Ukraine-Russia war – live: Major wave of heavy bomber strikes on Kyiv ‘start of concerted campaign’

Russia has launched a “concerted campaign” to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said.

In their latest defence intelligence update, the MoD said a “major wave” of strikes was launched on Thursday night, targetting central Ukraine and Kyiv.

The MoD statement read: “Russia has almost certainly been stockpiling these missiles for use in the winter campaign.

“This was probably the start of a more concerted campaign by Russia aimed at degrading Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.”

One civilian was killed in the attack, however, initial reports indicate the majority of these missiles were successfully intercepted by Ukrainian air defence.

Some Russian athletes will be allowed to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the IOC said Friday, in a decision that removed the option of a blanket ban over the invasion of Ukraine.

The International Olympic Committee’s decision confirms moves it started one year ago to reintegrate Russia and its military ally Belarus into global sports, and nine months after it urged sports governing bodies to look at ways to let individual athletes compete.

It is up to each Olympic sport’s governing body to assess and enforce neutral status for individual athletes who have not actively supported the war and are not contracted to military or state security agencies.

Calling the political row in America “a matter of life” for Ukrainians, Olena Zelenska said: “We really need the help. In simple words, we cannot get tired of this situation, because if we do, we die.

“And if the world gets tired, they will simply let us die.”

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Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman voiced hope Friday that a coalition of countries formed to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children illegally deported by Russia will be able to come up with a faster mechanism to repatriate them.

Over 19,000 children are still believed to be in Russia or in occupied regions of Ukraine.

Dmytro Lubinets spoke to reporters following the first meeting of the National Coalition of Countries for the Return of Ukrainian Children, which was formed based on a recommendation by Canada, in Kyiv.

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City workers in Kyiv on Saturday dismantled an equestrian statue of a Red Army commander, the latest Soviet monument to be removed in the Ukrainian capital since Russia launched its full-scale invasion last year.

The statue of Mykola Shchors on horseback, erected in the 1950s, was taken down from a pedestal in downtown Kyiv to the applause of a small group of onlookers. City officials said it will be stored in the State Aviation Museum.

“Derussification and decommunization are continuing. We have already dismantled more than 60 monuments related to the history and culture of Russia and the Soviet Union,” Mykhailo Budilov, director of the city’s Department of Territorial Control, said in a statement.

Declaring such an election “null and void”, the Ukrainian foreign ministry threatened to prosecute any international observer sent to monitor the ballot.

Russia’s upper house has set the date for the country’s next presidential for 17 March next year, though the result is already a foregone conclusion with there being little organised political opposition left in the country.

Russia will likely seek to regain the initiative in Ukraine in a military push over the harsh winter period, analysts say, ahead of presidential elections in March expected to see Vladimir Putin remain in the Kremlin until at least 2030.

After a year dug in among a heavily fortified front line in order to push back Kyiv’s counteroffensive efforts, the Institute for the Study of War think-tank suggests Russia is now launching attacks along the vast front line and is seeking to regain the initiative in its 22-month war.

However the think-tank is sceptical about the success of any winter push by Moscow, and notes that, in something of a role reversal, Ukraine is using the harsher weather to build its own fortifications in parts of the front line – “thereby conserving manpower and resources for future offensive efforts”.

“Difficult weather conditions have likely slowed the rate of Russian advance along much of the frontline, increased Russian losses, and further damaged the morale of Russian soldiers,” the think-tank said.

It added: “The establishment of Ukrainian tactical defensive positions will most likely strengthen Ukrainian forces’ capabilities to defend against ongoing and costly Russian attacks with fewer forces of their own and/or while suffering fewer casualties in the defence.

“Furthermore, the establishment of Ukrainian tactical defensive positions may become a springboard for future Ukrainian offensive operations where and when Ukrainian forces choose to re-initiate offensive operations.”

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been missing for three days following a “a serious health-related incident”, his associates have warned – just as Vladimir Putin launches his presidential re-election campaign.

Allies of the Kremlin critic – who has been sentenced to more than 30 years on what he says are politically motivated charges – had this week stepped up a campaign to undermine popular support for Mr Putin and the war in Ukraine ahead of the March 2024 presidential elections.

And days earlier, Russian prosecutors brought fresh charges against Mr Navalny, in what the 47-year-old said was part of the Kremlin’s desire to “initiate a new criminal case against me every three months”.

But Mr Navalny failed to show up at scheduled court hearings this week, according to Maria Pevchikh, chair of his Anti-Corruption Foundation, who said he had been “missing for three days now”.

Some Russian athletes will be allowed to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Friday.

The decision has removed the option of a blanket ban over the invasion of Ukraine. The IOC’s decision confirms moves it started one year ago to reintegrate Russia and its military ally Belarus into global sports.

Eight Russians and three from Belarus are among 4,600 athletes worldwide who have so far qualified for the Summer Games.

Russia sent a team of 335 athletes to the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021 but only dozens are likely to compete in Paris. Russia remains banned from team sports.