Russia-Ukraine war – latest: Attempt to arrest Putin would be declaration of war, says Medvedev

Any attempt to arrest Vladimir Putin would be a declaration of war against Russia, the president’s ally Dmitry Medvedev said after the International Criminal Court put out a warrant for the Russian leader over alleged war crimes.

Mr Putin stands accused of bearing personal responsibility for the illegal deportation of hundreds of children from Ukraine.

Speaking to Russian media, Mr Medvedev, a former president, said the ICC, which countries including Russia, China and the United States do not recognise, was a “legal nonentity” that had never done anything significant.

On an attempt to arrest Mr Putin, he said: “What would that be? It would be a declaration of war on the Russian Federation,” he said.

Earlier Mr Medvedev said the threat of nuclear conflict was rising and the constant arms supply to Ukraine is bringing a “nuclear apocalypse” closer.

Russia has accused Britain of driving the stakes of nuclear war after the Ministry of Defence revealed it was sending Ukraine missiles tipped with depleted uranium – a common, if not uncontroversial, type of munitions.

Key points

• Threat of ‘nuclear apocalypse’ growing, says former Russian president

• Ukrainian soldiers acing Patriot system training in US – report

• Zelensky visits wounded soldiers in Bakhmut

Threat of ‘nuclear apocalypse’ growing, says former Russian president

03:53 , Arpan Rai

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has said that the threat of nuclear conflict is only rising and the constant arms supply to Ukraine is bringing a “nuclear apocalypse” closer.

"Has the threat of a nuclear conflict passed? No, it has not passed. It has increased. Each day when foreign weapons are delivered to Ukraine ultimately brings this same nuclear apocalypse closer…,” the deputy chairman of the Russian security council said in a video he shared on his Telegram.

“I have the feeling that until a certain point in time, they did not believe in and did not see the extent of Russia’s determination, or the determination of its president or the supreme commander, to do what we did. And they miscalculated. The consequences are much more complicated than they could have been if they had signed a document with us in December," he said, without sharing more details of the document.

New Zealand soldier killed in Ukraine

09:30 , Liam James

An ex-soldier from New Zealand who co-founded a charity to help struggling veterans has been killed in Ukraine, authorities said.

Ukrainian authorities confirmed the death of Kane Te Tai and the New Zealand embassy in Poland was trying to find out more details, New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement.

Mr Te Tai in 2017 helped register the No Duff Charitable Trust to support veterans in crisis.

The trust said in a statement it was with “immense sadness” it was sharing the news that Mr Te Tai – who went by the code name Turtle in Ukraine – was killed in action.

“Without him, No Duff wouldn’t exist,” the trust said. “Kane had a huge heart and loved helping people. His loss leaves a huge hole in many lives from here to Eastern Europe.”

Russia takes back ground near Luhansk town – MoD

09:00 , Liam James

British intelligence said Russia had partially regained control over the approaches to the eastern Ukrainian town of Kreminna, after its troops were pushed back from the Luhansk territory earlier this year.

“In places, Russia has made gains of up to several kilometres,” the Ministry of Defence said in an update, adding that Russian commanders are likely trying to expand a security zone and are also seeking to recapture the logistic hub of Kupiansk in Kharkiv.

Russian forces earlier today unleashed a wave of air strikes in the north and south of Ukraine a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin bid farewell to Chinese leader Xi Jinping following a three-day visit to Moscow.

Attempt to arrest Putin would be declaration of war, says ally

08:40 , Liam James

Any attempt to arrest Vladimir Putin would be a declaration of war against Russia, the president’s ally Dmitry Medvedev said.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant on Friday, accusing Mr Putin of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. It said there are reasonable grounds to believe the Russian leader bears individual criminal responsibility.

Former president Dmitry Medvedev told Russian media that the ICC, which countries including Russia, China and the United States do not recognise, was a “legal nonentity” that had never done anything significant.

On an attempt to arrest Mr Putin, he said: “Let’s imagine – obviously this situation which will never be realised – but nevertheless lets imagine that it was realised: The current head of the nuclear state went to a territory, say Germany, and was arrested,” Medvedev said.

“What would that be? It would be a declaration of war on the Russian Federation,” he said in a video posted on Telegram. “And in that case, all our assets – all our missiles et cetera – would fly to the Bundestag, to the chancellor’s office.”

