When a group of defense insiders gathered in Whitehall, the home of the British government, last month to discuss how prepared the United Kingdom and its allies were for a war they believe could come in the next few years,

Widespread aerial attacks marked Christmas 2025 in the Russia-Ukraine war, as Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged drone and missile strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure in border regions. The escalation followed renewed international peace talks, with negotiators struggling to overcome divides between Moscow and Kyiv.

Ukraine has struck a major Russian oil refinery using British-supplied missiles, Kyiv said, in an escalation of attacks on Moscow’s energy infrastructure. Storm Shadow missiles hit the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Russia’s Rostov region, triggering blasts, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.

Ukrainian military says ‘numerous explosions’ at Novoshakhtinsk refinery; Zelenskyy says ‘very good’ talks held with Trump envoys. What we know on day 1,402

President Vladimir Putin said he’s willing to discuss bringing Russia’s war in Ukraine to an end, even as he ruled out changes sought by Kyiv and Europe to a US peace plan drawn up with Moscow.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told ABC News during an exclusive interview in Moscow on Monday that he believes the warring parties are close to a deal.

Russia fired more than 650 drones and three dozen missiles at Ukraine in a major pre-Christmas attack, killing at least three people including a child.

A court in Russia on Thursday convicted a pro-war activist and critic of President Vladimir Putin of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison.