Newsletter 12/12/2024
A daily news digest covering important war, political, economic, and cultural topics in Ukraine
TOP
Cruise missile designer Shatsky liquidated in Moscow – source
Mikhail Shatsky, Deputy Chief Designer at the Mars Design Bureau and head of the software department, has been liquidated in Moscow. Shatsky was responsible for upgrading Kh-59 cruise missiles to the Kh-69 level and developing new UAVs.
CinC Syrskyi about Pokrovsk front: intense battles requiring unconventional decisions
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited the 38th Separate Marine Brigade during his work in the Pokrovsk sector of the front.
"Currently, battles continue in the Pokrovsk sector against the enemy superior primarily in manpower. We must make unconventional decisions to enhance the resilience of our defense and more effectively destroy the invaders," the commander noted.
He stated that "the fighting is extremely intense. Russian invaders are deploying all available forces, attempting to break through the defenses of our troops. Ukrainian soldiers are demonstrating extraordinary resilience and are inflicting significant losses on the enemy."
Trump slams Ukraine's use of U.S. missiles in strikes on Russia
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has criticized Kyiv for using U.S.-supplied missiles to strike Russian territory last month.
Responding to questions related to the Russian-Ukrainian war, Trump criticized Kyiv for striking Russian territory with U.S. missiles last month.
"I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? We're just escalating this war and making it worse," he added.
Zelensky visits Ukraine's first underground advanced surgical team in Zaporizhzhia region
"I visited Ukraine's first underground advanced surgical team. This hospital has already saved over 1,000 lives. Here, medical professionals receive wounded soldiers directly from the battlefield and provide them with medical care. I personally thanked our medical workers and presented them with awards. I thank them for their service and for saving the lives of our defenders," Zelensky noted.
War
Draft U.S. defense budget for 2025 includes important provisions for Ukraine – Markarova
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (NDAA 2025), passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on December 11, includes several critical measures to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
In particular, Section 1303 of the bill extends the prohibition on using any funds for actions that could lead to the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Ukraine's occupied territories.
Section 1534 instructs the U.S. Secretary of Defense to study the possibility of creating a Center of Excellence to support the development and maturation of artificial intelligence-enabled weapon systems. This center would aim to facilitate the Pentagon's collaboration with foreign partners, including Ukraine, to identify and promulgate best practices, safety guidelines, standards, and benchmarks.
Over 300 Ukrainian civilian women currently in Russian captivity – human rights advocate
It has been verified that 301 Ukrainian civilian women are currently held in captivity by Russia. Among them, 25 were unlawfully detained before the full-scale invasion, while 276 have been detained since the invasion began.
These numbers are not final, as significantly more women are believed to be held in Russian captivity. However, confirming their detention is extremely difficult since Russia refuses to provide information about civilians.
General Staff: 203 combat clashes on front lines in past day
Death toll following Russia’s strike on Zaporizhzhia rises to 11
Six wounded in Russian strikes on Kherson region in past day
Russian forces moving Chinese all-terrain vehicles into Kursk region – partisans/Video
Ukrainian Marines destroy four Russian IFVs in Kursk region/Video
Ukrainian border guards destroy Russian tank, two ammo depots/Video
Politics
EU allocates EUR 170M to six countries for border protection against Russia, Belarus
Von der Leyen acknowledged Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Norway for their role in defending the European Union's borders against various threats originating from Russia and Belarus.
New European Commissioner seeks to sever all energy ties with Russia
New European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen sees as his top priority to draw up a plan that would ultimately break all "energy links" between the European Union and Russia.
“To have been able to bring down our dependency to such an extent that we have is actually quite an accomplishment,” Jørgensen said
He added that he would create "a tangible roadmap that will include efficient tools and means for us to solve the remaining part of the problem".
Zelensky, Spain’s Sanchez discuss joint actions to achieve peace for Ukraine
NATO invitation should extend to Ukraine’s entire territory - Zelensky
Ukraine, Ireland strengthening cooperation toward return of Ukrainian children from Russia
Society
Ukraine becomes first country to apply UNESCO's "special monitoring" mechanism
The UNESCO special monitoring mechanism will be applied urgently to the State Industry Building in Kharkiv, which was severely damaged on November 8, 2024, in a Russian strike.
A powerful explosion in the State Industry Building, which occurred as a result of a Russian attack in the seventh entrance at the third-floor level, caused the collapse of the ceilings on the third and second floors, as well as part of the facade and roof. The blast wave also damaged the structures of other entrances. In accordance with the decision of the Committee of September 7, 2023, the State Industry Building is on the International List of Cultural Properties under Enhanced Protection.
Ukraine releases postal stamp in honor of star boxer Usyk
Ukrposhta has released a stamp dedicated to Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk and his clash with the UK’s Tyson Fury for the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBO world heavyweight champion title.
According to the CEO, Usyk’s image on the stamp sends a message that "the world loves the strong", and that Ukrainians are famous for their courage and resilience.