Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin admits situation in Kursk ‘very difficult’ amid new Kyiv offensive
Ukraine has launched a new assault inside Russia’s Kursk oblast, expanding its incursion into Russian territory by as much as three miles.
Kyiv’s new incursion came on the six-month anniversary of its first attack inside Kursk, with one Russian military blogger describing the surprise attack as coming “like a bolt from the blue”.
The incursion was also reported by the Russian ministry of defence, which said Ukrainian troops and armoured vehicles had launched several waves of attacks near the villages of Ulanok and Cherkasskaya Konopelka.
Kyiv's forces launched a “new series of battalion-sized mechanised assaults in Kursk Oblast and advanced up to five kilometres behind Russian lines southeast of Sudzha, Kursk Oblast,” the Institute for the Study of War said.
Without directly referring to the new attack, Volodymyr Zelensky said in his overnight address that the incursion "brought the war home for Russians so that they might feel just what war is. And they are feeling it."
Meanwhile, the first batch of French Mirage 2000 fighter jets arrived in Ukraine, French armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu announced yesterday.
The fourth-generation jets have been modified to focus on air-to-ground combat, reportedly so they can fire French and British long-range missiles at Russian targets.
Key Points
North Korean troops have withdraw, South Korean intelligence reports
Putin admits situation in Kursk 'very difficult'
Ukraine advances 5km in new incursion into Russia's Kursk
French fighter jets arrive in Ukraine
Zelensky to lead Ukraine's delegation at Munich Security Conference, JD Vance to attend
Russia claims it's taken another eastern Ukraine town. Kyiv officials make no comment
16:00 , Tom Watling
Russia claims it's taken another eastern Ukraine town. Kyiv officials make no comment
Ukraine disputes Russian claim to have captured Toretsk
15:25 , Tom Watling
Ukraine has denied Russian claims that its military has seized a city in the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk region.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed earlier today that their forces had taken control of Toretsk, a strategic coal-mining city that has seen fighting in the streets for months. Russian forces have been advancing through the city.
A Ukrainian spokesperson for the Khortytsia military branch, however, told a local public radio station that fighting continues in the city.
Ukrainian military analysts say that capturing Toretsk, which is on high ground, could allow Russian forces to further complicate logistics for Ukrainian forces in much of the east and to advance to the northwest towards the regional logistics hub of Kostiantynivka, which links to several key cities.
Most of Toretsk's civilian population has long since fled or been evacuated and many of the city's buildings are pulverised or badly damaged.
Europe and Canada increased defence spending by 20% in 2024, NATO says
15:00 , Tom Watling
Defence spending by Nato’s European members and Canada rose by 20 per cent in 2024, compared to the previous year, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said on Friday.
Nato members are facing renewed pressure from US president Donald Trump to ramp up their defence spending, which he frequently demanded during his first term in office.
Many members have been anxious to show that they have taken his message on board and have already increased military spending, particularly since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
NATO said the 20 per cent boost by the alliance's non-US members took their total defence spending to more than $485 billion (£390bn).
“I'm looking forward to hosting defence ministers at Nato next week where we'll talk about investing more and better in defence,” Rutte said in response to a Reuters request to Nato for the latest spending figures.
“We've crunched the numbers. They're going up. In fact, spending by Europe and Canada is up 20 per cent in 2024, bringing the total additional investment in recent years from $640 to $700 billion.”
Nato said it could not make further figures available for the moment. But it is expected to release more at next Wednesday's meeting of alliance defence ministers, which will include a debut for Trump's Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
North Korean troops have withdraw, South Korean intelligence reports
14:31 , Tom Watling
North Korean troops appear to have withdrawn from fighting in the Russian border region of Kursk, South Korean intelligence has reported, corroborating earlier reports from Ukrainian sources.
Intelligence officials said the troops seem to have been pulled from the frontline around the middle of January after suffering heavy losses, estimated to be about 300 dead and 2,700 wounded.
Ukraine says it believes ICC work will continue after Trump sanctions
14:03 , Tom Watling
Ukraine believes that the work of the International Criminal Court in relation to Russian war crimes will continue after US president Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the organisation, Kyiv's foreign ministry said on Friday.
Trump authorised economic and travel sanctions targeting people who work on International Criminal Court investigations of US citizens or US allies such as Israel.
The ICC is a permanent court that can prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression against the territory of member states or by their nationals.
“We are convinced that the ICC will continue to fulfil important functions in Ukraine's case, in particular bringing Russian war criminals to responsibility,” foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said at a press briefing in Ukraine's capital.
“We know that relations between the US and ICC have a long history,” said Tykhyi.
Russian advance slowing despite some success in eastern Ukraine, says British MoD
13:36 , Tom Watling
Latest Defence intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 07 February 2025.
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/9eO2iukOE0#StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/1mBHEckWbb— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 7, 2025
We were told we were off to the seaside – but then kidnapped by Russia
13:00 , Tom Watling
Russia told Ukrainians they were visiting the seaside - but they were kidnapped
As Russian bombards key Ukraine stronghold – hope lives underground
12:18 , Tom Watling
As the Russians bombard key Ukraine stronghold – hope remains underground
Kremlin says 'we need to be patient' on Trump and possible Ukraine talks
11:36 , Tom Watling
The Kremlin said on Friday there had been a lot of inaccurate reports on US plans for ending the Ukraine war and called for patience as speculation swirled around the timing of a possible meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
At a briefing with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked about a report that Trump's envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, was seeking to arrange a truce even before talks on a peace settlement.
“We have nothing to add yet. There are a lot of statements and reports on this topic that are refuted, changed, recognised as hoaxes or something else the next day,” Peskov said.
“There is nothing substantive on this account yet; we just need to be patient.”
Trump and Putin have both said they are keen to meet in person. The agenda, if such a meeting takes place, is expected to focus on Trump's stated aim to bring a swift end to the three-year-old conflict.
“Russia is open to negotiations. In any case, a settlement should come as a result of negotiations,” Peskov said.
CNN earlier quoted Peskov as saying there had been no initial contact between the two leaders about whether such a meeting was needed or where and how it might take place.
Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian parliament's international affairs committee, was cited by the state RIA news agency on Thursday as saying that preparations for such a meeting were at “an advanced stage” and that it could take place in February or March.
Peskov said on Wednesday that contacts with Trump's team at the level of “individual departments” were intensifying, but declined to provide further details.
Russian forces capture another settlement in eastern Ukraine, Tass reports
11:03
Russian troops took control of the village of Druzhba in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, the Tass state news agency reported on Friday, citing the Defence Ministry.
The town is to the north of Toretsk, which has been the site of heavy fighting and street battles in recent months.
DeepState, a Ukrainian war tracker with close ties to the military, records Druzhba as at least partially occupied by Russian forces.
Where are Ukraine's mineral resources and why does Trump want them?
10:34 , Tom Watling
Mapped: Where are Ukraine's mineral resources and why does Trump want them?
UPD: Russian strike in Ukraine's northeast Sumy kills three
10:00 , Tom Watling
Three people were killed in a Russian guided bomb attack on Ukraine's northeastern region of Sumy, Ukrainian authorities said on Friday.
Earlier, we reported the death toll was at two people.
The attack late on Thursday with three guided aerial bombs destroyed a residential building in the village of Myropillya, the Prosecutor General's office said in a statement.
The village sits near the border with Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops are locked in fierce fighting with Russian forces after launching an incursion there last year.
Mapped: Russia's invasion of Ukraine
09:32 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian air defences seek out Russian drones in Kyiv
09:00 , Tom Watling
In pictures: Ukrainian rescuers look for remaining citizens in Pokrovsk
08:34 , Tom Watling
Below, we have some of the latest pictures from the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.
Russian forces have advanced to the city’s outskirts and gained control of at least one of the two supply lines feeding the area. Pokrovsk is linchpin of the
Only the White Angels, a specialist Ukrainian evacuation group, is still entering the city to evacuate citizens. Between 5,000 and 7,000 civilians remain from a prewar population of 60,000.
Russian attack on Ukraine's Sumy region kills 2, officials say
08:23 , Tom Watling
A Russian guided bomb attack on Ukraine's northeastern region of Sumy has killed at least two people, local officials said on Friday.
