Ukraine-Russia war – live: Water, electricity supply partly restored in Kyiv after Russian airstrikes

The mayor of Kyiv announced today that the city’s metro system is operational once again and residents have regained access to water after the latest round of Russian air strikes on critical infrastructure across the country.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said while heat has been restored to half the city and electricity has been restored to two-thirds, emergency outages are still being implemented due to the significant deficit of electricity.

Three people were killed in Russia’s attacks in which over 70 missiles were launched targeting key energy infrastructure in Ukraine.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address that Vladimir Putin had the means to order several similar waves of attacks to drain the country’s energy system.

But he added: “Whatever the rocket worshipers from Moscow are counting on, it still won’t change the balance of power in this war.”

Many people headed for shelters during the morning rush hour to take cover from the latest big attack on vital infrastructure since October, which a Kyiv official described as one of the largest missile barrages since Russia invaded in February.

Key Points

• Russia has stocks to strike big again – Zelensky

• Key infrastructure hit across Ukraine in Russian missile attacks

• Kharkiv without power, heating and water after Russian shelling

• Putin ramps up nuclear threat

• EU approves new sanctions against Russia over Ukraine war

Water supply back in Kyiv after Russian strikes

07:00 , Vishwam Sankaran

Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko has said the Ukrainian capital city’s water supply is back a day after targeted attacks on the country’s critical water and energy infrastructure by Russian air strikes.

Russia fired over 70 missiles yesterday in one of its biggest attacks since it invaded Ukraine in February.

While Ukraine reportedly intercepted 60 of the 76 missiles, the attack left at least three dead and several injured.

The capital city’s mayor said today that heating has been restored to half the city, adding that electricity is returned to two-thirds.

Editorial: Next year could be the turning point in the Ukraine conflict

06:34 , Vishwam Sankaran

The West is right to give Zelensky a blank cheque to defend his land, because the cost of a new Russian domination of Eastern Europe would inevitably be far greater.

Russia’s targeted, strategic missile attacks are aimed at taking out power stations.

If Russia cannot win the war by defeating Ukraine’s military, it will instead try by crushing Ukraine’s civilian population.

But in 2023 events could swing Ukraine’s way as there are rumours about President Putin’s health, and as Russians realise their country’s “special military operation” hasn’t gone well.

Read the full piece here:

Editorial: Next year could be the turning point in the Ukraine conflict

ICYMI: Waves of missile attacks in Ukraine leave thousands without power

06:25 , Vishwam Sankaran

A series of over 70 Russian missiles attacking critical infrastructure in at least four Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, triggered blackouts across the country.

While 60 of the 76 missiles were reportedly intercepted, the attacks left at least three people dead and several injured.

Russia hit energy facilities in several Ukrainian oblasts, leaving several cities without power.

Strikes targeting such critical energy infrastructure have been part of Russia’s strategy since mid-October in an attempt to freeze Ukrainians.

You can read more about the missile attacks here:

Thousands left without water, power as huge Russian missile barrage strikes Ukraine

'Putin's war has been a failure for Russia', CIA director says

05:27 , Vishwam Sankaran

CIA director Bill Burns told PBS NewsHour that Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has been a failure for the invading country, whose military, he said, “has performed poorly and suffered huge losses”.

“The Russian economy has suffered long-term damage. Most of the progress that the Russian middle class has made over the last 30 years is being destroyed,” he said yesterday.

“The Russian population seems increasingly uneasy about the costs of war as well,” the CIA director added.

ICYMI: UK clowns are travelling to refugee centres in Europe to perform for Ukrainian children

05:10 , Vishwam Sankaran

Clowns Without Borders UK has sent about 20 clowns to refugee centers in Europe to provide “emotional first aid” to Ukrainian children.

The children’s charity has sent 19 clowns to European countries, including Poland and Romania to try and ease the mental health strain of the children displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The clowns were reportedly deployed as part of Project Laughter – a mission that has supported 1,850 Ukrainian refugee children since September.

“The point is that you get to say to a little child, through play, I see you, and I care about what’s happening to you,” Samantha Holdsworth, chief of Clowns Without Borders UK, told PA.

Canada to provide $500m loan to Ukraine

04:57 , Vishwam Sankaran

Canada’s Department of Finance said in a statement yesterday that it is transferring $500m through the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

It said the loan follows the sale of bonds costing $100 or more to Canadians, investors, governments, and institutions.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau discussed further financial and security assistance for Ukraine with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday.

“We continue to stand with you...with each day and every conversation, our partnership grows stronger,” Mr Trudeau told the Ukrainian president.

ICYMI: FIFA rejects Ukraine's request to offer 'message of peace' at World Cup final

04:37 , Vishwam Sankaran

FIFA has rejected Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to deliver a “message of peace” ahead of the World Cup final game in Qatar, CNN reported yesterday, citing an unnamed source.

The Ukrainian president reportedly wanted to deliver the message via video in the stadium in Qatar.

“We thought FIFA wanted to use its platform for the greater good,” the source said, adding they were surprised by the negative response.

‘Russians have robbed nearly 40 museums in Ukraine’, defense ministry claims

04:16 , Vishwam Sankaran

Ukraine’s defense ministry has said Russian troops have robbed about 40 museums in Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

Recently it robbed Kherson Regional Local Lore Museum which had nearly 180,000 exhibits, the ministry said.

In November, the Ukrainian military’s National Resistance Centre reported that Russian forces stole around 15,000 exhibits from Kherson and surrounding areas.

'US pledges to provide assistance to energy sector,' Ukraine says

03:58 , Vishwam Sankaran

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak said the US would provide assistance to Ukraine’s energy sector which has been the target of massive coordinated attacks by Russian troops.

Mr Yermark said the US would assist Ukraine to boost its energy sector after meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Jeffrey Payette and Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink yesterday.

Russia fired over 70 missiles at Ukraine yesterday, in one of the biggest attacks since the start of the war, killing at least three civilians.

The missile strikes hit several energy infrastructure sites and caused emergency blackouts across Ukraine.

“No matter what the missile worshipers from Moscow are hoping for, it still won’t change the balance of power in this war,” Mr Zelensky said following the attacks.

Russia 'not serious about real negotiation', CIA director says

03:35 , Vishwam Sankaran

CIA director Bill Burns told PBS NewsHour in an interview that the Russians do not seem serious “at this point about a real negotiation”.

“Most conflicts end in negotiations, but that requires a seriousness on the part of the Russians in this instance that I don’t think we see,” Mr Burns said.

He added that there is an “unease” observed in Russia about the war, and an “accumulation of damage to the Russian economy and to Russians’ future”, which he believed could “take a toll” on the country over time.

US reacts to Indian PM's call with Putin on Ukraine war

03:17 , Vishwam Sankaran

The US welcomed Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s call for a diplomatic resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“We would take PM Modi at his words and welcome those comments when they took place. Other countries will make their own decision on engagement with Russia. We continue to coordinate with allies to mitigate impacts of war,” State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said.

“Any country that’s interested in engaging in peace and interested in ending this war must do so in close partnership with Ukrainian partners,” Mr Patel added.

Russia threatens ‘consequences’ if Ukraine receives US Patriot missile system

03:00 , Liam James

Russia has warned of “consequences” if the US decides to deliver a sophisticated air defence system to Ukraine, a threat that has been rejected by Washington as “ironic” (Stuti Mishra writes).

The statement came from Russia’s foreign ministry on Thursday amid speculation that the US could provide its Patriot missiles to Ukraine as the invasion of the country by Russia enters its 10th month.

The statement warned that the systems and any crews that accompany them would be a “legitimate target” for the Russian military.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the US had “effectively become a party” to the war by providing Ukraine with weapons and training its troops.

She added that if reports about US intentions to provide Kyiv with a Patriot surface-to-air missile system proves true, it would become “another provocative move by the US” and broaden its involvement in the hostilities, “entailing possible consequences”.

Russia warns US patriot missiles will be ‘legitimate targets’ if sent to Ukraine

Russia launches one of its biggest missile attacks of whole war

02:00 , Independent TV

A huge barrage of Russian missile strikes hit several cities in Ukraine on Friday, including the capital Kyiv.

Three people were killed after Moscow launched more than 70 rockets against energy infrastructure targets, according to officials.

In Kyiv, residents took to metro stations to shelter from the attacks, with some seen on platforms, while others packed into train carriages.

Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, used his nightly address to warn that Vladimir Putin had the means to order wave after wave of similar strikes.

