Ukraine-Russia war latest: North Korean soldiers ‘brought in again’ on Kursk frontline as Putin admits ‘very difficult’ situation – UK Times

Ukraine’s air force said today it shot down 67 of 139 Russian drones launched overnight, while another 71 disappeared from radar without reaching their targets.

The attack, which was claimed by the Russian defence ministry but has not been acknowledged by Ukraine, was reported exactly six months after Kyiv launched its initial cross-border assault into Kursk last August.

David Lammy said did not see any hope of an imminent end to the Ukraine’s war with Russia despite Donald Trump’s pledge to end the war under his second administration.

Mr Lammy who was in Ukraine and met president Volodymyr Zelensky made remarks as peace talks are set to begin at a security conference in Munich next week.

“I am not sure we are weeks away from peace talks. And I say that because our assessment, which I’m quite sure the US shares, is that Putin shows absolutely no appetite for negotiation and to bring this war to an end,” he told the Guardian.

“We are still very much in the depths of winter. The truth is the young men and women that make up the Ukrainian force are fighting for their country’s future on the ground, and that will go on for a number of months …

“The Ukrainians are pretty clear there can be no ceasefire before negotiations. So I don’t anticipate a ceasefire in this war anytime soon. I’m very clear that Putin at the moment shows no desire to negotiate. And therefore, sadly, I think this war of attrition will go on for some months yet.”

Kyiv is launching a new initiative to deploy robotic combat vehicles to the front lines, as the war with Russia intensifies the need for technological superiority.

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry announced the creation of specialised robotic units on Wednesday, releasing an image of a weaponised unmanned ground vehicle (UGV).

Drones, particularly aerial ones, have become indispensable in the conflict since Russia’s 2022 invasion. With both sides deploying vast numbers of drones monthly, the focus has shifted to replacing ground troops with UGVs, a move driven by dwindling Ukrainian manpower reserves, according to officials.

Defence minister Rustem Umerov stated, “The Ministry of Defence is launching a project that will scale up the use of unmanned ground systems in the military.”

It added that the project was based on trials conducted in co-operation with soldiers since the summer of 2024.

Russian police have opened a criminal investigation into an alleged assault on a freelance journalist by a person believed to be an employee of the British embassy, the Russian interior ministry said on Friday.

It said the journalist, a 23-year-old woman, had complained to police that she had suffered “physical and moral injury” in the alleged incident at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport while trying to interview British diplomats arriving there.

“While the journalist was performing her professional duties, an unknown man, presumably an employee of the British Embassy in the Russian Federation, who was meeting the delegation, pushed her, causing the girl to lose her balance,” the ministry said.

It said the British embassy had ignored a police request to identify the alleged offender and provide information about his diplomatic status. Russian authorities would work to ensure that the person concerned was punished, irrespective of their status and nationality, the ministry added.

Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the incident was “nothing more than an interference operation designed to intimidate legitimate diplomats, degrade the UK’s international reputation, and distract from Russia’s flagrant and repeated disregard for international law.

“It matches a persistent pattern of shameful behaviour by the Kremlin against UK diplomats in Russia,” it said in a statement. “Intimidation will not deter our staff from promoting international stability and UK interests around the world.”

Ukraine believes that the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to Russian war crimes will continue despite US president Donald Trump imposing sanctions on the organisation, Kyiv’s foreign ministry said on Friday.

Mr Trump authorised economic and travel sanctions targeting people involved in ICC investigations of US citizens or US allies, such as Israel.

The ICC is a permanent court that prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression against the territory of member states or by their nationals.

“We are convinced that the ICC will continue to fulfil important functions in Ukraine’s case, in particular bringing Russian war criminals to responsibility,” foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said at a press briefing in Ukraine’s capital.

“We know that relations between the US and the ICC have a long history,” Mr Tykhyi added.