Ukrainian forces fired Flamingo missiles at Russian oil facilities in a fresh wave of overnight strikes, the military has said on Thursday.
This included strikes on the Morskoy Neftyanoy oil terminal in occupied Crimea and an oil depot in occupied Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine’s General Staff said.
The attack came as top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said the Russian army overran three settlements in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and Ukrainian units are locked in “grueling battles” to repel the thrust.
“Last night, several long-range strike systems were launched, including the domestically developed Flamingo, Bars and Lyutyi,” the military said.
The scale of the damage is still being assessed, it added.
This comes as Ukrainian forces pulled back from several positions in the southern Zaporizhzhia region amid heavy fighting and adverse weather.
Russia is taking advantage of the weather to advance in small groups, moving on foot or motorcycles, with the adverse weather preventing Ukrainian forces from deploying drones against them.
Key Points
- Kyiv fires long-range Flamingo missiles in attack on Russian oil facilities
- Russia's Lukoil gains buyers ahead of US sanctions deadline
- Ukraine's foreign minister presses G7 allies for support as Russia targets energy grid before winter
- Kremlin confirms UK-Russia call but dialogue failed
- Zelensky fires ministers over Ukraine energy corruption scandal
- Russia makes gains in southern Ukraine as it expands frontline attacks
Major Russia port operator says system targeted by foreign hackers
18:00 , Alex CroftRussia's Port Alliance group, which operates a network of sea cargo terminals, said on Thursday that foreign hackers had targeted its systems over three days in a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack and an attempted hack.
It said in a statement that critical elements of its digital infrastructure had been targeted with the aim of disrupting export shipments of coal and mineral fertilisers at its sea terminals in the Baltic, Black Sea, Far East and Arctic regions.
The attack was successfully repelled and operations remained unaffected, Port Alliance said.
Denial of service is among the web's most basic form of attack and it works by simply overwhelming targeted servers with a firehose of bogus requests for data, making it impossible for legitimate web traffic to get through.
Russian authorities and state companies have regularly reported attempted DDoS and hacking attacks from abroad since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine and some Western countries have in turn accused Russia of launching cyberattacks.
Port Alliance group operates cargo terminals at five Russian ports.
IMF to start mission to Ukraine soon
17:31 , Alex CroftThe International Monetary Fund will start a staff mission to Ukraine soon to discuss its financing needs and a potential new lending program, spokesperson Julie Kozack said on Thursday, underscoring the need for continued anti-corruption efforts in the war-torn country.
Ukrainian prime minister Yuliia Svyrydenko on Thursday announced an audit of all state-owned companies, including in the energy sector, following an alleged $100 million corruption scandal that has led to the suspension of two cabinet ministers.
Anti-corruption authorities said this week they had detained five people and identified two others still at large, suspected of involvement in the alleged plot to control procurement at nuclear agency Energoatom and other state enterprises.
Ms Kozack told reporters at a regular briefing that the IMF staff mission would center on policies to safeguard Ukraine's macroeconomic stability and ensure its debt sustainability, with a focus on reforms to promote domestic revenue mobilization and to strengthen governance and combat corruption.
"We've been saying for some time that Ukraine needs a robust anti-corruption architecture to level the playing field, safeguard public resources, improve the business climate and attract investment," Ms Kozack said, calling efforts to fight corruption a central requirement for Ukraine's donors.
Inside Ukraine’s start-up weapons industry rising from the ashes
17:01 , Alex CroftAfter nearly four years of bitter war, Ukraine’s defence industry has more understanding than most of the demands of the modern battlefield.
The latest innovation is a cruise missile with a range of 3,000km and a payload of over a tonne, used in strikes deep into Russian territory.
Where weapons from allies come with conditions, Kyiv can fire the FP-5 Flamingo missile at any target it wants.
With arms supplies from the West so uncertain, Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine now makes about 60 per cent of its own weapons.
World affairs editor Sam Kiley reports from Kyiv:
Inside Ukraine’s start-up weapons industry rising from the ashes
Eastern Ukraine is a 'major challenge' - Zelensky
16:30 , Alex CroftUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has given an update on the frontline situation in Ukraine, as he visits the region of Zaporizhzhia just kilometres from Russian positions.
