Ukraine has reported a significant battlefield development, with its armed forces reclaiming control over nearly 90% of the strategically important city of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced the advance during a meeting with international allies, crediting targeted ‘search-and-strike’ operations and the resilience of his troops. Kupiansk, close to the Russian border, has long been a critical logistical hub and a focal point of intense fighting. Analysts say the Ukrainian gains could ease pressure on nearby frontline areas and disrupt Russian supply routes, though the wider conflict remains volatile, especially as winter conditions worsen. The update shows the fluid and contested nature of the war and the ongoing human and strategic costs of the conflict. Ukraine has also claimed to have destroyed a Russian submarine in the Black Sea: see Meanwhile, in a crucial summit on 18 December, at the time of writing European leaders are deadlocked on the thorny issue of whether to use frozen Russian funds to help Ukraine. See