Work is under way to prepare proposals for a Russian nuclear test, Moscow has said, in what would be its first test of a nuclear weapon in 35 years.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that Vladimir Putin’s proposals for a nuclear test had been “accepted for implementation and is being worked on”.
The public will be informed of the results, he added according to Russian state news agency Tass.
The order was made in response to Donald Trump’s surprise announcement last week that the US would resume testing. Lavrov said Moscow had received no clarification from Washington regarding the order.
His comments came after Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with 450 drones and 45 missiles overnight, killing seven people across the country.
Three were killed and 12 wounded in an attack on an apartment building in Dnipro, three were killed in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, and one was killed in the northeastern Kharkiv region, prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said
Energy minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said emergency crews had stabilized the power grid, but warned consumers further power cuts were needed to allow work to proceed after the attacks.
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Embarrassment in Moscow as Ukraine’s daring strikes hit targets deep inside Russia
Key Points
- Moscow says proposals for Russian nuclear test being prepared
- At least seven killed in Ukraine after Russian drone barrage
- Russia launches 450 drones and 45 missiles on Ukraine's energy infrastructure
- Special report: Inside Ukraine’s start-up weapons industry rising from the ashes
- Analysis: Why talk of the fall of Pokrovsk – and Ukraine – is premature
Ukrainian energy company says Russian attacks on facility were largest
05:30 , Stuti MishraState-owned energy company Tsentrenergo said the attacks were the largest on its facilities since the start of the war in February 2022, and that it had halted operations at its plants in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions.
"The last strike was not even a month ago and the enemy has now struck all our generating capacity at the same time. The stations are on fire!" Tsentrenergo, which generates about 8 per cent of Ukraine's power, said in a statement.
"Our generation is now zero."
Russia has lost 1.15 million troops since invasion, says Ukraine
05:01 , Maira ButtUkraine’s General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces has reported that Russia has lost around 1,150,100 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion in February 2022, in new figures released on Saturday.
According to the report, Russia has lost 11,330 tanks, 23,544 armoured fighting vehicles and fuel tanks and 34,321 artillery systems during the conflict.
The figures include the loss of 1,538 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,239 air defense systems, 428 airplanes, 347 helicopters, 78,928 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
Ukraine's energy grid stabilised after Russian attacks
04:30 , Stuti MishraEnergy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said emergency crews had stabilised the power grid, but warned consumers that further power cuts were needed to allow work to proceed after the attacks.
"We are assessing the aftermath and coordinating what actions to take in order to find alternative power sources to ensure people get their power and heating back," Ms Hrynchuk said on national television.
News reports and unofficial social media accounts said blackouts persisted in at least two regions - Kharkiv in the northeast and Poltava in central Ukraine.
Russian soldier jailed for life after killing POW in landmark Ukraine war ruling
04:02 , Maira ButtThe case carries symbolic importance for the country, with suspects accused of executing Ukrainian soldiers usually out of its jurisdiction.
Criminal investigations are underway into the alleged murder of 322 Ukrainian servicemen who had unconditionally laid down their arms and/or surrendered since Russia invaded the country in February 2022, according to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission said in February that there had been an “alarming rise” in reported executions of Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia.
It is illegal under international humanitarian law to execute prisoners of war and the wounded, and such actions are regarded as war crimes.
Russian soldier jailed for life after killing POW in landmark Ukraine war ruling
Russian attacks target nuclear substations, kill seven, Ukraine says
03:34 , Stuti MishraRussia launched a barrage of drones and missiles in overnight attacks on Ukraine, targeting substations that supply two nuclear power plants and killing seven people, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday.
"Russia once again targeted substations that power the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear power plants," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.
"These were not accidental but well-planned strikes. Russia is deliberately endangering nuclear safety in Europe."
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched more than 450 drones and 45 missiles.
Ukraine to launch mass production of homegrown 'Shmavic' drone to replace Chinese DJI Mavic
03:00 , Maira ButtUkraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the start of mass production of a domestically made drone modelled after the Chinese DJI Mavic, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign drones used widely on the battlefield.
Ukraine’s new "Shmavic" drone is being produced by local firms and incorporates locally made components designed to resist Russian electronic warfare.
The move comes after China restricted DJI drone shipments to Ukraine, prompting Kyiv to accelerate domestic alternatives.
Ukraine claims to have hit major Russian oil refinery with drones
02:01 , Maira ButtUkrainian drones have reportedly struck a significant oil refinery in Russia's Volgograd region for the second time in less than three months, according to Kyiv's general staff.
The attack, which Ukraine claims occurred on Wednesday, targeted the largest producer of fuel and lubricants in Russia’s Southern Federal District.
Ukrainian officials estimate the refinery processes over 15 million tonnes of crude annually, accounting for approximately 5.6 per cent of the country’s total refining capacity.
Ukraine claims to have hit major Russian oil refinery with drones
The Nuclear Club: The 9 countries armed with nukes as US set to resume weapons testing
01:00 , Maira ButtThe United States is to resume nuclear weapons testing “immediately”, Donald Trump has announced, raising fears of renewed proliferation between the world’s two biggest stockpiles of atomic weaponry.
The American president has outwardly pursued a rapprochement in US-Russian relations since returning to the White House in January, but continued provocations from Moscow have pressed Washington to change its stance.
Between them, Russia and the US maintain 87 per cent of the world’s total inventory of nuclear weapons, a hangover from the arms race of the Cold War. Many are earmarked for disassembly, though remain relatively intact.
The 9 countries with nuclear weapons as US set to resume testing after 30 years
Ukraine to scale up development of drones, says Zelensky after new military appointment
00:03 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has approved the appointment of a Commander of Unmanned Air Defense Systems to “scale up the development of the unmanned component within the Air Force”, the Ukrainian leader wrote in a post on X/Twitter on Friday.
A corresponding order has been signed by Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal. The new commander, Yurii Cherevashenko, helped create the first group of mobile rapid-response air-defense brigades and has worked on interceptor drones, Zelensky said.
“At the Staff meeting, we approved numerous tasks for the new commander, with emphasis on actively integrating unmanned systems – in particular, interceptor drones – and strengthening our air defense capabilities with advanced armaments,” he wrote.
Ukraine claims soldiers from African countries are fighting for Russia’s ‘meat assaults’
23:00 , Maira ButtMore than 1,400 citizens from 36 African nations are reportedly fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, Kyiv's foreign minister revealed on Friday.
Ukrainian officials claim Russia is actively seeking to augment its invading army by recruiting individuals from various countries, often employing deceptive tactics.
Andriy Sybiha warned that Russia is luring Africans into contracts he described as “equivalent to ... a death sentence,” urging African governments to issue warnings to their populations.
Ukraine claims soldiers from African countries are fighting Russia’s ‘meat assaults’
Putin promotes defence minister to security council
22:00 , Maira ButtPresident Vladimir Putin has issued a Presidential decree to appoint one of Russia’s deputy defence ministers, Andrei Bulyga, to the position of deputy secretary of the country’s powerful security council, according to state news agencies.
Bulyga has been a deputy defence minister since last year.
It is also reported that Colonel-General Alexander Sanchik, serving as commander of Russia's southern military district, has been appointed deputy defence minister, to replace Bulyga.
Moscow says proposals for Russian nuclear test being prepared
21:42 , Alex CroftRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that work is under way on Vladimir Putin's order to prepare proposals for a possible Russian nuclear test, state news agency Tass reported.
According to Tass, Lavrov said: "Regarding President Vladimir Putin's instruction at the Security Council meeting on November 5, it has been accepted for implementation and is being worked on. The public will be informed of the results."
The order was in response to Donald Trump's surprise announcement last week that the US would resume testing.
Lavrov said Russia had received no clarification from the US regarding Trump's order.
Russia-US relations have deteriorated sharply in the past few weeks as Trump, frustrated with a lack of progress towards ending the war in Ukraine, has cancelled a planned summit with Putin and imposed sanctions on Russia for the first time since returning to the White House in January.
Power cut in Ukraine after Russian attack
21:35 , Maira ButtRussia launched a large-scale missile and drone strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Friday, triggering emergency power outages in multiple regions as winter approaches.
