Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump have agreed to work together to “strengthen” Ukraine’s air defences after Kyiv came under a record bombardment.
Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to pummel Ukraine’s capital after a phone call with Mr Trump on Thursday night that the US president described as “disappointing”.
Mr Zelensky said he spoke with Mr Trump on Friday and the two agreed to “strengthen protection of our skies”. Details of the agreement are not yet clear, but the Ukrainian president suggested they discussed joint production of key air defence systems.
Mr Trump’s administration paused some shipments of weapons to Ukraine earlier this week, sparking warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia’s intensifying airstrikes and battlefield advances.
Germany’s chancellor also spoke with Mr Trump on Thursday. Friedrich Merz said he discussed buying US-made Patriot air defence systems to bridge the gap.
A Russian missile and drone strike on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Thursday damaged the Chinese consulate, according to reports.
Hours later, Ukraine said it found a Chinese component inside a Russian drone that hit Kyiv.
“Following tonight’s massive Russian air attack on Ukraine, we discovered in Kyiv a component of a Russian-Iranian Shahed-136/Geran-2 combat drone, which was made in China and supplied just recently,” Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, wrote on X.
“And right on the eve, the Chinese Consulate General’s building in Odesa suffered minor damage,” he added.
Beijing has always dismissed claims that it helps supply lethal weapons to its ally, however Western intelligence agencies say China supplies components of weapons, including electronics needed for drones.
Russia destroyed the power line that connects the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to the power grid, Ukraine’s energy minister German Galushchenko has said.
“The enemy struck the power line connecting the temporarily occupied (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant) with the integrated power system of Ukraine,” he said on Friday.
Just before, the UN nuclear watchdog confirmed that all external power lines supplying electricity to the Russian-occupied plant in Ukraine were down.
“Ukraine’s ZNPP lost all off-site power at 17:36 today, 9th time during military conflict and first since late 2023,” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on X.
Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant, which is not operating but still requires power to keep its nuclear fuel cool, has switched to running on diesel generators, the IAEA said.
The IAEA has repeatedly warned of the risk of a catastrophic accident at Zaporizhzhia, which is located near the front line in the war in Ukraine.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed his country’s offer to buy Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine with Donald Trump by phone on Thursday.
Mr Merz initiated the call with Trump to promote arms deliveries to Ukraine, particularly Patriots, after the Pentagon paused some shipments, a government spokesperson told Reuters.
Germany was in “intensive talks” to buy Patriots for Ukraine to help it counter some of the heaviest Russian attacks since the war began in 2022, a spokesman said earlier today.
“There are various ways to fill this Patriot gap,” they said, adding that one option being considered was buying the Patriot missile batteries in the US and then sending them on to Kyiv.
Washington has paused shipments of certain critical weapons to Ukraine including 30 Patriot air defence missiles due to low stockpiles, prompting warnings by Kyiv this would weaken its ability to defend itself.
Vladimir Putin fired 550 drones and missiles at Ukraine in a new record attack hours after Donald Trump lamented their “disappointing” phone call.
Kyiv was the main focus of Russia’s overnight bombardment, which left one dead and 23 injured in the capital, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration.
“Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv. One of the worst so far. Hundreds of Russian drones and ballistic missiles rained down on the Ukrainian capital. Right after Putin spoke with President Trump,” Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said Russia would not “change its dumb, destructive behaviour” without increasing pressure, particularly from the US.
The attack, which broke a record set only last weekend, came hours after Mr Trump spoke with Putin, a phone call the US president described as “disappointing”.
“I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don’t think he’s there,” he told reporters. “I’m just saying I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad.”
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov claimed Putin and Mr Trump were “on the same page”. The US president disagreed: “I didn’t make any progress with him at all.”
Mark Rutte, head of Nato, said on Friday that he understands Washington’s need to maintain its own weapons stockpiles, but added he hopes for flexibility to ensure Ukraine continues receiving necessary military support.
“I totally understand for the US to make sure that the stockpiles are at a level that we have the collective defense we need,” Mr Rutte told reporters after a change-of-command ceremony that saw US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich take over as Nato’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
But “we all hope for a level of flexibility to make sure that also Ukraine has what it needs,” he added.
Ukrainian POWs are seen crying and kissing the floor in footage taken after they were released from captivity as part of the latest prisoner swap with Russia.
At home 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/Pn8iuaCSVU
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Ukraine-Russia war live: Zelensky and Trump agree to ‘strengthen’ Kyiv’s defences – The Telegraph
