Russia’s Massive Strike on Ukraine’s Energy Grid; N.Korea Welcomes Soldiers Fighting for Russia – 12/13/2025, 4:24:23 PM

Here are some of the main world news developments as reported today:

• Russia–Ukraine war:
  • Russia launched a “massive attack” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with President Zelenskyy saying more than 450 drones and 30 missiles were used against power facilities.[1]
  • A separate Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Saratov region killed at least 2 people and damaged a residential building, even as diplomatic efforts toward peace continue.[1]
  • A senior Kremlin official said Russian police and National Guard units will remain in occupied Donbas even after any peace settlement, signaling Moscow’s intention to retain a long-term security presence.[1]
• Thai–Cambodian border fighting:
  • Heavy fighting continues along the Thailand–Cambodia border despite former U.S. President Donald Trump’s public claim that a ceasefire had been agreed.[1]
  • The clashes have forced mass evacuations of Thai border villages, with hundreds of thousands fleeing while some villagers stay behind to guard empty homes.[1]
• North Korea–Russia ties:
  • North Korean leader Kim Jong Un publicly welcomed North Korean soldiers returning from fighting for Russia in Ukraine, underscoring Pyongyang’s direct military support for Moscow.[6]
• Iran domestic developments:
  • Iran has raised gasoline prices for the first time since the deadly protest wave of 2019, introducing a new tiered pricing system for subsidized fuel.[1]
  • Iranian authorities have arrested Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, a prominent human rights activist, according to her supporters.[1]
• Horn of Africa tensions:
  • Eritrea has withdrawn from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the regional East African bloc, as the UN voices concern about rising tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia.[1]
• Myanmar conflict:
  • Myanmar’s military government acknowledged an airstrike on a general hospital in Rakhine State, which local rescuers and media say killed over 30 people, including patients, staff, and children; the junta claims armed opposition groups were using the hospital as a base.[1]
• European politics and security:
  • In Bulgaria, the president will begin talks with parliamentary parties to form a new cabinet after the government collapsed during anti-corruption protests.[1]
  • A Danish intelligence agency report warns that the United States under Trump is increasingly using economic power and threats of military force, including toward some allies, reshaping Denmark’s risk assessments.[1]
• Holocaust remembrance:
  • The Auschwitz museum has opened a new permanent exhibition using prisoners’ personal objects to illustrate daily life in the concentration camp, aiming to deepen historical understanding for visitors.[1]