Russia-Ukraine war updates: Moscow probes Kyiv link as bomb kills general

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For more on the car bomb blast that killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow, read here.

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And you can watch this video for more expert insight on the US plan for ending the war.

We will soon be closing this live page, so here’s a look at the day’s top developments:

• A car bomb has killed Lieutenant General ⁠Fanil Sarvarov in southern Moscow, the third such killing of a senior Russian military officer in just over a year. Ukraine has not commented on the incident.
• ⁠The Ukrainian General Staff says its forces have struck a Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in ⁠Russia’s Krasnodar region in an overnight attack, causing explosions and a fire.
• US special envoy Steve Witkoff has hailed talks on ending the Ukraine war as “productive and constructive” after holding separate meetings with Ukrainian, European and Russian negotiators in Miami, Florida.
• Ukraine has received $2.7bn (2.3 billion euros) from the EU under the Ukraine Facility programme, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko says.
• Russian troops have taken control of the “populated area of Vilcha” in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, the RIA news agency reports, quoting Russia’s Defence Ministry.

Seventeen South Africans have been deceived into joining Russian forces in Donbas, a report by Reuters has found, in what authorities say is being treated as a suspected crime against the state.

South African father-of-three Dubandlela was proud when his 20-year-old son signed up in July to receive elite training as a VIP bodyguard in Russia. But his son and at least 16 other South African men were conscripted by an unspecified mercenary group and sent to join Russian forces in Ukraine.

Dubandlela, 56, declined to reveal his full name or that of his son over fears for his son’s safety. He said his son had told him that he and other South African recruits spent all day digging trenches in the freezing cold.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesman, Vincent Magwenya, said the case was “receiving the highest possible attention”.

“The process to retrieve those young men remains a very sensitive process,” he said.

“They are facing grave, grave danger to their lives, and we are still in discussions with various authorities, ⁠both in Russia as well as in Ukraine, to see how we can free them from the situation they are in.”

The Ukrainian military says its forces have encountered individual Russian soldiers riding horses near the front line, highlighting the improvised tactics being used on the battlefield.

Ukraine’s 92nd Separate Assault Brigade released a video that appears to show multiple Russian soldiers travelling on horseback or on mules being struck by small drones.

In its post, the brigade used Ukraine’s phrase for waves of Russian soldiers sent into direct attacks with little chance of survival, saying: “The Russian occupiers are losing their equipment so quickly in their meat assaults that they are being forced to move on horses.”

As seen in the footage, which could not be independently verified, the Russian soldiers are trying to cross a wide, open field as quickly as possible.

Both sides in the war rely heavily on drones to monitor the battlefield, making undetected movement nearly impossible and severely limiting the use of armoured vehicles. As a result, Russian forces have increasingly relied on small assault groups to advance rapidly towards Ukrainian positions and then try to dig in.

Previous videos have shown Russian soldiers using off-road motorcycles, quad bikes, electric bicycles and electric scooters for transport. Ukrainian soldiers have also been seen using electric mountain bikes and scooters to move quickly across the battlefield.

The Ukrainian president says his government will adopt more sanctions against Russian entities and individuals as well as foreign actors “who support Russian aggression” by the end of the year.

“There will be at least one package of sanctions targeting those working with the Russian military-industrial complex, which includes not only individuals from Russia but also in particular from China,” Zelenskyy said in a statement.

“We are also preparing sanctions against those who justify Russian aggression and promote Russian influence through mass media and against athletes who use their sports careers and people’s attention to sports to glorify the Russian aggression.”

The president added Ukraine was working with the EU to finalise details on the bloc’s 20th package of sanctions on Russia and thanked Canada for also preparing to take similar action.

Ukraine has received $2.7bn (2.3 billion euros) from the EU under the Ukraine Facility programme, the country’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has said.

“To receive the funds, Ukraine implemented eight reform steps for the sixth tranche, as well as one additional step within the fourth tranche. Overall, we have already successfully implemented more than 60 measures of the Ukraine Plan – this confirms our commitment to reforms and the European course,” Svyrydenko said in a post on Telegram.

Since the beginning of the war, the EU has provided Ukraine with 70.7 billion euros ($83.2bn) of financial support, she said.

“These funds allow the state to support the economy and ensure social and macro-financial stability in the face of war,” she added.

