Western equipment has slotted in to Ukraine's embattled, Soviet-era military throughout the war, including long-range missiles and advanced fighter jets.

Russia attacked Ukraine's energy system and some cities in an "inhuman" Christmas Day assault, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Russian troops appeared to have made inroads into Ukranian territory on Christmas Eve, as well as striking the city of Kharkiv.

Pope Francis has called for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the war triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In his traditional Christmas Day address, the Pope said "boldness [was] needed to open the door" to dialogue "in order to achieve a just and lasting peace" between the two sides.

Zelensky warns of greater military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, including sending more troops and military equipment

Back then, in the first weeks of the war, Russia and Ukraine conducted several rounds of talks in person and online aimed at ending the conflict; although a framework for peace called the Istanbul Communiqué was drawn up,

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.

Some businesses have begun using crypto, including bitcoin, to make international payments, Russia's finance minister said.

The Ukrainian intelligence services planned to detonate the explosive device remotely from the territory of Ukraine, the press office said

A European official declared that “the engagement shown on election day” should be considered evidence “of a system that is still growing and evolving, with a democratic vitality under construction.” Overall,