Emmanuel Macron has said that he believes that a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine could be struck as early as next year, as he announced that Kyiv had purchased 100 fighter jets in a landmark deal.
Speaking to reporters at the Elysee Palace at a press conference with Volodymyr Zelensky, the French President said he hoped that an agreement could be reached before the French presidential election in April 2027.
The Ukrainian president touched down in Paris on Monday morning, where he was greeted by his French counterpart to seal deals on the supply of air-defence capabilities, warplanes and missiles.
Within hours of his touch down, Mr Zelensky announced that Kyiv would order the twin-engined jets, with the news later confirmed by Élysée Palace.
The Rafale is a twin-engine jet built by Dassault Aviation, and typically used for a wide range of missions including air superiority, nuclear deterrence and close air support.
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Key Points
- Ukraine to order 100 French Rafale fighter jets, says Zelensky
- Fires erupt after Russian attack on Odesa port and energy facilities
- Polish railway line explodes in 'unprecedented act of sabotage', says PM
- Zelensky greeted by Macron in Paris ahead of talks
- Russia claims major gains in Zaporizhzhia as troops push forward
EU chief proposes three options to finance Ukraine
03:10 , Arpan RaiEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a letter to European Union governments that there are three options for meeting Ukraine's financing needs, including a loan using frozen Russian assets.
“We have identified three main options, i.e. support to be financed by Member States via grants, a limited recourse loan funded by the Union borrowing on the financial markets, or a limited recourse loan linked to the cash balances of immobilised assets," von der Leyen said in the letter, seen by Reuters.
In an options paper attached to the letter, von der Leyen added that "the three options are not mutually exclusive. They can be combined or sequenced".
“Given the urgency of the situation, varying complexity of the options, and the need to start disbursements by the second quarter of 2026, any selected option could be designed as transitional and time limited," she said in the paper.
Her letter comes after EU leaders agreed last month to fulfil Ukraine’s urgent financial needs for the next two years. However, they did not endorse a plan to use frozen Russian assets after Belgium objected to it being used to fund a giant loan to Kyiv.
Leaders from all EU countries except Hungary asked the Commission to come up with options for financially supporting Ukraine.
Putin ally Viktor Orban claims Ukraine has ‘no chance’ of winning war
02:56 , Arpan RaiViktor Orban has claimed that Ukraine has “no chance” of winning against Russia’s invasion in a pointed attack on EU leaders he accused of prolonging the conflict.
The Hungarian prime minister argued that European leaders “would like to continue the war” by diverting aid to Kyiv, a move he said “kills” the EU and derided as “financially... crazy”.
“The situation and the time is better for the Russians than for us. Don’t continue. Stop it as soon as we can,” he told Mathias Dopfner on the MD Meets podcast, aired on Saturday.
Orban said Europe was “totally wrong” to continue to support Ukraine under the belief that the situation on the frontline would improve, creating better circumstances for negotiation.
Putin ally Viktor Orban claims Ukraine has ‘no chance’ of winning war
Trump would back Russia sanctions bill if he retains final authority
02:52 , Arpan RaiPresident Donald Trump is willing to sign legislation to impose sanctions on Russia as long as he retains ultimate decision-making authority over any such measures, a senior White House official said.
Trump told reporters late on Sunday that it was "OK with me" that Republicans were working on legislation to impose sanctions on countries doing business with Russia over Moscow's failure to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.
These comments from the US president could clear the way for the legislation to move forward in Congress.
Leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives have held off bringing the legislation to a vote as Trump has preferred instead to impose tariffs on goods imported from India, the world's second-leading buyer of Russian oil after China.
Asked if Trump was now ready to back the legislation, the White House official said: "He would sign it. He signalled that last night.
“But the White House will insist on specific language ensuring that Trump retains control over the sanctions, the official said.
"It's always been important to the White House and the president that there's a carve-out in the sanctions package that ensures the president has the ultimate decision-making authority on the sanctions," they said. “So as long as that is included, I think the president would entertain signing the bill.”
‘Foreign state’ behind explosion on Polish railway track used to send weapons to Ukraine, says minister
02:45 , Arpan RaiAn explosion that damaged a Polish railway track en route to Ukraine was the work of a “foreign state”, a Polish minister said on Monday.
Poland’s security services minister, Tomasz Siemoniak, said the attack on a section of the track near Mika village marked “a new stage of threatening the railway infrastructure”.
Earlier on Monday, prime minister Donald Tusk said the track was “crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine” and branded the attack “an act of sabotage”.
A train driver had reported damage on the railway line on Sunday, local police said. The damaged stretch was some 80 miles from the Polish-Ukrainian border.
‘Foreign state’ behind explosion on Polish railway track, says minister
Russia has dealt with consequences of Ukrainian attack on Black Sea port, says Kremlin
02:00 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin said on Monday that Russia had the capacity to quickly deal with the consequences of a Ukrainian attack on its port of Novorossiysk and to resume export activities.
Two industry sources said and LSEG data showed that the port resumed oil loadings on Sunday after a two-day suspension triggered by the Ukrainian attack.
Sources from Ukraine’s SSU security service told Ukrainska Pravda that it had destroyed four launchers for an S-400 Triumph air defence missile system and two radars in the Russian Black Sea port city on 14 November.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joins advisory board of Ukraine’s leading defense company amid probe
01:00 , Alex CroftFormer US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has joined the advisory board of Ukraine’s leading defence company, renowned for its long-range drones capable of striking targets deep inside Russia, as a corruption investigation continues.
In an effort to enhance its international reputation, Fire Point, which produces the Ukrainian Flamingo cruise missile, is establishing a new factory in Denmark and bringing prominent industry figures on board. It also aims to expand its operations to produce battle-tested cruise missiles, with plans to more than double its current capacity.
However, public scrutiny remains intense during an ongoing corruption investigation. Fire Point’s executives insist they have nothing to hide and are operating under strict martial law protocols, even commissioning an independent audit to appease investigators.
Read more about Mr Pompeo’s new role here.
Rafale fighter jet deal part of 10-year agreement - Reuters
00:00 , Alex CroftReuters is reporting that France’s provision of multi-role Rafale fighter jets will be part of a 10-year strategic aviation agreement, citing two people briefed on the batter.
Some could come directly from French stocks, although the bulk would be longer-term and part of Ukraine's efforts to increase its long-term fleet to 250 warplanes, including the US F-16 and Sweden's Gripen, they said.
Operating the advanced jets would take time given the rigorous training programme for pilots.
There have been talks for several weeks to see how France could provide more military support for Ukraine's air defences, although Macron's government is grappling with political and budgetary instability, raising questions over how much France can actually do.
Macron pledged last month to offer more Mirage fighter jets, after initially promising to deliver six, and a new batch of Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles, produced by European group MBDA, for the SAMP/T air-defence batteries operated by Ukraine.
Kremlin says it is hoping for Putin-Trump meeting soon
Monday 17 November 2025 23:00 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin said on Monday that it hoped another summit between Russian president Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump could take place soon.
The pair last met in August at highly-anticipated summit in Alaska, where they failed to reach a resolution on the war in Ukraine.
Last month they announced plans for a summit in Budapest but Trump cancelled it soon afterwards.
Briefing reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said on Monday that Moscow took a very negative view of a bill that Trump said US Republicans were working on that would impose sanctions on any country doing business with Russia.
Kremlin says a discussion is on POW exchanges with Ukraine
Monday 17 November 2025 22:03 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin said on Monday that there was an ongoing conversation about a possible prisoner-of-war exchange with Ukraine, but declined to provide further details.
The warring sides have conducted multiple POW swaps since Russia sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Drone strikes Turkish tanker in Ukraine's Odesa, where US natural gas will go
Monday 17 November 2025 21:02 , Alex CroftA drone struck a Turkish-flagged tanker and set it ablaze on Monday in southern Ukraine’s Odesa region, officials said, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a deal to import U.S. liquefied natural gas through the area.
The MT Orinda was hit during the offloading of liquefied petroleum gas at Izmail port, Turkey’s Directorate for Maritime Affairs said. All 16 crew on board evacuated and no one was hurt, it said.
Russia has used drones, missiles and artillery to repeatedly batter the Odesa region, especially its Black Sea ports, since its full-scale invasion of its neighbor nearly four years ago. There was no immediate Russia comment Monday.
Read more here:
Drone strikes Turkish tanker in Ukraine's Odesa, where US natural gas will go
Rafale jets will be ‘significant’ in long-term Russia deterrence, says military expert
Monday 17 November 2025 20:00 , Alex CroftThe purchase of 100 French Rafale fighter jets will be “significant” in Ukraine’s long-term deterrence of Russia, an expert on the Russian military has told The Independent.
As we reported earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky and the French presidential palace have confirmed that Kyiv’s air force will purchase the jets, the latest in a Ukrainian drive to boost its air capabilities.
“Ukraine’s current round of purchasing high-end systems like Rafale and Gripen combat aircraft are to do with establishing long-term deterrence of Russia,” said Keir Giles, senior consulting fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House and author of Who Will Defend Europe? An Awakened Russia and a Sleeping Continent.
“Ukraine knows that whatever the outcome of the current war, its existence depends on being able to persuade Russia that the costs of future attacks will be too high.”
He says that Rafale’s “multi-role capabilities, including carrying air to ground weapons”, will be “significant for the relationship with Russia in the long run”.
Kyiv may be thinking forward to a time when it can “dominate the Russian Air Force to such an extent that it can strike deep into Russia with a much wider range of weapon systems than it currently has”, therefore making clear to Moscow the damage the country would suffer if it were to attack again, Mr Giles added.
EU chief: There are three options to finance Ukraine - and they could be combined
Monday 17 November 2025 19:28 , Alex CroftEuropean commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said in a letter to EU governments that there are three options for meeting Ukraine’s financing needs in its war against Ukraine.
One of these options is a loan using frozen Russian assets, she said.
"We have identified three main options, i.e. support to be financed by Member States via grants, a limited recourse loan funded by the Union borrowing on the financial markets, or a limited recourse loan linked to the cash balances of immobilised assets," Ms von der Leyen said in the letter, seen by Reuters.
In an options paper attached to the letter, von der Leyen added that "the three options are not mutually exclusive” and can be “combined”.
