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

* 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.

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. * European Union leaders wrapped up their last summit of 2022 with an agreement to provide 18 billion euros in financing to Ukraine next year and slap more sanctions on Russia as the bloc prepared to cap gas prices and prop up its industry.

* 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

* The U.S. military will expand its training of Ukrainian military personnel in Germany, the Pentagon said on Thursday, including training in combined arms. * 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)