The attack late on Thursday with three guided aerial bombs destroyed a residential building and rescue work continued into the morning, the local officials said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
“It is likely that people may still be under the rubble,” the regional administration wrote on the Telegram messenger app.
Ukraine downs 81 out of 112 drones launched by Russia
07:46 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian military said that it shot down 81 out of 112 drones launched by Russia overnight to attack the country.
Out of the total number launched, 31 drones did not reach their targets likely due to electronic warfare, the military said this morning.
Ukraine discusses battlefield situation with Trump's Ukraine envoy
07:00 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff said he discussed approaching meetings and battlefield developments with Keith Kellogg, US president Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
Andriy Yermak said issues discussed ranged from Mr Kellogg's visit to Ukraine and the safety of Ukrainian civilians to meetings later this month at the Munich Security Conference.
Kremlin denies discussing possible Putin-Trump meeting
06:48 , Arpan Rai
Russia and the US have not yet begun to discuss a possible meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump, a Kremlin spokesperson said.
There had been no initial contacts about whether such a meeting was needed or where and how it might take place if it did happen, Mr Peskov said, Russian news agency Interfax reported.
Both the leaders have said they are keen to meet in person with the agenda, if such a meeting does take place, expected to focus on Mr Trump's stated aim to bring a swift end to the Ukraine war.
Zelensky says Putin afraid to have conversation with him
06:09 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is open to negotiating the end of war in Ukraine via diplomacy but the Russian president Vladimir Putin is avoiding talks.
“Answering journalists’ questions in Kyiv, I emphasised that Ukraine is open to diplomacy, but no decision or plan about Ukraine can be made without us. It cannot be a plan created by individual states – we must have a joint vision with our partners,” he said on X yesterday.
The Ukrainian president said Russia “will always look for excuses to avoid real talks”.
He went on: “I believe Putin is afraid to have a conversation with me about ending the war. He prefers to hide behind his entourage rather than sit down and have a direct conversation. Nevertheless, I believe President Trump will be able to force him to stop the war.”
Why Ukraine-Russia peace talks are not as simple as Trump makes out
06:01 , Tom Watling
Why peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are not as simple as Trump makes out
North Korean troops withdrawn from Kursk after losses, Seoul says
05:58 , Arpan Rai
North Korean troops sent to fight alongside Russia against Ukrainian forces in Kursk are no longer seen in the battlefield for several weeks, South Korea’s spy agency said.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said that North Korean troops had been withdrawn from the war frontline around middle of January.
The pullback of Pyongyang’s troops has raised speculation that they have been withdrawn after suffering heavy losses.
Pyongyang sent roughly 11,000 soldiers to help with Vladimir Putin’s war effort in November last year, four months after Kyiv’s troops seized Russian territory in Kursk.
Used as human shields, starved and under fire: The horrors people with disabilities face in Putin’s war
05:41 , Arpan Rai
Almost completely paralysed, Oleg could do nothing but sit under the bombing in his own excrement, after his caregiver mother was killed in front of his eyes by a missile attack.
At some point during the three weeks he was stranded alone, Russian soldiers came into the building and stole the wheelchair the 65-year-old Ukrainian was sitting in. They told him they needed it for a wounded soldier, and left.
This was early spring 2022 on the eastern side of Mariupol, a strategic Ukrainian port city that was under one of the fiercest bombardments of Russia’s invasion. There was no electricity, water or phone connection. Temperatures had dropped to minus 10 degrees celsius.
Bel Trew reports:
Used as human shields and starved: The horrors Ukrainians with disabilities face
Zelensky thanks Macron for French Mirage 2000 fighter jets
05:31 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked French president Emmanuel Macron for sending first batch of French Mirage 2000 fighter jets for Ukraine.
“I also want to express my gratitude to France and personally to President Macron for fulfilling our agreements. Our Air Force has now been reinforced with French Mirage fighter jets, marking another step forward in the development of Ukrainian military aviation,” Mr Zelensky said.
