Russian drones and missile strikes hit Kharkiv on Monday, knocking out power to 80% of Ukraine’s second-largest city and the surrounding region and injuring two people, local officials said.Mayor Ihor Terekhov said an “energy site” had been targeted in the city as night-time temperatures dipped to -14C. The capital, Kyiv, has been hit by three massive air attacks since the New Year, knocking out power and heating to hundreds of buildings. The war correspondent and executive director of war crimes unit the Reckoning Project, Janine di Giovanni, has suggested Russian president Vladimir Putin is intentionally “weaponising the savage eastern European winter”.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has warned Ukraine is facing its “harshest winter” for over a decade. He urged lawmakers in the European parliament on Monday to show flexibility on the use of EU funds and welcomed the French move to seize a suspected shadow fleet tanker in a hit to Russia’s model of funding its war. Rutte also highlighted Nato’s continued support of Ukraine with costly US military equipment – and noted Ukraine’s desire to join Nato, but pointed out some member states remained opposed, so “politically, it’s practically not on the cards” for now.
Rutte said the aim of the ongoing US-led peace talks should be a peace deal or a long-term ceasefire “as soon as possible”, saying that Ukraine’s security “I think we all know … is also our security”. Discussing Zelenskyy’s recent comments that the US security guarantees are “close to being agreed upon”, he acknowledged the major and “very sensitive” issue of territory with Russia, saying only Ukraine could decide what, if any, compromise they accepted. But according to Tuesday reporting from the Financial Times citing eight people familiar with the talks, the Trump administration has signalled to Ukraine that guarantees depend on Kyiv agreeing to a deal likely requiring it to cede the Donbas region – and indicated it could offer more weapons to strengthen Ukraine’s peacetime army if Kyiv agreed to withdraw forces from the parts of the eastern region it controls. Reuters could not immediately verify the report and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Another Russian drone and missile attack has damaged parts of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine’s culture ministry said on Monday. The attack on Ukraine’s most famous religious landmark – a Unesco world heritage site – took place overnight to Saturday, the ministry said, leaving “damage to doors and window frames”. Agence France-Presse was not able to immediately verify the extent of the damage. Orthodox Christians consider the complex Ukraine’s spiritual centre. Founded in the 11th century, it is home to more than 100 buildings as well as a subterranean labyrinth of caves where monks stay and worship.
Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, claimed on Tuesday that Russian forces have captured 17 settlements and took control of more than 500sqkm of territory in Ukraine so far in January. Reuters was unable to immediately verify battlefield accounts from either side. Gerasimov has visited troops fighting in eastern Ukraine, Russia’s defence ministry said on Telegram on Tuesday.
Kim Jong-un has viewed sculptures for a memorial of soldiers who died in Ukraine. The North Korean leader visited the Mansudae art studio on Sunday to guide the creation of the sculptures, state media KCNA said on Monday. He said they would “convey forever the legendary feats ... of admirable sons of the DPRK Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”. Under a 2024 mutual defence pact with Russia, North Korea sent about 14,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, where more than 6,000 of them were killed, according to South Korean, Ukrainian and western sources. Kim has repeatedly lauded the troops’ “heroism” in fighting abroad and honoured them.
Bangladeshi workers were lured to Russia by the false promise of civilian jobs and thrust onto the battlefield in the Ukraine war, an Associated Press investigation has found, with duties including advancing ahead of Russian forces, transporting supplies, evacuating wounded soldiers and recovering the dead. The Russian Defense Ministry and the Bangladeshi government did not respond to questions from AP. A Monday Guardian exclusive revealed similar ways men in Africa have been tricked into fighting for Russia.
