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5:39 PM

Russian attack on residential, medical buildings in Kherson kills 1, injures 4.

Russian troops launched a heavy artillery attack on Kherson, hitting a residential building and two medical institutions, local authorities reported on Dec. 3.

5:10 PM

Crossing point for empty trucks at Ukraine-Poland border to open on Dec 4.

The Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv border crossing between Ukraine and Poland will be opened on Dec. 4 for empty trucks, the State Border Guard reported on Dec. 3.

4:06 PM

Official: Russia has lost over 7,200 troops, 530 units of military equipment over past week.

Starting from Nov. 27, Russia has lost 62 tanks, 117 armored personnel carriers, 75 artillery systems, six multiple-launch rockets systems (MLRS), five air-defense systems, 144 vehicles, and 27 units of some special equipment, according to First Deputy Defense Minister Oleksandr Pavliuk.

2:46 PM

Commander: Russian infantry activity rising in southeastern front line.

Russian forces have reduced the number of airstrikes against Ukraine but intensified infantry activity on the southeastern front line, General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of the Tavria Group, reported on Dec. 3.

2:22 PM

Ministry reports power outages in over 900 settlements due to weather, war.

Over 500 settlements in a dozen Ukrainian regions experienced power outages due to bad weather, and over 400 more lost power due to Russian attacks and equipment disturbances, the Energy Ministry reported on Dec. 3.

1:10 PM

Police dismiss lawmaker Dubinsky’s claims of being beaten, injured in jail.

Kyiv Police dismissed the claim of Oleksandr Dubinsky, a lawmaker charged with treason, who said on Dec. 2 that he had been beaten and injured at a pre-trial detention facility.

11:25 AM

Military confirms Russian troops executed 2 Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk Oblast.

Russian troops killed two Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered as prisoners of war (POW) in Donetsk Oblast, the Strategic Communications Directorate of Ukraine’s Armed Forces confirmed on the evening of Dec. 2.

11:16 AM

Russian forces hit over 100 settlements in Ukraine, injuring 3 over the past day.

Russian forces injured three civilians, attacking over 100 settlements in 10 regions over the past day, regional officials and the Ukrainian military reported on Dec. 3.

9:23 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 332,040 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

This number includes 930 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Dec. 3

8:00 AM

Air Force reports downing 10 Russian drones.

Ukrainian troops downed 10 out of 12 Shahed-136/131 drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported on Dec. 3. The drones were launched from around Russia's port city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk in southern Krasnodar Krai.

6:58 AM

ISW: Russian Defense Ministry will likely continue utilizing 'crypto-mobilization' recruitment methods.

The Russian Ministry responded to President Vladimir Putin’s Dec. 1 decree increasing the size of the Russian military and said that the ministry is implementing the increase in stages “on account of citizens who express a desire to perform military service under a contract.”

5:50 AM

Air defense at work in Khmelnytskyi Oblast.

Explosions were heard in western Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi Oblast overnight on Dec. 3, according to several Telegram monitoring channels.

4:11 AM

US Defense Secretary Austin: 'We will not let Hamas or Putin win.'

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin criticized those endorsing "an American retreat from responsibility" at the Reagan National Defense Forum, emphasizing the necessity for consistent U.S. leadership to contribute to a world that remains as safe, free, and prosperous as possible.

2:29 AM

Russia shells 7 areas in Sumy Oblast.

Russian forces shelled seven areas in northeastern Sumy Oblast on Dec. 2, the local military administration reported on Telegram. At least 22 strikes were recorded in the oblast over the past 24 hours.

1:07 AM

Klitschko says Ukraine is turning authoritarian as conflict with Zelensky persists.

"At some point we will no longer be any different from Russia, where everything depends on the whim of one man," the former heavyweight boxing champion said in a Dec. 1 interview.

12:27 AM

Poland tightens controls on border with Ukraine amid truckers' protests.