EU set to reach deal on Ukraine ammunition boost

08:09 , Liam James

EU leaders are set to endorse a deal aimed at sending Ukraine 1 million rounds of artillery shells within the next 12 months to help defend against Russia’s invasion.

The fast-track procedure was adopted during a meeting of foreign and defence ministers earlier this week, and leaders gathered at a summit in Brussels today will give it a political blessing, according to several senior EU diplomats.

With Ukraine facing shortages of ammunition to fight Russia, the idea of setting up a joint purchasing plan of action similar to the one devised during the coronavirus pandemic to buy vaccines was first brought to the table last month by Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas.

‘Defensive’ Russia looking to recapture Luhank town – MoD

07:14 , Arpan Rai

Russian forces are likely looking to recapture a logistics node in Luhansk along the Ukrainian frontline, the British defence ministry said today.

The ministry pointed to heavy fighting brewing in parts of the Svatove-Kremina sector of the front line in northern Luhansk oblast since the start of March this year.

“Russia has partially regained control over the immediate approaches to Kremina town, which was under immediate Ukrainian threat earlier in the year,” the ministry said.

It added that in places, Russia has made gains of up to several kilometres.

“Russian commanders are likely trying to expand a security zone west from the defence lines they have prepared along higher ground, and integrate the natural obstacle of the Oskil River,” the MoD said.

It added: “Operationally, Russia’s intent in the north-east likely remains defensive. Commanders probably fear this is one of the sectors where Ukraine could attempt major offensive operations.”

More than 600 Russian troops killed in past day as Bakhmut offensive likely stalling

06:56 , Arpan Rai

The Ukraine military has said that 660 Russian troops, 13 tanks, one air defence system, 11 armoured personnel carriers were destroyed in the past day in the latest war update this morning.

The Ukrainian military’s general staff agreed with the latest intelligence from the UK’s MoD, which suggested the potential for Russia to make gains in Bakhmut was declining.

“The enemy continues to conduct offensive operations, suffering major casualties, losing significant amount of weapons and military equipment,” said the general staff of the Ukraine army in today’s report.

“Ukrainian defenders have been repelling numerous round-the-clock enemy attacks in the vicinities of Bakhmut, Bohdanivka, and Predtechyne,” the general staff said, adding that numerous settlements near the line of contact were shelled.

Bakhmut is a key objective for Moscow, which sees the town as a stepping stone toward completing its conquest of the eastern Donbas region even though the salt-mining city holds little strategic value in the war.

Any move to arrest Putin will be ‘declaration of war’, says former Russian PM

06:32 , Arpan Rai

Former Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev has said that a bid by any nation to arrest Vladimir Putin based on the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court will be considered as a “declaration of war”.

The remark made to Russian news agency TASS published today is the first such reaction after the international court in The Hague confirmed an arrest warrant against Mr Putin over charges of taking Ukrainian children to Russia.

It means the court’s 123 member states must detain Mr Putin and hand him over for trial if he sets foot on their territory.

West won’t leave Russia, China alone, says former Russian PM

06:30 , Arpan Rai

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has accused the West of disliking Russia and China’s independence in his remarks today.

“The coming decades will not be quiet,” Mr Medvedev claimed, as he accused the West without evidence of trying to break Russia up into smaller and weaker states.

“I believe that sooner or later the situation will stabilise and communications will resume, but I sincerely hope that by that time a significant part of those people (Western leaders) will have retired and some will be dead,” the Russian leader said.

He added that Ukraine was part of “Greater Russia”, and added that he saw no prospects for reviving Russia’s ties with the West in the near future.

Russia dusting off tanks from 1950s to make up for battlefield losses — report

06:13 , Arpan Rai

The Russian military is now looking to clean up tanks from the Soviet era and likely use them in the continuing war in Ukraine, according to the US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War.

“Russian forces may be deploying T-54/55 tanks from long-term storage to Ukraine to compensate for significant armoured vehicle losses,” the ISW said in its latest assessment of the war.

The T-54/55 tanks were first introduced in 1948.

