Ukraine has intelligence warning that Russia plans to carry out a "new massive strike" between now and Sunday's trilateral peace talks, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
“The United States, Europe, and all our partners have to understand how this discredits diplomatic talks. Every single Russian strike does,” he said.
The latest round of negotiations between the US, Ukraine and Russia are set to take place on Sunday, after talks last weekend that all sides referred to as "constructive".
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has responded to a new report saying Russia is believed to have suffered the heaviest battlefield losses the world has seen since the Second World War during its invasion of Ukraine.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies says the war has resulted in about 1.2 million Russian casualties and between 500,000 and 600,000 Ukrainian casualties. This includes both wounded and killed troops.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said such reports were not "reliable" and pointed to Russia's own official statistics instead – though Moscow has rarely released numbers for its casualties, and those it has are considered understatements.
I was caught in a Russian attack last night – this is Ukraine’s brutal reality as talks grind on
Trump is a bigger threat to Nato than Putin, says alliance’s former commander
Russia’s desperate recruitment drive as Putin frees prisoners and lures foreigners to war
Bangladeshi workers lured to Russia for jobs tricked into fighting brutal war in Ukraine
Key Points
- Zelensky says Russia is preparing a 'massive strike' ahead of Sunday peace talks
- Trump's negotiator reveals 'shocking' lack of knowledge about Ukraine war
- How Putin lures foreign nationals to the frontlines with promise of work
- Kremlin rejects war casualties report, says trust only Moscow's data
- Rubio says active work is underway to resolve Donetsk issues in peace talks
Trump's negotiator reveals 'shocking' lack of knowledge about Ukraine war
04:40 , Arpan RaiA senior US envoy engaged in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine is not aware of the date when the invasion took place and that the war-hit nation does not have a vice-president, officials said.
Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and real estate developer-turned-peace envoy Steve Witkoff are helming the peace talks for the Trump administration.
Without naming which envoy made the blunder, an official involved in the talks told the Kyiv Independent that a US negotiator referred to the head of the president’s office, Kryrlo Budanov, as Ukraine’s vice president.
Ukraine does not have a vice president under its constitutional framework. The president, Volodymyr Zelensky at present, is the head of state. The authority is temporarily passed on to the chairperson of parliament if the president cannot perform duties.
The US official also did not know basic facts about the war. On being asked if the peace push from the Trump administration was aimed at ending the war by its fourth anniversary on 24 February, the US envoy said he was not aware of when the full-scale invasion began.
“I wasn't aware of what that anniversary date was," the envoy answered. "I don't think we feel pressure to because we have a four-year anniversary,” he said.
He also falsely claimed that Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has lasted longer than the Second World War.
"I think it's the longest war now. It was longer than World War II. At this point, it's been going on."
How Putin lures foreign nationals to the frontlines with the promise of work
04:32 , Arpan RaiFor average wage earners in Russia, it's a big payday. For criminals seeking to escape the harsh conditions and abuse in prison, it's a chance at freedom. For immigrants hoping for a better life, it's a simplified path to citizenship.
All they have to do is sign a contract to fight in Ukraine.
This desperate recruitment drive is part of Moscow's strategy to replenish its forces in the nearly four-year conflict, while simultaneously avoiding an unpopular nationwide mobilisation. The bloody war of attrition has also seen foreign combatants join the fray. Following a mutual defence treaty in 2024, North Korea reportedly sent thousands of soldiers to help Russia defend its Kursk region against a Ukrainian incursion.
How Putin lures foreign nationals to the frontlines with the promise of work
Watch: Carriages burn following deadly Russian drone attack on Ukraine passenger train
04:10 , Arpan RaiKremlin rejects war casualties report, says trust only Moscow's data
03:33 , Arpan RaiA senior Kremlin official has rejected a report claiming Russia has sustained the largest number of troop deaths for any major power in any conflict since the Second World War.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov snubbed the findings and said people should only trust casualty figures shared by the Russian defence ministry.
“I don’t think such reports can and should be viewed as reliable information,” Peskov told reporters at a daily briefing yesterday.
Russia has rarely released any details of its casualties in Ukraine and the figures it does put out are widely considered to be understatements.
A report from US think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies said Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between February 2022 and December 2025.
Zelensky says Russia is preparing a 'massive strike' ahead of Sunday peace talks
03:20 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian intelligence has indicated that Russia was preparing “a new massive strike” as he reminds world leaders that any attack will discredit the peace process.
“The United States, Europe, and all our partners have to understand how this discredits diplomatic talks,” Zelensky said.
“Every single Russian strike does.”
Trilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the US are due to resume in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, following the first round of "constructive" talks over the weekend.
The Russians are preparing a new massive strike – our intelligence indicates this. The United States, Europe, and all our partners have to understand how this discredits diplomatic talks. Every single Russian strike does. pic.twitter.com/1bKKXNeMwe
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 28, 2026
Rubio says active work is underway to resolve Donetsk issues in peace talks
03:08 , Arpan RaiWork is underway to resolve the key territorial issue of Donetsk in peace talks, Marco Rubio has said.
The US Secretary of State described the disagreement as one of the central remaining issues, which he said was “very difficult” to settle.
Vladimir Putin has repeatedly insisted that Russia will take all of Ukraine's Donbas region by force if Ukraine does not surrender it in a peace deal.
The US has also signalled that security guarantees would only be promised to Ukraine if it agrees to give up the Donbas region, of which Moscow's forces control 90 per cent.
Northern and eastern Ukraine face coldest winter in years after Russian strikes on power grid
02:58 , Arpan RaiDaily life is going to be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has been pummelled by intense Russian attacks, depriving millions of light and heat, a senior lawmaker has warned.
Weather forecasts for the next week show extremely low temperatures with the mercury set to dip below -20 degrees Celsius (-4°F) in northern and eastern parts of Ukraine next week.
