Western sanctions have failed to turn the uber-rich into opponents, and Putin's policies have turned them into silent backers.

A majority of Russians expect the war in Ukraine to end in 2026, state pollster VTsIOM said on Wednesday, in a sign that the Kremlin could be testing public reaction to a possible peace settlement as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict intensify.

Ukraine claimed it carried out an underwater drone strike on Dec. 15, the first such attack in maritime warfare, that critically damaged a Russian Kilo-class attack submarine at the Russian port of Novorossiysk,

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.

Officials in both Ukraine and Russia said their teams were returning home on Monday to report on the outcome of the discussions.

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with Suspilne that an increasing number of officials within Putin's inner circle are urging him to end the war against Ukraine.

North Korea leader speaks of ‘really meaningful year’ for alliance with Moscow; Zelenskyy accuses Russia of using Belarus apartments to attack Ukraine. What we know on day 1,403