Russian forces conducted a series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of December 3 to 4.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles from Rostov Oblast and occupied Crimea and 138 Shahed-type, Gerbera-type, and other drones – of which roughly 85 were Shahed-type drones — from the directions of Oryol, Bryansk, and Kursk cities; Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai; and occupied Cape Chauda, Crimea.[103] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 114 drones and that 24 drones and the two Iskander-M ballistic missiles struck 14 locations. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces struck energy, residential, and civilian infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Odesa oblasts.[104]
The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy reported on December 4 that Russian strikes against energy infrastructure left more than 60,000 consumers in Donetsk Oblast, 51,000 consumers in Odesa Oblast, and 1,600 consumers in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast without power.[105]
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Overnight, Russia fired two Iskander‑M ballistic missiles and launched 138 attack drones (about 85 Shaheds) at Ukraine. Air defenses, plus EW units and drone‑hunting teams, intercepted 114 drones. Ballistic hits plus 24 drones struck 14 locations.
Ukrainian forces likely continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian energy and defense industrial infrastructure on the night of December 3 to 4. Geolocated footage published on December 4 that shows fires near the Nevinnomyssk Azot Chemical Plant in Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Krai.[25] Local news agency 1777 reported that local residents observed at least eight drones flying near the plant and Stavropol Krai Governor Vladimir Vladimirov claimed that Russian forces downed an unspecified number of drones over Nevinnomyssk.[26] Unspecified sources confirmed to Russian opposition outlet Astra on December 4 that Ukrainian forces also conducted a drone strike against the Lukoil Bobrovskaya oil depot in Khrenovoye, Voronezh Oblast on the night of December 2 to 3, damaging two fuel tanks.[27] Voronezh Oblast Governor Alexander Gusev claimed on December 3 that downed drone debris caused minor damage to several fuel tanks in Voronezh Oblast.[28] Footage published on November 29 and geolocated on December 3 shows a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 conducting an Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) Hammer strike against a Russian troop concentration point southwest of Kirillovka (northwest of Sumy City).[29]
understandingwar.org/…
Amid this pageantry of proposal and negotiation, Trump remains committed to chasing a fantasy. The U.S. president is seemingly unwilling to accept that his Russian counterpart does not want to end the war without securing Ukraine’s complete surrender. Trump continues to believe that, if only provided with sufficient inducements or threatened with new sanctions, Putin will trade his long-term goals for a reasonable settlement that will preserve a truncated but basically independent Ukraine, one able to defend itself against further Russian encroachment.
www.foreignaffairs.com/...
- Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his commitment to his original war aims from 2021 and 2022 and unwillingness to compromise during an interview with Indian media – likely as part of the Kremlin’s efforts to shape the international information space during the ongoing negotiations process.
- Other Kremlin officials continued to publicly display their commitment to Putin’s original war aims.
- The Kremlin is setting conditions to frame any future agreement to not attack and seize Odesa and Mykolaiv cities as an alleged Russian “concession” in peace negotiations, even though Russia is currently incapable of seizing these cities.
- ISW has not observed evidence to suggest that Russian forces have encircled Myrnohrad (east of Pokrovsk) as some Ukrainian sources continue to indicate that Ukrainian forces maintain limited ground lines of communication (GLOCs) into Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.
- Russia appears to have launched a new cognitive warfare campaign aimed at spreading narratives about Russian preparations for an offensive on Chernihiv City against the backdrop of the ongoing peace negotiations.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Oleksandrivka and Hulyaipole. Russian forces recently advanced near Velykyi Burluk, Kupyansk, Lyman, Siversk, Novopavlivka in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.
https://t.co/yFD6YAdcP4
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Operational information as of 22:00 on December 4, 2025, regarding the Russian invasion
Since the beginning of this day, there have been 154 combat clashes.
Today, the occupiers carried out 38 air strikes and dropped 119 guided bombs. In addition, the Russians used 3,207 kamikaze drones and carried out 3,875 shelling attacks on the positions of our troops and populated areas.
- In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, the enemy carried out one air strike, dropped two guided bombs, and carried out 98 shellings, including one from multiple launch rocket systems.
- In the South Slobozhanskyi direction, our troops stopped four enemy attacks in the areas of Izbitske, Prylipka, and Synelnykove.
- In the Kupiansk and Kramatorsk directions, the enemy has not conducted any offensive operations since the beginning of the day.
- In the Lyman direction, Russian invaders attacked Ukrainian positions near the settlements of Hrekivka, Drobysheve, Zarichne, and Oleksandrivka nine times during the day. One combat engagement is ongoing.
- In the Sloviansk direction, the Defense Forces repelled 11 enemy attacks near Yampil, Dronivka, Serebryanka, and Siversk. Another combat engagement is currently ongoing.
- In the Kostyantynivka direction, the Russians attacked the positions of the Defense Forces 15 times. The occupiers concentrated their main offensive efforts in the areas of Shcherbinivka, Pleshchiivka, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Kostyantynivka, Mykolaipillia, Torske, and in the direction of Berestok and Sofiivka.
- In the Pokrovsk direction, invading units attempted to break through our defenses 51 times in the areas of Shakhovoye, Novoye Shakhovoye, Chervonyi Lyman, Mirnograd, Vilne, Novoeekonomichne, Rodynske, Novopavlivka, Pokrovsk, Svitly, Kotlin, Udachne, Molodetsk, and Dachne. In four locations, combat clashes continue to this day.
Today, Ukrainian soldiers neutralized 127 occupiers in this direction, 83 of them irrevocably. Also destroyed were 13 unmanned aerial vehicles, one mortar, two vehicles, and 11 units of special enemy equipment. In addition, Ukrainian soldiers hit two vehicles and one enemy artillery system.
- In the Oleksandrivka direction, the enemy attacked 19 times in the areas of Zelenyi Hai, Yalta, Oleksandrohrad, Sosnivka, Stepove, Verbove, Pryvilne, Vyshneve, Pavlivka, Krasnohirsk, and Rybne. Our defenders successfully repelled all enemy attacks.
- In the Huliaipole direction, the Defense Forces repelled 12 Russian attacks near Zatyshshia, Huliaipole, and in the direction of Pryluky. The enemy carried out air strikes on the areas of Staroukrainka, Ternuvate, and Huliaipole.
- The Defense Forces successfully stopped an enemy attempt to break through our positions in the Orikhiv direction in the Primorsky area. The settlements of Stepnogorsk, Hryhorivka, and Veselyanka were hit by enemy guided bombs.
- In the Dnipro direction, the enemy made a futile attempt to advance towards the Antonivsky Bridge.
- In other areas, the situation has not changed significantly.
Today, we would like to commend the soldiers of the 426th Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion, who are steadfastly holding back the enemy
