These are the important thing developments from day 1,402 of Russia’s battle on Ukraine.
Printed On 27 Dec 2025
Right here is the place issues stand on Saturday, December 27:
Preventing
- The Ukrainian capital Kyiv got here below a “huge” Russian assault early on Saturday, in keeping with experiences, with air defences in operation and the navy warning of the approaching deployment of missiles. Witnesses mentioned air defences have been in motion within the metropolis. A navy Telegram channel mentioned Russian cruise and ballistic missiles have been being deployed to focus on the town.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed that its forces captured the Ukrainian village of Kosivtseve within the southeastern Zaporizhia area, including that it had taken greater than 23 sq. kilometres (9sq miles) of territory to safe the village.
- Ukraine’s navy has acknowledged that one in all its items dedicated errors in “an unlucky incident” when a gaggle of simply three infiltrating Russian troopers deceived Ukrainian forces into abandoning a submit in Huliaipole city, which encompasses Kosivtseve.
- Russian in a single day drone assaults broken vessels below the flags of Slovakia, Palau and Liberia in ports in Ukraine’s Odesa and Mykolaiv areas, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba mentioned in an announcement on Telegram. Kuleba mentioned that there have been no casualties within the assaults.
- Kuleba additionally mentioned {that a} separate drone assault broken a locomotive and a freight automobile on the northwestern Kovel railway station, about 60km (37miles) from the Polish border.
- A blaze ignited by a Ukrainian drone assault at Russia’s Azov Sea port of Temryuk has been extinguished, an area process drive mentioned. Temryuk port handles LPG, oil merchandise and petrochemicals, in addition to grain and different bulk meals commodities.
- Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that throughout the previous week its forces had downed seven British-made Storm Shadow missiles, Russian information companies reported.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of utilizing unusual house blocks on the territory of its ally Belarus to assault Ukrainian targets and circumvent Kyiv’s defences. “It’s unlucky that Belarus is surrendering its sovereignty in favour of Russia’s aggressive ambitions,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
- Poland deployed fighter jets to intercept a Russian reconnaissance plane flying close to its airspace over the Baltic Sea and mentioned dozens of aerial objects – believed to be balloons utilized by smugglers – approached its airspace from Belarus in a single day, warning that the separate incidents throughout the vacation season could sign a provocation by Moscow.
Regional safety
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Moscow is probably going stationing new nuclear-capable hypersonic ballistic missiles at a former airbase in japanese Belarus, a growth that would bolster Russia’s capability to hit European targets, two United States researchers have discovered by finding out satellite tv for pc imagery, in keeping with an unique Reuters information company report.
- The American researchers mentioned critiques of the Planet Labs imagery revealed a hurried development undertaking that happened between August 4 and 12 and confirmed options in step with these of a Russian strategic missile base, the report added.
- Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov mentioned that Russia was “considerably” delaying the export of Russian-made weapons and navy tools to prioritise deliveries to its personal armed forces, in keeping with Interfax information company.
Peace talks
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President Zelenskyy mentioned he desires to debate territorial points, the primary stumbling block in talks to finish the battle, with US President Donald Trump in Florida, as negotiations on a 20-point peace framework and a safety assure deal close to completion.
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Zelenskyy mentioned in a WhatsApp chat with reporters {that a} safety assure settlement between Ukraine and the US is “virtually prepared” and {that a} draft of the 20-point plan was 90 % full.
- In a separate interview with the Axios information website, Zelenskyy mentioned that the US provided a 15-year deal on safety ensures that may very well be renewed, and Kyiv wished a longer-term settlement.
- Zelenskyy was additionally cited by Axios as saying that if he isn’t in a position to push the US to again Ukraine’s “sturdy” place on the land subject within the peace proposal, he’s keen to place the 20-point plan to a referendum – so long as Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire to permit Ukraine to organize for and maintain the vote.
- Russian Deputy International Minister Sergey Ryabkov mentioned Kyiv’s model of the 20-point plan was radically totally different from what Russia has been discussing with the US, in keeping with Interfax-Russia.
- Ryabkov additionally accused Ukraine of attempting to “torpedo” the talks, including that Moscow’s capability to make the “ultimate push” and attain a deal will rely “on our personal work and the political will of the opposite occasion”.
- Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported that President Vladimir Putin advised a few of Russia’s high businessmen that he is likely to be open to swapping some territory managed by Russian forces elsewhere in Ukraine, however that in trade, he wished the entire of the Donbas.
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with Zelenskyy and mentioned the most recent developments within the ongoing peace talks, Carney’s workplace mentioned in an announcement. Throughout the name, Carney “emphasised the necessity to keep stress on Russia to barter”, the assertion added.
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Putin’s particular envoy Kirill Dmitriev participated in talks with members of the US administration together with the Kremlin’s overseas coverage aide Yury Ushakov, Reuters reported, citing a supply near the talks.
Politics and diplomacy
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North Korean chief Kim Jong Un has declared that his nation and Russia had shared “blood, life and loss of life” within the Ukraine battle, as he despatched President Vladimir Putin New Yr’s greetings. Pyongyang has deployed hundreds of troops to Russia to assist in the struggle towards Ukraine.
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A Moscow court docket has sentenced a former Russian diplomat, Arseniy Konovalov, to 12 years in a maximum-security penal colony for promoting secrets and techniques to US intelligence whereas on a posting to the US, the Federal Safety Service (FSB) mentioned.
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Russia’s Kommersant newspaper mentioned Konovalov labored within the US from 2014 to 2017 and served as second secretary of the Russian Consulate Common in Houston, Texas.
