09:26 "Multiple waves". Ukraine reports downing of numerous drones

Ukraine is once again being attacked by dozens of Russian drones, according to its own statements. Russia has attacked Ukrainian territory "in several waves" with a total of 35 Iranian-made Shahed combat drones, the Ukrainian air force explained on Telegram. 34 of the drones were shot down. The air force did not provide any information on casualties or damage. Russia launched the drones at three different locations close to the border with Ukraine, the Ukrainian air force added: in Chauda on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, in Primorsko-Akhtarsk on the Sea of Azov and in the border town of Kursk.

08:55 Japan wants to change guidelines - Kiev hopes for more Patriot missiles
Ukraine can hope for several more Patriot missiles. As the "Washington Post " writes, the Japanese government wants to update its export guidelines on Friday. This should enable the shipment of several dozen Patriot missiles to the USA in order to replenish Washington's stocks. Although the updated export guidelines would not allow Patriot missiles to be delivered directly to war-torn Ukraine, it would give the US more leeway. This would allow them to continue supplying Ukraine with American-made air defense systems. A decision on the number of missiles is apparently expected soon.

08:18 Fear of the front line: "The men are shivering here!"
Ukraine is on the defensive. The soldiers at the front are exhausted. New call-ups are supposed to help, including from abroad. Fear is spreading among the men on the ground, as ntv reporter Carolin Unger explains.

07:41 "We should do this again" - Yale professor beats the drum for "Safe Skies"
The renowned Eastern Europe expert from Yale University, Timothy Snyder, is raising 950,000 US dollars for "Safe Skies", a protection system against Russian cruise missiles and drones. "I can announce that we have reached the goal of 950,000 dollars and that the drone detection system is now being expanded to the Sumy, Odessa, Mikolayiv and Kherson regions. This happened quickly - within six weeks," writes Snyder. As last winter, Russia is again trying to destroy Ukraine's critical infrastructure, leaving the Ukrainian civilian population without electricity and water. "Russia is also using drones and cruise missiles to target Ukrainian grain destined for export to Africa and the Middle East." Snyder also calls for further donations: "I think we should do this again. With another 950,000 dollars, we could protect four more regions - Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Poltava and Cherkassy - from drones and cruise missiles." Around six million people live here. "We can help keep them safe".

07:08 Putin challenger Duntsova submits election documents
Russian politician Ekaterina Duntsova, who is campaigning for peace in Ukraine, submits documents to Russia's Central Election Commission to register as a candidate for the so-called 2024 presidential elections. The regional MP hopes to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin by promoting her vision of a "humane" Russia "that is peaceful, friendly and ready to cooperate with everyone on the basis of respect". Should the former journalist be admitted as an independent candidate, she would have to collect 300,000 signatures of support from at least 40 Russian regions. According to the election authorities, 16 candidates had registered for the vote by midday yesterday. It is unlikely that any of them will have even the slightest chance. There has been no free media in Russia for a long time, and election fraud was the order of the day in previous votes. Imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, one of Putin's most promising challengers, was already banned from running for political office in 2018.

06:37 EU supports Ukrainian start-ups with million-euro program
The European Innovation Council's "Seeds of Bravery" program will provide 20 million euros to support Ukrainian start-ups. This was reported by the Ukrainian Ministry for Digital Transformation. Under the current call, Ukrainian start-ups can apply for grants of 10,000 euros for consulting services to help them improve their business model or growth strategy. In addition, Seeds of Bravery will launch five programs over the next two years aimed at integrating Ukrainian tech initiatives into the EU innovation ecosystem. Grants under these programs will range from €10,000 to €50,000.

06:03 War day 666: Russia attacks with swarms of drones
Russia is once again attacking Ukraine with swarms of kamikaze drones. According to the Ukrainian air force, the Iranian-designed Shahed drones are flying in from the east and south. In the east and center of Ukraine, there is an air alert from the evening hours, depending on where the swarms of drones are headed. The General Staff in Kiev reports continued heavy ground fighting on many sections of the front in the east and south of Ukraine. It is the 666th day of war in Ukraine.

