Foreign troops in Ukraine will be regarded as “legitimate targets” by Russia, the Kremlin’s foreign minister has said in the latest threat against Kyiv’s allies.
Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would regard the deployment of any foreign military forces or infrastructure in Ukraine as foreign intervention and treat them as legitimate targets.
"The deployment of military units, facilities, warehouses, and other infrastructure of Western countries in Ukraine is unacceptable to us and will be regarded as foreign intervention posing a direct threat to Russia's security," the ministry said on its website.
Britain and France have both pledged to put troops in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal - a key security guarantee for Kyiv.
Lavrov also heaped praise on Donald Trump for his "purposeful efforts” to end the conflict following the first trilateral talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine.
Both the Kremlin and Volodymyr Zelensky have confirmed the second round of talks will begin on Wednesday.
Key Points
- Kyiv adviser claims attack on miner bus was 'double tap' strike
- Zelensky says new round of peace talks on Wednesday after delay
- Putin accused of terrorist attack after Russian drones kill at least 12 miners
- Zelensky says work underway on 20th EU sanctions package
- UK expels Russian diplomat after spying accusations
Ukrainian cities struck by drones and missiles in overnight attack
04:01 , Arpan RaiSeveral reports on explosions are coming in from Ukrainian cities.
Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, reported several strikes in succession by drones and missiles.
Public broadcaster Suspilne reported a series of explosions in the southeastern city of Dnipro and in Sumy, near the Russian border.
Trump expresses hope on 'good news' from peace talks between Ukraine and Russia
03:54 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has said his negotiating team working on ending the war in Ukraine could have some good news soon.
“I think we’re doing very well with Ukraine and Russia. For the first time, I’m saying that,” the US president said, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office.
“I think we’re going to, maybe, have some good news”.
Hours later, Russian forces rained missiles and drones on Ukrainian cities, resuming their attacks after a week of ceasefire requested by Trump.
A kindergarten was among many of the civilian targets hit in Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv.
Russia says foreign forces in Ukraine would be 'legitimate targets'
03:45 , Arpan RaiRussia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said it would regard the deployment of any foreign military forces or infrastructure in Ukraine as foreign intervention and treat those forces as legitimate targets.
“The deployment of military units, facilities, warehouses, and other infrastructure of Western countries in Ukraine is unacceptable to us and will be regarded as foreign intervention posing a direct threat to Russia's security," the Russian foreign ministry said, quoting the foreign minister.
It said Western countries – which have discussed a possible deployment to Ukraine to help secure any peace deal – had to understand "that all foreign military contingents, including German ones, if deployed in Ukraine, will become legitimate targets for the Russian Armed Forces”.
Zelensky says military will respond to Russian ‘terror’ attacks on railways
03:39 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he has ordered the country’s military leaders to respond to the latest series of Russian attacks on the war-hit nation’s railway infrastructure and logistics routes.
Russian forces have increased their attacks on Ukraine’s nationwide railway network after capturing critical train hubs in Kupiansk and Pokrovsk. At least five people were killed after a train was attacked in the eastern region of Kharkiv.
“The Russian army remains focused on terror against our logistics – primarily railway infrastructure,” Zelensky said. “In particular, there were strikes in the Dnipro region and in Zaporizhzhia, specifically targeting railway facilities,” he said.
“During today’s coordination call, specific tasks in this regard were set for the Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Minister of Defence, and the Head of Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways). I expect these tasks to be carried out today,” he said.
I held a coordination call on the situation in Ukraine. As of today, Ukrainian energy workers and repair crews have fully restored the energy system to its pre-incident state before Saturday’s technical failure. The system is operating stably. However, given the extremely cold… pic.twitter.com/0V7OjaoKyN
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 2, 2026
Trump says his new trade deal will help 'END THE WAR' in Ukraine
03:23 , Arpan RaiPresident Donald Trump has said his latest trade deal signed with India will end the war in Ukraine as Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has agreed to stop buying Russian oil.
The US president said that he plans to lower tariff on goods from India to 18 per cent from 25 per cent in a breakthrough deal, months after Washington pressed New Delhi to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude.
Trump said that India would also start to reduce its import taxes on US goods to zero and buy $500bn worth of American products.
“This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!" Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the tariff reduction on India.
