18:00 Sweden clears another hurdle in Turkey on its way to NATO

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish parliament has approved Sweden's bid to join NATO, thereby removing an important hurdle for the expansion of the defense alliance. The plenary is now expected to give its approval in the coming weeks and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to sign the corresponding law. A quick decision is not to be expected, said committee chairman Fuat Oktay. Turkey had long opposed Sweden's admission to NATO due to the country's treatment of opponents of the government, which Turkey classifies as "terrorists". NATO member Hungary has also yet to give its consent.

17:20 Ukrainian commander-in-chief admits extensive withdrawal from Marjinka
The Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valerij Saluschnyj has admitted an extensive withdrawal of his troops from the completely destroyed small town of Marjinka in the eastern Donetsk region. The general told journalists in Kiev that the armed forces were in the northern part and that new defense lines had been prepared outside Marjinka. The day before, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had announced the conquest of the city, which has been embattled since February 2022.

16:25 Pope Francis calls Ukraine a "desert of death"
The head of the Roman Catholic Church once again wishes "peace to war-torn peoples" for Christmas. In a post on X, Pope Francis mentions Syria and Gaza. He describes the "long-suffering" Ukraine as a "desert of death". "The peoples want peace," writes the Pope. "Let us pray for peace."

15:36 Turkish parliament resumes deliberations on Sweden's accession to NATO
After a month-long break, the Turkish parliament has resumed its deliberations on the ratification of Sweden's accession to NATO. The meeting of the foreign affairs committee has begun, said MP Utku Cakirözer from the opposition CHP party. Sweden's accession to NATO is the tenth item on the agenda. If the committee agrees, Sweden's application for NATO membership will be submitted to parliament. In November, the committee members were unable to agree on a joint proposal for the parliamentary vote. Following Russia's attack on Ukraine, Finland and Sweden changed their security policy and sought to join NATO. Finland has already done so. Ankara has been delaying Sweden's accession for months, arguing that the Swedish authorities have been too lax in dealing with suspected PKK members in their country.

14:50 Dead body discovered after overnight shelling of residential building
The Russian armed forces are said to have shelled more than 15 settlements near Kupjansk and Kharkiv with artillery and mortars. According to the police, a residential building in the village of Podoly was damaged during the night and the body of a man was found under the rubble. Another man, a 63-year-old, was injured when the village of Pishchane was attacked. Several other homes were also damaged.

13:57 Kiev wants to lower the age limit for reservists to 25
In Ukraine, the government wants to introduce a law to make it easier for soldiers urgently needed on the front line to enlist. The Ukrainian head of government, Shmyhal, has submitted two new laws for increased mobilization to parliament. The starting age for reservists is now to be reduced from 27 to 25. This would give the army access to potentially more than 400,000 young men. In addition, draft notices and call-up notices could also be sent to the registration address electronically in future and not just in paper form as is currently the case. This would also make it possible to reach men abroad. A second law aims to tighten the penalties for missing information in the military register.

13:36 London: Fifth of the Black Sea fleet destroyed in four months
There can be no question of a stalemate in the Ukraine war in the view of the British defense minister. According to him, the latest Ukrainian attack on a Russian warship makes this clear. In the last four months, Ukrainian troops have destroyed 20 percent of the Russian Black Sea fleet, writes Shapps at X. Earlier, Russia had admitted that a landing ship in the port of Feodosiya in Crimea had been damaged by a cruise missile attack.

12:54 Army inspector warns of weakening due to Lithuania brigade
Up to 5,000 German soldiers are to be permanently stationed in Lithuania. However, there are doubts in the German army about the implementation of the plan. Without billions of euros of investment, there is a risk that the units in Germany will be weakened, writes "Der Spiegel", citing a letter from Army Inspector General Alfons Mais to Inspector General Carsten Breuer. Mais is quoted as saying that the army is only 60 percent equipped across all material categories - "from A for artillery guns to Z for tents". A new large unit without additional investment would reduce this rate to 55 percent. The brigade plans on NATO's eastern flank are also a reaction to the Russian war against Ukraine.

12:25 Mykolaiv: Drone strikes factory
Last night's Russian drone attacks have caused damage in southern Ukraine, according to regional authorities and the military. According to the report, one drone hit a factory in the Mykolaiv region and another struck an infrastructure facility in an open area in the Odessa region. No one was injured, according to the report.

