Ukraine war latest: Putin’s hands ‘may prove he is unwell’ – amid claim Biden ‘lost temper’ with Zelenskyy
Joe Biden “lost his temper” with Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he asked for additional aid in a phone call, NBC reports; an analyst says Vladimir Putin’s “pretty black” hands could show he is unwell; listen to the latest Ukraine War Diaries podcast while you scroll.
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Biden ‘lost his temper’ in phone call with Zelenskyy – reports View post
Fight is ‘intensifying’ in Kherson – as ‘better troops’ arrive View post
Do Vladimir Putin’s hands give us a clue about his ill health? View post
Russia moves missiles to Belarus as ‘message to the West’ – MoD View post
Putin has ‘Russian and Ukrainian blood on his hands’, foreign sec says View post
Analysis: Putin’s infrastructure attacks focus on ‘terrorising’ Ukrainians View post
Watch live tonight: Ukraine – A Modern War, broadcast from the Imperial War Museum View post
Podcast: ‘I saw whole cities without electricity’ View post
Live reporting by Faith Ridler and Olive Enokido-Lineham. Updates also from John Sparks in southern Ukraine and Diana Magnay in Moscow
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10m ago
09:28
Ukraine says it has shot down 300 ‘kamikaze drones’ since war began
Kyiv this afternoon claimed it has downed hundreds of Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones since Russia started using them in Ukraine.
Of these, six were shot down overnight on 1 November, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
Spokesman Yurii Ihnat added: “Unfortunately, in the past 24 hours, there have been several (successful) hits.”
Ukraine claims Russia has already used more than 400 “kamikaze drones” for its war in Ukraine, despite initially denying this was the case.
It is thought Vladimir Putin may have ordered as many as 2,400.
Despite this, Iran continues to deny supplying them.
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24m ago
09:13
EU ‘exploring’ ways to increase help for Ukraine’s energy sector
The European Union is exploring ways to increase help for Ukraine’s energy sector, which has been harmed by weeks of Russian attacks.
Energy commissioner Kadri Simson confirmed the move during a visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Tuesday.
“I am in Kyiv today to help scale up support to the Ukraine energy sector,” she said.
“I have witnessed the scale of destruction in Ukraine first hand and am making all efforts to increase financial, technical and practical help.”
Ms Simson called Russia’s attacks “a cruel and inhumane tactic to cause human suffering as the winter is approaching”.
The additional help will have to come from EU institutions, member states, international partners and private donors, she said.
The commissioner travelled to Kyiv following weeks of Russian attacks that focused on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, in particular power stations.
Ms Simson plans to meet Ukrainian energy companies to talk about how the EU, international partners and the private sector can help.
She will also discuss the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, security of supply and the future reconstruction of the energy system.
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33m ago
09:05
In pictures: People emerge from shelters in Bakhmut as strikes continue
Those in the eastern Donbas region were photographed emerging from air raid shelters to receive aid after another day of relentless bombardment.
Bakhmut has faced a mammoth number of strikes in recent weeks, as Russia attempts to seize control of the eastern parts of Ukraine.
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50m ago
08:48
UK won’t be drawn into Russian ‘distractions’ over Nord Stream
The prime minister’s spokesman says Moscow’s claim that Britain is to blame for damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines is an attempt to distract from the situation in Ukraine and is part of the “Russian playbook”.
Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson added: “Obviously, we’re carefully monitoring the situation, but it is right to not be drawn into these sorts of distractions which is part of the Russian playbook”.
Earlier (see post at 11.16), we reported that Moscow reiterated its allegation that Britain was responsible for an attack on the Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines, adding it was considering what “further steps” to take in response.
Moscow claimed on Saturday that British navy personnel had blown up the pipelines in September – an assertion the UK said was false.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there is “evidence that Britain is involved in sabotage… a terrorist act against vital energy infrastructure”.
The Kremlin has not provided evidence to support its claims Britain was behind the ruptures, which have threatened to put the multi-billion dollar gas link permanently out of use.
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1h ago
08:35
Zelenskyy holds ‘extremely important’ call with Macron over destroyed energy infrastructure
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he had an “extremely important and productive conversation” with the French president about restoring Ukraine’s damaged energy facilities.
Emmanuel Macron spoke to Mr Zelenskyy on Tuesday.
While there are no details on what was agreed upon, the conversation included talks over restoring Ukraine’s damaged energy infrastructure and strengthening defence capabilities.
“Thank you my friend for your unwavering support”, Mr Zelenskyy tweeted.
In recent days Ukrainian officials have spoken about the need to restore energy facilities across the country that have been destroyed by Russian missile strikes.
