Russian hits Ukraine energy sites in 'most powerful blow" so far this year

Missiles overnight targeted power plants in Kyiv and other parts of the country, according to local authorities, despite President Trump’s request for a pause.

Attack in Kharkiv region was denounced as terrorism by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said it undermined ‘efforts to end the war’ A Russian drone strike on a passenger train in north-eastern Ukraine has killed five people, prosecutors said, an attack denounced as terrorism by president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Prosecutors said fragments of five bodies had been found at the scene of the strike on the train, which occurred on Tuesday near a village in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Continue reading...

The toll on older people and those with disabilities is especially severe as Moscow’s forces repeatedly attack the port city’s infrastructure.

The attack - which reportedly consisted of more than 70 missiles and 450 drones - comes after a so-called "energy truce" expired at the weekend.

Hundreds of drones and missiles struck Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight, leaving thousands of homes without heat.

Railway firm warns that routes in eastern Ukraine are becoming increasingly 'high risk', urges travellers to take buses.

Russian drone strike kills 12 mine workers in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, injuring seven others.

Seven others were reported injured in the strike on Sunday, according to preliminary information.

Russian attacks on Ukraine's electrical substations could cut power to nuclear plants, increasing risks of meltdown.

Ukraine and Russia confirm soldier body exchange, enabling families to bury loved ones as the conflict continues.

Russia received 38 soldiers' bodies in exchange as part of an agreement between the warring countries.

People pass by damaged cars near an apartment building after a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko) 2026-01-28T12:05:42Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A new report warns that the number of soldiers killed, injured or missing on both sides of Russia’s war on Ukraine could hit 2 million by the spring, with Russia suffering the largest number of troop deaths recorded for any major power in any conflict since World War II. Tuesday’s report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies came less than a month before the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people. Nine others were injured in attacks in the Ukrainian cities of Odesa and Kryvyi Rih and the front-line Zaporizhzhia region. The CSIS report said Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between February 2022 and December 2025. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); “Despite claims of battlefield momentum in Ukraine, the data shows that Russia is paying an extraordinary price for minimal gains and is in decline as a major power,” the report said. “No major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of casualties or fatalities in any war since World War II.” It estimated that Ukraine, with its smaller army and population, had suffered between 500,000 to 600,000 military casualties, including up to 140,000 deaths. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv gives timely data on military losses, and each side seeks to amplify the other side’s casualties. Commenting on the report, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that the research could not be considered “reliable information” and that only Russia’s Ministry of Defense was authorized to provide information on military losses. The ministry’s last statement on battlefield deaths was in September 2022, when it said that just under 6,000 Russian soldiers had been killed. It has not released any updated figures since then. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian government. In an interview with NBC in February 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that more than 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the war began. The report estimated that at current rates, combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties may be as high as 1.8 million and could reach 2 million by spring. The figures from the CSIS were compiled using the Washington, D.C.-based think tank’s own analysis, data published by independent Russian news site Mediazona with the BBC, estimates by the British government and interviews with state officials. A war of attrition Reports about military losses have been repressed in Russian media, activists and independent journalists say. Mediazona, together with the BBC and a team of volunteers, has so far collected the names of over 160,000 troops killed by scouring news reports, social media and government websites. The report also said that Russian forces were advancing at a sluggish pace since they seized the initiative on the battlefield in 2024, despite their much larger size. Russia’s advance in Ukraine has largely settled into a grinding war of attrition, and analysts say that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in no rush to find a settlement, despite his army’s difficulties on the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); The report said Russian forces have advanced at an average rate of between 15 and 70 meters (49 to 230 feet) per day in their most prominent offensives. That is “slower than almost any major offensive campaign in any war in the last century,” the report said. Putin told his annual news conference last month that 700,000 Russian troops are fighting in Ukraine. He gave the same number in 2024, and a slightly lower figure — 617,000 — in December 2023. It was not possible to verify those figures. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); 2 killed in attack in Kyiv region Officials said Wednesday that two people were killed near the Ukrainian capital and at least nine others were injured in attacks across Ukraine. A man and a woman died in an overnight attack in the Bilohorodka area on the outskirts of Kyiv, according to Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the regional military administration. Officials in the Ukrainian cities of Odesa and Kryvyi Rih, as well as the Zaporizhzhia region, also reported Russian strikes overnight, wounding at least nine people and damaging infrastructure. Ukraine’s air force said that Russia attacked overnight with one ballistic missile and 146 strike drones, 103 of which were shot down or destroyed using electronic warfare. Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its air defenses destroyed 75 Ukrainian drones overnight. Twenty-four were shot down over Russia’s southwestern Krasnodar region, with 23 more shot down over the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2016. Two drones were reportedly shot down over Russia’s Voronezh region, where Ukraine’s General Staff said Wednesday that it had struck the Khokholskaya oil depot. Regional Gov. Alexander Gusev wrote on Telegram that falling drone debris sparked a fire involving oil products, but did not give further details. 获取更多RSS： https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Russia used an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 146 drones in its attacks, according to Ukraine's air force.

A Russian drone strike on a passenger train in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region has killed at least five people.

These are the key developments from day 1,434 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

These are the key developments from day 1,431 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

At least one person has been killed in overnight Russian attacks on the capital and the northeastern city.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says officials from Ukraine, Russia and the US will hold trilateral ⁠meetings in the UAE.

A Russian drone strike hit a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, injuring seven people.

These are the key developments from day 1,426 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

More than 200,000 people in the Russian-occupied part of Zaporizhia are without power after a Ukrainian strike.

Ukraine struggles to restore heat, electricity as temperatures plummet to -19 degrees Celsius.

The attack came shortly after the US accused Russia at the UN Security Council of escalating the conflict.

An increase in the use of long-range weapons by Russia has led to more casualties in Ukraine, according to a UN monitor.

Three people also wounded in attack, governor says, as Ukraine reports a number of injuries in Russian attacks.

Kyiv labelled the use of the weapon close to the EU and NATO border a 'grave threat' to European security.

Russia hits Ukraine's energy infrastructure hard, slams plans for post-ceasefire multinational force in the country.

Russia’s Defence Ministry had published a video of a downed drone it said Ukraine had launched at Putin’s residence.

These are the key developments from day 1,410 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

These are the key developments from day 1,407 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

These are the key developments from day 1,406 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Zelenskyy accuses Russia's leadership of using 'every opportunity' to inflict 'greater suffering' on Ukraine.

Investigators say the blast in Moscow occurred close to the site where a Russian general was killed on Monday.

These are the key developments from day 1,399 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Russia is targeting ports critical for Ukrainian exports.

Ukraine said hundreds of Russian drones and dozens of missiles struck homes and energy facilities overnight.

At least three people, including a child, killed in missile and drone barrage across Ukraine, officials say.

The large-scale Russian attacks come two days after US-led peace talks end in Miami.

Fanil Sarvarov was the head of the armed forces' operational training department, Russia's Investigative Committee said.

A Russian general was killed in Moscow on Monday when an explosive device detonated underneath his car.

Investigators pursue various lines of inquiry, including possibility attack was 'linked' to 'Ukrainian special forces'.

Zelenskyy urges EU leaders to unlock Russian assets to show Moscow its desire to continue war next year is ‘pointless’.

Kyiv says Kilo-class submarine is knocked out of operation in the first such attack using Sea Baby drones.

A ceasefire deal appears distant as energy facilities are hit in Ukraine; Russia says a drone kills two.

A Russian drone strike hit a Turkish-owned commercial vessel at Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian attacks 'had no ... military purpose whatsoever'.

The IAEA has found a drone degraded the shield in February, in a strike Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out.