India has taken advantage of reduced Russian oil prices as much of the world has sought to isolate Moscow for its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Zelensky says Ukraine's delegation heading to Abu Dhabi for US-brokered talks
03:10 , Arpan RaiPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is sending a delegation to a new round of US-brokered talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
The talks, which were initially tabled to be held over the weekend, are now set to go ahead this week after a brief postponement, a senior Kremlin official said.
The negotiations are taking place against a backdrop of continued front-line fighting and deadly long-range attacks on rear areas.
The trilateral talks will take place on Wednesday and Thursday in Abu Dhabi, where a previous meeting was held last month, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed.
UK expels Russian diplomat after spying accusations
03:00 , Alex CroftThe UK has expelled a Russian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move after Moscow last month expelled a British diplomat, accusing them of being an undeclared spy.
Russia's accusations were "baseless" and the expulsion was "unprovoked and unjustified", a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign Office (FCDO) said in a statement on Monday.
"Summoning the Russian Ambassador, a senior FCDO official made it clear that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British Embassy staff and so we are taking reciprocal action today, revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat," the spokesperson said.
Russia and the West have repeatedly accused each other of espionage campaigns since the war erupted in Ukraine.
The FCDO spokesperson added that "any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly”.
Russia attacks Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in overnight attack
02:58 , Arpan RaiAt least two people have been injured in Russia’s overnight missile attack on Kyiv, officials said, confirming damage to apartment blocks and other buildings.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said a building housing a kindergarten had been set on fire and a non-residential building hit in eastern districts.
An air raid alert remained in effect more than two hours after it had been announced.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, confirmed that several apartment buildings, an education establishment and a commercial building had been damaged in districts east of the Dnipro River.
In Kyiv, Reuters witnesses reported loud explosions in the city after midnight and said both missiles and drones were being deployed.
Early visuals from the attacked parts of the Ukrainian capital showed an apartment on the upper floors of a Kyiv block ablaze.
Russian air attacks were also confirmed in other Ukrainian regions, including Kharkiv, where the regional governor said at least two were injured.
Ukrainian maternity hospital hit in Russian strike
02:01 , Alex CroftUkraine's energy company says Russia attacked coal enterprise
01:01 , Alex CroftUkraine's energy company DTEK said on Monday that Russia attacked one of its coal enterprises in the Dnipropetrovsk region for the second time in 24 hours.
The company said in a statement that administrative buildings were damaged in the strike. The attack follows the strike on Sunday in which 12 miners were killed and 16 wounded.
It comes after Mr Zelensky said there were no strikes on energy infrastructure in the past 24 hours - we’re working to clarify the timings for you.
Russia suffers heaviest losses since WWII as casualties in Ukraine conflict near 2 million
00:01 , Alex CroftThe 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.
It would mean 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 Vladimir Putin’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.
Our foreign news reporter Maira Butt reports:
More than half of Ukrainians oppose giving Donbas to Russia for security guarantees
23:00 , Alex CroftA total of 52 per cent of Ukrainians are opposed to handing over the Donbas to Russia in exchange for security guarantees, according to a new survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
Around 40 per cent of Ukrainians would support the move, the survey said.
The poll showed that 52 per cent saw it as a totally unacceptable condition ot hand over the Donbas, and the 40 per cent willing to accept the condition admit it would be difficult.
A further 7 per cent were unable to make up their minds, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Russia claims control over village in Zaporizhzhia region
22:03 , Alex CroftMoscow has claimed its forces have taken control over the settlement of Prydorozhnie in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to state-run news agency RIA.
The Independent could not independently verify the claim.
Kremlin confirms Ukraine-Russia talks to begin Wednesday
21:02 , Alex CroftThe next round of US-brokered trilateral talks between Ukraine and Russia will take place in Abu Dhabi from February 4-5, the Kremlin said on Monday, adding that talks planned for February 1 had not happened for scheduling reasons.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia and Ukraine had so far managed to narrow their differences on some issues, but had not made similar progress when it came to what he called more complex issues.
Ukraine to receive two lorries worth of spuds in Berlin potato dump
20:00 , Alex CroftUkraine is receiving two lorries worth of potatoes after Berlin experienced a bumper harvest year with its biggest crop in more than two decades.
