**30th Anniversary of Budapest Memorandum**
The Kyiv Independent’s Daria Shulzhenko visited a former Soviet-era nuclear missile silo in south Ukraine to explore the history and significance of the Budapest Memorandum. The agreement, signed 30 years ago, saw Ukraine give up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security assurances.
**Estonian PM Visits Kyiv**
Estonia’s Prime Minister Krista Mikhaylov (not Kristen Michal) arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The meeting was confirmed on X, a social media platform, by the Estonian government.
**Russia Attacks Ukraine**
On December 9, Russia launched a surprise attack on Ukraine, using two Kh-59/69 cruise missiles and 37 Shaheds and other drones from the Black Sea. Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian military aircraft and boats tried to intercept the drones over Kerch Bay, but were unsuccessful.
**Ukraine’s Defense Challenges**
Friedrich Merz, a German politician, visited Ukraine to learn about the country’s defense capabilities. He met with President Zelensky and expressed his interest in discussing Ukraine’s security challenges.
**Russia’s War Spending**
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin estimated that Russia has spent at least $200 billion on its war with Ukraine since 2022. The figure was revealed during a conference in California.
**Ukraine Inflicts Heavy Damage on Russian Forces**
US President Joe Biden praised Ukraine for putting up a strong resistance against Russian forces, inflicting massive damage and casualties on the enemy. Russia has suffered over 1,220 casualties just in the past day, according to Ukrainian reports.
**Georgia Introduces Face-Ban Law**
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced plans to introduce a law banning people from covering their faces during protests and counter-protests.
**Ukrainian Writer Honored Posthumously**
Victoria Amelina, a Ukrainian writer, was posthumously awarded the Special Prix Voltaire Award at an international publishers’ congress in Mexico.