These are important developments since day 1,388 of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Published December 13, 2025
Here’s what happened on Saturday, December 13th.
finding
Ukraine’s military announced it had recaptured part of the northeastern town of Kupiansk and surrounded Russian forces, after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the operation for diplomatically strengthening Ukraine during a visit to the region. The video clip shows President Zelenskiy wearing a bulletproof vest standing in front of a sign with the town’s name at the entrance to Kupyansk. “For Ukraine to achieve diplomatic success, it is extremely important to achieve results on the front lines today,” he said. Ukrainian drones attacked two Russian oil rigs in the Caspian Sea, Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) officials said. SBU drones attacked the Filanovsky and Korchagin oil rigs belonging to Russia’s Lukoil. The Filanovsky drilling rig, part of Russia’s largest Caspian oil field, came under attack earlier this week as Ukraine steps up operations to disrupt Russian oil and gas production. Ukraine announced that it had carried out an operation in parallel with a local resistance movement to attack two Russian ships transporting weapons and military equipment in the Caspian Sea. They did not say when the strike took place. The Ukrainian military also said it had attacked a major Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl, northeast of Moscow, and industry officials said the facility had ceased production. Ukrainian officials said Russia attacked the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk and Odesa, damaging three Turkish-owned ships, including a civilian ship carrying food supplies. The Russian government had previously threatened to “cut Ukraine off from the sea” in retaliation for maritime drone attacks on its “Shadow Fleet” tankers believed to be used by Kiev to export oil. Russia also attacked energy facilities in southern Ukraine’s Odesa region overnight, causing fires and cutting power to several settlements in the region, local governors and emergency services said. Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that it had destroyed 90 Ukrainian-made drones over the country and the Black Sea overnight. Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport said it had suspended departures after a nighttime drone attack, while seven people were injured in the city of Tver, 181 kilometers (112 miles) northwest of Moscow, authorities said.
peace agreement
President Turkiye called for an emergency halt to the war in Ukraine after a Russian attack on Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port damaged a Turkish-owned ship, saying the incident highlighted risks to maritime security in the Black Sea. The Turkish government called for a moratorium on attacks targeting navigation security, energy and port infrastructure “to prevent escalation”. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying a limited ceasefire could be beneficial, especially around energy facilities and ports. National security advisers from Ukraine, Europe and the United States met to discuss aligning positions on a solution to the Ukraine conflict, said Rustem Umerov, head of the Ukraine negotiating team. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko said the meeting was attended by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, as well as World Bank President Ajay Banga and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink.
We will continue to work together on the economic trajectory with our U.S. partners and international financial institution leadership as part of a broader effort to ensure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
Today, we had a meeting with a representative of the President of the United States… pic.twitter.com/QNJzBQ0GD6
— Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) December 12, 2025
President Donald Trump said a free economic zone proposed by the United States in the Ukrainian-controlled region of eastern Donbas would work, after the United States proposed creating a free economic zone as a compromise between Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine, the United States and European countries are still working to find a joint position that would outline the peace deal, including security for Kiev, in a ceasefire agreement that “American negotiators would like to present to the Russian side,” a French presidential official said. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said a ceasefire could only happen after Ukrainian forces withdraw from the entire Donbas region and the Russian National Guard takes control of the area currently controlled by Kiev. “Non-negotiated, but by military means, this territory will come under the complete control of the Russian Federation. Everything else will depend entirely on it,” Ushakov said.
sanctions
The European Union has agreed to indefinitely freeze 210 billion euros ($246 billion) worth of Russian government debt held in Europe, removing a major hurdle for Ukraine to use the funds to defend itself from Russia. The agreement eliminates the risk that Hungary and Slovakia, which have better relations with Russia than other EU countries, could at some point refuse to extend the freeze and force the EU to return funds to Russia. Russia’s central bank said the EU’s plan to use its assets to support Ukraine is illegal and the EU reserves the right to take all measures to protect its interests. Separately, the bank said it would sue Euroclear, a Brussels-based financial institution that holds much of its assets, in a Moscow court, accusing it of damaging and “illegal” actions. Ahead of the vote to freeze the funds, Hungary protested against the EU’s “unlawful” move to hold Russian assets indefinitely. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said the decision would “inflict irreparable damage on the Union.” “Hungary will protest this decision and do everything in its power to restore the legal situation,” Prime Minister Orbán said.
international situation
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a welcoming ceremony for the Korean People’s Army’s 528th Engineer Regiment, which returned from a mission in Russia, praising the “heroic” actions and “collective acts of heroism” of the soldiers during their 120-day overseas deployment. The city of Berlin has summoned the Russian ambassador, citing a significant increase in threatening hybrid activities such as disinformation campaigns, espionage, cyber-attacks and attempted sabotage. “(We are) monitoring Russia’s actions very closely and have made it clear that we will take action against Russia,” said Martin Gies, a spokesman for Germany’s Federal Foreign Office.
