Ukrainian troops managed to fend off Russian forces attempting to establish a foothold on the western side of the Oskil River north of the Kharkiv Oblast town of Kupiansk, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Dec. 3.
The military published footage of the engagement that reportedly took place near the village of Novomlynsk, lying some 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Kupiansk.
Russian troops ramped up their efforts near Kupiansk in early September and approached its industrial outskirts in the northeast. Recently, Ukrainian forces repelled several Russian attempts at entering the town.
Thanks to numerical advantage, Russian forces managed to cross the Oskil River, seeking to establish a bridgehead on the other side, the General Staff said.
0:00/1×Footage of Russian forces crossing the Oskil River in Kharkiv Oblast and of Ukrainian forces raising a flag in Novomlynsk, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, published on Dec. 3, 2024. (General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces/Telegram)
Ukrainian forces have heavily fortified the west side of the Oskil River to prevent Russian forces from approaching Kupiansk from the north. Reports about Moscow's troops successfully forcing the river near Novomlynsk surfaced in late November.
"At the same time (as Russia was establishing the bridgehead), Ukrainian defenders, supported by artillery and drone units, forced out Russian forces from the bridgehead," the General Staff said without specifying the date of the engagement.
"Namely, soldiers of the 8th Separate Assault Battalion of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade 'Edelweiss' cleared the area near Novomlynsk of Russian forces."
The military said that the western bank of the Oskil River is under Ukrainian control, showing footage of Ukrainian soldiers raising a state flag in Novomlynsk.
The head of the GPA of the national security and Defense Council reported on the preparation of the Russian Federation for actions in the Zaporozhye region, but noted the lack of forces to attack the city of Zaporozhye. The enemy is accumulating and regrouping personnel and equipment.
The Russian occupiers are really preparing for certain actions in the Zaporizhia region. But the enemy does not have enough forces to attack the city of Zaporozhye itself. This was stated by the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the national security and Defense Council of Ukraine Andriy Kovalenko, writes UNN.
Which I wrote earlier, when we talk about the Zaporozhye direction and the preparation of enemy actions on it, it is important not to confuse the Zaporozhye region and Zaporozhye. The enemy is really preparing for certain actions in the Zaporozhye region, for which the Defense Forces are also ready. But the enemy does not have enough forces to attack the city of Zaporozhye itself. This is a completely different scale in terms of resources and manpower than the enemy now has
Kovalenko said.
He noted that some experts in social networks sin and constantly talk about Zaporozhye and distort the words of other military personnel.
"Unfortunately, I see that some experts in social networks sin and constantly talk about Zaporozhye, and also distort the words of other military personnel. It is advisable not to do this. When the Russians do this, it is understandable, but the information war is still there," Kovalenko wrote.
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On November 30, in a comment to Suspilny , The commander of the third operational brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, Alexey Khilchenko, reported that the Russian army was preparing for an offensive in the Zaporozhye Region. Currently, Russian troops are accumulating and regrouping personnel and equipment, while continuing daily assault operations by infantry groups.
At the end of September, a representative of the Southern Defense Forces stated that the invaders were preparing for assault operations in the Zaporozhye direction.
Ukraine will refuse any kind of security guarantees substituting NATO membership, according to a Foreign Ministry statement on Dec. 3.
"Having the bitter experience of the Budapest Memorandum behind us, we will not settle for any alternatives, surrogates, or substitutes for Ukraine's full membership in NATO," the statement said just two days before the 30th anniversary of the memorandum's signing.
NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels between Dec. 3 and 4, with Ukraine also participating. Kyiv urged the allies to issue a membership invitation during the meeting, but Reuters reported that there is a lack of consensus on the matter.
Ukraine gave up its Soviet-era nuclear weapon arsenal in the Budapest Memorandum in 1994 in exchange for the recognition of its borders and security guarantees by the U.S. and Russia, among others.
The ministry's statement called upon "the U.S. and Great Britain, which signed the Budapest Memorandum,… France and China, which joined it," and "all the states participating in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons" to support Ukraine's invitation to NATO to counteract Russian blackmail attempts.
Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested ending the "hot phase" of war along Ukraine's eastern front in exchange for NATO membership, not immediately including occupied territories.
In separate comments on a potential invite on Dec. 1, Zelensky said that the alliance's Article 5 collective defense principle may not apply to Ukrainian territories facing active combat if Ukraine were to join NATO.
Several allies remain opposed to Ukraine's quick accession to the alliance, including Germany, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Air raid sirens have been sounded across the entire territory of Ukraine due to the threat of a missile strike. The reason was the detection of the takeoff of an enemy MiG-31K fighter.
