Ukraine war latest: Putin's top general calls US military chief in highly unusual move amid escalation fears (2025)

That's all for our live coverage today, but we'll be back soon with further updates and analysis.

If you're just checking in, here is a recap of the key developments over the course of the day so far:

• Romania's top court annuls the result of the first round of its presidential election, alleging a campaign of Russian interference;

• Russia and Belarus signed a treaty on security guarantees during Vladimir Putin's trip to Belarus;

• Analysts say public disagreements between senior Russian officials suggest increasing opposition among some to Putin's approach to an inclusive Russian civic nationalism;

• Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia will use "any means" to avoid defeat in the conflict and that the US must respect Moscow's "red lines" - while praising Donald Trump;

• A leading think tank says Russia's record rate of casualties is unsustainable for the country's economy and labour pool.

One of the main international stories outside Ukraine today has been developments in Syria, where rebels have burst forth to mount the swiftest battlefield advance by either side since a rebellion against President Bashar al Assad descended into civil war 13 years ago.

Assad's regime is widely considered to have survived thanks to significant military support from Russia.

And Ukraine's foreign ministry has said the apparent capitulation of the Russian ally demonstrates that Moscow is incapable of sustaining its involvement in multiple conflicts.

"We can see that Russia cannot fight on two fronts - this is clear from the events in Syria," ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told reporters at a weekly news conference.

Tykhyi was responding to a question about accusations from Iran, another ally of Assad, that Ukraine was supporting what Tehran called terrorist groups.

"Ukraine categorically and decisively rejects any accusations... about our supposed involvement in the deteriorating security situation in Syria," the spokesperson said.

Assad's government has been able to hold on to a significant chunk of the country after years of bitter fighting.

However, a week-long lightning offensive by the rebels has seen them capture two major cities and swathes of land.

"Russia's significant losses in Ukraine have led Moscow to withdraw the majority of its troops and equipment from Syria, leaving its ally... without the necessary support," Tykhyi said.

Images emerging from the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region show Ukrainian soldiers from the 110th Brigade of the Territorial Defence Forces firing a D-30 howitzer towards Russian troops.

Figures released by the UK's ministry of defence yesterday indicated the rate of casualties among Russian troops had reached an all-time high last month.

According to the data, there were an average of 1,523 deaths each day - with Moscow's forces suffering just over 2,000 in a single day for the first time, on 28 November.

The ministry said there were an estimated 45,690 total Russian casualties across November, saying it was the fifth consecutive month the overall figure had increased.

Thinktank the Institute for the Study of War said: "The Kremlin is continuing to suffer significant manpower losses to make tactical advances in western Donetsk Oblast at the expense of Russia's ongoing war effort and the medium-term viability of the Russian economy."

The group said it had observed geolocated evidence that showed Russian forces advanced at a rate of roughly 27.96 square kilometres per day and seized a total of 839 square kilometres in Ukraine and the Kursk region in November 2024.

Therefore, the analysts said,Russian forces suffered an estimated 125,800 casualties during a period of intensified offensive operations in September, October, and November 2024 in exchange for 2,356 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory seized- or around 53 Russian casualties per square kilometre.

"Russia's constrained labour pool is likely unable to sustain this increased casualty rate in the medium-term, and continued Western military support for Ukraine remains vital to Ukraine's ability to inflict losses at this rate," the ISW added.

We just brought you news of a Russian attack on the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia - and we're now learning the number of people killed has risen.

Authorities earlier reported two deaths but that number has since risen to seven.

Emergency workers have been at the scene of the incident but few details have been released so far.

A Russian attack on the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia has killed two people and injured two others, the regional governor has said.

We'll bring you more details on the attack as we get them.

Volodomyr Zelenskyy will attend the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame cathedral in France, Sky sources say.

French leader Emmanuel Macron will also be present at the event amid political turmoil currently engulfing his presidency.

By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor

Any evidence that Russia tried to influence an election in a NATO state would expose a form of hybrid attack that is designed to weaken the alliance from within.

So-called "political influence operations", which can use social media to amplify a particular candidate to boost their chances of success, are deliberately difficult to attribute – with ambiguity an integral part of the weapons system that makes it so hard to defend against.

But allies are trying better to identify attempts, in particular by Russia, to target member states with information campaigns aimed at meddling in elections to assist politicians and political parties that are sceptical of NATO and more favourable towards Vladimir Putin.

It is why events in Romania – where a top court has just annulled the result of the first round of voting in a presidential election amid concerns about an interference operation conducted from overseas – will surely be ringing alarm bells across NATO capitals.

The first round was won by Calin Georgescu, a relatively unknown far-right candidate who has been accused by critics of being anti-NATO and an admirer of Russia's president. But Georgescu told Sky News he "is a patriot and a leader but I am not a fan of Mr Putin".

His unlikely electoral success was fuelled by a combination of populist, anti-establishment rhetoric and a hugely successful social media campaign, notably on TikTok.

However, the Romanian authorities then claimed that Russia launched a "hybrid attack" on the country to bolster Georgescu's chances, amplifying his campaign slogans across social media.

Intelligence documents were even declassified, suggesting he had benefited from a mass influence operation – conducted from abroad – to interfere with the result of the vote.

When asked about this by Sky News's Adam Parsons, Georgescu accused the government of desperation.

Yet, the constitutional court of Romania's decision to step in and cancel the results adds a new level of gravity - and risk - to the crisis.

If Russian interference is proven, it would mean the Kremlin has tried to attack NATO in a significant way under the threshold of conventional war – a move that would surely require some kind of similarly unconventional allied response.

At the same time though, the annulling of votes will doubtless trigger accusations that Romania's own authorities are damaging the country’s democratic processes themselves.

A Russian missile attack onUkraine's Kryvyi Rih has damaged an administrative building, killing two people and wounding at least eight others, the regional governor said.

A six-year-old child was among those wounded in the attack on the central city, the governor added.

Ukraine has unveiled a new locally produced "rocket-drone" today, which it said could fly 430 miles - more than twice the longest range attributed to missiles supplied by Western allies.

The unmanned craft, called "Peklo" - which means hell in Ukrainian - is the second such "rocket drone" unveiled by Kyiv as it tries to increase its ability to strike deep into Russia.

The drones could reach speeds of 435mph, a representative from Ukraine's state arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom told reporters at a ceremony where they were officially handed over to the armed forces.

No other details were provided and no evidence was given of the drone's range or speed. Ukraine has released few details of its arms industry, citing concerns about giving useful information to Moscow.

Ukraine's arms production minister said in November the "rocket-drone" could be viewed as something akin to a cruise missile, which flies low on a guided path to its target, usually below the speed of sound.

The drones were more than a metre long, with small wings on either side and two tail fins. US-supplied ATACMS missiles have a declared range of just over 186 miles.

Russia has used thousands of long-range missiles and drones to hit military and infrastructure targets all over Ukraine.

Kyiv has sought the ability to strike back, but its allies until last month resisted calls to allow use of their missiles on targets deep inside Russia.