Yesterday, Russian forces were seen transporting a train loaded with T-54/55 tanks from Primorsky Krai towards western Russia, and social media sources speculated that Russia may deploy them to Ukraine, according to the Georgia-based open-source Conflict Intelligence Team research group.

The ISW cited Dutch open-source group Oryx’s assessment as of 22 March that Russia has lost at least 57 T-90, 448 T-80, 1,025 T-72, 53 T-64, and 73 T-62 tanks in highly attritional fighting in Ukraine.

“Russian armoured vehicle losses are currently constraining the Russian military’s ability to conduct effective mechanised manoeuvre warfare installing offensives in Ukraine, and Russian forces may be deploying T-54/55 tanks from storage to Ukraine to augment these offensive operations and prepare for anticipated mechanised Ukrainian counter offensives,” it added.

I brought two Ukrainian refugees to the US. One month later, this is what they think

06:00 , Emily Atkinson

After Clare Cannon made the decision to sponsor Katya and Dima to settle in New York, she knew she’d be responsible for helping them overcome their culture shock. Here, she documents one month of ups and downs in the US — and what actually happens to Ukrainian refugees once they arrive on American soil.

I brought two Ukrainian refugees to the US. One month later, this is what they think

Putin planning for more war, not seeking peace — Nato chief

05:44 , Arpan Rai

Nato’s secretary general has said that Vladimir Putin is not looking to end the war in Ukraine anytime in the near future and is instead gearing up for more war.

“President Putin doesn’t plan for peace, he’s planning for more war,” Jens Stoltenberg told the Guardian.

He added that Moscow is ramping up its military industrial production and “reaching out to authoritarian regimes like Iran or North Korea, and others to try to get more weapons” in a bid to fuel the war.

This requires Ukraine’s allies in the West to be prepared to back the war-hit nation with weapons for a long time.

“The need will continue to be there, because this is a war of attrition; this is about industrial capacity to sustain the support,” he said.

Swedish lawmakers vote to endorse country joining Nato

05:00 , Emily Atkinson

Swedish lawmakers overwhelmingly voted Wednesday in favor of Sweden joining Nato, signing off on the country’s membership along with the required legislation.

The 349-seat parliament authorized Sweden’s accession to Nato in a 269-37 vote, with 43 lawmakers absent. It was the last required domestic hurdle to the country becoming part of the 30-member Western military alliance.

Six of the eight parties represented in parliament were in favor of Nato membership, and the vote that followed a nearly seven-hour debate was seen as a formality.

Swedish lawmakers vote to endorse country joining NATO

Ukrainian soldiers acing Patriot system training in US – report

04:55 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian forces are almost ready to use the Patriot missile defence system on the battlefield to protect their war-hit nation, with the air defence system expected to reach Ukraine soon.

The soldiers sent to the US to master the air defence system have shown impressive adeptness at learning one of the best war machines, officials told Politico.

“The Ukrainian soldiers are impressive, and absolutely a quick study,” Brig. Gen. Shane Morgan, commanding general of the Army’s Fires Centre of Excellence told Politico.

He added: “Due to their extensive air defence knowledge and experience in a combat zone, it was easier — though it’s never easy — for them to grasp the Patriot system.”

“They are the best of the best in what they do in air defence for Ukraine,” the US military general said.

A senior Fort Sill official said that the Ukrainian forces who are training have moved rapidly through the assignment even as the course was conceived to be a 10-week basic programme.

Zelensky visits wounded soldiers in Bakhmut

04:24 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky returned to the battlefield areas in the war-hit Ukraine and visited several troops, staff and commanders in Donbas and Kharkiv, with a dedicated trip to besieged Bakhmut.

“I started from the front, from the Bakhmut area. It is an honor for me to support our warriors who are defending the country in the toughest frontline conditions. I presented state awards, thanked our soldiers for their bravery, for their resilience, for Ukraine - which we are preserving thanks to such heroes, thanks to each and every one of them who is fighting against Russian evil,” Mr Zelensky said.

A video of his visit showed the Ukrainian president visiting a gas station, clicking photos with the staff, meeting with commanders in unspecified bunkers and thanking the Ukrainian soldiers fighting on ground.