An air raid alert has been announced throughout Ukraine due to the takeoff of an enemy MiG-31, reports UNN citing the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"Attention! Missile danger throughout the territory of Ukraine! Takeoff of MiG 31K!", – says the message of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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At night, Russia attacked Ukraine with 28 "Shahed" drones and other UAVs from various directions. Air defense shot down 22 drones, hits on critical infrastructure in Ternopil and Rivne regions were recorded.
Russia has lost 745,700 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Dec. 3.
This number includes 1,780 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 9,486 tanks, 19,419 armored fighting vehicles, 30,666 vehicles and fuel tanks, 20,976 artillery systems, 1,253 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,019 air defense systems, 369 airplanes, 329 helicopters, 19,917 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
Russian troops attacked a UAV enterprise in Ternopil, which caused a fire. As a result of the attack, part of the city was left without electricity, there were no injuries.
Russian troops on the night of December 3 struck a drone at one of the enterprises of Ternopil, resulting in a fire. Currently, problems with light have been recorded, head of the Ternopil Regional Military Administration Vyacheslav Nehoda said on Tuesday .
As a result of another enemy attack, during a night air alert in the city of Ternopil, a UAV strike on one of the enterprises was recorded. As a result, a fire broke out on its territory 
– wrote bad weather.
According to him, the fire was contained, and then completely eliminated.
There were no injuries. However, there were problems with electricity again. Specialists are working to eliminate the consequences, said bad weather.
Earlier it was reported that in Ternopil as a result of a UAV attack, a critical infrastructure object was damaged. Part of the city was left without electricity, rescuers and power engineers are working on the site.
Also in the Rivne region, enemy forces fired at an energy infrastructure facility.
NATO countries will likely sidestep Ukraine's call to provide the embattled country with an invitation into the military alliance during the upcoming NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting on Dec. 3-4, Reuters reported, citing multiple diplomats.
"It will take weeks and months to get consensus," an unnamed senior NATO diplomat told Reuters on the condition of anonymity. "I don't see that happening tomorrow, I would be very surprised."
Kyiv submitted its application to join NATO in September 2022, and in July 2024, the alliance affirmed Ukraine's "irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership" — although Ukraine has not received any definitive news about its future accession.
The comments come as Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha asked on Nov. 29 that his NATO counterparts issue an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance during the meeting in Brussels.
"I urge you to endorse the decision to invite Ukraine to join the Alliance as one of the outcomes of the NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting on Dec. 3-4," Sybiha wrote at the time, pointing at the threat of Russian escalation through its use of the new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, as well as the involvement of North Korean troops.
Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky also suggested ending the "hot phase" of war along Ukraine's eastern front in exchange for NATO membership, not immediately including occupied territories.
In separate comments on a potential invite on Dec. 1, Zelensky said that the alliance's Article 5 collective defense principle may not apply to Ukrainian territories facing active combat if Ukraine were to join NATO.
Amid a recent shift in rhetoric, Zelensky said in in interview with Japan's Kyodo News that Ukraine might have to liberate some Russian-held territories through diplomatic means after the country's NATO membership becomes certain, as the country's military "lacks the strength" to do so immediately.
Despite Ukraine's pleas to join the alliance, a senior U.S. official told Reuters that the Dec. 3-4 meeting would focus on bringing Ukraine into the strongest possible position next year, "going into possible negotiations."
"The best way to (support Ukraine) is to surge money, munitions, and mobilization," the U.S. official added.
The comments comes as the Biden administration continues to make series of decisions aimed at giving Kyiv leverage in future negotiations, ahead of the January inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump — who has criticized military support for Kyiv.
Zelensky, who has repeatedly called on partners to issue a membership invitation to Kyiv, previously said that Ukraine will join NATO only after Russia's full-scale war ends.
During an interview with Kyodo News published on Dec. 2, President Volodymyr Zelensky disputed reports in Western media that as many as 80,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed during the full-scale war with Russia.
"Recently, some in, I believe, the American press reported that 80,000 Ukrainian had been killed. I want to tell you that, no, (the number of those killed is) less, much less," Zelensky said, while refusing to provide a detailed number of casualties.
"However, we have to be honest, we do not know how many Ukrainian have been killed on occupied territories of Ukraine," Zelensky added.
Zelensky's comments likely refer to the Wall Street Journal's claims published on Sept. 17 that 80,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died during the war, with a further 400,000 wounded.
Following the Wall Street Journal's reporting, Ukrainian lawmakers quickly disputed the claims with Roman Kostenko, secretary of the parliamentary defense committee, telling Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that the numbers were "exaggerated." The lawmaker suggested that 50,000 soldiers killed could be an approximate figure, though he admitted he does not have the most accurate data and that even his number could be an overestimation.
The Wall Street Journal's reporting falls broadly in line with estimates published by the Economist on Nov. 26, claiming that between 60,000 to 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, and 400,000 injured.
Zelensky did not comment on the number of Ukrainian soldiers reportedly wounded in the war.
Ukraine has largely avoided commenting on its losses, though President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that 31,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed.
The exact figures for both sides are nearly impossible to establish as Kyiv and Moscow are secretive about their casualties. The last figure provided by Russian authorities was 5,937 killed soldiers as of September 2022.
In turn, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces put Russian overall losses at nearly 744,000 as of Dec. 2, a total the includes those killed, wounded, missing, and captured. The losses Russia suffered in the full-scale war are believed to be greater than during all the wars since 1945 combined.
Through open source research, journalists from Mediazona and BBC Russia, have identified the names of 80,973 Russian soldiers who died during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine as of Nov. 29.
The number of daily Russian casualties continues to reach record highs, according to Ukraine's General Staff, with daily losses surpassing 2,000 for the first time on Nov. 29.
Russia also suffered record losses in military equipment and personnel in November in the war against Ukraine, Ukraine's Defense Ministry reported on Dec. 1. Nearly 46,000 Russian soldiers had been lost over the past month, while an estimated $3 billion in weapons and equipment had been damaged or destroyed.
Scholz arrives in Kyiv first time since June 2022, pledges $680 million in military support
'We need to move faster,' Zelensky announces personnel changes in Ukrainian Armed Forces
Russia trained 300,000 reserve soldiers for war in Ukraine, Russian defense official claims
Some North Korean troops fighting on Russia's side killed, Zelensky says
Ukraine's military lacks strength to retake some occupied territories, diplomacy needed, Zelensky says
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Kyiv on Dec. 2 to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and reaffirm his country's support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
"I would like to make it clear here on the ground that Germany will remain Ukraine's strongest supporter in Europe," Scholz said upon his arrival, promising additional arms supplies worth 650 million euros ($680 million) in December, N-TV reported.
This marks Scholz's first visit to Ukraine's capital in two and a half years. The chancellor's arrival comes shortly after his controversial phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which drew criticism from Kyiv.
Scholz previously visited Kyiv in June 2022 alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and then-Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, marking the first visit by the three European leaders since the outbreak of the full-scale war.
Under Scholz's leadership, Germany has become Ukraine's second-largest military donor after the U.S. The chancellor was nevertheless often criticized for cautious approach on some key issues, such as his refusal to provide Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine.
Recently, Scholz criticized Friedrich Merz, the CDU/CSU party leader who will seek to unseat the chancellor in the February snap elections, for the latter's willingness to provide Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
"All I can say is: be careful! You don't play Russian roulette with Germany's security," Scholz said at his party conference in Berlin.
Merz, whose party is currently leading in the polls, previously proposed issuing an ultimatum to Putin to end his aggression. Should the Russian leader refuse, Kyiv's partners would lift all restrictions on already provided weapons, and only then would Berlin approve the delivery of Taurus missiles.
'We need to move faster,' Zelensky announces personnel changes in Ukrainian Armed Forces
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Dec. 2 new reshuffles in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Zelensky's statement follows General Mykhailo Drapatyi's appointment as Ukraine's Ground Forces commander.
When asked why Drapatyi has replaced Oleksandr Pavliuk, who has held the position since Feb. 11, 2024, Zelensky said the change is related to the recently presented resilience plan.
Zelenksy's resilience plan, unveiled on Nov. 19, contains several reform proposals, including those in the defense sector.
According to Zelensky, the decisions outlined in the plan are designed for "particular individuals," so changes in the Ukrainian forces will continue.
"This is not the last (personnel) reshuffle. There will be more because we need to move faster," Zelensky said during a press conference in Kyiv.
Russian losses at the front increased significantly in the fall, while Russia continued to advance in the Donetsk sector, aiming to capture the towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.
In November, 45,720 Russian soldiers were wounded, killed, or captured and thus unable to continue participating in combat operations. This number is equivalent to more than three motorized rifle divisions of the Russian army, according to the Defense Ministry.
Despite that, Russian forces have taken over 600 square kilometers (232 square miles) in November alone, which is more than in the entire October, setting a new record since early 2022, Russian news outlet Agentstvo wrote on Nov. 25.
Russia trained 300,000 reserve soldiers for war in Ukraine, Russian defense official claims
Russia has trained 300,000 contract soldiers as reserves for the currently fighting regiments, a Russian official said in an article for the propaganda outlet Krasnaya Zvezda on Dec. 2.
