Moscow again struck Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, part of an effort to wear down the country. “In the trenches, there are no holidays,” one man said.

Russia launched aerial attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector “on a massive scale” overnight into Wednesday, local authorities said, with explosions reported across the country amid intensified bombardments that have left Ukraine in a precarious position while the war grinds into a third winter.

Ukrainian civilians on Christmas Eve were huddled in bunkers as their armed forces attempted to shoot down the Russian drones and missiles they saw streaking across their skies.

North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia were given fake military documents with Russian names and birthplaces, the Ukrainian military said, amid claims from Kyiv that Russia is trying to conceal the presence of foreign fighters on the battlefield.

As the war in Ukraine drags on toward a fourth year, North Korea is preparing to send Moscow more troops beyond the 12,000 already there, as well as additional weapons, including suicide drones, according to the latest assessment from South Korean intelligence.

In Russia, near the town of Tyumen, a rail transport of heavy equipment from North Korea has been observed, which includes M-1989 "Koksan" howitzers and missile launchers. These are being supplied to Russia by Kim Jong Un's regime.