ukraine's president zelenksy says russia has launched around 120 missiles and 90 drones in what he calls a "massive" combined air strike on his country's energy structure. the foreign minister andriy sybiga says: "russia launched one of the largest air attacks: drones and missiles against peaceful cities, sleeping civilians, critical infrastructure." the bombardment forced ukraine to cut power in kyiv and two other regions in the east. ukraine's energy operator announced "emergency power cuts" in the kyiv region. people in kyiv made their way to underground stations to shelter from the assault. russia's defence ministry said it attacked facilities that support defence industry. further south, the black sea port of odesa experienced a city—wide power cut. and neigbouring poland says it's scrambled fighter jets in response to what it called a massive russian missile and drone attack on western ukraine.

in a statement, warsaw confirmed that operations by polish and allied aircraft were underway. our correspondent paul adams is in dnipro for us. we had sirens in the early hours, and the latest information from the city was that two railway workers were killed among five people killed across the country overnight, in what seems to have been the largest concerted russian drone and missile attack, certainly since early september. and it does seem as though the principal targets were once again ukraine's energy infrastructure. i was speaking to someone from one of the largest energy companies just a short time ago who said, it looks like they're starting again. in other words, as winter arrives and we have had the first snow here in the last few days, once again, russia turns its attention to ukraine's energy infrastructure in an attempt to plunge this country into darkness during the most difficult months. so whether that is the beginning of such

a campaign, we don't know. but it certainly looks that way. and from one end of the country to the other, we have had interruptions to power and a number of significant energy infrastructure targets hit, although we're not being told which ones. and paul, just to bring you up to date. the russian defence ministry is saying, and this is coming to us via the reuters news agency, that these energy infrastructure facilities, they're accusing them of supporting defence industry and military enterprises, which is why arguably they're saying that's why they targeted them. but arguably we're also hearing from russia's foreign minister saying that civilians were targeted, that people were sleeping in their beds. they were targeted. so an ongoing escalation of what is a conflict already at crisis point? yes. i mean, what keeps a country going? it's the energy generating facilities and that keeps people warm. and it also, of course, enables

the country's industries, including their military industries, to keep functioning. so you attack the power infrastructure, you affect the entire country. and it is inevitable when these these attacks are launched, that civilians do end up being caught in it, either by direct strikes from missiles and drones, or by fragments of both missiles and drones being intercepted overhead. none of this would be happening if if russian attacks on ukraine's infrastructure were not happening. and it is part of what one senses is an effort by both sides to try and maximise their positions ahead of what is widely anticipated to be some change in us policy once donald trump takes office early next year. we're seeing the russians gradually edging forward along the eastern front, and we're seeing the ukrainians clinging on to that tiny fragment of russian territory in the kursk region.

everyone knows that the policy that the biden administration has pursued over the past few years could be about to change, and change quite dramatically. president zelensky himself said just the other night that the war could be over next year. there's a feeling that things are going to change. no—one quite knows how. kick that was paul adams joining us. let's speak to maria mezentseva, the ukrainian mp, the head of ukrainian delegation to the council of europe parliamentary assembly and the deputy head of the committee on european integration. maria isjoining me in the frontline city of kharkiv, bombarded by russia almost daily. welcome to you. you are obviously in kharkiv. focusing in that is an area bombarded almost daily given your proximity to the border but

bring us up to date on the infrastructure areas that were targeted across ukraine by those 120 missiles. bring us up to date with the situation. absolutely. the area didn't hear much of the shelling and blow—ups but we heard some glide bombs flying at least over my apartment at 3am and we never thought the entire country would wake up to a terrible mass strike, 210 different types of rockets and drones. the defence of ukraine we managed to intercept and deactivate 140 of them which is a great result. but across result from north to the south, east to the west, many infrastructure facilities were targeted on purpose. we know

these tactics. it has been used during the winters since 2022 when the full aggression started. 0f when the full aggression started. of course we have seen casualties, wounded and dead, currently some of the people are in hospitals. we view it as yet another mass war crime attack with genocidal nature when russia is targeted on a very peaceful sunday morning, people, children, the elderly who cannot go to the basement is metro stations quickly because when the specific ballistic flies over you might only have 40 seconds to hide. we agree it means the proximity to the metro station or having a proper basement in your house but not everyone has that and today we are facing a very difficult situation. in the energy sector some regions are

lacking power and we were expecting around nine gigawatts of power lacking this winter but i am sure all the emergency services will do their utmost. what it shows us is that as president zelensky said we need to enhance ourair president zelensky said we need to enhance our air defence, we need to receive more air defence systems including patriot missiles but not every region has that of now. we hope our partners including the uk, the us and across the eu, will understand that we are still a shield for all of our continent from against a full invasion because we see soldiers already at the border between ukraine and russia in the north. seeing very heavy battles happening in the kharkiv region so the armed