“The bad news is that there will indeed be frosts, and it will be difficult," Andriy Gerus, the head of the parliament's energy committee, told TV channel Marathon.
“The good news is that we need to hold out for three weeks, and then it will get easier," he added, citing predicted warmer temperatures and increased solar power from longer days.
His remarks come in the light of Russia stepping up bombardments beyond the frontline that stretches across eastern and southern Ukraine.
Moscow is counting on the harsh winter and terrorising civilians in Ukrainian cities to use as leverage in the ongoing trilateral peace negotiations.
Watch: Carriages burn following deadly Russian drone attack on Ukraine passenger train
02:01 , Harriette BoucherFrance to send power generators to Ukraine following latest round of attacks
01:00 , Harriette BoucherFrench President Emmanuel Macron has announced he will send power generators to Ukraine, following Russia’s latest attack on Kharkiv, which knocked out power to most of the city.
President Macron spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, expressing condemnation for the attacks.
In a post on X, President Macron said: “Faced with this emergency, we are taking action. Following the G7+ meeting co-chaired by France, generators will be sent to Ukraine to help the population get through the winter.
“France’s position is clear: we will support Ukraine for as long as necessary, so that it can defend itself and thwart the war of aggression waged by Russia.”
Russian-Uzbek billionaire wins legal case against German newspaper
00:00 , Alex CroftRussian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov has won a legal complaint against German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung over an article it published about him, Reuters is reporting.
In a ruling dated January 23, a Hamburg court prohibited FAZ from disseminating several statements, including allegations about Mr Usmanov's links to top Russian officials, from an April 2023 article titled "On the Kremlin's instructions".
Mr Usmanov has a net worth of $18.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and is subject to European Union and US sanctions and a travel ban that were imposed after the start of the war in Ukraine.
He has launched multiple lawsuits in Europe with the ultimate goal of having the sanctions lifted. In some, his lawyers contested statements in the media that were used as the grounds for sanctions.
Russian drones damage port in Ukraine's Odesa region
Wednesday 28 January 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftRussian drones damaged port infrastructure in Ukraine's southern region of Odesa, on the Black Sea coast, the regional governor said on Wednesday.
Three people were hurt in the attack, Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app.
A residential building and buildings in the vicinity of an Orthodox monastery were also damaged, he added.
Nearly 2 million military casualties in Ukraine war, reports finds - with Putin’s forces bearing brunt of losses
Wednesday 28 January 2026 22:57 , Harriette BoucherThe number of soldiers killed, injured or missing on both sides of Russia's war on Ukraine could hit two million by the spring, a report has warned - with Russia suffering the largest number of troop deaths recorded for any major power in any conflict since the Second World War.
The study by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies revealed the slow, deadly grind of the conflict, and comes before the fourth anniversary of the Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
The report said Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between February 2022 and December 2025. "No major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of casualties or fatalities in any war since World War II,” the authors said.
Nearly 2 million military casualties in Ukraine war, reports finds
Zelensky and Starmer discuss peace talks progress in phone call
Wednesday 28 January 2026 22:00 , Alex CroftBritish prime minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Tuesday afternoon, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement.
Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky discussed progress made during recent peace talks in Abu Dhabi and agreed on need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, according to the statement.
The prime minister will head to China today for a visit aimed at strengthening political and business ties, after years of deepening animosity between Beijing and London, exacerbated by China’s close relationship with Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.
France opposes EU funding for British Storm Shadow cruise missiles for Ukraine
Wednesday 28 January 2026 21:01 , Alex CroftFrance is against the European Union purchasing British Storm Shadow cruise missiles for Ukraine, according to the Telegraph.
Eleven European countries proposed a relaxation of rules on a 90 billion euro loan so that part of the funds could be used on British weapons.
But France insists that the money should only be spent within the EU.
The current rules give priority to European and Ukrainian defence manufacturers rather than those outside of the EU.
Ukraine will not accept 'meaningless' security guarantees
Wednesday 28 January 2026 20:02 , Alex Croft“Meaningless” security guarantees will not be accepted by Ukraine, a top Ukrainian official has said as trilateral peace talks are set to continue this weekend.
“Unsurprisingly, after all of these experiences, Ukrainians have become extremely wary of any discussion on security guarantees. They are not going to accept another meaningless offer, no matter how nicely it is packaged under the label ‘security guarantees’,” Ukraine’s ambassador to Nato Alyona Getmanchuk wrote in the Telegraph.
“Ukrainians have no illusions that any potential break in the war in the form of a ceasefire with [Vladimir] Putin would ultimately lead to peace rather than a new round of aggression,” she continued.
“That’s why this time – unlike in 2015, when the Minsk deal on Donbas was reached and Normandy format talks were launched – security guarantees are still seen by Ukrainians as an integral part for any peace settlement, not the result of it.”
Rubio says active work is underway to resolve Donetsk issues in peace talks
Wednesday 28 January 2026 19:19 , Harriette BoucherWork is underway to resolve the key territorial issue of Donestsk in peace talks, Marco Rubio has said.
The US Secretary of State described the disagreement as one of the central remaining issues, which he said was “very difficult” to settle.
Vladimir Putin has repeatedly insisted that Russia will take all of Ukraine's Donbas region by force if Ukraine does not surrender it in a peace deal.
The US has also signalled that security guarantees would only be promised to Ukraine if it agrees to give up the Donbas region, of which Moscow's forces control 90 per cent.
In pictures: Two killed in strike in Kyiv region
Wednesday 28 January 2026 19:00 , Alex Croft
Ukraine says Lukashenko must be held accountable for 'complicity' in war
Wednesday 28 January 2026 18:01 , Alex CroftBelarus should be held accountable for its role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said, announcing sanctions against the neighbouring country’s president Alexander Lukashenko.
