Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin’s ‘inhumane’ Christmas Day attack leaves half a million without heating

Half a million people have been left without heating in Kharkiv as Vladimir Putin’s forces launched a huge missile and drone attack on Ukraine, condemned as “inhumane” by Volodymyr Zelensky.

The strikes wounded at least six people in the city of Kharkiv and killed one in the region of Dnipropetrovsk, local governors said.

The Ukrainian president said more than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 attack drones were used to strike Ukraine’s power sources. Kyiv managed to shoot down at least 50 missiles and a significant number of drones, he said.

“Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?” Mr Zelensky said. “They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine.”

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the “bloody and brutal” attacks, “with no respite, even at Christmas”.

It came a day after at least one person was killed and 15 injured in Mr Zelensky’s hometown after a ballistic missile struck an apartment building in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.

Key points

• Volodymyr Zelensky condemns ‘inhumane’ Russian attacks on Christmas Day

• One killed and at least six injured as half a million without heating in Kharkiv

• Russia ship bound for Syria sinks in Mediterranean

• More than 3,000 North Koreans killed and wounded, Zelensky says

• Zelensky blasts Slovak’s Fico over reluctance to drop Russian gas

Starmer says it is ‘vital we redouble our resolve to bolster Ukraine’

14:27 , Andy Gregory

Here are more of the comments from Sir Keir Starmer on Vladimir Putin’s Christmas Day attacks on Ukraine.

The prime minister said: “I condemn this ongoing assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

“I pay tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainian people, and the leadership of President Zelensky, in the face of further drone and missile attacks from Putin’s bloody and brutal war machine, with no respite, even at Christmas.

“As we go into the New Year, it remains vital that we redouble our resolve to place Ukraine in the strongest possible position to end Russia’s illegal aggression against the Ukrainian people.”

Russian missile passes into Moldovan and Romanian airspace, Kyiv says

14:01 , Andy Gregory

Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said one Russian missile passed into Moldovan and Romanian airspace, as Vladimir Putin’s forces launched a mass attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Russia says aim of its ‘massive’ strikes on Ukraine was achieved

13:46 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s defence ministry has confirmed it conducted a “massive strike” on what it claimed were critical energy facilities supporting the work of Kyiv’s “military-industrial complex”.

“The aim of the strike was achieved. All facilities have been hit,” it said in a statement.

One person was killed and at least six wounded, Ukrainian officials said. Ukraine’s energy minister German Galushchenko warned that restrictions on the country’s electricity supply were in place as a result.

Watch: Moment Russian cargo ship tilts before sinking in Mediterranean

13:20 , Andy Gregory

Russian governor says Ukrainian drone debris caused fatal fire in shopping centre

12:56 , Andy Gregory

Falling debris from a Ukrainian drone that was shot down caused an explosion and a fatal fire in a shopping centre in the city of Vladikavkaz in Russia’s North Ossetia region, the local governor has said.

Sergei Menyailo, the regional governor, alleged that air defence systems shot down the drone at 8:3am Moscow time.

One woman was reported to have been killed inside the shopping centre. The governor’s assertion could not be immediately verified.

Russia’s defence ministry said 119 Ukrainian drones had been destroyed in the last 24 hours.

Ukraine’s air defences shoots down nearly 60 Russian missiles

12:30 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s military said its air defences downed 59 Russian missiles and 54 drones overnight and on Wednesday morning.

Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 attack drones were used to strike Ukraine’s power sources, in what he called an “inhumane” attack on Christmas Day.

Starmer condemns ‘bloody and brutal’ Russian strikes on Ukraine

12:22 , Andy Gregory

British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned Russia’s “bloody and brutal” strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid “with no respite even at Christmas”.

Pope Francis calls for talks to end Ukraine war in Christmas message

12:03 , Andy Gregory

Pope Francis has used his Christmas message to call for talks between Kyiv and Moscow to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In his Christmas Day address, the Catholic leader mentioned the Ukraine conflict directly and called for “the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation”.

Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to thousands of people in the square below, the pope said: “May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine!”

He also called for “gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace”.

Francis, who has been pope since 2013, was criticised by Ukrainian officials this year when he said the country should have the courage of the “white flag” to negotiate an end to the war with Russia.

