At least four people have died in Russia's most intense aerial bombardment of Ukraine so far this year, with strikes targeting Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight.
Telegram channels monitoring the conflict suggested as many as 20 ballistic missiles were launched in the space of just an hour overnight, with Kyiv officials confirming the capital suffered a short but powerful onslaught.
In Kharkiv, the strikes claimed four lives and injured at least six others, with missiles striking targets on the outskirts of the northeastern city.
The attack came hours after Russia was roundly condemned at an emergency UN Security Council meeting for firing its Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile at Lviv, just 50 miles from the border with Nato member Poland.
US deputy ambassador to the UN Tammy Bruce accused Russia of a "dangerous and inexplicable escalation" of its nearly four-year war in Ukraine at a time when the Trump administration is trying to broker a ceasefire.
Key Points
- Four dead in most intense Russian air raid of 2026 so far
- US calls out Russia's 'dangerous and inexplicable escalation' of war in Ukraine at UN
- Russia using African mercenaries as suicide bombers in Ukraine war
- Ukraine saw sharp rise in civilian casualties in 2025, UN monitor shows
- Watch: Kyiv strikes oil rigs in Caspian Sea with dramatic drone footage released
UK and US condemn Russia’s Oreshnik ballistic missile strike on Ukraine
05:51 , Arpan RaiThe U.K. and the U.S. have condemned Russia's use of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile in Ukraine, calling it a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” at an emergency meeting called by the UN Security Council (UNSC).
Russia Friday claimed it fired the hypersonic missile at a critical target in Ukraine in response to what it described as an attempted drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences, a claim refuted by Kyiv.
It was the second time that Russia used the intermediate-range Oreshnik, a missile which Putin boasted was impossible to intercept because of its reported velocity of more than 10 times the speed of sound.
UK and US condemn Russia’s Oreshnik ballistic missile strike on Ukraine
Four dead in most intense Russian air raid of 2026 so far
05:22 , Arpan RaiAt least four people have been killed in Russia's most intense overnight aerial bombardment of the year so far, according to Ukrainian officials and media.
Ukraine’s capital Kyiv came under a short but intense attack from Russian missiles, head of Kyiv’s military administration Tymur Tkachenko said.
Reuters reported its witnesses heard explosions in the city, but there was no immediate word on casualties or damage.
In Kharkiv, 30km (18 miles) from the border and also a frequent Russian target, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said four people had died in a strike on the outskirts of the city.
Syniehubov said six people were injured.
Telegram channels monitoring Ukraine said about 20 ballistic missiles were launched within about an hour overnight, in what they described as the most sustained strike on Ukraine so far in 2026.
Russia using African mercenaries as suicide bombers in Ukraine war
04:54 , Arpan RaiRussian forces are using African citizens as “meat for the meat grinder” in their war against Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian official.
Videos from the war frontline show Russia’s troops allegedly strapping a landmine to an African mercenary’s chest and asking him to run as a human bomb through no man’s land and target Ukraine’s positions, reported The Telegraph.
An unseen man, believed to be a Russian soldier, uses racist insults and tells the mercenary that he is being used as a “can opener” who will blow himself up to “open” an enemy bunker.
The Independent has not verified the authenticity of the video independently.
Ukraine’s ambassador to South Africa, Olexander Scherba, confirmed participation of several African nationals in Moscow’s war on Ukraine who are being used in Vladimir Putin’s meat grinding war.
Scherba said several members of a South African political party with close ties with Russia embroiled in a recent scandal were forced into combat.
“There might be all kinds of charm offensives on the African continent, but once an African person comes to this war, they just become meat for the meat grinder,” he told The Telegraph.
The scandal shows Russia “looks at Africa through imperial eyes, he said.
Ukraine launches air attack on Russia's Taganrog
04:35 , Arpan RaiUkraine has attacked Russia’s Taganrog city in the southern Rostov region, officials said this morning.
Rostov governor Yuri Slyusar said Russian air defence systems were trying to repel a Ukrainian air attack.
“Details on the impact on the ground are being clarified,” he said on his Telegram channel.
The Russian city hosts a number of military facilities and has come under frequent attacks throughout the war.
In November, Ukraine's armed forces reported successful strikes on several strategic Russian targets, including the Taganrog Aircraft Repair Plant and the Atlant Aero drone manufacturing facility in Rostov oblast.
Ukraine saw sharp rise in civilian casualties in 2025, UN monitor shows
04:21 , Arpan RaiThe year 2025 was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since 2022, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said.
These deaths in Ukraine have gone up after intensified hostilities on the war frontline and expanded use of long-range weapons from Russia.
Conflict-related violence in Ukraine killed 2,514 civilians and injured 12,142 in 2025, a 31 per cent rise in the number of victims from 2024, the monitor said in a monthly update on civilian harm.
The vast majority of the casualties verified by the watchdog occurred in Ukrainian government-controlled territory from attacks launched by Russian armed forces, the statement added. Ukrainian officials generally cite the UN figures as accurate.
Almost two-thirds of all casualties last year occurred in frontline areas, with older persons particularly affected as they remained in their villages. Civilian casualties caused by short-range drones also increased sharply, it added.
“The expanded use of short-range drones has rendered many areas near the frontline effectively uninhabitable," said Danielle Bell, head of the monitoring mission.
“In 2025, many people who had endured years of hostilities were ultimately compelled to leave their homes,” confirming displacement of civilians as another impact of the war.
Watch: Kyiv strikes oil rigs in Caspian Sea with dramatic drone footage released
04:08 , Arpan RaiBritain condemns Russia's Oreshnik missile attack on Ukraine at UN
03:53 , Arpan RaiBritain's envoy to the UN said Russia’s use of hypersonic ballistic missile on Ukraine last week that killed four and injured several others should be “universally condemned”.
“This hypersonic missile capable of travelling at over Mach 10, is reported to have hit a site in the region of Lviv, just 50 miles from the Polish border,” ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, said yesterday.
“Such action is reckless – it threatens regional and international security, and carries significant risk of escalation and miscalculation,” he said.
Greenland could vote to join Russia if Trump does not hurry, says Kremlin official
03:28 , Arpan RaiGreenlanders could vote to join Russia if US president Donald Trump did not move quickly to secure the Arctic island, a senior Russian official said.
“Trump needs to hurry. According to unverified information, in a few days there could be a sudden referendum, at which the entire 55,000-strong Greenland could vote to join Russia," said Russian security council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev.
"And then that’s it. No new little stars on the (US) flag," he said.
While Russia makes no claim to Greenland, it has long monitored the island’s strategic role in Arctic security, given its position on North Atlantic routes and the presence there of a major US military and space surveillance facility.
