Sweden to invest $1.6 billion in air defence systems
Sweden will spend 15 billion Swedish crowns ($1.6 billion) on air defence aimed at primarily protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, the government said on Sunday.
Sweden has, like most European countries, invested heavily in defence following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, Sweden’s vast territory has remained vulnerable to aerial threats.
“The experience from the war in Ukraine clearly shows how crucial a robust and resilient air defence is,” defence minister Pal Jonson told reporters at a security conference in northern Sweden.
He said Sweden would buy short-range air defence systems to protect cities, bridges, power plants and other critical infrastructure.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson criticised the US administration’s “threatening rhetoric” against Greenland and Denmark, saying the US should thank Denmark for being a loyal ally.
Tara Cobham11 January 2026 15:50
Watch: UK defence secretary admonishes Putin for ‘brutal’ drone attacks on UkraineDefence secretary admonishes Putin for ‘brutal’ drone attacks on Ukraine
Tara Cobham11 January 2026 15:02
Dark, freezing and depressed: More than a million Ukrainians struggling without heat or water after Russian attacks
Elderly residents and those with vulnerable family members told The Independent they are cold and unable to cook proper meals as they face temperatures as low as -15C.
Despondent and fearing death, many are struggling through the winter as blackouts plunge Ukraine’s cities into darkness, lit up only by the bright flash of Russian drone and missile attacks.
Tara Cobham11 January 2026 14:30
Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy grid every day this week, ministry says
Ukraine’s energy ministry said Russian forces had attacked the country’s power system again during the night, briefly cutting off electricity to the south-eastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
“Not a single day passed this week without attacks on energy facilities and critical infrastructure. A total of 44 attacks were recorded,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram.
Svyrydenko said the restoration of heat and electricity supplies was proceeding at a record pace, noting significant improvements in Kyiv would require time but could be reached by Thursday.
Tara Cobham11 January 2026 14:00
War’s fourth winter could be coldest and darkest yet
The war’s fourth winter could be the coldest and darkest yet, with the accumulated damage to Ukraine’s energy grid bringing utilities to the brink and temperatures, already below-12C, set to plunge to -20C later this week.
“Restoration work is ongoing. However, the energy supply situation in the capital remains very difficult,” Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said on Telegram.
“According to forecasts, the severe frosts are not expected to subside in the coming days. Therefore, the difficult situation in the capital will continue,” he added.
A snowy street in Kyiv seen this week (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Tara Cobham11 January 2026 13:30
Zelensky accuses Russia of ‘cynical terror specifically against civilians’ amid freezing weather
President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of deliberately waiting for freezing weather to make things worse for the Ukrainian people.
He described Russia launching more than 2,000 drones, bombs and missiles against Ukraine over the past week as “a cynical Russian terror specifically against civilians”.
Moscow made no immediate response.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of deliberately waiting for freezing weather to make things worse for the Ukrainian people (AFP via Getty Images)
Tara Cobham11 January 2026 13:00
Russia launched more than 2,000 drones, bombs and missiles at Ukraine this week, Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched 1,100 drones, more than 890 guided aerial bombs and over 50 missiles, including ballistic, cruise and medium-range weapons, against Ukraine over the past week.
On Friday, a missile strike on Kyiv left virtually the entire city without power and heating amid a sharp cold snap, and it was not until Sunday that authorities restored water supplies and partially restored electricity and heating.
Men cover damaged windows with plastic sheeting following a Russian attack on a damaged residential complex in Kyiv on Friday (AFP/Getty)
Tara Cobham11 January 2026 12:30
30,000 in Kyiv remain without power after Russia’s Friday attack, Ukrainian energy supplier says
As many as 30,000 people in Kyiv remain without power following Russia’s Friday attack, Ukraine’s largest private energy supplier, DTEK, said on Sunday.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said around half the apartment buildings – nearly 6,000 – in snowy Kyiv were left without heat in daytime temperatures of about minus 8C.
Tara Cobham11 January 2026 12:18
Russia deploys new jet-powered ‘Geran-5’ strike drone for first time, Ukraine says
Russia deployed the new jet-powered “Geran-5” strike drone against Ukraine this month for the first time, the Ukrainian defence ministry’s main intelligence directorate said on Sunday.
According to the directorate, the drone is a Russian variant of the Iranian-designed Shahed and can carry a 90-kilogram (200-pound) warhead, with a range of nearly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).
Tara Cobham11 January 2026 11:30
More than 1,000 Kyiv apartment blocks still without heating after Russian strike
More than 1,000 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv are still without heating following a devastating Russian attack earlier this week, local authorities said on Sunday.
Russia has intensified bombardments of Ukraine’s energy system since it invaded its neighbour in 2022.
On Friday, a missile strike on Kyiv left virtually the entire city without power and heating amid a sharp cold snap, and it was not until Sunday that authorities restored water supplies and partially restored electricity and heating.
The war’s fourth winter could be the coldest and darkest yet, with the accumulated damage to the grid bringing utilities to the brink and temperatures, already below -12C, set to plunge to -20C later this week.
“Restoration work is ongoing. However, the energy supply situation in the capital remains very difficult,” Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said on Telegram.
“According to forecasts, the severe frosts are not expected to subside in the coming days. Therefore, the difficult situation in the capital will continue,” he added.
Ukraine’s energy ministry said Russian forces had attacked the country’s power system again during the night, briefly cutting off electricity to the south-eastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
“Not a single day passed this week without attacks on energy facilities and critical infrastructure. A total of 44 attacks were recorded,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram.
A residential building is damaged after a Russian air strike during a heavy snow storm in Kyiv, Ukraine, early on Friday (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Tara Cobham11 January 2026 11:20