The phenomenon has inspired a potato dump in Berlin, as farmers, not wanting their produce to go to waste, have given away their potatoes away to soup kitchens, schools, churches, and the public.
Two lorries worth of spuds have also been delivered to Ukraine.
It comes as the country experiences a brutal winter, with temperatures in some areas dropping to -30C.
Russia has been repeatedly targeting Ukraine’s energy grid, leaving thousands of Ukrainians without power or food.
Reminder: Zelensky warns Russia is planning ‘massive’ strike ahead of peace talks
19:01 , Alex CroftAs we near the resumption of Ukrainian-US-Russian peace talks this week, let’s take a look back at President Zelensky’s warning from Thursday.
Exclusive: Ukraine peace deal must put people before land, warns key Zelensky ally
18:29 , Alex CroftA key political ally of Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine has called for a peace deal which prioritises people over land ahead of a major conference in the war torn country on Thursday.
Vitaliy Kim, governor of the Mykolaiv Oblast region in Ukraine, is an emerging name in Ukrainian politics and spoke to The Independent as other governors and mayors get together to discuss where the peace line needs to be drawn in the war with Russia.
Mr Kim headed the Mykolaiv branch of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party during the 2019 elections and was appointed by the Ukrainian president to be regional governor in November 2020.
The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
Ukraine peace deal must put people before land, warns key Zelensky ally
Expiry of Russia-US nuclear treaty should alarm the world, says Medvedev
17:59 , Alex CroftDmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said that if the New START treaty expires then the world should be alarmed that the biggest nuclear powers had no limits for the first time in decades.
Signed in 2010 by US president Barack Obama and Medvedev, the New START treaty limited the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 on each side.
It is due to expire on February 5 and Russian officials have said they have had no official response from Washington on a proposal from Vladimir Putin to stick to existing missile and warhead limits for one more year.
"I don't want to say that this immediately means a catastrophe and a nuclear war will begin, but it should still alarm everyone," Medvedev told Reuters news agency, TASS and the WarGonzo Russian war blogger in an interview at his residence outside Moscow.
"The (doomsday) clocks are ticking and they obviously have to speed up," he said.
Four injured in Russian attack on Cherkasy
17:27 , Alex CroftAt least four people were injured in a Russian drone attack on the Cherkasy region last night.
Ihor Taburets, head of the region’s military administration, said authorities are “recording the fall of enemy drones at several locations” after “fires broke out” as a result of the attack.
Russia fired 171 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile in the overnight attack.
Putin's aide says Russia will not accept Nato-member forces in Ukraine
16:55 , Alex CroftA proposal by European powers to deploy Nato-member troops in Ukraine as part of a proposed security guarantee and peace deal was unacceptable for Russia, said Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council.
"What kind of guarantee can we talk about if a foreign contingent of unfriendly Nato member states is stationed on the territory of such a state," Medvedev told said in an interview.
Medvedev said Russia's terms for ending the conflict were unchanged from 2024 when president Vladimir Putin set them out in a speech at the foreign ministry.
Full report: Germany detains 5 men accused of illegally exporting goods to Russian defense companies
16:25 , Alex CroftGerman authorities on Monday detained five men accused of being part of a network that illegally exported goods to Russian defense companies after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The arrests took place in Lübeck in northern Germany and in nearby Lauenburg district, federal prosecutors said. The men are all German nationals; two are also Russian citizens and another is also a Ukrainian citizen. They are suspected of membership in a criminal organization and violating Germany's foreign trade and payments act.
Searches were carried out at properties elsewhere in the country, and another five suspects have not been detained, prosecutors said in a statement.
Read the full story:
Germany detains 5 men accused of illegally exporting goods to Russian defense companies
Ukraine's electricity imports jump by 40 per cent in January 2026
15:53 , Alex CroftUkraine's electricity imports jump by 40 per cent in January 2026 versus December 2025 to a record 894 gigawatt hours amid constant Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy system, analyst ExPro said on Monday.
"This is the highest import figure for the period of full-scale war. Hungary continues to account for the largest share – 45%. Overall, supplies increased in all directions except Moldova," the consultancy said in a report.
Russian has ramped up attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure during 2026, as the war-torn country has been in the grip of bitter wintery weather.
EU's ban on Russian gas imports '100% legally sound', says energy commissioner
15:21 , Alex CroftThe EU’s decision last week to ban Russian gas imports was "100% legally sound", the bloc's energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen told reporters in Lisbon on Monday.
"We've said we will no longer help indirectly finance (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's war in Ukraine by buying gas there," Mr Jorgensen said after meeting with Portugal’s energy minister Maria da Graca Carvalho.
"That also means it's no longer possible for Russia to blackmail EU member states to weaponise energy against us," he added.
Despite opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, European Union countries last week approved a law banning Russian gas imports by late 2027, turning a political pledge to cut energy ties with Moscow into binding legislation nearly four years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
'Evil must stop’: Zelenskyy mourns latest Russian attack on miners as he confirms next diplomatic talks in UAE
14:50 , Alex CroftUK expels Russian diplomat after spying accusations
14:19 , Alex CroftThe UK has expelled a Russian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move after Moscow last month expelled a British diplomat, accusing them of being an undeclared spy.
Russia's accusations were "baseless" and the expulsion was "unprovoked and unjustified", a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign Office (FCDO) said in a statement on Monday.
"Summoning the Russian Ambassador, a senior FCDO official made it clear that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British Embassy staff and so we are taking reciprocal action today, revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat," the spokesperson said.
Russia and the West have repeatedly accused each other of espionage campaigns since the war erupted in Ukraine.
The FCDO spokesperson added that "any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly”.
Kyiv adviser claims attack on miner bus was 'double tap' strike
13:41 , Alex CroftSerhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister, has claimed that Russian forces “100 per cent saw and recognised the target as civilian” in a drone attack on a bus which killed at least 12 miners.
Beskrestnov says Russian forces attacked the miners for a second time as they fled the bus following the first strike, in what is known as a “double tap strike”.
He said on Telegram that a Shahed pilot “saw a bus below and decided to attack it”, adding that the “driver lost control under the influence of the blast wave and drove into the fence” before injured people began to flee.
“At this time, the operator of the second Shahed saw people and directed the Shahed directly at civilians,” Beskrestnov said.
“The operators from the territory of Russia 100% saw and recognized the target as a civilian, saw that it was not a military person and made a conscious decision to attack,” he added, describing the attack as “terrorism”.
Zelensky says work underway on 20th EU sanctions package
13:25 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has said work is underway on the 20th EU sanctions package on Russia, and that it is expected to be adopted by the end of February.
“We continue to synchronize our sanctions with the European Union. I signed a decree imposing sanctions against companies that service the Russian tanker fleet and transport sanctioned oil,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X.
“There are also new sanctions targeting Kremlin propagandists and criminals involved in cyberattacks against Ukraine and our partners.
“Last week, the European Union synchronized Ukrainian sanctions in its jurisdiction against six Russian propagandists,” he said, adding that “many” of Kyiv’s proposals have been taken into account for the 20th package.
Ukrainian maternity hospital hit in Russian strike
13:03 , Alex CroftUkraine's energy company says Russia attacked coal enterprise
12:40 , Alex CroftUkraine's energy company DTEK said on Monday that Russia attacked one of its coal enterprises in the Dnipropetrovsk region for the second time in 24 hours.
The company said in a statement that administrative buildings were damaged in the strike. The attack follows the strike on Sunday in which 12 miners were killed and 16 wounded.
It comes after Mr Zelensky said there were no strikes on energy infrastructure in the past 24 hours - we’re working to clarify the timings for you.
German authorities arrest five people accused of exporting goods to Russian defence companies
12:17 , Alex CroftGerman authorities have arrested five people suspected of circumventing European Union sanctions by exporting goods to at least 24 listed Russian defence companies, the federal prosecutor's office said.
The German, Ukrainian and Russian nationals are accused of using a Luebeck-based company and shell firms to make 16,000 deliveries to Russia worth at least 30 million euros ($36 million) since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Russian state agencies are suspected of being behind the procurement network, the office added in a statement.
No Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in past 24 hours
11:54 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky said that there had been no new targeted strikes by Russian missiles or Shahed drones on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, but there had been new Russian attacks on energy facilities in frontline regions.
