North Korean troops deployed in Russia's Kursk region are suffering heavy losses and being left unprotected by the Russian forces they are fighting alongside, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday.

Ukraine's military intelligence said Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. It said North Korean troops also faced supply issues and even shortages of drinking water.

The long-range missiles provided by the United States and Britain were used to strike inside Russian territory, despite concerns that their use would escalate the conflict. Kyiv’s stockpiles are running out.

Russia’s top security agency says that it has arrested several suspects accused of involvement in an alleged Ukrainian plot to assassinate senior military officers

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is open to a Slovakian proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine to end a conflict he said Russia was determined to bring to a conclusion.

Slovakia on Friday confirmed its readiness to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, despite Kyiv's accusation that it is playing into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha believes that Russia's latest large-scale attack on Ukraine indicates its unwillingness to agree to ceasefire proposals. Source: Sybiha on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Sybiha described the current wave of Christmas terror as "Putin's response to those who spoke about the illusionary 'Christmas ceasefire'.

Russia launches 31 drones overnight: 20 destroyed, 11 off target — Ukrainian Air Force It was noted that another 11 drones did not reach their targets. Russia launched the missiles from the Voronezh and Kursk oblasts of the Russian Federation,