Russia's war on Ukraine latest news: Russia digs in for long war, says Ukraine

CONFLICT * Russian forces attacked critical infrastructure in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Thursday, causing several explosions, the city's mayor said. * Russian shelling killed two people on Thursday in the centre of the recently liberated city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said. * Violence returned to Kyiv, with the first major drone attack on Ukraine's capital in weeks.

A Ukrainian general said on Thursday that Moscow was digging in for a long war and still wanted to conquer the whole of Ukraine, as Russian forces pounded two strategic cities while Kyiv's troops shelled Russian-controlled Donetsk in the east. DIPLOMACY/ECONOMY/AID

* The United States on Thursday targeted Russia's financial services sector and Russian businessman Vladimir Potanin, increasing pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. * Poland withdrew its objections to a minimum corporate tax at an EU summit on Thursday, unblocking a whole package of linked agreements that includes 18 billion euros ($19.16 billion) in financing for Ukraine in 2023, diplomats said.

* President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would expand trade cooperation with new partners, including by sharply increasing gas exports to China, to combat Western sanctions. * United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Thursday it was unlikely the Black Sea grain deal would be expanded in the near term to include more Ukrainian ports or reduce inspection times.

* The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Thursday that further strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure could lead to a serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation and spark further displacement. * An announcement on U.S. plans to provide the Patriot missile defence system to Ukraine could be made as soon as this week, three U.S. officials told Reuters.

* A senior U.N. official on Thursday voiced optimism that there would be a breakthrough in negotiations to ease exports of Russian fertilisers to avoid food shortages next year. CONFLICT

* Russian forces attacked critical infrastructure in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Thursday, causing several explosions, the city's mayor said. * Russian shelling killed two people on Thursday in the centre of the recently liberated city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said.

* Violence returned to Kyiv, with the first major drone attack on Ukraine's capital in weeks. Two administrative buildings were hit, but air defences largely repelled the attack. Zelenskiy said 13 drones had been shot down. Reuters was not able to independently verify battlefield reports. (Compiled by Michael Perry; Editing by William Maclean)