Just three days before US President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, Russia and Iran are set to finally sign a “comprehensive partnership agreement,” a deal that’s been in the works for months.

Russian President Vladimir Putin began talks with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, at a summit on Friday to sign a new pact, as the two countries brace for the return of US President-elect Donald Trump to the White House.

The Kremlin has been accused of a series of attacks abroad in recent years, including shooting down a passenger plane in Azerbaijani and cutting underwater cables in the Baltic Sea

Ukraine's air defenses worked to repel a Russian drone assault, with debris reported in five districts of Kyiv.

Air defences were engaged in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv on Thursday to repel a Russian drone attack, officials said, and Reuters witness reported explosions in the city while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was visiting.

Gunfire erupts near presidential palace before Starmer and Zelenskyy are due to hold press conference