There is an air of desperation around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky these days as he tries to convince his Western allies, the United States in particular, that he has a realistic plan to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to give up his maximalist goals and sue for peace.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is sceptical of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's threats, which come amid discussions about allowing Ukraine to launch long-range missiles deep into Russia. Source: Stoltenberg in an interview with The Times,

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned NATO alliance leaders that a move to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of longer-range Western missiles to strike deep inside his country would be considered an act of war.

Jens Stoltenberg, the outgoing NATO Secretary General, has revealed details surrounding his last meetings with the Russian side before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Source: Stoltenberg in an interview with the German media outlet FAS,

Nato will be at war with Russia if Western countries allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles deep inside Russian territory, Vladimir Putin warned. The Russian president claimed the programming of Western missiles would have to be done by Nato military personnel - bringing the organisation into direct confrontation with the Kremlin.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine says attacks on the country's electricity infrastructure by Russia may violate international humanitarian law. Meanwhile, Russia claims gains in Kursk.