KYIV, Dec 14 - Ukrainian authorities said they thwarted a Russian attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region Wednesday as their air defense system destroyed 13 explosive-laden drones, although wreckage damaged five buildings, without causing casualties.

KYIV, Dec 13 – According to forecasts of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine, the epidemic situation in the country should be stable during the holidays, but a new strain of Omicron coronavirus (COVID-19) may appear in Ukraine this week, NSDC Secretary Oleksiy Danilov has said at a conference call chaired by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

KYIV, Dec 14 – Ukrainians have opened 1.035 million virtual cards within the framework of the ePidtrymka project for calculating payments of UAH 1,000 to fully vaccinated citizens.

KYIV, Dec 14 – The launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea will mean a complete cessation of the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine and will lead to security breakdown for Eastern and Central Europe, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

KYIV, Dec 14 – The party led by former President Petro Poroshenko is now leading President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party in latest opinion poll data that was collected in early December, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) reported.

WASHINGTON, Dec 14 - U.S. lawmakers just back from a visit to Ukraine warn that Washington’s threats of sanctions and diplomatic maneuvering are not doing enough to dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from potentially launching an invasion, VOA reported.

THE HAGUE, Dec 14 - The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor said a preliminary probe has found “a reasonable basis at this time to believe” that crimes against humanity and war crimes have been committed in Ukraine which merit a full-scale investigation, AP reported.

KYIV, Dec 12 - Roman Nasirov, reinstated by Kyiv District Administrative Court as head of the State Fiscal Service (SFS), has said he is waiting for the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers about returning to work. Nasirov said he is ready to go back to work.

KYIV, Dec 12 – Parliamentary Speaker Andriy Parubiy, during his visit to the Republic of Korea, met with Speaker of the National Assembly (Parliament) Moon Hee-sang and invited him to visit Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 14 – President Petro Poroshenko and Batkivschyna Party leader Yulia Tymoshenko would receive the most support from Ukrainians if presidential elections were held in the near future, according to a poll carried out by the SOCIS Center of Social and Marketing Research with the Rating sociological service.