The situation on the fronts remained extremely dynamic and difficult for the defenders. In the Kurakhove area, Ukrainian troops were forced to retreat to avoid encirclement, which led to the loss of the localities of Uspenivka and Trudove.

At the same time, spectacular actions were launched behind enemy lines, and technological innovations thrived. On Dec. 17, General Igor Kirilov, commander of the Russian Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence forces, was killed in Moscow in an attack organized by the Security Service of Ukraine. On Dec. 20, in the Lyptsi area on the Kharkiv front, the Ukrainian 13th "Khartia" Brigade carried out a pioneering land attack solely by means of robots and drones, without the direct participation of infantry. 

As for air attacks, Russia systematically harassed Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Between Dec. 16 and 20, massive Shahed drone strikes and missile attacks were regularly carried out on Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Kherson, where, among other places, an oncology centre was hit. Ukraine responded with successful long-range strikes, using Storm Shadow missiles and drones to destroy ammunition depots in Markyne and a strategic refinery in Novoshakhtinsk. According to the British Ministry of Defence, the scale of Russia's equipment losses forced it to massively resort to outdated Soviet-era stocks. 

Diplomacy and international support focused on ensuring Ukraine's financial and military stability. The European Union pledged €1.5 billion a month from frozen Russian assets, while countries such as Denmark, the UK and Australia announced new aid packages including air defence systems, drones and naval support. On the political front, President-elect Donald Trump suggested the US maintained its support provided that European countries increased their defence spending to 5% of GDP, while President Zelenskyy raised the potential sending of peacekeeping forces to Ukraine in talks with Emmanuel Macron. 

On Dec. 22, Ukrainians successfully struck an oil depot near Orel, Russia, with drones, causing a fire there. Important reports emerged on the diplomatic and military fronts: in Poland, over 1,000 volunteers signed up to join the Ukrainian Legion, and South Korean intelligence warned of new arms deliveries from the DPRK. Donald Trump announced his willingness to fast-track a meeting with Vladimir Putin to end the war, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with the Russian president in Moscow to discuss mainly gas transit. The following day, Germany announced a massive support package, including IRIS-T systems, Patriot launchers, Leopard 1A5 tanks and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition. An important event was the departure of the first unit of volunteers from the Ukrainian Legion trained in Poland to Ukraine, amplified by the reports of the sinking of the Russian ship "Ursa Maior" in the Mediterranean Sea. The DeepState project temporarily suspended cooperation with the army due to disputes over the interpretation of the front situation.

On Dec. 24 a Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih demolished a 4-story apartment building, killing one person and injuring 15. On the front lines, the Russians consolidated their positions in Storozhevo and Makarivka and announced the capture of the villages of Ukrainka and Novoolenivka. The Ukrainian command observed increased activity of small enemy assault groups on the Dnieper islands near Kherson. During the night, Ukrainian defences shot down 36 of the 60 drones but the attacks (including those using Grads) caused damage to the infrastructure of the Dnipropetrovsk region. There were two high-profile incidents on the Russian side: in Berdyansk, the collaborationist mayor of the city, Vasyl Nekhet, was wounded in an attack, and over the Donetsk region, a Russian drone mistakenly damaged own Su-25 attack aircraft. 

Christmas was marked by a massive Russian attack (184 airborne projectiles, including Kalibr, Kh-101 and KN-23 ballistic missiles) aimed at the Ukrainian energy sector. The defence forces shot down 113 targets but as a result of the strikes half a million people in the Kharkiv region were left without heating. A Russian missile violated Moldovan airspace, which was condemned by President Maia Sandu. On the front, the Russians announced the seizure of the village of Zahryzove, and the fighting in Toretsk and Chasiv Yar intensified, including house-to-house clashes. The Ukrainians responded with a daring HIMARS attack on the command post of the Russian marines in Lgov (Kursk region), where 18 servicemen were killed, including Lieutenant Colonel Pashtov. SBU drones destroyed an ammunition depot in Novocherkassk. There was a civilian tragedy in Russia. Near Grozny, Russian air defences mistook an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane for a drone and likely fired at it. 38 people were killed. Japan declared that it would transfer $3 billion from Russian assets to Ukraine.

Fot. poglądowe/wygenerowane SI