At least three people have died in an explosion in southern Moscow at the site where a Russian general was killed earlier this week.
Russia's investigative authorities said two police officers were among those dead in the fresh blast in the capital.
Earlier, Ukraine’s military said its forces had pulled out of the embattled eastern town of Siversk near Bakhmut.
“The invaders were able to advance due to a significant numerical advantage and constant pressure from small assault groups in difficult weather conditions," Ukraine's General Staff said.
Siversk had a pre-war population of 10,000, and its capture by Russia puts a dent in the “fortress belt” of major Donbas towns still held by Ukraine.
Russia has continued to push forwards – albeit very slowly – in Ukraine after rejecting an offer of a Christmas truce, and launching a massive drone and missile attack early on Tuesday.
Pope Leo criticised Vladimir Putin's decision to turn down a ceasefire marking the festive period, saying it caused him "much sadness".
“I will make an appeal one more time to people of good will to respect at least Christmas Day as a day of peace," he said.
Key Points
- Explosions heard in southern Moscow at site of general's killing
- WhatsApp calls out Russia's attempt to restrict private communications
- Ukrainian troops withdraw from eastern town of Siversk
- Three killed by blast in Moscow, investigators say
- Pope Leo expresses 'much sadness' about Russia refusing Christmas ceasefire
Russia wants to build a nuclear power plant on the moon in the next few years
13:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussia is reportedly planning to establish a nuclear power plant on the moon within the next decade.
This ambitious project aims to supply energy for its lunar space programme and a joint research station with China, as global powers intensify their efforts in lunar exploration.
Historically, Russia has held a prominent position in space, notably with Yuri Gagarin's pioneering journey in 1961.
Russia plans to build a nuclear power plant on the moon in the next few years
Ukraine unveils 20-point peace proposal under discussion with US
12:35 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkraine has unveiled the latest 20-point peace proposal brokered by the US to bring an end to the war with Russia.
Ukrainian and US delegations reached a consensus on several critical issues in the latest round of talks in Miami.
However, Volodymyr Zelensky said sensitive issues around territorial control in the country’s eastern industrial heartland, along with the management of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), remain unresolved.
Read more here:
Ukraine unveils 20-point peace proposal under discussion with US
Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports cause drop in food exports
12:20 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPart Two:
As a result, the UAC union said some wheat exporters had already defaulted on contracts to deliver shipments this month.
According to UAC estimates, at least one of the three key export ports is either idle or operating at 20% its capacity.
Logistics routes have also been damaged connecting the rest of Ukraine to Danube River ports, said the union. River ports had helped to compensate for the loss of major seaports since early in the war.
"Russia is attacking our ports, reducing our export potential.... Without deep water and river water, our exports will decline significantly," UAC said in a weekly report.
"Some large traders are already beginning to sort out quotas at railway terminals, which means that some of our grain may be sent to the border," it added.
Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports cause drop in food exports
12:05 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPart One
Ukraine's food exports have already been harmed by intensified Russian attacks on ports this month, which could lead to a significant drop in trade despite efforts to divert shipments to rail, a Ukrainian farmer's union said on Wednesday.
Ukraine is one of the world's biggest exporters of wheat and corn, and the number one exporter of sunflower oil. A de facto Russian blockade early in the near four-year-old war worsened a global food shortage.
Most Ukrainian food exports have resumed since 2023. But this month has seen a surge in near daily Russian attacks with drones and missiles on ports in the Odesa region, reducing export capacity.
Territorial issues remain unresolved, Zelensky says
11:45 , Maryam Zakir-HussainDespite the peace proposal progress, Ukraine and the United States still have not found common ground on territorial issues.
Zelensky said that Kyiv's proposal was "to remain where we are, halting fighting at current battle lines. Moscow, whose forces have been slowly advancing, wants Kyiv to withdraw troops from all of the eastern Donetsk region, around a quarter of which is still under Ukrainian control.
Zelensky said Washington was trying to find a compromise and looking to establish a demilitarized zone or a free economic zone in the area.
