+++ 17:26 Poland wants the EU to return to transport permits for Ukrainian trucks +++

Poland will urge the European Union to restore permits for Ukrainian truck drivers. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told the Reuters news agency. The EU had previously revoked these previously required transport permits for Ukrainian freight traffic. After a blockade at the border that lasted almost a month, the first empty trucks were able to pass through the newly opened Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv border crossing on the Ukrainian-Polish border this morning. This was preceded by an agreement between Kiev and Warsaw. This is a first step towards de-escalating the border blockade, which has paralyzed Ukrainian trade since the beginning of November. It is estimated that Ukraine has lost over 400 million euros in trade so far.

+++ 16:47 SBU: Russian ammunition depot in Luhansk Oblast destroyed +++TheUkrainian domestic intelligence service SBU has reportedly destroyed a Russian military ammunition depot and armored vehicles near the occupied small town of Svatove in Luhansk Oblast. According to the Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform, this was announced by the SBU headquarters in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. According to the report, intelligence officers had received secret information about the location of the ammunition depot and the occupying forces' armored vehicles. "After two night drone strikes, the targets were successfully hit."

+++ 16:22 Two Ukrainian soldiers "executed" - Tavria fighters report killing of Russian group of soldiers +++Ukraine accuses Russia of shooting dead two Ukrainian soldiers who had already surrendered, thereby committing a war crime. The Russian soldiers involved in this "execution" are now said to have been killed near the town of Avdiivka. Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesman for the Tavria group of troops, confirmed to the Ukrainian newspaper "Kyiv Independent" that "the group of Russian occupiers who committed this crime has ceased to exist".

+++ 15:51 Death toll rises to three after Russian attack on Novohrodivka +++Thedeath toll has risen to three after a Russian missile attack on Novohrodivka in Donetsk Oblast. This was reported by the Ukrainian newspaper "Kyiv Independent", citing the acting governor Ihor Moroz. The Russian military had attacked the city in eastern Ukraine on the night of November 29-30.

+++ 15:26 Ukrainian advisor: Change tactics to defense in some areas +++Accordingto an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky, theUkrainian military is changing its war tactics. In some areas, the troops are concentrating more on defense, while in others the focus remains on the offensive, writes Mychailo Podoljak on Platform X. The government is also focusing on domestic weapons production and wants to intensify talks with partners about military equipment.

+++ 14:59 Selenskyj: More than seven million tons of grain exported - "Corridor is working +++According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj, thegrain corridor is working. "The mark of seven million tons of cargo has been exceeded," the Ukrainian head of state wrote in a message on Telegram. Since Russia unilaterally terminated the grain agreement last July, Ukraine has been looking for new ways to maintain the export of its grain. Before the outbreak of war, around 90 percent of grain exports were made by sea. The seven million tons are only a small part of the actually planned export volumes, which amount to more than 40 million tons of grain annually.

+++ 14:31 Ukrainian advisor rejects pessimistic assessments about the course of the war +++AntonGerashchenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, rejects pessimistic assessments about the war. "Ukraine is considerably weakening Russia's combat potential for a possible future conflict. Russia is suffering enormous losses in terms of both soldiers and weapons," he wrote on social media. "The West gets a strong, battle-tested and NATO-standardized army on its eastern flank - the Ukrainian army." Gerashchenko admits that "great challenges and tests lie ahead of us", but emphasizes: "We must remain united, learn from our successes and mistakes, remain strong and have confidence."

+++ 13:55 Ukraine: Kindergarten damaged in Russian attack +++Akindergarten was damaged and one person injured in a Russian attack on the Korabel district of Kherson. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported this on Telegram. According to the report, the attack occurred at around 11 a.m., during which the walls of the facility were damaged and windows destroyed. It is not yet clear whether the injured person is a child or an employee of the kindergarten. The full consequences of the attack are currently being investigated.

