156 сlashes in a single day, – Ukrainian General Staff
Source: Ukraine’s General Staff
The situation remains fluid on the battlefield as Ukraine’s General Staff reported 156 combat clashes by 10:00 pm on December 4 with the most intense fighting raging along the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove fronts.
- Kharkiv Front: Russian forces launched five assaults near Vovchansk and Hlyboke. One battle is ongoing. Veterynarne suffered an airstrike.
- Kupiansk Front: Russian troops made 15 attempts to advance on Ukrainian positions near Kucherivka, Synkivka, Petropavlivka, Pervomaiske, Zelenyi Hai, and Lozova. Ukrainian defenders repelled every attack, while Russian airstrikes hit Dvorichna, Lozova, and Petropavlivka.
- Lyman Front: Thirteen Russian offensives targeted areas around Hrekivka, Druzelubiivka, Makiivka, Terny, and Zarichne. Ukrainian forces stopped 11 of them, with two battles still raging.
- Toretsk Front: Four assaults near Toretsk were launched, with two already thwarted. Kostiantynivka endured airstrikes.
- Pokrovsk Front: Russian troops attempted 39 breakthroughs, targeting communities of Myroliubivka, Promin, and Shevchenko. Ukrainian units held firm, repelling 36 attacks, while three fights continue.
- Kurakhove Front: With 38 assaults in one day, this front remains a flashpoint. Ukrainian forces repelled 31 of these attacks, while seven combat engagements remain unresolved. Airstrikes struck Ulakly.
- Vremivka Front: Ukrainian troops turned back 10 Russian assaults near Zelenyi Pol, Novodarivka, Kostyantynopol, and Sukhyi Yaly. Two battles are ongoing.
- Huliaipole and Orikhiv Fronts: Airstrikes pounded Huliaipole and Novoandriivka.
- Dnipro Front: Russian forces launched two failed offensives.
- Kursk Front: Sixteen attacks were pushed back, while battles persist in six other locations.
Special meniton was given on Wednesday to soldiers of the 37th Separate Marine Brigade, 32nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, and 48th Separate Assault Battalion for their exceptional combat performance. These units inflicted heavy losses on enemy personnel and equipment, displaying courage under relentless fire.
In 2025, the deadliest year yet for civilians, Ukraine’s three largest charitable foundations raised a record 105.9 billion hryvnias. It is more than the years 2022–2024 combined. According to the UN, humanitarian aid in Ukraine was delivered by more than 450 organisations, reaching five million people over the course of the year. Civic foundations hold licences to purchase lethal weapons, which is a function states have monopolised for centuries. These record sums were underwritten by international government grants, which means foreign states now channel billions directly through Ukrainian civic funds, bypassing inter-state channels. It is hard to imagine a stronger institutional trust in civil society.
During the GLOBSEC Defence Forum 2026 in Prague, representatives of “Steel Front”, an initiative by Rinat Akhmetov, discussed with NATO delegations, military officials, and representatives of the European defense industry the lessons learned from Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
After the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine witnessed an unprecedented wave of private support for the army. Citizens, big businesses, charitable foundations, and international philanthropists began financing the country’s defense alongside state assistance provided by international partners. Estimates of total private contributions range from tens to hundreds of billions of hryvnias. However, determining the exact amount remains difficult. In many cases, companies combine military aid, humanitarian programs, tax payments, social spending, and employee support in their reporting.
Rinat Akhmetov’s military initiative, “Steel Front”, has delivered a batch of drones worth UAH 214 million to the 1st “Azov” Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. This shipment is part of the Metinvest Group’s ongoing support for the unit in 2025.
On October 6, the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court of Ukraine continued hearing case No. 990/80/25, in which the fifth President and leader of the party “European Solidarity”, Petro Poroshenko, seeks to have Presidential Decree No. 81/2025 from February 12, 2025 — enacting sanctions by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) — declared illegal and annulled. The plaintiff claims the document was falsified and that the sanctions are a tool of political persecution of the opposition, contrary to international norms. Government representatives deny the allegations and insist their actions were lawful. Journalists of Bukvy were present at the hearing.