DNIPRO, UKRAINE – DECEMBER 1: (——EDITORIAL USE ONLY – MANDATORY CREDIT – ‘KHERSON REGIONAL MILITARY … [+] ADMINISTRATION OF UKRAINE / HANDOUT’ – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS—— HANDOUT’ – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS——) A woman reacts in a damaged building after Russian missile strike on the Dnipro district in the Dnipropetrovsk region has resulted in the deaths of four people and injuries to 25 others, including a child, in Ukraine on December 1, 2024. The attack ignited multiple fires, damaging a store, an apartment building, and a private residence. (Photo by Kherson Regional Military Administration / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Anadolu via Getty Images

Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1017.

Regional.

Kherson region. A Russian drone strike on a vehicle in the regional capital on December 1 killed three civilians and wounded six others.

Since July, Russia has used Kherson as a drone training ground, launching more than 9,500 attacks that have killed and wounded hundreds of civilians. Targeting both military and civilian vehicles, the strikes have caused a mass exodus, reducing the city’s prewar population of 250,000 to just 60,000 permanent residents now. Additionally, Russia has gathered nearly 300 boats for crossing the Dnipro River amid attempts to reclaim islands near the regional capital.

Donetsk region. Russian forces have ramped up their offensive in the eastern part of Ukraine in recent months, targeting civilian areas and homes. On December 4, Russian strikes killed four people.

National.

In a recent interview with Kyodo News, Japan’s media outlet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied Western reports of nearly 80,000 Ukrainian military fatalities, saying the true number was “much lower” but offering no exact count. The Economist claims that Ukraine has lost an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 soldiers since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, with an additional 400,000 wounded.

Data from sources such as ualosses, a website that tracks the names and ages of the fallen, indicate that nearly 60,000 soldiers, more than 0.5% of Ukraine’s prewar male population of conscription age, have been killed. Meanwhile, Russian casualties are staggering, with reports indicating up to 200,000 Russian deaths, a toll that exceeds Russia’s total losses in all post-World War II military conflicts.

Ukraine’s international currency reserves surged to nearly $40 billion in November, fueled by significant international support, including $4.8 billion from the World Bank and $1.35 billion from the U.S. With expectations of reaching $43.6 billion by year-end, Ukraine is set to receive more than $38 billion in financial aid this year alone. Since the onset of Russia’s invasion, the country has secured more than $100 billion in foreign financial assistance.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved more than $1.4 billion in new investments for Ukraine, including non-repayable grants, to support both public and private sectors. The funding will back critical infrastructure and energy projects, including renewable energy and distributed generation. This commitment builds on the nearly $4.25 billion that the EBRD has invested in Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, with plans to continue investing $1.6–$2.1 billion annually.

World.

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson has rejected putting to a vote President Joe Biden’s request for an additional $24 billion in military aid to Ukraine. Johnson suggested that such decisions should await guidance from President-elect Donald Trump. President Biden requested the funds to support Ukraine’s defense and replenish U.S. weapon stockpiles.

The U.S. has announced a $725 million military aid package for Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) program. The latest package includes HIMARS munitions, artillery rounds, anti-tank weapons, drones and critical infrastructure protection equipment. With President Biden reportedly holding $4-5 billion in PDA funds approved by Congress, the administration faces logistical and political hurdles, including Pentagon supply limits and resistance from a Republican-dominated Congress, as time runs short before the new administration takes office.

Ukraine and the U.S. have signed a memorandum outlining up to $825 million in aid to bolster Kyiv’s energy sector. Signed by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the agreement focuses on rebuilding critical infrastructure, expanding distributed generation and modernizing the energy sector. This support comes at a crucial time, as Ukraine struggles with severe power outages from relentless Russian missile and drone attacks, nearly 200 of each in November alone, targeting its energy infrastructure.

Kursk region, Russia. Although 10,000 North Korean troops in this region are still undergoing training, Ukraine’s troops here have lost more than 40% of the land captured following the surprise incursion in August. Currently, 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region are confronting as many as 60,000 Russian troops receiving priority shipments of equipment.

By Danylo Nosov, Alan Sacks.