Exclusives
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Why Russia’s war machine may have peaked: new ISW assessment says Moscow can’t build momentum due to lack of reserves. With no extra troops to shift across sectors, Russia keeps trading one front for another, exposing dangerous vulnerabilities. |
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Europe’s sanctions aren’t failing—they’re being outrun. Russia adapts faster than Brussels deliberates. The twentieth package is Europe’s last chance to prove otherwise. |
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The river blocking Russia’s path to Kramatorsk—and the crude fix that might work. Russian troops are trying to get across the Kazennyi Torets River. They may have invented a new vehicle to help. |
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He vowed to “atone” for Russia’s sins. Ukraine’s most controversial Russian commander died fighting against Putin. Denis Kapustin built a unit of Russians that raided Russian soil and proved Putin's "red lines" were bluffs. A drone killed him on the Zaporizhzhia front. He was 41 |
Military
- Over 120 Russian GRU troops were killed and wounded in Friday drone strike, commander says (VIDEO, MAP). Ukraine's Robert Brovdi released what he described as confirmed intelligence about the strike's toll on the GRU's 14th Brigade in occupied Donetsk Oblast.
- Ukrainian drones hit Syzran oil refinery in Russia, military installations across occupied regions (MAP, VIDEOS). General Staff confirmed that Ukrainian forces also struck a Russian boat storage site in occupied Crimea and a Shahed depot in Makiivka.
- Ukraine holds north Pokrovsk, reinforces Myrnohrad as Russia fails to break through at Pokrovsk, military says (VIDEO, MAP). As Ukrainian paratroopers and marines defend the area, Kyiv deploys more troops to counter two-sided Russian attacks, holding key supply corridors intact.
- Ukraine blasts Russia's prized anti-drone radar system in occupied Crimea, hits naval drone base (VIDEO, MAP). Overnight strikes reportedly destroyed a radar hub, a sea drone base, and command infrastructure deep inside Russian-occupied territory.
- Russia's last footholds in Kupiansk are crumbling, Ukrainian military says. Weeks of grinding combat may soon end as Russian holdouts face inevitable elimination.
As of 28 December 2025, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:
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- Personnel: 1204510 (+1200)
- Tanks: 11469 (+5)
- APV: 23831 (+8)
- Artillery systems: 35557 (+15)
- MLRS: 1581 (+2)
- Anti-aircraft systems: 1264
- Aircraft: 434
- Helicopters: 347
- UAV: 96227 (+688)
- Cruise missiles : 4136 (+29)
- Warships/boats: 28
- Submarines: 2
- Vehicles and fuel tanks: 71778 (+166)
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Intelligence and technology
- Poland prepares €2 billion anti-drone barrier to deter future Russian UAV incursions. Officials say the system will fuse cannons, jammers, and missile tech to shield the eastern border from evolving threats.
International
- Trump still claims Putin is "serious about peace" and downplays Russian strikes. At Mar-a-Lago, he drew a parallel between Russia's deliberate bombing of homes and Ukraine's hits on military fuel sites.
- Over 2,100 drones in one week: Zelenskyy details massive Russian strikes before Trump meeting. Russian forces launched over 2,100 strike drones, 800 guided aerial bombs, and 94 missiles at Ukraine in the week ending 28 Dec., President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
- German Greens party press new chancellor on long-range missiles after years of debate. Bundestag Vice President Omid Nouripour has challenged new Chancellor Merz to follow through on opposition-era demands for Taurus missile transfers to Ukraine, warning that continued refusal will result in Ukrainian casualties.
- Frontline report: Russian border provocation caught on film as Estonia responds with firewalls and fences. Three border guards trespassing for 20 minutes wasn't a mistake — it may be a signal of things to come.
Humanitarian and social impact
- Over 39,000 Ukrainian households without power as Russia continues targeting power grid (MAP). Ukraine's Air Force reported shooting down 30 drones overnight, but 18 reached civilian and energy targets.
- Pope Leo XIV sends 100,000 portions of Korean instant soup to Ukraine. The 100,000 portions were sent to regions "where there is no electricity, water or heating," Cardinal Konrad Krajewski explained. The Korean manufacturer Samyang Foods donated the products to the Holy See for the second time.
Political and legal developments
- Ukraine's anti-corruption bureau accuses Zelenskyy's MPs of selling parliamentary votes. Prosecutors accuse the lawmakers of regularly accepting illegal payouts in exchange for votes in the Verkhovna Rada.
Read our earlier daily review here.
