Russia is running out of money and could lose its ability to continue funding its war with Ukraine, according to a top economist.

Seoul has previously claimed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent more than 10,000 soldiers as "cannon fodder" to help Moscow fight Kyiv, in return for Russian technical assistance for Pyongyang's heavily sanctioned weapons and satellite programmes.

The allegation -- which Kyiv has not commented on -- comes amid an escalating energy row between the two countries, almost three years after Russia launched its full-scale military offensive.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to announce a substantial new military aid package for Kyiv at the 25th such talks at Ramstein Air Base that will include representatives from some 50 countries.

Moscow has been pressing hard in eastern Ukraine, and the claimed capture of the industrial town is a major boost for its forces just two weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump comes to power, having vowed to strike a peace deal.

The Ukrainian leader's address caps a difficult year for the war-battered country which has been fending off a better-resourced Russian army for nearly three years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a rare public apology on Saturday following the fatal crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight in Russian airspace.

Poland has introduced mandatory firearm training and basic first aid for schoolchildren, as fears of Russian aggression loom over the country.

Now, nearly three years into Russia's invasion, Kremlin forces have brought panic and destruction to its banks in a war of attrition that has pit invader and defender on opposing banks.

At least 100 North Koreans deployed to support Russia's war effort in Ukraine have been killed since entering combat in December, South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters Thursday.

The gathering due in the evening was set to bring together German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish leader Donald Tusk, Italian premier Giorgia Meloni and Denmark's Mette Frederiksen and could also include French President Emmanuel Macron.

A bomb had been remotely detonated after being hidden in an electric scooter outside an apartment, killing Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov.

Igor Kirillov was killed along with his assistant when an explosive device attached to a scooter went off outside an apartment building in southeastern Moscow, Russian and Ukrainian officials said.

Russia has escalated its strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, plunging hundreds of thousands into temporary blackouts as temperatures hit -5 degrees Celsius (23 Fahrenheit).

A top Russian missile guru was assassinated during a special operation by elite Ukrainian forces in the middle of Moscow, according to reports.

Russia is poking holes in Ukrainian defence lines, which Ukrainian troops are trying to fill using drones.

A Russian diplomat appeared to laugh during Ukraine's harrowing report to the UN Security Council on atrocities committed against Ukrainian children in the war.

Fears are high across Ukraine that the US president-elect, who claimed he would secure a ceasefire within 24 hours of coming to office, will push Kyiv into accepting peace on Russia's terms.

The incoming US president has vowed to press for a quick deal to end Russia's war -- leaving Kyiv scrambling to position itself ahead of his January inauguration.

Ukraine is one of 164 signatories to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of landmines.

Ukraine is bracing for what could be its toughest winter of the almost three-year war as Moscow steps up its aerial bombardment of the war-torn country and its troops advance on the frontlines in the east.

Donald Trump has added another Fox News contributor to his future administration, this time tasking him with ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Ukraine is a signatory to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of landmines.

Ukraine is a signatory of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and has committed to destroying its stockpile of landmines. It has previously missed deadlines to destroy its stockpile.

Wladimir Klitschko accused Joe Rogan of spreading Russian propaganda on his podcast and invited him to discuss the Ukraine war on his show.

Russia on Thursday carried out a strike on the city which President Vladimir Putin said was a test of its new Oreshnik hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).

Putin announced the missile launch in a defiant address late on Thursday, saying the conflict in Ukraine had taken on a "global" nature, while hinting at strikes on Western countries.

"We'll continue to remain vigilant in this regard," said the U.S. defense secretary, adding that he did not see a "change in Russia's strategic force posture"

Both Moscow and Kyiv are jockeying to secure an upper hand on the battlefield ahead of Trump assuming office in January 2025.

With two months left in office, lame-duck US President Biden made a major policy change that yields to a long-standing request from Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion, now in its third year.