The reported attack on the Midvolga-2 comes days after Ukraine hit two other Russian-flagged ships in the Black Sea.

The reported attack on the Midvolga-2 comes days after Ukraine hit two other Russian-flagged ships in the Black Sea.

Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov said Russian forces have also captured the city of Vovchansk in Kharkiv.

Russian strikes on Kyiv kill three, injure dozens, as Ukraine seeks US support for a resolution to the war.

Russian strikes on Kyiv kill three, injure dozens, as Ukraine seeks US support for a resolution to the war.

A Russian drone strike hit a bus carrying miners in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region on Sunday, killing at least 12 people. Ukrainian emergency services later reported the death toll had risen to 15 in one of the deadliest single attacks on energy workers since the start of the war. The attack Sunday came a few hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a new round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia had been postponed. A spokesperson for DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy firm , which employed the workers, told Fox News Digital that drones had targeted the bus as it traveled "roughly 40 miles from the front line in central and eastern Ukraine." The DTEK spokesperson also described the incident as a " terrorist attack on civilian infrastructure." "This strike was a targeted terrorist attack against civilians and another crime by Russia against critical infrastructure," the spokesperson added. RUSSIA UNLEASHES MAJOR DRONE, MISSILE ATTACK ON UKRAINE AS US DIPLOMATIC TALKS CONTINUE The bus was transporting miners after the end of their shift when it was hit by a Russian drone, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine also confirmed. At least seven workers were injured, and a fire sparked by the impact was later extinguished by emergency crews. "The epicenter of one of the attacks was a company bus transporting miners from the enterprise after a shift in the Dnipropetrovsk region," the company also said in a statement. Zelenskyy condemned the strike late Sunday, calling it another deliberate attack on civilians. RUSSIA SAYS UKRAINE PEACE TALKS 'PROCEEDING CONSTRUCTIVELY,' AS KREMLIN LAUNCHES DEADLY STRIKE ON ODESA Earlier in the day, he announced that the next round of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. would now take place Feb. 4-5 in Abu Dhabi, after originally being expected for Sunday. "Ukraine is ready for a substantive discussion, and we are interested in ensuring that the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war," Zelenskyy said on X, adding that the delay had been agreed to by all sides. The delay followed a surprise meeting Saturday in Florida between Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s special envoy and head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund. The talks in Abu Dhabi are now expected to include representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the U.S., according to the Associated Press . UKRAINE RACES TO BOLSTER AIR DEFENSES AS PUTIN’S STRIKE PAUSE NEARS END Meanwhile, Zelenskyy warned Russia is stepping up its aerial campaign against civilian and logistical targets. "Over the past week, Russia has used more than 980 attack drones, nearly 1,100 guided aerial bombs, and two missiles against Ukraine," he wrote on X on Sunday. "We are recording Russian attempts to destroy logistics and connectivity between cities and communities." In a statement, DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko also explained the bus attack marked the company’s "single largest loss [of] life of DTEK employees since Russia's full-scale invasion." "We can already say with certainty that this was an unprovoked terrorist attack on a purely civilian target, for which there can be no justification," Timchenko said. The attack marked "one of the darkest days in our history," he added. "DTEK teams are working with emergency services on the ground in Dnipropetrovsk region to ensure the injured, and families who have lost loved ones, get all the care and support they need. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten," he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian attack drones struck a civilian passenger train in the Kharkiv region on Tuesday, killing at least four people in what he called an " act of terrorism ." "In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be regarded in the same way – purely as an act of terrorism. There would be no doubt about the classification, neither in Europe, nor in America, nor in the Arab world, nor in China, nor anywhere else," he wrote in a post on X. "There is, and can be, no military justification for killing civilians in a train carriage." The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday on Telegram that the number of confirmed fatalities had risen to five, with two people injured and one man reported missing. Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, said three Russian drones were used in the attack on the train, which was carrying more than 200 people. ZELENSKYY SAYS FRESH RUSSIAN ATTACK ON UKRAINE SHOWS PUTIN'S 'TRUE ATTITUDE' AHEAD OF TRUMP MEETING Eighteen passengers were inside the carriage hit by one of the drones, he added. The attack followed trilateral talks between Moscow, Kyiv and Washington in Abu Dhabi over the weekend that were aimed at ending the nearly four-year war. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said the meetings were "very constructive" and plans were being made for the sides to meet again this week. RUSSIA, UKRAINE TO DISCUSS TERRITORY AS TRUMP SAYS BOTH SIDES 'WANT TO MAKE A DEAL' "President Trump and his entire team are dedicated to bringing peace to this war," Witkoff said. Russia has continued to strike Kyiv’s energy infrastructure during negotiations, leaving thousands of residents without power and heat as winter conditions persist. RUSSIA HAS SUFFERED MORE CASUALTIES IN UKRAINE WAR THAN ALL OTHER CONFLICTS COMBINED SINCE WWII: PENTAGON Zelenskyy said significant outages remain across the region, with hundreds of residential buildings in three districts of the capital still without heating despite ongoing repair efforts. "Repair crews are working at maximum capacity. Crews from almost across the entire country have been deployed to assist," he noted.

