UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States accused Russia on Monday of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” of its nearly four-year war in Ukraine at a time when the Trump administration is trying to advance negotiations toward peace.

Acting British ambassador James Kariuki says Putin ‘claims to want peace and yet his actions tell a different story’

Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with 242 drones and 36 missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force said Friday morning.

Russia says it used its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile and other weapons in a massive strike on Ukraine​. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says a drone hit the Qatar embassy.

Russia has used its latest missile against Ukraine for a second time in the nearly 4-year-old war, a forceful signal to Kyiv and its Western allies as peace talks are in a crucial stage.

Russia carried out a strike near Ukraine’s western border with an intermediate-range ballistic missile known as Oreshnik, sending a threatening signal to Kyiv’s allies amid a widespread air attack that targeted energy infrastructure and damaged apartment buildings.

Ukraine's commander in chief said December was the first month that its drones "neutralized" roughly as many Russians as were called up.

The UAV, which bears a resemblance to the Iranian-designed Karrar drone, utilizes the Telefly jet engine, though with a greater thrust than the Geran-3 model, according to HUR.