Zelensky warns of greater military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, including sending more troops and military equipment

Earlier, a Russian cargo ship that Kyiv says was intended to collect weapons from military bases in Syria sunk on route in the Mediterranean Sea. Officials in Moscow said two crew members are missing after an engine room explosion sank the Ursa Major between Spain and Algeria.

Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted over 50 missiles and a significant number of drones. "Every massive Russian strike requires time for preparation," he wrote. “It is never a spontaneous decision.

Pope Francis has called for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the war triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In his traditional Christmas Day address, the Pope said "boldness [was] needed to open the door" to dialogue "in order to achieve a just and lasting peace" between the two sides.

The pope also voiced concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in his Christmas address, labeling the situation "extremely grave."

Pope Francis on Wednesday urged “all people of all nations” to find the courage “to silence the sounds of arms" and overcome divisions plaguing the world, from the Middle East to Ukraine, Africa to Asia (Dec.