The UK and other Nato member states are sending 30,000 FPV drones to Ukraine in a boost to European security and to help the war-hit country to fight Russian aggression.
Defence secretary John Healey announced that the UK is funding the drones along with Denmark, Netherlands, Latvia and Sweden.
“These state-of-the-art, first-person view (FPV) drones will help Ukraine fight against Russian aggression, allowing Ukraine’s Armed Forces to manoeuvre past Russian air defences to target enemy positions and armoured vehicles,” it said in a statement.
This comes as Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin wants to meet him and that a meeting was being set up as the war in Ukraine crosses 1050-day mark. The Republican president-elect offered no timeline for talks between the two leaders.
“He wants to meet, and we are setting it up,” Mr Trump said in remarks before a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
“President Putin wants to meet. He has said that even publicly and we have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess,” Trump said about the Russia-Ukraine war.
Key points
- Trump says Putin wants to meet him, meeting being fixed
- Zelensky urges Trump not to abandon Ukraine to Putin
- Zelensky says meeting of allies pledges $2bn in aid
UK gives 30,000 drones to Kyiv
06:30
Arpan Rai
The UK and other Nato member states are sending 30,000 drones to Ukraine in a boost to European security and to help the war-hit country to fight Russian aggression.
Defence secretary John Healey announced yesterday that the UK is funding the drones along with Denmark, Netherlands, Latvia and Sweden.
“These state-of-the-art, first-person view (FPV) drones will help Ukraine fight against Russian aggression, allowing Ukraine’s Armed Forces to manoeuvre past Russian air defences to target enemy positions and armoured vehicles,” it said in a statement.
In their final meeting, Zelenskyy and Austin say military aid to Ukraine must continue under Trump
06:01
Tom Watling
Shelling kills four in Ukraine, officials say
05:44
Arpan Rai
Four people were killed in instances of shelling in Ukraine, one blamed on Russia’s military, the other on Ukrainian forces, regional officials said.
In Donetsk region, the focal point of Russia’s slow advance westward along the front line, regional governor Vadym Filaskhin said on Telegram that two people were killed when Russian forces shelled the town of Siversk.
Further south, in a Russian-controlled area of Zaporizhzhia region, two people were killed when the town of Kamyanka-Dniprovska came under Ukrainian fire, the Russia-appointed governor, Yevgeny Belitsky wrote on Telegram.
The town is located on a large reservoir along the Dnipro River, which bisects Ukraine, not far from the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.
Zelensky urges Trump not to abandon Ukraine to Putin
05:10
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump must keep backing Ukraine with weapons and ammunition to ensure the country is not “erased off the map”, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said during a final meeting of Kyiv’s allies before the president-elect returns to the White House.
Speaking at the 25th and final meeting of the Ukraine Contact Defence Group (UCDG) at the Ramstein air base in Germany, where more than 50 of Kyiv’s allies discussed how best to combat Mr Putin’s invasion, Mr Zelensky said it would be “crazy” for Mr Trump to alter the US’ support.
“We’ve come such a long way that it would honestly be crazy to drop the ball now and not keep building on the defense coalitions we’ve created,” Mr Zelensky said.
Tom Watling reports:
Ukraine fighting for eastern town despite Russian claims of capture
05:06
Tom Watling
Ukrainian family learns son is alive after nearly 3 years of captivity
04:05
Tom Watling
Starmer and Macron discuss Ukraine and Middle East ahead of Trump’s inauguration
03:59
Arpan Rai
Prime minister Keir Starmer welcomed the French president Emmanuel Macron to Chequers yesterday evening for wide-ranging discussions over dinner.
Sir Starmer said it was a “privilege” to host Mr Macron, the second world leader to meet the prime minister at his official country retreat since he took office in July.
Describing the meeting as “further evidence of our ability to work well together”, Sir Keir said the pair planned to discuss “a number of issues of concern”, including the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East, while Downing Street has previously indicated that illegal migration, tech and growth would also be on the agenda.
Zelensky says meeting of allies pledges $2bn in aid
03:20
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said the latest in a series of meetings with Kyiv’s Western allies in Germany had resulted in pledges of an additional $2bn in military assistance to help it fight the war against Russia.
Mr Zelensky, speaking to My-Ukraina television channel after yesterday’s meeting, gave few details of the assistance, but that 34 countries had pledged support in different aspects of the 34-month-old war.
“We had a very good meeting, a very good result. There was $2bn in additional packages of support to Ukraine,” he said in a video posted on the television channel’s Telegram account.
The aid covered air defence, information technology, demining, naval forces, air forces and artillery.
“And all this will strengthen Ukraine,” he said. The president gave no details on which countries had made the pledges.
Trump says Putin wants to meet him, meeting being fixed
03:16
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump said a meeting was being set up between him and Russian president Vladimir Putin, but the Republican offered no timeline for talks between the two leaders.
“He wants to meet, and we are setting it up,” Trump said in remarks before a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
“President Putin wants to meet. He has said that even publicly and we have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess,” Trump said about the Russia-Ukraine war.
Mr Trump’s return to the White House on 20 January has sparked hope of a diplomatic resolution to end Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, but it has also led to fears in Kyiv that a quick peace deal could come at a high price for Ukraine.
Ukraine is right to stop the flow of Russian gas – whatever the cost
03:06
Tom Watling
What happens now Ukraine has ended Russian gas to Europe?
02:05
Tom Watling
Ukraine-Russia war map: Where are Putin’s forces making gains?
01:04
Tom Watling
Ukraine attacks Russia’s Kursk from multiple directions
00:05
Tom Watling
What does Ukraine stand to gain with latest Kursk counterattack?
Thursday 9 January 2025 23:02
Tom Watling
Mapped: Ukraine’s Kursk attack
Thursday 9 January 2025 22:09
Tom Watling
Mapped: Ukraine-Russia frontline
Thursday 9 January 2025 21:04
Tom Watling
Ukrainian family learns son is alive after nearly 3 years of captivity
Thursday 9 January 2025 20:08
Tom Watling
North Korea benefiting from troops fighting in Russia, US says
Thursday 9 January 2025 19:04
Tom Watling
Ukraine fighting for eastern town despite Russian claims of capture
Thursday 9 January 2025 18:04
Tom Watling
Zelensky urges Trump not to abandon Ukraine to Putin
Thursday 9 January 2025 17:03
Tom Watling
In their final meeting, Zelenskyy and Austin say military aid to Ukraine must continue under Trump
Thursday 9 January 2025 16:01
Tom Watling
Russia dropped more than 50,000 glide bomb on Ukraine since Feb 22, says Kyiv
Thursday 9 January 2025 15:32
Tom Watling
Russia has launched over 51,000 of guided aerial bombs on Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine‘s air force said on Thursday.
About 40,000 of the total number was used in 2024, it said on Telegram.
In pictures: Zelensky attends 25th Ramstein meeting in Germany
Thursday 9 January 2025 15:06
Tom Watling
German defence minister: will consider changing Ramstein format if US withdraws
Thursday 9 January 2025 14:30
Tom Watling
German defence minister Boris Pistorius has said that a regular gathering of allies aimed at speeding up and synchronising arms deliveries to Ukraine was best kept under US leadership, with an eye to the new Trump administration.
“And if those in the United States now decide not to maintain this format any longer, then we will have to make our own decisions,” said Pistorius at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG).
He added that it was too early to speculate on what could happen to the format after US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on 20 January.
The group, comprised of about 50 allies who usually meet every few months at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, was started in 2022 by outgoing US defense secretary Lloyd Austin.
Pistorius said Germany would be providing further guided missiles to Ukraine for the IRIS-T systems, initially intended for the German army, at short notice, and would stick to its schedule for delivering the systems it promised.
Slovakia will adopt measures against Ukraine if gas transit problem not solved, PM Fico says
Thursday 9 January 2025 14:04
Tom Watling
Slovakia will adopt harsh reciprocal measures against Ukraine if the problem with halted gas transit through the country is not solved, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Thursday after talks with EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen.
Fico has accused Kyiv of damaging Slovakia by not extending a gas transit deal with Russia to carry gas through Ukraine, and has threatened to retaliate by cutting emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine or reducing aid for refugees.
Mapped: Russia’s advance towards Pokrovsk
Thursday 9 January 2025 13:29
Tom Watling
In pictures: More than 100 wounded or killed in Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia
Thursday 9 January 2025 13:02
Tom Watling
Europe expects Trump to stay engaged with Ukraine, says Meloni
Thursday 9 January 2025 12:30
Tom Watling
Europe expects US president-elect Donald Trump to continue supporting Ukraine and strike a balance between diplomacy with and deterrence against Russia, Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni has claimed.
Ms Meloni says she does not expect Mr Trump to disengage from Ukraine despite concerns he could sacrifice Ukrainian interests to push for an end to its war with Russia.
But she added that security guarantees are needed for Ukraine to prevent another Russian invasion.
Biden set to push new Russia sanctions before Trump era begins
Thursday 9 January 2025 12:05
Tom Watling
President Joe Biden is expected to unveil new sanctions targeting Russia’s economy this week, according to a US official, as part of measures to bolster Kyiv’s war effort against Moscow before Donald Trump takes office.
The steps come as the Biden administration was also readying $500 million (£407m) in new military aid for Ukraine on Thursday that was set to include air defense missiles, air-to-ground munitions and support equipment for F-16 fighter jets, a US official who declined to be named said.
President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House on 20 January has sparked hope of a diplomatic resolution to end Moscow’s invasion but also fears in Kyiv that a quick peace could come at a high price.
Advisers to Trump have floated proposals to end the Ukraine war that would effectively cede large parts of the country to Russia for the foreseeable future.
Biden aides say they want to put Ukraine in the strongest position on the battlefield to give them leverage for possible negotiations with Russia this year.
There were no immediate details on the sanctions Biden would levy in his final days but Biden aides are briefing Trump’s aides on the steps they are taking, the official said.
Zelensky says allies’ deployment in Ukraine one of best ways to bring peace closer
Thursday 9 January 2025 11:47
Tom Watling
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the potential deployment of partners’ contingent in Ukraine “is one of the best instruments” to force Russia into peace.
“Let’s be more practical in making it possible,” he said in an address to allies at the Ramstein military base in Germany.
French president Emmanuel Macron remains the only European leader to have spoken openly about the possibility of Paris’ troops being sent to Ukraine.
Ukraine defence meeting begins
Thursday 9 January 2025 11:29
Tom Watling
A meeting of Ukraine’s top allies has begun today to discuss future support for Kyiv.
It is the 25th meeting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, involving around 50 countries discussing how best to help Kyiv continue to defend itself against Moscow.
“We are grateful to our friends from about 50 partner countries for their unwavering support and commitment to the values of freedom,” the Ukrainian defence ministry wrote in a statement.
Polish officials earlier this week expressed concern that this could be the final meeting, which have been held at the Ramstein air base in Germany, given the return of Donald Trump to the White House off the back of promises to end the war.
The 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group has begun.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) January 9, 2025
We are grateful to our friends from about 50 partner countries for their unwavering support and commitment to the values of freedom.#UDCG
Russian drones cross into Belarusian airspace
Thursday 9 January 2025 11:04
Tom Watling
Four Russian drones fired at Ukraine have misfired into Belarusian airspace, a monitor has reported.
At least 4 Russian Shahed drones flew into Belarus from Ukraine on the night of January 8-9.