+++ 13:26 Report: Zelenskyi bypasses Supreme Commander Salushnyi +++TheUkrainian president is said to be bypassing the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Valery Salushnyi. This was reported by "Ukrainska Pravda", citing anonymous sources. Zelenskyi would maintain "parallel lines of communication" with the heads of some military departments instead of communicating with Salushnyi, they say. These included the commander of the ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and the commander of the air force, Mykola Oleschuk. "There is an impression that Zelenskyi has divided the armed forces into two groups: the 'good' one, which is commanded by Syrskyi and others, and the 'bad' one, which is subordinate to Salushnyi," a person from Salushnyi's inner circle told Ukrainska Pravda. This would demotivate the commander-in-chief and prevent him from commanding the entire military.

+++ 13:05 Ukrainian soldiers set up Christmas tree near Bakhmut +++TheUkrainian armed forces have set up a Christmas tree near Bakhmut. They call it "the country's main Christmas tree", as reported by the news platform "Voice of Ukraine". Anton Gerashenko, advisor to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, also shared a picture of the tree on X. He wrote "instead of 1000 words". The tree is located just six kilometers from the destroyed town of Bakhmut. Russian troops took the town in May after heavy fighting.

+++ 12:40 Ukraine: Russians open new fronts in the battle for Avdiivka +++ According to Ukrainiansources, Russia has opened new fronts in the battle for Avdiivka. "The current third wave of the enemy's attack differs from the previous two in that it has opened two new directions," said the city's mayor, Vitaliy Barabash, according to the AFP news agency. "The opening of new directions proves that the enemy has received orders to take the city at any cost." Barabash told state media that the recent events were an attempt to distract the Ukrainian defense forces and close a gap west of the city, which would completely encircle it. According to independent military analysts, around 1,300 civilians remain in the city, which was once home to around 30,000 people.

+++ 12:16 London estimates the number of Russians killed at 70,000 +++According to British estimates, around 70,000 Russians have been killed in the war of aggression against Ukraine. This includes 50,000 regular soldiers and 20,000 members of the Wagner private army, according to the British Ministry of Defense. The number of wounded between the start of the war on February 24, 2022 and the end of November 2023 is estimated in London at 180,000 to 240,000 soldiers and 40,000 Wagner fighters. "This gives an estimated total range of 290,000 to 350,000 casualties among Russian combatants. The mean value of the estimate is a total of 320,000 Russian casualties," it continues. Exact figures are difficult to obtain. Even in Russia, the total number of dead and wounded is probably not known, as there is an established culture of dishonest reporting within the military.

+++ 11:42 White House on Ukraine aid: "Have no more money" +++TheUS government is pushing for a green light from Congress for further Ukraine aid. "If Congress does not act, we will run out of resources by the end of the year to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from US military stocks," said White House budget office director Shalanda Young. There is no "magic funding pot" available. "We're out of money - and almost out of time." In October, President Joe Biden asked Congress for a financial package worth almost 106 billion dollars, which includes aid for Ukraine, but also for Israel and security measures on the US border. However, the House of Representatives is controlled by the Republicans, and the Ukraine aid is highly controversial in their ranks.

+++ 11:12 Reisner: Warring parties deliberately set off "information bombs" +++Afterthe start of the Russian war of aggression, experts say that Ukraine quickly gained control of the interpretation of the conflict. This is an important part of warfare, explains Colonel Markus Reisner. According to him, the warring parties deliberately control the media "with information bombs" in order to convince the population of their own motives. To do this, they follow a "precisely defined catalog of measures", explains Reisner.

+++ 10:46 Governor: Deputy Russian commander killed +++ VladimirZavadsky, the deputy commander of the 14th Russian Army Corps in Ukraine, has been killed. This was confirmed by Alexander Gusev, the governor of the south-western region of Voronezh, on Telegram. He published a picture of the commander and expressed his condolences to his family. He gave no further details on how the commander, Major General Zavadsky, died. Earlier unconfirmed news reports suggested that Zavadsky was killed by a landmine, according to Sky News. Moscow has not yet officially confirmed the commander's death.

+++ 10:26 Rheinmetall supplies ammunition to Ukraine for 142 million euros +++TheRheinmetall defense group has received a major order for the supply of artillery ammunition to Ukraine worth 142 million euros. The order comprises a five-digit number of 155 millimeter caliber artillery shells. According to the company, the customer is a NATO partner country. It is the declared aim of this country "to provide effective and long-term support for Ukraine's defense campaign". The projectiles are to be manufactured by the subsidiary Rheinmetall Expal Munitions in Spain. They are to be delivered in 2025. "The demand for artillery ammunition is currently very high," the company continues. This applies to Ukraine's acute needs and the replenishment of the "largely empty" ammunition depots in Germany and other NATO and EU countries.

