Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv officials arrive in US for crucial peace talks with Trump envoys

Two people were killed and dozens wounded in a mass Russian drone attack on Ukraine overnight, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

Writing on X, he said the Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, and Odesa regions were targeted in an attack that included more than 200 drones.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Moscow is increasingly focusing its attacks on Ukraine’s nuclear-related energy systems, accusing the Kremlin of trying to break the country through prolonged power disruptions.

He said there was no indication that Russia was prepared to honour any agreements or move towards ending the war.

“We do not see any willingness on the part of the aggressor to comply with any agreements or end the war. Instead, there is ample information about preparations for further Russian strikes on our energy sector and infrastructure, including facilities and networks that serve our nuclear power plants. Each such Russian strike on the energy sector amid such a harsh winter weakens and undermines the efforts of key states – in particular the United States – to end this war.”

An intelligence assessment provided to the British military revealed a 1:27 kill ratio in the battle for Kupiansk, with 27 Russian soldiers lost for each Ukrainian.

This assessment was shared during a briefing with Ukrainian officials last week, highlighting Kyiv’s ability to reclaim territory despite Russia’s ‘meat grinder’ tactics.

During the battle for the northern city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv, up to 200 Russian soldiers were reportedly surrounded by advancing Ukrainian forces before Christmas.

Ukraine successfully regained control of Kupiansk last month.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that allied supplies of air defence systems and missiles were insufficient, warning that Russia was preparing new large-scale strikes.

In his evening address, Zelensky said it was crucial that Ukraine’s partners heed Kyiv’s requests for additional support.

Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that he held a special energy coordination meeting, noting that the situation remains most difficult in several areas.

He said Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding regions are the worst hit.

Ukraine needs to ramp up electricity imports and acquire additional equipment from its partners, he added.

Zelensky said he has instructed that a separate review be conducted in Kyiv to identify buildings that are still without heating.

“Unfortunately, there are discrepancies between city-level and government-level reports even concerning the number of such buildings. The Ministry of Energy and all central government bodies must fully engage to help people,” he said.

Russian forces took control of the settlements of Pryvillia in Ukraine’s Donetsk region and Pryluky in the Zaporizhzhia region, Russia’s defence ministry said on Saturday.

Ukrainian forces have yet to comment on it.

Foreign embassies in Kyiv have confirmed they are not evacuating staff despite worsening power outages, damage to energy infrastructure, and forecasts of extreme cold.

It comes as Ukraine’s energy situation deteriorates under repeated Russian strikes, with a state of emergency declared on 14 January and forecasts warning that late January temperatures could fall below –20°C.

Kyiv is home to the largest number of foreign diplomatic missions in Ukraine, with around 80 embassies based in the capital, according to The Kyiv Independent.

In early 2022, almost all foreign missions evacuated Kyiv due to security concerns as Russia, possessing the world’s second-largest military, launched a full-scale invasion and attempted to seize the capital within days.

Most embassies later returned and resumed operations in the city.

At least eight embassies have told the outlet they would remain and continue operations, while the remainder either did not respond or declined to comment publicly.

A crashed Russian drone has been discovered in Moldova, officials said.

The Russian Gerbera-type drone has been found by a hunter in a village of Nucareni in the Telenesti District of the country, around 54km from the Moldova-Ukraine border, authorities said.

Moldova’s National Policealso released a picture of the drone.

It was not immediately clear when the drone had crashed. In recent weeks, Russia has repeatedly launched drone attacks on multiple regions of Ukraine, including areas along the country’s south-western border.

Responding to the airspace breach, Moldova’s foreign ministry said the incident posed a threat to national security and constituted a violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“The Republic of Moldova condemns such violations and condemns the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which also endangers the safety of our citizens,” the statement added.