Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Russia unleashes barrage of missiles

Russia fired scores of missiles into Ukraine early on Thursday, targetting the capital Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa in the west and other cities in one of its largest aerial bombardments that sent people rushing to shelters and knocked out power.

Russia fired scores of missiles into Ukraine early on Thursday, targetting the capital Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa in the west and other cities in one of its largest aerial bombardments that sent people rushing to shelters and knocked out power. FIGHTING

* Ukraine's military said it shot down 54 missiles out of 69 launched by Russia. Moscow fired air and sea-based cruise missiles, anti-aircraft guided missiles and S-300 ADMS at energy infrastructure facilities in eastern, central, western and southern regions. The attacks followed an overnight assault by 'kamikaze' drones * Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said energy facilities were damaged and emergency shutdowns may be implemented to avoid accidents in the networks.

* Houses were hit in Kyiv by the fragments of downed missiles and a business and a playground were also damaged. Three people were injured in the attacks on the city, authorities said. Residential buildings in Zaporizhzia and were also damaged. * Belarus' defence ministry said its air defences had downed a Ukrainian S-300 missile in a field, during one of Russia's largest missile attacks against Ukraine since the start of the war.

DIPLOMACY * There are no particular signs that Russia wants peace in Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, urging continued international backing for Kyiv.

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the country's 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. QUOTES

"Senseless barbarism. These are the only words that come to mind seeing Russia launch another missile barrage at peaceful Ukrainian cities ahead of New Year," said Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. (Compiled by Himani Sarkar and Gareth Jones)