A RUSSIAN drone blitz on Odesa left thousands of people without power – hours after Moscow lied that it never hit civilian targets.
Russia’s Foreign Minister put two fingers up to America by rejecting White House demands for a halt on power station strikes.
A Russian drone blitz on Odesa left thousands of people without power
EPALocal people stand near a damaged area after drone strikes hit Odesa, southwestern Ukraine[/caption]
ReutersA view shows a site of a Russian drone strike[/caption]
AFPA damaged hospital following a Russian drone strike in Odesa[/caption]
Shameless Sergei Lavrov claimed Russia “never endangered Ukraine’s energy system”.
Hours later a major drone and missile blitz hammered Ukraine’s second city, injuring four people and leaving hundreds of homes without power.
Lavrov, 74, sparked fury by telling US negotiators, “Russia has never endangered Ukraine‘s energy supply system.
He was speaking after meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in landmark peace talks in Saudi Arabia.
The US request for a pause in the power station blitz was the only concession America is known to have asked for in the historic “talks about talks” in Riyadh.
Lavrov told Russia’s RIA Novosti news outlet: “The US proposed a moratorium on attacks on energy facilities at the talks, Russia explained that it does not attack civilian facilities.”
Hours later Russian missiles blasted Ukraine’s second city Odesa.
Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said four people were injured and over 500 homes had lost power, heating and water as temperatures plunged to minus 7 degrees Celsius.
Separate reports said the blackouts affected tens of thousands of homes.
Governor Kiper said: “Russian terrorists massively attacked Odessa and the region with strike drones.”
He added: “Due to the Russian attack, local emergency power outages are in effect in part of the Odessa region.
“Critical infrastructure is operating using generators. In the Kyiv district of Odessa, heat supply to some consumers has been suspended.”
A UK defence source slammed Lavrov’s comments as: “More nonsense from a regime which has consistently lied about the atrocities they’ve inflicted on innocent Ukrainians.”
General the Lord Richard Dannatt, a former Chief of the General Staff, said: “It proves you cannot trust Russia.
“Anybody who thinks they can is deluding themselves.”
Lavrov admitted in 2022 it was Russia’s goal to “knock out energy facilities”.
He justified the strikes by claiming the power plants supported “the combat capability of the Ukrainian armed forces”.
Almost three years later Ukraine has lost a third of its power supply, sources said.
In Jan 2025, Russia fired a staggering 2,400 drones at Ukraine last month which “primarily targeted energy infrastructure,” according the UK defence intelligence.
EPAA damaged kindergarten after drone strikes hit Odesa[/caption]
ReutersIt comes after peace talks with the US and Russia[/caption]
AFPFirefighters look at a damaged hospital following the horrific strike[/caption]
And in the six months to August, Russia blitzed at least 36 power stations and over 100 power distribution and transmission facilities, according to UN monitors.
Last autumn Russia shifted its targets from “high-voltage substations to regional distribution substations,” UK officials alleged.
Rolling blackouts are now the norm on every area of Ukraine.
Lavrov also rejected suggestions that Britain, Europe or Nato nations could deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.
According to Russian state media, “the Russian delegation explained to the American interlocutors that the appearance of Nato troops in Ukraine is unacceptable”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had said he was willing to put UK boots on the ground to guarantee an enduring peace.
But he demanded a US “backstop”.
Defence Secretary John Healey said only American might could stop Putin invading Ukraine again.
Healey said: “In the end it is only the US that can provide the deterrence to Putin that will prevent him attacking again.”
He added: “We need a security guarantee for Ukraine, in Ukraine, that is capable of delivering what President Trump has says he wants, which is a durable peace.
“That requires an end to the Russian attack and no repeat of that in the future.
“The European countries have to play a leading part in that guarantee.
“But it will require a backstop from the US, because in the end it is only the US that can provide the deterrence to Putin that will prevent him attacking again.”
Donald Trump blind-sided allies including Ukraine by cutting them out of the peace talks.
And he has parroted Putin’s lies by claiming Ukraine started the war and that Zelensky’s approval rating is only 4 per cent.
Survey’s suggest Zelensky is more popular in Ukraine than Donald Trump is in America.
Zelensky vowed Kyiv would never accept a US or Russian ultimatum.
He said: “It seems like Russia and the US are preparing an ultimatum to Ukraine, talking about Ukraine without Ukraine.
“We didn’t accept ultimatums in 2022, when the situation was much more serious and nobody was helping us, and I have no intention of accepting any ultimatums now.”
The US said they had agreed to appoint “high level” negotiating teams to take the process further yesterday.
In a statement the US State Department said: “President Trump wants to stop the killing; the United States wants peace and is using its strength in the world to bring countries together.
“President Trump is the only leader in the world who can get Ukraine and Russia to agree to that.”
But they warned: “One phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace.
“We must take action, and today we took an important step forward.”
British boots in Ukraine has been met with Ukrainian joy
BY Noa Hoffman in Lviv and Kyiv
SIR Keir Starmer’s pledge to deploy “British boots in Ukraine” has been met with jubilance in Kyiv.
But in Britain it’s raised more questions than answers as to how Europe must respond to the war.
In eerie Kyiv men between 20 – 50 are few and far between on the frozen streets.
Most of them are stationed across the frontline, have been injured or died fighting what they see as not just a battle for Ukraine – but for the West and Europe and democracy.
From the UK they need certainty. Not empty words.
The PM knows he desperately needs to set out a path to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.
How is it feasible for thousands of troops to come and help desperate Ukrainians when Sir Keir hasn’t even explained how he will fund them?
In an empty restaurant in quiet Lviv, I watched as five Ukrainian security chiefs guzzled a shot of vodka.
It was around their fourth toast of night – easy work for these hard as nails military men.
Having drunk to the health of their country and army, this next drink was for Britain.
The chiefs had heard Sir Keir Starmer pledge the possibility of peacekeeping British boots on Ukrainian soil. And for that they were elated.
The promise from the PM came in the wake of US President Donald Trump side-lining Kyiv to kickstart discussions on a deal to end the war with Vladimir Putin.
“Even hearing the words British boots, before anything has happened, is a huge morale boost for my people”, one military top brass told me as he slurped bright red Borscht.
The human tank added: “Many steps in the war are being made first by Britain and then others followed.
“It’s good leadership and this is how it should be. Someone needs to take the lead.”
What he and his top brass colleagues around the table weren’t seeing was the chaos the PM’s announced had sparked.
At home, former British Army chief Lord Dannatt warned the UK military is “so run down” it couldn’t lead any future peacekeeping mission to Kyiv.
Other military sources told The Sun’s defence man Jerome Starkey the army will be stretched to breaking point if thousands of troops go to hold the line in Ukraine.
In Paris last night, at an emergency meeting of leaders to strategize Europe’s response to Trump, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz slated Sir Keir’s proposal.
He told reporters: “It is completely premature and the completely wrong time to be having this discussion now.”
While the response went down more like a cup of cold sick than vodka with military leaders I met in Kyiv, Mr Scholz has somewhat of a point.
There are questions Sir Keir must answer – and fast.
Security chiefs tell me that more than anything, including British boots, they need weapons.
The future of the war is in the air, they say.
Drones, missiles, and air defence capabilities are in short supply but are key to stopping “idiot” Putin’s killing spree.
The war will be far more focused on tech than people in the not distant future.
Responding to Scholz’s backlash against British peacekeepers, a former Ukrainian SAS man told me: “Germany doesn’t have to be afraid of the Russians. There’s no point in being scared.
“If we have well trained British military here on the second or third line it can be very helpful so we can send our people to the frontline.”
He added: “What I’m hearing from Germany is disappointing. Historically, Germany they are scared of Nazi flashbacks.
“There are people saying Germans can’t be on sovereign Ukrainian soil.
“This is bull**** said by people who support Russian propaganda.”
In Lviv I received a warning.
“We will fight until the death,” a security chief told me.
“We have nothing to lose. We are not going anywhere.
“But the war is not about Ukraine and it won’t stop in Ukraine.
“Putin is coming to Europe and we can’t stop him forever.”
Sir Keir’s words are welcomed – but it will be his plan of execution that really has any bearing on the devastating war.
So far that is missing.
EPALocal people stand near a damaged chilldren’s clinic[/caption]
EPAPeople stand in line for construction materials and humanitarian aid near a tent[/caption]
EPACommunal workers remove debris after drone strikes hit Odesa, southwestern Ukraine[/caption]