Russia-Ukraine war live: Kyiv hails ‘successful’ attacks on Putin’s troops after Dnipro River breakthrough

Ukrainian troops have conducted a “series of successful operations” against Putin’s troops following a breakthrough on the eastern bank of the River Dnipro.

In a statement, the Ukrainian Marines said they had established several bridgeheads across the river in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson region and were continuing to carry out operations.

It comes as Russia intensified its strikes on Ukrainian ports overnight, including Odessa. The Ukrainian air force said it downed nine out of 10 Iranian-made Shahed drones over Mykolayiv and Odessa.

Meanwhile, Ukraine forced Russia’s naval fleet to pull back in the eastern part of the Black Sea, president Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed.

“For the first time in the world, it was in the Black Sea that a fleet of naval drones began to operate – a Ukrainian fleet,” Mr Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

“I would also like to note that now – as one of the main results of our actions – Russia is unable to use the Black Sea as a springboard to destabilise other regions of the world.”

Key Points

• Poll reveals Russian views on Putin

• Russia raining 'Hell fire' on Ukrainian forces

• Ukraine declares major breakthrough in southern counteroffensive ‘against all odds’

• Zelensky warns Ukrainians to prepare for ‘winter onslaught’ from Russia

Putin must take first step towards peace in Ukraine, says Germany’s Scholz

12:00 , Andy Gregory

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has reiterated calls for Vladimir Putin to take the first step towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.

“He must withdraw troops,” Mr Scholz said during a visit to Nuthetal in the state of Brandenburg.

However, there are currently no signs of this happening, he said in response to a question about whether peace negotiations are possible.

Warning that Mr Putin must not succeed in his goal of using force to annexe parts of a neighbouring country, Mr Scholz once again assured Ukraine of Germany’s help in its defence against the Russian invasion for as long as necessary.

Russian artist jailed for staging anti-war supermarket protest

11:39 , Andy Gregory

A Russian artist and musician has been jailed for seven years for replacing supermarket price tags with anti-war slogans in what fellow critics of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine have decried as a “deeply tragic and frustrating illustration of the state of Russia today”.

Sasha Skochilenko, 33, a self-described pacifist, appeared in a St Petersburg court on 17 November after 19 months of pre-trial detention. She was charged last April with discrediting Russia’s armed forces and spreading misinformation about the “special military operation”.

Standing behind bars, the artist blew kisses and made a love symbol with her hands during her final hearing as crowds applauded from outside. She was dressed in a tie-dye t-shirt with a peace sign on the front.

Her seven-year sentence was handed down in the same week that former Russian detective Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, who murdered Kremlin-critic Anna Politkovskaya in 2006, was pardoned by Putin for spending a year fighting in Ukraine. He had served less than half of his sentence, having been imprisoned in 2014.

My colleague Tom Watling has the full report:

Russian artist jailed for seven years over anti-war supermarket protest

On the ground | Plight of one Ukraine village illustrates toll of Russia’s invasion

11:10 , Andy Gregory

Our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta reports from Ukraine:

Kamianka lies in a charming valley of bright flowers and lush trees. It used to be portrayed as a model village for a contented life in rural idyll. It was also a place of archaeological and geological lure, with its rare bronze age and Scythian sites and Jurassic limestone cliffs attracting visitors from afar.

The settlement, set in a sleepy hollow, was established in the 18th century by a count from the Tsar of Russia’s court who had returned from Britain with new methods of farming and an English bride. Keen to put his new knowledge into practice, he allocated land, built a mill, constructed roads and funded a church and a school.

But Kamianka, in eastern Ukraine, also has a dark history of violence. Its strategic position on the banks of the Siversky Donets River made it a battleground for armies over the ages. One of the bloodiest encounters was fought during the Second World War between Soviet and German forces, leaving thousands dead. The Waffen SS set up a prison camp nearby woods in which captured partisan fighters and local civic leaders were tortured and executed.

Kamianka, however, recovered from the ravages of that war and began to slowly prosper. A lucrative agricultural plant, a modern health centre, a lyceum with scientific facilities, a sports stadium and a community centre attracted people from neighbouring cities and towns. The village’s original church, dismantled during Soviet times, with its stones used to build an airfield was replaced with a wooden one which was praised for its cupola which became a destination for pilgrimage.

The tranquil life was shattered with Vladimir Putin’s invasion in February 2022.

You can read the full dispatch here:

Bombs and betrayal: Plight of one Ukraine village highlights toll of Russian invasion

Moscow Times newspaper declared a ‘foreign agent’ by Russia

10:47 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s justice ministry has added The Moscow Times – an online newspaper founded in 1992 and popular among Russia’s expat community – to its list of supposed “foreign agents”.

You can read more details in this report:

The Moscow Times, noted for its English coverage of Russia, is declared a 'foreign agent'

Jon Sopel | Why Gaza and Ukraine could crush Biden’s hopes of winning the election

10:09 , Andy Gregory

In his latest Independent Voices column, Jon Sopel writes that misgivings over America’s role in the wars in Ukraine and Gaza are “being played like a Stradivarius by that great fiddler, Donald Trump”. He argues:

“It’s becoming the campaign of the counterfactual. And being Donald Trump, the counterfactuals are contentious and tendentious.

He and his team are busy telling anyone who’ll listen he was the president signing peace deals between Israel and the Gulf states via the Abraham Accords – but with Biden in charge, war is breaking out. When he was president, his friend Vladimir Putin would never have dared invade Ukraine. He would have been too scared. But with Sleepy Joe in the White House?

It doesn’t need to cohere or be rational, but Trump is finding this riff is working well for him: when I was president, I was building relationships with Putin, breaking bread with Kim Jong Un, talking man-to-man with President Xi. When I was president, the world was a more peaceful place.”

Why Gaza and Ukraine could crush Biden’s hopes of beating Trump | Jon Sopel

Former Bank of Russia deputy placed on Moscow’s wanted list

09:27 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s interior ministry has placed former Bank of Russia deputy governor and senior politician Sergei Aleksashenko on its wanted list, Russian state news agencies have reported.

Mr Aleksashenko, who has criticised Russia’s war in Ukraine, has been living in exile in the United States after falling out with President Vladimir Putin’s government and had already been designated a “foreign agent”.

