Ukraine updates: Kyiv hits Russian refinery with UK missiles

Ukraine used British Storm Shadow missiles to attack a Russian oil refinery on Thursday, the Ukrainian military has said.

They have previously used the British missiles to attack targets inside Russia.

"Units of the air force of the armed forces of Ukraine successfully struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil products plant in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation with Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles," the statement said.

It went on to add that the Ukrainian army allege the plant of being one of the main suppliers of petrol products in southern Russia "and is directly involved in supplying the Russian Federation's armed forces."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he held good talks with US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as they continued to discuss bringing an to the Russian war.

"We discussed certain substantive details of the ongoing work," he wrote in a post on social media. "There are good ideas that can work toward a shared outcome and the lasting peace."

He went on to thank the two envoys for their constructive approach. 

"We are truly working 24/7 to bring closer the end of this brutal Russian war against Ukraine and to ensure that all documents and steps are realistic, effective, and reliable," he added.

Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov is set to speak with the two envoys again Thursday.

Zelenskyy's post came a day after he announced a new 20-point plan, agreed on by US and Ukrainian negotiators, which is now being reviewed by Moscow. 

However, the Ukrainian president conceded on Wednesday that there were some points in the document that he did not like.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said talks with the United States on ending the war in Ukraine are making "slow but steady" progress, according to the state-run TASS news agency.

Speaking on Thursday, Zakharova said negotiations with Washington were advancing. She also urged the US to oppose what she described as attempts by Western European countries to derail the talks.

Zakharova also reiterated Russia's readiness to sign a legally binding non-aggression agreement with a European or NATO country, a proposal previously raised by President Vladimir Putin.

With the majority of Christians celebrating Christmas today, Pope Leo XIV called on the faithful to pray "for the tormented people of Ukraine."

"May the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue," he added, calling for "the clamor of weapons" to cease.

His appeal comes just a day after details on a new peace plan were revealed to the public, with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Kyiv and Washington were united behind the proposal. On Thursday, Moscow said it was analyzing documents on the suggested deal.

The question of territorial concessions in eastern Ukraine remains unresolved in the 20-point peace plan presented by Volodymyr President Zelenskyy, and Russia has given no indication it was willing to withdraw from the area.

In a rare public move, the Kremlin said they had contacts with France regarding Laurent Vinatier, a French national currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia.

Vinatier, previously a researcher with a Swiss conflict mediation NGO, had been jailed in mid-2024. He was convicted for failing to register as a "foreign agent" under Russia's draconian law aiming to curb foreign influence, and is now facing charges of espionage.

 "Indeed, a proposal was made to the French regarding Vinatier," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

 "The ball is now in France's court," he added, without providing details.

Separately, the lawyer for Vinatier's family said his family hopes that the researcher could be freed during the holiday season, including Orthodox Christmas most Russian celebrate on January 7th.

"We have every confidence in French diplomacy, which is doing its utmost," the lawyer said.

As Russian strikes continue, Ukrainians remain skeptical about Russian aggression ending anytime soon. DW reports from Kyiv on the Christmas mood and what a US-proposed demilitarized "free economic zone" could mean for eastern Ukraine.

For the second time this week, Poland scrambled jets in response to a potential threat to its air space amid the fighting in Ukraine.

"Polish fighter jets intercepted, visually identified, and escorted a Russian Federation reconnaissance aircraft out of the area of responsibility," after detecting it was flying near Polish airspace.

The intercept took place above international waters of the Baltic Sea, according to the Polish military.

Warsaw's forces also detected objects entering Polish airspace from Belarus, which is allied with Russia, and determined the objects were most likely "smuggling balloons," the Polish defense ministry said in an online post.

Hello and merry Christmas from the Bonn newsroom!

Today, we once again bring you key headlines regarding the war in Ukraine and the wider tensions between Russia and NATO allies in Europe, with the Kremlin still mulling its response to the peace plan pitched by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week.

Stay tuned for the latest updates in this live blog.