Ukraine Russia latest news: Putin launches new war offensive amid fighter jet talks

Vladimir Putin’s soldiers are advancing in eastern Ukraine with relentless shelling and shelling in a bid to gain the first major territorial advantage in six months, officials said.

Russian forces launched a series of nightly strikes, cutting out electricity in parts of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, local officials said today.

“The occupiers have hit critical infrastructure. There were about 10 explosions,” Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synehubov said on Telegram. “There are power outages in some regions. Emergency services are on site.”

It’s not immediately clear if the attacks resulted in casualties.

In addition, Moscow’s troops are attempting to advance westwards with “maximum escalation” in the region’s snowy terrain, registering a surge in gunfire and shelling, Lugansk Governor Serhiy Haidai said last night, adding that this has been the case for Russia so far without had been success.

French President Emmanuel Macron pinned the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor to Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the two met at the French presidential palace yesterday after some French lawmakers and activists called for Putin’s award to be revoked because of the war.

Mr Macron said the move to award Mr Zelenskyy the medal was to show France’s “enormous” recognition of Ukraine’s bravery since Russia’s invasion a year ago.

Mr Macron did not rule out stripping Mr Putin of the Legion of Honor bestowed by then-President Jacques Chirac in 2006. He said that such a decision “has serious importance and should be taken at the right moment”. noted that he has abolished the Légion d’Honneur in the past.

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The governor of Donetsk region says he believes fresh fighting that erupted in eastern areas yesterday marks the start of a much-anticipated new Russian offensive.

Asked if he agreed with the Russian forces launching their full-scale attack, Governor Pavlo Krylenko said, “Yes, definitely.”

Officials in Kiev have been predicting a new military offensive by Russia to try and make fresh territorial gains around the one-year anniversary of the first invasion in mid-to-late February.

Krylenko said “the enemy’s forces and means” were escalating in intensity daily around eastern cities like Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Vuhledar.

French President Emmanuel Macron hasn’t ruled out sending fighter jets to Ukraine at some point, but added that the embattled nation needs more immediate military firepower.

“I’m not ruling out anything at all,” Mr Macron said when asked about the possibility of deploying jets at the end of a summit of EU leaders attended by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

But he added that the top priority for Ukraine’s allies right now is to help Ukraine in the coming weeks and months, and fighter jets could not be delivered in that timeframe and it would take time to train Ukrainian pilots in them to fly them.

Priority should be given to the provision of Kiev items such as artillery, which proved effective and on which the Ukrainian Armed Forces were already trained.

Mr Macron added that it might be necessary to step up the supply of such items and Ukraine’s allies would study this possibility in the coming days.

Ukraine says it needs Western fighter jets to win the war – in Selensky’s words, as read on the fighter pilot’s helmet presented to Speaker of the House Lindsay Hoyle: “We have freedom. Give us wings to protect it.”

In recent weeks, Western governments have – with some delays and caution – supplied huge quantities of ammunition, missiles, air defense systems, artillery, armored vehicles, drones and main battle tanks to the Ukrainian armed forces. These are much more deployable and safer from attack when deployed with the added benefit of air superiority.

The Ukrainian Air Force is relatively small compared to Russia and is equipped with Soviet-era MiG jets. Hence the call for better equipment. Roughly speaking, there is little point in sending the most advanced and expensive tanks in the world, like American Abrams and German Leopards, when the Russians can destroy them at will.

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Some of Europe’s NATO members may feel safer letting America take the lead in sending military jets to Ukraine, she writes Kim Sengupta.

The air-raid alert had been triggered in many Ukrainian regions, it said The Kiev Independent amid attacks by Russian forces.

Officials said the alerts were also triggered in many Ukrainian oblasts and in the city of Kyiv earlier this morning.

Russian forces are attacking the besieged city this morning, Kharkiv Oblast governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has urged Ukraine to drop threats to boycott the 2024 Olympics over the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Ukraine is hoping for broad international support for a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes after the IOC opened the door for them to compete as neutral participants in Paris.

Athletes from Russia and neighboring Belarus who supported Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago have since been banned from many international competitions.

Rishi Sunak’s government has acknowledged there is a potential risk of escalation as it considers sending fighter jets to Ukraine, Downing Street said.

The prime minister said warplanes are now “part of the conversation” as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had heard from several European leaders that they were ready to supply planes to Kiev.

Mr Zelensky gave no further details on the pledges – which were made at an EU summit in Brussels – but expressed optimism about the prospect of jet deliveries after spending the last few days on a mini European tour to increase support. The Ukrainian head of state asked for “strong English planes” during a visit to Great Britain.