“Eastern Ukraine is, without a doubt, a major challenge,” he said in an update on X.
“And here, on the Orikhiv direction, it has always been intense. I thank all the soldiers, officers, and sergeants for defending this sector – the entire Zaporizhzhia region, and the city of Zaporizhzhia, which is so important.”
During my working visit to the Zaporizhzhia region, I held a security briefing with the military command. The main focus was on the operational situation in the South, the tasks for brigades and regiments, along with military and personnel measures to stabilize the situation in… pic.twitter.com/BAxWjjRI02
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 13, 2025
Kyiv to audit state companies after graft scandal, says PM
16:01 , Alex CroftUkrainian prime minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on Thursday that her government would carry out an audit of all state-owned companies, including energy ones, following a major corruption scandal that has led to the suspension of two cabinet ministers.
"We are preparing a comprehensive solution for all state-owned companies, including energy companies. We are conducting an audit and have instructed the supervisory boards to check the status of work, especially in the area of procurement," she said in a video published on the Telegram app.
Kyiv fires long-range Flamingo missiles in attack on Russian oil facilities
15:43 , Alex CroftUkrainian forces fired domestically-produced missiles, including the Flamingo, in a wave of attacks on Russian targets overnight, the military has said.
This includes an attack on the Morskoy Neftyanoy Terminal oil storage facility in occupied Crimea.
A helicopter parking site and other military facilities, including the Kirovske airfield, were also struck.
“Last night, several long-range strike systems were launched, including the domestically developed Flamingo, Bars and Lyutyi,” the Ukrainian army’s general staff said in a social media update.
"Units from the Ukrainian defence forces struck several dozen targets in Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine on the night of 12-13 November as part of efforts to reduce the military, economic and offensive capabilities of Russia, the aggressor state,” the Ukrainian army’s general staff said.
Another oil depot near Berdyansk in the Zaporizhzhia region was hit, as were several targets inside Russia.
The scale of the damage is still being assessed, the military added.
Lavrov hopes Washington will take no steps to escalate Ukraine war
14:31 , Alex CroftRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said he hoped Washington would take no actions liable to escalate the Ukraine conflict.
Lavrov said US president Donald Trump had long advocated dialogue with Russia, had sought to fully understand the Russian position on Ukraine and "demonstrated a commitment to finding a sustainable peaceful solution".
"We are counting on common sense and that the maintaining of that position will prevail in Washington and that they will refrain from actions that could escalate the conflict to a new level," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian state news agency TASS.
The Russian minister did not acknowledge Moscow’s role in increasingly attacking Ukraine in its winter offensive.
Lavrov's comments were originally part of an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera. Tass said the Italian daily had declined to publish the interview.
Lavrov said Trump had acknowledged that one of the reasons behind Russia's actions was enlargement of the Nato alliance and the deployment of its infrastructure close to its border.
"In essence, that is what Russian president Vladimir Putin and Russia have been warning about for the last 20 years," Lavrov was quoted as saying.
Bulletin | Zelensky fires ministers as outrage grows over Ukraine energy corruption scandal
14:00 , Alex CroftRead our Bulletin on Volodymyr Zelensky’s corruption scandal, bringing you all you need to know in just five bullet points...
Zelenskyy fires ministers as outrage grows over corruption scandal
Watch: Russia ‘human’ robot falls on stage during debut
13:28 , Alex CroftBulgarian parliament overrules presidential attempt to takeover sanctioned oil refinery
12:57 , Alex CroftThe Bulgarian parliament has overruled a presidential veto on legislation allowing the government to take control of Lukoil's oil refinery and sell it to shield the asset from looming US sanctions.
The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Britain imposed sanctions last month on Lukoil and Rosneft, Russia's two biggest oil companies, escalating pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine and threatening their operations across Europe.
Lawmakers approved changes last week giving a government-appointed commercial manager powers to oversee the continued operation of Lukoil's refinery in Bulgaria beyond November 21, when the U.S. sanctions are due to take effect, and to sell the company if needed.
President Rumen Radev vetoed the bill on Wednesday, warning it lacked safeguards against future financial claims against the state.
Parliament rejected his objections by 128 votes to 59 on Thursday, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reported.
Zelensky discusses Ukraine energy scandal with German chancellor
12:25 , Alex CroftGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky have discussed an energy scandal that has engulfed the latter's government on the phone, the German government said in a statement on Thursday.
Mr Zelensky pledged complete transparency, long-term support for independent anti-corruption authorities and further swift measures to regain the trust of the Ukrainian people, European partners and international donors, the statement said.
"The chancellor emphasized the German government's expectation that Ukraine would vigorously pursue the fight against corruption and further reforms, particularly in the area of the rule of law," it added.
Watch: Russian troops roll into Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in 'Mad Max-style'
11:56 , Alex CroftMoscow claims control over two Ukrainian settlements
11:30 , Alex CroftRussia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its forces had captured two Ukrainian settlements in northeastern and central Ukraine.
The towns named were Synelnykove in the Kharkiv region and Danylivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The Independent could not independently verify the battlefield report, but authoritative Ukrainian battlefield map DeepState shows Russian forces on the outskirts of Synelnykove.
Ukraine will have to negotiate 'sooner or later', says Kremlin
11:06 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin has said Ukraine will have to negotiate with Russia "sooner or later" and predicted that Kyiv's negotiating position would get worse by the day.
Moscow, whose forces are trying to take control of the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, has accused Ukrainian officials of refusing to engage in peace talks. Kyiv says Moscow's terms to end the war are unacceptable and tantamount to asking it to surrender.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that Russia remained open to a political and diplomatic settlement and wanted peace.
But in the absence of such an opportunity, he said Russia would continue fighting in order to protect its own security for the benefit of future generations.
"The Ukrainian side should know that sooner or later it will have to negotiate, but from a much worse position. The position of the Kyiv regime will deteriorate day by day," Peskov said.
Russia says it foiled Ukrainian-British plot to steal MiG-31 jet
10:40 , Alex CroftRussia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had foiled a plot by Ukrainian and British spies to tempt Russian pilots to steal a MiG-31 jet armed with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile for $3 million, state media reported on Tuesday.
The RIA news agency cited the FSB as saying that the hijacked jet was to be flown toward a NATO air base in the Romanian city of Constanta, where it could have been shot down by air defences.
The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said Ukraine and Britain had planned a large-scale "provocation" using the hijacked aircraft, and that Ukrainian military intelligence had sought to recruit Russian pilots for $3 million to steal the fighter.
"The measures taken have thwarted the Ukrainian and British intelligence services’ plans for a large-scale provocation," RIA cited the FSB as saying.
Read more here:
Russia says it foiled Ukrainian-British plot to steal MiG-31 jet
EU must listen to Belgian concerns on Russian frozen assets, Dutch Minister says
10:14 , Alex CroftThe European Union needs to listen to Belgium's concerns over using Russian frozen assets to help Ukraine, Dutch finance minister Eelco Heinen told reporters on Thursday ahead of a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels.
The European proposal to use Russian frozen assets to help Ukraine is being held up due to concerns from Belgium, where most of the assets are parked.
Belgium has demanded financial guarantees from EU capitals against the loan, but the European Commission’s top brass failing to convince the Belgian leadership to get on board with the plan last Friday, Politico reported.
Kremlin says contacts with Britain failed to develop
09:49 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin has confirmed this week that there was contact between Britain’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov - but that the talks failed to develop into a sustained dialogue.
The Financial Times reported that Powell had sought to establish a back channel to Moscow amid concerns in Britain and Europe that the administration of US president Donald Trump might sideline their interests on Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Britain had shown little interest in engaging with Russia’s perspective on the conflict.
“There were indeed contacts,” Peskov said. “A dialogue took place, but it did not continue.”
Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces spokesperson says situation 'quite difficult'
09:21 , Alex CroftFighting has intensified in the Orikhiv and Huliaipole sectors of the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region, with up to 50 clashes reported daily.
Russian units continue to launch assaults and infiltration attempts as they try to press their advantage before winter.
Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces, said Russian troops are carrying out heavy bombardments.
“They have destroyed all existing fortifications and shelters, forcing us to withdraw from several positions,” he said.
Ukrainian forces have moved to secondary lines to stabilise the front.
Voloshyn described the situation as “quite difficult,” with Russian troops pushing to advance deeper into Ukrainian territory.
Ukrainian troops withdraw from several villages in Zaporizhzhia amid heavy fighting - ICYMI
08:56 , Alex CroftUkrainian forces have pulled back from several positions in the southern Zaporizhzhia region amid heavy fighting, a military spokesperson said.
The retreat marks another shift in the front line as Russian troops push forward in south-eastern Ukraine.
Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces, told public broadcaster Suspilne that troops had “completely withdrawn” from the villages of Uspenivka and Novomykolaivka.
“Very fierce fighting continues for Yablukove and several other locations,” he said.
“The defensive operation is ongoing, and the contact line remains dynamic.”
Reparation loan using frozen Russian assets best way to finance Ukraine - EU chief
08:32 , Alex CroftA reparations loan based on immobilised Russian assets is the most effective option to fund Ukraine’s financing needs, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said.
EU member states have two other options, including using "headroom" in its budget to raise capital, or for an agreement among member states to raise capital by themselves, she said in a speech in European Parliament.
"Option three is to have a reparations loan based on immobilised Russian assets. We give a loan to Ukraine, that Ukraine pays back if Russia pays reparations," she said.
"This is the most effective way to sustain Ukraine's defence and its economy."
Lavrov hopes Washington will not do anything escalate war
08:00 , James ReynoldsRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published late on Wednesday that he hoped Washington would take no actions liable to escalate the Ukraine conflict.
Lavrov said U.S. President Donald Trump had long advocated dialogue with Russia, had sought to fully understand the Russian position on Ukraine and "demonstrated a commitment to finding a sustainable peaceful solution".
Lavrov said Trump had acknowledged that one of the reasons behind Russia's actions was the enlargement of the NATO alliance and the deployment of its infrastructure close to its border.
Europe, he said, was "sabotaging all peacemaking efforts and are rejecting direct contacts with Moscow. They introduce new sanctions which boomerang on their economies even further. They're openly preparing for a new major European war against Russia."
Lavrov's comments were originally part of an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera. Tass said the Italian daily had declined to publish the interview.
Ukrainian ministers submit resignations amid $100m corruption scandal
07:27 , James ReynoldsUkraine’s justice and energy ministers submitted their resignations amid a high profile corruption scandal.
Anti-corruption watchdogs, which president Zelensky had tried to weaken earlier this year, revealed the findings of a 15-month investigation, resulting in the detention of five people, and another seven linked to about $100m in kickbacks in the energy sector.
Read the full story:
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Ukraine’s top ministers submit resignations amid $100m corruption scandal
Russia's Lukoil gains buyers ahead of US sanctions deadline
06:55 , Arpan RaiThe foreign assets of Russian oil major Lukoil are attracting potential bidders from Egypt to Kazakhstan as time runs out to clear deals before US authorities enforce sanctions.
The US has hit Lukoil with sanctions as part of its effort to bring the Kremlin to peace talks over Ukraine, and has already blocked Lukoil's attempt to sell foreign assets to trader Gunvor ahead of the 21 November sanctions deadline.
The sanctions have also already disrupted Lukoil's operations in Iraq, at pump stations in Finland and a refinery in Bulgaria.
As its empire creaks, governments and partners are hoping to snap up its foreign assets on the cheap.
Washington late last month hit Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia's two biggest oil companies, with sanctions in a move underlining Washington's intent to squeeze Russia financially and force it towards a peace deal that would end the war on Ukraine.
Watch: Russian troops roll into Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in 'Mad Max-style'
06:30 , Arpan RaiRussia stands to gain very little from the bloody battle for Pokrovsk
06:12 , Arpan RaiNot a word of what the Russian defence ministry says is credible. Its claims that Russian troops have surrounded Ukrainian forces in Pokrovsk, Kostyantynivka and Kupiansk, in eastern Ukraine, are agitprop.
But Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement from the front line that his country’s fighters are “under pressure” is something of an understatement.
Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, told the New York Post that Russia was concentrating some 150,000 troops on a drive to capture the town, which is much prized by Russia.
Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Russian troops may have already successfully infiltrated the three tactically important towns.
Kupiansk is on Russia’s route towards Kharkiv. The other two control the eastern and southern routes to the last remaining Ukrainian redoubts in Donetsk – Kramatorsk and Slaviansk.
Vladimir Putin has thrown a massive effort into the fight for Donetsk, which Moscow has already illegally “annexed”.
Russia stands to gain very little from the bloody battle for Pokrovsk
Ukrainian forces fighting grueling battles in Zaporizhzhia
06:07 , Arpan RaiThe Russian army overran three settlements in the southern Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, Kyiv's top military commander said in the latest battlefield update yesterday, as Moscow's forces expand their efforts to capture more Ukrainian territory.
Dense fog enabled Russian troops to infiltrate Ukrainian positions in Zaporizhzhia, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote on the messaging app Telegram, adding that Ukrainian units are locked in "grueling battles" to repel the Russian thrust.
He noted, however, that the fiercest battles are still in the besieged Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, in the eastern Donetsk region, where close to half of all front-line clashes took place over the previous 24 hours.
The cities of Kupiansk and Lyman in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region have also recently witnessed an uptick in combat.
Russia's air defence units destroy 130 Ukrainian drones overnight
05:45 , Arpan RaiRussia's air defence units destroyed and intercepted 130 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian regions, the country’s defence ministry said in an early morning update.
Of these, at least one drone targeted Moscow and seven targeted Crimea, the defence ministry said.
Russia does not disclose the total number of drones used in attacks to target its various cities.
Kremlin confirms UK-Russia call but dialogue failed
05:18 , Arpan RaiThe Kremlin said there had been contact between Britain's national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov but that the dialogue did not work out.
The Financial Times reported that Powell had tried to open up a back channel to the Kremlin because Britain and its European allies feared the administration of US president Donald Trump could sideline their interests over Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Britain had shown no desire to listen to Russia's position on the Ukraine conflict.
“There were indeed contacts," Peskov said. "A dialogue took place, but it did not continue."
He did not say when the conversation took place.
“During this contact there was an acute desire of the interlocutor to talk about the position of the Europeans and there was a lack of any intention or desire to listen to our position,” Peskov said.
“Given the impossibility of exchanging views, the mutual dialogue has not developed,” he said.
Two Ukrainian ministers quit over £76m corruption scandal
05:08 , Arpan RaiTwo Ukrainian ministers have resigned from their positions in the Kyiv government after a £76m energy sector corruption scandal linked to a key ally of president Volodymyr Zelensky broke out.
Justice minister German Galushchenko and the energy minister Svitlana Hrynchuk quit yesterday after Mr Zelensky called for their dismissal.
The president said that he supported anti-graft agencies in their investigation into energy sector corruption.
"First of all, there should be maximum transparency in the energy sector, in all processes absolutely," Zelensky said in a video address. "It is very difficult for everyone in Ukraine now. It is absolutely abnormal that there are still some schemes in the energy sector,” he said.
Justice minister Galushchenko earlier said on Facebook he supported his suspension as "a civilised and appropriate scenario" and vowed to defend himself, without sharing more details of the probe.
Lavrov hopes Washington will take no steps to escalate Ukraine war
04:58 , Arpan RaiRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said he hoped Washington would take no actions liable to escalate the Ukraine conflict.
Lavrov said US president Donald Trump had long advocated dialogue with Russia, had sought to fully understand the Russian position on Ukraine and "demonstrated a commitment to finding a sustainable peaceful solution".
"We are counting on common sense and that the maintaining of that position will prevail in Washington and that they will refrain from actions that could escalate the conflict to a new level," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian state news agency TASS.
The Russian minister did not acknowledge Moscow’s role in increasingly attacking Ukraine in its winter offensive.
Lavrov's comments were originally part of an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera. Tass said the Italian daily had declined to publish the interview.
Lavrov said Trump had acknowledged that one of the reasons behind Russia's actions was enlargement of the Nato alliance and the deployment of its infrastructure close to its border.
"In essence, that is what Russian president Vladimir Putin and Russia have been warning about for the last 20 years," Lavrov was quoted as saying.
Putin's troops spreading resources in bid to capture Pokrovsk
04:34 , Arpan RaiThe Institute for the Study of War said Russia's siege of Pokrovsk, where it has deployed elite drone operators and "spetsnaz" special forces soldiers, has been slow-moving because its military commanders are spreading their resources widely.
Russia is pursuing several offensive operations across the theater simultaneously and is having difficulty extending logistical operations, the Washington-based think tank said late Tuesday.
Russia's corrosive war of attrition has been costly in terms of casualties and armour, however, and Ukraine has held it to incremental battlefield gains.
Ukraine corruption scandal 'extremely unfortunate,' EU's Kallas says
04:17 , Arpan RaiThe energy corruption scandal in Ukraine was “extremely unfortunate” and it was important that Kyiv takes it seriously, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called for the dismissal of two cabinet ministers on Wednesday amid a probe into an alleged $100m corruption scheme that has fuelled fresh public anger at the country’s government.
“They are acting very forcefully. There is no room for corruption, especially now. I mean, it is literally the people's money that should go to the front lines,” Kallas said on the sidelines of a meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers in Canada.
“I think what is very important that they really proceed with this very fast and take it very seriously,” she added.
Russia's Lukoil gains buyers ahead of US sanctions deadline
03:58 , Arpan RaiThe foreign assets of Russian oil major Lukoil are attracting potential bidders from Egypt to Kazakhstan as time runs out to clear deals before US authorities enforce sanctions.
The US has hit Lukoil with sanctions as part of its effort to bring the Kremlin to peace talks over Ukraine, and has already blocked Lukoil's attempt to sell foreign assets to trader Gunvor ahead of the 21 November sanctions deadline.
The sanctions have also already disrupted Lukoil's operations in Iraq, at pump stations in Finland and a refinery in Bulgaria.
As its empire creaks, governments and partners are hoping to snap up its foreign assets on the cheap.
Washington late last month hit Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia's two biggest oil companies, with sanctions in a move underlining Washington's intent to squeeze Russia financially and force it towards a peace deal that would end the war on Ukraine.
Canada pushes forth with support for Ukraine at G7
03:50 , Arpan RaiCanada has led the momentum on calling for measures to support Ukraine and weaken Russia’s war on the country as the G7 nations met in Niagara-on-the-Lake, near the US border.
The G7 ministers said in a joint statement at the conclusion of the two-day gathering that they are increasing the economic costs to Russia and exploring measures against those who finance Russia's war efforts.
Canada announced more sanctions against Russia, including targeting those involved in the development and deployment of drones, and Britain, a day earlier, pledged money for Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
"We are doing whatever is necessary to support Ukraine," Canadian foreign minister Anita Anand said.
The foreign ministers of the G7 met with Ukraine's foreign minister yesterday as Kyiv tries to fend off Russian aerial attacks that have brought rolling blackouts across the country. Andriy Sybiha said Ukraine needs the support of its partners to survive what will be a "very difficult, very tough winter."
“We have to move forward to pressure Russia, to raise the price for the aggression, for Russia, for (Russian president Vladimir) Putin, to end this war," Sybiha said.
Ukrainian forces fighting grueling battles in Zaporizhzhia
03:40 , Arpan RaiThe Russian army overran three settlements in the southern Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, Kyiv's top military commander said in the latest battlefield update yesterday, as Moscow's forces expand their efforts to capture more Ukrainian territory.
Dense fog enabled Russian troops to infiltrate Ukrainian positions in Zaporizhzhia, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote on the messaging app Telegram, adding that Ukrainian units are locked in "grueling battles" to repel the Russian thrust.
He noted, however, that the fiercest battles are still in the besieged Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, in the eastern Donetsk region, where close to half of all front-line clashes took place over the previous 24 hours.
The cities of Kupiansk and Lyman in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region have also recently witnessed an uptick in combat.
Watch: Russian troops roll into Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in 'Mad Max-style'
03:20 , Arpan RaiZelensky calls for dismissal of ministers amid corruption probe
02:45 , Tom BarnesUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for the dismissal of Ukraine's justice and energy ministers, saying that he supported anti-graft agencies in their investigation into energy sector corruption.
“First of all, there should be maximum transparency in the energy sector, in all processes absolutely," Zelensky said in a video address.
“It is very difficult for everyone in Ukraine now. It is absolutely abnormal that there are still some schemes in the energy sector."
Justice minister German Galushchenko earlier said on Facebook he supported his suspension as "a civilised and appropriate scenario" and vowed to defend himself, without sharing more details of the probe.
SBU uncovers alleged FSB agent from Crimea plotting terrorist attacks in Kyiv
01:35 , Tom BarnesUkraine’s Security Service (SBU) has uncovered an alleged Russian FSB agent from Crimea who was reportedly planning a series of terrorist attacks in Kyiv, the agency announced.
Investigators said the plot targeted major shopping and entertainment centres, as well as one of the capital’s metro stations.
The suspect, a Crimean resident, allegedly began working with the FSB after Russia’s 2014 occupation of the peninsula and sought to recruit “like-minded” individuals, including Ukrainian citizens from occupied territories exempt from mobilisation due to age.
Ukraine's foreign minister presses G7 allies for support as Russia targets energy grid before winter
00:44 , Tom BarnesTop diplomats from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised democracies met with Ukraine's foreign minister Wednesday as Kyiv tries to fend off relentless Russian aerial attacks that have brought rolling blackouts across the country ahead of winter, AP reports.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiha said at the start of a meeting on Ukraine and defence cooperation, which US secretary of state Marco Rubio and his counterparts attended, that Kyiv needs to overcome what will be a "very difficult, very tough winter."
"We need the support of our partners," Sybiha said. "We have to move forward to pressure Russia, to raise the price for the aggression, for Russia, for Putin, to end this war."
Ukraine's nuclear energy company says operations unaffected by $100M graft probe
Wednesday 12 November 2025 23:45 , Tom AmbroseUkraine’s nuclear energy company said Tuesday its operations are unaffected by a major graft investigation into the country’s power sector that is centering on alleged kickbacks worth some $100 million.
Energoatom, a state-owned enterprise which generates more than a half of Ukraine’s energy supply, said in a statement that the probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau has not disrupted production or operational safety.
Its assurances came a day after the agency revealed some details of a 15-month investigation into suspected corruption in the energy sector, including at Energoatom.
Ukraine's nuclear energy company says operations unaffected by $100M graft probe
Three years after liberation, Ukraine's Kherson faces another kind of siege
Wednesday 12 November 2025 22:30 , Tom AmbroseMost of the streets of Kherson are empty now. Three years after the liberation ended a nine-month Russian occupation, the city that once erupted in joy has sunk into a wary stillness — a place where daily life unfolds behind walls or underground.
On Nov. 11, 2022, people poured into the main square of the southern Ukrainian port city, waving blue-and-yellow flags and embracing the soldiers who had freed them after the months under Russian control. They believed the worst was over.
Instead, the war changed shape. From across the Dnipro River, Russian troops strike with regular intensity — and drones now prowl the skies above a city of broken windows and empty courtyards.
Three years after liberation, Ukraine's Kherson faces another kind of siege
The tech companies racing to arm Europe against rising drone warfare threat
Wednesday 12 November 2025 21:30 , Tom AmbroseDeep within a warehouse in northern Denmark, over 1,500 kilometres from Ukraine’s capital, workers are meticulously assembling advanced anti-drone technology.
These sophisticated devices are destined for two critical fronts. Some will be dispatched to Kyiv to counter Russian battlefield technology. While others are earmarked for deployment across Europe, addressing the unsettling surge of mysterious drone incursions into Nato airspace that has put the entire continent on high alert.
Two Danish companies, whose operations were once predominantly defence-related, are now experiencing a significant surge in new clients.
These clients are urgently seeking to deploy their advanced technology to protect critical sites such as airports, military installations, and vital national infrastructure, all of which have been subjected to concerning drone flyovers in recent weeks.
The tech companies racing to arm Europe against rising drone warfare threat
