Sunday, October 12th's live news on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The FT: Since July, the United States has been providing Ukraine with crucial intelligence for long-range missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The Institute for the Study of War: Moscow is accelerating the initial phase of preparations for a potential future war with NATO.

• It's the 1,327th day of the war in Ukraine
• US President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky spoke today for the second time in two days, discussing air defense. The two also discussed the Tomahawk missiles, which Kiev has requested from Washington.
• According to the Financial Times, the United States has been providing Ukraine with crucial intelligence for deep-sea drone strikes into Russian territory for months.
• The Kremlin called it a dramatic moment of escalation.

5:01 PM | October 12

We wouldn't attack civilians if we had Tomahawks.

Ukrainian President Zelensky said Kiev would not use Tomahawk missiles to strike civilian targets, but only to pursue military objectives.

His comments, made on Fox News' Sunday Briefing, come as the United States is considering whether to grant Ukraine the long-range missiles, a move Russia would consider an escalation.

4:03 PM | October 12

(Marta Serafini, correspondent in Kiev) The latest sign that Russia is accelerating the initial phase of its campaign to prepare for a potential future war with NATO is visible in open source data.

According to ISW, which bases its analysis on Western intelligence reports, the Russian defense industry is increasing the production of T-90 and T-72 tanks to recreate pre-war reserves.

The tanks are certainly destined for the Ukrainian front in the short term but - again according to analysts - the long-term target is NATO.

Along with all the other attacks carried out in recent days, including cyber sabotage, jamming and arson, as well as obviously airspace violations with drones in the skies Nato, the diagram shows how Russia has entered what the ISW calls Phase 0, a period of preparation for moving to a higher level of warfare. 

3:54 PM | October 12

The Kremlin: Dramatic moment of escalation

The Kremlin has indicated its deep concern over the possibility of the United States supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, calling it a truly dramatic moment, linked to an escalation of tensions on all fronts. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comment, according to Reuters, during a talk on Russian state television. Imagine this situation: a long-range missile is launched, it's in flight, and we know it could carry a nuclear warhead. What should the Russian Federation think? How should Russia react? ​The reference is to the fact that some now retired variants of the Tomahawk missiles could be armed with nuclear warheads. ​ The Tomahawks have a range of up to 2,500 kilometers. If Ukraine were equipped with them, it could use them to strike deep into Russian territory: potentially, it could even reach Moscow. ​

​In recent days, Trump said he had received a request from Zelensky for these missiles; He also said he had almost made up his mind on the response, without however explaining what that response was.

​Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Tomahawks cannot be used without the direct participation of US military personnel, and that therefore any supply to Ukraine would trigger a qualitatively new level of escalation.

​

​The
Financial Times,
in the past few hours, reported that the United States has been offering intelligence information since at least last July to help Kiev strike deep into Russian territory with its drones and destroy energy infrastructure. The intelligence shared by the United States - according to the British financial newspaper - would help Kiev in planning routes, altitude, timing and more generally in choosing the missions to carry out.

​​According to the sources cited by the
Financial Times
, this sharing has the.

3:37 PM | October 12

Zelensky: Talked with Trump about defense and long-range

I just spoke with US President Donald Trump, for the second time in two days, and today was again a very productive conversation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced via social media.

Yesterday, we agreed on a specific topic for today and examined all aspects of the situation. Protecting life in our country, strengthening it, both in terms of air defense and in terms of resilience and long-range capabilities. Many details on energy. President Trump is well informed about everything that is happening. We agreed to continue our conversation, and the teams are preparing. Thank you!

3:22 PM | October 12

Sources: Russian military in Kostantinovka in Donetsk

Russian troops have entered Konstantinovka in the Donetsk region, and fighting is ongoing in the eastern districts of the city, military analyst Andrey Marochko told the Tass news agency, admitting that the positions they have gained are not yet secure.

2:53 PM | October 12

Macron: We reiterate our full support for Zelensky.

I spoke with President @ZelenskyyUa, French President Emmanuel Macron writes on X. While the agreement reached in Gaza offers hope for peace in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine must also end. If Russia persists in its bellicose obstinacy and its refusal to sit at the negotiating table, it will have to pay the price. France condemns Russian attacks against Ukrainian critical infrastructure, which are effectively targeting the civilian population as winter approaches. We are evaluating with our partners the provision of necessary assistance to restore and guarantee basic services. France stands by Ukraine more than ever and is mobilizing within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing.

2:24 PM | October 12

Zelensky: I asked Macron about air defenses and missiles

I spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and informed him of our priority needs: first and foremost, air defense systems and missiles. Russia is now taking advantage of the moment, the fact that the Middle East and each country's internal affairs are receiving the utmost attention. Russian attacks have become even more cowardly. We discussed how to counter this situation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote this in X.

1:14 PM | October 12

Pope: Grief over new attacks in Ukraine

With sorrow, I follow the news of the new violent attacks that have hit several cities and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, causing the deaths of innocent people, including children, and leaving countless families without electricity and heating. These were Pope Leo XIV's words before leading the Angelus in St. Peter's Square. My heart goes out to the suffering of the people, who have lived in anguish and deprivation for years. I renew my appeal to put an end to the violence, to halt the destruction, and to open ourselves to dialogue and peace.

12:10 PM | October 12

Zelensky: 3,100 drones and 1,360 bombs against us in 7 days

Over the course of a week, the Russian Federation has used more than 3,100 drones, 92 missiles, and nearly 1,360 guided bombs against Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Facebook, cited by Ukrinform. Russia, he wrote, continues to engage in aerial terror against our cities and communities, intensifying attacks on our energy infrastructure. The immorality of these crimes is such that the Russians kill our people every day. Yesterday in Kostiantynivka, a child was killed by an aerial bomb in a church. In total, more than 3,100 drones, 92 missiles, and approximately 1,360 glide bombs have been used against Ukraine this week alone, the president stated.

