Ukraine’s ground forces commander says troops to launch counter-assault

Our top ground forces commander said that Ukrainian troops will launch a counter-assault, Ukraine's top ground forces commander, as Russia s winter offensive weakens without capture of the eastern city of Bakhmut.

We will have more on this soon. The EU will try and find 16,200 Ukrainian children deported to Russia, according to one of the EU Commission presidents, Ursula von der Leyen. She said only 300 had been returned so far, a reminder of the darkest times in our history.

The situation at Ukraine's power plant in Zaporizhzhia remains perilous after a Russian missile strike disconnects it from the grid, according to the UN nuclear agency chief. Europe's largest nuclear power plant needs reliable electricity supply to operate pumps that circulate water to cool reactors and pools holding nuclear fuel.

During an official visit next week to China next week, none of Spain s prime minister Pedro Snchez said he will discuss a peace plan for Ukraine with the Chinese president Xi Jinping.