"The Lukashenko regime, and (Lukashenko) himself, must bear responsibility for their complicity in Russian aggression," Sybiha told news outlet European Pravda.
Sybiha said he shares the view of much of the West that Lukashenko has rigged elections to remain in power.
“This is the so-called president. Ukraine, like other European countries, does not consider him the legitimately elected president of Belarus,” he said.
Sybiha said Lukashenko’s Belarusian regime is responsible for providing territory for attacks on Ukraine.
“This makes them complicit in the aggression against Ukraine. And now we see new elements of support for Russian aggression from the Lukashenko regime. They are providing their infrastructure for drone attacks on Ukrainian territory,” he said.
France to send power generators to Ukraine following latest round of attacks
Wednesday 28 January 2026 17:46 , Harriette BoucherFrench President Emmanuel Macron has announced he will send power generators to Ukraine, following Russia’s latest attack on Kharkiv, which knocked out power to most of the city.
President Macron spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, expressing condemnation for the attacks.
In a post on X, President Macron said: “Faced with this emergency, we are taking action. Following the G7+ meeting co-chaired by France, generators will be sent to Ukraine to help the population get through the winter.
“France’s position is clear: we will support Ukraine for as long as necessary, so that it can defend itself and thwart the war of aggression waged by Russia.”
Bulletin | US ‘will give Ukraine security guarantees’ – but on one condition
Wednesday 28 January 2026 17:30 , Alex CroftThe US has reportedly indicated that security guarantees for Ukraine are contingent on Kyiv agreeing to surrender territory in the Donbas region to Russia.
Read all you need to know in five bullet points with The Independent’s Bulletin:
US ‘will give Ukraine security guarantees’ – but on one condition
Romania to defuse unexploded mine that drifted to its Black Sea shores
Wednesday 28 January 2026 16:57 , Alex CroftRomania's navy will carry out a controlled explosion on Wednesday on a mine that has drifted to its Black Sea shore, the defence ministry said.
The ministry said soldiers from a shooting range had found the mine on a nearby beach. It did not specify whether the mine was old or part of those found floating in the Black Sea, a key trade and energy transport route, since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey have a joint task force to defuse the stray mines. Around 150 drifting mines have since been discovered and destroyed, the Romanian navy has said.
Carriages burn following deadly Russian drone attack on Ukraine passenger train
Wednesday 28 January 2026 16:25 , Alex CroftSpecial Dispatch | Russia attacked my hotel as I slept – this is Ukraine’s brutal reality while peace talks grind on
Wednesday 28 January 2026 15:52 , Alex CroftIn the early hours of Tuesday morning I was at the receiving end of one of the deadly Russian mass drone attacks that regularly terrorise Ukrainian cities.
Much of my hotel near the centre of the Black Sea port city of Odesa was wrecked when Shahed drones hit close by, setting buildings opposite ablaze and blowing out walls, shattering windows and collapsing ceilings where I was staying.
I had slept through the sirens warning of an approaching attack and was wrenched out of my slumber by the first enormous explosion, which blew out windows in my room in the Hotel Alarus at around 2.20am.
As I hurriedly pulled on clothes and boots, drones came diving in on their final approach, emitting a shrill, otherworldly scream like that of German Stuka dive bombers in movies about the Second World War.
Askold Krushelnycky writes:
Russia attacked my hotel as I slept – this is Ukraine’s brutal reality
Two killed in Russian attack near Kyiv
Wednesday 28 January 2026 15:20 , Alex CroftRussia pounded cities across Ukraine with drones and a missile overnight, killing a couple near the capital Kyiv a day after five people died in an attack on a passenger train, ahead of a fresh round of peace talks due at the weekend.
Local media reported that the woman had a four-year-old daughter who survived the strike. Officials said four people, including two children, sought medical attention after the attack.
"When I carried her out, the girl started crying very hard, and then she began to shake violently," Marian Kushnir, a journalist who was a neighbour of the deceased couple, told Radio Free Europe.
"I felt a lot of pain, because in 10 years of war, I had never had such feelings before, when, holding a crying four-year-old child in my arms, I realised that her mother was dead."
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack on the apartment block, as well as another strike with short-range rockets on what he described as a residential area without military targets in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.
"We will respond fairly to Russia for this and other similar attacks," he wrote on social media.
Ukraine-Russia-US talks to resume on Sunday - Kremlin
Wednesday 28 January 2026 14:51 , Alex CroftTrilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the United States to reach a resolution on the war in Ukraine are set to resume in Abu Dhabi on February 1, Russia's Interfax news agency cited the Kremlin as saying on Wednesday.
A first round of three-way talks on ending the four-year war took place in the same location last weekend.
Full article: New report says combined war casualties in Russia's war on Ukraine could soon hit 2 million
Wednesday 28 January 2026 14:08 , Alex CroftA new report warned that the number of soldiers killed, injured or missing on both sides of Russia's war on Ukraine could hit 2 million by the spring, with Russia suffering the largest number of troop deaths recorded for any major power in any war since World War II.
The report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies came less than a month before the fourth anniversary of Moscow's onslaught on Ukraine. Officials said Wednesday that two people were killed on the outskirts of Kyiv after Russian strikes hit an apartment block, and at least nine people were injured in separate attacks in the Ukrainian cities of Odesa and Kryvyi Rih and the front-line Zaporizhzhia region.
The CSIS report released Tuesday said Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and December 2025.
Read the full report here:
A new report warns that combined war casualties in Russia's war on Ukraine could soon hit 2 million
Kyiv summons Hungarian ambassador over election meddling claims
Wednesday 28 January 2026 13:46 , Alex CroftUkraine's foreign ministry said it summoned Hungary's ambassador to Kyiv on Thursday to protest over the Budapest government's allegations of Ukrainian meddling in Hungary's upcoming parliamentary elections.
