LIVE UPDATES: White House Says Cannot Confirm Reports of US Sending Patriot Missiles to Ukraine

Nebenzya also said that the majority of countries will benefit from a multi-polar United Nations-centric world, where all decisions are based on mutual respect and discussions take place without blackmail and attempts of domination by a world hegemon.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kiev said that it had secured the release of US citizen Suedi Murekezi in its latest prisoner swap with Russia.

"When it's ready to announce and speak to the details, we'll certainly do that," Kirby told a press conference.

Kirby added that he expects the fighting in Ukraine to continue for "some time."

Italy will allocate 10 million euros ($10.6 million) in aid for the Ukrainian civilian population, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday.

"[At the Paris donor conference] we were talking about providing assistance to the civilian population. Italy has decided to allocate another 10 million euros," Tajani said in parliament on the sidelines of an event on the Sakharov Prize.

The minister added that Italy had already sent more than 50 tonnes of electrical equipment to Ukraine.

The Paris donor conference for Ukraine took place on Tuesday and raised about $1 billion, according to the French Foreign Ministry.

In November the Italian government promised to provide Ukraine with technological assistance in restoring the work of its power grids ahead of winter in order to ensure that the cold period did not become a tragedy for the Ukrainian people.

"Everything depends on the choice of citizens, on the decision of people. The primary task is to protect people in the LPR [Lugansk People’s Republic] and DPR. We see a difficult situation in Donetsk and, of course, the military is focusing on it first of all, the special military operation continues," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Additionally, over 900 civilian objects were damaged in the LPR by strikes of US HIMARS systems delivered to Ukraine, the office added.

If delivered to Ukraine, these systems will become a legitimate target for the Russian armed forces, the official added.

A female citizen of the city of Gorlovka has been killed during Ukraine's shelling, Ivan Prikhodko, the mayor of the city, said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Prikhodko said that the woman was wounded in the village of the Rumyantsevo mine in the Kalininsky district of Gorlovka.

"Unfortunately, the resident of the village of the Rumyantsevo mine... who was wounded as a result of Ukrainian armed aggression, died from injuries incompatible with life," Prikhodko said on Telegram.

Earlier on Wednesday, the mayor said that a school in the village has been damaged by a direct hit during shelling by the Ukrainian military.