Professor who fled Putin’s war warns Kremlin is playing ‘Russian roulette with lives’

11:38 , Andy Gregory

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Vladimir Putin has faced persistent opposition not only in Western capitals but also inside his own country. For Russians though, criticising the president comes at a cost – one Salavat Abylkalikov knows all too well.

Abylkalikov, 38, a former professor at one of Russia’s most prestigious universities, says he was compelled to flee Moscow last year to escape being conscripted to fight in the Ukraine war, and protect his wife and daughter from harm and separation.

Abylkalikov is one of 400 academics from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine who, since the start of the war, have fled or sought help to leave from the Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara), a British charity that assists foreign scholars looking to escape dangerous places or situations.

Nearly 300 of the academics are from Ukraine, making it the highest number of requests for support from scholars in a European country since the 1930s.

My colleague Arpan Rai reports:

Professor who fled Putin’s war warns Kremlin is playing ‘Russian roulette with lives’

Ukrainian energy boss denounces ‘state-sponsored terrorism’

11:12 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK said its generating facilities were attacked as part of the massive assault by Vladimir Putin’s forces, with power equipment seriously damaged, in the 13th large-scale assault on the energy sector this year.

“We appeal to every ally of Ukraine to end this state-sponsored terrorism now by giving our armed forces the air defence ammunition they need to protect essential energy infrastructure,” DTEK Cchief executive Maxim Timchenko said.

Russia ‘trying to destroy region’s power system’, Dnipropetrovsk governor says

10:48 , Andy Gregory

Dnipropetrovsk governor Serhiy Lysak said the fatality there occurred in a Russian attack on regional power facilities.

“Since the morning, the Russian army has been massively attacking the Dnipro region. It is trying to destroy the region’s power system,” he said.

Urgent call for evacuation of Australian fighter after stepping on landmine in Ukraine

10:26 , Andy Gregory

The Australian government is being urged to urgently evacuate a 38-year-old citizen who sustained severe injuries after stepping on a landmine while fighting on Ukraine’s eastern front.

Friends of the injured man, who was yesterday reported to be receiving treatment in a Ukrainian hospital, told The Guardian that without immediate specialist care, he risks losing his limbs.

A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed on Tuesday that consular assistance was being provided but declined to comment further, citing privacy concerns.

The Australian fighter recounted his harrowing ordeal in a statement shared by a supporter. “I nearly bled out,” he said, describing the 20-hour evacuation and the lack of immediate first aid.

Glenn Kolomeitz, a former Australian army officer, has called on the government to arrange an urgent evacuation to ensure the man receives proper medical treatment. “He needs surgery very rapidly,” Mr Kolomeitz stressed.

Nearly half of Ukrainians support joining Nato even as territories remain under Russian occupation

09:58 , Andy Gregory

Nearly 47 per cent of Ukrainians feel that the country should join Nato even if some of the territories are under Russian occupation, a new survey suggests.

The findings from the survey by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation and the Razumkov Centre, reported by the Kyiv Independent, are broadly in line with suggestions made recently by Volodymr Zelensky for a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.

The recent polls reveal an increase of 14 per centage point from a similar survey conducted in June 2023.

One killed and at least six injured as half a million without power in Kharkiv after ‘inhumane’ attacks

09:40 , Andy Gregory

The Russian strikes condemned as “inhumane” by Volodymyr Zelensky have wounded at least six people in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and killed one in the region of Dnipropetrovsk, the governors there said.

Half a million people in Kharkiv region were left without heating, in temperatures just a few degrees Celsius above zero, while there were blackouts in the capital Kyiv and elsewhere.

The Ukrainian president said more than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 attack drones were used to strike Ukraine’s power sources. Kyiv managed to shoot down at least 50 missiles and a significant number of drones, he said.

More than 3,000 North Koreans killed and wounded in Kursk, Zelensky says

09:29 , Andy Gregory

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed and wounded in Russia’s Kursk region.

“There are risks of North Korea sending additional troops and military equipment to the Russian army,” Mr Zelensky said after receiving a report from his top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, adding: “We will have tangible responses to this.”

The estimate is higher than that provided by South Korea’s military, which said that at least 1,100 North Korean troops had been killed or wounded.

Mr Zelensky said he was citing preliminary data. However, the figures of combat casualties could not be independently verified.

Volodymyr Zelensky condemns ‘inhumane’ Russian attacks on Christmas Day

09:07 , Andy Gregory

Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned an “inhumane” attack by Russia on Christmas Day.

The Ukrainian president said more than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 attack drones were used to strike Ukraine’s power sources. Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said one Russian missile passed Moldovan and Romanian airspace.

“Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?” Mr Zelensky said. “They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine.”

He said Ukraine has managed to shoot down at least 50 missiles and a significant number of drones.

Comment: The one battle President Zelensky looks set to win

08:00 , Namita Singh

The one battle President Zelensky looks set to win

Six injured in Kharkiv as Russia launches major missile attack on Ukraine

07:32 , Namita Singh

Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy system and cities in its eastern region with cruise and ballistic missiles this morning, Ukraine’s energy minister and local officials said.

At least six people were wounded in a missile attack on Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine on Wednesday morning, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Ukrainian air forces said Kharkiv was attacked by ballistic missiles and Syniehubov said on the Telegram messaging app that there were “damages to civilian non-residential infrastructure”.

Separately, Dnipropetrovsk governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram: “Since the morning, the Russian army has been massively attacking the Dnipro region. It is trying to destroy the region’s power system.”

Ukraine’s energy minister German Galushchenko said on Facebook that Russia “is massively attacking the power sector” and that the transmission system operator had imposed restrictions on electricity supply to minimise the impact.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Ukrainian military launched a countrywide air alert in response to Russian cruise missile launches.

The country’s largest private energy company DTEK said its generating facilities were attacked during the strike, causing “serious damages” to power equipment.

Russia attacked Ukraine’s DTEK power plants, says company

07:30 , Namita Singh

Russia attacked the power plants of Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, severely damaging equipment, the company said this morning.

“This year, it is the 13th massive attack on the Ukrainian energy sector and the 10th massive attack on the company’s energy facilities,” it said on the Telegram messaging app.

Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia

07:00 , Alexander Butler

Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia

Russia attacks Ukraine energy system in major missile strike, Kyiv says

06:11 , Namita Singh

Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy system and cities in its eastern region with cruise and ballistic missiles on Christmas morning, Ukraine’s energy minister and local officials said.

At least three people were wounded in a missile attack on Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine on Wednesday morning, mayor Ihor Terekhov said.Ukrainian air forces said Kharkiv was attacked by ballistic missiles and regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on the Telegram messaging app that there were “damages to civilian non-residential infrastructure”.

Separately, Dnipropetrovsk governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram: “Since the morning, the Russian army has been massively attacking the Dnipro region. It is trying to destroy the region’s power system.”

Ukraine’s energy minister German Galushchenko said on Facebook that Russia “is massively attacking the power sector” and that the transmission system operator had imposed restrictions on electricity supply to minimise the impact.

North Korean troops in Russia pose limited impact, says Ukrainian official

05:30 , Namita Singh

The presence of North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region has not substantially influenced the ongoing conflict, a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson has stated.

Yevgen Yerin, representing Ukraine’s military intelligence service, told AFP: “The involvement of the North Koreans in the fighting has not had a significant impact on the situation. It is not such a significant number of personnel.”

However, Mr Yerin cautioned against complacency, noting that the troops are gaining experience. “But they are also learning. And we cannot underestimate the enemy. And we can see that they are already taking some things into account in their activities,” he added.

Three injured in Russian missile attack on Kharkiv

05:04 , Namita Singh

At least three people have been injured in a Russian missile attack on Kharkiv, says the mayor.

Ukrainian air forces said Kharkiv was attacked by ballistic missiles, and local governor Oleh Syniehubov said on the Telegram messenger that there were “damages to civilian non-residential infrastructure”.

Zelensky celebrates Ukraine’s unity in Christmas message

04:15 , Namita Singh

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky marked Christmas with a message of unity, emphasising the strength and togetherness of his nation despite the ongoing challenges.

“For the second time, we celebrate Christmas on the same date as one big family, one country,” Mr Zelensky said in his address. “For the second time in modern history, Christmas unites all Ukrainians. Today, we stand side by side. And we will not be lost.”