Russia’s grinding invasion of Ukraine has caused nearly 2 million military casualties - killed, wounded or missing - between the two countries, according to a new study by a US think tank. Moscow’s forces have borne the brunt of the losses, suffering as many as 325,000 killed out of an estimated total of 1.2 million casualties since invading Ukraine nearly four years ago, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found. “No major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of...

Russian strikes killed one person and injured at least 15 others in Ukraine’s capital and the northeastern city of Kharkiv overnight, authorities said early on Saturday. The country was under an air raid alert with military authorities in Kyiv warning of drones and ballistic missiles. “Kyiv is under a massive enemy attack. Do not leave shelters!” Mayor Vitali Klitschko posted on Telegram, adding that several non-residential buildings had been hit. “Currently, one person is known to have died and...

An overnight Russian bombardment left thousands of residential buildings in Kyiv without heating and water in -14 degrees Celsius (6.8 Fahrenheit) temperatures on Tuesday, when the Ukrainian capital was already scrambling to restore vital utilities destroyed in earlier attacks. The barrage of hundreds of drones and missiles, which targeted energy facilities across Ukraine, killed at least one 50-year-old man near Kyiv. Air raid sirens and explosions were heard in the capital as Ukrainian air...

Russia's Defense Ministry said it used a new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile Friday in a deadly strike on Ukraine. Four people were killed and at least 22 were injured, according to Ukrainian authorities. Russia said the attack was retaliation for what Moscow claimed was a Ukrainian drone strike on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence last month. Both Ukraine and President Donald Trump have disputed that claim. The attack occurred hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alerted the nation that Russia intended to launch a large-scale offensive. ZELENSKYY DENIES RUSSIAN CLAIM THAT UKRAINE ATTACKED PUTIN RESIDENCE Zelenskyy said that Russia was aiming to take advantage of the frigid weather in the capital, which made roads and streets icy. The missile traveled at a speed of more than 8,000 miles per hour, according to the Western Command of Ukraine's Air Force. Several districts in Kyiv were hit in the attack and an emergency medical aid worker was among those killed, according to Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko. RUSSIA ALLEGES ATTACK ON PUTIN RESIDENCE AS UKRAINE DENIES CLAIM AHEAD OF TRUMP TALKS Ukraine's security service said that five rescue workers suffered injuries while responding to the site of ongoing attacks. A drone crashed onto the roof of a multistory building in the Desnyanskyi district and the first two floors of a residential building were also damaged as a result of the attack. Running water and electricity were disrupted in parts of the capital, Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. The latest attack also involved other ground-and-sea-launched missiles targeting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure the western city of Lviv, according to its mayor, Andriy Sadoviy. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Nearly 800,000 homes in Ukraine were left without electricity and heating Thursday morning after a Russian overnight attack on energy infrastructure, the country’s acting energy minister said, as power crews raced to restore service. Artem Nekrasov said in comments published on the Ukrainian Energy Ministry’s official Telegram channel that the Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia regions were almost completely without power following the Russian strike. "Repair work is ongoing to return light and heat to consumers as soon as possible," Nekrasov said. RUSSIAN DRONE STRIKES TANKER IN UKRAINE’S