Ukraine ticker Drone alert during Zelenskyi departure in Dublin +++ Russians mock Chancellor Merz

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched its war against Ukraine in violation of international law. There is no end in sight. The developments in the ticker.

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1.33 pm

Review of the mutual air strikes

While the international community discusses ways to possibly end the war in Ukraine, the fighting continues. According to military governor Vladyslav Hajwanenko, a twelve-year-old was killed in a Russian drone attack in the Synelnykowe district in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

One woman and one man were also injured, one private house destroyed and one damaged, he wrote. Another person was injured in the Nikopol district, which was shot at with drones, artillery and a rocket launcher. A 70-year-old man was hit.

According to the utility company Ukrenergo, Ukraine's energy infrastructure was also damaged in further attacks. Emergency power cuts were reported in the regions of Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad. There are planned shutdowns throughout the country.

Meanwhile, the civil defense staff of the Russian region of Krasnodar wrote on Telegram that the port in Temryuk on the Sea of Azov near Crimea had been damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack. In the large city of Sysran on the Volga in the Samara region, the mayor Sergei Volodchenkov confirmed a Ukrainian drone attack.

Update from Temryuk 🤩🔥

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— MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 (@maks23.bsky.social) 5. Dezember 2025 um 00:53

However, he said nothing about any damage or casualties. Unverifiable videos were published on social media purporting to show a fire at the local oil refinery.

There were also unverifiable photos and videos circulating on social media purporting to show the aftermath of a drone strike on a business center in Grozny, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya. The Russian state broadcaster RT (formerly Russia Today) wrote, citing Russian security agencies, that a Ukrainian drone had struck.

Drones struck one of Kadyrov‘s prestige objects in Grozny, Chechnya, in Russia. The highrise in Grozny City is burning. The building is pictured on the 500 Ruble bill note.

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— (((Tendar))) (@tendar.bsky.social) 5. Dezember 2025 um 07:05

According to the Rosaviatsiya aviation authority, take-offs and landings were temporarily not possible at several airports in Russia. This happens time and again in connection with Ukrainian drone attacks. There were restrictions in Grozny, Samara and the Black Sea resort of Sochi, among others.

1 p.m.

Putin and Modi want to deepen trade

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed to expand economic relations between their two countries.

Following talks in New Delhi, Putin and Modi announced that they had jointly developed a program to help diversify bilateral business relations and increase the annual volume of trade to 100 billion dollars by 2030. Both also emphasized the close relations in the energy sector.

The 23rd India-Russia summit, for which Putin traveled, comes at a sensitive geopolitical time when the US is pushing for a peace deal to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

Modi is trying to maintain good relations with both Russia and the US despite differences. The Indian Prime Minister greeted Putin at New Delhi airport yesterday with a warm embrace and a firm handshake.

Putin arrived in India. PM Modi greeted him by the plane and gave Putin a hug.

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— Anton Gerashchenko (@antongerashchenko.bsky.social) 4. Dezember 2025 um 15:36

Bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to 68.7 billion dollars in the last fiscal year, which ended in March. Russia is the main beneficiary of this, while India wants to offset its large deficit by promoting exports.

"To achieve this important goal, a program has been agreed for the development of Russian-Indian economic cooperation until 2030," said Putin.

He explained that work was underway on a free trade agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union, a Moscow-dominated association of several former Soviet states. This could help to increase trade.

Modi also emphasized that both countries would work towards concluding such a free trade agreement in the near future. He also announced that India would soon start issuing free electronic visas for Russian tourists and groups visiting the country.

Putin arrived in India. PM Modi greeted him by the plane and gave Putin a hug.

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— Anton Gerashchenko (@antongerashchenko.bsky.social) 4. Dezember 2025 um 15:36

The Indian head of state also explained that energy security has long characterized relations between India and Russia and that civilian nuclear cooperation has existed for decades.

"Russia is a reliable supplier of energy resources and everything necessary for the development of India's energy sector," Putin said. "We are ready to continue to ensure the uninterrupted supply of fuel to the rapidly growing Indian economy."

12.30 pm

Russia aims to have intercepted 60,000 drones by 2025

According to its own figures, the Russian military has intercepted 1120 drones in the past week. This was announced by the Ministry of Defense on its Telegram channel.

According to the state-run Moscow news agency Tass, the total number of Ukrainian drones shot down since the beginning of the year adds up to more than 60,000 officially reported by the ministry.

As the Russian military puts the number of drones shot down since the start of the war in 2022 at over 100,000, more unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down this year than in all previous years of war combined.

The figures from the Ministry of Defense cannot be independently verified. In the past, both warring parties have exaggerated their own successes and downplayed those of their opponents. The Russian military regularly reports the shooting down of Ukrainian drones without reporting on strikes and damage.

❗️🇺🇦Ukraine hit a record number of 🇷🇺Russian oil refineries in November, – Bloomberg The Ukrainian Armed Forces struck Russian oil refineries at least 14 times during the month – more than ever before.

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— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@militarynewsua.bsky.social) 2. Dezember 2025 um 09:00

Ukraine has significantly increased its attacks on the Russian hinterland this year. Oil and gas industry facilities in particular have been targeted. On the one hand, Kiev wants to disrupt the supply of fuel to Russian troops and, on the other, make it more difficult for Moscow to finance the war.

12 p.m.

Drone alert during Selensky departure in Dublin

The Irish armed forces have spoken of a "safe and successful" visit by the Ukrainian president following reports of attempted interference by military-style drones during the approach of Volodymyr Zelensky's plane.

"Details of alleged incidents" would not be commented on, the Defense Forces told the German Press Agency. The portal "TheJournal" and the "Irish Times" had reported, citing security circles, that drones were said to have entered the no-fly zone during Zelensky's arrival on 2 December.

🇮🇪🇺🇦President Zelenskyy and First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska arrived on an official visit to Dublin, Ireland

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— 24Hours Ukraine (@24hoursukraine.bsky.social) 2. Dezember 2025 um 12:57

These had been spotted by an Irish Navy ship, had their lights on and looked large and military in appearance. However, Selensky's government aircraft had already flown past the area where the drones had appeared at the time.

Attempts at disruption by drones have recently caused quite a stir in Europe. Several airports in northern Europe, including Copenhagen, for example, had to temporarily suspend operations because drones of unknown origin had appeared in the security area. The Danish government spoke of a "hybrid attack" attributed to Russia.

The Irish armed forces announced that they had successfully supported the security operation for which the police were responsible during the Ukrainian president's visit to Dublin. Selenskyj had met with Head of Government Micheál Martin and the new President Catherine Connolly and had also spoken in Parliament.

10 a.m.

"Stubborn stupidity": Russians mock Chancellor Merz

Russia has reacted with derision to the distrust of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz towards the US negotiators in the Ukraine war, which according to the media was expressed in a confidential telephone conference of top European politicians.

"Dear Merz, you are not even in the game," wrote Russian chief negotiator Kirill Dmitriev on Platform X. "You have disqualified yourself through warmongering, torpedoing peace, unrealistic proposals, the suicide of Western civilization, migration and pig-headed stupidity," he added.

Chancellor Merz accuses the Americans of “playing games, both with you [Zelensky] and with us.”

Dear Merz, you are not even in the game. You disqualified yourself by warmongering, peace sabotage, unrealistic proposals, Western Civilisation suicide, migration, stubborn stupidity https://t.co/bOuSHjr990

— Kirill Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) December 4, 2025

Dimitriyev was reacting to a "Spiegel" report on the transcript of a crisis meeting in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took part. Merz is reported to have said to Zelensky about the US negotiators: "They are playing games, both with you and with us."

A government spokesperson in Berlin said: "I ask for your understanding that we do not comment on individual media reports. Beyond that, we are generally unable to report on confidential discussions."

"We have to protect Selensky"Confidential phone call shows how much Europe distrusts the USA

The spokesperson referred to Merz's statements at the press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on December 1. Among other things, Merz had referred to a joint telephone call with Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European partners and said that the transatlantic community was "holding together as best we can".

The Russian leadership blames the West for the war of aggression against Ukraine ordered by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin at the beginning of 2022. Putin has recently claimed on several occasions that the West is using Ukraine as a means to wage war against Russia.

Dmitriev is Putin's negotiator in the talks with Washington. Dmitriev, who studied in the USA, is regarded as a skillful diplomat who relies above all on economic incentives vis-à-vis the administration of US President Donald Trump.

9.22 a.m.

Meeting between Ukrainian and US representatives is apparently over

According to a media report, the latest talks in the USA between representatives from Kiev and Washington to end the war in Ukraine have come to an end. This was reported by the Ukrainian radio station Suspilne, citing sources in the Kiev delegation.

According to the report, the Secretary of the National Security Council, Rustem Umyerov, and Chief of General Staff Andriy Hnatov held the talks for Ukraine on Thursday in Miami in the US state of Florida.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi had said in a video message that evening that the delegation in the USA was currently trying to find out exactly what had been discussed at the latest meeting in Moscow between Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin and the US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. At his sixth meeting with Putin on Tuesday, Witkoff explained the status of US considerations for peace in the Russian war of aggression, which has been going on for almost four years.

Previously, a team led by Umjerow had met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff and Kushner in Florida last weekend to discuss possible steps to end the war.

Головне за ранок: у Маямі завершилася зустріч делегацій України і США; ірландські медіа повідомили про дрони біля маршруту польоту Зеленського; 18 компаній подалися на гранти для створення ракет, ППО та вибухових речовин — деталі в матеріалі:https://t.co/yw96G2hhME

— SUSPILNE NEWS 📰 (@suspilne_news) December 5, 2025

5.20 a.m.

Chinese drone manufacturer DJI faces sales ban for new models in the USA

The Chinese drone manufacturer DJI has demanded that the US Congress and the US government swiftly complete a safety review or extend the review deadline to December 23. Otherwise, the world's largest drone manufacturer could be placed on the US Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) "covered list", which would be equivalent to a ban on the sale of new models in the US. This list includes companies that are suspected of working with the Chinese military.

4.40 a.m.

NATO adjusts command structure

In view of the current threat situation, NATO is adapting its military command structures. As announced by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, responsibility for defense planning for Denmark, Sweden and Finland will be transferred from the operational headquarters in Brunssum in the Netherlands to Norfolk in the USA. JFC Norfolk already looks after the Atlantic, the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and the UK.

"In view of the global coordination of our adversaries, it is essential to strengthen the Euro-Atlantic area as much as possible and to consolidate our presence in the far north," said General Alexus G. Grynkewich at NATO's strategic headquarters in Mons, Belgium. This will be achieved with the conversion. Norfolk forms the strategic bridge between North America and Europe and defends far more than just the sea routes.

Friday, December 5, 2025, 4:30 a.m.

Putin visits India's Prime Minister Modi

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss the expansion of relations between their countries this Friday. The Kremlin leader arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening for a two-day state visit.

It is Putin's first visit to the world's most populous country since the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than three and a half years ago.

For the Indian Prime Minister, Putin's visit is a balancing act, writes the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung": on the one hand, Modi wants to show that India is not impressed by the criticism of the West and is sticking to its friendship with Russia. On the other hand, he wanted to "avoid offending his most important trading partners during the ongoing free trade talks with the USA and the EU", the newspaper wrote.

"India lost"Modi's flirtation with Xi and Putin drives Trump up the wall

For Modi, it is about sending a signal to the USA that India will not be intimidated, writes SRF. US President Donald Trump wants to force India to stop buying Russian oil because it is indirectly helping to finance the war in Ukraine. Trump has therefore added a punitive tariff of a further 25 percent to the 25 percent tariff for India. Indian exports to the USA are therefore subject to a 50 percent tariff.

11.23 pm

Selenskyj wants to appoint new head of the chancellery

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, he has held talks with potential candidates to succeed Andriy Yermak, the head of his office who resigned in the wake of a corruption scandal. He said in his video message that they had discussed how the presidential chancellery should work in future and also cooperate with other authorities. "There will be a decision regarding the new head of the office in the very near future," he announced.

21.09 hrs

Kiev reports destruction of Russian fighter plane

The Ukrainian military intelligence service HUR has reported that it has destroyed a Russian MiG-29 fighter jet on the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow has annexed since 2014. The aircraft was attacked at the Kacha military airfield on Thursday night, the agency announced on Telegram. The video published there suggests that the aircraft was hit by a drone.

❗️On December 4, 2025, at the Kacha military airfield in occupied Crimea, operators of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine’s special unit “Prymary” successfully struck and destroyed a russian MiG-29 multirole fighter. pic.twitter.com/k2Cgsm9k0f

— Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) December 4, 2025

The MiG-29 was developed and built in large numbers during the Soviet era. Russia also uses the aircraft intensively in its war against Ukraine, which has now been going on for almost four years.

20:36

Russian money: German Chancellor Merz seeks solution with Belgium

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is seeking a solution with Belgium on the issue of the provision of Russian funds for the support of Ukraine. Following consultations with the prime ministers in Berlin, Merz said that he was taking the Belgian government's concerns seriously. "The points are important and we need to talk about them and I will try to resolve them." A common position of the heads of state and government in the European Union must be reached and, in particular, agreement must be reached with Belgium.

#Merz Heads to Brussels to Break #Ukraine Loan Deadlock
⁰Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Ursula von der Leyen to unblock a controversial #EU reparations loan to Ukraine, funded by frozen Russian assets.#Belgium’s resistance… pic.twitter.com/gOugSriWMp

— Daily Euro Times (@dailyeurotimes) December 4, 2025

Merz is traveling to Belgium on Friday evening to hold private talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. With regard to the Belgian head of government, the Chancellor said: "I don't want to persuade him. I want to convince him that the path we are proposing here is the right one. And if we take this path, then we will take it in order to help Ukraine." Merz had postponed a trip to Norway because of the meeting in Belgium.

6.20 a.m.

Ukrainian children are said to have been abducted to camps in North Korea

At least two Ukrainian children who were abducted by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine are said to have been forcibly taken to a camp in North Korea. This was reported by Kateryna Rashevska, a legal expert at the Regional Center for Human Rights in Kiev, to a subcommittee of the US Congress on December 3.

"Twelve-year-old Misha from occupied Donbass and 16-year-old Liza from occupied Simferopol were deported to the Songdowon camp in North Korea - 9,000 kilometers from their homeland," Rashevska said, as reported by the Ukrainian online newspaper "Kyiv Independent". "There they were instructed <to destroy Japanese militarists> and met Korean veterans who attacked the US navy ship Pueblo in 1968, killing or injuring nine American soldiers."

⚡️Several Ukrainian children abducted by Russia forcibly sent to North Korea, expert tells US Senate.https://t.co/ZHutFTUilv

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) December 3, 2025

Rashevska was speaking at the beginning of a US Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the mass abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia. Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, North Korea has significantly expanded its cooperation with Moscow - including through arms deliveries and the deployment of North Korean soldiers to support the Russian war of aggression. At the end of 2024, Pyongyang sent around 11,000 to 12,000 soldiers to Russia to push back the Ukrainian advance in the Kursk region.

According to the Ukrainian database "Children of War", at least 19,546 Ukrainian children have been abducted from occupied territories to Russia or Russian-controlled areas since February 2022, writes the newspaper. While it is estimated that thousands of them were forcibly adopted by Russian families, others - including orphans whose parents were killed by Russian troops - ended up in Russian militarization and re-education camps, it added.

4.18 am

Media: Next talks between Ukraine and USA today

Following the meeting between US representatives and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow, a Ukrainian delegation is expected in the USA today, according to media reports. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, plan to meet the delegation in Florida, as reported by the New York Times and CBS News, among others, citing the White House.

A White House official confirms to @CBSNews that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner invited lead Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov to additional talks tomorrow (Thursday) in Miami.

— Sara Cook (@saraecook) December 3, 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously held out the prospect of new talks with US representatives. "We are preparing meetings in the United States," he said in his evening video message. Ukraine is expecting news on this in the coming days. According to him, a group led by the Secretary of the National Security Council Rustem Umyerev and Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov will continue the talks with the USA.

On Tuesday, Witkoff explained the status of US considerations for peace in the Ukraine war at his sixth meeting with Putin. This was the first time Kushner had accompanied him to the Kremlin. Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said after the five-hour meeting that no compromise had yet been found. Trump said on Wednesday that Putin had had a "very good meeting" with Witkoff and Kushner. He could not say what this led to. The US representatives had the impression that Putin wanted a deal.

Last weekend, a team led by Umjerow had already discussed ways to end the Russian war of aggression with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff and Kushner in Florida. Afterwards, both sides spoke of progress - but Rubio also emphasized that there was "still a lot to do".

Thursday, December 4, 2025, 0:10 a.m.

Authorities: Dead in Russia, injured in Ukraine

While a plan for a possible end to the war in Ukraine is being discussed in various formats, the fighting continues. In the Russian region of Belgorod, a man was killed by Ukrainian shelling in the village of Gora-Podol, according to the regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Russia is also continuing its attacks in the war of aggression ordered by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin more than three and a half years ago. According to the authorities, one woman was injured in a Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih, the birthplace of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, in the evening. A total of four people were injured as a result of Russian attacks throughout the day.

In Sloviansk in the Donetsk region, eight people were injured in a Russian attack, the governor of the region, Vadym Filashkin, wrote on Telegram. Moscow's military had used nine bombs in attacks on the city over the course of the day. One of them hit a high-rise building.

10.13 p.m.

Selenskyj: "We are preparing a meeting in the USA"

Following the meeting between US representatives and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has held out the prospect of new talks between the Ukrainian delegation and US representatives. "We are preparing meetings in the United States," he said in his evening video message.

We’re preparing meetings in the United States – after the American team returns from Moscow and following the relevant consultations in Washington – Rustem Umerov, Andrii Hnatov, along with the rest of the negotiating team, will continue discussions with envoys of President… pic.twitter.com/IZZ14YmdMe

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 3, 2025

The talks with representatives of US President Donald Trump are to be continued by a group led by the Secretary of the National Security Council, Rustem Umyerov, and Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov.

Everything is currently going quite well, he said, referring to negotiations in Geneva and Florida on a US plan for a possible end to the war in Ukraine. He once again called for pressure on Russia. Everything depends on the combination of constructive diplomacy and pressure on the aggressor, said Selenskyj.

At his sixth meeting with Putin, US special envoy Steve Witkoff explained the status of US considerations for peace in the Ukraine war. He was accompanied in the Kremlin for the first time by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said after the five-hour meeting that no compromise had yet been found.

7.06 pm

Ukrainian drones hit oil depots in Russia

According to official reports, fuel depots in two Russian regions have been hit in night-time drone attacks by Ukraine. The governor of the region, Yevgeny Pervyshev, confirmed the impact and fire at a facility in the Tambov region on Telegram. Security forces and rescue teams were quickly on the scene. "All the necessary forces and resources were deployed," he wrote, without giving details of the location and extent of the damage.

According to the Exilenova Plus telegram channel, a fuel depot was hit in the village of Dmitrievka, around 50 kilometers northwest of the regional capital Tambov. The images and videos published there show a large fire at the facility.

The Kiev General Staff confirmed an attack on the Dmitrievka fuel depot in the evening. It was hit and a fire was detected, the General Staff wrote on Facebook. Several tanks were on fire. The object was used to supply the Russian armed forces, the statement explained. The General Staff also confirmed an attack on a fuel depot in the Liwny district of the Oryol region the previous day.

An oil depot was also hit in the neighboring Voronezh region west of Tambov. "In one of the districts, the crash of a downed drone caused minor damage to some fuel reservoirs," wrote Governor Alexander Gusev. According to him, no fire broke out as a result. There were also no injuries as a result of the drone attacks, he wrote.

17.45

London: Putin statements "yet more Kremlin gossip"

The British government has classified Russian President Vladimir Putin's statements about his country's readiness for war as "yet more Kremlin gossip". Putin's comments on Tuesday were just more rhetoric about Europe allegedly wanting to go to war, a government spokesman told the PA news agency. "This is as dangerous as it is wrong."

Putin had declared on Tuesday that Russia was ready to involve the Europeans in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. However, this would require them to recognize the realities on the battlefield in Ukraine. "We have no intention of fighting with Europe, I have already said that 100 times. But if Europe wants to fight again and starts, then we are ready to do so immediately," said Putin.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in parliament: "We all know that Putin is the aggressor here." The Russian president did not want to come to the negotiating table and reach an agreement. The government spokesman then said that the European nations stood united behind Ukraine's right to self-defense. Furthermore, NATO is ready to respond to any threats with unity and strength.

17.24

Kremlin insists on secrecy in Ukraine talks

The Kremlin is insisting that details of the talks with the USA on a possible end to the war in Ukraine be kept secret. "The more quietly these talks are conducted, the more productive they are," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov after a long meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US negotiators in Moscow.

"We will adhere to this principle, and we hope that our American counterparts will also adhere to this principle," he said, according to the Tass news agency. Although the talks on Tuesday evening did not result in an agreement, Peskov did not want this to be understood as a rejection of the US peace plan. "We are ready to meet as often as necessary to reach a peace settlement," he said. Another phone call between Putin and US President Donald Trump could also be organized at any time.

At his sixth meeting with Putin, US special envoy Steve Witkoff explained the status of US considerations for peace. He was accompanied in the Kremlin for the first time by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov also said after the five-hour meeting that no compromise had yet been found. "Some of the American proposals seem more or less acceptable, but they need to be discussed," he said, according to Tass. Other formulations were not acceptable to Moscow. One sticking point seems to be the demanded cession of Ukrainian territories. Putin is demanding the whole of Donbass, although his army does not control all parts of the region. Kiev is refusing to give it up.

The Kremlin scored a diplomatic point when Witkoff and Kushner did not speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky after the meeting in the Kremlin, but flew to Trump in the USA. "They promised us that they would return home to Washington," said Ushakov. Moscow attaches great importance to direct contact with the USA; Ukraine is not recognized as an interlocutor.

4.43 p.m.

EU wants to completely dispense with gas from Russia

The EU wants to be completely independent of natural gas from Russia by the end of 2027 at the latest and stop all imports. This is the aim of an agreement reached in Brussels between representatives of the governments of the member states and the European Parliament.

According to the agreement, imports of Russian gas via pipelines on the basis of long-term contracts are to be stopped completely by November 1, 2027 at the latest. Exceptions are planned for landlocked countries, which will be allowed to purchase natural gas from Russia for a further two months following the conclusion of short-term contracts. A ban on the import of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) is to apply from January 2027 in line with the EU's 19th sanctions package.

According to an analysis by the EU Commission, the complete abandonment of Russian gas would not pose a risk to security of supply. There are enough other suppliers on the world market, according to Brussels. Consumers would therefore not have to worry too much about rising gas prices.

Even after almost four years of war, Russia continues to make billions in profits from energy supplies to the EU. According to official figures, EU countries still imported 52 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia in 2024, which corresponds to around a fifth of all imports. In addition, there were 13 million tons of crude oil and more than 2,800 tons of uranium in enriched form or as nuclear fuel.

Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 4:30 a.m.

End of the war no closer

Russia and the USA appear to have come no closer to ending the war in Ukraine at a long meeting in the Kremlin. However, according to Moscow, the dialog will continue. President Vladimir Putin spoke for more than five hours with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner. After the meeting, they were no further away from peace, but also no closer to a solution to the conflict, reported Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov. There is still a lot of work to be done. For example, there is still no compromise on the issue of the cession of Ukrainian territories demanded by Russia.

Read more here.

11:06 p.m.

Putin's meeting with Witkoff in the Kremlin ends after five hours

The meeting between Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow has come to an end after around five hours. This was reported by the Russian state news agency Tass from the Kremlin. Numerous reporters were still waiting for statements from the Russian side. On the social network X, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev called the negotiations productive and added the emoji of a dove of peace.

Productive 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/YlkqF0b7tr

— Kirill Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) December 2, 2025

Witkoff traveled from the Kremlin to the US embassy in Moscow, Russian media reported. The special envoy Witkoff and Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, were to present the current status of the American peace plan in the Kremlin. The exact contents are not publicly known.

6.21 pm

Putin threatens to intensify attacks on Ukrainian ports

Following attacks on Russian tankers and ships delivering to Russian-controlled ports, Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened Ukraine with harsh reactions. "We are expanding our attacks on port facilities and ships calling at Ukrainian ports," the Kremlin leader announced to journalists in Moscow. As an extreme measure, he threatened to cut Ukraine off from the sea.

Putin described the attacks in neutral waters as piracy and blamed them directly on the Ukrainian armed forces. "If this continues, then we will consider countermeasures against ships from countries that help Ukraine in these acts of piracy," Putin said.

18:15

Putin's meeting with US negotiators has begun

A meeting between Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff has begun in Moscow. Putin received Witkoff in the Russian capital on Tuesday. The US delegation also included Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously stated that the talks would last as long as necessary. Only Witkoff, Kushner and an interpreter from the American side would take part.

Witkoff wanted to present Putin with a draft plan that Washington hopes will put an end to Russia's almost four-year war of aggression against Ukraine. The original plan had been revised by American, Ukrainian and European representatives in Switzerland.

Last weekend, a Ukrainian delegation discussed the plan with US representatives in Florida. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said afterwards that the meeting had been "productive", but that further work was needed.

3.29 pm

Zelenskyi and the USA are said to have drawn up a 20-point plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks of progress towards a possible peace solution: In Dublin, he said that the USA and Ukraine had worked out a jointly revised roadmap with now 20 points.

The original US proposal had been reduced from 28 to 20 points in Geneva and then "finalized" in Florida - however, individual details still needed to be worked out. Selensky described the moment as "difficult, but at the same time hopeful" and currently sees "better chances than we have had for a long time" to end the war.

3.26 pm

Here Whitkoff and Kushner walk through Moscow

⚡️⚡️Whitkoff and Kushner are set to begin talks with Putin any minute now — right after a hearty lunch

Propagandists claim that the Americans, accompanied by Dmitriev, were seen at one of Moscow’s restaurants and are about to start their meeting.hearty pic.twitter.com/prMltLzzWi

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) December 2, 2025

A new video is causing a stir in Moscow: In it, Jared Kushner and Steven Whitkoff can be seen strolling through the Russian capital. According to channels close to the Kremlin, the two - accompanied by Kirill Dmitriev - are said to have eaten in a restaurant shortly beforehand and are now about to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin.

14:55

Pentagon no longer talks with German Ministry of Defense

🤯 Pentagon cuts off communication with Germany’s Defense Ministry

The Pentagon has halted its working-level contacts with Germany’s Defense Ministry, including communication related to Ukraine. The Atlantic reports this, citing German Lieutenant General Christian Freuding.… pic.twitter.com/AMeflRMEXm

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) December 2, 2025

Cooperation between the US and German defense ministries has come to a standstill: According to a report in the "Atlantic", requests from Berlin are now going unanswered. General Christian Freuding says that the exchange with his US counterparts used to run "around the clock" - now contact has been abruptly broken off.

The background to this is apparently the increasingly tense coordination on support for Ukraine.

14:21

Kiev denies Russian conquest of Pokrovsk

The Ukrainian General Staff denies Russia's claim that it has captured important Ukrainian cities - including the strategically important mining town of Pokrovsk.

"The units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are continuing the defensive operation on the difficult sections of the front, including Pokrovsk, Vovchansk, Kupyansk," the staff announced on social networks. The Kremlin is once again trying to influence the participants in the talks on ending the war with videos of flag-raising ceremonies.

In Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian troops continue to control the northern part of the city. The front line runs along the railroad. The group of Russian soldiers displaying a Russian flag "in one of the districts" has already been destroyed. Additional supply lines have also been organized to supply the units in the Pokrovsk area and the neighbouring town of Myrnohrad.

08.51 am

Ukraine attacks Russian oil industry again

Ukraine has once again targeted the Russian oil industry. During a drone attack in the district of Livny, fire broke out in objects belonging to the fuel and energy complex.

Governor Andrey Klychkov wrote this on Telegram. There were no casualties.

Unverifiable videos showing the fire after the attack circulated on social media. The internet portal "Astra" wrote that, according to residents, an oil storage facility had been attacked.

Russia has been waging a destructive war of aggression against Ukraine for more than three and a half years. As part of its defensive campaign, Ukraine has repeatedly attacked targets in Russia. However, the number of victims and the extent of the damage in Russia is disproportionate to the destruction caused by the Russian military in Ukraine. With its increased attacks on the oil industry, Kiev wants to disrupt the fuel supply for the Russian army on the one hand and hit the economic sector that is so important to Moscow on the other.

Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 3:22 a.m.

USA considers Rubio's participation in NATO meeting unnecessary

Despite the ongoing negotiations on a peace solution in the Ukraine war, the US government does not consider it necessary for Foreign Minister Marco Rubio to attend a long-planned Nato meeting. "It would be completely unrealistic to expect him to attend every meeting," a spokesperson for the State Department replied when asked by the German Press Agency why Rubio was not attending the meeting in Brussels. The minister had already taken part in dozens of meetings with NATO allies, according to Washington.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau had previously announced that he would be attending the talks in the Belgian capital and was on his way there. One of the topics to be discussed at the meeting on Wednesday is further support for Ukraine. Rubio, on the other hand, will take part in - unspecified - meetings at the White House on Tuesday, according to his ministry. The day before, he spoke with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul about efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, according to a brief statement from the US State Department.

On my way to @NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels to advocate for Allies’ implementation of defense investment commitments. While in Brussels, I will talk to American businesses about ensuring a positive business environment for U.S. investment and exports.

— Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) December 1, 2025

It is highly unusual for a US Secretary of State not to attend a formal NATO foreign ministers' meeting in person. After the first rumors of a cancellation became known, the long-time former NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu (2010-2023) wrote on the social network X that she could not remember anything comparable in recent history. "That would send the wrong signal, especially now, when America should be coordinating even more closely with European allies on Ukraine," she commented.

Reports from Washington that 🇺🇸 @SecRubio plans to skip next week’s meeting of #NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. I can’t remember anything like this in recent history. Would send the wrong signal just as America shld be coordinating even closer with European allies on #Ukraine https://t.co/2Yjhx6mkx1

— Oana Lungescu (@LungescuOana) November 29, 2025

One possible background in Brussels is that at least parts of the US government obviously see NATO as an obstacle to the successful conclusion of President Donald Trump's latest initiative to end the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The recently leaked draft of a 28-point peace plan contains, among other things, a passage according to which NATO should completely renounce the admission of further members.

21.51 hrs

Russia equips Shahed drones with missiles

According to Ukrainian information, Russian Shahed drones can now fire missiles. The Russian armed forces have begun to mount R-60 air-to-air missiles on Shahed drones, which they have been using to attack targets in Ukraine since the start of the war.

Military expert Sergei Beskrestnov wrote on his Telegram channel about the new modification with R-60 missiles: "This combination is intended for the destruction of helicopters and airplanes hunting Shaheds." Pictures on X are said to show a Shahed drone with an R-60 mounted on it, which could be shot down by Ukrainian forces.

Russian Shahed drones can now reportedly launch missiles. According to preliminary reports, they’re being equipped with R-60 air-to-air missiles to target helicopters and tactical aircraft. pic.twitter.com/2dHWDRYRV3

— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) December 1, 2025

21.02

Moscow declares Pokrovsk conquered

According to the Kremlin, the Russian military has completely captured the Ukrainian mining town of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, which has been embattled for around a year. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the conquest of Pokrovsk, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian journalists.

There was initially no confirmation from Kiev. The city of Vovchansk in the neighboring Kharkiv region had also been taken. The information cannot be verified independently, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi also said during his visit to Paris that the intensity of the fighting around Pokrovsk and in the Kharkiv region was high.

Observers link the Russian success story with the expected visit of US special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow on Tuesday. The Kremlin wants to present the negotiator from Washington with military progress ahead of talks on a peace plan.

17.35 hrs

Talks in the USA: Ukrainian chief negotiator speaks of "significant progress"

Following the talks between negotiators from Ukraine and the USA on a possible agreement to end the Russian war of aggression, the Ukrainian chief negotiator Rustem Umerov has made a positive statement. "We have made significant progress, but some issues require further fine-tuning," Umerov explained in online networks on Monday.

Umerov, who heads Ukraine's National Security Council and was the country's defense minister until July, described the first part of the talks on Sunday as "productive and successful". Ukrainian negotiating circles had previously spoken of "not easy" negotiations. Particularly complicated were formulations "in relation to territories".

On the US side, US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner took part in the talks.

The negotiations were based on the US plan for an end to the war in Ukraine, which was presented a week and a half ago. In its original version, this was widely considered to be extremely advantageous for Russia. It was later revised in Ukraine's favor during talks in Geneva, Switzerland, with the participation of European heads of state and government.

⚡️ Ukraine's Umerov meets Witkoff again after Florida talks, White House says.