European Union leaders agreed at a summit last month to meet Ukraine's "pressing financial needs" for the next two years but stopped short of endorsing a plan to use frozen Russian assets to fund a giant loan to Kyiv due to concerns raised by Belgium.
Latest images from Russian attack on Kharkiv
Monday 17 November 2025 19:01 , Alex CroftWe’re getting images through of Russia’s missile attack on Kharkiv, which killed three and injured 10.
Here is a selection:
Moscow says it has seized three more villages across Ukraine
Monday 17 November 2025 18:30 , Alex CroftRussian troops captured three villages across three Ukrainian regions, the RIA news agency cited the defence ministry as saying on Monday.
The villages are Hai in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Platonivka in the Donetsk region, and Dvorichanske in the Kharkiv region.
The Independent could not verify the reports from the frontline.
Watch: Trump backs bill to sanction Russian trade partners
Monday 17 November 2025 18:01 , Alex CroftTwo injured in Russian strike on Kherson ambulance
Monday 17 November 2025 17:29 , Alex CroftTwo people have been injured after a Russian attack in the city of Kherson, the city’s military administration said.
"An enemy drone attacked an ambulance on the evening [of 16 November],” it said in a statement on Wednesday morning.
“The 64-year-old driver suffered blast injuries and shrapnel wounds to both legs. The 32-year-old paramedic suffered concussion, blast injuries and a closed head trauma."
The patients received medical treatment and will be treated on an outpatient basis, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
It comes days after two ambulances hit alleged Russian Lepestok (Petal) mines in the Dniprovskyi district of Kherson, with the vehicles damaged but no one injured.
Russian air defences destroy 36 Ukrainian drones overnight
Monday 17 November 2025 16:55 , Alex CroftRussian air defence forces destroyed 36 Ukrainian drones over seven Russian regions overnight on Monday, the defence ministry said.
Denis Pushilin, the top Russian-backed official in Donetsk, said an attack by Ukrainian strike drones on energy infrastructure had left roughly 500,000 people without power across several districts.
Work was continuing to restore the electricity supply, Pushilin wrote on Telegram.
The governor of the Ulyanovsk region east of Moscow said an attack by a Ukrainian drone on a substation there had been repelled. There were no casualties and the power supply was unaffected, Alexei Russkikh wrote on Telegram.
Iraqi PM meets with CEO of Lukoil to discuss solutions after US sanctions
Monday 17 November 2025 16:24 , Alex CroftIraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met with the former CEO of Russia's Lukoil to discuss ways of resolving disruptions to the oil company's operations in the wake of US sanctions, the prime minister's office said on Monday.
Lukoil has declared force majeure - a notification that an uncontrollable event has occurred - at its West Qurna-2 field in southern Iraq, sources told Reuters news agency last week.
It marks the biggest fallout yet from sanctions imposed on Russian oil companies last month as US president Donald Trump pushes to end the war in Ukraine.
Sudani told Vagit Alekperov that Iraq remained committed to stable global oil markets, his office said in a statement. The West Qurna-2 operations are continuing to produce around 480,000 barrels per day, it added.
The field, Lukoil's most prized foreign asset, produces roughly 9 per cent of Iraq’s oil output.
The statement incorrectly described Alekperov as "head of Russia's Lukoil".
Alekperov, Russia's richest person, resigned as Lukoil boss in 2022 after Britain imposed sanctions against him. It was not clear in what capacity he was speaking on behalf of the company.
Moscow adds former prime minister to list of 'extremists and terrorists'
Monday 17 November 2025 15:52 , Alex CroftRussia's financial watchdog has added former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov and leading economist Sergei Guriev to its list of "extremists and terrorists" in its latest moves against prominent exiled critics of the Kremlin.
The watchdog, Rosfinmonitoring, added the two men to a list that now comprises 19,131 people and 823 organisations, according to its website.
The list, which has expanded sharply during Russia's war in Ukraine, provides a public vehicle for the authorities to highlight individuals and entities they regard as engaged in subversion against the state.
Rosfinmonitoring, which is responsible for countering money-laundering and terrorist financing, can freeze the bank accounts of those on the list.
Kasyanov served as prime minister for the first four years of President Vladimir Putin's rule and was sacked in February 2004, weeks before Putin was elected to a second term.
Vessel carrying gas damaged in Russian attack on Odesa
Monday 17 November 2025 15:21 , Alex CroftA vessel carrying liquefied natural gas was damaged during a Russian attack in Ukraine's southern Odesa region, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Monday.
Writing on X, he said the attack had forced Romania to evacuate a border village, but offered no further details.
“Russia’s brutal escalation of terror threatens not only Ukraine but also our neighbors. This underscores the urgency of collective pressure on Moscow to end the war,” the post added.
More pictures from Zelensky-Macron meeting in Paris
Monday 17 November 2025 14:51 , Alex CroftWe’re getting more pictures through of the meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron, in which they finalised a deal for Ukraine to order 100 French fighter jets.
Here is a selection of them...
France's Macron confident Zelensky can improve Ukraine's corruption track record
Monday 17 November 2025 14:30 , Alex CroftFrench president Emmanuel Macron on Monday said he was confident Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky can improve Ukraine's anti-corruption track record.
The path to EU membership for Ukraine requires reforms on the rule of law in the country, Mr Macron said during a joint press conference with Mr Zelensky whom he hosted in Paris on Monday.
Mr Zelensky last week had called for the dismissal of two cabinet ministers amid a probe into an alleged $100 million corruption scheme that has fuelled fresh public anger at the country's government.
Mr Macron reiterated the agreement to sell 100 Rafale fighter jets made by French manufacturer Dassault Aviation.
He also said French train maker Alstom signed a contract worth around 475 million euro ($551.05 million) to supply locomotives to the Ukrainian railways operator. ($1 = 0.8620 euros).
Paris says Rafale deal puts ‘French excellence at service of Ukraine’s defence’
Monday 17 November 2025 14:08 , Alex CroftIn a media briefing ahead of Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Paris, French president Emmanuel Macron's office said the aim was to "put French excellence in the arms industry at the service of Ukraine's defence".
The deal also enables Kyiv to “acquire the systems it needs to respond to Russian aggression".
Mr Zelensky attended a briefing by various manufacturers, including Dassault, on Monday morning before signing the letter of intent.
A separate forum in the afternoon will bring together Ukrainian and French firms working in the drone sector to see how they can combine their efforts.
France, along with Britain, has pushed for the creation of a coalition of about 30 countries willing to send troops and assets to Ukraine or along its western borders once a peace deal with Russia is agreed.
Full report: Polish PM says explosion on railway track used to send weapons to Ukraine was ‘act of sabotage’
Monday 17 November 2025 13:45 , Alex CroftAn explosion that damaged a Polish railway track en route to Ukraine was an “unprecedented act of sabotage”, prime minister Donald Tusk said on Monday.
Mr Tusk said that an explosive device had destroyed a section of the track near Mika village, part of a route he said was “crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine”.
A train driver had reported damage on the railway line on Sunday, local police said. The damaged stretch was some 80 miles from the Polish-Ukrainian border.
The Polish prime minister vowed to catch those responsible for an incident he said could have ended in tragedy. Two passengers and several staff were on the train but no injuries were reported, officials said.
The Independent’s foreign affairs reporter James Reynolds brings the news:
Polish PM says explosion on railway track near Warsaw was ‘act of sabotage’
Latest images from Russian attack on Kharkiv
Monday 17 November 2025 13:24 , Alex CroftWe’re getting images through of Russia’s missile attack on Kharkiv, which killed three and injured 10.
Here is a selection:
Russia has dealt with consequences of Ukrainian attack on Black Sea port, says Kremlin
Monday 17 November 2025 13:03 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin said on Monday that Russia had the capacity to quickly deal with the consequences of a Ukrainian attack on its port of Novorossiysk and to resume export activities.
Two industry sources said and LSEG data showed that the port resumed oil loadings on Sunday after a two-day suspension triggered by the Ukrainian attack.
Sources from Ukraine’s SSU security service told Ukrainska Pravda that it had destroyed four launchers for an S-400 Triumph air defence missile system and two radars in the Russian Black Sea port city on 14 November.
Watch: Trump backs bill to sanction Russian trade partners
Monday 17 November 2025 12:44 , Alex CroftZelensky and Macron hold joint news conference
Monday 17 November 2025 12:41 , Daniel KeaneEmmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky have been speaking at a joint news conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris.
It comes after Ukraine signed a letter of intent with France to obtain 100 Rafale warplanes over the next 10 years.
"It will be the greatest air defence, one of the greatest in the world," Zelensky told reporters.
Rafale fighter jet deal part of 10-year agreement - Reuters
Monday 17 November 2025 12:23 , Alex CroftWe’re seeing a report from Reuters that France’s provision of multi-role Rafale fighter jets will be part of a 10-year strategic aviation agreement, citing two people briefed on the batter.
Some could come directly from French stocks, although the bulk would be longer-term and part of Ukraine's efforts to increase its long-term fleet to 250 warplanes, including the US F-16 and Sweden's Gripen, they said.
Operating the advanced jets would take time given the rigorous training programme for pilots.
There have been talks for several weeks to see how France could provide more military support for Ukraine's air defences, although Macron's government is grappling with political and budgetary instability, raising questions over how much France can actually do.
Macron pledged last month to offer more Mirage fighter jets, after initially promising to deliver six, and a new batch of Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles, produced by European group MBDA, for the SAMP/T air-defence batteries operated by Ukraine.
Kremlin says it is hoping for Putin-Trump meeting soon
Monday 17 November 2025 12:04 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin said on Monday that it hoped another summit between Russian president Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump could take place soon.
The pair last met in August at highly-anticipated summit in Alaska, where they failed to reach a resolution on the war in Ukraine.
Last month they announced plans for a summit in Budapest but Trump cancelled it soon afterwards.
Briefing reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said on Monday that Moscow took a very negative view of a bill that Trump said US Republicans were working on that would impose sanctions on any country doing business with Russia.
Railway line in Poland explodes in 'unprecedented act of sabotage', says PM
Monday 17 November 2025 11:27 , Alex CroftA railway line near the Polish capital of Warsaw has been damaged by an explosion, with prime minister Donald Tusk describing it as an “unprecedented act of sabotage”.
The line was carrying passengers into Warsaw from southeastern Poland on Sunday before the explosion “destroyed the railway track”, Mr Tusk said.
Two passengers and several staff members were on the train but no injuries were reported, officials said.
"Unfortunately, the worst fears have been confirmed. An act of sabotage has occurred on the Warsaw-Lublin route (in the village of Mika), Mr Tusk said.
He said the perpetrators will be caught "regardless of who is behind them”.
A train driver on the line between Warsaw and Lublin first reported track irregularities around 7:40am on Sunday. Further inspection determined there was damage to a section of track near the village of Mika, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southeast of Warsaw, and another location on the route, officials said.
Polish authorities have detained dozens of people over suspected sabotage and espionage since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Rafale jets will be ‘significant’ in long-term Russia deterrence, says military expert
Monday 17 November 2025 11:21 , Alex CroftThe purchase of 100 French Rafale fighter jets will be “significant” in Ukraine’s long-term deterrence of Russia, an expert on the Russian military has told The Independent.
As we reported earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky and the French presidential palace have confirmed that Kyiv’s air force will purchase the jets, the latest in a Ukrainian drive to boost its air capabilities.
“Ukraine’s current round of purchasing high-end systems like Rafale and Gripen combat aircraft are to do with establishing long-term deterrence of Russia,” said Keir Giles, senior consulting fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House and author of Who Will Defend Europe? An Awakened Russia and a Sleeping Continent.
“Ukraine knows that whatever the outcome of the current war, its existence depends on being able to persuade Russia that the costs of future attacks will be too high.”
He says that Rafale’s “multi-role capabilities, including carrying air to ground weapons”, will be “significant for the relationship with Russia in the long run”.
Kyiv may be thinking forward to a time when it can “dominate the Russian Air Force to such an extent that it can strike deep into Russia with a much wider range of weapon systems than it currently has”, therefore making clear to Moscow the damage the country would suffer if it were to attack again, Mr Giles added.
Kremlin says a discussion is on POW exchanges with Ukraine
Monday 17 November 2025 11:17 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin said on Monday that there was an ongoing conversation about a possible prisoner-of-war exchange with Ukraine, but declined to provide further details.
The warring sides have conducted multiple POW swaps since Russia sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
EU chief: There are three options to finance Ukraine - and they could be combined
Monday 17 November 2025 11:05 , Alex CroftEuropean commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said in a letter to EU governments that there are three options for meeting Ukraine’s financing needs in its war against Ukraine.
One of these options is a loan using frozen Russian assets, she said.
"We have identified three main options, i.e. support to be financed by Member States via grants, a limited recourse loan funded by the Union borrowing on the financial markets, or a limited recourse loan linked to the cash balances of immobilised assets," Ms von der Leyen said in the letter, seen by Reuters.
In an options paper attached to the letter, von der Leyen added that "the three options are not mutually exclusive” and can be “combined”.
European Union leaders agreed at a summit last month to meet Ukraine's "pressing financial needs" for the next two years but stopped short of endorsing a plan to use frozen Russian assets to fund a giant loan to Kyiv due to concerns raised by Belgium.
Ukraine to order 100 French Rafale fighter jets, says Zelensky
Monday 17 November 2025 10:31 , Alex CroftThe Ukrainian military will order 100 Rafale fighter jets, Volodymyr Zelensky has told French TV station LCI.
The Rafale is a twin-engine jet built by Dassault Aviation, and typically used for a wide range of missions including air superiority, nuclear deterrence and close air support.
The acquisition will follow ongoing deliveries of F-16 fighter jets and Swedish Saab Gripen jets.
Kyiv is looking to rebuild its air force after it suffered heavy losses since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Moscow says it has seized three more villages across Ukraine
Monday 17 November 2025 10:12 , Alex CroftRussian troops captured three villages across three Ukrainian regions, the RIA news agency cited the defence ministry as saying on Monday.
The villages are Hai in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Platonivka in the Donetsk region, and Dvorichanske in the Kharkiv region.
The Independent could not verify the reports from the frontline.
Zelensky greeted by Macron in Paris ahead of talks
Monday 17 November 2025 09:51 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has touched down in Paris, where he is meeting French president Emmanuel Macron.
The pair are set to seal deals on the supply of air-defence capabilities, warplanes and missiles.
We can bring you some live pictures of the Ukrainian president’s arrival on Monday morning:
Three killed and ten injured in Russian strike on Kharkiv
Monday 17 November 2025 09:15 , Alex CroftA Russian missile attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia killed three people, with three teenagers among the 10 wounded, Kharkiv regional officials said on Monday.
Oleh Synehubov, the governor of the region bordering Russia, said the overnight attack damaged multi-storey residence blocks and destroyed scores of cars in the city centre.
Pictures show the damaged facade of a multi-storey brick building with windows blown out, as flames burned on an upper floor and debris and broken tree branches littered the area.
The teenagers were among the injured, Vitali Karabanov, head of Balakliia's military administration, said on Telegram, while nine of the injured were admitted to hospital.
Russia has rained down regular missile, drone and artillery strikes on Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, smashing homes and infrastructure, severing power links and subjecting residents to constant air-raid alerts.
Parts of the region, and the city of Izyum in its south, had no power supply overnight, after Russia's attacks late on Sunday injured a 14-year-old, city authorities said on Telegram.
Everything you need to know so far
Monday 17 November 2025 08:51 , Shweta Sharma- Emergency services say overnight attacks sparked fires at energy and port infrastructure sites in Odesa. Damage assessments are under way and firefighting operations are ongoing.
- Moscow claims major gains in southeast Ukraine, capturing Rivnopillya and Mala Tokmachka. The advance threatens Huliaipole and brings Russian forces within 9 km of Orikhiv. Ukraine has not commented.
- A missile hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia overnight, killing three people and wounding 10, including three teenagers. Multi-storey residential blocks were damaged and dozens of cars destroyed, regional officials said.
- Volodymyr Zelensky has landed in France, where he is set to sign new agreements with France covering air-defence systems, warplanes and long-term military support.
- Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán told Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner that EU financial support for Ukraine is “crazy” and “kills” the bloc economically, criticising European leaders for prolonging the war.
- Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said Moscow and Washington remain in contact, including on Ukraine settlement talks. He suggested a leaders’ meeting could remove “technical and political difficulties” if both sides agree in principle.
- Ukraine’s winter energy needs Greece will supply US-origin LNG to Ukraine from December through March 2026. Zelenskiy and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the agreement strengthens European energy security.
Bulletin | Russia launches another attack on Odesa as port hit by strikes
Monday 17 November 2025 08:32 , Alex CroftA Russian attack on Ukraine's southern Odesa region on Monday caused fires at port and energy infrastructure facilities.
Read all you need to know in just five bullet points on The Independent’s Bulletin...
Russia launches another attack on Odesa as port hit by strikes
Russian air defences destroy 36 Ukrainian drones overnight
Monday 17 November 2025 08:17 , Alex CroftRussian air defence forces destroyed 36 Ukrainian drones over seven Russian regions overnight on Monday, the defence ministry said.
Denis Pushilin, the top Russian-backed official in Donetsk, said an attack by Ukrainian strike drones on energy infrastructure had left roughly 500,000 people without power across several districts.
Work was continuing to restore the electricity supply, Pushilin wrote on Telegram.
The governor of the Ulyanovsk region east of Moscow said an attack by a Ukrainian drone on a substation there had been repelled. There were no casualties and the power supply was unaffected, Alexei Russkikh wrote on Telegram.
Two injured in Russian strike on Kherson ambulance
Monday 17 November 2025 08:01 , Alex CroftTwo people have been injured after a Russian attack in the city of Kherson, the city’s military administration said.
"An enemy drone attacked an ambulance on the evening [of 16 November],” it said in a statement on Wednesday morning.
“The 64-year-old driver suffered blast injuries and shrapnel wounds to both legs. The 32-year-old paramedic suffered concussion, blast injuries and a closed head trauma."
The patients received medical treatment and will be treated on an outpatient basis, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
It comes days after two ambulances hit alleged Russian Lepestok (Petal) mines in the Dniprovskyi district of Kherson, with the vehicles damaged but no one injured.
Fires erupt after Russian attack on Odesa port and energy facilities
Monday 17 November 2025 07:31 , Alex CroftA Russian attack on Ukraine's southern region of Odesa sparked fires at port and energy infrastructure facilities, emergency services said on Monday.
The attack damaged port equipment and several civilian vessels moored at the berths, deputy prime minister for Restoration Oleksii Kuleba wrote on Telegram.
"One of the ports is experiencing power outages, and specialists are already working to restore power," he said.
The attack on the region cut power to 36,500 households, Ukraine's private energy firm DTEK said on Monday. Some 32,500 households remained without power as of the morning.
DTEK reported significant damage to its facilities following the overnight attack in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
Greece signs LNG supply deal to help Ukraine through winter
Monday 17 November 2025 07:30 , Shweta SharmaGreece has agreed to supply US-origin liquefied natural gas to Ukraine as the country struggles with widespread damage to its energy infrastructure from Russian strikes. The deal was signed on Sunday as president Volodymyr Zelensky began a European tour in Athens aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s defences and securing energy support ahead of winter.
Running from December until March 2026, the agreement is “an essential step in strengthening regional energy cooperation and European energy security,” Zelensky and Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a joint statement. It will help “support Ukraine in the midst of a difficult winter,” they added.
The announcement came as Russian drone attacks overnight damaged energy facilities in the Odesa region, including a solar power plant, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.
Ukraine starts crucial interceptor drone production as Russian attacks continue
Monday 17 November 2025 07:03 , Shweta SharmaUkraine has commenced mass production of its new, domestically developed interceptor drones, a critical step to strengthen its air defences.
The Ukrainian defence ministry announced the initiative on Friday, as the conflict with Russia approaches its four-year mark, with cities facing almost daily drone assaults. Officials reported a recent attack involved 430 drones.
The ministry confirmed that three manufacturers have already commenced production, with a further eleven preparing to establish their own production lines.
Ukraine builds crucial interceptor drones to ramp up defences
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joins advisory board of Ukraine’s leading defense company amid probe
Monday 17 November 2025 06:43 , Shweta SharmaFormer US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has joined the advisory board of Ukraine’s leading defence company, renowned for its long-range drones capable of striking targets deep inside Russia, as a corruption investigation continues.
In an effort to enhance its international reputation, Fire Point, which produces the Ukrainian Flamingo cruise missile, is establishing a new factory in Denmark and bringing prominent industry figures on board. It also aims to expand its operations to produce battle-tested cruise missiles, with plans to more than double its current capacity.
However, public scrutiny remains intense during an ongoing corruption investigation. Fire Point’s executives insist they have nothing to hide and are operating under strict martial law protocols, even commissioning an independent audit to appease investigators.
Russia’s strike on Odesa sparks fires at energy and port sites, officials say
Monday 17 November 2025 06:32 , Shweta SharmaRussian attacks on Ukraine’s Odesa region overnight ignited fires at energy and port infrastructure facilities, the country’s emergency services said on Monday.
Fire crews were deployed to contain the blazes, and assessments of the damage are under way.
No further details were immediately provided.
Photos show impact of Russian missile strike in Kharkiv
Monday 17 November 2025 06:12 , Shweta SharmaA Russian missile strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia killed three people, with three teenagers among the 10 wounded, Kharkiv regional officials said on Monday.
The overnight attack damaged multi-storey residence blocks and destroyed scores of cars in the city centre, Oleh Synehubov, the governor of the region bordering Russia, said on the Telegram messaging app.
News coming in of a double rocket strike on the town of Balakliia in Kharkiv region.
— Tim White (@TWMCLtd) November 17, 2025
The arrivals were in the town centre, near apartment buildings. No word yet on possible injuries. pic.twitter.com/n5zYaNniUz
A photograph provided by regional authorities showed the damaged facade of a multi-storey brick building with windows blown out, as flames burned on an upper floor and debris and broken tree branches littered the area.
The teenagers were among the injured, Vitali Karabanov, head of Balakliia's military administration, said on Telegram, while nine of the injured were admitted to hospital.
1/
— Lew Anno Support#Israel #Ukraine 24/2-22 (@anno1540) November 17, 2025
Occupiers launched missile strikes on #Balakliia:
- there is a casualty, among the injured – a child
On the night of November 17, Russian troops launched missile strikes on Balakliia in the Kharkiv region. At least one person is known to have died.
There are also wounded,… pic.twitter.com/H1Pq9VS11h
Moscow made no immediate comment on the attack. Reuters could not independently verify Karabanov's comments.
Russia has rained down regular missile, drone and artillery strikes on Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, smashing homes and infrastructure, severing power links and subjecting residents to constant air-raid alerts.
Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia launched nearly four years ago, but thousands have been killed in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
Parts of the region, and the city of Izyum in its south, had no power supply overnight, after Russia's attacks late on Sunday injured a 14-year-old, city authorities said on Telegram.
How to fight in ‘hell’: Ukraine veterans say Nato not ready for war with Russia
Monday 17 November 2025 05:30 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian intelligence is warning that a Russian Lancet drone is prowling the sky, loitering above Kramatorsk, like a heron poised over a fish pond, ready to strike.
A laptop shows multiscreen images of medics racing through shredded forest, Russian soldiers in Ukrainian sights, bunkers being blown up – everyday terror.
This is the future of war – and the West isn’t ready for what may be coming in an open conflict with Russia: mass casualties and a transformation of the battle beyond anything that Nato’s armies are training for.
The laptop feed is for Rebekah Maciorowski, an American volunteer paramedic who runs the medical operations, evacuation and training for an entire battalion of men and women on Ukraine’s eastern front, under its 3rd Brigade. In a conventional war, she would be a major. In this conflict? She has no idea what her rank is and cares even less.
Read the full report.
How to fight in ‘hell’: Ukraine veterans say Nato not ready for war with Russia
Kremlin says Russia and US remain in contact over Ukraine settlement
Monday 17 November 2025 05:26 , Shweta SharmaCommunications between Russia and the United States are ongoing, including discussions related to a possible settlement in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Monday.
“Communications continue,” Ushakov told reporters. “We are proactively talking on the settlement in Ukraine.”
He added that any agreement for a meeting between the Russian and US presidents would help push aside “many technical and political difficulties”.
“If an agreement in principle is reached between Washington and Moscow on a meeting between the leaders, then many issues will move to the background,” he said.
Russian defence units destroy 36 Ukrainian drones overnight, RIA reports
Monday 17 November 2025 04:59 , Shweta SharmaRussia's air defence forces destroyed 36 Ukrainian drones overnight, RIA news agency reported on Monday, citing the Russian defence ministry's daily data.
Finland's president urges Europe to hold its nerve as he warns no ceasefire likely soon in Ukraine
Monday 17 November 2025 04:58 , Shweta SharmaFinland’s president Alexander Stubb has said he is not very optimistic about the prospects of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine this year.
Europe, meanwhile, will require ''sisu," a Finnish word meaning endurance, resilience and grit, to get through the winter months, he said, as Russia continues its hybrid attacks and information war across the continent.
Finland, which shares a 1,340-km border with Russia and joined Nato after Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022, sees itself as a key bridge between Washington and Kyiv.
Stubb, who maintains a close relationship with Donald Trump, told Associated Press he uses those channels to explain Finland’s wartime experience and the realities on the battlefield.
"I can explain to President Trump what Finland went through or how I see the situation on the battlefield, or how do you deal with (Russian president Vladimir) Putin? And then, you know, if he accepts one out of 10 ideas, that's good," he said.
Speaking at a military training base near Helsinki, where volunteers were practising battlefield evacuations in freezing temperatures, Stubb said president Volodymyr Zelensky must act swiftly on corruption allegations that could undermine international support.
“I’m not very optimistic about achieving a ceasefire or the beginning of peace negotiations this year,” Stubb said, adding that progress by March would be “good.”
Orbán says Ukraine has “no chance” of winning war
Monday 17 November 2025 04:14 , Shweta SharmaHungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has said Ukraine has “no chance” of winning the war with Russia and that continued EU financial support for Kyiv is “just crazy.”
Orban claimed the EU has “burned already €185 billion” on support for Ukraine and argued that continuing to fund Kyiv “kills” the bloc “economically” and “financially.”
His comments came in an interview with Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer, which owns POLITICO.
Hungary has continued to block the EU sanctions against Russia and denounced financial support for Ukraine. Obran had lobbied for the exemption of US oil sanctions on Russia.
He also accused European leaders of prolonging the conflict in the hope of securing a stronger position in future peace negotiations.
“They would like to continue the war,” he said. “They think we have to support Ukraine more – it’s wrong, totally wrong.”
Arguing that “the situation and the time is better for the Russians than for us,” Orban urged Europe to push for a ceasefire “as soon as we can.”
On possible peace talks, he predicted a broader deal “between the Russians and the Americans” covering the war, trade and energy.
He also said Europe should establish its own channel to Moscow: “Let the Americans negotiate with the Russians, and then the Europeans should also negotiate … and see whether we can unify the position.”
Three killed, many injured in Russian strike on Kharkiv
Monday 17 November 2025 03:47 , Shweta SharmaA Russian missile strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia killed three people and wounded 10, including three children, a regional military official in the Kharkiv region said on Monday.
The overnight strike hit the city centre, injuring children aged 18, 15 and 14, said Vitali Karabanov, head of Balakliia’s military administration, on Telegram.
Nine of the wounded were taken to hospital, he added.
There was no immediate response from Moscow to the attack.
Zelensky to seal new defence deals with France, including air defences and warplanes
Monday 17 November 2025 03:39 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to sign a series of defence agreements in Paris on Monday as Kyiv seeks to strengthen its long-term military capacity amid intensified Russian attacks.
Zelensky is meeting French president Emmanuel Macron as Russia steps up drone and missile strikes and claims fresh advances in the Zaporizhzhia region.
In a post on X, Zelensky said a “historic agreement” with France would significantly boost Ukraine’s combat aviation and air-defence capabilities.
Talks have been under way for weeks on how France can expand support despite political and budget pressures in Paris.
Macron has already pledged additional Mirage jets, beyond the six previously promised, and a new batch of Aster 30 missiles for Ukraine’s SAMP/T air-defence systems.
According to people briefed on the discussions, Monday’s announcement is expected to go further. Kyiv could receive a 10-year strategic aviation agreement that paves the way for Rafale fighter jets, partly from current French stocks and largely as part of Ukraine’s plan to build a 250-strong future fleet alongside F-16s and Gripens. Training requirements mean the advanced jets would not be operational immediately.
Additional SAMP/T systems, anti-drone equipment and longer-term missile orders are also expected, though financing remains unclear.
Macron’s office said the goal was to use “French excellence in the arms industry” to equip Ukraine with the systems it needs to resist Russian aggression.
Russia claims major gains in Zaporizhzhia as troops push forward
Monday 17 November 2025 03:14 , Shweta SharmaRussia said on Sunday that its forces had made significant advances in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, capturing two settlements as part of a broader push to take full control of the area.
The defence ministry said troops had seized Rivnopillya – a move that threatens the southern town of Huliaipole with potential pincer movements – and Mala Tokmachka, located just 9km (6miles) from Orikhiv.
A prominent Russian military blogger, Yuri Podolyaka, described Mala Tokmachka as “the gateway to Orikhiv”, underscoring the strategic implications of the advance.
Ukraine has not commented. Its top general warned last week of worsening fighting along parts of the Zaporizhzhia front, including around Huliaipole, and Kyiv has acknowledged pulling back from several villages in the area.
With a smaller army stretched across multiple fronts, Ukraine is attempting to reinforce the Donetsk region while holding the rest of the line under intense Russian artillery and drone strikes.
Pro-Ukrainian battlefield maps indicate Russian forces have moved at least 30km (19miles) across a broad section of the Zaporizhzhia–Dnipropetrovsk axis over the past six weeks.
Ukrainian troops and commanders say manpower shortages are hampering their ability to maintain defensive positions, despite the heavy use of drones by both sides making any advance costly.
Russia now controls roughly 19% of Ukraine – about 115,000 sq km – a marginal increase compared with two years ago. Moscow continues to seek full control of the Donbas, as well as the entire Kherson and Zaporizhzhia region
