Travel, property, and local info for Ukraine

26+ min ago (338+ words) US First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday praised new progress in an international effort to return Ukrainian children taken to Russia, as seven more minors were reunited with their families. In a statement, Trump said her "dedication to guaranteeing the safe return of children to their families in this region is unwavering," and thanked officials in both Russia and Ukraine for their ongoing diplomatic work. "I commend the leadership and persistent diplomacy of Russia and Ukraine in the pursuit of the reunification of children and families," she said. "Their bridge-building has created a tangible collaborative environment " an anchor for optimism." She added that she and her representative have provided humanitarian support from the United States to help advance the reunification effort, saying she hopes the work will contribute to "broader regional stability." In August, Melania Trump penned what she called…...

1+ hour, 42+ min ago (469+ words) Berlin adds "100M to Ukraine's energy fund despite a major graft scandal, vowing strict oversight as Kyiv braces for another winter of Russian strikes. Germany announced on Thursday that it will provide an additional "100 million ($117 million) to support Ukraine's battered energy sector, signaling continued backing despite a major corruption scandal uncovered in November. The funds, channeled through Germany's KfW development bank, will be donated to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund (UESF), bringing Berlin's total contribution to "550 million by the end of 2025. This comes on top of "60 million already pledged this year. The UESF, created under the Energy Community, finances the purchase of equipment and spare parts needed to repair Ukraine's energy infrastructure after relentless Russian attacks. Procurement is conducted through transparent, competitive tenders, and the fund monitors how the money is used. Ukraine faces one of its most difficult winters since…...

1+ hour, 52+ min ago (667+ words) Russian President Vladimir Putin was due in India on Thursday for a two-day visit aimed at deepening defence ties, as New Delhi faces heavy US pressure to stop buying oil from Moscow. Putin, on his first visit to India since the Ukraine war, is accompanied by his Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, with possible deals on fighter jets and air defence systems expected to be discussed. In an interview with India Today ahead of his trip, Putin said he was "very happy" to be meeting "my friend" Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The range of our cooperation with India is huge," he said in remarks translated by the broadcaster, citing ship and aircraft manufacturing, nuclear energy and space exploration. Modi is due to host Putin for a private dinner on Thursday evening, followed by a summit meeting on Friday. Beyond defence, trade…...

2+ hour, 3+ min ago (352+ words) US President Donald Trump's Treasury again extended a license allowing continued business with Lukoil-branded gas stations outside Russia on Thursday, despite US sanctions against Russia's second-largest oil producer. The US imposed sweeping sanctions against Lukoil and Rosneft in late October. Days later, the Russian gas giant announced plans to sell its international assets due to "restrictive measures against the Company and its subsidiaries by some states." As per Reuters, transactions have been authorized for about 2,000 stations throughout Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas until the end of April next year. The waiver allowing the transactions was issued by Trump's administration in mid November, alongside a number of other exemptions. A Western diplomat told Kyiv Post at the time that these may raise concerns that the US sanctions were "more bark than bite." On the other hand, the…...

2+ hour, 20+ min ago (268+ words) The District Court in Warsaw (Poland) has issued European arrest warrants for Ukrainian citizens Yevheniy Ivanov and Oleksandr Kononov, it is believed that both suspects in railway sabotage fled to Belarus, Polska Agencja Prasowa (PAP) reported on Thursday. Last Thursday, the court granted the prosecutor's request and placed the men under temporary arrest. In turn, on Friday, the Warsaw police published wanted letters for them. According to the criminal case, this allowed them to be prosecuted on the basis of a European arrest warrant and an Interpol red notice. The wanted 41-year-old Yevhen Ivanov was born in Estonia, and 39-year-old Oleksandr Kononov was born in Ukraine. As previously reported, on November 28, the Polish National Prosecutor's Office launched a search warrant for the arrest of 41-year-old Yevhen Ivanov and 39-year-old Oleksandr Kononov, Ukrainian citizens suspected of sabotage on the railway, the…...

2+ hour, 33+ min ago (550+ words) Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office reported eight civilians injured as a result of shelling by Russian occupation forces in the region as of 5:30 p.m. Eight people injured in Kherson region amid Russian shelling - prosecutor's office Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office reported eight civilians injured as a result of shelling by Russian occupation forces in the region as of 5:30 p.m. "According to the investigation, on December 4, 2025, Russian troops attacked Kherson region using artillery, mortars, and drones. As of 5:30 p.m., eight civilians were injured as a result of Russian aggression," the regional prosecutor's office said on Thursday. Artillery shelling of Kherson injured five people, while drone attacks from various types injured two civilians in the regional center and one in Bilozerka. Additionally, private and apartment buildings, a bakery, a private business, a healthcare facility, and other facilities were damaged. Under the procedural guidance of Kherson regional prosecutor's…...

2+ hour, 47+ min ago (662+ words) The debate highlights Europe's internal disparity in defining future security commitments for Kyiv, and how far individual states are willing to go as peace talks unravel. Finland has ruled out formal security guarantees for Ukraine but says it will help strengthen the country's broader security framework. The shift marks a step back from Helsinki's earlier stance, despite Finnish President Alexander Stubb being one of the few European leaders directly involved in White House peace talks on Ukraine. The move comes as Europe and the US continue discussions on long-term support frameworks for Kyiv, while Russia maintains its opposition to the deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine. According to Finnish broadcaster Yle, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Tuesday that Finland is not ready to offer Ukraine security guarantees and is instead preparing to take part in security arrangements. Journalists asked whether…...

2+ hour, 53+ min ago (469+ words) The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned representatives of the diplomatic missions of Ukraine and Russia "in connection with attacks on ships in the Black Sea," Turkish news channel A Haber reports. Turkish MFA summons reps of Ukrainian and Russian diplomatic missions "due to spread of war in Black Sea" " media The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned representatives of the diplomatic missions of Ukraine and Russia "in connection with attacks on ships in the Black Sea," Turkish news channel A Haber reports. Commenting on the attacks on ships sailing in the international waters of the Black Sea, Fuat Oktay, Chairman of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said that "the spread of war, especially in the Black Sea, to civilian transport is a cause for concern." "The spread of the conflict to our country's exclusive economic zone is absolutely unacceptable. Such attacks pose an…...

2+ hour, 54+ min ago (116+ words) Russia's massive shelling of the Kherson combined heat and power plant (CHPP) on December 3 led to its shutdown. The attack resulted in casualties, NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy reported. "Yesterday, December 3, the Russians once again targeted the Kherson CHPP. The plant has now stopped working. Several employees were injured," according to a message on the company's website. According to Serhiy Koretsky, the chairman of Naftogaz's board, the Kherson CHPP is an exclusively civilian facility whose sole purpose is to provide heat to citizens' homes. "At the same time, the Russians are systematically shelling the enterprise. This is terrorism," Koretsky stressed. Prokudin stated that the issue of connecting houses to alternative sources is being resolved....

3+ hour, 6+ min ago (388+ words) The largest Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar will gradually update certain tariffs from December 18 of this year and throughout early 2026 to compensate for the increased cost of key resources. Kyivstar announces increase in tariffs to offset increased cost of key resources The largest Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar will gradually update certain tariffs from December 18 of this year and throughout early 2026 to compensate for the increased cost of key resources. The company reported, "From December 18, 2025, through the beginning of 2026, the terms of some subscription tariffs will be gradually updated. Starting January 1, 2026, and over the course of several months, some contract and business tariffs will be updated as well." The company noted that these changes are due to the increased cost of key resources, particularly electricity, which has increased by 60% during peak evening hours for enterprises. The technical community of the telecommunications market…...