The Russian attacks have left residents in several Ukrainian regions and cities without electricity and power.
Yesterday we reported a claim that Mr Putin could be trying to effectively freeze people to death this winter by knocking out Ukraine’s energy supply.
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1h ago
08:11
Is Putin’s partial mobilisation completely over?
On 21 September, Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation of military reserves after Ukraine’s counteroffensive swiftly recaptured large swathes of territory.
Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu said around 300,000 reserve troops would be summoned.
Following the order, thousands of Russian people flocked to the borders of neighbouring countries trying to flee, as the price of tickets out of the country skyrocketed.
The partial mobilisation has been criticised by Western allies, including the UK defence ministry which said newly mobilised reservists were “poorly equipped”.
Yesterday, we reported Russia’s defence ministry saying the partial mobilisation was complete and that no further call-up notices would be issued.
However, reports this morning suggest that the mobilisation could be restarted…
A senior Russian senator said on Tuesday that Russia does not need a presidential decree to formalise the completion of the mobilisation.
The suggestion that Mr Putin might not issue a formal decree may increase concern among Russians that the mobilisations could still be restarted.
When asked on Monday if he would issue a decree to formalise its completion, the Russian president said he had not considered whether or not one was needed and would consult with lawyers.
“No additional decrees on the end of mobilisation are required,” Andrei Klishas, was quoted as saying by TASS news agency.
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1h ago
08:01
Russia fines Wikipedia $32,600 for entries related to Ukraine war
A Russian court has today fined Wikipedia owner Wikimedia Foundation $32,600 for articles relating to the war in Ukraine.
The head of the Foundation in Russia, Stanislav Kozlovsky, told the Reuters news agency this fine was imposed because it did not delete several entries.
Moscow had earlier demanded they no longer appear on Wikipedia.
However, Mr Kozlovsky said the Foundation would appeal the decision.
“We still have a fairly strong legal procedural position, so we have reason to believe that we will succeed in having both this fine and those issued in April overturned,” he said, referring to earlier penalties.
The two articles, in Russian, were titled “Non-violent resistance of Ukraine’s civilian population in the course of Russia’s invasion” and “Evaluations of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine”.
Mr Kozlovsky said there is a risk that the number of cases against the Wikimedia Foundation will increase.
There are many articles on Wikipedia about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and only three court cases so far, he added.
Russia describes its war in Ukraine as a “special military operation”.
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1h ago
07:38
Ukrainian who fled to UK: ‘You can’t imagine how terrible this feels, watching war from afar’
A Ukrainian artist who fled to the UK after the Russian invasion has said she feels “helpless” watching fresh barrages of air strikes hit her hometown.
Victoria Chichinadze, 42, left her home in Kyiv with her two teenage daughters for the safety of Burley in Wharfedale, but said it was a hard decision to leave her elderly mother in the Ukrainian capital.
Ms Chichinadze and her daughters, Vladislava, 13, and Nika, 15, arrived in the UK in August and, through the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, were put in contact with Janet and Mark Cade and their son, Robin, with whom they have been living ever since.
Ms Chichinadze, a sculptor who specialises in casting bronze, said she stays awake most nights to keep track of social media and news reports of air strikes in Kyiv so she can alert her 80-year-old mother – who lives alone and has trouble hearing the air raid warnings.
Large areas of the capital were cut off from power and water supplies after Russian strikes on Monday hit critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities in an apparent retaliation for what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea Fleet over the weekend.
Ms Chichinadze said: “I’m very nervous and I can’t live normally because my thoughts and my soul is with my home in Ukraine.
“Just imagine all the people who you know and love, the beautiful buildings, your home, all ruined, but all you can do is just look and do nothing… that’s how I am feeling right now.
“It was horrible when I was inside, but when you’re on the outside it’s the most terrible feeling you can imagine because you feel helpless.”
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2h ago
07:33
‘I saw whole cities without electricity’
Seva Koshel is a 40-year-old CEO turned military volunteer from Dnipro. He’s been running supplies to frontline soldiers in eastern Ukraine for more than six months.
On Wednesday, Seva found himself driving into Ukraine and as night closed in, he felt a deep sense of foreboding as the road ahead grew dark.
“I [saw] whole cities and whole villages without electricity,” he says.
In recent weeks, the Kremlin has made a virtue of attacking Ukraine’s critical infrastructure with wave after wave of air strikes – leaving people without electricity, heat and water.
Tune in to the latest episode of Ukraine War Diaries for more on Seva’s story following life on the ground.
The weekly podcast follows those living on Europe’s new frontline, and those who have escaped it.
