Russia has said it had attacked energy facilities in Ukraine that support Kyiv’s military-industrial complex.
The Russian Defence Ministry said that over the last 24 hours, it had used its air force, drones, missiles and artillery to target energy facilities, military airfields and Ukrainian military personnel across multiple locations.
The Independent could not confirm the extent of the attacks or the damage they inflicted.
Russia regularly reports such strikes, describing recent ones as retaliation for Kyiv’s use of Western-supplied missiles to strike deep into Russian territory
The ministry also reported that Russian troops had downed a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet, 97 drones and six US-supplied HIMARS missiles overnight.
It comes after the latest Russian drone attack on Kyiv killed a prominent scientist couple and left six people injured, education and scientist minister Oksen Lisovyi said.
The minister identified the couple as prominent neurobiologist Ihor Zyma and doctor of biological sciences Olesia Sokur.“The family devoted almost their entire lives to science,” Mr Lisovyi said.
More than 100 drones targeted the Ukrainian capital in the early hours of Wednesday as the rest of the world was celebrating the arrival of 2025.
Comment: Ukraine is right to turn off the flow of Russian gas – whatever the cost
Ukraine is right to turn off the flow of Russian gas – whatever the cost
Editorial: Almost three years after Putin’s invasion, it almost beggars belief that cheap energy from Russia was still being piped across war-ravaged Ukraine into Europe. Stopping it has triggered another global price spiral, and may yet have dire political consequences – but EU leaders cannot afford to maintain this habit
Jabed Ahmed2 January 2025 16:29
Watch: Putin praises Russia’s soldiers in New Year’s address
Jabed Ahmed2 January 2025 15:29
Ukraine’s military says it struck command post in Russia’s Kursk region
The Ukrainian military said it carried out a high-precision strike on a Russian command post in Maryino, in the Kursk region.
“These strikes disrupt the ability of the Russian Federation to conduct terrorism against innocent Ukrainian civilians,” it said in a statement via the Telegram messaging app.
Jabed Ahmed2 January 2025 14:58
Ukraine-Russia war map: Where are Putin’s forces making gains on the frontline as 2025 begins?
Jabed Ahmed2 January 2025 14:29
Zelensky says Ukraine is preparing to resume diplomatic ties with Syria
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine is preparing to re-establish diplomatic ties with Syria.
“We are preparing to resume diplomatic relations with Syria and cooperation in international organisations,” Zelensky said after hearing the report from Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha’s visit to Syria on Monday.
Jabed Ahmed2 January 2025 14:01
Putin orders Russian government and top bank to develop AI cooperation with China
President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia’s government and the country’s biggest bank, Sberbank, to build cooperation with China in artificial intelligence.
Putin’s instructions were published on the Kremlin’s website yesterday, three weeks after he announced that Russia would team up with BRICS partners and other countries to develop AI.
He told the government and Sberbank, which is spearheading Russia’s AI efforts, to “ensure further co-operation with the People’s Republic of China in technological research and development in the field of artificial intelligence”.
Western sanctions intended to restrict Moscow’s access to the technologies it needs to sustain its war against Ukraine have resulted in the world’s major producers of microchips halting exports to Russia, severely limiting its AI ambitions.
Sberbank CEO German Gref acknowledged in 2023 that graphics processing units (GPUs), the microchips that underpin AI development, were the trickiest hardware for Russia to replace.
Jabed Ahmed2 January 2025 13:29
Pictured: Moscow welcomes 2025 amid Ukraine invasion
Jabed Ahmed2 January 2025 12:30
Putin has ruled Russia for 25 years – but what has he really got to show for it?
Jabed Ahmed2 January 2025 11:28
Ukraine ends Russian gas pipeline to Europe – but how much will it cost Moscow?
Jabed Ahmed2 January 2025 10:29
Russia says it struck Ukrainian energy facilities
Russia has said it had attacked energy facilities in Ukraine that support Kyiv’s military-industrial complex.
The Russian Defence Ministry said that over the last 24 hours it had used its air force, drones, missiles and artillery to target energy facilities, military airfields and Ukrainian military personnel across multiple locations.
The Independent could not confirm the extent of the attacks or the damage they inflicted.
Russia regularly reports such strikes, describing recent ones as retaliation for Kyiv’s use of Western-supplied missiles to strike deep into Russian territory
The ministry also reported that Russian troops had downed a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet, 97 drones and six U.S.-supplied HIMARS missiles overnight.
Jabed Ahmed2 January 2025 09:49