Russian ships are preparing to transport military equipment from a base in Syria to Libya after the fall of Bashar Assad, per Ukrainian intelligence.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha held a phone conversation with Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Among other topics, they discussed security in the Black Sea, according to Sybiha's post on X.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday he was preparing to re-establish diplomatic ties with Syria, less than a month after the overthrow of the Russia-backed government in Damascus.

Russia’s abandonment of the Assad regime to marshal more resources for the fight against Ukraine vividly illustrates that Putin is ready to sacrifice everything for total victory in the war. Although Putin tries to portray himself as a realist, he has become consumed with Ukraine, to the exclusion of almost all other foreign policy imperatives.

Israeli forces detained more than 240 Palestinians including dozens of medical staff from a north Gaza hospital they raided on Friday, including its director, according to the Health Ministry in the enclave and Israel's military.

According to the agency, Russian large landing ships Ivan Gren and Aleksandr Otrakovsky, as well as the dry cargo ship Sparta, are scheduled to arrive in the Syrian port on Jan. 5. Two more Russian vessels — the universal cargo vessel Sparta II and the tanker Ivan Skoblev — are expected to arrive on Jan.

Ukraine is pledging support for the new authorities in Syria, which was once a key Russian ally in the Mideast.

Ukraine will renew diplomatic ties with Syria as part of an international effort to help stabilize the country following the collapse last month of the Russian-backed regime of former Syrian President Bashar Assad.

As Russia clings to its only bases in the Mediterranean — they’re on the coast of Syria — Ukraine is moving aggressively to displace Moscow as Syria’s main source of imported grain. Soon to follow are university educations, military drone technologies, and aid on investigating war crimes.

Russian gas is no longer flowing to EU states through Ukraine following the expiration of a five-year deal, closing an energy route that has existed since the end of the Soviet Union in 1991. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the move means Russia can no longer “earn billions on our blood”.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with Syria's de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, during a high-profile visit to Damascus.