Heavy fighting continued in Donetsk as Russian forces pressed their relentless attacks on eastern Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a daring visit to Bakhmut, one of the two frontline cities that together with Avdiyivka have been the focus of Moscow's months-long offensive.
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"This is our Luhansk region, this is our south of Ukraine, this is our Crimea," he said in his evening video message. "Ukraine will not leave anything of its own to the enemy."
Fierce fighting has been going on in Bakhmut for the past few months. Zelenskiy, who met with Ukrainian military personnel defending the city and presented troops with awards, said he went to Bakhmut to thank and support the Ukrainian military.
On the way to the front line, Zelenskiy said he passed through Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Kostyantynivka -- and cities and villages near them that are "now literally fighting for their lives."
As Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine entered its 300th day, the General Staff of the Ukrainian military said earlier on December 20 that Russian troops continued to meet stiff resistance in the Bakhmut and Avdiyivka directions, while failing to reestablish their positions in Lyman, another flashpoint city in Donetsk.
Meanwhile, deadly Russian bombardment again hit the recently liberated Ukrainian city of Kherson, a regional official said.
Almost 10 months into the war, Russia’s invasion has been bogged down, with troops having been forced to make three major retreats.
The Ukrainian military said its air force carried out 22 strikes on Russian positions, while its air-defense systems downed two enemy helicopters. The claims could not be independently verified.
In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian shelling overnight caused destruction in Nikopol, the head of the regional administration, Valentyn Reznichenko, said on Telegram.
"Two villages, Myryivska and Pokrovska, were targeted three times with heavy artillery fire. At least 20 shells were fired at peaceful villages. People survived," Reznichenko said.
He added that a dozen private houses and commercial buildings, gas pipelines, and power lines were damaged.
In the southern city of Kherson, two people were killed and three were wounded as a result of Russian shelling, the head of the regional military administration, Yaroslav Yanushevych, said on December 20.
Kherson came back under Ukrainian control on November 11, but Russian forces that had fled the city have kept pounding it from across the Dnieper River.
The latest shelling came a day after Ukrainian authorities said Russia targeted power infrastructure and other civilian objectives with yet another swarm of kamikaze drones in Kyiv and its surrounding districts as part of an apparent strategy to try to freeze Ukrainians and demoralize the population.
Oleskiy Kuleba, the governor of the wider Kyiv region surrounding the capital, said on December 20 that 80 percent of the region remains without electricity.
"After the recent drone attacks and rocket attacks, the restoration of the power supply is under way. The complexity and duration of repair work increases with each enemy shelling. As a result of large-scale damage to the energy infrastructure, [state power grid operator] Ukrenerho resorts to emergency shutdowns of electricity," Kuleba said.
Ukrenerho has said the situation with the grid nationwide was "difficult" and that the Dnipropetrovsk area and eastern and central regions were the worst affected.
In Washington, a U.S. government funding bill included $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine and NATO allies. The money is to be used for military training, equipment, logistics, and intelligence support, as well as for replenishing U.S. equipment sent to Ukraine. Lawmakers are racing to pass the measure before a midnight on December 23.
In addition, the World Bank said on December 20 that it had approved a financing package totaling $610 million to address urgent relief and recovery needs in Ukraine.