Ukraine-Russia war latest: Starmer warns Putin would face ‘severe consequences’ for breaching a ceasefire deal

After a week of frenetic activity on the war front, there has been a welcome return to peace – if only the idea of it. High-level meetings in London and Brussels have served to clarify a few basics.

Military leaders met behind closed doors in London for what was billed as operational planning for Sir Keir Starmer’s “coalition of the willing”. EU leaders, meanwhile, thrashed out preparations for closer defence cooperation and the eventuality, however distant, of peace in Ukraine; Volodymyr Zelensky reported from Norway on his recent “friendly” phone call with Donald Trump.

With much of the recent action happening between Washington and Moscow, and with diplomatic meetings taking place in Saudi Arabia, it has been all too possible to neglect the role that could and should be played by Europe and the Europeans. Here was an illustration of why they matter.

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Russian forces launched a mass drone attack on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa late on Thursday, injuring three people and damaging a high-rise apartment building and a shopping centre, the regional governor said.

Oleh Kiper, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said there had been strikes in three locations that triggered fires, while three districts of the city were suffering from power cuts.

Public broadcaster Suspilne had earlier reported more than 18 explosions in the city after 10pm (8pm GMT).

Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian attacks in the more than three-year-old war, particularly the city's port facilities.

The governor of Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, Ivan Fedorov, reported several strikes on areas near the city of Zaporizhzhia, including one guided bomb. He said five people were injured, including a child.

Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that Ukraine had already violated a proposed ceasefire on energy sites in the three-year-old war by attacking a Russian oil depot.

Russia's TASS news agency reported foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state television Channel One that it was up to the United States, which had proposed the ceasefire, to confront Ukraine over its actions.

The Kremlin said this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed in a call with his US counterpart Donald Trump to observe a 30-day ceasefire on energy targets. The accord fell short of a wider agreement that the U.S. had sought, and which was accepted by Ukraine, for a blanket 30-day truce.

Firefighters in southern Russia were still battling a blaze at an oil depot triggered by a Ukrainian drone attack, regional authorities said on the Telegram messaging app.

"We believe that the Kyiv regime has already broken the ceasefire proposed by the US president," Zakharova said on television, according to TASS.

Ukrainian officials have also accused Russia of failing to align their actions with their pledges by launching attacks on civilian targets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that Russian attacks on infrastructure, including hospitals and rail equipment, showed "Putin's words are very different from reality".

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Vladimir Putin “will breach” a peace in Ukraine unless any potential deal is defended, Sir Keir Starmer said as he attended a meeting of defence chiefs aimed at drawing up military plans for a peacekeeping force.

The Prime Minister said he was “certain” the Russian president would flout the terms of a truce unless security arrangements were in place to ensure sovereignty for the wartorn country.

Sir Keir and Defence Secretary John Healey are meeting military planners from the UK and allied countries gathering in London to firm up proposals for a peacekeeping operation in Ukraine.

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French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he will host a meeting of European leaders with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris next Thursday to discuss ways to help defend Ukraine.

He said his goal was to discuss ways to speed up immediate military support, how to make a possible ceasefire work, and draw up plans to beef up the Ukrainian military after a deal and possibly deploy troops there.

President of the European Council António Costa has said he believes EU member states will increase their pledges of support to Ukraine.

French president Emmanuel Macron has said France will host the coalition of the willing countries to discuss Ukraine in Paris on Thursday.

Russian forces launched a mass drone attack on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa late on Thursday, causing injuries and hitting civilian targets, officials said.

Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, said the drones struck civilian targets and caused injuries, without giving further details.

Public broadcaster Suspilne said more than 18 explosions were recorded in the city after 10pm and a fire broke out. Suspilne quoted utility officials as saying power was cut in several districts.

Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian attacks in the more than three-year-old war, particularly the city's port facilities.