Russia-Ukraine war – live: US warns of ‘dangerous game’ at nuclear plant as France breaks off Kremlin contact

Ukraine’s air defence systems destroyed all 20 attack drones that Russia launched targeting several Ukrainian cities, the country’s Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said today.

The drones were destroyed over the Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Vinnytsia and Lviv regions, the official said.

He added that Russia also launched four missiles from the S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, but he did not say what happened to those missiles.

The overwhelming majority of the British people stand with the Ukrainian people in their time of need. The Ukrainians’ brave resistance against Vladimir Putin’s aggression meets all the tests of a just war, and it is in our national interest that Putin should not succeed.

Now, however, we are coming to the hard part. Two years have passed since the Russian attempt to take Kyiv, and the balance of the war has started to shift in Putin’s favour. Ukrainian forces have had to retreat from Avdiivka, close by Donetsk, the capital of one of the eastern provinces claimed by Putin.

How should Ukraine and its allies respond to this setback? The Independent carries two exclusive articles that point the way. One, by Lord Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary, argues that Britain and its European allies must increase defence spending. The other, an interview with Maksym Zhorin, the Ukrainian commander who led the retreat from Avdiivka, sets out a warning about what will happen if we do not.

French foreign minister Stéphane Séjourné has said that it is no longer “in Paris’s interest” to hold discussions with the Russian government as Moscow manipulates the content and coverage of their bilateral talks.

Speaking in a joint interview with France24 and RFI, Mr Séjourné said it is “not in our (France’s) interest to hold discussions with Russian officials because the communiqués that are published and the reports that are made by them are full of lies”.

This has now brought the “long tradition of cooperation with Russia in the fight against terrorism” to a grinding halt, the French foreign minister said.

In order to resume any dialogue with Moscow, the minister said “perhaps trust needs to be established first, and perhaps above all, we need to see developments on the military front in Ukraine so that relations can be restored”.

But “so far, this is not the case,” the French foreign minister said.

This comes after the Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to his French counterpart last week and the Russian defence ministry incorrectly claimed that conversation between the two leaders noted “readiness for dialogue on Ukraine”.

Officials in Paris immediately called the claims untrue.

Ukraine and Russia differ hugely on the basis for peace talks and Kyiv has said it will not come to the table as long as Vladimir Putin’s forces occupy large swathes of its territory.

The US has condemned Russia’s activities at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in eastern Ukraine and said it is following reports about strikes on the plant’s main reactor containment.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller repeated the US’s call on Russia to end the occupation of Europe’s largest nuclear facility which is facing heavy war crossfiring amid the Russian invasion.

“You have heard from us before our belief that Russia is playing a very dangerous game with its military seizure of Ukraine’s nuclear power plant, which is the largest in Europe,” the spokesperson said.

He added: “It’s dangerous that they’ve done that and we continue to call on Russia to withdraw its military and civilian personnel from the plant, to return full control of the plant to the competent Ukrainian authorities, and refrain from taking any actions that could result in a nuclear incident at the plant.”

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron is expected to urge U.S. lawmakers to approve a new package of aid for Ukraine when he visits Washington this week, warning Congress that it is putting the security of the West at risk by continuing to hold up the funding.

The trip is a chance for Cameron to personally deliver the message he posted on social media last week in which he called on Western leaders to put pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans in Congress to approve additional aid for Ukraine, as Britain and the European Union have already done.

Russia claimed to have destroyed a Ukraine-launched, anti-ship Neptune missile over the Black Sea in the early hours of today, as well as downing four drones over the Belgorod and Voronezh regions.

“Duty air defence systems destroyed four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territories of the Belgorod (2 UAVs) and Voronezh (2 UAVs) regions, and (the Neptune) Ukrainian missile was destroyed over the Black Sea off the coast of the Crimean Peninsula,” the Russian defence ministry said on its Telegram channel.

A Ukrainian commander has urged more of the country’s citizens to join the armed forces, saying that the war-hit nation’s fate is at stake and no one can now stay away.

“The more Ukrainians find the courage to join the ranks of the armed forces, the less chances Russia will have to implement its bloodthirsty plans, and the sooner Ukrainian cities will resume their ordinary and safe life,” Oleksandr Pavliuk, Commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, said in a Facebook post.

He asked Ukrainians to “leave emotions behind and not succumb to provocations” and mentioned specialists within the military such as drivers, clerks, cooks, builders, IT specialists, accountants, doctors, and engineers.

“It is imperative to realise that no one can stay away. The fate of the country, the fate of our nation, is at stake,” he said.

The Ukrainian commander said that “Russia will not leave anyone alone”, including those Moscow thinks are hiding and those who have “betrayed” Ukraine.

Calling it a historical moment, Mr Pavliuk said: “Join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Stand up for your family, your home, your country, and your future. Our strength is in unity! There is no other option”.

Comments in response to the officer’s Facebook post saw backlash and confusion among Ukrainians who asked the authorities to define the military contracts better.

“Set adequate and clear terms of service. Make short-term contracts. And people will come themselves. No one will voluntarily join the army for life, not even the most ardent patriots. You understand that. You know,” said one Facebook user.

“Mobilise the sons of deputies and generals too!” said another.

Britain must ramp up its defence and aid spending and bolster its diplomatic and intelligence networks amid “the most dangerous period” since the Cold War, the UK’s former top civil servant has warned.

Writing in The Independent, former cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill urged the government to nearly double Britain’s defence spending to reach 4 per cent of GDP and restore the international aid budget to 0.7 per cent of national income, slashed by Boris Johnson in 2021.

David Cameron is set to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken today on his trip to Washington to urge the lawmakers in Congress to clear an aid package for Ukraine alongside talks on the Israel-Gaza war.

“Success for Ukraine and failure for Putin are vital for American and European security,” the foreign secretary said in a statement, adding that it was important to demonstrate to Russian president Vladimir Putin that “aggression doesn’t pay”.

“The alternative would only encourage Putin in further attempts to re-draw European borders by force, and would be heard clearly in Beijing, Tehran and North Korea,” he added.

Lord Cameron is also likely to meet Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and urge him to pass the long overdue $60bn package of military aid for Ukraine. He is also going to meet congressional leaders from both the Republicans and the Democrats, the foreign ministry said.

The foreign secretary will also underline that the US is the “key stone in the arch” as its pace and scale of support for Ukraine is unmatched.

According to the ministry, Lord Cameron will stress the importance of increasing economic pressure on Russia and giving Ukraine “the military and humanitarian support it needs to hold the line this year and go on the offensive in 2025” the foreign ministry said.

Russian attacks dispersed through different regions of Ukraine killed five people on Monday, officials said.

A missile strike killed three people and injured at least eight in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.

An industrial building, seven apartment blocks, as well as medical and educational facilities were damaged, authorities said. They did not disclose the nature of the industrial site.

Authorities reported four guided bombs had hit the town of Bilopillia in northern Sumy region, killing a woman and injuring three other people.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address, said the attack targeted the centre of the town of 15,000 and rescue efforts went on into the evening.

Shops and a city council building were damaged, the regional administration said.

The governor of central Poltava region said a Russian attack killed one person, injured 10 and damaged several dwellings. The governor did not say in which locality the attack took place.