Highlighting the enduring bonds among Ukrainians, Mr Zelensky called on citizens to connect with their loved ones, whether in person, through calls, or in spirit. “Whether in person or in our minds, we will greet each other, call our parents, kiss our children, hug our loved ones, and remember those we hold dear,” he stated.

He underscored the resilience and solidarity of Ukrainians, stressing that this unity is a powerful deterrent to adversity. “As long as we do this, evil has no chance,” Mr Zelensky declared, adding that the warmth shared among people is the essence of Christmas.

Concluding his message, Mr Zelensky extended his wishes to the nation, saying, “Merry Christmas to all of you! Christ is born! Glorify Him!”

Zelensky admits Ukraine does not have military strength to reclaim lost territories from Russia

04:00 , Alexander Butler

Zelensky admits Ukraine does not have military strength to reclaim lost territories

Russian missile strike kills one, injures 15 in Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih

03:15 , Namita Singh

A ballistic missile struck an apartment building in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih yesterday, killing one person and injuring 15, four of them seriously, officials said.

Ukrainian officials denounced the Christmas Eve attack on the city, president Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown.

“The monsters landed a direct hit on a four-storey residential block with 32 apartments,” the head of the city’s military administration, Oleksandr Vilkul, wrote on Telegram.

One man whose body had been pulled from under the rubble could not be revived by medics, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said.

Mr Vilkul later said that a woman had been rescued and taken to a hospital after spending four hours covered in rubble.

“While other countries of the world are celebrating Christmas, Ukrainians are continuing to suffer from endless Russian attacks,” Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets wrote on Telegram.

Governor Lysak posted photographs of rescuers trawling through a large pile of rubble, recovering a person covered in dust and loading them into an ambulance.

Kim Jong Un ‘personally overseeing’ North Korean training for Ukraine amid reports of heavy losses

03:00 , Alexander Butler

Kim Jong Un ‘personally overseeing’ North Korean training for Ukraine amid losses

Warning North Korea can produce ballistic missiles for Russia ‘in months’

02:00 , Alexander Butler

Warning North Korea can produce ballistic missiles for Russia ‘in months’

Vladimir Putin: Russia is ready to compromise with Trump on Ukraine war

01:00 , Alexander Butler

Vladimir Putin: I am ready to talk to Trump over Ukraine

Ukraine strikes in heart of Russia with drone attack 1,000km beyond frontline

Tuesday 24 December 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine strikes in heart of Russia with drone attack 1,000km beyond frontline

British army tests ‘game-changing’ weapon in the war against drones

Tuesday 24 December 2024 22:00 , Alexander Butler

British army tests ‘game-changing’ weapon in the war against drones

North Korea suffers 1,100 casualties fighting for Russia, South Korea says

Tuesday 24 December 2024 21:00 , Alexander Butler

North Korea suffers 1,100 casualties fighting for Russia, South Korea says

Watch: Russian ship sinks after mysterious explosion

Tuesday 24 December 2024 20:00 , Alexander Butler

Watch: Russian ship sinks after mysterious explosion.

Nato cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US, warn alliance’s frontline leaders

Tuesday 24 December 2024 18:19 , Alexander Butler

Nato cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US, warns Baltic leaders

Update: One dead and 11 injured in Russian missile attack on Zelensky’s hometown

Tuesday 24 December 2024 16:45 , Tom Watling

One person was killed and 11 were wounded by a ballistic missile strike on an apartment block in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, local officials said on Tuesday, and Kyiv condemned the Christmas eve attack.

“The monsters landed a direct hit on a four-storey residential block with 32 apartments,” the head of the city’s military administration, Oleksandr Vilkul, wrote on Telegram.

One man whose body had been pulled from under the rubble could not be revived by medics, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said.

“While other countries of the world are celebrating Christmas, Ukrainians are continuing to suffer from endless Russian attacks,” Ukraine‘s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets wrote on Telegram.

Governor Lysak posted photographs of rescuers trawling through a large pile of rubble, recovering a person covered in dust and loading them into an ambulance.

“There may still be people under the rubble,” he wrote shortly before 18:00 local time (1600 GMT), more than two hours after the strike.

Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is a steelmaking city with a pre-war population of more than 600,000.

