Ukraine-Russia war live: Putin hails ‘courageous’ Trump as Zelensky rejects ceasefire

Early this morning, Russian forces struck the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, with a guided KAB aerial bomb severely damaging a 12-storey residential building in the Saltivskyi district and injuring at least 25 people.

The blast caused a fire, destroyed multiple floors, and left residents trapped, according to Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov. Search and rescue teams are working to locate anyone still beneath the rubble.

Five of the injured were taken to hospital, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. The attack, launched from Russian-controlled Donetsk Oblast, also damaged nearby buildings, metro entrances, and vehicles.

A separate strike targeted Kharkiv’s city centre, hitting administrative and historic structures as well as residential areas. Another hit impacted a nearby neighbourhood, damaging shops, multistorey buildings, and cars. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in these additional attacks, Mr Syniehubov confirmed.

Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Russia has reportedly lost 705,880 troops, according to data shared by Ukraine’s Armed Forces on its Facebook page. This tally includes 1,580 soldiers killed within the last 24 hours alone.

In addition to personnel losses, Ukraine’s General Staff reports that Russia has sustained heavy equipment losses, listing 9,233 tanks, 18,661 armoured fighting vehicles, 28,495 transport and fuel vehicles, and 20,226 artillery systems. Russian forces have also lost 1,245 multiple launch rocket systems, 996 air defence systems, 369 aircraft, 329 helicopters, and 18,526 drones, along with 28 naval vessels and a single submarine.

Russian forces conducted a large-scale drone assault on Ukraine’s southern Odesa Oblast early this morning, leaving one person dead and injuring at least nine others, reported Kyiv Independent, citing local officials.

The attack caused significant damage to residential buildings, with Ukraine’s State Emergency Service confirming casualties. Odesa’s regional governor, Oleh Kiper, reported that shockwaves shattered windows at a city school, while shrapnel punctured and ignited two gas pipelines in another district, heightening the risk to nearby areas.

South Korean foreign minister Cho Tae Yul said earlier this week that all options were on the table, but experts noted that Seoul was more likely to send a variety of military support short of soldiers.

The alleged presence of around 12,000 North Korean troops in Russia, reportedly under a defence treaty that Russian president Vladimir Putin signed with Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this year, has set off alarm bells on the Korean peninsula.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election in the US, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has called on the European Union to take more responsibilty for it’s defence and for support of Ukraine.

EU officials have reportedly expressed concern privately that a second Trump administration could see the US withdraw at least some of it’s support from the continent.

The Pentagon has responded to claims that North Korean troops sent to Russia to bolster Vladimir Putin’s forces are consuming online pornography as they now have less restricted internet access.

US department of defence spokesperson Major Charlie Dietz said he couldn’t verify “any North Korean internet habits or virtual ‘extracurriculars’” taking place in Russia.

He continued: “As for internet access, that’s a question best directed to Moscow. Right now, our attention remains on supporting Ukraine and addressing the more significant regional security concerns”.

Sir Keir Starmer said allies must “step up” support for Ukraine, as he met the country’s president amid uncertainty about the future of US backing for Kyiv after Donald Trump’s election victory.

The prime minister told Volodymyr Zelensky the UK had an “unwavering” commitment to help the country defend itself against Russia’s invasion during bilateral talks at a European Political Community summit in Hungary.

Sir Keir also said the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia was “proof of Putin’s increasing desperation” and that the UK would stand with Ukraine “for as long as it takes for Russia to withdraw”.

The gathering of European leaders on Thursday was largely overshadowed by Mr Trump’s historic win at the US polls which puts him on course for a second term in the White House.

But figures including Sir Keir used the summit to insist international partners “see this through” and strengthen their resolve to offer continued support for Ukraine.

European countries need to send a clear message to the United States and the incoming Trump administration that they will support Ukraine as much as needed, Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Thursday.

“Our message needs to be clear and strong,” Orpo told reporters ahead of a meeting of European leaders in Budapest.

Orpo added that Ukraine was fighting for a “model” that included membership of the European Union and NATO. Finland, which is an EU member, joined NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.