Tass reported that Mr Aleksashenko had been added to the interior ministry’s wanted list on an unspecified criminal charge. Mr Aleksashenko said on Telegram that he had been listed on the database for five years already, but suggested that being added to the wanted list was a new development.

Earlier this week, Vasiliy Piskarev – who leads the Duma’s committee on investigating foreign interference – accused Mr Aleksashenko and economist Sergei Guriev of being engaged in shaping sanctions against Russia through their involvement with Stanford University’s international working group on Russian sanctions.

Russia hits infrastructure in huge overnight drone barrage, Ukraine says

09:04 , Andy Gregory

Russia launched a major overnight drone attack, hitting infrastructure facilities in the south and north of Ukraine, the latter’s military has said.

Air defence shot down 29 out of 38 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched from Russian territory, Ukraine’s air force said, in a bombardment lasting from 8pm to 4am on Saturday.

An energy infrastructure facility was hit in the southern Odesa region, an administrative building was damaged and one civilian was wounded, officials said.

In Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region on the border with Russia and Belarus, two infrastructure buildings were damaged during the overnight strike, the military said. The drones also targeted Kyiv, all of which shot down on their approach, they said.

Ukraine claims to have damaged 15 Russian ships in ‘new type of naval warfare’

08:42 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s military claims to have destroyed a total of 15 Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea since the start of Vladimir Putin’s invasion, damaging 12 other ships in “a new type of naval warfare”.

Ukraine has stepped up its attacks in the Black Sea and on the annexed peninsula of Crimea. Kyiv has reported a series of strikes on warships on and near Crimea this autumn, including a large landing vessel and a submarine.

“You can count the ones that have already been disabled. These are 15 destroyed and 12 damaged ships. Not all of this is the result of drone work, but they also have quite a lot of damaged ships to their credit,” navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk told broadcasters.

He described Ukraine as “the driver of a new type of naval warfare” that had made Russia move its naval forces to positions more difficult to reach for what Kyiv has in its capacity.

Russia is also suffering logistical problems, he said, due to having to relocate vessels to Novorossiysk and periodically to Tuapse, both ports on the eastern flank of the Black Sea to the southeast of Crimea and further from Ukraine.

Russia ‘loses brigade’s worth of troops’ as Ukraine claims foothold on east bank of Dnipro

08:24 , Andy Gregory

Russia has lost a brigade’s worth of troops since Ukraine began its push to establish a foothold on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, Kyiv has claimed.

These casualties have reportedly forced Moscow’s forces to transfer combat power from elsewhere in Ukraine to Kherson, according to the Institute for the Study of War think-tank.

Putin suffering ‘particularly heavy losses’ in push to capture Avdiivka

08:09 , Andy Gregory

Russia is suffering “particularly heavy losses” in its push to recapture Avdiivka, as fighting rages on multiple fronts in Ukraine, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has said – with cluster munitions playing “a major role” in disrupting attacks on both sides.

“Over the last week, the most intense ground combat has been taking place in three areas: on the Kupiansk axis, in Luhansk Oblast; around Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast; and on the left bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson Oblast, where Ukrainian forces have established a bridgehead,” the ministry said.

“Neither side has achieved substantial progress in any of these areas. Russia continues to suffer particularly heavy casualties around Avdiivka.

“Eyewitness reports suggest small uncrewed aerial vehicles and artillery (especially cluster rounds) continue to play a major role in disrupting the attacks of both sides.”

“As colder winter weather sets in earnest in eastern Ukraine, there are few immediate prospects of major changes in the frontline.”

ICYMI: In Russia, more Kremlin critics are being imprisoned as intolerance of dissent grows

07:00 , Matt Mathers

Russia under President Vladimir Putin has been closing in on those who challenge the Kremlin. Protesters and activists have been arrested or imprisoned, independent news outlets have been silenced, and various groups have been added to registers of “foreign agents” and “undesirable organizations.”

The crackdown has been going on for years.

Full report:

In Russia, more Kremlin critics are being imprisoned as intolerance of dissent grows

Thousands of Ukrainian children forcefully taken to Belarus via Russia, study finds

06:00 , Matt Mathers

Thousands of children from Ukraine aged between six and 17 years old have been forcefully transferred to 13 facilities across Belarus since Russia‘s invasion last year, a study by Yale University has found.

The Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health found that the transfer of 2,442 children was “directly overseen” by Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko – a key ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Full report:

Thousands of Ukrainian children forcefully taken to Belarus via Russia, study finds

ICYMI: Wife of twice-poisoned Briton held in Kremlin prison fears ‘time is running out’

05:00 , Matt Mathers

The wife of a British-Russian national held in a Krelimn prison says she fears time is running out, and has called for the UK to take more urgent action to free him.

Vladimir Kara-Murza survived two near-fatal poisonings, in 2015 and 2017, which resulted in organ failure and polyneuropathy, a condition that causes nerve damage.

Tom Watling reports:

Wife of twice-poisoned Briton held in Kremlin prison fears ‘time is running out’

ICYMI: Bombs, betrayal and burying loved ones - plight of one Ukraine village illustrates toll of Russia’s invasion

04:00 , Matt Mathers

Kim Sengupta returns to Kamianka in eastern Ukraine – the scene of one of the most extraordinary exchanges he has witnessed during the 21-month war – to hear about the struggle to rebuild amid accusations of Russian collusion and vast destruction

Full report:

Bombs and betrayal: Plight of one Ukraine village highlights toll of Russian invasion

Senior EU official channels increasing gloom over Russia’s war in Ukraine

03:00 , Matt Mathers

A European Union decision next month to launch membership talks with Ukraine is "at risk" and there is no agreement in the bloc to grant Kyiv a further 50 billion euros ($54 bln) in aid, a senior official said on Friday.

The downbeat comments chime with increasing fatigue in Ukraine, which has been struggling to push back against a Russian invasion since February 2022, and a more gloomy mood setting in among Kyiv’s Western backers as the war drags on.

From regular reassurances that the EU would stand by Ukraine "as long as it takes", the official said the latest discussions in the bloc over further support to Kyiv were a "reality check".

"Leaders... were realizing it’s quite expensive," said the official, who is involved in preparing a Dec.14-15 summit in Brussels of the EU 27 member states’ national leaders. "How do we pay for this?"

Ukraine says it has destroyed 15 Russian naval vessels in Black Sea during war

02:00 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s military said on Friday its operations had resulted in the destruction of a total of 15 Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea since the start of Russia’s invasion and that 12 other vessels had been damaged.

Ukraine has stepped up its attacks in the Black Sea and on Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed in 2014. Kyiv has reported a series of strikes on warships on and near Crimea this autumn, including a large landing vessel and a submarine.

"You can count the ones that have already been disabled. These are 15 destroyed and 12 damaged ships. Not all of this is the result of drone work, but they also have quite a lot of damaged ships to their credit," navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said in televised comments.

He described Ukraine as "the driver of a new type of naval warfare" that had made Russia move its naval forces to positions more difficult to reach for what Kyiv has in its capacity.

Russia is also suffering logistical problems, he said, due to having to relocate vessels to Novorossiysk and periodically to Tuapse, both ports on the eastern flank of the Black Sea to the southeast of Crimea and further from Ukraine.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. Russia usually does not acknowledge damage to its military assets and says it repels most Ukrainian attacks.

Ukrainian marines claim multiple bridgeheads across a key Russian strategic barrier

01:00 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s military said Friday its troops had secured multiple bridgeheads on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson region — a small but potentially significant strategic advance in the midst of a war largely at a standstill.

The Marine Infantry Command’s claims were the first to come directly from the Ukrainian military about advances across one of Russia’s most significant barriers. Earlier this week, Andriy Yermak, the head of the president’s office, confirmed for the first time that Ukraine had established a foothold on the eastern side of the river.

The wide river is a natural dividing line along the southern battlefront, and Moscow’s forces have used it since leaving the area around the city of Kherson in November 2022 to prevent Ukrainian troops from advancing farther toward Russian-annexed Crimea.

Troops are trying to push Russian forces away from the Dnieper to stop shelling that has routinely struck civilian areas on the Ukrainian-held west bank, the general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a report Friday.

Western officials with intelligence knowledge, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive information, said Thursday that Ukraine has portions of three brigades across the river and was expected to make small gains as the Russians have so far been unable to repel them.

"The Ukrainians have seen an opportunity there and taken it," one official said. "What we’ve not seen is the Russians being able to push them back from that position."

Grain ship lightly damaged off Ukraine, likely hit sea mine - sources

00:01 , Matt Mathers

A merchant ship transporting grains was lightly damaged off the coast of Ukraine and was likely to have been hit by a floating sea mine, according to maritime specialists and a Ukrainian government source.

This is the latest incident affecting commercial ships sailing in the Black Sea.

War risk insurance premiums have risen to as much as 3% of the value of a vessel after a missile damaged a merchant ship in the Ukrainian port of Pivdennyi last week, industry sources said.

Four maritime and trade sources said the Liberia-flagged Georgia S bulk carrier laden with a wheat cargo was sailing from Pivdennyi when it was hit in the open sea on Thursday.

A Ukrainian government source told Reuters on Friday that it was likely that a floating sea mine hit the vessel.

Finland blocks border crossings to stop migrants it says were sent by Russia

23:00 , Matt Mathers

Finland will erect barriers at four crossings on its border with Russia from midnight, officials said on Friday, in a bid to stem an increase in migrants that Helsinki says has been orchestrated by Moscow.

Finland has accused Russian authorities of funnelling migrants to the crossings in retaliation for its decision to increase defence cooperation with the United States, an assertion dismissed by the Kremlin.

Barriers will go up at four of the nine crossings with Russia, at Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala in its southeast, and the stations will remain closed for all traffic until Feb. 18, the Finnish Border Guard said.

Ukraine announce military industry conference next month

22:00 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine and the United States will hold a military industry conference in Washington on Dec  6 and 7, Ukrainian and US officials said on Friday.

Kyiv is ramping up efforts to produce its own weapons amid concerns that supplies from the West might be faltering. It also hopes joint ventures with international armament producers can help revive its domestic industry.

Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the US  National Security Council, said the meeting was "part of the U.S. government’s efforts to significantly increase weapons production to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom and security".

Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, described the conference as a "very powerful event" to be attended by major defence industry players.

Ukraine’s power plants need missile defence ahead of winter, DTEK CEO says

20:54 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK is ready for another winter and Russian attacks, but its power plants need more missile defence systems to operate safely, chief executive efficer Maxim Timchenho has said.

Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, Europe, including members of the Soviet Union and the ex-Communist bloc, have supplied hundreds of transformers, miles of cables and thousands of diesel generators needed to light and heat the country in winter, when temperatures fall well below freezing.

But the experience of the past 12 months has prompted Ukraine to seek more air defence systems to protect its critical infrastructure.

"We need more Patriots, more IRIS systems. We cannot protect ourselves against ballistic missiles if we don’t have air defence systems," Timchenko told Reuters in an interview in Warsaw.

"I know that our president and our government have been doing everything that they can to bring the message that we need this equipment to protect our energy system."

Thousands of Ukrainian children forcefully taken to Belarus via Russia, study finds

20:30 , Matt Mathers

Thousands of children from Ukraine aged between six and 17 years old have been forcefully transferred to 13 facilities across Belarus since Russia‘s invasion last year, a study by Yale University has found.

The Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health found that the transfer of 2,442 children was "directly overseen" by Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko – a key ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Full report:

Thousands of Ukrainian children forcefully taken to Belarus via Russia, study finds

The harrowing Ukraine war doc ‘20 Days in Mariupol’ is coming to TV. Here’s how to watch

20:00 , Matt Mathers

The visceral documentary “20 Days in Mariupol,” about Russia’s early assault on the Ukrainian city, will soon reach its widest audience yet.

The 94-minute film, a joint production by The Associated Press and PBS “Frontline,” has been met with critical acclaim and an audience award at the Sundance Film Festival. AP journalist Mstyslav Chernov directed the movie from 30 hours of footage shot in Mariupol in the opening days of the war. Chernov and AP colleagues Evgeniy Maloletka, a photographer, and producer Vasilisa Stepanenko were the last international journalists in the city before escaping.

Full report:

The harrowing Ukraine war doc '20 Days in Mariupol' is coming to TV. Here's how to watch

Ukraine says it is pushing Putin’s forces back in ‘successes’ on Dnipro River’s east bank

19:30 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian troops have pushed Russian soldiers out of positions on the eastern bank of the River Dnipro in the occupied Kherson region, Kyiv’s military said on Friday.

Crossing the Dnipro and transporting heavy military equipment and supplies over the river could allow Ukrainian troops to open a new line of attack in the south on the most direct land route to Crimea, which was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014.

Full report:

Ukraine says it is pushing Russia back in ‘successes’ on Dnipro River’s east bank

Wife of twice-poisoned Briton held in Kremlin prison fears ‘time is running out’

19:00 , Tom Watling

The wife of a British-Russian national held in a Krelimn prison says she fears time is running out, and has called for the UK to take more urgent action to free him.

Vladimir Kara-Murza survived two near-fatal poisonings, in 2015 and 2017, which resulted in organ failure and polyneuropathy, a condition that causes nerve damage.

The Putin-critic was jailed for 25 years in April this year on charges of treason and spreading “false information” about Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Wife of twice-poisoned Briton held in Kremlin prison fears ‘time is running out’

Pictured: Russian delegation leaves North Korea

18:30 , Alexander Butler

Finland making ‘big mistake’ by blocking border, Kremlin says

17:30 , Alexander Butler

Finland is making a “big mistake” by erecting barriers along its border with Russia, the Kremlin has said.

“One can only express deep regret that the Finnish authorities have taken the path of destroying bilateral relations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“Russia has never in modern history threatened Finland, we had no reason for any confrontation. Now they have chosen this path. From our point of view, this is a big mistake.”

It comes after Finnish authorities said 300 asylum seekers – mostly from Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, and Syria – have arrived this week, almost 100 of them by midday on Friday alone.

It accused Moscow of deliberately funnelling migrants and asylum seekers to the crossings in retaliation for Finland’s increased defence cooperation with Western countries.

Finland blocks border crossings to stop migrants it says were sent by Russia

16:30 , Alexander Butler

Finland will erect barriers at four crossings on its border with Russia from midnight in a bid to stem an increase in migrants that Helsinki says has been orchestrated by Moscow, officials said.

Finland has accused Russian authorities of funnelling migrants to the crossings in retaliation for its decision to increase defence cooperation with the United States, an assertion dismissed by the Kremlin.

Barriers will go up at four of the nine crossings with Russia, at Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala in its southeast, the Finnish Border Guard said.

“Our aim is to use barrier devices to prevent entry,” the Border Guard’s head of international affairs, Matti Pitkaniitty, told reporters. The measures were a response to changes in Russia’s border policy, he added.

Pro-Russian disinformation weakening Bulgarian army

16:00 , Alexander Butler

Pro-Russian disinformation targeting Bulgaria has started to “seriously affect the army’s ability to fight,” the Bulgarian defense minister said.

Todor Tagarev said pro-Russian opposition parties were responsible for spreading disinformation that alleged Bulgaria’s support for Ukraine would lead to direct military conflict with Russia.

Many Bulgarians also support a position of neutrality regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine. A poll conducted in October 2022 found that 67.5% of respondents preferred their government take no side in the war.

Thousands without power after Russian strikes on energy hubs, says Ukraine

15:30 , Alexander Butler

Thousands of Ukrainians living near the frontline in Kherson have been left without power following Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, the Ukrainian government said.

Recent shelling in the southern city of Kherson had left more than 28,000 people without power, the country’s energy ministry said. It added that 3,000 people had been without electricity in the last day alone.

It said damage to an overhead line in the eastern Donetsk region had completely cut off the city of Kostyantynivka, and that 122 settlements were still without power.

Dutch government pledges 2bn euros to Ukraine for 2024

15:00 , Alexander Butler

The Dutch government has earmarked an additional €2bn in military aid for Ukraine in 2024, in what the country’s defence minister Kajsa Ollongren said was a sign of unwavering support for Kyiv’s war against Russia.

It is part of a wider package the Netherlands will provide to Ukraine next year that includes an initial €102m for reconstruction and humanitarian aid that will be increased during the year if needed. The latest package takes the total amount of Dutch support for Ukraine during the conflict to around €7.5bn, Ollongren said.

“This will safeguard our support for Ukraine and ensure continuity, which is critical for Ukraine,” Ollongren said.

Zelensky praises ‘strength’ of troops on Dnipro river

14:30 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has praised his troops for their “strength” in advancing on the strategic Dnipro river.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “The Kherson region’s left bank. Our warriors. I thank them for their strength and for moving forward. Glory to everyone who restores freedom and justice to Ukraine!”

It comes as the Ukrainian military claimed troops had conducted a “series of successful operations” against Putin’s troops following a breakthrough on the eastern bank of the River Dnipro.

Up to 20,000 Ukrainian men cross border illegally

14:00 , Alexander Butler

Up to 20,000 Ukrainian men have illegally crossed Ukraine’s border to neighbouring EU countries, according to reports.

Authorities in Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and Moldova, said that 19,740 men had illegally crossed their borders between February 2022 and Aug. 31, 2023, according to the BBC.

Ukrainian men aged 18-60 have been forbidden to leave the country due to the martial law that has been imposed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022.

Russia deploying new aircraft, MoD says

13:30 , Alexander Butler

Russia is deploying a new type of aircraft for the first time to identify targets over Ukraine for its long-range missiles, the UK ministry of defence said.

“For the first time, Russia has likely started using A-50 MAINSTAY D, its Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, to identify targets over Ukraine for its SA-21 long-range ground-based air defence missile system,” the MoD said.

It added Russia was using the technology due to fears Ukraine could deploy Western-provided combat aircraft.

Two killed in Donetsk, military claims

13:00 , Alexander Butler

Two people have been killed and three have been wounded in the east Ukrainian region of Donetsk, the acting head of its military administration has said.

In a post on Telegram, Ihor Moroz said two people had been killed in the city of Selydove, while two of the injuries had occurred in the town of Antonivka and another had occurred in Toretsk.

It comes as Ukraine has downed nine out of 10 Russian Iranian-made Shahed drones over Mykolayiv and Odessa, according to the country’s air force.

Kharkiv builds underground schools as Russia keeps up attacks

12:35 , Alexander Butler

Officials in eastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region have begun building heavily fortified underground schools that will allow children to safely return to in-person studies as Moscow’s invasion grinds on.

Schools in the region of around 2.5 million people, which borders Russia, were forced into online learning after the Kremlin’s February 2022 invasion.

Kharkiv is frequently targeted by Russian missiles, drones and artillery, with the governor reporting on Thursday that settlements in three different districts had been struck over the previous 24 hours.

“These structures will be equipped with everything necessary for the learning process,” chief regional architect Anton Korotovskykh said.

Artillery shell deliveries slow down since Middle East conflict, Kyiv says

12:00 , Alexander Butler

Volodymyr Zelensky said the delivery of artillery shells to Ukraine has decreased since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.

The Ukrainian president said supplies of in-demand 155mm artillery shells have “really slowed down”, according to The Kyiv Independent.

The US refrained from formally saying that they would stop or decrease the flow of artillery shells to the country, but reportedly said to Mr Zelenskyy that “everyone is fighting for (stockpiles)”.

Russian casualties reach 316,760, Ukraine claims

11:29 , Alexander Butler

Russian casualties since the start of the war in Ukraine now stand at 316,760, according to the Ukrainian military.

In its latest set of daily figures, Ukraine’s general staff also said the total numbers of tanks and armoured combat vehicles destroyed had reached 5,415 and 10,132 respectively.

Hundreds of vessels use Black Sea corridor, Kyiv says

10:44 , Alexander Butler

Up to 151 ships have used Kyiv’s new shipping lane in the Black Sea since it was set up in August, a senior Ukrainian government official said.

Yuriy Vaskov, deputy minister for renovation and infrastructure, said a total of 4.4 million metric tonnes of cargo, including 3.2 million tonnes of grain had been shipped via the corridor so far.

Thousands of Ukrainian children forced to Belarus

10:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Thousands of children from Ukraine aged between six and 17 years old have been forcefully transferred to 13 facilities across Belarus since Russia‘s invasion last year, a study by Yale University has found.

The Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health found that the transfer of 2,442 children was “directly overseen” by Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko – a key ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president in March, accusing him and Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.

Thousands of Ukrainian children forcefully taken to Belarus via Russia, study finds

Russia destroys two Ukrainian anti-ship missiles, ministry claims

09:45 , Alexander Butler

Russian forces destroyed two Ukrainian anti-ship missiles over the Black Sea, the Russian defence ministry claimed.

It comes as Russia intensified its strikes on Ukrainian ports overnight, including Odessa. The Ukrainian air force said it downed nine out of 10 Iranian-made Shahed drones over Mykolayiv and Odessa.

“Fighters, anti-aircraft missile units and mobile fire groups were involved in the repulse of the air attack. As a result of combat work, nine enemy attack UAVs were destroyed within Mykolaiv, Odesa, Zhytomyr and Khmelnytskyi regions,” the Ukrainian air force said.

Kremlin hopes Putin will run for another term as president

09:15 , Alexander Butler

The Kremlin hopes President Vladimir Putin would run in the March election for another term as Russian president, a move that would keep Putin in power until at least 2030, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Putin, who was handed the presidency by Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999, has already been in power for longer than any other Kremlin leader since Joseph Stalin, beating even Leonid Brezhnev’s 18-year tenure. Putin turned 71 on 7 October.

“Putin has not yet announced his intention to run but I sincerely want to believe that he will do that, and I have no doubt that he will win the elections. I have no doubt that he will continue to be president,” he said.

Ukraine establishes 'several bridgeheads' on eastern bank of Dnipro

08:42 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian troops have conducted a “series of successful operations” on the eastern bank of the River Dnipro in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson region and established several bridgeheads, Kyiv’s military said.

In a statement, the Ukrainian Marines said on their Facebook page that they were continuing to carry out operations on the eastern side of the river. Russia conceded for the first time this week that Ukrainian troops had crossed the river.

The Ukrainian military liberated the city of Kherson, the regional centre, and the area around it on the western bank of the Dnipro in November 2022. The river, a formidable natural barrier, became the dividing line on much of the southern front.

Ukraine downs nine out of 10 Russian drones

07:33 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine has downed nine out of 10 Russian Iranian-made Shahed drones over Mykolayiv and Odessa, according to the country’s air force.

“Fighters, anti-aircraft missile units and mobile fire groups were involved in the repulse of the air attack. As a result of combat work, nine enemy attack UAVs were destroyed within Mykolaiv, Odesa, Zhytomyr and Khmelnytskyi regions,” the air force said.

It comes as Russia intensified its strikes on Ukrainian ports overnight, including Odessa. On Thursday, British foreign secretary Lord Cameron visited the port city and inspected damage to the Transfiguration Cathedral.

Ukraine troops applying pressure on Putin’s forces having gained foothold along Dnipro River, says Kyiv

07:00 , Matt Mathers

Russia has conceded for the first time that Ukrainian forces have crossed the vast Dnipro River into occupied areas of the Kherson region – as Kyiv tries to open up a new line of attack against Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Ukraine said on Tuesday it had secured a foothold on the eastern bank of the Dnipro “against all odds”, in a potentially major setback for Russian occupation forces in the south where Kyiv is trying to open a new line of attack.

Full report:

Ukraine troops pressuring Putin’s forces along Dnipro River

Russian diamonds ‘set to be banned’ under new EU sanctions

06:30 , Matt Mathers

Imports of diamonds and liquid petroleum gas from Moscow were among commodities set to be banned as per a proposal by the European Commission as the bloc looked to tighten implementation of a price cap on Russian oil as part of new sanctions.

The sanctions – 12th such by the European Union on Russia for invading Ukraine – is set to be discussed on Friday and will include import bans on a number of metals and a ban on the transit through Russia of goods and technologies that could bolster Moscow’s industrial strength, diplomats said on Wednesday.

Full report:

Poll reveals Russian views on Putin as Black Sea fleet ‘forced to retreat’

Bombs, betrayal and burying loved ones: Plight of one Ukraine village illustrates toll of Russia’s invasion

05:30 , Matt Mathers

Kim Sengupta returns to Kamianka in eastern Ukraine – the scene of one of the most extraordinary exchanges he has witnessed during the 21-month war – to hear about the struggle to rebuild amid accusations of Russian collusion and vast destruction.

Read the full report here:

Bombs and betrayal: Plight of one Ukraine village highlights toll of Russian invasion

ICYMI: Russian court convicts a woman for protesting the war in Ukraine in latest crackdown on free speech

04:30 , Matt Mathers

A Russian court on Thursday convicted an artist and musician for replacing supermarket price tags with antiwar slogans and sentenced her to seven years in prison, Russian media reported.

Sasha Skochilenko, 33, has been held in her home city of St. Petersburg since April 2022 on charges of spreading false information about the military.