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2h ago
07:16
Moscow considering ‘further steps’ after claim UK was responsible for Nord Stream blasts
Russia is considering what “further steps” it could take in response to its allegation that Britain was responsible for an attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
Moscow claimed on Saturday that British navy personnel had blown up the pipelines in September, an assertion the UK said was false.
It is widely suspected Russia was behind the leaks in the Baltic Sea.
The latest claim is believed to be an attempt to distract from Russian military failures in Ukraine.
The Kremlin added that Moscow was awaiting an expert assessment of the damage, and that no decisions had yet been taken on the future of Nord Stream 1 or Nord Stream 2.
Sweden last week ordered additional investigations to be carried out on the damage.
Authorities in both Sweden and Denmark have concluded the gas leaks were caused by explosions, but have not said who might be responsible.
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2h ago
06:54
Three grain ships leave Black Sea ports – despite Russian refusal to guarantee safety
Russia has today refused to give security guarantees for ships leaving Ukrainian ports under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which expires this month.
Moscow has accused Kyiv of drone strikes on its own Black Sea fleet in Crimea. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for this.
12 ships left Ukrainian ports on Monday – and a further three have departed so far today.
The United Nations-led coordination centre said the ships’ movement was agreed by the Ukrainian, Turkish and UN delegations at the Istanbul-based centre.
It added that the Russian delegation had been informed.
It said the UN coordinator for the grain initiative, Amir Abdulla, continued discussions with all three member state parties.
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2h ago
06:40
Russian banker renounces citizenship over Ukraine war
Entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov has renounced his Russian citizenship, saying he does not want to be associated with “fascism” or people who collaborate with “killers”.
The 54-year-old founder of Tinkoff Bank wrote on Instagram: “I decided to renounce my Russian citizenship after Russia’s invasion of independent Ukraine. I am against this war, and the killing of peaceful people.”
Oleg Tinkov
Oleg Tinkov
Mr Tinkov, whose upstart digital credit card company, TCS Group Holding, grew to become one of Russia’s largest financial institutions, has been an outspoken critic of the invasion and Vladimir Putin.
Following a string of anti-war comments, he was forced to sell his 35% stake in TCS – Tinkoff Bank’s parent.
Mr Tinkov said he had originally posted his comments on Instagram but they had “mysteriously disappeared”, so he posted again.
The banker was worth almost $10bn at his peak and launched electronics, frozen food and beer brands before setting up Tinkoff Bank in the mid-2000s.
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3h ago
06:27
UN nuclear experts inspect Ukraine sites after Russian ‘dirty bomb’ claim
Experts from the UN’s nuclear power agency are inspecting two sites where Russia has made unfounded claims that Ukraine is manufacturing “dirty bombs”.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said that inspections have begun at two locations in Ukraine and would soon be completed.
In a statement yesterday, the IAEA said one of the two locations was inspected a month ago and no nuclear activities or material were found there.
The inspections were requested by Kyiv following Russia’s allegations.
Top Russian officials including Vladimir Putin have made unsubstantiated accusations that Ukraine is preparing to use a so-called “dirty bomb” – an explosive laced with radioactive materials.
Russia’s UN ambassador alleged in a letter to Security Council members last week that Ukraine’s nuclear research facility and mining company “received direct orders from Zelenskyy’s regime to develop such a dirty bomb”.
Western nations have rejected the unsubstantiated claim out of hand, calling it “transparently false”.
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3h ago
05:52
Ukraine’s modern war: How the conflict is unlike any other in recent decades
As we said earlier, there is a special event at the Imperial War Museum tonight during which a panel will discuss the Ukraine war and analyse how it relates to the idea of modern warfare.
It will be broadcast on Sky News at 7.30pm and live-streamed on YouTube.
As part of that, Sky News has produced an interactive article to look at some of the events and phenomena seen in the war so far and how they make the conflict unlike any in recent times.
The multimedia digital feature uses graphics, charts and video to help tell the story of the war and to highlight some of the aspects that are particular to this conflict.
Among the topics examined are: info wars, celebrities, oligarchs, verification and the weaponisation of gas.
The article also looks at how Sky News has covered the war since it started in February and the build-up in the months before.
You can read more in the link below…
A modern war: What makes the Ukraine conflict different from those in earlier decades and how Sky News has reported it
Sky News
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3h ago
05:52
Water supply ‘fully restored’ in Kyiv
Yesterday, a barrage of Russian strikes on infrastructure facilities knocked out around 80% of water supplies in the Ukrainian capital.
Now, the mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko has confirmed water and energy supply has been “fully restored”.
“Water supply to the homes of Kyiv residents was fully restored,” he said.
