Travel, property, and local info for Ukraine

23+ min ago (208+ words) The Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture confirms plans to approve the new Supervisory Board of JSC Energoatom by the end of this year: 83 candidates applied for the competition for the positions of four independent members of the board, Deputy Minister Anna Artemenko reported, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reports. Artemenko clarified that the deadline to submit applications for the competition was December 4. "We will hold nomination committees with candidates just before Christmas," the deputy minister added. She emphasized that, unlike the initial decision, the competition is being held according to the full procedure. This was made possible because the competition for two independent members began in September. Thus, part of the preparatory work had already been carried out by a professional recruiter. Artemenko also noted that the government's decision to conduct its own assessment of the supervisory board's activities was ad…...

30+ min ago (245+ words) The National Online Cinema Sweet.tv and event agency Sadyba Music received the award for setting the National Record of Ukraine in the category "The largest number of cities holding charity events for internally displaced persons" for their implementation of the social project "We, Ukrainians " All One Family" for internally displaced persons. The award ceremony took place at the Interfax-Ukraine agency during a press conference on Friday. "Today, we are announcing a new record. This project is best exemplified by the number of cities in which internally displaced persons [IDPs] participated in one charity event, demonstrating the project's scale," said Lana Vetrova, head of the National Register of Records of Ukraine, to the participants before the awards ceremony. Iryna Kovalenko, the director of the Sadyba Music event agency and the project's co-organizer and implementation manager, reported that 202,000 internally displaced persons…...

30+ min ago (375+ words) The Temryuk terminal blaze in Russia's Krasnodar region comes amid a growing wave of Ukrainian strikes on Black Sea ports and energy facilities. A Ukrainian drone strike hit port infrastructure in the Russian port of Temryuk overnight, sparking a fire at a key export hub for liquefied hydrocarbon gas. Authorities reported no casualties, with staff evacuated from the facility. According to the Operational Headquarters of the Krasnodar Territory, elements of the port infrastructure were damaged during what it described as an attack by "UAVs of the Kyiv regime." Officials said the strike triggered a fire but reported no casualties, noting that staff had been evacuated as a precaution. The channel added that 32 specialists and eight firefighting equipment pieces were deployed to extinguish the blaze, with emergency services working on site. A Video published by eyewitnesses and reviewed by independent media…...

30+ min ago (202+ words) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded 45 volunteers the Golden Heart badge on the occasion of International Volunteer Day. Zelenskyy presents Golden Heart merit badge to 45 volunteers, incl Sternenko and Fedyshyn Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded 45 volunteers the Golden Heart badge on the occasion of International Volunteer Day. Corresponding decree No. 880/2025, dated December 4, was published on the official website of the President of Ukraine. Among the volunteers who received the award were stand-up comedian Vasyl Baidak, activist Serhiy Sternenko, and singer Iryna Fedyshyn. Ukraine to expand professional roles for foreign volunteers in Armed Forces URCS to set up support center for victims of Russian UAV attack in Kharkiv Some 9,500 convicts, incl 100 women, join AFU ranks Two Ukrainian Red Cross Society volunteers receive highest intl awards for doctors There are currently about 800,000 or 600,000 volunteers in Ukrainian army " Zelenskyy Six volunteers of Ukrainian Red…...

35+ min ago (580+ words) Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he was ready to continue "uninterrupted shipments" of fuel to India, as New Delhi faces heavy US pressure to stop buying oil from Moscow. US President Donald Trump imposed punishing 50 percent tariffs on most Indian products in August, citing New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian oil -- revenue Washington argues helps fund the war in Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is hosting Putin at a summit in New Delhi dominated by energy, defence and trade talks, thanked the Russian leader for his "unwavering commitment towards India". Putin, on his first visit to close partner India since the Ukraine war, was given a red-carpet welcome with an honour guard and 21-gun salute. "Russia is a reliable supplier of oil, gas, coal, and everything that is required for the development of India's energy," Putin told Modi…...

1+ hour, 5+ min ago (925+ words) Trade, energy, defense and labor mobility are expected to dominate the talks, with each side looking for practical gains. India rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi making a rare personal appearance at New Delhi airport " a diplomatic gesture India reserves for only its closest partners. A troupe of women in traditional dress performing classical Indian dance added a symbolic flourish to Putin's first visit to India in four years, and his first since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite an active arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Putin can travel to India, which " like several major countries " is not a signatory to the Rome Statute that underpins the ICC. After an exchange of firm handshakes and warm embraces, Modi and Putin shared a car…...

1+ hour, 20+ min ago (299+ words) The 2026 State Budget does not provide for an increase in the financial support of military personnel, but new contracts with improved financial conditions will be introduced, said Minister of Defense of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal. No general pay hike for military in 2026 budget, but new contracts offer improved terms " Shmyhal The 2026 State Budget does not provide for an increase in the financial support of military personnel, but new contracts with improved financial conditions will be introduced, said Minister of Defense of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal. "The draft budget does not allow for an increase in financial support in 2026. However, we are introducing a new contract form that will offer improved conditions for all servicemen. Those in service will be able to sign these new contracts and receive more funds," Shmyhal said during the "question hour" for the government in the Verkhovna Rada…...

1+ hour, 54+ min ago (225+ words) The United States has appealed to European countries not to approve the allocation of a "reparation loan" to Ukraine at the expense of frozen Russian assets, Washington believes that these funds should be a lever for reaching a peace agreement, and not a tool for continuing the war, Bloomberg reports, citing European diplomats familiar with the situation. "The US lobbied several countries in the European Union in an effort to block EU plans to use frozen Russian central bank assets to back a massive loan to Ukraine," Bloomberg reported on Friday. US officials argued to member states that the assets are needed to help "secure a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow and should not be used to prolong the war," said the diplomats, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The US State Department press service did not respond…...

1+ hour, 58+ min ago (104+ words) According to the entrepreneur founder, Ukrainian agriculture has been working in the logic of European requirements for many years. "We have been working in the logic of European standards for a long time - this is our daily way of doing business," he noted. Tarasov emphasized that the greatest potential for Ukraine is in processing, digitalization and bioenergy. "The world is moving towards a cyclical economy, and Ukraine can become a leader in this process," he added. The company is also launching a school for veterans of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which will provide military personnel with practical knowledge to start their own businesses....

2+ hour, 19+ min ago (350+ words) Ukrainian drones struck the Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region " one of the largest in the Rosneft network " early Friday, sparking a large fire, local residents and monitoring channels reported. The Syzran plant has been repeatedly targeted as part of Ukraine's campaign against Russia's oil industry, which funds and fuels Moscow's war machine. Ukraine often employs domestically built long-range drones in these attacks. Ukrainian officials have described such strikes as Kyiv's "long-range sanctions." The attack, which began around 2 a.m., was accompanied by multiple explosions and the sounds of air defenses in the southern and western parts of the city. Video from the scene shows flames lighting up the night sky. Syzran Mayor Sergei Volodchenkov confirmed the strike but gave no further details. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it intercepted nine Ukrainian drones over Samara. Regional authorities have not commented. The Syzran…...