Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin’s Kyiv strikes ‘damaged US Patriot system’

The wave of Russian missile strikes fired all at once on Tuesday morning has likely caused damage to the US-made Patriot missile defence system being used by Ukraine, two US officials said.

The Patriot is one of the most advanced air defence systems in the world, designed to work against a mix of aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

The system has not been destroyed and Washington and Kyiv are in talks about the best way to repair it without removing it from Ukraine, one of the officials said on the condition of anonymity.

Just hours earlier, Russia said it had destroyed the US-built surface-to-air missile defence system with a “hypersonic” Kinzhal missile.

Vladimir Putin had issued a clear threat to damage and “weed out” the West-supplied Patriot anti-missile defence systems delivered to Ukraine.

On the battlefield front, Ukrainian forces have taken back about 20 square km of territory from Russia around the eastern city of Bakhmut in recent days, Kyiv said.

Key Points

• Patriot missile defence system likely damaged but not destroyed – reports

• Russia firing more weapons to overwhelm Ukraine, says US official

• Zelensky rallies support at EU council meet, cites battlefield success

• Russia rejects Kyiv’s claims on missiles downed

• Kyiv forces ‘reclaim significant ground around Bakhmut’

Patriot missile defence system likely damaged but not destroyed – reports

03:53 , Arpan Rai

The wave of Russian strikes has likely caused damage to the US-made Patriot missile defence system being used by Ukraine, two US officials said on Tuesday, adding that it did not appear to have been destroyed.

Washington and Kyiv were already talking about the best way to repair the system and at this point it did not appear the system would have to be removed from Ukraine, one of the officials said on the condition of anonymity.

The official added that the US would have a better understanding in the coming days and information could change over time.

This comes just hours after Russia’s defence ministry said it had destroyed a US-built Patriot surface-to-air missile defence system with a “hypersonic” Kinzhal missile in an overnight strike on Ukraine but did not share more details.

Vladimir Putin had issued a clear threat to damage and “weed out” the West-supplied Patriot anti-missile defence system to Ukraine.

Ukraine shot down 18 Russian missiles overnight, including an entire volley of six Kinzhals. It was not clear which Western weapon Ukraine used.

When asked about the Ukrainian claim, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu dismissed it. The Pentagon had no immediate comment.

The Patriot is one of the most advanced US air defence systems, designed to work against a mix of aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. It typically includes launchers along with radar and other support vehicles.

Ukraine denies Russia destroyed Patriot missile defence syste

09:39 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine denied on Wednesday that a Russian hypersonic missile had destroyed a US-made Patriot missile defence system during an air strike on Kyiv.

Russia’s defence ministry made the assertion on Tuesday after an overnight air attack on the Ukrainian capital. Two US officials later said a Patriot system had probably suffered damage but that it did not appear to have been destroyed.

"I want to say: do not worry about the fate of the Patriot," Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told Ukrainian television.

He ruled out the possibility of a Russian "Kinzhal" missile knocking out a Patriot system.

"Destroying the system with some kind of ‘Kinzhal’, it’s impossible. Everything that they say there, it can remain in their propaganda archive," he said.

Last ship leaves Ukraine as fate of Black Sea grain deal in Russia's hands

09:04 , Matt Mathers

The last ship left a port in Ukraine on Wednesday under a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain a day before Russia could quit the pact over obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports.

The DSM Capella has left the port of Chornomorsk carrying 30,000 tonnes of corn and was on its way to Turkey, according to data issued by the United Nations.

The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea deal for an initial 120 days in July last year to help tackle a global food crisis that has been aggravated by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, one of the world’s leading grain exporters.

Moscow agreed to extend the Black Sea pact for a further 120 days in November, but then in March it agreed to a 60 day extension - until May 18 - unless a list of demands regarding its own agricultural exports was met.

UN scrambles to secure grain deal extension

08:37 , Matt Mathers

The United Nations is speedily trying to extend a deal that has allowed shipments of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger - helping ease a global food crisis exacerbated by the war Russia launched more than a year ago.

The breakthrough accord that the UN and Turkey brokered with the warring sides last summer came with a separate agreement to ease shipments of Russian food and fertiliser that Moscow insists has not been applied.

Russia set a deadline of Thursday for its concerns to be ironed out or it is bowing out.

Such brinkmanship is not new; with a similar extension in the balance in March, Russia unilaterally decided to renew the deal for 60 days instead of the 120 days outlined in the agreement.

