James Cleverly has announced a package of “hands-on” support to help Ukraine through the winter while on a visit to the war-torn nation.

Mr Cleverly announced the practical support as Ukraine’s power grid and other critical infrastructure has been pounded by Russian strikes, causing blackouts and leaving millions without heat, power or water as temperatures plummet.

British foreign minister James Cleverly will pledge millions of pounds in further support for Kyiv during a visit to Ukraine to ensure the country has the practical help it needs through the winter, his office said.

Cleverly, who is set to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba on the trip, also condemned Russia for its “brutal attacks” on civilians, hospitals and energy infrastructure.

A statement from his office issued early on Friday said Cleverly had travelled to Ukraine, which this week suffered the most devastating Russian air strikes on its energy infrastructure so far in the months-long war.

“The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine,” said Cleverly, as he set out 3 million pounds to help rebuild vital infrastructure and committed another 5 million for a Ukraine-led initiative to ship grain to countries at risk of famine.

“I’ve seen here first-hand how the UK’s efforts are helping brave citizens to resist and rebuild. Our support will continue for as long as it takes for this remarkable country to recover,” he added.

Cleverly’s trip to the European country comes just days after new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made his first visit to Kyiv during which he vowed to continue the firm support for Ukraine that Britain provided under his predecessors.

The air defence system has been triggered in the town of Armiansk in Russia-annexed Crimea peninsula, TASS news agency quoted a local mayor as saying on Friday.

An increasing number of reservists’ families are prepared to risk arrest by protesting against the conditions their relatives are serving under, the UK defence ministry has said.

It comes as the ministry reported that “mobilised reservists have highly likely experienced particularly heavy casualties after being committed to dig ambitious trench systems while under artillery fire around the Luhansk Oblast town of Svatove”.

The defence intelligence added that the eligibility of Russian reservists has often been questionable, and the training and equipment they are given is “inadequate”.

Vladimir Putin will meet the mothers of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine in time for the country’s celebration of Mother’s Day this weekend.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

More than 15,000 people have gone missing since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

The figures were provided by an official at the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), reported Reuters.

The actual figure of those who are missing might be considerably higher.

Matthew Holliday, ICMP’s programme director for Europe, said it was unclear how many people were held in detention, had been forcibly transferred, were separated from their family members, or had died.

Over two weeks after Ukrainian forces recaptured Kherson, the city came under its heaviest bombardment yesterday.

Hospitals without power and water are also contending with the gruesome after-effects of intensifying Russian strikes, reported Associated Press.

Russian strikes have hit residential and commercial buildings on Thursday, setting some ablaze, blowing ash skyward and shattering glass across streets.

Ukraine’s general staff said that Russian forces fired 67 cruise missiles and 10 drones during Wednesday’s “massive attack on residential buildings and energy infrastructure” in Kyiv and several other regions in Ukraine.

Russia’s “special military operation” has now been raging for nine months, the conflict continuing to record devastating casualties and force the mass displacement of millions of Ukrainians.

Thomas Kingsley, Joe Sommerlad explain the ongoing crisis and how it might unfold:

Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska has said that Ukraine will endure the winter despite the cold and the blackouts caused by Russian missiles.

In an interview with BBC, Ms Zelenska said: “We are ready to endure this.”

“We’ve had so many terrible challenges, seen so many victims, so much destruction, that blackouts are not the worst thing to happen to us.”

She added: “We all understand that without victory, there will be no peace. It would be a false peace and wouldn’t last long.”

Russia has acknowledged that it targeted Ukraine’s energy facilities but denied that they were aimed at civilians.

Defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said they were linked to Ukraine’s military command and control system and that the aim was to disrupt flows of Ukrainian troops, weapons and ammunition to front lines.

“We are conducting strikes against infrastructure in response to the unbridled flow of weapons to Ukraine and the reckless appeals of Kyiv to defeat Russia,” said Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia.

Authorities for Kyiv and the wider Kyiv region reported a total of seven people killed and dozens of wounded.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also sought to shift blame for civilian hardship.

“Ukraine’s leadership has every opportunity to bring the situation back to normal, has every opportunity to resolve the situation in such a way as to meet the demands of the Russian side and, accordingly, end all possible suffering of the civilian population,” he said.