“I paid a visit to the wounded warriors. I wished them - and I’m sure on behalf of all of you, all of our people - a speedy recovery. I thanked the doctors and nurses. And now I want to thank everyone who supports our soldiers recovering from injuries. Who helps with everything necessary, our doctors, everyone who works for rehabilitation after injuries. I am grateful to every volunteer, every partner of ours who helps!” he said in his nightly address.

The war-time president said that it is “distressing to look at the cities of Donbas, to which Russia has brought terrible suffering and ruin”.

“The almost constant, hourly air-alert siren in Kramatorsk, the constant threat of shelling, the constant threat to life... Right there, in Donbas, in the Kharkiv region — wherever Russian evil has come, it is obvious that the terrorist state cannot be stopped by anything other than one thing — our victory. And we will ensure it — the Ukrainian victory,” he said.

Latest images from the frontline in eastern Ukraine

04:00 , Emily Atkinson

Overnight drone attacks rattle Ukraine

03:27 , Arpan Rai

Russia swarmed Ukrainian cities with multiple drone attacks overnight in a display of force after the Chinese president departed from Russia.

A total of nine people have been reportedly killed in the slew of attacks in Zaporizhzhia and south of Kyiv in Rzhyshchiv, officials said.

Of these, officials said one person was killed and 33 were injured in a twin missile strike in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.

Another eight people were killed and seven were injured in a drone attack in Rzhyshchiv where two dormitories and a college were struck, regional police chief Andrii Nebytov said.

Glass, debris and wrecked cars were visible at a playground and a car park at the scene in Zaporizhzhia as emergency workers carried out the wounded or escorted those who could walk.

Russia has claimed that it does not strike civilian areas and is only targeting the military in its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Slovakia offered US helicopters for giving jets to Ukraine

03:00 , Emily Atkinson

The United States has offered Slovakia 12 new military helicopters as compensation for the MiG-29 fighter jets the European country is giving to Ukraine, Slovakia’s defense minister said Wednesday.

Under the offer, Slovakia would pay $340 million for the Bell AH-1Z attack choppers in a deal worth about $1 billion that also includes 500 AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles and training, Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said.

US foreign military financing would cover the other $660 million, he said. The European Union also would send Slovakia 200 million euros ($213 million) in additional compensation, Nad said.

Slovakia offered US helicopters for giving jets to Ukraine

Russia and Belarus barred from next season’s ice hockey worlds

02:00 , Emily Atkinson

Russia and Belarus teams were excluded by the International Ice Hockey Federation on Wednesday from all its world championships next season, including the women’s event in the United States.

The IIHF cited security concerns for players, competition staff and fans — because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — to extend the exclusion that will stretch beyond two years when the 2023-24 season is over.

“It is too soon,” IIHF president Luc Tardif said about letting Russia return. “Too many risks.”

Russia, Belarus barred from next season's ice hockey worlds

Analysis: China's sway over Russia grows amid Ukraine fight

01:00 , Emily Atkinson

It was a revealing moment during Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s tightly scripted visit to Moscow: Standing in the doorway of the Grand Kremlin Palace, he told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the two of them were “witnessing the changes that haven’t been seen in more than a century, and we are pushing them together.”

“I agree,” Putin responded.

The remarks — caught on a Kremlin camera over a bodyguard’s shoulder — offered a rare glimpse into Xi’s ambitions and his relationship with Russia after more than a year of fighting in Ukraine.

Analysis: China's sway over Russia grows amid Ukraine fight

Xi Jinping’s parting comment to Putin on leaving Moscow: ‘Changes are happening’

00:00 , Emily Atkinson

Xi Jinping had a parting comment about China for his “dear friend” Vladimir Putin as he concluded his two-day trip to Moscow.

On Tuesday evening, Mr Xi shook Mr Putin’s hand and talked about unprecedented change.

“Change is coming that hasn’t happened in 100 years. And we are driving this change together,” he said.

Maroosha Muzaffar has more:

Xi Jinping’s parting comment to Putin on leaving Moscow: ‘Changes are happening’

US weighs in on Moscow’s reaction to depleted uranium tank ammunition

Wednesday 22 March 2023 23:00 , Emily Atkinson

The US has accused Russia of “driving a stake” through “yet another straw man” over Moscow’s assertion the UK increased the chances of a “nuclear collision” by supplying Ukraine with depleted uranium tank shells.

