Russia Ukraine war live: Putin issues ‘serious’ warning to west as Kyiv ‘shoots down three bombers’

Former TV journalist Yekaterina Duntsova has been barred from running against President Vladimir Putin in an election next March because of “mistakes” in her application to register as a candidate, her campaign channel said on Telegram.

The move came only three days after Duntsova, 40, had applied to the electoral commission to be registered as a candidate. She had planned to run on a platform of ending the war in Ukraine and freeing political prisoners.

A video posted by a Russian news channel showed a meeting of the central electoral commission at which its members voted unanimously not to allow Duntsova’s candidacy to go ahead.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked troops fighting for Ukraine.

“We ought to always know how many people are involved in the defense of Ukraine and Ukrainians. Each of them is important, and their combined strength is Ukraine’s strength,” Zelensky wrote on X.

“Thank you to all of our soldiers! Thanks to everyone who is fighting for Ukraine’s free future.”

Russian president Vladimir Putin is open to a ceasefire in Ukraine along the current frontline, the New York Times reported.

Putin’s sought ceasefire would mean Russia would keep the territories it illegally occupies in Ukraine, where the population is subject to abductions and summary executions.

“He really is willing to stop at the current positions,” a former senior Russian official told The New York Times. “He’s not willing to retreat one meter,” the former official added.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has facilitated an exchange of parcels for Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war which included letters from their families.

“Following an agreement between Ukrainian and Russian authorities, today ICRC teams facilitated an exchange of parcels for POWs on both sides. They contain clothes, items for personal use & letters from their families,” the organisation said on X.

Up to 10,000 Ukrainian POWs are believed to remain in Russian custody. Meanwhile, it is estimated that hundreds of captured Russian soldiers, conscripts and mercenaries are being held in 50 sites around Ukraine.

Fighting age Ukrainian men living in Estonia could be extradited to join the country’s war effort against Russia, Tallin’s internal affairs minister said.

“If Ukraine needs it, Estonia can search for this person and extradite him to Ukraine. In general, we know where these people are and what they do. The majority go to work and have a place of residence in Estonia,” Lauri Läänemets said.

It comes after president Volodymyr Zelensky said his generals were looking to mobilise up to half a million new soldiers to push back Putin’s invading army.

The Ukrainian army has counted around 500,000 servicemen, 200,000 of which are active military personnel, according to recent figures.

Under Ukrainian law, only men aged 27 to 60 can be mobilised for the front line, although younger men can volunteer to fight.

The Communist Party of Russia has selected a 75-year-old candidate to run against Vladimir Putin, who belongs to United Russia, in the country’s upcoming elections.

At a party congress in the Moscow region, members held a single-candidate vote backing Nikolai Kharitonov who has vowed to achieve victory on “all fronts”.

On paper the Party is in opposition to United Russia, but in reality it backs Vladimir Putin up. It is widely expected Mr Putin will win the election in March 2024.

Ukraine will officially celebrate Christmas on 25 December for the first time since 1917, breaking the Russian tradition of marking the celebration on 7 January in line with the Julian calendar.

“Unfortunately for many people in the world, Ukraine is linked to Russia. And Ukraine is always viewed in the context of being a neighbour of Russia,” Father Andriy told the BBC in the Church of St Andrew’s, in Kyiv.

“But I think that we are more a neighbour of Europe. And the fact that we’ve now changed the calendar is not shifting away from Russia. It is us returning back to Europe, where we belong.”

Alexander Butler reports:

Polish farmers will suspend a protest at the border crossing with Ukraine at Medyka from Sunday, but truckers will continue blockades at three other crossings over Christmas and will allow even fewer trucks to pass than earlier, they said on Saturday.

Polish drivers have been blocking several crossings with Ukraine since 6 November, demanding the European Union reinstate a system whereby Ukrainian companies need permits to operate in the bloc, and the same for European truckers seeking to enter Ukraine.

They were later joined by farmers who demanded government subsidies for corn and no hikes in taxes.

Roman Kondrow, one of the leaders of the protesting farmers, said after talks with Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski that the protest in Medyka will be suspended from Sunday morning until 2 or 3 January, PAP news agency reported.

However, truckers said they would stay on the border over Christmas and will let through only one commercial truck every three hours, instead of three every hour.

“We are intensifying the protest, (allowing only) one truck every three hours,” said one of the leaders of the trucker’s protest in Dorohusk, adding that the transport of humanitarian help and military equipment were not being blocked.

Poland’s deputy infrastructure minister said on Friday after a meeting in Kyiv that he hoped truckers’ protests on the border with Ukraine could be resolved before the end of the year.

Polish truckers resumed their blockade of one of the main crossings at the Ukrainian border this week after a short break. According to data from Poland’s Customs office, the wait at the Dorohusk crossing was 77 hours on Saturday.