Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Vladimir Putin has started World War III and must be stopped in comments made ahead of the four-year anniversary of the conflict.
The Ukrainian leader insisted Putin’s invasion had started a wider conflict impacting the global order and urged for intense military and economic pressure against Russia.
“I believe that Putin has already started it [WW3],” he told the BBC.
“The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him... Russia wants to impose on the world a different way of life and change the lives people have chosen for themselves.”
The comments come amid fraught ongoing trilateral discussions to secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
As the war approaches its four-year anniversary, Russia insists Ukraine surrender key territory while Zelensky is reluctant to any agreement that does not contain robust security guarantees.
It comes after a night of horror in Ukraine as Russian drones and missiles targeted energy infrastructure in southern Odesa region overnight, causing significant fires, the country’s emergency service said.
One person was killed and at least eight rescued from the rubble. Ukraine's Air Force said Russia's barrage included 297 drones and 50 missiles, of which 274 drones and 33 missiles were shot down or neutralized.
Key Points
- Putin has started WW3, says Zelensky
- Moscow airports restrict flights amid reported drone attack
- UK will ‘make 2026 the year war ends’ says defence secretary
- One killed, five injured as Russia targets energy sites across Ukraine
- One dead, 24 injured in blasts in western Ukraine
After 4 years of war by Russia in Ukraine, peace is still elusive despite a US push for a settlement
02:00 , Maira ButtWhen Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine surpassed 1,418 days last month, it officially exceeded a historic milestone — the same span of time it took Moscow to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II.
And unlike the Red Army that pushed all the way to Berlin eight decades ago in what it called the Great Patriotic War, Russia's 4-year-old, all-out invasion of its neighbor is still struggling to fully capture Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland.
After Moscow failed to seize the capital of Kyiv and install a puppet government in February 2022, the conflict turned into trench warfare with tremendous cost. By some estimates, nearly 2 million soldiers are dead, wounded or missing on both sides in Europe’s most devastating conflict since World War II.
After 4 years of war by Russia in Ukraine, peace is still elusive despite a US push for a settlement
In case you missed it: Former UK PM Boris Johnson says UK should immediately send non-combat troops to Ukraine
01:00 , Maira ButtFormer prime minister Boris Johnson has called for troops from the UK and Europe to be deployed immediately to Ukraine.
Mr Johnson said non-combat forces should be stationed in peaceful regions to send a firm message to Russian president Vladimir Putin otherwise the Russian leader would “keep going” with the conflict.
Speaking ahead of the four-year anniversary of the invasion, the former politician told BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that Ukraine’s allies had been “too slow” to respond.
“We've always delayed needlessly,” he said. “We've then ended up giving the Ukrainians what they have been asking for, and actually it's always served to their advantage and to the disadvantage of Putin. I mean, the one person who suffers from escalation is Putin.”
Hungary threatens to block EU sanctions on Russia over Ukraine pipeline dispute
00:01 , Maira ButtHungary has threatened to block a new package of European Union sanctions against Russia and stall efforts to help Ukraine, demanding the immediate resumption of Russian oil deliveries.
This ultimatum precedes a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday to discuss the bloc's 20th round of sanctions, hoping for approval by the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced his intention to block the sanctions in a social media video on Sunday, accusing Ukraine of deliberately withholding Russian oil shipments via the Druzhba pipeline.
Hungary threatens block EU sanctions on Russia over Ukraine pipeline dispute
Watch: Life growing up in a cold and dark Ukraine under constant Russian attack
23:00 , Maira ButtPutin has started WW3, says Zelensky
22:10 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has already started World War III and must be stopped.
“I believe that Putin has already started it [WW3],” he told the BBC.
“The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him... Russia wants to impose on the world a different way of life and change the lives people have chosen for themselves.”
The comments come amid fraught ongoing trilateral discussions to secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
As the war approaches its four-year anniversary, Russia insists Ukraine surrender key territory while Zelensky is reluctant to any agreement that does not contain robust security guarantees.