U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff held another meeting with Ukrainian negotiator and top security official Rustem Umerov in Florida, a White House official told the Kyiv Independent.https://t.co/2uCPn8XHAO

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) December 1, 2025

4.30 a.m.

Wars keep arms manufacturers' tills ringing

In the face of numerous wars and conflicts around the world, the international arms industry has set a new sales record. The world's 100 largest arms manufacturers increased their total revenue from the sale of military equipment and services by 5.9 percent in 2024, adjusted for currency effects, according to a new report by the Stockholm-based peace research institute Sipri. Together, they achieved a turnover of around 679 billion US dollars, the highest figure ever recorded. According to the report, the USA remains the absolute industry leader.

Read more here.

Monday, December 1, 2025, 2:52 a.m.

Trump sees "good chance" of a deal in Ukraine negotiations

US President Donald Trump is optimistic after talks between representatives of Ukraine and his government on ways to end the war in Ukraine. On board the presidential plane Air Force One, he referred to the "difficult little problems" of the Ukrainians and cited the "unhelpful" corruption scandal in the country as an example. However, when asked by a journalist whether this was hindering the peace talks, he did not answer in the affirmative and instead said shortly afterwards: "I think there is a good chance that we can make a deal".

Once again, Trump also expressed his conviction that both Russia and Ukraine wanted an end to the war. The US President confirmed that his special envoy Steve Witkoff is to meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow this week. However, he did not give an exact date for the meeting.

Previously, Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other US government representatives had met a Ukrainian delegation in the state of Florida this Sunday to discuss issues relating to a possible peace plan. An initial 28-point US plan for an end to the war had recently become known, which was widely criticized as a "Russian wish list". Europeans and Ukrainians later renegotiated the draft agreement with US representatives, but several points remained controversial.

22.03

Rubio after Ukraine talks: "Much remains to be done"

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes that the negotiators still have a lot of work to do in their efforts to end the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. It was a "very productive and useful meeting" in which he is sure "further progress" was made, he said after several hours of talks with representatives of Ukraine in the US state of Florida, as can be heard in videos circulated by journalists on social media. At the same time, however, Rubio also emphasized that "there is still a lot to do".

The matter is complicated. There are many aspects that are in flux. There is also another party that needs to be involved. Rubio confirmed that this would happen in the coming days when President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visits Moscow.

This is delicate, it's complicated, there are a lot of moving parts, and, obviously, there's another party involved here," Rubio added, referring to Russia.

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) November 30, 2025

Ukrainian delegation leader Rustem Umjerov called the meeting "productive and successful". "We talked about the future of Ukraine, about everything that is important for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people," he said, according to Ukrainian media. "The USA is very supportive in this." Neither he nor Rubio gave details of the content of the talks.

8 p.m.

Russian drones allegedly dropped cluster munitions near Kiev

The Russian military is said to have used cluster munitions in a drone attack on the town of Vyskhorod near Kiev. Three drones dropped cluster munitions over the town yesterday and then attacked houses, the Ukrainian armed forces reported on social media. According to the governor of the Kiev region, Mykola Kalashnyk, a 47-year-old man was killed in the attack on Vyskhorod. 19 other people were injured, including four children.

All three Shaheds that attacked Vyshhorod last night carried cluster munitions.

Three pre-programmed drones loaded with clusters, sent directly at civilians.

Monsters.

📷 Serhii Flash pic.twitter.com/XyBk2CU2e9

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) November 30, 2025

7.06 p.m.

Selenskyj on the phone with Rutte and von der Leyen

In view of the current efforts to find a peace solution for Ukraine, its President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken to the heads of the EU Commission and NATO. "I spoke to Mark Rutte on the phone and we will continue our talks in the coming days," Selensky reported on Platform X about his conversation with the NATO Secretary General. "These are important days and a lot can change." Ukraine and its partners were coordinating closely, "and it is our joint measures and shared positions that will prove effective".

Selensky discussed the current diplomatic situation with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "We continue to work closely with the European Commission and I am grateful for their support," Selenskyj wrote. In addition to the agreement on important issues, Selensky also emphasized von der Leyen's understanding of the need to strengthen Ukraine's resilience in the face of constant Russian attacks on infrastructure and energy supplies.

I spoke with Mark Rutte @SecGenNATO, and we will continue our conversation in the coming days. These are important days, and much can change. We are coordinating closely, and in our efforts – and in the efforts of all our partners – it is our joint measures and shared positions…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 30, 2025

Sunday, November 30, 2025 5:22 p.m.

USA and Ukraine discuss peace plan

Representatives of the USA and Ukraine have begun talks in the US state of Florida on ways to end the Russian war of aggression. This was announced by the Ukrainian delegation leader Rustem Umjerow on Telegram. "We have been given clear guidelines - to protect Ukraine's interests, to ensure a substantive dialog and to move forward on the basis of the progress made in Geneva," he wrote.

Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner attended the meeting on behalf of the US side. According to officially unconfirmed reports from US media, the Shell Bay golf club was chosen as the venue for the meeting.

Rubio emphasized on site that it was not just about ending a war. In videos of journalists present, which were distributed in US media and social networks, the US Secretary of State can be heard emphasizing Ukraine's economic potential. "Ukraine has tremendous opportunities for real prosperity."

However, this cannot be achieved by ending the war alone. "So it's not just about peace agreements." It is about creating a path that guarantees Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and prosperity. It should also be ensured that Ukraine never has to go to war again, said Rubio.

🇺🇸🇺🇦 The meeting in Florida has officially begun — both sides are already making their first statements

Marco Rubio confirmed the start of the talks: “We are already halfway toward securing Ukraine’s independence. We made significant progress today.”

Rustem Umerov said: “We are… https://t.co/99jePVwCLp pic.twitter.com/NIEFXPKsCV

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 30, 2025

23:20

Russian fighter jets apparently triggered an air defense alert in Poland

According to a media report, Russian fighter jets triggered an air defense alert in Poland on Friday. Four MiG-31 fighter jets flew in the direction of Russia's western border, according to an advance report in "Bild am Sonntag", citing information from NATO circles. Polish armed forces and Bundeswehr units stationed in Poland had then put their air defense systems on high alert.

According to the report, two German Patriot air defense systems at the airport in Rzeszow, through which a large part of Western military aid for the Ukraine passes, were activated and German air force soldiers were involved in the response. As reported by "Bild am Sonntag", citing NATO sources, the Russian jets later turned back.

An air force spokesman told the newspaper, "There was activity in Russian airspace on Friday, the air defense forces deployed in Poland showed a reaction. This included the air force's two Patriot systems."

Poland is a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its defense against the Russian war of aggression and an important hub for aid and weapons deliveries to Ukraine. The EU and NATO member state has borders with Ukraine, Russia's ally Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. EU and NATO countries such as Estonia and Romania have also already reported the intrusion of Russian drones or military aircraft into their airspace.

20:43

Rubio and Witkoff to meet Ukrainian delegation on Sunday

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet with a negotiating team from Ukraine on Sunday to discuss the plan for an end to the war with Russia. According to a representative of US President Donald Trump's administration, the meeting will take place in the state of Florida. Trump's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner will also take part.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously announced the departure of the Ukrainian delegation. It will be led by the head of the Ukrainian Security Council, Rustem Umerov. Zelenskyi's previous head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, will not be attending due to his resignation following allegations of corruption.

Jermak was the head of the Ukrainian delegation at the talks on the Ukraine plan presented by the US in Geneva on Sunday last week. The original version of this plan was widely seen as extremely advantageous for Russia. Ukraine was to cede not only the territories occupied by Russia in the east of the country, but also regions that had not yet been conquered. In addition, Ukraine was to renounce its NATO membership and significantly reduce the size of its armed forces.

7.56 pm

Selenskyj: Negotiating team with Umjerow on its way to the USA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has sent his negotiating team to the USA for talks on ending the Russian war of aggression. The team, headed by delegation leader Rustem Umyerov, is due to arrive in the USA in the evening US time, he said in his evening video message broadcast in Kiev. Selensky explained that "it is quite realistic to finalize the steps in the next few days to determine how the war can be ended in a dignified manner". The necessary steps must be worked out quickly and substantially.

To this end, he had given the team the guidelines to negotiate according to Ukrainian priorities, said Selensky. Following the resignation of his bureau chief Andriy Yermak, he appointed Umyerov, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and former Minister of Defense, as the new chief negotiator by decree.

