As the Russia-Ukraine war drags on with no clear end in sight, events on December 22, 2024, painted a bleak picture of rising tensions and strategic moves. From the taking over of important areas in the Donetsk region to the missile attacks on Kyiv and the rising involvement of other countries, the day showed both the immediate destruction of war and its far-reaching effects.
1. Russian forces take over Kostiantynopolske:
The village of Kostiantynopolske in the Donetsk region was taken over by Russian troops on December 22. This was a big event. This small but strategically important town is only six miles from Kurakhove, a key Ukrainian city that is now in danger of being surrounded.
Moscow’s ongoing plan to gain more power over eastern Ukraine is shown by the fall of Kostiantynopolske. By going after smaller towns on the edges of bigger cities, Russian troops hope to cut off and weaken Ukrainian defenses over time. Concerns are raised about more attacks on Ukrainian-held areas and the possibility of another long siege, like the ones that happened earlier in the war during the fights for Mariupol and Bakhmut.
2. Drone war gets worse:
Overnight on December 22, Russia sent 113 drones at Ukrainian cities, which was a record number. This marked a new level of intensity in the air war. Ukrainian officials said that even though 57 drones were shot down and another 56 were electronically stopped, a lot of them still did a lot of damage. Eight people were hurt in Kharkiv, and four more were hurt when a nine-story apartment building was hit in Zaporizhzhia.
The fact that drone fighting is getting worse shows how modern wars are changing. Russia is relying more and more on drones, many of which were bought or made with help from other countries. This shows that Russia wants to hurt Ukraine’s economy and mental health while saving money on more expensive weapons. These attacks not only put Ukraine’s air defenses to the test, but they also make life difficult for people, which puts even more pressure on the country’s resources.
3. Kyiv Deals with Missile Attacks:
To make things even worse, Russian ballistic missiles attacked Kyiv early on December 22 during the morning rush hour, adding to the damage. One of the rockets hit a tall building and killed at least one person while doing a lot of damage to the structure. Damage was also done to the famous St. Nicholas Church, which is a cultural and historical site. This caused outrage around the world.
Russia wants to weaken Kyiv, which is the capital of Ukraine, both as a strategic command center and as a sign of national resistance. Moscow wants to show that it can strike deep into Ukrainian territory by attacking civilian infrastructure and cultural sites. This is done to discourage the people of Ukraine.
4. Putin Says the War Is Okay:
At a news conference at the end of the year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said again why the war was necessary. He said that Russia’s attack of Ukraine in 2022, even though it cost a lot, had made their military and economy stronger. He even said that an earlier attack might have been better, which showed that he didn’t feel bad about starting the war.
Putin is mostly trying to keep people in his own country supporting the war, even though it is killing more people and hurting the economy. On the other hand, these comments make it seem like Russia is even more of an aggressive country that won’t give in. This firm stance makes it harder to reach a peaceful agreement through political means, making peace seem even further away.
5. North Korea is getting more involved:
It came as a surprise on December 22 when it was confirmed that North Korea has put ballistic weapons in Ukraine. When experts looked at missile parts found in Ukraine, they found that some of them were made as recently as 2024. This shows how quickly North Korea sent these weapons to Russia.
This event strengthens the relationship between Russia and North Korea. With Pyongyang’s help, Moscow can keep up its military operation despite sanctions from other countries. North Korea’s participation also makes us wonder how well global efforts to limit arms are working and what this means for the safety of the region, especially in East Asia.
6. Counterattacks by Ukraine reach Russian soil:
In response to these threats, Ukraine used drones to attack deep into Russian territory. In the city of Kazan in the region of Tatarstan, which is more than 600 miles from the front lines, Ukrainian drones badly damaged homes and factories. The strikes show that Ukraine is getting better at retaliating and stopping Russian operations away from the battlefield, even though Ukraine hasn’t officially taken credit.
There are both practical and symbolic reasons for these counterattacks. By attacking Russian towns, Ukraine not only messes up logistics but also brings the war closer to the Russian people, which goes against the Kremlin’s story that Russia is safe and forces Russians to face the truth about the conflict.
7. What a Sobering Admission by Zelensky:
In an honest talk, Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, admitted that his country’s military isn’t very strong. He said again that he was committed to reclaiming all occupied areas, but he also said that this goal was still very hard to reach. Zelensky asked Ukraine’s Western allies to give more solid support, stressing that the fight in Ukraine is not just a national one but also a fight for democratic ideals and international law.
This request shows how important it is for the international community to help Ukraine’s resistance. From high-tech weapons to food and medicine, Ukraine will need continued support from around the world to get through the long war.
8. More general geopolitical effects:
The events of December 22 also showed how the war between Russia and Ukraine affects world politics in a bigger sense. Russia’s growing ties with countries like North Korea and Iran show that the balance of power in the world is shifting. These partnerships make it easier for Moscow to get around sanctions and keep up its war effort, which makes it harder for Western countries to economically and politically isolate Russia.
At the same time, the war has brought NATO and other Western allies together, which has led to more military cooperation and spending on defense. But the question still stands: how long can this unity last, especially since helping Ukraine is becoming more expensive in terms of both money and people?
