Ukraine-Russia war live: Europe sends billions in frozen Russian assets to Kyiv as Moscow threatens response – UK Times

Nine people including a family-of-five have died after severe flash flooding struck the Ukrainian city of Odesa.

Over two months of rain fell on the coastal area in seven hours, leading to storms, downpours and power outages across the region. The family was killed when they were swept away by flood waters from their ground floor flat according to emergency services.

Ukraine has received €4bn in funding from the EU with the help of frozen Russian assets, the country’s finance ministry revealed on Wednesday.

It comes as European leaders are set to discuss the possibility of transferring up to €140bn in the same manner.

Moscow has warned it considers the procedure “theft” of its sovereign assets and will seek the prosecution of countries and individuals involved.

Leaders including Macron have expressed support for the initiative, but have stressed it must take place in accordance with international law.

The forthright and eloquent former head of MI5, Eliza Manningham-Buller – one of the outstanding intelligence intelligences of our time – has said that Britain is now in a condition of war, meaning war in its new contemporary terms.

Ukrainian leader Zelensky has warned of an “emergency” threat at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which he called a ”threat to everyone”.

“It is now the seventh day – something that has never happened before – of an emergency situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” he wrote on X/Twitter.

“Because of Russian shelling, the plant has been cut off from power, disconnected from the electrical grid, and is being supplied with electricity by diesel generators.”

He added: “This is extraordinary. The generators and the plant were not designed for this, have never operated in this mode for long, and we already have information that one generator has failed. It is Russian shelling that prevents repair of the power lines to the plant and the restoration of basic safety.

“This is a threat to everyone – no terrorist in the world has ever dared to do to a nuclear plant what Russia is doing. And it is right that the world does not stay silent.”

A fire at a major oil refinery in the Yaroslavl region northeast of Moscow, has been contained, according to emergency services.

The blaze broke out on Wednesday and was suspected to be a drone attack by Ukraine.

However, regional governor, Mikhail Yevrayev, said the incident was under control.

“Residents were concerned it might have been the result of an enemy drone attack,” Yevrayev said on Telegram.

“But what happened has nothing to do with that…The fire is of a technological nature.”

Ukraine has reportedly been attacking refineries in an attempt to disrupt fuel supplies and revenue.

Nine people including a family-of-five have died after severe flash flooding struck the Ukrainian city of Odesa.

Over two months of rain fell on the coastal area in seven hours, leading to storms, downpours and power outages across the region. The family was killed when they were swept away by flood waters from their ground floor flat according to emergency services.

Donald Trump has claimed that Ukraine could win back all of the land captured by Russia since the beginning of its invasion in February 2022, in a major shift in his position on the war.

The US president said in a Truth Social post that Kyiv’s military could win “all of Ukraine back in its original form”, adding that Putin and Russia are in “BIG economic trouble”.

Military experts say Ukraine could push Russia back towards the border as it stood in 2022, and force Vladimir Putin to seek a peace deal – but only in the presence of a strict, and unlikely, set of conditions.

“It is the pattern we need to observe, and in my view that pattern is essentially a hybrid war against Europe, and that is what we need to respond to,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters on Wednesday.

It follows violations of Danish airspace by unidentified drones. Russia has insisted it is not responsible.

The drones were located near airports in Denmark.

“Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has been without external power for more than a week now, which is by far the longest lasting such event during more than three and a half years of war,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said, according to Reuters.

Fuel reserves allow the plant to operate for ten days, however he said: “Nevertheless, it is extremely important that off-site power is restored.”