Ukraine war latest: Power cuts across Ukraine after massive Russian attacks; Trump advisers say peace deal likely months away (2025)

War latest
  • Power cuts across Ukraine after massive Russian attacks
  • Strikes on energy infrastructure come a day after Ukraine said it had carried out its biggest attack of the war on Russian military bases
  • Analysis: No surprise Ukraine ramping up strikes on Russia before Trump return
  • Ukraine peace deal months away, Trump advisers say
  • Big picture: What you need to know this week
  • Live reporting by Ollie Cooper

10:46:01

Zelenskyy in Poland after progress in WWII dispute

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Poland today to meet with Donald Tusk after a diplomatic breakthrough on a longstanding dispute that dates from the Second World War.

Despite Warsaw's strong backing of Kyiv since the start of the war with Russia, there is some bad blood between the two countries over the Volhynia killings that took place from 1943 to 1945.

Poland says more than 100,000 Poles were killed in the massacres by Ukrainian nationalists. Thousands of Ukrainians also died in reprisal killings.

Ever since, Warsaw has demanded its specialists have access to sites where some victims are thought to be buried, so they can be exhumed and given proper funerals.

On Friday Tusk hailed a "breakthrough" in ties, saying that Ukraine had made a decision to allow the first exhumations of victims to take place.

Poland has committed more than €3.23bn (£2.72bn) to help Ukraine since the war broke out.

10:22:01

In pictures: Families shelter in Kyiv

Families in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv took to air raid shelters underground after a massive Russian aerial attack this morning.

The attacks on energy infrastructure and Ukrainian cities have caused power cuts across the country (see 9.47am post).

09:57:28

Trump advisers pour cold water on his claim he'll end war on 'day one'

Advisers close to incoming president Donald Trump have conceded that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is likely months away.

Speaking anonymously to the Reuters agency, two sources close to the president-elect said they were looking at a timeline of months, not days or weeks.

That's despite Trump's long-held claim that he would end the war on "day one" of his return to the White House.

The sources put that promise down to campaign bluster and said there was a general lack of appreciation of the complexities of the conflict and the time it takes to set up a new administration.

In late October, Trump made a subtle shift in his rhetoric, and began saying he could solve the war "very quickly".

The new US envoy to Ukraine, retired lieutenant general Keith Kellogg, said last week he wanted a solution to the war within 100 days - but experts have cast doubt on this.

John Herbst, a former US ambassador to Ukraine who is now at the Atlantic Council thinktank in Washington, said that timeframe was "way, way too optimistic".

09:47:15

Power cuts across Ukraine after massive Russian attacks

Russia has carried out a massive attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, forcing Kyiv to enact preventative power cuts across the country.

Despite Ukraine downing 30 of 40 Russian missiles, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow had successfully struck gas and other energy facilities in the Lviv region in an attack this morning.

"Another massive Russian attack. It's the middle of winter,and the target for the Russians remains unchanged: our energyinfrastructure," Zelenskyy said.

As a result of the strikes, the state energy company Ukrenergo reported emergency power outages in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions.

It comes a day after Ukraine said it had carried out its largest attack of the war so far on Russia's military facilities - to which Moscow promised a response.

09:39:08

Welcome back

Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Yesterday, Kyiv said it carried out its largest attack of the war so far on Russia's military facilities.

Reports from Moscow said Russia had downed more than 200 Ukrainian drones and several Western missiles, including US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles and British-made Storm Shadows.

Before we get started with today's coverage, here are the other key happenings from yesterday:

  • Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov gave his annual news conference, boasting of Moscow's allies and the West's "downfall";
  • He also turned attention to Donald Trump, telling reporters the Kremlin will keep a "close eye" on how he approaches sanctions;
  • Lavrov also said Moscow will study any peace plan for Ukraine put forward by Washington;
  • But an advisor to Vladimir Putin said the UK, other European powers and even Ukraine itself should not be involved in peace negotiations - just Russia and the US.

