Russia said on Friday that its forces had carried out multiple cluster strikes against Ukraine, while the Ukrainian side reported on the same day of repelling Russian attacks.
Russian Ministry of Defense said in its daily briefing that over the past week, the Russian military used high-precision weapons, including the hypersonic "Kinzhal" missiles, to carry out a large-scale strike along with six cluster strikes. The targets included Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises, energy facilities, ports, and critical infrastructure, as well as temporary deployment areas for Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on the same day of 193 battles in the past 24 hours. The Ukrainian forces struck multiple personnel gathering areas and command posts of the Russian military, and repelled Russian offensives across various fronts. Significant equipment losses for the Russian military included tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and drones.
Meanwhile, sources from the Security Service of Ukraine revealed that their drones successfully struck a Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean for the first time, resulting in severe damage to the tanker.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual year-end press conference on Friday that Russia considers a temporary pause on strikes on Ukraine during Ukraine's elections.
Putin emphasized that without fair elections, the Ukrainian regime would lack legitimacy.
Under the Ukrainian law, elections cannot be held while martial law is in effect. The presidential election in Ukraine was originally scheduled for March 2024.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the same day that the European Union has decided to provide Ukraine with a 90 billion euros interest-free loan, marking a significant "victory" for Ukraine. He stated that without this funding, Ukraine's situation would be extremely challenging.
Russia claims multiple cluster strikes against Ukraine, Ukraine reports repelling Russian offensives
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged a "truly durable" ceasefire with unimpeded humanitarian aid access for Gaza, while warning that the overall humanitarian situation in the war-torn enclave remains fragile despite some improvements.
Guterres said at a press encounter that clean water is reaching more communities, some health facilities have reopened, and in the wake of the winter storms, the international community acted immediately to provide support.
However, Guterres warned that about 1.6 million people in the Gaza Strip, or more than 75 percent of the population, would face extreme levels of acute food insecurity and critical malnutrition risks.
Since October, the UN has done everything possible to keep lifelines open, but needs are growing faster than aid can get in, he said.
"We need a truly durable ceasefire, and we need more crossings, the lifting of restrictions on critical items, the removal of red tape, safe routes inside Gaza, sustained funding, and unimpeded access, including for NGOs," said Guterres.
Meanwhile, Guterres warned that the situation in the West Bank is also rapidly deteriorating, with Palestinians facing multiple threats including escalating violence by settlers, land confiscation, forced demolition of homes, and increasingly stringent restrictions on movement. In the north, tens of thousands of people have already been displaced due to Israeli military operations.
Guterres stressed that the international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, must be upheld across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
Guterres also said the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion of Oct. 22, 2025 clearly stated that Israel is under the obligation to allow and facilitate humanitarian aid, to cooperate with the United Nations in carrying out its mandates, and to respect the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its personnel, including in times of armed conflict.
UN chief urges "truly durable" ceasefire with unimpeded humanitarian access for Gaza
