By DASHA LITVINOVA and ILLIA NOVIKOV

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A senior Kremlin official said Friday that Russian police and National Guard will stay on in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas and oversee the industry-rich region, even if a peace settlement ends Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine.

The remarks by Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov underscore Moscow’s ambition to maintain its presence in Donbas post-war. Ukraine is likely to reject such a stance as U.S.-led negotiations drag on.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian units have recaptured several settlements and neighborhoods near the city of Kupiansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region, following a monthslong operation aimed at reversing Russian advances there.

Kupiansk has in recent months been one of the most closely contested sectors of the around 600-mile front line, and the claimed Ukrainian progress of around 40 sq. km. (15 sq. miles) would be a setback for Russia.

Less than two months ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukrainian troops in Kupiansk were surrounded and offered to negotiate their surrender. He said a media visit to the area would prove it. Putin has sought to portray Russia as negotiating from a position of strength in the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a call with military leaders on the Ukraine battlefield situation at the Kremlin in Moscow, on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Obstacles in a push to peace

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s office said he would host Zelenskyy on Monday for talks as peace efforts gain momentum and European leaders seek to steer negotiations. Afterward, numerous European heads of state and government, as well as the leaders of the European Union and NATO, will join the meeting, a statement said.

Moscow will give its blessing to a ceasefire only after Ukraine’s forces have withdrawn from the front line, Ushakov also said in comments published Friday in Russian business daily Kommersant.

He told Kommersant “it’s entirely possible that there won’t be any troops (in the Donbas), either Russian or Ukrainian” in a postwar scenario. But he said that “there will be the National Guard, our police, everything necessary to maintain order and organize life.”

For months, American negotiators have tried to navigate the demands of each side as U.S. President Donald Trump presses for a swift end to Russia’s war and grows increasingly exasperated by delays. The search for possible compromises has run into a major obstacle over who keeps Ukrainian territory that Russian forces have occupied so far.

Since Moscow’s 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea and the seizure of territory in the east by Russia-backed separatists later that year, as well as land taken after the full-blown invasion was launched on Feb. 24, 2022, Russia has captured about 20% of its neighbor.

Ukraine says its constitution doesn’t allow it to surrender land. Russia, which illegally annexed Donetsk and three other regions illegally in 2022, says the same. Ushakov said that “no matter what the outcome (of peace talks), this territory (the Donbas) is Russian Federation territory.”

On Thursday, Trump compared the negotiations to a very complex real estate deal. He said that he wants to see more progress in talks before sending envoys to possible meetings with European leaders over the weekend.

In October, Trump said the Donbas region will have to be “cut up” to end the war.

Ukrainian counterattacks

In recent months, Russia’s army has made a determined push to gain control of all parts of Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk, which together make up the valuable Donbas region.

Its slow slog across the Ukrainian countryside, using its significant advantage in troop numbers in a corrosive war of attrition, has been costly in terms of casualties and losses of armor. Although outnumbered, Ukrainian defenders have held firm in many areas and counterattacked in others.

Ukrainian forces said Friday that they had advanced around Kupiansk. They gradually cut off Russian supply routes into the city, starting on Sept. 22, and regained control of the villages of Kindrashivka and Radkivka, as well as several northern districts of the city, according to a statement by Ukrainian National Guard’s Khartia Corps posted on Facebook.

Fighting is ongoing in central Kupiansk, where more than 200 Russian soldiers are encircled, the statement said.

In this grab from a video provided by the Press Service Of The President Of Ukraine on Friday, Dec 12, 2025, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy records a video at the road entering of Kupiansk, Ukraine. (Press Service Of The President Of Ukraine via AP)

Zelenskyy posted a video of himself standing on the road into Kupiansk on Friday. Explosions could be heard in the background as he spoke.

“Today, it is critically important to achieve results on the battlefield so that Ukraine can achieve results in diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said in the video, praising his troops on Ukraine’s Ground Forces Day.