He added: “This will allow us to carry out more missions. I also thank the Netherlands – a new batch of F-16 fighter jets has arrived, and this is significant.”
Ukraine has also received F-16s from European countries, though Ukrainian officials have rarely mentioned them in official comments about the fighting.
Putin admits situation in Kursk 'very difficult'
05:15 , Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin said the situation in Kursk oblast is “very difficult”, as the region slipped under a fresh round of Ukrainian attack yesterday.
Talking to the regional governor of Kursk Alexander Khinshtein in Moscow, Mr Putin said: “It is exactly two months today since we met here last time, and I instructed you to organise work in the Kursk Region. The situation there is very difficult.”
He added: “And the most important thing that I asked you to pay attention to was reaching out to people and identifying their concerns and problems. Indeed, there are many problems there.”
Mr Putin’s remarks come as Moscow said its troops repelled a new Ukrainian counteroffensive in Russia's western Kursk region yesterday.
As the Russians bombard the key Ukraine stronghold of Zaporizhzhia – this school offers hope underground
04:58 , Arpan Rai
At first glance, it is a wasteland. A barren plot of earth in a city caught up in some of the most vicious fighting between Russia and Ukraine.
As missiles, drones and “glide bombs” terrorise the residents of Zaporizhzhia near the eastern front, it does not seem possible that any semblance of normal life can carry on.
But, seven metres underground, the earth has been hollowed out to create a fully fledged school for 1,000 pupils. With only discrete entrances and a ventilation unit above ground, students rotate through the reinforced bunker daily.
As the Russians bombard key Ukraine stronghold – hope remains underground
As the Russians bombard the key Ukraine stronghold of Zaporizhzhia – this school offers hope underground
04:56 , Arpan Rai
At first glance, it is a wasteland. A barren plot of earth in a city caught up in some of the most vicious fighting between Russia and Ukraine.
As missiles, drones and “glide bombs” terrorise the residents of Zaporizhzhia near the eastern front, it does not seem possible that any semblance of normal life can carry on.
But, seven metres underground, the earth has been hollowed out to create a fully fledged school for 1,000 pupils. With only discrete entrances and a ventilation unit above ground, students rotate through the reinforced bunker daily.
As the Russians bombard key Ukraine stronghold – hope remains underground
Trump administration disbands task force targeting Russian oligarchs
04:41 , Arpan Rai
The US Justice Department under president Donald Trump is disbanding an effort started after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine to enforce sanctions and target oligarchs close to the Kremlin.
The effort, launched during Democratic president Joe Biden's administration, was designed to strain the finances of wealthy associates of Russian president Vladimir Putin and punish those facilitating sanctions and export control violations.
A memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi, issued on Wednesday during a wave of orders on her first day in office but not previously reported, said the effort, known as Task Force KleptoCapture, will end as part of a shift in focus and funding to combating drug cartels and international gangs.
"This policy requires a fundamental change in mindset and approach," Ms Bondi wrote in the directive, adding that resources now devoted to enforcing sanctions and seizing the assets of oligarchs will be redirected to countering cartels.
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
04:00 , Tom Watling
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
Moscow claims its troops have repelled new Ukraine offensive in Kursk region
03:57 , Arpan Rai
Russia's defence ministry said its troops repelled a new Ukrainian counteroffensive in Russia's western Kursk region yesterday.
Russia's defence ministry said Ukrainian troops and armoured vehicles launched eight waves of attacks near the villages of Ulanok and Cherkasskaya Konopelka.
The Institute for the Study of War cited Russian military bloggers as saying the new Ukrainian incursion advanced as much as 5km into Kursk.
"As of 2100 (1800 GMT), units of the North group of forces have thwarted an attempted counterattack by the Ukrainian armed forces aimed at the settlements of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Ulanok," the ministry said on Telegram.
The settlements were under Russian control, the ministry said. It claimed that the Ukrainian forces suffered heavy losses, including more than 200 servicemen and dozens of vehicles.
Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied the reports of a new incursion.
Ukraine advances 5km in new incursion into Russia's Kursk
03:18 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces have launched a new assault inside Russia’s Kursk oblast, expanding its incursion into Russian territory further.
