Ukrainian war, evacuation of Oleshky underway. Two deaths during demining. LIVE

Ukrainian war, evacuation of Oleshky underway. Two deaths during demining. LIVE

A sapper and another person died during operations to ensure the safe passage of a humanitarian mission in the Kherson region. Ukraine has suspended attacks on Russian oil refineries following weeks of pressure from Trump. A drone hit the Dnipro station, leaving at least 14 dead and 10 injured.

The evacuation of Oleshky is underway and will continue with buses until 2pm today, after which the distribution of humanitarian aid will begin. Two people died during the demining operations necessary to carry out the humanitarian mission.

"Emergency power cuts" have been applied in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro and adjacent areas, as a result of damage inflicted on infrastructure by Russian raids in recent hours. Yesterday, an attack by a Russian jet-propelled drone caused a massacre at the city's main station, hitting a platform and causing at least 14 deaths and ten injuries.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store had a 90-minute conversation with the Russian leader. A phone call that created quite a stir in the EU. The main reason is that, since 2022 and with rare exceptions, communication channels between European leaders and Moscow are effectively cut off.

Following the closure of the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, the Norwegian Nobel Committee called on Russian authorities to "end the repression of independent media". “The closure represents a serious blow to freedom of expression and the public's right to information,” the committee's president, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, said in an email. The founder and former editor of the newspaper, Dmitry Muratov, is a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Ukrainian forces targeted four Russian oil sites overnight. This was reported by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, as reported by Interfax. “Three Russian oil refineries and a chemical plant were attacked,” he said, “only one site reported damage.” Ukrainian media reported a raid in Novokuibyshevsk, Samara region, where a fire reportedly broke out. It had been at least two weeks since the Ukrainians hit Russian energy sites, under pressure from the American president, Donald Trump.

Ukraine has started building new bridges over the Dnipro river in Kiev, its transport minister said, at a time when the war-torn country faces a growing number of Russian attacks targeting key infrastructure. Ukrainian Transport Minister Mykola Kalashnyk said the government had approved the "rapid construction of alternative river crossings, including the Dnipro." "Overall, 21 crossings are planned to be built. Work in Kiev has already started," Kalashnyk told MPs. "The first bridges will be operational at the beginning of the year."

Two men were killed in a drone attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Samara region while clearing areas hit by another attack. This was reported by the governor of the region, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev.

Kiev is ignoring US President Donald Trump's insistent requests to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries, Russian presidential foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said.

European participation may be necessary at some stage of the negotiations on Ukraine, but no one has yet discussed it specifically, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"I am perfectly aware that our support for Ukraine may have a political price, that there may also be a part of our electorate that does not agree, but I do not intend to change my position." Thus Giorgia Meloni in Bruno Vespa's book "History of the Second Republic".

Ukraine and Russia have started the distribution of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians from Oleshky, a town occupied by Russian forces in the southern Kherson region. To ensure a "voluntary and safe" departure, 25 buses with 750 seats have been prepared. Nine ambulances, with around fifty paramedics, will assist people unable to move independently.