Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Russia intensifies Kherson shelling

Ukraine's recently liberated southern city of Kherson suffered intense mortar and artillery attacks from Russian forces across the Dnipro river, while the Kremlin rejected a Ukrainian peace plan, demanding that Kyiv accept its annexation of four regions.

Ukraine's recently liberated southern city of Kherson suffered intense mortar and artillery attacks from Russian forces across the Dnipro river, while the Kremlin rejected a Ukrainian peace plan, demanding that Kyiv accept its annexation of four regions. FIGHTING

* Russia had shelled more than 25 settlements around Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, causing civilian casualties and damaging civilian infrastructure in Kherson city and region, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Wednesday. * Russian forces shelled the maternity wing of a hospital in Kherson, though no one was hurt, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's deputy chief of staff, said on Telegram.

* Fighting was particularly intense around the strategic eastern city of Bakhmut in Donetsk province and Svatove, further north in Luhansk province, Britain's defence ministry said. * Kyiv-based military analyst Oleh Zhdanov noted that Kharkiv city and region had suffered heavy attacks, and a regional gas pipeline had been damaged.

* Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a Telegram post that the city had come under attack twice, "presumably" from Iranian Shahed drones, five of which Ukraine's eastern air command separately reported downing over the city of Dnipro. Reuters could not independently verify battlefield reports.

OIL PRICE CAP, DIPLOMACY * Zelenskiy told parliament to remain united and praised Ukrainians for helping the West "find itself again".

* The Kremlin rejected Zelenskiy's 10-point peace plan, reiterating that proposals to end the conflict must accept Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian regions: Luhansk and Donetsk in the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south. * Russia announced it would ban oil sales to countries that abide by a price cap imposed this month by the West.

* Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said the country's economy, battered by Western sanctions, shrank by more than 2% over the past 11 months. QUOTES

"We will continue preparing the armed forces and Ukraine's security for next year. This will be a decisive year. We understand the risks of winter. We understand what needs to be done in the spring," Zelenskiy said.