“The enemy is massively attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure again. Because of this, emergency power outages have been introduced in a number of regions of Ukraine,” Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk wrote on Facebook, without specifying affected areas. She added, “Despite the enemy’s plans, Ukraine will have light and heat this winter.”
Authorities reported strikes on critical facilities in Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipro, with fires and extensive damage recorded. Recent Russian barrages have knocked out more than half of Ukraine’s gas production and damaged key sites that supply most of the nation’s heating fuel, raising the risk of heating outages for millions of civilians.
At least seven killed in Russian missile and drone barrage
21:22 , Alex CroftRussia launched a barrage of drones and missiles in overnight attacks on Ukraine, killing seven people and damaging large energy infrastructure facilities in three regions, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched more than 450 drones and 45 missiles.
Three people were killed and 12 wounded in the city of Dnipro when a drone hit an apartment building.
Three more were killed in southeastern Zaporizhzhia region and one in Kharkiv region farther north, regional officials said. Energy facilities in the Kyiv, Poltava and Kharkiv regions were damaged, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
Energy minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said emergency crews had stabilized the power grid, but warned consumers further power cuts were needed to allow work to proceed after the attacks.
Analysis: Why talk of the fall of Pokrovsk – and Ukraine – is premature
21:02 , Maira ButtRecently returned from the front lines near Povrosk, eastern Ukraine, world affairs editor Sam Kiley explains that Russian claims that they have encircled Ukrainian forces are bogus.
Why talk of the fall of Pokrovsk – and Ukraine – is premature
Inside the year long battle for Pokrovsk as Russia closes in on key Ukrainian city
20:30 , Maira ButtRussian forces have advanced into the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, Moscow has said, as it hunts for its most significant territorial gain in nearly two years.
Around 100,000 Russian troops are circling Pokrovsk, a city that Russia has been trying to capture for over a year, located in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region that Vladimir Putin has long sought full Russian control over.
Kyiv’s military says it is pushing back forcefully, but battlefield maps show Russian forces are edging forward. A military analyst has warned that Ukraine will soon be forced to make a decision on whether to pull troops from Myrnohrad, a nearby town close to being encircled by Russian forces.
Alex Croft reports:
Inside the year long battle for Pokrovsk as Russia closes in on key Ukrainian city
Russia captures tiny village in eastern Ukraine amid fight for Pokrovsk
20:00 , Maira ButtRussia said it continues to advance in house-by-house fighting in the strategic town of Pokrovsk where the battle with Ukraine has intensified in recent days.
The tiny village of Vovche in eastern Ukraine was captured on Saturday, according to the defence ministry’s Telegram account. Its inhabitants are said to be 13 people, according to census data from 2001.
In photos: Satellite images show scale of destruction in Ukraine's Pokrovsk
19:30 , Maira ButtAs fighting intensifies in Pokrovsk, satellite images show the scale of the destruction wrought on the region amid the battle.
US 'backs EU using frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine'
19:03 , Maira ButtThe US supports the EU mobilising frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine in order to help end the war, a US source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Friday.
Putin ‘sidelines’ Russia’s veteran foreign minister after ‘blaming him for collapse of Trump summit’
18:30 , Maira ButtVladimir Putin has deliberately sidelined his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov amid claims that he torpedoed a summit with Donald Trump, according to a report.
Lavrov was “deliberately absent” from a meeting of Russia’s security council on proposals to resume nuclear testing on Wednesday, a source told Russian outlet Kommersant.
The veteran minister, 75, was also cast aside as head of the Russian delegation for the G20 summit later this month and replaced by Putin’s deputy chief of staff, Maxim Oreshkin.
James C Reynolds reports:
Putin ‘sidelines’ foreign minister after ‘blaming him for collapse of Trump summit’
Ukraine military using video game-style reward system earning points killing Russians with drones
18:00 , Maira ButtUkraine’s military units are competing with each other by launching deadly drone attacks to earn points that can be used to buy more weapons.
The video game-style rewards system is proving to be very popular, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister said, with hundreds of units participating. Launched a year ago, it is now being expanded to reconnaissance, artillery and logistics operations, according to reports.
Bryony Gooch reports:
Ukraine military using video game-style reward system to earn new weapons with points
Watch: Inside Ukraine’s start-up weapons industry rising from the ashes
17:30 , Maira ButtNaive, self-sabotaging and riddled with Moscow’s agents, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons and an arms industry that produced a third of the Soviet Union’s supply, trusted the West and the Kremlin to protect it, and was left fighting for its life.
Now, 30 years on, the start-up nation redefining how war is fought has been forced into a bodge-and-make-do world of arms production, fusing old technology with IT know-how to break the bonds its allies tied to make Kyiv fight one-handed.
The Independent’s World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley reports:
Commander charged with negligence after Russia hit award ceremony in Ukraine
17:00 , Maira ButtA Ukrainian commander has been charged with negligence after holding an awards ceremony for soldiers in Dnipropetrovsk despite a ban, according to the Kyiv Independent.
The gathering was hit by a Russian strike that killed 12 servicemen and seven civilians. The prosecutor general’s office said 36 others had been injured in the attack.
The incident took place on 1 November, and was not stopped despite a prohibition on such gatherings, according to the State Bureau of Investigation.
If found guilty, the commander could face up to eight years in prison.
President Zelensky pays tribute to Ukraine's 'incredibly brave' paratroopers
16:30 , Maira Butt“Today, we mark the Day of our Airborne Assault Forces – a day to honor our incredibly brave and exceptionally strong people, those always on the toughest fronts,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in a post on X/Twitter on Saturday.
“Ukrainian paratroopers defend our independence and hold our positions in the most critical battles and operations. I thank every warrior of the Airborne Assault Forces for their service, and I thank all those who prove themselves in combat while also supporting their brothers and sisters-in-arms in learning to be effective, to take care of themselves, and to accomplish their combat missions.”
Today, we mark the Day of our Airborne Assault Forces – a day to honor our incredibly brave and exceptionally strong people, those always on the toughest fronts. Ukrainian paratroopers defend our independence and hold our positions in the most critical battles and operations. I… pic.twitter.com/SXnJUysWKX
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 8, 2025
Analysis: Viktor Orban is back in the White House again – doing Putin’s dirty work for him
16:00 , Maira ButtGiven that the two leaders are on opposite sides of a strategic argument that is killing people and shaping the world – an issue that could undermine European cohesion in the face of Russian aggression – a meeting between Donald Trump and Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban should be an incendiary moment.
But the cold water of their mutual admiration for Vladimir Putin means that no fireworks can ignite in the Oval Office.
The Independent’s World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley reports:
A major EU leader is back in the White House to do Putin’s dirty work for him
Ukraine neutralised over 400 Russian drones in overnight attack, says Zelensky
15:27 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine’s forces were able to neutralise over 400 drones after Russia engaged in a massive overnight strike, largely affecting the country’s energy facilities.
“Over the course of the night, Ukraine’s Defense Forces neutralized more than 400 drones, which is a significant result – achieved by our unmanned systems units, army aviation, and mobile fire groups,” he wrote in a post on X/Twitter.
“Electronic warfare did its job. Some of the missiles were also shot down – although, of course, it is extremely difficult to counter ballistic and aeroballistic missiles. Only a few systems in the world are capable of intercepting such missiles effectively – and to protect our entire territory, we need far more of these systems and the missiles for them.”
He added that Ukraine was working with the US to purchase additional Patriots and is “very much counting on the support”.
Over the course of the night, Ukraine’s Defense Forces neutralized more than 400 drones, which is a significant result – achieved by our unmanned systems units, army aviation, and mobile fire groups. Electronic warfare did its job.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 8, 2025
Some of the missiles were also shot down –… pic.twitter.com/hTFVM2SvIK
Russia's foreign minister Lavrov says work is underway on nuclear tests preparation
14:50 , Maira ButtSergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister has said that work is underway to prepare proposals for possible Russian nuclear tests, according to TASS.