Ukrainians discuss having and raising children in wartime despite falling birth rates
22:00 , Maira ButtUkrainians are continuing to have children and raise families in wartime despite a decline in birth rates since the outbreak of war almost four years ago.
“It’s scary. You don’t know their direction. We hide at home between two walls. Veronica recognises the air-raid sirens,” Valeriia Ivashchenko told The Guardian.
“When the invasion began, I didn’t have a kid. I want to continue to build our life here. War means you can only plan for the short or medium term.”
UN says Ukraine’s women at breaking point after four years of war
21:00 , Maira ButtThe United Nations has warned that women and girls in Ukraine are reaching a “breaking point” after four years of conflict.
One in three women-led organisations in Ukraine warned they may only survive six months or less with the current state of funding.
Attacks on energy infrastructure are also hitting women and girls hard.
“Those energy blackouts, they are not just technical disruptions,” chief of Humanitarian Action Sofia Calltorp told reporters in Geneva on Friday. “They directly undermine women's safety, protection, and economic security.”
Families have been left without heating, electricity, and reliable shelter amid brutal winter conditions.
Calltorp explained that extended darkness, lack of street lighting, and disrupted transport “severely restrict women’s mobility and increase exposure to harassment and accidents”.
UN Women reported that 2025 had been the deadliest year for women in Ukraine, with more than 5,000 killed and 14,000 since the war began in 2022.
Russian Olympics athlete disqualified after accidentally taking competitor's skis
20:30 , Maira ButtRussian athlete Dariya Nepryaeva was disqualified from the women's 50km classic cross-country race at the Winter Olympics on Sunday.
The 23-year-old accidentally took a competitor’s skis during a mid-race equipment change.
Germany's Katharina Hennig Dotzler finished ninth and said the skis she was left with were slower than those she would have used had her equipment not been taken.
“It was not the fastest one. This morning we tested four pairs of skis, and that was maybe the third or fourth. It’s a difference, but such things happen in sport,” she said.
Nepryaeva returned the skis and apologised. Russia and Belarus are not allowed to compete in the Olympics following the invasion of Ukraine but some athletes were permitted to compete individually.
Ukraine foreign minister responds to Pope Leo's call for a ceasefire
20:00 , Maira ButtUkraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has responded to Pope Leo’s call for an urgent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking on Sunday during his weekly address, Pope Leo said peace in the region “cannot be postponed” and that ending the war is an “urgent necessity”.
Sybiha wrote in a post on X on Sunday: “We are grateful to His Holiness for his compassion and moral leadership. The Pontiff’s call for a ceasefire is very timely.
“The entire world wants Russia to finally cease fire and invest in diplomacy instead of new brutal strikes. We value the Holy See’s solidarity with Ukraine.”
Zelensky calls Lviv explosion a 'cynical and brutal terrorist act'
19:30 , Maira ButtUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to investigate a “terrorist attack” in Lviv on Sunda, which killed a 23-year-old female police officer.
“A cynical and brutal terrorist act is being investigated in Lviv,” he said in a post on X on Sunday.
“There were two explosions, and the second occurred after emergency services had already arrived at the scene. Twenty-five people were injured.
“Tragically, one person – a 23-year-old police officer – was killed. My condolences to her family and loved ones. All the injured are receiving assistance. Some are in serious condition, and doctors are doing everything possible to save lives.
“The circumstances of this terrorist attack are now being fully analysed. Many facts have already been established.
“The perpetrators were recruited via Telegram. The attack was organized by Russia. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Police, and the Security Service of Ukraine will present further details to the public. We have intelligence indicating that the Russians intend to continue carrying out such actions – in effect, attacks on Ukrainians. We must strengthen protection for our people.”
Russia has not responded to the claims.
Ukraine blames Russia for 'terrorist attack' in Lviv
19:01 , Maira ButtUkrainian authorities believe that an attack in Lviv that killed one person and injured 25 others was a “terrorist attack”.
They believe the incident is linked to Russian special services, according to the Financial Times.
