Donald Trump has said that Vladimir Putin “fears the US” but not Europe in his latest attack on Washington’s closest allies.
In comments likely to cause concern in Europe, the US president said that a mission to capture the Russian President, mirroring the operation to seize Nicolas Maduro, would “not be necessary”.
Trump told reporters: “Putin is not afraid of Europe. He's afraid of the United States of America as led by me. There's no fear of Europe.”
He also repeated claims that Europe had “fallen behind”, with areas that were “not recognisable” due to immigration. Trump and his MAGA allies have frequently backed far-right parties in Europe.
His remarks come as Russia launched its new hypersonic ballistic Oreshnik missile at Ukraine, striking a city just 60 miles from the Nato border of Poland.
Moscow has claimed it was fired in response to an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on one of Vladimir Putin’s residences, a strike which Kyiv says never happened. Europe has also condemned Russia’s latest attack as a “clear escalation” and warned it was an attempt to “instil fear”.
An overnight Russian drone and missile bombardment on Friday left nearly 6,000 apartment buildings without heat in Kyiv and killed at least four people, with more than 20 others wounded, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Read MoreUkraine’s drones set fire to Russian oil depot after Putin’s Oreshnik missile attack
Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble
What you need to know about Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile
Key Points
- Trump rules out capturing Putin
- Trump says Putin 'fears the US but not Europe'
- Russia uses hypersonic missile in major Ukraine attack
- Europe's leaders condemn Russia's bombardment of Ukraine as 'escalatory and unacceptable'
- UK allocates £200m to prepare for possible Ukraine deployment
Ukraine ‘treating Russia’s hypersonic missile strike as a war crime’ after attack near EU border
19:31 , Tara CobhamUkraine's SBU is treating Russia's overnight Oreshnik missile strike on the western Lviv region as a war crime, alleging it targeted critical infrastructure near the EU border.
Russia stated the Lviv attack was in retaliation for an alleged drone attack on a Vladimir Putin residence, a claim Kyiv has denied.
This marks the second deployment of the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile, which possesses nuclear capabilities and is noted for its high velocity, making it difficult to intercept.
Read more here:
Ukraine ‘treating Russia’s hypersonic missile strike as a war crime’
Watch: Zelensky warns Russia is 'betting on winter warfare' as new attack looms
18:45 , Tara CobhamRussia's attack caused 'significant civilian casualties' in Ukraine, UN says
18:00 , Tara CobhamRussia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, according to Ukrainian officials, killing at least four people in the capital. For only the second time in the nearly 4-year-old war, it used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv's NATO allies.
The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further Moscow aggression if a US-led peace deal is struck.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said Friday's attacks "have resulted in significant civilian casualties and deprived millions of Ukrainians of essential services, including electricity, heating and water at a time of acute humanitarian need."
What you need to know about Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile
17:15 , Tara CobhamThe Russian military said it had fired its hypersonic Oreshnik missile at a target in Ukraine in response to what it described as an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences, something Kyiv has called a lie.
It is the second time that Russia has used the intermediate-range Oreshnik, a missile which President Vladimir Putin has boasted is impossible to intercept because of its reported velocity of more than 10 times the speed of sound.
The missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads as well as conventional ones, but there was no suggestion that the one used in the overnight attack had been fitted with anything other than a conventional warhead.
Read more here:
What you need to know about Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile
Watch: UK defence secretary admonishes Putin for 'brutal' drone attacks on Ukraine
16:30 , Tara CobhamUkraine says UN Security Council will hold emergency meeting on latest Russian strike
16:01 , Tara CobhamUkraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Saturday the UN Security Council would hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss Russia's latest large-scale attack on Ukraine, which used an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile.
"The meeting will address Russia‘s flagrant breaches of the UN Charter," Sybiha wrote on X.
Zelensky says Ukraine's top negotiator spoke with US on Saturday
15:48 , Tara CobhamUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine's lead negotiator Rustem Umerov spoke with representatives of the United States on Saturday as Kyiv and Washington seek to agree on a framework to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
"We continue to communicate with the American side on practically a daily basis," Zelensky wrote on the Telegram app.
Full story: Ukrainian drones set fire to Russian oil depot after Moscow launches new hypersonic missile
15:00 , Tara CobhamA Ukrainian drone strike sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s southern Volgograd region, regional authorities said on Saturday.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, the regional governor was quoted as saying in a Telegram post published on the channel of the local administration. The post did not specify the damage, but said that people living near the depot may have to be evacuated.
Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion. Russia wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid, seeking to deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv officials say is an attempt to “weaponize winter.”
Read the full story here:
Ukrainian drones set fire to Russian oil depot after Moscow launches new hypersonic missile
Zelensky 'says Ukraine discussing possible free-trade deal with US'
14:30 , Tara CobhamVolodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine is discussing a possible free-trade deal with the US, according to reports.
Speaking to Bloomberg on Friday, the Ukrainian president said his country would have “very serious cards” if such a deal were to be agreed, with tariff-free trade with the US being discussed.
Zelensky added that he has not yet spoken with Donald Trump directly about the agreement, but that he should be meeting with the US president in America or at the upcoming Davos conference in Switzerland.
Ukraine drone strike causes fire at oil depot in Russia's Volgograd region
14:02 , Tara CobhamA drone strike by Ukraine caused a fire at an oil depot in the Oktyabrskiy district in the southern part of Russia's Volgograd region, regional authorities said on Saturday.
Governor Andrei Bocharov was quoted as saying in a post on his administration's Telegram channel that there had been no casualties reported so far, but that people living nearby may have to be evacuated.
Ukraine's military said on Saturday it had struck the Zhutovskaya oil depot overnight.
Ukraine has been targeting Russia's energy infrastructure in recent months, aiming to cut off Moscow's ability to finance its military campaign against Kyiv.
Russia's Defence Ministry on Saturday said its air defences had downed 67 Ukrainian drones as of 0600 GMT.
Comment: Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble
13:30 , Tara CobhamShortly before Christmas, the new chief of MI6, Blaise Metreweli, made her first public speech since taking charge. She chose as her subject the multifaceted threat posed by Russia, warning of the growing danger from Vladimir Putin’s regime. “We are operating in a space between peace and war,” she said.
The recently appointed “C” said “the front line is everywhere”, explaining that Putin is provoking a new “age of uncertainty” by busily rewriting the unwritten rules of conflict. “The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in the Russian approach to international engagement,” said Metreweli.
This week has seen the cementing of the axis between the UK, France and Germany with the promise of troops on the ground to monitor peace in Ukraine, a move that is bound to antagonise Putin. Concerns about Russian retaliation are growing still further following the boarding of a tanker in Russia’s “shadow fleet” by US forces off the British coast. The involvement of the Royal Navy will have been noticed and noted in Moscow. The hostility continues to ramp up in intensity.
Chris Blackhurst writes:
Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble
Kyiv scrambles to repair ruined power grid after Russian attack
13:00 , Tara CobhamKyiv's water and heating systems were back on after being briefly shut down amid intense cold on Saturday, as engineers scrambled to stabilise a power grid brought to the brink by a campaign of Russian strikes, including one two nights ago.
Russia has regularly conducted intense bombardments of Ukraine's energy system since it invaded its neighbour in 2022, causing multi-hour daily blackouts in major cities.
Heat and water infrastructure have also been heavily affected in recent weeks, an increasing concern with temperatures already below minus 10C, and set to plunge further in the coming week.
The city administration said around noon local time (1000 GMT) on Saturday that the state grid operator Ukrenergo had ordered the city's power system to be shut down, and that the water and heating systems, as well as electrified public transport, would also stop working as a result.
Less than an hour later, Ukrenergo said engineers had managed to remedy the immediate issue, which had been caused by damage from previous Russian strikes, and that power was coming back online in parts of Kyiv.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the heating system, which in Ukrainian cities is centralised and pumps hot water to homes in pipes, was also coming back on, and that she expected heat supply to be fully restored on Saturday.
However, she said that the power situation in the capital was still difficult, as the grid was badly damaged and people were using more electric heaters because of the cold.
On Friday, about 6,000 of Kyiv's apartment blocks were left without heating after the latest Russian missile and drone attack, as bitter cold set in.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said half of those blocks had heat supply restored by Saturday before it was shut off again due to the power grid problem.
UK allocates £200m to prepare for possible Ukraine deployment
12:30 , Tara CobhamThe US has said it is allocating £200million to fund preparations for the possible deployment of troops to Ukraine, after pledging its soldiers this week to a multinational force for the country in the event of a ceasefire.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday agreed a declaration of intent at a summit of the "coalition of the willing" of Ukraine's allies, outlining a potential future deployment.
Visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday, British defence minister John Healey said the money would be spent on upgrading vehicles and communication systems and counter-drone protection, as well as ensuring troops are ready to deploy.
Britain made the announcement hours after Russia fired a powerful hypersonic missile, in what Kyiv's European allies described as an attempt to intimidate them from supporting Ukraine.
Macron has said France could send thousands of troops to the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNFU), aimed at firming up security guarantees to reassure Kyiv. Britain has not said how many troops it would send; Starmer said on Wednesday Britain's plans were still being finalised.
Healey said the funding announcement for the MNFU showed the government was "surging investment" into preparations for Ukraine.
"This capital spending is being funded from the core defence budget and sends a clear signal to allies and adversaries of the UK‘s intent to lead the MNFU, (and) fulfil our promises to secure the peace in Ukraine," the statement from the Ministry of Defence said.
Healey also told Zelensky that production of Octopus interceptor drones, based on a Ukrainian design but made in Britain, would start in January. Britain will send thousands of them back to Ukraine each month to help the country defend itself against Russian drone attacks.
Trump rules out capturing Putin
12:03 , Tara CobhamDonald Trump has ruled out capturing Vladimir Putin.
While speaking to reporters on Friday evening, the US president was asked: “Would you ever order a mission to go and capture Vladimir Putin?”
He replied: “I don’t think it’s going to be necessary. I’ve always had a great relationship with him.”
Europe's leaders condemn Russia's bombardment of Ukraine as 'escalatory and unacceptable'
11:54 , Tara CobhamRussia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in a large-scale overnight attack, officials said Friday, killing at least four people in the capital.
For only the second time in the nearly 4-year-old war, it used a powerful, new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv's NATO allies.
The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile came days after Ukraine and its allies reported major progress toward agreeing on how to defend the country from further Moscow aggression if a US-led peace deal is struck.
Europe's leaders condemned the attack as "escalatory and unacceptable", and the European Union's top foreign policy envoy said Russian President Vladimir Putin's reply to diplomacy was "more missiles and destruction".
Kyiv's power, water and heat systems turned off for repairs amid intense cold
11:01 , Tara CobhamKyiv's electricity system, severely damaged by a winter campaign of Russian bombardment including a strike two nights ago, has been turned off for repairs at the orders of the state grid operator, the city administration said on Saturday amid intense cold weather.
The city's water and heat distribution systems, as well as electrified public transport, have also stopped working as a result of the power outage, the administration said on Telegram. It said repairs were underway, but did not indicate how long the systems would remain shut down.
Half of Kyiv's apartment blocks were without heat on Friday after the latest Russian attack, as temperatures sank below minus 10C.
Dark, freezing and depressed: More than 1m Ukrainians struggling without heat or water after Russian attacks
10:56 , Tara CobhamAs Ukraine is gripped by a bitter cold snap, more than one million people have been left without heating and electricity as Russia ramps up attacks on energy infrastructure.
Elderly residents and those with vulnerable family members told The Independent they are cold and unable to cook proper meals as they face temperatures as low as -15C.
Despondent and fearing death, many are struggling through the winter as blackouts plunge Ukraine’s cities into darkness, lit up only by the bright flash of Russian drone and missile attacks.
Alex Croft reports:
Dark, cold, depressed: The Ukrainians without heat or water after Russian attacks
Governor of Russia's Belgorod region says 600,000 without power, heat, or water after Ukrainian strike
10:05 , Tara CobhamThe governor of Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said on Saturday that 600,000 residents were without electricity, heating and water after a Ukrainian missile strike.
In a statement posted on Telegram, Vyacheslav Gladkov said that work was underway to restore supplies, but that the situation was "extremely challenging".
Footage filmed by Reuters in Belgorod city showed street lights extinguished and locals finding their way using hand-held torches and car headlights.
Belgorod region, which adjoins Ukraine's Kharkiv region and had a pre-war population of 1.5 million, has come under regular attack from Kyiv's forces since Russia ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia has frequently bombarded Ukraine's power infrastructure, causing rolling daily blackouts, and has also targeted heating systems this winter. An overnight strike on Thursday left about half of Kyiv's apartment blocks without heat.
Temperatures in most of Russia and Ukraine have been well below freezing in recent days.
