Russo-Ukrainian War, day 1031: Russia strikes six foreign embassies in Kyiv

Military

Russians fire 1,000 shells at Kherson in failed sabotage and reconnaissance group attack. Russian forces attempted a Dnipro River crossing at Kherson under cover of 1,000-shell barrage. Ukrainian military repels assault as civilian infrastructure sustains heavy damage, leaving two people dead. Russia attacks Kyiv with 8 missiles, causing casualties, fires, damage to civilian infrastructure. Russian forces deployed Kinzhal and Iskander-M missiles in a morning attack on Kyiv that damaged civilian infrastructure across four districts. Ukraine intercepts 40 of 65 drones, 5 ballistic missiles in Russian attack. A series of Russian strikes across Ukraine killed seven people and wounded 34 others, with attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in multiple cities. As of 20 DEC 2024, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:

Personnel: 770420 (+2200)
Tanks: 9584 (+8)
APV: 19823 (+24)
Artillery systems: 21220 (+42)
MLRS: 1256
Anti-aircraft systems: 1027
Aircraft: 369
Helicopters: 329
UAV: 20600 (+79)
Cruise missiles : 2943
Warships/boats: 28
Submarines: 1
Vehicles and fuel tanks: 31793 (+115)

Intelligence and Technology

Ukraine's 228 years of combat footage powers next-generation AI drones. Ukraine transforms its vast combat experience into artificial intelligence advantage, processing terabytes of daily drone footage to develop autonomous weapon systems that revolutionize modern warfare. Ukrainian intelligence reports destruction of An-72 Aircraft at airbase in Moscow Oblast. Russian military transport An-72 exploded at Ostafyevo airfield near Moscow, causing $4.5M in damage. Ukrainian company assembles first fully domestic FPV drone. Defense contractor Vyriy drone has completed assembly of Ukraine's first fully domestically produced FPV drone, featuring local components to reduce Chinese supply dependence. Russian one of the largest cyberattack disrupts Ukraine's digital government services. Russian hackers claim to have deleted over a billion rows of data from Ukraine's government databases, including backup copies stored in Poland. Ukraine not confirm information leak after Russian cyberattack on state digital government services. The massive cyber attack on Ukraine's state registries was prepared over several months.

International

Netherlands pledges 2025 military aid to Ukraine, including air defenses, tanks, and artillery. Meanwhile, Ukrainian pilots demonstrate the devastating effectiveness of Dutch-provided F-16s against Russian cruise missiles. Biden prepares final $1.2 billion aid package for Ukraine as Trump says Kyiv to likely receive less US aid once he takes office

. The package is expected to include air defense systems and artillery munitions. Lithuanian PM: Peace talks without condictions that lead to Ukrainian victory would be trap for Europe. Gintautas Paluckas rebuffs growing pressure for quick compromises with Russia. Bulgarian leader withdraws Ukraine security support as Trump's peace talk speculation grows. Bulgarian deputy Boyko Borissov withdraws support for Ukraine security agreement amid growing peace talk discussions. Scholz, Trump agree to seek peace in Ukraine in phone call. The German Chancellor and US President-elect agreed to pursue fair peace while European leaders prepare for potentially reduced US support. Poland funds mine clearance in Ukraine as nearly 144,000 square kilometers remain contaminated. As Ukraine grapples with one of the world's largest mine-contaminated territories, Polish funding enables deployment of innovative technologies including drone systems for safer clearance operations. "I sat on my knees and prayed:" Kherson residents recount Russian artillery terror. The first explosions rocked Kherson around 5:00 a.m. on 20 December, beginning an hour of sustained Russian artillery fire that damaged dozens of buildings across multiple districts and killed two people. Russian missiles target six embassies in Kyiv, says Ukraine's Foreign Ministry. The attack damaged diplomatic facilities of Albania, Argentina, Palestine, North Macedonia, Portugal, and Montenegro. Ukraine returns bodies of 503 fallen soldiers from four combat fronts

. As Ukraine works to return its fallen soldiers, mounting evidence of systematic war crimes against prisoners of war reveals a disturbing pattern of violations against international humanitarian law.

Political and Legal Developments

Ukraine's Security Service charges Russian colonel general for missile strike on Reuters journalists in Kramatorsk. Ukraine's security service identifies Colonel General Aleksey Kim as the commander who ordered a deadly missile strike on international journalists. Putin's nuclear threats may trigger more support for Ukraine, French military expert says. As Moscow broadens its nuclear strike criteria, military analysts reveal a strategic miscalculation: threats meant to deter Western support may instead mobilizing greater international backing for Ukraine's defense. Ukraine to cut off Russian gas transit on 1 January 2025, Prime Minister says. Ukraine will permanently halt Russian gas transit through its territory on 1 January 2025, while remaining open to transporting non-Russian gas, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. Zelenskyy labels Putin "dumbass" for "high-tech duel" idea to target Kyiv with Oreshnik. After Putin's threat, Zelenskyy used strong language to denounce him and his circle as "psychos," and emphasized Putin's complete disregard for human lives.

New Developments

This Christmas, make democracy your gift to the world: be our patron. Euromaidan Press launches holiday fundraising campaign to support independent journalism. The initiative aims to strengthen democratic values through reliable reporting. Contributions will help maintain coverage of crucial developments in Ukraine. Read the daily review for Thu Dec 19 2024 here