President Vladimir Putin ordered preparations to be made to pave the way for nuclear testing by Russia, after President Donald Trump ordered the US military to resume nuclear tests last month.
Lavrov said that Russia had received no clarification from the US on the status of these tests.
Fears Pokrovsk will fall ‘within weeks’ as Ukraine sends in its elite units
14:20 , Maira ButtThe battle for Pokrovsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region has reached a pivotal stage, with Russian and Ukrainian forces locked in intense combat, even vying for control of individual residential buildings, according to soldiers and analysts.
This fierce fighting on the ground also underpins a crucial diplomatic struggle, as both Moscow and Kyiv seek to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump of their military advantage and the opposing side's weakness.
Fears Pokrovsk will fall ‘within weeks’ as Ukraine sends in its elite units
Analysis: Why talk of the fall of Pokrovsk – and Ukraine – is premature
13:45 , Maira ButtRecently returned from the front lines near Povrosk, eastern Ukraine, world affairs editor Sam Kiley explains that Russian claims that they have encircled Ukrainian forces are bogus.
Why talk of the fall of Pokrovsk – and Ukraine – is premature
In pictures: The aftermath of Russian overnight attacks in Ukraine that killed three
13:15 , Maira ButtUkrainian rescuers work at the site of a heavily damaged residential building following an air attack in Dnipro, in photos released by the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration on Saturday.
Two people were killed and power cuts affected several regions.
Three people killed in attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities
12:45 , Maira ButtRussian attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities have killed at least three people, according to Ukrainian officials.
The strikes hit large energy infrastructure facilities in three regions.
Two people were killed and 12 wounded in the city of Dnipro when a drone hit an apartment building, while one person was killed in the region of Kharkiv, according to regional officials.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched more than 450 drones and 45 missiles.
Putin promotes defence minister to security council
12:15 , Maira ButtPresident Vladimir Putin has issued a Presidential decree to appoint one of Russia’s deputy defence ministers, Andrei Bulyga, to the position of deputy secretary of the country’s powerful security council, according to state news agencies.
Bulyga has been a deputy defence minister since last year.
It is also reported that Colonel-General Alexander Sanchik, serving as commander of Russia's southern military district, has been appointed deputy defence minister, to replace Bulyga.
Moment 11-year-old girl bravely confronts Putin after uncle injured in war
11:45 , Maira ButtLucy Leeson reports:
This is the moment an 11-year-old girl bravely confronts Vladimir Putin about her uncle injured in the war with Ukraine.
The child approached Putin at Russia’s Unity Day service on Tuesday (4 November), telling him how her uncle suffered an injury to the arm that went untreated in hospital before being sent back to fight.
She said “My uncle is currently at the front, he was wounded in the arm. He was in the hospital, they weren't treating him, and now they're sending him on a mission, and I would like him to be transferred to a good hospital in Russia.”
Putin replies: “We’ll find him, ok?”
Kremlin dismisses rumours of rift between Putin and Lavrov
11:15 , Maira ButtKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed speculation of a split between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin after the collapse of a highly-anticipated summit between the Russian leader and US President Donald Trump.
The meeting, to be held in Budapest, was postponed after Lavrov is said to have refused to budge rom a hardline position on Ukraine during a call with US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
Peskov said such suggestions "do not correspond to reality" and Lavrov remained focused on his duties as foreign minister.
Russian soldier jailed for life after killing POW in landmark Ukraine war ruling
10:43 , Maira ButtUkraine has sentenced a Russian soldier to life in prison for killing a Ukrainian prisoner of war in a landmark first ruling for the country.
Dmitry Kurashov, 27, was found guilty of fatally shooting Vitalii Hodniuk, a 41-year-old veteran Ukrainian soldier who surrendered when his dugout was captured by Russian forces in January 2024.
Kurashov told Reuters that he did not plan to appeal the decision after the sentencing was handed down at the court in the city of Zaporizhzhia.
Russian soldier jailed for life after killing POW in landmark Ukraine war ruling
Ukraine claims soldiers from African countries are fighting for Russia’s ‘meat assaults’
09:50 , Maira ButtMore than 1,400 citizens from 36 African nations are reportedly fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, Kyiv's foreign minister revealed on Friday.
