Newsletter 26/12/2024
A daily news digest covering important war, political, economic, and cultural topics in Ukraine
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Drone strike on Nikopol market: Injury toll rises to eight
The number of those injured in a Russian drone strike on a market in Nikopol has risen to eight.
Russian forces hit the Nikopol market with a kamikaze drone, damaging kiosks. Earlier reports said that six people had been injured in the attack.
Ukrainian drone hits Russian ship Fedor Uryupin in Crimea - social media
In the temporarily occupied Crimea, a Ukrainian drone hit the Russian ship Fedor Uryupin, moored in the bay near the village of Chornomorske.
"According to our source, in the bay near the village of Chornomorske in Crimea, a Ukrainian drone hit a Russian ship," the post says.
The attack took place on Monday, December 23, at around 17:00.
"The UAV hit the side of the Fedor Uryupin vessel above the waterline. The ship did not sink, but damage was inflicted," the channel reports.
Drones attack Russian military airfield in Voronezh
On Wednesday morning, drones attacked the Baltimor military airfield in the Russian city of Voronezh. The facility reportedly sustained damage as a result of the attack.
The main target of the drone attack was the Baltimor military airfield, over which several UAVs were allegedly shot down Thursday morning.
Drone debris reportedly plunged on a private garage, causing fire. In addition, in the village of Novogremyachye, Voronezh region, a downed drone hit the roof of a residential building. Astra claims no casualties were reported, adding that no damage was inflicted on the airfield.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported the interception of 59 drones over Voronezh, Kursk, Bryansk and Tambov regions, as well as over the waters of the Sea of โโAzov, on Wednesday.
It is also noted that on the night of December 26, UAV debris fell on the premises of an industrial enterprise in Volgograd region.
Ukraine's Air Force strikes ballistic fuel production plant in Russia โ StratCom
"The Ukrainian Air Force recently carried out a precision strike on a military industry facility in the city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov region. The Russian Federation used this enterprise to produce solid rocket fuel for ballistic missiles, which are deployed to destroy Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals, residential buildings and power plants," the post said.
StratCom noted that the strike is part of a broader Ukrainian campaign aimed at degrading Russia's military capabilities, particularly those used in attacks against Ukrainian civilians.
Disinfo watchdog: Russians admit passenger jet crash in Kazakhstan caused by Russiaโs air defense
The Russians themselves admit that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan on December 25, was hit by a Russian air defense missile.
Kovalenko notes that the Russians, who have read the transcript of the crew radio communications on the Baku-Grozny flight, themselves admit that the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet was hit by air defense (the SAM missile containing shrapnel).
"I should note once again what I said yesterday. Birds donโt make holes in the fuselage midflight. The passengers clearly filmed this," he wrote.
According to Kovalenko, the explosion of the SAM missile outside the jet damaged it, disabling its systems. โAt the link above, the Russian channel even names the zone where the tragedy could have occurred as a result of the Russian air defense operation,โ he added.
Russia never closed the airspace over Grozny, and the plane was also not given permission to land in Grozny or Makhachkala for a reason, the official stresses.
โOnly professionalism of the planeโs pilots prevented the Russians from turning this story into a provocation against Ukraine. And now Russia will do everything to hide their own responsibility for the plane crash and peopleโs deaths,โ Kovalenko emphasized.
Azerbaijani plane crashes in Kazakhstan due to Russian missile - Euronews
A passenger plane of Azerbaijan Airlines crashed in the Kazakh city of Aktau due to a Russian surface-to-air missile.
According to the sources, the missile was fired at Flight 8432 during a drone attack over the Chechen city of Grozny. The munition exploded next to the plane during the flight, and the debris hit passengers and crew members.
Euronews sources said that the damaged plane was not allowed to land at any Russian airport, despite the pilots' request for an emergency landing, and was ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea toward Aktau in Kazakhstan.
According to the preliminary investigation, the aircraft's GPS navigation systems were jammed throughout the flight over the sea.
The missile was fired from the Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile system, the Baku-based AnewZ media outlet reported, citing sources in the Azerbaijani government.
HUR intelligence agency, disinfo watchdog expose โKremlin mouthpieces"
The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraineโs Defense Ministry and the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council launched on the War&Sanctions portal a new section exposing "Kremlin mouthpieces", publishing the first list of 55 Russian propagandists and media managers.