Russian officials made no immediate comment, and the Ukrainians statements couldn’t be independently verified.

Ukraine also has developed its long-range strike capabilities using domestically produced weapons to disrupt Russia’s war machine.

Its Special Operations Forces, or SSO, said Friday that an operation in the Caspian Sea struck two Russian vessels carrying military equipment and arms.

The ships named Kompozitor Rakhmaninov and Askar-Saridzha are under U.S. sanctions for transporting arms between Russia and Iran, the SSO said in a statement on social media. It didn’t say what weapons it used in its attack.

Cross-border drone strikes

A Ukrainian drone attack wounded seven people, including a child, in the Russian city of Tver, acting Gov. Vitaly Korolev said Friday. Falling drone debris struck an apartment building in the city, which lies northwest of Moscow, Korolev said.

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Russia’s air defenses destroyed 90 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia’s Defense Ministry said.

Russian drones struck a residential area of Pavlohrad, in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, killing one person and wounding four others, the head of the local military administration, Vladyslav Haivanenko, wrote on the Telegram messaging channel on Friday.

Ukraine’s southern Odesa region came under a large-scale drone attack overnight, according to regional chief Oleh Kiper. The attack damaged energy infrastructure, he said. More than 90,000 people were without electricity on Friday morning, Deputy Energy Minister Roman Andarak said.

Ukraine’s air force said that Russia launched 80 drones across the country during the night.

Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Associated Press writer Stefanie Dazio in Berlin contributed to this report.

By REBECCA BOONE, Associated Press

The U.S. Justice Department is suing four more states as part of its effort to collect detailed voting data and other election information across the country.

The department filed federal lawsuits against Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Nevada on Thursday for “failing to produce statewide voter registration lists upon request.” So far, 18 states have been sued, along with Fulton County in Georgia, which was sued for records related to the 2020 election.

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The Trump administration has characterized the lawsuits as part of an effort to ensure the security of elections, and the Justice Department says the states are violating federal law by refusing to provide the voter lists and information about ineligible voters. The lawsuits have raised concerns among some Democratic officials and others who question exactly how the data will be used, and whether the department will follow privacy laws to protect the information. Some of the data sought includes names, dates of birth, residential addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.

“States have the statutory duty to preserve and protect their constituents from vote dilution,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a press release. “At this Department of Justice, we will not permit states to jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of elections by refusing to abide by our federal elections laws. If states will not fulfill their duty to protect the integrity of the ballot, we will.”

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said her office declined to provide unredacted voter data.

“We will not hand over Coloradans’ sensitive voting information to Donald Trump. He does not have a legal right to the information,” Griswold said Thursday after the lawsuit was filed. “I will continue to protect our elections and democracy, and look forward to winning this case.”

In a Sept. 22 letter to the Justice Department, Hawaii Deputy Solicitor General Thomas Hughes said state law requires that all personal information required on a voter registration district other than a voter’s full name, voting district or precinct and voter status, must be kept confidential. Hughes also said the federal law cited by the Justice Department doesn’t require states to turn over electronic registration lists, nor does it require states to turn over “uniquely or highly sensitive personal information” about voters.

An Associated Press tally found that the Justice Department has asked at least 26 states for voter registration rolls in recent months, and in many cases asked states for information on how they maintain their voter rolls. Other states being sued by the Justice Department include California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 on Thursday against turning over unredacted voter information to the Trump administration. The lone dissenter was Republican commissioner Robert Spindell, who warned that rejecting the request would invite a lawsuit. But other commissioners said it would be illegal under Wisconsin law to provide the voter roll information which includes the full names, dates of birth, residential addresses and driver’s license numbers of voters.

Associated Press reporter Scott Bauer contributed from Madison, Wisconsin.

By TIM REYNOLDS

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Russian athletes have told the International Luge Federation that they obtained visas and are coming to the U.S. for a World Cup race next weekend, a move that Ukrainian athletes believe is simply unfair.