The regional prosecutor’s office said police were called about a break-in at a store in the city centre shortly after midnight. The incident near the Lviv opera house led to an explosion that was followed by a second around 15 minutes later.
National police released CCTV footage that shows a hooded figure walking up to a bin and placing a package on the pavement in front of the store.
UK will ‘make 2026 the year war ends’ says defence secretary
18:30 , Maira ButtUK defence secretary John Healey has expressed his hopes to be the first minister to deploy British troops to Ukraine in a bid to end the ongoing conflict.
Writing ahead of the four-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion he said “2026 must be the year this terrible war ends” in the Telegraph on Sunday.
“I want to be the defence secretary who deploys British troops to Ukraine – because this will mean that this war is finally over,” Mr Healey said.
“It will mean we have negotiated peace in Ukraine. And a secure Europe needs a strong, sovereign Ukraine.”
He added: “I am proud of our UK leadership. I am determined that we will make 2026 the year this war ends.”
20 drones intercepted after flights suspended at 3 Moscow airports
18:00 , Maira ButtFlights were suspended at three Moscow airports on Sunday due to a barrage of drone attacks according to aviation regulator Rosaviatsia.
Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports had operations paused in a series of recurring suspensions, while Sheremetevo airport was operating normally, Rosaviatsia said.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 20 Ukrainian drones had been destroyed or intercepted en route to Moscow from about 3 p.m. (1200 GMT) in a series of posts on Telegram.
Johnson’s Ukraine comments typical of his attention-seeking, says Independent editor-in-chief
17:30 , Maira ButtHolly Patrick reports:
Boris Johnson's call for non-combat troops from the UK and Europe to be deployed immediately to Ukraine is "reckless and irresponsible," Geordie Greig told Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.
The former prime minister said non-combat forces should be stationed in peaceful regions to send a firm message to Vladimir Putin, otherwise the Russian leader would “keep going” with the conflict.
Speaking on Sunday (22 February), The Independent editor-in-chief said of Mr Johnson's comments: "It's typical of attention-seeking stunts, which he's become known for.
"The idea that Johnson can flip a switch in Putin's mind is laughable."
UK defence ministry issues update on Russia’s blocking of WhatsApp
17:00 , Maira ButtThe UK’s ministry of defence has issued an update on the Kremlin’s blocking of the WhatsApp messenger app in a statement released on Sunday afternoon.
“The Kremlin has formally blocked access to WhatsApp telling reporters that the decision was taken because the platform failed to comply with Russian law – particularly requirements for data access and cooperation with law enforcement — and urging its roughly 100 million Russian users to switch to a domestic alternative,” it said on X.
“The move fits into a broader campaign to tighten state control over internet communications and information flow, which has intensified since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.”
It continued: “The ban on WhatsApp comes amid a wider regulatory push. Russia’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor, has also begun restricting access to Telegram, another major messaging platform used widely across the country.
“At the centre of the Kremlin’s strategy is ‘Max’ — a state-backed ‘super-app’ developed by the Russian technology group VK that integrates messaging with payment functions, government services, and other services within one platform.”
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 22 February 2026.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 22, 2026
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/awJjaS5M6P #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/WgyZdii9lB
Special report: ‘My 4-year-old can tell the bombs apart’
16:30 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Growing up in a cold and dark Ukraine under constant Russian attack
Russia targets American-owned Mondelez food production plant, Ukrainian PM says
16:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussian drones targeted a US-owned food production plant in Ukraine, according to the country’s prime minister.
In a post on X, Yulia Svyrydenko said the attack was not “incidental damage” but a “deliberate message” that “extends beyond Ukraine’s borders”.
“Yesterday, Russia deliberately targeted the Mondelez food production plant in Ukraine's Trostianets, Sumy Oblast, a facility that has operated continuously since the 1990s and was of the very first major foreign investments in Ukraine’s independent economy,” she wrote.
“When Russia targets facilities owned by American companies on Ukrainian soil, it does so knowingly. This is not incidental damage. It is a deliberate message – one that extends beyond Ukraine’s borders.”