• Italy urgently needs a new civilian and military unit employing 5,000 people to combat hybrid warfare threats, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said in a strategic report published last month. The new unit, which would need to be operational at all times, could initially employ 1,200-1,500 people, with a gradual increase to 5,000, he said. Italy’s Defence Ministry has said its regular recruitment campaign aims to enrol 6,000 volunteers ‌on “fixed-term contracts” for 2026, from 6,500 in the 2025 call for applications.
• Poland, which has one of NATO’s largest militaries, will roll out a military training programme ‌as part of a broader plan to train about 400,000 people in 2026, the country’s Defence Ministry said in November. It will ⁠be voluntary and open to all citizens, offering a basic security course, survival training, medical instruction and cyber-hygiene classes.
• Romania has ramped up volunteer recruitment since Russia invaded Ukraine, promoting higher pay and military schooling. The parliament recently approved a bill regulating voluntary army service for men and women aged 18-35, offering four months of paid ‌training and a bonus equivalent to three gross monthly salaries upon completion.

As ceasefire negotiations about the war in Ukraine continue, European leaders have warned about Russia’s alleged threat to Europe at a time when some countries across the continent are struggling to staff their armed forces.

Here are details on how various European countries are trying to boost their military ranks:

• Germany‘s government agreed in November on a new military service scheme with higher pay and better incentives. Military service will remain voluntary, but with the option of a mandatory call-up if the scheme fails to attract enough new recruits. The country wants to increase the number of soldiers to 260,000 from some 180,000 currently, and to double the number of reservists to 200,000.
  Under the proposals, expected to come into law at the start of next year, a system of ⁠mandatory registration and medical screening will be introduced.
• France will create a new voluntary youth military service that should begin by mid-2026, President Emmanuel Macron said in November. The scheme would last 10 months and be open to 18- and 19-year-olds who would be paid. It aims to engage 3,000 people in 2026, rising to 10,000 by 2030. Macron said his ambition was for the scheme to recruit 50,000 young people by 2035.
• The United Kingdom aims to increase the size of the army to at least ⁠76,000 full-time soldiers during the next parliament, which is likely to begin in 2029, as this is when funding is likely to allow expansion. For now, the country is focused on retaining staff and modernising the service. It has no plans to introduce conscription.

The war on Ukraine was a big topic at Putin’s annual televised question and answer session on Friday, but the Russian president wouldn’t say if the fighting is coming to an end.

Watch our video report below:

US Senator Lindsey Graham says that if Putin rejects achieving an outcome in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, the US should “dramatically” step up pressure on Russia and supply Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles.

“If [Putin] says no this time, here’s what I hope President Trump will do: Sign my bill that has 85 cosponsors and put tariffs on countries like China who buy cheap Russian oil. Make Russia a state sponsor of terrorism for kidnapping 20,000 Ukrainian kids. And most importantly, seize ships that are carrying sanctioned Russian oil like you’re doing in Venezuela,” Trump’s fellow Republican told NBC’s Meet the Press.

“If Putin says no, we need to dramatically change the game, including giving Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine to hit the drone and missile factories that exist in Russia. I would go all in if Putin says no,” he said.

Graham made the comments as negotiators held another round of talks in Florida over the weekend, which US special envoy Steve Witkoff hailed as “productive and constructive”.

Fifty residents from the border village of Grabovske in Ukraine’s Sumy region have been forcibly taken to Russia, Governor Dmytro Lubinets says.

“Such actions are a gross violation of international humanitarian law – a violation of the laws and customs of war, unlawful deprivation of liberty and forced deportation of the civilian population,” Lubinets said on Telegram.

The governor said that according to preliminary information, the civilians were held on Thursday without access to any means of communication and a day later they were taken into Russia.

There was no immediate comment from Russia.

Let’s bring you up to speed with the latest developments:

• Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Russian general staff’s army operational training directorate, has been killed in a car bomb blast in Moscow, investigators ⁠say.
• Russian investigators say they are probing the possibility of Ukrainian special services being behind the attack. Ukraine has not commented yet.
• US special envoy Steve Witkoff has hailed talks on ending the Ukraine war as “productive and constructive” after holding separate meetings with Ukrainian, European and Russian negotiators in Miami.
• Russian troops have taken control of the “populated area of Vilcha” in the eastern Kharkiv region, the RIA news agency reports, citing the Defence Ministry.
• Ukrainian authorities say Russian forces attacked the southern port city of Odesa overnight, accusing Moscow of seeking to destroy maritime logistics.
• Authorities in Russia’s Krasnodar region say Ukrainian drones damaged two vessels, two piers and sparked a fire in a village on the Black Sea ⁠coast.