She was arrested a month after Russia adopted a law effectively criminalizing any public expression about the war in Ukraine that deviates from the Kremlin’s official line. The legislation has been used in a widespread crackdown on opposition politicians, human rights activists and ordinary Russians critical of the Kremlin, with many receiving lengthy prison terms.

Finland to close 4 border crossing points after accusing Russia of organizing flow of migrants

03:30 , Matt Mathers

Finland will close four crossing points on its long border with Russia to stop the flow of Middle Eastern and African migrants that it accuses Moscow of ushering to the border in recent months, the government said Thursday.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said the southeastern crossing points -- Imatra, Niirala, Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa -- will be closed at midnight Friday on the Finland-Russia land border that serves as the European Union’s external border.

Full report:

Finland to close 4 border crossing points after accusing Russia of organizing flow of migrants

British ‘pro-Russian propagandist’ awaits ruling on High Court sanctions fight

02:30 , Matt Mathers

A British former civil servant who has been described in Parliament as a “pro-Russian propagandist” is waiting to see if he has won a High Court fight with Foreign Office ministers after being sanctioned.

Graham Phillips, who is living in Ukraine, was made the subject of an “asset freeze” in July 2022 – a decision upheld on “ministerial review” in February, a judge has been told.

Brian Farmer reports:

British ‘pro-Russian propagandist’ awaits ruling on High Court sanctions fight

In Russia, more Kremlin critics are being imprisoned as intolerance of dissent grows

01:30 , Matt Mathers

Russia under President Vladimir Putin has been closing in on those who challenge the Kremlin. Protesters and activists have been arrested or imprisoned, independent news outlets have been silenced, and various groups have been added to registers of “foreign agents” and “undesirable organizations.”

The crackdown has been going on for years.

But it increased within days of the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, when Russia adopted a law criminalizing the spreading of “false information” about the military, effectively outlawing any public expression about the war that deviated from the official narrative. Scores of people have been prosecuted under the new law, and those implicated in high-profile cases have been given long prison terms.

Full report:

In Russia, more Kremlin critics are being imprisoned as intolerance of dissent grows

ICYMI: David Cameron meets Zelensky in Ukraine in first visit as foreign secretary – and praises Boris Johnson

00:30 , Matt Mathers

David Cameron has visited Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine in his first overseas trip as foreign secretary.

The former prime minister joked about his “disagreements” with Boris Johnson, but said support for the Ukrainian president was “the finest thing” his government did.

Archie Mitchell reports:

David Cameron meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine in first visit as foreign secretary

Ukraine has had successes opening up Black Sea shipping lanes - US official

Thursday 16 November 2023 23:30 , Matt Mathers

Russia has failed in its efforts to reduce Ukrainian grain exports to zero and Kyiv’s military successes in the Black Sea have allowed to open up shipping lanes, a senior State Department official said on Thursday.

The Biden administration was working through a request to Congress for more funding for Ukraine and believes there are strong majorities in support of the funding, but Ukraine would "have a severe problem" without the money, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to brief reporters on U.S. policy.

Poland eyes purchase of 25 US mine-clearing tanks

Thursday 16 November 2023 22:30 , Matt Mathers

Poland aims to buy 25 mine-clearing tanks from the United States, the country’s Armament Agency said on Thursday, as Warsaw seeks to beef up its armed forces following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Poland plans to spend around 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence this year and the outgoing government of the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party vowed to double the size of the army.

The Armament Agency said it aimed to buy the tanks under Washington’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, which facilitates defence purchases from U.S. producers.

"Mine-clearing tanks for the Polish Army!" the agency wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. "The purpose of the FMS procedure is to procure 25 M1150 ABV sapper vehicles from the U.S."

US issues sanctions to limit Russian influence in Balkans

Thursday 16 November 2023 21:30 , Matt Mathers

The United States on Thursday targeted 10 individuals in a new round of sanctions aimed at containing Russian influence in the Western Balkans, the U.S. Treasury said.

The Treasury also imposed sanctions on 20 entities, including 11 based in Russia, in line with executive orders related to the Western Balkans and Russia, according to a Treasury website.

Other sanctioned entities are based in North Macedonia, Liberia, and the United Arab Emirates. Three Liberia-registered oil tankers also were targeted.

The Western Balkans-related sanctions are the latest imposed by the United States on politicians, other individuals and organizations designed to contain Russian efforts to prevent the region’s integration into international institutions, the Treasury said.

The sanctions freeze all property and other assets those targeted have in the United States or are controlled by U.S. citizens and generally prohibit Americans from doing business with them.

Those hit with sanctions are individuals from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia.

They include Savo Cvijetinovic, a senior official of the political party led by Milorad Dodik, the pro-Russia leader of Republika Srpska (RS), who already is under U.S. sanctions for alleged corruption and promoting the secession of the Serb-dominated half of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

US Congress closes without approving more aid for Ukraine and Israel

Thursday 16 November 2023 20:30 , Matt Mathers

The US Congress closed its doors for nearly two weeks on Thursday without passing emergency aid for Israel and Ukraine, as lawmakers argued over unrelated immigration policy and faced pockets of resistance from Republicans on continued aide for Kyiv’s war against Russia.

The Senate adjourned well after midnight after passing a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown. Supporters of the foreign military aid had hoped it would be included in the spending bill, known as a continuing resolution.

President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve the money last month. Its omission from the spending bill raised concerns that funding for Kyiv might never be appropriated especially after the Republican-led House passed a bill this month including assistance for Israel, but not Ukraine. The Senate’s Democratic leaders rejected that bill.

A vocal bloc of Republicans oppose sending more aid to Kyiv as it fights a nearly 21-month-long Russian invasion. Opponents of the aid say US taxpayer money should be spent at home, but majority of Republicans and Democrats in Congress still support aid to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week showed 41 per cent of Americans backed sending weapons to Ukraine, compared to 32 per centwho were opposed and the rest unsure. The same poll showed U.S. public support dropping for Israel’s war against Hamas militants.

Thousands of Ukrainian children taken to Belarus - Yale research

Thursday 16 November 2023 19:30 , Matt Mathers

More than 2,400 children from Ukraine aged between six and 17 years old have been taken to 13 facilities across Belarus since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, research published by Yale University said on Thursday.

Ukraine’s prosecutor general said in May that he was investigating the alleged role of Belarus in the forced transfer of more than 19,000 identified children from Russian-occupied territories since the conflict broke out, including to Russia.