On Tuesday, Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto accused Kyiv of meddling in Hungary’s upcoming election.
"Today, we summoned Ukraine's ambassador to the MFA in Budapest. We will not tolerate any interference in Hungary's elections, including Ukraine's attempts to influence the outcome and to intervene in the electoral process in favor of the Tisza Party," Mr Szijjarto said on X.
He accused Volodymyr Zelensky and Kyiv of engaging in an "open, shameless and aggressive interference campaign" in recent weeks.
Kremlin says any Putin-Zelensky meeting would need to be results-oriented
Wednesday 28 January 2026 13:22 , Alex CroftKremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said that any future meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky would need to be well prepared and results-oriented.
Ushakov, speaking to state TV, said Moscow had never ruled out such a meeting and that if Zelensky was ready for such a meeting he could come to Moscow and that his personal security would be guaranteed.
It is not the first time Russia has floated the idea of the two leaders meeting in Moscow, an idea Zelensky rejected last year suggesting Putin come to Kyiv instead.
An unnamed US official told Axios on Saturday that Zelensky and Putin were "very close" to setting up a meeting after Washington mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi last week.
Russian-Uzbek billionaire wins legal case against German newspaper
Wednesday 28 January 2026 13:00 , Alex CroftRussian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov has won a legal complaint against German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung over an article it published about him, Reuters is reporting.
In a ruling dated January 23, a Hamburg court prohibited FAZ from disseminating several statements, including allegations about Mr Usmanov's links to top Russian officials, from an April 2023 article titled "On the Kremlin's instructions".
Mr Usmanov has a net worth of $18.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and is subject to European Union and US sanctions and a travel ban that were imposed after the start of the war in Ukraine.
He has launched multiple lawsuits in Europe with the ultimate goal of having the sanctions lifted. In some, his lawyers contested statements in the media that were used as the grounds for sanctions.
US wants Ukraine to cede territory before confirming security guarantees, say reports
Wednesday 28 January 2026 12:34 , Alex CroftThe US has signalled that security guarantees will only be promised to Ukraine if it agrees to surrender territory to Russia in the Donbas, according to a report.
White House officials are said to have told Volodymyr Zelensky that security guarantees will only be given if a deal is agreed to give Moscow control of the entire region in eastern Ukraine – a red line for Kyiv.
Sources close to the discussions told the Financial Times that the Trump administration would provide additional weapons to strengthen Ukraine’s military in the event of a peace deal if Kyiv withdraws its forces from the region. Mr Zelensky has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not give up any occupied land without a referendum on territory.
European and Ukrainian officials see Washington’s position as an attempt to place pressure on Kyiv to agree to a deal, with doubts raised over whether the White House is ready to make binding commitments on security.
US ‘tells Ukraine that security guarantees will only be given in return for Donbas’
Kremlin dismisses report of 1.2 million casualties as 'unreliable'
Wednesday 28 January 2026 12:10 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin has dismissed the report by a Washington based think-tank that Russia had suffered nearly 1.2 million casualties since it began its war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Such reports should not be seen as reliable, a Kremlin spokesperson said.
The report, by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, estimated that at current rates, combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties could reach 2 million by the spring of 2026.
NATO warns Ukraine faces 'harshest winter' as Russia targets energy grid
Wednesday 28 January 2026 11:44 , Alex CroftZelensky and Starmer discuss peace talks progress in phone call
Wednesday 28 January 2026 10:49 , Alex CroftBritish prime minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Tuesday afternoon, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement.
Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky discussed progress made during recent peace talks in Abu Dhabi and agreed on need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, according to the statement.
The prime minister will head to China today for a visit aimed at strengthening political and business ties, after years of deepening animosity between Beijing and London, exacerbated by China’s close relationship with Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.
Russian drones damage port in Ukraine's Odesa region
Wednesday 28 January 2026 10:25 , Alex CroftRussian drones damaged port infrastructure in Ukraine's southern region of Odesa, on the Black Sea coast, the regional governor said on Wednesday.
Three people were hurt in the attack, Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app.
A residential building and buildings in the vicinity of an Orthodox monastery were also damaged, he added.
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian drone strike on passenger train
Wednesday 28 January 2026 09:59 , Maira Butt
Europe must 'very rapidly' build defence independence, EU defence commissioner says
Wednesday 28 January 2026 09:43 , Alex CroftEurope must "very rapidly" build independence in defence, Andrius Kubilius, the European Union’s defence commissioner, said on Wednesday.
"We need to develop pan-European capabilities, not only national ones, assigned to each member state by NATO capability targets", Mr Kubilius said in a speech at the European Defence Agency.
"To be clear, independence does not mean: alone. Independence means together," he added.
"Building a European Pillar in NATO. Together in the European Union, together in NATO and with Ukraine."
Mr Kubilius also urged the European defence industry to invest in production potential, to avoid delays, arguing that “capabilities, not profits, matter most now and will matter in the coming years”.
US-Ukraine agreement on post-war recovery needs work - Zelensky
Wednesday 28 January 2026 09:34 , Alex CroftUkraine has identified areas in an agreement with the US on post-war recovery that need to be worked through in more depth, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
The recovery agreement is part of wider deal on ending the nearly four-year war with Russia.
"Work with the American side is progressing actively, and on the Ukrainian side we are working with maximum efficiency," Mr Zelensky said on X.
“ We must achieve results as quickly as possible.”
Together with our negotiating team and government officials, we identified the areas in the agreement with the United States on post-war recovery that need to be worked through in more depth. Work with the American side is progressing actively, and on the Ukrainian side we are… pic.twitter.com/jOt3kP7DHX
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 28, 2026
France opposes EU funding for British Storm Shadow cruise missiles for Ukraine
Wednesday 28 January 2026 09:10 , Maira ButtFrance is against the European Union purchasing British Storm Shadow cruise missiles for Ukraine, according to the Telegraph.
Eleven European countries proposed a relaxation of rules on a 90 billion euro loan so that part of the funds could be used on British weapons.
But France insists that the money should only be spent within the EU.
The current rules give priority to European and Ukrainian defence manufacturers rather than those outside of the EU.
Nearly two million casualties from Ukraine-Russia war
Wednesday 28 January 2026 08:45 , Maira ButtRussia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused 2 million military casualties, including people killed, wounded, or missing, according to a study by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies published on Tuesday.
Russia has borne the brunt of losses with an estimated 325,000 people killed out of a total of 1.2 million casualties on its side. Ukraine’s 500,000 to 600,000 casualties included between 100,000 and 140,000 dead.
“Combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties may be as high as 1.8 million and could reach two million total casualties by the spring of 2026,” said the US-based think tank.
Ukraine will not accept 'meaningless' security guarantees
Wednesday 28 January 2026 08:20 , Maira Butt“Meaningless” security guarantees will not be accepted by Ukraine, a top Ukrainian official has said as trilateral peace talks are set to continue this weekend.
“Unsurprisingly, after all of these experiences, Ukrainians have become extremely wary of any discussion on security guarantees. They are not going to accept another meaningless offer, no matter how nicely it is packaged under the label ‘security guarantees’,” Ukraine’s ambassador to Nato Alyona Getmanchuk wrote in the Telegraph.
“Ukrainians have no illusions that any potential break in the war in the form of a ceasefire with [Vladimir] Putin would ultimately lead to peace rather than a new round of aggression,” she continued.
“That’s why this time – unlike in 2015, when the Minsk deal on Donbas was reached and Normandy format talks were launched – security guarantees are still seen by Ukrainians as an integral part for any peace settlement, not the result of it.”
Zelensky condemns Russian drone strike on passenger train
Wednesday 28 January 2026 07:52 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky condemned a Russian drone attack on a passenger train that has killed at least five people so far.
“Today, Russia struck a passenger train in the Kharkiv region with attack drones,” he wrote in a post on X/Twitter.
“In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be regarded in the same way – purely as an act of terrorism. There would be no doubt about the classification, neither in Europe, nor in America, nor in the Arab world, nor in China, nor anywhere else.
“There is, and can be, no military justification for killing civilians in a train carriage. In particular, over 200 people were on the train, and 18 were in the carriage hit by one of the Russian drones.”
He said the country must be “held accountable for what it is doing”.
“The Russians have significantly increased their capacity to kill, their capacity to terrorise.”
Russia accused of ‘terrorism’ as five killed in attack on Ukraine train
Wednesday 28 January 2026 07:30 , Maira ButtA Russian drone strike has killed five people aboard a passenger train in northeastern Ukraine, prosecutors confirmed on Tuesday, an attack President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned as an act of terrorism.
The assault, which set the train on fire, occurred just hours after a separate barrage of Russian drones targeted the southern city of Odesa overnight, killing three and injuring 25. These incidents underscore Moscow's escalating campaign of strikes, seemingly aimed at compelling Kyiv to cease hostilities.
Meanwhile, the capital Kyiv continues to grapple with the aftermath of last week's attacks, with Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal reporting that 710,000 residents remain without power. This ongoing targeting of energy infrastructure forms part of Russia's winter offensive, even as Ukraine faces international pressure to agree to a US-backed peace deal to end the nearly four-year conflict.
Russia accused of ‘terrorism’ as five killed in attack on Ukraine train
Russia and India to hold joint naval drills next month – report
Wednesday 28 January 2026 07:02 , Arpan RaiRussia and India will hold joint naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean in February, officials in Russia’s maritime college press service said.
The press service statement, cited by TASS news agency, said a frigate of the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet would leave the port of Muscat in Oman to take part in the Milan-2026 exercises, and then make an unofficial visit to the Indian port of Vishakhapatnam from 18 February to 25 February.
Ukraine says Lukashenko must be held accountable for 'complicity' in war
Wednesday 28 January 2026 06:40 , Arpan RaiBelarus should be held accountable for its role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said, announcing sanctions against the neighbouring country’s president Alexander Lukashenko.
"The Lukashenko regime, and (Lukashenko) himself, must bear responsibility for their complicity in Russian aggression," Sybiha told news outlet European Pravda.
Sybiha said he shares the view of much of the West that Lukashenko has rigged elections to remain in power.
“This is the so-called president. Ukraine, like other European countries, does not consider him the legitimately elected president of Belarus,” he said.
Sybiha said Lukashenko’s Belarusian regime is responsible for providing territory for attacks on Ukraine.
“This makes them complicit in the aggression against Ukraine. And now we see new elements of support for Russian aggression from the Lukashenko regime. They are providing their infrastructure for drone attacks on Ukrainian territory,” he said.
In photos: Putin's deadly strike on passenger train kills five in Kharkiv
Wednesday 28 January 2026 06:08 , Arpan Rai
I was caught in a Russian attack last night – this is Ukraine’s brutal reality as talks grind on
Wednesday 28 January 2026 05:46 , Arpan RaiIn the early hours of Tuesday morning I was at the receiving end of one of the deadly Russian mass drone attacks that regularly terrorise Ukrainian cities.
Much of my hotel near the centre of the Black Sea port city of Odesa was wrecked when Shahed drones hit close by, setting buildings opposite ablaze and blowing out walls, shattering windows and collapsing ceilings where I was staying.
I had slept through the sirens warning of an approaching attack and was wrenched out of my slumber by the first enormous explosion, which blew out windows in my room in the Hotel Alarus at around 2.20am.
