**Ukrainian Forces Repel Russian Attack on Kherson**
On December 20, Ukrainian soldiers prevented a group of Russian saboteurs from advancing towards the city of Kherson. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported that Russian forces were trying to cross the Dnipro River but were stopped.
This attack comes amid fears of a large-scale Russian advance in Kherson Oblast. Earlier this month, Russian troops launched assaults on islands in the southern region.
**Russian Aerial Attack on Kherson**
On the same night, Russian forces carried out a massive aerial attack on Kherson and its surroundings, targeting residential areas and critical infrastructure. One person was killed, and at least nine others were injured.
Kherson and nearby settlements have been under constant Russian strikes since Ukraine liberated the area in November 2022.
**Russian Troops Fail to Break Through Defense Lines**
Over the past few days, Russian troops have intensified ground attacks on several areas along the front line. However, they failed to break through Ukrainian defense lines, according to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
**Other Developments**
* A Moscow court ruled that a suspect in the killing of General Igor Kirillov should be held in pre-trial detention for two months.
* Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces reported killing 12 North Korean soldiers and injuring 20 others in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
* President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats to use a new missile against Kyiv.
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