Russia says at least 27 people were killed after a Ukrainian drone strike allegedly hit a café and hotel in the Russian-occupied village of Khorly in Ukraine’s Kherson region during New Year celebrations. Russian authorities claim civilians, including children, were among the victims and have opened a terrorism investigation into the incident.

Here, we unpack Russia’s latest ultimatum demanding Ukraine’s full military withdrawal from Donbas, a warning framed as the final path to “peace” or the start of fresh territorial losses. With the Kremlin refusing to comment on the region’s economic future, nuclear security in Zaporizhzhia, or wider territorial intentions, the uncertainty around Eastern Europe’s political stability continues to escalate. WATCH