ODESA AFTER ZELENSKYY CLOSES US GAS DEAL Power has since been restored in the Zaporizhzhia region, while hundreds of thousands of homes in Dnipro remain without electricity and heat. Ukrainian officials urged residents to limit the use of high-consumption electrical appliances to prevent renewed outages as repairs continue. Nekrasov said adverse weather conditions also left parts of several other regions without power, including Chernihiv, Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia. UK, FRANCE STRIKE NEW UKRAINE SECURITY PACT AS US TAKES LEAD IN CEASEFIRE ENFORCEMENT The power outages are unfolding amid freezing temperatures in Kyiv, where forecasts show overnight lows under 20 degrees. "There is absolutely no military rationale in such strikes on the energy sector and infrastructure that leave people without electricity and heating in wintertime," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday on X. "This is Russia’s war specifically against our people, against life in Ukraine – an attempt to break Ukraine." The strikes come just days after Zelenskyy met in Paris with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss continued diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s nearly four-year war. Zelenskyy said the talks focused on security guarantees, monitoring a potential ceasefire, and rebuilding Ukraine as part of a broader framework for peace.

Poland scrambled fighter jets Thursday after detecting a Russian reconnaissance aircraft operating near its airspace, authorities said. Poland’s Operational Command wrote on X that the aircraft was intercepted and escorted out after it was identified over international waters in the Baltic Sea. The command said separate airspace incidents were also detected overnight near Poland’s eastern border. "At night, entries into Polish airspace of objects from the direction of Belarus were observed. After conducting detailed analyses, it was determined that these were most likely smuggling balloons, moving in accordance with the direction and speed of the wind," the command said. NATO SECRETARY GENERAL WARNS RUSSIA COULD TARGET ALLIANCE MEMBERS NEXT AMID RISING TENSIONS "The flight of all objects was continuously monitored by radar systems. To ensure safety, a portion of the airspace over the Podlaskie Voivodeship was temporarily closed to civilian traffic," it added. No threat to Poland’s airspace was detected, authorities said, and officials continued to monitor the situation. The incident comes just days after Polish aircraft were scrambled again on Tuesday as Russia carried out widespread strikes against Ukraine. NATO WARNS RUSSIA AFTER POLAND SHOOTS DOWN 'HUGE NUMBER' OF DRONES THAT VIOLATED ITS AIRSPACE Polish authorities said the response included support from NATO allies, with Spanish aircraft assisting in air policing and Dutch forces providing air defense systems support. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 650 drones and more than 30 missiles two days before Christmas, targeting Kyiv’s energy sector and civilian infrastructure. GERMANY WARNS RUSSIA COULD ATTACK NATO BY 2029 AS INTELLIGENCE THREAT ASSESSMENTS MOUNT "Tragically, lives were lost. In the Kyiv region , a woman was killed by a Russian drone. One person was pronounced dead in the Khmelnytskyi region. In the Zhytomyr region, a four-year-old child was killed after a Russian drone struck a residential building. My condolences to the families and loved ones," Zelenskyy said. "This Russian strike sends an extremely clear signal about Russia’s priorities. An attack ahead of Christmas, when people simply want to be with their families, at home, and safe. An attack carried out essentially in the midst of negotiations aimed at ending this war," he added. "Putin still cannot accept that he must stop killing. And that means that the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia. Now is the time to respond. Russia must be pushed toward peace and guaranteed security."