Yesterday, Russia deliberately targeted the Mondelez food production plant in Ukraine's Trostianets, Sumy Oblast, a facility that has operated continuously since the 1990s and was of the very first major foreign investments in Ukraine’s independent economy.
— Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) February 22, 2026
This enterprise began… pic.twitter.com/FaatAhYDap
In pictures: Emergency services extinguish flames after missiles and drones blast Kyiv
15:30 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Inside Nikopol: The only place to hide from Putin’s killer drones is our underground school
15:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIn a harrowing dispatch from the frontline city of Nikopol – so close to Russian forces that few journalists have ventured there – World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley talks to children, parents and teachers who are hunted down daily by Putin’s deadly quadcopters, yet have somehow managed to survive.
‘The only place to hide from Putin’s killer drones is our underground school’
Winter Paralympics 2026: Ukraine officials to boycott games in protest over Russia’s participation
14:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUkrainian officials are poised to boycott the upcoming Milano Cortina Paralympics next month, protesting the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes competing under their national flags.
Ukraine's Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi confirmed on Wednesday that while Ukrainian athletes will still take part in the 6-15 March games, no official representatives from Ukraine will attend the opening ceremony or any other event.
It comes after the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) decision on Tuesday, which cleared a combined total of 10 para-athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete. Six slots have been handed to Russia and four to Belarus.
You can read more below:
Ukraine officials to boycott Winter Paralympics over Russia’s participation
Recap: One killed after 'terrorist' attack in Lviv
14:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneOne police officer was killed and 24 other people were wounded after several explosive devices detonated at midnight in Lviv, in western Ukraine, the National Police said on Sunday.
"It has been preliminarily established that homemade explosive devices detonated," the police said on the Telegram messaging service.
The police said that the first explosion occurred after a patrol crew arrived at the suspected scene of a shop break-in, while the second explosion occurred a little later.
The mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, called the incident a terrorist act.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X that police had detained a suspect, but did not provide further details.
Attack victim named after Lviv explosion
13:35 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe victim of a “terrorist attack” in Lviv has been named as 23-year-old police officer Viktoria Shpylka.
"She was only 23 years old and had begun her service at the start of the full-scale invasion of the Kherson region," the national police wrote on Telegram on Sunday morning, reports the BBC.
Ukrainian authorities reported a woman has been arrested on suspicion of manufacturing homemade explosive devices and planting them.
Pope says peace in Ukraine 'cannot be postponed'
13:30 , Nicole Wootton-CanePope Leo made an impassioned appeal on Sunday for peace in Ukraine, saying an end to the four-year-old conflict "cannot be postponed" as the United States tries to broker an elusive accord between Moscow and Kyiv. Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour on February 24, 2022, used drones and ballistic cruise missiles in its latest attacks overnight, the Ukrainian military and local officials said on Sunday.
"My heart goes again to the dramatic situation that everyone can see," the pope said during his weekly address to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square after a Sunday prayer.
"So many victims, so many broken lives and families, so much destruction, so much unspeakable suffering."
The US has been seeking to mediate between the two sides, but progress has been halting, with Russia demanding Ukraine withdraw from parts of the eastern Donbas region it still controls, an idea Kyiv has rejected.
"Peace cannot be postponed," the pope said. "It is an urgent necessity that must find space in hearts and be translated into responsible decisions."
He said war was a "wound inflicted on the entire human family", which leaves behind "death, devastation, and a trail of pain that marks generations."
Moscow airports restrict flights amid reported drone attack
13:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneFour Moscow airports restricted flights for security reasons, aviation regulator Rosaviatsia said on Sunday, amid a drone attack on the Russian capital.
At least seven drones were downed en route to Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported, citing Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
Hungary threatens to block EU sanctions over oil row
12:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneBudapest has threatened to block a new package of European Union sanctions against Russia and to stall efforts to help Ukraine until Russian oil deliveries to Hungary resume.
The EU's foreign ministers are set to meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss the bloc's 20th round of sanctions against Moscow, a measure they hope will be approved in time to coincide with the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday.