"Ukraine will continue to work with the United States in the most constructive way possible," Selensky continued. It is about a dignified peace. He had a 28-point plan from US President Donald Trump revised during negotiations in Geneva with European and American representatives. In the USA, there are still disputed points. The negotiations were initially led by Yermak as Zelensky's right-hand man; however, he resigned on Friday after corruption investigators searched his home. Zelenskyi therefore reshuffled the negotiating delegation by decree. Umjerov's name has also been mentioned in connection with the corruption investigations, but he denied any involvement.

Umjerov announced that he wanted to take the next steps towards a just and lasting peace in the USA. He had already negotiated with Russian representatives in Istanbul several times this year, the results of which included exchanges of prisoners and killed soldiers. He is to hold further talks with the Russian side at a later date.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and head of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov, together with the team, is already on the way to the United States. Rustem delivered a report today, and the task is clear: to swiftly and substantively work out…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 29, 2025

18:49

Moldova: Russia's drones violate airspace

Following massive Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, President Maia Sandu of the neighboring Republic of Moldova has complained that her country's airspace has also been violated. "On their way to kill civilians, Russian drones have once again violated Moldovan airspace and forced its temporary closure," Sandu told X. According to Moldovan media, this time it was also temporarily impossible to take off and land at the airport in the capital Chisinau. This led to delays and a detour to neighboring Romania.

Moldova is repeatedly reporting airspace violations against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. It was only on Tuesday that the Moldovan police published a photo of a drone.

A brutal 10h attack on Ukraine. This is not the language of diplomacy, nor of a country claiming to negotiate peace.

On their way to kill civilians, Russian drones again violated Moldovan airspace, forcing its temporary closure. We condemn these attacks and stand with Ukraine.

— Maia Sandu (@sandumaiamd) November 29, 2025

"We condemn the attacks and stand with Ukraine," Sandu continued. There had been a ten-hour attack on Ukraine. This is not the language of a country that claims to be negotiating peace, she said with regard to the planned talks. Russian representatives are expecting a US delegation in Moscow in the first half of the week to negotiate an end to the war against Ukraine, which has been going on for almost four years.

Russia is bombarding Ukraine with drone and missile attacks every night, repeatedly invading the airspace of other states. Moscow has also stationed its own troops in the Russia-friendly region of Transnistria, which has broken away from Moldova.

18:08

Macron receives Selenskyj in Paris on Monday

In the midst of difficult negotiations on an end to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in Paris on Monday.

The Élysée Palace announced that the two heads of state wanted to discuss the conditions for a lasting and just peace and the American plan for this. They also discussed the military guarantees with which the countries supporting Ukraine, united in the so-called Coalition of the Willing, want to secure a peace solution.

17.25

Over 600,000 people in Ukraine without electricity

The night-time Russian missile and drone attacks in Ukraine have cut off the power supply to more than 600,000 people, according to local reports. More than 500,000 customers in Kiev and more than 100,000 others in the Kiev region and almost 8,000 in the north-eastern region of Kharkiv are without electricity, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry announced. The Russian attacks began on Friday evening and continued throughout the night.

The Ukrainian authorities had previously announced that at least one person had been killed and a dozen injured in overnight Russian attacks on the capital Kiev. According to the report, residential buildings in several districts were shelled. "The western part of the capital has no electricity," explained Kiev's mayor Vitali Klitschko on Telegram. Work is underway to restore the power supply.

Russia also reported a drone attack on a large oil terminal near the port of Novorossiysk in the south of the country. A "terrorist attack by unmanned boats" had caused "serious damage" to the terminal, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) announced. According to the report, one of the three jetties was hit. The operation of the terminal was therefore interrupted and the oil tankers on site were diverted. The company also announced that none of the CPC staff or its contractors were injured.

3.32 pm

Security circles: Ukraine behind explosions on board two oil tankers in the Black Sea

According to information from Kiev security circles, Ukraine is responsible for explosions on two oil tankers in the Black Sea. "Modernized naval drones" of the Sea Baby type had "successfully targeted" the two ships, according to the Ukrainian domestic intelligence service SBU.

To substantiate the attack, an SBU representative showed AFP a video in which, according to him, naval drones could be seen gliding towards two ships and triggering explosions.

On Friday, fire broke out on the Gambian-flagged ships "Virat" and "Kairos" in the Black Sea off the Turkish coast; according to Turkish authorities, a total of 45 crew members were brought to safety. The "Kairos" was reportedly empty and on its way to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. On Saturday, the Ukrainian secret service representative stated that the "Virat" was also empty and on its way to Novorossiysk. According to the statement, both ships were to be filled with petroleum products there.

According to Ukrainian estimates, the ships attacked were part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet. This exports Russian crude oil in circumvention of international sanctions.

Saturday, November 29, 7:35 a.m.

Air strikes on Kiev - impacts in residential buildings

Russian missiles and kamikaze drones have hit the Ukrainian capital Kiev in another night-time attack. Explosions were reported shortly after midnight and later in the morning. At least one person was killed and eleven injured, including a child, Ukrainian media reported, citing local authorities.

Several residential buildings in various districts were damaged. According to reports, rocket alarms were also triggered in other parts of the country.

20.50 hrs

Putin to receive Witkoff next week

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin wants to receive US special envoy Steve Witkoff next week for talks on the plan presented by Washington for an end to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which has since been amended. Witkoff is expected to arrive in Moscow in the first half of the week, the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti reported on Friday, citing Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The latter promised to provide the exact date of the meeting in good time. According to the Kremlin, a state visit by Putin to India is planned for next Thursday and Friday, where he wants to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

18:31

Dead after Ukrainian shelling

According to the authorities, a woman has been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian region of Belgorod. A five-year-old was also injured when the drone hit a private house in the village of Dragunskoye, the regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram. There were several fires.

5.23 p.m.

Further dismissals could be imminent

Will further resignations and new appointments within the Ukrainian government follow the resignation today of Andriy Yermak, the head of the President's Office, in connection with corruption investigations?

The media platform Noelreports, which specializes in the war in Ukraine, reports that further changes are imminent, citing sources in Ukraine. For example, the dismissal of Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for the Reconstruction of Ukraine and Minister for the Development of Communities and Territories, is imminent. Restructuring is also expected at regional level.

In addition, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is to take over Yermak's post. Mychajlo Fedorow would take over as the new Prime Minister. Fedorov is already Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Transformation.

Sources in Ukraine suggest more leadership changes: Yulia Svyrydenko is likely to become Head of the Presidential Office, while Mykhailo Fedorov is expected to take over as Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/LqqX9Ajzk6

— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) November 28, 2025

4.43 pm

Andriy Yermak resigns with immediate effect

The Ukrainian Head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, is resigning with immediate effect. This was announced by Volodymyr Zelensky's office.

After corruption searchesBang in Ukraine - Zelensky's closest confidant resigns

8.35 a.m.

Corruption authorities: Search of Zelensky's office chief

The anti-corruption authorities in Ukraine have informed this morning about a search of the head of the president's office, Andriy Yermak. The measures against the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's office are part of an ongoing investigation, announced the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) in Kiev. Details should follow later. The country, which has been defending itself against Russia's war of aggression for more than three and a half years, has been rocked by a bribery scandal that reaches all the way into the state leadership.

Jermak is not only regarded as Zelensky's right-hand man, he is one of the most influential men in the country and is repeatedly described as a string-puller and gray eminence. He is also the central figure in the ongoing negotiations with the US for an end to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

Jermak is leading the Ukrainian negotiating team at the peace talks. His appointment as head of the delegation last week caused astonishment among political observers in Kiev because, like Selenskyj, he was in need of an explanation in the wake of the corruption scandal.

8.06 a.m.

Kremlin: Orbán to meet Putin in Moscow today

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today. According to the state news agency Tass, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Orbán's travel plans, who wants to talk to Putin about energy supplies and the war in Ukraine. Putin and Orbán repeatedly held direct talks during the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which triggered criticism in the EU.

There had already been speculation about an Orbán visit to Moscow for days. Putin himself did not directly answer a reporter's question on Thursday as to whether Orbán would be arriving on Friday. He only said that Moscow is always pleased when invitations are accepted. Orbán had announced on Thursday that he wanted to hold talks with Russia about oil and gas supplies.

