14 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Top banker’s straight talk to Putin over troubled economy

Sberbank head German Gref gives unusually frank assessment; Zaporizhzhia situation has ‘significantly worsened’, says Syrskyi. What we know on day 1,358 Continue reading...

Events

38 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: battle for Pokrovsk ‘raging on’ as Russia claims advance on town to east

Kyiv says Moscow’s forces carrying out ‘fast manoeuvres’ in push for key city, while sides give conflicting reports of combat around Myrnohrad. What we know on day 1,357See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

Events

62 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Lavrov reappears, ready to offer Marco Rubio same demands

Ukraine answers Russia’s strikes on energy grid; Zelenskyy tells the Guardian that King Charles eased Trump tensions. What we know on day 1,356 Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia unleashes attack on energy infrastructure, triggering power cuts

Ukrainian minister says Moscow is ‘massively attacking’ grid; Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian troops gathering near north-eastern city. What we know on day 1,354See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago Trump says ‘looking at’ exemption for Hungary from Russian oil and gas sanctions – live

US president calls Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán a ‘great leader’ as they meet at the White HouseAndrew Roth in Washington and Flora Garamvolgyi in BudapestViktor Orbán will visit the White House today as Hungary’s far-right prime minister tries to broker another summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin that Orbán’s advisers claim could help end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Ukrainian court jails Russian soldier for killing PoW in landmark sentence

The soldier is the first to be jailed for such a crime after being found guilty of shooting dead a Ukrainian soldier who had surrendered in Zaporizhzhia region. What we know on day 1,353See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageA Ukrainian court has sentenced a Russian soldier to life in prison after finding him guilty of killing a Ukrainian prisoner of war – the first time Ukraine has jailed a suspect on such charges. The court in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia found Dmitry Kurashov, 27, guilty of shooting dead Vitalii Hodniuk, a Ukrainian soldier who had surrendered in January 2024 when his dugout was captured by Russian forces. Kurashov, who was taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces along with other Russian troops soon after and pleaded guilty in court, although he later told reporters he was innocent and wanted to be exchanged in a prisoner swap. He told Reuters after the ruling on Thursday that he did not plan to appeal. The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said criminal...

Events

6 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Bulgaria moves to seize Russian refinery while Poland seeks to be US gas conduit

Lukoil’s Burgas plant is Bulgaria’s only refinery; Slovakia running out of reasons to buy Russian gas as US import deal takes shape. What we know on day 1,352Bulgaria is preparing to seize control of Lukoil’s Burgas oil refinery and sell it to a new owner after the Russian oil company came under US sanctions, according to Bulgarian media reports. Burgas is Bulgaria’s only oil refinery and as part of Lukoil is at risk of having to shut down because of the sanctions. The US joined Britain last month in imposing sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, over Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Legislation was being drafted to allow the seizure, Bulgarian outlet Mediapool reported on Wednesday. Lukoil said last week that it was moving to sell foreign assets because of the sanctions.With international action progressively choking off Russia’s petroleum exports, Poland said on Wednesday that it was working on a deal to import liquefied natural gas from the US to su...

Events

7 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy visits troops near embattled Pokrovsk

Deep Ukrainian drone strikes hit petrochemical plant 1,300km inside Russia and Lukoil refinery east of Moscow. What we know on day 1,351 Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited troops in the Pokrovsk area of Donetsk oblast on Tuesday. “I met with our warriors at the command post of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine Azov, which is conducting a defensive operation in the Dobropillya sector,” said the Ukrainian president, referring to a town about 20km (12 miles) from Pokrovsk.Russian forces had pushed further into Pokrovsk and its environs, though much of it remained beyond firm control of either side, mapping by the Ukrainian project DeepState indicated on Tuesday. “The situation remains critical,” said Deepstate, adding that in some districts Russian forces were digging in and building up positions.The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its most recent assessment at time of writing, posted on 3 November: “Russian forces continue to advance in the Pokrovsk direction and ap...

Events

9 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Trump ‘not really’ considering supplying Tomahawks

Turkish refineries cut back on Russian oil in response to sanctions; Ukrainian special forces join defence of embattled Pokrovsk. What we know on day 1,349Donald Trump said on Sunday he was not really considering supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. Asked about it by a reporter aboard Air Force One, Trump responded: “No, not really.” Reports in recent days said the Pentagon had told the White House that the US stockpile of Tomahawks was sufficient to be able to supply them to Ukraine.Ukraine has been seeking the Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russia, but without them has still been able to wage a successful campaign using its own drones and missiles against Russian military and strategic targets such as oil depots and refineries. A Ukrainian drone attack struck Russia’s Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea on Sunday, causing a fire and damaging two ships, according to Russian authorities. Russian airports in nearby regions also had to be...

