Shipments from Ukraine. Day 1 034.
Kherson region. Russian attacks in the oblast, or southern region, of Kherson left 3 wounded and one injured on December 22.
Donetsk region. Between December 19 and 22, Russian shelling in the Donetsk region of southeastern Ukraine killed six civilians and wounded others.
Russian troops executed 4 Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Volnovakha district on the front line of the region on December 22, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine. Following an artillery attack, 4 Ukrainian infantrymen sought safe shelter in a personal home. They surrendered and were taken prisoner after Russian forces surrounded the house. The testimonies imply that two of the Ukrainian prisoners of war were forced out onto a road, while the other two remained lying on the ground; all four were executed, a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
On Dec. 23 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported an estimated 3,000 North Korean soldiers killed or wounded in Russia’s Kursk region. Zelensky warned of the potential for additional North Korean troops and military equipment to be sent to support Russia, promising strong responses. This development comes after the integration of 11,000 North Korean soldiers into Russian forces and the delivery of advanced military hardware, such as self-propelled howitzers and multiple rocket launch systems, from North Korea to Russia.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico visited Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking his first visit to the Kremlin, on Dec. 22. The unannounced meeting focused on energy issues, particularly Russian gas supplies to Slovakia after 2024. Slovakia has historically imported Russian gas through Ukraine. But due to Russia’s aggression, Kyiv has refused to extend its gas transit agreement after it expires at the end of this year, putting Slovakia’s energy security at risk. Fico became the third European leader to meet Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, following Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Western officials’ visits to Moscow are controversial, as they undermine Putin’s diplomatic isolation, providing him with an additional platform to spread propaganda and endowing him with legitimacy as a global leader.
The United Nations has reported that more than 12,300 civilians have been killed and more than 27,800 injured in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. As of November, attacks with long-range weapons accounted for 42% of civilian casualties, a significant increase compared to recent months. Data from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission shows that 2024 is devastating in terms of civilian casualties, with aerial bombardments killing 341 civilians and injuring 1,803, figures that tripled and increased sixfold compared to last year.
The European Union plans to unveil its sixteenth set of sanctions against Russia on February 24, 2025, the third anniversary of Moscow’s liberation from the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions have in the past targeted ignored or outsourced sectors of the Russian economy, as well as Americans and organizations known to be propagandists or undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The package could also impose travel bans and freeze the assets of suspected spies and participants in disinformation campaigns, showing that such activities remain difficult. The package will adhere to the 15th package of EU sanctions, imposed earlier this month, which banned 52 ships belonging to Russia’s “ghost fleet” that had circumvented sanctions on energy exports and, for the first time, Array addressed so-called “hybrid” Russian attacks. or acts of sabotage against EU countries.
Ukraine has secured a conditional disbursement of $1. 1 billion from the International Monetary Fund under its four-year Extended Financing Facility, bringing the total budget won to $9. 8 billion out of the planned $15. 6 billion. This is the seventh tranche of the initiative, dispensed after Ukraine met its structural reform goals in public finances, financial policy, governance and the energy sector. Through 2025, the program will provide up to $2. 7 billion, subject to successful quarterly reviews of reform progress.
Germany has delivered another significant military aid package to Ukraine, bolstering its defense capabilities amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. Announced on Dec. 23, the package includes 15 Leopard 1 A5 main battle tanks with ammunition, 30 mine-resistant armored vehicles, two Patriot missile defense launchers, and advanced IRIS-T air defense systems with ammunition. Additionally, Ukraine will receive two Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft units, one self-propelled howitzer, radars, drones, and 52 thousand 155mm artillery shells.
Despite the commitment to phase out Russian fossil fuels through 2027, Russian liquefied herbal fuel (LNG) imports from the European Union reached a record top of 16. 5 million tonnes in 2024, exceeding 2023 degrees through almost 10%. While pipeline fuel imports from Russia have fallen and oil and coal are banned, the decrease prices of Russian LNG, especially from the Yamal terminal, a primary LNG production facility in the Russian Arctic, have made it a controversial, yet growing, component of the European power mix. . France and Belgium lead the in imports, with France doubling its inflows. The EU plans to ban the use of European ports for LNG transhipments (transfer of fuel from ice-class ships to normal shipment ships) for 3rd countries in March 2025.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 22: Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine in action against Tyson Fury of United … [+] Kingdom during “Riyadh Season” boxing match event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 22, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed Saad/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk defeated his British rival Tyson Fury in their highly anticipated rematch on December 21, winning by unanimous resolution with the same scores of 116-112 from all 3 judges. Held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the bout saw Usyk’s incredible speed. Skill and movement surpass Fury’s larger frame and physicality. Fury, who was outweighing his opponent by 55 pounds, struggled to maintain his speed after the first few laps, allowing Usyk to get into the action with precision and lateral movement. Despite Fury’s attempts to land some strong shots, Usyk’s pinpoint counterattacks and relentless speed overcame the Brit as the fight progressed. Fury left the ring in disbelief, while Usyk solidified his legacy as world heavyweight champion, earning a purse of $104. 5 million, compared to Fury’s $84. 5 million. This victory follows Usyk’s last victory over Fury in May.
By Danylo Nosov and Karina L. Tahiliani
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