Kyiv residents shelter in metro as Russia fires ‘massive’ missile barrage

Ukraine preparing for Russian to try invading from north again, says general

01:00 , Liam James

Ukraine is preparing for Russia to try again to invade from the north, a top commander has said.

Major General Andrii Kovalchuk, one of Ukraine’s most senior military officers, told Sky News that Vladimir Putin may even take the first anniversary of the Russian invasion, 24 February 2023, to order troops acroos the border from Belarus.

Ukraine repelled attacks on this front successfully in the early months of the war, leading the Kremlin to pull back and focus on the east and south of Ukraine.

“We are considering a possible offensive from Belarus at the end of February, maybe later,” Major General Kovalchuk said, speaking at an undisclosed location in southern Ukraine.

“We are preparing for it. We are investigating. We look at where they accumulate strength and means. We are preparing.”

Photos from the frontline in Ukraine

00:00 , Liam James

Latest photographs from near Bakhmut, the scene of the heaviest fighting in the Donetsk region of Ukraine:

Kyiv residents left without water after Ukraine attacks

Friday 16 December 2022 23:00 , Liam James

Kyiv residents were left without water after Russian attacks on local energy infrastructure, officials said.

Vitali Klitschko, mayor of the Ukrainian capital, said works were ongoing to restore water to homes around the city.

“The system should fill up in a few hours. After that, water will appear in all the homes of Kyiv residents ... Work on restoration of heat supply is also ongoing,” he said on Telegram.

Residents of Kyiv, like those in cities across Ukraine, have been dealing with rolling blackouts since Russia began a relentless series of strikes on power stations and other energy supply points in October.

Moldova bans TV channels over Ukraine war ‘misinformation'

Friday 16 December 2022 22:00 , Liam James

Moldova will temporarily ban six television channels for airing “incorrect information” about the country and Russia‘s war in Ukraine, authorities said.

The channels – some of which broadcast in Moldovan and some in Russian – are closely tied to politician and businessman Ilan Shor, who fled in 2019 after the election of pro-Western president Maia Sandu.

Mr Shor, in exile in Israel, has backed protests in Chisinau demanding that Ms Sandu’s government resign.

The six channels include some of the most popular in Moldova. Mr Shor owns three of them; another two belong to his close associates while the sixth sympathises with him.

“Moldova must be protected from propaganda and lies,” deputy prime minister Andrei Spinu wrote on his Telegram channel.

The small ex-soviet state has suffered widespread blackouts as a result of Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, due to integration with the power grid of its embattled eastern neighbour.

Brittney Griner says she will help free other Americans from Russia

Friday 16 December 2022 21:10 , AP

US basketball star Brittney Griner, who on Friday left an Army medical center where she had been recuperating following her release from a Russian penal colony as part of a prisoner swap, said she would work to help bring other detained Americans home and planned to resume her WNBA career.

Ms Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and eight-times Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star, left the Brooke Army Medical Center a week after she arrived at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, CNN reported.

“The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn. I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going,” she said in her first public statement since returning to the United States.

“President Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too,” she said, referring to the former US Marine still being held in Russia. “I will use my platform to do whatever I can to help you.”

Ms Griner arrived at the medical center last Friday after US officials secured her freedom from Russia in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Ms Griner, 32, was arrested on 17 February at an airport outside Moscow for carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

Russia accuses Ukraine of killing two civilians in Luhansk strikes

Friday 16 December 2022 20:40 , Liam James

Russian-installed officials claimed Ukrainian shelling had killed civilians in two parts of occupied territory.

Eleven people were killed, 20 wounded and another 20 were missing in the village of Lantrativka near the border with Russia in the Russian-held Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, Russian state-owned TASS news agency said, citing emergency services.

The Russian-installed governor of the region, Leonid Pasechnik, called the attack “barbaric”.

The head of a Russian proxy “people’s militia” in Luhansk said a civilian had been killed by Ukrainian shelling in the town of Svatove, some 40 miles further south.

The Independent was unable to immediately verify the latest battlefield accounts, but recorded three explosions in the snow-covered capital Kyiv and smoke rising over the city.

Ukrainian officials accused Russia of killing at least three people in strikes on several cities today.

MoD says Russia set to plan WW2-style entrenchment

Friday 16 December 2022 20:05 , Liam James

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) said earlier that Russia seems to be moving toward Second World War-style entrenchment.

The MoD analysis focused on Moscow’s recent efforts to construct “major defensive lines” which it says is “further illustration of Russia’s reversion to positional warfare that has been largely abandoned by most modern Western militaries in recent decades”.

It added that Russia had “traditional military plans for entrenchment, largely unchanged since the Second World War”.

A recent analysis of satellite imagery in Ukraine by The New York Timesfound Russian trenches near the frontlines in Ukraine, included some built to defend captured towns.

Ukraine and allies are sensing changes in Russia’s wargame. Earlier, a leading Ukrainian general said Kyiv was preparing for Moscow to order a new assault from the north in the early months of 2023.

Canadian back bonds to fund Ukraine loan

Friday 16 December 2022 19:38 , Liam James

Canada will loan Ukraine half a billion dollars raised through what Ottawa said was a world first scheme whereby bonds were issued specifically to raise money for the government’s support programme.

The loan, which makes up more than one-fifth of the total credited to Kyiv since Russia’s invasion in February, was funded by the sale of bonds costing C$100 (£60) or more to Canadians, investors, institutions and other buyers, the government said in a statement.

Individual Canadians bought C$50m (£30m) worth of the bonds since they were issued on 29 November it added.

Backing Ukraine, “means ensuring the Ukrainian government has the resources it needs to keep providing essential services to Ukrainians this winter,” Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland said, adding that she hopes other countries will be inspired to offer such bonds.

Canada has also sent more than C$1bn in aid.

TikTok to cut all Russian staff

Friday 16 December 2022 19:07 , Liam James

Social media company TikTok on Friday said it would cut its Russian staff numbers after the company stopped key services for Russian users earlier this year.

Chinese-owned video app TikTok suspended livestreaming and new uploads in Russia after Moscow introduced strict new media censorship following its invasion of Ukraine in February.

“We have had to make a number of decisions this year about our service in Russia, which now unfortunately includes reducing our Russia-based workforce,” the company said in a statement.

“We will continue to evaluate the evolving circumstances in Russia to determine when we might fully resume our services with safety as our top priority,” it said.

Putin has enough missiles for more massive strikes, Zelensky warns

Friday 16 December 2022 18:39 , Liam James

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia still had enough missiles to launch several more massive strikes like the one it launched earlier in the day against Ukraine’s energy system.

Kyiv officials said three people were killed today after Russia launched 76 missiles on cities including Kyiv and Kharkiv.

“Whatever the rocket worshipers from Moscow are counting on, it still won’t change the balance of power in this war,” he said in a video address.

“They still have enough missiles for several such massive strikes. We, on the other hand, have enough determination and self-belief to return our own after these blows,” he said.

Friday 16 December 2022 18:25 , Liam James

Ukraine is preparing for Russia to try again to invade from the north, a top commander has said.

Major General Andrii Kovalchuk, one of Ukraine’s most senior military officers, told Sky News that Vladimir Putin may even take the first anniversary of the Russian invasion, 24 February 2023, to order troops acroos the border from Belarus.

Ukraine repelled attacks on this front successfully in the early months of the war, leading the Kremlin to pull back and focus on the east and south of Ukraine.

“We are considering a possible offensive from Belarus at the end of February, maybe later,” Major General Kovalchuk said, speaking at an undisclosed location in southern Ukraine.

“We are preparing for it. We are investigating. We look at where they accumulate strength and means. We are preparing.”

Ukraine says it needs thousands more generators to get through winter

Friday 16 December 2022 17:45 , Liam James

Ukrainian small and medium-sized businesses have imported about half a million power generators but the country needs thousands more that are bigger and stronger to get through winter, prime minister Denys Shmyhal said.

Ukraine has increasingly suffered power cuts and blackouts because of Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure since October.

Today’s strikes have again focused on energy production, and operator Ukrenergo has warned it would take longer to restore power than after prior attacks.

“Small and medium-sized Ukrainian entrepreneurs have already imported 500,000 low power generators. But to get through the winter we will need about 17,000 big and industrial generating units,” Mr Shmyhal told a government meeting.

“We hope to cover part of these needs with the help of our partners,” he said.

Three killed, boy missing under rubble in Kryvyi Rih – Officials

Friday 16 December 2022 17:25 , Liam James

Latest from Kryvyi Rih, according to regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko:

• Three people killed in strike on residential building – A 64-year-old woman and a young couple

• Young boy remains under rubble

• Thirteen people injured including four children – all of them are in the hospital

Journalists from Associated Press confirmed damage to the residential building.

Clowns Without Borders: Children’s entertainers sent to support Ukrainian children

Friday 16 December 2022 17:14 , Liam James

A children’s charity sends clowns to Europe to provide “emotional first aid” to young Ukrainian refugees.

Clowns Without Borders UK works in war and disaster zones to provide “critical emotional first-aid through laughter and play,” by delivering performances, providing workshops, and training local clowns.

The 19 clowns, who have operated in conflict zones such as the Lebanese-Israeli border and the Turkey-Syrian border, were deployed as part of Project Laughter, a mission that has supported 1,850 Ukrainian refugee children since September 2022.

“We’re so lucky because, basically, the work is about human connection,” Samantha Holdsworth, Chief Clown and CEO of Clowns Without Borders UK, told the PA news agency.

“The question we get is why clowns, why isn’t it something else? The point is that you get to say to a little child, through play, I see you, and I care about what’s happening to you.”

Recap on today as Russia launches one of its biggest missile attacks of whole war

Friday 16 December 2022 17:00 , Lucy Skoulding

Russia launched one of its biggest wave of missile attacks during its 10-month invasion of Ukraine on Friday, with strikes in at least four cities, including Kyiv, triggering emergency power outages across the country.

Gunfire from air defence systems and thudding explosions combined with the wail of air raid sirens as the barrage targeted critical infrastructure not in Kyiv, but also Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporhizhzhia.

Russian strikes on electricity and water systems have occurred regularly since mid-October, increasing the suffering of the population as winter approaches.

Read the full story.

Ukraine’s first lady speaks out after shelling

Friday 16 December 2022 16:30 , Lucy Skoulding

Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska has spoken out after Russia’s massive missile attack on Ukraine this morning.

She tweeted: “Friday began with massive ru–shelling of the entire . No electricity and water due to infrastructure damage in some cities.

“In Kryvyi Rih, missile hit residential building – 2 people died, 3 children injured. Ukraine is clenching its fists, but it is holding on and will win.”

Missile attacks ‘one of largest barrages since war began'

Friday 16 December 2022 16:28 , Sam Rkaina

Russia rained down scores of missiles on Ukraine’s power grid on Friday, killing at least three people, damaging nine energy facilities and forcing Kyiv to introduce emergency blackouts across the country as winter bites.

Many people headed for shelters during the morning rush hour to take cover from the latest big attack on vital infrastructure since October, which a Kyiv official described as one of the largest missile barrages since Russia invaded in February.

The mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, reported “colossal” damage, threatening to leave many people without heating in freezing winter temperatures. The governor of the central region of Dnipropetrovsk reported “serious damage”.

Air defences took out 60 out of 76 incoming missiles fired at critical infrastructure, Ukraine’s top general said. Moscow deliberately tried to distract the air defences by flying warplanes near Ukraine, Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said.

“They want to destroy us, and make us slaves. But we will not surrender. We will endure,” said Lidiya Vasilieva, 53, as she headed for shelter at a Kyiv railway station. “I want the war over and soon. But I am ready to wait as long as needed.”

Three people were killed in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, authorities said, and a fourth died in a fire in the southern Kherson region after an apartment block was hit by shelling before the missile strike.

The attack in Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s hometown, also wounded at least 13 people, including four small children, a senior official said.

Fifa reportedly rebuffs request to share message of world peace from Zelensky

Friday 16 December 2022 16:10 , Sam Rkaina

Fifa has reportedly refused a request from Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to share a message of world peace at the World Cup final on Sunday.

A source reportedly told CNN that Fifa refused Zelenskiy’s request to appear on a video link to fans in the stadium in Qatar as France face Argentina in the final.

The source told CNN: “We thought Fifa wanted to use its platform for the greater good.”

Ukraine’s state energy operator says restoring power will take longer than previously

Friday 16 December 2022 15:40 , Lucy Skoulding

Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s state energy operator, said it will take longer to repair the national grid and restore power across the country than it has done after previous attacks.