UN officials and analysts said a failure to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative could hurt countries in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia that rely on Ukrainian wheat, barley, vegetable oil and other affordable food products, especially as drought takes a toll.

The deal helped lower prices of food commodities like wheat over the last year but that relief has not reached kitchen tables.

"If you have a cancellation of the grain deal again, when we’re already at a pretty tight situation, it’s just one more thing that the world doesn’t need, so the prices could start heading higher," said William Osnato, a senior research analyst at agriculture data and analytics firm Gro Intelligence.

"You don’t see relief on the horizon."

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on Monday the deal is "critical" and talks were ongoing.

Can Ukraine use Patriot defense systems to knock out Russian hypersonic missiles?

08:11 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine said on Tuesday that it downed six Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles in a single night, in what would be a major setback for Moscow’s efforts to develop an unstoppable next-generation weapon.

It was not clear which air defense system Kyiv used to shoot down the missiles, but last week the US military confirmed that Ukraine had shot down a Kinzhal missile using the US.-produced Patriot system.

What is the Patriot missile system?

The Patriot, which stands for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, is a theater-wide surface-to-air missile defense system built by Raytheon Technologies Corp and considered one of the most advanced air defense systems in the US arsenal.

The system was first used in combat during the 1991 Gulf War, with batteries protecting Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Israel, and later used during the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Can Patriots stop hypersonic missiles?

The Patriot system was designed before hypersonic weapons were sent to battlefield and Raytheon has not said publicly that the is effective against a missile flying at hypersonic speeds (anything above five times the speed of sound). While the US said that the Patriot system brought down last week’s Khinzal missile, it was not clear if that missile was traveling at hypersonic speed at the time.

While Russia’s Kinzhal missile may reach speeds of up to 7,600 mph (12,350 kph), "Russia’s designation of the Kinzhal as a ‘hypersonic’ missile is somewhat misleading, as nearly all ballistic missiles reach hypersonic speeds (i.e. above Mach 5) at some point during their flight," the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a March 2022 report.

‘Vulnerability’ of Russia’s Killyjoy missiles an ‘embarrassment’ for Kremlin

07:46 , Matt Mathers

The apparent vulnerability of Russia’s Killjoy missiles is likely an “embarrassment” for the Kremlin, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

Ukraine for the first time shot down a Killyjoy air-launched ballistic missile on 3 May.

“The increased air threat over Russia’s border region will be of exceptional concern for the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) because it uses the area to launch air power in support of the war,” the MoD said in its latest daily updates.

“The apparent vulnerability of KILLJOY is likely a surprise and an embarrassment for Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin has touted the system as undefeatable.”

China asks foreign missions displaying Ukraine flags to remove 'propaganda'

07:20 , Matt Mathers

China has notified several foreign missions in Beijing not to display "politicised propaganda" on their buildings, diplomats told Reuters, adding the request appeared aimed at Ukrainian flags they have displayed since Russia’s invasion.

Several foreign missions in China raised the Ukrainian flag, or displayed its image in posters and lights, following the February 2022 invasion that sparked international condemnation of Russia, a close ally of China.

"We and others got a letter calling on embassies and representative offices to refrain from using the outer walls of their buildings for ‘politicised propaganda’," one diplomat, whose embassy is displaying a Ukraine flag image, told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The diplomat said the mission did not intend to comply with the notification.

Last ship leaves Ukraine today as Black Sea grain deal remains in Putin’s control

06:57 , Arpan Rai

The last ship carrying out the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain will leave port today, a UN spokesperson said, a day before Russia could quit the pact over obstacles to its grain and fertiliser exports.

The last remaining ship at a Ukrainian port and will transit the maritime corridor with its cargo, the spokesperson said.

Another vessel was in transit back to Turkey on Tuesday and five other ships are waiting for an outbound inspection in Turkish waters, the official said.

The deal, which has ramifications for grain consumption across the world, was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey for an initial 120 days in July last year to help tackle a global food crisis that has been aggravated by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, one of the world’s leading grain exporters.

Moscow agreed to extend the Black Sea pact for a further 120 days in November, but then in March it offered only a 60 day extension, until 18 May, unless a list of demands regarding its own agricultural exports was met.

South Korea signs $130m aid package for Ukraine

06:13 , Arpan Rai

South Korea will provide a $130m (£104m) financial aid package to Kyiv after Ukraine’s first lady visited Seoul to seek military assistance.

South Korea’s finance ministry said minister Choo Kyung-ho and Ukrainian economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko, in Seoul to attend a conference, signed the agreement on the package, which will consist of donations and aid loans.

South Korea, a major producer of artillery shells, has said it was not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, citing its relations with Russia.

But South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol said in an interview with Reuters last month his government might not “insist only on humanitarian or financial support” if civilians in Ukraine come under a large-scale attack or because of a “situation the international community cannot condone”.

Russia firing more weapons to overwhelm Ukraine, says US official

05:35 , Arpan Rai

Russian forces are expending more weapons than usual in order to overwhelm and confuse Ukrainian air defences, a US official familiar with the matter told CNN.

The expanded attacks seen this week may even work to Ukraine’s advantage, the official said, as the move forced Russia to scrape deeper into its restricted supply of precision munitions.

Moscow has tried to target command and control centres in Kyiv and other high-value locations, the official said, as seen yesterday when Russia launched larger aerial attacks comprising drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles overnight from north, south and east direction in one go.

Zelensky rallies support at EU council meet, cites battlefield success

04:42 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky bolstered his bid to seek more support for Ukraine as he spoke at the fourth summit of the Council of Europe and said that the war-hit nation is able to achieve battlefield successes unimaginable last year.

“A year ago, we were not able to shoot down most of the terrorists’s missiles, especially ballistic ones. And I am asking one thing now: if we’re able to do this, is there anything we can’t do when we’re united and determined to protect lives? The answer is that we, in unity, will give one hundred per cent in any field – when we have a goal to protect our people and our Europe,” Mr Zelensky said.

He presented Ukraine’s “historic” feat of downing cruise and ballistic missiles as he addressed the leaders virtually at the summit.

“Today, Ukraine went through a difficult challenge – an intense Russian missile attack. Such challenges are what we all have to pay attention to now,” he said.

“At three o’clock in the morning, our people woke up to explosions... Eighteen Russian missiles of different types were in our sky – in particular, ballistic ones, which the terrorist state has boasted about. We were told such missiles would bring a guaranteed death, because they are supposedly impossible to shoot down,” Mr Zelensky said.

The war-time president said Russia used ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, all at the same time – “to make it especially difficult for our air defence to save lives. But all lives were protected – all missiles were shot down, including ballistic ones. One hundred per cent! This is a historical result,” he said.

Russia rejects Kyiv’s claims on missiles downed

04:25 , Arpan Rai

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has said the number of claimed Ukrainian missile intercepts in general is “three times greater than the number we [Moscow] launch”.

“And they get the type of missiles wrong all the time. That’s why they don’t hit them,” he said, without elaborating.

Ukraine said it had shot down six Russian Kinzhal missiles in a single night, taking down a weapon Moscow has branded as a next-generation hypersonic missile that was all but unstoppable.

Zelensky needs Sunak to push Ukraine’s allies to go further and faster over weapons and jets

03:00 , Joe Middleton

Britain’s willingness to step first unto the breach over military support has spurred wider Western action, writes Kim Sengupta. The Ukrainian president needs that now more than ever.

Analysis: Zelensky needs Sunak to push allies to go further and faster over weapons

UK 'on guard' over Russia's use of chemical weapons, says Ben Wallace

02:00 , Joe Middleton

Ukraine claims to have shot down multiple ‘unstoppable’ Russian missiles during barrage on Kyiv

01:00 , Joe Middleton

Ukraine claims to have shot down a volley of Russian hypersonic missiles – one of Moscow‘s most potent weapons – during an attack on the capital Kyiv described as “exceptional in density”.

It is the first time Ukraine has claimed to have struck down multiple Kinzhal – which means “dagger” in Russian – missiles in one go. If confirmed it would be a demonstration of the effectiveness of Kyiv’s newly deployed Western air defences in helping thwart some of Russia’s most advanced weaponry.

President Vladimir Putin has previously claimed that the Kinzhal would be able to “overcome all existing and ... prospective anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence systems”.

Chris Stevenson reports.

Ukraine claims to have downed multiple ‘unstoppable’ Russian missiles during barrage

‘Like a scene from Apocalypse Now’: I was there when the missiles shook Kyiv

Tuesday 16 May 2023 23:59 , Joe Middleton

The noise that repeatedly filled the air early this morning was extraordinary: shuddering, horribly percussive waves of sound that burrow down through your chest and into your stomach, writes Kit Macdonald.

Opinion: ‘Like a scene from Apocalypse Now’: I was there when the missiles shook Kyiv

South Korea's president vows to expand non-lethal aid to Kyiv in meeting with Ukraine's first lady

Tuesday 16 May 2023 22:00 , Joe Middleton

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to expand the country’s non-lethal aid to Kyiv when he met with Ukraine’s first lady Tuesday in Seoul.

Olena Zelenska visited South Korea as a special envoy of President Volodymyr Zelensky. During her meeting with Yoon, Zelenska requested South Korea expand its support of non-lethal military supplies, including equipment for detecting and removing mines and ambulance vehicles, according to Yoon’s office.

Yoon replied that his government would closely coordinate with NATO and other international partners to “actively support the Ukrainian people,” his spokesperson Lee Do Woon said during a briefing.

South Korea's president vows to expand non-lethal aid to Kyiv in meeting with Ukraine's first lady

Ukraine claims to have shot down multiple ‘unstoppable’ Russian missiles during barrage on Kyiv

Tuesday 16 May 2023 21:14 , Joe Middleton

Ukraine claims to have shot down a volley of Russian hypersonic missiles – one of Moscow‘s most potent weapons – during an attack on the capital Kyiv described as “exceptional in density”.

It is the first time Ukraine has claimed to have struck down multiple Kinzhal – which means “dagger” in Russian – missiles in one go.

If confirmed it would be a demonstration of the effectiveness of Kyiv’s newly deployed Western air defences in helping thwart some of Russia’s most advanced weaponry. President Vladimir Putin has previously claimed that the Kinzhal would be able to “overcome all existing and ... prospective anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence systems”.

Ukraine claims to have downed multiple ‘unstoppable’ Russian missiles during barrage

Hungary blocks next tranche of military support for Ukraine from EU’s European Peace Facility

Tuesday 16 May 2023 20:30 , Joe Middleton

Hungary did not approve the disbursement of the next tranche of military support for Ukraine provided under the EU’s European Peace Facility (EPF), a government spokesman’s office said on Tuesday.

The EPF, created in 2021, is an off-budget instrument aimed at enhancing the EU’s ability to prevent conflicts, build peace and strengthen international security.

“Hungary does not agree with the fact that the European Union, along with other existing tools, uses the European Peace Facility solely with regard to Ukraine as this does not allow sufficient funds to be channelled to promote the EU’s interests in other areas,” the government spokesman’s office said in an email response to Reuters about an Italian media report on the matter.

The EU has provided a total of about 3.6 billion euros for military support for Ukraine so far under the EPF.

Hungary, which is member of the EU and also NATO, has refused to provide any military equipment to its neighbour Ukraine, which was invaded by Russian forces in February 2022.

Hungary has also repeatedly criticised EU sanctions against Russia, which all 27 EU countries must also unanimously approve, but eventually supported all the agreed measures so far.

In power since 2010, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has clashed with the EU and its executive arm, the European Commission, over Budapest restricting the rights of migrants, as well as tightening state controls over non-governmental organizations, academics, media and courts.

AP

Zelensky needs Sunak to push Ukraine’s allies to go further and faster over weapons and jets

Tuesday 16 May 2023 20:00 , Joe Middleton

Britain’s willingness to step first unto the breach over military support has spurred wider Western action, writes Kim Sengupta. The Ukrainian president needs that now more than ever.

Analysis: Zelensky needs Sunak to push allies to go further and faster over weapons

What are Storm Shadow cruise missiles and what other weapons has the UK sent to Ukraine?

Tuesday 16 May 2023 19:30 , Joe Middleton

Britain is to supply Ukraine with multiple Storm Shadow cruise missiles to bolster Kyiv’s forces against a feared Russian offensive.

Defence secretary Ben Wallace on Thursday confirmed the gifting but did not say how many of the UK’s 700-1,000 missiles would be sent.

The aid came in advance of Volodymyr Zelensky visiting the UK with the Ukraine president having appealed for western help in a bid to withstand Russian offenses and push back.

William Mata and Joe Sommerlad explain.

What are Storm Shadow cruise missiles? All the weapons the UK has sent to Ukraine

Russian Duma votes to scrap Cold War armed forces deal

Tuesday 16 May 2023 18:55 , Joe Middleton

The lower house of Russia’s parliament on Tuesday voted unanimously to formally pull out of a key Cold War-era security deal, more than eight years after Moscow halted its participation.

The vote in the State Duma came less than a week after President Vladimir Putin introduced a draft bill on May 10 “denouncing” the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which aimed to prevent Cold War rivals from massing forces at or near mutual borders. The deal was signed in November 1990, but not fully ratified until two years later.

The Federation Council, Russia’s Kremlin-controlled upper chamber that generally rubber-stamps legislation that the Duma has approved, is scheduled to consider Russia’s pullout from the treaty next Wednesday.

Russian Duma votes to scrap Cold War armed forces deal

UK 'on guard' over Russia's use of chemical weapons, says Ben Wallace

Tuesday 16 May 2023 18:25 , Joe Middleton

Putin and Zelensky agree to separate meetings with African delegations to discuss peace plan, says SA president

Tuesday 16 May 2023 17:54 , Joe Middleton

Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed to separate meetings with a delegation of leaders from six African countries to discuss a possible plan to end the war in Ukraine, South Africa’s president said.

Cyril Ramaphosa said he had spoken with Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky by phone over the weekend and they each agreed to host “an African leaders peace mission” in Moscow and Kyiv respectively.

“Principal to our discussions are efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the devastating conflict in the Ukraine,” Mr Ramaphosa said.

The leaders of Zambia, Senegal, Congo, Uganda and Egypt would make up the delegation along with Mr Ramaphosa, he said in a statement, and Mr Putin and Mr Zelenskyy gave him the go-ahead to “commence the preparations”.

Four of the African countries - South Africa, Congo, Senegal and Uganda - abstained from a UN vote last year on condemning Russia’s invasion. Zambia and Egypt voted in favour of the motion.

Mr Ramaphosa did not give a timeframe or outline any parameters for the possible peace talks. Mr Zelensky has previously said he would not consider a peace deal to end the 15-month war until Russian forces withdraw from Ukrainian territory.

‘Like a scene from Apocalypse Now’: I was there when the missiles shook Kyiv

Tuesday 16 May 2023 17:08 , Joe Middleton

The noise that repeatedly filled the air early this morning was extraordinary: shuddering, horribly percussive waves of sound that burrow down through your chest and into your stomach, writes Kit Macdonald.

Opinion: ‘Like a scene from Apocalypse Now’: I was there when the missiles shook Kyiv

Ukraine‘s Supreme Court votes ‘no confidence’ in chief justice

Tuesday 16 May 2023 16:24 , Joe Middleton

A plenary meeting of Ukraine‘s Supreme Court voted no confidence in the court’s head on Tuesday after he was detained by anti-corruption authorities.

The 140-2 vote move paves the way for chief justice Vsevolod Kniaziev’s dismissal from the court but does not strip him of his status as a judge, Ukrainian media said.

Watch: Listen to what a night of aerial bombardment in Kyiv sounds like

Tuesday 16 May 2023 15:48 , Emily Atkinson

Kyiv forces ‘reclaim significant ground around Bakhmut’

Tuesday 16 May 2023 15:13 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian forces have taken back about 20 square km (7.5 square miles) of territory from Russian forces around the eastern city of Bakhmut in recent days, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on Tuesday.

She said on the Telegram messaging app that Russian forces had advanced “somewhat” in the city of Bakhmut itself, and that heavy fighting continued.

What are Storm Shadow cruise missiles and what other weapons has the UK sent to Ukraine?

Tuesday 16 May 2023 14:29 , Emily Atkinson

Britain is to supply Ukraine with multiple Storm Shadow cruise missiles to bolster Kyiv’s forces against a feared Russian offensive.

Defence secretary Ben Wallace on Thursday confirmed the gifting but did not say how many of the UK’s 700-1,000 missiles would be sent.

What other aid and provision has the UK promised to support Ukraine? Joe Sommerlad and William Mata have the details:

What are Storm Shadow cruise missiles? All the weapons the UK has sent to Ukraine

Ukraine lifts barriers to exports of some farm goods

Tuesday 16 May 2023 14:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine has removed barriers to the export of some agricultural commodities, imposed last year to prevent food shortages, in a bid to boost foreign currency income, its government said on Tuesday.

The country introduced export licences in 2022 to protect food supplies after agricultural production was hit by Russia’s invasion. While licensing did not ban exports, it made them much more difficult.

The government said it would lift the requirement for export licences for live cattle, frozen cattle meat, chicken meat, eggs, rye, oats, millet and some other commodities.

It said via the Telegram messaging app that the resolution was developed in response to numerous requests from associations, and would “help to optimise agricultural exports and increase foreign exchange earnings for Ukraine“.

The decision would not affect supply to the domestic market, the government said. Ukraine is a major producer of poultry meat and exporter of grain and cereals.

The European Union on 2 May set restrictions on imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed to ease excess supply to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Those states last week called for the curbs to be extended.

Russia and Ukraine ‘agree African mission on potential peace plan'

Tuesday 16 May 2023 13:25 , Emily Atkinson

Russia and Ukraine’s presidents have agreed to receive a group of African leaders to discuss a potential peace plan for the conflict, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has said.

“My discussions with the two leaders demonstrated that they are both ready to receive the African leaders and to have discussion on how this conflict can be brought to an end,” Ramaphosa told a joint press briefing with the Singapore prime minister.

“Whether that will succeed or not is going to depend on the discussions that will be held,” he said.

Ramaphosa said the peace plan was also backed by the leaders of Senegal, Uganda and Egypt, adding that the UN Secretary General, the United States and Britain had also been briefed about the initiative.

Washington and London had expressed “cautious” support to the peace plan, Ramaphosa added.

South Korea's president vows to expand non-lethal aid to Kyiv in meeting with Ukraine's first lady

Tuesday 16 May 2023 13:05 , Emily Atkinson

South Korea's president vows to expand non-lethal aid to Kyiv in meeting with Ukraine's first lady

Kremlin, on CIA video aimed at Russians, says our special services are monitoring

Tuesday 16 May 2023 12:35 , Emily Atkinson

Commenting on a YouTube video encouraging Russians to make contact with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA, the Kremlin said on Tuesday that its own special services were tracking Western intelligence activity.

The short video in Russian, entitled “Why I made contact with the CIA: my decision”, appeared on the CIA’s official YouTube channel.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had not paid attention to it, but added: “I am convinced that our special services are monitoring this space in the necessary way.”

He added: “We all know perfectly well that the CIA and other Western intelligence services are not reducing their activity on the territory of our country.”

Head of Ukraine's Supreme Court detained

Tuesday 16 May 2023 12:05 , Emily Atkinson

The head of Ukraine‘s Supreme Court has been detained over an alleged bribery scheme, a prosecutor from the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said on Tuesday.

The prosecutor did not name the official detained, but told a briefing that he was the head of the Supreme Court and had not yet been served with a formal “notice of suspicion”.

The Supreme Court is headed by Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniaziev, who could not be reached for comment.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and SAPO announced on Monday that they had “exposed large-scale corruption” at the court, and shared a photograph of piles of dollars neatly lined up on a sofa.

“You see that we are showing through real cases, real deeds, what our priority is: it’s top corruption, it’s criminal organisation at the highest levels of power,” NABU director Semen Kryvonos told Tuesday’s briefing.

Russia says it destroyed Ukrainian Patriot air defence system

Tuesday 16 May 2023 11:33 , Emily Atkinson

Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that it had destroyed a US-built Patriot surface-to-air missile defence system with a hypersonic Kinzhal missile in an overnight strike on Ukraine, the Zvezda military news outlet reported.

It quoted the ministry as saying the overnight strikes had also been aimed at Ukrainian fighting units and ammunition storage sites.

Kremlin says Russia faces decision on extending grain deal

Tuesday 16 May 2023 11:19 , Emily Atkinson

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that questions still remained about Russia’s part of the Black Sea grain deal, and that it would have to make a decision about whether to renew it.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters contacts on the subject were continuing.

MoD provide update on situation in Bakhmut

Tuesday 16 May 2023 09:56 , Emily Atkinson

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has provided an update on the current situation in Bakhmut, with both Russia and Ukraine making some progress across the contested town.

While the Wagner Group forces continue to make gradual progress in clearing Ukrainian positions in the town centre, Ukraine has in the last four days “made tactical progress stabilising the flanks of Bakhmut to their advantage”, the MoD said in its daily intelligence update.

It went on: “As well as progress to the south of town, Ukrainian assaults have forced back the Russian frontline to the north-west of the town. This has likely enabled Ukrainian forces to re-establish more secure use of the key 0506 supply road.

“Ukraine is holding Russia’s western advances along the line of Donets-Donbas Canal, turning the waterway into an obstacle as part of a deep defensive zone around the town of Chasiv Yar.”

Macron ‘signals France ready to train Ukrainian pilots'

Tuesday 16 May 2023 09:09 , Emily Atkinson

President Emmanuel Macron has reportedly signalled that France is ready to begin training Ukrainian fighter pilots.

“We have opened the doors to training pilots alongside several other European countries, which are also ready; I believe the negotiations with the Americans are ongoing,” he said in an interview with broadcaster TF1 , according to Le Monde.

CNN also cites Mr Macron as saying that “training can start right away.”