Trump has revived his push for the United States to take control of Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, arguing Washington needs to own it to deter Russia.
The US president has said its location and resources make Greenland vital for national security, prompting firm objections from Denmark and Greenland.
Russia at UN threatens negotiations will worsen for Ukraine if Zelensky does not accept its terms
03:09 , Arpan RaiRussia ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia has threatened Ukraine to accept Moscow’s terms for ending the war or watch the negotiations worsen.
“He was warned long ago, with each passing day, each day which he squanders, the conditions for negotiations will only get worse for him," Nebenzia said.
Speaking at the emergency meeting called by the Security Council, Nebenzia said that until Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky "comes to his senses and agrees to realistic conditions for negotiations, we will continue solving the problem by military means."
“Similarly, each vile attack on Russian civilians will elicit a stiff response,” he said.
Why the Nato alliance is at risk amid Trump’s threats to Greenland
03:00 , Holly EvansDonald Trump's repeated threats to seize control of Greenland are straining relations with US allies within Nato, prompting stark warnings that such an aggressive move could spell the end of the world's largest security alliance.
While historical tensions have occasionally flared between some Nato members, notably Greece and Turkey, the prospect of its most powerful country, the United States, annexing the territory of another ally would establish a dangerous precedent.
Mr Trump reaffirmed his stance on Sunday, declaring, "One way or the other, we're going to have Greenland." The White House has not ruled out the use of military force in this endeavour. Mr Trump stated his desire to prevent Russia or China from taking over the island, though he conceded that making a deal would be "easier." Greenland is a semi-autonomous island that forms part of the Danish realm.
Read the full article here:
Why the Nato alliance is at risk amid Trump’s threats to Greenland
US calls out Russia's 'dangerous and inexplicable escalation' of war in Ukraine at UN
02:57 , Arpan RaiThe US has accused Russia of a "dangerous and inexplicable escalation" of its nearly four-year war in Ukraine at a time when the Trump administration is trying to broker a ceasefire.
Tammy Bruce, US deputy ambassador to the UN, flagged Russia’s launch of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile near Ukraine’s border with Poland, a Nato nation.
Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Bruce said that the US deplores "the staggering number of casualties" in the conflict and condemns Russia's intensifying attacks on energy and other infrastructure.
“At a moment of tremendous potential, due only to President Trump's unparalleled commitment to peace around the world, both sides should be seeking ways to de-escalate," she said.
“Yet Russia's action risks expanding and intensifying the war,” she said.
Bruce reminded Russia that nearly a year ago it voted in favour of a Security Council resolution calling for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
“It would be nice if Russia matched their words with deeds," she said.
“In the spirit of that resolution, Russia, Ukraine and Europe must pursue peace seriously and bring this nightmare to an end."
Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble
02:00 , Holly EvansShortly before Christmas, the new chief of MI6, Blaise Metreweli, made her first public speech since taking charge. She chose as her subject the multifaceted threat posed by Russia, warning of the growing danger from Vladimir Putin’s regime. “We are operating in a space between peace and war,” she said.
The recently appointed “C” said “the front line is everywhere”, explaining that Putin is provoking a new “age of uncertainty” by busily rewriting the unwritten rules of conflict. “The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in the Russian approach to international engagement,” said Metreweli.
Last week has seen the cementing of the axis between the UK, France and Germany with the promise of troops on the ground to monitor peace in Ukraine, a move that is bound to antagonise Putin. Concerns about Russian retaliation are growing still further following the boarding of a tanker in Russia’s “shadow fleet” by US forces off the British coast. The involvement of the Royal Navy will have been noticed and noted in Moscow. The hostility continues to ramp up in intensity.
Read the full analysis from Chris Blackhurst here:
Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble
Dark, freezing and depressed: Ukrainians struggling without heat or water after Russian attacks
01:00 , Holly EvansAs Ukraine is gripped by a bitter cold snap, more than one million people have been left without heating and electricity as Russia ramps up attacks on energy infrastructure.
Elderly residents and those with vulnerable family members told The Independent they are cold and unable to cook proper meals as they face temperatures as low as -15C.
Despondent and fearing death, many are struggling through the winter as blackouts plunge Ukraine’s cities into darkness, lit up only by the bright flash of Russian drone and missile attacks.
“It gives you depression,” 33-year-old Dnipro resident Kyril Tulenev says. “You cannot do anything. You cannot check the news. You cannot properly use your things. Sometimes you cannot call anyone because there is no connection.”
Read the full article here:
Dark, cold, depressed: The Ukrainians without heat or water after Russian attacks
Zelensky calls on the world to help Iranians to enforce change
00:00 , Holly EvansUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that the world had to help Iranians build on protests to engineer change to free them from rule that brought evil to their own and other countries, including Ukraine.
Zelensky, speaking in his nightly video address, described the nationwide protests gripping Iran as an "uprising".
He said the unrest showed that Russia had to rethink its close links with Iran, which have included its wide use of Iranian-made "Shahed" drones in the nearly four-year-old war against Kyiv.
"Every normal person on Earth very much wants the people of Iran to finally be fortunate enough to free themselves from the regime that exists there and that has brought so much evil, including to Ukraine and to other countries," Zelensky said.
"It is important that the world not miss this moment, when change is possible. Every leader, every country, international organisations must engage now and help people remove those who are responsible for Iran unfortunately being what it has been."
Russia launches missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine says
Monday 12 January 2026 23:35 , Holly EvansRussia launched an overnight missile attack on Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said early on Tuesday.
"Stay in safe places! The Russians are attacking the capital with ballistic missiles!" Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on Telegram.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that air defence units were trying to repel the attack.
Comment: Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble
Monday 12 January 2026 23:10 , Maira ButtShortly before Christmas, the new chief of MI6, Blaise Metreweli, made her first public speech since taking charge. She chose as her subject the multifaceted threat posed by Russia, warning of the growing danger from Vladimir Putin’s regime. “We are operating in a space between peace and war,” she said.
The recently appointed “C” said “the front line is everywhere”, explaining that Putin is provoking a new “age of uncertainty” by busily rewriting the unwritten rules of conflict. “The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in the Russian approach to international engagement,” said Metreweli.
Chris Blackhurst reports:
Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian drone attack on building in Ukraine on Monday
Monday 12 January 2026 22:40 , Maira Butt
Extra defence spending is being lost on MoD’s overdraft, warns former RAF chief
Monday 12 January 2026 22:10 , Maira ButtThe former head of the RAF has warned that increased defence spending in the UK is being “eaten up by the Ministry of Defence (MoD)’s overdraft” with the UK’s military footprint shrinking at a critical moment.
The intervention by retired Air Marshall Edward Stringer comes just days after Sir Keir Starmer committed to sending UK troops to Ukraine as part of the coalition of the willing to protect any peace agreement from Russian aggression.
