Russia-Ukraine War: List of Key Events, Day 1,401

These are the main developments of the 1,401st day of the Russian war against Ukraine.

Published on December 26, 2025

Here’s where things stand on Friday, December 26:

Struggle

Officials in Russia’s Krasnodar region have reported a massive fire following a Ukrainian drone strike on two storage tanks containing oil products at the southern Russian port of Temryuk. The fire spread over approximately 2,000 square meters (about 21,500 square feet).
Long-range Ukrainian drones targeted oil storage facilities at the Temryuk port, as well as a gas processing plant in Russia’s Orenburg region, Ukraine’s SBU security service said.
Ukraine’s General Staff said its army also struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region using Storm Shadow missiles, triggering several explosions.
The General Staff described the Russian refinery as a major supplier of petroleum products to southern Russia, which supports Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that its forces had taken control of the Sviato-Pokrovske settlement in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, according to Russian state news agencies.

Poland sent warplanes to intercept a Russian reconnaissance plane flying near its airspace over the Baltic Sea and said dozens of objects entered Polish airspace from Belarus overnight, warning that incidents over the holiday period could be a sign of provocation.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the United States of encouraging what it calls “piracy” in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean by imposing a blockade on Venezuela, while expressing hope that US President Donald Trump’s pragmatism could prevent further escalation.
Moscow also reiterated its support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government and its efforts to safeguard national sovereignty in the face of U.S. threats to remove Maduro from power.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke for about an hour with Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, about how to end the war with Russia and “bring real peace closer.”
“Of course, there is still work to be done on sensitive issues,” the Ukrainian leader said. “But with Team USA, we understand how to put this all together. The coming weeks could also be intense. Thank you, America!”

Russia believes that negotiations with the United States to end the war in Ukraine are progressing gradually, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. She described the talks as slow but progressing steadily.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin sent the US president Christmas greetings along with a congratulatory message.
Russia said it had submitted a proposal to France regarding Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher imprisoned under Russian foreign agent laws, adding that the next steps in the Frenchman’s case now fell to Paris.

Russia’s goal of producing 100 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year has been pushed back by several years due to international sanctions, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in remarks broadcast on national television.