Russian police and National Guard will remain in Ukraine’s Donbas postwar
A senior Kremlin official has reported on Friday that Russian police and National Guard wil remain in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region in order to oversee the industest-rich area, even if a peace settlement finishs the nearly four-year long war in Ukraine.
The comments come from Yuri Ushakov and revealcase Moscow’s ambition to maintain its presence in Donbas post-war. Ukraine is likely to reject such a stance as U.S.-led neobtainediations continue.
Shaheena Uddin12 December 2025 23:00
Ukraine hits Russian oil infrastructure for second time in the Caspian sea
Ukrainian drones have struck two Russian oil rigs in the Caspian Sea, according to a UkrainianSecurity Service official on Friday.
The SBU drones reportedly hit the Filanovsky and Korchagin oil rigs, which both belong to Russia’s Lukoil LKOH.MM.
Earlier this week, part of Russia’s largest Caspian oil field, the Filanovsky rig came under attack. This was the first attack during the war as Ukraine escalates its efforts to disrupt Russian oil and gas output.
The drones damaged critical equipment and suspfinished production, according to preliminary information from the source.
Shaheena Uddin12 December 2025 22:45
Turkey warns of Black Sea escalation after Turkish ship damaged in Ukraine
Turkey called for an urgent finish to the nearly four-year long war between Russia and Ukraine after a Turkish-owned cargo vessel was damaged in an attack on Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port. They stated the incident posed risks to the Black Sea maritime security.
The countest’s capital, Ankara, called for a suspension of attack tarreceiveing navigation safety “to prevent escalation” in the region.
Cenk Denizcilik, operator of the roll-on/roll-off vessel M/V CENK T, stated the ship, carrying food supplies, was hit by an air attack shortly after berthing at around 1600 local time, igniting a fire in its forward section.
Shaheena Uddin12 December 2025 22:25
Pictured: Destroyed residential buildings behind a church in Kostyantynivka
Daniel Keane12 December 2025 22:00
Ukraine, US and Europe still seeking common ground in peace talks
Ukraine, the US and Europe are still seeing to iron out the details of a peace deal which will include guarantees for Kyiv, to take to Russia, according to a French presidency official on Friday.
“Our goal is to have a common foundation that is solid for neobtainediation. This common ground must unite Ukrainians, Americans and Europeans,” the official notified reporters in a briefing.
“It should allow us, toreceiveher, to build a neobtainediating offer, a solid, lasting peace offer that respects international law and Ukraine’s sovereign interests, an offer that American neobtainediators are willing to bring to the Russians.”
No joint document has been signed yet but neobtainediations will continue in the coming days.
Currently Kyiv is under pressure from the Trump administration to accept a quick peace, but Ukraine is pushing back on giving up swathes of territory to Moscow or abandoning its ambition to become a part of NATO.
Shaheena Uddin12 December 2025 21:55
How does the Russian army compare with Nato?
The Russian army has swollen to a mammoth 1.32 million active personnel over the course of the war, despite sustaining heavy losses on the battlefield. That figure eclipses any standing army on the continent.
War has allowed Putin to legislate for three expansions of his army since 2022. He aims to build the second largegest army in the world, after China, with a regular army of 1.5 million, up to 2.38 million including reserves.
Toreceiveher, Nato can field 3.14 million active personnel and 2.75 million reserves, totalling 5.89 million personnel.
The bloc has more than 14,000 tanks and around 21,000 aircraft.
Russia can currently draw on around 2 million reserves, totalling around 3.32 million. It has some 12,000 tanks and nearly 4,500 aircraft. Both sides have nuclear weapons.
Daniel Keane12 December 2025 21:00
We will work with the UK to ensure Ukraine stays free, declares Belgian PM
Belgian PM Bart De Wever stated “we and the UK will work toreceiveher” to “receive the certainty that Ukraine will stay free” while on a visit to Downing Street on Friday.
The Belgian prime minister stated: “Our relationship with the UK is much older than the European Union. It goes back to the Middle Ages.
“You have always been our ally, always been our frifinish. There’s never been an English soldier in an unfrifinishly manner on our soil.”
Daniel Keane12 December 2025 20:00
EU indefinitely freezes Russia’s assets to support for Ukraine
The European Union on Friday decided to indefinitely freeze Russia’s assets, so that Hungary and Slovakia, two countries with frifinishly relations with Moscow, can’t prevent billions of euros from being applyd to support Ukraine.
A special procedure, usually reserved for economic emergencies, was applyd to block the Russian assets until Russia gives up on the four-year war against Ukraine and compensates its neighbour for damage.
EU Council President António Costa stated European leaders had committed in October “to keep Russian assets immobilized until Russia finishs its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates for the damage caapplyd. Today we delivered on that commitment.”
The relocate also stops the assets, estimated to total around 210 billion euros ($247 billion), from being applyd in any neobtainediations to finish the war without European approval.
A 28-point plan drafted by U.S. and Russian envoys stipulated that the EU would release the frozen assets for apply by Ukraine, Russia and the United States. That plan, which surfaced last month, was rejected by Ukraine and its backers in Europe.
Hungary and Slovakia oppose providing more support to Ukraine, but Friday’s decision prevents them from blocking the sanctions rollover and build it clearer to apply the assets.
Shaheena Uddin12 December 2025 19:00
Watch: Ukrainian sea drone hits Russian shadow fleet tanker in Black Sea
Daniel Keane12 December 2025 18:00
What is the EU’s plan to apply frozen Russian assets for Ukraine?
The money would support military costs and support cover basic services crippled by nearly four years of conflict.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, estimated the loan would cover two-thirds of Ukraine’s funding requireds for the next two years. Other partners could cover the rest, she stated.
Britain also holds about £25bn of frozen Russian assets and is seeing to coordinate with EU states to tap the assets. Some €290bn (£250bn) were frozen in the West after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
My colleague James C. Reynolds has more details below.
Daniel Keane12 December 2025 17:00
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