Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his New Year address to the nation, said late on Wednesday that Kyiv wanted the war to end, but not at any cost, adding he would not sign a "weak" peace agreement that would only prolong the war.

A steep rise in soldiers' obituaries is documented by the BBC as part of its work in counting Russian war losses.

Russian President Vladimir Putin used his annual televised New Year's address to rally his troops fighting in Ukraine, saying he believed in them and in victory in a war that he has framed as part of an existential struggle with the West.

Between January and November, more than 2,300 Ukrainian civilians were killed and more than 11,000 were injured, the United Nations said earlier in December. That was 26% higher than in the same period in 2024 and 70% higher than in 2023,

Russia attacked Ukraine with hundreds of drones ahead of talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Ukraine had tried to attack President Vladimir Putin's residence in northern Russia and so Moscow's negotiating position would be reviewed, but Ukraine said it was a lie.

Moscow said a Ukrainian drone attack targeted a residence of President Vladimir V. Putin, which Ukraine denied, accusing the Kremlin of fabricating an excuse not to make peace.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Leaders from Europe and Canada held talks Tuesday on U.S.-led peace efforts to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine, as Moscow and Kyiv sparred over Russian claims, denied by Ukraine, of a mass drone attack on a lakeside residence used by President Vladimir Putin.