Watch: Trump says ‘Putin is afraid of the US but not Europe’
09:45 , Tara CobhamIn pictures: Russia launches major attack on Ukraine capital
09:00 , Shahana Yasmin Russian drone attack on Kyiv kills four, triggers fires
08:30 , Shahana YasminUkraine drone strike causes fire at oil depot in Russia's Volgograd region, authorities say
08:00 , Tara CobhamA drone strike by Ukraine caused a fire at an oil depot in the Oktyabrskiy district in the southern part of Russia's Volgograd region, regional authorities said on Saturday.
Governor Andrei Bocharov was quoted as saying in a post on his administration's Telegram channel that there had been no casualties reported so far, but that people living nearby may have to be evacuated.
Ukraine has been targeting Russia's energy infrastructure in recent months, aiming to cut off Moscow's ability to finance its military campaign against Kyiv.
Russia's Defence Ministry on Saturday said its air defences had downed 67 Ukrainian drones as of 0600 GMT.
What is the Oreshnik missile?
07:30 , Shahana YasminThe Oreshnik, whose name means Hazel Tree, is an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile that Russia has fired only once before against Ukraine, in November 2024.
On that occasion it was equipped only with dummy warheads and therefore caused limited damage, Ukrainian sources said, in what was effectively a test.
If the overnight attack carried explosive warheads, it would mark the first time that Russia has used the Oreshnik with full destructive intent. The strike targeted what Russia called critical infrastructure in Ukraine, though the extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
Experts say the novel feature of the Oreshnik is that it can carry multiple warheads capable of simultaneously striking different targets - usually associated with longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
The missile is based on the RS-26 Rubezh, which Russia had originally developed as an intercontinental missile.
Like many Russian weapons systems, it is capable of carrying nuclear as well as conventional warheads, but there was no suggestion of any nuclear component to the overnight attack.
Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble
07:00 , Shahana YasminShortly before Christmas, the new chief of MI6, Blaise Metreweli, made her first public speech since taking charge. She chose as her subject the multifaceted threat posed by Russia, warning of the growing danger from Vladimir Putin’s regime. “We are operating in a space between peace and war,” she said.
The recently appointed “C” said “the front line is everywhere”, explaining that Putin is provoking a new “age of uncertainty” by busily rewriting the unwritten rules of conflict. “The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in the Russian approach to international engagement,” said Metreweli.
This week has seen the cementing of the axis between the UK, France and Germany with the promise of troops on the ground to monitor peace in Ukraine, a move that is bound to antagonise Putin. Concerns about Russian retaliation are growing still further following the boarding of a tanker in Russia’s “shadow fleet” by US forces off the British coast. The involvement of the Royal Navy will have been noticed and noted in Moscow. The hostility continues to ramp up in intensity, writes Chris Blackhurst.
Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble
Trump says US must 'own' Greenland to block Russia and China
06:43 , Shahana YasminDonald Trump has said the US needs to take control of Greenland to stop Russia or China from gaining influence there.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump said Washington might pursue the island “the easy way” or “the hard way” if necessary.
“We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not. Because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour,” he said.
“We’re not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland. That’s what they’re going to do if we don’t.”
The US already has troops stationed in Greenland under an agreement with Denmark, but Trump said such arrangements fall short.
“You defend ownership. You don't defend leases. And we’ll have to defend Greenland. If we don’t do it, China or Russia will.”
“I love the people of China. I love the people of Russia,” Trump added. “But I don’t want them as a neighbour in Greenland.”
UN Security Council to meet after Russia’s latest Ukraine attack
06:15 , Shahana YasminThe United Nations Security Council will hold a meeting on Monday to address the recent Russian missile and drone assault on Ukraine, the council’s schedule shows.
The session is set for 3pm local time in New York.
“The Russian Federation has reached an appalling new level of war crimes and crimes against humanity by its terror against civilians,” Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk said in a letter to the Security Council seen by AFP on Friday.
The overnight bombardment on Friday, which included drones, missiles, and a hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic weapon, left nearly 6,000 apartment buildings without heat in Kyiv and killed at least four people, with more than 20 others wounded, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Western members including the United Kingdom and France formally backed Ukraine’s request for the emergency meeting.
