Latest-minute and live news from Russia's war in Ukraine on Friday, January 27

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4 posts

8 mins ago

"Considerable damage" to Ukrainian power grid after missile attack

By Jo Shelley, Maria Kostenko

Several women stand by damaged houses as workers repair electrical cables after Russian missile attacks on January 26 in Hlevakha, outside Kyiv, Ukraine.

(Photo: Roman Pilipey/Getty Images)

Ukrenergo, the Ukrainian state power operator, said Thursday's Russian missile strikes caused "substantial damage" to the power grid.

"Grid recovery becomes more difficult, and lasts longer, after every Russian attack," the company said in a statement posted on Facebook.

Ukraine has already suffered 13 missile attacks and 15 drone strikes against its energy facilities.

Some background

: Russia launched 70 missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, 47 of which were intercepted, the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported in its daily operational update on Facebook.

Moscow forces also carried out 44 airstrikes, 18 of them with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones.

All the self-detonating drones were shot down, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the main targets were energy facilities.

10 mins ago

Ukraine claims to have shot down most of the missiles and drones launched by Russia on Thursday

By Maria Kostenko

A woman stands in a crater next to a house destroyed after a Russian rocket attack in Hlevakha, in the Kyiv region, on January 26.

(Photo: Roman Hrytsyna/AP)

Russia launched 70 missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, 47 of which were intercepted, the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported in its daily operational update on Facebook.

Moscow forces also carried out 44 airstrikes, including 18 with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones.

All the self-detonating drones were shot down, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Earlier, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the main targets were energy facilities.

At least 11 people were killed and 11 others injured across Ukraine, the country's State Emergency Services reported.

Meanwhile, emergency power cuts have been imposed in some regions.

The new round of missiles fired at Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities came just hours after Germany and the United States announced plans to send modern tanks to the country.

14 mins ago

Djokovic's father responds to criticism after posing with a fan wearing pro-Russian 'Z' symbol

By Angus Watson

A video capture of Novak Djokovic's father posing next to a man wearing a T-shirt with the pro-Russian Z symbol.

The father of tennis star Novak Djokovic responded to criticism after a video surfaced on Wednesday in which he posed with fans carrying Russian flags, expressing his support for the country.

In a statement on Friday that stopped short of apologizing, Srdjan Djokovic said he was in Melbourne "only to support my son" and "had no intention of causing such headlines or disruption."

"I was out with Novak's fans like I have done after all my son's games to celebrate his victories and take photos with them. I had no intention of getting involved in this," he said.

"My family has lived through the horror of war, and we only want peace," he said.

He added that this Friday he would watch his son's semi-final match against American star Tommy Paul from home "so there will be no interruptions... neither for my son nor for the other player."

Novak Djokovic will not comment on the situation, his representative told CNN.

Earlier this Friday, the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia had urged the tennis star to speak out on the war following his father's actions.

"I think that, in order to dispel speculation, it is important that he make a very strong statement about his position in this war," Ukrainian ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko told CNN.

In a video posted to YouTube by a well-known Vladimir Putin supporter, Srdjan Djokovic can be seen posing with a fan outside Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena.

The man holds a Russian flag with Putin's face on it and wears a T-shirt with the "Z" symbol on it, which is seen as a sign of support for Russia, including its invasion of Ukraine.

15 mins ago

Japan imposes new sanctions on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine

By Junko Ogura

Japan announced additional sanctions against Russia on Friday in response to Moscow's latest actions in Ukraine, banning the export of key strategic goods and freezing the assets of dozens of people.

The sanctions, which will mostly take effect this Friday, are directed against Russian politicians, soldiers, businessmen and companies.

They include 14 pro-Moscow figures linked to Russia's illegal attempts to annex four regions in southern and eastern Ukraine.

Starting February 3, Tokyo will also ban exports to 49 designated entities in Russia of goods that can be used to bolster Moscow's military forces.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said this includes semiconductor equipment and components, robots, generators, explosives and vaccines.

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