Ukraine Russia live: Kyiv strikes fuel depot supplying Putin’s army

The Russian defence ministry has claimed Moscow’s forces have captured the settlements of Zolota Nyva and Zhelanna Pershe.

The communities have an estimated population of a few hundred residents each but they lie to the north and south of the town of Kurakhove, one of the focal points of military activity on the eastern front.

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Ukraine’s Air Force said on Saturday it shot down 24 out of 28 Russian drones launched overnight.

Meanwhile, Russia has said that its forces captured the front-line villages of Zhelanne Druge and Ostrivske in eastern Ukraine, the latest in a string of territorial gains.

Ukrainian forces on Saturday hit a fuel depot in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, Ukraine’s military said.

“This facility was used to store oil and oil products, which were supplied, among other things, for the needs of the Russian army. A fire was detected on the territory of the facility,” the Ukrainian General Staff said on Telegram messenger.

The European Union is set to impose sanctions on 14 individuals and organisations linked to the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia, Reuters news agency reported quoting two unnamed EU diplomats and a high ranking official.

The sanctions, expected to be approved by EU foreign ministers on Monday, target companies, including airlines, involved in the weapons transfer.

The EU’s decision follows intelligence reports, first raised by the United States last month, which revealed that Russia had received ballistic missiles from Iran for use in its war against Ukraine. Washington immediately imposed sanctions on ships and companies it said were involved in weapons transfers.

The EU then said it had received “credible information” on the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia and foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposed “a substantial set of decisive and targeted measures” against Iran in response.

Iran denies the accusations, with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian stating his government has not transferred weapons to Russia since it took office. The high-ranking EU official told Reuters that Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi had told Mr Borrell that Iran had supplied “short- range rockets” to Russia that could fly up to 250 kilometres.

The EU also continues to deliberate over whether to list Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, with a decision expected to follow after internal discussions.

Volodymyr Zelensky said he hopes that the war with Russia could end by 2025, during talks with German chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Speaking in Germany as part of his European tour, Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Scholz for Berlin’s continued support, emphasising the importance of maintaining that assistance in the coming year.

“It is very important for us that this assistance does not decrease next year,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that he would present Mr Scholz with his “victory plan” to win the war. Mr Zelensky voiced hope that the conflict would be resolved “no later than next year, 2025.”

Mr Scholz reassured Mr Zelensky of Germany’s unwavering support, pledging further defence equipment and €4bn (£3.4bn) in aid for 2025. “We will not let up in our support for Ukraine,” Mr Scholz said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, urging the pontiff to help secure the release of Ukrainians held captive by Russia.

Mr Zelensky, who is on a tour of European capitals to promote his “victory plan” for the war with Russia, said the release of prisoners was the central focus of his discussions with the Pope.

“We are counting on the Holy See’s assistance in helping to bring back Ukrainians who have been taken captive by Russia,” Mr Zelensky posted on social media after the meeting.

He also invited the Vatican to participate in a conference on prisoners of war scheduled to be held in Canada later this month.

While the Vatican did not provide specifics on the talks between the Pope and Mr Zelensky, a follow-up meeting with the Vatican’s chief diplomat included discussions on the state of the war and potential ways to bring it to an end.

A woman who worked for a Russian tank factory was convicted of treason and sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in a penal colony on Friday for selling military information to Ukraine.

Video published by the Sverdlovsk regional court in the Urals region showed a judge passing sentence on Viktoria Mukhametova, who displayed no visible emotion. Her husband, Danil Mukhametov, is being tried separately on similar charges.

Russian media said the couple worked at Uralvagonzavod, a major tank producer.

Earlier this year, Russia convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich of espionage after accusing him of gathering secret information about the same defence company. The WSJ categorically denied the allegations.