Watch: Putin takes questions from Russian people in end-of-year phone-in

Watch as Russian president Vladimir Putin took calls from Russian people during an end-of-year phone-in on Thursday, 19 December, during the third winter of his Ukraine invasion.

The conference was held in Moscow opposite the Kremlin.

The Russian president was expected to talk about foreign relations, the economy, and the war in Ukraine.

It came as Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 45 Russian drones launched overnight.

Russia launched 85 drones to attack Ukraine overnight of which 40 “imitator drones” did not reach their targets and 45 other drones were shot down, the air force said.

The missile attack damaged apartment buildings and municipal property in Sumy and Dnirpopetrovsk regions, according to the statement.

In Russia, a fire burned at a Russian oil refinery in the Rostov region in what Russia said was an attack from Ukraine, video posted on Thursday showed.

Local governor Yuri Slyusar said Russian air defence systems repelled a Ukrainian attack in which 10 missiles were fired at the Rostov region.

Footage posted on social media showed the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery engulfed in flames.

It was the second time in six months that the facility had been hit.

Slyusar said emergency crews were dispatched to the fire and details on casualties were being clarified.