Victory Chronicles-DAY 1391

U.S. negotiators urged Ukraine to relinquish the remaining parts of the Donbas region under Kyiv’s control during talks in Berlin on Dec. 14, raising the prospect of territorial concessions as the price of moving peace discussions forward, The state-run Agence France-Presse reported, citing a source familiar with the meeting.

The discussions involved U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner,. Witkoff later said the talks had made “a lot of progress.” 

Behind the diplomatic language, however, a senior official told AFP that the U.S. side pressed Ukraine to withdraw from parts of the eastmost Donetsk and Luhansk regions as a precondition for further negotiations with Russia.

For Ukraine, the issue goes far beyond lines on a map. Kyiv has firmly rejected any proposal that involves surrendering territory, arguing that such demands would legitimize Russia’s invasion and abandon millions of Ukrainians who continue to live under the threat of occupation, repression, and forced displacement.

Ukrainian officials insist that any ceasefire or peace process must begin without territorial concessions, warning that trading land for temporary quiet would only invite renewed aggression in the future.

According to the source, the U.S. position outlined in Berlin closely echoes Moscow’s long-standing demands. Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has repeatedly framed control of the Donbas as central to the Kremlin’s war aims — a goal Ukraine says comes at the cost of its sovereignty, security, and the lives of its people.

Up to 200 Russian troops remain encircled in Kupiansk, Ukrainian forces say. Between 100 and 200 Russian troops remain surrounded inside the Kharkiv regional city of who are cut off from ground support and increasingly isolated, according to Ukraine’s Joint Forces Command.

Lt. Col. Viktor Trehubov, head of communications for the Joint Forces, said Ukrainian intelligence based the estimate on intercepted radio traffic. About 40 active call signs were detected, he said, and Russian units typically share one radio among three or four soldiers. That places the number of trapped troops closer to 100 than 200.

Trehubov said Russian commanders currently have no practical way to provide support the encircled unit. All land routes into the city are blocked, leaving drones as the only means of resupply. Those aerial drops are limited in weight and range and often expose Russian positions, as Ukrainian forces can track where supplies land and who moves to retrieves them.

Kupiansk is  a key rail and logistics hub in northeastern Ukraine and has seen heavy fighting in recent weeks. 

Russian strikes hit Zaporizhzhia, 14 civilians wounded including child and first responders

Russian forces struck the southern city of Zaporizhzhia on Dec. 14, leaving 14 civilians injured, including a child, an emergency worker and a police officer, Ukrainian authorities said..

According to the State Emergency Service and the Zaporizhzhia regional administration, the attack unfolded at  around 11 a.m. and hit several parts of the city. In one neighborhood , the blast damages the facade of a grocery store. 

In another, automobiles caught fire as nearby residential buildings were damaged, shattering windows and scattering debris across streets.

Rescue crews and police responding to the initial strike came under what is known as “double tap” strike. An emergency worker and a police officer wereinjured while assisting civilians and assessing damage. Regional officials say all 14 injured people soughtmedical help. Doctors describe their conditions as varying in severity, with no immediate reports of fatalities.

Khartiia Corps releases combat footage from Kupiansk, rebutting Russian claims of capture. Ukraine’s 2nd Khartiia Corps has released video footage that documented combat operations in the Kharkive regional town of Kupiansk that directly is contradicting Russian assertions that the eastern Ukrainian city had fallen under Kremlin control.

The footage, published by the National Guard unit, shows Ukrainian troops maneuvering through the heavily damaged urban landscape, coordinating assaults and clearing positions amid sustained fighting. Filmed at close range, the video captures soldiers advancing through ruined streets and reacting with dry, understated humor to Moscow’s claims that Kupiansk had been “taken.”

Beyond its tactical imagery, the release serves as an information counterstrike, underscoring the persistent gap between Russian battlefield messaging and realities on the ground. The Khartiia Corps’ footage suggests that Ukrainian forces not only remain active in the city, but are conducting organized operations aimed at regaining and stabilizing key positions.

Key Takeaways

1. The Kremlin is setting conditions to reject the Ukrainian and European peace plan drafts after it previously rejected key points of the US-proposed 28-point peace plan that overwhelmingly benefitted Russia.
2. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US negotiators in Berlin, Germany on December 14 to continue negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
3. Russian forces will likely continue to struggle to maintain the Kremlin’s desired multi-pronged offensive operations in different operational directions due to the long-term materiel and manpower costs of such operations.
4. Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign continues to degrade Russia’s oil refining and military capabilities in Russia and occupied Ukraine.
5. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Kostyantynivka direction. Russian forces recently advanced in the Hulyaipole direction.

• Zelenskyy is trusted by over 60 percent of Ukrainians
• Germany’s Merz says Putin seeks to restore USSR and will not stop at Ukraine
• Axios: US ready to offer Ukraine security guarantees based on NATO Article 5
• Republican congressman says forcing Ukraine to give up territory is a Chamberlain move, not a Reagan one
• Ukraine’s special forces strike Russian fuel train and oil depot in occupied Crimea
• Survey: 75 percent of Ukrainians oppose “peace plan” that would include troop withdrawal from Donbas
• EU expands sanctions against Russia’s shadow fleet