+++ 20:07 Winter has Ukraine in its grip: Ministry shows soldiers playing in the snow +++

In a video shared by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on X, cheerful soldiers can be seen having snowball fights and other fun. "Even when they become serious military warriors, they hold on to their inner childlike nature," says the clip from United24Media. Even if the Ministry of Defense may want to convey a certain looseness to the outside world, the snow, ice and cold are still a strain on the troops. Winter hit the country with full force a few weeks ago. The situation is dramatic for the Ukrainian soldiers, as their positions are not yet winter-proof, Colonel Markus Reisner told ntv.de at the end of November. "They are virtually unprotected in this wet and cold weather." Ukraine therefore has to rotate its forces quickly, which in turn leads to losses because the Russians attack them.

+++ 19:16 Military expert: Russian TV is " constantly fantasizing about a march through to Lisbon" According to military expert Nico Lange, since the debate in the US about aid for Ukraine, there have been repeated statements on Russian TV speculating about an advance of troops all the way to Lisbon - i.e. across Europe. Lange writes on X: "Since the debate on aid for Ukraine in the USA, the Russian warmongers can hardly walk with strength. In recent days, they have been fantasizing on Russian television about marching all the way to Lisbon once Ukraine has been completely taken."

+++ 18:56 Russia is probably planning a museum about the war against Ukraine in Crimea +++According tothe National Resistance Center of Ukraine, which was founded by the special forces of the army, a so-called "Museum of Special Military Operations" is to be set up in the occupied Crimea, which is popular with holidaymakers. The Russian leadership calls its war of aggression against Ukraine a "special operation". According to the resistance center, the search for planners is currently underway. It fears that the war against Ukraine will be glorified in the museum and threatens that "all those involved in the construction and 'researchers', i.e. propagandists, will be brought to justice".

+++ 18:27 Ukrainian parliament votes in favor of EU accession negotiations +++TheUkrainian parliament - the Supreme Rada - calls on European states to open EU accession negotiations with Kiev. The governments and parliaments of the EU member states should decide to start negotiations next Friday, according to the appeal adopted by a majority. MEP Jaroslaw Schelesnjak provided information about the meeting - which was held in camera due to martial law - on his Telegram channel in Kiev on Saturday. At the EU summit next week, the heads of state and government want to decide whether negotiations on EU membership should begin for Ukraine, which has been weakened by the Russian war of aggression.

+++ 17:51 German ambassador insists on peace in Moscow +++Germanambassador Alexander Graf Lambsdorff also remembers the victims of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine at a large Christmas concert in a church in Moscow. The upcoming festive season is an occasion to remember the victims of wars, including in the Middle East and Ukraine, regardless of nationality or faith, the diplomat told hundreds of guests. "We know that war is not inevitable. People, peoples and nations can reach a peaceful agreement, even on difficult issues, if the will is there," said Lambsdorff. "We can and we must find a peaceful solution together, despite all the differences in interests and convictions." The traditional concert is one of the rare major events at which Germans and Russians still come together in the capital. Alexander Graf Lambsdorff was recently sworn in as the new ambassador in Moscow.

+++ 17:15 Leading SPD politicians admit mistakes +++At its party conference, theSPD takes a critical look at its policy towards Russia under President Vladimir Putin. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil says it was "a mistake not to distance ourselves from the Putin system earlier". Parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich admits that he "completely underestimated" Putin's imperial thinking. A key motion under discussion also takes a critical look at the Social Democrats' Russia policy before the war in Ukraine. Today, it is about organizing security from Russia, Klingbeil emphasized. Germany stands firmly by the side of the attacked Ukraine. At the same time, Mützenich opposes attempts to discredit the SPD's decades-old policy of détente. It is a "disgrace" to place it "in line with the war of aggression" against Ukraine, he says. And he reiterated his call to use diplomatic opportunities to end conflicts.