There was also no agreement on the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Zelensky said. Europe's largest nuclear power plant is located in territory under Russian military control near the front line. Zelensky said Kyiv was proposing a small economic zone there.
The new 20-point proposal would be studied by Moscow, Zelensky said, and then the next steps would be determined.
"We are saying: if all regions are included and if we remain where we are, then we will reach an agreement," he said.
"But if we do not agree to remain where we are, there are two options: either the war continues, or something will have to be decided regarding all potential economic zones."
Ukraine to keep army at current size in latest peace proposal draft
11:20 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVolodymyr Zelensky said that the latest 20-point framework draft was a considerable evolution compared with the 28-point plan discussed earlier by the United States and Russia.
Ukraine would keep its army at its current strength of 800,000, and additional documents agreed with the United States and European allies would provide robust guarantees of its security.
"...We will be able to see a strong Ukraine supported by the Coalition of the Willing, with a mechanism to monitor compliance with peace and with specifics on how to respond to any potential renewal of aggression by Russia," Zelensky said.
Ukrainian and U.S. officials also worked on several documents related to post-war reconstruction and investment, he said.
Zelensky calls for meeting with Trump over peace proposal
10:55 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a meeting with Donald Trump to hammer out the most sensitive issues in a future peace deal with Russia, such as control of territory, following the latest round of U.S.-Ukrainian talks.
In remarks to reporters released by his office on Wednesday, Zelensky said Ukrainian and U.S. delegations had inched closer to finalising a 20-point plan at the talks over the weekend in Miami.
"This is a document referred to as a framework, a foundational document on ending the war, a political document between us, America, Europe, and the Russians," Zelensky said.
"We are ready for a meeting with the United States at the leaders’ level to address sensitive issues. Matters such as territorial questions must be discussed at the leaders’ level."
In pictures: investigators check the scene of a deadly explosion in Moscow
10:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
‘I was a British PoW tortured by Russia; this is how Ukraine and the West can win this war’
10:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAiden Aslin, a British volunteer who joined Ukraine’s marines, was captured and tortured by Putin’s forces in 2022 and is now back fighting the Kremlin. He tells his story to the ‘World of Trouble’ podcast with world affairs editor Sam Kiley in eastern Ukraine.
Captured and sentenced to death by Russia, tortured and a witness to war crimes, a young man from Nottingham spent months waiting for the executioner in a Russian prison, unable to cry.
Read more here:
‘I was a British PoW tortured by Russia; this is how Ukraine can win this war’
US and Ukraine reach consensus on key issues, but territorial disputes unresolved
09:55 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe United States and Ukraine have reached a consensus on several critical issues aimed at bringing an end to the nearly four-year conflict, but sensitive issues around territorial control in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland, along with the management of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, remain unresolved, Ukraine's president said.
Volodymyr Zelensky spoke as the US showed the 20-point plan, hammered out after marathon talks in Florida in recent days, to Russian negotiators.
A response is expected from Moscow on Wednesday, Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president briefed journalists on each point of the plan on Tuesday. His comments were embargoed until Wednesday morning. The draft proposal, which reflects Ukraine's wishes, intertwines political and commercial interests to safeguard security while boosting economic potential.
Russian forces capture Zarichne in eastern Ukraine
09:29 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussian forces have captured Zarichne in eastern Ukraine, according to the country’s defence ministry.
The village is in Donetsk Oblast, near the Luhansk border.
We will bring you more details as they hear them.
Zelensky says Ukraine 'fully cooperating' with US over peace plan
09:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVolodymyr Zelensky has said the US has Ukraine’s “full cooperation” to reach an agreement for a peace plan.
The Ukrainian president added they are doing “everything necessary to ensure that the documents come to fruition and that they are realistic”.
We sense that America wants to reach a final agreement and from our side there is full cooperation. Ukraine has never been, and will never be, an obstacle to peace. pic.twitter.com/CTBPByxIcB
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 23, 2025
Russia launches hundreds of drones in major attack on Ukraine as hopes for Christmas ceasefire deal fade
08:53 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThree people were killed including a four-year-old child, Ukraine officials said, in a large-scale Russian drone attack on the country just two days before Christmas.
The latest barrage, involving more than 650 drones and three dozen missiles, comes as hopes of securing a US-brokered ceasefire before 25 December fade.
The Russian assault struck homes and the power grid in 13 regions of Ukraine, causing widespread outages in bitterly cold sub-zero temperatures.
Read more here:
Russia launches 650 drones in major Ukraine attack as hopes for Christmas deal fade
Three dead including two police officers in Moscow car blast
08:33 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThree people including two police officers have died in an explosion in Moscow, just days after a car bomb killed a high-ranking general not far away.
The two traffic police officers were approaching a "suspicious individual" when an explosive device detonated, Investigate Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement.
The two officers, as well as another person standing nearby, died from their injuries.
Investigators and forensic experts are working at the scene, Ms Petrenko said.
The incident took place in the same area of the Russian capital where Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov was killed by a car bomb on Monday morning.
Mr Sarvarov, the head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff, died when an explosive device detonated under his vehicle in southern Moscow.
Investigators said Ukraine may have been behind the attack, which was the third such killing of a senior military officer in just over a year.
In photos: Russia strikes Zaporizhzhia region with glide bombs
07:59 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine drone attack sparks fire at industrial site in Russia's Tula
07:43 , Arpan RaiDebris from a downed Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at an industrial site in Russia's Tula region, its governor Dmitry Milyaev said on his Telegram channel this morning.
Milyaev did not give details about the industrial facility.
He said that Russian air defence units destroyed at least 12 Ukrainian drones over the region.
Watch: Russian general killed by bomb under his car in Moscow
07:39 , Arpan RaiPope Leo expresses 'much sadness' about Russia refusing Christmas ceasefire
07:37 , Arpan RaiPope Leo said he feels "much sadness" that Russia did not agree to a Christmas ceasefire in its war on Ukraine.
"Among the things that cause me much sadness is that apparently Russia has refused a ceasefire request," the pope told journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
"I will make an appeal one more time to people of good will to respect at least Christmas day as a day of peace," he said.
"Maybe they will listen to us and there will be at least 24 hours, a day of peace, across the world.” the pope said.
Ukrainian troops withdraw from eastern town of Siversk
07:35 , Arpan RaiUkrainian forces have pulled out of the embattled eastern town of Siversk near Bakhmut, Kyiv's military said.
“The invaders were able to advance due to a significant numerical advantage and constant pressure from small assault groups in difficult weather conditions," Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement.
It said it had withdrawn soldiers to preserve lives and resources, adding that they had, however, inflicted heavy losses on the enemy.
Russia said earlier this month it had captured Siversk, whose pre-war population was around 10,000, a claim Kyiv had denied.
Two officers killed in Moscow blast had approached man acting suspiciously
07:32 , Arpan RaiAt least three people were killed by a bomb today in Moscow after two police officers approached a man acting suspiciously.
The man was seen near the site where a senior general was killed two days ago by a car bomb that Russia said was planted by Ukrainian intelligence.
Russia's State Investigative Committee said that when two police officers approached a man who was acting strangely, they were killed by an explosive device, adding that a third person was also killed. It did not specify who the third person was.
It said it opened criminal cases under clauses dealing with the murder of law enforcement officers and the illegal trafficking of bombs.
The bomber was one of those killed and he detonated the bomb when approached by the officers, according to Russian news channels.
The blast took place very close to where Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Russian General Staff's army operational training directorate, was killed on Monday.
Russia said it suspected Ukraine was behind the killing. There was no official comment from Ukraine.
Myrotvorets, an unofficial Ukrainian website that provides a database of people described as war criminals or traitors, updated its entry on Sarvarov to say the 56-year-old general had been "liquidated".
A string of Russian military figures and high-profile supporters of the war in Ukraine have been assassinated during the nearly four-year-old conflict; Ukrainian military intelligence has said it was responsible for a number of the attacks.
Fighting continues for Pokrovsk in major battle in Ukraine's east
06:51 , Arpan RaiUkraine's military said its forces were keeping up pressure on Pokrovsk and would continue trying to sever logistics for Russian troops inside.
