PUBLIC support in Russia for Putin's bloodthirsty invasion of Ukraine is "falling significantly", according to the British Ministry of Defence.
According to new information released by the MoD, the Russian people are beginning to demand peace talks, as Putin continues his brutal war in Ukraine.
The intel reads: “Recent polling suggests that Russian public support for the '‘special military operation’' is falling significantly.
“An independent Russian media outlet has claimed access to data collected by Russia’s Federal Protective Service for internal use. The data indicated 55 percent of Russians favour peace talks with Ukraine, with only 25 percent claiming to support continuing the conflict."
This comes as a top US official has hit out at Russia's "barbarism" in Ukraine, with US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland slamming the Kremlin's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Read our Ukraine-Russia live blog below for the latest news...
Russian support for war in Ukraine on the decline, reports MoD
According to the British Ministry of Defence, Russian support for the war in Ukraine is losing steam.
The report claims: "Recent polling suggests that Russian public support for the ‘special military operation’ is falling significantly.
"An independent Russian media outlet has claimed access to data collected by Russia’s Federal Protective Service for internal use. The data indicated 55 percent of Russians favour peace talks with Ukraine, with only 25 percent claiming to support continuing the conflict.
"These results are consistent with a separate October 2022 survey where 57 percent of respondents reported being in favour of talks. In April 2022, around 80 percent of Russians claimed to support the operation.
"Despite the Russian authorities’ efforts to enforce pervasive control of the information environment, the conflict has become increasingly tangible for many Russians since the September 2022 ‘partial mobilisation’.
"With Russia unlikely to achieve major battlefield successes in the next several months, maintaining even tacit approval of the war amongst the population is likely to be increasingly difficult for the Kremlin."
Ukrainian troops fitted with military kits ahead of return home
The British Ministry of Defence has shared some new images of Ukrainian troops being trained by the UK military.
Each soldier is fitted with a military kit, including cold weather clothing as they prepare for a freezing winter in Ukraine.
Britain, along with a slew of other western democracies, has taken part in a scheme to train Ukraine's defenders.
Ukrainian recruits training in the UK are issued kit in preparation for their return to Ukraine where they will fight to free their nation.
As the temperature plummets, recruits are given cold weather clothing in addition to the regular kit.
#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/CWqcGjA43y— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) December 4, 2022Moscow will only hold peace talks when West recognises annexed areas as Russian
RUSSIA will be open to peace talks only when the West recognises illegally seized Ukraine territories as belonging to Moscow, the Kremlin has warned.
President Vladimir Putin was open to talks but would not accept US conditions, a spokesman said.
Russia annexed the four territories in September.
Putin was urged by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to find a diplomatic solution “as soon as possible” during a call on Friday.
Ukraine detains eight over Banksy mural theft
Ukraine has detained eight people over the theft from a wall in the Kyiv suburbs of a mural painted by elusive British street artist Banksy, the authorities said.
The stencil image of a person in a nightgown and gas mask holding a fire extinguisher next to the charred remains of a window in the town of Gostomel went missing on Friday, they said.
“A group of people tried to steal a Banksy mural. They cut out the work from the wall of a house destroyed by the Russians,” Kyiv governor Oleksiy Kuleba said in a post on Telegram late Friday.
He attached the image of a gaping hole in the wall where the image once stood.
“Several people were detained on the spot,” he said. “The image is in good condition and in the hands of the authorities.”
Other works in the area thought also to be the work of Banksy are under police protection, he said.
Kyiv police chief Andriy Nebitov said “eight people had been identified” as possibly involved, and a preliminary inquiry had been opened into the matter.
“All were aged between 27 and 60 years old. They are residents of Kyiv and Cherkasy” some 200 km (120 miles) southeast of the capital, he said.
Officials in Kherson to evacuate citizens from area
Officials in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson announced on Saturday they would help citizens evacuate from parts of Russian-occupied territory on the east bank of the Dnipro River amid fears of intensified fighting.
Yaroslav Yanushevych, the regional governor, said officials were temporarily lifting a ban on crossings to allow Ukrainians living in villages across the river to traverse the Dnipro during daylight hours and to a designated point.
“Evacuation is necessary due to the possible intensification of hostilities in this area,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Kremlin says Putin will visit east Ukraine ‘in due time
Russian President Vladimir Putin will “in due time” visit east Ukraine’s Donbas region, which he claims to have annexed, the Kremlin told Russian news agencies Saturday.
“In due time this will happen, of course. This is a region of the Russian Federation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
However there was no indication of when this could happen.
Zelensky says BP is receiving ‘blood money’ from Russia investment
UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky has written to BP bosses saying the energy company is receiving blood money from its investment in Russia.
BP has said that it will exit its position in Kremlin venture ROSNEFT, but is yet to sell its stake and is eligible to dividends.
