Ukraine-Russia war: Russian regions 'historically Ukrainian', Zelensky claims

Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed six Russian regions were “historically inhabited by Ukrainians”.

He signed a decree on Wednesday calling for the preservation of Ukrainian identity in the “historically inhabited lands” of Krasnodar, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk and Rostov, which border Ukraine to the north and east.

The irredentist claims to the regions have long been made by Ukrainian nationalists.

The Ukrainian People’s Republic, a short-lived state which existed between the deposition of the Tsar in 1917 and Ukraine’s integration within the Soviet Union in 1921, claimed parts of the six Russian regions Mr Zelensky cited as well as areas of modern Slovakia, Poland, Moldova and Belarus.

Roman Starovoit, governor of the Kursk region, said Mr Zelensky had proven why Russia’s self-described “special military operation” in Ukraine was necessary.

“Today’s actions by Zelensky once again prove that our president is right about launching a special military operation,” he said. “Ukraine is a puppet of forces that want to destroy Russia and take away its historical lands.”

Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and a key ally of Vladimir Putin, added: “There is nothing to comment on because Ukrainians are Russians.”

03:26 PM GMT

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03:24 PM GMT

Today's headlines

• Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that he is not opposed to holding elections in Ukraine

• Donald Tusk said Ukraine was fighting evil as he visited Kyiv for the first time since becoming Poland’s prime minister

• Ukraine has been able to strike multiple targets near St Petersburg in recent days because the region’s anti-air defences are “poor”, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank said

• A fire at a Russian fuel terminal caused by a Ukrainian drone attack was extinguished after almost 36 hours

• A man serving in Ukraine’s national guard was arrested after four people were murdered in Lyman, Donetsk

• Ukraine’s agricultural exports surged in December after missile and drone attacks forced Russia’s navy out of the western Black Sea

• Rodent infestations in Ukrainian trenches have sparked outbreaks of illnesses that leave victims bleeding from their eyes

• Mr Zelensky claimed six Russian regions were ‘historically inhabited by Ukrainians’

• Ukraine’s foreign ministry slapped down Slovakia’s prime minister for saying the war with Russia will only end when Kyiv gives up its claim to Crimea and the Donbas

• Ukraine is attacking Russian oil and gas in a bid to cut its earnings from raw materials exports, an adviser to Mr Zelensky said

• Russian forces made a confirmed advance on Avdiivka

03:12 PM GMT

Russian forces advance on Avdiivka

Russian forces have advanced near the heavily-contested eastern town of Avdiivka, currently held by Ukraine, according to reports.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think-tank said it had confirmed Russian advances to the south and south-west of the settlement.

One Ukrainian observer said Russian soldiers had advanced along the two main streets into Avdiivka from the west and south. But the ISW said it could not confirm the claim.

It also geolocated combat clashes to the north-west of Bakhmut, west of Donetsk city and south of Robotyne.

Ukraine is shifting its military strategy to “active defence” after its counter-offensive last year failed to deliver significant gains.

It is constructing fortifications behind the lines in an attempt to reduce the number of men required to keep Russian attacks at bay.

03:00 PM GMT

Ukraine attacking Russian gas and oil 'to cut overseas earnings'

Ukraine is attacking Russian oil and gas in a bid to cut its export earnings from raw materials, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

Mikhail Podolyak said: “The war is increasingly entering the territory of the undisputed aggressor, Russia. And this is about justice and historical inevitability.

“The gas terminal in the Leningrad region is an extremely sensitive echo of aggression.

“Let’s be frank: only three parallel processes will lead us to the right ending – Russia’s inevitable tactical defeats on the battlefield, total isolation of Russia in international institutions (primarily the UN Security Council), and Russia’s complete loss of the ability to receive significant revenues from the sale of raw materials.”

02:44 PM GMT

Zelensky condemned for claiming Russian regions

Volodymyr Zelensky has been condemned for claiming six Russian regions were “historically inhabited by Ukrainians”.

Roman Starovoit, governor of the Kursk region, said Mr Zelensky had proven why Russia’s “special military operation” was necessary.

“Today’s actions by Zelensky once again prove that our president is right about launching a special military operation,” he said.

“Ukraine is a puppet of forces that want to destroy Russia and take away its historical lands.”

Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and a key ally of Vladimir Putin, added: “There is nothing to comment on because Ukrainians are Russians.”

Ukraine’s president earlier signed a decree instructing the government to develop a plan for preserving the national identity of the “historically inhabited lands” of Krasnodar Krai, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk and Rostov.

02:18 PM GMT

Ukraine versus Russia is good versus evil, says Tusk

Donald Tusk has called the war between Ukraine and Russia a battle between “good and evil”.