+++ 16:37 Ukraine aid: Christian Lindner can "only agree with Olaf Scholz on one thing in particular" +++Finance MinisterChristian Lindner does not want to shake the support for Ukraine despite the budget crisis. "With everything that we still have to solve and can solve, I can only agree with Olaf Scholz on one thing in particular: Supporting Ukraine is also an investment in our security," writes the FDP leader on X. "We stand by this shared responsibility in difficult times." Lindner is alluding to Scholz's pledge at the SPD's federal party conference in Berlin. The Chancellor promised Ukraine continued help despite the difficulties with the budget. Germany must be in a position to continue its support and possibly provide even more, Scholz said.

++ 16:06 Nearly half of US Republicans think Kiev is getting too much help +++Afternearly two years of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, about three in ten Americans think the United States is providing too much support to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, according to a Pew Research Center poll. About half say that the US is providing the right amount of support (29 percent) or not enough (18 percent). Dissent is particularly high among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. 48% are of the opinion that the USA is providing too much aid to Ukraine. In June, the figure was 44 percent. In earlier phases of the war, the figure was significantly lower. Republican politicians have recently blocked large-scale aid for Kiev. Over 50 billion US dollars are stuck.

+++ 15:34 ISW: Russian forces continue to advance near Avdiivka +++TheRussian armed forces have continued their offensive operations in the vicinity of Avdiivka, according to the Institute for War Studies. Geolocated images from yesterday are said to indicate that the Kremlin troops have advanced as far as a sewage treatment plant south of Krashnohorivka. The village is located 5 kilometers northwest of Avdiivka.

+++ 15:02 It has stood for 70 years: Workers in Kiev destroy a large Soviet monument +++Another relic of the Soviet past is being removed inKiev. This time it is one of the larger kind: "The Kiev authorities have dismantled a massive equestrian monument to the Bolshevik military commander Mykola Shchors, which was erected in the Ukrainian capital almost 70 years ago," according to a report by Radio Liberty. The city administration of Kiev announced on Telegram that more than 60 monuments relating to the history and culture of Russia and the USSR had already been removed from the capital. According to Radio Liberty, Shchors was a commander of the Red Army who fought against the short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic and was killed in August 1919 in unexplained circumstances.

+++ 14:22 Big worries about Navalny: No more signs of life and strange explanations from the Russians +++Theteam of imprisoned Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny still has no sign of life from the 47-year-old, who is in poor health. There is still no news, says Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh. The lawyer of President Vladimir Putin's opponent has been trying to contact him in the prison camp for five days. However, the lawyer has not been allowed to see him. Navalny's team had raised the alarm on Friday after the opposition figure was not connected via video as usual during court hearings. According to Navalny's team, prison staff are said to have explained the failure of a video link with a lack of electricity. Yarmysh told X that he was particularly worried because he had become ill in his cell last week. Navalny is being held in a prison camp in the city of Kovrov.

+++ 13:48 Massive Russification: Up to 800,000 Russians resettled in Crimea +++Moscowis apparently pursuing a massive Russification policy in the illegally annexed Crimea. Up to 800,000 Russians have moved to occupied Crimea since 2014, while around 100,000 Ukrainians have left Crimea. This is according to Vladislav Mirozhnychenko from the Ukrainian Helsinki Group. According to the Kyiv Independent, the figure is in line with earlier estimates by other Ukrainian officials. Tamila Tascheva, the permanent representative of President Volodymyr Selensky in Crimea, said in July 2023 that between 500,000 and 800,000 Russians had been illegally resettled on the peninsula since 2014. According to the Helsinki Group, Russia has been pursuing an identical policy in other occupied territories since 2022. "However, the colonization policy is currently not as successful as in Crimea, as the intensity of hostilities does not allow civilian Russians to be motivated to move en masse to the occupied territories," it says.

+++ 13:07 Inspector General Breuer: Perhaps we need to wage a defensive war +++TheInspector General of the German Armed Forces, Carsten Breuer, complains that the Bundeswehr is not sufficiently equipped for alliance and national defense. He is also concerned that Russia is currently rearming and how President Vladimir Putin is positioning himself. "It should worry us all," said Breuer in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. "We need to be aware of how we can deal with this persistent threat." There is no going back to the time before 2022. "We must first get used to the idea that we may one day have to fight a defensive war and no longer have the choice of whether we want to take part in a mission far away." When asked whether Germany could defend itself against Russia, Breuer says: "Yes, period. We have no alternative. We can defend ourselves and we will defend ourselves."

+++ 12:35 Selenska: If we get tired, we will die +++Thewife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky warns of dwindling support for her country and speaks of a deadly danger. "We really need the help," says Olena Selenska in an interview with the British BBC. "To put it in simple words: we must not get tired in this situation, because if we do, we will die. And if the world gets tired, they will just let us die," says Selenska. It pains her greatly to see signs that the passionate willingness to help could wane.

+++ 12:11 Civilian killed in Russian drone attack +++Acivilian was killed in a Russian drone attack in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine, according to the authorities. Another civilian was injured, according to the authorities. A Russian drone dropped an explosive device over the town of Beryslav this morning. The two victims were on the street at the time of the attack. The public prosecutor's office is launching a war crimes investigation. Since their retreat across the Dnipro River at the end of last year, Russian forces have repeatedly attacked the western part of the Kherson region, in particular the regional capital of the same name.

+++ 11:44 Almost 500 Ukrainian villages are without electricity +++Forthe first time in months, Russian forces are again shelling Ukraine with cruise missiles. According to ntv reporter Carolin Unger, civilian infrastructure is once again at the center of the attacks. A thermal power station in the frontline area was hit and numerous places are without electricity.

+++ 11:08 Ultranationalist Girkin sees Russia in a phase of "acute instability" +++ Theimprisoned ultranationalist and former Russian officer Igor Girkin predicts that there will be "no agreement" between Russia and Ukraine to end the war and "no freezing" of the front lines. As the Institute for the Study of War writes, Girkin, who is wanted as a war criminal with an international arrest warrant, explains in an interview that the situation in Ukraine has "radically deteriorated" and that Russia has entered a phase of "acute instability". Girkin adds that Russia's tactical successes in the summer and fall of 2023 do not "eliminate or offset" the fact that the war is entering its 21st month with no end in sight. The US think tank assumes that Girkin's interview was "almost certainly" approved by the Kremlin.

+++ 10:35 Scholz: Putin must not expect us to let up +++Federal ChancellorOlaf Scholz assures Ukraine of further support. "If others are weakening", said Scholz, it is important that Germany can increase its contribution. "We must be able to help Ukraine in solidarity." The Chancellor sent a clear message to Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the SPD party conference: "He should not and must not expect us to let up." This applies to both financial and military aid - even if this is a major financial challenge for Germany and more may need to be done. Scholz does not expect the war to end any time soon: "This war will probably not be over as quickly as we would all like."

+++ 10:15 Ukraine expects F-16 fighter jets "soon" +++According to a report by Radio Liberty, theUkrainian defense minister expects the delivery of F-16 fighter jets "soon". In a statement, Rustem Umerov emphasized that preparations for receiving the modern US jets were going well. "We will receive the F-16s in the short term," said Umerov. "In the medium term, we have also placed further orders for our defense forces. I mean the years 2027 to 2030." In October, Denmark announced that it would provide Ukraine with its first batch of F-16s in March or April 2024.

+++ 09:33 ISW: War could play a bigger role in Putin's election campaign +++Ata ceremony for soldiers of all people, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced yesterday that he would run for office again. According to the Institute for the Study of War, this indicates that the Ukraine war could play a greater role in Putin's election campaign strategy. "These staged circumstances may have been aimed at a very important constituency: Russians directly affected by the war in Ukraine - including the roughly 2.2 million military personnel currently under arms, according to the Kremlin - formerly wounded soldiers, as well as their relatives (and relatives of those killed)," writes the US think tank. However, Putin's announcement could also be aimed at showing that he has the support of the military. The institute believes it is possible that the Kremlin has ordered the army to take the fiercely contested Avdiivka and Kupyansk before the elections in March 2024.

