980 political violence events
13% increase compared to last week
35 incidents of violence targeted at civilians
29% decrease compared to last week
At least 22 fatalities from civilian targeting
44% decrease compared to last week
Key trends
- In the Donetsk region, Russian forces occupied three settlements south of Pokrovsk and two others south of Kurakhove.
- Russian forces also seized two settlements in the Kharkiv region along the administrative boundary with the Luhansk region.
- ACLED records 14 Russian long-range missile and drone strikes, including in the western regions of Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi, and Ternopil. Ukrainian forces also intercepted strikes in at least 24 further instances, including – for the first time – in the westernmost Zakarpattia region.
- Russian shelling, missiles, and drones killed at least 22 civilians in the Zaporizhia, Donetsk, Kherson, and Sumy regions. Another civilian was killed during Russian shelling of Ukrainian positions near Kherson city.
Key events
- 10 Dec. | Zaporizhia – A Russian drone strikes an International Atomic Energy Agency vehicle
- 10 Dec. | Zaporizhia – A Russian missile strikes a medical facility, killing 11 civilians and injuring 22 others
- 13 Dec. | Lviv – Russian missiles damage core energy infrastructure in the Lviv region, triggering blackouts across the country
Spotlight: North Korean troops reportedly enter battlefield in Russia’s Kursk region as Russia regains territory
Russian forces continued offensive operations in several directions in the Kursk region after mostly stalling in November following successful counter-attacks in September and October that reduced Ukraine-held area by about 40%.1Olena Harmash, ‘Ukraine has lost over 40% of land it seized in Russia’s Kursk region, senior Kyiv military source says,’ Reuters, 24 November 2024 On the western edge of the Ukraine-held salient, Russian forces recaptured Darino and Novoivanovka on 11 and 12 December, respectively, but were repelled in the area of Novaya Sorochina further north. They also reclaimed Plekhovo on the southeastern flank of the salient close to the Ukrainian border. Ukrainian forces launched a cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in early August, seizing over 20 settlements, including the town of Sudzha, after meeting little resistance from Russian troops.
On 14 December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported first deployments of North Korean troops in combat roles, while Ukrainian military intelligence alleged losses among North Korean troops in Kursk region.2Abbey Fenbert, ‘North Korean troops joining Russian assaults in Kursk, Zelensky says,’ Kyiv Independent, 14 December 2024; Boldizsar Gyori, ‘30 North Korean soldiers killed, injured in Kursk Oblast assaults, Ukraine’s intelligence claims’, The Kyiv Independent, 16 December 2024 Ukrainian officials previously reported their first clashes with North Korean troops near the frontline in early November.3Martin Fornusek, ‘First North Korean troops come under fire in Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian official claims’, The Kyiv Independent, 4 November 2024 According to US and Ukrainian estimates, around 11,000 North Korean troops were transferred to Russia for training in October, of whom 8,000 were subsequently deployed to Kursk region.4Andrew Roth, ‘About 8,000 North Korean soldiers at Ukraine border, says US’, The Guardian, 31 October 2024 Pyongyang has been helping Moscow to replenish its stocks of shells and missiles since 2023 and concluded a mutual defense pact in June 2024.5Olena Goncharova, ‘North Korea ratifies defense treaty with Russia,’ Kyiv Independent, 12 November 2024
Explore the ACLED Conflict Exposure tool to assess the numbers of people affected by armed violence, disaggregated by locations, time period, and actors involved.
