3 h. ago Ukraine endures a bitter winter after Russian attacks as peace efforts overshadowed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says about 4,000 buildings in Kyiv remain without heating, and nearly 60% of the city is without power following days of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid

Events

7 h. ago EU chief says Europe needs to abandon caution after US treasury secretary calls Denmark ‘irrelevant’ – Europe live

Scott Bessent replied to a question on Danish investments by saying that ‘Denmark’s investment in US treasury bonds, like Denmark itself, is irrelevant’Curiously, Rutte also pointedly says that “the main issue [for Nato] is not Greenland, it’s Ukraine.”“The risk here is that you focus, of course, on Greenland, because we have to make sure that that issue gets solved in an amicable way.But the main issue is not Greenland. Now, the main issue is Ukraine.”“And as we speak, Russian missiles and Russian drones are attacking the energy infrastructure in Ukraine. We know that it is now -20 degrees in Kyiv. We know that Ukraine can only take care of 60% of its own electricity.And yes, it is true the Russians have lost in December 1,000 people dead – not seriously wounded, but dead - a day. That’s over 30,000 in the month of December. In the 1980s, in, Afghanistan, the Soviets lost 20,000 in 10 years. Now they lose 30,000 a month in one month. But they still continue the attack, they still i...

Society

28 h. ago Chernobyl power plant LOSES external power supply after Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, IAEA warns

The International Atomic Energy Agency Director General, Rafael Grossi, reported this morning that several Ukrainian power substations had been affected by large-scale military activity.

Events

29 h. ago Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffers power loss amid Russian attacks

Fresh Russian strikes have targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure

Events

40 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says military innovation will ‘transform’ air defences

President says air force’s new system involves ‘mobile fire groups’ and interceptor drones as he warns of fresh Russian attacks ahead. What we know on day 1,427Ukraine’s armed forces are introducing a new facet of air defence, made up of small groups deploying interceptor drones, as the country braces for new mass Russian attacks, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday. Ukraine is still reeling from a wave of Russian strikes earlier this month that knocked out power and heating to thousands of apartment blocks in freezing temperatures, particularly in the capital, and Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for air defences to be strengthened. “There will be a new approach to the use of air defences by the air force, concerning mobile fire groups, interceptor drones and other ‘short-range’ air defence assets,” the Ukrainian president said in his nightly video address. “The system will be transformed.” Zelenskyy announced the appointment of a new deputy air force commander, Pavlo Yelizarov, to o...

Events

64 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russian attacks kill two as Ukrainian strikes trigger blackouts in occupied south

Kyiv’s forces say 30 Russian strikes recorded across 15 locations while hundreds of thousands left without electricity in occupied Zaporizhzhia. What we know on day 1,426Moscow kept up its hammering of Ukraine’s energy grid in attacks that killed at least two people overnight to Sunday, according to Ukrainian officials. At least six people were wounded in the Dnipropetrovsk region, the emergency service said. Russia also targeted energy infrastructure in Odesa region, it said. A fire broke out and was promptly extinguished. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram that repairing the country’s energy system remained challenging “but we are doing everything we can to restore everything as quickly as possible”. The Ukrainian president said two people were killed in overnight attacks across the country that struck Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa and included more than 200 drones. The military said 30 strikes had been recorded across 15 locations. One person was k...

Events

4 d. ago Tony Blair 'honoured' after appointment to Donald Trump's ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza

Former Prime Minister named alongside high-profile Trump administration officials as a founding member of board to lead long-term peace efforts in the Middle East

Politics

4 d. ago Sir Tony Blair appointed to Donald Trump's ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza

Sir Tony’s named alongside high-profile Trump administration officials as a founding member of the founding executive board” to lead long-term peace efforts in the Middle East

Politics

5 d. ago ‘An attempt to break people’: Bucha holds out amid Russia’s weaponisation of winter

Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power plants as severe frost set in have been described as ‘crimes against humanity’Outside the main pumping station for Bucha, three engineers, bundled up in parkas, are working on the emergency generator keeping the Ukrainian city supplied with water.One holds a heat gun to the generator’s filter in an effort to unfreeze it, his face reddened by blowing snow and a daytime temperature of -12C (10.4F). Watching attentively is the city’s mayor, Anatolii Fedoruk. The generator in his office is also frozen when the Guardian visits and he apologises for the lack of coffee. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russian attack destroys Kharkiv energy facility as UK pledges emergency support

Response crews at work following strikes in Ukraine’s second city as Britain commits £20m after Zelenskyy declares energy emergency. What we know on day 1,423Russian forces destroyed a large energy facility in Ukraine’s second-biggest city, Kharkiv, the mayor said on Thursday, the latest target of a winter air campaign by Moscow that has plunged millions of Ukrainians into darkness and cold. Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram that emergency crews were working around the clock, while he did not specify what sort of facility had been hit. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said officials were assessing the extent of damage.Volodymyr Zelenskyy proceeded with a drive to tackle the damage inflicted by Russian strikes, chairing a meeting aimed at securing quick decisions from regional leaders. The Ukrainian president said there had been new strikes on the capital into the evening. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said about 300 apartment buildings remained without heat after a 9 Janua...

