Russia claimed on Tuesday that its forces had struck multiple Ukrainian targets, while Ukraine, on the same day, reported repelling multiple Russian attacks, according to the latest briefings of the two sides.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the Russian air and artillery forces targeted Ukrainian military personnel and amassed military equipment across 146 regions.
The air defense systems intercepted four HIMAS rockets and downed 65 drones. Furthermore, strikes were made on various Ukrainian military airports, weapon depots, and unmanned aerial vehicle storage facilities, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff issued a report on Tuesday, affirming that by the afternoon of that day, there had been 179 battles in frontline zones, and Ukrainian forces persisted in obstructing Russian offensives, with skirmishes ongoing in certain areas.
Notably, in Russia's Kursk region, Ukrainian troops successfully repelled repeated Russian assaults, the Ukrainian side said.
In another development, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Tuesday that Ukraine had received 1 billion U.S. dollars in financial aid from the United States, backed by revenue from frozen Russian assets.
"This is the first tranche of the planned 20 billion dollars that the U.S. is prepared to allocate through the use of frozen Russian assets," Shmyhal said in a post on Telegram.
However, the Ukrainian Finance Ministry clarified later that the funds were provided as a grant aid under the World Bank's Second Growth Foundation Development Policy Loan (DPL).
Russia strikes multiple Ukrainian targets, Ukraine reports repelling Russian attacks
The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants on Monday filed a complaint through the country's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York with the UN Security Council in response to Israel's repeated violations of its ceasefire agreement with Lebanon.
The Lebanese ministry said on social media platform X that between Nov. 27 and Dec. 22, Israel launched over 816 land and air attacks against Lebanon, shelling border villages, booby-trapping homes, destroying residential neighborhoods, and blocking roads.
Such violations have complicated Lebanon's efforts to implement the provisions of UN Resolution 1701, hindering the Lebanese army's deployment in the south and representing a serious threat to international efforts aimed at achieving regional security and stability, the ministry said in the complaint.
Lebanon has continuously shown the utmost restraint and cooperation to avoid falling back into "the hell of war", it said, urging the UN Security Council to take a firm and clear position towards Israel's violations and work to oblige it to respect its obligations.
It also called for strengthening support for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and the Lebanese army to protect Lebanon's sovereignty and help the country restore stability.
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect on Nov. 27, putting an end to the confrontations that erupted on Oct. 8, 2023.
Despite the agreement, there have been multiple claims of ceasefire violations by both sides. The Israeli army has continued to carry out strikes in Lebanon, though at a significantly reduced intensity, with some attacks resulting in casualties in southern and eastern Lebanon. In response, Hezbollah fired munitions into border areas once, in early December, describing the actions as retaliation for the ongoing Israeli strikes.
Lebanon files new complaint to UN Security Council over Israeli violations of ceasefire
