Ukraine war latest: Russia sends '40 exploding drones heading for Kyiv'; forces fight for control of key highway

Moscow and Kyiv's forces fight for control of key highway

Over the last five days, Russian and Ukrainian forces have likely been fighting over the control of a key highway in the Luhansk region. 

In its daily intelligence briefing, the UK Ministry of Defence said forces have "probably" been fighting over the P66 highway, which runs north of the Russian-held town of Kremina.

It added that the P66 is a "key supply route" for the northern section of Russia's Donbas front from the Belgorod region of Russia.

"Its use has been disrupted by Ukrainian artillery since October, but if Ukraine were able to secure the route, it would highly likely further undermine Russia's defence of Kremina," it added.

Power cuts in Kyiv after Russian drone strike

Russian drones have targeted infrastructure in Ukraine's capital overnight, causing power cuts in some parts of the city.

Kyiv governor Oleksiy Kuleba said. "Russians launched several waves of Shahed drones, targeting critical infrastructure facilities.

"Air defence is at work."

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said: "There are emergency power outages in the city."

It comes after Ukrainian forces shot down 45 Iranian-made Shahed drones fired by Russia on the first night of the year.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: "Drones, missiles, everything else will not help (the Russians), because we stand united. They are united only by fear."

Ukrainian forces shell Donetsk city of Makiivka, Russia says

Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Makiivka and other Russian-controlled parts of Donetsk on New Year's Eve, according to officials.

Russia's TASS news agency cited Moscow-installed officials as saying that at least 15 people were injured in the attacks by High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) weapons.

TASS reported that one person was dead and five injured, and that the buildings hit included a stadium, an indoor bazaar, an art museum, a technical school, and a youth centre.

Daniil Bezsonov, a senior Russian-backed official in the Moscow-controlled parts of the Donetsk region, said the technical school had suffered "a massive blow from American MLRS (multiple launch rocket system) HIMARS".

"There were dead and wounded, the exact number is still unknown," Mr Bezsonov said on the Telegram messaging app.

"The building itself was badly damaged."

The Russian defence ministry said it had destroyed seven HIMARS rockets, including in Makiivka.

Kyiv's mayor says drone debris has hit the city's Desnianskiy district

Debris from a destroyed drone has hit Kyiv's northeastern residential district of Desnianskiy, the city's mayor says.

Vitali Klitschko said the debris hit a road and damaged a building.

One person - a 19-year-old man - has been taken to hospital, he added.

It is the second consecutive night of Russian attacks on Ukraine's capital - on New Year's Eve, missiles were fired at the city.

Ukrainians insist on celebrating New Year with parties and street gatherings despite curfew and missile strikes

By Yousra Elbagir, news correspondent, in Kyiv

It is New Year's Eve in Kyiv's St Sophia's Cathedral square.

The golden bulbous structure is gloriously lit, and a guitarist is playing the melody to George Michael's Last Christmas as families gather in the square.

At 9pm the festive lights are switched off and all that's left is a glowing northern star in the bell tower. Two hours before curfew, the crowd starts to thin out. The blue lights of police vans bounce off the dimmed Christmas tree and families make their way home for the night.

New Years is the most celebrated holiday in Ukraine and though the day was marked by a mass Russian missile strike that caused 10 blasts across the capital - people are gathering to enjoy it in the ways they can. House parties go on until the curfew lifts at 6am and then many young people head to nightclubs and party throughout the day.

The insistence to celebrate is a form of resistance in itself.

"The main idea is that what Russia is doing is to terrorise and put fear in us and they aren't getting this. We will just live our lives and it might be inconvenient but it doesn't matter," says Zhenya Melnyk at a house party near St Sophia's square.

Kyiv residents hold onto hope after fresh missile strikes

After a fresh wave of missile strikes hit the Ukrainian capital, residents there have described how they are holding onto hope.

Instead of fireworks, Oleksander Dugyn said he and his friends and family in Kyiv were left watching the sparks caused by Ukrainian air defence forces countering Russian attacks.

"We already know the sound of rockets, we know the moment they fly, we know the sound of drones. The sound is like the roar of a moped," said Mr Dugyn. 

"We hold on the best we can." 

Meanwhile, Evheniya Shulzhenko, who recently moved to Kyiv after living in Bakhmut and Kharkiv, two cities that have experienced some of the heaviest fighting of the war, said: "Of course it was hard to celebrate fully because we understand that our soldiers can't be with their family."

However she said a "really powerful" end-of-year speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on New Year's Eve lifted her spirits and made her proud to be Ukrainian.

Sweden's EU presidency will be 'crucial' in preserving support for Ukraine

Sweden's leadership will be "crucial" when it assumes presidency of the EU, the European Commission's president, Ursula von der Leyen, has said.

In a statement on Twitter, the EU chief said the country's leadership would play a vital role in preserving the EU's unity in support for Ukraine.

Sweden is taking over the EU presidency in Brussels from today, replacing the government of the Czech Republic. 

Last month, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sweden was taking over the presidency at a time "when the European Union is facing unprecedented challenges".

"A greener, more secure and freer Europe is the foundation of our priorities," he said.

NATO chief urges West to 'ramp up' arms production to support Ukraine

Western allies need to "ramp up" arms production in the coming months to ensure Ukraine is kept fully supplied in its war against Russia, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg has said.

Mr Stoltenberg said the ongoing crisis was consuming an "enormous amount" of munitions, amid signs that President Vladimir Putin was digging in for the "long haul".

He also said NATO allies needed to maintain their own stockpiles of weapons as well as continuing to supply the government in Kyiv with the armaments it needed.

He told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: "For the artillery, we need an enormous amount of ammunition, we need spare parts, we need maintenance.

"This is a huge undertaking. We need to ramp up production, and that is exactly what the NATO allies are doing.

"It is a core responsibility for NATO to ensure that we have the stocks, the supplies, the weapons in place to ensure our own deterrence and defence, but also to be able to continue to provide support to Ukraine for the long haul."

Mr Stoltenberg also said that while the Ukrainians had enjoyed the upper hand in the fighting in recent weeks, there were indications the Russians were regrouping for a renewed offensive.

"Russia has shown no sign of giving up its overall goal of taking control over Ukraine," he said.

"The Ukrainian forces have had the momentum for several months but we also know that Russia has mobilised many more forces. Many of them are now training.

"All that indicates that they are prepared to continue the war and also potentially try to launch a new offensive."

It's Christmas week in Kyiv and the capital is still under siege.

Oksana reflects on magical festive memories from childhood until a drone attack brings her back to reality with a jolt.

Meanwhile, Seva shares the Christmas reality of comrades who continue to fight through the holiday period. 

You can listen to the latest Ukraine War Diaries podcast below

'Ruining lives of others is a disgusting habit of our neighbours,' Ukraine's first lady says

Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska has expressed her outrage after missile attacks hit the capital overnight.

In a statement on Twitter, Ms Zelenska said that on New Year's Eve cities should have been covered by a wave of celebrations but instead cities in Ukraine had been "covered by missile wave from Russia".

"Ruining lives of others is a disgusting habit of our neighbours. But we will persevere and be even stronger – in spite of everything," she said.

Russia has flattened Ukrainian cities and killed thousands of civilians since Vladimir Putin ordered his invasion in February, claiming Ukraine was an artificial state whose pro-Western outlook threatened Russia's security. 

Moscow has since claimed to have annexed around a fifth of Ukraine. 

However, Ukraine has fought back with Western military support, driving Russian forces from more than half the territory they seized.

-sky news