Ukraine war: Kyiv responds to reports it could build nuclear bomb to use on Russia

Footage has surfaced of Donald Trump’s appointee for director of national intelligence calling for Ukraine to accept neutrality as Russian forces marched through the country.

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Hawaii congresswoman, was nominated for the role yesterday. If approved by Congress, she would be in charge of an office created in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks and tasked with leading and synthesizing intelligence collected from around the world.

But Ms Gabbard has come under criticism before for peddling Russian conspiracy theories, including falsely claiming that the US has funded “biolabs” in Ukraine.

And in the footage below, posted just three days after the Russian invasion, she can be seen calling for Ukraine to be declared a neutral state away from both the West and Russia, as well as urging everyone to say “aloha” to one another.

Ukrainian neutrality has been a key aim of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine‘s military said on Thursday its troops were in full control of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk and that their forces had stopped a Russian advance towards the rail hub.

A Russian-installed official said earlier that Russian forces had gained a foothold on the outskirts of the city.

The Independent cannot verify either claim.

Below you can find a link to updated maps showing the frontline in Ukraine.

Russia made confirmed advances in eastern Ukraine, including int the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.

Donald Trump’s recently-nominated national security advisor has confirmed that the incoming US president wants to bring an end to the war in Ukraine and bring both Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.

Russia’s defence ministry has claimed that its forces have captured another Ukrainian village north of Kurakhove in the eastern Donetsk region.

The Kremlin MoD said troops had captured the village of Voznesenka, as reported by Russian state news agency RIA.

Ukrainian war tracker DeepState, known to have close ties to the Ukrainian defence ministry, suggests the town remains in the grey zone, which means it is not controlled by either military.

But they reported this morning that the town of Illinka, directly above Kurakhove, had been taken.

Russian forces have made swift gains in that region, south of their main objective of the city of Pokrovsk and north of the smaller city of Kurakhove.