The case of a scholar wanted in Ukraine sparked a debate on the relationship between museums and the Russian state.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted at progress on a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, following a “really good conversation” with President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Christmas Day.

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 said a resistance agent was able to sneak into a Russian hangar and destroy two Russian fighter jets.

The vessel is part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" - unregulated ships that Kyiv says are exporting large quantities of oil despite Western sanctions.

Russia sees slow but steady progress in peace talks with the United States on Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday (Dec 25) urged Russia and Ukraine to find the "courage" to hold direct talks and spoke of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza in his first Christmas message.The US pope, who was elected by fellow cardinals in May after the death of his predecessor Pope Francis,

Russia has ordered a winter troop surge to break the stalemate in Ukraine, but Ukrainian drone attacks on logistics and resupply channels will undermine this offensive.