Kiev attacks Russian refinery with UK missiles – DW – 12/25/2025

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

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

“Units of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully attacked the Novoshakhtinsk oil products plant in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation with Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles,” the statement said.

It added that the Ukrainian military accused the plant of being one of the main suppliers of petrol products in southern Russia “and is directly involved in the supply of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a good conversation with US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as they discussed bringing Russia to war.

“We discussed some important details of the ongoing work,” he wrote in a post on social media. “There are good ideas that can work toward shared outcomes and lasting peace.”

He thanked both envoys for their constructive approach.

“We are working 24/7 to truly end this brutal Russian war against Ukraine and to ensure that all documents and steps are realistic, effective, and credible,” he said.

Ukrainian negotiator Rustam Umerov is set to talk to the two envoys again on Thursday.

Zelensky’s post came a day after he announced a new 20-point plan agreed to by US and Ukrainian negotiators is now being reviewed by Moscow.

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

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman 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 talks with Washington were progressing. He also urged the US to oppose what he described as efforts by Western European countries to derail the talks.

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

As most Christians celebrate Christmas today, Pope Leo XIV called on believers to pray “for the suffering people of Ukraine.”

“May the support and commitment of the international community embolden the parties involved to engage in honest, direct and respectful dialogue,” he said, calling for an end to the “clash of weapons.”

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

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

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

Vinatier, who was previously a researcher at a Swiss conflict mediation NGO, was jailed in mid-2024. He was convicted of failing to register as a “foreign agent” under Russia’s strict law aimed at curbing foreign influence, and now faces espionage charges.

“Actually, a proposal was made to the French regarding Vinatier,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“The ball is now in France’s court,” he said, without giving details.

Separately, a lawyer for Vinatier’s family said his family hoped the researcher could be released during the holiday season, including the Orthodox Christmas celebrated by most Russians on January 7.

“We have full confidence in French diplomacy, which is doing its best,” the lawyer said.

As Russian attacks continue, Ukrainians are skeptical that Russian aggression will end any time soon. DW reports from Kiev on the Christmas mood and what the US-proposed demilitarized “free economic zone” could mean for eastern Ukraine.

For the second time this week, Poland deployed jets in response to a potential threat over its airspace amid fighting in Ukraine.

After detecting that it was flying near Polish airspace, “Polish fighter planes intercepted a reconnaissance aircraft of the Russian Federation, identified it and took it out of its area of ​​responsibility.”

According to the Polish military, the interception occurred over international waters of the Baltic Sea.

Warsaw’s forces also detected objects entering Polish airspace from Belarus, which is allied with Russia, and determined that the objects were 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 the main headlines about the war in Ukraine and broader tensions between Russia and NATO allies in Europe, with the Kremlin still considering its response to the peace plan presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week.

Stay tuned to this live blog for latest updates.