Russian attacks kill at least two civilians, injure dozens across Ukraine on December 15
Russian attacks killed at least two civilians and injured dozens across several Ukrainian regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kherson, and Donetsл Oblasts on 15 December 2025, according to Vladyslav Haivanenko, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, and Oleh Hryhorov, Head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration and the National Police. More than 10 people were injured in the Kherson and Donetsk regions.
Haivanenko reported that a 53-year-old man was killed in a Russian artillery strike on the Nikopol District in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
He also said Russian troops deployed artillery and first-person view (FPV) drones to attack the area throughout the day. The Russians struck the city of Nikopol as well as the Marhanets, Pokrovske, Myrove, and Chervonohryhorivka “hromadas,” a local government area that includes one or more nearby settlements.
Russian forces also damaged infrastructure facilities, three houses, a farm building, a garage, cars, and power lines.
Drones also attacked the settlements of Pavlohrad and Ternivka. A fire broke out, damaging infrastructure facilities. Drone strikes caused fires, destroyed a farm and a car, and damaged power lines in the Mykolaivka and Pokrovske hromadas in the Synelnykove District.
In addition, a Russian FPV drone hit a shop in the Hrushivka hromada in the Kryvyi Rih District.
Moreover, Russians killed a 68-year-old man in the Velyka Pysarivka hromada in the Sumy Oblast. A Russian drone struck him as he was riding a bicycle.
One fatality was also reported in the Kherson region, though this concerns a woman who had sustained injuries back on December 12. The 66-year-old resident of Zelenivka had been under medical supervision with severe injuries since then.
On December 14, a 66-year-old man was injured in Bilozerka after Russians struck him with artillery. Over the course of the day, the Russian army shelled the region many times, and in one instance, they dropped explosives on an ambulance in Kherson. No one was injured as a result of this latest attack, but the vehicle was damaged.
An ambulance in Kherson shelled by Russian military forcesThe highest number of casualties from Russian strikes was in the Donetsk Oblast:
- At least six people were injured due to a Russian airstrike on Oleksievo-Druzhkivka.
- Two people each were injured in Druzhkivka, Ocheretyne, and Kostiantynivka.
- One person each was injured in Lyman and the village of Mayaky.
Courtyard of a house in the Donetsk region hit by Russian military forces
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in her statement that the EU is preparing a new package of sanctions against Russia.
“Russia must feel sustained pressure to come to the negotiating table – not for show, but for results. To this end, Europe will continue to raise the cost of Russia’s war. We have a new sanctions package in preparation. And we have immobilised Russian assets in the EU over the long term,” she said.
Von der Leyen said that peace should be a reliable and credible security guarantee for Ukraine.
“These security guarantees must be underpinned by firm principles. We will respect the decisions Ukraine makes for itself. Decisions on territories are for Ukraine to take – and Ukraine alone. Likewise, issues affecting the EU and NATO will be discussed among the EU and NATO members. In short: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. Nothing about the EU without the EU. Nothing about NATO without NATO,” she stated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking to Ukrainian media, has said that a referendum is not currently on the agenda. However, if a ceasefire is achieved, the Ukrainian authorities will be ready to hold elections. The president stated that he is prepared for the elections. He reiterated that the issue had previously been raised by the United States. However, the key condition for holding elections in Ukraine is a ceasefire.
“Today I once again emphasized this to our partners. I am ready for the elections. However, for the people of Ukraine to be prepared for this, cooperation among lawmakers is necessary – and, above all, the most important thing is the ability to hold legitimate elections with a legitimate outcome. This requires a security infrastructure,” he said.
The President stressed that the issue of territory is being discussed, but Ukraine will not recognise the temporarily occupied part of Donbas as Russian.
“Neither de jure nor de facto will we recognise Donbas as Russian. The part that is temporarily occupied. However, we will discuss the territorial issue. You know it is one of the key issues. At present, we do not yet have a consensus,” he highlighted.
Zelenskyy believes that if Moscow refuses to agree to the terms for ending hostilities worked out following talks with the United States and Europe, it will be time for U.S. President Donald Trump to apply serious pressure on Russia.
In Berlin on December 15, he was asked what, in his view, would happen if Ukraine, the United States, and Europe finalized certain agreements as a result of negotiations, but the Kremlin rejected them.
“I think America would apply pressure through sanctions and provide us with more weapons if he rejects everything. I think this would be a fair request from us to the Americans. Because, in my view, the logic is this: if the Americans are ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine and to apply strong guarantees if Putin violates them, then tell me frankly how this is different from a situation where Putin simply does not want to end the war?” Zelenskyy said.
