy after air strikes in Odessa +++Firstresponders in Odessa are busy cleaning up afterRussian air strikes that injured eleven people and damaged several buildings, according to the state emergency service. Among the victims are three children who have been taken to hospital with injuries. Rescue workers set up a mobile heating station, while the Red Cross organized the delivery of food and other necessary supplies.

+++ 00:15 Selenskyj urges EU accession talks in phone call with Meloni +++Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj urges the start of accession negotiations in a phone call with Italy's head of government Giorgia Meloni ahead of the EU summit. "I assume that the EU heads of state and government will recognize Ukraine's efforts and take this historic step," Selensky wrote on his Telegram channel. Ukraine has done its part of the work. He believed that the EU would demonstrate unity and strength, the Ukrainian president said, expressing optimism that he would receive an invitation to the start of the talks.

+++ 22:07 Ukraine denies Russian capture of Marjinka +++TheUkrainian military denies the capture of the town of Marjinka in the Donetsk region claimed by Russian military bloggers. "Information and provocations continue to be spread about the alleged complete capture of the city. The defense continues," wrote the Ukrainian commander responsible for this section of the front, Olexandr Tarnavskyi, on his Telegram channel. According to him, the Russian occupiers are continuing their attempts to storm the city. The information cannot be verified independently. Alongside Avdiivka, the heavily destroyed Mariinka is one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in the Donbass region.

You can read about all previous developments here.