Zelensky discusses the frozen proceeds from the sale of Chelsea with Starmer
Earlier today, Prime Minister Keir Starmer had a “good conversation” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over a call to discuss diplomacy and peace in Ukraine.
In a statement posted on X, Zelensky said: “I also discussed with Keir the need for a fair decision regarding the frozen proceeds from the sale of Chelsea – £2.5 billion that can and must significantly help protect lives and support Ukraine’s recovery after all the Russian strikes.”
“I am grateful to Keir for his leadership and thankful to the United Kingdom for the fact that such entirely just decisions can strengthen Ukraine’s resilience and our shared aspiration for peace – with Britain and with many others around the world.”
Shaheena Uddin3 January 2026 12:30
Starmer’s call with President Zelensky continues to ‘push for peace’
Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, this morning, according to Downing Street spokesperson.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The leaders welcomed the US’ continued push for a just and lasting peace, and agreed it was clear no party wanted that more than Ukraine.
“The Prime Minister paid tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainian people, who continued to suffer as Russia bombarded cities with missiles and drones, and systematically destroyed critical national infrastructure to plunge families and the elderly into the cold and dark.”
“The Prime Minister welcomed National Security Advisor level discussions in Kyiv today, and looked forward to leaders progressing that work in Paris on Tuesday.”
“They discussed the ongoing work to ensure a multi-national force could deploy to Ukraine in the days following a ceasefire.”
“The Prime Minister welcomed the appointment of Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov as the head of the Office of the President in Ukraine, and said his team looked forward to working closely with him.”
The leaders agreed to stay in close communication.
Shaheena Uddin3 January 2026 12:00
Did Ukraine attack Putin’s residence?
Russia’s claim that Ukraine launched a 91-drone strike on Vladimir Putin’s personal residence has threatened to derail months of talks over a peace deal to end Moscow’s invasion.
“I am sure they are simply preparing the ground for strikes, probably on the capital, probably on government buildings,” he said.While Donald Trump appeared swayed by the Russian claim, experts tell Maira Butt that despite what the Kremlin says, it is still unclear if such an attack took place.
Namita Singh3 January 2026 11:30
Ukraine orders evacuation of thousands of children from frontline regions amid Russian advances
Ukraine has begun evacuating thousands of children and their families from frontline settlements in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, where Russian forces have been making significant gains.
The move follows a dramatic escalation in the security situation as Moscow’s troops continue to advance in the industrial heartlands of southern and central Ukraine.
Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine’s Minister for Restoration, confirmed on Friday that over 3,000 children and their parents have been relocated from 44 settlements in the two regions.
He explained the urgency of the situation, saying: “Due to the difficult security situation, a decision was made to forcibly evacuate more than 3,000 children and their parents from 44 frontline settlements in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.”
The evacuations are not limited to the southern and central frontlines. Kuleba also reported that similar measures were being taken in the northern Chernihiv region, where Russian shelling has intensified. Chernihiv borders Belarus, a close ally of Moscow, which has raised concerns about a potential broader offensive in the area.
Since 1 June, a total of 150,000 people have been evacuated from frontline zones to safer locations. This includes nearly 18,000 children and over 5,000 individuals with limited mobility, Kuleba added.
The evacuation orders come just hours after one of the most severe Russian drone attacks on the region. In the early hours of Friday, at least nine drones struck Zaporizhzhia, damaging numerous residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.
Ivan Fedorov, the head of the Zaporizhzhia regional administration, reported on Telegram that while the damage was extensive, no casualties had been reported.
Namita Singh3 January 2026 11:00
Zelensky proposes appointing first deputy PM Fedorov as Ukraine’s new defence minister
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday proposed appointing first deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov as Ukraine’s new defence minister, praising his abilities in developing the drones and digitalisation needed for the country’s defence.
Fedorov also served as minister of digital transformation and his appointment must be approved by parliament. He is to replace Denys Shmyhal.
Mykhailo Fedorov, first deputy prime minister and minister of digital transformation of Ukraine, speaks during an interview with Reuters (Reuters)
“Mykhailo is deeply engaged in the ‘drone line’ initiative and works very effectively on the digitalisation of state services and processes,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
“Together with all our military personnel, military command, national weapons manufacturers and Ukraine’s partners, we must implement changes in the defence sector that will truly help.”
Zelensky said the ministry had shown good results under Shmyhal, a former prime minister, and that he was being offered a new government post.
Namita Singh3 January 2026 10:30
Russia says its has captured another settlement in Ukraine’s Donetsk
Russia’s defence ministry said on Saturday that Russian forces had captured the settlement of Bondarne in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
Namita Singh3 January 2026 10:06
Russia makes highest battlefield gains since 2022, finds analysis
Russia’s battlefield gains in 2025 were the largest since the initial stages of the war in 2022, according to an analysis by AFP.
Relying on data from the Institute for the Study of War, the analysis found that Russia captured over 5,600sqkm or about one per cent of Ukrainian territory last year.
The gains were more than those made in the previous two years combined, though far less than the over 60,000sqkm Russia took in 2022.
Namita Singh3 January 2026 09:35
Ukraine evacuates 3,000 children from frontline settlements
Ukraine has ordered the evacuation of 3,000 children as well as their parents from frontline regions, saying the situation is no longer safe for them.
The orders were issued for 44 frontline settlements “due to the difficult security situation” in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, according to Restoration Minister Oleksiy Kuleba.
It brings the total number of Ukrainians evacuated from the frontlines since 1 June to 150,000, Kyiv said, at a time when Russia has committed huge numbers of forces to seize more territory.
Adam Withnall3 January 2026 09:06
Russians won’t represent their country at Winter Olympics even if Ukraine war ends, IOC chief says
Russian athletes at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics will not be able to represent their country even if a peace deal is reached with Ukraine, International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry said in an Italian newspaper interview.
At this stage nothing would change the Committee’s decision allowing Russian athletes to take part in the February games only as individuals representing themselves, Coventry told Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Friday.
The IOC banned Russia and Belarus following the former’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the IOC ruled in September that Russians and Belarusians competing at Milano Cortina would do so as individual athletes, without a national flag or anthem.
In other remarks, Coventry – the IOC’s first woman president – said holding the Olympics in multiple cities, as Italy is doing, would become “the new normality” and the Milano Cortina games would provide useful guidance for the future.
The IOC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for confirmation of Coventry’s comments.
The Milano Cortina games run from 6 to 22 February.
Namita Singh3 January 2026 08:30
Police in Finland arrest 2 in connection with damage to undersea telecom cable
Finnish authorities have arrested two people in connection with damage to an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland that occurred earlier this week between the capitals of Finland and Estonia, police said Thursday.
The damage was discovered early on Wednesday in Estonia’s exclusive economic zone.
The cable belongs to Finnish telecommunications service provider Elisa and is considered to be critical underwater infrastructure.
Finnish police said they had seized a vessel suspected of damaging a telecommunications cable that runs between Helsinki and Tallinn in the Gulf of Finland several hours earlier (Lehtikuva/FINNISH POLICE (POLIIS)
Helsinki police have opened an investigation into aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications.
Officials placed two other people under travel bans as a result of the ongoing investigation, Helsinki police said in a statement Thursday.
The individuals’ connections to the ship was not immediately clear and police would not release their nationalities or other details.
The ship, named the Fitburg, was flagged in St Vincent and the Grenadines. It had been travelling from Russia to Israel. The 14 crew members hail from Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan and were detained by Finnish authorities.
Finnish National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimïki said earlier this week that the ship was dragging its anchor for hours when it was discovered in Finland’s exclusive economic zone.
He noted investigators are not speculating on whether a state-level actor was behind the damage.
Namita Singh3 January 2026 07:45