Ukraine-Russia war latest: At least seven dead after Moscow launches ‘largest missile attack’ in months
Putin’s forces have targeted Ukraine’s energy supplies for months as a difficult winter approaches for Kyiv
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.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.
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”.
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.
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.”
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:
Russia grinds deeper into Ukraine after 1,000 days of grueling war
When Russia invaded 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
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.
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:
Zelensky says Ukraine-Russia war will ‘end sooner’ with Trump as president
As the conflict reaches its 1,000th day next week, Ukraine is facing increasingly difficult conditions on the frontlines
In pictures: Devastation following ‘massive’ Russian missile attack
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.”
Kyiv takes thinly-veiled dig at German chancellor
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has taken a thinly-veiled dig at German chancellor Olaf Scholz after he held a phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday.
“Russia launched one of the largest air attacks: drones and missiles against peaceful cities, sleeping civilians, critical infrastructure,” Mr Sybiha wrote on X on Sunday morning.
“This is war criminal Putin’s true response to all those who called and visited him recently. We need peace through strength, not appeasement.”
He appeared to be taking direct aim at Mr Scholz following his discussiong with Putin, in which he called for Russian forces to retreat from Ukraine and for Moscow and Kyiv to open talks for a “just and lasting peace”.
Ukraine shoots down 144 drones and missiles
Ukrainian air defences destroyed 102 Russian missiles and 42 drones during the major overnight strike, the air force said on Sunday.
Russian forces launched a total of 120 missiles of multiple different types, including hypersonic missiles, alongside 90 drones, Kyiv said.
The scale of the damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has not yet been clarified.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments