These are the key developments from day 1,402 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.Published On 27 Dec 202527 Dec 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareHere is where things stand on Saturday, December 27:Fighting
The Ukrainian capital Kyiv came under a “massive” Russian attack early on Saturday, according to reports, with air defences in operation and the military warning of the impending deployment of missiles. Witnesses said air defences were in action in the city. A military Telegram channel said Russian cruise and ballistic missiles were being deployed to target the city.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed that its forces captured the Ukrainian village of Kosivtseve in the southeastern Zaporizhia region, adding that it had taken more than 23 square kilometres (9sq miles) of territory to secure the village.
Ukraine’s military has acknowledged that one of its units committed errors in “an unfortunate incident” when a group of just three infiltrating Russian soldiers deceived Ukrainian forces into abandoning a post in Huliaipole town, which encompasses Kosivtseve.
Russian overnight drone attacks damaged vessels under the flags of Slovakia, Palau and Liberia in ports in Ukraine’s Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said in a statement on Telegram. Kuleba said that there were no casualties in the attacks.
Kuleba also said that a separate drone attack damaged a locomotive and a freight car at the northwestern Kovel railway station, about 60km (37miles) from the Polish border.
A blaze ignited by a Ukrainian drone attack at Russia’s Azov Sea port of Temryuk has been extinguished, a local task force said. Temryuk port handles LPG, oil products and petrochemicals, as well as grain and other bulk food commodities.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that during the past week its forces had downed seven British-made Storm Shadow missiles, Russian news agencies reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of using ordinary apartment blocks on the territory of its ally Belarus to attack Ukrainian targets and circumvent Kyiv’s defences. “It is unfortunate that Belarus is surrendering its sovereignty in favour of Russia’s aggressive ambitions,” Zelenskyy said.
Poland deployed fighter jets to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near its airspace over the Baltic Sea and said dozens of aerial objects – believed to be balloons used by smugglers – approached its airspace from Belarus overnight, warning that the separate incidents during the holiday season may signal a provocation by Moscow.
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