In a video posted to social media on Sunday, Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto said he would block the sanctions package, accusing Ukraine of deliberately holding back Russian oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline.
"We will not consent to the adoption of the 20th package of sanctions, because we have previously made it clear that until the Ukrainians resume oil shipments to Hungary, we will not allow decisions that are important to them to be approved," Mr Szijjarto said.
Russian oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia have been interrupted since 27 January after what Ukrainian officials say were Russian drone attacks that damaged the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian crude across Ukrainian territory and into Central Europe, leading to rising tensions between Budapest and Kyiv.
Ukraine frontline mapped: Kyiv counteroffensive regained territory before fruitless US peace talks
12:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUkraine headed into the third round of direct talks with Russia and US mediators this week following a string of symbolic victories on the frontlines.
Two days of talks concluded abruptly on Wednesday, following lengthy discussions over territory the day before. Kyiv hailed progress in talks, though acknowledged that the two sides were still opposed on key issues.
There has been little progress in the talks to date, with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky recently sharing his frustration that his country is “too often” asked to make concessions - as Moscow sticks to its maximalist demands.
The Independent’s James C. Reynolds takes a look at how the battlefield lies:
Ukraine counteroffensive mapped: Kyiv regains territory before fruitless peace talks
One detained after terrorist attack in Lviv, Zelensky says
11:31 , Nicole Wootton-CaneOne person has been detained after a “terrorist attack” in Lviv killed one and injured 25, according to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
In a post on X he said “all necessary resources have been provided to the investigation”.
Recap: Former UK PM Boris Johnson says UK should immediately send non-combat troops to Ukraine
11:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneFormer prime minister Boris Johnson has called for troops from the UK and Europe to be deployed immediately to Ukraine.
Mr Johnson said non-combat forces should be stationed in peaceful regions to send a firm message to Russian president Vladimir Putin otherwise the Russian leader would “keep going” with the conflict.
Speaking ahead of the four-year anniversary of the invasion, the former politician told BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that Ukraine’s allies had been “too slow” to respond.
The Independent’s Maira Butt reports:
Boris Johnson says UK should immediately send non-combat troops to Ukraine
Watch: Boris Johnson's comments on Ukraine troops 'reckless and irresponsible,' says Geordie Greig
10:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUkraine accuses Hungary and Slovakia of ‘blackmail’ over power threat
10:10 , Shahana YasminUkraine has accused Hungary and Slovakia of “ultimatums and blackmail” after both governments threatened to halt emergency electricity supplies unless Kyiv restores Russian oil transit across its territory.
Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, said he would ask the state grid operator to cut emergency exports within two days if flows were not resumed. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán issued a similar warning earlier this week.
IF THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT DOES NOT RESUME OIL SUPPLIES TO SLOVAKIA ON MONDAY, ON THAT SAME DAY I WILL ASK THE RELEVANT SLOVAK COMPANIES TO STOP EMERGENCY ELECTRICITY SUPPLIES TO UKRAINE.
— Robert Fico 🇸🇰 (@RobertFicoSVK) February 21, 2026
Since the beginning of the war, Slovakia has been helping Ukraine. Around 180,000…
The Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement that these actions were “provocative, irresponsible, and threaten the energy security of the entire region”.
Russian oil deliveries to both countries via the Druzhba pipeline have been disrupted since 27 January, after Kyiv said a Russian drone strike damaged pipeline infrastructure in western Ukraine.
Bratislava and Budapest blame Ukraine for the prolonged outage.
Hungary and Slovakia together account for roughly half of European emergency electricity exports to Ukraine, which has relied heavily on imports as Russian missile and drone attacks have repeatedly damaged its energy grid.
In pictures: Protests across Europe in solidarity with Ukraine
09:50 , Shahana Yasmin
Poland withdraws from treaty banning land mines amid Russia fears
09:30 , Shahana Yasmin
Poland withdraws from treaty banning land mines amid Russia fears
President Trump is wrong. Ukraine can win this war
09:15 , Shahana Yasmin
Russia fires 50 missiles and nearly 300 drones at Ukraine
09:00 , Shahana YasminRussia launched 50 missiles and 297 drones at Ukraine overnight, Kyiv’s air force said on Sunday, in one of the largest aerial assaults in recent weeks.
