Ukraine war latest: Kyiv must leave Donbas as 'path to peace', Putin envoy says

Russia's top military general has claimed Moscow's forces have taken control of 500 square kilometres (310 square miles) of territory in Ukraine so far in January.

Valery Gerasimov said Russian forces had also captured 17 settlements this month as he inspected troops fighting on the frontline.

This morning, Russia's defence ministry said its troops had captured the settlement of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region and the village of Novomykolaivka in the Zaporizhzhia region.

For context: Gerasimov made a similar claim on 15 January when he said more ⁠than 300 square kilometres (116 square ​miles) ​of Ukrainian ‍territory had been captured in the first half of January, a figure Ukraine's military said was greatly exaggerated.

The White House has insisted that Donald Trump is not giving up on efforts to strike a peace deal for Ukraine.

Asked about Ukraine at a briefing in Washington yesterday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was still deeply involved in the peace negotiations.

The US president held talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, after which Trump said all sides were "making concessions" to get a peace deal done.

But Trump has been focusing much attention on US foreign policy aims in recent weeks, including military operations in Venezuela and diplomatic tensions over Greenland.

Leavitt added she was she was not currently overseeing any scheduled calls ‌with ⁠Russian or ‌Ukrainian leaders.

We've been getting pictures of more overnight Russian strikes in Ukraine, this time in the southern port city of Odesa.

Eight people were injured, including two children, after several residential blocks, apartments and a religious building were hit in the attack, Ukraine's emergency service said.

Early reports suggested three people may be trapped under the rubble, with emergency rescue operations underway, it added.

Power company DTEK said on social media "extensive" damage had also been caused to its energy facility in the city.

By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor

The sound of deep, slow breaths echoes up a frozen staircase, followed by footsteps.

Tatiana, 70, has learnt to control her breathing to reduce the strain on her heart as she slowly zigzags her way to the ninth floor of a large apartment block in Kyiv, where she lives.

Power cuts mean the lifts are mainly out of action, and she has spent the past fortnight without heating, instead turning on a gas oven in her kitchen to generate a bit of warmth.

"It is dangerous, but what can you do? Freeze to death?" she said.

Most of Ukraine's second-biggest city is without power after heavy Russian drone and ‌missile strikes.

Local officials said an energy site ​had been targeted in the city, while apartment buildings, a school ⁠and a nursery were also hit, leaving two people injured.

Temperatures there dipped to -14C overnight.

Kharkiv's regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a ​video posted on Telegram: 

"Our ​energy system came under attack and there was quite serious damage. All ‍crews are at work to eliminate all the negative consequences quickly. About 80% of the city of Kharkiv ‌and Kharkiv region are without electricity." 

The constant threat of further ‌air raids was complicating repair efforts, Syniehubov added. 

More than 800,000 people were left without power in Kyiv last week, as Moscow launched the latest in a series of attacks on Ukraine's capital this month.

Vladimir Putin's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, has suggested that Ukraine's withdrawal from its eastern Donbas region is the key to reaching a peace agreement.

"Donbas withdrawal is the path to peace for Ukraine," he said on social media, alongside an image of a dove.

Key context here is, of course, that Russia started this war with its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has been striking cities across Ukraine virtually every night since then.

His remarks were in response to another user's post, which linked to an article from the Financial Times suggesting the US has indicated to Ukraine that security guarantees are "contingent on Kyiv agreeing to withdraw from the Donbas".

It comes after Ukraine, Russia and the US held face-to-face trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi over the weekend, which Dmitriev attended.

For context: Russia has controlled the majority of the Donbas - which consists of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions - since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine back in February 2022.

Moscow's forces currently occupy around 90% of the region.

Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, has said that Ukraine's withdrawal from the Donbas region is the "path to peace".

It's worth reminding here that Russia started this war with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, despite repeatedly denying any plans to do so, even up to the days leading to its incursion.

Dmitriev's words come after the White House insisted that Donald Trump is not giving up on efforts to strike a peace deal, and after the US held trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi over the weekend.

Meanwhile, more than three quarters of Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, are without power after a massive Russian drone and missile attack overnight.

Stay with us for live updates throughout the day.

We're pausing our live coverage for now, but if you're just checking in, here is a recap of the key developments today.

US, Ukrainian and Russian representatives met face-to-face around the negotiating table for the second day in Abu Dhabi today.

They were branded were "productive" and "constructive" by Washington and Mr Zelenskyy respectively - but, as expected, no breakthrough occurred.

Fresh negotiations could take place "as early as next week", Zelenskyy has said.

Talk of peace also didn't stop Moscow from raining down hundreds of missiles and drones on Ukraine's two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv, early Saturday morning.

"This barbaric attack once again proves that ​Putin's place is not at [Donald Trump's] Board of Peace, but in the dock of the special ​tribunal," said Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha.

Some 1.2 million buildings were left without power nationwide after the attack, while temperatures plummeted to -13C in the capital.

Military analyst Professor Michael Clarke said the strikes were timed to influence the talks by attempting to convince the White House that the Russian army was unstoppable and the US should instead put pressure on Ukraine to cede land.

One person was killed in the attack and 31 people were injured. Footage showed firefighters scrambling to tackle flames ignited by the strikes.

"Targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure is a clear breach of the rules of warfare," UN human rights chief Volker Turk said.

By Sally Lockwood, news correspondent, in UAE

It's hard to find good news when it comes to Ukraine today. 

Overnight bombardments hit the country's two largest cities just as negotiators gathered in the UAE for the first trilateral peace talks.

"The Ukrainians should walk out of Abu Dhabi," an American source who has accompanied US delegations into Ukraine told me after the overnight strikes in Kharkiv and Kyiv. 

"Putin is unserious about peace."

But that hasn't happened. If there is one small positive to point to, it's that the talks have made it into a second day. There's been no breakthrough - none was expected yet - but they haven't broken down either.

Beyond that, the messaging after day one has been limited and carefully calibrated. 

The White House described the talks as "productive," while Zelenskyy said it was "too early to draw conclusions," and said he remains in hourly contact with his negotiators.

The issue of land is clearly where things remain deadlocked.

Russia has doubled down on its demand for the entire eastern Donbas region, and Ukraine has made clear that is not happening.

While Ukraine now holds only around 10% of the Donbas, that territory is strategically critical. Handing it over would give Russia a significant military advantage should it attempt another invasion - and Kyiv is not about to surrender land it has fought and lost lives defending for nearly four years.

Could the talks be inching towards an agreement on a demilitarised economic zone in the east? This is something Zelenskyy described in December as a possible framework for ending the war - involving a freeze in fighting and a pullback of Ukrainian and Russian forces to agreed positions.

This does feel all too familiar. High-level talks that result in little change on the ground for Ukrainians trying to protect their families and keep warm this winter. 

But something has brought all three delegations together at short notice for the first time.

As the second day of talks draws to a close, we may begin to understand what that is.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says "a lot was discussed" during the trilateral talks, which he said were "constructive".

He added: "The central focus of the discussions was the possible parameters for ending the war. 

"I highly value the understanding of the need for American monitoring and oversight of the process of ending the war and ensuring genuine security."

The Ukrainian leader also said that, providing there is readiness to move forward, further meetings could take place as soon as next week.

"Ukraine is working for peace and security. Thank you to everyone who is helping."