Here is the situation on Sunday, December 8:

Fighting:

Ukraine’s air force said its air defence units shot down 28 of 74 drones launched by Russia overnight targeting Ukraine. In a statement on Telegram, it also said 46 of the Russian drones were “lost”, likely neutralised by electronic warfare.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Telegram that its air defence destroyed 46 Ukrainian drones overnight over five Russian regions.
The ministry also said its forces had taken Berestky, a small village close to the embattled town of Kurakhove in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

Weapons:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a second batch of F-16 jets had arrived in Ukraine from Denmark. He praised Denmark for setting an “example of leadership” in defending lives.

Politics and diplomacy:

United States President-elect Donald Trump said Zelenskyy was keen for a deal to end the war with Russia after the pair met in Paris in a meeting hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that there should be an immediate ceasefire to be followed by negotiations.

Zelenskyy said he had “a good and productive” meeting with Trump and  Macron in Paris, and added, “We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace.”

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that the Biden administration will provide $988m in additional military aid to Ukraine. The package is separate from the $725m in military assistance announced on December 2.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the Funke group of newspapers that he is confident he would be able to agree with Trump on a joint strategy for Ukraine after speaking to him on the phone.
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