On Dec. 4, the Russians intensified operations in the Zaporizhzhia region, trying to create the illusion of a threat to the city of Zaporizhzhia itself in order to draw Ukrainian reserves away from the Donbas and Kursk, where the fighting was the most bloody.

Ukrainian long-range drones carried out precision strikes on the port of Novorossiysk and the air base in Ryazan, as well as a surprise attack on Grozny, striking near the headquarters of the Akhmat special forces. 

The Ukrainian delegation in Washington met with representatives of the incoming Donald Trump administration, trying to forge a common position, while resistance to continued funding for Kyiv before the change of power was growing in the US Congress. 

On the night of Dec. 6, Russian forces attacked Ukraine using Shahed 136/131 drones, 32 of which were destroyed by anti-aircraft defences and 10 strayed into Belarusian territory. The rocket attacks on Zaporizhia and Kryvyi Rih proved tragic, killing a total of 13 people, including children, and injuring dozens. On the Donetsk front, the Russians made progress, seizing Sukhi Yaly, Novopustinka, and the localities of Stari Terny, Illinka, and Novodmytrivka.

On Dec. 7 in Paris, President Zelensky met with Emmanuel Macron and President-elect Donald Trump,  to then conclude that the talks were constructive. The United States announced another aid package worth $988 million, and Ukraine confirmed the receipt of a second batch of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin estimated the Russian costs of the war at $200 billion and 700,000 casualties.

On Dec. 8 Russia carried out a massive attack with 76 drones, of which 28 were shot down and 46 were neutralized using means of electronic warfare. Ukrainian drones attacked five regions of Russia, causing a fire at an industrial facility in the Voronezh region. SpaceX and the Pentagon announced the expansion of the Starshield network for Ukraine to 3,000 terminals.

Donald Trump announced in an interview for NBC that he would limit aid to Ukraine after taking office.

On Dec. 11, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the delivery of a sixth IRIS-T system and a Patriot launcher to Ukraine by the end of the year. Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said that Ukraine had the resources to resist until mid-2025, even with reduced aid from the US. It was also revealed that despite sanctions, Russian snipers were still receiving Western rifles (including Steyr Mannlicher) via Central Asian countries.

On Dec. 12 in Moscow, Ukrainian intelligence agents killed Mikhail Shatsky, a key designer responsible for upgrading the Kh-59 and Kh-69 missiles. Ukrainian drones also attacked police barracks in Grozny. The US announced a military aid package (USD 500 million) and USD 440 million for economic reconstruction. Donald Trump agreed to the deployment of European troops in Ukraine to ensure security (without US participation). At the same time, reports showed that following the permission for long-range attacks, the intensity of Russian aerial bombardment decreased by more than 50%.

On Dec. 13 Russia launched a massive air attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, using 193 drones and 94 missiles, including hypersonic Kinzhal. Ukrainian defences shot down 80 missiles and 80 drones. The attack caused power and heat outages (including in the Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk regions).

On Dec. 15, Trump advisor Mike Waltz stated that the new administration aimed to permanently end the war, not just "freeze" it, noting that the "blank check" policy for Ukraine was coming to an end.

In mid-Dec. 2024, the conflict entered a phase of intense fighting with the participation of North Korean troops in the Kursk region. On Dec. 16 and 17, Ukrainian intelligence and command reported significant losses among DPRK soldiers, who had lost dozens of killed and wounded in the battles near Plekhov and Martynivka. The Koreans' lack of experience in drone combat had made them a considerable burden for Russian forces, a fact also confirmed by US and South Korean officials. Despite this, Russia continued its offensive in many directions, making advances at Chasiv Yar, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka, while Ukrainian forces managed to retake some of the positions near Pokrovsk.

Illustrative photo/AI generated