Politics

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Ukraine says its troops still holding out in embattled Pokrovsk

Ukraine military says it has improved positions in several districts, while Moscow says its troops are enclosing in on Ukrainian forces. What we know on day 1,348Ukraine’s top military commander said his troops were still holding out in the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk, which Moscow said its forces were at last enclosing in a pincer movement after more than a year of fighting. “We are holding Pokrovsk,” Ukraine’s army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Facebook on Saturday. “A comprehensive operation to destroy and dislodge enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing.” Ukraine’s military said that it had improved its positions in some districts. Kyiv is raising the number of its assault troops in the area, the 7th Rapid Response Corps said on Facebook, adding that the situation remained “difficult and dynamic”. Capturing Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk”, would be the most important Russian territorial gain inside Ukraine since Moscow took the ruined city of Avdiivka in early 2...

Events

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Russian attacks on substations are ‘nuclear terrorism’, says Ukraine

Ukrainian foreign ministry says deliberate strikes on civilian energy facilities violate international law as fears of a winter crisis grow. What we know on day 1,347Ukraine’s foreign ministry has denounced what it described as Russian attacks on substations critical to supplying external power for Ukraine’s nuclear power stations. Russia has carried out “targeted strikes on such substations”, a ministry statement issued late on Friday said. “Deliberate strikes on civilian energy facilities that directly affect the safe operation of nuclear installations bear the hallmarks of nuclear terrorism and constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law,” it added.The foreign ministry referred to a statement issued on Thursday by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, reporting military activity “that has led to damage to substations critical to nuclear safety and security in Ukraine”. The IAEA statement reported incidents near two nuclear plants – So...

Events

2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Moscow under drone siege for third night running

EU edges towards using ‘reparations loan’ using Russian frozen assets; Kremlin pressing ahead with year-round conscription. What we know on day 1,344Ukraine sent drones towards Moscow for the third consecutive night, closing airports, Russian authorities said late on Tuesday. Rosaviatsiya, the air transport watchdog, said Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports had flights halted or restricted. Russia usually says all incoming drones were destroyed, regardless of the outcome, and typically gives limited details about the effects of Ukrainian strikes unless civilians or civilian infrastructure are hit. Over the previous two nights, Russia’s defence ministry said there were 35 Ukrainian drones destroyed over the Moscow region. Ukraine says its long-range drone strikes of recent months on Moscow and other Russian regions are aimed at hitting military and industrial assets, damaging Russia’s war economy and bringing the conflict home to Russians.Ukraine also launched se...

Events

2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russian drones hunt civilians in crime against humanity, UN inquiry finds

Ukraine strengthens Pokrovsk positions amid infiltration by estimated 200 Russian troops; Lukoil selling overseas assets after US sanctions. What we know on day 1,343 Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Trump sanctions have swift impact but will world stop buying Russian oil and gas?

Analysts say president’s war on Russia’s fossil fuel revenues is a chance to bring peace to Ukraine and profit to USDonald Trump’s stated mission to broker peace in Ukraine could come down to this simple question: can the US president convince the world to stop buying Russia’s fossil fuels?Last week, Trump imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, in an effort to damage Moscow’s ability to fund its war machine. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Starmer vows Ukraine allies will take Russian oil and gas off market after Trump sanctions

Sir Keir Starmer said the coalition of the willing has agreed on a ‘clear plan for the rest of the year’ in supporting Kyiv

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Ukraine’s future is our future’, says Starmer, as he vows coalition will take Russian oil and gas off market to choke funding – Europe live

Zelenskyy, Starmer and members of ‘coalition of willing’ give press conferenceA forthcoming trip by German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, to China has been cancelled amid growing fears that Beijing’s restriction on semiconductor and rare earth exports could paralyse the country’s car industry.“We are postponing the journey to a later time,” the spokesperson told a regular press briefing on Friday. “The Chinese side was ultimately able to confirm only the appointment with the Chinese foreign minister, and could not confirm any other additional appointments,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said. Continue reading...

Society

3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy paints Trump meeting as ‘positive’, with Patriot missile deal in works

Zelenskyy’s comments are in contrast to reports that Trump berated the Ukrainian leader and pushed him to concede territory to Russia. What we know on day 1,336 Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Energy war continues with strikes on Russian oil and gas plants

Russian attacks hit coal mine in Dnipropetrovsk region and Chernihiv power grid; Trump flips back to accommodating Putin. What we know on day 1,335 Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Repairs begin in bid to restore power to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

UN watchdog says Russia and Ukraine have established special ceasefire zones to allow the repairs to be safely carried out. What we know on day 1,334Work has started to repair damaged power lines leading to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after a lengthy outage, the UN’s nuclear watchdog said on Saturday. The site, occupied by Russian forces since March 2022, lost its connection to the grid on 23 September for the 10th time – the longest outage of external power supply to the facility since Russia invaded Ukraine.The repairs to the off-site power lines began after Russian and Ukrainian forces established “local ceasefire zones to allow work to proceed”, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a post on X. “Both sides engaged constructively with the IAEA to enable the complex repair plan to proceed,” Grossi said. “Restoration of off-site power is crucial for nuclear safety and security.” The agency said it expected the work to take about...

Events

4 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Poland minister shows Shahed drone and warns of ‘deep’ Russian threat

Radoslaw Sikorski, speaking in London, urges drone wall and three-year plan to back Ukraine; Odesa mayor’s ‘citizenship suspended’. What we know on day 1,330 Continue reading...

Events