11:54 Russia: Two jets destroyed after attack on Feodosiya
The Russian military claims to have shot down two Ukrainian fighter jets that were involved in the attack on a Russian warship off the Crimea. According to the state news agency Tass, the defense ministry claims that the Sukhoi Su-24 aircraft had previously fired guided missiles at Feodosiya. There has been no reaction from Kiev. The Ukrainian air force had previously stated that it had fired cruise missiles at the landing ship "Novocherkassk" in the area of the port city and destroyed it.

11:29 Air alert throughout Ukraine, military warns of missile
Another air alert is sounded throughout the country this morning. The Ukrainian air force reports that a missile is heading towards Zaporizhia. The alert is lifted after a good hour and a half. There is still no information about possible damage. There had already been an alert throughout Ukraine for around two hours on Christmas Day.

11:03 Kiev announces multi-day exercise with vehicle checks
Security measures are to be carried out in the Ukrainian capital up to and including Thursday. This was announced by Kiev's military administration. There is talk of security exercises involving forces from various agencies such as the military and police. Among other things, vehicles and documents are to be checked. Checkpoints will also be temporarily set up for this purpose, the statement continues. The aim is to ensure the protection of the population in the event of an escalation of the situation.

10:20 Navalny reports from Arctic prison camp
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is confident in his new prison camp. "Don't worry about me. I'm doing well. I'm totally relieved that I've finally made it," he announced via X after his arrival in the penal colony in Yamal-Nenets in the Arctic north of Russia. He also confirms contact with his lawyer. The 20-day transfer was "quite exhausting". However, he is "still in a good mood, as befits a Santa Claus", explains Navalny, referring to his winter clothing adapted to the climatic conditions and the beard he grew during the long journey. The prison camp known as "Polar Wolf" is located almost 2,000 kilometers from Moscow and is considered one of the toughest prisons in Russia. For more than two weeks, there had been no indication of Navalny's whereabouts or state of health. Read more here.

10:07 More Ukrainian pilots train with F-16 fighter jets
The first Ukrainian pilots trained in the UK are now learning to fly F-16 fighter jets in Denmark. The British Ministry of Defence writes that these are six fighter pilots who have completed a basic training program with the Royal Air Force since August. Ukrainian pilots are also being trained in Romania to fly the aircraft. Only then will the jets be delivered. It is unclear when they will be deployed. The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway have promised Ukraine F-16 aircraft.

09:30 Over 30 candidates admitted to the Russian presidential election
In Russia, more than 30 candidates will run in the presidential election in March. This was announced by the chairwoman of the Central Election Commission according to a report by the Tass news agency. Last Saturday, the former television journalist Ekaterina Dunsova was excluded from the election. The election commission had justified this with errors in the application for admission as a candidate. Dunsova is campaigning for an end to the war in Ukraine and the release of political prisoners. Critics complain that no genuine opposition candidate was admitted: The sham election would only serve to legitimize another term in office for incumbent Vladimir Putin.

09:10 Air alert in Kiev and large parts of Ukraine
In large parts of Ukraine, people are also experiencing an air alert this morning. After the alert went off throughout the country the day before, the south and parts of the north, center and east are now particularly affected. An air alert is also in place in the capital Kiev. The Ukrainian air force warns of possible missile attacks. The alert in Kiev is lifted after around 20 minutes. The all-clear is also given for most other regions - with the exception of the east.

08:42 Moscow confirms attack on landing ship
Russia acknowledges damage to a landing ship in the port of Feodosiya in Crimea. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced that Ukraine had used cruise missiles fired by fighter jets. One person was killed and two injured in the attack.

08:29 Crimean governor reports deaths and injuries after attack in Feodosiya
The Crimean governor appointed by Moscow, Sergei Aksyonov, announces that one person was killed and two others injured in the Ukrainian attack in Feodosiya. He also spoke of six damaged buildings with broken windows. Several residents of the Crimean port city had been taken to temporary accommodation or were staying with family or friends. Aksyonov had previously confirmed an "enemy attack" including detonation and fire in the Feodosiya region. The port area had also been cordoned off. The Ukrainian military claims to have destroyed a landing ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet with cruise missiles. The Russian side has not yet provided any information on this.

08:10 Ukraine: Have hit warship "Novocherkassk" with cruise missiles
The Ukrainian military provides further details on the attack in Crimea. Air force pilots fired cruise missiles at the Russian warship "Novocherkassk" in the Feodosiya area, the air force writes on Telegram. The ship was presumably carrying Iranian drones, which are being used by Russia against Ukraine.

07:39 Russian army: rotation of Ukrainian soldiers prevented
The Russian armed forces say they have prevented five attempts by Ukraine to rotate its troops in the south of the Donetsk region. "The attacks by bombers, artillery and heavy flamethrowers hit positions, temporary staging areas and troop concentrations of the 79th Ukrainian Airborne Brigade and the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade. motorized infantry brigade near Novomikhailovka, Konstantinovka, Antonovka, Prechistovka and Urozhaynoye and foiled three attempts to rotate the fighters near Novomikhailovka and two more near Staromayorskoye, "a military spokesman told the Russian state news agency Tass. The information cannot be verified.

07:07 Ukraine reports new night-time drone attacks
The Ukrainian air force reports new Russian drone attacks last night. The air force writes that 13 of 19 "Shahed" drones were destroyed. They were shot down over the regions of Odessa, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Khmelnytskyi. The Russian armed forces had previously launched the drones from Crimea and the southern Russian city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk on the Sea of Azov. The Ukrainian military is not saying whether the six other drones caused any damage.

06:38 Criminals defraud refugees with fake visas
British charities are warning of fraudsters who are conning Ukrainian refugees with fake visas. According to the online portal "The Independent", several organizations report that criminals have tricked Ukrainians into paying hundreds of pounds for supposed British visas and letters that were supposed to give them "permission to enter" the UK. The forgeries were not recognizable at first glance, so the people concerned flew to the UK and the fraud was only noticed there at the airports. One of the charities reports one to five cases every week. According to the British Home Office, organized criminal gangs are behind it.

05:44 Kiev wants to terminate trade agreement with Belarus
The government in Kiev is planning to terminate a free trade agreement with Belarus. The corresponding law has already been submitted to parliament, reports the Suspilne news agency. The reason for this is the neighboring country's involvement in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

05:10 Kamikaze drones in Mykolaiv and Krivvyi Rih
The Russian military attacked several regions of Ukraine with kamikaze drones during the night. Ukrainian media reported numerous explosions caused by the use of air defense. In addition to Mykolaiv and Krivyi Rih in the south of the country, other regions in central Ukraine also reported drone strikes.

03:59 Attack on Crimea: Russian landing craft sunk
According to officially unconfirmed reports on social media, a ship loaded with ammunition was hit during the attack on the port of the Crimean city of Feodossiya. The Ukrainian air force later reported that it had sunk the Russian amphibious landing craft "Novocherkassk". It had Iranian drones on board.

03:01 Strong explosions in Crimea
Ukraine has attacked the city of Feodosiya and set fire to the city's port area, the head of the peninsula's administration appointed by Russia, Sergei Aksyonov, announced in the short message service Telegram. "The port area has been sealed off. The detonations have stopped. The fire is under control." The emergency services are on site and several residential buildings have been evacuated. Images published by several Russian news agencies on Telegram show strong explosions and fires over the port area.

02:15 Selensky praises air force
Following reports of several Russian fighter jets being shot down, Ukrainian President Zelensky praised his air force and air defense units. A total of five enemy aircraft were shot down in the week before Christmas, Selensky said in his evening video address. "That's really impressive!"

01:25 Ukraine plans lower draft age
Ukraine wants to lower the conscription age for soldiers from 27 to 25. This is according to a draft law published on the Ukrainian parliament's website. President Volodymyr Zelenskyi declared last week that the army wanted to mobilize an additional 450,000 to 500,000 Ukrainians. The number of Ukrainian troops is not known, but in the past it was said that the country had around one million people under arms. US officials estimate that hundreds of thousands have been killed and wounded on both sides since Russia invaded Ukraine. Neither country publishes its casualty figures.

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 should not only be concerned with war, but also with how wars can be ended," Mützenich told the 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. Selenskyj also explicitly mentioned F-16 jets.

You can read about all previous developments here.