+++ 08:54 Utopian mission: This woman wants Putin's power +++RussianPresident Vladimir Putin is making every effort to give his apparatus of power a democratic veneer. This includes: elections, or at least the appearance of them. ntv correspondent Rainer Munz meets a courageous woman in Moscow who is taking on the almost hopeless battle to stand up to Putin.

+++ 08:16 Faeser: Warmonger Putin must not use the Olympic Games for propaganda +++Federal Minister of the InteriorNancy Faeser is concerned that Russia's President Vladimir Putin is exploiting the Olympic Games for propaganda purposes. "The warmonger Putin must under no circumstances use the Olympic Games in Paris for his propaganda," she warns in view of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to admit Russian and Belarusian athletes as so-called neutral individual athletes: "No one should close their eyes to the fact that Russia continues to kill countless people in Ukraine every day and is continuing its criminal war of aggression with undiminished brutality." The IOC and the world federations must examine very carefully whether Russian and Belarusian athletes support the war or have links to the Russian government and the Russian military. In this case, they would have to be consistently excluded. "It would be completely unacceptable for Ukrainian athletes to have to compete against Russians who support the Russian war of aggression against their country. Ukraine - and Ukrainian sport - must continue to enjoy the full support and solidarity of world sport."

+++ 07:37 This is the mood in Ukraine +++Ratsand cold in the trenches, fears and disappointed hopes in the hinterland: enthusiasm has evaporated in Ukraine. "We are where we are and we just have to get on with it," says a Kiev student to ntv.de. "Deep down, we all believe in miracles." And political scientist Volodymyr Fessenko from the Center for Applied Political Research in Kiev speaks of a "year of crazy emotional fluctuations". Political consolidation and the maximum concentration of forces and resources are now necessary. "We have no choice but to continue the fight against the Russian horde. We have to endure the current problems and wait and see."

+++ 06:58 German drone manufacturer apparently planning production facilities in Ukraine +++TheGerman drone company Quantum Systems is apparently planning to set up production facilities in Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation, the company is planning to build production facilities for drones as well as a research and development center, writes the Kyiv Independent. Quantum Systems has been supplying Ukraine with drones since the Russian invasion in 2022 and also set up a service, support, training and logistics center in Ukraine in 2023. Quantum Systems is determined to support Ukraine and its democracy and help it defend the country, according to the company's website. "We consider it a privilege to contribute to Ukraine's defense and we remain committed to providing superior systems for its armed forces."

+++ 06:20 More money for the war: Russian cities cancel New Year's Eve fireworks +++Theauthorities of several Russian cities are canceling their New Year's fireworks and want to send the money for them to the front. This is reported by Radio Liberty. Various officials are therefore pledging to reduce the traditional celebrations in order to buy military equipment for the war against Ukraine. According to the report, the mayor of Sochi, Alexei Kopaygorodsky, explains that the funds earmarked for fireworks will be forwarded to the Russian military. He also calls on local businesses and residents to follow suit: "This will be the best gift for our compatriots on the front". Andrei Kravchenko, the mayor of Novorossiysk, also announced according to the report that his city would cancel its New Year's Eve fireworks and use the money saved for equipment on the front.

+++ 05:18 Metro in Kiev partially suspends service +++++Themetro in the war-torn Ukrainian capital Kiev has unexpectedly suspended service at six stations for a good six months. "We had to take this decision because the safety of passengers has priority," said Deputy Mayor Mykola Poworosnyk according to a statement from the city administration. The stop had to be made due to the risk of water ingress. However, the subway stations themselves continue to serve as shelters in the event of Russian air attacks with missiles and drones. "The water presses on the walls of the tunnel, deforming them and causing cracks so that the water can penetrate. And when a train is running, this process accelerates even more," explains Poworosnyk.

