Christmas truce proposal and Kerch Strait tanker accident: December 15 highlights
Hungary has proposed that Russia and Ukraine conclude a truce and hold a major prisoner exchange at Christmas, and Donald Trump's team supported this. Two Russian tankers with oil products were damaged in the Kerch Strait. Military personnel from the DPRK may be transferred to eastern fronts, the Armed Forces of Ukraine say. We have collected the main news for December 15.
Hungary proposes Christmas truce
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has suggested that Russia and Ukraine conclude a Christmas truce for several days and exchange prisoners on the eve of this holiday.
The team of US President-elect Donald Trump considers this proposal to be the first step towards ending hostilities.
Earlier, the Office of the President of Ukraine rejected a temporary ceasefire, emphasizing that Kyiv is committed to full-fledged peace and is working with partners to achieve this.
Tankers suffered an accident in the Kerch Strait
On the afternoon of December 15, two Russian oil tankers were damaged near the Kerch Strait in the Black Sea.
Greenpeace said that the accident could have spilled 4,300 tons of fuel oil and other petroleum products into the sea. This could lead to a new environmental disaster in the region, the organization stated.
Military personnel from North Korea may be transferred to eastern directions
The Armed Forces of Ukraine do not rule out that the Russians will involve North Korean military personnel in hostilities in eastern Ukraine due to Russian losses.
Russia has already involved soldiers from the DPRK in the assault on Ukrainian positions in Kursk Oblast.
A Russian train was destroyed in Zaporizhzhia Oblast
The Security Service of Ukraine, together with the Defense Forces, struck a Russian train in the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, which was transporting fuel.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported the destruction of the railway track in the area of the city of Ulyanovsk, which is located in the depths of Russia - on the Volga River.
Ukraine called for the use of frozen assets of the Russian Federation
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha believes that the West should start using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, not just the profits from them.
"Forcing the aggressor to compensate for losses and harm is fair and legal," he stressed.
Klopotenko caused outrage over event at the Refectory Church
Culinary artist Yevhen Klopotenko and the author of the project Real History Akim Galimov filmed an episode about traditional Ukrainian Christmas dishes in the refectory of the Refectory Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The Moscow Patriarchate church was outraged by this choice of location for the program.
Previously, Orthodox Christians criticized the holding of a prayer breakfast in the refectory, at which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke.
In Rivne Oblast, a man fired at a crowd
Overnight on December 14, in the village of Velyki Selyshcha, in Rivne Oblast, a young man fired several shots into a crowd. Four people were hospitalized.
The shooting reportedly occurred due to a conflict between two companies.
A man damaged flags on Independence Square
In Kyiv, overnight on December 14, a man damaged flags and photographs erected in memory of the fallen soldiers on Independence Square. Police have already detained him. He turned out to be a 36-year-old native of Sumy Oblast.
Other news
- Drones attacked Grozny again. The likely target could have been an OMON riote police base.
- FIFA removed the segment with the map, which depicted Ukraine without Crimea. However, it did not apologize.
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz once again opposed providing Ukraine with TAURUS missiles.
- In Zaporizhzhia, the local authorities called the rumors about an attack on Zaporizhzhia city hostile psyops.