Fighting is still raging around the former eastern logistics hub, where Ukrainian forces said this month they had fended off an unusually large Russian mechanised attack.
The Ukrainian military's Operation Task Force East unit, which reports regularly on its defence of Pokrovsk, said yesterday that Ukrainian forces remained in control of the northern part of the largely destroyed city.
Writing on Facebook, it said Ukrainian servicemen were blocking attempts by Russian forces to advance. In the nearby town of Myrnohrad, the unit said Ukrainian forces were holding defensive lines and eliminating Russian forces on the outskirts.
Ukraine's General Staff said Russian forces had launched 29 attacks in the Pokrovsk sector in an attempt to advance near a string of villages.
Three killed by blast in Moscow, investigators say
06:38 , Arpan RaiAt least two police officers and another person were killed in blast in southern Moscow, the Investigative Committee said this morning.
Several explosions were heard in southern Moscow today at the site where Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov was killed by a car bomb on Monday, Baza and SHOT Telegram channels reported.
Witnesses told the channels, which have sources in Russia's law enforcement agencies, that a car was detonated.
Zelensky says draft documents have been prepared after US-Ukraine talks
06:15 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky said several draft documents, including on security guarantees, had been prepared after Ukrainian officials held talks in Miami with US counterparts on ending Russia's war.
"They worked productively with envoys of President Trump and several draft documents have now been prepared," the Ukrainian president wrote on X.
"In particular, these include documents on security guarantees for Ukraine, on recovery, and on a basic framework for ending this war."
In photos: Captured North Korean soldiers express desire for asylum in South Korea
06:01 , Arpan Rai
Russia launches hundreds of drones in major attack on Ukraine as hopes for Christmas ceasefire deal fade
05:50 , Arpan RaiThree people were killed including a four-year-old child, Ukraine officials said, in a large-scale Russian drone attack on the country just two days before Christmas.
The latest barrage, involving more than 650 drones and three dozen missiles, comes as hopes of securing a US-brokered ceasefire before 25 December fade.
The Russian assault struck homes and the power grid in 13 regions of Ukraine, causing widespread outages in bitterly cold sub-zero temperatures.
Initial reports from Ukrainian emergency services said the child died in Ukraine’s northwestern Zhytomyr region, while a drone killed a woman in the Kyiv region, and another civilian death was recorded in the western Khmelnytskyi region, according to reports.
Russia launches 650 drones in major Ukraine attack as hopes for Christmas deal fade
Ukraine drones attack Moscow forcing closure of airports
05:33 , Arpan RaiUkrainian overnight drone attacks targeted Moscow, shutting down two airports in the Russian capital, officials said this morning.
At least three drones targeting Moscow were downed, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram channel.
He said emergency services were dispatched to the sites where the drone debris fell, but he did not immediately report any damage.
At least two of the four major airports servicing the capital limited operations, Russia's civil aviation authority said on Telegram.
The Russian defence ministry said its air defence units destroyed 172 Ukrainian drones overnight, nearly half of them over regions bordering Ukraine.
Moscow typically only confirms how many Ukrainian drones it has downed, and does not provide the total number fired.
Ukraine's 'Dancing with the Stars' airs special episode with wartime heroes
05:10 , Arpan RaiBefore the war, Ukraine’s own “Dancing with the Stars” was a cherished and popular television show, dazzling the audiences with performances by celebrities and professional dancers.
The show is now back on for one special episode — this time with Ukrainian wartime heroes as the stars, underscoring the nation's resilience in difficult times.
During a prerecording last week, dancers spun, leapt and glided under the sparkle of lights, some seamlessly integrating their prosthetic limbs into the choreography.
Many still remember how president Volodymyr Zelensky — then an actor — won the dance competition in 2006, the year that “Tantsi z zirkamy” as the show is known in Ukrainian, first debuted.
In the new, special episode, the dancers perform with prosthetic limbs, showcasing their strength in overcoming adversity. The lineup of participants includes public figures who rose to prominence since Russia's full-out war on Ukraine was launched in February 2022.
