Ukraine-Russia latest: Putin’s forces claim capture of strategic town as Zelensky makes Trump appeal

Ukraine’s military claims to have inflicted some 1,430 casualties upon Vladimir Putin’s forces over the past day.

In total, there were 166 combat clashes recorded along the front line, with Russia also launching 45 air strikes, firing more than 5,000 artillery shells and deploying 2,155 kamikaze attack drones, the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in its daily update.

Belarusian leader and Russian ally Alexander Lukashenko has further extended his 31-year rule after electoral officials declared him the winner of a presidential election widely rejected as a sham.

With independent media banned in Belarus and all leading opposition figures either jailed or in exile, Mr Lukashenko took 86.8 per cent of the vote, according to initial results.

Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for an expansion of Western sanctions against Belarusian companies and individuals involved in repressing Mr Lukashenko’s opponents and supplying munitions for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

“As long as Belarus is under Lukashenko and Putin’s control, there will be a constant threat to the peace and security of the entire region,” she said.

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said: “The people of Belarus had no choice. It is a bitter day for all those who long for freedom [and] democracy.”

Ukraine claims that its air defences downed 57 out of 104 drones launched by Russia overnight.

Some 39 drones were “lost”, Kyiv’s air force said, in reference to Ukraine’s use of electronic warfare to redirect Russian drones.

Russia is trying to revive its information campaign aimed at deterring the US and other Western states from providing Ukraine with further military assistance, according to a US war think-tank.

The Institute for the Study of War went on to say: “Ukraine remains in critical need of US and European military assistance to maintain its defense against Russian aggression and to conduct future negotiations from a position of strength.”

European Union ambassadors are meeting in Brussels this morning to try to overcome a Hungarian block on extending EU sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, diplomats have told Reuters.

One diplomat said the aim was to produce a statement on energy security that would satisfy Budapest.

If successful, a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels later on Monday could approve a rollover of the sanctions, the news agency reported.

Desperate Ukrainian families are resorting to illegal routes and “rogue advisers” to bring their children to Britain after “catastrophic” changes to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, ministers have been told.

The government, which has vowed “ironclad” support for Ukrainians, has been warned repeatedly since taking office that changes to the Ukrainian sponsorship schemes – made overnight last February by the Tory administration – are preventing children from joining their parents in the UK.

This has now created the “inevitable” situation in which families are resorting to bringing children to the UK via irregular routes, leaving them at risk of exploitation by criminals and people traffickers, a charity supporting Ukrainians told the home secretary this week.

Speaking to The Independent, one Ukrainian mother said she was left with no choice but to bring her children from Ukraine illegally after their carer grandparent fell ill, and urged the government to change course to allow families to reunite in safety.

EU countries will likely decide to extend their existing sanctions against Russia this morning, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.

“I expect a decision to rollover the sanctions we have,” Ms Kallas said before a meeting with EU foreign policy ministers in Brussels.

Earlier this month, Hungary had said it had not yet decided whether to support the rollover of sanctions due at the end of January.

Ukrainian forces hit drone storage facilities in Russia’s western Oryol Oblast on 26 January, said the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Facebook.

The drone strike hit concrete structures housing warheads for drones.

“The results and extent of the damage are being specified, but it is preliminary known that more than 200 ‘Shaheds’ will no longer be used against our country,” the statement said.

The Shahed-136 drones are reported to have a flight range between 1,000km and 2,500km. These drones are said to weigh approximately 200kg and can reach a maximum speed of 185km per hour.

Russia’s defence ministry announced yesterday that its forces had taken control of Velyka Novosilka, a town of strategic significance in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. However, Ukrainian officials contested this claim, asserting that their troops had only conducted a tactical withdrawal from parts of the town to prevent encirclement, rather than abandoning it entirely.

The 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine confirmed the withdrawal, stating that it was part of a strategy designed to inflict significant losses on Russian forces while minimising Ukrainian casualties.“This does not mean that we have completely left the city; the fighting in Velyka Novosilka continues,” the brigade emphasised in a statement.

“All actions are aimed at minimising our own losses and maximising damage to the enemy.”In addition, the brigade explained that the decision to retreat from certain positions was intended to make it more difficult for Russian forces to advance further.

“The enemy … will have no peace, any movement is cut off by shells and drones,” the brigade added, highlighting the strategic importance of the river, which is expected to become a significant obstacle for Russian troops in the area.