But it represents the third warning by a former member of the UK’s military top brass in less than a week over how the UK’s commitments to Ukraine and elsewhere are not matched by resources in the armed forces and manpower.
The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
Extra defence spending is being lost on MoD’s overdraft, warns former RAF chief
Ukraine strikes Russian oil rigs in Caspian Sea
Monday 12 January 2026 21:40 , Maira ButtUkraine has attacked three Russian oil drilling platforms in the Caspian Sea, according to its military.
“Direct hits have been recorded,” it said in a post on Telegram on Sunday, adding: “The extent of the damage is being assessed.”
The infrastructure is said to be owned by Russia’s Lukoil Corporation. Dramatic drone footage shows the overnight attack although Kyiv did not share further details of the operation.
Germany sending five Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine
Monday 12 January 2026 21:10 , Maira ButtGermany is providing five Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine following a contract signed in December 2025, according to Defence News.
The systems, provided by company Rheinmetall are expected to arrive in the coming weeks, according to a statement on Monday. They vehicles will be configured specifically for Ukrainian requirements.
“We are grateful for the trust that Ukraine has placed in us,” Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said in an announcement.
Is the UK ready to deploy troops to Ukraine?
Monday 12 January 2026 20:40 , Maira ButtThe most recent government figures show there are around 147,000 people in the UK armed forces, with just over half assigned to the army.
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s promise to send troops to Ukraine could require as many as 50,000 according to Sir Richard Shirreff, former deputy commander of Nato.
Sir Richard stressed in an interview this week that British troops must be ready to fight Putin’s army if deployed.
“There’s not going to be a peace until Russia is forced into it,” he told LBC. “At least now there is a clear plan from France and the UK to provide a reassurance force or an enforcement force.
“But it’s got to be the right capability, and it’s got to have the right numbers, the means, and there’s got to be proper capabilities.”
The UK is to invest an additional £200m into the British military in a bid to enhance its capabilities.
UK and Nato allies boosting Arctic defence as Trump ramps up Greenland pressure
Monday 12 January 2026 20:10 , Maira ButtThe UK is working with Nato allies to bolster security in the Arctic, a Cabinet minister said following reports British troops could be sent to Greenland.
US President Donald Trump has insisted he wants control over Greenland and has not ruled out the prospect of using military force to seize the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said discussions about securing the High North against Russia and China were part of Nato’s “business as usual” rather than a response to the US military threat.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that military chiefs are drawing up plans for a possible Nato mission to Greenland which could involve British soldiers, warships and planes being deployed to the island.
UK and Nato allies boosting Arctic defence as Trump ramps up Greenland pressure
Lithuania ready to deploy ground forces for future peace in Ukraine
Monday 12 January 2026 19:40 , Maira ButtLithuania is ready to support ukraine “on land, in the air, and at sea”, according to President Gitanas Nausėda.
He said the country would be willing to deploy forces after a ceasefire according to LRT.
“Unfortunately, one unknown remains today: Russia’s reaction. I spoke about this in Paris: I have no questions about our mutual agreement—between the US, the EU, and Ukraine—there are no problems here, we see the situation in a similar way,” he said.
“But the peace agreement will not be concluded between the US, Europe, and Ukraine, but between Ukraine and Russia. That is why Russia’s reaction is so important.”
Zelensky notes Putin's war has now outlasted Soviet Union's fight against Nazis
Monday 12 January 2026 19:10 , Maira ButtRussian president Vladimir Putin’s full-scale war against Ukraine has now outlasted the Soviet Union's fight with Nazi Germany in the Second World War, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky said the war in Ukraine entered its 1,418th day on Sunday, surpassing the number of days of fighting between Nazi forces and the Soviet Union. Germany invaded Soviet territory around two years into WW2, in June 1941.
Comparing Russia's tactics in Ukraine to those of the Nazis, Zelensky accused Moscow of replicating 20th-century fascism.
“Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine has been going on for as long as Nazi Germany's war against the Soviet Union," he said.
“Today marks the 1,418th day of Russia's war against Ukraine. They wanted to repeat and did repeat the mockery of people - repeated fascism, repeated almost all the worst things that happened in the 20th century.
"The Kremlin has failed to achieve its military goals in Ukraine despite the years-long campaign, he noted.
“But still, the Russians are trying to capture the same Donbas as almost four years ago," Zelensky said.
Full story: Project Nightfall: UK says it will develop new ballistic missile for Ukraine’s defence against Russia
Monday 12 January 2026 18:40 , Maira ButtThe UK says it will develop new tactical ballistic missiles for Kyiv and put “leading-edge weapons into the hands of Ukrainians” for their fight against Russia.
Code-named “Project Nightfall”, the missiles will help boost Ukrainian firepower and be capable of striking targets deep inside Russia, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement late on Sunday.
The Nightfall missiles will carry a 200kg conventional high-explosive warhead and cost a maximum £800,000 per unit, the MoD announced, adding that it plans to produce 10 systems per month.
The announcement came days after Russia attacked Ukraine with its new hypersonic Oreshnik missile, striking a city about 60 miles from the border of Nato member Poland, with European leaders condemning the incident as a “clear escalation” and an attempt to “instil fear”.
Arpan Rai reports:
Watch: Kyiv strikes oil rigs in Caspian Sea with dramatic drone footage released
Monday 12 January 2026 18:10 , Maira ButtSweden urges EU ban on Russian oil
Monday 12 January 2026 17:40 , Maira ButtSweden’s foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard has said that the pressure on Russia “has to be increased” as she called for tighter sanctions.
“The pressure on Russia has to be increased,” she said on Monday.
She proposed total bans on European companies providing services to Russian shops carrying oil, coal, and gas, and sanctions on the exports of Russian fertiliser (Russia’s third-biggest export to the EU).
“No transport, no reloading of goods between ships, no insurance and no port repairs.”
She added: “And we want to put an end to exports of luxury goods from the EU to Russia.
“It irritates me that rich Russian consumers can wear expensive Italian clothing brands and drink fine French wines.”
Dark, freezing and depressed: More than a million Ukrainians struggling without heat or water after Russian attacks
Monday 12 January 2026 17:10 , Maira ButtAs Ukraine is gripped by a bitter cold snap, more than one million people have been left without heating and electricity as Russia ramps up attacks on energy infrastructure.
Elderly residents and those with vulnerable family members told The Independent they are cold and unable to cook proper meals as they face temperatures as low as -15C.
Despondent and fearing death, many are struggling through the winter as blackouts plunge Ukraine’s cities into darkness, lit up only by the bright flash of Russian drone and missile attacks.
“It gives you depression,” 33-year-old Dnipro resident Kyril Tulenev says. “You cannot do anything. You cannot check the news. You cannot properly use your things. Sometimes you cannot call anyone because there is no connection.”
Dark, cold, depressed: The Ukrainians without heat or water after Russian attacks
Russia says it has hit aircraft repair plan in Ukraine with Oreshnik strike
Monday 12 January 2026 16:40 , Maira ButtRussia says that the target of its strike with a hypersonic Oreshnik missile last week was a Ukrainian aircraft repair plant.
The attack was condemned by Ukraine and Europe, who accused Russia of attempting to intimidate the West.
It marked the second time Russia had used an intermediate-range ballistic missile during the war.
“This enterprise carried out repairs and maintenance of Ukrainian armed forces aviation equipment, including F-16 and MiG-29 aircraft transferred by Western countries,” Russia’s defence ministry said on Monday.
“The company also produced long- and medium-range attack drones used to strike Russian civilian targets deep within Russian territory.”
A Ukrainian official told Reuters that the missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons, was loaded with inert dummy warheads and was capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Russia said the strike was in response to an alleged attack on Preside Vladimir Putin’s personal residence in Valdai last month.
2025 was deadliest year for Ukrainian civilians , says UN monitor
Monday 12 January 2026 16:10 , Maira ButtThe number of civilian deaths in Ukraine rose sharply last year, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
Conflict-related violence killed 2,514 civilians last year and injured 12,142, marking a 31 per cent rise from 2024.
The vast majority of the attacks occurred in territories controlled by the Ukrainian government, according to the figures.
Estonia bans entry of 261 Russians involved in Ukraine war and urges Europe to do the same
Monday 12 January 2026 15:40 , Maira ButtEstonia has stopped the entry of 261 Russians involved in the war in Ukraine.
The country’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna wrote in a statement on X/Twitter on Monday: “Estonia imposed entry bans on the first 261 of Russian combatants who took part in the war of aggression against Ukraine – and this is only the beginning.”
He continued: “They have no place in Estonia and in the Schengen area.”
“We will keep working to ensure the door stays closed to Russian ex-combatants, and we call on other countries to do the same,” he said.
Russia to crackdown on 'internal enemies' amid power outages
Monday 12 January 2026 15:10 , Maira ButtRussian authorities are to clamp down on “international enemies”, according to Belgorod’s governor Vyacheslav Gladkov in a statement on Monday.
It comes after the region’s energy infrastructure was targeted, leaving over 550,000 residents without power.
Gladkov said that the energy supply situation had become “extremely dire” and that “energy capacity losses are reaching practically a catastrophic scale”.
He called for “monitoring” that would uncover “attempts to provoke the population in order to destabilise an already extremely difficult situation” and “stir up social tensions”, adding that Ukraine had engaged in “information attacks”.
Trump says he 'saved Nato' in Truth Social outburst
Monday 12 January 2026 14:52 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump has lashed out at Nato in a Truth Social post on Monday.
The American leader wrote: “I’m the one who saved Nato!!!”
It comes after ongoing disagreements about the US’s right to takeover Greenland, which Trump has said is necessary for his country’s “national security” and the security of the rest of the world.
European officials have warned that the US purchasing Greenland would mark the end of Nato as an alliance.
Norway gives $400m to Ukraine for energy
Monday 12 January 2026 14:40 , Maira ButtNorway has provided Ukraine with nearly $400m in emergency funding in order to support the country’s energy infrastructure, which has been battered by Russian attacks.
Last year, the Norwegian parliament allocated $8.45bn in aid to Ukraine, with money going to military support, civilian and humanitarian aid, and budget support and reconstruction.
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian drone attack on building in Ukraine on Monday
Monday 12 January 2026 14:10 , Maira ButtTrump says 'progress' being made in Ukraine peace talks
Monday 12 January 2026 13:40 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump has provided an update on peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, saying that “progress” is being made.
“We’re making progress,” the American leader told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.
“I want to save the lives – the Russian and Ukrainian lives. That’s the only reason I’m doing it. This is Biden’s war – it’s not Trump’s war… All I can do is stop it, and I think we are making progress toward stopping it.”
Watch: Kyiv strikes oil rigs in Caspian Sea with dramatic drone footage released
Monday 12 January 2026 13:10 , Maira ButtUkraine has attacked three Russian oil drilling platforms in the Caspian Sea, according to its military.
“Direct hits have been recorded,” it said in a post on Telegram on Sunday, adding: “The extent of the damage is being assessed.”
The infrastructure is said to be owned by Russia’s Lukoil Corporation. Dramatic drone footage shows the overnight attack although Kyiv did not share further details of the operation.
Russia using Africans as 'meat for meat grinder', says Kyiv ambassador
Monday 12 January 2026 12:40 , Maira ButtUkraine’s ambassador to South Africa, Olexander Scherba, has said that Russia is using South Africans as cannon fodder in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
“There might be all kinds of charm offensives on the African continent, but once an African person comes to this war, they just become meat for the meat grinder,” Scherba told The Telegraph.
He added that the move showed that Russia sees the continent through “imperial eyes”.
Thousands of Africans are said to have been lured to the frontline as Moscow seeks to make up for heavy casualties.
In pictures: Dramatic drone footage shows Ukrainian attack on Russian oil infrastructure, says military
Monday 12 January 2026 12:10 , Maira Butt
Russia claims it has captured a settlement in eastern Ukraine
Monday 12 January 2026 11:38 , Daniel KeaneRussia’s defence ministry claims that its forces have captured a village of Novoboykivske in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine.
It comes amid growing attacks on the region, with Ukraine reporting on Sunday that the Russian army dropped glide bombs on the village of Novoukrainka.
The attack injured a civilian, according to Ukrinform.
China hits back at Trump's Greenland remark
Monday 12 January 2026 11:11 , Daniel KeaneChina on Monday urged the United States not to use other countries as an excuse to pursue its own interests, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. needed to own Greenland to prevent Russia or China from occupying it in the future.
"The Arctic concerns the overall interests of the international community," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference. She said China's activities in the Arctic aim to promote peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region.
Mao also called for respecting the rights and freedoms of all nations to conduct lawful activities in the Arctic.
Watch: Trump says US must acquire Greenland before Russia or China do
Monday 12 January 2026 10:40 , Daniel KeaneMerz offers India closer security cooperation with Germany to reduce reliance on Moscow
Monday 12 January 2026 10:05 , Arpan RaiGermany wants to cooperate more closely on security issues with India to reduce the latter's reliance on Russia, chancellor Friedrich Merz said as he met with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi today.
The countries signed a memorandum of understanding to that effect during Merz's first trip to the South Asian nation, in addition to agreements on critical minerals, the health sector and an artificial intelligence innovation centre.
"India and Germany are working together to build secure, trusted and resilient supply chains. The MoUs being signed today on all these issues will give new momentum and strength to our cooperation," said Modi at a joint news conference.
India still works closely with Russia, where much of its military equipment originates, on security policy, and it is one of the largest buyers of Russian gas and oil alongside China.
Germany is working to ensure the Indian government prevents Indian companies from circumventing sanctions on Russia and reduce its energy imports – demands India has so far rejected.
Russia losing more than 1,000 soldiers per day, says Zelensky
Monday 12 January 2026 10:00 , Arpan RaiRussian losses on the battlefield in Ukraine are up to at least 1,000 soldiers a day, president Volodymyr Zelensky says.
“Right now, Russian losses amount to no less than 1,000 killed per day – and this has been the case since December. This is how Russia is essentially paying just to keep the war from ending,” he said in his nightly address.
“This is madness and it can only be stopped by combined forces – the forces of Europe and the United States, the forces of all our partners. Every day of this war is a reminder that the world cannot protect itself from madmen. We must protect it. Russia must be stopped,” he said.
Right now, Russian losses amount to no less than 1,000 killed per day – and this has been the case since December.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 11, 2026
This is how Russia is essentially paying just to keep the war from ending. This is madness and it can only be stopped by combined forces – the forces of Europe and… pic.twitter.com/2SqRf8YiYQ
Is the UK really ready to put boots on the ground in Ukraine? Britain’s dwindling military might in numbers
Monday 12 January 2026 10:00 , Arpan RaiPrime Minister Keir Starmer has signed a historic deal to deploy British troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia.
But his pledge has drawn scepticism amid growing concern about the UK’s military capabilities and dwindling troop numbers during an increasingly precarious global climate.
Reform leader Nigel Farage derided the commitment, saying the UK is in “no position” to put boots on the ground in Ukraine during a press conference on Wednesday. “With what boots? he asked. “What kit? We might be able to go for six to eight weeks but … We’re in no position to do it.”
Is UK ready to put boots on ground in Ukraine? Britain’s military might in numbers
Zelensky says every strike on Russia 'brings end of war closer'
Monday 12 January 2026 09:30 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that his forces were working on new operations targeting Russia, alongside those that are already underway.
“It is still too early to speak publicly about some of the operations – ones that the Russians have already felt. Some of the operations are still underway. I also approved new ones,” he said.
“We are actively defending ourselves, and every Russian loss brings the end of the war closer. Our deep strikes, special measures – all of this, of course, must continue,” the war-time president said.
Russian defence site in Moscow targeted in sabotage operation
Monday 12 January 2026 09:20 , Arpan RaiPro-Ukrainian agents reportedly hit a Russian air defence site in Moscow oblast, a US-based think tank has said.
“The ‘Atesh’ Crimea-based Ukrainian partisan group reported on 11 January (yesterday) that its agents carried out a sabotage operation in Moscow Oblast, burning a radio mast of the Russian 5th Air Defense Division (1st Air and Missile Defence Army, Russian Aerospace Forces [VKS],” the Institute for the Study of War said.
Atesh, meaning "fire" in Crimean Tatar, is a group spying on Russians and Russian military movements in Crimea, and also in other occupied areas.
If confirmed, the attack would be a rare Atesh operation inside Russia. Neither Ukraine nor Russia have issued a comment on Atesh’s activity.
Chechen leader Kadyrov suffers kidney failure, Ukrainian defence sources say
Monday 12 January 2026 09:00 , Arpan RaiChechen leader and close Russian ally Ramzan Kadyrov is undergoing dialysis due to kidney failure, sources in Ukraine’s defence intelligence said, according to local media reports.
Kadyrov’s health has deteriorated, according to local Ukrainian outlets Interfax-Ukraine and Ukrinform.
Kadyrov is a key ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin and seen as one of the most powerful and feared men in Moscow.
He has reportedly been admitted to a private hospital in Chechnya where his family members have gathered, including some who have travelled in from abroad.
Russia attacks energy infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa
Monday 12 January 2026 08:54 , Arpan RaiRussia forces have attacked energy infrastructure in Ukraine's southern Odesa region overnight, causing blackouts, the war-hit nation’s largest private energy firm DTEK said this morning.
“33,500 families in the region are without electricity due to shelling. The damage is significant. It will take time to repair the equipment,” it said on Telegram.
Britain in talks with Nato to counter Russia and China in the Arctic
Monday 12 January 2026 08:30 , Arpan RaiBritain is discussing with Nato allies how it can help beef up security in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia and China, a government minister said.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the talks are "business as usual" rather than a response to recent threats by US president Donald Trump to take over Greenland.
Trump has said that he would like to make a deal to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous region of Nato ally Denmark, to prevent Russia or China from taking it over.
He said on Sunday night that making a deal for Greenland would be "easier" and insisted the US needed to acquire it. "One way or the other, we're going to have Greenland," he told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington.
The UK agrees with Trump that Russia and China are increasingly becoming more competitive in the Arctic Circle, Alexander said.
“Whilst we haven't seen the appalling consequences in that part of the world that we've seen in Ukraine, it is really important that we do everything that we can with all of our Nato allies to ensure that we have an effective deterrent in that part of the globe against (Russian president Vladimir) Putin," Alexander told the BBC.
Defence secretary Healey explains why UK will develop long-range missiles for Ukraine
Monday 12 January 2026 08:00 , Arpan RaiDefence secretary John Healey said the UK was determined to arm Ukrainians with advanced weapons “as they fight back”.
“The attacks overnight on Thursday just go to show how Putin thinks he can act with impunity, targeting civilian areas with advanced weaponry,” Mr Healey said, referring to a Russian strike on Lviv using an Oreshnik hypersonic missile.
“Instead of seriously negotiating a peace, he’s seriously escalating his illegal war,” he added. Mr Healey said that while travelling to Kyiv last week, he was close enough to hear the air raid sirens around Lviv.
“It was a serious moment and a stark reminder of the barrage of drones and missiles hitting Ukrainians in sub-zero conditions,” he said.
Watch: Russia unleashes ‘Oreshnik’ hypersonic missile on freezing civilians
Monday 12 January 2026 07:37 , Arpan RaiUN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Russian Oreshnik strike
Monday 12 January 2026 07:16 , Arpan RaiThe UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting today to discuss Russia’s latest large-scale attack on Ukraine which used an Oreshnik hypersonic missile.
“Following our urgent request in the wake of Russia's recent attacks on Ukraine, which included the use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the UN Security Council will convene an emergency meeting on Monday 12 January, 10pm Kyiv time,” Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.
He said: “The meeting will address Russia’s flagrant breaches of the UN Charter. We urge Security Council members to demonstrate unity of purpose by demanding an end to the aggression, protection of civilians, and unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
Russian overnight attack sparks fire in Kyiv, Ukraine military says
Monday 12 January 2026 07:07 , Arpan RaiRussia has launched an overnight air attack on Kyiv, sparking a fire in one of the city's districts, the Ukrainian military said this morning.
Ukrainian air defence units were trying to repel the attack, Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on his Telegram channel.
Zelensky notes Putin's war has now outlasted Soviet Union's fight against Nazis
Monday 12 January 2026 06:42 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin’s full-scale war against Ukraine has now outlasted the Soviet Union's fight with Nazi Germany in the Second World War, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky said the war in Ukraine entered its 1,418th day on Sunday, surpassing the number of days of fighting between Nazi forces and the Soviet Union. Germany invaded Soviet territory around two years into WW2, in June 1941.
Comparing Russia's tactics in Ukraine to those of the Nazis, Zelensky accused Moscow of replicating 20th-century fascism.
“Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine has been going on for as long as Nazi Germany's war against the Soviet Union," he said.
“Today marks the 1,418th day of Russia's war against Ukraine. They wanted to repeat and did repeat the mockery of people - repeated fascism, repeated almost all the worst things that happened in the 20th century.
"The Kremlin has failed to achieve its military goals in Ukraine despite the years-long campaign, he noted.
“But still, the Russians are trying to capture the same Donbas as almost four years ago," Zelensky said.
Russia losing more than 1,000 soldiers per day, says Zelensky
Monday 12 January 2026 06:29 , Arpan RaiRussian losses on the battlefield in Ukraine are up to at least 1,000 soldiers a day, president Volodymyr Zelensky says.
“Right now, Russian losses amount to no less than 1,000 killed per day – and this has been the case since December. This is how Russia is essentially paying just to keep the war from ending,” he said in his nightly address.
“This is madness and it can only be stopped by combined forces – the forces of Europe and the United States, the forces of all our partners. Every day of this war is a reminder that the world cannot protect itself from madmen. We must protect it. Russia must be stopped,” he said.
Right now, Russian losses amount to no less than 1,000 killed per day – and this has been the case since December.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 11, 2026
This is how Russia is essentially paying just to keep the war from ending. This is madness and it can only be stopped by combined forces – the forces of Europe and… pic.twitter.com/2SqRf8YiYQ
Sweden to invest £1.2bn in air defence systems
Monday 12 January 2026 06:07 , Arpan RaiSweden will spend 15bn Swedish kronor (£1.2bn) on upgrading its air defences, the government said on Sunday.
Sweden has, like most European countries, invested heavily in defence following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, Sweden's vast territory has remained vulnerable to aerial threats.
“The experience from the war in Ukraine clearly shows how crucial a robust and resilient air defence is," defence minister Pal Jonson told reporters at a security conference in northern Sweden.
He said Sweden would buy short-range air defence systems to protect cities, bridges, power plants and other critical infrastructure.
On Sunday, Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson criticised the Trump administration's "threatening rhetoric" against Greenland and Denmark, saying the US should thank Denmark for being a loyal ally.
UK says it will develop new ballistic missile for Ukraine’s defence against Russia
Monday 12 January 2026 05:23 , Arpan RaiThe UK says it will develop new tactical ballistic missiles for Kyiv and put “leading-edge weapons into the hands of Ukrainians” for their fight against Russia.
Code-named “Project Nightfall”, the missiles will help boost Ukrainian firepower and be capable of striking targets deep inside Russia, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement late on Sunday.
The Nightfall missiles will carry a 200kg conventional high-explosive warhead and cost a maximum £800,000 per unit, the MoD announced, adding that it plans to produce 10 systems per month.
Project Nightfall: UK says it will develop new ballistic missile for Ukraine
More than 1,000 Kyiv apartment buildings still without heating on Sunday
Monday 12 January 2026 05:08 , Arpan RaiMore than 1,000 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv were still without heating following a devastating Russian attack earlier this week, local authorities said on Sunday.
Russia has intensified bombardments of Ukraine's energy system since it invaded its neighbour in 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched 1,100 drones, more than 890 guided aerial bombs and over 50 missiles, including ballistic, cruise and medium-range weapons, against Ukraine over the past week.
On Friday, a missile strike on Kyiv left virtually the entire city without power and heating amid a sharp cold snap, and it was not until Sunday that authorities restored water supplies and partially restored electricity and heating.
Chechen leader Kadyrov suffers kidney failure, Ukrainian defence sources say
Monday 12 January 2026 04:45 , Arpan RaiChechen leader and close Russian ally Ramzan Kadyrov is undergoing dialysis due to kidney failure, sources in Ukraine’s defence intelligence said, according to local media reports.
Kadyrov’s health has deteriorated, according to local Ukrainian outlets Interfax-Ukraine and Ukrinform.
Kadyrov is a key ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin and seen as one of the most powerful and feared men in Moscow.
He has reportedly been admitted to a private hospital in Chechnya where his family members have gathered, including some who have travelled in from abroad.
Zelensky says every strike on Russia 'brings end of war closer'
Monday 12 January 2026 04:18 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that his forces were working on new operations targeting Russia, alongside those that are already underway.
“It is still too early to speak publicly about some of the operations – ones that the Russians have already felt. Some of the operations are still underway. I also approved new ones,” he said.
“We are actively defending ourselves, and every Russian loss brings the end of the war closer. Our deep strikes, special measures – all of this, of course, must continue,” the war-time president said.
How ready is the UK to send troops to Ukraine? Join The Independent Debate
Monday 12 January 2026 03:59 , Arpan RaiAs Prime Minister Keir Starmer signs a historic deal to deploy British troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement with Russia, questions are mounting over whether the UK is ready for such a commitment.
Sir Richard Shirreff, former deputy commander of Nato, cautiously welcomed the pledge, but stressed that any UK deployment must “have the right numbers, the means, and there’s got to be proper capabilities.”
He told LBC this week: “There’s not going to be a peace until Russia is forced into it. At least now there is a clear plan from France and the UK to provide a reassurance force or an enforcement force.”
Other experts have also cautioned that a deployment of 10,000 troops could strain the Regular Army, the RAF, and the Royal Navy, and that significantly larger numbers would be needed to have any real impact on the ground.
We want to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below – the most compelling responses will be featured in the coming days.
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Have your say: How ready is the UK to send troops to Ukraine?
Watch: Russia unleashes ‘Oreshnik’ hypersonic missile on freezing civilians
Monday 12 January 2026 03:40 , Arpan RaiBritain to develop new ballistic missile for Ukraine's defence
Monday 12 January 2026 03:24 , Arpan RaiThe UK has announced it will develop new tactical ballistic missiles under Project Nightfall to put “leading edge weaponsinto the hands of Ukrainians”.
The ballistic missiles will boost Ukraine’s firepower to defend itself from Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war machine, the Ministry of Defence said last night.
“Under Project Nightfall, the UK has launched a competition to rapidly develop ground-launched ballistic missiles with a range of more than 500 kilometres and designed to operate in high-threat battlefields with heavy electromagnetic interference,” it said.
The missiles will allow Ukrainian forces to hit key military targets before Russian forces can respond as the Nightfall missiles will be “capable of being launched from a range of vehicles, firing multiple missiles in quick succession and withdrawing within minutes”, the ministry said.
“With a 200kg conventional high explosive warhead, high precision production rate of 10 systems per month and a maximum price of £800,000 per missile, NIGHTFALL is intended to provide Ukraine with a powerful, cost-effective long-range strike option, with minimal foreign export controls,” the MoD said.
Dark, freezing and depressed: More than a million Ukrainians struggling without heat or water
Monday 12 January 2026 03:00 , Dan HaygarthAs Ukraine is gripped by a bitter cold snap, more than one million people have been left without heating and electricity as Russia ramps up attacks on energy infrastructure.
Elderly residents and those with vulnerable family members told The Independent they are cold and unable to cook proper meals as they face temperatures as low as -15C.
Despondent and fearing death, many are struggling through the winter as blackouts plunge Ukraine’s cities into darkness, lit up only by the bright flash of Russian drone and missile attacks.
“It gives you depression,” 33-year-old Dnipro resident Kyril Tulenev says. “You cannot do anything. You cannot check the news. You cannot properly use your things. Sometimes you cannot call anyone because there is no connection.”
Read the full report by Alex Croft:
Russian overnight attack sparks fire in Kyiv, Ukraine military says
Monday 12 January 2026 02:58 , Arpan RaiRussia has launched an overnight air attack on Kyiv, sparking a fire in one of the city's districts, the Ukrainian military said this morning.
Ukrainian air defence units were trying to repel the attack, Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on his Telegram channel.
Britain in talks with Nato to counter Russia and China in the Arctic
Monday 12 January 2026 02:49 , Arpan RaiBritain is discussing with Nato allies how it can help beef up security in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia and China, a government minister said.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the talks are "business as usual" rather than a response to recent threats by US president Donald Trump to take over Greenland.
Trump has said that he would like to make a deal to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous region of Nato ally Denmark, to prevent Russia or China from taking it over.
He said on Sunday night that making a deal for Greenland would be "easier" and insisted the US needed to acquire it. "One way or the other, we're going to have Greenland," he told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington.
The UK agrees with Trump that Russia and China are increasingly becoming more competitive in the Arctic Circle, Alexander said.
“Whilst we haven't seen the appalling consequences in that part of the world that we've seen in Ukraine, it is really important that we do everything that we can with all of our Nato allies to ensure that we have an effective deterrent in that part of the globe against (Russian president Vladimir) Putin," Alexander told the BBC.
Svyrydenko: 'Not one day in past week without attacks on energy facilities'
Monday 12 January 2026 02:15 , Dan HaygarthUkraine's energy ministry said on Sunday that Russian forces had attacked the country's power system again during the night, briefly cutting off electricity to the south-eastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
"Not a single day passed this week without attacks on energy facilities and critical infrastructure. A total of 44 attacks were recorded," Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram.
Svyrydenko said the restoration of heat and electricity supplies was proceeding at a record pace, noting significant improvements in Kyiv would require time but could be reached by Thursday
More than 1,000 Kyiv apartment buildings still without heating on Sunday
Monday 12 January 2026 01:30 , Dan HaygarthMore than 1,000 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv were still without heating following a devastating Russian attack earlier this week, local authorities said on Sunday.
Russia has intensified bombardments of Ukraine's energy system since it invaded its neighbour in 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had launched 1,100 drones, more than 890 guided aerial bombs and over 50 missiles, including ballistic, cruise and medium-range weapons, against Ukraine over the past week.
On Friday, a missile strike on Kyiv left virtually the entire city without power and heating amid a sharp cold snap, and it was not until Sunday that authorities restored water supplies and partially restored electricity and heating.
Comment: Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble
Monday 12 January 2026 00:45 , Tara CobhamShortly before Christmas, the new chief of MI6, Blaise Metreweli, made her first public speech since taking charge. She chose as her subject the multifaceted threat posed by Russia, warning of the growing danger from Vladimir Putin’s regime. “We are operating in a space between peace and war,” she said.
The recently appointed “C” said “the front line is everywhere”, explaining that Putin is provoking a new “age of uncertainty” by busily rewriting the unwritten rules of conflict. “The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in the Russian approach to international engagement,” said Metreweli.
This week has seen the cementing of the axis between the UK, France and Germany with the promise of troops on the ground to monitor peace in Ukraine, a move that is bound to antagonise Putin. Concerns about Russian retaliation are growing still further following the boarding of a tanker in Russia’s “shadow fleet” by US forces off the British coast. The involvement of the Royal Navy will have been noticed and noted in Moscow. The hostility continues to ramp up in intensity.
Chris Blackhurst writes:
Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble
Watch: Trump says the US has to take over Greenland to stop China and Russia invading
Monday 12 January 2026 00:00 , Tara CobhamUK to develop new deep-strike ballistic missile
Sunday 11 January 2026 23:15 , Dan HaygarthThe British government said on Sunday that it will develop a new deep-strike ballistic missile for Ukraine to use.
Under the project, named Nightfall, the British government said it has launched a competition to rapidly develop ground-launched ballistic missiles that could carry a 200 kg (440 lb) warhead over a range of more than 310 miles.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: “The attacks overnight on Thursday just go to show how Putin thinks he can act with impunity, targeting civilian areas with advanced weaponry.
“Instead of seriously negotiating a peace, he’s seriously escalating his illegal war.
“We were close enough to hear the air raid sirens around Lviv on our journey to Kyiv, it was a serious moment and a stark reminder of the barrage of drones and missiles hitting Ukrainians in sub-zero conditions.
“We won’t stand for this, which is why we are determined to put leading edge weapons into the hands of Ukrainians as they fight back.”
UK and Nato allies boosting Arctic defence as Trump ramps up Greenland pressure
Sunday 11 January 2026 22:30 , Tara CobhamThe UK is working with Nato allies to bolster security in the Arctic, a Cabinet minister said following reports British troops could be sent to Greenland.
US President Donald Trump has insisted he wants control over Greenland and has not ruled out the prospect of using military force to seize the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said discussions about securing the High North against Russia and China were part of Nato's "business as usual" rather than a response to the US military threat.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that military chiefs are drawing up plans for a possible Nato mission to Greenland which could involve British soldiers, warships and planes being deployed to the island.
But Ms Alexander told BBC One's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg the report "possibly reads something more into business as usual discussions amongst Nato allies than there actually are".
She said the UK agreed with President Trump that the Arctic Circle "is becoming an increasingly contested part of the world with the ambitions of (Vladimir) Putin and China".
"Whilst we haven't seen the appalling consequences in that part of the world that we've seen in Ukraine, it is really important that we do everything that we can with all of our Nato allies to ensure that we have an effective deterrent in that part of the globe against Putin."
Watch: Zelensky claims Russia lost 35,000 military personnel in December
Sunday 11 January 2026 21:45 , Tara CobhamExplained: What you need to know about Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile
Sunday 11 January 2026 21:00 , Tara CobhamThe Russian military said it had fired its hypersonic Oreshnik missile at a target in Ukraine in response to what it described as an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences, something Kyiv has called a lie.
It is the second time that Russia has used the intermediate-range Oreshnik, a missile which President Vladimir Putin has boasted is impossible to intercept because of its reported velocity of more than 10 times the speed of sound.
The missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads as well as conventional ones, but there was no suggestion that the one used in the overnight attack had been fitted with anything other than a conventional warhead.
Read more here:
What you need to know about Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile
Ukrainian drone strike kills one and wounds three in Russia's Voronezh
Sunday 11 January 2026 20:15 , Tara CobhamA Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said.
A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional governor Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.
Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said.
He added that air defences shot down 17 drones over Voronezh, a city that is home to more than one million people and lies some 155 miles (250km) from the Ukrainian border.
Watch: Russian drone attack on Kyiv kills four and triggers fires
Sunday 11 January 2026 19:30 , Tara CobhamHow ready is the UK to send troops to Ukraine? Join The Independent Debate
Sunday 11 January 2026 18:45 , Tara CobhamAs Prime Minister Keir Starmer signs a historic deal to deploy British troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement with Russia, questions are mounting over whether the UK is ready for such a commitment.
Sir Richard Shirreff, former deputy commander of Nato, cautiously welcomed the pledge, but stressed that any UK deployment must “have the right numbers, the means, and there’s got to be proper capabilities.”
He told LBC this week: “There’s not going to be a peace until Russia is forced into it. At least now there is a clear plan from France and the UK to provide a reassurance force or an enforcement force.”
Other experts have also cautioned that a deployment of 10,000 troops could strain the Regular Army, the RAF, and the Royal Navy, and that significantly larger numbers would be needed to have any real impact on the ground.
We want to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below – the most compelling responses will be featured in the coming days.
Have your say: How ready is the UK to send troops to Ukraine?
Ukraine says it hit 3 drilling platforms operated by Russian oil giant
Sunday 11 January 2026 18:00 , Tara CobhamUkraine's general staff said on Sunday that its forces hit three drilling platforms operated by Russian oil giant Lukoil in the waters of the Caspian Sea.
Ukraine's long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion.
Watch: Zelensky warns Russia is 'betting on winter warfare' as new attack looms
Sunday 11 January 2026 17:15 , Tara CobhamUK commits £200m to prepare British troops for Ukraine deployment
Sunday 11 January 2026 16:30 , Tara CobhamThe UK will spend £200 million preparing British troops for deployment to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, the Defence Secretary has announced.
John Healey was speaking after a one-day visit to Kyiv on Friday, where he discussed plans for the Multinational Force Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The money will pay for upgrades to vehicles and communications systems, counter-drone protection and other equipment to ensure troops are ready to deploy.
Read more here:
UK commits £200m to prepare British troops for Ukraine deployment
Sweden to invest $1.6 billion in air defence systems
Sunday 11 January 2026 15:50 , Tara CobhamSweden will spend 15 billion Swedish crowns ($1.6 billion) on air defence aimed at primarily protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, the government said on Sunday.
Sweden has, like most European countries, invested heavily in defence following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, Sweden's vast territory has remained vulnerable to aerial threats.
"The experience from the war in Ukraine clearly shows how crucial a robust and resilient air defence is," defence minister Pal Jonson told reporters at a security conference in northern Sweden.
He said Sweden would buy short-range air defence systems to protect cities, bridges, power plants and other critical infrastructure.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson criticised the US administration's "threatening rhetoric" against Greenland and Denmark, saying the US should thank Denmark for being a loyal ally.
Watch: UK defence secretary admonishes Putin for 'brutal' drone attacks on Ukraine
Sunday 11 January 2026 15:02 , Tara CobhamDark, freezing and depressed: More than a million Ukrainians struggling without heat or water after Russian attacks
Sunday 11 January 2026 14:30 , Tara CobhamAs Ukraine is gripped by a bitter cold snap, more than one million people have been left without heating and electricity as Russia ramps up attacks on energy infrastructure.
Elderly residents and those with vulnerable family members told The Independent they are cold and unable to cook proper meals as they face temperatures as low as -15C.
Despondent and fearing death, many are struggling through the winter as blackouts plunge Ukraine’s cities into darkness, lit up only by the bright flash of Russian drone and missile attacks.
Alex Croft reports:
Dark, cold, depressed: The Ukrainians without heat or water after Russian attacks
Russia attacked Ukraine's energy grid every day this week, ministry says
Sunday 11 January 2026 14:00 , Tara CobhamUkraine's energy ministry said Russian forces had attacked the country's power system again during the night, briefly cutting off electricity to the south-eastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
"Not a single day passed this week without attacks on energy facilities and critical infrastructure. A total of 44 attacks were recorded," Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram.
Svyrydenko said the restoration of heat and electricity supplies was proceeding at a record pace, noting significant improvements in Kyiv would require time but could be reached by Thursday.
War's fourth winter could be coldest and darkest yet
Sunday 11 January 2026 13:30 , Tara CobhamThe war's fourth winter could be the coldest and darkest yet, with the accumulated damage to Ukraine’s energy grid bringing utilities to the brink and temperatures, already below-12C, set to plunge to -20C later this week.
"Restoration work is ongoing. However, the energy supply situation in the capital remains very difficult," Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said on Telegram.
"According to forecasts, the severe frosts are not expected to subside in the coming days. Therefore, the difficult situation in the capital will continue," he added.
Zelensky accuses Russia of 'cynical terror specifically against civilians' amid freezing weather
Sunday 11 January 2026 13:00 , Tara CobhamPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of deliberately waiting for freezing weather to make things worse for the Ukrainian people.
He described Russia launching more than 2,000 drones, bombs and missiles against Ukraine over the past week as “a cynical Russian terror specifically against civilians”.
Moscow made no immediate response.
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