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And it might not be long before Russians are competing on the bobsled and skeleton circuits again as well, with the federation that runs those sports releasing a list Friday of nine cleared athletes — two bobsledders and seven skeleton sliders.

The Russian luge team — about six athletes — is planning to compete in Lake Placid, New York, in an effort to boost fledgling hopes of qualifying for the Milan Cortina Olympics that are coming in February. Russia is not racing at this weekend’s World Cup luge competition in Park City, Utah, despite some claims from Russian officials in recent days that they would be there.

Russia has not seen its athletes compete in a World Cup luge race since that country invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago. The war rages on, and now Ukrainian athletes are bracing for the likelihood of crossing paths with Russians in competition. It’s of no consolation to the Ukrainian sliders that the Russians — if they arrive — will be competing as neutral athletes and not under their nation’s flag.

“They are not neutral,” Ukrainian luge athlete Anton Dukach said. “They support war.”

Dukach is Ukraine’s top Olympic hopeful in luge. He believes that, if he hadn’t made it into a shelter in time, he would have been killed two years ago when a Russian rocket hit his apartment. Some of his neighbors, he said, died in that attack.

He’s lost many friends and classmates in the war. He races with them in mind and cannot understand why Russians — who haven’t been allowed to compete in many sports because of the war — now have sliders and others being given a shot at making it to the Olympics.

The neutrality issue is paramount. Certain sports federations are preparing to let Russian athletes compete, but only after they are cleared in what is described as an independent review process to ensure that they have not publicly supported the war and are not affiliated with Russia’s military or other forces.

“Of course I don’t support this decision,” Dukach said. “The FIL and the (International Olympic Committee) said they are neutral, but I don’t think so. We have proof and we already sent evidence that they are not neutral.”

Russian sliders have been trying for several days, through an office in Kazakhstan, to get visas that would allow them to enter the U.S. The luge World Cups in the U.S. — this weekend in Park City, next weekend in Lake Placid — are part of a five-race Olympic qualifying series, which started with a competition at the Olympic venue in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy last month.

The Russians were allowed to compete there and crossed paths with the Ukrainians. It was not a World Cup event and wasn’t open to spectators. No Russian finished better than 19th there, which didn’t exactly get the Olympic quest off to a flying start.

U.S. luge athlete Ashley Farquharson said she found herself sitting a room at the track, getting ready to race when she noticed that the other sliders alongside her were Russians and Ukrainians.

“It was a little awkward,” Farquharson said. “I think they all felt the same way.”

The State Department generally doesn’t comment on individual visa situations and did not confirm that the Russian applications were approved. It did, however, offer this statement: “We are doing everything possible to support major international sporting events hosted by the United States without sacrificing our national security.”

Meanwhile, the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said the nine athletes — along with nine support staff such as coaches and a doctor — have been declared neutral and should be allowed to compete in certain women’s skeleton, men’s skeleton and women’s monobob events. They are not competing at Lillehammer, Norway, this weekend and could have up to four World Cup opportunities before the Olympics, with race weekends upcoming in Sigulda, Latvia; St. Moritz, Switzerland; Winterberg, Germany; and Altenberg, Germany.

As is the case with the luge athletes, the Russians in bobsled and skeleton will have a very tough time qualifying for the Olympics.

The IOC has indicated that it wants Russians to have the opportunity to compete as neutral athletes at the Milan Cortina Games. However, each sport’s own federation controls the qualifying events. In events like skiing, snowboarding, bobsled, skeleton and luge, governing bodies originally refused to allow any Russians to take part, then amended those decisions after appeals.

If the Russians get into a World Cup — or the Olympics — they would be competing as “Individual Neutral Athletes” and not under their homeland’s flag. And even if they compete in Lake Placid, the path to Olympic qualifying may still be very murky. The two remaining Olympic qualifying races after Lake Placid are in Latvia and Germany, and obtaining visas to enter those countries may be difficult for the Russians.

“I’ve always been proud to represent my country,” Dukach said. “It’s even more important now.”

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

By JON GAMBRELL

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has arrested Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, her supporters said Friday.

A foundation in her name said she was detained in Mashhad, some 680 kilometers (420 miles) northeast of the capital, Tehran, while attending a memorial for a human rights lawyer recently found dead under unclear circumstances.

A local official reportedly acknowledged arrests had been made, but did not directly name Mohammadi, 53. It wasn’t clear if authorities would immediately return her to prison, where she had been serving a sentence until her temporary release in December 2024 for medical purposes.

However, her detention comes as Iran has been cracking down on intellectuals and others as Tehran struggles with sanctions, an ailing economy and the fear of a renewed war with Israel. Arresting Mohammadi may spark increased pressure from the West at a time when Iran repeatedly signals it wants new negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program — something that has yet to happen.

This is a locator map for Iran with its capital, Tehran. (AP Photo)

Activist detained at ceremony for dead lawyer

Her supporters on Friday described her as having been “violently detained earlier today by security and police forces.” They said other activists had been arrested as well at a ceremony honoring Khosrow Alikordi, a 46-year-old Iranian lawyer and human rights advocate who had been based in Mashhad.

“The Narges Foundation calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained individuals who were attending a memorial ceremony to pay their respects and demonstrate solidarity,” a statement read. “Their arrest constitutes a serious violation of fundamental freedoms.”

Alikordi was found dead earlier this month in his office, with provincial officials in describing his death as a heart attack. However, a tightening security crackdown coincided with his death, raising questions. Over 80 lawyers signed a statement demanding more information.

“What we witnessed today is the Islamic Republic’s latest assault on the most basic human freedoms — where even mourning a slain lawyer becomes a punishable act,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran.

“When peaceful citizens cannot mourn without being beaten and dragged away, it reveals a government terrified of truth and accountability. It also reveals the extraordinary bravery of Iranians who refuse to surrender their dignity.”

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Footage purportedly of the ceremony showed Mohammadi with a microphone, calling out to the crowd gathered without wearing a hijab, or headscarf. She started the crowd chanting the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man whom authorities hanged from a crane in a public execution in 2022.

Footage published by her foundation also showed her without a hijab, surrounded by a large crowd.

Hasan Hosseini, the city governor of Mashhad, said prosecutors ordered security officials to temporarily detain a number of participants at the ceremony after the chanting of “norm-breaking” slogans, Iranian state television reported.

Hosseini described the detentions as preventive to protect those there from others in the crowd, but did not address claims that security forces used violence in making the arrests.

Other anti-government chants could be heard in purported video footage of the event.

Mohammadi had been on furlough for months

Supporters had warned for months that Mohammadi was at risk of being put back into prison after she received a furlough in December 2024 over medical concerns.

While that was to be only three weeks, Mohammadi’s time out of prison lengthened, possibly as activists and Western powers pushed Iran to keep her free. She remained out even during the 12-day war in June between Iran and Israel.

Mohammadi still kept up her activism with public protests and international media appearances, including even demonstrating at one point in front of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she had been held.

Mohammadi had been serving 13 years and nine months on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran’s government. She also had backed the nationwide protests sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, which have seen women openly defy the government by not wearing the hijab.

Mohammadi suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned before undergoing emergency surgery in 2022, her supporters say. Her lawyer in late 2024 revealed doctors had found a bone lesion that they feared could be cancerous that later was removed.

“Mohammadi’s doctors recently prescribed an extension of her medical leave for at least six more months to conduct thorough and regular medical examinations, including monitoring the bone lesion which was removed from her leg in November, physiotherapy sessions to recover from the surgery and specialized cardiac care,” the Free Narges Coalition said in late February 2025.

“The medical team overseeing Mohammadi’s health has warned that her return to prison — especially under stressful conditions of detention and without adequate medical facilities — could severely worsen her physical well-being.”

An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and convicted five. In total, she has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison. Her last incarceration began when she was detained in 2021 after attending a memorial for a person killed in nationwide protests.