Ukrainian officials claim Russia is actively seeking to augment its invading army by recruiting individuals from various countries, often employing deceptive tactics.
Andriy Sybiha warned that Russia is luring Africans into contracts he described as “equivalent to ... a death sentence,” urging African governments to issue warnings to their populations.
Ukraine claims soldiers from African countries are fighting Russia’s ‘meat assaults’
Russian strikes on Ukraine damage several large energy facilities
09:34 , Maira ButtPrime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has said that Russian strikes have damaged several large energy facilities in the central Kyiv and Poltava regions and in the Kharkiv region in the northeast.
“The enemy has again deliberately targeted energy infrastructure,” Svyrydenko said on the Telegram app on Saturday.
Efforts are underway to fix the damage and restore electricity supplies.
Russia has lost 1.15 million troops since invasion, says Ukraine
08:50 , Maira ButtUkraine’s General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces has reported that Russia has lost around 1,150,100 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion in February 2022, in new figures released on Saturday.
According to the report, Russia has lost 11,330 tanks, 23,544 armoured fighting vehicles and fuel tanks and 34,321 artillery systems during the conflict.
The figures include the loss of 1,538 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,239 air defense systems, 428 airplanes, 347 helicopters, 78,928 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
Watch: How Ukraine and Russia are playing out a deadly cat and mouse drone war from underground bunkers
08:41 , Maira ButtThe Independent’s World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley reports from Ukraine:
Russia launches 450 drones and 45 missiles on Ukraine's energy infrastructure
08:34 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Russia launched 450 drones and 45 missiles in overnight attacks targeting the energy sector and other infrastructure.
Russian regional governor Georgy Filimonov said that three Ukrainian drones hit an electricity substation in the northern Russian region of Vologda overnight.
Zelensky reiterated his call for allies to introduce stronger sanctions against the Russian energy sector.
Ukraine to scale up development of drones, says Zelensky after new military appointment
08:15 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has approved the appointment of a Commander of Unmanned Air Defense Systems to “scale up the development of the unmanned component within the Air Force”, the Ukrainian leader wrote in a post on X/Twitter on Friday.
A corresponding order has been signed by Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal. The new commander, Yurii Cherevashenko, helped create the first group of mobile rapid-response air-defense brigades and has worked on interceptor drones, Zelensky said.
“At the Staff meeting, we approved numerous tasks for the new commander, with emphasis on actively integrating unmanned systems – in particular, interceptor drones – and strengthening our air defense capabilities with advanced armaments,” he wrote.
Nato chief has 'absolute confidence' in alliance's defence capabilities in face of Russian threats
07:43 , Maira ButtNato chief Mark Rutte has said that the success of the alliance’s annual nuclear exercise earlier this month, has given him “absolute confidence in the credibility of NATO's nuclear deterrence” in the face of Russian threats.
“When Russia is using dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric, our populations must know that there is no need to panic, because Nato has a strong nuclear deterrent,” he said, according to German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
“And (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must know that nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought.”
In Focus: Inside Ukraine’s start-up weapons industry rising from the ashes
07:18 , Maira ButtNaive, self-sabotaging and riddled with Moscow’s agents, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons and an arms industry that produced a third of the Soviet Union’s supply, trusted the West and the Kremlin to protect it - and was left fighting for its life.
Now, thirty years on, the start-up nation redefining how war is fought has been forced into a bodge-and-make-do world of arms production, fusing old technology with IT know-how to break the bonds its allies tied to make Kyiv fight one-handed.
The latest innovation is a cruise missile with a range of 3,000km, a maximum speed of 900km/h and a payload of over a tonne which has been used in strikes deep into Russian territory.
The Independent’s foreign correspondent Sam Kiley reports:
Inside Ukraine’s start-up weapons industry rising from the ashes
Russia launches fresh wave of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine
07:15 , Stuti MishraRussia launched another overnight assault on Friday, firing hypersonic, cruise and ballistic missiles at cities across Ukraine, officials said.