It will prioritise “critical infrastructure facilities” such as hospitals, water facilities, heat supplies and sewage treatment plants.

Ukrenergo said in a statement: “Considering this is already the ninth wave of missile strikes on energy facilities, the restoration of power supply may take longer than before.”

Head of European Commission welcomes more sanctions against Russia

Friday 16 December 2022 15:18 , Lucy Skoulding

EU leaders agreed to provide 18 billion euros to Ukraine next year, as well as a new package of sanctions against Russia.

Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, has welcomed the move.

She tweeted: “I welcome the agreement on the 9th sanctions package against Russia. It focuses on tech, finance and media to push the Russian economy and war machine further off the rails.

“It sanctions almost 200 individuals and entities involved in attacks on civilians & kidnapping children.”

Kharkiv without power, heating and water after Russian shelling

Friday 16 December 2022 14:41 , Lucy Skoulding

The second biggest city in Ukraine, Kharkiv, has no power, water or heating following Russia’s missile strikes this morning.

Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov said: “There is colossal damage to infrastructure, primarily the energy system. I ask you to be patient with what is happening now. I know that in your houses there is no light, no heating, no water supply.”

Three strikes have been reported on critical infrastructure in the city.

Ukrainian campaigner describes impact of energy blackouts

Friday 16 December 2022 13:50 , Lucy Skoulding

A campaigner in Ukraine has described the impact of the electricity blackouts in Ukraine.

They described how it meant her grandma, suffering with pneumonia, had issues with getting oxygen due to the blackout.

They tweeted: “Today I’ve experienced missiles attack from Russia in Zhytomyr region hospital. Suddenly electricity disappeared, my 88 years old grandma with pneumonia had problems with getting oxygen. The hospital doesn’t have a generator yet. I went to the drug store to buy some medicines…”

Friday 16 December 2022 13:20 , Lucy Skoulding

One in five Homes for Ukraine hosts are struggling to help families due to the rising pressures of the cost of living crisis, the ONS has found.

The sponsorship scheme allows Ukrainian nationals and their relatives to come to the UK if they have a sponsor who can provide accommodation for at least six months.

The percentage of adults who said soaring prices impacted their ability to provide support on the scheme “very much” has doubled in five months, with 18 per cent reporting difficulty compared to nine per cent in July.

Read the full story.

70 shells fired at energy facilities

Friday 16 December 2022 12:47 , Lucy Skoulding

Russia has been accused of carrying out massive attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian state-owned energy company Ukrenergo has accused Russia of firing approximately ‘70 rockets’ at energy infrastructure across the country.

It says it’s caused an increased electricity shortage, which was already “significant” before this attack.

As this is now the ninth attack in this vain. restoring supplies could take even longer than before.

The attack has been described as “massive” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Dozens of missiles fired at Kyiv

Friday 16 December 2022 12:27 , Lucy Skoulding

Kyiv military spokesperson Mykhailo Shamanov said around 40 missiles were fired at the region on Friday.

37 of these were shot down.

He says it’s one of the largest Russian bombardments since the start of the war.

Suspline News reports that one person has been injured.

It tweeted: “Around 40 missiles were tracked in #Kyiv‘s airspace. Air defense forces managed to destroy 37, the city administration reports.

“So far, one person has been reported wounded, with the number of casualties and damage yet to be clarified.”

Putin ramps up nuclear threat

Friday 16 December 2022 12:18 , Lucy Skoulding

Putin has reportedly moved a Yars nuclear missile for at least the third time, ramping up threats to the West.

New video footage shows the missile being transported to a garage in the Tver region in Russia, which is northwest of Moscow.

This deployment was marked with military ceremony in the Bologovsky Strategic Missile Forces compound.

“A missile regiment in the Tver Region in the Bologoye formation has entered combat duty with a road-mobile Yars system,” Russia’s Colonel-General Sergey Karakayev told broadcaster Zvezda according to the Tass news agency.

A Yars missile can be launced in seven minutes. It has a 7,500-mile range so it could reach both the UK and US.

Death reported in Kherson

Friday 16 December 2022 11:21 , Lucy Skoulding

Another death due to Russia’s missile strikes on Ukraine has been reported following the announcement that two people died this morning.

One person has reportedly died in Kherson after today’s shelling.

According to a statement from the regional prosecutor’s office, several flats in a residential block caught fire and one person has died.

It comes after two people were killed and a further five injured elsewhere in the city of Kryvyi Rih today.

MoD says Russia set to plan WW2-style entrenchment

Friday 16 December 2022 11:07 , Lucy Skoulding

The UK Ministry of Defence says Russia seems to be following “traditional military plans for entrenchment, largely unchanged since the Second World War”.

Its analysis focuses on Moscow’s recent efforts to construct “major defensive lines” which it says is “further illustration of Russia’s reversion to positional warfare that has been largely abandoned by most modern Western militaries in recent decades”.

Two people dead, 5 injured after rocket hits residential building

Friday 16 December 2022 10:06 , Lucy Skoulding

Two people have lost their lives and a further five people, including two children, have been injured after a missile hit a residential building in Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipro region of Ukraine.

The injured people are being treated in hospital.

The Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspline tweeted: “2 people died as a result of hitting a house in #KryvyiRih, the head of RMA Reznichenko said.

“At least 5 people were injured, including two children. An apartment block is destroyed.”

Power outages in Ukraine after missile strikes

Friday 16 December 2022 09:12 , Lucy Skoulding

Russia has launched a second missile attack on Ukraine within a matter of days, causing damage to critical infrastructure and now power outages too.

The purpose of the attacks is to destroy Ukraine’s power grid, making it easier for Putin and his army to make gains, according to authorities.

Authorities in Kharkiv and Poltava, in eastern and central Ukriane respectively, have reported power outages on Friday.

Oleh Syniehubov, governor of Kharkiv said energy infrastructure in the area had been hit while public broadcasts Suspilne said there were power outages in the area.

Sounds of air defence could also be heard in many other regions across Ukraine, including Donetsk, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kivrohrad, Ternipol, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi.

Key infrastructure hit across Ukraine in Russian missile attacks

Friday 16 December 2022 08:33 , Lucy Skoulding

Ukrainian officials are reporting that Russia launched a fresh wave of missiles at Ukraine today.

Air defence systems across the country have launched into action.

Local officials say key infrastructure has been hit in the eastern city of Kharkiv and in the Black Sea region of Odesa.

Witnesses for Reuters say they heard explosions in Kyiv, but it’s uncertain if these were caused by missiles getting through defences at this stage. No casualties have been reported at this stage, and there are no details about what has been hit.

The governor of Sumy in the north says missiles have caused power outage in his area today.

Putin will visit Belarus on Monday

Friday 16 December 2022 07:41 , Lucy Skoulding

AFP news agency reports that President Putin is set to visit Belarus on Monday.

It comes as the UK Ministry of Defence has warned Belarus is reporting holding ‘readiness exercises’.

Russia has also reportedly sent extra units of mobilised reservists into Belarus.

But the MoD says troops from Belarus are unlikely to be a force big and capable enough of carrying out a successful assault on northern Ukraine.

Russia’s defensive lines show reversion to ‘abandoned' positional warfare - MoD

Friday 16 December 2022 06:56 , Arpan Rai

Russian forces have continued to expend considerable effort to construct extensive defensive positions along the frontline, the British defence ministry said today citing imagery from the recent weeks.

“They have likely prioritised the northern sector around the town of Svatove,” the ministry noted.

It added: “The Russian constructions follow traditional military plans for entrenchment, largely unchanged since the Second World War. Such constructions are likely to be vulnerable to modern, precision indirect strikes.

“The construction of major defensive lines is further illustration of Russia’s reversion to positional warfare that has been largely abandoned by most modern Western militaries in recent decades,” the defence ministry said.

Russia to double intercontinental missile tests in 2023 -commander

Friday 16 December 2022 06:45 , Arpan Rai

Russia will double the number of test launches of its intercontinental ballistic missiles in 2023 to eight from four in 2022, Moscow’s commander of strategic rocket forces said today.

The eight test flights will be scheduled from two launch sites - one near Murmansk in the north, the other near Volgograd in the south, Sergei Karakayev told military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda.

He added that four launches had taken place this year and “confirmed the high reliability of the missile systems”.

8 killed, 23 injured in Ukrainian shelling in Luhansk - TASS

Friday 16 December 2022 05:55 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian shelling has killed at least eight people and injured another 23 in the village of Lantrativka in the Russia-controlled Luhansk region this morning, Russian state TASS news agency reported.

Further details of the attack are awaited.

More than 100 attacks, four missiles fired on Ukraine - official

Friday 16 December 2022 05:46 , Arpan Rai

Russian forces fired four missiles, 23 airstrikes and 78 MLRS attacks against Ukraine in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian general staff said today.

In return, at least 22 strikes were fired on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment by Ukrainian aviation along with three strikes on Russian positions of anti-aircraft missile systems, the top military office said.

Two Orlan-10 type drones were also shot down by Ukrainian forces.

US looking to expand its help to Ukraine - report

Friday 16 December 2022 05:19 , Arpan Rai

The US is looking to expand its support for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion as officials in Kyiv present eveidence that Moscow will have another go at the Ukrainian capital in early days of 2023, reported Politico, citing six people aware of the developments.

The Biden administration is contemplating sending other weapons like joint direct attack munition kits, which convert unguided aerial munitions into smart bombs, ground-launched small diameter bombs which will help Ukraine majorly extend its strike range, two US officials and another person familiar with the talks said.

Experts have predicted a slow burning conflict in the winter battle in Ukraine with Russia prolonging the offensive with little gains but by deploying reservists.

Kherson shelled more than 16 times, two killed

Friday 16 December 2022 04:42 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russian forces shelled Kherson more than 16 times yesterday as the invading forces continued their “brutal large-scale offensive” in the eastern Donbas region.

The shelling killed two people in the centre of Kherson, said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the president’s office. The attack also knocked out the recaptured city’s power grid, officials said.

On the front line in the east, Russia’s main focus remained on the eastern cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, the Ukrainian military general staff said. Russia is also trying to get a stronger foothold in the Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine, the top military official said.

EU approves new sanctions against Russia over Ukraine war

Friday 16 December 2022 04:26 , Arpan Rai

The European Union has approved a new package of sanctions – the ninth since the start of the war in Ukraine – aimed at ramping up pressure on Russia.

This tranche of sanctions designates nearly 200 more people and bars investment in Russia’s mining industry, among other steps.

In addition, the EU is offering €18bn in financing to Ukraine next year.

“Our joint determination to support Ukraine politically, financially, militarily and in the humanitarian area for as long as necessary remains unbroken,” German chancellor Olaf Scholz said after talks among the 27 national EU leaders in Brussels.

The package was approved after days of deliberations during a meeting of the 27-nation bloc’s ambassadors.

The Czech Republic, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, said the package will be confirmed by written procedure on Friday. Details will then be published in the bloc’s legal records.

Read the full story here:

EU approves new sanctions against Russia over Ukraine war

Russia gearing up for attacks in January, will make a fresh bid to capture Kyiv - Ukraine

Friday 16 December 2022 04:05 , Lucy Skoulding

Russian forces are looking to launch a new offensive in January along with a second attempt to capture Kyiv, Ukrainian defence officials said citing evidence.

The attacks could come as early as January, Ukrainian general Valery Zaluzhniy and general Oleksandr Syrskiy said yesterday.

"The Russians are preparing some 200,000 fresh troops. I have no doubt they will have another go at Kyiv," Mr Zaluzhniy told The Economist magazine.

The military push can come from the eastern Donbas area — where Russia has already battered Ukraine, the south or neighbouring Belarus, along with another ground assault on Kyiv, which Moscow failed to capture early in the invasion, the officials said.

Ukrainian defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that the country was seeing mounting evidence that Russia is planning a broad new offensive.

This could come in February, he said, citing the likelihood of half of the conscripted 300,000 troops to enter the war’s battlefield after finishing their training.

“The second part of the mobilisation, 150,000 approximately ... do a minimum of three months to prepare. It means they are trying to start the next wave of the offensive probably in February, like last year. That’s their plan,” Mr Reznikov told The Guardian.

Earlier this week, Moscow ruled out Volodymyr Zelensky’s Christmas truce plea, taking Ukraine to its 11th month of war.

Friday 16 December 2022 03:23 , Arpan Rai

Good morning, welcome to our coverage of the Ukraine war on Friday, 16 December