How ready is the UK to send troops to Ukraine? Join The Independent Debate
05:53 , Shahana YasminAs Prime Minister Keir Starmer signs a historic deal to deploy British troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement with Russia, questions are mounting over whether the UK is ready for such a commitment.
Should the UK follow through on its pledge to Ukraine, or are there limits to what its armed forces can realistically achieve?
We want to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll here – the most compelling responses will be featured in the coming days.
UK sets aside £200m to prepare troops for possible Ukraine deployment
05:36 , Shahana YasminThe UK government has earmarked £200m to ready its armed forces for a potential deployment to Ukraine if a peace agreement is reached.
Defence secretary John Healey announced the funding during a visit to Ukraine on Friday and will be used to upgrade military equipment, including vehicles, communications systems, and counter-drone defences.
“As we approach the fifth year of Putin's full-scale invasion, the Ukrainians continue to fight with huge courage, civilians and military alike,” he said.
“We are surging investment into our preparations following the prime minister's announcement this week, ensuring that Britain's armed forces are ready to deploy, and lead, the Multinational Force Ukraine, because a secure Ukraine means a secure UK.
“As we look towards a potential peace deal, we continue to step up for Ukraine in the fight today – strengthening its air defences while backing British industry, jobs, and innovation at home.”
The government said the funding would come from the core defence budget, with MPs to vote before any deployment.
UK defence secretary says Putin must ‘account for war crimes’
05:17 , Shahana YasminThe UK’s defence secretary, John Healey, has said Russian president Vladimir Putin should be held accountable for war crimes committed during the invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking to the Kyiv Independent after Russia’s overnight missile and drone strikes, Healey cited evidence of civilian harm, including killings uncovered in Bucha and the “abduction of some of the Ukrainian kids that I met in Irpin”.
His comments came as fresh Russian attacks killed at least four people in the capital, including a paramedic, and left nearly half of Kyiv’s homes without heating in freezing conditions.
Healey said the damage to residential buildings “tells you all you need to know about President Putin and his determination not just to wage a war on Ukraine, but to target civilians, cities, the infrastructure that people absolutely critically depend on in the middle of winter”.
“This is a man who must be stopped. This is a war that must be stopped. And our mission is to support Ukraine in its fight today and to help work to secure the peace for the moment.”
ICYMI: Russia uses hypersonic missile in major Ukraine attack
04:58 , Shahana YasminRussia carried out a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine, firing dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones and killing at least four people in Kyiv, officials said on Friday.
For only the second time in the war, Moscow used its nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile, which Ukrainian authorities say struck western Ukraine.
In Kyiv, apartment blocks were hit, leaving nearly half the city without heat in sub-zero temperatures. At least 25 people were wounded, including emergency responders, and an emergency medical worker was among those killed.
European leaders condemned the attack as “escalatory and unacceptable”, while Ukraine has called for emergency meetings of the UN Security Council and the NATO-Ukraine Council.
Ukraine treating Oreshnik strike as a war crime, says security service
03:00 , Alex CroftUkraine's domestic security service said on Friday it was treating Russia's overnght strike with an Oreshnik missile on the western Lviv region as a war crime.
In a statement, the SBU said Russia had attempted to destroy critical infrastructure near Ukraine's border with the European Union amid a sharp deterioration in the weather conditions.
Meloni says it is 'premature' to consider allowing Russia into G8
02:02 , Alex CroftItalian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday it was "absolutely premature" to talk about the possibility of Russia being allowed back into the G8 group of leading nations.
Ms Meloni added, however, that she agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron on the need for Europe to reopen a dialogue with Russia.
01:00 , Alex CroftKyiv mayor calls on residents to leave as homes left without power
00:00 , Alex CroftKyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko has advised residents to “temporarily leave” the city while they do not have heating and electricity, with temperatures set to drop well below zero.
Half of Kyiv’s apartment buildings, around 6,000, do not have heating following a large-scale Russian attack on energy infrastructure. There are also disruptions to the water supply.
"City services are operating under emergency conditions. And unfortunately weather conditions are forecast to be difficult in the coming days,” Mr Klitschko said.
“I also appeal to residents of the capital who have the opportunity to temporarily leave the city and go where there are alternative sources of power and heat, to do so.”
He said last nights attack was the most painful one Kyiv has see on its critical infrastructure facilities.
Germany condemns Russian use of Oreshnik
Friday 9 January 2026 23:03 , Alex CroftGermany has condemned Russia's firing of a powerful hypersonic missile at Ukraine and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Kyiv, a government spokesperson said.
"Russia is continuing to escalate the situation without provocation," said the spokesperson, adding that Russia's justification for using the missile has already been refuted.
Moscow said it had fired the Oreshnik missile in response to what it has described as an attempted drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences last month, which Ukraine has denied and the United States has said did not happen.
Meanwhile, German foreign minister Johann Wadephul will travel to the United States next week for talks with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.
Russia claims control over village in Zaporizhzhia region
Friday 9 January 2026 22:01 , Alex CroftRussian troops have taken control of the village of Zelenyi in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, Moscow’s Defence Ministry said on Friday.
The ministry also said that between January 3 and 9, it had carried out four massive group strikes on Ukraine's military and energy facilities, drone launch sites and ammunition depots.
The Independent could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
Trump says Putin 'fears the US but not Europe'
Friday 9 January 2026 21:32 , Daniel KeaneDonald Trump has said that Vladimir Putin “fears the US” but not Europe in his latest attack on Washington’s closest allies.
In comments likely to cause concern in Europe, Trump said that a mission to capture the Russian President mirroring the operation to seize Nicolas Maduro would “not be necessary”.
Trump told reporters: “Putin is not afraid of Europe. He's afraid of the United States of America as led by me. There's no fear of Europe.”
Europe must take immediate action, says Ukrainian foreign minister
Friday 9 January 2026 21:02 , Alex CroftWe can bring you more from Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, who earlier warned Russia’s use of an Oreshnik missile marked a “grave threat” to Europeean security.
He has also called on international partners to take immediate action increasing pressure on Moscow following the latest attack.
"New rounds of tough sanctions to deprive Russia of resources for terror and war,” Mr Sybiha wrote in a post on X. “New packages of defence assistance for Ukraine to better protect our people and push back the invaders. New steps to ensure accountability for Russian crimes."
He also called for “strong” public condemndation of the attack, “especially from those who recently responded with concerns to the fake 'Putin residence attack'."
What is the Oreshnik missile?
Friday 9 January 2026 20:00 , Alex CroftThe Oreshnik, whose name means Hazel Tree, is an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile that Russia has fired only once before against Ukraine, in November 2024.
On that occasion it was equipped only with dummy warheads and therefore caused limited damage, Ukrainian sources said, in what was effectively a test.
If the overnight attack carried explosive warheads, it would mark the first time that Russia has used the Oreshnik with full destructive intent. The strike targeted what Russia called critical infrastructure in Ukraine, though the extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
Experts say the novel feature of the Oreshnik is that it can carry multiple warheads capable of simultaneously striking different targets - usually associated with longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
The missile is based on the RS-26 Rubezh, which Russia had originally developed as an intercontinental missile.
Like many Russian weapons systems, it is capable of carrying nuclear as well as conventional warheads, but there was no suggestion of any nuclear component to the overnight attack.
Watch: Kyiv and Lviv struck by drones and missiles after Zelensky warns of ‘massive’ attack
Friday 9 January 2026 19:01 , Alex CroftRussian drone strikes hit foreign-flagged vessels in Odesa, says Kyiv
Friday 9 January 2026 18:29 , Alex CroftRussia attacked two foreign-flagged civilian vessels with drones in the southern Odesa region, killing a Syrian national and injuring others, Ukrainian deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Friday.
He added in a statement that one ship heading to the port of Chornomorsk was under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the other, near the Odesa port, was under the flag of the Comoros Islands.
Spanish foreign minister discusses Ukraine and Venezuela with Rubio
Friday 9 January 2026 18:00 , Alex CroftSpanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday to discuss Venezuela, including the situation of Spanish companies including Repsol REP.MC.
The half-hour conversation also covered Ukraine, the foreign ministry said, adding the conversation was pleasant.
"I have held a conversation with Secretary Rubio on the situation in Venezuela. Spain is committed to the Venezuelan people at this new stage," Albares wrote in a tweet.
IAEA calls for ceasefire zone around Zaporizhzhia
Friday 9 January 2026 17:30 , Alex CroftThe International Atomic Energy Agency has begun consultations to establish a temporary ceasefire zone near Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after military activity damaged one of two high-voltage power lines, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement on Friday.
