Ukraine war news – live: Zelensky asks to meet Xi Jinping to discuss China peace plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he plans to meet Xi Jinping to discuss Beijing’s proposed peace plan to end the war. “I am planning to meet with Xi Jinping,” he told reporters on the occasion of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

He said: “I really want to believe that China will not supply weapons to Russia. This will be important for world security.”

Mr Zelensky added: “China has shown its thoughts. I believe that the fact that China started talking about Ukraine is not bad.”

Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden dismissed China’s peace plan yesterday and added that there is “nothing in the plan that would indicate that there is something that would be beneficial to anyone other than Russia”.

In an interview with ABC News, Mr Biden said: “If Putin is applauding it, so how could it be any good? I’m not being facetious. I’m being deadly earnest.”

Earlier, Poland delivered four Leopard tanks to Ukraine and was prepared to deliver more quickly, Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said yesterday, as Western nations increase their support to Kyiv a year after Russia invaded the country.

Key Points

• Zelensky wants to meet Xi Jinping following China’s peace plan

• G7 vows to impose new 'coordinated economic actions’ against Russia

• Zelensky says Ukrainians ‘invincible’ as he pushes for victory on war anniversary

• Poland has delivered tanks to Ukraine

• Putin will face trial for war crimes, says US envoy

• US says Iran ‘expanding’ support for Russia’s war on Ukraine

Zelensky wants to meet Xi Jinping following China’s peace plan

04:56 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he plans to meet Xi Jinping to discuss Beijing’s proposed peace plan to end the war.

“I am planning to meet with Xi Jinping,” he told reporters on the occasion of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

He said: “I really want to believe that China will not supply weapons to Russia. This will be important for world security.”

China offered a 12-point peace proposal to end the fighting in Ukraine one year into Russia‘s war.

Meanwhile, Russia has hailed China’s peace plan and said “we share Beijing’s views”.

With its release, President Xi Jinping’s government is reiterating China’s claim about being neutral, despite blocking efforts at the United Nations to condemn the invasion.

‘Even if war stops, you cannot retrieve your dead children’

07:23 , Eleanor Noyce

A portable cabin barely bigger than the bunk bed in it is all that Maria Vasilenko, 78, has left, a year after Russian soldiers marched into her town and destroyed her life.

Most of her family were blown up in a Russian airstrike in March which levelled her home in Borodyanka.

Before the war, the sleepy river-side town of 13,000 people had been an anonymous suburb west of Kyiv. But after Russian forces rolled into Ukraine, it became a frontline area and then was occupied for several weeks.

On 1 March – just a few days into President Vladimir Putin’s invasion – Maria had taken shelter in the building’s basement. Her daughter Alona, 41, a medic, remained above ground with her husband and other family members to tend to the wounded. The decision turned out to be a fatal mistake.

Bel Trew reports:

‘Even if war stops, you cannot retrieve your dead children’

Latvian minister lashes out at Russian delegates at a security meeting

07:01 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A Latvian minister, Rihards Kols called Russia’s inclusion at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meeting a “disgrace”.

His remarks were met with applause from other delegates.

At the meeting held in Vienna by OSCE, the Latvian delegate proposed that the Russian delegates should be barred from speaking.

“We [say] right now that we stand up to our principles and values and statutes. We don’t. There’s an elephant in the room called Russian Federation delegation. I mean, if I were a witness and someone asked me who is a war criminal, well I would point to the back benches in this room.”

He continued: “It’s just disgrace. It’s a disgrace that this delegation is here, particularly the delegation that consists of members who are sanctioned individuals, who voted to annex independent country’s territories – Donbas, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk.”

Blinken credits India and China for preventing Russia from using nuclear weapons on Ukraine

06:28 , Maroosha Muzaffar

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said that Vladimir Putin might have used nuclear weapons on Ukraine already if not for India and China’s “influence”.

In an interview with The Atlantic, Mr Blinken said India and China had “a little bit more influence with Russia these days” in opposing the use of nuclear weapons.

He said “we know that they [India and Cjina] conveyed those messages. And I think that had some effect. It’s something we always have to look at, but again, the track record to date suggests that the escalation that some feared has, at least to now, not happened.”

He added: “Putin might react more, even more irrationally, and there was language coming out of Moscow that suggested that he would look to the use of tactical nuclear weapons. It was a concern.

“We urged, and I think successfully, other countries that might have a little bit more influence with Russia these days, like China, but also other countries like India, to engage him [Vladimir Putin] directly about their absolute opposition to any use of nuclear weapons. And we know that they conveyed those messages, and I think that had some effect,” he added.

Russian troops carry 27 airstrikes and fire 75 rounds from rocket launchers on first anniversary of invasion

06:10 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russian troops carried out 27 airstrikes and fired 75 rounds from rocket launchers, targeting communities across Ukraine yesterday, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Ukrainian forces fought 70 Russian attacks on the day of the first-year anniversary, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces was quoted as saying.

According to the General Staff, Russian forces concentrated their efforts near Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Shakhtarsk.

Over 80 per cent of homes in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, have reportedly been destroyed, the General Staff added.

Zelensky hails ‘invincible’ Ukraine as world marks one year since Russian invasion

05:55 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Volodymyr Zelensky promised victory for Ukraine as he and his allies around the world on Friday marked the grim milestone of one year since the Russian invasion.

On a day of commemorations and defiance, Ukraine’s president said his people had proven “invincible” despite “a year of pain”.

And after receiving the first Leopard 2 tanks pledged by allies, he hinted that F-16 fighter jets might finally also be on the way, with other nations following Britain in offering to train Ukrainian pilots.

“If our partners respect all their promises and deadlines, victory inevitably awaits us,” he said.

Kim Sengupta has the full story:

Ukraine is ‘invincible’ says Zelensky as world marks one year since Russian invasion

ICYMI: What is China’s peace proposal on how to end Ukraine war?

05:43 , Maroosha Muzaffar

China has offered a 12-point peace proposal to end the fighting in Ukraine one year into Russia‘s war.

The proposal follows China’s recent announcement that it is trying to act as a mediator in the war that has re-energised Western alliances viewed by Beijing and Moscow as rivals. China’s top diplomat indicated that the plan was coming at a security conference this week in Munich, Germany.

With its release, President Xi Jinping’s government is reiterating China’s claim about being neutral, despite blocking efforts at the United Nations to condemn the invasion.

The document echoes Russian complaints that Western governments are to blame for the 24 February 2022 invasion and criticises sanctions on Russia.

Matt Mathers explains:

What is China’s peace proposal on how to end Ukraine war?

G20 leaders ‘fail to reach consensus on Russia-Ukraine war’

05:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

G20 heads are unable to reach a consensus on describing the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported today.

Quoting sources, the news agency said it is likely that the leaders will end the meeting in India today without a joint communique.

India, the G20 host, is also pressing that the joint communique avoids using the word “war”, officials told Reuters.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said there was no way the group could step back from a joint statement agreed at a G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, last November, which said “most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine” but also acknowledged some countries saw the conflict differently.

“Either we have the same language or we do not sign on the final communique,” Mr Le Maire told reporters yesterday.

ICYMI: The before and after images that show the true extent of the devastation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

05:23 , Maroosha Muzaffar

These before and after pictures show the devastation on cities that have been shelled and bombed as part of the Russian offensive.

The before and after images that show the devastation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Biden dismisses China’s peace plan to end war

04:41 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Joe Biden dismissed China’s peace plan yesterday and added that there is “nothing in the plan that would indicate that there is something that would be beneficial to anyone other than Russia”.

In an interview with ABC News, US President Joe Biden said: “If Putin is applauding it, so how could it be any good? I’m not being facetious. I’m being deadly earnest.”

He continued: “I’ve seen nothing in the plan that would indicate that there is something that would be beneficial to anyone other than Russia if the Chinese plan were followed.”

“The idea that China is going to be negotiating the outcome of a war that is a totally unjust war for Ukraine is just not rational,” Mr Biden added.

Voices: China wants it to be Xi Jinping’s peace plan for Ukraine – or no peace at all

04:31 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The world is much less familiar with the image of Xi as peace-broker – yet that is the one Beijing is trying to project this week as the war in Ukraine marks its one-year anniversary, Adam Withnall writes:

Opinion: China wants Xi Jinping’s peace plan for Ukraine – or no peace at all

Biden rules out giving Ukraine advanced fighter jets ‘for now'

04:06 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Joe Biden has ruled out giving Ukraine advanced fighter jets “for now”.

In an interview with ABC News, the US president was asked whether Volodymyr Zelensky needs F-16 fighter jets. Mr Biden responded by saying, “he doesn’t need F-16s now.”

He added that there is “no basis upon which there is a rationale, according to our military now, to provide F-16s”.

“Look, we’re sending him what our seasoned military thinks he needs now,” Mr Biden said. “He needs tanks, he needs artillery, he needs air defence, including another HIMAR(s).”

He added that the US is sending Kyiv what is necessary for Ukraine “to be able to make gains this spring and this summer going into the fall”.

Mr Zelensky has repeatedly asked Western allies to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.

US says Iran ‘expanding’ support for Russia’s war on Ukraine

03:51 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Iran’s backing of Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine is expanding to include “unprecedented defence cooperation” that will see the Islamic Republic purchase advanced weaponry from Moscow in exchange for providing Russian forces with equipment meant for use on Ukrainian territory, the White House has said.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby on Friday said the “unprecedented” cooperation Moscow is offering includes the provision of “missiles, electronics and air defence” equipment to Tehran, which in turn has been providing Russian forces with Iranian-made kamikaze drones, as well as artillery and tank rounds compatible with Russian-made weapons systems.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

US says Iran ‘expanding’ support for Russia’s war on Ukraine

G7 vows to impose new 'coordinated economic actions’ against Russia

03:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The leaders of the Group of Seven economies pledged yesterday to levy further sanctions on Russia, according to a joint statement.

The online summit on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of its neighbour was presided over by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The joint statement said: “We condemn Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war. We commit to intensifying our diplomatic, financial and military support for Ukraine” and to “increasing the costs to Russia”.

“Russia started this war and Russia can end this war. We call on Russia to stop its ongoing aggression and to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from the entire internationally recognised territory of Ukraine,” the G7 said.

The statement added that the G7 will impose “new coordinated economic actions” against Russia “in the days and weeks ahead”.

The before and after images that show the true extent of the devastation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

03:37 , Maroosha Muzaffar

These before and after pictures show the devastation in cities that have been shelled and bombed as part of the Russian offensive:

The before and after images that show the devastation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Zelensky hails ‘invincible’ Ukraine as world marks one year since Russian invasion

03:29 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Volodymyr Zelensky promised victory for Ukraine as he and his allies around the world on Friday marked the grim milestone of one year since the Russian invasion.

On a day of commemorations and defiance, Ukraine’s president said his people had proven “invincible” despite “a year of pain”.

And after receiving the first Leopard 2 tanks pledged by allies, he hinted that F-16 fighter jets might finally also be on the way, with other nations following Britain in offering to train Ukrainian pilots.

“If our partners respect all their promises and deadlines, victory inevitably awaits us,” he said.

Kim Sengupta reports:

Ukraine is ‘invincible’ says Zelensky as world marks one year since Russian invasion

The forgotten Black students caught up in Ukraine conflict

Friday 24 February 2023 22:30 , Martha Mchardy

Thousands of African students who fled Ukraine have been “frozen out” of receiving aid for those driven out by Russian attacks, The Independent has been told.

Before the conflict, around 76,000 international students, mostly from Nigeria and Morocco, Ghana, Zimbabwe and India, were based there.

But after grappling with racism at Ukraine’s borders while trying to flee, a large number of students are displaced in countries, including Turkey, Italy, Kenya, Romania and Belgium, unsure of their next move.

Many are unable to complete their studies, battling with the mental and emotional distress of having escaped Putin’s onslaught, some are facing poverty, while others have even taken their own lives, The Independent has learned.

Nadine White reports:

‘Forgotten’: the Black, international students caught up in Ukraine conflict

Russia, Ukraine face off at UN with rival tributes to dead

Friday 24 February 2023 22:00 , Martha Mchardy

Russia and Ukraine faced off at the U.N. Security Council on Friday on the first anniversary of their war, with their confrontation even extending to dueling moments of silence for the dead.

The showdown began before the session formally began, with Russia’s ambassador demanding to know why Ukraine sat at the top of the speakers list. Most dramatically, in the middle of the meeting, the two countries even tussled over tributes to the victims of the war.

Edith M. Lederer reports:

Russia, Ukraine face off at UN with rival tributes to dead

Zelensky hails ‘invincible’ Ukraine as world marks one year since Russian invasion

Friday 24 February 2023 21:31 , Martha Mchardy

Volodymyr Zelensky promised victory for Ukraine on Friday as he and allies around the world marked the grim milestone of one year since the Russian invasion.

On a day of commemorations and defiance, Ukraine’s president said his people had proven “invincible” despite “a year of pain, sorrow, faith and unity.”

And after receiving the first Leopard 2 tanks pledged by allies, he hinted that F-16 fighter jets might finally also be on the way, with other nations following Britain in offering to train Ukrainian pilots.

Kim Sengupta reports:

Ukraine is ‘invincible’ says Zelensky as world marks one year since Russian invasion

Teenage pianist who fled Ukraine performs in Liverpool to mark anniversary of conflict

Friday 24 February 2023 21:30 , Martha Mchardy

A teenage pianist who fled Ukraine at the beginning of the invasion has performed in Liverpool to mark the anniversary of the war.

This footage shows 13-year-old Alisa Bushuieva playing a piano inside Liverpool ONE shopping centre.

She left Kharkiv last February, along with her mother, after the city was bombed by Putin’s troops.

The musician has also lifted the spirits of those in refugee camps in Ukraine and Poland by performing songs for them.

What fighter jets has Zelensky asked for and what might he get?

Friday 24 February 2023 21:00 , Martha Mchardy

The warplanes the Ukrainians are most likely to get are American F-16s. This would make sense in terms of operational support and maintenance, and they are the type of plane the Ukrainians need, just as German Leopard 2s are the logical tanks for their army.

Kim Sengupta explains:

What fighter jets has Volodymyr Zelensky asked for and what might he get?

I’ve spent 20 years covering conflict, but nothing prepared me for Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 20:30 , Martha Mchardy

I’ve spent 20 years covering conflict, from Iraq to Syria – but nothing prepared me for the horrors of Ukraine, writes Kim Sengupta.

Read more here:

I’ve spent 20 years covering war – but nothing prepared me for Ukraine | Kim Sengupta

PM and G7 leaders pledge ‘unwavering’ support as Ukraine invasion marked

Friday 24 February 2023 20:21 , Martha Mchardy

Rishi Sunak and other world leaders have pledged to stand with Ukraine for as long as needed, after a year of war that has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions more displaced.

Earlier, the Prime Minister led the UK in a minute’s silence to mark the one-year anniversary of the war, as the world reflected on the conflict initiated by Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion last February.

A call on Friday afternoon saw Mr Sunak join fellow leaders, including US President Joe Biden, to discuss the war effort and how best to support Ukraine going forward.

In a joint statement, G7 leaders committed to intensifying “diplomatic, financial and military support for Ukraine” as well as “increasing the costs to Russia and those supporting its war effort”.

They also pledged that “solidarity will never waver in standing with Ukraine, in supporting countries and people in need, and in upholding the international order based on the rule of law”.

According to a Downing Street readout, Mr Sunak urged allies to “support Ukraine with long-term military and security assurances to send a strong message to President Putin that the global support was enduring”.

Outside No 10 on Friday morning, the Prime Minister had been joined by his wife Akshata Murthy, Kyiv’s ambassador to Britain Vadym Prystaiko and dozens of Ukrainian troops being trained by the UK for the national pause on Friday morning.

The King also issued a message praising the “remarkable courage and resilience” of the Ukrainian people.

Leading UK political figures mark anniversary of Ukraine invasion

Friday 24 February 2023 20:00 , Martha Mchardy

UK political leaders have marked a year of Ukraine’s extraordinary resistance to Russia’s all-out assault, which has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions more displaced.

On Friday, Rishi Sunak was joined outside 10 Downing Street by wife Akshata Murthy, Kyiv’s ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, and dozens of Ukrainian troops, for a minute’s silence.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also observed the pause from Cardiff, while Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, lit candles at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, alongside former prime minister Boris Johnson.

Oliver Browning reports:

Leading UK political figures mark anniversary of Ukraine invasion

Canada to send more Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 19:58 , Martha Mchardy

Canada is imposing fresh Russia-related sanctions and sending four more Leopard 2 Tanks to Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, marking the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday.

The new sanctions would target 129 individuals and 63 entities including Russian deputy prime ministers and other officials, Trudeau told reporters in Toronto.

The US will continue to provide humanitarian relief to people fleeing Russia-Ukraine war, says Secretary of Homeland Security

Friday 24 February 2023 19:48 , Martha Mchardy

The US will continue to provide humanitarian relief to people fleeing the Russia-Ukraine war, the US Secretary of Homeland Security has said.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said: “The Department of Homeland Security remains committed to supporting the Ukrainian people and to honoring the United States’ commitment to provide humanitarian relief to those who are fleeing Russia’s unprovoked war.

“From deterring cyberattacks to welcoming more than 270,000 Ukrainians to the United States, including more than 115,000 who have arrived through our Uniting for Ukraine program, DHS is proud to support Ukraine and its people. We will continue to do so in close collaboration with our international partners.”

UK army camp holds service to mark anniversary of war in Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 19:15 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian troops on Friday took part in a service at an army camp in the southeast of England to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

Padre John Power of the Royal Lancers led the sunrise service in the morning, which included “Reveille” sounded by a bugler and a rousing rendition of Ukraine’s national anthem.

The event finished with the Lord’s Prayer in English and Ukrainian and a chant of “Slava Ukraini” - meaning “glory to Ukraine”.

Ukraine war could end now if more weapons were sent, experts suggest

Friday 24 February 2023 19:00 , Martha Mchardy

To mark a year since Ukraine was invaded by Russia The Independent brought together a panel of experts on the eve of the anniversary to discuss what has happened since and what is likley to happen next.

News editor Steph Cockroft hosted the virtal event and was joined by Russia expert and columnist for The Independent Mary Dejevsky, The Independent’s international correspondent Bel Trew, live from Ukraine, and Tim White a journalist who has been reporting from the war torn country for much of the past 12 months and updating his thousands of followers on Twitter regularly from the ground.

Find out more here:

Ukraine war could end now if more weapons were sent, experts suggest

Zelensky marks anniversary of invasion by presenting medals to Ukrainian fighters

Friday 24 February 2023 18:59 , Martha Mchardy

Volodymyr Zelensky marked the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion by awarding state medals to the fighters who are taking part in the war.

The president of Ukraine handed medals to a number of people, including one solider walking on crutches.

“We will never rest until the Russian murderers face deserved punishment,” Mr Zelensky said, as he made a televised address early on Friday.

He also vowed to push for victory in 2023 for his country.

“We had not been defeated. And we will do everything to win this year,” he said.

EU war anniversary sanctions against Russia stalled

Friday 24 February 2023 18:49 , Martha Mchardy

European Union countries were unable for a third day running on Friday to agree on new sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine a year ago, with Poland rejecting Italy’s demand for laxer new curbs on rubber imports, diplomats said.

Poland said the proposed restrictions on EU imports of Russia rubber included such a big quota of imports exempted and such long transition periods that they would have no effect in practice.

Other EU countries were baffled that Warsaw - a leading Russia hawk in the bloc - was risking having no new sanctions announced on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s attack against Ukraine over just one element of a broader package.

“This is very bad optics. What was supposed to be key here is a message of solidarity with Ukraine on this special day,” said one diplomat involved in the confidential negotiations between the 27 EU countries in the bloc’s hub Brussels.

All 27 member states need to approve sanctions for them to be enacted.

The EU has said what would be its 10th round of sanctions against Russia since the war started was designed to make financing the war more difficult and starve Russia of tech equipment and spare parts for arms used against Ukraine.

It would blacklist more individuals including what the West says are Russian propagandists, those Kyiv holds responsible for deporting Ukrainian children to Russia and those involved in the production of Iranian drones deployed on the frontline.

It would cut more banks including the private Alfa-Bank and the online bank Tinkoff off from the global system SWIFT and cut trade between the EU and Russia by more than 10 billion euros, according to the bloc’s executive.

The before and after images that show the true extent of the devastation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 18:40 , Martha Mchardy

Before and after images show the true extent of the devastation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

William Mata reports:

The before and after images that show the devastation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Russian MP who hung noodles on ears during Putin’s speech faces punishment

Friday 24 February 2023 18:30 , Martha Mchardy

A Russian MP who hung noodles from his ears during President Putin’s State of the Nation speech is to face punishment, the party has confirmed.

Russia’s Communist Party has pledged to punish Mikhail Abdalkin, deputy of the Samara Duma, for seemingly mocking Mr Putin during his address on Tuesday.

The idiom “to hang noodles on someone’s ears” dictates that someone is lying, with the phrase “don’t hang noodles on my ears!” meaning “don’t fool me” or “don’t lie to me.”

Eleanor Noyce reports:

Russian MP who hung noodles on ears during Putin’s speech faces punishment

U.S. targets Russia with sanctions on anniversary of invasion

Friday 24 February 2023 18:12 , Martha Mchardy

The United States marked the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday with $2 billion in weaponry for Kyiv and new sanctions against Russia aimed at undermining Moscow’s ability to wage war.

U.S. president Joe Biden’s administration unveiled the sanctions as the Group of 7 bloc of wealthy nations and Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelenskiy met for over an hour to discuss more aid.

Among the steps were placing visa restrictions on Russian military members, freezing assets of allies of President Vladimir Putin, effectively banning aluminum imports from Russia, curbing Russian banking and arms-making activity and putting the country’s second largest mobile phone company Megafon on a trade blacklist.

Additional measures could be imposed at a later date, U.S. officials said.

The administration also sent a message to China and other countries that they should not try to help Russia evade sanctions.

“We will sanction additional actors tied to Russia’s defense and technology industry, including those responsible for backfilling Russian stocks of sanctioned items or enabling Russian sanctions evasion,” the White House said.

The United States suspects Iran, itself under U.S. sanctions, may provide Russia with fighter jets, John Kirby, a White House spokesperson, told reporters. He did not provide evidence.

“We’ve been very clear from the outset with China and with other countries that providing material support to Russia in evasion of sanctions would provoke very serious consequences,” U.S. treasury secretary Janet Yellen said on MSNBC.

The aid to Ukraine fell short of providing the F-16 fighter jets that Kyiv has requested and some U.S. officials are raising doubts about the ability of such measures to slow the increasing hostilities on the battlefield ahead of an anticipated springtime offensive.

There was no immediate response from Moscow, which called its invasion of Ukraine a “special military operation” and has imposed its own sanctions on some Western nations while accusing Washington and others of leading a global campaign to destroy Russia.

US says Iran ‘expanding’ support for Russia’s war on Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 18:02 , Martha Mchardy

Iran’s backing of Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine is expanding to include “unprecedented defence cooperation” that will see the Islamic Republic purchase advanced weaponry from Moscow in exchange for providing Russian forces with equipment meant for use on Ukrainian territory, the White House has said.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby on Friday said the “unprecedented” cooperation Moscow is offering includes provision of “missiles, electronics and air defence” equipment to Tehran, which in turn has been providing Russian forces with Iranian-made kamikaze drones, as well as artillery and tank rounds compatible with Russian-made weapons systems.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

US says Iran ‘expanding’ support for Russia’s war on Ukraine

Zelensky on Russia

Friday 24 February 2023 17:51 , Chris Stevenson

Asked at a press conference what are the chances of him negotiating with Putin to try and bring an end to the war, President Zelensky said he had something to say to Moscow: “Respect our right to live on our land, get out of our territory, stop bombing us, stop killing civilians... stop the bombardments.”

US Secretary of Defense reiterates ‘unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine'

Friday 24 February 2023 17:37 , Martha Mchardy

The US has reiterated its “unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine”, the Pentagon has said.

Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Ryder said: “Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Ukrainian Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov today to reiterate the unwavering U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine.

“As Russia’s unprovoked and indefensible full-scale invasion reaches the one-year mark, Secretary Austin praised Ukraine’s courage and sacrifice that has inspired and rallied the international community to support its efforts to push back against Russian aggression.

“During the call, Secretary Austin also provided an update on U.S. security assistance efforts, including the $2 billion security assistance package announced today. Minister Reznikov provided an update of developments on the ground in Ukraine.

“The two leaders pledged to remain in close contact.”

Zelensky delivers message to Putin on first anniversary of Russian invasion

Friday 24 February 2023 17:27 , Martha Mchardy

President Zelensky has delivered a message to Putin on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.

The Ukrainian president marked the anniversary by hailing his nation for fighting back against Russian troops during “a year of pain, sorrow, faith and unity”.

In a video address, Zelensky said: “We have endured. We were not defeated. And we will do everything to gain victory this year.

“Ukraine has inspired the world. Ukraine has united the world... We will never rest until the Russian murderers face deserved punishment.”

It comes as former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev today vowed that Russia would win the war.

Zelensky gives strong response when asked what it would take for him to negotiate with Russia

Friday 24 February 2023 16:40 , William Mata

Live: Ukrainians march in Athens to mark one year of Russia's invasion

Friday 24 February 2023 16:39 , William Mata

Flash quotes: Zelensky and Scholz

Friday 24 February 2023 16:38 , William Mata

- Asked about comment attributed to US General Milley that Ukraine won't be able to drive Russia out of entire occupied territory, Zelensky said he didn't hear this at meeting with Milley. - German chancellor Scholz, meanwhile, has said he will make a view on the Ukraine war once again clear to India's premier Modi during his visit.

Russia welcomes China peace plan, says it is open to talks

Friday 24 February 2023 16:30 , William Mata

Russia said on Friday that it appreciated China's plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and said it was open to achieving the goals of what it calls its "special military operation" through political and diplomatic means.

"We appreciate the sincere desire of our Chinese friends to contribute to resolving the conflict in Ukraine by peaceful means," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, adding however that this would also mean recognising "new territorital realities" in Ukraine.

China called for a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine on Friday as part of a 12-point plan for dealing with the war. Kyiv has rejected the proposal unless it involves Russia withdrawing its troops to its 1991 borders - when the Soviet Union was dissolved - but has also said it is open to parts of the plan.

Update: Support for China proposals

Friday 24 February 2023 16:29 , William Mata

The president of Ukraine has given qualified support for China's new pronouncements about the war in his country, saying Beijing's interest is "not bad".

"China has shown its thoughts. I believe that the fact that China started talking about Ukraine is not bad," President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a news conference on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.

"But the question is what follows the words. The question is in the steps and where they will lead to."

China called for a ceasefire and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in a vaguely worded proposal released on Friday that analysts said was unlikely to deliver results.

Mr Zelensky said there were points in the Chinese proposals that he agreed with "and there are those that we don't".

"But it's something," he added

Dozens detained by Russian police on Ukraine war anniversary - rights centre

Friday 24 February 2023 16:19 , William Mata

Dozens of people were detained by police in Russia on Friday for actions to commemorate the first anniversary of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, in some cases just for placing flowers, a human rights group said on Friday.

Russian authorities have remained largely silent during the anniversary, which Ukraine has observed with a ceremony to remember soldiers and civilians who have been killed.

In Moscow, at least three people laying flowers on a monument to prominent Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka were quickly detained by police officers, rights centre OVD-Info said.

Ukraine is open to parts of China ceasefire proposal - Zelensky

Friday 24 February 2023 16:17 , William Mata

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday he was open to considering parts of China's 12-point ceasefire plan to end Russia's war on his country.

He made the comments during a news conference marking the one-year anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion.

Blinken to UN Security Council: Don't be fooled by calls for unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 15:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The UN Security Council should not be fooled by calls for a temporary or unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine and should not fall into the false equivalency of calling on both sides to stop fighting, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the council on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on Friday.

Russia will use any pause in fighting to consolidate control of territory and replenish its forces, Blinken said after China called for a ceasefire as part of a position paper on the war.

“No member of this council should call for peace while supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine and on the UN Charter,” Blinken said.

France, Germany and Poland to continue supporting Ukraine-statement

Friday 24 February 2023 15:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

France, Germany and Poland reaffirm their commitment to coordinate efforts to meet Ukraine‘s pressing military and defence equipment needs, the countries’ leaders said in a joint statement published on Friday.

“France, Poland and Germany are fully supporting Ukraine in exercising its right to defend itself against Russia‘s invasion, including by providing military and defence assistance, and will do so for as long as it takes,” the German chancellor, French president and Polish president said.

If all Ukraine’s partners do their homework, victory is inevitable- Zelensky

Friday 24 February 2023 15:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a news conference on Friday that victory over Russia was “inevitable” if all Ukraine‘s partners did their “homework”.

He made the comments on the first anniversary of Russia‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

US secretary of state says spirit of Ukrainians is ‘unbroken'

Friday 24 February 2023 15:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The US secretary of state Anthony Blinken has said the spirit of the Ukrainians is “unbroken” despite a catastrophic 12 months of war.

German foreign minister: China could have persuaded Russia of U.N. resolution

Friday 24 February 2023 15:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

China could have used its influence as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council to persuade Russia to adhere to a U.N. resolution on peace for Ukraine backed by 141 countries, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Friday.

China’s 12-point paper contains many familiar positions, said Baerbock, adding that it was important that China warn against nuclear escalation.

However, “those who speak of peace must not mean submission,” she added.

Ukraine says peace proposals must be aligned with U.N. demands

Friday 24 February 2023 15:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine‘s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the U.N. Security Council on Friday, the anniversary of Russia‘s invasion of his country, that any new peace proposals should be aligned with the demands made in a U.N. General Assembly resolution.

“Ukraine will resist as it has done so far, and Ukraine will win. Putin is going to lose much sooner than he thinks,” Kuleba told the 15-member Security Council.

Watch live: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gives speech on first anniversary of Russia’s invasion

Friday 24 February 2023 15:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch live as Ukrainian President Zelensky gives a speech on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of his country.

Live: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gives speech on first anniversary of Russia's invasion

Woman returns to Ukraine home frozen in time with phone still on charge

Friday 24 February 2023 14:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A woman who left her home in Ukraine has returned home a year later to find it frozen in time - with a phone still on charge.

Anna Malygon, 19, from Kharkiv, left home 18 months ago to study abroad – but had no idea that she would be unable to return after the war broke out.

Arriving back at the apartment this month, she said she was stunned to find it still standing.

A video showed plates unwashed and her mother’s bed unmade after she “woke up because of bombs” before fleeing.

“It was heartbreaking,” Anna said. “My apartment was dirty, cold and really smelly.

Woman returns to Ukraine home frozen in time with phone still on charge

Poland has delivered tanks to Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 14:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Poland has delivered four Leopard tanks to Ukraine already and is prepared to deliver more quickly, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday, as Western nations increase their support to Kyiv a year after Russia invaded the country.

“Poland and Europe stand by your side. We will definitely not leave you, we will support Ukraine until complete victory over Russia,” Morawiecki said during a visit to Kyiv, standing next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Warsaw’s commitment to its neighbour has been instrumental in persuading European allies to donate heavy weapons to Ukraine, including tanks, a move opposed by several governments, including Berlin, until recently.

Poland said last month it aimed to get training time for Ukrainian soldiers on Leopard 2 tanks down to five weeks.

Morawiecki also called for a stronger new package of European Union sanctions against Russia. The bloc is currently discussing a 10th round of sanctions.

“As for the 10th sanction package, we are not happy because it is too soft, too weak ... I am in contact with our team and we are pushing our allies to make this package as extensive as possible,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelensky: Year of tragedy and turmoil that turned comedian president into ‘Ukraine’s Churchill’

Friday 24 February 2023 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

When he ran for leader, Zelensky’s main job was to convince the public he was serious.

Now, writes Kim Sengupta, the whole world is taking the former TV star seriously as one of the great political leaders of his time.

Year of tragedy and turmoil that turned comedian president into ‘Ukraine’s Churchill’

A timeline of Putin’s invasion – and the fight to save Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 13:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

On the morning of 24 February 2022, life changed for everyone in Ukraine when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces into the country.

A year later, Kyiv’s forces have held Moscow at bay, with the help of support from Western weapons. Both sides are now seeking to change a bloody stalemate on the frontlines.

The Kremlin is sending more troops to the battlefield, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked the West to send more heavry weaponry and ammunition to halt any potential Russian advance and replenish the country’s military stocks for a counter offensive.

A timeline of Putin’s invasion – and the fight to save Ukraine

I’ve spent 20 years covering conflict, from Iraq to Syria – but nothing prepared me for the horrors of Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

I’ve spent 20 years covering conflict, from Iraq to Syria – but nothing prepared me for the horrors of Ukraine

Friends died and many of us came under fire as we tried to report the fighting, writes our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta

“These are human beings, they have thrown them away like bags of rubbish”, whispered Iryna Bondarenka at a mass grave behind St Andrew’s church in Bucha as she searched for the body of her missing brother.

The corpses had been flung into a shallow pit in black plastic sacks. Some had split, limbs had broken free; one palm rose from the soil as if cupped in supplication.

I’ve spent 20 years covering war – but nothing prepared me for Ukraine | Kim Sengupta

In pictures: Poland PM and Zelensky visit military hospital in Kyiv

Friday 24 February 2023 13:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Prime minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki and the president Volodymyr Zelensky attending a visit of a military hospital in Kyiv, on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Canada announces more than $32 million in support for Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 13:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Canada announced more than $32 million in support to further strengthen Ukraine‘s security and stabilization on Friday, the anniversary of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.

The aid includes $7.5 million for demining efforts and more than $12 million to counter chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

Zelensky holds back tears as he mourns dead

Friday 24 February 2023 12:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the first anniversary of Russia‘s full-scale invasion on Friday with a sombre message of defiance to his people and tears for the thousands of soldiers who have died.

On a cold, cloudy morning in Kyiv, the 45-year-old addressed members of Ukraine‘s armed forces and a small gathering of dignitaries in St Sophia Square, next to the green- and gold-domed cathedral that is a symbol of the city’s resilience.

“I want to say to all of you who are fighting for Ukraine ... I am proud of you. We all, each and every one, are proud of you!”

As he has done throughout the war, Zelensky showed his feelings in the 30-minute ceremony, choking back emotion as he gave out Hero of Ukraine awards to troops - one of whom was on crutches - and to the mother of a soldier who had been killed.

As a band played the national anthem, there were tears in his eyes. Those present bowed their heads for a minute’s silence.

Zelensky remains hugely popular in Ukraine, connecting with the population through daily messages filmed on a smartphone, and working to maintain international support in the form of financial aid and weapons.

In a packed programme, Zelensky gave state awards to military chaplains at Kyiv’s historic Lavra monastery complex, visited wounded soldiers undergoing treatment in a hospital, and hosted Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Poland allowed millions of refugees to cross from Ukraine early in the war and has been a close ally throughout. It announced on Friday that a first batch of Leopard tanks were already in Ukraine, as Zelensky pushes for more heavy weaponry.

Kim Sengupta speaks to Kyiv residents on first anniversary since invasion

Friday 24 February 2023 12:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Kim Sengupta, our World Affairs Editor, is in Kyiv and has spoken to some residents as they mark a year since the start of the invasion.

Maxim Kucher, an IT technician, volunteered for the army when the invasion started and fought in Kharkiv when the city, just 25 miles from the border with Russia, was under intense attack from Moscow’s forces.

He then also fought in Donbas – the area made up of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk where fighting as been particularly fierce.Maxim is in Kyiv recovering from an operation on a leg injury.

“I had been a civil defence volunteer, but nothing had prepared me for what we had to do.”

“I am very happy we have survived as a country this year. But this will go on for a very long time. I’ll go back [to the frontlines] when I’m fit: I don’t know where they’ll send me.”

‘All of this sorrow because of one man’: Kim Sengupta speaks to Kyiv residents

Friday 24 February 2023 12:13 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Kim Sengupta, our World Affairs Editor, is in Kyiv and has spoken to some residents as they mark a year since the start of the invasion.

For Olena Kuznetsova, who had gone to light a candle at St Volodymyr’s Cathedral, it is loss and sorrow which are the overwhelming emotions today.

She was mourning her 22 year old son Yuri , a student who had volunteered to fight for his country and died in Lyman in the Donbas.

“He said he could not sit at home while others had gone to fight. He sacrificed himself for his country. Everyone says what he did was very brave and great. But he was everything. No one can know the pain of a mother who has lost a child”, she said.

“I do not wish this on anyone, Ukrainian or Russian: all this sorrow because of one man.”

Russia says forces pressing attack along Ukraine's Donetsk front

Friday 24 February 2023 11:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s defence ministry said on Friday that its forces continued to attack along the front line in Ukraine‘s eastern Donetsk region, claiming to have killed up to 240 Ukrainian soldiers over the past 24 hours.

“The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to conduct a special military operation,” the defence ministry said in a daily briefing on the one year anniversary of Russia‘s invasion.

“In the Donetsk direction, units of the Southern Group of Forces inflicted a comprehensive fire attack on accumulations of the enemy’s manpower and equipment along the entire line of contact.”

Reuters was not able to independently verify the defence ministry’s claim.

The last weeks have seen Russia mount infantry assaults across frozen ground in battles described by both sides as the bloodiest of the war. Ukraine said on Thursday that its forces had repelled Russian assaults along the front line.

Nato and EU heads slas down China peace plan as Bejing ‘lacks credibility’

Friday 24 February 2023 11:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The heads of Nato and the European Commission have criticised China’s peace plan as they hit out at Beijing’s “friendship” with Russia.

“We will look at the principles, of course, but we will look at them against the backdrop that China has taken sides,” said Ursula von der Leyen, EU commission president. “It is not a peace plan.”

“China has taken side[s] by signing for example an unlimited friendship [with Russia] right before the invasion,” she added.

“China does not have much credibility because they have not been able to condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine,” said Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of Nato.

What is China’s peace proposal on how to end Ukraine war?

Friday 24 February 2023 11:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

China has offered a 12-point peace proposal to end the fighting in Ukraine one year into Russia‘s war.

The proposal follows China’s recent announcement that it is trying to act as mediator in the war that has re-energised Western alliances viewed by Beijing and Moscow as rivals. China’s top diplomat indicated that the plan was coming at a security conference this week in Munich, Germany.

With its release, President Xi Jinping’s government is reiterating China’s claim about being neutral, despite blocking efforts at the United Nations to condemn the invasion.

Matt Mathers reports:

What is China’s peace proposal on how to end Ukraine war?

Watch: Rishi Sunak leads minute's silence outside No 10 to mark anniversary of Ukraine invasion

Friday 24 February 2023 11:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

UK falls silent on anniversary of Russian invasion as Sunak praises Ukrainian bravery

Friday 24 February 2023 11:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Britons across the UK fell silent this morning to mark the first anniversary of Russia’s bloody war in Ukraine.

Workers in offices and people in their homes observed a UK-wide minute’s silence as they paid their respects to all those killed in the conflict.

King Charles and Rishi Sunak, the prime minister led tributes from Buckingham Palace and Downing Street.

The number of Ukrainian civilians killed in the war could be as high as 100,000, with both sides suffering tens of thousands of military casualties.

UK falls silent on anniversary of Russian invasion as Sunak praises Ukrainian bravery

King pays tribute to ‘remarkable courage and resilience’ of Ukrainians

Friday 24 February 2023 10:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The King has paid tribute to the “remarkable courage and resilience” of Ukraine‘s people on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.

Charles, who earlier this week met Ukrainian recruits being trained by UK and international forces, said he hoped the outpouring of solidarity with the nation would bring “strength from the knowledge that, together, we stand united”.

In a message to mark one year on from the start of the conflict, the King said: “It has now been a year that the people of Ukraine have suffered unimaginably from an unprovoked full-scale attack on their nation.

“They have shown truly remarkable courage and resilience in the face of such human tragedy.

“The world has watched in horror at all the unnecessary suffering inflicted upon Ukrainians, many of whom I have had the great pleasure of meeting here in the UK and, indeed, across the world, from Romania to Canada.

“Earlier this month I met President Zelensky at Buckingham Palace to express my personal support for the people of Ukraine. It is heartening that the United Kingdom, along with its allies, is doing everything possible to help at this most difficult time.

“Therefore, I can only hope the outpouring of solidarity from across the globe may bring not only practical aid, but also strength from the knowledge that, together, we stand united.”

On Ukraine anniversary, EU pledges more support for refugees

Friday 24 February 2023 10:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

European Union officials on Friday pledged continued support to millions of Ukrainian refugees, as they marked the anniversary of the Russian invasion.

“Ukraine can win this war, but we will be with Ukraine as long as it takes,” EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a conference on migration near Athens.

Johansson urged members to conclude long-running negotiations to adopt new EU-wide migration rules and to assist Ukrainians who wished to return home but maintain their temporary residence status in the EU.

More than 8 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the war, according to the United Nations refugee agency, and nearly 5 million have registered for EU temporary protection or similar national protection schemes in Europe.

On Ukraine anniversary, EU pledges more support for refugees

Live: Rishi Sunak leads one-minute silence outside No 10 on first anniversary of Ukraine-Russia war

Friday 24 February 2023 10:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak will lead a one-minute silence outside No 10 on first anniversary of Ukraine-Russia war at 11am.

As the conflict enters its second year, there remains no end in sight, with a UN vote demanding that Russia withdraws its soldiers and global leaders calling for more aid to be sent to Ukrainian troops and more sanctions on Moscow.

Live: Rishi Sunak leads one-minute silence outside No 10 on first anniversary of Ukraine-Russia war

Forgotten and abandoned: the international students caught up in conflict

Friday 24 February 2023 10:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Thousands of African students who fled Ukraine have been “frozen out” of receiving aid for those driven out by Russian attacks, The Independent has been told.

Before the conflict, around 76,000 international students, mostly from Nigeria and Morocco, Ghana, Zimbabwe and India, were based there.

But after grappling with racism at Ukraine’s borders while trying to flee, a large number of students are displaced in countries, including Turkey, Italy, Kenya, Romania and Belgium, unsure of their next move.

Many are unable to complete their studies, battling with the mental and emotional distress of having escaped Putin’s onslaught, some are facing poverty, while others have even taken their own lives, The Independent has learned.

Our race correspondent Nadine White reports:

Forgotten and abandoned: the international students caught up in conflict

China says it is not aware of drone purchase talks between Russia and Chinese company

Friday 24 February 2023 10:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

China’s foreign ministry said on Friday it is not aware of reports about talks between Russia and a Chinese company for the purchase of drones.

“There has been a large volume, too much disinformation spread about China on this point. We should be vigilant about the intentions behind this,” ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a news briefing.

“I also want to emphasise that China on the export of military products has always held a cautious and responsible attitude, not selling military products to conflict areas or warring parties.”

German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Thursday, without citing specific sources, that Russia was in talks with a Chinese manufacturer about buying 100 drones, with a delivery date of April.

Ukraine supporters dump destroyed Russian T-72 tank outside Moscow's embassy in Berlin

Friday 24 February 2023 10:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch live as Ukraine supporters dump a destroyed Russian T-72 tank outside Moscow’s embassy in Berlin on the first anniversary of Putin’s brutal invasion.

Live: Ukraine supporters dump destroyed Russian T-72 tank outside Moscow's embassy in Berlin

Putin ‘sacrificing soldiers for own vanity’ and is suffering ‘huge losses’ in Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 09:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Defence secretary Ben Wallace has said Russia is “sacrificing its own soldiers” for the vanity of Vladimir Putin.

Speaking on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, Mr Wallace said the good guys will win in the end.

The Tory minister added that Russia has been forced to adopt a “meat-grinder approach” after its forces failed to make a breakthrough in Ukraine.

Mr Wallace told Times Radio that the Russian army was suffering “huge losses” on the battlefield for very little gain in territory.

Putin ‘sacrificing soldiers for own vanity’ and is suffering ‘huge losses’ in Ukraine

Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

Friday 24 February 2023 09:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine has been raging for one year now as the conflict continues to record devastating casualties and force the mass displacement of millions of blameless Ukrainians.

Vladimir Putin began the war by claiming Russia’s neighbour needed to be “demilitarised and de-Nazified”, a baseless pretext on which to launch a landgrab against an independent state that happens to have a Jewish president in Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine has fought back courageously against Mr Putin’s warped bid to restore territory lost to Moscow with the collapse of the Soviet Union and has continued to defy the odds by defending itself against Russian onslaughts with the help of Western military aid.

Here’s why Putin really invaded Ukraine

Independent TV to release first feature-length documentary The Body in the Woods

Friday 24 February 2023 09:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Independent TV is releasing The Body in the Woods on 1 March, a new feature-length documentary from International Correspondent Bel Trew, which delves into Ukraine’s unprecedented search for its missing and dead in the middle of Europe’s bloodiest war in generations.

Today a trailer (shown above) has been released which gives a first look at some of the material featured in the documentary.

It comes as the world marks one year since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The 40-minute documentary, from the new TV and documentary team at The Independent, opens with the discovery of a body of a young man found bound, shot and burned beside an abandoned Russian camp in the woods outside Kyiv.

The Body in the Woods will be released on 1 March. Viewers will be able to watch it online at the Independent TV hub (independent.tv), on The Independent’s new smart TV app, and on the Independent mobile app.

The Independent TV app is available globally on a number of smart TV (‘CTV’ - connected TV) platforms: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, and Sony smart TVs. In the coming weeks, LG, Samsung and Roku will be added.

Independent TV to release first feature-length documentary The Body in the Woods

Watch live: Von der Leyen, Jens Stoltenberg mark anniversaries of Ukraine war and Estonian independence

Friday 24 February 2023 09:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visit Estonia to mark anniversaries of Estonian independence declaration and the start of the Ukrainian invasion.

Live: Von der Leyen, Jens Stoltenberg mark anniversaries of Ukraine war and Estonian independence

When is the minute silence for Ukraine?

Friday 24 February 2023 09:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A minute silence will be held on Friday to mark the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Rishi Sunak will lead the country in the moment of solidarity “with our Ukrainian friends” to pay tribute to their courage at 11am.

The prime minister said: “As we mark one year since a full-scale war broke out on our continent, I urge everyone to reflect on the courage and bravery of our Ukrainian friends who, every hour since, have fought heroically for their country.

“I am proud that the UK has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine through this horrific conflict.

“As I stand with brave Ukrainian soldiers outside Downing Street today, my thoughts will be with all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend freedom and return peace to Europe.”

When is the minute silence for Ukraine?

Moscow must push its borders back as far as possible, says ex-president Medvedev

Friday 24 February 2023 08:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday that the only way for Moscow to eventually ensure a lasting peace with Ukraine was to push back its own borders as far as possible.

Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia‘s Security Council, forecast in a message on social media that what he calls Moscow’s special military operation would end with a Russian victory and some kind of loose agreement.

Zelensky commemorates fallen soldiers in Ukraine war

Friday 24 February 2023 08:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended a commemorative event in Kyiv this morning to mark the first anniversary since the war in Ukraine began.

The president presented awards to soldiers posthumously and gave sincere condolences to grieving wives and mothers.

Watch: Defence secretary says UK not sending jets in 'short-term'

Friday 24 February 2023 08:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ben Wallace, the UK defence secretary, said Britain will not be sending typhoon jets to Ukraine in the short-term.

Zelensky attends service in Kyiv

Friday 24 February 2023 08:26 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian president is attending a service in Kyiv to commemorate those who have given their lives to fight for Ukraine.

Britain is confident China wants Ukraine conflict resolved

Friday 24 February 2023 08:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

British defence secretary Ben Wallace said the notion that China could supply arms to support Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine would not help resolve the conflict, an outcome he was confident China wanted.

“It can’t help the peace if China effectively supplies the one nation that has broken the international law on the sovereignty of Ukraine and been inflicting war crimes,” Wallace told Sky News on Friday when asked about reports China could supply weapons to Russia.

“But I’m also confident that China is pretty clear that it wants this (war) to stop,” he added.

‘Learn fast or you’ll be dead’: The bloody stalemate on Ukraine’s front line

Friday 24 February 2023 08:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In the eastern region of Luhansk, Kim Sengupta speaks to soldiers who have spent a year under intense shelling, battling Russians for every inch of ground as they fight for the survival of a nation:

There is a roar of noise in the far distance, echoing through the falling snowflakes. It fades away, leaving a moment of stillness over the frozen fields, and then the shells land – flame and ice, orange and white, bursting up from the ground.

The attacks on the Ukrainian positions have started once again on this front line in the eastern region of Luhansk, where Russian forces have been making small advances. It is attritional fighting, as both sides in the conflict try to claw their way out of a wider, and bloody, stalemate.

‘Learn fast or you’ll be dead’: The bloody stalemate on Ukraine’s front line

Watch live: View of Kyiv’s Independence Square on first anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 07:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch a live view of Independence Square in Kyiv on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As the conflict enters its second year, there remains no end in sight, with a UN vote demanding that Russia withdraws its soldiers and global leaders calling for more aid to be sent to Ukrainian troops and more sanctions on Moscow.

Memorials, candle vigils and other remembrances for the tens of thousands of people who have died are planned for today as fighting continues.

Live: View of Kyiv’s Independence Square on first anniversary of Russian invasion

Britain imposes new ban on Russia on anniversary of Ukraine war

Friday 24 February 2023 07:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Britain has imposed an export ban on every piece of equipment Russia has been found using on the battlefield in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has announced.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the internationally co-ordinated package of sanctions includes aircraft parts, radio equipment and electronic components that can be used by the Russian military industrial complex.

The UK is also sanctioning senior executives at the Russian state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom, as well as bosses at Russia’s two largest defence companies and four banks.

Mr Cleverly said: “Ukrainians are turning the tide on Russia but they cannot do it alone. That is why we must do more to help Ukraine win.”

“Today we are sanctioning the elites who run Putin’s key industries and committing to prohibit the export to Russia of every item Russia has been found using on the battlefield.”

Russia's Wagner claims control of Ukrainian village near Bakhmut

Friday 24 February 2023 07:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s Wagner group of mercenaries has taken full control of the Ukrainian village of Berkhivka, a village on the outskirts of Bakhmut, Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Friday.

“Berkhivka is fully under our control. Units of Wagner Private Military Company are in full control of Berkhivka,” he said in a post on social media.

Berkhivka is about 3 km (1.9 miles) north-west from the suburbs of Bakhmut, a frontline city that has seen intense fighting.

Zelensky says Ukrainians ‘invincible’ as he pushes for victory on war anniversary

Friday 24 February 2023 07:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine’s president pledged to push for victory in 2023 as he and other Ukrainians on Friday marked the somber first anniversary of the Russian invasion that changed their lives.

As dawn broke on a day of commemorations and defiance, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted that Ukrainians had proven themselves to be “invincible” in what he called “a year of pain, sorrow, faith and the unity.”

“We know that 2023 will be the year of our victory!” the tweet said.

Matt Mathers has more:

Zelensky says Ukrainians ‘invincible’ as he pushes for victory on war anniversary

UK issues export bans on every item used by Russia in war

Friday 24 February 2023 07:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Britain marked the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by issuing more sanctions against Russia, including export bans on every item it has used on the battlefield.

The Foreign Office said on Friday the internationally co-ordinated sanctions and trade measures would target aircraft parts, radio equipment and electronic components. It will also target more executives including those at the nuclear power plant Rosatom and defence groups.

100,000 Ukrainian civilian deaths: Shocking toll of Putin’s bloody invasion

Friday 24 February 2023 06:58 , Arpan Rai

More than 100,000 Ukrainian civilians are believed to have been killed in the year since Russia launched its brutal invasion – more than 10 times the current official death toll – according to the country’s leading war crimes prosecutor.

