KYIV, Dec 13 - Ukraine's defense industrial base has grown more than tenfold since February 2022, which is due to the country's current military needs, but after the end of the war, Ukraine will have a very competitive defense industrial base in Europe, said Acting U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Economic Recovery, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma.

KYIV, Dec 15 - Two Russian oil tankers have been seriously damaged following a storm in the Kerch Strait, spilling oil and sparking an emergency rescue operation, The Associated Press reported Sunday citing Russian officials.

KYIV, Dec 16 – The agreement between Ukraine and Russia on gas transit expires on January 1, 2025 and will not be extended, but in the event of an appeal by the European Commission, Ukraine is ready to implement the transit of any gas except Russian, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in a conversation with his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico.

KYIV, Dec 16 – One of the features of the latest massive Russian attack on Ukraine's energy system on December 13 was its targeting of interstate energy infrastructure facilities with the aim of minimizing export-import opportunities or disconnecting the energy systems of Ukraine and Europe, an adviser to the Ukrainian Prime Minister and a member of the Supervisory Board of Ukrenergo, Yuriy Boiko, has said.

KYIV, Dec 16 - North Korean troops have been killed fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk border region, BBC reported Monday citing US officials.

KYIV, Dec 15 – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the country needs 2 billion cubic meters of gas and electricity worth EUR 800 million.

KYIV, Dec 15 – National Bank of Ukraine Governor Andriy Pyshnyy assured senior officials at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that Ukraine is ready to meet all the commitments assumed under the Program Monitoring with Board Involvement (PMB).

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 - The United States is considering expanding its support for the war in Ukraine, as Kyiv worries that Russia could make a new push to take the capital as soon as January, according to six people with knowledge of the discussions.

KYIV, Dec 15 – Ukraine expects that the UN will maintain the volume of its assistance at about $4.5 billion in 2023, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

KYIV, Dec 15 – The lion's share of the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for winter uniforms has been closed, reserve stocks will be formed from partners' assistance, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar has said.