Ukraine-Russia war latest: UK announces Project Nightfall to provide Kyiv with new missiles

Key Points

• UK says it will develop new ballistic missile for Ukraine’s defence against Russia
• More than 1,000 Kyiv apartment buildings still without heating on Sunday
• Chechen leader Kadyrov suffers kidney failure, Ukrainian defence sources say
• Zelensky notes Putin's war has now outlasted Soviet Union's fight against Nazis
• Zelensky says every strike on Russia 'brings end of war closer'

Watch: Russia unleashes ‘Oreshnik’ hypersonic missile on freezing civilians

UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Russian Oreshnik strike

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting today to discuss Russia’s latest large-scale attack on Ukraine which used an Oreshnik hypersonic missile.

“Following our urgent request in the wake of Russia's recent attacks on Ukraine, which included the use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the UN Security Council will convene an emergency meeting on Monday 12 January, 10pm Kyiv time,” Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.

He said: “The meeting will address Russia’s flagrant breaches of the UN Charter. We urge Security Council members to demonstrate unity of purpose by demanding an end to the aggression, protection of civilians, and unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

Russian overnight attack sparks fire in Kyiv, Ukraine military says

Russia has launched an overnight air attack on Kyiv, sparking a fire in one of the city's districts, the Ukrainian military said this morning.

Ukrainian air defence units were trying to repel the attack, Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on his Telegram channel.

Zelensky notes Putin's war has now outlasted Soviet Union's fight against Nazis

Russian president Vladimir Putin’s full-scale war against Ukraine has now outlasted the Soviet Union's fight with Nazi Germany in the Second World War, Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Zelensky said the war in Ukraine entered its 1,418th day on Sunday, surpassing the number of days of fighting between Nazi forces and the Soviet Union. Germany invaded Soviet territory around two years into WW2, in June 1941.

Comparing Russia's tactics in Ukraine to those of the Nazis, Zelensky accused Moscow of replicating 20th-century fascism.

“Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine has been going on for as long as Nazi Germany's war against the Soviet Union," he said.

“Today marks the 1,418th day of Russia's war against Ukraine. They wanted to repeat and did repeat the mockery of people - repeated fascism, repeated almost all the worst things that happened in the 20th century.

"The Kremlin has failed to achieve its military goals in Ukraine despite the years-long campaign, he noted.

“But still, the Russians are trying to capture the same Donbas as almost four years ago," Zelensky said.

Russia losing more than 1,000 soldiers per day, says Zelensky

Russian losses on the battlefield in Ukraine are up to at least 1,000 soldiers a day, president Volodymyr Zelensky says.

“Right now, Russian losses amount to no less than 1,000 killed per day – and this has been the case since December. This is how Russia is essentially paying just to keep the war from ending,” he said in his nightly address.

“This is madness and it can only be stopped by combined forces – the forces of Europe and the United States, the forces of all our partners. Every day of this war is a reminder that the world cannot protect itself from madmen. We must protect it. Russia must be stopped,” he said.

Right now, Russian losses amount to no less than 1,000 killed per day – and this has been the case since December.

This is how Russia is essentially paying just to keep the war from ending. This is madness and it can only be stopped by combined forces – the forces of Europe and… pic.twitter.com/2SqRf8YiYQ

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 11, 2026

Sweden to invest £1.2bn in air defence systems

Sweden will spend 15bn Swedish kronor (£1.2bn) on upgrading its air defences, the government said on Sunday.

Sweden has, like most European countries, invested heavily in defence following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, Sweden's vast territory has remained vulnerable to aerial threats.

“The experience from the war in Ukraine clearly shows how crucial a robust and resilient air defence is," defence minister Pal Jonson told reporters at a security conference in northern Sweden.

He said Sweden would buy short-range air defence systems to protect cities, bridges, power plants and other critical infrastructure.

