Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky accuses Scholz of opening ‘Pandora’s box’ after call with Putin

Russian forces have breached the outskirts of Ukraine’s northeastern city Kupiansk, part of a region it briefly held after first invading Ukraine, military officials said.

Moscow’s forces attacked the region in four waves and used soldiers disguised as Ukrainian troops but were repelled from the city by Kyiv’s forces, Ukraine’s General Staff said. But why does the control of Kupiansk, a significant rail hub in the area, matter?

Kupiansk was captured by Russian forces in the early days of the February 2022 invasion and then liberated by Ukraine in a counteroffensive months later.

Vladimir Putin’s forces deployed 15 pieces of hardware in their assault on Kupiansk, including tanks and armoured vehicles, as they attempt to expand offensive operations on a sprawling more-than-1,000km front, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

The Russian attack looked opportunistic and Kyiv appeared to have isolated and destroyed most of the Russian forces that penetrated the outskirts of Kupiansk, Pasi Paroinen, a military analyst with the Black Bird Group, said.

“However, a penetration like that certainly signals confusion and weakness in Ukrainian defences in that area, which could prompt the local Russian commanders to increase their efforts to squeeze or cut off the Ukrainian salient,” he added.

He said the coming days would likely indicate whether the Kremlin was going to react to this by ramping up attacks there further.

Ukraine is fighting to liberate all territory captured by Russia in the last decade, and any claim that Kyiv is shifting its focus in the war to prioritise security over land is false, the country’s defence minister has said.

“Territorial integrity is part of our values,” Rustem Umerov told a joint press conference with his Norwegian counterpart in Oslo.

When asked about reports that Ukraine is shifting its focus in the war, Mr Umerov said this was false and part of Russian propaganda efforts.

“Our priority is still to protect people, protect the nation, to liberate people from almost 10 years of temporary occupation, so Crimea and Donbas [are] part of Ukraine,” he said, adding that people living in territories held by Russia are all waiting to be liberated.

A French military task force with a festive name — “Champagne” — is wrapping up a mission that’s no party: Training a whole new brigade of several thousand Ukrainian troops who will be joining the fight against Russia‘s invasion armed with France-supplied tanks, artillery canons and other heavy weaponry.

The approaching return to Ukraine of the “Anne of Kyiv” brigade, after more than two months of intense military training in eastern and southern France, comes at another critical juncture in the almost three-year war.

Vladimir Putin has told Germany’s Olaf Scholz that Russia is ready to look at energy deals if Berlin is interested, the Kremlin has said, following their first phone conversation since December 2022.

A readout from the Kremlin claimed: “It was emphasised that Russia has always strictly fulfilled its treaty and contractual obligations in the energy sector and is ready for mutually beneficial cooperation if the German side shows interest in this.”

Germany was heavily reliant on Russian gas before the war, but direct shipments ceased when the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea were blown up in 2022.

Germany and other European Union countries have imposed successive waves of sanctions on Russia over the war and taken steps to wean themselves off their dependence on Russian oil and gas.

Hungary’s Viktor Orban has claimed that European Union sanctions against Russia will “destroy” the bloc’s economy.

Mr Orban, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the EU, has broken with the majority of European leaders and vocally opposed such sanctions.

Speaking on state radio on Friday, the hard-right leader claimed the EU’s sanctions regime “should be reviewed, because with such a policy of sanctions, energy prices will not come down”.

He added: “It will be painful for those who argued for sanctions. Not for us, because we will see this as a victory, but the other camp has to change because otherwise it will destroy the European economy.”

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin seriously underestimate what the other is capable of and that carries far-ranging risks for Ukraine over Russia’s invasion, Britain’s former spy chief and ex-diplomats have told The Independent.

Trump’s US election victory last week has upended Europe’s plan to back Kyiv for “as long as it takes”. His focus is on ending the war quickly, even if that potentially means pushing Kyiv to cede territory currently occupied by Russia.

Sir Alex Younger, former chief of MI6 from 2014 to 2020, believes both the incoming president and his Russian counterpart overestimate their ability to influence the other.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked leaders of the G7 major democracies.

In a post on X, he said: “The leaders of the G7 have once again demonstrated unwavering support for Ukraine as we approach the 1,000th day of Russia’s full-scale aggression.

“I am deeply grateful to President of the Council of Ministers Giorgia Meloni and all G7 leaders for their united voice in standing with Ukraine. Their support helps Ukraine protect its people against terror, ultimately saving countless lives.

“At a time when Russia remains the sole obstacle to a just and lasting peace, it’s vital to send a clear message: aggression and violations of the international order, as outlined in the UN Charter, will not be tolerated, and those responsible will face consequences.

“Now is the time for the global community to deepen its efforts and make decisive decisions to ensure stability and peace for all our nations.”

Wartime Ukraine could reopen its first airport in the western Lviv region next year, as it tries to restore air links suspended nationwide since Russia’s invasion, a senior partner at an insurance broker has said.

While Ukraine’s national flag carrier and several other companies have gone bankrupt due to the suspension of air travel, Kyiv has taken part in discussions with European aviation authorities and airlines on restoring some air travel for almost a year, Crispin Ellison of the firm Marsh McLennan said.

Marsh McLennan has been supporting the Ukrainian government to put together an insurance facility to cover commercial aviation, Mr Ellison said. The broker already runs an insurance programme for ships carrying all cargos via Ukraine’s Black Sea corridor. The aviation sector is involved in the talks, he said.

“National carriers, low-cost and Ukrainian airlines [are] all expressing an interest and looking at whether they do this,” he told Reuters.

“If regulators agree it is safe to open it and a political decision is made, the insurance industry is ready to support the recovery efforts,” said Mr Ellison, referring to 2025.

The State Aviation Service said in written comments it was considering the possibility of a phased and limited opening of airspace for civil aviation “provided the risks are assessed and reduced to an acceptable level, and additional security measures are implemented”. It did not provide any timeframe.

The Ukrainian government is also keen to reopen the country’s main airport just outside Kyiv but Mr Ellison believes the aviation market is waiting “until confidence has been gained that this can happen in a much lower-risk scenario”.

Estonia has approved the delivery of a new military aid package to Ukraine.

The package, proposed by defence minister Hanno Pevkur, will be drawn from the reserves of the Estonian Defence Forces and are specifically tailored to Ukraine’s needs, the Estonian defence ministry said according to Reuters.

It includes surveillance equipment, ballistic protection gear, ammunition, and naval uniforms.

Mr Pevkur said: “This is not the final aid package. We will soon launch an annual competitive support programme for Estonian companies, allowing Ukraine to benefit from goods produced by Estonia’s defence industry.

“This initiative will support not only Ukraine but also Estonia’s economy and security.”