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A “massive” Russian missile attack, dubbed the largest air attack on Ukraine in months, has killed at least seven people and injured at least 19, according to Ukrainian officials.
The strikes targeted vital energy infrastructure as temperatures hit sub-zero in the war-torn country.
Blasts were heard across Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities early on Sunday morning, in what Ukrainian officials have described as the biggest missile attack since August.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday Ukraine is facing “absolute evil” from a regime which “understands no language but force”.
He said: “Russian terrorists are once again trying to intimidate us with cold and blackouts, repeating their actions and trying to get results from them.
“We need unity, the world needs unity. Only together can we stop this evil.”
Putin’s forces have inflicted repeated and sustained attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, in an attempt to cripple key infrastructure and cause long blackouts.
The scale of the damage on Ukrainian cities and energy supplies is as-yet unclear. Mr Zelensky says efforts to address the consequences of the attack are “ongoing”.
It comes as temperatures in Kyiv and other areas of Ukraine reach below freezing, as the winter months begin to take hold.
Zelensky ‘deeply grateful’ to G7
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked leaders of the G7 major democracies, who this week reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine.
In a post on X, he said: “The leaders of the G7 have once again demonstrated unwavering support for Ukraine as we approach the 1,000th day of Russia’s full-scale aggression.
“I am deeply grateful to President of the Council of Ministers Giorgia Meloni and all G7 leaders for their united voice in standing with Ukraine. Their support helps Ukraine protect its people against terror, ultimately saving countless lives.
“At a time when Russia remains the sole obstacle to a just and lasting peace, it’s vital to send a clear message: aggression and violations of the international order, as outlined in the UN Charter, will not be tolerated, and those responsible will face consequences.
“Now is the time for the global community to deepen its efforts and make decisive decisions to ensure stability and peace for all our nations.”
Alex Croft17 November 2024 15:37
Call with Putin was needed, says Scholz
German chancellor Olaf Scholz has said his call with Putin was necessary to ensure Europe remained a key player following Donald Trump’s election.
In their first direct communication in nearly two years, Mr Scholz told Putin that he “cannot count on support from Germany, Europe and many others in the world waning”.
But Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a breach of Western solidarity in favour of domestic political advantage.
Following Russia’s huge missile attack on Ukraine overnight on Sunday, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha took a dig at Mr Scholz, saying the attack was Putin’s “true response to all those who called and visited him recently”.
Mr Scholz added of the call: “The conversation was very detailed but contributed to a recognition that little has changed in the Russian President’s views of the war – and that’s not good news.”
But Donald Trump’s re-election, and his promise of a quick end to the war, has implications for Europe, Mr Scholz said.
“In my view it would not be a good idea if there were talks between the American and Russian presidents and the leader of an important European country was not also doing so,” he said.
Alex Croft17 November 2024 14:40
Seven dead and 19 injured after overnight Russian attacks
At least seven people were killed in Russia’s major overnight drone attacks across Ukraine, described by Kyiv as the largest in months.
Ukrainian media reports that at least 19 people were injured too.
It comes after explosions were heard in multiple regions, including in the capital of Kyiv.
Russia was targeting “power generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine,” according to energy minister Herman Halushchenko.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the war-torn country is facing a force of “absolute evil”.
Alex Croft17 November 2024 14:04
ICYMI: Putin tells Scholz that Russia is willing to look at energy cooperation, Kremlin says
Vladimir Putin has told Germany’s Olaf Scholz that Russia is ready to look at energy deals if Berlin is interested, the Kremlin has said, following their first phone conversation since December 2022.
A readout from the Kremlin claimed: “It was emphasised that Russia has always strictly fulfilled its treaty and contractual obligations in the energy sector and is ready for mutually beneficial cooperation if the German side shows interest in this.”
Germany was heavily reliant on Russian gas before the war, but direct shipments ceased when the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea were blown up in 2022.
Germany and other European Union countries have imposed successive waves of sanctions on Russia over the war and taken steps to wean themselves off their dependence on Russian oil and gas.
Alex Croft17 November 2024 13:45
Zelensky shares details of meeting with Japanese foreign minister
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed details of a meeting held with Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya, who visited the war torn country earlier this week.
In a post on X, Mr Zelensky said the pair discussed “North Korea’s alliance with Russia and its support for Putin in this brutal war”.
He added: “I informed him about the activities of North Korean military personnel in the Kursk region and the various threats posed by the collaboration between Pyongyang and Moscow.
“Russia is teaching North Korea modern warfare, which could lead to significant and widespread destabilization. We must work together with all our other partners to counter this.”
Alex Croft17 November 2024 13:21
Russia grinds deeper into Ukraine after 1,000 days of grueling war
When Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine in February 2022, the conventional wisdom was that the capital, Kyiv, would soon fall and the rest of the country wouldn’t last long against a much larger enemy.
Instead, it was that narrative that quickly collapsed. The Ukrainian army proved it could slow the advance of Russia’s forces and, if not drive them out completely, then – with enough support from the West – at least forestall defeat.
Read the full report:
Alex Croft17 November 2024 12:58
One killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia
One civilian has been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian border region of Belgorod, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
The announcement on Sunday comes after Russia launched its largest missile attack on Ukraine for months, according to Kyiv. The attack targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Alex Croft17 November 2024 12:35
Zelensky says war will ‘end sooner’ with Trump as president as he slams German chancellor’s call with Putin
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is certain the war with Russia will “end sooner” once Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Mr Zelensky conceded the battlefield situation in eastern Ukraine was difficult and Russia was making advances, adding that Russian president Vladimir Putin was not interested in agreeing to a peace deal.
In an interview on Saturday, the Ukrainian president said he had a “constructive exchange” with US president-elect Trump during a phone conversation following his victory against Kamala Harris.
Read Jabed Ahmed’s full report:
Alex Croft17 November 2024 12:15
In pictures: Devastation following ‘massive’ Russian missile attack
Alex Croft17 November 2024 11:49
Zelensky: ‘We are defending ourselves against absolute evil’
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine is defending itself against “absolute evil”, as he shares footage of the devastation following what Kyiv says is Russia’s largest missile attack in months.
“Russian terrorists are once again trying to intimidate us with cold and blackouts, repeating their actions and trying to get results from them,” Mr Zelensky said.
“The entire world sees and knows that we are defending ourselves against absolute evil, which understands no language but force. We need unity, the world needs unity. Only together can we stop this evil.”
Russia used nearly 140 missiles of different types, 900 guided aerial bombs and over 600 strike drones, Mr Zelensky added.
“Efforts to address the consequences of the combined attack on our infrastructure in the Rivne, Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, Volyn, and Odesa regions are ongoing.”
Alex Croft17 November 2024 11:28