Latest in Russia-Ukraine war: Russian shelling in southern Ukraine kills 2, several injured. Ukrainian Air Force shoots down 21 drones. Watch the video to know more!

Russia-Ukraine war: Japan pledges $37 million to NATO fund for drone detection system

A Russian missile strike killed 11 people and injured 10 on Saturday in and around the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, the governor of the Ukrainian-controlled part of Donetsk region said.

Russia-Ukraine war: Russian strike on Ukraine's Pokrovsk kills 11

During an address on the eve of Orthodox Christmas, on Saturday (Jan 6) Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to support soldiers "fighting to defend Moscow’s interests". Meanwhile, wives of Russians mobilised to fight in Ukraine symbolically laid flowers at the flame of an unknown soldier near the Kremlin and demanded the return of their husbands from the front.

<h2>Putin’s change in tone</h2>

“Many of our men, our courageous, heroic guys, Russian warriors, even now, on this holiday, defend the interests of our country with arms in hand,” said the Russian president at a late Saturday meeting with families of Russian soldiers who have died in Ukraine.&nbsp;

He also said that he has ordered his government to ramp up support for those who fight and call on his people to be merciful and just.&nbsp;

It has also been reported that Putin, who is facing elections in March, has been softening his speeches to focus on traditional Russian values and unity.&nbsp;

“I would like our meeting to be a clear, understandable signal to all my colleagues throughout the Russian Federation, and at all levels – a clear signal to ensure that my colleagues are always and everywhere with you, I repeat, any level of power,” he told the families gathered at a chapel at his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-defence-secretary-pledges-transparency-takes-full-responsibility-for-secret-hospitalisation-677388">Prez Biden kept in dark about Austin’s hospitalisation, US defence secretary pledges transparency</a>

In a separate greeting for the occasion issued on the Kremlin’s website, Putin&nbsp;called on his citizens to follow the “unshakable” values of “goodness, mercy and justice” and on the Russian Orthodox Church to help strengthen “the institution of families” and patriotism.&nbsp;

Notably, this year Putin did not call for a ceasefire in Ukraine to coincide with the holiday – like he did last year – which many Orthodox Christians celebrate on January 6-7.&nbsp;

Orthodox Christmas services were also held in parts of Ukraine occupied by Russian, unlike the rest of the war-torn country.&nbsp;

Kyiv <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainians-to-officially-celebrate-christmas-on-december-25-for-the-first-time-in-snub-to-russia-673201">celebrated its Christmas</a> on December 25 after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law last July to change the date of the Christmas holiday from January 7 partly to “renounce Russian heritage”.&nbsp;

<h2>Protest near Kremlin</h2>

Amid growing anger among relatives of reservists whom Putin mobilised in September 2022, months after Russia began invading Ukraine, some 15 women, according to AFP, braved the winter cold to place red flowers at the site in the heart of the capital which is also right beneath the walls of the Kremlin.&nbsp;

“We want to draw the authorities’ attention and that of the public to our appeal. We have tried several means. We made a written appeal to lawmakers, officials, administrations – but we were not heard,” Maria, a 47-year-old sales manager, whose husband was mobilised in November 2022, told the news agency.&nbsp;

She added, “It’s not fair. They are civilians, they are not soldiers. Our husbands can’t stay there.”

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-war-at-least-11-including-5-kids-killed-in-russian-strikes-in-pokrovsk-677277">Ukraine war: At least 11, including 5 children, killed in Russian strikes in Pokrovsk</a>

While protests and criticism, particularly about what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine are dealt with swiftly in Moscow, mobilisation is said to be a sensitive subject for authorities, who have so far refrained from repressing what has become a nascent movement of revolt.

Maria Semyonova, a legal assistant, urged authorities to “negotiate peace” in Ukraine at a protest where police, according to AFP, did not intervene.&nbsp;

The protest is “the only peaceful action that has not yet been banned by law,” Paulina, the mother of a one-year-old child, told the news agency.&nbsp;

She added, “I feel like we’re annoying them. But no one will remain silent. We shall carry on every day, every Saturday.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

During an address on the eve of Orthodox Christmas, on Saturday (Jan 6) Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to support soldiers "fighting to defend Moscow’s interests".

