15:55: The rector of Mannheim University of Music believes that music experts in Germany have underestimated the independent music of Ukraine. Rudolf Meister, the President of the University, stated that many people were unaware of the differences between Ukrainian and Russian culture and mistakenly believed that Ukrainian achievements were part of Russian culture. He emphasized that while musicians in Russia have distanced themselves partly consciously and partly unconsciously from the European musical tradition, Ukraine has been oriented towards the West for centuries.
At 15:09, Pope Francis called for peace in several conflict regions, including Ukraine, in his Christmas message this year. Francis mentioned that for the first time, most Orthodox Christians in Ukraine celebrated Christmas on December 25, instead of January 7, as a result of changing their holiday calendar to distance themselves from Russia. He also included Palestine and Yemen in his prayers for peace.
The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) announced at 14:31 that Russian and Belarusian athletes would not compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. This decision was based on the athletes' absence from FEI events since March 2, 2022, due to the Russian war of aggression and the subsequent sanctions, hindering their ability to collect necessary points for Olympic qualification.
At 13:57, Ukraine received €1.22 billion from the World Bank to compensate for non-security and defense-related expenditures of the Ukrainian state budget. This includes social benefits and salaries for employees of state services.
Kiev announced that it would present details of a draft law on mobilization "in the coming days" at 13:21. This law will regulate the mobilization of conscripts, including when rotations take place and when military service ends. The Ukrainian military had requested the mobilization of 450,000 to 500,000 additional soldiers.
Premature births in Ukraine have increased due to the war, leading to a need for additional care for newborns. The "RTL Wir helfen Kindern" foundation supplies important equipment and medicines for this purpose.
Latvia has been supporting Ukraine with cars confiscated from drunk drivers. The news portal "Delfi" reported that 271 confiscated cars have been sent to Ukraine since a law was passed in February, with an estimated value of almost 1 million euros.
At 11:30, a fire was reported on the nuclear-powered icebreaker 'Sevmorput' while the ship was in the port of Murmansk. According to Ria Novosti, there was a fire in one of the cabins, which was quickly extinguished, and no one was injured.
Military: Drone attacks cause damage in the port of Odessa at 11:07. According to the Ukrainian military, the Russian drone attacks on Odessa had caused damage to the port infrastructure, started fires, and caused debris to fall. 17 drones were shot down in the Odessa region.
Ukraine reported downing of Russian jets at 10:36, following night-time Russian attacks. Two Russian fighter jets were shot down: A Sukhoi Su-34 fighter jet in the Donetsk region and a Su-30CM over the Black Sea.
Russia believes it has the upper hand in the arms race with the West, according to Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov at 10:09. He noted that Russia started stepping up production of weapons earlier than Western countries.
There was an air alert throughout Ukraine at 09:40, with the Ukrainian air force warning of possible missile attacks. The alert was lifted after two hours.
Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on December 25 for the first time at 09:10. Many Orthodox Christians in Ukraine will celebrate Christmas on December 25 instead of January 7, as a result of changing their holiday calendar to distance themselves from Russia.
Foreign companies withdraw from Russian gas production at 08:33 due to Western sanctions. Foreign shareholders are foregoing investments and purchase agreements, leading to gas having to be sold on the spot market.
Ukraine: Air defense intercepts drones and missiles at 08:01 during Russian attacks.
Putin grants vacation: Dialogue with soldiers is said to be staged at 07:24 according to the US Institute for the Study of War.
The West cannot afford to lose the war in Ukraine, the British Defense Secretary Grant Shepps stated at 06:47. He emphasized that if the West allows Putin to win, they will suffer harsh consequences.
Communities in the north are under fire at 06:18, with regional authorities reporting massive shelling of the north-eastern Ukrainian region of Sumy by the Russian army.
According to James Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, at 04:58, the West "can afford military aid for Ukraine," calculating that half of the Russian army has been destroyed with minimal direct US involvement.
At 03:36, one woman was killed and six civilians injured in Ukrainian shelling of the town of Horlivka in the Russian-occupied areas of the Donetsk region.
Five dead after Russian shelling in Kherson at 02:37. Three people died in the shelling of a residential building and an apartment in the city of Kherson, a woman was killed in a drone attack in a small town south of Kherson, and another woman was killed when a town further north came under heavy shelling.
EU counts 4.1 million Ukrainian refugees at 01:37. At the end of October, 4.16 million Ukrainians were registered in the EU as enjoying temporary protection.
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Selective use of Enrichment Data:
- Russian and Belarusian athletes lack the opportunity to collect necessary points for Olympic qualification due to their absence from FEI events.
- Ukraine received €1.22 billion from the World Bank to compensate for non-security and defense-related expenditures of the Ukrainian state budget. This funding will be used for social benefits and salaries for employees of state services.
- Ukrainian Orthodox Christians will celebrate Christmas on December 25 for the first time in history, having changed their holiday calendar to distance themselves from Russia.
- French champagne maker, Krug, has decided to donate 5% of its profits to Ukraine to support Ukrainian refugees.
- Ukraine plans to introduce a draft law on mobilization. This law regulates the mobilization of conscripts, including rotations and when military service ends.
- NATO allies have agreed to increasing military aid to Ukraine, affirming their commitment to helping Ukraine defend its territory against Russian aggression.
- The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has suspended Russian and Belarusian national teams from all competitions, including the 2026 Winter Olympics, due to safety concerns and the ongoing conflict.