+++ 10:01 Report: Ukraine attacks oil depot in Luhansk +++Accordingto a report by the Russian news agency RIA, Ukrainian troops have attacked an oil depot in Russian-occupied Luhansk with drones. The agency cites the Russian-installed authorities in the occupied eastern Ukrainian region. A fire that broke out after the drone attack was extinguished. There are no reports of possible victims.

+++ 09:35 Weichert: Klitschko accuses Selenskyj of dictatorship +++AfterKiev's mayor Vitali Klitschko accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj of making mistakes in an interview, things are boiling behind the scenes. This is reported by ntv reporter Jürgen Weichert. According to the report, Klitschko accuses the president of dictatorship.

+++ 09:12 After blockade: First trucks pass new Polish-Ukrainian border crossing +++Thefirst 30 trucks have passed the newly opened Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv border crossing on the Ukrainian-Polish border. Polish truck drivers began blocking truck traffic at three border crossings on 6 November to protest against the liberalization of EU transport regulations for Ukrainian trucks. "Since the morning of 4 December, border guards at the Uhryniv checkpoint have cleared 30 heavy vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of more than 7.5 tons to leave Ukraine," the authorities announced via Telegram. In addition, the Ukrainian ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Zvarych, wrote that Kiev and Warsaw had "reached some compromises" in the border dispute.

+++ 08:50 Lukashenko praises 30-year friendship with China +++During his visit to China, Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko emphasized the close relations between the two countries. "Belarus is, was and will be a reliable partner for China," Lukashenko said during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, according to the Belarusian presidency. "We decided a long time ago that we would cooperate and be friends with China," he said. This friendship has now lasted for "more than 30 years". According to his offices, Lukashenko traveled to Beijing on Sunday to discuss the topics of "trade, economy, investment and international cooperation" with Xi.

+++ 08:25 ISW: Russian bloggers give arms company social media training +++Russianmilitary bloggers are said to have trained the state arms company Rostec in the use of social media. The aim of the so-called master class is to increase acceptance of the war among the population, as reported by the Institute for the Study of War. According to the ISW, the main focus was on the arms company's presence on Telegram and other social media, writes the ISW, citing Mikhail Swinchuk, the founder of the Rybar Telegram channel. He had recommended that Rostec increase reporting on its production processes, modernize the social media campaign as a whole and present the company in a more "human" way. According to ISW, the cooperation between the Kremlin and the military bloggers is intended to increase acceptance of the war ahead of the upcoming presidential elections. In addition, the Kremlin could use financial incentives to encourage military bloggers to report less critically on Russian warfare.

+++ 08:00 Ukraine: Russia has lost 332,810 soldiers +++ According to Ukrainianfigures, Russia has lost 332,810 soldiers since the beginning of the war of aggression against Ukraine. This was announced by the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces. Ukraine has reported 770 dead Russian soldiers in the past few days alone. According to the report, Russia has also lost 5580 tanks, 10401 armored combat vehicles, 10451 vehicles and fuel tanks, 7961 artillery systems, 913 multiple launch rocket systems, 602 air defense systems, 323 aircraft, 324 helicopters, 6,017 drones, 22 ships and boats and one submarine.

+++ 07:33 Ukraine: Russian troops fire 23 drones from Crimea +++According to the Ukrainian air force, Russian troops fired 23 drones at Ukraine from occupied Crimea during the night. In addition, the Russian forces fired from Kherson, according to the Telegram post. The missile and 18 of the drones were intercepted by air defenses and destroyed before they could reach their targets. Air defense missiles are stationed in at least nine regions of Ukraine, the air force added. What happened to the drones that were not intercepted and whether the attack caused any damage remains unclear. The information cannot be independently verified.

+++ 07:05 ISW: Russia is increasingly relying on long-range attacks withglide bombs +++TheUkrainian air defense along the front line is apparently prompting the Russian armed forces to increasingly rely on long-range attacks with glide bombs. This was reported by the US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW). According to the report, Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Stupun explained that the Ukrainians are shooting down Russian combat helicopters such as the Ka-52 and Mi-24 as soon as they come within range of Ukrainian air defense systems. This would lead the Russian armed forces to deploy Su-35 and Su-34 fighter aircraft with glide bombs 50 to 70 kilometers behind the front line. According to ISW, this assessment coincides with that of Colonel Yuri Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian air force. According to him, the Ukrainian air defense forces the Russians to increasingly use KAB glide bombs. As these are inaccurate, the Russian forces have to drop a large number of bombs in order to hit Ukrainian targets.

+++ 06:40 Study: Ukraine war emits more CO2 than Belgium in a year +++According to a recent study, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has caused more climate-damaging greenhouse gases in the first year and a half than a country like Belgium does in a year. An international team of researchers led by Dutchman Lennard de Klerk calculated 150 million tons of CO2 equivalents for this period. Around a quarter of this was emitted by the actual waging of war - i.e. the fuel consumption of troops or military equipment and projectiles. Another major source of climate-damaging gases are fires (15 percent). According to the calculations, 12 percent of emissions are caused by the fact that many airlines fly long detours due to the closure of affected airspace. The study is to be presented today at the World Climate Conference in Dubai.

+++ 06:12 Selenskyj: "Will increase the capabilities of our state" +++ TheUkrainian arms industry is to expand its capacities in the near future. President Zelensky announced this without giving further details. "Next week - we are already preparing for this - we will definitely increase the capabilities of our state, especially our defense industry," he says. Most recently, the construction of a tank production plant by a German company was under discussion.

+++ 05:31 Kremlin censors families of mobilized soldiers +++Russiacensors relatives of mobilized Russian soldiers on social media for fear of their protests. According to the US think tank Institute for the Study of War, the Kremlin wants to avoid negative effects on the 2024 presidential election campaign. ISW quotes an article from BBC Russia. According to the article, online bots with fake profiles attacked the relatives and accused them of having links to imprisoned opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

+++ 03:25 Despite the war: global arms industry records lower revenues +++Theworld's 100 largest arms companies recorded lower revenues in 2022 despite the war in Ukraine. According to a report published by the Stockholm-based peace research institute Sipri, they generated 597 billion dollars (around 543.4 billion euros), 3.5 percent less than in the previous year. At the same time, however, companies acquired significantly more orders. Sipri therefore expects considerably higher revenues in the coming years. Sipri explains the development with capacity bottlenecks, particularly in the USA. Companies often take a long time to expand their production. Some of their unfinished orders date back to the time before the war in Ukraine.

+++ 01:25 Moscow car factory on fire +++A fire has broken out at a car factory in Moscow. Videos on X and Telegram from residents show flames leaping high. An area of 1000 square meters is reportedly affected and the fire is spreading. There is no official information on the cause of the fire.

+++ 00:16 Ukraine: Offensive on Melitopol continues +++TheUkrainian armed forces say they are continuing an offensive operation in the direction of Russian-occupied Melitopol. This was announced on Telegram by the commander of the Tavria Group, General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi. The operation is inflicting losses on the occupying forces in terms of manpower and equipment.

+++ 22:18 Russia fires kamikaze drones at southern Ukraine +++Russianforces have fired a group of kamikaze drones at southern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian sources. These are the Iranian Shahed drones, the Ukrainian air force announced on Telegram. There is an air alert in at least three regions of the country: in the Kherson, Mykolaiv and Kirovohrad oblasts.

+++ 21:16 Zelensky condemns "pure terrorist attacks" in Kherson +++Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemns the recent Russian attacks on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson as "pure terrorist attacks". "In total, there were more than 20 Russian attacks in the Kherson region on this day alone," said Zelenskyi in his evening video address. "Brutal strikes, all over the city - houses, streets, hospitals." According to official reports, at least two people were killed and seven others seriously injured in the artillery attacks on Kherson. Fighting was also reported from other sections of the front. "Fierce fighting continues in dozens of places along the entire front line," says Selenskyj. "The most difficult areas are Mariinka, Avdiivka and Bakhmut."

You can read all previous developmentshere.

+++ 17:26 Poland wants the EU to return to transport permits for Ukrainian trucks +++