During an address on the eve of Orthodox Christmas, on Saturday (Jan 6) Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to support soldiers "fighting to defend Moscow’s interests". Meanwhile, wives of Russians mobilised to fight in Ukraine symbolically laid flowers at the flame of an unknown soldier near the Kremlin and demanded the return of their husbands from the front. Putin’s change in tone “Many of our men, our courageous, heroic guys, Russian warriors, even now, on this holiday, defend the interests of our country with arms in hand,” said the Russian president at a late Saturday meeting with families of Russian soldiers who have died in Ukraine. He also said that he has ordered his government to ramp up support for those who fight and call on his people to be merciful and just. It has also been reported that Putin, who is facing elections in March, has been softening his speeches to focus on traditional Russian values and unity. “I would like our meeting to be a clear, understandable signal to all my colleagues throughout the Russian Federation, and at all levels – a clear signal to ensure that my colleagues are always and everywhere with you, I repeat, any level of power,” he told the families gathered at a chapel at his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow. ALSO READ | Prez Biden kept in dark about Austin’s hospitalisation, US defence secretary pledges transparency In a separate greeting for the occasion issued on the Kremlin’s website, Putin called on his citizens to follow the “unshakable” values of “goodness, mercy and justice” and on the Russian Orthodox Church to help strengthen “the institution of families” and patriotism. Notably, this year Putin did not call for a ceasefire in Ukraine to coincide with the holiday – like he did last year – which many Orthodox Christians celebrate on January 6-7. Orthodox Christmas services were also held in parts of Ukraine occupied by Russian, unlike the rest of the war-torn country. Kyiv celebrated its Christmas on December 25 after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law last July to change the date of the Christmas holiday from January 7 partly to “renounce Russian heritage”. Protest near Kremlin Amid growing anger among relatives of reservists whom Putin mobilised in September 2022, months after Russia began invading Ukraine, some 15 women, according to AFP, braved the winter cold to place red flowers at the site in the heart of the capital which is also right beneath the walls of the Kremlin. “We want to draw the authorities’ attention and that of the public to our appeal. We have tried several means. We made a written appeal to lawmakers, officials, administrations – but we were not heard,” Maria, a 47-year-old sales manager, whose husband was mobilised in November 2022, told the news agency. She added, “It’s not fair. They are civilians, they are not soldiers. Our husbands can’t stay there.” ALSO READ | Ukraine war: At least 11, including 5 children, killed in Russian strikes in Pokrovsk While protests and criticism, particularly about what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine are dealt with swiftly in Moscow, mobilisation is said to be a sensitive subject for authorities, who have so far refrained from repressing what has become a nascent movement of revolt. Maria Semyonova, a legal assistant, urged authorities to “negotiate peace” in Ukraine at a protest where police, according to AFP, did not intervene. The protest is “the only peaceful action that has not yet been banned by law,” Paulina, the mother of a one-year-old child, told the news agency. She added, “I feel like we’re annoying them. But no one will remain silent. We shall carry on every day, every Saturday.” (With inputs from agencies)

Putin vows to support soldiers fighting in Ukraine while wives mobilise protest near Kremlin

The Nepal government has suspended the issuance of work permits to its citizens to travel to Russia and Ukraine following the death of at least 10 Nepalese citizens who joined the Russian Army in the ongoing war between the two neighbours.

Nepal suspends work permits for Russia and Ukraine after soldiers killed

Ukraine is considering to review proposed changes to the rules on army mobilisation that would enable Kyiv to call up more people and tighten sanctions against draft evasion as the war with Russia drags on.

Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine considers changing mobilisation rules

Massive Russian missile attack raises urgency for Western aid. Ukraine commander sounds alarm on forces running out of ammunition. Watch the video to get more insights!

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Russia fires 500 missiles & drones in 5 days, says Zelensky

Russia has hit Ukraine with missiles supplied by North Korea for the first time during its invasion, a senior Kyiv official said on Friday, corroborating an earlier assertion by the U.S. White House.

The statement on social media platform X came after the governor of the northeastern region of Kharkiv said that his region had been struck by missiles fired by Russia that were not Russian-made.

"There is no longer any disguise ... as part of its outright genocidal war, the Russian Federation for the first time struck at the territory of Ukraine with missiles received from ... North Korea," the senior Kyiv official, Mykhailo Podolyak, said.

He did not provide evidence for the missiles being North Korean. In its statement on Thursday, Washington cited declassified intelligence.

"(Russia) is attacking Ukrainians with missiles received from a state where citizens are tortured in concentration camps for having an unregistered radio, talking to a tourist, watching TV shows," Podolyak said.

The Kremlin did not respond to a request for comment on the U.S. assertion that Russia had fired North Korean-supplied short-range ballistic missiles at Ukraine.

