Events in Ukraine on 3 December 2014.

Briefly about the most important today's events in our digest of events

that have happened in Ukraine toda

ATO press-centre: 8000 insurgents killed in Donbas

According to the calculations of the ATO press-centre, total losses among rebels who are terrorizing the local population have been assessed at 8 thousand since the beginning of the antiterrorist operation, the ATO press-centre posted on its Facebook wall.

2 servicemen died in Donbas

2 soldiers were killed in the past 24 hours in the ATO area, a spokesman for the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), Andriy Lysenko, said at a briefing. According to him, five others were wounded.

The most difficult situation remains in the Donetsk direction, where terrorists have made yet another attempt to storm the airport.

However, the facility remains under the control of ATO forces.

"Ukrainian military have successfully repelled all rebel attacks; the enemy has suffered significant losses and has been forced to withdraw troops to recover their fighting capacity", Lysenko said.

Rebels assaulted positions of ATO forces seven times near the settlement of Tonenke using Grad volley fire systems and mortars, and our checkpoints near the settlements of Pisky and Opytne were attacked four times.

Positions of the Ukrainian Army near the settlements of Avdiyivka and Slavne were repeatedly shelled by insurgents with artillery. A checkpoint near the settlement of Berezove was fired upon with artillery and tanks.

Tymchuk: A column of armoured personnel carriers and tanks passes through Lugansk

A column of military hardware including 6 tanks has gone through Lugansk, the head of the Political and Military research Centre, Dmytro Tymchuk, writes in his   Facebook "A column of military hardware went through Lugansk on Tuesday (up to 20 vehicles). There were 6 tanks among them including Russian T-72B3", he reports. Transport vehicle movements were observed in Makiyivka (mainly tented KAMAZ-made trucks) - at least 25 vehicles loaded with artillery ammunition heading for north districts of Donetsk. According to the Information Resistance Group, current "humanitarian convoys" sent over by the Russian Federation are tasked to refresh the stock of ammunition used up in recent shell strikes.

Donetsk airport: Agreement on evacuation of casualties; a Russian officer found dead

Rebel subdivisions, which participated in attacks on the Donetsk airport, have been withdrawn for recovering their fighting efficiency, the head of the Information Resistance Group, Dmytro Tymchuk, posted on his  Facebook Wall on the morning of December 3.

"An agreement on the evacuation of casualties on both sides was reached during negotiations with terrorists and Russian military. However, shelling is still going on to the north of this area," he reports.

According to the IR group, "the body of an acting chief of staff of a Russian Armed Forces special unit has been identified among terrorists killed in fighting for the Donetsk airport on December 1".

Fighting for the airport in Donetsk has been going on for month now with significant losses on both sides.

39 rebel strikes within 24 hours; the situation near the Donetsk airport was calm overnight

Rebels opened fire 39 times in the past 24 hours; no shell strikes were detected near the Donetsk airport; there is information on 5 casualties among civilians in Donbas, the ATO press centre reported on the morning of December 3.

Minister: Ukraine to buy electricity in Russia

Energy and Coal Industry Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Demchyshyn said that the launch of energy imports from Russia was a necessary step to be made.

"I know that we're holding talks on imports of electricity. I can say for sure that at least this is a required step, despite its political difficulty," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday.

He did not manage to specify the exact terms of starting imports of Russian electricity, adding that it could start in coming days.

Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma believes Ukraine should be realistic about its capabilities and should come closer to meeting the standards of the EU and NATO before launching talks about membership in these structures.

"We can head anywhere. We have indeed taken the course in the direction to the EU and NATO, but we should be aware of our capabilities, about the fact that they currently don't see us in the EU and in NATO," Kuchma told reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday.

"How can a country that is involved in a war be admitted to NATO or the EU? We need to come at least close to meeting the standards on which the EU and NATO insist," Kuchma said.