On Sunday, Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson criticised the Trump administration's "threatening rhetoric" against Greenland and Denmark, saying the US should thank Denmark for being a loyal ally.

UK says it will develop new ballistic missile for Ukraine’s defence against Russia

The UK says it will develop new tactical ballistic missiles for Kyiv and put “leading-edge weapons into the hands of Ukrainians” for their fight against Russia.

Code-named “Project Nightfall”, the missiles will help boost Ukrainian firepower and be capable of striking targets deep inside Russia, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement late on Sunday.

The Nightfall missiles will carry a 200kg conventional high-explosive warhead and cost a maximum £800,000 per unit, the MoD announced, adding that it plans to produce 10 systems per month.

Project Nightfall: UK says it will develop new ballistic missile for Ukraine

More than 1,000 Kyiv apartment buildings still without heating on Sunday

More than 1,000 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv were still without heating following a devastating Russian attack earlier this week, local authorities said on Sunday.

Russia has intensified bombardments of Ukraine's energy system since it invaded its neighbour in 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched 1,100 drones, more than 890 guided aerial bombs and over 50 missiles, including ballistic, cruise and medium-range weapons, against Ukraine over the past week.

On Friday, a missile strike on Kyiv left virtually the entire city without power and heating amid a sharp cold snap, and it was not until Sunday that authorities restored water supplies and partially restored electricity and heating.

Chechen leader Kadyrov suffers kidney failure, Ukrainian defence sources say

Chechen leader and close Russian ally Ramzan Kadyrov is undergoing dialysis due to kidney failure, sources in Ukraine’s defence intelligence said, according to local media reports.

Kadyrov’s health has deteriorated, according to local Ukrainian outlets Interfax-Ukraine and Ukrinform.

Kadyrov is a key ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin and seen as one of the most powerful and feared men in Moscow.

He has reportedly been admitted to a private hospital in Chechnya where his family members have gathered, including some who have travelled in from abroad.

Zelensky says every strike on Russia 'brings end of war closer'

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that his forces were working on new operations targeting Russia, alongside those that are already underway.

“It is still too early to speak publicly about some of the operations – ones that the Russians have already felt. Some of the operations are still underway. I also approved new ones,” he said.

“We are actively defending ourselves, and every Russian loss brings the end of the war closer. Our deep strikes, special measures – all of this, of course, must continue,” the war-time president said.

How ready is the UK to send troops to Ukraine? Join The Independent Debate

As Prime Minister Keir Starmer signs a historic deal to deploy British troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement with Russia, questions are mounting over whether the UK is ready for such a commitment.

Sir Richard Shirreff, former deputy commander of Nato, cautiously welcomed the pledge, but stressed that any UK deployment must “have the right numbers, the means, and there’s got to be proper capabilities.”

He told LBC this week: “There’s not going to be a peace until Russia is forced into it. At least now there is a clear plan from France and the UK to provide a reassurance force or an enforcement force.”

Other experts have also cautioned that a deployment of 10,000 troops could strain the Regular Army, the RAF, and the Royal Navy, and that significantly larger numbers would be needed to have any real impact on the ground.

We want to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below – the most compelling responses will be featured in the coming days.

Have your say: How ready is the UK to send troops to Ukraine?

Watch: Russia unleashes ‘Oreshnik’ hypersonic missile on freezing civilians

Britain to develop new ballistic missile for Ukraine's defence

The UK has announced it will develop new tactical ballistic missiles under Project Nightfall to put “leading edge weaponsinto the hands of Ukrainians”.

The ballistic missiles will boost Ukraine’s firepower to defend itself from Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war machine, the Ministry of Defence said last night.

“Under Project Nightfall, the UK has launched a competition to rapidly develop ground-launched ballistic missiles with a range of more than 500 kilometres and designed to operate in high-threat battlefields with heavy electromagnetic interference,” it said.

The missiles will allow Ukrainian forces to hit key military targets before Russian forces can respond as the Nightfall missiles will be “capable of being launched from a range of vehicles, firing multiple missiles in quick succession and withdrawing within minutes”, the ministry said.

“With a 200kg conventional high explosive warhead, high precision production rate of 10 systems per month and a maximum price of £800,000 per missile, NIGHTFALL is intended to provide Ukraine with a powerful, cost-effective long-range strike option, with minimal foreign export controls,” the MoD said.

Dark, freezing and depressed: More than a million Ukrainians struggling without heat or water

As Ukraine is gripped by a bitter cold snap, more than one million people have been left without heating and electricity as Russia ramps up attacks on energy infrastructure.

Elderly residents and those with vulnerable family members told The Independent they are cold and unable to cook proper meals as they face temperatures as low as -15C.

Despondent and fearing death, many are struggling through the winter as blackouts plunge Ukraine’s cities into darkness, lit up only by the bright flash of Russian drone and missile attacks.

“It gives you depression,” 33-year-old Dnipro resident Kyril Tulenev says. “You cannot do anything. You cannot check the news. You cannot properly use your things. Sometimes you cannot call anyone because there is no connection.”

Read the full report by Alex Croft:

Dark, freezing and depressed: More than a million Ukrainians struggling without heat or water after Russian attacks

Russian overnight attack sparks fire in Kyiv, Ukraine military says

Russia has launched an overnight air attack on Kyiv, sparking a fire in one of the city's districts, the Ukrainian military said this morning.

Ukrainian air defence units were trying to repel the attack, Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on his Telegram channel.

Britain in talks with Nato to counter Russia and China in the Arctic

Britain is discussing with Nato allies how it can help beef up security in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia and China, a government minister said.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the talks are "business as usual" rather than a response to recent threats by US president Donald Trump to take over Greenland.

Trump has said that he would like to make a deal to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous region of Nato ally Denmark, to prevent Russia or China from taking it over.

He said on Sunday night that making a deal for Greenland would be "easier" and insisted the US needed to acquire it. "One way or the other, we're going to have Greenland," he told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington.

The UK agrees with Trump that Russia and China are increasingly becoming more competitive in the Arctic Circle, Alexander said.

“Whilst we haven't seen the appalling consequences in that part of the world that we've seen in Ukraine, it is really important that we do everything that we can with all of our Nato allies to ensure that we have an effective deterrent in that part of the globe against (Russian president Vladimir) Putin," Alexander told the BBC.

Svyrydenko: 'Not one day in past week without attacks on energy facilities'

Ukraine's energy ministry said on Sunday that Russian forces had attacked the country's power system again during the night, briefly cutting off electricity to the south-eastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

"Not a single day passed this week without attacks on energy facilities and critical infrastructure. A total of 44 attacks were recorded," Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram.

Svyrydenko said the restoration of heat and electricity supplies was proceeding at a record pace, noting significant improvements in Kyiv would require time but could be reached by Thursday

More than 1,000 Kyiv apartment buildings still without heating on Sunday

More than 1,000 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv were still without heating following a devastating Russian attack earlier this week, local authorities said on Sunday.

Russia has intensified bombardments of Ukraine's energy system since it invaded its neighbour in 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had launched 1,100 drones, more than 890 guided aerial bombs and over 50 missiles, including ballistic, cruise and medium-range weapons, against Ukraine over the past week.

On Friday, a missile strike on Kyiv left virtually the entire city without power and heating amid a sharp cold snap, and it was not until Sunday that authorities restored water supplies and partially restored electricity and heating.

Comment: Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble

Shortly before Christmas, the new chief of MI6, Blaise Metreweli, made her first public speech since taking charge. She chose as her subject the multifaceted threat posed by Russia, warning of the growing danger from Vladimir Putin’s regime. “We are operating in a space between peace and war,” she said.

The recently appointed “C” said “the front line is everywhere”, explaining that Putin is provoking a new “age of uncertainty” by busily rewriting the unwritten rules of conflict. “The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in the Russian approach to international engagement,” said Metreweli.

This week has seen the cementing of the axis between the UK, France and Germany with the promise of troops on the ground to monitor peace in Ukraine, a move that is bound to antagonise Putin. Concerns about Russian retaliation are growing still further following the boarding of a tanker in Russia’s “shadow fleet” by US forces off the British coast. The involvement of the Royal Navy will have been noticed and noted in Moscow. The hostility continues to ramp up in intensity.

Chris Blackhurst writes:

Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble

Watch: Trump says the US has to take over Greenland to stop China and Russia invading

UK to develop new deep-strike ballistic missile

The British government said on Sunday that it will develop a new deep-strike ballistic missile for Ukraine to use.

Under the project, named Nightfall, the British government said it has launched a competition to rapidly develop ground-launched ballistic missiles that could carry a 200 kg (440 lb) warhead over a range of more than 310 miles.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: “The attacks overnight on Thursday just go to show how Putin thinks he can act with impunity, targeting civilian areas with advanced weaponry.

“Instead of seriously negotiating a peace, he’s seriously escalating his illegal war.

“We were close enough to hear the air raid sirens around Lviv on our journey to Kyiv, it was a serious moment and a stark reminder of the barrage of drones and missiles hitting Ukrainians in sub-zero conditions.

“We won’t stand for this, which is why we are determined to put leading edge weapons into the hands of Ukrainians as they fight back.”

UK and Nato allies boosting Arctic defence as Trump ramps up Greenland pressure

The UK is working with Nato allies to bolster security in the Arctic, a Cabinet minister said following reports British troops could be sent to Greenland.

US President Donald Trump has insisted he wants control over Greenland and has not ruled out the prospect of using military force to seize the semi-autonomous Danish territory.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said discussions about securing the High North against Russia and China were part of Nato's "business as usual" rather than a response to the US military threat.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that military chiefs are drawing up plans for a possible Nato mission to Greenland which could involve British soldiers, warships and planes being deployed to the island.

But Ms Alexander told BBC One's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg the report "possibly reads something more into business as usual discussions amongst Nato allies than there actually are".

She said the UK agreed with President Trump that the Arctic Circle "is becoming an increasingly contested part of the world with the ambitions of (Vladimir) Putin and China".

"Whilst we haven't seen the appalling consequences in that part of the world that we've seen in Ukraine, it is really important that we do everything that we can with all of our Nato allies to ensure that we have an effective deterrent in that part of the globe against Putin."

Watch: Zelensky claims Russia lost 35,000 military personnel in December

Explained: What you need to know about Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile

The Russian military said it had fired its hypersonic Oreshnik missile at a target in Ukraine in response to what it described as an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences, something Kyiv has called a lie.

It is the second time that Russia has used the intermediate-range Oreshnik, a missile which President Vladimir Putin has boasted is impossible to intercept because of its reported velocity of more than 10 times the speed of sound.

The missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads as well as conventional ones, but there was no suggestion that the one used in the overnight attack had been fitted with anything other than a conventional warhead.

Read more here:

What you need to know about Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile

Ukrainian drone strike kills one and wounds three in Russia's Voronezh

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional governor Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said.

He added that air defences shot down 17 drones over Voronezh, a city that is home to more than one million people and lies some 155 miles (250km) from the Ukrainian border.

Watch: Russian drone attack on Kyiv kills four and triggers fires

How ready is the UK to send troops to Ukraine? Join The Independent Debate

As Prime Minister Keir Starmer signs a historic deal to deploy British troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement with Russia, questions are mounting over whether the UK is ready for such a commitment.

Sir Richard Shirreff, former deputy commander of Nato, cautiously welcomed the pledge, but stressed that any UK deployment must “have the right numbers, the means, and there’s got to be proper capabilities.”

He told LBC this week: “There’s not going to be a peace until Russia is forced into it. At least now there is a clear plan from France and the UK to provide a reassurance force or an enforcement force.”

Other experts have also cautioned that a deployment of 10,000 troops could strain the Regular Army, the RAF, and the Royal Navy, and that significantly larger numbers would be needed to have any real impact on the ground.

We want to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below – the most compelling responses will be featured in the coming days.

Have your say: How ready is the UK to send troops to Ukraine?

Ukraine says it hit 3 drilling platforms operated by Russian oil giant

Ukraine's general staff said on Sunday that its forces hit three drilling platforms operated by Russian oil giant Lukoil in the waters of the Caspian Sea.

Ukraine's long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion.

Watch: Zelensky warns Russia is 'betting on winter warfare' as new attack looms

UK commits £200m to prepare British troops for Ukraine deployment

The UK will spend £200 million preparing British troops for deployment to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, the Defence Secretary has announced.

John Healey was speaking after a one-day visit to Kyiv on Friday, where he discussed plans for the Multinational Force Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The money will pay for upgrades to vehicles and communications systems, counter-drone protection and other equipment to ensure troops are ready to deploy.

Read more here:

UK commits £200m to prepare British troops for Ukraine deployment

Sweden to invest $1.6 billion in air defence systems

Sweden will spend 15 billion Swedish crowns ($1.6 billion) on air defence aimed at primarily protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, the government said on Sunday.

Sweden has, like most European countries, invested heavily in defence following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, Sweden's vast territory has remained vulnerable to aerial threats.

"The experience from the war in Ukraine clearly shows how crucial a robust and resilient air defence is," defence minister Pal Jonson told reporters at a security conference in northern Sweden.

He said Sweden would buy short-range air defence systems to protect cities, bridges, power plants and other critical infrastructure.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson criticised the US administration's "threatening rhetoric" against Greenland and Denmark, saying the US should thank Denmark for being a loyal ally.

Watch: UK defence secretary admonishes Putin for 'brutal' drone attacks on Ukraine

Dark, freezing and depressed: More than a million Ukrainians struggling without heat or water after Russian attacks

As Ukraine is gripped by a bitter cold snap, more than one million people have been left without heating and electricity as Russia ramps up attacks on energy infrastructure.

Elderly residents and those with vulnerable family members told The Independent they are cold and unable to cook proper meals as they face temperatures as low as -15C.

Despondent and fearing death, many are struggling through the winter as blackouts plunge Ukraine’s cities into darkness, lit up only by the bright flash of Russian drone and missile attacks.

Alex Croft reports:

Dark, cold, depressed: The Ukrainians without heat or water after Russian attacks

Russia attacked Ukraine's energy grid every day this week, ministry says

Ukraine's energy ministry said Russian forces had attacked the country's power system again during the night, briefly cutting off electricity to the south-eastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

"Not a single day passed this week without attacks on energy facilities and critical infrastructure. A total of 44 attacks were recorded," Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram.

Svyrydenko said the restoration of heat and electricity supplies was proceeding at a record pace, noting significant improvements in Kyiv would require time but could be reached by Thursday.

War's fourth winter could be coldest and darkest yet

The war's fourth winter could be the coldest and darkest yet, with the accumulated damage to Ukraine’s energy grid bringing utilities to the brink and temperatures, already below-12C, set to plunge to -20C later this week.

"Restoration work is ongoing. However, the energy supply situation in the capital remains very difficult," Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said on Telegram.

"According to forecasts, the severe frosts are not expected to subside in the coming days. Therefore, the difficult situation in the capital will continue," he added.

Zelensky accuses Russia of 'cynical terror specifically against civilians' amid freezing weather

President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of deliberately waiting for freezing weather to make things worse for the Ukrainian people.

He described Russia launching more than 2,000 drones, bombs and missiles against Ukraine over the past week as “a cynical Russian terror specifically against civilians”.

Moscow made no immediate response.