Air defence units shot down or otherwise neutralised 33 missiles and 274 drones, the air force said in a statement on Telegram.
The strikes formed part of a broader wave of attacks that Ukrainian officials said targeted energy infrastructure and residential areas across multiple regions, including Kyiv and Odesa.
At least one person was killed and five others injured in the Kyiv region.
Moscow has intensified long-range drone and missile barrages in recent months, frequently targeting Ukraine’s power grid and other critical infrastructure as the war approaches its fourth anniversary.
Power outage hits Russian-held Zaporizhzhia after strike
08:45 , Shahana YasminParts of Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia were left without electricity after what authorities described as a major Ukrainian attack on energy infrastructure.
Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-appointed governor of the occupied region, said a second outage occurred on Sunday morning after engineers had earlier restored power to roughly half the affected area.
“Socially significant facilities are connected to backup power sources. Generators are running, providing water and supporting critical infrastructure," Balitsky said on the Telegram messaging service.
Separately, in Russian-controlled Luhansk, a fuel reservoir caught fire following what local Moscow-installed officials described as a Ukrainian drone strike on an oil depot.
Russia’s defence ministry said its air defences shot down 86 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian territory and the Crimean Peninsula.
Ukraine condemns Russia’s recruitment of Kenyans for its war
08:30 , Shahana YasminUkraine has criticised Russia’s alleged recruitment of African citizens, saying the practice “evokes the worst memories of colonial attitudes”.
Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha warned that Russia was exploiting vulnerable people by enticing them into its war with offers of employment, describing the practice as akin to treating them as “expendable cannon fodder”.
Recent intelligence reports presented in Kenya’s parliament suggest more than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited into Russian forces, often after being lured abroad with promises of lucrative jobs and then redirected into military contracts.
Sybiha urged African governments to caution their citizens against such recruitment, saying they risk being drawn into a conflict to which they have no connection.
Russia’s embassy in Nairobi has denied involvement in illegal recruitment.
One killed, five injured as Russia targets energy sites across Ukraine
08:00 , Shahana YasminAt least one person was killed and five others injured after Russia launched dozens of strike drones as well as ballistic and cruise missiles at Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.
Regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said casualties were reported in the Kyiv region, where damage was recorded across five districts and more than a dozen houses were hit.
The Ukrainian military said the attacks focused heavily on energy infrastructure, with strikes also reported in Odesa and parts of central Ukraine.
Odesa governor Oleh Kiper said drone attacks caused fires at energy facilities in the Black Sea region, which were later extinguished.
Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said the barrage showed Russia was “undermining diplomacy with terrorist mass strikes” and urged tougher international sanctions.
One dead, 24 injured in blasts in western Ukraine
07:45 , Shahana YasminA police officer was killed and 24 other people were injured after explosive devices detonated around midnight in Lviv in western Ukraine, the National Police said on Sunday.
Police said the first blast occurred after officers responded to reports of a shop break-in. A second explosion followed shortly afterwards.
“It has been preliminarily established that homemade explosive devices detonated,” the force said in a statement on Telegram.
Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi described the incident as “a terrorist act”.
Authorities did not immediately say who was responsible.
One injured in Kyiv region as Russia targets energy sites
07:30 , Shahana YasminAt least one person was injured in the Kyiv region after Russia launched dozens of drones strikes as well as ballistic and cruise missiles overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.
Regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said damage was recorded in five districts around the capital, with more than a dozen houses affected.
The Ukrainian military said the attacks focused on energy infrastructure, with strikes also reported in Odesa and parts of central Ukraine.
Odesa governor Oleh Kiper said a drone attack caused fires at energy facilities in the Black Sea region, which were later extinguished.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s power grid since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022, hitting thermal plants and substations in an effort Kyiv says is designed to weaken its ability to fight.
