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Kyiv defence minister says 2 million potential troops evading call-up
Arpan Rai, Alex Croft, Maroosha Muzaffar, Maira Butt & Jane DaltonWednesday 14 January 2026 23:01 GMT- Bookmark
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Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says he will declare a state of emergency in the energy sector to make up for lost time in tackling disrupted power supplies following sustained Russian attacks on the country’s infrastructure.
Crews are making round-the-clock efforts to restore power and heating supplies thrown into disarray, particularly in Kyiv, last week.
Repairs to thousands of apartment blocks have been compounded by frigid weather, with night-time temperatures dipping close to -20C (-4F).
The president said not enough had been done to deal with the aftermath of the attacks and the state of emergency would allow authorities “more options and flexibility”.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s new defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has revealed that around two million Ukrainians are wanted for evading mobilisation while 200,000 soldiers are awol (absent without official leave), .
Mr Fedorov has promised to revolutionise the country’s armed forces as it faces a critical manpower shortage. According to the Criminal Code of Ukraine, evading mobilisation is punishable by imprisonment of three to five years in wartime.
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Kyiv residents freezing after Russia cuts power
Emergency repair crews are working to restore power in the Kyiv region after relentless Russian barrages on energy infrastructure left Ukrainians at the mercy of the coldest winter in years.
At Boryspil, a town with a population of around 60,000, workers dismantled and rebuilt burnt-out electrical systems as they rushed to fix the damage.
They worked in the snow amid temperatures of -15C from early morning until midnight, said Yurii Bryzh, who leads the regional department of private electricity provider DTEK.
They have managed to restore the supply for four hours a day. But Bryzh told the Associated Press the problem was "when the power comes back on, people turn on all the electrical equipment that is available in the house" as they dash to wash, cook or recharge their phones. That collapses the system again, he said.
The hardship of civilians is acute amid what Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko described as the longest and broadest outages since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour almost four years ago. Some homes have been without electricity for days.
Apartments in the capital are freezing, and when venturing outside people wear heavy layers of clothes against the bitter cold that chills to the bone.
Across Kyiv, snow covers the ground and roofs and is piled up next to pavements. At night, the streets are dark and towering apartment blocks show no light in the windows.
Ice and snow in Kyiv (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)Jane Dalton14 January 2026 23:01Russia demands release of detained archaeologist facing extradition to Ukraine
Russia has summoned Poland's ambassador to formally protest the detention of a Russian archaeologist, demanding his immediate release rather than extradition to Ukraine.
Alexander Butyagin was arrested by Polish authorities last month following a request from Ukraine. Kyiv accuses the archaeologist of conducting unauthorised excavations and plundering historical artefacts in Crimea.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had called in Polish ambassador Krzysztof Krajewski on Monday and told him that the Ukrainian charges were "absurd".
Russia demands release of detained archaeologist facing extradition to Ukraine
Russia has accused Russia of taking precious historical items from CrimeaMaira Butt14 January 2026 22:00EU weighs special negotiator for Russia talks - report
European governments are pushing the EU to create a dedicated negotiator role for talks with Russia over Ukraine, amid fears that the US could strike a deal with Moscow that sidelines Europe, Politico reported on Wednesday.
Backed by France and Italy, the proposal would mark a significant shift in EU diplomacy, providing the bloc with its own channel to defend key red lines, such as Ukraine’s future security and Nato ambitions, as US president Donald Trump pursues bilateral talks with Vladimir Putin, the outlet said.
Citing three unidentified diplomats, Politico said supporters argue that EU needs a seat at the table to safeguard its security interests.
Maira Butt14 January 2026 21:00Watch: Only Trump can stop Putin from threatening Europe, says Polish president
Donald Trump is the only person who can stop Vladimir Putin from remaining a “threat” to the whole of Europe, Poland’s president has said.
Karol Nawrocki urged European leaders to assist the Trump administration in its efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Russia is still a threat for Europe,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Wednesday. “And Donald Trump, nowadays, is [the only] leader who can solve this problem and we have to support him in this process.”
At least 20 drones violated Polish airspace from Belarus and Ukraine last year, prompting a response from Nato in the form of Operation Eastern Sentry.
Polish president insists Trump is only world leader capable of stopping Putin from threatening EuropeMaira Butt14 January 2026 20:00Where are the shadow fleet oil tankers? Vessel seized by US spotted off Scottish coast
A Venezuela-linked oil tanker seized by the US has been spotted off the coast of Moray in Scotland a week after it was intercepted.
The Marinera, a Russian-flagged vessel previously known as Bella-1, was witnessed being escorted to an undisclosed location accompanied by a US coast guard vessel.
It comes as British special forces could be given the green light to raid the vessels in a move to place further pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to reports.
The use of shadow fleet tankers to move sanctioned oil around the world has increased in recent years as states seek to circumvent restrictions to their transportation.
Where are the shadow fleet oil tankers? US-seized Vessel spotted off Scottish coast
Sanctioned oil is transported through international waters using vessels carrying fake flagsMaira Butt14 January 2026 19:00Zelensky to declare a state of emergency in energy sector
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will declare a state of emergency in the energy sector to tackle issues with disrupted power supplies following sustained Russian attacks o infrastructure.
"Overall, a state of emergency will be declared for Ukraine’s energy sector," he wrote on X on Wednesday, adding work was underway "to significantly increase the volume of electricity imports into Ukraine".
Ukraine has undergone several attacks on its critical energy infrastructure during the war with power outages reported as temperatures hit subzero.
Maira Butt14 January 2026 18:00'Broader changes are needed' across Ukraine's military, says Zelensky
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that “broader changes are needed” across the country’s military as he and his new defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said on Wednesday.
He outlined his three main priorities as: air defence, attempts to “significantly strengthen the technological component” and increasing pay for soldiers on the frontline and lastly “systemic solutions” to issues facing recruitment including mobilisation.
(X/ZelenskyyUa)Maira Butt14 January 2026 17:00White House denies Moscow meeting
The White House has denied that a meeting is taking place between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Bloomberg reported that such a meeting was due to take place next week, but the White House told Reuters that no such meeting was scheduled to take place.
It comes as Russia’s veteran foreign minister Sergei Lavrov made at a dig at the US for not keeping the Kremlin abreast of developments in peace talks with Ukraine.
Maira Butt14 January 2026 16:00Two million Ukrainians wanted for evading mobilisation, says new defence chief
Around two million Ukrainians are wanted for evading mobilisation while 200,000 soldiers are AWOL (absent without official leave), Ukraine’s new defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov revealed on Wednesday.
Fedorov has promised to revolutionise the country’s armed forces as it faces a critical manpower shortage. According to the Criminal Code of Ukraine, evading mobilisation is punishable by imprisonment of three to five years in wartime.
Some have been going AWOL using shortcuts to transfer between units, according to the Kyiv Independent.
He added that troops faced “a large number” of problems including a Soviet style manner of commanding troops.
“This prevents soldiers on the front line from working at their maximum,” Fedorov said.
Maira Butt14 January 2026 15:33Emergency workers extinguish Kharkiv fires after Russian strike
Emergency workers extinguish Kharkiv fires after Russian strikeMaira Butt14 January 2026 15:03Newer1 / 6OlderMore about
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