Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday suggested a missile 'duel' with the United States that would show how Russia's new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile could defeat any U.S. missile defence system.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has said that the so-called "special military operation" ("SVO") - as Russian propaganda refers to the war against Ukraine - should have been launched even earlier. He made this remark when asked whether he would change his mind if he could return to February 2022.

Russia launched aerial attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector “on a massive scale” overnight into Wednesday, local authorities said, amid intensified bombardment that has left Ukraine in a precarious position as the war grinds into a third winter.

Air-raid alarms and explosions sounded on Christmas Day in Ukraine as Russian missiles and drones targeted the nation’s energy infrastructure. “Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack,