Here is the situation on Tuesday, December 24th:
Battle
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X that “according to preliminary data, the number of North Korean soldiers killed and wounded in the Kursk region has already exceeded 3,000.” Zelensky’s comments came shortly after the South Korean General Staff (JCS) statement. South Korean estimates Estimate the number at around 1,100.
- The Russian Defense Ministry said in a post on Telegram that its air defense systems destroyed nine Ukrainian drones over the Rostov region and two over the Sea of Azov.
- Ukrainian military intelligence, known as GUR, said in a post on Telegram that a warehouse in Russia’s Alabuga special economic zone, along with parts for the drone “Shahed” worth “US$16 million,” was destroyed in a “mysterious, destructive fire.” was “destroyed”.
Diplomacy and politics
- Sweden rejected China’s claim that it had cooperated with an open investigation into separation two Baltic Sea submarine cables in Swedish waters in November. European officials said they suspected the sabotage was linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a claim the Kremlin called “ridiculous.”
- Lawmakers in Romania, which borders Ukraine, narrowly voted for a new pro-European coalition government after the country’s Constitutional Court annulled the presidential race over alleged Russian interference.
- Zelensky accused Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico of wanting to “help” Putin after Fico visited Moscow, apparently with the intention of continuing to import Russian gas as a contract for gas transit through Ukraine was set to expire on December 31.
- The Italian cabinet approved a legislative decree on Monday that allows it to continue providing military aid to Ukraine until the end of 2025, a government statement said.
- Volunteers cleaning up a major oil spill on Russia’s Black Sea coast said they were overwhelmed and appealed to Putin for help, more than a week after two aging Russian tankers were damaged in stormy weather on the way to deliver fuel to the Russian Navy.
