Trilateral talks aimed at resolving the war in Ukraine have begun in Abu Dhabi. But the Kremlin's message this morning is it will keep fighting until Kyiv makes "decisions" to bring the war to an end. Follow the latest.
Wednesday 4 February 2026 13:45, UK
Here are the latest images we're receiving from Ukraine's frontline Zaporizhzhia region.
Residents in the villages of Tavriiske and Yurkivka are being evacuated as Russian troops advance nearby.
Many evacuations are mandatory, with residents pushed towards Zaporizhzhia city in the region's northern tip.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have held talks via video.
The virtual meeting came in the middle of a series of meetings between Xi and Western leaders, who have sought to boost ties with China despite differences over Russia's war in Ukraine.
Sir Keir Starmer and Canada's Mark Carney visited Beijing last month and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to head to China later this month.
European leaders have pressed China for years to end its support for Russia.
However, Beijing has continued to trade with Moscow, providing some relief from Western economic sanctions.
We're about to get under way with this week's live Q&A.
Our military analyst Professor Michael Clarke is here to go through the questions you've submitted.
Tap on the link below to follow live.
Working level talks between Russia and France are under way, the Kremlin has confirmed.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there was nothing to announce for now when it comes to a possible conversation between Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron.
The French president said yesterday that he was looking at resuming contact with Putin on the war in Ukraine, even though he saw little readiness from Moscow to negotiate a ceasefire.
The two leaders have not met since Macron visited Moscow in February 2022, weeks before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
With peace talks under way in Abu Dhabi, here's a reminder of who is representing each delegation:
At least seven people have been killed and eight more injured in Russian attacks on a town in eastern Donetsk, its regional governor says.
Russia shelled Druzhkivka with cluster munitions, targeting the market "where there is always a large crowd of people", Vadym Filashkin said on Telegram.
"This is another deliberate war crime and another proof that all Russian statements about a 'ceasefire' are worthless," he added.
"The final number of victims of this attack has not yet been established - we will report on significant updates later."
There was no immediate comment from Russia on the attacks. Both Moscow and Kyiv deny targeting civilians.
Ukraine's air force says 105 Russian drones were fired at various targets across the country last night ahead of the latest round of peace talks beginning.
It said air defences, including anti-aircraft missiles and electronic warfare units, shot down and disabled 88 drones.
Some 17 drones struck targets at 14 locations, the air force added, while debris fell at five locations.
Here are the latest images from Ukraine's southern Odesa region after it was targeted overnight by Russian drones.
Regional governor Oleg Kiper said four people needed to be rescued from a two-storey residential building following the "massive drone attack".
A large-scale fire broke out, which was promptly extinguished by firefighters, officials added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russian troops will keep fighting in Ukraine until Kyiv makes "decisions" that could bring the war to an end.
Russia's position remains unchanged, which is known to both Ukrainian and US negotiators, Peskov said.
His comments come as the latest round of peace talks between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington began in Abu Dhabi today.
Ukraine has rejected Russia's demand that it cede the remainder of its Donbas region - land that Moscow's forces have not captured in four years of fighting.
Talks in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine, Russia and the US have now begun, Rustem Umerov, Kyiv's national security council chief and top negotiator, has confirmed.
"The negotiation process started in a trilateral format - Ukraine, the United States, and Russia. Next comes work in separate groups by area, after which a follow-up joint synchronisation of positions is planned."
He says Ukraine's delegation is working "within the clear directives" of Volodymyr Zelenskyy "to achieve a dignified and lasting peace".
A spokesperson for Ukraine's foreign ministry says this round of talks will focus on "mainly military and military-political questions".
They added that recent Russian strikes on energy infrastructure "hinder" the peace process.
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