— Belarusian Hajun project (@Hajun_BY) January 9, 2025
The drones flew in via the “Belarusian corridor,” Homiel and Brahin districts. The first entrance was recorded at 23:21, when the UAV flew into Asarevichy. Further flights: 23:22,… pic.twitter.com/j3Ncs8HWXA
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
Thursday 9 January 2025 10:30
Tom Watling
As Ukraine reports that Russia has fired dozens of glide bombs over the last 24 hours, some of which killed 13 and wounded 113 more in one attack in southeastern Zaporizhzhia, below is an explainer on what these munitions are.
Thursday 9 January 2025 10:06
Tom Watling
Russian firefighters were on Thursday still battling a fire reported to have broken out at an oil depot near an air base for strategic bombers in the Volga region, more than 24 hours after a Ukrainian drone attack.
“It takes a certain amount of time to complete the burnout process. The situation is under control,” regional governor Roman Busargin said in a Telegram post.
A state of emergency was in effect in Engels, a city of 200,000 people some 730 km (450 miles) southeast of Moscow, after the blaze spread and two firefighters died trying to put it out.
Busargin said the fire had broken out at an industrial site, which he did not name, after a mass drone attack. The Ukrainian military said on Wednesday that it had set fire to an oil depot that serves an air base for Russian nuclear-capable bombers.
Engels is hundreds of kilometres from Ukraine. In December 2022, three Russian air force personnel were killed when a drone was shot down there.
Ukraine-Russia war map: Where are Putin’s forces making gains?
Thursday 9 January 2025 09:29
Tom Watling
North Korea benefiting from troops fighting in Russia, US says
Thursday 9 January 2025 09:02
Tom Watling
Thursday 9 January 2025 08:31
Tom Watling
A Russian guided bomb attack on Wednesday killed at least 13 people and injured 113 in Ukraine‘s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, authorities said.
The blast left bodies strewn across a road alongside injured residents. Public transport was also damaged in the strike.
Prosecutors increased the injury toll from 63 to 113 people on Thursday morning. Rescue work had been completed at the site of the attack the evening before.
High-rise apartment blocks were damaged along with an industrial facility and other infrastructure, Ukraine‘s prosecutor general office said on Telegram. The debris hit a tram and a bus with passengers inside, it added.
Russian troops had used two guided bombs to hit a residential area, the regional governor Ivan Fedorov told reporters.
Ten of the 60 people in the hospital after the attack remain in serious condition, Fedorov said, adding that Thursday would be an official day of mourning.
Ukraine's military says it shot down 46 drones launched by Russia overnight
Thursday 9 January 2025 08:10
Tom Watling
The Ukrainian military said on Thursday that Russia launched a total of 70 drones at the country overnight.
Of those drones, Ukraine‘s air force shot down 46, while 24 “imitator drones” did not reach their targets, the air force added.
The attack damaged private residences in three Ukrainian regions.
Photos: Zelensky meets Finnish minister in Kyiv
Thursday 9 January 2025 06:38
Arpan Rai
Ukraine still fighting for eastern town despite Russian claims of a takeover
Thursday 9 January 2025 06:20
Arpan Rai
Ukraine has denied Russian claims that they have captured a key town in the eastern Donetsk region, but admitted that the situation looks desperate.
Russia claimed control of the eastern town of Kurakhove on Monday, after months of heavy fighting. The town has been decimated by continuous Russian shelling.
A Ukrainian military spokesperson, however, said on Monday that fighting is ongoing in the western outskirts of the town.
“Currently, the situation in Kurakhove is indeed quite difficult, because a significant part of the city has been destroyed,” spokesperson Viktor Tregubov said.
Tom Watling reports:
North Korea benefiting from troops fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine, US says
Thursday 9 January 2025 06:00
Arpan Rai
North Korea is “significantly benefiting” from its troops gaining battlefield experience fighting alongside Russian forces as it makes them more capable of waging war against rivals South Korea and Japan, a US official warned the UN.
Nearly 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been training in Russia and fighting to repel the Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk region, deputy US ambassador Dorothy Camille Shea told the UN Security Council, which was meeting to discuss Pyongyang’s launch of a new intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile on Monday.
Nato cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US, warn leaders
Thursday 9 January 2025 05:00
Tom Watling
Over 12,300 civilians killed since start of Ukraine war, UN says
Thursday 9 January 2025 04:45
Arpan Rai
More than 12,300 civilians have been killed in the Ukraine war since Russia invaded nearly three years ago, a UN official told a UN meeting yesterday, noting a spike in casualties due to the use of drones, long-range missiles and glide bombs.
In total, the United Nations deputy human rights chief Nada Al-Nashif said more than 12,300 civilians had been killed in Ukraine including 650 children - although the UN has repeatedly said its tally is an undercount since it only includes deaths its teams have managed to verify.
“Russian armed forces intensified their operations to capture further territory in eastern Ukraine, with a severe impact on civilians in frontline areas,” she told a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“We are deeply concerned by the impacts on civilians of the increased use of drones and the use of new weapons,” she added, saying Russia had used 2,000 long-range drones in November.
Russia, which is making territorial gains in Ukraine’s east, has conducted regular attacks on faraway cities in recent months using such weapons. This contributed to a 30 per cent rise in civilian deaths to 574 in Ukraine between September-November 2024 compared to the previous year, according to UN data.
These examples of increasing gross violations of international human rights law may represent war crimes, Ms Al-Nashif told the Council.
Nato membership only credible security guarantee for Ukraine, says Finnish foreign minister
Thursday 9 January 2025 04:26
Arpan Rai
Membership in Nato is the only credible long-term security guarantee Ukraine can receive against future Russian aggression, Finland’s top diplomat said yesterday.
“I think in the long term the only credible security guarantee is Article 5 of the Washington Treaty – so Nato membership essentially,” foreign minister Elina Valtonen told Reuters in Kyiv, referring to the alliance’s collective defence clause.
“And we are supporting Ukraine’s Nato membership further down the line and hopefully not in (the) too-distant future.”
Ukraine’s leaders have aggressively pushed for an invitation to join the 32-member alliance but have met resistance from key members as the war lurches toward its three-year mark and Ukrainian troops struggle to beat back Russian advances.
Donald Trump’s return to the White House on 20 January has sparked hope of a diplomatic resolution to end Moscow’s invasion but also fears in Kyiv that a quick peace could come at a high price.
Ukrainian officials including president Volodymyr Zelensky have called for strong security guarantees from partners that would prevent Russia from rearming for a new attack.
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
Thursday 9 January 2025 04:00
Tom Watling
US to announce $500m in weapons to be sent to Ukraine today
Thursday 9 January 2025 03:12
Arpan Rai
The US is expected to announce $500m in military aid for Ukraine today at a final gathering of president Joe Biden’s weapons pledging conferences, meetings Kyiv says have been critical to its defence against Russia.
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), comprised of about 50 allies who usually meet every few months at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, was started in 2022 by US defence secretary Lloyd Austin to speed and synchronise the delivery of arms to Kyiv.
Washington has committed more than $63.5bn in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion and the additional $500m could be announced yesterday, a US official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The group’s future is unclear with president-elect Donald Trump set to take office on 20 January. Advisers to Mr Trump have floated proposals to end the Ukraine war that would cede large parts of the country to Russia for the foreseeable future.
Over 12,300 civilians killed since start of Ukraine war, UN says
Wednesday 8 January 2025 16:31
Tom Watling
More than 12,300 civilians have been killed in the Ukraine war since Russia invaded nearly three years ago, a United Nations official said on Wednesday, noting higher casualties in recent months amid the use of drones, long-range missiles and glide bombs.
“Russian armed forces intensified their operations to capture further territory in eastern Ukraine, with a severe impact on civilians in frontline areas, particularly in the Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions,” Nada Al-Nashif, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement, referring to developments since September 2024.
“We are deeply concerned by the impacts on civilians of the increased use of drones and the use of new weapons,” she added, referring in part to Russia’s use of highly destructive guided bombs or glide bombs in residential areas.