“I  am not ashamed to use these big words: it is here, in Ukraine, that the world front between good and evil runs,” he told a press conference alongside Volodymyr Zelensky.

Poland’s prime minister said his country would do “everything” to help Kyiv win the war.

“The security of the Polish nation and the Polish state is also at stake in this fight,” he said.

01:43 PM GMT

Ukraine slaps down Slovakia PM for telling it to give up territory

Ukraine’s foreign ministry has slapped down Slovakia’s prime minister for saying the war with Russia will only end when Kyiv gives up its claim to Crimea and the Donbas.

“There can be no compromise on territorial integrity. Neither Ukraine, nor Slovakia, nor any other country,” spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said in response to Robert Fico’s remarks.

“Ukraine and partners are making efforts to get Russians out of Crimea, Donbass [sic: Donetsk] and Luhansk so that they do not go any further, including to Kositsky, Pryashivsky and other Slovak regions.

“Let’s be frank: without security in Ukraine, there will be no security in Slovakia or Europe in general. We have a joint effort to bring the Ukrainian victory closer.”

01:23 PM GMT

Watch: Swedish artillery in use in Ukraine

01:07 PM GMT

Fire extinguished at gas terminal attacked by Ukraine

A fire at a Russian fuel terminal caused by a Ukrainian drone attack has been extinguished after almost 36 hours.

Two drones struck the port of Ust-Luga on the Gulf of Finland in the early hours of Sunday, causing a massive explosion.

Novatek, the operator of a gas terminal at the port, said the resulting fire was caused by an “external factor” and caused no injuries.

Ukrainian intelligence sources claimed responsibility for the blast.

12:52 PM GMT

Britain loosens travel restrictions for western Ukraine

Britain has loosened travel restrictions on four western Ukrainian regions.

Previously the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advised against “all travel” to Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Chernivtsi.

Now it has downgraded the travel warning for the regions to “all but essential travel”, while maintaining the previous warning in the rest of Ukraine.

“Russia continues to illegally wage war across Ukraine but the country continues to show remarkable determination and resilience in the face of Russia’s attacks, which is why the UK has changed its travel advice to these regions,” it said.

“It has strong air defence systems which are helping to defend the country from Russia’s missile and drone strikes.”

12:33 PM GMT

Ukrainian father dead and daughter wounded in Russian attack

A Ukrainian father was killed and his daughter wounded in a Russian attack on an eastern Ukrainian city on Monday morning.

The man, 49, and his daughter, 31, were caught up in an attack at 9.25am on Kramatorsk, Donetsk, governor Vadim Filashkin said.

“Even the cities of Donetsk relatively far from the front are still dangerous,” he said.

“There is always a threat of shelling. I am asking everyone: do not ignore the danger! Evacuate!”

12:18 PM GMT

Poland and Ukraine can solve all issues, vows Zelensky

Poland and Ukraine can solve all the issues between them, Volodymyr Zelensky has said as he welcomed Donald Tusk to Kyiv.

The Polish prime minister’s visit to Ukraine represents a step towards rapprochement between the two countries after border blockades by Polish truckers.

“We discussed with the prime minister that all critical issues that exist can be resolved at the level of governments, and work on this will begin shortly,” Mr Zelensky said.

12:13 PM GMT

Russia stepping up anti-air defences after Ukrainian attacks

Russia is stepping up its anti-air defences after a string of Ukrainian attacks on cities and energy facilities.

“The ministry of defence, our air defence assets, other relevant agencies are taking necessary measures to protect against this kind of terrorist attack,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a regular news briefing when asked about Ukraine’s attack on a Baltic Sea oil export terminal on Sunday.

“The Kyiv regime is continuing to show its vicious side in that they are striking civilian infrastructure. They are striking people, civilians,” he said, adding that the attack on the same day in Donetsk which killed 25 was a “heinous act of terrorism”.

11:51 AM GMT

Kremlin: We have no idea how Trump could stop the war

The Kremlin has said it has no idea how Donald Trump could follow through on his claimed plan to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours.

Mr Trump, the frontrunner to be the Republican candidate in November’s presidential election, said in July that he had a “plan” that would bring peace in 24 hours.

“No, we have no understanding of how this can be done,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. “We have not had any contacts on this.”

Mr Trump has never visited Ukraine despite two invitations from Volodymyr Zelensky, one in November 2023 and another on Friday.

11:30 AM GMT

Zelensky claims six Russian regions were 'historically Ukrainian'

Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed six Russian regions were “historically inhabited by Ukrainians”.

Ukraine’s president signed a decree instructing the government to develop a plan for preserving the national identity of the “historically inhabited lands” of Krasnodar Krai, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk and Rostov.

