Vladimir Putin appears willing to sacrifice a further 800,000 Russian lives in his determined campaign to capture Ukraine's Donbas region, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Ukrainian president indicated the Kremlin leader demonstrates minimal interest in peace talks, despite continuing US-brokered negotiations occurring in Abu Dhabi. "Russia wants us to leave Donbas. Why? Because when they started this war, they didn't get a single victory," Zelensky told French television.

"We understand well the price the Russian army is paying for every metre of Ukrainian land."

Moscow has already allegedly suffered 1.2 million casualties - both fatalities and injuries - since Putin initiated the invasion, which will enter its fifth year this month. Combined with the prediction of 800,000 further casulaties this would make the number of Russian soldiers lost from the frontline to an incredible 2 million.

Zelensky indicated Putin holds reservations about Donald Trump, potentially providing the incoming president with leverage to compel Russia into negotiations.

This follows Putin receiving a setback after a mysterious Moscow blaze consumed his propaganda headquarters and prompted a large-scale evacuation.

Nevertheless, Putin doesn't even "count those who die. Conquering eastern Ukraine will cost them another 800,000 corpses, the corpses of their soldiers. They will need at least two years, with their very slow advance. I don't think they'll last that long."

The Ukrainian president has confirmed that his country has suffered 55,000 military casualties in the conflict - a total which does not include those listed as missing. His remarks emerged as Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Putin confidant and former Russian leader who now holds the position of deputy chairman of the security council, delivered a chilling warning regarding an impending "nuclear winter."

Medvedev posted an image from the hit drama Game of Thrones featuring the words 'Winter is Coming'. His foreboding statement came as the New START Treaty lapsed with no indication of being extended.

"That's it," Medvedev announced. "For the first time since 1972, Russia (the former USSR) and the US have no treaty limiting strategic nuclear forces. SALT 1, SALT 2, START 1, START II, SORT, New START - all in the past."

Russian authorities have initiated a criminal probe into a catastrophic explosion involving a fuel tanker on a train in the Tambov region, which created a mushroom-shaped fireball. The massive detonation has disrupted a vital supply route to Putin's front lines following a derailment.

The reason behind the spectacular blast, which propelled flames more than 1,000ft skyward, is still unclear, though sabotage linked to the Ukraine war is being considered. The incident took place at Kochetovka-2 station along the Moscow-Voronezh-Rostov line, a critical corridor for moving substantial volumes of fuel, munitions, hardware, and bulk provisions.

Around 30 rail wagons were reportedly damaged during the incident. Two elderly women, aged 79 and 89, sustained injuries in Kyiv as a result of Putin's drones targeting civilians.

Administrative and residential buildings in the Dnipropetrovsk region suffered damage following a Russian missile and drone assault. Railway infrastructure in Ukraine's Sumy region came under attack from Russian drones.

Ukraine conducted overnight strikes on Russia's Rostov and Belgorod regions.