Earlier on Friday, the Kharkiv regional governor said missiles produced outside Russia had been fired into the province at the end of December and the beginning of January.

A Reuters video operator filmed the aftermath of a Russian air strike on the regional capital of Kharkiv on Jan. 2, in which a missile landed close to the city centre, leaving behind a deep crater and missile debris.

Shown the Reuters footage for review, Joost Oliemans, a Dutch researcher and expert on North Korea's military, said the missile remnants looked like they were from North Korea.

"It (the footage) appears to show the main body as well as the engine section of a missile that is pretty much a dead match for a North Korean type of missile that we've actually seen pretty clear photos of in the past few years," he said.

Kharkiv regional prosecutors said they were conducting an investigation into the country of origin of three missiles used by Russia to hit the provincial capital on Tuesday. Their statement did not name North Korea.

That attack on Kharkiv city killed two people and wounded 62, the prosecutor's office said.

Ukraine's air force said earlier on Friday it could not yet confirm the country of manufacture of the missiles in question.

While the United States would not say specifically what type of missiles Pyongyang had sent to Russia, U.S. spokesman John Kirby said they had a range of about 900 km (550 miles). He released a graphic that appeared to show KN-23 and KN-25 short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs).

North Korea has been under a United Nations arms embargo since it first tested a nuclear bomb in 2006.

U.N. Security Council resolutions - approved with Russian support - ban countries from trading weapons or other military equipment with North Korea.

In November, South Korean authorities said North Korea may have supplied SRBMs to Russia as part of a larger arms deal that also included anti-tank and anti-air missiles, artillery and mortar shells, and rifles.

Both Moscow and Pyongyang have previously denied conducting any arms deals but vowed last year to deepen military relations.

Russia has hit Ukraine with missiles supplied by North Korea for the first time during its invasion, a senior Kyiv official said on Friday, corroborating an earlier assertion by the U.

Russia has hit Ukraine with missiles supplied by North Korea for the first time during its invasion, a senior Kyiv official said on Friday, corroborating an earlier assertion by the U.S. White House. The statement on social media platform X came after the governor of the northeastern region of Kharkiv said that his region had been struck by missiles fired by Russia that were not Russian-made. "There is no longer any disguise ... as part of its outright genocidal war, the Russian Federation for the first time struck at the territory of Ukraine with missiles received from ... North Korea," the senior Kyiv official, Mykhailo Podolyak, said. He did not provide evidence for the missiles being North Korean. In its statement on Thursday, Washington cited declassified intelligence. "(Russia) is attacking Ukrainians with missiles received from a state where citizens are tortured in concentration camps for having an unregistered radio, talking to a tourist, watching TV shows," Podolyak said. The Kremlin did not respond to a request for comment on the U.S. assertion that Russia had fired North Korean-supplied short-range ballistic missiles at Ukraine. Earlier on Friday, the Kharkiv regional governor said missiles produced outside Russia had been fired into the province at the end of December and the beginning of January. A Reuters video operator filmed the aftermath of a Russian air strike on the regional capital of Kharkiv on Jan. 2, in which a missile landed close to the city centre, leaving behind a deep crater and missile debris. Shown the Reuters footage for review, Joost Oliemans, a Dutch researcher and expert on North Korea's military, said the missile remnants looked like they were from North Korea. "It (the footage) appears to show the main body as well as the engine section of a missile that is pretty much a dead match for a North Korean type of missile that we've actually seen pretty clear photos of in the past few years," he said. Kharkiv regional prosecutors said they were conducting an investigation into the country of origin of three missiles used by Russia to hit the provincial capital on Tuesday. Their statement did not name North Korea. That attack on Kharkiv city killed two people and wounded 62, the prosecutor's office said. Ukraine's air force said earlier on Friday it could not yet confirm the country of manufacture of the missiles in question. While the United States would not say specifically what type of missiles Pyongyang had sent to Russia, U.S. spokesman John Kirby said they had a range of about 900 km (550 miles). He released a graphic that appeared to show KN-23 and KN-25 short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs). North Korea has been under a United Nations arms embargo since it first tested a nuclear bomb in 2006. U.N. Security Council resolutions - approved with Russian support - ban countries from trading weapons or other military equipment with North Korea. In November, South Korean authorities said North Korea may have supplied SRBMs to Russia as part of a larger arms deal that also included anti-tank and anti-air missiles, artillery and mortar shells, and rifles. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have previously denied conducting any arms deals but vowed last year to deepen military relations.

Russia fires North Korean missiles at Ukraine for first time - Kyiv official

A Russian Su-34 fighter jet was lit on fire overnight on January 4 at the Shagol airbase in Chelyabinsk, Russia, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said, publishing a video of the burning plane. Russia has not yet commented on the above information.

Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Su-34 fighter jet set on fire in raid by Ukraine Defence intelligence

Have you heard of Smersh? It was a Russian counter-espionage organisation launched by Stalin. Moscow has just revived in captured Ukrainian territories. Why? Molly Gambhir tells you.

Gravitas | Russia revives Stalin's Anti-spy unit 'Smersh'

Russian city of Belgorod was hit by another round of Ukrainian shelling late Thursday. Now, the strike came hours after schools in the region were orders to extend holiday closure due to the risk of more attacks.

Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian shelling hits Belgorod following Moscow’s aerial attacks

Russia has used ballistic missiles and launchers supplied by North Korea in its war on Ukraine, the US has said.

Russia used North Korean missiles in Ukraine attack: US

Nepal government suspends work permits for Russia and Ukraine

The attack on Kyivstar, Ukraine's largest electronic communications operator took out mobile and home internet service for as many as 24 million people in Ukraine.

Report: Russian hackers gained access to Kyivstar's system

The Russian region of Belgorod bordering Ukraine said Thursday it would keep some schools closed until January 19, following unprecedented Ukrainian shelling over the weekend.

Russia-Ukraine War: Russian region extends school holidays after Ukrainian shelling on Belgorod

Attack on Ukrainian telecom provider disrupted services for 24 mn people

Ukraine’s security service has attributed the cyber-attack on mobile operator Kyivstar to Russian hacking group Sandworm.

Russia-Ukraine war: Rise of cyber warfare

Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber set ablaze at Chelyabinsk airfield

US intelligence officials have determined that North Korea has provided Russia with ballistic missiles and missile launchers that were used in recent attacks on Ukraine in a major escalation of support for Moscow.

Russia-Ukraine War: US says Russia using North Korean missiles for attacks on Ukraine

Russian city of Belgorod hit by another round of Ukrainian shelling late Thursday. Now, the strike came hours after schools in the region were orders to extend holiday closure due to the risk of more attacks.

Belgorod hit by Ukrainian shelling, again, hours after schools ordered to extend closure | WION

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in the biggest single release of captives since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022.

Russia & Ukraine exchange over 400 Prisoners of War, Zelensky releases video of people celebrating

Following mediation by United Arab Emirates, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in the biggest single release of captives since Moscow's invasion began in February 2022.

Russia-Ukraine War: Russia, Ukraine exchange hundreds of prisoners

Russia and Ukraine stage major POW exchange after UAE mediation

Turkey has announced that it would not allow two Minehunter ships donated to Ukraine by Britain to transit its waters en route the Black Sea. Turkey says that it will violate an international pact concerning wartime passage of the straits.

Turkey to block UK's minehunter ships from entering Black Sea

Russia and Ukraine release over 400 prisoners of war after UAE mediation

Russia pounded Ukraine's two biggest cities in a new wave of heavy airstrikes on Tuesday, killing at least five civilians. Zelensky says Ukraine shot down 70 Russian missiles in the latest attacks.

Russia-Ukraine War: Russian missiles attack homes near Kyiv, cause widespread damage

Latest in Russia-Ukraine war: As Russia strikes 2 Ukrainian cities, Ukraine calls on West for additional military support. Watch the video to get more insights!

Ukraine: Heavy air strikes by Russia killed at least 5 civilians | Russia-Ukraine War

In times of war, men end up getting all the glory. But in Ukraine, women are rewriting the rules. Ukrainian female snipers are fighting for their country on the frontlines.

Gravitas | Ukraine's women snipers hunt down Russian troops

Putin vows revenge for strikes on Russia. The Russian missiles attacked homes near Kyiv, causing widespread damage. Watch the video to get more insights!

Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow launches missile attacks on Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine war: Russia pounds Ukraine with missiles & drones, five dead

Putin vows revenge for strikes on Russia, Moscow launches missile attacks on Ukraine. Emergency workers evacuate people as Russia pounds Ukraine with missiles and drones. Watch the video to know more!

Russia-Ukraine war: Russian missiles attack homes near Kyiv, cause widespread damage

ukraine

Ukraine, News on Ukraine, stories on Ukraine, articles on Ukraine, Ukraine stories at Wion, Ukraine news, Ukraine latest news