**Key Developments on Dec. 30**
Ukraine and Russia have exchanged prisoners, releasing 189 Ukrainian citizens from Russian captivity. The freed captives included soldiers who defended key locations like Azovstal and Mariupol.
**Prisoner Exchange Details**
Eighty-seven Ukrainian Armed Forces service members, 43 National Guard members, 33 border guards, 24 sailors, and two civilians were among those released. In return, 150 Russian military service members were freed from Ukrainian captivity.
Some of the freed captives had been held by Russia for over two and a half years and suffered chronic diseases and injuries.
**Security Assistance Package**
US President Biden has announced a $2.5 billion security assistance package for Ukraine. The package includes:
* A $1.25 billion “drawdown package” of military equipment
* $1.22 billion under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI)
The resources will provide immediate and long-term military support, including air defense systems, artillery, and other critical weaponry.
**Russian Military Casualties**
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi claims that Russian forces have suffered around 427,000 casualties in 2024. The losses were mainly due to battles in Donetsk Oblast.
Syrskyi said that Russian forces are losing around 1,700 people killed or wounded every day.
**Kyiv Under Attack**
Russia launched over 1,300 drone strikes and 250 missiles at Kyiv in 2024. Nearly 550 residential buildings were damaged, leaving around 120 people homeless.
Energy infrastructure was also heavily targeted, forcing Kyiv residents to endure approximately 100 days of power outages.