Death toll from Russian attack rises to 25 as Ukraine says it will raise issue at UN – Europe live

5.00pm GMT Ukrainian Parliament votes to fire two ministers in corruption probe Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Wednesday to dismiss two ministers accused in a large-scale bribery scheme, Reuters reports, shortly after a court ordered a former deputy prime minister into custody on charges related to the case. Oleksiy Chernyshov, who is already under suspicion in a separate case, was ordered into custody on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Parliament voted to dismiss justice minister Herman Halushchenko, who served as energy minister from 2021 until this year, and his successor, energy minister Svitlana Hrynchuk. All three have denied wrongdoing. Chernyshov, Halushchenko and Hrynchuk have been accused by investigators with Ukraine’s national anti-corruption bureau of being involved in a $100m plot to control contracting at the state nuclear agency. Five people were arrested and two suspects still at large were charged in connection with this plot, including Timur Mindich, co-owner of the production company behind the sitcom where Volodymyr Zelenskyy gained fame as a TV star before his election in 2019. Zelenskyy has moved to distance himself from the scandal and contain growing public outrage by firing Halushchenko and Hrynchuk last week and calling for sanctions against Mindich. Corruption allegations are particularly damaging as Ukraine vies for membership in the European Union. Some members of Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party have called for “a government of national resilience” and a presidential administration that was “maximally transparent”. Lawmaker Mykyta Poturayev suggested the president should use the crisis as “an opportunity to cleanse and renew his inner circle, to strengthen trust in the institution of the head of state.” Read more about the corruption crisis here: Related: Ukraine’s energy sector corruption crisis – what we know so far and who was involved 4.05pm GMT Military mobility plan to speed tanks and troops across Europe announced in Brussels The EU executive has pledged to ease red tape to speed up the movement of European armies and tanks across the continent, describing it as “a critical insurance policy for European security”. A military mobility plan announced by the European Commission on Wednesday (14:06) is part of an effort to ensure Europe is ready to defend itself by 2030, in line with warnings from security services that Russia could be able to attack an EU member state within five years. If an army sought today to move from a western European port to the EU’s eastern border with Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, it would encounter significant obstacles and delays, say EU officials. They point to bridges that cannot bear the weight of tanks, railway tunnels that are too small and track gauges too narrow to accommodate military vehicles, as well as EU paperwork on working time and customs. At least one EU member state requires 45 days’ notice for cross-border troop movements, in contrast to the objective of a three-day border procedure pledged by EU countries in 2024. According to the EU’s auditors, another unnamed member state once denied entry to a convoy of tanks because they violated weight limits in local road traffic laws. “If a bridge cannot carry a 60-tonne tank, we have a problem. If a runway is too short for a cargo plane, we cannot resupply our crews,” said the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, who described the 45-day permission rule as “not good enough” 11 years after Russia’s annexation of Crimea. She said the latest EU proposals would underpin, rather than duplicate, Nato’s defence planning. “Military mobility is a critical insurance policy for European security; you hope you never have to use it to the full capacity, but having it ready ensures more credible deterrence and defence,” she told reporters. The commission wants to create a “military Schengen” zone, meaning armies can move through the EU’s border-free travel area as easily as civilians. It has proposed an emergency system for cross-border military transport that would give military convoys priority on the transport network. In an emergency situation, armies would get exemptions from usual EU rules such as mandatory rest periods for drivers of heavy goods vehicles, as well as faster customs procedures for hardware and military supplies, including food, arriving at the EU’s external border. EU officials have identified a priority list of 500 bridges, tunnels, bridges, roads, ports and airports that need to be strengthened or adapted to handle heavy military traffic, at a cost of about €100bn (£88bn). A tenfold increase in spending on military mobility of €17.6bn has been earmarked in the proposed EU long-term budget for 2028-34, although the overall €2tn plan faces opposition from many member states hoping to scale back spending. Related: Military mobility plan to speed tanks and troops across Europe announced 3.50pm GMT Poland drafts charges for two Ukrainian men suspected of Russian rail sabotage Back in Poland, prosecutors have drafted formal charges for two Ukrainians suspected of “sabotage of a terrorist nature” on behalf of Russia over the last weekend’s rail incidents. The two men, identified only as 39-year-old Oleksandr K. and 41-year-old Yevhenii I., fled Poland for Belarus in the hours after the incident, and remain wanted by the Polish authorities. If convicted, they could face life imprisonment, the prosecutor’s office said. Several other people have been detained this morning for questioning (11:40), but none of them were charged as of early afternoon, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said at a press conference. Interactive Updated at 4.01pm GMT 3.06pm GMT Moscow passes laws to boost defences against Ukrainian strikes Russia has passed sweeping laws to bolster its defences at home against Ukrainian drone strikes and sabotage operations, reflecting the Kremlin’s expectation of a protracted war with Ukraine. Almost four years into Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine – a full-scale invasion he expected to last only weeks – Moscow is being targeted almost daily by Ukrainian drones striking energy facilities, while Ukrainian operatives have assassinated a number of high-profile Russian military figures deep inside the country. These deep-strike Ukrainian attacks have forced Moscow to confront vulnerabilities it once assumed lay far from the battlefield. To shore up the protection of critical infrastructure, the Russian president earlier this month quietly signed a decree authorising the deployment of reservists to guard key sites, including refineries hit repeatedly by Ukrainian drones and contributing to a rise in domestic fuel prices. The measure allows the Kremlin to call up a pool of about 2 million people, according to lawmakers, to guard energy facilities without declaring a fresh mobilisation – a step that has proved deeply unpopular. These reservists undergo annual military training and receive a modest monthly payment for remaining in the active reserve, but have so far been spared from fighting in Ukraine unless they volunteered. Related: Moscow passes laws to boost defences against Ukrainian strikes 2.54pm GMT The US president, Donald Trump, sent a delegation of Pentagon officials to Kyiv on Wednesday in effort to revive peace talks, the Wall Street Journal is reporting. The army secretary, Dan Driscoll, and two four-star army generals are scheduled to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials before meeting with Russian officials at a later date, the WSJ reported senior US officials as saying. “The president has been clear that it is time to stop the killing and make a deal to end the war,” a senior administration official told WSJ. Updated at 3.17pm GMT 1.59pm GMT Enemies could consider longer winter nights and Christmas 'most opportune time to strike' with sabotage, Polish general warns Speaking at the same press conference, the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, Wiesław Kukuła, warned that longer winter nights and upcoming Christmas holidays “may be perceived by our enemies as the most opportune time to strike at our security.” “The night, which provides a natural cover for this type of activity, will be very long in the coming weeks. In just over a month, Christmas holidays will begin – a period when the majority of Poles will be traveling, largely using public transport. This calendar window may be perceived by our enemies as the most opportune time to strike at our security,” he said. “We must not allow this to happen,” he said. He warned that “the intentions of the Russian Federation remain unchanged, and the events of recent weeks outline a broad horizon of potential incidents that may occur.” Kukuła added that the army wanted to prepare for a “wide range” of potential incidents “to eliminate any space for this type of activity.” “On 21 December, we will see the longest night and the shortest day of the year, and night is a natural cover for various activities of sabotage groups. The latest [rail] incident is a perfect example of this,” he said. Kukuła spoke at a press conference at which the Polish government confirmed plans to deploy up to 10,000 soldiers to protect critical infrastructure as part of Operation Horizon after last weekend’s rail sabotage incidents (14:45). Updated at 2.07pm GMT 1.45pm GMT Poland looks to deploy 10,000 soldiers to protect critical infrastructure after rail sabotage incidents Meanwhile, Polish defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the army was working on plans to deploy 10,000 soldiers to protect critical infrastructure across the country to “counteract acts of diversion and raise the level of security for Polish citizens.” The plan, dubbed Operation Horizon, comes in response to the Russian rail sabotage incidents over the weekend, which foreign minister Radosław Sikorski argued earlier that amounted to “state terrorism” by Russia (9:31). Related: Ukrainians working for Russia were behind rail blasts, alleges Polish PM Updated at 1.47pm GMT 1.32pm GMT 25 dead, 73 injured in Russian overnight strike on Ukraine, ministry says The Ukrainian interior ministry has just issued a further update saying the number of people killed in the overnight Russian strike on the western Ukrainian city Ternopil rose to 25, with 73 people injured. 1.18pm GMT Ukraine to raise overnight Russian attack at UN security council meeting on Thursday, minister says Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine would bring up the overnight Russian attacks on his country at tomorrow’s UN security council meeting. Sybiha said that according to the latest available information at least 21 people were killed in the attack, including two children. “We urge condemnation, justice, and strong responses. … Against the backdrop of such brutality, we reiterate our call for the provision of additional air defense and other equipment to protect our people,” he said. Sybiha added that he had directed all embassies to lower flags and open books of condolences. 1.13pm GMT Germany urges partners to help Ukraine as it faces growing pressure from Russia Meanwhile, a German government spokesperson warned that the situation in Ukraine is very tense due to Russia’s ongoing attacks, and Kyiv urgently needs help with its defence from partners, Reuters reported. “Russia’s unabated attacks are putting Ukraine under immense pressure, and all the more reason for Ukraine’s supporters to assist the country in its defence,” the government spokesperson said at a government news conference in Berlin. At least 20 people, including two children, were killed in overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine. 1.06pm GMT Russia's attacks on EU infrastructure 'increasingly brazen,' bloc's foreign policy chief says, as she calls for better military mobility EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas addressed the Polish rail rabotage incidents over the weekend at a press conference earlier today, condemning “increasingly brazen” Russian attacks on EU infrastructure. “Our critical infrastructure needs more protection,” she said, stressing the need to do more work to ensure “fast movement of Europe’s militaries” between countries. “We have to ensure that forces can be in the right place and at the right time. Swift movement depends on many factors. Can our roads, tunnels, bridges bear the weight? Are there enough designated routes for the military movements? Do we have enough flatbed rail carriages, and what paperwork do we still have to fill when you want to cross border, for training, or in case of crisis?” she said. Kallas said that “some countries stil require 45 days notice before other countries’ troops can pass through them,” which she said was “simply not good enough.” “Military mobility is a critical insurance policy for European security. You hope you never have to use it full capacity, but having it ready ensures more credible deterrence and defence,” she said. The bloc’s “Military Schengen,” formally proposed today, seeks to address some of these issues by removing regulatory obstacles, and working on the resilience of key infrastructure. 12.28pm GMT Social Democrats in Denmark suffer sweeping election losses Nordic correspondent The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has admitted that a fall in support for the Social Democrats was “greater than we had expected” after her party suffered sweeping defeats across Denmark and lost control of Copenhagen for the first time in more than 100 years. While the Social Democrats remain the largest municipal party in Denmark, the prime minister’s centre-left party lost more than five percentage points across the country in Tuesday night’s municipal and regional elections, dropping from 28.4% in 2021 to 23.2%. Support for the far-right Danish People’s party, meanwhile, rose slightly from 4.09% to 5.9%. In Copenhagen, Frederiksen’s close personal friend, Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, who is understood to have been handpicked by the prime minister to run for lord mayor in the Danish capital, failed to get the votes she needed. The position of lord mayor, it was announced, will be held by Sisse Marie Welling from the Green Left (Socialistisk Folkeparti, known as SF), which won 17.9% of the vote. “We have written history at city hall,” she said. The Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) remained the capital’s biggest party with 22.1% of the vote. Looking disconsolate after the historic defeat, Frederiksen said: “We had expected to go back, but it seems that the decline is greater than we had expected. We will consider what is behind this.” Frederiksen cited rising food prices, and an imbalance between rural and urban areas, for her party’s decline in popularity. She also pointed to crime committed by “people coming from outside”, reinforcing her hardline stance on immigration. As well as Copenhagen, the Social Democrats also took hits in the former dependable municipalities of Frederikshavn, Køge, Fredericia, Gladsaxe and Holstebro. Related: Social Democrats in Denmark suffer sweeping election losses Updated at 12.33pm GMT 11.49am GMT 'All facts indicate Russian trace' behind Polish rail sabotage incidents, Zelenskyy says Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken with Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk this morning, discussing the overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine and the recent rail sabotage incident, which Warsaw blamed on Russia. “Our information is the same: all the facts indicate that there is a Russian trace behind all of this,” Zelenskyy said. He added that Ukraine faced similar attempted sabotage acts “on a daily basis,” and “put in place proper [measures] to counteract against such” activities. “Ukraine is ready to work with Poland at various levels and to share all information,” he said. The two countries will also set up “a Ukrainian-Polish group that will work to prevent similar situations from the Russian side in the future,” Zelenskyy said. 11.40am GMT Lithuania to reopen Belarus border after balloon incidents Lithuania will reopen its border crossings with Belarus, ending a closure imposed in response to airspace disruptions by smugglers’ balloons, the Baltic republic’s government said as reported by Reuters. Lithuania last month said the two crossings on the border would remain closed until the end of November in response to incursions by weather balloons flying from Belarus that have disrupted air traffic and caused closures at Vilnius airport. It was not immediately clear how soon the border crossings would reopen, Reuters noted. 11.04am GMT Death toll from 'barbaric' overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine rises to 19, foreign minister says Meanwhile, the Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said the death toll from overnight Russian “barbaric” strike on Ternopil has gone up to 19, with 66 further people injured. “This is how Russia’s ‘peace plans’ look like in reality. This terror can only be met with collective strength and pressure on Moscow,” he said. Updated at 11.07am GMT 10.56am GMT 'We know what you're doing,' UK defence minister says in response to Russian about spy ship activities near UK There is also an emerging news line from the UK, with the country’s defence minister John Healey disclosing that a Russian spy ship called Yantar is on the edge of British waters and had been mapping undersea cables, and shining lasers at RAF pilots, which he said was “highly dangerous”. He said: My message to Russia and to Putin is this: We see you. We know what you’re doing. And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready. Asked about this in the Q&A, Healey says this is the first time Yantar has done this. The government is taking it extremely seriously. He says he has changed the terms of engagement, so that the UK can follow it more closely when it is in British waters. He says he will not give details, but he says the government has “military options ready”. More on our UK politics live blog with Andrew Sparrow here: Related: Minister says MoD looking at security risk from Chinese cars, with staff told to avoid secret talk in vehicles – UK politics live 10.45am GMT Here is the full quote from Jacek Dobrzyński, the spokesperson for Poland’s security services minister. “The Polish [security] services have much more information. They are on the trail of the principals; they are on the trail of the perpetrators. I confirm that, indeed, the first arrests are now taking place. The people involved are being detained by the Internal Security Agency and by the police, and at this stage, I cannot provide you with more details.” He later added that “several people are being detained” and “questioned” about their role in “this terrorist attack, because we can call it that.” 10.40am GMT Poland detains 'several' people over rail sabotage incidents Poland has detained “several” people linked with the rail sabotage incidents over the weekend, a spokesperson for the Polish security services minister said. More to follow. Updated at 10.40am GMT 10.23am GMT Dutch minister defends original Nexperia decision as he suspends controversial decision The Dutch economy minister said he had moved to take effective control of Nexperia to ensure Europe was not locked out of chip production “in an emergency”. He said the decision to lift the legal move to prevent Nexperia from moving intellectual property and physical assets from its European factory in Hamburg and its corporate headquarters in Nijmegen was the “right step” after consultation with the European Commission and others. “The Netherlands has considered it the right moment to take a constructive step by suspending the order under the Goods Availability Act, in close consultation with European and international partners. The Netherlands will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with the Chinese authorities in the period ahead.” He also indicated that the Dutch would maintain its right to repeat the move if any threat to the production or intellectual property reoccured. The intelligence the government received about Nexperia “showed there was a threat to the continuity on Dutch and European soil of crucial technological knowledge and capabilities,” he said. Last week Karremans told the Guardian in an exclusive interview he had no regrets about the extraordinary move, using never-before invoked Cold-War law, the Goods Availability Act, designed to protect European production in emergency or war situations. Related: ‘I’d do it all again,’ says Dutch minister at heart of car chip standoff with China In turn the Chinese expressed its “extreme disappointment” in the minister, in a fiery rebuke on Friday evening. Related: China voices ‘extreme disappointment’ with Dutch minister at centre of car chip row Karremans has suspended the ministerial order which used the Goods Availability Act earlier today. 10.16am GMT The Netherlands suspends plans for Nexperia takeover The Netherlands has suspended it seizure of the Chinese owner chip maker Nexperia which was at the heart of a bitter six-week battle between the EU and China that threatened to halt car production. Dutch economy minister Vincent Karremans said in a statement on Wednesday that the government would suspend its decision to take supervisory control, made on 30 September, as a gesture of “goodwill” towards Beijing. “In light of recent developments, I consider it the right moment to take a constructive step by suspending my order under the Goods Availability Act regarding Nexperia,” Karremans he said. The decision comes as a delegation from the Netherlands met with officials in Beijing to try and resolve matter after a bitter war of words erupted last week between the economy minister and the Chinese ministry of commerce. “In the past few days we have had constructive meetings with the Chinese authorities. We are positive about the measures already taken by the Chinese authorities to ensure the supply of chips to Europe and the rest of the world. We see this as a show of goodwill. We will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with the Chinese authorities in the period ahead,” added Karremans. Updated at 10.18am GMT 9.51am GMT Relations with Poland 'have completely deteriorated,' Russia says Here are the full quotes from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, via Reuters. Asked about the consulate closure, he said: “Relations with Poland have completely deteriorated. This is probably a manifestation of this deterioration – the Polish authorities’ desire to reduce any possibility of consular or diplomatic relations to zero. “One can only express regret here … This has nothing to do with common sense.” Updated at 9.51am GMT 9.36am GMT Poland’s decision to close Russian consulate ‘lacks sanity,’ Kremlin says We are just getting a line from the Kremlin, responding to Poland’s decision to close its last remaining consulate in Gdańsk by saying they regret this move and it “lacks sanity,” Reuters reported. 9.29am GMT Russia says 'massive' attacks on western Ukraine are in response to 'terrorist attacks' on Russia Russia’s defence ministry said that Moscow had launched “massive” overnight strikes on targets in western Ukraine in response to what it called “terrorist attacks” on Russian territory. Ukrainian authorities have said that 10 people were killed and 40 wounded overnight in the attacks, including on a residential building in the western city of Ternopil (9:26). Updated at 10.08am GMT 9.08am GMT Slovakia wants Nato to bolster air defence on eastern flank Meanwhile, Slovakia has asked Nato to boost its air defences, the Slovakain prime minister, Robert Fico, said after a meeting with the military alliance’s chief, Reuters reported. Fico, in talks in Bratislava with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, also defended Slovakia’s plans to decide on its own pace and structure of defence spending in the years ahead as most Nato members lift investment into defence. “During the joint discussion, [Fico] also asked the secretary general to strengthen the air defence of Slovakia,” the Slovakian government office said in a statement after the meeting on Tuesday evening, without providing more details. Updated at 9.11am GMT 8.51am GMT Poland’s Sikorski says he will speak with Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte later today, and will “brief” the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union tomorrow about the latest on the rail sabotage incident. He says he will urge other EU countries to restrict movements of 2,000 Russian diplomats accredited in the bloc, as he says “up to 40% of them perform tasks inconsistent with their diplomatic status,” suggesting they may be involved in intelligence work. Updated at 9.01am GMT 8.48am GMT Poland to withdraw consent for Russia's last consulate in Poland Speaking at a press conference after his speech in Sejm, Sikorski says that responding to the rail sabotage incidents, Poland will withdraw consent for – effectively close down – the last remaining Russian consulate in Poland, the northern Polish city of Gdańsk. The previous two, in Poznań and Kraków, were closed in response to previous incidents of sabotage, which Poland alleged were inspired by Russia. Updated at 8.48am GMT 8.31am GMT Rail sabotage incidents 'act of state terrorism' by Russia, Poland's foreign minister says Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, is now speaking in the Polish parliament. He calls the rail sabotage incidents over the weekend “an act of state terrorism” from Russia adding “the clear intention was to cause human casualties”. He also warns against a “tsunami” of disinformation about the attack. He says that Poland will respond to the sabotage, “not only diplomatically”, without offering more detail. He then shifts the focus of his speech, mounting a passionate defence of Poland’s membership in the EU against the Eurosceptic opposition. He pointedly uses Britain as the prime example that being outside the union is worse, as he talks about the negative consequences for the UK economy, while “migrants still keep coming in as before – just not from the EU, but from the poorer regions of the world”. “Nearly ten years after Brexit, the promised benefits still haven’t realised for the British people. And we are talking about one of the world’s largest economies, after all. Do you really believe that Poland will fare better outside the community?” Updated at 9.05am GMT 8.26am GMT Morning opening: Nine dead after intense Russian strike on western Ukraine At least nine people died in a Russian attack on western Ukraine overnight, with dozens wounded, the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said. Zelenskyy said that Russia launched more than 470 attack drones and 48 missiles overnight. “Every brazen attack against ordinary life proves that the pressure on Russia is still insufficient,” he warned. “Russia must be held accountable for its actions, and we must stay focused on everything that strengthens us and enables us to shoot down Russian missiles, neutralise Russian drones, and stop assaults,” he added. The attack comes just hours before Zelenskyy is expected in Turkey as he hopes to reinvigorate frozen peace talks, which have faltered after several rounds of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul this year failed to yield a breakthrough. Related: Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv seeks $44bn from Russia for climate-warming war emissions The overnight attack was so intense that neighbouring Poland was forced to close two airports and scramble its fighter jets to patrol airspace near the border with Ukraine as a precautionary measure. Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, is due to speak in the Polish parliament in the next few minutes, outlining the country’s diplomatic response to the alleged Russian rail sabotage attacks over the weekend. Related: Ukrainians working for Russia were behind rail blasts, alleges Polish PM We will also look at the latest defence and AI announcements from the European Commission, the latest on Danish local elections, and monitor Lithuania as the country is expected to review its decision to close its borders with Belarus. Lots for us to cover. It’s Wednesday, 19 November 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning.