In a midnight assault by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, at least ten people have perished, including a young mother and her infant.
In the first attack against the city in nearly two months, air raid sirens went off last night throughout Kyiv.
According to Kyiv’s administration, the air force of Ukraine intercepted 11 cruise missiles, as well as two unmanned aerial vehicles.
Power lines and a road in one neighborhood were destroyed by missile and drone fragments.
In Dnipro, a young woman and her three-year-old child were killed in a separate overnight attack, according to the city’s mayor Borys Filatov.
Two cruise missiles also hit an apartment building and storage facilities in Uman, around 215 kilometres south of Kyiv.
Three people were killed and five people were wounded, authorities say.
‘My daughter’s classmate lived on the ninth floor of the destroyed apartment block. I don’t know. Praise God they’re alive,’ said Olha, a resident of the apartment block.
Russia targeted a residential building in Uman, in the Cherkasy region of Ukraine (Picture Reuters)At least three people died in the missile strike, with the death toll expected to rise (Picture: Reuters)Rescuers work at the scene to try find survivors of the deadly attack (Picture: Reuters)Much of the country was targeted in overnight attacks by Russia (Picture: Reuters)
Footage from the overnight attack shows smoke pouring from residential buildings that caught fire.
Multiple casualties were reported across Uman following the onslaufht, including a 70-year-old woman who is being treated.
Ukrainian sources suggested some of the attacks involved conventional missiles launched by Russia’s Tu-95 strategic nuclear aircraft from the Caspian Sea region.
Russia immediately claimed that the hits on residential buildings were from ‘cack-handed’ Ukrainian air defences.
A rescuer works at the site of a heavily damaged residential building in Uman (Picture: Reuters)
Kremenchuk and Poltava in central Ukraine were also hit, and Mykolaiv in the south.
The attacks come as Ukrainian forces are expected to soon launch an offensive with new military equipment, including tanks, from its Western allies after Russian forces made little headway in a winter offensive.
Chinese President Xi Jinping this week told Ukrainian President Zelensky that China will send a special representative to Ukraine.
China has tried to appear neutral in the war but refused to criticize Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Xi talked Wednesday with Volodymyr Zelenskyy by phone, state media reported, in a long-awaited move after Beijing said it wanted to act as peace mediator in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
‘I had a long and meaningful phone call with President Xi Jinping,’ Zelensky tweeted following the chat.
‘I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations.’
As part of a persistent onslaught that occurred as Ukraine was preparing its soldiers for an anticipated spring counteroffensive, a Russian missile struck a museum building in a Ukrainian city on Tuesday, killing one of its employees and injuring 10 others.
According to Ukrainian officials, the local history museum in Kupiansk, which is in the Kharkiv region, was struck by S-300 air defense missiles fired by the Russian military during the raid.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, shared a video from the scene showing the demolished structure and emergency personnel assessing the damage.
“The terrorist country is doing everything to destroy us completely,” Zelenskyy said. “Our history, our culture, our people. Killing Ukrainians with absolutely barbaric methods.”
Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said that three people were hospitalized, seven received minor injuries and two others were still believed to be under the debris. Emergency responders were working to recover them.
Kupiansk was captured by Russian forces in the earlier stages of the Russian invasion and was reclaimed by Ukrainian forces in a surprise counteroffensive in September that saw the Russians driven out of broad swaths of the Kharkiv region.
A woman also died in Russian shelling of the town of Dvorichna, near Kupiansk, and two civilians were killed in the eastern Donetsk region, according to the Ukrainian presidential office.
The Ukrainian military is now preparing for a new massive counteroffensive, relying on the latest supplies of Western battle tanks and other weapons and fresh troops that were trained in the West.
Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine released Monday, described the planned counteroffensive as a “landmark battle in Ukraine’s modern history” that will see the country “reclaim significant areas.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned a disturbing video that appears to show a Russian soldier beheading a Ukrainian hostage.
In the film, a man wearing the yellow wristband normally worn by Ukrainian military appears to be wearing green fatigues.
Before another man appears to wield a knife to cut off his head, he can be heard screaming.
The footage, which appears to have been recorded by one of the presumed Russian soldiers, cannot be independently verified by Sky News as legitimate.
“There is something that no one in the world can ignore: how easily these beasts kill,” the Ukrainian president said, his face sombre.
“There will be legal responsibility for everything. The defeat of terror is necessary,” he added in a video message.
The Kremlin described the video as “awful” but said its authenticity needed to be checked.
Moscow has denied in the past that its troops carry out atrocities during the conflict.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmitro Kuleba said on Twitter: “A horrific video of Russian troops decapitating a Ukrainian prisoner of war is circulating online.
“It’s absurd that Russia,which is worse than ISIS, is presiding over the UNSC,” he said, referring to the UN Security Council, where Russia took up the rotating presidency this month.
He added: “Russian terrorists must be kicked out of Ukraine and the UN and be held accountable for their crimes.”
Ukraine’s foreign ministry called on the International Criminal Court to “immediately investigate yet another atrocity of the Russian military”.
The UN says it is “appalled” by the footage.
“Regrettably this is not an isolated incident,” the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said in a statement.
It said it recently found “a number of serious violations of international humanitarian law”, including against prisoners of war.
“These latest violations must also be properly investigated and the perpetrators must be held accountable,” it said.
Ukraine’s ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said today that he will call on the UN Human Rights Committee to investigate the video apparently showing the Ukrainian prisoner of war’s execution.
As the battle approaches what has been called a “now-or-never” moment, the Ukrainian military is expected to launch a wave of drones with a shark design.
The high-end unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are paid for by a philanthropic project that uses donations from sales at a nation-wide network of gas stations.
These will give the military of Kiev greater surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, supplying information for weapons such as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. A counteroffensive is anticipated for this spring (HIMAR).
The eastern city of Bakhmut has become the focal point of a conflict where Ukraine’s military has been utilising Western lethal aid and improvised drone systems to exact heavy losses on Russian forces ahead of the expected push-back.
The sharks have been rapidly designed and put into production by a Ukrainian aerospace company during the full-scale invasion.
A total of 25 intelligence complexes consisting of 75 ‘birds’ overall are due to be deployed on the frontline through the initiative run by Come Back Alive, a charitable foundation which supports the armed forces.
Two UAVs are already on the battlefield, with the supporting complex including associated equipment such as command and control systems, ground vehicles and launch ramps.
The UAVs have a striking shark design and a camera able to track moving targets (Picture: Come Back Alive/@BackAndAlive)
The ongoing collaborative effort has so far raised 287 million hryvnias (£7.2 million) towards a target of 325 million, with the newly deployed kit being the first results of the amount raised to date.
Mykola Bielieskov, senior analyst at the foundation, told Metro.co.uk: ‘The shark intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance UAVs have critical importance because they will provide data for the most formidable rocket systems like HIMARS and M270 MLRS at a range of 75-plus kilometres.
‘As HIMARS and MLRS can target the enemy at a range of 85 kilometers we need to have the comparable intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance equipment. The UAVs are also being provided in preparation for a possible upcoming counter-offensive.
‘Private enterprise and charity are combining behind this window of opportunity so that our artillery systems can be utilised to the fullest possible extent. This project and others run by the Come Back Alive foundation are examples of how civil society is mobilising behind the military and as you can see, the work is bearing fruit.
‘All Ukrainians pay taxes which go to the Ministry of Defence’s budget but all Ukrainians realise that it is not enough. They are also ready to spend money to purchase fuel and to buy these incredible UAVs.’
The first of the new UAVs have been deployed with the aim of eventually providing 75 drones (Picture: Come Back Alive/@BackAndAlive)
The funding was raised through a partnership with the Ukrainian OKKO fuel station network whereby a hryvnia from every litre of premium Pulls petrol and diesel sold goes to the shark project.
Ukrainian firm Ukrspecsytems has entered the drones into production during the full-scale invasion, equipping the systems with encrypted communications, a 30x optical zoom camera and 150mph top speed.
The Kyiv-headquartered foundation has already provided large consignments of high-tech equipment, together with training, to troops.
Donations have included a strike drone complex, armoured vehicles, pick-up trucks and thousands of pieces of thermal imaging kit.
‘The birds were designed and produced in the space of a year, during the war, from the drawing board, to prototypes, to testing and now to the battlefield,’ Mr Bielieskov said.
The drones have been made from a blueprint drawn up by a Ukrainian company during the full-scale invasion (Picture: Come Back Alive/@BackAndAlive)
‘The private enterprise drew on their previous accumulated expertise, knowledge and experience going back to 2014 when Russia began its war on Ukraine to produce the UAVs, which are incredible not only in terms of range but with their high quality cameras and ability to operate day and night and track moving targets.
‘They are state of the art in terms of what Ukrainian private enterprise can produce for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and tactical range. The project was made possible because our charity is constantly finding the best ways to raise money and use it to the greatest effect.
‘We are now entering a period of “now or never” with this upcoming half a year going to be the most critical time yet to double down.
‘There’s a window of opportunity to provide assistance to the military as Ukraine prepares for a possible counter-offensive before Russia enters another round of mobilisation. It’s not the end of the confrontation but we now have an opportunity to do things right and begin the end game of what started on February 24, 2022.’
The supplied kit includes intelligence complexes with take-off ramps and guidance systems (Picture: Come Back Alive/@BackAndAlive)
Phillips O’Brien, professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews, described the foundation’s work as a matter of life and death.
Professor O’Brien said: ‘As Ukraine is gearing up for a counter-offensive, it needs to arm its soldiers with both the new heavy equipment being supplied by its friends, but also a large number of smaller systems, from UAVs to SUVs to body armour. Come Back Alive is an organization that has strong support across Ukraine to get such systems in the hands of their soldiers as they prepare for this vital action.
‘In the case of some Ukrainian soldiers, the support of Come Back Alive will make the difference between life and death.’
The sharks are part of what the Come Back Alive foundation anticipates could be a critical phase in the war (Picture: Come Back Alive/@BackAndAlive)
Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited troops near the frontline in the eastern Donetsk region today, presenting medals to ‘heroes’ who he said had protected ‘the sovereignty of our country’.
The Ukrainian president’s visit came as Chinese leader Xi Jinping landed back in Beijing after meeting Vladimir Putin in Moscow, a meeting said by Western analysts to mark an aligning of their interests against the US.
On the battlefield, there were signs of Ukrainian forces shoring up their ground in Donetsk, with fighting near embattled Bakhmut reported by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The update on Twitter stated: ‘Over recent days Ukrainian forces initiated a local counterattack to the west of the Donetsk Oblast town Bakhmut, which is likely to relieve pressure on the threatened H-32 supply route.
‘Fighting continues around the town centre and the Ukrainian defence remains at risk from envelopment from the north and south.
‘However, there is a realistic opportunity that the Russian assault on the town is losing the limited momentum it had obtained, partially because some Russian MoD units have been reallocated to other sectors.’
General Sergei Surovikin stated on television that it is no longer possible to supply Kherson and other parts of the Dnipro River’s west bank.
He said: “We will save the lives of our soldiers and fighting capacity of our units.
“Keeping them on the right (western) bank is futile.
“Some of them can be used on other fronts.”
Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu responded by saying: “I agree with your conclusions and proposals.
“Proceed with the withdrawal of troops and take all measures to transfer forces across the river.”
The announcement marks one of Russia’s most significant retreats – Kherson city was seized by Russia early in the war and is the only regional capital the country has taken during the conflict, which is almost nine months old.
Mikhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said: “Ukraine does not pay attention to Russian statements – words and actions differ.”
Kherson region was annexed in September, along with three other parts of Ukraine – Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.
After thousands of people spent Monday night in bomb shelters while explosions erupted, the President of Ukrainedeclared that air defence was the “number one priority.”
After another devastating day of rocket attacks on Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy remained belligerent and pledged to make the battlefield “more painful” for Russian troops.
The Ukrainian president said air defence was the “number one priority” after thousands of people spent Monday in bomb shelters as explosions erupted in cities across the country.
At least 14 people were killed and 97 injured in attacks on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr, and elsewhere.
Vladimir Putin said the strikes were in retaliation for its “terrorist action” against Russian territory – the attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge in Crimea – but Ukraine has rejected this claim of “provocation”.
“We will do everything to strengthen our armed forces,” President Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. “We will make the battlefield more painful for the enemy.”
“Now the occupiers are not capable of opposing us on the battlefield already, that is why they resort to this terror,” he said on Telegram.
Meanwhile, in his nightly address, which he delivered from the streets of Kyiv, Mr Zelenskyy said Ukraine “cannot be intimidated” following the strikes.
He continued: “Only united even more. Ukraine cannot be stopped. Only convinced even more that terrorists must be neutralized.
“The Russian army specifically struck these blows precisely during the morning rush hour. This is a typical terrorist tactic. They wanted to instill more fear and affect more people. They did. The whole world took notice.
In a call with the Ukrainian leader, Joe Biden reiterated that the US will provide advanced air defence systems.
It comes after the Pentagon said on 27 September that it would start delivering the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) over the next two months or so.
Former Ukrainian prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, told Sky News that “critical infrastructure” were among Russia’s key targets in Monday’s strikes and that Ukraine is expecting some blackouts as a result, putting hospitals in “jeopardy”.
President Putin has said the strikes were retaliation for the attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge, which links occupied Crimea to Russia.
The Russian leader has blamed the damage on Ukrainian special forces, but Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the blast.
Whoever was responsible, the attack is set to further squeeze Russian logistics and supply lines amid speculation that Kremlin forces will soon be down to their last supplies of fuel and unable to transport their troops.
The strike on the bridge came after months of Ukrainian forces using HIMARS rocket attacks to degrade Russian logistics, hitting ammunition stores and transport networks.
Sir Jeremy Fleming, the head of GCHQ, is set to deliver a speech saying that Russia is running out of weapons for its war against Ukraine and the costs to the Kremlin are “staggering” in terms of soldiers and equipment lost.
He will say that Ukrainian armed forces are “turning the tide” on the physical battlefield as well as in cyberspace.
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is currently travelling to Kyiv after discussions with Russian authorities on establishing a protection zone around the Ukrainian nuclear power plant that is currently under Russian occupation.
In a statement on Twitter, Mr Grossi said he had agreed with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he would come back to Kyiv and work around the nuclear power plant continued.
Earlier today, a Russian-installed official said the safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plantwas not possible until the frontline was at least 100 km (62 miles) away.
“As of today, I think that it is extremely unsafe,” Yevgeny Balitsky told state television.
He also warned that it would not be possible to quickly relaunch the plant, amid fears shelling could further compromise its safety.
“It’s not a toy, you can’t just turn it on and off like a switch. There are runaway processes, there’s cooling, and so forth,” Mr Balitsky added.
The IAEA has been pushing for a demilitarised security zone around the plant, Europe’s Largest, which remains close to the frontline between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of shelling the plant and the facilities around it, risking a nuclear accident.
As agreed with 🇺🇦 President @ZelenskyyUa, after my meetings in St Petersburg I am coming back to Kyiv. The work on the establishment of a nuclear safety & security protection zone around #Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant continues. pic.twitter.com/JKuAtN8O7E
A deliberate attack on NATO energy supplies will be met with a “united and determined response”, the alliance’s chief has vowed.
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg pledged to boost protection of critical infrastructure in response to the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
The EU believes three leaks in the pipelines last month were the work of sabotage and suspicion has fallen on Russia, but it is not known for sure who was responsible.
Mr Stoltenberg said NATO has doubled its presence in the Baltic and the North Sea to more than 30 ships supported by aircraft and undersea activities.
In a speech on Tuesday, he also said the alliance is monitoring Russia’s nuclear forces closely as the country was “losing on the battlefield” in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Moscow has issued a fresh warning to the West over its involvement in the Ukraine war.
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia will take adequate countermeasures in response to the West’s “growing involvement”.
In the comments reported by the state-owned RIA news agency, he said: “We warn and hope that they realise the danger of uncontrolled escalation in Washington and other Western capitals.”
Russian bombs have rained down on Ukraine, killing at least 14 people on Monday.
Vladimir Putin said the strikes were in retaliation for its “terrorist action” against Russian territory – the attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge in occupied Crimea – but Ukraine has rejected this claim of “provocation”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to make the battlefield “more painful” for Russian troops in response to the rocket attacks and said air defence was the “number one priority”.
Despite remarkable Ukrainian battlefield successes – both early on in the war with the defence of Kyiv and more recently with counterattacks in Kharkiv and Kherson regions – the war could continue for decades to come, one expert said.
Sky News security and defence analyst Professor Michael Clarke said the war is likely to be a “generational struggle” and could be a “forever conflict” until “something changes in European security or Russia”.
Mr Clarke said the current crisis in Ukraine was the “second war” and the first war was witnessed in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea.
He added: “My feeling is next year there will be a ceasefire in which the Ukrainians will be better placed and that ceasefire will be unstable and it will break down and there will be a third war and then a ceasefire and a fourth war.
“We’re dealing here with an existential struggle because the Russian establishment thinks that Ukraine has no right to exist and they won’t change their mind in the short-term.
“This is likely to be a generational struggle. Let’s say it’s going to last 30,40 or 50 years.”
Ghana and Ukraine have signed two memoranda of understanding (MoU) to deepen cooperation in trade and the training of diplomatic staff.
Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, signed for Ghana, while Mr Dmytro Kuleba, the visiting Ukrainian Foreign Minister, signed for his country.
Mr Kuleba is in Ghana to deliver a special message from the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Accompanying him is a business delegation, who would hold meetings with their Ghanaian counterparts and key government institutions, including the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.
Prior to signing the MoU, the two ministers held discussions on issues of common interest, aimed at strengthening the bilateral relations between Ghana and Ukraine, and the need for deepening of economic ties in the areas of trade, security and education.
The discussions also focused on Ghana’s active participation in deliberations on peace and security at the ECOWAS and the African Union, including efforts to resolve regional conflicts on the continent.
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey noted that the bilateral relations between the two nations dated back to August 1992, which had been strong on the political front and emphasised the need to strengthen trade and economic ties.
She recalled the visit to Ghana 4th April 2018 by the first ever Ukrainian Trade Mission, led by Mrs Nataliia Mykolska, a former Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Trade, which aimed at enhancing trade and economic relations.
She reiterated the need for a stronger collaboration in oil and gas, petrochemicals, and security.
Madam Botchwey underscored the role of state institutions in Ghana like Investment Promotion Centre, the Free Zones Authority, the Export Promotion Authority, and the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in promoting trade and investment.
She expressed the readiness of those institutions to collaborate with their Ukrainian counterparts to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) through the conducive business environment in Ghana.
She called for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, which was impacting negatively on the economies of many countries across the globe, including Ghana.
Mr Kuleba, on his part, commended Ghana for supporting the Ukrainian people during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the two countries were completely aligned on all major issues of international importance.
He said the statement: “Every bullet and every bomb fired at Ukraine is felt in Africa,” made by President Akufo-Addo at the UN General Assembly, was the clearest and the most eloquent statement, which reflected the global repercussions of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“We have to stop this war, we will by winning it, because we defend the right cause, the principle of sovereignty, the principle of territorial integrity of the nation”.
Mr Kuleba said Ukraine would soon be opening a full diplomatic mission in Accra.
Earlier we reported that 10 foreign prisoners who were caught in Ukraine, were released following mediation by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to the Saudi foreign ministry.
Prime Minister Liz Truss revealed that five Britonsare among those released.
Ms Truss tweeted: “Hugely welcome news that five British nationals held by Russian-backed proxies in eastern Ukraine are being safely returned, ending months of uncertainty and suffering for them and their families”.
She thanked Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Saudi Arabia for their efforts to secure their release.
The outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Wednesday, marking six months since Russia begun its full-scale invasion of the country which also falls on Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Announcing the visit on Twitter, 10 Downing Street shared an image of Johnson speaking to Zelensky outside the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv and added Johnson’s message was: “Ukraine can and will win this war.”
Johnson has been one of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine as it tries to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked assault and the trip on Wednesday was his third visit to the Ukrainian capital since the war started in late February.
He became one of the first foreign leaders to make the precarious trip to the Ukrainian capital in late April, then returned on another surprise visit in June.
Johnson has forged a close relationship with Zelensky, who said he was sad to see the British PM leave office when the ruling Conservative Party forced him to resign in July.
On Wednesday, Zelensky presented Johnson with a parting gift, awarding him the Order of Freedom for “the work that Boris has been doing for our country and all of Europe.”
The UK has poured more than £2.3 billion ($2.71 billion) into military and financial aid to Ukraine since the invasion began, according to a statement from Downing Street.
On Wednesday, the UK government announced it will provide Ukraine with mine-hunting vehicles, drones and loitering munitions worth £54 million ($63.5 million).
The 2021-22 Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) season was due to resume for the second half of the campaign on February 25, but games were suspended after Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine the day before.
Due to the ongoing conflict, the season was officially ended in late April with no teams having played more than 18 matches.
It was then announced in July that the UPL would start again on August 23, coinciding with Ukraine’s National Flag Day and on the eve of the country’s Independence Day.
Shakhtar, who were top of the table when last season was suspended, began the new term against promoted Metalist 1925 in an empty Olympic Stadium in Kyiv.
Neither side had played a competitive game for nine months, with Shakhtar’s previous top-flight game being a 2-1 win at Oleksandria on December 11, 2021 just before the winter break.
Matches in the new UPL season will only be played at stadiums with air raid shelters and every game will take place behind closed doors.
Air-raid sirens remain common in the country but no such alarms were heard during Tuesday’s game.
Prior to kick-off, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the players via video link, and the national anthem was played live in the stadium.
Mykhailo Mudryk went closest to scoring in the stalemate, with the Shakhtar talent hitting the crossbar in an otherwise uneventful contest.
Shakhtar will now turn their attention to Thursday’s Champions League draw, which they will enter by virtue of being top when the 2021-22 season was stopped.
They will play their Champions League games in Warsaw this season.