The Ukrainian People’s Republic, a short-lived state which existed between the 1917 February Revolution and integration within the Soviet Union in 1921, claimed parts of those six Russian regions as well as areas of modern Slovakia, Poland, Moldova and Belarus.

11:15 AM GMT

Trench rat infestations leave Ukrainian soldiers 'bleeding from eyes'

Ukrainian trenches have become infested by rats and mice in a stark echo of the First World War, it has been reported.

Rodent numbers have surged along the largely static 1,000km frontline, infecting soldiers with nausea-inducing diseases that also leave some bleeding from the eyes.

Videos shared on social media show mice and rats found in beds, backpacks, power generators, pockets, pillowcases and mortars.

“Imagine going to bed, and the night begins with a mouse crawling into your pants or sweater, or chewing your fingertips, or biting your hand,” a Ukrainian soldier going by the callsign Kira told CNN.

She added that 1,000 rats shared the trench where she and three others are stationed.

There are also infestations in the Russian trenches. Ukraine’s defence intelligence said in December that rat-bite fever had been spreading rapidly among Russian soldiers on the Kupyansk front.

The rodents are believed to be attracted to the warmth and food they can find in the trenches in bitterly cold winter conditions.

The war prevented crops being harvested in some areas, fuelling a bumper rodent mating season which reached its peak in autumn.

11:03 AM GMT

Tusk vows to 'solve problems' with Ukraine after trucker protests

Donald Tusk has vowed to “solve problems” between Poland and Ukraine after disgruntled Polish truckers called off their blockade of the Ukrainian border.

“There are some conflicts of interest, we know it well and we will talk about them, but not only in the spirit of friendship, which is obvious, but with the attitude to solve these problems as soon as possible, not to maintain or multiply them,” he said.

“For me, it is very important to build the feeling that Poland is the most reliable, most stable ally of Ukraine in this deadly clash with evil.”

10:35 AM GMT

Donetsk attack shows Ukraine's 'vicious side', Kremlin says

An artillery strike that killed at least 25 people at a crowded market in Russian-occupied Donetsk shows Ukraine’s “vicious side”, the Kremlin has said.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated claims made by the region’s Moscow-appointed governor that Ukraine was responsible for the attack, which wounded 20 others.

“The Kyiv regime continues showing its vicious side,” he said.

Ukraine’s armed forces have denied having anything to do with the attack.

10:25 AM GMT

Pictured: Tusk in Kyiv

10:06 AM GMT

Ukraine exports surge after forcing Russia out of western Black Sea

Ukrainian agricultural exports surged in December after it successfully forced Russia out of the western half of the Black Sea, Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

In its latest defence intelligence briefing, the MoD said Ukraine exported more grain in December 2023 than in any other month since Russia’s invasion.

“Ukraine has achieved this because it has largely prevented the Russian Black Sea Fleet from operating in the western Black Sea, where it is held at risk by Ukrainian missiles and uncrewed surface vessels,” it said.

The MoD added: “The health of this export route is vital in the long term: both for Ukraine’s export revenue; and as a symbol that both sides are willing to suspend attacks on civilian shipping, paving the way to diminished risk and greater trade for all in the Black Sea.”

09:46 AM GMT

Ukraine could grant foreign fighters citizenship

Ukraine could grant foreign fighters citizenship if draft legislation is passed by its parliament.

Thousands of non-Ukrainians have served in its armed forces since Russia’s invasion in 2014.

“Foreign volunteers who took up arms to defend Ukraine, all those who fight for Ukraine’s freedom as if it were their homeland,” Mr Zelensky said.

“And Ukraine will become such for them.”

The legislation would also allow dual citizenship for the first time in Ukraine’s post-Soviet history, with the only exception being Russian passport holders.

09:34 AM GMT

No peace unless Ukraine gives up Crimea and Donbas, says Fico

Ukraine cannot expect peace with Russia if it is not willing to give up Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, Robert Fico has said ahead of a meeting with prime minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday.

“There should be some kind of compromise here,” Slovakia’s prime minister said. “What do they expect, that the Russians will leave Crimea, Donbas [sic] and Luhansk? That’s unrealistic.”

Mr Fico said Ukraine was “one of the most corrupt nations in the world” and “under the total influence and control of the United States”.

He added: “I will tell him [Mr Shmyhal] that I am against the membership of Ukraine in Nato and that I will veto it. It would merely be a basis for World War III, nothing else.”

09:22 AM GMT

Ukrainian national guardsman arrested for quadruple murder

A man serving in Ukraine’s national guard has been arrested after four people were murdered in a Donetsk city.

The man, who has not been named, is suspected of shooting dead two policemen, an elderly woman and her daughter in Lyman.

The national guard is controlled by the interior ministry and is responsible for internal security, public order and guarding critical infrastructure.

