California Gov. Gavin Newsom says there's no imminent threat to the state from Iran. ABC News says the FBI warned California that Iran had aspired to send drones to the West Coast in retaliation for war. The FBI later released text of the alert, which noted that the information was based on "unverified information." The White House now says, "No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists." Newsom says California and various agencies plan for worst-case scenarios. Police in Los Angeles and San Francisco say they are monitoring world events for any risks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Russia has not "broken Ukrainians" nor triumphed in its war. He spoke Tuesday four years after an invasion that has severely tested the resolve of Kyiv and its allies and fueled European fears about the scale of Moscow's ambitions. In a show of support, more than a dozen senior European officials headed to the Ukrainian capital to mark the grim anniversary. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, upended life for millions of Ukrainians, and created instability far beyond its borders. Zelenskyy said his country has withstood the onslaught by Russia's bigger and better equipped army. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "not achieved his goals."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago launched Europe's biggest conflict since World War II. It has caused immense suffering for civilians and harrowing ordeals for soldiers while rewriting the post-Cold War security order. The fighting enters its fifth year on Tuesday. A U.S.-based think tank says that as many as 1.8 million soldiers may have been killed, injured or missing on both sides. Another think tank says Russia controls nearly 20% of Ukrainian land. The U.N. says at least 14,999 civilians have been killed in Ukraine.
By JAMEY KEATEN and ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press
The latest U.S.-brokered talks between envoys from Moscow and Kyiv over Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine have ended with no sign of a breakthrough. Both sides said Wednesday the talks were "difficult," as the war's fourth anniversary approaches next week. The negotiations in Switzerland were the third round of direct talks organized by the U.S., after meetings earlier this year in Abu Dhabi that officials described as constructive but which also made no major headway. Expectations for significant progress in Geneva were low. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of "trying to drag out negotiations" while it presses on with its invasion.
A Russian drone has struck a home in Ukraine's Kharkiv region in an attack that killed a father and his three small children. Ukrainian officials said Wednesday that the family's pregnant mother was wounded but survived. The attack destroyed the house and trapped the family under rubble. The drone was identified as a Russian-made Geran-2. Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 129 long-range drones at Ukraine last night. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an industrial plant in the Russian city of Volgograd. Officials said that eight Russian airports briefly suspended flights because of drone attacks.
A new report warns that the number of soldiers killed, injured or missing in Russia's war in Ukraine could reach 2 million by spring. The report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that Russia has suffered the largest troop deaths for any major power since World War II. It estimates Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 deaths, since February 2022. It said Ukraine has suffered between 500,000 to 600,000 casualties, including up to 140,000 deaths. Officials said Wednesday that two people were killed near Kyiv after Russian strikes and at least nine were injured in attacks across Ukraine.
Negotiations to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine are showing signs of progress, but major challenges remain, according to a senior Kremlin official. Talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi were described as constructive, with another round planned for next week. However, no major breakthroughs have been reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also called the talks constructive and mentioned that a document for U.S. security guarantees is ready but needs formal signing. Meanwhile, the war continues, with both sides engaging in drone attacks over the weekend. Negotiators will meet again in early February.
Russia has launched another major drone and missile attack on Ukraine that targeted the country's power grid in freezing temperatures. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russia fired nearly 300 drones, 18 ballistic missiles and seven cruise missiles at eight regions overnight. A strike in the Kharkiv region killed four people. The attack left several hundred thousand households without power in the Kyiv region. Russia launched a similar attack four days earlier in which Moscow used a powerful hypersonic missile. The U.S. has accused Russia of escalating the conflict. Ukraine is seeking quicker air defense deliveries from the U.S. and Europe to counter the attacks.
By SAMYA KULLAB and ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press
Russia has launched a massive overnight attack on Ukraine, using hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles. Officials say at least four people have been killed. For only the second time in the nearly 4-year-old war, it used a powerful, new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv's NATO allies. The attack came days after Ukraine and its allies reported major progress toward agreeing on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck. The attack also coincides with a new chill in relations between Moscow and Washington over Venezuela and the U.S. seizure of one of its oil tankers in the North Atlantic.