"Seven companies of instructors and eight training companies for specialists… have trained over 300,000 service members," said Ivan Buvaltsev, the head of the training department of Russia's Armed Forces.
The claim comes as Russia's advance in Ukraine's east is picking up pace despite allegedly suffering record losses.
Buvaltsev did not specify when the 300,000 reservists were supposedly trained, but the article's context suggests he refers to the year 2024.
Former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu set up nine reserve battalions to train and prepare contract soldiers to offset Russia's casualties in Ukraine at the end of 2023.
According to Shoigu, 335,000 people signed up voluntarily to fight in 2023. In 2024, this number was 200,000, according to former President Dmitry Medvedev.
Russia reportedly suffered record losses in military equipment and personnel in the war against Ukraine in November. Moscow's losses steadily grew since the beginning of the fall as Russia continued to advance in the Donetsk sector, aiming to capture the towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.
Only in November, 45,720 Russian soldiers were wounded, killed, or captured and thus unable to continue participating in operations, Kyiv said. This number is equivalent to more than three motorized rifle divisions of the Russian army.
November also saw the record for enemy personnel losses in one day broken: 2,030, the highest figure since Feb. 24, 2022, according to Ukraine's military. As of Dec. 2, Russia lost 743,920 troops, 9,478 tanks, and 19,397 armored fighting vehicles, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said.
Some North Korean troops fighting on Russia's side killed, Zelensky says
Some of the North Korean soldiers deployed to fight for Russia have already been killed, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Kyodo News on Dec. 1 without revealing their numbers.
Pyongyang is said to have dispatched between 10,000-12,000 troops to aid Moscow's war, with the first clashes with Ukrainian forces reported in Russia's western Kursk Oblast.
Speaking to the Japanese news agency, Zelensky said that Russia is treating the first batch of North Korean soldiers well to attract tens of thousands more.
Ukraine's head of state predicted that Pyongyang's forces would eventually be used as "cannon fodder" to decrease losses among the Russian military. He also warned of negative security impacts for Asia as Russia is teaching North Korean troops the methods of modern warfare, including drone use.
Separately, a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson told the media that 2,000 North Korean troops have been assigned to Russia's marine and airborne units fighting on the front.
"If they (North Korean troops) have joined units engaged in active hostilities, then we can confidently say that they have joined the fight," spokesperson Andrii Cherniak told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, adding that this might not necessarily mean deployment on front-line positions.
"Maybe they are not in advanced positions, but they enable aggression against Ukraine, ensure the killing of Ukrainian service members."
North Korea is Russia's leading ally in its war against Ukraine, reportedly providing Moscow with over 100 ballistic missiles and 5 million artillery shells. In exchange, Pyongyang is believed to receive economic support and assistance for its nuclear weapons program.
Ukraine's military lacks strength to retake some occupied territories, diplomacy needed, Zelensky says
Ukraine might have to liberate some Russian-held territories through diplomatic means after the country's NATO membership becomes certain, Zelensky said in an interview with Kyodo News on Dec. 1.
"Our army lacks the strength to do that. That is true," Zelensky told the Japanese news agency regarding the liberation of territories held by Russia since 2014, including Crimea.
"We do have to find diplomatic solutions," he said, adding that liberation by force could be considered when Ukraine is strong enough to prevent new aggression by Russia.
The statement aligns with a recent rhetoric shift in Kyiv as Moscow's forces keep advancing in the east, and the future of Western support is uncertain under Donald Trump's upcoming presidency.
Zelensky had long been adamant about Ukraine's full territorial integrity as a key cornerstone of any peace deal. His more recent comments show a willingness to defer the status of occupied territories in exchange for entry into NATO while not recognizing Russian occupation as legitimate.
"We understand that Article 5, when you're a member of NATO, cannot apply to the entire territory of Ukraine during wartime, as countries are against the risks of being drawn into the war," Zelensky told Sky News last week.
The comments came as Ukraine has been urging NATO allies to invite Ukraine to join the alliance as early as next week during the NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting on Dec. 3-4.
Speaking to Kyodo News, Zelensky said that the war has entered a "complicated period" and that the current level of international support is not sufficient. He reiterated his calls on NATO to launch talks with Kyiv as soon as possible.
Ukraine's head of state also commented on Trump's imminent return to the White House, saying that the president-elect's team is studying Ukraine's five-step victory plan.
"But there will be no capitulation from the side of Ukraine," Zelensky added.
Trump's presidency has sparked fears that Washington would pull the plug on Ukraine as the president-elect has criticized military aid for Kyiv. He has also pledged to bring both sides to the negotiating table, with some reports suggesting this plan could entail freezing the war along the current front lines and postponing Ukraine's NATO aspirations.
The Kyiv IndependentBoldizsar Gyori