11:57 AM | October 12

Kiev: 'Russians again attack energy infrastructure'

Last night, Russians again struck Ukraine's energy and gas transmission infrastructure, the Ministry of Energy in Kiev reported on Facebook, citing Ukrinform, explaining that restoration work is underway. Last night, the enemy again attacked Ukraine's energy and gas transmission infrastructure. Power plants in the Donetsk, Odessa, and Chernihiv regions were damaged, the statement said. State emergency service teams and energy companies are working to stabilize the energy supply situation as quickly as possible. According to Ukrinform, Russians attacked settlements in the Chernihiv region 59 times in 24 hours, including a drone strike on a power plant in the Nizhyn district.

11:26 AM | October 12

Kiev: '103 Russian drones out of 118 shot down, and one missile launched'

Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 103 Russian drones overnight, at least 50 of which were Shahed attack drones, plus decoy drones, out of 118 launched, as well as at least one X-31 hypersonic guided missile, over northern, eastern, and western Ukraine. The latter and 15 attack drones, however, hit 10 locations. Ukrainian media, including Ukrinform, reported the news, citing the Kyiv Air Force's Telegram channel. Further details are not available.

11:05 AM | October 12

Zelensky, Moscow escalates as world looks to Middle East

Russia is intensifying its attacks on Ukraine, taking advantage of the world's distraction from the war in Gaza. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky explained this in a social media post. Moscow is allowing itself to escalate its attacks and openly exploiting the world's focus on securing peace in the Middle East, he said. Precisely for this reason, it cannot allow any easing of pressure. Sanctions, tariffs, and joint action against buyers of Russian oil who are financing this war must all remain on the table, he warned. And this is precisely what can pave the way for lasting peace for Europe, he said, alongside the Middle East peace process.

10:39 AM | October 12

FT: US Helps Kiev Target Energy Sites in Russia

Ukraine has received US intelligence information to target Russian energy resources, including oil refineries located well behind the front line, the Financial Times reports, citing informed sources. This support has intensified since mid-summer, and Kiev's attacks have sent energy prices skyrocketing in Russia and forced Moscow to cut diesel exports and import fuel, the FT writes.

8:21 AM | October 12

Russians approach, evacuation of part of Kramatorsk ordered

Local authorities have ordered the evacuation of civilians from parts of the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, in the Donetsk region of Donbass, because invading Russian troops are located less than 20 kilometers away. The city in the eastern Donetsk region, which before the war had nearly 150,000 inhabitants, many engaged in coal mining, has been a symbol of Ukrainian resistance for over a decade, defeating a brief seizure of power by pro-Russian separatists in 2014 and resisting capture after the Russian invasion in 2022. In April 2022, Russian forces struck the train station where many civilians had gathered to escape, killing 57 people, and in June 2023, they struck a crowded pizzeria, killing 11. A week ago, a drone guided by a fiber optic strand several dozen kilometers long struck a vehicle in the city center. Russia now controls nearly 80 percent of the Donetsk region and has been slowly and costly approaching the mining city for months, hoping to seize control of it and invade the vast plains of eastern Ukraine.

7:26 AM | October 12

Russian Power Grid Raid Leaves Donetsk Dark

Russian shelling of Donetsk's power grids has left the region in darkness. The head of the regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, reported this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. This morning, the Russians again targeted our energy infrastructure. Repair work has already begun, and everything possible is being done to restore power as quickly as possible. However, the final extent of the damage and the recovery time have not yet been determined, Filashkin said.

6:37 AM | October 12

Kremlin: Moldova makes a grave mistake in considering us antagonists

The current Moldovan authorities are making a grave mistake in treating Russia as an antagonist in order to strengthen their relations with Europe, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Tass news agency, commenting on the new military strategy adopted this week by Chisinau, which defines Russia as a threat. This is the continuation of a rather confrontational, hostile stance toward our country. From our point of view, Moldova's current leaders are making a grave mistake, Peskov noted.

3:39 AM | October 11

Zelensky to Trump: Stop the war like in Gaza

If they managed to stop the war in Gaza, then they can also stop Russia's. Here it is, the bait thrown by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the wake of the ceasefire in the Middle East. The Kiev leader spoke again with Donald Trump and delivered a message that is halfway between a request for help and a challenge. And it doesn't seem to have gone badly. During the phone call, Axios reported, Trump and Zelensky discussed the delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles and the strengthening of Ukraine's air defense through the use of US F-16s. The conversation, Zelensky explained, was very productive. The meeting came at a difficult time for Kiev. Moscow's attacks have intensified in recent weeks and, in view of the cold winter, have targeted energy infrastructure. During the night between Friday and Saturday, Odessa Oblast was targeted, leaving 44 settlements in the region without power. At the same time, Ukraine announced it had repelled a new Russian assault in Donetsk and restored electricity on the left bank of the Dnipro, in Kiev.
The conversation between Zelensky and Trump lasted about 30 minutes and served to understand that, even for the American president, the so-called Alaska effect seems to be over. Of course, for Trump to move against Vladimir Putin is not easy. The pattern cannot be the same as that used in Gaza, where the tycoon agreed on a peace plan with his closest ally, Israel, then sent it to their common enemy. The dispatch of American
Tomahawks could in any case have a substantial effect on the balance of power between Moscow and Kiev. The range of these weapons is approximately 2,500 kilometers, and over 2,000 Russian sites could end up in their sights. There are good options, strong ideas on how to truly strengthen us. I informed him of the Russian attacks on our energy. I am grateful for their willingness to support us, Zelensky anticipated.