Russian personnel with links to the country’s military and security services have engaged in spying in European waters while working covertly on ships carrying Russian oil, Western and Ukrainian intelligence sources exclusively told CNN.

Belarus’ authoritarian president says that Russia had deployed its latest nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system to the country, a move that comes as talks to end the war in Ukraine have entered a crucial phase.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address on Wednesday that Russia is preparing "the coming year as a year of war," despite ongoing peace talks.

European Union leaders finally agreed on a crucial €90 billion loan to help keep Ukraine in the fight against Russia, even if the late-night deal wasn’t the one they’d originally planned.

Putin said at an annual meeting with top military officers that Moscow will move to expand a “buffer security zone” along the border.

The Associated Press has documented 145 incidents in what Western officials say is a campaign of disruption across Europe masterminded by Russia since President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in

Russia lowered its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point for the second consecutive time, a move that will offer little relief to businesses but underscores concerns that an upcoming tax hike could stoke inflation.

A core question for European Union leaders discussing whether to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine is whether the idea is legally sound.

Oil futures added modestly to gains with market focus on efforts toward a Russia-Ukraine peace agreement and stepped up U.S. actions against Venezuela.

The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support (RELOS) will come into force after the formal exchange of instruments of ratification between Russia and India.