The total number is estimated by some experts and organisations to be far higher.

The findings by the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health, which receives US State Department funding, shared with Reuters are the most extensive to date about the alleged role of Belarus in the Russian relocation program for Ukrainian children.

"Russia’s systematic effort to identify, collect, transport, and re-educate Ukraine’s children has been facilitated by Belarus," the report said.

"Russia’s federal government and Belarus’ regime have been working together to coordinate and fund the movement of children from Russia-occupied Ukraine through Russia to Belarus."

Majority of Russians still support war - poll from Russia

Thursday 16 November 2023 18:48 , Matt Mathers

A majority of Russians still support Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, according to a poll conducted in Russia.

Some 76 per cent of respondents said they backed the invasion, while 21 per cent thought it was going poorly.

Meanwhile, one in five said they thought the country was on the “wrong path”.

Some 45 per cent of those believe Russia was on the wrong path cited “war” and “people are dying”.

25 per cent cited “low wages and pensions”, “no work”, “no confidence in the future”.

The survey was carried out by the Levada Centre, which says it is a Russian independent non-governmental polling and sociological organisation.

Nato general-secretary meets with Latvian president

Thursday 16 November 2023 18:30 , Alexander Butler

Nato general secretary Jens Stoltenberg met with Latvian president Edgars Rinkēvičs to dicuss the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“Welcomed Edgars Rinkēvičs back to Nato & congratulated him on his appointment as President of Latvia.

“We addressed Ukraine, where the difficult situation on the battlefield is an argument for even more support. We also look forward to welcoming Sweden as an Ally very soon,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

Slovak truckers to hold symbolic blockade of Ukraine border

Thursday 16 November 2023 17:30 , Alexander Butler

Slovak truckers will stage a symbolic one-hour blockade of the country’s main crossing with Ukraine to support Polish calls for restrictions on the number of Ukrainian trucks entering the EU.

“Our aim is support of Polish colleagues as well as all freight haulers in the EU.

“We will request that the European Commission immediately introduces licences for shipments for Ukrainian vehicles, because European companies are falling on their mouth and cannot compete,” haulers union UNAS said.

‘Great’ to see Lord Cameron in Ukraine, Johnson says

Thursday 16 November 2023 16:30 , Alexander Butler

Boris Johnson said it was “great” to see Lord Cameron in Ukraine on his first official visit to the country as the UK’s foreign secretary.

“Great news that Ukrainian forces have established themselves on the east bank of the Dnieper, and great to see our new Foreign Secretary in Kyiv,” Mr Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Lord Cameron previously joked about his “disagreements” with Mr Johnson but said support for the Ukrainian president was “the finest thing” his government did.

In a video of the meeting posted on X by president Zelensky, Lord Cameron said: “I had some disagreements with my friend Boris Johnson, and we have known each other for 40 years, and his support for you was the finest thing that he and his government did.”

Pictured: Lord Cameron visits Odesa

Thursday 16 November 2023 16:00 , Alexander Butler

Ethical concerns over defence industry are ‘immoral’ and ‘dangerous’, Shapps says

Thursday 16 November 2023 15:30 , Alexander Butler

Ethical concerns over the British defence industry are “immoral” and “dangerous”, British defence minister Grant Shapps said.

“British defence companies keep us safe, help nations like Ukraine defend their freedom & act as global champions for the UK.

“We’ll back them all the way against those who want to defund the industry due to so-called ethical investing rules that are not only immoral but dangerous,” Mr Shapps said on X, formerly Twitter.

Bodies of married couple found in eastern Ukraine

Thursday 16 November 2023 15:05 , Alexander Butler

The bodies of a married couple have been found amid rubble following a Russian strike in the eastern Ukrainian town of Selydove, officials said.

The number of dead from the strike, on Wednesday, has risen to four. Russia fired four S-300 missiles at the town, damaging six apartment buildings and 20 homes, police said.

The Ukrainian military said it shot down a missile and 16 of 18 attack drones launched by Russian troops overnight.

Russian aggression in Ukraine ‘must not go unpunished’, Switzerland says

Thursday 16 November 2023 14:49 , Alexander Butler

Switzerland has pledged its support for the establishment of a special tribunal to address Russia’s crimes of aggression against Ukraine.

“Switzerland is firmly convinced that the aggression against Ukraine must not go unpunished,” the Swiss department of foreign affairs said.

The initiative has attracted support from 38 countries, including France, Germany, Norway, Guatemala, Japan and Canada, according to the department’s statement.

Kyiv forces Russian navy to pull back in Black Sea, Zelensky claims

Thursday 16 November 2023 14:07 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine has forced Russia’s naval fleet to pull back in the eastern part of the Black Sea, president Volodymyr Zelensky claimed.

“For the first time in the world, it was in the Black Sea that a fleet of naval drones began to operate – a Ukrainian fleet,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

“I would also like to note that now – as one of the main results of our actions – Russia is unable to use the Black Sea as a springboard to destabilise other regions of the world.”

In case you missed it...

Thursday 16 November 2023 14:00 , Maira Butt

Kim Sengupta reports:

The fate of Kamianka is in many ways what has befallen Ukraine in microcosm, reflecting the bitterness, sorrow and pity of this war. There were murders and mass graves; treachery and torture. Prosecutors gathered evidence of human rights abuse ; exhumed bodies piled up in morgues in Kharkiv. Families continue desperate searches for those missing, seeking their graves as hopes of finding them alive fade away.

A handful of residents who returned to the village after the Russians left found a lethal legacy of fighting and occupation --- unexploded ordnance, concealed booby traps and mines. Soon these began to maim and kill as had been the enemy’s intention.

Read the full piece, “Bombs, betrayals and burying loved ones: Plight of one Ukraine village illustrates toll of Russia’s invasion” here.

Zelensky praises ‘warriors’ of Ukraine in fight against Russia

Thursday 16 November 2023 13:45 , Maira Butt

As the war in Ukraine slowly approaches its second year, President Zelensky, sent a message of praise to his soldiers who he called “warriors” on Thursday.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said:

“I am grateful to all of our people who are fighting and working for Ukraine.

“To our warriors, who make it possible for Ukraine to live with each stride and with their strength.

“I thank them all for everything they do for our country’s freedom and independence.”