Poland scrambled fighter jets Thursday after detecting a Russian reconnaissance aircraft operating near its airspace, authorities said. Poland’s Operational Command wrote on X that the aircraft was intercepted and escorted out after it was identified over international waters in the Baltic Sea. The command said separate airspace incidents were also detected overnight near Poland’s eastern border. "At night, entries into Polish airspace of objects from the direction of Belarus were observed. After conducting detailed analyses, it was determined that these were most likely smuggling balloons, moving in accordance with the direction and speed of the wind," the command said. NATO SECRETARY GENERAL WARNS RUSSIA COULD TARGET ALLIANCE MEMBERS NEXT AMID RISING TENSIONS "The flight of all objects was continuously monitored by radar systems. To ensure safety, a portion of the airspace over the Podlaskie Voivodeship was temporarily closed to civilian traffic," it added. No threat to Poland’s airspace was detected, authorities said, and officials continued to monitor the situation. The incident comes just days after Polish aircraft were scrambled again on Tuesday as Russia carried out widespread strikes against Ukraine. NATO WARNS RUSSIA AFTER POLAND SHOOTS DOWN 'HUGE NUMBER' OF DRONES THAT VIOLATED ITS AIRSPACE Polish authorities said the response included support from NATO allies, with Spanish aircraft assisting in air policing and Dutch forces providing air defense systems support. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 650 drones and more than 30 missiles two days before Christmas, targeting Kyiv’s energy sector and civilian infrastructure. GERMANY WARNS RUSSIA COULD ATTACK NATO BY 2029 AS INTELLIGENCE THREAT ASSESSMENTS MOUNT "Tragically, lives were lost. In the Kyiv region , a woman was killed by a Russian drone. One person was pronounced dead in the Khmelnytskyi region. In the Zhytomyr region, a four-year-old child was killed after a Russian drone struck a residential building. My condolences to the families and loved ones," Zelenskyy said. "This Russian strike sends an extremely clear signal about Russia’s priorities. An attack ahead of Christmas, when people simply want to be with their families, at home, and safe. An attack carried out essentially in the midst of negotiations aimed at ending this war," he added. "Putin still cannot accept that he must stop killing. And that means that the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia. Now is the time to respond. Russia must be pushed toward peace and guaranteed security."

Poland scrambled fighter jets Thursday after detecting a Russian reconnaissance aircraft operating near its airspace, authorities said. Poland’s Operational Command wrote on X that the aircraft was intercepted and escorted out after it was identified over international waters in the Baltic Sea. The command said separate airspace incidents were also detected overnight near Poland’s eastern border. "At night, entries into Polish airspace of objects from the direction of Belarus were observed. After conducting detailed analyses, it was determined that these were most likely smuggling balloons, moving in accordance with the direction and speed of the wind," the command said. NATO SECRETARY GENERAL WARNS RUSSIA COULD TARGET ALLIANCE MEMBERS NEXT AMID RISING TENSIONS "The flight of all objects was continuously monitored by radar systems. To ensure safety, a portion of the airspace over the Podlaskie Voivodeship was temporarily closed to civilian traffic," it added. No threat to Poland’s airspace was detected, authorities said, and officials continued to monitor the situation. The incident comes just days after Polish aircraft were scrambled again on Tuesday as Russia carried out widespread strikes against Ukraine. NATO WARNS RUSSIA AFTER POLAND SHOOTS DOWN 'HUGE NUMBER' OF DRONES THAT VIOLATED ITS AIRSPACE Polish authorities said the response included support from NATO allies, with Spanish aircraft assisting in air policing and Dutch forces providing air defense systems support. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 650 drones and more than 30 missiles two days before Christmas, targeting Kyiv’s energy sector and civilian infrastructure. GERMANY WARNS RUSSIA COULD ATTACK NATO BY 2029 AS INTELLIGENCE THREAT ASSESSMENTS MOUNT "Tragically, lives were lost. In the Kyiv region , a woman was killed by a Russian drone. One person was pronounced dead in the Khmelnytskyi region. In the Zhytomyr region, a four-year-old child was killed after a Russian drone struck a residential building. My condolences to the families and loved ones," Zelenskyy said. "This Russian strike sends an extremely clear signal about Russia’s priorities. An attack ahead of Christmas, when people simply want to be with their families, at home, and safe. An attack carried out essentially in the midst of negotiations aimed at ending this war," he added. "Putin still cannot accept that he must stop killing. And that means that the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia. Now is the time to respond. Russia must be pushed toward peace and guaranteed security."

A Russian general was killed in a car bombing in Moscow on Monday, with investigators saying they suspect Ukrainian intelligence may have been behind the attack. The bombing targeted Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff, and he died from his injuries. He was the third senior Russian military officer to be killed in a bombing this year. "Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of inquiry regarding the murder. One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services," said Svetlana Petrenko, the spokesperson for Russia's Investigative Committee. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin had been immediately informed about Sarvarov's killing. PUTIN REJECTS KEY PARTS OF US PEACE PLAN AS KREMLIN OFFICIAL WARNS EUROPE FACES NEW WAR RISK: REPORT Sarvarov had previously fought in Chechnya and taken part in Moscow's military campaign in Syria, according to Russia's defense ministry. Ukrainian forces have yet to take responsibility for the attack. Prior to Sarvarov, Russia lost the head of its nuclear, biological and chemical protection force, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, in a similar bombing earlier this year. Ukrainian forces took responsibility for that attack. PUTIN DERIDES EUROPEAN LEADERS AS HE INSISTS RUSSIA'S WAR GOALS IN UKRAINE WILL BE MET BY FORCE OR DIPLOMACY Russian military officer Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik was also killed by a car bombing in Moscow in April. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in the aftermath of that attack that he had received reports about the successful "liquidation" of Russian military leaders, though he did not mention Moskalik directly. The Monday bombing comes as Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. remain in peace talks. Russian officials said they were proceeding "constructively" on Sunday, even as missiles rained down on Ukraine's port city of Odesa. Putin also noted on Friday that the nation's "troops are advancing," and expressed confidence that Russia would achieve its goals by military force if Ukraine does not accept its peace terms. "The goals of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved. We would prefer to accomplish this and address the root causes of the conflict through diplomatic means," he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Russian general was killed in a car bombing in Moscow on Monday, with investigators saying they suspect Ukrainian intelligence may have been behind the attack. The bombing targeted Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff, and he died from his injuries. He was the third senior Russian military officer to be killed in a bombing this year. "Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of inquiry regarding the murder. One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services," said Svetlana Petrenko, the spokesperson for Russia's Investigative Committee. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin had been immediately informed about Sarvarov's killing. PUTIN REJECTS KEY PARTS OF US PEACE PLAN AS KREMLIN OFFICIAL WARNS EUROPE FACES NEW WAR RISK: REPORT Sarvarov had previously fought in Chechnya and taken part in Moscow's military campaign in Syria, according to Russia's defense ministry. Ukrainian forces have yet to take responsibility for the attack. Prior to Sarvarov, Russia lost the head of its nuclear, biological and chemical protection force, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, in a similar bombing earlier this year. Ukrainian forces took responsibility for that attack. PUTIN DERIDES EUROPEAN LEADERS AS HE INSISTS RUSSIA'S WAR GOALS IN UKRAINE WILL BE MET BY FORCE OR DIPLOMACY Russian military officer Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik was also killed by a car bombing in Moscow in April. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in the aftermath of that attack that he had received reports about the successful "liquidation" of Russian military leaders, though he did not mention Moskalik directly. The Monday bombing comes as Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. remain in peace talks. Russian officials said they were proceeding "constructively" on Sunday, even as missiles rained down on Ukraine's port city of Odesa. Putin also noted on Friday that the nation's "troops are advancing," and expressed confidence that Russia would achieve its goals by military force if Ukraine does not accept its peace terms. "The goals of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved. We would prefer to accomplish this and address the root causes of the conflict through diplomatic means," he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Russian general was killed in a car bombing in Moscow on Monday, with investigators saying they suspect Ukrainian intelligence may have been behind the attack. The bombing targeted Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff, and he died from his injuries. He was the third senior Russian military officer to be killed in a bombing this year. "Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of inquiry regarding the murder. One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services," said Svetlana Petrenko, the spokesperson for Russia's Investigative Committee. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin had been immediately informed about Sarvarov's killing. PUTIN REJECTS KEY PARTS OF US PEACE PLAN AS KREMLIN OFFICIAL WARNS EUROPE FACES NEW WAR RISK: REPORT Sarvarov had previously fought in Chechnya and taken part in Moscow's military campaign in Syria, according to Russia's defense ministry. Ukrainian forces have yet to take responsibility for the attack. Prior to Sarvarov, Russia lost the head of its nuclear, biological and chemical protection force, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, in a similar bombing earlier this year. Ukrainian forces took responsibility for that attack. PUTIN DERIDES EUROPEAN LEADERS AS HE INSISTS RUSSIA'S WAR GOALS IN UKRAINE WILL BE MET BY FORCE OR DIPLOMACY Russian military officer Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik was also killed by a car bombing in Moscow in April. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in the aftermath of that attack that he had received reports about the successful "liquidation" of Russian military leaders, though he did not mention Moskalik directly. The Monday bombing comes as Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. remain in peace talks. Russian officials said they were proceeding "constructively" on Sunday, even as missiles rained down on Ukraine's port city of Odesa. Putin also noted on Friday that the nation's "troops are advancing," and expressed confidence that Russia would achieve its goals by military force if Ukraine does not accept its peace terms. "The goals of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved. We would prefer to accomplish this and address the root causes of the conflict through diplomatic means," he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ukraine said Monday it carried out an underwater drone strike that critically damaged a Russian Kilo-class submarine docked in the port of Novorossiysk, marking the first known attack of its kind. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said its "Sub Sea Baby" underwater drones struck a Russian submarine equipped with four launchers for Kalibr cruise missiles used to target Kyiv and other parts of the country. The operation was carried out by the Ukrainian Navy and the SBU's 13th Main Directorate of Military Counterintelligence. Video released by the SBU showed several ships docked at the Novorossiysk naval base in Russia’s Krasnodar region before a large explosion occurred. EX-CIA STATION CHIEF WARNS PUTIN USING TALKS TO GAIN LEVERAGE AS UKRAINE DELEGATION MEETS TOP TRUMP OFFICIALS The base has become a key refuge for Russia’s fleet as Ukraine intensifies strikes on Sevastopol and other occupied Crimean ports. The SBU said the submarine had been forced to remain in Novorossiysk because of other Ukrainian operations, including the use of Sea Baby surface drones that drove Russia’s Black Sea Fleet out of Sevastopol Bay. A spokesperson for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet denied the strike caused any damage, writing on Telegram that no submarines or crews were harmed. PUTIN CALLS TRUMP’S PEACE PLAN A ‘STARTING POINT’ AS HE WARNS UKRAINE TO PULL BACK OR FACE 'FORCE' "[Ukraine] once again proved that minnows can swallow sharks using innovation," drone expert Brett Velicovich told Fox News Digital. "Underwater drones are the next evolution in drone warfare." The submarine strike comes as Russia continues to launch large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine and as the United States works to end Russian President Vladimir Putin ’s war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his negotiating team met in Berlin on Sunday with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelenskyy also held talks with European leaders earlier in the week on a broader political framework to end the war, secure long-term protections for Ukraine and support the country’s postwar recovery.