Kyiv’s new incursion comes on the six-month anniversary of its first attack inside Kursk territory.
The incursion was reported by the Russian ministry of defence, which said the Ukrainian troops and armoured vehicles had launched several waves of attacks near the villages of Ulanok and Cherkasskaya Konopelka.
The troops launched a “new series of battalion-sized mechanised assaults in Kursk Oblast and advanced up to five kilometres behind Russian lines southeast of Sudzha, Kursk Oblast,” the Institute for the Study of War said.
It cited Russian military bloggers who said that the Ukrainian forces attacked with 30 to 50 armoured vehicles.
Ukrainian children forcibly taken from their families brought home
03:09 , Arpan Rai
At least eight Ukrainian children captured from their families by officials in the Russia-annexed and controlled Crimea peninsula and placed in state orphanages have now returned home, a senior Ukrainian official said.
Darina Zarivna, an adviser to president Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, said the children had been seized while receiving treatment in hospital and were rescued as part of the Bring Kids Back programme.
The kids have been subjected to bullying in an orphanage and forced to take part in pro-Russian patriotism exercises and made to handle weapons and prepare for war, she said.
"Their story is an example of the systemic harshness of the occupiers. They were forcibly taken from their mothers during a hospital stay and (the mothers) were obliged under threat to turn them over to an orphanage," Ms Zarivna wrote on Telegram.
"All this is a part of Russian policy aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity.”
It is not immediately clear how the children were rescued or where they were now.
Mapped: Russia's invasion of Ukraine
03:00 , Tom Watling
Zelensky to lead Ukraine's delegation at Munich Security Conference, JD Vance to attend
02:47 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will lead Ukraine's delegation at the Munich Security Conference next week, officials in Kyiv said.
The talks will be attended by the US vice president JD Vance and Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff said yesterday.
Previously a regular summit for global international security discussions, the Munich summit has gained new significance amid Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and other challenges.
Mr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told The Associated Press the Ukrainian delegation will present the country's position on ending the war and their views on how "a long and lasting peace" can be achieved.
"It's necessary that the leaders and the experts in politics who will be in Munich realise that this is momentum," he said about Ukraine's message for the event.
"That we are very near to really ending this war by a just and lasting peace, but (it's) necessary to be together – not to give Russia an opportunity to divide the world, to divide partners."
Mapped: Russia's advance in Donetsk
02:01 , Tom Watling
UK foreign secretary visits Ukraine as Zelenskyy discloses troop losses
01:00 , Tom Watling
UK foreign secretary visits Ukraine as Zelenskyy discloses troop losses
Where are Ukraine's mineral resources and why does Trump want them?
Thursday 6 February 2025 23:33 , Tom Watling
Mapped: Where are Ukraine's mineral resources and why does Trump want them?
Ukraine says its long-range drones hit a Russian airfield as France delivers Mirage fighter jets
Thursday 6 February 2025 22:29 , Tom Watling
Ukraine says its long-range drones hit a Russian airfield as France delivers Mirage fighter jets
In pictures: Ukrainian troops launch drones on the frontline
Thursday 6 February 2025 21:33 , Tom Watling
What happened to the North Korean troops fighting Ukraine?
Thursday 6 February 2025 20:28 , Tom Watling
What happened to the North Korean troops fighting Ukraine on the frontline?
Vladimir Putin attends Kremlin ceremony for young scientists
Thursday 6 February 2025 19:29 , Tom Watling
We were told we were off to the seaside – but then kidnapped by Russia
Thursday 6 February 2025 18:29 , Tom Watling
Russia told Ukrainians they were visiting the seaside - but they were kidnapped
Russia says it will retaliate if EU sanctions Russian diplomats
Thursday 6 February 2025 17:27 , Tom Watling
Russia will retaliate if the European Union decides to impose sanctions on Russian diplomats, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
Zakharova was commenting on media reports suggesting that the next package of EU sanctions against Russia may limit the travel of Russian diplomats in EU member states.
Preparations for Putin-Trump meeting at 'advanced stage', Russian lawmaker says
Thursday 6 February 2025 17:00 , Tom Watling
Preparations for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump are at an “advanced stage”, Russian state news agency RIA quoted a senior lawmaker as saying on Thursday.
