{"id":119377,"date":"2024-12-19T07:34:53","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T07:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ukraine-russia-war-latest-zelensky-admits-kyiv-is-too-weak-to-reclaim-land-as-putins-oil-refinery-set-ablaze-the-independent\/"},"modified":"2024-12-19T07:34:53","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T07:34:53","slug":"ukraine-russia-war-latest-zelensky-admits-kyiv-is-too-weak-to-reclaim-land-as-putins-oil-refinery-set-ablaze-the-independent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ukraine-russia-war-latest-zelensky-admits-kyiv-is-too-weak-to-reclaim-land-as-putins-oil-refinery-set-ablaze-the-independent\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky admits Kyiv is too weak to reclaim land as Putin\u2019s oil refinery set ablaze – The Independent"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Zelensky seeks support from international community to force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a> has admitted that the country\u2019s military is not capable of recovering the territory currently occupied by Russia<\/a> without diplomatic pressure from Kyiv<\/a>\u2019s allies.
Speaking to French newspaper Le Parisien,<\/em> Mr Zelensky said: \u201cWe cannot give up our territories. The Ukrainian constitution forbids us to do so. [But] we do not have the strength to recover them.
\u201cWe can only count on diplomatic pressure from the international community to force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table.\u201d
It comes as Britain pledged a new \u00a3225m package of support for Ukraine<\/a>, including military, navy and air defence equipment.
On Thursday an oil refinery in the Rostov region of southern Russia has caught fire after being attacked by Ukrainian drones, confirmed local governor Yuri Slyusar.
And earlier Ukraine unveiled a laser weapon capable of downing drones from more than a mile away in a bid to combat Russian aerial attacks<\/a>.
Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky, the commander of Ukraine\u2019s Unmanned Systems Forces, said the laser would be capable of downing aircraft at distances of more than 2km.
Police in Russia have detained two suspects in the killing of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the radiation, chemical and biological defense forces, and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov on Tuesday, reported Russian language independent newspaper Meduza relying on local news outlets.
Law enforcement agencies tracked down the suspects directly from the crime scene, where surveillance cameras recorded a couple of suspicious cars, reported Kommersant citing an unnamed official.
The reports do not mention the suspects identity, meaning it is unclear if they include the 29-year-old Uzbek national Russian authorities said they arrested on Wednesday.
According to the publication, the organisers of the crime recruited the perpetrators via instant messengers, providing them with a contact from the security service of Ukraine \u2013 which later claimed responsibility for the killing.
Russian Telegram channel 112 claims the suspects have already given testimony and told investigators about the organisers of the murder.
The UK government has criticised Moscow\u2019s \u201cdesperate rhetoric\u201d after a senior ally of Vladimir Putin threatened The Times newspaper over its coverage of the assassination of a Russian general.
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy security council chair, said journalists at The Times were \u201clegitimate military targets\u201d and should \u201cbe careful\u201d as \u201canything goes in London\u201d.
His comments followed a Times editorial in which the newspaper described the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov as \u201ca legitimate act of defence\u201d by Ukraine, which has claimed responsibility for the killing.
General Kirillov, who was in charge of Russia\u2019s nuclear, biological and chemical defence troops, was killed by a bomb hidden in a scooter outside his Moscow apartment on Tuesday.
Asked about Mr Medvedev\u2019s comments, the prime minister\u2019s official spokesperson said they were \u201csimply the latest in a stream of desperate rhetoric coming out of Putin\u2019s government\u201d.
He added: \u201cUnlike in Russia, a free press is a cornerstone of our democracy and we take any threats made by Russia incredibly seriously.
\u201cIt\u2019s the first duty of government to protect its citizens. That\u2019s why we have world-leading intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies in the UK and we have made clear that we will do whatever it takes to protect the British public and defend the freedom of the press.\u201d
Ukraine will only enter peace negotiations with Russia once Moscow is depleted of its ability to wage war, Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, declared on Sunday.
Speaking at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Lviv, Mr Yermak stressed the importance of Ukraine maintaining its strength amid calls for a resolution to the ongoing conflict. \u201cI would like to emphasise once again that only the strong are helped, so we must remain strong,\u201d he said, according to comments reported by Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty.
The official ruled out any immediate path to peace talks, stating that genuine discussions can only begin \u201cwhen the enemy no longer has the resources to continue the war.\u201d
Pressure has been mounting on Kyiv to consider negotiations with Moscow, particularly as the prospect of regaining lost territories through military means remains uncertain. However, Mr Yermak cautioned that concessions to Russia could lead to further aggression in the future.
\u201cIf Russia is not forced to make a just peace, there will be no peace. There will be a pause, and Moscow will use this pause to restore forces and continue the offensive,\u201d he warned.
Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi says the fight to hold the eastern region of Dontesk has become \u2018extremely tough\u2019
Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to US president-elect Donald Trump and \u201creiterated the need for allies to stand together with Ukraine,\u201d Downing Street has said.
The two men spoke on Wednesday afternoon amid rising concerns about whether the US will maintain its level of support for Ukraine when Mr Trump re-enters the White House in January.
The incoming president has said that he wanted to end the conflict on \u201cday one\u201d of his term in office.
A statement released by Number 10 on Wednesday evening said that Sir Keir began the call by \u201ccongratulating president-elect Trump on his recent team appointments\u201d.
A Downing Street spokesperson said that during the call, \u201cthe prime minister reiterated the need for allies to stand together with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression and to ensure Ukraine is in the strongest possible position\u201d.
\u201cOn the Middle East, the prime minister underscored the need to work together to ensure peace and security in the region,\u201d the spokesperson said
\u201cThey agreed to keep in touch and looked forward to seeing one another at the earliest opportunity.\u201d
Mr Trump said that he disagreed \u201cvery vehemently\u201d with Ukraine firing US-made missiles into Russia in a recent interview with Time magazine, but insisted that he would not abandon Kyiv.
The House of Commons cleared the Financial Assistance to Ukraine Bill yesterday without any opposition on Wednesday afternoon.
The Bill allows the UK government to provide loans and other financial assistance to Ukraine.
The UK\u2019s contribution to the G7 group of nations loan package is \u00a32.26bn. Other contributors include the United States, the European Union, Canada and Japan.
The Bill passed its third reading from MPs and will now move to be scrutinised and voted on by the House of Lords.
Treasury minister Darren Jones said: \u201cThe House has today, and throughout the Bill\u2019s passage so far, made clear its strong feelings towards the plight of the Ukrainian people.
\u201cMembers of all political stripes have spoken eloquently in favour of continued support for Ukraine in their ongoing fight against Russia\u2019s tyrannical, unprovoked and illegal invasion.\u201d
The UK has pledged a new \u00a3225m package of support for Ukraine after the defence secretary said the situation in the country is \u201ccritical\u201d.
On a trip to Kyiv, John Healey said that the UK will \u201cstep up\u201d on international leadership on Ukraine in 2025, after prime minister Sir Keir Starmer urged allies to maintain their support.
The package announced this morning involves \u00a3186m for military equipment through the International Fund for Ukraine, including \u00a392m for Ukraine\u2019s navy and \u00a368m for air defence equipment.
The announcement comes after Mr Healey met with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov and also includes \u00a339m for counter-drone systems and protective equipment for Ukraine\u2019s armed forces.
Announcing the new funding, Mr Healey said: \u201cNearly three years after (Russian President Vladimir) Putin launched his illegal full-scale invasion, the depths of his miscalculation are clearer than ever, as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defy all expectations with their unbreakable spirit.
\u201cBut they cannot go it alone – which is why the UK will step up our international leadership on Ukraine throughout 2025.
\u201cWe will enhance our offer of training to Ukraine and provide battle-winning capabilities, such as the drones and munitions included in our new \u00a3225 million package today.\u201d
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday admitted that his forces \u201cdo not have the strength\u201d to remove Russian troops occupying their territory in the east of the country or Crimea.
The comments came as he sought more support from allies.
Speaking to the French paper Le Parisien, he said: \u201cWe cannot give up our territories. The Ukrainian constitution forbids us to do so,\u201d he said.
\u201cDe facto, these territories are now controlled by the Russians. We do not have the strength to recover them.
\u201cWe can only count on diplomatic pressure from the international community to force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table.\u201d
An oil refinery in the Rostov region of southern Russia has caught fire after being attacked by Ukrainian drones, confirmed local governor Yuri Slyusar.
Emergency crews have been dispatched to the fire at the Novoshakhtinsk refinery and details on casualties were being clarified, he said.
It came as Russian air defence systems repelled 10 Ukrainian missiles targetting the region, he said on Telegram.
Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine\u2019s official Centre Against Disinformation, wrote on Telegram that the missile attack focused on the Kamensky chemical plant \u201cwhich produces rocket fuel specialising in solid fuel components for rocket engines\u201d.
The plant, he said, also produced explosive materials and components for ammunition.
Mr Kovalenko posted a brief video showing a fire and smoke outside a fenced compound.
Mr Slyusar said fragments from one missile triggered a fire in a house in the village of Malenkaya Kamenka and smashed windows in others, adding that there were no casualties and emergency services were at the scene. He made no mention of any industrial target.
Ukraine\u2019s security service spy chief says they have killed \u2018very many\u2019 Russian conspirators
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