Weaponization of information is part of Russiaโs military doctrine, the report stressed. โToday, the Kremlin is waging war not only with missiles, tanks and artillery systems. Its information war has no clearly defined frontlines, spreading around the world,โ the HUR wrote.
"By investing significant resources in such efforts, the Russian authorities are trying to destabilize Ukraine and the rest of the world, influence political processes and shape public opinion across different regions of the planet, pursuing their own aggressive interest. In the first year of the war alone, Russia Today in Arabic boosted its audience base by 10 million users. Russia has allocated $1.42 billion in the 2025 budget to fund propaganda. Russia spends about half a billion dollars a year on creating propaganda by organizations not directly affiliated with the government," the HUR emphasized.
To this end, the HUR and the CCD are publishing the first list of 55 individuals, which, among others, includesโฆ
War
Russian court sentences Ukrainian to 22 years for alleged terrorism on Crimean railway
Russian authorities accused Levchenko of multiple charges, including high treason, aiding terrorist activity, committing a terrorist attack as part of an organized group, preparing for a crime, attempting a terrorist attack, illegal manufacture of explosive devices, and violations of weapon-handling regulations resulting in severe consequences.
According to Russian claims, Levchenko allegedly established contact with an employee of Ukraine's HUR military intelligence agency in Zaporizhzhia on April 9, 2022. A year later, he purportedly retrieved materials for making explosives from caches and transported them to occupied Simferopol. There, he is accused of constructing two improvised explosive devices, which he allegedly placed under railway tracks and detonated as freight trains passed.
Strike on Lgov: AFU announce possible liquidation of deputy brigadier, 17 Russian servicemen
As a result of the destruction of the command post of the 810th Separate Marine Brigade of the Russian Federation Armed Forces in the village of Lgov, Kursk region, the deputy commander of the brigade and 17 other soldiers, most of them staff officers, were probably killed.
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces publish notes from North Korean soldier on countering drones/Photo of drawing
"How to shoot down a drone: When a drone is detected, you need to form a troika (three people). The person luring the drone should maintain a distance of seven meters, while the shooters position themselves 10-12 meters away. If the lure remains still, the drone will also halt its movement. At that moment, the shooters should engage and bring down the drone," one entry reads.
Sandu confirms Moldovan airspace breach by Russian missile
Invaders will issue old-style Russian passports to residents of Luhansk region
Russian army loses 1,540 soldiers in Ukraine over past day
War update: 114 clashes recorded so far, fiercest battles seen in Kurakhove, Pokrovsk axes
Ukraine downs 20 Russian drones, 11 veer off course overnight
Russian army shells Nikopol twice with heavy artillery at night
Intense fighting persists in Chasiv Yar as Russian forces prepare for new assaults
Russians massively shelled Sumy region with various types of weapons
Russian troops attack Slatyne in Kharkiv region, 1 killed, 1 wounded
Politics
Ex-Austrian President Fischer on Russia's invasion of Ukraine: 'Putin deceived us all'
"Putin has consistently claimed that he is not planning any military action," Fischer said. "I spoke a lot with friends in Europe at the time, in particular with the experienced Luxembourg Foreign Minister [Jean] Asselborn, who was very well informed and clearly said that there is no reason for concern here, that we do not believe that this will happen. And Putin deceived us all and launched a military action that is unforgivable, and this must be condemned," Fischer said, commenting on his current attitude towards Putin, given that he maintained good relations with him in the past.
Russia recognizes US Helsinki Commission as โundesirable organizationโ
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has added the US Helsinki Commission to the list of so-called undesirable organizations.
As noted in the decision of the Prosecutor General's Office, the commission's activities โare aimed at destabilizing the socio-political situation in Russia, members of the organization massively disseminate materials discrediting the foreign and domestic policies of the country's leadership, the work of law enforcement agencies and the judiciary.โ
The commission's activities will be banned in Russia, and citizens may face criminal prosecution for cooperating with it.
Economy
Ukraine receives EUR 150M from EU for school meals, recovery projects โ Shmyhal
Czech company ล koda JS hands over eight new drives to Rivne NPP
Ukraine received about USD 1.2B from Japan - PM