It cited Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Duma's international affairs committee, as saying the meeting could take place in February or March.
Trump and Putin have both said they are keen to hold a meeting whose agenda could include nuclear arms control and global energy prices as well as Trump's stated aim to bring a swift end to the Ukraine war.
Slutsky said he also expected them to talk about the situation in the Middle East.
“The work requires serious preparation, which - I'm not giving away any secret - is currently at an advanced stage,” he said.
Slutsky declined to speculate on exactly when a meeting could take place.
“February or March - let's not guess, and let's give the leaders the opportunity to prepare for it competently and comprehensively, but it will be soon,” RIA quoted him as saying.
UK to lead Ukraine Ramstein meeting next week, defence ministry announces
Thursday 6 February 2025 16:28 , Tom Watling
UK defence secretary John Healey will lead next week’s Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UKDCG), his ministry has announced, while the new Donald Trump administration decides whether to provide more weapons to Kyiv.
The group was convened by the previous US administration in April 2022 to coordinate support for Ukraine. It was led by the former US defence secretary Lloyd Austin III.
His successor, Pete Hegseth, is expected to attend next week’s meeting, to be held on 12 February, but no further weapons pledges are expected from the US.
Canadian defence minister Bill Blair said he expected Mr Healey’s lead to be temporary, with US leadership to continue.
Britain to expel Russian diplomat in tit-for-tat move
Thursday 6 February 2025 16:00 , Tom Watling
Britain said on Thursday it would revoke the accreditation of a Russian diplomat, in retaliation to a similar move made by Moscow last year.
Russia said in November that it was expelling a British diplomat for spying. The accusation was denied by London.
Britain's Foreign Office said in a statement on Thursday that it had summoned the Russian ambassador to announce its decision, saying it was in response to “Russia's unprovoked and baseless decision to strip the accreditation of a British diplomat in Moscow in November”.
“Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly,” the statement added.
The statement, which did not name the British diplomat or the Russian official whose accreditation is due to be revoked, said Britain "will not stand for intimidation of our staff in this way," calling its decision a reciprocal action.
The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Relations between Britain and Russia have plunged to post-Cold War lows since the start of the Ukraine war. Britain has joined successive waves of sanctions against Russia and provided arms to Ukraine.
Ukraine receives F-16 jets from Netherlands, defence minister says
Thursday 6 February 2025 15:28 , Tom Watling
Ukraine's defence minister Rustem Umerov has announced that the Netherlands has delivered US-made F-16 fighters to Ukraine.
The aircraft, along with French Mirage jets also delivered today, “will soon begin carrying out combat missions, strengthening our defence”, Mr Umerov said on Facebook.
The exact number of F-16 and Mirage jets delivered was not revealed.
The Dutch defence ministry said that for security reasons it would not comment on the timing of deliveries, nor on the amount supplied at any given time.
The Netherlands has promised to deliver Ukraine a total of 24 F-16s, next to the fighter jets it supplies to a training centre for Ukrainian pilots and crew in Romania.
Russia says US needs to formulate a Ukraine conflict resolution policy
Thursday 6 February 2025 15:00 , Tom Watling
The United States needs to formulate a policy on how to end the conflict in Ukraine and what role it will play and Moscow will then base its own position on specific steps and US action, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
Zakharova said that Russia has heard many words and statements from Washington on the subject, but that for now there was no clarity on what exactly the US envisaged when ot came to trying to strike a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Russia's RIA state news agency earlier on Thursday quoted a senior lawmaker as saying that preparations for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump were at an “advanced stage”.
Trump and Putin have not spoken by phone since Trump's inauguration, according to public statements from officials on both sides.
In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline in Donetsk
Thursday 6 February 2025 14:29 , Tom Watling
As the Russians bombard the key Ukraine stronghold of Zaporizhzhia – this school offers hope underground
Thursday 6 February 2025 14:00 , Tom Watling
As the Russians bombard key Ukraine stronghold – hope remains underground
In pictures: Ukrainians train on German tanks
Thursday 6 February 2025 13:27 , Tom Watling
Human shields: The horrors those with disabilities face in Putin’s war
Thursday 6 February 2025 13:00 , Tom Watling
Used as human shields and starved: The horrors Ukrainians with disabilities face
The Baltics count down the final hours of relying on Russia
Thursday 6 February 2025 12:28 , Tom Watling
The Baltics count down the final hours of relying on Russia
Russia ejects Le Monde's Moscow correspondent in 'retaliatory' mov
Thursday 6 February 2025 12:00 , Tom Watling
Russia said on Thursday that it had withdrawn accreditation from French paper Le Monde's Moscow correspondent Benjamin Quenelle due to Paris's refusal to issue a visa to a Russian reporter, leaving the paper without a presence in Moscow for the first time since the 1950s.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow had repeatedly warned that it would retaliate over France's refusal to accredit a journalist from Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.
She said Quenelle had been the casualty not because of any “political sub-text” but because his accreditation had required a “technical extension”.
Le Monde criticised what it said was the “covert expulsion of our journalist”.
“For the first time since 1957, Le Monde is prevented from having a correspondent based in Moscow,” Jerome Fenoglio, its director, wrote in an article in the paper.
“Le Monde condemns this disguised expulsion of our journalist, who has spent more than 20 years in Russia without interruption,” Fenoglio said.
Ben Stiller denies USAID funded Ukraine trip: ‘These are lies coming from Russian media’
Thursday 6 February 2025 11:28 , Tom Watling
Ben Stiller denies USAID funded Ukraine trip: ‘Lies coming from Russian media’
Mapped: Russia's war in Ukraine
Thursday 6 February 2025 11:00 , Tom Watling
Kremlin fires boss of Russia's space agency
Thursday 6 February 2025 10:32
The Kremlin on Thursday removed the head of Russia's space agency after a tenure of less than three years that was scarred by the spectacular failure of Russia's first mission to the moon in 47 years.
In a statement, the Kremlin said Yuri Borisov, who had headed Roscosmos since July 2022, had been relieved of his post. It did not state a reason.
He was replaced by deputy transport minister Dmitry Bakanov, who before joining the government had been in charge of a satellite company.
Ever since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to go into space in 1961, Russia has prided itself as a leading power in space exploration. But its ambitions suffered a massive blow in August 2023 when its uncrewed Luna-25 mission smashed into the surface of the moon while attempting to land.
Borisov, despite that failure, had laid out ambitious plans for the coming years as Russia prepares to launch its own orbital space station. The new project will replace the ageing International Space Station (ISS) where Russia has collaborated closely with the United States even after relations were plunged into crisis because of the war in Ukraine.
Last year Borisov approved a schedule under which the first two modules of the new Russian station would launch in 2027. Russia has said it plans to maintain a continuous crewed presence in space and conduct scientific, economic and security-related projects that were not possible in the Russian segment of the ISS.
French fighter jets arrive in Ukraine
Thursday 6 February 2025 09:57 , Tom Watling
The first batch of French Mirage 2000 fighter jets has arrived in Ukraine half a year after president Emmanuel Macron announced the plan to send them.
French armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu announced the jets arrived in Ukraine this morning.
“With Ukrainian pilots on board who have been trained for several months in France, they will now participate in defending the skies of Ukraine,” he wrote.
Last December, a group of Ukrainian pilots finished a six-month training programme to operate the Mirage 2000s at a base in Nancy, north-west France.
The French, meanwhile, tweaked the jets to make them more suitable for war in Ukraine. The jets were designed to focus on air-to-air combat but Mr Lecornu said they had to be modified to be more focused on air-to-ground warfare. Their electronic warfare systems were also reinforced.
Kharkiv shopping centre destroyed by Russian drone attack
Thursday 6 February 2025 09:46 , Tom Watling
A shopping centre in Ukraine’s second-largest city has been destroyed following a Russian drone attack overnight.
Local officials said the Barabashovo market in northeast Ukraine’s Kharkiv, home to around 1.2 million people, was hit by the debris of a downed Russian drone.
Governor Oleh Syniehubov said roughly 100 kiosks had been destroyed. No casualties were reported.
