Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of being intent on using wintry weather as a weapon rather than working towards a diplomatic resolution of nearly four years of conflict.
Russian drone strikes knocked out power to the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine, leaving more than 600,000 households without electricity in a cold snap, with temperatures in some parts of the country below freezing.
President Zelensky said the strikes were aimed at “breaking” his country as officials raced to restore power.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has given his approval for Republicans to push ahead with a bill in Congress that would punish countries for buying Russian oil.
Senator Lindsey Graham said: “This bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil fueling Putin’s war machine.”
Earlier, Mr Zelensky said he believed Russia’s war could be brought to an end in the first half of this year, insisting that negotiations reached a new milestone with talks this week in Paris.
Read MoreEurope should prepare for world without US nuclear deterrence, former Nato chief warns
Putin branded the ‘Anti-Christ’ by church leaders after claiming Ukraine war is ‘holy mission’
Britain signs historic deal to deploy troops inside Ukraine – with Trump’s blessing
Key Points
- Putin using winter as weapon, says Zelensky
- Trump finally gives green light to major Russia sanctions bill
- Zelensky says war could end in first half of 2026 as 'new milestone' reached
- Russia warns UK troops in Ukraine would be 'legitimate targets'
- Russia-bound oil tanker struck in Black Sea - Reuters
- Zelensky says security guarantees deal 'ready' to be finalised with Trump
Zelensky says security guarantees deal 'ready' to be finalised with Trump
01:00 , Alex CroftWe can bring you an update from Volodymyr Zelensky, who has spoken about the US-Ukrainian negotiations on security guarantees with the Trump administration.
The Ukrainian president said a bilateral security guarantees document between Kyiv and Washington was "essentially ready" to be finalised between himself and Donald Trump.
Mr Zelensky said Wednesday’s meetings of both countries' representatives in Paris discussed "complex issues" from the framework under discussion to end the nearly four-year war.
"We understand that the American side will engage with Russia, and we expect feedback on whether the aggressor is genuinely willing to end the war," he added in a post on X.
Zelensky condemns Russian strikes on Ukraine's electricity
00:01 , Alex CroftUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia's latest strikes on electricity, heating and water infrastructure in Ukraine, which left hundreds of thousands in southeastern Ukraine without power and heat.
"There is absolutely no military rationale in such strikes on the energy sector and infrastructure that leave people without electricity and heating in wintertime," he wrote in a post on X.
Mr Zelensky added that the ongoing diplomatic process to end the war should not affect the supply of air defence systems and equipment to Ukraine.
MPs to get vote on deploying UK peace-keeping troops to Ukraine
23:01 , Alex CroftEU still pouring billions into Russian gas economy despite war in Ukraine, analysis shows
22:03 , Alex CroftThe EU remains heavily reliant on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), analysis has shown, with no signs that imports are set to slow down in 2026.
EU purchases from a single oil project in northwest Siberia, a strategically important development known as the Yamal project, netted €7.2 billion ($8.4 billion) of revenue for the Kremlin in 2025 alone.
Around 15 million of the 19.7 million tons (76.1 per cent) of LNG exported from Yamal was shipped to the EU, according to analysis of data published by trading intelligence website Kpler, carried out by environmental NGO Urgewald.
Full report below:
EU pouring billions into Russian gas economy despite war in Ukraine, analysis shows
Russian strikes cause blackouts, 'using winter as weapon'
21:46 , Jane DaltonUkrainian officials raced to restore power on Thursday after Russian drone attacks plunged two southeastern regions into near-total blackout, strikes that President Volodymyr Zelensky said were aimed at breaking his country.
Mr Zelensky said Russia was intent on using wintry weather as a weapon rather than allowing US-led diplomacy to work towards a resolution of nearly four years of conflict.
Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy system as Ukrainian forces fend off Russian advances on the battlefield and Kyiv faces US pressure to quickly secure a peace deal.
US senator says Russia sanctions bill well-timed as Putin 'continuing to kill innocent'
21:00 , Alex CroftRepublican senator Lindsey Graham has hailed the new proposed legislation to sanction Russian oil buyers, saying that Vladimir Putin is “all talk” when it comes to peace efforts.
“This will be well-timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent," Graham said in a statement.
Senator Graham said he met with Trump at the White House earlier yesterday, during which the president "green-lit" the Russia sanctions bill that has been in the works for months.
Graham had signaled previously that Trump has blessed the bill, only for it to encounter additional obstacles. But a White House official confirmed to The Associated Press that the president supports the sanctions legislation.
The bill, chiefly written by Graham and Democrat senator Richard Blumenthal, allows the administration to impose tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries that purchase Russia's oil, gas, uranium and other exports. Doing so is meant to cut off the source of financing for much of Russia's military actions.
Healey refuses to clarify how many British troops could be sent to Ukraine
20:01 , Alex CroftUK defence secretary John Healey has refused to clarify how many British troops could be sent to Ukraine to support peacekeeping operations.
The UK and France committed to deploy forces in the war-town country in the event of a peace deal with Russia, in a joint declaration signed on 6 January.
Mr Healey was asked by shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge to confirm the number of troops pledged by the UK, but said he was “simply not” going to get into the details of the deployment, which he said would only “make Putin wiser”.
Ukrainian authorities race to restore power ahead of severe temperature drop
19:00 , Alex CroftA race to restore power is ongoing in Ukraine in Ukraine on Thursday after Russian strikes plunged two southeastern regions into near-total blackout overnight, forcing critical infrastructure to rely on reserves.
Ukrainian deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said repairs were still ongoing to return heat and water supplies to more than 1 million consumers in the industrialised region of Dnipropetrovsk.
The region is set to see temperatures plummet below freezing in the coming days, with a cold snap set to bring harsh conditions for residents, including thousands of vulnerable and elderly.
The energy ministry said nearly 800,000 consumers in the region remained without electricity early on Thursday but that power had been restored to the other affected region, Zaporizhzhia.
Zaporizhzhia governor Ivan Fedorov said it was the first time in "recent years" that his region had faced a total blackout, but that officials had been quick to respond.
"A difficult night for the region. But 'light' always wins," he wrote on Telegram on Thursday.
At least three killed and two injured in attack on Ukraine's southern regions
18:28 , Alex CroftAt least three people have been killed in Russian attacks on the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, Ukrainian authorities have said.
Seven were also injured in the attacks, which came during a large overnight air attack. The Zaporizhzhia military administration said Russia had conducted 698 attacks against 30 settlements over the past day, including 11 air strikes and 412 drone attacks of various types.
Russian forces targeted critical and social infrastructure alongside residential areas, they said according to Ukrainska Pravda.
800,000 without power in Dnipropetrovsk after Russian attack
17:57 , Alex CroftWe’ve just received an update from Ukraine’s energy ministry, following a huge overnight attack which has cut off electricity to huge swathes of eastern Ukraine.
The ministry has said that nearly 800,000 consumers were without power in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region after Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.
In a statement, it added that eight mines in the region had faced blackouts but that workers had been evacuated.
Dnipro mayor Boris Filatov said: "Technically speaking, the situation in Dnipro is one of the most difficult. This is actually a national emergency. Since last night, the city has been working through all the necessary procedures. We are in constant contact with the oblast [regional] military administration and all relevant ministries and services.”
Which issues remain as US and Ukraine get closer to a deal?
17:25 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky says he is close to agreeing a deal on security guarantees with Donald Trump.
But while Mr Zelensky has said that the framework of a peace deal is 90 per cent agreed with the US, he said thorny issues remain.
This includes around control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant as well as Russian demands on Kyiv to cede a strategically significant slice of territory in eastern Ukraine that Moscow has been unable to capture in almost four years of war.
"We understand that the American side will engage with Russia, and we expect feedback on whether the aggressor is genuinely willing to end the war," Zelenskiy wrote on X.
He said the teams also discussed documents dealing with Ukraine's post-war recovery and economic development.
UK and Nato’s nuclear threat not enough to deter Putin, ex-military chief warns
16:51 , Alex CroftThe UK and its Nato allies must upgrade their military capabilities if the coalition of the willing in Ukraine is to be a successful deterrence against Vladimir Putin, a former military chief has warned.
In a damning report for the Policy Exchange think tank, Sir Jock Stirrup, a former Royal Air Force commander and chief of defence staff, said the UK has been hamstrung by an “outdated nuclear doctrine” and needs to recognise that deterrence relies “on a spectrum of capabilities, not just nuclear weapons themselves”.
It recommends that the UK and its allies restart large-scale military exercises with a nuclear element to demonstrate that there could be a “slide” into full nuclear war as a “cognitive deterrence” to Russia, China and others.
The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
UK’s nuclear threat not enough to deter Putin, ex-military chief warns
Moscow to free French citizen Laurent Vinatier
16:20 , Alex CroftRussia is freeing French citizen Laurent Vinatier, according to reports from Moscow.
Mr Vinatier is a French researcher serving a three-year prison sentence for violating Moscow's foreign agent laws.
He is being released in exchange for France's release of a jailed Russian, state news agency TASS quoted the FSB security service as saying on Thursday.
Oil tanker attacked by drone was headed to Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk
15:48 , Alex CroftEarlier, we brought you the news that a Russian oil tanker had been struck in the Black Sea.
Maritime data specialist Lloyd's List Intelligence has said the Palau-flagged Elbus vessel "experienced an unmanned marine-vehicle and drone attack" on Wednesday targeting its engine room, and that no injuries were reported among the 25 crew, nor any pollution.
A security source said a drone attack had been carried out, based on an assessment. It was unclear who or what was behind the incident.
The vessel was headed on Wednesday to the Russian port of Novorossiysk from Singapore, the Lloyd's notice said.
Marinetraffic data showed the Elbus had settled a few kilometres off the northern Turkish port of Inebolu on Thursday, after having diverted from its earlier eastward course across the Black Sea.
It is the latest in a series of attacks by Ukrainian naval and air drones on Russia-bound tankers in the Black Sea, as Kyiv looks to damage Russia’s shadow fleet of tankers transporting the oil which is so critical to Moscow’s wartime economy.
Merz says Europe must raise price of war in Ukraine
15:17 , Alex CroftGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that Europe must raise the price of the war in Ukraine to force Russia into accepting a ceasefire.
"A ceasefire is still not on the agenda, quite obviously because Russia does not want it," Mr Merz said on Thursday after talks at the party conference of his conservatives' Bavarian sister party, the CSU.
"We will therefore have to continue to raise the price of this war - Russia must realise that there is no point in continuing it," he said.
Putin envoy spotted in Paris - reports
14:47 , Alex CroftReports have emerged in France that Vladimir Putin’s envoy who has been engaged in peace negotiations, Kirill Dmitriev, was spotted in Paris on Wednesday.
Sources told Le Monde that Dmitriev was spotted on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
French president Emmanuel Macron’s office has denied suggestions that Dmitriev visited the Élysée Palace, one day after a meeting of Coalition of the Willing leaders saw France and the UK commit to putting boots on the ground in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.
The meeting was attended by Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have both met Dmitriev several times as they look to push Moscow towards accepting a peace deal.
Le Monde reported that Dmitriev was received at the US embassy in Paris, which is near the Élysée Palace.
Russia-bound oil tanker struck in Black Sea - Reuters
14:18 , Alex CroftReuters is reporting that a Russia-bound oil tanker has suffered a drone attack in the Black Sea on Wednesday.
The tanker was forced to request Turkish coastguard assistance and divert from its course, according to a notice by Lloyd's List Intelligence and a separate maritime security source.
Maritime data specialist Lloyd's List Intelligence said the Palau-flagged Elbus vessel "experienced an unmanned marine-vehicle and drone attack" targeting its engine room, and that no injuries were reported among the 25 crew, nor any pollution.
The security source described it as a drone attack.
Zelensky says security guarantees deal 'ready' to be finalised with Trump
13:54 , Alex CroftWe can bring you an update from Volodymyr Zelensky, who has spoken about the US-Ukrainian negotiations on security guarantees with the Trump administration.
The Ukrainian president said a bilateral security guarantees document between Kyiv and Washington was "essentially ready" to be finalised between himself and Donald Trump.
Mr Zelensky said yesterday's meetings of both countries' representatives in Paris discussed "complex issues" from the framework under discussion to end the nearly four-year war.
"We understand that the American side will engage with Russia, and we expect feedback on whether the aggressor is genuinely willing to end the war," he added in a post on X.
Zelensky condemns Russian strikes on Ukraine's electricity
13:41 , Alex CroftUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia's latest strikes on electricity, heating and water infrastructure in Ukraine, which left hundreds of thousands in southeastern Ukraine without power and heat.
"There is absolutely no military rationale in such strikes on the energy sector and infrastructure that leave people without electricity and heating in wintertime," he wrote in a post on X.
Mr Zelensky added that the ongoing diplomatic process to end the war should not affect the supply of air defence systems and equipment to Ukraine.
Russia warns UK troops in Ukraine would be 'legitimate targets'
13:17 , Alex CroftRussia said on Thursday that any troops sent to Ukraine by Western governments would be "legitimate combat targets", after Britain and France announced plans to deploy a multinational force there in the event of a ceasefire.
A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said "militaristic declarations" by a coalition of pro-Ukraine European governments were becoming increasingly dangerous.
Russia "warns that the deployment of Western military units, military facilities, depots and other infrastructure on Ukrainian territory will be classified as foreign intervention, posing a direct threat to the security of not only Russia but also other European countries," the statement from Moscow said.
"All such units and facilities will be considered legitimate combat targets of the Russian Armed Forces."
Russian forces attacked energy facilities, confirms Moscow's Defence Ministry
12:55 , Alex CroftRussian forces have carried out strikes on energy facilities and port infrastructure used by the Ukrainian military, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday, citing the Defence Ministry.
The agencies added that Russian troops had taken control of the village of Bratske in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region. Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield report.
Ukraine said Russian strikes plunged two southeastern regions into near-total blackout overnight.
In pictures: Ukraine left in the dark after Russia attacks energy infrastructure
12:28 , Alex Croft EU still pouring billions into Russian gas economy despite war in Ukraine, analysis shows
12:01 , Alex CroftThe EU remains heavily reliant on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), analysis has shown, with no signs that imports are set to slow down in 2026.
EU purchases from a single oil project in northwest Siberia, a strategically important development known as the Yamal project, netted €7.2 billion ($8.4 billion) of revenue for the Kremlin in 2025 alone.
Around 15 million of the 19.7 million tons (76.1 per cent) of LNG exported from Yamal was shipped to the EU, according to analysis of data published by trading intelligence website Kpler, carried out by environmental NGO Urgewald.
Full report below:
EU pouring billions into Russian gas economy despite war in Ukraine, analysis shows
US senator says Russia sanctions bill well-timed as Putin 'continuing to kill innocent'
11:33 , Alex CroftRepublican senator Lindsey Graham has hailed the new proposed legislation to sanction Russian oil buyers, saying that Vladimir Putin is “all talk” when it comes to peace efforts.
“This will be well-timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent," Graham said in a statement.
Senator Graham said he met with Trump at the White House earlier yesterday, during which the president "green-lit" the Russia sanctions bill that has been in the works for months.
Graham had signaled previously that Trump has blessed the bill, only for it to encounter additional obstacles. But a White House official confirmed to The Associated Press that the president supports the sanctions legislation.
The bill, chiefly written by Graham and Democrat senator Richard Blumenthal, allows the administration to impose tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries that purchase Russia's oil, gas, uranium and other exports. Doing so is meant to cut off the source of financing for much of Russia's military actions.
Healey refuses to clarify how many British troops could be sent to Ukraine
11:05 , Alex CroftUK defence secretary John Healey has refused to clarify how many British troops could be sent to Ukraine to support peacekeeping operations.
The UK and France committed to deploy forces in the war-town country in the event of a peace deal with Russia, in a joint declaration signed on 6 January.
Mr Healey was asked by shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge to confirm the number of troops pledged by the UK, but said he was “simply not” going to get into the details of the deployment, which he said would only “make Putin wiser”.
Putin calls Ukraine invasion his ‘holy mission’ in bizarre Christmas address
10:38 , Alex CroftUkrainian authorities race to restore power
10:10 , Alex CroftA race to restore power is underway in Ukraine on Thursday after Russian strikes plunged two southeastern regions into near-total blackout overnight, forcing critical infrastructure to rely on reserves.
Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy system as Ukrainian forces fend off Russian advances on the battlefield and Kyiv faces U.S. pressure to secure a peace deal.
Ukrainian deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said repairs were still ongoing to return heat and water supplies to more than 1 million consumers in the industrialised region of Dnipropetrovsk.
The energy ministry said nearly 800,000 consumers in the region remained without electricity early on Thursday but that power had been restored to the other affected region, Zaporizhzhia.
Zaporizhzhia governor Ivan Fedorov said it was the first time in "recent years" that his region had faced a total blackout, but that officials had been quick to respond.
"A difficult night for the region. But 'light' always wins," he wrote on Telegram on Thursday.
Putin branded the ‘Anti-Christ’ by church leaders after claiming Ukraine war is ‘holy mission’
09:43 , Alex CroftChurch leaders have branded President Vladimir Putin the ‘Anti-Christ’ after the Russian leader said his war with Ukraine was part of a “holy mission”.
Putin called Russian soldiers “warriors” who were acting “as if at the Lord's behest” in a speech marking Orthodox Christmas on Wednesday.
Despite appearing to position himself as a saviour using messianic messaging, Putin is “more like the Anti-Christ”, according to Father Myroslav Pushkaruk, a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
“Trying to do this with power and violence, which is not about love, not about Christian values is more like the Anti-Christ in the Christian world,” the Rector at the Paris of the Protection of the Holy Mother of God in central London told The Independent.
Maira Butt reports:
Putin branded ‘Anti-Christ’ by church leaders after claiming war is ‘holy mission’
Zelensky seeks Trump meeting as he hails 'productive' US work
09:15 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky is seeking a meeting with Donald Trump as he hails the White House for its “productive” work.
Kyiv is under US pressure to secure peace but wants security guarantees from allies and is pushing back on Russian demands to cede its eastern Donetsk region and give up control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Speaking to reporters over WhatsApp on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky said he wanted another meeting with Trump soon to gauge his openness to a Ukrainian proposal that Washington ensure security for Kyiv for more than 15 years in the event of a ceasefire.
He also urged Trump to step up pressure on Russia, which has been cool on the US-backed peace push and is pressing on with its massive air attacks on Ukrainian cities and the country's energy grid.
"The Americans, in my view, are being productive right now; we have good results... They need to put pressure on Russia. They have the tools, and they know how to use them,” Mr Zelensky said.
MPs to get vote on deploying UK peace-keeping troops to Ukraine - ICYMI
08:46 , Alex CroftRussia fires nearly 100 drones at Ukraine overnight
08:29 , Alex CroftRussia fired nearly 100 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force has reported.
“Early reports show that as of 08:00, air defence units had shot down or jammed 70 enemy Shahed and Gerbera loitering munitions as well as drones of other types over the country's east and south,” it said in a statement, confirming that 97 drones attacked Ukraine.
“Strikes by 27 attack UAVs had been recorded at 13 locations and the fall of downed drones (debris) at one location."
800,000 without power in Dnipropetrovsk after Russian attack
08:16 , Alex CroftWe’ve just received an update from Ukraine’s energy ministry, following a huge overnight attack which has cut off electricity to huge swathes of eastern Ukraine.
The ministry has said that nearly 800,000 consumers were without power in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region after Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.
In a statement, it added that eight mines in the region had faced blackouts but that workers had been evacuated.
In pictures: Ukrainian military carries out exercises in Zaporizhzhia
07:52 , Alex Croft At least three killed and two injured in attack on Ukraine's southern regions
07:38 , Alex CroftAt least three people have been killed in Russian attacks on the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, Ukrainian authorities have said.
Seven were also injured in the attacks, which came during a large overnight air attack. The Zaporizhzhia military administration said Russia had conducted 698 attacks against 30 settlements over the past day, including 11 air strikes and 412 drone attacks of various types.
Russian forces targeted critical and social infrastructure alongside residential areas, they said according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Ukraine says repairs to services ongoing after Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk
07:22 , Arpan RaiUkrainian authorities are carrying out repairs this morning to restore heat and water to more than one million consumers left without power, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.
The Russian aerial attacks yesterday late night targeted critical infrastructure in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region.
The attack knocked out power supplies almost entirely in two regions of southeastern Ukraine, including Dnipropetrovsk.
Watch: Zelensky says 'peace negotiations have reached a new level of intensity'
06:40 , Arpan RaiZelensky says war could end in first half of 2026 as 'new milestone' reached
06:35 , Arpan RaiPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said he believes Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine could be brought to an end in the first half of this year, adding that the negotiations have reached a new milestone.
The Ukrainian leader was speaking at a ceremony marking the start of Cyprus’s European Union presidency.
“As Cyprus begins its presidency of the Council of the EU, we note that the negotiations have reached a new milestone together with our European partners and, of course, the United States, and all members of the Coalition of the Willing,” Zelensky said.
“We sincerely believe that this war can be ended during your presidency of the Council of the EU,” he said.
The Mediterranean nation’s presidency of the Council of the EU will end in six months, at the end of June.
Trump finally gives green light to major Russia sanctions bill
06:18 , Arpan RaiTrump will allow Russia sanctions bill to advance in Congress, US Senator says
US president Donald Trump will allow a bipartisan sanctions bill targeting countries doing business with Russia to move forward in Congress and it could be put to a vote as early as next week, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Wednesday.
Graham said in a statement Trump had "greenlit" the legislation after the pair met yesterday.
The legislation, which Graham has been working on with fellow Republicans and Democrats for months, would impose sanctions on countries doing business with Russia, including buyers of its energy exports, over Moscow's failure to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
“This bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil fueling Putin’s war machine," Graham said, citing China, India and Brazil as potential targets of the legislation.
Graham, a senator from South Carolina, said he is looking forward to a "strong bipartisan vote" on the legislation to take place as early as next week.
Putin branded the ‘Anti-Christ’ by church leaders after claiming Ukraine war is ‘holy mission’
05:55 , Arpan RaiChurch leaders have branded president Vladimir Putin the ‘Anti-Christ’ after the Russian leader said his war with Ukraine was part of a “holy mission”.
Putin called Russian soldiers “warriors” who were acting “as if at the Lord's behest” in a speech marking Orthodox Christmas on Wednesday.
Despite appearing to position himself as a saviour using messianic messaging, Putin is “more like the Anti-Christ”, according to Father Myroslav Pushkaruk, a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
“Trying to do this with power and violence, which is not about love, not about Christian values is more like the Anti-Christ in the Christian world,” the Rector at the Parish of the Protection of the Holy Mother of God in central London told The Independent.
Putin branded ‘Anti-Christ’ by church leaders after claiming war is ‘holy mission’
In photos: Russian attacks knock out power in Ukraine leaving thousands in dark
05:43 , Arpan Rai Ukraine cities plunge into cold as Russian attacks knock out power
05:30 , Arpan RaiUkraine prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said impending snowfalls and temperatures plunging overnight to minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) were likely to compound disruptions to power and heating.
Russian attacks have long targeted Ukraine's energy network and have become more intense in recent months.
“Ukraine's energy system is under enemy attacks every day, and energy workers are operating in extremely difficult conditions to provide people with light and heat," Svyrydenko wrote on Telegram.
"Deteriorating weather conditions put additional strain on critical infrastructure,” she said.
Public broadcaster Suspilne reported power cuts in the city of Dnipro, where the metro had stopped running, and other parts of the region. Officials extended school holidays by two days.
The head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional council told the broadcaster it was unclear when power would be restored.
Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the military administration in Kryvyi Rih, president Volodymyr Zelensky's home town in the region, said conditions were particularly difficult in two districts with teams working to restore power.
He called for generators to be brought into use as much as possible.
EU still pouring billions into Russian gas economy despite war in Ukraine, analysis shows
05:15 , Arpan RaiThe EU remains heavily reliant on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), analysis has shown, with no signs that imports are set to slow down in 2026.
EU purchases from a single oil project in northwest Siberia, a strategically important development known as the Yamal project, netted €7.2 billion ($8.4 billion) of revenue for the Kremlin in 2025 alone.
Around 15 million of the 19.7 million tons (76.1 per cent) of LNG exported from Yamal was shipped to the EU, according to analysis of data published by trading intelligence website Kpler, carried out by environmental NGO Urgewald.
Alex Croft reports:
EU pouring billions into Russian gas economy despite war in Ukraine, analysis shows
US senator says Russia sanctions bill well-timed as Putin 'continuing to kill innocent'
05:00 , Arpan RaiRepublican senator Lindsey Graham has hailed the new proposed legislation to sanction Russian oil buyers, saying that Vladimir Putin is “all talk” when it comes to peace efforts.
“This will be well-timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent," Graham said in a statement.
Senator Graham said he met with Trump at the White House earlier yesterday, during which the president "green-lit" the Russia sanctions bill that has been in the works for months.
Graham had signaled previously that Trump has blessed the bill, only for it to encounter additional obstacles. But a White House official confirmed to The Associated Press that the president supports the sanctions legislation.
The bill, chiefly written by Graham and Democrat senator Richard Blumenthal, allows the administration to impose tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries that purchase Russia's oil, gas, uranium and other exports. Doing so is meant to cut off the source of financing for much of Russia's military actions.
UK and Nato’s nuclear threat not enough to deter Putin, ex-military chief warns
04:46 , Arpan RaiThe UK and its Nato allies must upgrade their military capabilities if the coalition of the willing in Ukraine is to be a successful deterrence against Vladimir Putin, a former military chief has warned.
In a damning report for the Policy Exchange thinktank, Sir Jock Stirrup, a former Royal Air Force commander and chief of defence staff, said the UK has been hamstrung by an “outdated nuclear doctrine” and needs to recognise that deterrence relies “on a spectrum of capabilities, not just nuclear weapons themselves”.
It recommends that the UK and its allies restart large-scale military exercises with a nuclear element to demonstrate that there could be a “slide” into full nuclear war as a "cognitive deterrence” to Russia, China and others.
UK’s nuclear threat not enough to deter Putin, ex-military chief warns
Zelensky says no new demands to be placed on Ukraine in peace talks
04:30 , Arpan RaiNo additional demands should be placed on Ukraine in peace talks, Volodymyr Zelensky said as he called on Kyiv's allies to step up their pressure on Russia, in particular via sanctions.
"We are doing everything required on our side in the negotiation process. And we expect that no additional or excessive demands will be placed on Ukraine," he said during a visit to Cyprus, which has assumed the EU's rotating presidency.
Watch: MPs to get vote on deploying UK peace-keeping troops to Ukraine
04:01 , Arpan RaiTrump will allow Russia sanctions bill to advance in Congress, US Senator says
03:37 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump will allow a bipartisan sanctions bill targeting countries doing business with Russia to move forward in Congress and it could be put to a vote as early as next week, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Wednesday.
Graham said in a statement Trump had "greenlit" the legislation after the pair met yesterday.
The legislation, which Graham has been working on with fellow Republicans and Democrats for months, would impose sanctions on countries doing business with Russia, including buyers of its energy exports, over Moscow's failure to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
“This bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil fueling Putin’s war machine," Graham said, citing China, India and Brazil as potential targets of the legislation.
Graham, a senator from South Carolina, said he is looking forward to a "strong bipartisan vote" on the legislation to take place as early as next week.
Zelensky says war could end in first half of 2026 as 'new milestone' reached
03:33 , Arpan RaiPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said he believes Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine could be brought to an end in the first half of this year, adding that the negotiations have reached a new milestone.
The Ukrainian leader was speaking at a ceremony marking the start of Cyprus’s European Union presidency.
“As Cyprus begins its presidency of the Council of the EU, we note that the negotiations have reached a new milestone together with our European partners and, of course, the United States, and all members of the Coalition of the Willing,” Zelensky said.
“We sincerely believe that this war can be ended during your presidency of the Council of the EU,” he said.
The Mediterranean nation’s presidency of the Council of the EU will end in six months, at the end of June.
Blackouts across southeastern Ukraine amid Russian strikes
03:04 , Arpan RaiRussian strikes have knocked out power almost entirely in southeastern Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, the Energy Ministry said late on Wednesday.
"As a result of the attack, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions are almost completely without electricity," the ministry said in a statement on Telegram.
“Critical infrastructure is operating on reserve power."
Trump has “greenlit” a Russia sanctions bill, Senator Lindsey Graham says
Wednesday 7 January 2026 23:24 , Shaheena UddinTrump has “greenlit” a Russia sanctions bill, and a vote is possible as soon as next week, Senator Lindsey Graham says.
After a very productive meeting today with President Trump on a variety of issues, he greenlit the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that I have been working on for months with Senator Blumenthal and many others.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 7, 2026
This will be well-timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace…