Ukraine war live: Russia drone debris in Romania as Putin peace deal warned against

The former prisoners of war still puzzle over the strange events leading up to the night now seared into their memories, when an explosion ripped through the Russian-controlled Olenivka prison barracks and killed so many comrades two years ago.

Among the survivors: Kyrylo Masalitin, whose months in captivity and long beard age him beyond his 30 years. Arsen Dmytryk, the informal commander of the group of POWs that was shifted without explanation to a room newly stocked with bare bunks. And Mykyta Shastun, who recalled guards laughing as the building burned, acting not at all like men under enemy attack.

Usyk, 37, who defeated Britain’s Tyson Fury in May to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in nearly 25 years, was speaking at an event in London to mark the departure of the ‘Vehicles for Ukraine’ convoy.

The vehicles have been donated to Ukraine through London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) scrappage scheme for humanitarian and medical aid and they set off for the war-torn country on Thursday from the capital.

Russia will carefully consider how to respond to the European Union’s transfer to Ukraine of 1.5 billion euros ($1.63 billion) taken from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier that the EU was transferring the funds to Kyiv on Friday for “the defence and reconstruction of Ukraine.”

In a call with reporters, Peskov said that the EU’s move was “illegal” and that Russia would take “well-thought-out actions” in response.

He said: “Such steps by the European Commission will not remain unanswered.”

Russia has repeatedly threatened retaliation to any use of frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged China to prevent its companies from supporting Russia‘s military, his office said on Friday following a meeting between Lammy and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

The two spoke on the sidelines of an ASEAN Foreign Ministers event in Laos for what was their first meeting since Lammy took office following the Labour Party’s July 4 British election win.

“The Foreign Secretary underlined the UK’s ironclad commitment to Ukraine and urged China to prevent its companies supporting Russia‘s military industrial complex which poses a material threat to international security and prosperity,” the British statement said.

The foreign office described the meeting as constructive and said Lammy used it to set out the government’s “long-term, consistent and strategic approach to UK-China relations.”

“He set out that the government would cooperate where we can, compete where needed and challenge where we must,” the statement said.

“He made clear the UK would always stand firm in prioritising our national security, as well as supporting human rights.”

Earlier, a statement issued by China following the meeting said Wang had told Lammy the two countries should “establish the right policy orientation, (and) uphold a balanced, pragmatic, open and cooperative attitude.”

Ukraine‘s military said on Friday it hit a Russian military airfield in Moscow-occupied Crimea overnight.

The airfield in Saky came under strike, Ukraine‘s general staff said on Telegram, adding the results of the attack were being clarified.

“This is one of the operational airfields that Russia uses to control the airspace, in particular the Black Sea, and for launching air strikes on Ukrainian territory,” it said.

The European Union will transfer 1.5 billion euros in proceeds from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on social media platform X on Friday.

“Today we transfer 1.5 billion euros in proceeds from immobilised Russian assets to the defence and reconstruction of Ukraine. There is no better symbol or use for the Kremlin’s money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live,” she said.

European Union member states have been discussing options to extend the renewal period of sanctions on Russian central bank assets in order to secure a major Group of Seven loan for Ukraine, according to an EU draft document and statements from diplomats, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

It is a view held across Zelensky’s camp and reflected broadly among Ukrainians. But it also increasingly comes up against the current of Western pressure, as Kyiv continues to face difficult front-line conditions against Moscow’s larger, better equipped army, as well as uncertainty over the level of future political support from Ukraine’s closest ally, the U.S.

War fatigue also appears to be eroding the morale of Ukrainians, who have struggled with constant bombardment, electricity outages and the loss of loved ones.

A poll by the Kyiv International Institute for Sociology found that the number of Ukrainians opposed to territorial concessions to Russia in exchange for peace has continued to fall. It was 55% in July, compared with 74% in December.

Even Zelensky hinted at a willingness to negotiate with Russia for the first time since the 2022 full-scale invasion, suggesting Moscow should send a delegation to the next global peace summit, which is expected in November. But Mykhailo Podolyak insisted that an agreement now would only delay greater violence.

“Yes, it can be a freeze of the conflict for a certain time. But this means that the Russian Federation will work on its mistakes and update its own army,” he said. “An aggressor country did not come to the territory of Ukraine to sign a peace agreement. That’s nonsense!”

A lasting peace that works for Ukraine would ensure a steady erosion of Russian military might encompassed by the “three tools” often reiterated by Zelenskyy: increased military support, effective economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure to isolate Russia.

Signing an agreement with Russia to stop the war with Ukraine would amount to signing a deal with the devil, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as pressure mounts on the country to seek an end to more than two years of fighting.

A deal would only buy time for Russian President Vladimir Putin to strengthen his army and usher in another, potentially more violent chapter in the war, Mykhailo Podolyak told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday.

“If you want to sign a deal with the devil, who will then drag you to hell, well, go for it. This is what Russia is,” Podolyak said when asked about the prospects for a peace deal for Kyiv, whose forces are locked in a bloody war of attrition with Moscow’s troops in eastern Ukraine.

“If you sign anything today with Russia, that will not lose the war and will not be legally responsible for mass crimes, this will mean that you have signed yourself a ticket to continue the war on a different scale, with other protagonists, with a different number of killed and tortured people,” he said.

Stolen credit cards were used to finance fake ads about Micheal Martin which originated in Russia and Belarus, the Tanaiste has said.

Mr Martin made the claims as the Government published its Defamation (Amendment) Bill on Thursday.

The Bill includes measures to “make it easier and less costly to tackle online defamation”.

He said: “I’ve been subjected to such online advertisements and fake ads and so on and it strikes me as extraordinarily challenging for individual citizens to seek the identity of such online defamers.”

Hungary is seeking a solution to restore its oil supplies after Ukraine halted deliveries of the raw material from Russian group Lukoil , Gergely Gulyas, an aide to the Hungarian prime minister, said on Friday.

“One is that the Ukrainians admit that they cannot do this to two EU countries,” he said. “Another is that the European Commission helps us, and the third is that we find a legal loophole that allows the oil to be transfered by someone not affected by the sanctions.”