What's corroborated

Russia remains the most significant and direct threat to security in the Euro-Atlantic area.

North Korea and Russia signed a digital communications cooperation agreement on October 30, 2024.

One person was killed and four injured in Russia's Rostov region from an attack that sparked fires, according to Yuri Slyusar.

A report by the FT says Trump threatened to stop supplying weapons for Ukraine to pressure European allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump described as 'rather hysterical'.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised 'positive' fresh talks with US mediators aimed at resolving the conflict, including US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and US Senator Lindsey Graham.

Loans will be repaid using the profits generated from immobilised Russian sovereign assets.

The BBC has confirmed the names of almost 160,000 people killed fighting on Russia's side.

Russia invaded Ukraine four years ago.

Rosgvardia will likely deploy its new volunteer detachments to Ukraine and Africa, offering six-month contracts for Ukraine and nine-month for Africa.

Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a law on 25 December authorising the Russian national guard to form its own volunteer formations.

The Russian national guard (Rosgvardia) is incorporating three former Wagner assault detachments into its first volunteer corps formation, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned in December 2025 that the alliance should prepare for a Russian attack within five years.

Russian forces have intensified assaults across multiple fronts, likely signaling the start of their spring offensive.

Since 2022, these activities have become more tightly synchronized with Moscow’s broader war aims in Ukraine.

Russian officials previously claimed to have captured Pokrovsk.

Russia claimed Ukrainian forces attacked targets within its territory, including an oil depot in Belgorod, but Ukraine has not confirmed any strikes.

Europe fears Russia could launch another attack within five years.

Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and invaded Ukraine in 2022, the rhetoric, prominence, operations, and infrastructures of nuclear weapons in Europe have changed considerably and increased.

Elon Musk's decision to deny Russian forces access to Starlink has given Ukraine an advantage.

Russian state-sponsored cyber group 'Sandworm' targeted key sectors in Ukraine with destructive cyber operations between April and September 2024.

Russia seized Avdiivka in February 2024 after a four-month-long siege.

The Russia-Ukraine war is the most extensive and destructive European conflict since World War II.

Ukrainian forces liberated territory including part of the city of Kupyansk in a tactical counterattack in the Kupyansk direction.

Ukrainian armed forces’ incursions into Kursk in 2024 meant Russia was not in control of its own borders for several months, due to corruption.

The Russian government accused the UK of 'provoking' Ukraine into attacking Russian territory.

Belgium has refused to allow the EU to tap Russia's frozen assets held at Euroclear.

Zelenskyy has said the US was pressuring Ukraine to make concessions to bring a quick end to the conflict, which has fallen below Iran in Washington's priorities since US and Israel attacks on Tehran.

Roughly 27% of attacks targeted transportation, 27% government, 21% critical infrastructure, and 21% industry, with many linked to Western aid to Ukraine.

Despite the increase in Russian attacks, Western countries have not developed an effective strategy to counter these attacks.

NATO agreed on measures to counter Russia's hostile activities, including enhanced intelligence exchange and cyber defense.

Although Ukraine accepted the proposal after discussions, many terms of the deal—including territorial concessions and security guarantees—remain unclear.

Russia's operations on UK soil and in its waters have escalated, with UK officials saying the country is locked in a 'grey zone war' with the Kremlin.

Another person was wounded in Samara region's Tolyatti, with damage to a residential building, according to Vyacheslav Fedorishchev.

Ukrainian forces hit railroad infrastructure and private houses in Luhansk region, killing a family of three, according to Leonid Pasechnik.

Sumy was also hit overnight, with at least 11 people wounded including a 15-year-old, according to the National Police.

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed its forces fired precision weapons and strike drones at military-industrial and energy facilities used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The largest monthly advance in 2025 came in November, with around 701 square kilometers captured.

Russian forces advanced an average of 0.12 kilometers per day in Pokrovsk from July 31 to November 26.

Germany and other European countries continued to import Russian gas, with Russia providing 55% of Germany’s gas consumption prior to 2022.

In 2025, the Russian state planned to spend more than 13.5 trillion rubles on national defence, representing over 6% of GDP.

On August 9, a massive explosion at a Russian air base in Crimea destroyed as many as nine aircraft.

In late July, American-supplied HIMARS heavily damaged bridges around Russian-occupied Kherson.

Russian attackers spent six months attempting assaults on Bakhmut without success.

Russia’s primary targets have included transportation, government, critical infrastructure, and industry.

There is a shortage of young people in the Russian army, so students and teenagers are being lured.

Ukraine is preparing key changes to its mobilisation process and policy on deserters to address manpower shortages.

North Korea sent troops to Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine, deployed in a failed operation in Kursk oblast.

Ukraine's prosecutor general's office claimed the attack was 'yet another war crime'.

On March 25, a drone entered Estonian airspace and struck a chimney at the Auvere power station in Ida-Viru county.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland is in talks with France and a group of close European allies on an advanced nuclear deterrence programme.