Russia said on Tuesday that its troops have taken control over two villages in eastern Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned a major Russian strike after recent peace talks, urging Western allies to put more pressure on Russia.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its troops captured the villages of Prylipka in Kharkiv region and Andriivka in Dnipropetrovsk region, stating that Ukrainian forces lost 1,405 combatants.

Moscow launched a coordinated missile and drone bombardment on the morning of December 23, days after the U.S.-led peace talk in Miami. The overnight strike killed at least three people, including a 4-year-old child, and triggered emergency power outages across the country. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said energy infrastructure in western Ukraine was most severely damaged and some areas could be without power for days. 

"This Russian strike sends an extremely clear signal about Russia's priorities," Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post, condemning the attack. "An attack carried out essentially in the midst of negotiations aimed at ending this war."

According to Zelenskyy, the attack affected 13 regions and involved over 650 Shahed drones and 30 missiles. Ukraine's air force later confirmed most of the munitions were shot down by air defenses. The strikes also prompted Poland, a NATO member, to deploy aircraft after Russian munitions hit areas in western Ukraine near the Polish border.

Zelenskyy urged allies to increase support for Ukraine and reinforce pressure on Russia. "Putin still cannot accept that he must stop killing," he wrote. "And that means that the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia. Now is the time to respond."

On Monday, Zelenskyy warned of possible Russian attacks over the Christmas period, stating it is "in Russia's nature" to carry out strikes around December 23 to 25.

A car bombing that killed a Russian general in Moscow hours after the Miami talks may have provided grounds for escalation, though Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for targeted attacks on Russian officials.

While the Miami talks were described as "constructive," a proposed 20-point plan incorporating nearly 90 percent of Ukraine's demands was dismissed by the Kremlin. Divisions within the Western coalition were also noted, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban observed that while the U.S. prioritizes an immediate ceasefire, many EU leaders remain committed to a long-term strategy against Russia.

As Moscow intensifies strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, rising energy costs and the economic burden of the war have fueled domestic opposition in Europe to continued conflict.

(With input from Reuters)