“The system is operating stably,” he wrote on X. “However, given the extremely cold weather and the impact of Russian strikes, all challenges remain serious.
“Over the past 24 hours, there were new Russian attacks on energy facilities in frontline and border communities. At the same time, there were no targeted strikes by Russian missiles or ‘shaheds’ [drones] against energy infrastructure.”
Mr Zelensky added that Russian forces had remained focused on attacking the Ukrainian transport logistics, in line with recent days.
I held a coordination call on the situation in Ukraine. As of today, Ukrainian energy workers and repair crews have fully restored the energy system to its pre-incident state before Saturday’s technical failure. The system is operating stably. However, given the extremely cold… pic.twitter.com/0V7OjaoKyN
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 2, 2026
Russia suffers heaviest losses since WWII as casualties in Ukraine conflict near 2 million
11:25 , Alex CroftThe 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.
It would mean 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 Vladimir Putin’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.
Our foreign news reporter Maira Butt reports:
More than half of Ukrainians oppose giving Donbas to Russia for security guarantees
10:59 , Alex CroftA total of 52 per cent of Ukrainians are opposed to handing over the Donbas to Russia in exchange for security guarantees, according to a new survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
Around 40 per cent of Ukrainians would support the move, the survey said.
The poll showed that 52 per cent saw it as a totally unacceptable condition ot hand over the Donbas, and the 40 per cent willing to accept the condition admit it would be difficult.
A further 7 per cent were unable to make up their minds, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Russia claims control over village in Zaporizhzhia region
10:33 , Alex CroftMoscow has claimed its forces have taken control over the settlement of Prydorozhnie in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to state-run news agency RIA.
The Independent could not independently verify the claim.
Kremlin confirms Ukraine-Russia talks to begin Wednesday
10:08 , Alex CroftThe next round of US-brokered trilateral talks between Ukraine and Russia will take place in Abu Dhabi from February 4-5, the Kremlin said on Monday, saying talks planned for February 1 had not happened for scheduling reasons.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia and Ukraine had so far managed to narrow their differences on some issues, but had not made similar progress when it came to what he called more complex issues.
Ukraine to receive two lorries worth of spuds in Berlin potato dump
09:45 , Alex CroftUkraine is receiving two lorries worth of potatoes after Berlin experienced a bumper harvest year with its biggest crop in more than two decades.
The phenomenon has inspired a potato dump in Berlin, as farmers, not wanting their produce to go to waste, have given away their potatoes away to soup kitchens, schools, churches, and the public.
Two lorries worth of spuds have also been delivered to Ukraine.
It comes as the country experiences a brutal winter, with temperatures in some areas dropping to -30C.
Russia has been repeatedly targeting Ukraine’s energy grid, leaving thousands of Ukrainians without power or food.
Reminder: Zelensky warns Russia is planning ‘massive’ strike ahead of peace talks
09:21 , Alex CroftAs we near the resumption of Ukrainian-US-Russian peace talks this week, let’s take a look back at President Zelensky’s warning from Thursday.
Exclusive: Ukraine peace deal must put people before land, warns key Zelensky ally
08:57 , Alex CroftA key political ally of Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine has called for a peace deal which prioritises people over land ahead of a major conference in the war torn country on Thursday.
Vitaliy Kim, governor of the Mykolaiv Oblast region in Ukraine, is an emerging name in Ukrainian politics and spoke to The Independent as other governors and mayors get together to discuss where the peace line needs to be drawn in the war with Russia.
Mr Kim headed the Mykolaiv branch of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party during the 2019 elections and was appointed by the Ukrainian president to be regional governor in November 2020.
The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
Ukraine peace deal must put people before land, warns key Zelensky ally
Russian forces fire 172 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight
08:33 , Alex CroftRussian forces fired a ballistic missile and 171 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force has said.
An Iskander-M ballistic missile launched from temporarily-occupied Crimea was part of the attack, while drones were fired from the Russian cities of Kursk, Oryol, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Millerovo, and occupied Donetsk.
Ukrainian air defences downed 157 drones but eight locations were hit, the air force added.
"As of 09:00, [Ukrainian] air defence forces had destroyed or jammed 157 Shahed, Gerbera and other types of drones,” the air force said in a post on Telegram. “Hits by 1 ballistic missile and 12 UAVs had been recorded at 8 locations.”
Expiry of Russia-US nuclear treaty should alarm the world, says Medvedev
08:06 , Alex CroftDmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said that if the New START treaty expires then the world should be alarmed that the biggest nuclear powers had no limits for the first time in decades.
Signed in 2010 by US president Barack Obama and Medvedev, the New START treaty limited the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 on each side.
It is due to expire on February 5 and Russian officials have said they have had no official response from Washington on a proposal from Vladimir Putin to stick to existing missile and warhead limits for one more year.
"I don't want to say that this immediately means a catastrophe and a nuclear war will begin, but it should still alarm everyone," Medvedev told Reuters news agency, TASS and the WarGonzo Russian war blogger in an interview at his residence outside Moscow.
"The (doomsday) clocks are ticking and they obviously have to speed up," he said.
Four injured in Russian attack on Cherkasy
07:52 , Alex CroftAt least four people were injured in a Russian drone attack on the Cherkasy region last night.
Ihor Taburets, head of the region’s military administration, said authorities are “recording the fall of enemy drones at several locations” after “fires broke out” as a result of the attack.
Authorities are expected to later release further details about the strike.
'Evil must stop’: Zelenskyy mourns latest Russian attack on miners as he confirms next diplomatic talks in UAE
07:21 , Arpan RaiPutin's aide says Russia will not accept Nato-member forces in Ukraine
07:10 , Arpan RaiA proposal by European powers to deploy Nato-member troops in Ukraine as part of a proposed security guarantee and peace deal was unacceptable for Russia, said Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council.
"What kind of guarantee can we talk about if a foreign contingent of unfriendly Nato member states is stationed on the territory of such a state," Medvedev told said in an interview.
Medvedev said Russia's terms for ending the conflict were unchanged from 2024 when president Vladimir Putin set them out in a speech at the foreign ministry.
Two killed as Ukrainian drone attack sparks fire in Belgorod
06:45 , Arpan RaiA Ukrainian drone attack has sparked fire and explosions in Russia’s Belgorod region’s city of Stary Oskol.
At least two people were killed in the attack, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
He added that the Ukrainian drones attacked the city and fires were also reported at a residential home. Gladkov said an exploding drone shattered windows in more than three apartment buildings.
Witnesses said at least six loud blasts were reported in the city’s northern and northeastern areas, reported the Kyiv Independent, citing local residents.
'World seems very dangerous,' Medvedev says
06:06 , Arpan RaiDmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said the world was getting very dangerous but claimed Russia did not want to be dragged into a global conflict.
“The situation is very dangerous," Medvedev said in an interview at his residence outside Moscow. "The pain threshold is decreasing."
"We are not interested in a global conflict. We're not crazy. It's been said a hundred times. Who needs a global conflict?" he said. "Unfortunately, a global conflict cannot be ruled out," he said.
His comments came as Russia's invasion of Ukraine is about to enter its fifth year in February.
Medvedev claims Europe failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine
05:42 , Arpan RaiDmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, claimed European powers failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine but had inflicted severe economic harm on themselves by trying to do so.
"Europe surprised me a lot," Medvedev said in the interview with Reuters, TASS, and the WarGonzo Russian war blogger.
“Because Europe is undermining the foundations of its existence by its own actions. It's just amazing,” he said.
Medvedev said that European powers wanted to "inflict a strategic defeat on Russia" but that they had not "achieved anything". The former president is known for his sabre-rattling and aggressive rhetoric towards the West.
In December, the European Union planned to fund Ukraine with €90bn (£79bn) of frozen Russian assets.
EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the plan would cover two-thirds of the funding required to sustain Ukraine’s war effort, with “international partners” financing the rest.
Drones strike Ukrainian maternity hospital
05:28 , Arpan RaiRussian attack drones struck a maternity hospital in southern Ukraine on Sunday morning, the Ukrainian emergency service reported.
In a Telegram post, it said the strike wounded three women in the hospital in the city of Zaporizhzhia, and also sparked a fire in the gynecology reception area that was later extinguished.
Regional administration head Ivan Fedorov later said the number of wounded had risen to six.