All the proceeds will go to the Superhumans Center, a specialist clinic for the treatment and rehabilitation of war-wounded victims.
Ukraine's own 'Dancing with the Stars' is back on for a special episode with wartime heroes
Ukraine drone attack sparks fire at industrial site in Russia's Tula
04:59 , Arpan RaiDebris from a downed Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at an industrial site in Russia's Tula region, its governor Dmitry Milyaev said on his Telegram channel this morning.
Milyaev did not give details about the industrial facility.
He said that Russian air defence units destroyed at least 12 Ukrainian drones over the region.
Explosions heard in southern Moscow at site of general's killing
04:13 , Arpan RaiSeveral explosions were heard in southern Moscow today at the site where Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov was killed by a car bomb on Monday, Baza and SHOT Telegram channels reported.
Witnesses told the channels, which have sources in Russia's law enforcement agencies, that a car was detonated.
At least two people were seriously injured in the explosions which took place near a police station, SHOT, Baza and other unofficial Russian Telegram news channels reported.
Sarvarov was killed on Monday when a bomb exploded under his Kia Sorento as he left a parking space in southern Moscow, Russian investigators said, adding they were looking at possible involvement by Ukrainian special services.
Russia claims control over villages in Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk
04:00 , Alex CroftRussia's defence ministry said on Tuesday that its troops had captured the settlements of Prylipka in Ukraine's Kharkiv region and Andriivka in Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russian forces also struck energy and military facilities with Kinzhal missiles, the ministry added.
The Independent could not independently verify the reports of gains on the battlefield.
WhatsApp calls out Russia's attempt to restrict private communications
03:33 , Arpan RaiWhatsApp criticised restrictions to its service in Russia yesterday, accusing the authorities of trying to deprive more than 100 million Russians of the right to private communications before the holiday season.
Thousands of Russians complained about outages and slowdowns yesterday, monitoring websites showed.
"In restricting access to WhatsApp, the Russian government aims to take away the right to private, end-to-end encrypted communication from over 100 million people, right before the holiday season in Russia," a WhatsApp spokesperson said.
“WhatsApp is deeply embedded in the fabric of every community in the country – from parent and workplace groups to friends, neighborhood, and extended family chats across Russian regions. We’re committed to fighting for our users because forcing people onto less secure and government-mandated apps can only lead to less safety for Russian people,” the messaging and video calling app’s spokesperson said.
WhatsApp's statement followed a repeat warning by Russia's communications regulator that it would completely block WhatsApp if it did not comply with its demands to bring its services into line with Russian law.
"WhatsApp continues to violate Russian law. The messenger is used to organise and carry out terrorist acts on the territory of the country, to recruit their perpetrators and to commit fraud and other crimes against our citizens," Roskomnadzor, the regulator, told Russian state media.
It said it was taking measures to gradually restrict WhatsApp as a result
Ukrainian troops withdraw from eastern town of Siversk
03:13 , Arpan RaiUkrainian forces have pulled out of the embattled eastern town of Siversk near Bakhmut, Kyiv's military said.
“The invaders were able to advance due to a significant numerical advantage and constant pressure from small assault groups in difficult weather conditions," Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement.
It said it had withdrawn soldiers to preserve lives and resources, adding that they had, however, inflicted heavy losses on the enemy.
Russia said earlier this month it had captured Siversk, whose pre-war population was around 10,000, a claim Kyiv had denied.
Pope Leo expresses 'much sadness' about Russia refusing Christmas ceasefire
02:59 , Arpan RaiPope Leo said he feels "much sadness" that Russia did not agree to a Christmas ceasefire in its war on Ukraine.
"Among the things that cause me much sadness is that apparently Russia has refused a ceasefire request," the pope told journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
"I will make an appeal one more time to people of good will to respect at least Christmas day as a day of peace," he said.
"Maybe they will listen to us and there will be at least 24 hours, a day of peace, across the world.” the pope said.
Zelensky says draft documents have been prepared after US-Ukraine talks
02:01 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that several draft documents, including on security guarantees, had been prepared after Ukrainian officials held talks in Miami with US counterparts on ending Russia's war.
"They worked productively with envoys of President Trump and several draft documents have now been prepared," the Ukrainian president wrote on X.
"In particular, these include documents on security guarantees for Ukraine, on recovery, and on a basic framework for ending this war."
Russian authorities extinguish fire at Krasnodar port oil pipeline
01:00 , Alex CroftLocal authorities in Russia's Krasnodar region said on Tuesday that a fire at the fuel oil supply pipeline at the port of Taman had been extinguished.
It comes after a fire on an oil tanker and a pier, caused by a drone attack, was also extinguished on Monday, local authorities said.
Zelensky urges US to push Russia for an answer as peace talks continue
00:01 , Alex CroftKremlin says weekend Ukraine peace talks did not produce breakthrough
Tuesday 23 December 2025 23:02 , Alex CroftThe latest dialogue between Russian and the US officials in Miami on the war in Ukraine should not be seen as a breakthrough, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Calling it a “working process”, Vladimir Putin’s close aide said the discussions were expected to continue in a "meticulous" expert-level format and that Russia’s priority was to obtain from the United States details of Washington’s work with Europeans and Ukrainians on a possible settlement.
He said Moscow would then judge how far those ideas matched what he called the “spirit of Anchorage”.
Earlier, Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said the talks were “productive and constructive”.
The Independent View | Ukraine is showing fighting spirit, and its allies must respond
Tuesday 23 December 2025 22:00 , Alex CroftThe Ukrainians have responded to the cautiousness of their European allies with a show of fighting spirit. After European leaders signed off a €90bn loan – as we commented yesterday, “just enough” to hold Vladimir Putin’s forces at bay but not enough to push them back – Ukraine has struck an alleged Russian shadow-fleet oil tanker off Libya, 2,000km from the battlefield.
Ukrainian drones also hit a Russian patrol ship and an offshore drilling platform in the Caspian Sea, hundreds of kilometres away.
This intensification of the long-distance battle that Ukraine is fighting in support of the ground war of attrition on its own territory is a fitting response, both to the hesitation of its allies and to the four-hour monologue of obfuscation delivered by Mr Putin on Friday.
Read The Independent’s view:
Ukraine is showing fighting spirit, and its allies must respond
Italian prosecutors move to drop probe into suspected Russian drone flyovers
Tuesday 23 December 2025 21:01 , Alex CroftItalian prosecutors investigating suspected Russian drone flights over an EU space research centre have concluded their suspicions were unfounded and have requested the case be dropped, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.
Milan prosecutors found that 21 alleged overflights between March and May 2025 were actually caused by interference from a private GSM phone signal booster near the European Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra, near Italy's Lake Maggiore.
Pope Leo expresses 'much sadness' about Russia refusing Christmas ceasefire
Tuesday 23 December 2025 20:45 , Bryony GoochPope Leo said on Tuesday that he feels "much sadness" that Russia has not agree to a Christmas ceasefire in its nearly four-year old war with Ukraine.
"Among the things that cause me much sadness is that apparently Russia has refused a ceasefire request," the pope told journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
"I will make an appeal one more time to people of good will to respect at least Christmas day as a day of peace," said Leo.
"Maybe they will listen to us and there will be at least 24 hours, a day of peace, across the world."
Ukrainian troops withdraw from eastern town of Siversk
Tuesday 23 December 2025 20:30 , Bryony GoochUkrainian forces have pulled out of the embattled eastern town of Siversk, Kyiv's military said on Tuesday, as Russian troops wage a battlefield offensive aimed at threatening key cities critical to Ukraine's defences in the east.
The fall of Siversk comes with Ukraine under US pressure to quickly negotiate peace in the nearly four-year-old war triggered by Russia's invasion, and puts Russian forces closer to the hub of Sloviansk, some 30 km (20 miles) to the west.
Sloviansk is a northern anchor of the so-called “fortress belt" of cities
in Ukraine's heavily industrialised Donbas region, which Russia has demanded Kyiv cede before it ends its war.
"The invaders were able to advance due to a significant numerical advantage and constant pressure from small assault groups in difficult weather conditions," Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement.