forces really need support today. forces really need support toda . ~ ., , forces really need support toda . ., ,., today. apologies for interrupting - today. apologies for interrupting you, - today. apologies for interrupting you, we today. apologies for i interrupting you, we do today. apologies for - interrupting you, we do not have much time but i do want to ask it. the energy infrastructure facilities that have been targeted, the defence ministry in russia says they supported the defence industry and military enterprises so can you tell us a bit about this facilities that have been targeted?— facilities that have been tarueted? ~ ., targeted? we cannot confirm that. targeted? we cannot confirm that these _ targeted? we cannot confirm that. these are _ targeted? we cannot confirm that. these are civilian - targeted? we cannot confirm that. these are civilian spots| that. these are civilian spots providing electricity on the ground, different areas and regions. they have nothing to do with the defence sector. this is very likely that the defence ministry of the so—called russian federation is saying that to justify yet another war crime for which all of the top echelons of russia

and that is why we have called for a tribunal on the crime of and it's a very powerful weapon on their site. we and it's a very powerful weapon on their site.— on their site. we hear from president _ on their site. we hear from president zelensky - on their site. we hear from president zelensky that - on their site. we hear from | president zelensky that now that donald trump is heading into the white house the potential for the war to end sooner rather than later. what is the ending that ukraine hopes for? is the ending that ukraine h0pes for?— is the ending that ukraine ho es for? , , hopes for? president zelensky had a very _ hopes for? president zelensky had a very good _ hopes for? president zelensky had a very good conversation i hopes for? president zelensky | had a very good conversation in september with donald trump and his team directly. recently, they had a phone call and all of ukraine, all of the nation is hoping a victorious 2025 but the peace plan and the victory plan that was suggested by ukraine has a very short but understandable slogan and this is peace through strength. a week ukraine cannot win this

international armed conflict, we have been targeted and we must defend ourselves and of course diplomacy and all other means have to stand out but when they are not working we have to enhance our security and defence sector. we are hoping for a change in politics, hoping to have bipartisan support from overseas from the us and we rely on a stronger europe and we thank the uk for supporting us at all times. for instance in bringing to ukraine the realisation of a long range missiles decision which is not yet been supported by us partners but we will hope for that. i partners but we will hope for that. ~ ., , that. i know there is the question _ that. i know there is the question about - that. i know there is the question about the - that. i know there is the - question about the long-range question about the long—range missiles from the uk, a pending decision over that. the peace plan from president zelensky is different to the peace plan put forward by vladimir putin when he reminded the german chancellor when they spoke within the past week. so when

you have two very different peace plans, is there a negotiation point? would ukraine ever in the social or allow to lose those for areas that london occupies. would they allow crimea to maintain its russian status and the question over nato, are these things that ukrainians would be willing to concede? we things that ukrainians would be willing to concede?— willing to concede? we are aimin: willing to concede? we are aiming for _ willing to concede? we are aiming for nato _ willing to concede? we are i aiming for nato membership willing to concede? we are - aiming for nato membership and eu membership. some regions have the support for this. the road 90% of the population, this is the will of the people, not politicians. the second point. the peace formula which president zelensky suggested in 22 was supported from the beginning of 23 with over 140 countries of the un, it has

been legitimised on every continent geographically. point number three, very short entry point out of all the plans mentioned. what vladimir putin has achieved is sweden and finland entering into nato, and we saw in the talks with the german chancellor, vladimir putin invaded ukraine because he was aspiring to take ukraine but we are a sovereign nation. it has to be a just full choice in peace, nothing less. strong ukraine with a strong victory plan supported by our partners and maximum isolation for vladimir putin as of now. thank ou for vladimir putin as of now. thank you for much — vladimir putin as of now. thank you for much -- _ vladimir putin as of now. thank you for much -- so _ vladimir putin as of now. thank you for much -- so much - vladimir putin as of now. thank you for much -- so much for. you for much —— so much for your thoughts.

