Russia launches a Christmas Day missile attack on Ukraine as the war enters its third year. NBC News’ Erin McLaughlin reports on the shifting battleground there and in Washington, D.C.

Overall, the Russian forces have suffered over 775,000 personnel killed or wounded in over 1,000 days of fighting.

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.

Ukrainians faced fresh Russian drone and missile strikes on energy infrastructure nationwide on Tuesday night into Christmas Day morning.

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.

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

Russia's natural-gas transit deal with Ukraine is set to expire soon, which would cut billions in revenue.

President Biden on Wednesday denounced Russia’s latest attack on Ukraine, declaring the wave of missiles and drones “outrageous.” “The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the

Taras Chmut, the head of the Come Back Alive foundation, a Ukrainian non-governmental military charity organisation, believes that freezing combat actions in the war with Russia is a very bad scenario,

Putin’s ‘inhumane’ Christmas Day attack leaves half a million without heating - At least one person killed and six wounded as Putin launches more than 70 missiles at Ukraine on Christmas Day

Ukraine and aviation experts rejected other explanations for an Azerbaijan Airlines crash that killed at least 38 people.