Russia Ukraine war live: Putin’s forces unleash new offensive as UK sends weapons to Kyiv

A Ukrainian soldier has described to The Unbiased the “very troublesome” scenario dealing with these preventing in Avdiivka, a small city in jap Ukraine that has turn out to be the flashpoint of the frontline.

Serhiy Zhuykov, a Ukrainian part chief and sniper at the moment stationed close by to the city, stated: “We attempt to keep however there are lots of, many Russian assaults on our military. It’s troublesome, very troublesome.”

A British Ministry of Defence replace from this morning steered that as a lot as 40 p.c of fight engagements throughout the frontline in the meanwhile are occurring close to Avdiivka.

“It was as frank as doable – and clearly, it was focussed on our European affairs,” stated Mr Zelensky in his nightly tackle, referring to his interplay with the Hungarian chief.

The 2 leaders have been seen conversing in a nook of the Argentine parliament after Mr Orban threatened to dam extra European Union monetary assist to Kyiv. A virtually 20-second-long video confirmed Mr Zelensky participating with Mr Orban animatedly in parliament the place tons of of leaders had gathered.

His clenched fingers hung by his sides, like a schoolboy ready for the headmaster. It was 19 October 2023. The Russian chief of the final workers, Mr Putin’s prime soldier, had been appointed the operational commander of the invasion of Ukraine in January.

It was a transfer akin to the proprietor of a soccer membership appointing the supervisor as his captain on the sector. Since 2012, when he was appointed chief of the Russian navy, his job had been big-picture technique; from January 2023, he had wanted to be engaged in day-to-day ways as nicely.

Strain mounted on Hungary on Monday to not veto the opening of European Union membership talks and the provision of financial assist to war-torn Ukraine at a pivotal EU summit this week, after Prime Minister Viktor Orban demanded that the problem be struck from the agenda.

With tens of billions of {dollars} in navy and financial help blocked by Senate Republicans in america, Ukraine is determined to make sure longer-term monetary and navy help as preventing in its virtually 2-year conflict with Russia bogs down.

Ukraine‘s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was in Argentina on Monday, the place he attended the swearing-in of the nation’s new president, Javier Milei.

It was the Ukrainian chief’s first official journey to South America as Kyiv continues to court docket assist amongst creating nations for its 21-month-old struggle in opposition to Russia‘s invading forces.

Mr Zelensky met with Mr Milei in addition to with the presidents of Uruguay, Paraguay and Ecuador. Throughout the inauguration ceremony, Mr Zelenskyy might be seen exchanging phrases with Hungarian chief Viktor Orban, extensively thought of one among Russian president Vladimir Putin’s closest allies in Europe and one of many few European leaders who has not sided with Ukraine within the conflict.

In his nightly video tackle, Mr Zelensky stated he had a “extremely easy dialog” with Mr Orban, “centered on our European affairs”.

He stated he additionally spoke by telephone with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and European Fee president, Ursula von der Leyen, “about joint work on the EU stage and in regards to the joint defence of Europe”.

Ukrainian officers have warned that Russia will goal vitality infrastructure to trigger energy outages and blackouts prefer it did final winter.

In an intelligence replace over the weekend, the UK Defence Ministry famous that Russia final week used its heavy bomber fleet for the primary time since September.

It predicted the beginning of a extra concerted marketing campaign geared toward degrading Ukraine‘s vitality infrastructure as winter units in.

Kyiv is routinely focused by Russian drone and missile assaults.

Simply over two weeks in the past, Kyiv got here underneath what Ukrainian officers stated was essentially the most intense drone assault for the reason that starting of Russia‘s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Ukraine‘s air drive stated Russia launched 75 Iranian-made Shahed drones in opposition to the capital, of which 74 have been destroyed by air defences.

Russia fired eight ballistic missiles at Kyiv early on Monday, all of which have been shot down, Ukraine‘s air drive stated.

The thwarted assault nonetheless left one individual injured by shrapnel and three extra suffered extreme stress reactions, officers stated.

A number of houses have been additionally destroyed and greater than 100 have been left with out electrical energy.

The predawn assault on Kyiv got here amid warnings that Russia will step up its assaults on the nation’s vitality infrastructure as winter units in with freezing temperatures.

A sequence of loud explosions rang out in Ukraine‘s capital simply after 4am, as town was underneath its nightly curfew, adopted by air raid sirens.

Ukraine‘s navy stated its air defenses intercepted all eight ballistic missiles. Nevertheless, falling particles from rockets broken houses on the bottom, leaving one individual wounded and three others struggling extreme shock, officers stated.

The assault additionally left some 120 households within the metropolis with out electrical energy, Ukraine‘s Ministry of Vitality stated.

Practically 200 Nepalese nationals are serving as mercenaries within the Russian military – but it surely’s not solely a phenomenon benefitting the Kremlin’s navy recruitment, as Namita Singh explains:

Afew months in the past, a Ukrainian official posted a video of a person who had been captured whereas preventing for Russia. The person was neither educated by Russia nor a resident of that nation, and he had no direct stake within the Ukraine conflict. But he had flown over 4,000km to serve in “one of many Russian Airborne Forces brigade”, the video stated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed a U.S. navy viewers on Monday that he hoped he can nonetheless depend on america and urged Congress not play into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fingers, as he began a important go to to Washington to shore up safety help.

“We received’t quit. We all know what to do and you may depend on Ukraine. And we hope simply as a lot to have the ability to depend on you,” Zelensky stated in an tackle to the Nationwide Protection College.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has warned Congress {that a} failure to resume navy help to Ukraine may tip the practically two-year-old conflict in Russia‘s favor, creating nationwide safety threats for the West.

Zelensky, in an indirect reference to disputes in Congress over allocating assist, stated it was “essential that politics … not betray the troopers.”

“Let me be frank with you, mates. If there’s anybody impressed by unresolved points on Capital Hill, it’s simply Putin and his sick clique,” Zelensky added.