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6:47 PM

Update: Russian attack on Kherson kills 2, injures 7.

The death toll of the Russian artillery strike on Kherson rose to two people as of 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, according to Roman Mrochko, the head of the city’s military administration.

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.

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Finland preparing to completely close its border with Russia

by Nate Ostiller and The Kyiv Independent news desk November 20, 2023 2:34 PM 2 min read

A member of the Finnish Border Guard stands next to a fence along the Finnish-Russian border in Pelkola, Imatra, Finland, on May 30, 2023. (Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva / AFP via Getty Images)

This audio is created with AI assistance

Finland is making preparations for a total closure of its border with Russia, with the Finnish government posed to potentially make a decision on the matter on Nov. 20, the Finnish media outlet Iltalehti reported.

If Finland decides to move forward with the plan, the border could be shut as early as Nov. 22.

Finland closed four of its nine crossings along its eastern border from Nov. 17, 2023, to Feb. 18, 2024 to stop the flow of Middle Eastern and African migrants it says Moscow is purposefully ushering across the border, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told reporters on Nov. 16.

The Finnish Broadcasting Company said on Nov. 19 that the Finnish Defense Forces would begin constructing fences at a border crossing with Russia.

"Finland has chosen the path of confrontation with Russia. From the Kremlin’s point of view, this is a big mistake," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Finnish authorities reported a spike in asylum seekers arriving at its eastern border on Nov. 12. The asylum seekers are foreigners who pass through Russia from third countries, such as Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Somalia.

Finnish media also reported in September that Russia has been building up its military bases along the border with Finland.

Finland's Borders Act allows the government to close a crossing point or restrict border traffic for a limited or indefinite period of time in order to prevent serious threats to national security or public health.

Finland shut its border to Russian tourists in September 2022. A year later, Finland banned entry into the country for Russian-registered vehicles, the Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported on Sept. 15.

Cars with Russian license plates that are already in Finland will have to leave the country within six months, by March 2024.

Authors: Nate Ostiller, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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