Ukraine-Russia warfare newest: Zelensky hits again after Trump blames him for holding up peace talks

At least 27 Russian soldiers were killed for each Ukrainian soldier lost in the battle to regain the key city of Kupiansk, a recent intelligence assessment provided to the British military showed.

The kill ratio of 1:27 was given to British officials in a briefing with Ukrainian officials last week. The briefing was to share Kyiv’s ability to win back territory despite Moscow’s “meat grinder” tactics on the battlefield with sheer force of numbers.

As many as 200 Russian soldiers were surrounded by advancing Ukrainians in the battle for the northern city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv before Christmas, a defence source told The Times.

Ukraine last month regained the city and said it controlled nearly 90 per cent of the strategic northeastern town of Kupiansk.

The UK has announced a new emergency energy support of £20m for Ukraine after president Volodymyr Zelensky declared a state of emergency in the wake of relentless Russian attacks on the country’s power infrastructure.

The new emergency funding will be used to repair, restore and protect Ukraine’s power grid this winter, officials said this morning.

“Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, including children and schools have been left without heat and power as temperatures across Ukraine plummet to -20c,” the FCDO said in the announcement today.

It added: “The new support announced today will help respond to urgent needs to keep heat and power available for millions of families, children and the elderly after President Zelensky announced a state of emergency in Ukraine following prolonged attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector.”

Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said ‌on Thursday she was sceptical ‌about ​the prospects ​of Ukraine and ‍Russia reaching ‍a ​ceasefire agreement, adding ‍that Russia would not ‍accept foreign ⁠troops on a peace mission there.

“(Russian president Vladimir) Putin does not seem to want peace,” Robles ‌told an ​event in Madrid.

International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva met with top Ukrainian officials in frosty, snow-covered Kyiv on Thursday and inspected energy infrastructure damaged in Russian strikes as Ukraine nears the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion on February 24.

Central bank chief Andriy Pyshnyi greeted Georgieva in front of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in a square in central Kyiv, where burnt-out Russian tanks are on display. Together, they placed flowers at a memorial wall bearing portraits of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers killed while fighting Russia.

The IMF managing director met with Pyshnyi, prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko and finance minister Serhii Marchenko after her arrival, followed by an afternoon meeting with president Volodymyr Zelensky later in the day, an IMF official said. She was also due to meet with business executives during the one-day visit.

Nato secretary general Mark Rutte spoke to Ukraine president ‌Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday to discuss the latest Russian attacks on ‌Ukraine, ​which have ​led to widespread power outages ‍in the country.

“Spoke ‍with @ZelenskyyUa ​about the ‍energy situation in Ukraine, with Russia’s attacks causing ‍terrible human ⁠suffering, as well as on the ongoing efforts to bring an end to the war.” wrote Rutte on X on Thursday.

“We’re committed to ensuring that Ukraine continues to get the crucial support needed to defend today and ultimately secure a lasting peace.”