The horrific tally illustrates the scale of devastation in the country, which has fought a relentless onslaught from Vladimir Putin’s forces since their invasion on 24 February last year.

Speaking to The Independent, prosecutor Yuriy Belousov revealed his fears about the human cost on the civilian population.

Bel Trew reports:

100,000 Ukrainian civilian deaths: Shocking toll of Putin’s bloody invasion

Putin looking to degrade Ukraine’s military – MoD

Friday 24 February 2023 06:25 , Arpan Rai

The British defence ministry has claimed that Russia has likely changed its approach again in the continuing invasion of Ukraine.

“Its campaign now likely primarily seeks to degrade the Ukrainian military, rather than being focused on seizing substantial new territory,” the ministry said today in its latest intelligence update.

The Russian leadership is likely pursuing a long-term operation where they bank that Russia’s advantages in population and resources will eventually exhaust Ukraine, it added.

Pointing to Russia’s strategic goal in Ukraine since 2014, the MoD has said that Russia has “highly likely been consistent: to control its neighbour.”

Over 2014-2021, it pursued this objective through subversion, by fomenting an undeclared war in the Donbas, and by annexing Crimea, it said.

But a year ago, Russia pivoted to a new approach and launched a full-scale invasion which attempted to seize the whole country and depose its government.

“By April 2022, Russia realised this had failed, and focused on expanding and formalising its rule over the Donbas and the south. It has made slow and extremely costly progress,” the ministry said.

Zelensky shares damning video on war anniversary

Friday 24 February 2023 05:47 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has shared a video encapsulating a year of war in Ukraine, broken down into parts showing families separating in the aftermath of conflict and Ukrainian forces helping rescue people in the worst-hit areas.

“On February 24, millions of us made a choice. Not a white flag, but the blue and yellow one. Not fleeing, but facing. Resisting & fighting. It was a year of pain, sorrow, faith, and unity. And this year, we remained invincible. We know that 2023 will be the year of our victory!” he said in a tweet.

The video shows citizens left without electricity coming out on the streets to charge their electronic devices.

A slide on “a year of unity” shows widespread protests against Vladimir Putin and Russia, who invaded Ukraine after weeks of denying intelligence reports that it was building up troops with a view to marching on Kyiv.

US working to make Putin face trial for war crimes, says envoy

Friday 24 February 2023 05:41 , Arpan Rai

A top US envoy has said that Russian president Vladimir Putin will have to face trial for committing war crimes and it is “only a atter of time” before he will be prosecuted.

More than 71,000 alleged war crimes have been recorded since Russia invaded the former Soviet nation.

Mounting evidence shows Russian forces carried out murders and executions, shelling of civilian infrastructure, forced deportations, child abductions, torture, sexual violence and illegal detention in the war-torn nation.

A global coalition of nations and international lawyers is working to build a case against the Kremlin, targeting the leaders right to the top, the US ambassador for global criminal justice Beth Van Schaack said.

China may provide Kamikaze drones to Russia – report

Friday 24 February 2023 04:50 , Arpan Rai

The Russian military is discussing the mass production of Kamikaze drones for Moscow with Chinese drone manufacturers, German news outlet Der Spiegel reported.

Chinese drone manufacturer Xi’an Bingo Intelligent Aviation Technology has reportedly agreed to produce and test 100 ZT-180 prototype drones before delivering them to Russia by April 2023, the report added.

This comes amid warnings to China from the US, Germany and other Western countries, asking Beijing not to sell weapons to Moscow for its war against Ukraine, saying that any such move would have severe consequences.

US gives $2bn security aid to Ukraine, says White House official

Friday 24 February 2023 04:16 , Arpan Rai

The US has readied an additional $2bn (£1.6bn) package of security assistance for Ukraine, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

“We’re going to continue to look at what is necessary, and make sure that we provide what is necessary that Ukraine has what it needs to succeed on the battlefield,” Mr Sullivan said as he announced the additional aid.

The White House official also added that the G7 nations will announce a new round of sanctions against the countries trying to support Russia by providing backfill products denied to the invading nation due to the Ukraine-related sanctions.

“You will see as time goes on the continued erosion of the quality and capacity of the Russian economy, even as Vladimir Putin races to spend money in an effort to prop it up,” he said.

Journalists recount start of invasion in Ukraine: ‘Minutes after 5am and this is the moment’

Friday 24 February 2023 03:47 , Arpan Rai

Journalists in Ukraine are recounting the horrific moment in the early hours of today, when the Russian invasion started at the exact moment last year on 24 February.

“It’s minutes after 5am in Kyiv and this is the moment when it’s been exactly one year since this nightmare started,” said Olga Rudenko, chief editor of The Kyiv Independent.

“A year ago, I woke up in the early morning not yet knowing that my life and those of millions of Ukrainians would be changed forever, that many lives would be lost as a result of Russia’s genocidal invasion. Yet, not for a moment during this year I doubted that Ukraine will win,” said Ukraine-based journalist Olga Tokariuk.

Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina also took to Twitter and said: “ Every Ukrainian needs a hug tonight. Numbers don’t matter, and yet it’s hard not to imagine that from now on, we’re more than a year apart from our normal lives.”

Live: View of Kyiv’s Independence Square on first anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine

Friday 24 February 2023 03:23 , Arpan Rai

Live: View of Kyiv’s Independence Square on first anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine

War in Ukraine enters second year as allies pledge more arms support

Friday 24 February 2023 03:21 , Arpan Rai

The war in Ukraine marked its one year anniversary today with looming fears and intelligence indicating that the Russian invasion could stretch for at least another year.

Ukraine has insisted that further support and weaponry can help bring the conflict to a conclusion, and its allies in the West are pledging to stand alongside the war-torn country for as long as is needed.

In London, PM Rishi Sunak will lead a national minute’s silence to mark the anniversary, with G7 leaders set to meet to discuss a conflict that has scarred Europe and shaken the global economy.

“For Ukraine to win this war – and to accelerate that day – they must gain a decisive advantage on the battlefield. That is what it will take to shift Putin’s mindset. This must be our priority now. Instead of an incremental approach, we need to move faster on artillery, armour, and air defence,” Mr Sunak is expected to tell world leaders in a virtual meeting.

Read the full story here:

Ukraine marks one year of war as UK and allies pledge ongoing support

Editorial: Ukrainian resistance has been of historic proportions

Friday 24 February 2023 00:10 , Jane Dalton

Volodymyr Zelensky has become a much-loved and charismatic war leader, respected around the world:

Editorial: One year on, the Ukrainian resistance has been of historic proportions

We are growing stronger each day, says Ukrainian ambassador

Thursday 23 February 2023 23:10 , Jane Dalton

Ukrainian ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko said his country’s people had not lost their optimism after a year in war.

At a vigil in Trafalgar Square, London, to mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Mr Prystaiko called the conflict an “unjustified and unprovoked war” that has “brought so much tragedy and suffering to our nation”.

He continued: “Dear American friends, with you by our side, with our British friends and colleagues and the rest of the world, we are growing stronger each and every day, driving Putin’s killers out of our lands, restoring peace and stability and respect of human rights.”

He said Ukrainian people were “not losing our optimism” and were “confidently looking at our future”.

“Ukraine is a strong, young nation with great courageous people, happy to share with the rest of the world their unique culture,” the ambassador added.

Eiffel Tower turns blue and yellow

Thursday 23 February 2023 22:12 , Jane Dalton

Paris lit up the Eiffel Tower in the blue-and-yellow colours of the Ukraine flag, as Ukraine‘s allies around the world prepared to mark one year of the war with Russia.

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website