Russia has struck a number of energy facilities in Ukraine's Kyiv, mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Wednesday, even as president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Donald Trump to make sure Vladimir Putin honours his so-called energy "ceasefire".
At least two people were killed, and another 21 were injured in the overnight attack when the capital was rocked by dozens of explosions, according to reports.
It comes after Zelensky claimed Ukraine received no early warning from its partners about five Russian ballistic missiles that hit civilian infrastructure in Kyiv earlier this week.
He characterised the barrage as "particularly vile" and emphasised that receiving intelligence from partners about such attacks "helps save lives" and is "one of the most critical issues".
Trump said the US continues to share intelligence with Ukraine, vowing to work with both Kyiv and Moscow to bring an end to the war. "We are helping them, and we are sharing intel," he told reporters. "We want the war to end, so we're working with them and Russia on getting the war to end."
Russia's history of targeting foreign journalists
Russia has arrested a number of foreign citizens in recent years on charges widely dismissed as baseless.
One of the most prominent cases of a foreign journalist arrested in Russia was the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in 2023.
He was found guilty of espionage by a Russian court, sentenced to 16 years and then freed in an East-West prisoner swap in August 2024.
Radio Free Europe editor Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual US-Russian citizen, was held for more than nine months before being convicted on charges of spreading “fake” news about the Russian army.
She was also freed along with Gershkovich during the prisoner swap.
Russia detains Japanese journalist for 'spying'
Russia has detained Japanese journalist Yuki Imai for alleged espionage.
In a statement on its website, the FSB said the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper journalist was detained in the far eastern Sakhalin region on the day before he planned to leave Russia. It did not specify when this was.
Russia's foreign ministry said it regretted that Tokyo was using correspondents to carry out spying, with spokesperson Maria Zakharova saying his detention cast a new pall on relations with Tokyo.
The Japanese government has said it is seeking more information.
Russia hits energy facilities in Ukraine's Kyiv, mayor says
Russia has struck a number of energy facilities in Ukraine's Kyiv, mayor Vitali Klitschko said this morning.
The latest attacks come despite Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky urging Donald Trump to make sure Vladimir Putin honours his so-called energy "ceasefire".
Strikes on Ukraine kill four and wound 41
At least four people were killed and 41 injured in Russian strikes across Ukraine yesterday.
A woman was wounded in a Russian strike on a private home in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district, the Kyiv city military administration said.
A Russian drone hit a residential building in the village of Murovane, near the western city of Lviv, during a morning attack Tuesday, Lviv mayor Andrii Sadovyi said.
One person was killed in the Fastiv district of the Kyiv region, and at least two others were hurt in a Russian attack on the area, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration.
A Russian drone struck an educational institution in the center of Rivne in northwest Ukraine, wounding 14 people, the official said.
Zelensky says Ukraine received no intelligence about missiles headed to Kyiv
Ukraine received no early warning from its partners about five Russian ballistic missiles that hit civilian infrastructure in the capital of Kyiv, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky did not specify which partners he was talking about. He characterised the barrage as "particularly vile" and emphasised that receiving intelligence from partners about such attacks "helps save lives" and is "one of the most critical issues".
"This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed — when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles," he wrote in a post on X.
Burnham sends fresh message to Ukraine ahead of Zelensky visit
Andy Burnham will welcome Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street on Wednesday in a demonstration of support following US president Donald Trump’s diesel arrangement with Russia.
The Prime Minister is expected to utilise the bilateral visit to announce accelerated military assistance for Kyiv, alongside promises of extra sanctions targeting Moscow.
As part of the increased aid, the UK will speed up deliveries of lightweight multirole missiles, which have proven effective at countering Russian jet-powered drones.
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Four killed in Ukraine's second city
Russian strikes have also killed four people in Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv, and dozens were wounded across the country, Ukrainian officials said.
Fabian Hoffmann, a missile expert at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, said Ukraine's European allies had "very limited" ability to replace US early-warning intelligence about Russian missile strikes.
"Ukraine relies on the so-called Space-Based Infrared System which the US deploys – and the US system is really second to none and only the United States can provide that," he said.
Sybiha said the US request to halt attacks on Russian refineries showed how Ukraine's position had strengthened, alluding to Trump's comment to Zelenskiy in a tense Oval Office meeting last year that "you don't have the cards".
"In less than two years, we have gone from 'having no cards' to 'not playing your cards'. That is an achievement," Sybiha said.
Russian missile attack on Kyiv kills one
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces attacked Kyiv on Tuesday with ballistic missiles, targeting energy sites, and Western allies had not warned Ukraine as they typically do.
A strike on a high-rise apartment building killed one person, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Apartments were ablaze and residents were being evacuated.
A series of explosions jolted the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the late evening. and Zelensky and his military said there had been no advance warning of the strikes.
"Once again, no advance warning from our partners. The main target was energy infrastructure, specifically thermal plant No. 4," Zelenskiy said on Telegram without explaining why no warning was given.
"According to our intelligence, the Russians are preparing further ballistic missile launches."
"The facts show that the Russians do not consider themselves bound to abide by what the president of the United States said," he added, referring US Donald Trump's announcement of an energy ceasefire at the weekend.
"And it is certainly unfair that they are destroying our energy infrastructure while Ukraine is not even receiving warnings about ballistic missile launches."
Zelensky visits Britain as Burnham pledges fresh support for Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky will meet British prime minister Andy Burnham in London on Wednesday as Britain looks to reaffirm its support for Ukraine, including with the promise of a new package of surface-to-air missiles.
The meeting comes at a difficult time for Zelensky. US President Donald Trump said at the weekend he should be replaced as Ukraine's leader, days after cutting a deal with Moscow to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
Britain has said it does not support the US-Russia diesel deal, and called for allies to keep up the economic pressure on Moscow.
"My message to the Ukrainian people could not be clearer, we are with you for as long as it takes, and we will go further and faster in our support to back your courageous fight for peace in Europe," Burnham said in a statement before the meeting.
Mr Burnham said backing for Ukraine was vital to keeping people in Britain safe and pledged further military support.
He announced the planned delivery of £45 million ($59.60 million) of surface-to-air missiles used to target jet-powered Russian drones, with £10 million of that package fast-tracked to meet an urgent need in Ukraine.
Mr Burnham has asked officials to draw up further sanctions, military aid, and fiscal support, and his foreign and finance ministers have been lobbying allies to follow Britain in banning maritime services that support Russian liquefied natural gas exports.
Ukraine has ‘broken Russia’s ability to advance’, claims Kyiv’s former top general
Ukraine has “broken Russia’s ability to advance” by killing so many of its soldiers, Kyiv’s former top general has claimed.
General Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed Russia’s overall war losses were six times higher than Ukraine’s, adding that “if you count only dead, then it’s up to 11 times”.
Gen Syrskyi, who was talking to the BBC in one of his first interviews since he was removed in the summer, said the higher death toll for the Russian army partly accounts for why Russian advances have largely stalled across the eastern frontline. Technological advances in the Ukrainian military, and strategic attacks on Russian weak points were other factors, he said.
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