Grossi said the IAEA remains in contact with both Russian and Ukrainian authorities to enable safe repairs and reduce the risk of a nuclear accident amid increased military activity around the site.
The Zaporizhzhia plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, and has been occupied by Russia for nearly four years.
Photos show the aftermath of Russia's latest attack on Ukraine
Friday 9 January 2026 16:59 , Alex CroftRussia’s Defense Ministry said Friday its military used the new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile in its latest strike on Ukraine.
You can take a look at the latest photos of the incident here:
Photos show the aftermath of Russia's latest attack on Ukraine
Tusk 'very concerned' Trump's Greenland remarks
Friday 9 January 2026 16:28 , Alex CroftPoland's prime minister Donald Tusk is very worried about United States president Donald Trump's statements about Greenland, he said on Friday, adding that as a loyal American ally, Warsaw should be honest with Washington about its concerns.
"I'm very concerned about the Greenland issue, and I'm also very concerned about events in the United States, and everything that's building such ideological and political tension within NATO and the United States itself," Mr Tusk told a news conference.
"But because we're allies, friends, and Poland is an exceptionally loyal ally of the United States, I also believe that when you're in such a position, you don't do anything on your knees; you just say what you think. Among friends, you should speak honestly about what's right and what's wrong."
Qatar foreign ministry responds to Kyiv embassy strike
Friday 9 January 2026 16:00 , Alex CroftAs we earlier reported, Volodymyr Zelensky said a Russian drone damaged the Qatar embassy building in the capital Kyiv during overnight attacks on Ukraine.
Zelensky noted.that Qatar was helping to mediate talks with Russia on exchanging prisoners of war.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry has now expressed regret over the damage done to its embassy building.
It said that no injuries were recorded.
Oreshnik missile use is 'clear escalation' says EU's top diplomat
Friday 9 January 2026 15:29 , Alex CroftEU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is the latest to respond to Russia’s use of an Oreshnik missile on Friday.
“Putin doesn’t want peace, Russia’s reply to diplomacy is more missiles and destruction,” she said in a post on X.
“This deadly pattern of recurring major Russian strikes will repeat itself until we help Ukraine break it. Russia’s reported use of an Oreshnik missile is a clear escalation against Ukraine and meant as a warning to Europe and to the US.
“EU countries must dig deeper into their air-defence stocks and deliver now. We must also further raise the cost of this war for Moscow, including through tougher sanctions.”
In pictures: UK defence secretary John Healey visits Kyiv
Friday 9 January 2026 15:01 , Alex Croft European leaders denounce use of Oreshnik missile as 'escalatory and unacceptable'
Friday 9 January 2026 14:37 , Alex CroftThe leaders of Britain, France and Germany described Russia's use of an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile in western Ukraine as "escalatory and unacceptable", according to a readout of their call released by prime minister Keir Starmer's office on Friday.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron were involved in the call.
Moscow claims it was a response to an alleged Ukrainian attack on one of Vladimir Putin’s residences, a strike which Kyiv denies was carried out.
Russia says it fired its hypersonic Oreshnik missile. Here’s what that means
Friday 9 January 2026 14:01 , Alex CroftThe Russian military said it had fired its hypersonic Oreshnik missile at a target in Ukraine in response to what it described as an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences, something Kyiv has called a lie.
It is the second time that Russia has used the intermediate-range Oreshnik, a missile which President Vladimir Putin has boasted is impossible to intercept because of its reported velocity of more than 10 times the speed of sound.
The missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads as well as conventional ones, but there was no suggestion that the one used in the overnight attack had been fitted with anything other than a conventional warhead.
What is an Oreshnik missile? Read here:
Russia says it fired its hypersonic Oreshnik missile. Here’s what that means
Zelensky warns Russia is 'betting on winter warfare' as new attack looms
Friday 9 January 2026 13:41 , Alex CroftRussia struck a state enterprise workshop in Lviv, says senior Ukrainian official
Friday 9 January 2026 13:20 , Alex CroftRussia struck the workshop of a state enterprise in the western city of Lviv overnight using an Oreshnik ballistic missile that was likely carrying inert or "dummy" warheads, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday.
The workshop sustained multiple impacts from small submunitions, causing "minor penetrations of concrete structures" and leaving craters in the enterprise's forest area, the official told Reuters.
Background radiation levels remained normal, the official added.