Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky with troops on the frontline in Kupyansk in the northeast of the country, December 12, 2025
Wednesday’s Coverage: Kyiv to Trump — We Can Rename Part of Eastern Ukraine “DonnyLand”
UPDATE 0757 GMT:
Two civilians have been murdered and at least eight injured by an overnight Russian drone attack on Dnipro in southeast Ukraine.
Among the hospitalized are two girls, aged 9 and 14, and three adults. All are in moderate condition.
A multi-story apartment building was damaged and numerous apartments set afire.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha says Ukraine’s frontline position is “the strongest” in a year, as gradual Russian gains have been halted.
In March, Russia gave up 9 square km (3.5 square miles) across the eastern and southern frontlines, Moscow’s first loss of territory since 2023. Before that, the scale of Russian advances had been halved this year.
Moscow’s spring offensive has not been able to regain the offensive, with almost no movement on frontlines in the Donetsk region in the east.
Sybiha said:
We have minimized the Russians’ advantage in manpower through the use of drones. For us, the situation on the battlefield is about strengthening our negotiating position. We can shoot down up to 90% of the targets that strike our cities….
[Ukraine’s] position on the battlefield is indeed the strongest, or the most solid, it has been over the past year.