Medical volunteer urges people to ‘keep supporting’ Ukraine

Thursday 16 November 2023 13:27 , Maira Butt

In an armoured vehicle moving closer to the town of Bakhmut, medical volunteer Anna Filippova urged the international community to “keep supporting” the Ukrainian army.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the volunteer medic said:

“I’m observing reactions of the soldiers around me. Some are quiet, some are nervously vaping. One soldier did a little “meditation” and amygdala breathing, and then was cracking jokes for the rest of the way.

“All I can say at this stage is that they operate in conditions that are not only lethally dangerous, but also detrimental for mental health. Every bit of support for our soldiers helps their morale. Please keep supporting #UkrainianArmy”

Death toll from Donestky Oblast attack rises to 4

Thursday 16 November 2023 13:13 , Maira Butt

Emergency services have recovered more bodies at the site of the missile attack on the city of Selydove bringing the death toll to four, according to the Kyiv Independent.

A four story apartment building was hit in the attack by Russia on Wednesday. Initial reports suggested one person had been killed, but more bodies have since emerged from under the rubble.

The State Emergency services confirmed workers were still at the scene of the aftermath.

Russian court convicts a woman for protesting the war in Ukraine in latest crackdown on free speech

Thursday 16 November 2023 12:55 , Maira Butt

AP reports:

A Russian court on Thursday convicted an artist and musician for replacing supermarket price tags with antiwar slogans and sentenced her to seven years in prison, Russian media reported.

Sasha Skochilenko, 33, has been held in her home city of St. Petersburg since April 2022 on charges of spreading false information about the military.

She was arrested a month after Russia adopted a law effectively criminalizing any public expression about the war in Ukraine that deviates from the Kremlin’s official line. The legislation has been used in a widespread crackdown on opposition politicians, human rights activists and ordinary Russians critical of the Kremlin, with many receiving lengthy prison terms.

Ukraine ‘grateful to UK for its support'

Thursday 16 November 2023 12:45 , Maira Butt

President Zelensky said in a post on X, formerly know as Twitter that Ukraine was “greateful to the UK for its support”.

After Lord Cameron made his first visit to the region following his appointment as foreign secretary, President Zelensky said:

“We had a good meeting focused on weapons for the frontline, strengthening air defense, and protecting our people and critical infrastructure.”

Court convicts activist of organising armed incursions from Ukraine into Russia

Thursday 16 November 2023 12:33 , Alexander Butler

A Russian court has convicted Ukraine-based Russian activist Denis Kapustin of state treason and terrorism for organising armed incursions from Ukraine into Russia’s Bryansk region, the state TASS news agency has reported.

Kapustin, also known as Denis Nikitin, is a former mixed martial arts fighter and a member of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC).

The RVC is an armed opposition group in Ukraine which has carried out several incursions into Russia this year.

Russia 'loads intercontinental ballistic missile into launch silo'

Thursday 16 November 2023 12:00 , Alexander Butler

Russia has loaded a nuclear-capable “Avangard” hypersonic glide vehicle into a launch silo in the south of the country, its defence ministry said.

Vladimir Putin announced the Avangard vehicle in 2018, saying it was a response to America’s development of a new generation of weapons.

As it approaches its target, the Avangard glide vehicle detaches from the rocket. It is then able to manoeuvre sharply outside the rocket’s trajectory at hypersonic speeds of up to 27 times the speed of sound.

Russia planned to 'weaponise' Ukrainian grain

Thursday 16 November 2023 11:30 , Alexander Butler

Russia planned to “pillage and weaponise” more than $1bn of Ukrainian grain, a new report has said.

Global Rights Compliance (GRC) - a not-for-profit organisation specialising in international humanitarian law - said Moscow intended to use the proceeds to fund its military and fuel global food insecurity.

“Upon capturing territory, Russian forces seized grain facilities from Ukrainian farmers and corporations, taking control of the surrounding transport networks and rapidly establishing safe and fast passage for stolen Ukrainian grain into Russia,” it said.

Ukraine 'shoots down one Russian missile and 16 drones'

Thursday 16 November 2023 11:00 , Alexander Butler

The Ukrainian military says it shot down a missile and 16 of 18 attack drones launched by Russia overnight.

Civilian infrastructure in the eastern region of Kharkiv was damaged by S-300 missiles, authorities said.

The S-300 was developed by the Soviet Union. No deaths or injuries have been reported.

Ukraine and UK 'determined to work together'

Thursday 16 November 2023 10:15 , Alexander Butler

The United Kingdom and Ukraine are “determined to work together”, according to Ukraine’s foreign minister.

Dmytro Kuleba has posted a picture of him and Lord David Cameron, the new British foreign secretary, in Kyiv.

Mr Kuleba added: “The UK remains steadfast in providing Ukraine with weapons, increasing their co-production, and ridding the Black Sea of Russian threats.”

More than two thirds of Russians still support war in Ukraine, poll finds

Thursday 16 November 2023 09:43 , Alexander Butler

More than two thirds of Russians still support their country’s war in Ukraine, according to a US think tank.

The Levada Centre - an independent Russian polling organisation - has reported that 76 per cent of respondents said they support Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said.

It also said 62 per cent of those surveyed believe the invasion is progressing well, while 21% think it is going reasonably or very poorly for Russia.

David Cameron praises Boris Johnson

Thursday 16 November 2023 08:42 , Alexander Butler

David Cameron has visited Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine in his first overseas trip as foreign secretary.

The former prime minister joked about his “disagreements” with Boris Johnson, but said support for the Ukrainian president was “the finest thing” his government did.

In a video of the meeting posted on X by president Zelensky, Lord Cameron said: “I had some disagreements with my friend Boris Johnson, and we have known each other for 40 years, and his support for you was the finest thing that he and his government did.”

David Cameron meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine in first visit as foreign secretary

Watch: New foreign secretary David Cameron meets Zelensky

Thursday 16 November 2023 08:16 , Alexander Butler

Lord Cameron visits Ukraine

Thursday 16 November 2023 08:15 , Alexander Butler

New British foreign secretary Lord Cameron has visited Ukraine and said the UK would continue to provide “moral, diplomatic, economic and military support” to the country.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Hosted David Cameron on his first visit to Ukraine as Foreign Secretary of the UK.

“We had a good meeting focused on weapons for the frontline, strengthening air defense, and protecting our people and critical infrastructure. I am grateful to the UK for its support.”