Its southern outskirts lie about 40 miles (65 km) from the nearest Russian-occupied territory, and it has regularly been the target of Russian missile attacks throughout the war.

Watch: Russian ship sinks after mysterious explosion

Tuesday 24 December 2024 16:01 , Tom Watling

Watch: Russian ship sinks after mysterious explosion.

Russian missile attack injures six in Zelensky’s hometown

Tuesday 24 December 2024 15:05 , Tom Watling

A Russian ballistic missile attack on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih has injured half a dozen people, locals have reported.

Footage reposted below shows the damage caused by the missile attack, which hit a residential building.

At least six people have been injured, three of whom were hospitalised. Two people were rescued from the rubble.

Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia

Tuesday 24 December 2024 14:40 , Tom Watling

Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia

Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024

Tuesday 24 December 2024 14:00 , Tom Watling

Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024

North Korean troops killed by Ukrainian drones in Russia’s Kursk region – video

Tuesday 24 December 2024 13:09 , Tom Watling

Zelensky renews call for Russia to return stolen children

Tuesday 24 December 2024 12:33 , Tom Watling

British army tests ‘game-changing’ weapon in the war against drones

Tuesday 24 December 2024 12:00 , Tom Watling

British army tests ‘game-changing’ weapon in the war against drones

Nato cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US, warn leaders

Tuesday 24 December 2024 11:16 , Tom Watling

The leaders of Finland, Latvia and Estonia tell The Independent that Ukraine’s victory against Russia is paramount to the defence of a poorly-armed Europe.

Nato cannot defend Europe from Russia without the US, warns Baltic leaders

Russia ship bound for Syria sinks in Mediterranean

Tuesday 24 December 2024 10:41 , Tom Watling

A Russian cargo ship that Kyiv says was intended to collect weapons from military bases in Syria has sunk on route in the Mediterranean Sea.

Officials in Moscow said two crew members are missing after an engine room explosion sank the Ursa Major between Spain and Algeria. Fourteen other crew were rescued and taken to Spain.

The vessel left the Russian port city of St Petersburg on 11 December, according to ship tracking data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). It was last seen sending a signal at 10.04pm GMT on Monday between Algeria and Spain.

Ukraine’s military intelligence claimed on Monday that the ship had been sent to Syria to remove weapons and military materiel after the fall of Moscow-backed Bashar Al-Assad.

Ukraine says Russia used 60 drones in overnight attack

Tuesday 24 December 2024 10:15 , Albert Toth

Ukraine said Russia had attacked it with 60 drones overnight, of which 36 were downed, 23 were jammed by electronic warfare and one was still in the air.

The Ukrainian air force said drones had been shot down in eight regions across the country in a statement posted on the Telegram app on Tuesday.

Moscow is pressing on the 1,000-km front line along Ukraine‘s east and south almost three years into its full-scale invasion. It has launched near-daily waves of drones in the past few months, seeking to exhaust Ukrainian air defences and hit key infrastructure.

Ukraine and South Korea disagree on North Korean losses

Tuesday 24 December 2024 09:45 , Albert Toth

Ukraine’s president Zelensky and South Korean officials have provided different estimates of North Korean troops killed or injured as they fight alongside Russian forces.

Seoul’s top military officials say that around 1,100 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded in Ukraine’s Kursk region. Meanwhile, Zelensky put the figure much higher, at over 3,000.

The Ukrainian president has warned that more North Korean troops will likely join the invading Russian forces, criticising world leaders for doing “almost nothing” to curb collaboration between the two nations.

South Korean military sources have corroborated his claim, saying there is evidence that North Korea is preparing to send more resources to Russia.

“Fighting for money”: What did Zelensky say about Slovakia PM Robert Fico?

Tuesday 24 December 2024 09:15 , Albert Toth

Ukraine’s president Zelensky has expressed his dismay at the meeting between Slovakian PM Robert Fico and Putin over gas exports.

Taking to Twitter / X, he wrote: “There have been many questions from journalists today about Fico’s trip to Moscow. In fact, after our conversation in Brussels in the presence of all European leaders, nothing surprises anymore.

“We are fighting for our lives, Fico is fighting for money, and it’s unlikely that money is for Slovakia. Shadow agreements with Putin are either a trade of state interests or working for personal gain.

“We offered him solutions regarding potential compensation for Slovaks – the Slovaks specifically – for losses from Russian transit, as well as alternatives for transit – any other gas, not Russian, at the request of the European Commission. We were ready to do this. Fico did not want compensation for the Slovaks. And he does not want to cooperate with the European Commission. For some reason, he finds Moscow more profitable.

“Everyone in Europe understands why. There’s no one who doesn’t.”

Russian gas flows faster in face of Ukraine criticism

Tuesday 24 December 2024 08:45 , Albert Toth

Russia’s Gazprom said that it would send 42.4 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday, up from 42.1 mcm on Monday.

The slight uptick in distribution comes after Zelensky said he would not allow contracts for gas exports which flow from Russia to Europe through Ukraine to be renewed.

In reaction to the announcement, Slovakia PM Robert Fico met with Putin on Monday for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Gazprom’s exports to Europe and beyond decreased sharply following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, dropping by 90 billion cubic metres (bcm) in a single year to 63.8 billion over the year.

This dropped again in 2023 to 28.3 bcm, and is estimated to reach 32 bcm overall for 2024.

However, these figures are all staggeringly low compared to Gazprom’s pre-war exports, with the 2018/19 peak of 180 bmc remaining far out of reach.

Ukraine launches first robot-only assault on Russia

Tuesday 24 December 2024 08:13 , Albert Toth

Ukraine has successfully mounted its first robot-only assault against Russia, its the military says, as unmanned vehicles pushed back Moscow’s forces over the weekend.

In a display of modern warfare, Kyiv used dozens of remote-controlled vehicles mounted with machine guns, as well as unmanned kamikaze drones, in a raid near the Ukrainian-held town of Lyptsi, the Ukrainian military said.

Volodymyr Dehtiarov, a representative for Ukraine’s Khartiia Brigade, said: “We are talking about dozens of units of robotic and unmanned equipment simultaneously on a small section of the front.”

The assault took place between Russian-held Hlyboke and Ukrainian-held Lyptsi, in the Kharkiv region near Ukraine’s north-western border.

Kyiv has struggled with a shortage of manpower as the fight against invadin Russian troops continues into 2025. Ukranian officials have said the nation’s military consists of around 800,000 while Russia has committed 1.7 million troops to its war so far.

Modern assaults such as Ukraine’s robot only attack may prove to be crucial in the coming year as the officials look to tackle the imbalance of troops.

Protests and anger as Slovakia PM meets Putin

Tuesday 24 December 2024 07:52 , Albert Toth

Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico has drawn criticism from the European community and Slovakian citizens after he met face-to-face with Vladimir Putin the day before Christmas Eve (23 December).

Mr Fico became only the third European leader to visit the Russian president in Moscow since its invasion of Ukraine was ordered in February 2022.

The pair discussed “the international situation” and the delivery of Russian natural gas, according to the Kremlin.

Mr Fico says his visit was a reaction to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement that he would no longer allow Russian natural gas to flow to other European countries through pipes in Ukrainian soil.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry slammed the “weakness, dependence and short-sightedness” of Mr Fico’s energy policy in a statement, calling it a “threat to the whole of Europe.”

Meanwhile, protests have taken place in Bratislavia, Slovakia’s capital, as citizens show their support for Ukraine and disappointment at Mr Fico’s meeting.

Urgent call for evacuation of Australian fighter after stepping on landmine in Ukraine

Tuesday 24 December 2024 06:55 , Namita Singh

The Australian government is being urged to urgently evacuate a 38-year-old citizen who sustained severe injuries after stepping on a landmine while fighting on Ukraine’s eastern front. Friends of the injured man, who is currently receiving treatment in a Ukrainian hospital, told The Guardian that without immediate specialist care, he risks losing his limbs.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that consular assistance is being provided but declined to comment further, citing privacy concerns.

The Australian fighter recounted his harrowing ordeal in a statement shared by a supporter. “I nearly bled out,” he said, describing the 20-hour evacuation and the lack of immediate first aid.

Glenn Kolomeitz, a former Australian army officer, has called on the government to arrange an urgent evacuation to ensure the man receives proper medical treatment. “He needs surgery very rapidly,” Mr Kolomeitz stressed.

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