On 17 December Lieutenant-general Igor Kirillov and his assistant were killed in Moscow by a  Ukrainian agent in a targeted assassination, intensifying a new front in the conflict. Kirillov, the head of Russia’s nuclear, chemical, and biological defence forces, died in an explosion outside his home caused by a remotely detonated bomb hidden in a scooter. The Ukrainian security service claimed that Kirillov was ‘a legitimate target’ due to his alleged war crimes, including the use of banned chemical weapons on Ukrainian troops. Since February 2022, Russia is said to have used chemical weapons over 4,800 times under his leadership. This marks a continuing trend of Ukraine’s covert operations to assassinate high-ranking Russian officials and disrupt their military efforts. While Ukrainian intelligence rarely takes credit for such actions, these killings are seen as a psychological tool to weaken Russia's morale and send a message about the cost of war crimes.

In a landmark case in Avignon, 72-year-old Dominique Pelicot and fifty co-defendants have been found guilty of mass rape against his wife Gisele over a decade. Dominique, who admitted to drugging and allowing strangers to abuse his wife while filming the assaults, was sentenced to twenty years in prison, with no parole until two-thirds of the sentence is served. Other defendants received sentences ranging from four to eighteen years. Gisele, who waived her anonymity, demanded the horrifying footage be shown in court, stating, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong. They are the ones who must be ashamed.’ Her courage has made her a feminist icon in France, inspiring other survivors to speak out. Supporters cheered as guilty verdicts were announced. The trial, which saw Gisele face her abusers in court, has shaken the nation. Her children stood by her during the proceedings, underscoring the profound impact of her resilience on justice and awareness.

The chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has lost a vote of no confidence in the German parliament, resulting in an early election which will take place on 23 February. Although he expected the loss, Scholz saw this as an opportunity to rejuvenate his party’s fortunes; after the collapse of his three-party coalition government in November, his minority administration has struggled to pass legislation. His Social Democratic Party (SDP) is lagging in the polls, while the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) seems poised to return to power. Following the vote, the president has 21 days to dissolve parliament. This early election campaign will focus on key issues such as the economy, immigration, and taxes. The rise of radical parties, like the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) which is currently polling at almost 20%, adds complexity to coalition-building efforts, as the mainstream parties struggle to form a stable government.

France has intensified relief efforts in Mayotte, with 120 tonnes of food scheduled for distribution. The Indian Ocean archipelago, France's poorest territory, has been under a curfew due to looting and lawlessness following Cyclone Chido’s destructive landfall. Thousands of residents in the capital Mamoudzou are working to repair their homes, while entire communities in the shantytowns have been destroyed. Although the cyclone, the most powerful in ninety years, has led to numerous deaths, with hundreds feared dead, only 22 fatalities have been confirmed due to the inaccessibility of many areas. The situation is further complicated by uncertainty around the population size, with many undocumented migrants from Comoros and Madagascar. Health experts say they are bracing for a surge of disease as dead bodies lie unrecovered and people struggle to access clean drinking water.