Biden administration suspended high-level military exchanges with Russia late in 2021 as Putin amassed troops at the Ukrainian border

Ever since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, experts say Russia has stepped up its hybrid war on Western Europe. Attacks on critical infrastructure or using drones to shutdown airports are meant to undermine support for Ukraine.

U.S., Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are back around a table for a second round of technical talks, but in Kyiv, Russian bombs bring suffering and skepticism.

It’s unclear what effect the change will have on Russia’s ability to wage war, but Russian military bloggers said troops were experiencing internet outages that hampered frontline communications.

Ukraine has agreed with western partners that persistent Russian violations of any future ceasefire agreement would be met by a co-ordinated military response from Europe and the US, according to people briefed on the discussions.

"I hope no one ever finds themselves in the same situation of brutal legal abuse that I did," Artemy Ostaninsaid in his final statement in court.

As casualties in Ukraine continue to mount, the Kremlin is seeking new sources of manpower while trying to avoid the political shock of full mobilization. Just days before the New Year, Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed laws expanding military conscription.

A confrontation of NATO and Russian forces would 'most probably end in an exchange of nuclear strikes and nuclear winter on the continent' sources in Moscow warned