Ukraine war latest: Ukraine funding blocked in US; Russian presidential election date set

One person injured after strike on mine in Donetsk region

One person has been injured after Russian forces struck a mine in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine's energy ministry reports.

In a statement on Facebook, the ministry said a rocket was fired at the mine just after 4pm and a 32-year-old worker was injured and taken to the hospital. 

"There is significant damage to the equipment," the ministry said.

"Mine work has been stopped. At the time of the impact, there were six people in the mine."

What do we know about the Russian cyber attacks?

Russian cyberattackers have been accused of targeting British democracy ahead of next year's general election.

The Foreign Office has summoned the Russian ambassador, and sanctioned a Russian intelligence officer along with a second member of the "Star Blizzard" group, which is believed to be controlled by the Centre 18 unit of the FSB.

MPs, Lords, civil servants, journalists and others have been targeted in attempts to "meddle in British politics", Foreign Office minister Leo Docherty told MPs.

So who are the attackers and how worried should we be?

Asked if the war was slipping away from Ukraine amid a slow counteroffensive, Lord Cameron says the overall picture showed Vladimir Putin had lost a big proportion of his fleet and troops.

He says Mr Putin has also seen NATO grow and "be more confident and united".

"I think when you zoom out and look at the big picture you can see the strong position Ukraine has put itself in through its bravery and through our support," he says.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron says the relationship between the UK and US has "never been more important".

He says it is "important we go on funding Ukraine" and helping the country "in every way we can".

"I see it as the challenge of our generation," he says.

"Just as my grandfather's generation had to fight off Nazi aggression in Europe, we are fighting against Russian aggression in Europe."

Lord Cameron goes on to say this is not just an issue of European security it is an issue about US security too.

He adds: "If we don't stop Putin in Ukraine, he will be back for more. We know that.

"And next time it could well be a NATO ally."

US secretary Antony Blinken begins by saying the US and UK are in "lockstep" when it comes to ensuring that Vladimir Putin's aggression is defeated.

He says they are "determined to ensure Ukraine continues to stand strongly on its own feet".

"Our NATO meetings made very clear there remains unwavering support for Ukraine across our alliance and indeed well beyond it," he says.

Mr Blinken says there is a "very clear choice" in front of the alliance.

He says: "Are we going to ensure that Putin's aggression against Ukraine remains a failure? Or will Putin prove that he can, as he believes, outlast us?"

In the next few moments, David Cameron and US secretary of state Antony Blinken will be speaking at a news conference in Washington DC.

It comes after the UK and US governments imposed sanctions on two Russian hackers after the private conversations of high-profile politicians and civil servants were compromised.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has told his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez that he will "refrain from discussing the issue of Ukraine's EU accession" with the European Council this month.

In a message on X, he said "there was no unity among member states on this matter".

What is Mr Orban's stance on Ukraine's EU membership?

Hungary's leader has voiced his opposition to Ukraine's bid for EU membership.

The country is seen as the main obstacle to Kyiv's mission, with a decision on whether to accept the EU executive's recommendation to begin talks requiring approval from all 27 members of the bloc.

Mr Orban has previously said that the EU must not start membership talks, and stressed it was Hungary's "clear stance".

Zelenskyy lights Hanukkah candles with rabbis

Volodymyr Zelenskyy today took part in a Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony with representatives of the Jewish clergy of Ukraine.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Ukrainian leader said: "This holiday is about the victory of the human spirit. 

"And that's the most important. 

"I wish all of you, us, and everyone who is always on the side of light, on the side of Ukraine and its people, on the side of life - happy Hanukkah and victory."

Ukraine's state-owned railway Ukrzaliznytsia has started transporting 23 trucks by train that have been stuck at the Polish border amid the ongoing protest and blockade by Polish truckers, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

Ukrzaliznytsia's deputy director of commercial work, Valerii Tkachov, was quoted as saying: "Now we have a loaded train standing at the crossing with Hrubeshuv (checkpoint on the Ukrainian-Polish border)."

For context: Ukraine and Poland's largest unions have agreed to form a negotiating platform aimed at "producing mutually agreed solutions" to end a truck drivers' protest at Polish borders.

Demonstrators are demanding an end to Ukrainian drivers' permit-free access to the EU, claiming that they are undercutting their prices. 

The blockade means crucial military aid is getting stuck in Poland.

Vladimir Putin has been hosting Iran's president as part of a round of Middle East diplomacy that also included visits to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in efforts to raise Moscow's profile as a power broker in the region.

Welcoming Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the start of their talks in Moscow today, Mr Putin said it was "very important" for the pair to exchange views of the situation in the region.

Mr Putin's meeting with Mr Raisi follows their talks in Tehran in July 2022, where the Russian leader received strong support for his action in Ukraine.

-sky news