It is at least the third time Russian aerial attacks have hit the market. In March 2022, as Russian forces began occupying Kharkiv (it was liberated in September that year), a double-tap strike on the market killed one emergency worker and injured a second.
In July, as Ukraine was preparing Kharkiv’s liberation, a Russian cluster munition attack killed two men and wounded 21 more.
Mapped: Russia's advance in eastern Ukraine
Thursday 6 February 2025 09:33 , Tom Watling
Inside Kyiv’s nightly battle against Putin’s drone bombardment
Thursday 6 February 2025 09:03 , Tom Watling
The defenders of Kyiv using World War Two-style machine guns on farm trailers
Russian forces fire at Ukrainian positions in Kursk - picture
Thursday 6 February 2025 08:47 , Tom Watling
Ukraine sees marked improvement in accuracy of Russia's North Korean missiles
Thursday 6 February 2025 08:22 , Tom Watling
North Korean ballistic missiles fired at Ukraine by Russian forces since late December have been far more precise than salvos of the weapons launched over the past year, two senior Ukrainian sources told Reuters.
At a time when Moscow's burgeoning ties with Pyongyang are causing alarm from Washington to Seoul, the increase in accuracy - to within 50-100m of the intended target - suggests North Korea is successfully using the battlefield to test its missile technology, the sources said.
A military source, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information, described a marked improvement in the precision in all the more than 20 North Korean ballistic missiles that hit Ukraine over the past several weeks. A second source, a senior government official familiar with the issue, confirmed the findings when asked by Reuters.
Yang Uk, a weapons expert at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said such improvements in North Korean missile capabilities have troubling implications for its potential to threaten South Korea, Japan and the United States or sell upgraded weapons to "failed" states or armed groups.
"That can have a major impact on stability in the region and the world," he said, in response to questions for this story.
North Korea's military programmes have developed rapidly in recent years, including short- and intermediate-range missiles that Pyongyang says can be tipped with nuclear warheads. However, until its involvement in Ukraine, the long-isolated nation had never tested the new weapons in combat.
Mapped: Where are Ukraine's rare earth mineral resources and why does Trump want them?
Thursday 6 February 2025 07:38 , Arpan Rai
US president Donald Trump has announced he wants Ukraine to pay for financial and military support by affording Washington access to the country’s vast but untapped rare earth minerals.
He said on Monday he wants “equalisation” from Ukraine for the US’ “close to $300 billion” in support.
“We're telling Ukraine they have very valuable rare earths,” Mr Trump said. “We're looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they're going to secure what we're giving them with their rare earths and other things.”
Below, we look at where these resources are in Ukraine, and why Kyiv has struggled to mine these minerals.
Mapped: Where are Ukraine's mineral resources and why does Trump want them?
Ukraine shoots down 56 drones launched by Russia overnight
Thursday 6 February 2025 07:35 , Arpan Rai
Russia launched 77 drones and two ballistic Iskander-M missiles to attack Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's military said this morning.
Ukraine's air force shot down 56 drones and 18 more did not reach their targets, likely due to electronic warfare, it added in a statement on Telegram channel.
Ukraine attacks Russian airfield in Krasnodar
Thursday 6 February 2025 06:56 , Arpan Rai
The Ukrainian military launched an attack on an airfield in Russia's Krasnodar region overnight, resulting in explosions and a fire, its military official said.
Russian forces use the airfield to store and launch drones to attack Ukraine and maintain aircraft carrying out missions in Ukraine's southern regions, the military added.
Trump may unveil plan for Ukraine peace deal next week at security summit
Thursday 6 February 2025 06:07 , Arpan Rai
The Trump administration is reportedly set to present its peace plan aimed at ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine at a security conference in Munich next week.
Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, will present president Donald Trump's plan at the conference, reported Bloomberg, citing sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The format of the peace plan was not immediately clear.
Mr Kellogg has already confirmed his participation in the conference. "As the US president's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, I look forward to speaking about Donald Trump's goal to end the bloody and costly war in Ukraine,” he wrote on X.
"I'll meet with America's allies who are ready to work with us," he added.