Watch: Senior Russian diplomat warns of Russia-Nato clash
Tuesday 23 December 2025 20:02 , Alex CroftWoman, 76, killed and three injured in Russian attack on Kyiv
Tuesday 23 December 2025 19:01 , Alex CroftA 76-year-old woman has been killed in Russia’s large-scale attack on Kyiv, according to the region’s military administration.
Three people were also injured, including a 16-year-old girl, military administration chief Mykola Kalashnyk said.
The attack caused a fire to break out in a two-storey house in the Vyshhorod district.
Two houses were also damaged in the Obukhiv district, where windows were blown out and roofs damaged, authorities added.
In pictures: Pensioners look through broken window after attacks on Kyiv
Tuesday 23 December 2025 18:00 , Alex Croft
Zelensky says progress in US-led peace talks 'quite solid'
Tuesday 23 December 2025 17:27 , Alex CroftInitial drafts of US proposals for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia meet many of Kyiv's demands, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
But he suggested that neither side in the almost four-year war is likely to get everything it wants in talks on reaching a settlement.
"Overall, it looks quite solid at this stage," the Ukrainian leader said of recent talks with US officials who are trying to steer the neighbouring countries toward compromises.
"There are some things we are probably not ready for, and I'm sure there are things the Russians are not ready for either," Mr Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv.
Almost all Russian cruise missiles intercepted by F-16 fighter jets
Tuesday 23 December 2025 16:55 , Alex CroftThe vast majority of Russian cruise missiles fired overnight into Tuesday were intercepted by F-16 fighter jet pilots, the Ukrainian Air Force has said.
Colonel Yurii Ihnat, head of communications for the Air Force of Ukraine, said: "You can see the extremely high effectiveness of air defence operations, because the Kinzhal missiles, although not intercepted by Patriots, did not reach their targets.
“Out of 35 cruise missiles, 34 were shot down, mainly by F-16 aircraft intercepting these missiles, for which we thank our brave pilots."
Russia fired 650 drones alongside the cruise missiles in the massive overnight attack, which killed at least three.
Russian calvary soldiers hit by drone attack as Putin resorts to horseback assaults
Tuesday 23 December 2025 16:23 , Alex CroftUkraine's own 'Dancing with the Stars' is back on for a special episode with wartime heroes
Tuesday 23 December 2025 15:51 , Alex CroftBefore the war, Ukraine’s own “Dancing with the Stars” was a cherished and popular television show, dazzling the audiences with performances by celebrities and professional dancers. The show is now back on for one special episode — this time with Ukrainian wartime heroes as the stars, underscoring the nation's resilience in difficult times.
Many still remember how President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — then an actor — won the dance competition in 2006, the year that “Tantsi z zirkamy” as the show is known in Ukrainian, first debuted.
In the new, special episode, the dancers perform with prosthetic limbs, showcasing their strength in overcoming adversity. The lineup of participants includes public figures who rose to prominence since Russia's full-out war on Ukraine was launched in February 2022.
Ukraine's own 'Dancing with the Stars' is back on for a special episode with wartime heroes
In pictures: Ukrainians shelter in metro station amid major Russian attack
Tuesday 23 December 2025 15:20 , Alex Croft
Russia and US hold talks on removing 'irritants'
Tuesday 23 December 2025 14:54 , Alex CroftRussian and US diplomats have held talks on removing “irritants” in the relations between the two countries, Moscow’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday.
But the main issues, he said according to news agency Interfax, remain unresolved.
Another round of such contacts is expected in early spring 2026, Ryabkov added.
The two countries have been discussing ways to resolve a series of disputes that have affected the working of each other's embassies. The talks are separate from Russia-US negotiations over the war in Ukraine.
Russia claims control over villages in Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk
Tuesday 23 December 2025 14:30 , Alex CroftRussia's defence ministry said on Tuesday that its troops had captured the settlements of Prylipka in Ukraine's Kharkiv region and Andriivka in Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russian forces also struck energy and military facilities with Kinzhal missiles, the ministry added.
The Independent could not independently verify the reports of gains on the battlefield.