michal baranowski is the manager director at the german marshall fund east — and the regional director in poland. he told me more about the attack on ukraine. this was the biggest attack since august. it is a clear escalation by putin against peaceful civilians in kyiv, in 0desa, across ukraine. putin is trying to escalate the war before the new us administration comes, becomes fully operational. but he seems to be defying orders, or defying the conversation that he had with president—elect trump, who asked him not to escalate. again, this is in response to what also perhaps some european leaders hope to be a de—escalatory moment. instead of this

we have attacks for peaceful civilians across ukraine. and we know that the polish government is saying that polish jets have been scrambled. help us to understand what that means, and also, in terms of the geopolitical sense as well, because poland is a nato member, what does it mean that poland had to scramble its jets while that huge missile launch was under way? so russia is attacking ukraine, but here in poland, and i am joining you not far from the russian border with kaliningrad, we don't know whether any of those missiles will cross into poland. there have been instances over the past months that russian cruise missiles flew through poland to attack targets in ukraine. there was another case where a russian missile flew in deep inside poland. so, polish armed forces, airforces, scrambled

to shoot down potential missiles that crossed into ukraine, into poland from ukraine. again, this is escalation that also nato has to respond to, and these are precautionary moves to keep polish citizens safe. lots more information on ukraine on the website. there have been reports of a fresh strike in northern gaza, which has left dozens injured. medics have told the reuters news agency that a multi—storey building in the north of the strip was hit. we'll have the latest from jerusalem later in the programme. the latest attack follows a strike on a school sheltering displaced families in gaza. at least ten people were injured. israel says a hamas command and control centre was embedded inside the building — within the al—shati camp in gaza city. here's joe inwood

with the latest. siren wails. in the chaotic aftermath of the strike, they searched for anyone who might have survived. this was once a un—run school, abu assi, but had been providing shelter for displaced families. israel has told everyone to leave the north of gaza. it is clear tens of thousands have not. local health officials say 30 people were killed across the strip. this man witnessed another airstrike, reportedly on a barber shop in gaza city. translation: i saw people flying. - i brought my horse and carried them here. three people, they were torn to pieces. the missile suddenly fell on a barber shop. that's where we've been living since the start of the war. the israeli defense forces have confirmed they carried out the strike on the school, but said it was being used by hamas as a command and control centre, and that they tried to avoid civilian casualties by using what they call "precise munitions." in tel aviv, there were renewed calls from the families of the israeli hostages

for a deal to be done. i call on you, leaders of the world, president biden and president—elect trump, don't give up on the hostages. two children, their parents and 97 other hostages are waiting to be saved. it's more than 400 days since the friends and families of many of these people were taken. 400 days that have brought nothing but death and misery to the people of gaza. joe inwood, bbc news, jerusalem. here in the uk ,the government has announced it will deliver a one—billion pound boost to buses nationwide to deliver a london—style system, but it could also mean a rise in single fare prices outside of the capital. for more on this, i'm joined by our political correspondent, damian grammaticas

this is a big investment in transport. london has always had a very integrated and reasonably well functioning system compared to other parts of the country. apparently it's putting money into the rest of the country. into bus services. so that they can be improved right across the country. so the transport secretary was on the transport secretary was on the talk shows this morning and she explained how they're going target it.

another issue doing the rounds were social care. this is a huge issue and it has been for a very long time. what you do about elderly people needing care either in their homes or in a care setting, in a proper care home. how that is funded. the past government grappled with this. the current government is grappling with it. the issue there is that they haven't yet decided how to go ahead. there are huge costs involved. some talk about difficulties in deciding. do they go for a

huge royal commission consultation. the liberal democrat leader sir ed davey made a big pitch. he was expressing his view this morning about the way forward. this is what he said. the government _ this is what he said. the government does - this is what he said. the government does need l this is what he said. the government does need to talk cross— government does need to talk cross party with a willing and ready— cross party with a willing and ready to _ cross party with a willing and ready to go with those negotiations. we said that at the general election. i think there — the general election. i think there are _ the general election. i think there are things they need to do straightaway that are actually obvious. louise haigh 'ust actually obvious. louise haigh just to — actually obvious. louise haigh just to then was talking about part of— just to then was talking about part of them, which is sorting out vacancies because whatever the long — out vacancies because whatever the long term solution is, we are going _ the long term solution is, we are going to need more carers. ithink— are going to need more carers. i think they— are going to need more carers. i think they need to be more ambitious about that. we talked ahout— ambitious about that. we talked about a — ambitious about that. we talked about a wage for carers. we need — about a wage for carers. we need to— about a wage for carers. we need to professionalise this, give — need to professionalise this, give it— need to professionalise this, give it a _ need to professionalise this, give it a real status, because it is— give it a real status, because it is so— give it a real status, because it is so critical. there are things— it is so critical. there are things i_ it is so critical. there are things i need to do right up front— things i need to do right up front now. but let's get round the table _ front now. but let's get round the table and let all parties come — the table and let all parties come and talk.— the table and let all parties come and talk. ~ ., ., ~ ., come and talk. would it make a difference _ come and talk. would it make a difference whether _ come and talk. would it make a difference whether it _ come and talk. would it make a difference whether it did - come and talk. would it make a difference whether it did have l difference whether it did have the badge of being a royal commission or whether it was an independent review? have you

had a call yet from westminster sa