+++ 02:51 Ukrainian soldiers nearing the end of training in Poland +++Inwestern Poland, Ukrainian soldiers are nearing the end of their training by EU military personnel for the grueling war of position against the Russian invasion forces. On a snow-covered field in Wedrzyn, only about 40 kilometers from the German border, they were last trained for combat in the trenches, just a few days before their deployment to the front. "Most of the participants have no military experience and they are taught how to carry out some basic tactics," says a Ukrainian soldier. "We are taught how to use weapons in urban areas and in trenches." The training is being led by soldiers from Poland, France and Belgium from the Combined Arms Training Command (CAT-C).

+++ 23:45 Russia deploys strategic air force - dead and injured +++Russiaattacks targets in Ukraine again using its strategic air force after a break of more than two months. "After a long break of 79 days, the enemy has resumed air strikes with cruise missiles from Tu-95MS strategic air force aircraft," the military commander of the capital Kiev, Serhiy Popko, announced on Telegram. The missiles were fired from several bombers near Engels in the Russian region of Saratov. "Not one enemy target has reached the city." In the area surrounding Kiev, however, several houses were damaged by debris and blast waves from explosions. According to the Ukrainian air force, 14 of a total of 19 cruise missiles fired were intercepted.

+++ 22:17 Russian attacks: Almost 500 Ukrainian settlements without electricity +++According to official figures, 492 settlements in Ukraine are without electricity. This is due to Russian shelling and air strikes as well as the bad weather, according to Ukrainian authorities. Consumption has also almost reached a record level again. The operator Ukrenergo is appealing to the population to reduce consumption as much as possible.

+++ 21:45 Finland refuses to extradite terror suspect to Kiev +++Finlandrefuses to extradite a Russian man suspected of terrorism to Ukraine. The Supreme Court of the Nordic country refers to a decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), according to which Ukrainian prisons are overcrowded, among other things. Extradition could result in inhuman and degrading treatment of the suspect. The Ukrainian public prosecutor's office has announced that it will continue to press for extradition. Finland arrested the Russian in August. Ukrainian extradition requests are repeatedly rejected with reference to the conditions of detention in wartime.

+++ 21:15 Weapons for Kiev: Bulgarian parliament overrules pro-Russian head of state +++NATO memberBulgaria will support Ukraine in the Russian war of aggression with armored transport vehicles and air defense missiles. The parliament in Sofia overturned a veto by President Rumen Radev. Head of state Radev, who is considered to be pro-Russia, had justified his veto on Monday by stating that the 100 or so armored vehicles would be needed for border or civil defense in his own country. The presidential veto has now been rejected by a majority of 162 members of parliament from the pro-Western government camp.

+++ 20:40 USA and Ukraine agree on armaments cooperation +++Washingtonand Kiev want to cooperate more closely in the area of armaments in view of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Both countries have signed a memorandum of understanding on "co-production and technical data exchange" to meet the urgent needs of the Ukrainian armed forces in the areas of air defense systems, repair and maintenance, and production of ammunition, according to the US Department of Commerce.

+++ 20:01 Tusk announces change of course in dispute with Ukraine +++Followingthe election victory of his pro-European coalition, Polish opposition leader Donald Tusk has announced a decisive change of course. If he takes over the government, he will immediately take measures to repair the damage caused by the right-wing nationalist PiS, Tusk said in Warsaw. He accused the PiS of "spending its last weeks in power devastating and destroying the Polish state and channeling money to its own people". The new government would also lift the border blockade and reduce tensions with Ukraine.

+++ 19:29 Estonia massively increases military budget +++TheNATO member state Estonia, which borders Russia, has approved a national budget with record defense spending for 2024. According to the budget approved by parliament in Tallinn on Friday, the military budget will exceed the three percent mark for the first time and amount to 3.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). In absolute figures, the Baltic EU country will spend 1.3 billion euros on defense in the coming year.

You can read all previous developments here.

+++ 20:07 Winter has Ukraine in its grip: Ministry shows soldiers playing in the snow +++