Orbán last visited Putin in the Kremlin in July 2024 - a few days after his first trip to Kiev since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. He staged his visit to Russia as a peace mission. Budapest held the rotating presidency of the EU Council at the time. However, the EU emphasized that Orbán was not speaking on its behalf. The Hungarian Prime Minister pursues a hostile policy towards Ukraine, which borders his country. In several statements, he denied that Ukraine is a sovereign state.

In a telephone conversation with Putin in October, US President Donald Trump suggested the Hungarian capital Budapest as the venue for a summit between the two heads of state. However, Trump was disappointed by Moscow's unwillingness to negotiate, canceled the summit and imposed painful sanctions on the major Russian oil exporters Rosneft and Lukoil.

4.45 a.m.

Russia risk: Pfister wants to increase VAT for the army

According to Tamedia, Defense Minister Martin Pfister wants to increase value-added tax in favor of security and thus better equip the army for hybrid warfare as quickly as possible. To this end, he invited his most important executives to the Federal Council chamber on Wednesday, including the head of the army, Thomas Süssli, and the head of the intelligence service, Serge Bavaud. Pfister had based his decision on estimates that Russia could launch another attack in Europe in 2028 or 2029. The VAT increase would be possible in 2028 at the earliest and would require a referendum.

4.30am

Costa: USA will not speak for EU and Nato

According to Council President Antónia Costa, the USA has promised the EU that it will not discuss EU or NATO matters in negotiations with Russia on peace in Ukraine. "The United States and the Ukrainians have drawn up a new working paper," Costa told the German business newspaper Handelsblatt."In this new plan, all points concerning the European Union have been deleted. Everything that concerns Nato has also been deleted."

An initial 28-point plan published by the media last week included many concessions from Ukraine as well as stipulations for EU and NATO policy. President Donald Trump's US leadership called this their plan. Based on the previous history, however, it is clear that many Russian positions have been incorporated. The plan was revised in talks between the USA and Ukraine, and the European states also contributed to changes in several rounds.

Only Nato can decide on the European security order, said Costa - like Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte before him. "There is no reason to have this discussion outside of Nato." There are also specific questions for the European Union. "Only the EU can negotiate sanctions, EU membership and frozen assets, because these are all EU decisions," said Costa.

Trump's first plan had envisaged that the Russian state assets blocked in the EU would be used to rebuild Ukraine under US supervision. This would have deprived the European states of their greatest leverage over Moscow.

Friday, November 28, 2025, 5:04 a.m.

Suspicion of "anti-constitutional sabotage" in Germany

The public prosecutor's office in Rostock in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is investigating a fire in Rostock's overseas port on suspicion of "anti-constitutional sabotage". The fire on May 14 involved a 150-metre-long conveyor belt belonging to the company Euroports, which handles grain. The flames almost spread to a grain silo. According to the authorities, the damage amounted to more than four million euros. According to Der Spiegel, the incident is also of concern to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The authorities mention the fire in their first joint situation report on "hybrid threats". The espionage experts cannot clearly attribute it to Russia. But the location makes them prick up their ears: the overseas port serves "as a transshipment point for the import and export of Ukrainian grain", according to the confidential paper.

20.45

Selenskyj hints at top-level meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted at a top-level meeting next week in the talks on ending the war. "Next week will see important negotiations not only for our delegation, but also for me, and we are preparing solid ground for these negotiations," he said in his evening video message from Kiev.

At the end of the week, our team – together with American representatives – will continue to translate the points we secured in Geneva into a form that puts us on the path to peace and security guarantees.

There will be a meeting of delegations, and the Ukrainian delegation will… pic.twitter.com/FDYdbbdvQv

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 27, 2025

The Ukrainian head of state did not provide any details. However, following negotiations between the USA and Ukraine on a peace plan, there is talk that Zelenskyi could meet US President Donald Trump once again. Both sides recently signaled that there is a largely common position. There are only minor differences, it was said - although it is possible that this hides the central question of how to deal with the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has reiterated that there will be no agreement unless the Ukrainian army vacates its last positions in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Donbass. Ukraine has so far refused to do so and does not want to legally relinquish occupied territory.

Selenskyj said: "The Russian war continues and we all hear that Russia is ignoring the efforts of the world's most important powers to really end the war with a lasting peace." Whether there will be peace, however, does not depend on Russia's threats.

6.39 pm

Prosecutor's office: Five Ukrainian prisoners of war killed

According to Ukrainian reports, five prisoners of war have been shot dead by Russian soldiers in southern Ukraine. The incident took place in the morning on the front line near the town of Huljajpole, according to the public prosecutor's office in Kiev. Investigations into premeditated murder and a war crime have been initiated by the public prosecutor's office of the Zaporizhzhya region.

According to United Nations experts, Russian troops have already killed several dozen Ukrainian soldiers who were prisoners of war. To a lesser extent, the Ukrainian side is also accused of such war crimes. Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than three and a half years.

Russian forces advance toward Huliaipole and execute prisoners

Russian troops managed to flank the Ukrainian defenses near Huliaipole after one Ukrainian unit withdrew without coordination. This was confirmed by southern defense forces spokesman Dmytro Voloshyn.

He explained… pic.twitter.com/a57D2lQ6lt

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 27, 2025

17:41

Putin defends US negotiator Witkoff

Following a telephone conversation between US negotiator Steve Witkoff and Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended the American against criticism. "He is an American citizen and is defending the position of his president and his country," the head of state told journalists in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

Following the publication of a recording of the phone call, Witkoff was accused in Ukraine and the West of being too close to the Russian side. The conversation was about the ongoing negotiations for an end to the war in Ukraine. Putin left open the question of whether the recording, in which the US American gives his foreign policy advisor Ushakov advice for a call to Trump, was genuine or not.

In response to criticism of Witkoff, the Kremlin chief said it would be surprising if he had first used abusive language on Ushakov on the phone and then tried to improve his negotiating position in Moscow.

Nevertheless, the talks were not easy. "We are conducting this dialog without insults and spitting at each other, like intelligent people, and everyone is defending their positions," explained Putin. Witkoff had not been tasked with the negotiations by Trump alone, but by the US leadership.

5.09 pm

Putin: Can rule out attack on Europe in writing

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he is prepared to put his renunciation of an attack on Europe in writing as part of diplomatic negotiations. It is a "lie" and "complete nonsense" to claim that Russia is planning to invade Europe, Putin said. "It sounds ridiculous to us. The truth is that we never intended to do that, but if they want to hear it from us, fine, we'll fix it. No question about it," Putin said at a press conference at the end of his visit to the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

Putin has repeatedly rejected accusations by German and other European politicians that Russia wants to invade other European countries after Ukraine. However, his assurances have been repeatedly called into question in the West, especially since his war of aggression against Ukraine. Even before the invasion of Ukraine, he had claimed that Russia had no such plans.

3.38 pm

Putin: US delegation expected in Russia next week

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has confirmed plans for negotiations with US representatives in Russia next week. The delegation is expected to arrive in the first half of next week.

Putin said this in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek at the end of his visit there. On the Russian side, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the presidential administration would take part in the negotiations.

Putin mentioned his advisors Vladimir Medinsky and Yuri Ushakov by name. It was a very large complex of issues that had to be dealt with. He emphasized that each question was of key importance. According to the Kremlin, Steve Witkoff, advisor to US President Donald Trump, is expected in Moscow next week.

Putin himself had met with Witkoff several times. He also reiterated his willingness to discuss Trump's 28-point paper on ending the war. This could form the basis for a subsequent peace treaty, he said. Putin once again made it clear that he wanted to have control over the entire Donbass before a ceasefire.

14:35

Nord Stream suspect extradited to Germany

After more than three months in custody, Italy has extradited the suspected mastermind of the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline attacks in the Baltic Sea to Germany.

The 49-year-old Ukrainian was handed over to the German police, according to German judicial circles. He is expected shortly in Karlsruhe, where the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office is based.

Italy has extradited Ukrainian national Serhiy Kuznetsov to Germany over his suspected role in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, Reuters reports. German prosecutors allege he was part of the group that blew up the pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Kuznetsov, 49, was arrested in… pic.twitter.com/hzZa1ly9EY

— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) November 27, 2025

2.15 p.m.

Europe's top military official calls for more cooperation

The EU's highest military representative and Director General of the EU Military Staff, Lieutenant General Michiel van der Laan, has called for closer cooperation between the European arms industry.

"My goal as a soldier is that we get fewer different systems so that cooperation is simply better," said the Dutchman on the fringes of a meeting of the European Union's military commanders in Ulm.

Multiple weapon systems with different logistics and ammunition are not helpful. Von der Laan went on to say that the European defense industry also needed to cooperate more - instead of competing with each other - so that the different countries' troops could work together better.

As the highest military representative in Brussels, the Lieutenant General reports to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas. His EU commanders are detached from NATO and the EU military structure is significantly smaller. The country commanders are responsible for missions outside the EU, for example in Bosnia.

They meet once a year. The core topics of this year's meeting with around 40 participants included missions for the coming years and current operations.

One of the headquarters, the Multinational Operational Command, is located in Ulm. There are further "headquarters" in Paris, Rome, Rota in Spain, the city of Larissa in Greece and Krakow. In the event of a crisis, the commands help to coordinate air or land missions, for example.

1.04 pm

Russia closes Polish consulate general

In the tense relationship between Warsaw and Moscow, Russia is now also closing the Polish Consulate General in Irkutsk. According to the Moscow Foreign Ministry, Russia has decided to withdraw its consent to the operation of the foreign representation as of December 30 and has informed the Polish ambassador accordingly.

This was a reaction to the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Gdansk. This was an "openly hostile, baseless step" by the Polish leadership under an "absurd pretext", the statement continued. Moscow's foreign office spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had already announced such a reaction.

“If it weren't for Ukraine, Russian tanks would already be in Poland. And we're still discussing whether to take it into NATO?” — Kasparov pic.twitter.com/Gzag4t5kzX

— Devana 🇺🇦 (@DevanaUkraine) November 27, 2025

A spokesperson for the Polish Foreign Ministry told the PAP news agency that this step had been expected. The tasks of the consulate in Irkutsk will be taken over by the consular department of the Polish embassy in Moscow from the new year.

Last week, Poland withdrew its permit for the Russian Consulate General in Gdansk in response to an explosives attack on a strategically important railroad line. The Polish government accuses Russian secret services of being behind an explosives attack on the railroad line from Warsaw to Lublin, which leads to Ukraine.

Trump's 28 point "peace plan" screws over Poland and all of Eastern Europe. Russia wants Eastern Europe weakened for their next attack.

[image or embed]

— Jake Broe (@realjakebroe.bsky.social) 24. November 2025 um 05:18

An explosion near the village of Mika, around one hundred kilometers south-east of Warsaw, destroyed the tracks. Nobody was injured because a train driver noticed the damage and reported it.

12.10 p.m.

Attack on Crimean bridge: Eight life sentences

Three years after the explosion on a bridge to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, all eight defendants in the trial for the explosives attack have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

They were found guilty of terrorism and illegal handling of explosives by a Russian military court, as the Russian state agency Tass reported from the courtroom in the city of Rostov-on-Don.

According to the Ukrainian secret service SBU, it had organized the attack in October 2022 in order to hinder the supply of the Russian military. Five people died in the explosion.

The court complied with the prosecution's requests. The defendants are said to have helped the SBU to carry out the attack. They rejected the accusations. According to Tass, the court also awarded the bereaved families of the victims seven billion roubles - i.e. 72 million francs - in compensation at the expense of the convicted businessmen.

Moscow uses Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, as an important route for supplying its troops in its war against Ukraine. Kiev had repeatedly described the destruction of the bridge as one of its goals in its defensive campaign against the Russian war of aggression.

The defendants, including six businessmen, a farmer and a truck driver, denied their guilt during the in camera trial. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, their lawyers explained.

According to the investigators, the explosives were smuggled to Russia via detours, declared as rolls of foil and loaded into a truck in disguise. The defendants claimed in court that they knew nothing about the deadly cargo.

According to SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk, the secret service used most of the defendants without their knowledge at the time. The explosion killed the truck driver and four occupants of a car driving in the adjacent lane. A section of the bridge collapsed and the connection was restricted for months.

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, who had ordered the war against Ukraine eight months earlier, then announced retaliation. There was another attack on the bridge in 2023. There was also considerable damage back then. However, Ukraine was unable to bring the bridge down completely.

11.16 a.m.

Mirage 2000 pilot with 98 percent success rate

A Ukrainian pilot claims to have a 98 percent success rate in intercepting the enemy with his Mirage 2000. "I used to fly the Su-27. Now I'm a Mirage 2000 pilot and my impressions of the new aircraft are very good," the anonymous man told the Ukrainian "Defense Blog".

🇫🇷🇺🇦French-supplied Mirage 2000 in Ukrainian service, seen here splashing a Russian air target with an R.550 Magic AAM. -OSINTtechnical

[image or embed]

— 24Hours Ukraine (@24hoursukraine.bsky.social) 26. November 2025 um 16:20

Because Kiev's air force is being targeted, the pilot has to keep changing airfields: "This is our third one this week. The enemy is constantly trying to destroy our equipment." Fortunately, what he and his comrades lack are more Mirage jets and longer-range weapons.

He did his training abroad: "I was trained in France together with French fighter pilots. For about six months, we learned to fly a two-seater training aircraft and use weapons. Then we switched to the single-seater aircraft - the very one I'm sitting in now."

10.30 a.m.

Merkel makes it clear: "We all failed to prevent this war"

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made it clear that she does not blame Poland and the Baltic states for Russia's attack on Ukraine.

This was "fake news", a passage from her autobiography "Freedom" had been placed "in the wrong context", Merkel said on the program "phoenix persönlich". The passage stated that the Baltic states and Poland had rejected a dialog format with Russia proposed by Merkel in 2021.

However, this was "not an assignment of blame". "This war has broken out, it has changed our world, it is an aggression by the Russian Federation, the Russian Republic, Vladimir Putin," Merkel now said. "We all failed - all of us, me, everyone else failed to prevent this war." That is the fact of the matter.

In response to former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel's statement on the ARD program "Maischberger" that there would have been no war in Ukraine with Merkel, the former German Chancellor said: "That is completely speculative."

She believes that the coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact because the usual discussion formats have collapsed. She had not been able to speak to Putin on a regular basis.

"And that's even more difficult when dealing with countries that are not democratically governed than when there is already so little communication between countries that are organized in the same way." However, it had been clear to her for "many, many years" that there was a serious danger from Putin.

6.20 a.m.

Russia: 24 years in prison for alleged cooperation with Kiev

According to the FSB domestic intelligence service, a Russian military court has sentenced a man to 24 years in prison for alleged cooperation with Ukraine.

He is said to have built drones and flown them in the Moscow region to detect air defense vulnerabilities, according to the FSB. According to the FSB statement, the man began working with a terrorist organization banned in Russia and a representative of the Ukrainian secret service on his own initiative in 2023.

He is also said to have been ordered to blow up the aircraft of a "high-ranking person" of the Russian state. The man from Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia was accused of treason and involvement in a terrorist organization. The information cannot be independently verified.

5.15am

Poland orders new submarines

Poland wants to order three new submarines from Sweden. "The Swedish offer was the only one that met all the requirements of our navy," said Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.

These are three Saab A26 Blekinge submarines. According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, the contract should be signed by the end of the year. Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson emphasized that his country and Poland were on the same page with regard to the challenges facing European security.

Together, they would assume greater responsibility for security in the Baltic Sea, he explained at X.

Poland has chosen Sweden as partner for its submarine program.

This shows the strength not only of the cooperation between our countries, but also of Sweden as a defense-industry nation. It is confirmation that the Swedish defense industry stands strong. Saab has a… pic.twitter.com/WhSFlQru7n

— Ulf Kristersson (@SwedishPM) November 26, 2025

Thursday, November 27, 2025, 4:30 a.m.

France plans new voluntary military service

French President Emmanuel Macron will present his plans for a new voluntary military service today, Thursday.

In view of the geopolitical situation and increasing threats, the originally planned national compulsory service is no longer appropriate, according to the Elysée. Instead, more young people should be called up for voluntary military training.

New French national service not about ‘sending our youth to Ukraine', Macron says
➡️ https://t.co/7wN8cMo4jf pic.twitter.com/MwDbxfErxe

— FRANCE 24 (@FRANCE24) November 25, 2025

The new service is to be open to young men and women. According to media reports, it will last ten months. France is in contact with Germany on the subject, according to reports. In contrast to Germany, there are currently no problems with recruitment in France.

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