Polish truckers started blocking three border crossing points on Nov. 6 in protest of the liberalization of EU transport rules for Ukrainian trucks, causing huge lines on both sides of the border.

11:43 PM

Russia launches drone attack from south.

The drones were reported to be moving out of Kherson Oblast towards Mykolaiv Oblast.

10:42 PM

Armed forces check video of Russians reportedly killing Ukrainian POWs.

The video, published by the DeepState Telegram channel, appears to show a group of soldiers killing two other soldiers emerging from a dugout. One of the two had his hands behind his head.

9:35 PM

Lawmaker Dubinsky claims he was beaten, injured in jail.

Oleksandr Dubinsky, a lawmaker charged with treason, claimed on Dec. 2 that "unknown individuals" had beaten and injured him at a pre-trial detention facility. Police are looking into the matter.

8:15 PM

Reuters: Western allies raise pressure on countries helping Russia sell oil above cap.

This cap, introduced in 2022, only began to be enforced recently. It forbids Western companies from providing maritime services like transportation, insurance and finance to any craft that help Russia get around the price cap.

7:43 PM

Human story

Ukraine’s fight to heal millions of children scarred by Russia’s war

6:57 PM

Military: More than 5,000 explosive devices removed over past week.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian military has removed more than 150,000 explosive devices across Ukraine, including territories liberated from Russian occupation.

6:18 PM

UEFA leaves Russian football team out of Nations League for 2024/2025 season.

The national team of Belarus was included in the schedule, although there was a stipulation that it would not play in any matches against the Ukrainian national team.

5:22 PM

SBU requested Poroshenko's travel permission be canceled over planned meeting with Orban.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Dec. 2 that it had requested Ukraine's parliament cancel the permission of lawmaker and ex-President Petro Poroshenko to exit the country due to a planned meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Poroshenko claimed that the cancellation was for political reasons and hinted that the decision came from high up.

4:53 PM

Russia's war

As sanctions bite, Russia eyes Ukraine’s mineral resources to fund its invasion

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Danilov: Russia may begin full mobilization after 2024 presidential election

by Nate Ostiller and The Kyiv Independent news desk November 20, 2023 5:57 PM 2 min read

Oleksii Danilov, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary, speaking to the International Security Forum in Halifax, Canada, on Nov. 20. (National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine)

This audio is created with AI assistance

Russia may begin full mobilization after the 2024 Russian presidential election on March 17, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksii Danilov warned in a speech to the International Security Forum in Halifax, Canada, on Nov. 20.

"After (Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin’s (next) enthronement, the regime will be anchored, (which) basically means giving it a free hand. That is why Ukraine and the global community have 3-4 months to prepare relevantly," Danilov said.

Russia is moving toward a total war footing and is ready for a long war, according to Danilov. In addition, Russia appears to have the ability to adapt and be surprisingly resilient in the face of wide-ranging sanctions.

Danilov also suggested that there is growing concern in Ukraine that its Western allies are increasingly thinking about negotiating with Russia, potentially by seeking a ceasefire, a notion that is rooted in a fear of Russia that has persisted despite the poor performance of the Russian military since Feb. 24, 2022.

Such temptations should be resisted, Danilov said, because Russia only understands the "language of force."

Without a concerted effort from the West to continue to support Ukraine and to seek a full collapse of the Putin regime, "a new “axis of evil” awaits the world in 15-20 years. This axis will include not only (North Korea), China, Iran, and Russia, but also some European countries."

He did not name which European countries he was referring to.

Putin is expected to announce that he will seek another term but has not made an official announcement yet. It is unclear if other candidates will nominally participate, but if Putin decides to run, his victory is all but assured.

Freedom House, a nonprofit advocating international democracy, gave Russia a 0/4 score in its 2022 report card on political freedoms in the country.

The U.K. Defense Ministry said on Oct. 10 that chances of a new wave of mobilization being announced before the election were low. It did not, however, comment on the possibility of further mobilization after the election.

Authors: Nate Ostiller, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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