Key points
- Zelenskyy says Kyiv must try to end war through diplomacy - and indicates when he will meet Trump
- Probe reveals Russian plan to mix deadly weapon with decoy drones in Ukraine
- G7 leaders say Russia is 'sole obstacle' to peace
- Call between German chancellor and Russian president opens 'Pandora's box', says Zelenskyy
- Siobhan Robbins: Putin-Scholz call is fascinating in its timing and could have multiple motivations
- Live reporting by Bhvishya Patel and (earlier) Katie Williams
On the ground
- On the frontline with Ukraine's drone hunters
- Analysis: Russia is dominating - and Ukraine is in trouble
- Ukrainian commander nicknamed 'Genius' reveals most effective piece of Western equipment
'A lot at stake' for Zelenskyy
We have been reporting on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaking with Vladimir Putin on the phone for an hour.
Sky correspondent Adele Robinson says that for Mr Zelenskyy "there is a lot at stake here".
"There are two factors to consider when thinking about the reasons that have pushed this call between Scholz and Putin forward," she says.
"One is the political situation in Germany - there is a snap election coming next year and some of the strongest political rival voices are demanding negotiations with Russia.
"The second factor is the US relationship being at a turning point with Russia and there is speculation about what a second Donald Trump term could mean for the war."
Robinson notes that this was the first call with Mr Scholz and the Kremlin leader.
"Scholz asked Putin to negotiate for a just peace deal. He also condemned Russia's war of aggression," she adds.
"Unsurprisingly, news of the call didn't go down very well with Zelenskyy.
"There are concerns from Zelenskyy that this call legitimises Putin. He's supposed to be frozen out of the international community."
Estonia to send new military package to Ukraine
Estonia's defence ministry has announced a new round of military aid for Ukraine.
Naval uniforms, ballistic protection equipment, scopes and ammunition are among the items being sent to support Ukrainian troops, it said.
Hanno Pevkur, the country's defence minister, said Kyiv "continues to need help from Estonia and the free world to protect itself".
"This time, the aid package has been put together from the reserves of our defence forces, taking into account the needs of Ukraine, and still in such a way that Estonia's defence capacity does not suffer," he said.
Zelenskyy 'deeply grateful' for G7 declaration of support
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is "deeply grateful" for the support of G7 leaders after they vowed to continue punishing Russia with sanctions.
Earlier, the leaders issued a joint statement saying Moscow was the "sole obstacle" to peace in Ukraine and that the G7 would keep "imposing severe costs on Russia through sanctions, export controls and other effective measures".
Posting on social media, Zelenskyy said he was "deeply grateful" for the bloc's "united voice in standing with Ukraine".
"Their support helps Ukraine protect its people against terror, ultimately saving countless lives," he said, adding it was "vital" to send a message to Russia that aggression "will not be tolerated".
'Meaningless' calls with Putin give illusion that West ready to 'give in', says Zelenskyy aide
There is a "strange sense of meaningless" to phone calls between Vladimir Putin and "democratic countries", a senior aide to Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
The Ukrainian president criticised a call between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Putin yesterday, saying it has opened a "Pandora's box" and undermines efforts to isolate Russia.
Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Ukrainian president's office, said in a post to X that "phone calls to Putin from leaders of democratic countries" have an "extremely strange sense of meaninglessness".
He said it was "obvious" that Putin was "only inclined to ultimatums" and "wants to continue the war, seize land, kill, kill, and kill once again".
"What is this passion for telephone conversations with [the Russian Federation]? For what? What is the purpose?" he said.
Podolyak called on the West to stop giving Putin the "illusion" that it was ready to "give in to him".
In pictures: Japan's foreign minister on surprise visit to Kyiv
As we reported this morning, Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya is in Kyiv today for a surprise visit to underline his country's support for Ukraine against Russia.
Iwaya met his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, with the pair attending a memorial for fallen soldiers in the capital.
Tokyo's "grave concern" over growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, would be high on the agenda for talks between the pair, Japanese officials said.
Iwaya will also reaffirm Japan's "strong support" for Ukraine, they said.
Ukraine destroys Russian missile system 'worth $10m'
Ukraine's military destroyed a Russian anti-aircraft missile system worth $10m (£7.9m), Ukrainian interior minister Ihor Klymenko has said.
In a post to Telegram, Klymenko said fighters in a drone unit of Ukraine's National Guard carried out the hit on the Russian BUK-M1 system.
"The enemy's equipment was completely destroyed with a precise strike," he said, adding: "The cost of such a complex reaches 10 million US dollars... we make the enemy weaker every day."
The minister did not say when the attack happened.
Head of Georgian breakaway region prepared to quit if anti-Russia protesters leave parliament
The president of Georgia's Russian-backed breakaway region of Abkhazia says he will resign when protesters leave parliament in the capital of Sukhumi, according to Russian state media.
Russia yesterday advised all its citizens to leave the region after protesters stormed the parliament building, demanding the resignation ofAslan Bzhania over an unpopular investment agreement with Moscow.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia have effectively been under the control of Moscow since a short conflict between Russia and Georgia over the regions in 2008.
Moscow recognises both as independent states, while most UN members view them as Russian-occupied Georgian territory.
While the focus of coverage has been on Russia's war in Ukraine, many have pointed to Vladimir Putin's apparent efforts to widen the scale of Moscow's influence on other former Soviet Bloc countries.
Zelenskyy: 'Challenging' situation in east fuelled by delays to military aid
We've more to bring you now from Volodymyr Zelenskyy's interview to Ukrainian radio which aired in the country this morning.
Earlier we reported the Ukrainian president's comments on wanting to end the war through diplomacy, and his hopes for a meeting with Donald Trump after his inauguration in January (see 8.21 post).
Zelenskyy also acknowledged a "challenging" situation for Kyiv's troops in eastern Ukraine, where Russia has been waging a fierce offensive for months.
Asked about reported analysis showing Russia occupied a record amount of territory last month, Zelenskyy cited several issues including the staffing of new brigades and delays in weapons supplies from partners.
"We have been waiting for some arms shipments for 12 months since they were approved by Congress," Zelenskyy said.
He said some "strong" brigades in the east were due for rotation - but added that new troops being drafted in without proper weaponry would be "like cannon fodder".
"No one wants that. So, soldiers get exhausted and have to withdraw," he said.
Once new brigades are "armed and ready", Russian forces will "find themselves in the same position we currently face in the east," Zelenskyy said.
G7 leaders say Russia is 'sole obstacle' to peace
G7 leaders have vowed to continue punishing Russia with sanctions, saying it "remains the sole obstacle" to peace.
In a joint statement published today, leaders reiterated that the bloc would continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
"Russia remains the sole obstacle to just and lastingpeace," the statement read.
"The G7 confirms its commitment to imposing severe costs onRussia through sanctions, export controls and other effectivemeasures. We stand united with Ukraine."
The latest statement has been adopted in support of Kyiv as the war approaches its 1,000th day.
Putin 'wants to kick every last Ukrainian soldier from Kursk' before negotiations
Vladimir Putin will not enter any peace negotiations until he has "kicked out every last Ukrainian soldier from Kursk", a Russian journalist has said.
Ukraine has occupied a swathe of Russian territory in the border region since it launched a surprise invasion in August.
It's thought Moscow's forces have retaken around a third of the territory initially lost to Kyiv - but Ukraine still maintains a foothold there.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that Ukrainian troops were engaged against nearly 50,000 troops in Kursk. US officials said thousands of North Korean soldiers were involved in combat operations with Russian forces.
NATO allies reportedly believe Putin is trying to recapture all territory lost to Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office in January, and ahead of any possible peace negotiations.
"It is clear that Moscow will not start any negotiations until they have kicked out every last Ukrainian soldier from Kursk," Konstantin Remchukov, editor-in-chief of Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta, told The Washington Post.
He added that Putin does not want Kursk to be used as a means of bargaining with the Ukrainian side.
The Russian president's insistence that a deal should reflect "realities on the ground" points to his hopes that Kursk will be recaptured, Mr Remchukov told the paper.
WP also reports that Russian military blogger and propagandist Mikhail Zvinchuk expects Kursk to be retaken in the coming weeks or months.
"I believe that in any case the Kursk issue will be resolved before Trump's inauguration," he said.