BP has said it will not be making a profit from Russia
Ban on Dnipro river crossings lifted on Monday
Ukrainian troops liberated the city of Kherson, which sits on the west bank of the Dnipro, from Russian occupation on Nov. 11 but Moscow’s forces still control the rest of the region on the east bank.
Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have continued shelling Kherson and surrounding areas from there, killing civilians.
Yanushevych said the ban on river crossings would be lifted through Monday.
Kherson officials ease river crossings from Russian-held territory
Officials in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson announced on Saturday they would help citizens evacuate from parts of Russian-occupied territory on the east bank of the Dnipro River amid fears of intensified fighting.
Yaroslav Yanushevych, the regional governor, said officials were temporarily lifting a ban on crossings to allow Ukrainians living in villages across the river to traverse the Dnipro during daylight hours and to a designated point.
“Evacuation is necessary due to the possible intensification of hostilities in this area,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant could see a safe zone put in place before the end of 2022
The head of the IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, has said Ukraine could see a safe zone put in place by the end of the year at the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
Europe’s largest nuclear power station has been subject to massive bombing since Russia’s invasion began.
“There is a concrete proposal on securing Zaporizhzhia and important progress has been made,” said Rafael Grossi, International Atomic Energy Agency director general.
Russian retreat provides Ukraine with new opportunities, MoD reports
According to a new report from the British Ministry of Defence, last month’s Russian retreat from Kherson has provided the Ukrainian military with a set of new opportunities.
The statement reads: “Russia’s withdrawal from the west bank of the Dnipro River last month has provided the Ukrainian Armed Forces with opportunities to strike additional Russian logistics nodes and lines of communication.
“This threat has highly likely prompted Russian logisticians to relocate supply nodes, including rail transfer points, further south and east.
“Russian logistics units will need to conduct extra labour-intensive loading and unloading from rail to road transport. Road moves will subsequently still be vulnerable to Ukrainian artillery as they move on to supply Russian forward defensive positions.
“Russia’s shortage of munitions (exacerbated by these logistics challenges) is likely one of the main factors currently limiting Russia’s potential to restart effective, large-scale offensive ground operations.”
President Zelensky meets Bear Grylls ahead of TV appearance
Ukraine’s President met with British survivalist Bear Grylls this week, ahead of a TV collaboration focusing on the war in Ukraine.
Mr Grylls shared a snap on Instagram and wrote: “This week I had the privilege to travel to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and spend time with President Zelensky. It has been an experience for me like no other. As the country goes into winter, and with their infrastructure under attack, survival for millions of people is a very real daily struggle.
“Through this special programme, the world will see a side of President Zelenskyy that has never been shown before. What I wanted to ask was how he was really coping … I got so much more. The programme is coming soon. Thank you President Zelenskyy for your hospitality in such a difficult time. Stay Strong.”
Macron says new security architecture should give guarantees for Russia
The West should consider how to address Russia’s need for security guarantees if President Vladimir Putin agrees to negotiations about ending the war in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said in remarks broadcast on Saturday.
In an interview with French TV station TF1 recorded during his state visit to the United States last week, Macron said Europe needs to prepare its future security architecture.
“This means that one of the essential points we must address – as President Putin has always said – is the fear that NATO comes right up to its doors, and the deployment of weapons that could threaten Russia,” Macron said.
“That topic will be part of the topics for peace, so we need to prepare what we are ready to do, how we protect our allies and member states, and how to give guarantees to Russia the day it returns to the negotiating table,” Macron said.
National Crime Agency arrests ‘wealthy Russian’ over money laundering
Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Saturday it had arrested a “wealthy Russian businessman” on suspicion of money laundering and other offences as part of a crackdown on corrupt oligarchs.
The NCA said the 58-year-old was among three men arrested by officers from the Combatting Kleptocracy Cell (CKC) on Thursday at a “multi-million pound residence” in London.
The Russian embassy in London has demanded information from Britain’s Foreign Office on the reasons and circumstances of the detention of the unidentified businessman and the conditions in which he was being held, Russian news agencies said.
The man was detained on suspicion of money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the Home Office (interior ministry) and conspiracy to commit perjury, the NCA said.
A 35-year-old man was arrested at the premises after he was seen leaving with a bag which contained thousands of pounds in cash. A former boyfriend, 39, of the businessman’s partner was also arrested at the property, police said. All three have been released on police bail.
US adds Russian mercenary group to religious freedoms blacklist
The United States has added the Russian-supported Wagner Group of mercenaries to its religious freedoms blacklist.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement today: “Around the world, governments and non-state actors harass, threaten, jail, and even kill individuals on account of their beliefs.
“In some instances, they stifle individuals’ freedom of religion or belief to exploit opportunities for political gain.
“These actions sow division, undermine economic security, and threaten political stability and peace. The United States will not stand by in the face of these abuses.”
Putin says Ukraine infrastructure strikes ‘inevitable’
Russian President Vladimir Putin told German counterpart Olaf Scholz on Friday that Moscow’s attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure were “inevitable” and accused the West of pursuing “destructive” policies, the Kremlin said.
“Such measures have become a forced and inevitable response to Kyiv’s provocative attacks on Russia’s civilian infrastructure,” the Kremlin said in a statement following the telephone talks.
The Kremlin added: “Attention was drawn to the destructive line of Western states, including Germany, that are pumping the Kyiv regime with weapons, and are training the Ukrainian military.”
Zelensky says BP is receiving ‘blood money’ from Russia investment
UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky has written to BP bosses saying the energy company is receiving blood money from its investment in Russia.
BP has said that it will exit its position in Kremlin venture ROSNEFT, but is yet to sell its stake and is eligible to dividends.
BP has said it will not be making a profit from Russia
Russia and Belarus defence ministers hold talks in Minsk
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu held talks with his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin, the state-run Belta news agency said on Saturday.
The two sides discussed bilateral military cooperation and amended an agreement on the "joint provision of regional security", it said, without providing further detail.
Russia and Belarus are formally part of a "union state" and are closely allied economically and militarily, with Moscow using Belarus as a staging post for its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Belarus has said it will not enter the war in Ukraine, but President Alexander Lukashenko has in the past ordered troops to deploy with Russian forces near the Ukrainian border, citing threats to Belarus from Kyiv and the West.
Kremlin says it 'will not accept' price cap on its oil
The Kremlin Saturday said it would "not accept" a price cap on Russian oil agreed by the EU, G7 and Australia towards limiting Moscow's funds for the Ukraine offensive, Russian news agencies reported.
"We will not accept this price cap," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the agencies.
He added that Moscow was "analysing" the move.
Kremlin says Putin will visit east Ukraine 'in due time'
Russian President Vladimir Putin will "in due time" visit east Ukraine's Donbas region, which he claims to have annexed, the Kremlin told Russian news agencies Saturday.
"In due time this will happen, of course. This is a region of the Russian Federation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
However there was no indication of when this could happen.
Ukraine detains eight over Banksy mural theft
Ukraine has detained eight people over the theft from a wall in the Kyiv suburbs of a mural painted by elusive British street artist Banksy, the authorities said.
The stencil image of a person in a nightgown and gas mask holding a fire extinguisher next to the charred remains of a window in the town of Gostomel went missing on Friday, they said.
"A group of people tried to steal a Banksy mural. They cut out the work from the wall of a house destroyed by the Russians," Kyiv governor Oleksiy Kuleba said in a post on Telegram late Friday.
He attached the image of a gaping hole in the wall where the image once stood.
"Several people were detained on the spot," he said. "The image is in good condition and in the hands of the authorities."
Other works in the area thought also to be the work of Banksy are under police protection, he said.
Kyiv police chief Andriy Nebitov said "eight people had been identified" as possibly involved, and a preliminary inquiry had been opened into the matter.
"All were aged between 27 and 60 years old. They are residents of Kyiv and Cherkasy" some 200 km (120 miles) southeast of the capital, he said.
Macron says new security architecture should give guarantees for Russia
The West should consider how to address Russia's need for security guarantees if President Vladimir Putin agrees to negotiations about ending the war in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said in remarks broadcast on Saturday.
In an interview with French TV station TF1 recorded during his state visit to the United States last week, Macron said Europe needs to prepare its future security architecture.
"This means that one of the essential points we must address - as President Putin has always said - is the fear that NATO comes right up to its doors, and the deployment of weapons that could threaten Russia," Macron said.
"That topic will be part of the topics for peace, so we need to prepare what we are ready to do, how we protect our allies and member states, and how to give guarantees to Russia the day it returns to the negotiating table," Macron said.
National Crime Agency arrests 'wealthy Russian' over money laundering
Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Saturday it had arrested a "wealthy Russian businessman" on suspicion of money laundering and other offences as part of a crackdown on corrupt oligarchs.
The NCA said the 58-year-old was among three men arrested by officers from the Combatting Kleptocracy Cell (CKC) on Thursday at a "multi-million pound residence" in London.
The Russian embassy in London has demanded information from Britain's Foreign Office on the reasons and circumstances of the detention of the unidentified businessman and the conditions in which he was being held, Russian news agencies said.
The man was detained on suspicion of money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the Home Office (interior ministry) and conspiracy to commit perjury, the NCA said.
A 35-year-old man was arrested at the premises after he was seen leaving with a bag which contained thousands of pounds in cash. A former boyfriend, 39, of the businessman's partner was also arrested at the property, police said. All three have been released on police bail.