Askold Krushelnycky was asleep in Odesa when Shahed drones partially destroyed his hotel, illustrating how Russia’s relentless attacks on Ukraine continue during one of the country’s harshest winters:
I was caught in a Russian attack last night – this is Ukraine’s brutal reality
Watch: Carriages burn following deadly Russian drone attack on Ukraine passenger train
Wednesday 28 January 2026 05:20 , Arpan RaiRussia's war sees nearly 2 million military casualties so far – report
Wednesday 28 January 2026 05:01 , Arpan RaiThe Russian invasion of Ukraine has left nearly two million military personnel killed, wounded, or missing, a US think tank’s latest study shows.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies says the war has resulted in about 1.2 million Russian casualties and between 500,000 and 600,000 Ukrainian casualties.
In a new report published yesterday, the think tank said Russian forces have suffered as many as 325,000 killed since the war began nearly four years ago, accounting for the majority of the losses.
Russia is the first major power in the world to have seen this scale of casualties or fatalities since the Second World War.
Russian forces have continued to advance "remarkably slowly on the battlefield" despite the scale of the losses, it said.
Children and pregnant woman wounded in Russian attacks on Odesa
Wednesday 28 January 2026 04:36 , Arpan RaiAt least three people were killed and 25 were wounded after Russian drones hammered the southern city of Odesa overnight.
Odesa governor Oleh Kiper said two children and a pregnant woman were among the wounded in the strikes on the city. Dozens of residential buildings, a church, a kindergarten and a high school were damaged, he said.
By midday on Tuesday, rescue workers were still digging through a mountain of rubble outside a building where emergency officials said two residents had been killed.
It was ripped open across several floors. Resident Denys Tsybulskiy stood outside the building trying to reach his neighbour, who he said was trapped under the debris but had showed signs of using his phone.
Odesa, on Ukraine's strategically critical Black Sea coast, has come under increasing attack in recent months.
Watch: Firefighters battle blaze after Russian shelling hits Kherson building
Wednesday 28 January 2026 04:00 , Arpan RaiZelensky accuses Putin of 'act of terrorism' after train attack
Wednesday 28 January 2026 03:43 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of an “act of terrorism” after an attack by Moscow on a Ukrainian passenger train killed at least five people.
"In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be regarded in the same way – purely as an act of terrorism," Zelensky said.
The war-time president said there was no "military justification" in Russia’s targeting civilians. He added that there were 18 people in the carriage that was hit and over 200 on the train in total.
Photographs posted online showed at least two carriages in flames next to a snow-covered railbed.
"Our cause – and this is what should unite all normal people in the world – is to ensure the progress of protecting life. This is possible through pressure on Russia.” he said.
Today, Russia struck a passenger train in the Kharkiv region with attack drones. In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be regarded in the same way – purely as an act of terrorism. There would be no doubt about the classification, neither in Europe, nor in… pic.twitter.com/J7UqQV70QG
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 27, 2026
Russian attacks kill five on train in northeast and three in Odesa
Wednesday 28 January 2026 03:22 , Arpan RaiA Russian drone strike on a passenger train in northeastern Ukraine killed five people, prosecutors said.
The attack set a train ablaze hours after Russian drones hammered the southern city of Odesa overnight, killing three people and wounding 25 as Moscow intensified its strikes aimed at pushing Kyiv to give up fighting.
In northeastern Kharkiv Region, prosecutors said fragments of five bodies had been found at the scene of the strike on the train by a village.
Photographs posted online showed at least two carriages in flames next to a snow-covered railbed.
The attack has been denounced as terrorism by president Volodymyr Zelensky as he called for intensified pressure on Moscow.
"In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be considered in exactly the same way – purely as terrorism," Zelensky said.
"Our cause – and this is what should unite all normal people in the world – is to ensure the progress of protecting life. This is possible through pressure on Russia.” he said.
US wants Ukraine to cede territory before confirming security guarantees, say reports
Wednesday 28 January 2026 03:01 , Arpan RaiUS officials have suggested that they are more amenable to backing Kyiv if the Donbas region is surrendered to Ukraine, according to the Financial Times.
More weapons were offered to Ukraine in peacetime if it agreed to withdraw forces from the eastern region, two sources told the publication.
Ukrainian and European officials suggested that the moves were an attempt to strongarm the country into ceding the entirety of the territory.
Russia currently controls 90 per cent of the Donbas region, while Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev said that the surrender of the area is the only “path to peace”.
Ukraine has said it will not give up any territory that Russia has failed to take by force.
Watch: NATO warns Ukraine faces 'harshest winter' as Russia targets energy grid
Wednesday 28 January 2026 02:00 , Harriette BoucherSpecial dispatch: I was caught in a Russian attack last night – this is Ukraine’s brutal reality as talks grind on
Wednesday 28 January 2026 01:00 , Harriette BoucherIn the early hours of Tuesday morning I was at the receiving end of one of the deadly Russian mass drone attacks that regularly terrorise Ukrainian cities.
Much of my hotel near the centre of the Black Sea port city of Odesa was wrecked when Shahed drones hit close by, setting buildings opposite ablaze and blowing out walls, shattering windows and collapsing ceilings where I was staying.
I had slept through the sirens warning of an approaching attack and was wrenched out of my slumber by the first enormous explosion which blew out windows in my room in the Hotel Alarus at around 2.20am.
I was caught in a Russian attack last night – this is Ukraine’s brutal reality
Russia’s desperate recruitment drive as Putin frees prisoners and lures foreigners to war
Wednesday 28 January 2026 00:00 , Alex CroftFor average wage earners in Russia, it's a big payday. For criminals seeking to escape the harsh conditions and abuse in prison, it's a chance at freedom. For immigrants hoping for a better life, it's a simplified path to citizenship.
All they have to do is sign a contract to fight in Ukraine.
This desperate recruitment drive is part of Moscow's strategy to replenish its forces in the nearly four-year conflict, while simultaneously avoiding an unpopular nationwide mobilisation. The bloody war of attrition has also seen foreign combatants join the fray. Following a mutual defence treaty in 2024, North Korea reportedly sent thousands of soldiers to help Russia defend its Kursk region against a Ukrainian incursion.
Read the full report:
Russia’s war recruitment drive as Putin frees prisoners and lures foreigners
Slovakia to file lawsuit against EU ban on Russian gas imports
Tuesday 27 January 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftSlovakia will file a lawsuit challenging the European Union’s ban on Russian gas imports, after the policy won final approval on Monday.
European countries agreed to completely ban the imports by late 2027, but Slovakia and Hungary both voted against. Russian gas imports make up 90 percent of Hungary’s imports in the sector.
Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, is reported to have confirmed the news of the lawsuit, according to news website Dennik N.
Trumps says 'very good things' happening in efforts to end war
Tuesday 27 January 2026 22:44 , Harriette BoucherJust days after trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, President Donald Trump told reporters that “very good things are happening on Ukraine and Russia.”
His comments come as Kyiv and Moscow negotiators are set to meet again this Sunday, as US-brokered peace talks continue.
US officials said progress had been made towards an agreement, as envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner came away from the talks feeling optimistic that a deal could be reached soon.
Firefighters battle blaze after Russian shelling hits Kherson building
Tuesday 27 January 2026 22:02 , Alex CroftPutin's envoy says Ukraine's withdrawal from Donbas is the 'path to peace'
Tuesday 27 January 2026 21:01 , Alex CroftPresident Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev has said that Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Donbas region is the solution to the conflict raging between Russia and Ukraine.
Dmitriev, who has been part of high-stakes negotiations being held between the US, Russia and Ukraine, said on Tuesday: “Donbas withdrawal is the path to peace for Ukraine,” in a statement on X/Twitter.
Russia currently controls 90 per cent of the region and Putin has insisted on Ukraine surrendering the rest of it or Russia will take the region by force.
Russian ally accuses Ukraine of election meddling
Tuesday 27 January 2026 20:15 , Alex CroftPrime minister Viktor Orban said Hungary would summon Ukraine's ambassador over what he claimed were attempts to interfere in a Hungarian parliamentary election due on 12 April.
Orban has intensified his anti-Ukraine campaign in the past weeks, and has sought to associate Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar with Kyiv and the EU executive in Brussels as the campaign heats up.
In a campaign primarily targeting rural voters, Orban has portrayed Ukraine as unworthy of financial support, framing the April vote as a choice between war and peace and echoing his past anti-migrant campaigns.
Orban, who has kept close ties with Moscow, has repeatedly refused to support European Union aid for Ukraine, and has launched a "national petition" asking voters to sign up to say they do not want to help pay for the war."
Last week, Ukrainian leaders and even the president himself made grossly insulting and threatening statements against Hungary ... Our national security services have ... concluded this is a coordinated attempt to interfere in Hungarian elections," Orban said in a video.
Philippines investigating claims its national died fighting for Russia
Tuesday 27 January 2026 19:30 , Alex CroftAuthorities in the Philippines said they were verifying reports of a Filipino national said to have died on the front lines fighting for Russia.
Ukraine’s military intelligence yesterday claimed that a Filipino national, identified as John Patrick, was killed fighting for Russian forces in the Donetsk region.
The man had served in Russia’s 9th Battalion, 283rd Regiment, 144th Motorized Rifle Division in the 20th Combined Arms Army of the Russian military, Ukraine claimed.
Trump is a bigger threat to Nato than Putin, says alliance’s former commander
Tuesday 27 January 2026 18:45 , Daniel KeaneThe American leader imperilled the future of the alliance with repeated threats to seize Greenland and attacks on European allies. General Richard Shirreff tells Maira Butt that the US President has turned the international order into a ‘dead duck’.
Trump is a bigger threat to Nato than Putin, says alliance’s former commander
US wants Ukraine to cede territory before confirming security guarantees, say reports
Tuesday 27 January 2026 17:45 , Maira ButtUS officials have suggested that they are more amenable to backing Kyiv if the Donbas region is surrendered to Ukraine, according to the Financial Times.
More weapons were offered to Ukraine in peacetime if it agreed to withdraw forces from the eastern region, two sources told the publication.
Ukrainian and European officials suggested that the moves were an attempt to strongarm the country into ceding the entirety of the territory.
Russia currently controls 90 per cent of the Donbas region, while Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev said that the surrender of the area is the only “path to peace”.
Watch: Nato warns Ukraine faces 'harshest winter' as Russia targets energy grid
Tuesday 27 January 2026 16:45 , Maira ButtRussian drones injure Ukrainian children and a pregnant woman as Zelenskyy urges swifter diplomacy
Tuesday 27 January 2026 16:15 , Maira ButtA heavy Russian drone bombardment of Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa injured 23 people, including two children and a pregnant woman, officials said Tuesday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for U.S. efforts to end Russia's almost 4-year-old invasion of his country to move faster.
The Odesa attack involved more than 50 drones, some of them models recently upgraded by Russia to improve their range and strike power, according to Ukrainian authorities. The drones targeted the power grid, which Russia has repeatedly bombarded during the coldest winter in years, and also hit five apartment blocks, officials said.
Russian drones injure Ukrainian children and a pregnant woman as Zelenskyy urges swifter diplomacy
Norway approves $2bn artillery plan to boost deterrence against Russia in the Arctic
Tuesday 27 January 2026 15:45 , Maira ButtNorway’s parliament has approved a $2bn procurement plan for long-range artillery to boost the country’s defences against Russia in the Arctic as the two countries share a border.
“These are weapons that can reach far behind enemy lines... this is decisive in modern warfare,” Peter Froelich, the defence policy spokesperson for the opposition Conservatives, told parliament on Tuesday.
It is the latest development in a pattern of European countries increasing their defence spending amid political and economic uncertainty.
Special dispatch: I was caught in a Russian attack last night – this is Ukraine’s brutal reality as talks grind on
Tuesday 27 January 2026 15:15 , Maira ButtIn the early hours of Tuesday morning I was at the receiving end of one of the deadly Russian mass drone attacks that regularly terrorise Ukrainian cities.
Much of my hotel near the centre of the Black Sea port city of Odesa was wrecked when Shahed drones hit close by, setting buildings opposite ablaze and blowing out walls, shattering windows and collapsing ceilings where I was staying.
I had slept through the sirens warning of an approaching attack and was wrenched out of my slumber by the first enormous explosion which blew out windows in my room in the Hotel Alarus at around 2.20am.
I was caught in a Russian attack last night - this is Ukraine’s brutal reality
Zelensky says Russian strikes 'eroding diplomacy' as two killed in Odesa overnight
Tuesday 27 January 2026 14:45 , Maira ButtAt least two people have been reported killed in the Black Sea hub of Odesa in Ukraine after Russian strikes overnight.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 50 drones were launched at Odesa in a “brutal” attack on the city.
Officials said that at least 23 people had been wounded in the onslaught.
Trilateral talks brokered by the US are set to continue this weekend, but Zelensky hit out at Russia for continuing the attacks amid the diplomatic efforts.
“Every such Russian strike erodes the diplomacy that is still ongoing and undermines the efforts of partners who are helping to end this war,” he wrote on X/Twitter.
Russia carries out 15th deliberate attack on Naftogaz infrastructure since start of 2026, says company
Tuesday 27 January 2026 14:20 , Maira ButtRussia has continued to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with another attack on state oil and gas firm Naftogaz, according to a statement by the company on Tuesday.
It said that a Russian strike had targeted one of its facilities in the western region of the country, marking the 15th deliberate attack on its infrastructure since the start of 2026.
Ukraine should join EU by 2027, says Zelensky
Tuesday 27 January 2026 13:52 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that Ukraine should join the EU as part of its post-war security guarantees in the event of a peace deal.
“That is why we are speaking about a concrete date – 2027 – and we count on partners' support for our position,” he wrote on X/Twitter on Tuesday after holding a phone call with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker.
Russian military chief visits troops in Ukraine
Tuesday 27 January 2026 13:15 , Maira ButtRussia’s army chief of staff visited troops fighting in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, according to Moscow’s defence ministry.
Valery Gerasimov visited the soldiers to “inspect the progress of combat missions”.
The visit comes as Russian officials including Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, insist that the surrender of Ukraine’s Donbas region is the “path to peace”.
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian strike in Odesa, Ukraine
Tuesday 27 January 2026 12:45 , Maira ButtRescue workers clear the rubble of a residential building hit by Russian strikes in Odesa, Ukraine.
Over 80 per cent of battlefield hits against Russia carried out by drones, says Zelensky
Tuesday 27 January 2026 12:15 , Maira ButtAt least 80 per cent of ever successful battlefield hit against Russia was carried out by drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office has confirmed.
In 2025, Ukrainian troops struck nearly 820,000 targets with drones, a statement said, with the “overwhelming majority” of those manufactured locally.
“Each of these strikes is recorded, which helps not only with hit verification but also with the operation of the bonus-based system for assessing military performance,” the statement continued.
China calls for closer ties with Russia over defence
Tuesday 27 January 2026 11:40 , Maira ButtChina’s defence minister has said he is willing to enhance strategic coordination with Moscow to jointly improve their capacity to respond to risks and challenges, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
“China is willing to work with Russia to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen strategic coordination, enrich the substance of cooperation, and improve exchange mechanisms,” defence minister for China, Dong Jung said in a video call with Russian defence minister Andrei Belousov.
Russian strikes leave 80 per cent of Kharkiv without power
Tuesday 27 January 2026 11:15 , Maira ButtHundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been left without power in Kharkiv after Russian strikes caused serious damage to the region’s energy system.
Two people were injured in the attacks, and a school, nursery and apartment buildings were also hit.
“Our energy system came under attack and there was quite serious damage,” Kharkiv's regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a video posted on Telegram on Tuesday.
“All crews are at work to eliminate all the negative consequences quickly. About 80 per cent of the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv region are without electricity.”
The city is Ukraine’s second-largest and temperatures have plummeted to -14C in one of the country’s coldest winters on record.
Last week, over 800,000 people in the country’s capital Kyiv were left without power.
Slovakia to file lawsuit against EU ban on Russian gas imports
Tuesday 27 January 2026 10:50 , Maira ButtSlovakia will file a lawsuit challenging the European Union’s ban on Russian gas imports, after the policy won final approval on Monday.
European countries agreed to completely ban the imports by late 2027, but Slovakia and Hungary both voted against. Russian gas imports make up 90 percent of Hungary’s imports in the sector.
Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, is reported to have confirmed the news of the lawsuit, according to news website Dennik N.
Russian attack damages energy facility in Ukraine
Tuesday 27 January 2026 10:22 , Maira ButtA Russian attack has damaged an energy facility in the southern city of Odesa in Ukraine, the country’s major Black Sea port.
“The damage is extensive and repair work will take a long time to restore the equipment to working order," DTEK, a major power company in the country said on Facebook.
"Our teams began emergency restoration work after receiving permission from rescue workers and the military. Specialists are inspecting the equipment, clearing debris, and then beginning repairs."