09:11 AM GMT

Russian enlistment offices attacked 220 times since war began

Russian military enlistment offices have been attacked 220 times since the war in Ukraine began, Moscow’s interior ministry has said.

It said 85 per cent of the cases had been solved and 184 cases of railway sabotage had been recorded in the same period.

08:59 AM GMT

Russia's Leningrad defences 'poor'

Ukraine has been able to strike multiple targets near St Petersburg in recent days because the region’s anti-air defences are “poor”.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank said fears of “hypothetical Nato attacks” meant the Leningrad Oblast was not well-placed to defend attacks by Ukrainian drones coming from the south.

“Russian air defense systems in Leningrad Oblast are most likely positioned to defend against strikes from the north-west and west, as Russia has historically arrayed its air defense in the area to defend against hypothetical Nato attacks,” it said.

“The Russian military is currently reforming the Leningrad Military District (LMD) with the expressed intent to prepare for a potential future conventional war against Nato and may be arranging military assets in a way to posture along the border with Nato members.”

Ukrainian drones attacked a St Petersburg oil terminal on Friday and another 110 miles west at Ust-Luga on Sunday.

08:49 AM GMT

In pictures: Mice on the frontline

08:39 AM GMT

Russia threatens to seize £226bn in revenge for Western asset seizures

Russia could seize Western investments worth £226billion ($288billion) in revenge if the West takes the £236billion ($300billion) of assets frozen since the war in Ukraine began.

There have been growing calls for the frozen Russian assets to be seized and redirected to Ukraine.

The Kremlin has vowed it would take revenge if that did happen.

08:24 AM GMT

Ukrainians denied medical treatment in occupied territories

Ukrainians are being denied access to doctors and hospitals in the occupied territories.

Medical facilities only treat those with Russian health insurance and only those with Russian passports can get the insurance.

“As a result, most residents are denied medical services,” Ukraine’s national resistance centre said.

Those with Ukrainian passports can still access ambulance services in emergencies, it added.

The measures appear to be part of Russian attempts to forcibly integrate those living in occupied territory.

08:02 AM GMT

Lavrov arrives in New York for UN meeting

Sergei Lavrov has arrived in New York City to attend a United Nations meeting on Ukraine and the Middle East.

The Russian foreign secretary flew on an unspecified “northern route to bypass unfriendly countries” in 12 hours and 45 minutes, Russian state news agency Tass reported.

07:49 AM GMT

UN to grill Russia on child deportations

Russia will be grilled by the United Nations on Monday about the thousands of Ukrainian children believed to have been abducted and sent to Russia since the war began.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is holding a two-day hearing on Russia’s record on the treatment of children.

It will investigate how many children have been “evacuated” to Russia or relocated within occupied Ukrainian territory.

It also wants to know what Moscow has done to protect “the right of such children to preserve their identity, including nationality, name and family relations”.

Kyiv estimates that 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported to Russia. Moscow says it wants to protect these children from the fighting. Only about 400 children have so far been repatriated.

07:44 AM GMT

Donald Tusk arrives in Kyiv

Donald Tusk, Poland’s new prime minister, has arrived in Kyiv on his first visit to Ukraine since being elected.

His office said he would meet Volodymyr Zelensky and prime minister Denys Shmyhal.

07:39 AM GMT

I am open to elections, Zelensky insists

Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that he is not opposed to holding elections in Ukraine.

The votes are banned under wartime legislation and Mr Zelensky said in November that he was opposed to holding one because “now is the time of defence”.

But in an interview with Channel 4 News, Mr Zelensky said he was open to changing the law to allow for a wartime election.

“If you ask me, I believe we do need to think about how to do it. If I could do it tomorrow, I would,” he said.

He added: “I haven’t postponed, it happens automatically.

“I’m just not able to hold them now, primarily because of the law which forbids me from doing it.

07:35 AM GMT

Ukraine repels Russian drone attack

Ukraine repelled all eight drones launched by Russia overnight.

The Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones were shot down over central and southern areas of Ukraine, its air force said.

No information on casualties or damage was disclosed.

07:31 AM GMT

Europe needs to step up Ukraine aid, says Shapps

Europe needs to “step up” and provide more aid to Ukraine, Grant Shapps has said.

The Defence Secretary said on Sunday that European Union member states were not doing enough to support the fight against Russia.

“Europe needs to step up and do their part to make sure that Ukraine can continue to defend herself,” he said.

“Britain has, again, as with all of those other things, led the way with a £2.5billion package and a security agreement, a cooperation agreement with president Zelensky and Ukraine.

“Now… not just the US, but Europe needs to step up and do their part to make sure that Ukraine can continue to defend herself.”

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