Germany has deployed fighter jets to two European nations to shore up NATO’s eastern flank amid Russia’s “hybrid war” with the West. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has given his take on negotiations with a US team over the Ukraine war. Follow the latest below.
Thursday 4 December 2025 23:00, UK
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That’s it for our live coverage today on the war in Ukraine.
Here is a round-up of the day’s big developments:
Images have been coming through of German Eurofighter jets being readied, including stocked with missiles, at an airbase in the country’s North Rhine Westphalia region ahead of a transfer.
It comes after the German air force said it deployed five Eurofighter jets and some 150 military personnel to the town of Malbork in northern Poland to help secure the country’s airspace.
The aircraft will remain in the town, which lies near to NATO’s border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, until March next year.
Russia has always denied any involvement in the Salisbury Novichok attacks in 2018, spinning the accusations as anti-Russian propaganda.
The Kremlin responded to the inquiry’s findings published earlier today as “tasteless tales from the English crypt” (see 17.49 post).
But our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett says Vladimir Putin won’t be bothered at all by the findings, or by new sanctions on Russia’s GRU intelligence service, as he is enjoying “the full red carpet treatment” on his two-day state visit to India.
The Russian president’s trip shows how while Europe has shunned Putin, others continue to embrace him, Bennett says.
“He is not lacking international support, and this is really part of the reason why he’s so uncompromising right now.”
He adds: “With Vladimir Putin, I think Novichok is ancient history.”
Watch Bennett’s analysis here…
There were more than 60 separate strikes of drones and shelling across Ukraine’s eastern Dnipro region this afternoon, according to local media reports.
A 41-year-old man was killed after a drone strike in Nikopol, while another man was injured by shelling in the same city, the acting head of its regional military administration said on Telegram.
The strikes, which were carried out using with artillery, drones and ammunition drops from drones, left an educational institution on fire and damaged houses and a gas station.
The communities of Sinelnyky and Kryvyi Rih were also hit in the strikes.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been interviewing candidates to replace his former right-hand man, Andrii Yermak.
Yermak resigned as chief of staff when his residence was searched by anti-corruption investigators, though he was not accused of any wrongdoing.
The Ukrainian president said a decision on his successor will me made “in the near future”.
“Today, I also held additional meetings with the candidates for the position of the new Head of the Office of the President.
“We discussed the formats of the office’s work and the interaction with other state institutions that is necessary for Ukraine’s interests.”
Yermak was a towering figure in Ukrainian politics and lead negotiator with the United States.
Images are coming in of a protest taking place in Czech capital Prague this evening.
A group of people can be seen holding up EU, Czech and Ukrainian flags outside the city’s National Theatre while standing next to a giant floor display which reads ‘Make Russia Pay’.
It comes after the EU Commission shared proposals in Brussels yesterday for either using frozen Russian assets or borrowing to fund a reparations loan for Ukraine.
Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever has indicated he will discuss using the frozen assets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz when the pair meet tomorrow (see 19.00 post).
The UK announced new sanctions on the GRU (Russian military intelligence) after the Salisbury Novichok inquiry findings were published earlier today (see 12.04 post).
But the former head of MI6 has suggested the measures will do little to prevent further attacks in the future.
Sir John Sawers tells presenter Mark Austin that Russia has “a particular animus” against the UK on intelligence matters, and likely carried out the Salisbury poisonings to demonstrate its “willingness to be reckless”.
On what he thinks the new sanctions will achieve, Sir John says: “I think it’s a reaction the government needed to take in response to the inquiry’s findings.
“We’ve never been under any illusions about the GRU. They have been responsible for some of the most aggressive actions, both assassinations and cyber attacks, and some demonstrative step against them is welcome.
“I’m not sure it will have a great practical impact, because we will still see GRU operations in our country. They have always been illegal, we have always been combating them, but they will no doubt continue to try to launch attacks against us and our Western allies.”
Watch Sir John’s interview here…
The Irish Times is reporting that an Irish navy ship spotted up to five drones operating near the flight path of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plane as it headed for Ireland earlier this week.
The sighting triggered a major security alert amid fears it was an attempt to interfere with the flight path, but the aircraft was not in any danger, the report says, quoting unnamed sources.
The drones were first spotted northeast of Dublin, around 12 miles (20km) from the city’s airport.
Zelenskyy, who arrived in Dublin on Monday evening and left the next day, held a joint news conference with Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheal Martin before addressing the Irish parliament on his state visit.
He revealed in the press conference that the US-Ukrainian peace plan had been revised to 20 points.
As we’ve been reporting, the EU Commission shared proposals in Brussels yesterday for using frozen Russian assets to fund a reparations loan for Ukraine.
This prompted the Kremlin to warn today that the move would trigger “the harshest reaction” from Moscow (see 14.22 post).
Now Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever says he hopes to have positive discussions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the issue tomorrow.
Belgium, which holds the majority of the frozen assets, has previously raised various legal concerns about the proposals.
“I hope it will be a fruitful conversation and that we will find a solution that we can then present to Europe over the next two weeks,” De Wever told local media outlets.
But the prime minster added: “I can still determine my own position, even if there are large, strong neighbours whom I like very much and greatly respect politically, who might ask me (to do) something differently.
“I have only one responsibility: that is the interests of the Belgian taxpayers.”
Speaking about the proposals earlier, Merz said EU members states must share the risks of using the frozen assets to fund the loan (see 10.19 post).
The EU Commission hopes to secure a firm commitment from member states at a summit on 18 December.
A former UK ambassador to Russia has been reflecting on the Salisbury Novichok inquiry findings on Sky News.
Sir Laurie Bristow, who held the role when the poisonings occurred, tells presenter Mark Austin he was surprised the Russians chose to carry out the attack as it is hard to understand “what they thought they were trying to achieve”.
Asked if Russian activists exiled in the UK are now in increasing danger, Sir Laurie says: “I think undoubtedly they are.
“My understanding is that there are people who fall into that category [and] receive advice from the UK authorities on how to protect themselves.”
Watch Sir Laurie’s interview here…
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