05:16 Moldova buys French air surveillance system
The Republic of Moldova has received an air surveillance system from France. This was announced by the Ministry of Defense in Chisinau. The Ground Master 200 radar system from the French Thals Group detects flying objects up to 250 kilometers away. "The recent incidents in which our country's airspace was violated have made the authorities aware of the urgent need to strengthen Moldova's defense capabilities," says Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatyi.

02:07 Where is Navalny? Team offers reward
The team of the missing imprisoned Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny is offering a reward for information about his whereabouts. At the moment, the team still has hope that someone can give them information, says Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Jarmisch on ZDF. During a prisoner transport, at least other prisoners would actually notice something. There are often also guards who see something, says Jarmisch. The whereabouts of the imprisoned Russian government critic have been uncertain for days.

00:59 Ukraine wants to bring back men from abroad for military service
The new Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umjerov wants to call up men living abroad for military service in the coming year. Ukrainians between the ages of 25 and 60 in Germany and other countries who are fit for military service should be asked to report to the armed forces' recruitment centers. This was announced by Umjerow in an interview with "Bild", Welt TV and Politico. Although the minister spoke of an invitation, he made it clear that there would be sanctions if anyone did not comply with the request. "We are still discussing what should happen if they don't come voluntarily."

23:30 Selensky: Ukraine wants to increase the effectiveness of drones
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine is increasingly relying on drones of all kinds to defend against the Russian invasion. "This is an obvious priority of the state and a very concrete way to save the lives of our soldiers," said Zelensky in his evening video address. He had spoken to the military about what drones were in storage and what was needed on the front line. "The logistics will be faster," the president promised. Work is also underway to improve the effectiveness of drones. The importance of drones of all sizes has increased significantly in the almost 22 months of the war. Ukrainian and Russian soldiers use small camera drones to observe every move of the enemy on the battlefield. The aircraft can also drop small explosive charges over tanks or trenches. The Ukrainians use them to partially compensate for their lack of artillery ammunition.

21:30 Putin is said to have spoken "privately" with the former president of Kazakhstan about his nephew
Russian head of state Vladimir Putin has held "private" talks with the former president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed. Kazakh media report that the meeting with the Russian dictator took place on Tuesday and was initiated by Nazarbayev. According to UlysMedia's unnamed sources, Kazakhstan's former head of state is seeking Putin's support in connection with the prosecution of Samat Abish, a former influential figure in Kazakh politics and Nazarbayev's nephew. Abish is under criminal investigation in Kazakhstan for his alleged role in the Kazakh protests in January 2022.

20:29 Ukrainian military confirms Russian territorial gains near Avdiivka
The Ukrainian military confirms that the Russians have been making territorial gains in their ground offensive in south-eastern Ukraine for two months. "Since October 10, when the enemy became more active, it has advanced by one and a half to two kilometers in some places," says Colonel Olexander Shtupun, army press spokesman in this section of the front. He adds: "But that cost him a lot." The main focus of the attacks is the industrial city of Avdiivka, which is close to the Russian-controlled Donbass capital of Donetsk. The enemy is superior in terms of manpower, admits Shtupun on Ukrainian television's permanent news program. Observers such as the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in the USA also confirm the high Russian deployment of soldiers and armored technology in the region, as well as the high Russian losses. Their reports also confirm that the Russians are advancing, putting pressure on Ukraine in Avdiivka.

20:02 "After 45 days, almost every soldier will be broken"
Dealing with the experiences of war and finding a way back to life: Psychotherapist Oleg Hukovskyj is trying to help Ukrainian soldiers do just that. However, he says that a full recovery is hardly possible under the current circumstances. What the men report from the front is sheer horror.

You can read about all previous developments here.