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

Ukraine's air force says it detected 184 missiles and drones, causing damage to energy infrastructure across the country.

Pope Francis has called for a “negotiation” to end the war in Ukraine in a Christmas Day message where he appealed for weapons to be laid down in global conflicts and reconciliation between enemies.

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.

A huge bombardment of energy infrastructure that has knocked out power in parts of Ukraine was deliberately planned for Christmas Day, Zelenskyy said.

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,

Ukraine’s grid operator said it was limiting power supplies at Christmas amid a large scale missile attack by Russia targeting the nation’s energy infrastructure.

A new U.S. president and battlefield realities appear to be pushing Zelensky, who had long insisted on fighting for every inch of occupied land, to the table.

Russia’s wartime economy has been sustained, in part, by oil and gas revenues as Europe has relied on it for several decades. Key to that arrangement is Ukraine, the country Russia is at war with, as the countries have a deal in place to allow Russian gas to transit via Ukraine and reach Europe.

Russian air defenses intercepted multiple drones, but reports indicated that the strategic Millerovo air base sustained damage.

A ballistic missile struck an apartment building in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Tuesday, killing one person and injuring 15, four of them seriously, officials said.