Events

6 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy declares energy emergency as cities shiver

Night-time temperatures dip close to -20C; minister outlines major problems with desertion and conscription evasion. What we know on day 1,422Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to declare a state of emergency in Ukraine’s energy sector to tackle disrupted power supplies after heavy Russian attacks. Energy imports would also be increased, the Ukrainian president said. Emergency crews in Ukraine have proceeded with round-the-clock efforts to restore power and heating supplies at a time when night-time temperatures are dipping close to -20C (-4F). Zelenskyy said the state of emergency would allow authorities “more options and flexibility”. He called for the establishment of more centres where residents can stay warm and charge electronic devices, and said nightly curfews could be lifted in areas where the security situation permitted it.The president said Kyiv – whose mayor he regularly clashes with – had done considerably less than other major centres, notably Ukraine’s second-largest city, Khark...

Events

6 d. ago Photos show Ukrainians enduring a frigid winter after Russian strikes knocked out power

Emergency repair crews are working flat out to restore power in the Kyiv region of Ukraine, after relentless Russian barrages on energy infrastructure left Ukrainians at the mercy of the coldest winter in years.

Culture

6 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy declares energy state of emergency as cities shiver

Night-time temperatures dip close to -20C; minister outlines major problems with desertion and conscription evasion. What we know on day 1,422Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to declare a state of emergency in Ukraine’s energy sector to tackle disrupted power supplies after heavy Russian attacks. Energy imports would also be increased, the Ukrainian president said. Emergency crews in Ukraine have proceeded with round-the-clock efforts to restore power and heating supplies at a time when night-time temperatures are dipping close to -20C (-4F). Zelenskyy said the state of emergency would allow authorities “more options and flexibility”. He called for the establishment of more centres where residents can stay warm and charge electronic devices, and said nightly curfews could be lifted in areas where the security situation permitted it.The president said Kyiv – whose mayor he regularly clashes with – had done considerably less than other major centres, notably Ukraine’s second-largest city, Khark...

Events

7 d. ago Ukrainians endure freezing temperatures at home as emergency crews rush to restore power

Officials say emergency repair crews are working tirelessly to restore power in the Kyiv region of Ukraine

Politics

7 d. ago Discussions to end Sudan war resume in Cairo as it nears the 3

Peace efforts in Sudan have resumed in Cairo, with Egypt and the United Nations urging warring parties to agree to a nationwide humanitarian truce

Events

8 d. ago People feel like the 'Russians are trying to freeze them': Guardian reporter in Kyiv – video

The Guardian's Peter Beaumont is in Kyiv where temperatures are expected to fall to -20C during the night. Many residents are forced to use emergency shelters to warm up and use electricity after a large-scale Russian attack on the capital on 9 January damaged energy facilities. Hundreds of homes have been left without power or heating after the strikes Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Zelenskyy says four killed as Ukraine hit with ‘almost 300 attack drones’ in Russian strikes overnight – Europe live

Ukrainian president says ‘Russia must learn that cold will not help win the war’ as energy infrastructure targetedUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia hit Ukraine overnight with “almost 300 attack drones” and 25 missiles as it continues to target energy infrastructure across the country, already suffering from extensive electricity and heat outages amid a harsh winter.Zelenskyy said the overnight attacks caused “extensive destruction of residential and civilian infrastructure” across the country, including in the capital Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv and Donetsk. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Nightfall – Britain races to develop ballistic missile for Kyiv

UK government starts contest to have deep-strike prototypes delivered within 12 months; heat-starved Kyiv under Russian attack again. What we know on day 1,419Britain is to develop a new deep-strike ballistic missile for Ukraine, the government has announced. Under the project, named Nightfall, the British government said on Sunday that it had launched a competition to rapidly develop ground-launched ballistic missiles that could carry a 200kg (440lb) warhead to a range of more than 500km (310 miles).“Nightfall missiles will be capable of being launched from a range of vehicles,” said the UK defence ministry (MoD), “firing multiple missiles in quick succession and withdrawing within minutes – allowing Ukrainian forces to hit key military targets before Russian forces can respond.”Three industry teams would each get £9m to design, develop and deliver their first three Nightfall missiles within 12 months for test firings, said the MoD. Ukraine’s current ballistic missiles include Atac...

Events

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv struggles to stabilise ruined power grid after major Russian attack

Residents battle bitter winter cold inside unheated apartments; Ukraine confirms UN to hold emergency meeting Monday on Russian ballistic missile attack. What we know on day 1,418Engineers in Kyiv scrambled on Saturday to stabilise a power grid brought to the brink by a campaign of Russian strikes, including one two nights ago. The city’s residents huddled against bitter winter cold inside their unheated apartments on Saturday as engineers worked to restore power, water and heat. Prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that the power situation in the capital was still difficult, as the grid was badly damaged and people were using more electric heaters because of the cold.Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed Saturday the UN security council would hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss Russia’s latest large-scale attack on Ukraine, which used an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile. “The meeting will address Russia’s flagrant breaches of the UN Charter,” Sy...

Events

1 week ago Dark, freezing and depressed: More than a million Ukrainians struggling without heat or water after Russian attacks

With temperatures as low as -15C in some parts of Ukraine, vulnerable residents tell Alex Croft that life under Russian assault is as difficult as ever

Events