Ukraine war live: Explosions rock Kyiv after Russia launches ballistic missile attack

Explosions rocked Kyiv on Thursday after Russia launched an overnight ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian capital, killing at least two people and injuring six others, according to local officials.

Ukraine's Air Force said at least eight ballistic missiles were fired towards Kyiv, while waves of Shahed attack drones also targeted cities across the country. Air raid sirens sounded through the capital shortly before 1am local time as residents sought shelter.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were killed in the attack and six others were wounded, including a 16-year-old boy. At least three of the injured were taken to hospital. Huge fires broke out and warehouses and other non-residential buildings were damaged, while rescue operations remained under way.

Earlier, officials said at least 14 others had been killed in attacks across several regions, including Odesa, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia, overnight and on Wednesday.

The overnight strikes also coincided with a major political reshuffle in Kyiv, with president Volodymyr Zelensky backing Naftogaz chief Sergii Koretskyi to become Ukraine's next prime minister after the resignation of Yulia Svyrydenko.

Russia says foreign troops deployed to Ukraine would be 'legitimate military targets'

Russia has warned that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine under a post-war security arrangement would be considered "legitimate military targets", rejecting plans discussed by Kyiv's Western allies.

The warning came after members of the so-called "coalition of the willing" met in Paris this week and reaffirmed their intention to deploy a multinational force to Ukraine following any ceasefire or peace agreement. The proposed mission is intended to reassure Kyiv and help rebuild its armed forces after the fighting ends.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow viewed such a deployment as an unacceptable escalation.

"The deployment of any military contingents from countries of the so-called ’coalition of the willing’ to ⁠Ukraine is unacceptable to our country," she told reporters.

“I ​repeat: this would amount, de facto, ​to foreign intervention ‌and an ​escalation ​of threats to Russia’s security. We would regard such units as legitimate military targets.“

Starmer says UK’s ‘cast-iron’ support for Ukraine will ‘always endure’

Sir Keir Starmer has affirmed the UK’s "cast-iron" support for Ukraine will "always endure", during his final visit to the country as Prime Minister.

The outgoing Labour leader is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday, a high-security trip before he leaves office.

He is expected to assure Mr Zelensky that Britain’s commitment to backing Ukraine will continue after he is succeeded by Andy Burnham.

At least two killed in latest wave of missile attacks in Kyiv

At least two people have been killed and six others injured after Russia launched an overnight ballistic missile attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, officials said.

Explosions rocked the city shortly before 1am local time as Russia fired at least eight ballistic missiles towards the capital, according to Ukraine's Air Force.

Kyiv City Military Administration chief Tymur Tkachenko said the city was under ballistic missile attack.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were killed and six wounded, including a 16-year-old boy. At least three of the injured were taken to hospital.

Klitschko said warehouses and other non-residential buildings were damaged in the strikes. Rescue operations were continuing and officials warned the full extent of the damage and casualties was not yet known.

Air raid alerts were also issued across other parts of Ukraine, including regions far from the front line, as the Air Force warned of waves of Russian Shahed drones targeting multiple cities. Explosions were also reported in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv during drone strikes.

Russian attacks kill 14 people across Ukraine

Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 14 people overnight and on Wednesday, according to local officials, with the Black Sea port city of Odesa suffering one of the deadliest strikes.

Three people were killed in what regional governor Oleh Kiper described as a "massive" Russian drone and missile attack on Odesa, marking the fifth consecutive day the region has come under fire. Kiper said a Russian missile struck a multi-storey residential building, killing and injuring civilians.

Writing on Telegram, he accused Moscow of deliberately targeting the civilian population. He added that a non-residential building and a gas pipeline were also damaged in the attack.

Russia's defence ministry acknowledged the strike on Odesa, saying it had intentionally targeted port infrastructure "used for the unloading of petroleum, oil, and lubricants".

Elsewhere, three people were killed in the north-eastern city of Sumy and another three in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. A further five deaths were reported across three other south-eastern regions, bringing the nationwide death toll to at least 14.

Ukraine, meanwhile, said its drones struck 20 Russian vessels in the Black Sea overnight, including 17 oil tankers.

The latest attacks came as Ukraine underwent a major government reshuffle, with both the prime minister and defence minister stepping down.

In pictures: Russia's overnight Kyiv attack with ballistic missiles

Britain sends first Sheffield-forged artillery barrels to Ukraine

Artillery barrels forged in Sheffield, Britain, are now being delivered to Ukraine's military under a £61m defence contract aimed at boosting Kyiv's battlefield capabilities.

State-owned steelmaker Sheffield Forgemasters has shipped the first four of a planned 150 artillery barrels, marking the first time in nearly two decades that forged artillery barrels have been produced in the UK.

The barrels are being manufactured by Sheffield Forgemasters in partnership with a nearby BAE Systems artillery factory that opened in Sheffield last year.

Under the agreement, the two companies will produce both 105mm and 155mm artillery barrels for Ukraine's armed forces. Artillery barrels gradually wear out after sustained use and must be replaced regularly.

Sheffield is currently producing around eight barrels a month, with the initial shipment expected to help Ukraine test its own manufacturing capabilities.

0The programme comes as Britain and its European allies seek to expand domestic weapons production in response to the war in Ukraine.

Sheffield Forgemasters was nationalised in 2021, with the Ministry of Defence saying the acquisition was necessary to safeguard "critical" UK defence programmes.

Russia pounded Kyiv with ballistic missiles in overnight attacks

Russia struck the Ukrainian capital with ballistic missiles in an overnight attack on Thursday.

Explosions rocked Kyiv shortly before 1am local time with Ukraine’s air force reporting at least eight ballistic missile launches from Russia towards Kyiv.

Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, also said that Russian forces were attacking Kyiv with ballistic missiles.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko, writing on ⁠Telegram, said a ​storage area ⁠was struck ‌in a suburb in the west of ‌the city and ‌debris hit the ground in an area ⁠on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River. He said fires broke out in both areas.

Aerial alerts were also sounded in other parts of Ukraine, including in regions far from the front line, such as Vinnytsia Oblast.

The air force also warned of waves of Russian Shahed-type drones attacks in various cities.

The full extent of damage and casualties is not yet clear.

Zelensky backs Naftogaz chief Sergii Koretskyi as new prime minister

President Volodymyr Zelensky has endorsed the head of state-owned energy company Naftogaz, Sergii Koretskyi, to become Ukraine's next prime minister, saying the country needs leadership focused on preparing for the coming winter as the war with Russia continues.

Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday, Zelensky said Koretskyi was the "most prepared candidate" for the role after consultations, citing energy security as the government's top priority.

"The priorities are clear – preparing for winter," Zelensky said. "Therefore, following all the consultations, Sergii Koretskyi is surely the most prepared candidate for the post of prime minister of Ukraine."

The nomination comes after parliament accepted the resignation of prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko on Tuesday, just a year after she took office. Her departure triggered the resignation of the entire government, with lawmakers expected to vote on Koretskyi's appointment on Thursday.

Zelensky has offered little public explanation for the reshuffle beyond saying he wants to refresh the country's leadership.

The changes are expected to extend beyond the premiership.

Lawmakers said Zelensky also plans to replace defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a move that has prompted criticism from some politicians and commentators who argue it could undermine Ukraine's war effort at a critical stage of the conflict, as Kyiv intensifies strikes on Russia's oil industry while trying to slow Moscow's advances along the front line.

With Zelensky's Servant of the People party holding a parliamentary majority, Koretskyi's appointment is widely expected to be approved.

Russian missiles hit two Kyiv districts

Russian missiles struck at least two districts in ⁠the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday, triggering fires before an ⁠all-clear ​was declared, ⁠officials said.

Eyewitnesses heard ‌a series of ​explosions in ‌the city.

The ⁠air alert was ⁠lifted after about an ‌hour.

Trump hopeful that Putin could end Ukraine war soon

Donald Trump said he still believes that Vladimir Putin is ready to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine soon, despite indications Russia is likely to escalate.

"I think he's ready to make a deal," Trump said in a Fox News interview, taped on Tuesday, when asked about his conversations with Putin.

Three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin is rejecting calls to negotiate peace with Kyiv and was likely to escalate the conflict, now in its fifth year.

Trump had promised to have a deal to the war, now in its fifth year, on the first day of his presidency in January 2025.