Air raid alerts rang out as explosions were reported in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Kremenchuk, with strikes also hitting parts of Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Sumy and Odesa oblasts.
In the capital, blasts were heard around 4.30am local time (2.30am GMT), as air defences intercepted incoming drones. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said debris caused a fire in the Pechersky district, where four trucks and two buildings were damaged before the blaze was contained.
Power cut in Ukraine after Russian attack
07:00 , Stuti MishraRussia launched a large-scale missile and drone strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Friday, triggering emergency power outages in multiple regions as winter approaches.
“The enemy is massively attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure again. Because of this, emergency power outages have been introduced in a number of regions of Ukraine,” Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk wrote on Facebook, without specifying affected areas. She added, “Despite the enemy’s plans, Ukraine will have light and heat this winter.”
Authorities reported strikes on critical facilities in Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipro, with fires and extensive damage recorded. Recent Russian barrages have knocked out more than half of Ukraine’s gas production and damaged key sites that supply most of the nation’s heating fuel, raising the risk of heating outages for millions of civilians.
Ukraine to launch mass production of homegrown 'Shmavic' drone to replace Chinese DJI Mavic
06:15 , Stuti MishraUkraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the start of mass production of a domestically made drone modelled after the Chinese DJI Mavic, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign drones used widely on the battlefield.
Ukraine’s new "Shmavic" drone is being produced by local firms and incorporates locally made components designed to resist Russian electronic warfare.
The move comes after China restricted DJI drone shipments to Ukraine, prompting Kyiv to accelerate domestic alternatives.
ICYMI: US grants Hungary exemption on Russia sanctions after warm Trump-Orban meeting
05:36 , Stuti MishraThe United States has granted Hungary a one-year exemption from US sanctions for using Russian oil and gas, a White House official said on Friday, after Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban pressed his case for a reprieve during a friendly meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington.
Last month, Mr Trump imposed Ukraine-related sanctions on Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft that carried the threat of further sanctions on entities in countries that buy oil from those firms.
Mr Orban, a long-time Trump ally, met with Mr Trump at the White House on Friday for their first bilateral meeting since the Republican returned to power and explained why his country needed to use Russian oil at a time when Trump has been pressing Europe to stop doing so.
Mr Orban said the issue was vital for Hungary, which is a European country, and pledged to lay out "the consequences for the Hungarian people, and for the Hungarian economy, not to get oil and gas from Russia."
Mr Trump, aiming to put pressure on Moscow to end its war with Ukraine, appeared sympathetic to Mr Orban's position.
"We're looking at it, because it's very different for him to get the oil and gas from other areas," Mr Trump said. "As you know, they don't have ... the advantage of having sea. It's a great country, it's a big country, but they don't have sea. They don't have the ports."
"But many European countries are buying oil and gas from Russia, and they have been for years," Mr Trump added. "And I said, 'What's that all about?'"
Fears Pokrovsk will fall ‘within weeks’ as Ukraine sends in its elite units
05:00 , Stuti MishraThe battle for Pokrovsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region has reached a pivotal stage, with Russian and Ukrainian forces locked in intense combat, according to soldiers and analysts.
Russia says its forces have encircled Pokrovsk and successfully thwarted Ukrainian attempts to re-establish supply lines.
Ukraine refutes claims of a blockade, stating that fighting continues and its forces are inflicting significant casualties on the Russians.
Read the full story:
Fears Pokrovsk will fall ‘within weeks’ as Ukraine sends in its elite units
NATO's Rutte says nuclear drills showed alliance has strong deterrent
04:30 , Stuti MishraNATO chief Mark Rutte said the success earlier this month of the military alliance's annual nuclear exercise gave him "absolute confidence in the credibility of NATO's nuclear deterrence" in the face of Russian threats.
"When Russia is using dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric, our populations must know that there is no need to panic, because NATO has a strong nuclear deterrent," he was quoted as saying by German weekly Welt am Sonntag.
"And (Russian president Vladimir) Putin must know that nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought.
Mr Putin has repeatedly warned the West of potential nuclear consequences since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
He declared last month that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it was struck with conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any assault on it supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack.