Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin’s forces lose ‘record 2,000 troops’ in a day amid North Korea military talks
Ukraine’s military reports more than 200 combat clashes in a single day
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Your support makes all the difference.Vladimir Putin’s forces have suffered more than 2,000 casualties in a single day, Ukraine’s military has claimed, in what would mark the highest daily toll of the war so far.
With both Kyiv and Moscow anticipating that Donald Trump could seek to broker a rapid peace deal upon returning to the White House in January, freezing the front lines, Ukraine’s military said on Friday there had been more than 200 combat clashes over the past 24 hours.
Russia has been progressing in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region at the fastest rate since the start of the war, analysts have said, while its ally North Korea is believed to have deployed thousands of troops to Russia, including the Kursk region partly occupied by Kyiv’s forces.
As the intense fighting continued, Russia’s defence minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea for talks with military and political leaders, as the two countries deepen a partnership which has caused alarm in South Korea and among its allies.
Polish company denies that it broke the law in sending Swiss-made ammunition to Ukraine
A Polish company has strongly denied any laws were broken when it sent Swiss-made ammunition to Ukraine.
Switzerland’s government said last week it was barring exports to Polish military hardware supplier UMO after concluding that some 645,000 rounds of Swiss-made small-calibre ammunition ended up in Ukraine.
The issue is sensitive because Swiss laws on neutrality and the export of war material ban the export or re-export of Swiss-owned or Swiss-made military hardware to countries in conflict.
Poland, in contrast, is one of neighbouring Ukraine‘s staunchest allies and has sought to help Kyiv defend itself against Russia’s invasion with arms supplies.
UMO, which specializes in hardware for the military and police, said it purchased ammunition in 2023 from a Swiss ammunition provider, SwissP Defence, and later exported the ammunition to Ukraine “in accordance with the Polish law.”
It argued that it did not break Swiss law either, saying that “the Swiss government handed over control of the goods to Polish law.”
Putin says Ukrainian infrastructure attack was revenge for Kyiv's strikes on Russia
President Vladimir Putin has said that a massive Russian overnight attack on Ukrainian infrastructure was a response to Kyiv’s attacks on Russian regions using longer-range Western missiles.
Russia had unleashed its second big attack on Ukraine‘s energy infrastructure this month on Thursday, Ukrainian officials said. This cut power to more than 1 million people in the west, south, and centre of the country.
Speaking in Astana, Kazakhstan, Putin told members of a security alliance made up of ex-Soviet states:
“Tonight we conducted a comprehensive strike using 90 missiles of similar classes and 100 drones. Seventeen targets were hit.
“These are military facilities, defence industry facilities and their support systems. Let me repeat once again: these strikes on our part also took place in response to the ongoing strikes (by Ukraine) on Russian territory with American ATACMS missiles. As I have already said many times, there will always be a response from our side.”
Putin says Russia could strike 'decision-making centres' in Kyiv
Russia is selecting targets in Ukraine that could include “decision-making centres” in Kyiv in response to Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian territory with Western weapons, President Vladimir Putin has said.
Russian attacks have not so far struck government buildings in the Ukrainian capital. Air defences heavily protect Kyiv, but Putin says Russia’s Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which it fired for the first time at a Ukrainian city last week, is incapable of being intercepted.
“Of course, we will respond to the ongoing strikes on Russian territory with long-range Western-made missiles, as has already been said, including by possibly continuing to test the Oreshnik in combat conditions, as was done on November 21,” Putin told a meeting of a security alliance of ex-Soviet countries in Kazakhstan.
“At present, the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff are selecting targets to hit on Ukrainian territory. These could be military facilities, defence and industrial enterprises, or decision-making centres in Kyiv,” he said.
Russian court sentences defence lawyer to seven years in prison over Ukraine war comments
A Russian court sentenced a defence lawyer who has represented critics of Moscow's war in Ukraine to seven years in prison on Thursday under two statutes, spreading false information about the Russian army and "inciting hatred", the court said.
Prosecutors had sought a 12-year sentence for Dmitry Talantov, 63, who plead not guilty, after he wrote Facebook posts which condemned the actions of Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Russia had called on Wednesday for Talantov's acquittal.
"Talantov must be released immediately and exonerated of all criminal responsibility, as acts such as expressing a non-violent opinion or peaceful dissent against the war are protected by international human rights law," Mariana Katzarova said.
In pictures: Ukrainian rescuers work to extinguish fire at energy infrastructure facility
Russia’s attack comes at critical juncture of war
The war that broke out when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 is now at a critical juncture, with Russian ground forces advancing at their fastest pace so far this year in eastern Donetsk region.
Russia fired a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile on Ukraine this month in response to the US and Britain allowing Kyiv to strike Russian territory with advanced Western weapons.
"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin does not want peace. We must force him into peace through strength," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, reiterating Kyiv's call for more air defence and long-range capabilities from its Western allies.
Almost 200 missiles and drones launched at Ukraine by Russia, says Zelensky
Russia launched almost 200 missiles and drones at Ukraine in its latest attack on the countrys energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
In a post on X this morning, he said: “In total, approximately 100 strike drones and over 90 missiles of various types were launched.
“Several regions reported Kalibr missile strikes with cluster munitions, deliberately aimed at civilian infrastructure.
“The use of these cluster elements significantly complicates the work of our rescuers and power engineers in mitigating the damage, marking yet another vile escalation in Russia’s terrorist tactics.”
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