“Thank you to the specialists of Kyivvodokanal and DTEK, who worked for almost a day to restore water and electricity to the residents of the capital.
“Energy supply in Kyiv was also restored.
“But the shutdown is used because the deficit in the power system, after the barbaric attacks of the aggressor, is significant.”
Moscow has been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as it struggles to make progress on the battlefield.
As a result, areas including Kyiv have had to introduce rolling blackouts to conserve energy supplies.
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4h ago
05:29
Safety guarantees for grain ships in Black Sea are ‘out of the question’ – Russia
Last night, Vladimir Putin said renewed strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure yesterday were “partly” in response to alleged drone attacks in Crimea.
Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for drone strikes on Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea, but Moscow has accused Kyiv of involvement.
In response, Russia pulled out of a vital deal to allow exports of Ukrainian grain to leave Black Sea ports. It was due to expire on 19 November.
Movements had resumed yesterdat, but the Russian defence ministry said last night that security guarantees are “out of the question” for these ships.
Russia accused Ukraine of using the grain corridor for “military purposes”.
The ministry cited the alleged drone strikes in Sevastopol, Crimea, on Saturday as a reason for this decision.
Russia insisted it is not “withdrawing” from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, but “terminating their effect”.
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4h ago
05:17
‘Putin’s hands are stained in blood’: Kyiv insists Moscow is banned from G20 summit
This month, representatives from the Group of 20 will arrive in Bali, Indonesia for its 17th summit.
It was widely reported in August that both Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend the gathering – but Mr Putin is now reportedly undecided.
Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian foreign ministry, said today that Russia should be expelled from the G20 – and banned from the summit.
The G20 will take place between 15 and 16 November.
Mr Nikolenko said: “Putin publicly acknowledged ordering missile strikes on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure.
“With his hands stained in blood, he must not be allowed to sit at the table with world leaders. Putin’s invitation to [the] Bali summit must be revoked, and Russia expelled from [the] G20.”
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4h ago
04:59
The aftermath of strikes in Mykolaiv
We reported earlier as it emerged four missiles had struck the southern region overnight, killing one – and destroying an apartment building.
The photographs below show emergency services searching through rubble at the site – where an elderly woman was found dead today.
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4h ago
04:48
Do Putin’s hands give us a clue about his ill health?
More now from Lord Dannatt, the former chief of the defence staff.
He told Sky News that Vladimir Putin is “becoming desperate” in Ukraine – and the Russian leader may not be as healthy as he wishes to portray.
It had been rumoured that Mr Putin was unwell in April – after US intelligence claimed he had been “treated for advanced cancer”.
This was never verified, but Lord Dannatt told Sky News that keen observers may notice signs of injections on Mr Putin’s hands.
He said: “Another thing worth reflecting on is how healthy – or not – Vladimir Putin is.
“Keen observers now are noticing that his hands are looking pretty black on top, which is a sign of injections going in when other parts of the body can’t take injections.
“It’s interesting to note that, and just to watch whether he is as fit and well as he would like to portray.”
Lord Dannatt added that Mr Putin is “becoming desperate” in Ukraine “because there is no other way to look at what’s going on in the battlefield other than to say that he is doing really poorly”.
He said: “The attack in the north a few weeks ago on the Kharkiv front was really embarrassing for the Russian military. They fell back in disarray.
“So, he is trying to do other things to improve his own position – to cause confusion.”
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5h ago
04:35
Russia moves ‘better troops’ to Kherson as fight in south ‘intensifies’, says Lord Dannatt
Lord Dannatt, former chief of the defence staff, has told Sky News that Russia appears to be moving its more experienced troops to the southern region of Kherson – where the fight is intensifying.
He said: “It is interesting to reflect on the battlefield because the fight around Kherson is intensifying.
“It would appear that the Russians have moved some of their better troops to defend Kherson. If it was to be lost it’s a major defeat and major embarrassment for Putin. Kherson is the one major city that he’s managed to capture so far.”
Lord Dannatt added that Vladimir Putin continues to put pressure on the Ukrainian people by targeting critical infrastructure.
Yesterday, a barrage of missiles struck water and electricity supply facilities in major cities, knocking out 80% of Kyiv’s water supply.
He said: “We’ve seen continuing attacks on the core national infrastructure and of course that is now having the effect of people queuing for water.
“Electricity has been hit very badly and that feeds through to pumping stations and then you get water shortages, and so on.
“But if he thinks that he’s going to break the Ukrainian people’s will, I think most commentators – all commentators – would agree that this is just not going to work.
“The Ukrainians are very committed, their soldiers are committed on the battlefield – and their civilians are committed in their cities and towns.”
