Ukraine LIVE: Russia launches horror strikes hours before Trump-Putin talks

7 mins ago09:59 Ciaran McGrath

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and leaders from the UK, France, and Italy also spoke with Trump on Sunday to discuss the conflict and the planned call with Putin.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated Putin must show a willingness for peace by accepting an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, a proposal backed by Ukraine and Europe.

The escalating violence underscores the high stakes as international leaders push for a breakthrough.

21 mins ago09:45 Ciaran McGrath

Mr Zelensky held talks in Rome with Mr Trump’s vice president, JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as European leaders, intensifying diplomatic efforts before Monday’s calls.

The Ukrainian president criticised Russia for sending a “low level delegation” to recent negotiations in Turkey and stressed the need for continued sanctions and pressure on Moscow.

Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each, with Kyiv expecting transfers soon, but no ceasefire has yet been secured.

Mr Zelensky called the ongoing diplomacy “real” and urged Western allies to maintain firm pressure until Russia agrees to stop the war.

Volodymyr Zelensky and JD Vance shake hands in Rome (Image: Getty)

35 mins ago09:31 Ciaran McGrath

President Donald Trump is planning separate calls on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, hoping to advance talks toward a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.

Mr Trump expressed optimism for a “productive day” and aims to leverage his personal history with Putin to overcome the current stalemate.

His envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the call with Putin would be “very successful,” though critics claim Mr Trump’s perceived closeness to Putin could harm Ukraine’s position.

The Republican president’s strategy also includes outreach to NATO leaders to coordinate efforts.

57 mins ago09:09 Ciaran McGrath

Putin staged his latest war games in a show of strength to the West.

Large landing ship Peresvet staged war games in the Sea of Japan, using a 122-mm Grad-M multiple launch rocket systems hit targets more than six miles away.

AK-176 and AK-630 artillery units were used to destroy sea and air targets, and 12.7-mm heavy machine gun crews successfully exploded a balloon and mock sea mine.

There was no immediate sign of Russia conducting a Yars intercontinental missile test, which Ukrainian military intelligence warned was imminent.

A failure of peace talks with Putin could mean the imminent imposition of new British and European sanctions against Russia.

In overnight strikes, Ukraine hit occupied Crimea as military facilities were targeted.

1 hour ago09:05 Ciaran McGrath

Some believe he intends to go further than this - as overnight pounding of Kharkiv region, close to Ukraine’s second city of the same name, indicates.

This was echoed by soundbites broadcast by Kremlin-controlled TV warning Trump to stay out of his war.

He said: “The American people and the American leadership, including the president — have their own national interests. We respect that. We proceed from the assumption that we will be treated the same way.”

He made clear he is confident in his war machine despite its sluggish progress over the past three years when it has lost almost one million men killed and wounded.

He claimed: “We have enough strength and resources to bring what was started in 2022 to its logical conclusion with the result that Russia needs."

1 hour ago09:03 Ciaran McGrath

Vladimir Putin has unleashed an ominous tirade concerning the war in Ukraine claiming Russia has the "strength and resources" to carry on fighting until the conflict comes to what he called a "logical conclusion", implying victory for the Kremlin. Speaking today the Russian leader, who launched an illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, said: “We have enough strength and resources to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the result that Russia needs."

Mr Putin's comments come on the same day an American delegation, consisting of Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian President Zelensky in Rome. The Russian leader's words have also been released 24 hours before President Trump said he would phone both Putin and Zelensky to end what he called the "bloodbath".

1 hour ago09:00 Ciaran McGrath

On Sunday, Russian forces killed a civilian woman, 28, and wounded others including a child, four.

Putin is seen by Kremlin insiders as determined to keep going with the war despite pressure from Trump to agree to a ceasefire and start serious talks about peace.

He believes he will gain the entirety of regions Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia by the end of the year if he keeps fighting, reported Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with Putin’s thinking.

1 hour ago08:54 Ciaran McGrath

Nevertheless, a Ukrainian defence website has claimed Russia failed in its recent attempt to launch the Yars intercontinental ballistic missile.

According to Defence Express, all available indicators suggest the test either never took place or ended in a malfunction.

The publication noted an unusual lack of public footage or radar confirmation, which typically accompanies such events.

Russian state media had reported the launch as part of a nuclear deterrence drill.

1 hour ago08:53 Ciaran McGrath

Russia is preparing to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile in a threatening show of force, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence. Kyiv’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, known as the GUR, said Russia plans to carry out a “training and combat” launch of the weapon on Monday night to intimidate Ukraine and the West.

The GUR said the RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile has a range of more than 10,000 kilometres (6,200 miles) — reportedly nearly double the distance from Russia to the UK. In a post on Telegram, the agency said Russia plans to launch the missile “in order to demonstratively pressure and intimidate Ukraine, as well as the EU and NATO member states”. It said the missile, equipped with training ammunition, will be launched from Russia’s Sverdlovsk region.

2 hours ago08:34 Ciaran McGrath

Shocking clips have shown the harrowing aftermath of Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians, just hours before Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin.

A woman pensioner, 75, was killed in Russian shelling on her house in Kherson region, amid strong signs the Kremlin intends to continue its war in the face of the US president’s bid to stop the relentless killing. A man, 76, and two women, both 53, were also wounded in the night attacks.

In Stary Saltiv, Kharkiv region, terrified women aged 75 and 55 suffered “acute shock” and a man, 55, was wounded by explosions from Russian overnight terror strikes on a residential building and warehouses.

Ukraine was battered by drone strikes from Putin’s forces with explosions also felt in Sumy, Poltava, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Donetsk, Kirovograd, Cherkasy, Nikolaev, and Dnepropetrovsk regions.