Russia has accused Ukraine of killing at least 27 people in a drone strike on a New Year's party in a hotel and cafe in the Russian-occupied southern Kherson region.

Through December, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 4,379 Ukrainian long-range drones, at a rate of around 141 each day. ABC News cannot independently verify the

I would give anything in the world if, in this address, I could say that peace will also come in just a few minutes,” Ukraine's Zelenskyy said just before midnight on New Year's Eve.

Putin accused Ukraine of launching drone attacks on his residence, derailing momentum on Zelenskyy's peace plan as Russia threatens to harden its position.

The Kremlin leader kept his speech short, spoke only briefly about the fighting in Ukraine, and did not mention U.S.-mediated talks on ending the war.

Russia attacked Ukraine's capital with missiles and drones early Saturday morning, killing one and wounding over 20 people a day before talks between Ukraine and the U.S., local authorities said.

Russia's defence ministry released video footage on Wednesday of what it said was a downed drone at a briefing intended to show Ukraine tried this week to attack a presidential residence and challenge Kyiv's denials that such an attack took place.

Baltic countries like Lithuania have boosted defense spending since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.