18:00:01

We're pausing our live coverage

That's all for now - but we'll be back soon with the latest from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Until then, here's a brief recap of the main developments we reported today:

  • Ukraine's military said its overnight attacks were the largest it has carried out on Russian military facilities;
  • Meanwhile, Ukraine's air force said it shot down 58 of 80 drones launched by Moscow;
  • Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov gave his annual news conference, boasting of Moscow's allies and the West's "downfall";
  • He also turned attention to Donald Trump, telling reporters the Kremlin will keep a "close eye" on how he approaches sanctions;
  • Mr Lavrov also said Moscow will study any peace plan for Ukraine put forward by Washington;
  • But an adviser to Vladimir Putin said the UK, other European powers and even Ukraine itself should not be involved in peace negotiations - just Russia and the US.

17:30:01

In pictures: Ukrainian artillery crew operates in southeastern region

Ukraine's army is fighting across several fronts, with some of the most intense conflicts in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.

Below are images from close to the frontline showing Ukrainian an artillery team firing on Russian positions.

17:00:01

Moet reaching Russia 'impossible' to control, says luxury goods company

Luxury good company LVMH says it is "impossible" to control the final destination of its productssold by third-party distributors after a report said its champagne reached Russia.

French investigative media La Lettre reported today that thegroup's beverages branch Moet Hennessy worked with twothird-party, duty-free distributors in the US onshipments ultimately headed for the Russian market.

LVMH, which also owns Christian Dior, Givenchy and Bulgariamong other brands, said in March 2022 it would close itsboutiques in Russia and halt business operations there after the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Many Western goods are still shipped to Russia throughintermediaries, also known as parallel imports, which are mostlylegal, though many companies say they are against such practices.

"Some of [Moet Hennessy's] distributors have exportactivities. It is therefore impossible for Moet Hennessy tocontrol the final destination of a product marketed by adistributor," an LVMH spokesperson said.

"Moet Hennessy and its partnersscrupulously comply with the laws, rules and internationalsanctions in force on products marketed wherever they operate."

16:30:01

Leader of separatist region in Moldova travelled to Moscow during gas crisis, says president

The leader of Moldova'sbreakaway region of Transnistria has travelled to Moscow sincethe suspension of Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine, says Moldova's president.

Transnistria has suffered widespread power cuts since 1 January when Russia's Gazprom suspended gas exports to the region over an alleged $709m (£582m) debt, a figure fiercely disputed by Moldova's pro-Western government.

Moscow blames the suspension of gas supplies on Moldova andUkraine, which refused to extend a five-year gas transit dealthat expired on 31 December on the grounds that the proceeds helpfund Russia's invasion.

Moldova says Moscow could use an alternative route tocontinue supplying Transnistria, which was receiving gas viaUkraine.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu gave no details about Vadim Krasnoselsky's trip to Moscow but said the decision to allow him to travel via Chisinau showed that her government was not obstructing efforts to resolve the crisis.

Neither Krasnoselsky's office nor the Russian authorities have commented on the visit.

16:00:01

Indian killed serving in Russian army

New Delhi's foreign ministry says one Indian apparently recruited by the Russian army has been killed, while another is receiving treatment for injuries at a hospital in Moscow.

It said Narendra Modi's government has "strongly taken up" the matter with the authorities in Moscow and with the Russian embassy in New Delhi.

The ministry also reiterated demands for the early discharge of remaining Indian nationals serving in the Russian army.

"We are working with the Russian authorities for early transportation of the mortal remains to India," the ministry said.

"We have also sought the early discharge and repatriation to India of the injured person."

For context:Afterthe deathsof Indians last year in the war, New Delhi demanded the Russian army stop recruiting Indians and urged anyone seeking employment in Russia to be wary.

About 45Indians were discharged from the Russian army and efforts were under way to get a further 50 released, India's foreign ministry said in September.

Ukraine war latest: Power cuts across Ukraine after massive Russian attacks; Trump advisers say peace deal likely months away (2025)
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