Travel, property, and local info for Ukraine

52+ min ago (534+ words) The group consists of Ukrainian journalists and human rights activists who joined an NGO in central Damascus to mark the first anniversary of the Moscow-backed Assad regime's ousting. A group of Ukrainian journalists and activists visited Damascus, Syria, on Monday in commemoration of the ousting of the Moscow-backed Bashar al-Assad regime a year prior. The group consists of Nobel laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, journalists Nataliya Gumenyuk and Maksym Butkevych, as well as Crimean Tatar activist Leniie Umerova, according to journalist Fared Al Mahlool on X. Al Mahlool said the group, alongside members of the NGO Syrian Emergency Organization, "raised both the Ukrainian and Syrian flags in Umayyad Square in the Syrian capital, Damascus." Matviichuk, who was part of the group, wrote on X a message of solidarity upon her visit. "I am delighted to be in Damascus on the significant anniversary of…...

57+ min ago (514+ words) The closed-door meeting between Zelensky and the European leaders lasted over two hours, with the participants issuing cryptic remarks soon after it wrapped. European leaders issued cryptic remarks soon after meeting with President Volodmyr Zelensky in London on Monday. BBC reported that no press conference was expected after the leaders gathered to address the revised Ukraine peace deal presented by the US, though a written statement is likely from the respective governments. The talks are expected to focus on security guarantees for Kyiv and, potentially, on Kyiv's territorial red lines " areas where Washington has been pressuring Ukraine to soften its stance. Zelensky, writing on X, said "guaranteeing real security is always a shared challenge and a shared effort" and thanked his European colleagues. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who before the meeting expressed skepticism about "some of the details" seen in…...

1+ hour, 9+ min ago (125+ words) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed on Monday the importance of "unity" between Europe, the United States and Ukraine. He made the comments as he met with French, German and British leaders in London amid what Kyiv's European allies described as a "decisive time" in the U.S.-led effort to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed on Monday the importance of "unity" between Europe, the United States and Ukraine. He made the comments as he met with French, German and British leaders in London amid what Kyiv's European allies described as a "decisive time" in the U.S.-led effort to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy stresses importance of "unity' at talks with European allies in London...

1+ hour, 16+ min ago (771+ words) Ukraine's European allies have put on a show of support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they expressed scepticism about parts of the US proposal to end the war with Russia. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron at his Downing Street residence in London. The discussions came after US President Donald Trump accused Zelenskyy of not reading his administration's proposal on a deal to end Russia's invasion following almost four years of war. That came after days of talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Miami ended at the weekend with no apparent breakthrough, with Zelenskyy committing to further negotiations. "I'm sceptical about some of the details which we are seeing in the documents coming from the US side, but we have to talk about it. That's why we are here,…...

2+ hour, 38+ min ago (653+ words) The prime minister and the Ukrainian president were joined by French leader Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss ways to reach a lasting peace in Ukraine. Monday 8 December 2025 21:15, UK Europe must "ramp up" pressure on Russia "to bring an end to this barbaric war", a Downing Street spokesperson said after Sir Keir Starmer chaired a meeting with the Coalition of the Willing. Earlier, the prime minister met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Downing Street for crisis talks on the future of Ukraine. After the Downing Street meeting, a spokesperson said Sir Keir "convened a call with other European allies alongside President Zelenskyy". "The leaders all agreed that now is a critical moment and that we must continue to ramp up support to Ukraine and economic pressure on…...

3+ hour, 13+ min ago (317+ words) Denys Shmyhal, Mykhailo Fedorov, Sergiy Kyslytsya, Kyrylo Budanov and Pavlo Palisa are all under consideration, but filling their existing positions is likely to be a challenge, Zelensky said. On Dec. 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky unveiled a shortlist of five contenders to replace Andriy Yermak as head of the President's Office following the latter's resignation on Nov. 28. Yermak, widely seen as one of Zelensky's closest aides, stepped down hours after anti-corruption authorities raided his home as part of a probe into a $100-million kickback scheme tied to Ukraine's energy sector. Investigators have said the scheme coincided with a surge in Russian attacks on Ukraine's power infrastructure, which caused blackouts and threatened winter heating. The chief of staff's resignation came just two days before he was expected to lead Ukraine's negotiating team in the United States, having previously led several delegations, leaving a…...

3+ hour, 20+ min ago (383+ words) The Ukrainian president said territorial control over Donbas remains the central obstacle, with Kyiv insisting that any deal must include credible security guarantees to prevent another invasion. Kyiv and Washington have yet to reach an agreement on the future of eastern Ukrainian territories amid ongoing US-led peace talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. He said negotiators still lack a unified position on the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, two areas where Russia has demanded Kyiv's troop withdrawal as a precondition for any agreement. "There are visions of the US, Russia and Ukraine " and we don't have a unified view on Donbas," he said. The two regions " colloquially known as the Donbas " were claimed by Russia through illegal referendums in late 2022, with their capture remaining Moscow's official war goal. The Kremlin has seized nearly all of Luhansk and the majority of Donetsk, but…...

4+ hour, 12+ min ago (678+ words) Russian radio intercepts reveal that Ukrainian commanders are ordering to eliminate their own soldiers. Kyiv: Ukraine's front-line crisis seems to be turning into something darker than chaos as new Russian radio intercepts have revealed that Ukrainian commanders have been ordered its National Guard fighters to shoot their own retreating troops near Kupyansk. This development shows that Kiev is no longer fighting Russia but is fighting the collapse of its own army. In the intercepted exchange by the Russian radio, a Ukrainian commander known as Robinson used a drone to track deserters before ordering his subordinate Phobos to execute two of them as punishment. He then commands that anyone else attempting to flee must be eliminated on sight. These shoot-to-kill orders come as desertions inside Ukraine explode to levels even Kiev cannot hide. Over 21,000 recruits fled in a single month and…...

4+ hour, 34+ min ago (235+ words) In the negotiations on ending the war, the issue of Zaporizhia NPP occupied by Russia remains one of the most sensitive, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. ZNPP issue remains among most sensitive, as without Ukraine it not to work " Zelenskyy In the negotiations on ending the war, the issue of Zaporizhia NPP occupied by Russia remains one of the most sensitive, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. "The most sensitive issues are the East, specifically Donbas, the issue of Zaporizhia NPP, the issue of money, security guarantees," Zelenskyy said, answering journalists' questions on WhatsApp on Monday. At the same time, he said that without Ukraine, Zaporizhia NPP will not operate normally. "I am not sure that Russia understands this, but we and our partners are saying that without us, Zaporizhia NPP will not operate normally," the head of state…...

4+ hour, 39+ min ago (470+ words) Over 50 Ukrainian defense-tech startups secured more than $105 million in combined venture and angel funding in 2025, according to preliminary figures from the state-backed defense cluster Brave1. Over 50 Ukrainian defense-tech startups pulled in more than $105 million in total venture and angel funding in 2025, preliminary year-end data shows. Brave1, Ukraine's official platform for consolidating new defense-tech developments, said early-stage rounds dominated the market this year, with most startups raising between $200,000 and $400,000. Other rounds ranged from $1 million to $1.5 million, while the largest reached $2.5 million to $5 million. Brave1 released the data at its investment demo day on Dec. 4, according to a LinkedIn post by Artem Moroz, head of investment attraction at Brave1. Among the publicly disclosed deals, the largest rounds in 2025 included: A large portion of transactions, however, has not been made public. Moroz said several undisclosed rounds exceeded Swarmer's $15 million raise, according to Ukrainian outlet Defender. Moroz wrote…...