Days earlier, US president Donald Trump said Putin had agreed to temporarily halt the targeting of the Ukrainian capital and other cities, as the region suffers under freezing temperatures that have brought widespread hardship to Ukrainians.
Ukraine peace deal must put people before land, warns key Zelensky ally
05:12 , Arpan RaiA key political ally of Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine has called for a peace deal which prioritises people over land ahead of a major conference in the war torn country on Thursday.
Vitaliy Kim, governor of the Mykolaiv Oblast region in Ukraine, is an emerging name in Ukrainian politics and spoke to The Independent as other governors and mayors get together to discuss where the peace line needs to be drawn in the war with Russia.
Mr Kim headed the Mykolaiv branch of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party during the 2019 elections and was appointed by the Ukrainian president to be regional governor in November 2020.
Ukraine peace deal must put people before land, warns key Zelensky ally
Russia's Shoigu assures China of Moscow's support on Taiwan
04:48 , Arpan RaiRussian security council secretary Sergei Shoigu has reassured senior Chinese official Wang Yi of Moscow’s continuing support to Beijing over Taiwan.
Russia has repeatedly said it opposes Taiwan's independence in any form and considers the self-governed island an inseparable part of China.
"We see that China's ill‑wishers continue to destabilise the situation in the Taiwan Strait. For our part, I want to reaffirm our consistent and unwavering support for Beijing on the Taiwan issue," Shoigu said, reported TASS news agency.
“We proceed from the fact that the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China," he added.
China and Russia have forged close ties in recent years and declared a "no limits" strategic partnership days before Russian president Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Chinese president Xi Jinping has vowed to “reunite” the self-governed island with the mainland by force, if necessary, and the US is bound by treaty to help arm Taipei to defend itself from attack.
Watch: At least 12 miners killed in Russian strike on bus after peace talks delayed
04:32 , Arpan RaiUkraine allows Starlink verification to counter Russian drones in new move
04:14 , Arpan RaiUkraine’s defence minister has said only authorised Starlink terminals will be allowed to operate in the war-hit nation as the forces look to counter Moscow’s use of satellite internet on attack drones.
Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine is working together with the Elon Musk’s satellite internet technology and has already taken the initial steps in countering Russia’s drone opertions.
“The next step is to implement a system that will allow only authorised terminals to operate in Ukraine,” he said.
The newly appointed defence minister said the Ukrainian users will get to register their Starlink terminals for verification in the coming dyas and those that fail to get verification, will be disconnected.
“The registration process will be simple, fast, and convenient for users. Detailed instructions will be published shortly,” Fedorov said, thanking Starlink and SpaceX for their cooperation and support.
Estonian minister says Putin to ‘send thousands of criminals’ to ‘cause chaos’ in Schengen area
03:42 , Arpan RaiEstonia has warned against Russia’s thousands of ex-combatants entering Europe’s Schengen area, stating their battle-hardened criminal past that could wage a hybrid war in the European Union.
“The same war that saw civilians executed in broad daylight in Bucha has produced battle-hardened fighters who pose a direct threat to Europe’s internal security. Russian ex-combatants must be kept out of the Schengen Area,” Estonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said.
He has claimed that the Kremlin is planning to dispatch "ex-prisoners and rapists" to wage a hybrid war in the European Union and called for a blanket ban on Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine.
“Russia and Putin are already using different people to commit attacks on our societies, but when there will be peace, we can imagine that we will have hundreds of thousands of ex-combatants coming to Europe," he said.
Putin accused of terrorist attack after Russian drones kill at least 12 miners
03:27 , Arpan RaiA Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro hit a bus carrying mineworkers and killed at least a dozen people, Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday.
The strike injured several more people and sparked a fire that was subsequently put out, according to the emergency services.
DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, said it owned the bus and accused Russia of carrying out "a large-scale terrorist attack on DTEK mines in the Dnipropetrovsk region," whose capital is Dnipro.
“The epicenter of one of the attacks was a company bus transporting miners from the enterprise after a shift in the Dnipropetrovsk region," the company said in a Telegram post.
The strike came days after US president Donald Trump said the Kremlin had agreed to temporarily halt the targeting of the Ukrainian capital and other cities, as the region suffers under freezing temperatures that have brought widespread hardship to Ukrainians.