Asked about Russia’s remarks, US defence department spokesman John Kirby said: “Well, certainly we would let the the UK speak for itself in terms of what sovereign decisions they’re going to make about providing ammunition but I mean, make no mistake, this is yet another straw man through which the Russians are driving a stake.

“This kind of ammunition is fairly commonplace been in use for for decades. I think what’s really going on here is Russia just doesn’t want Ukraine to continue to take out its tanks and and, and render them inoperative.”

China ‘very carefully’ West’s response to Russian invasion, says Blinken

Wednesday 22 March 2023 22:00 , Emily Atkinson

China is “very carefully” watching how Washington and the world respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but has not yet crossed the line of providing lethal aid to Moscow, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said.

Speaking on the heels of a visit to Moscow by Chinese president Xi Jinping, Blinken told a Senate hearing that if Russia was allowed to attack its neighbor with impunity, it would “open a Pandora’s box” for would-be aggressors and lead to a “world of conflict.”

“The stakes in Ukraine go well beyond Ukraine. ... I think it has a profound impact in Asia, for example,” Blinken said, noting that Japan and South Korea had been major supporters of Ukraine in the conflict.

However, he said he did not believe that China has been providing lethal aid to Moscow.

“As we speak today, we have not seen them cross that line,” Blinken told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, the first of four times he will testify to congressional committees this week.

World Bank puts cost of rebuilding Ukraine at $411 billion

Wednesday 22 March 2023 21:02 , Emily Atkinson

A World Bank report released on Wednesday puts the cost of Ukraine‘s recovery and rebuilding from Russia’s invasion at $411 billion over the next decade, with the cost of cleaning up the war rubble alone at $5 billion.

The report provides both sweeping and closely detailed looks at some of the toll of Russia’s war in Ukraine: at least 9,655 civilians confirmed dead, including 465 children; nearly 2 million homes damaged; more than one out of five public health institutions damaged; and 650 ambulances damaged or looted.

In all, the World Bank calculated $135 billion in direct damage to buildings and infrastructure so far, not counting broader economic damage.

The damage would be even worse if not for the strong defense mounted by the Ukrainian forces, Anna Bjerde, the World Bank vice president for Europe and Central Asia, noted in a call with reporters. She said the worst damage has been confined to the front-line regions of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Kherson.

As it is, the World Bank said, Russia’s invasion has undone 15 years of economic progress in Ukraine, cutting Ukraine‘s gross domestic product by 29 per cent and pushing 1.7 million Ukrainians into poverty.

Zelensky points to Xi’s Moscow visit as he hits out at Russian strikes

Wednesday 22 March 2023 20:00 , Emily Atkinson

Volodymyr Zelensky made an apparent reference to Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow while condeming the latest waves of Russian strikes on Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky tweeted: “Every time someone tries to hear the word ‘peace’ in Moscow, another order is given there for such criminal strikes.”

It came after Russia blasted an apartment block in Ukraine with missiles on Wednesday and swarmed cities with drone attacks overnight.

Russian air strikes on two Ukrainian cities kill seven, officials say

Wednesday 22 March 2023 19:30 , Emily Atkinson

At least seven people were killed on Wednesday in Russian air strikes on Ukrainian cities which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said showed Moscow was not interested in peace.

In a series of early-morning drone strikes, six people were killed and 18 taken to hospital when two dormitories and a college were hit in Rzhyshchiv, 40 miles (64 km) south of the capital Kyiv, regional police chief Andrii Nebytov said.

The attack left a gaping hole in the top floor of a five-storey dormitory and a pile of rubble marked where part of another building had stood, a Reuters witness said.

Hours later, two residential buildings were damaged in a missile strike on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. One person was killed and 33 taken to hospital, officials said.

The Ukrainian military said it knocked out 16 of 21 Iranian-made Shahed drones fired by Russia.

More images from Prince William’s visit to Poland

Wednesday 22 March 2023 19:00 , Emily Atkinson

Mary Dejevsky: Why the West should worry about the end to the Putin and Xi summit

Wednesday 22 March 2023 18:30 , Emily Atkinson

This week’s Russia-China summit in Moscow was not unusual in itself, writes Mary Dejevsky. Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have met many times more, and less, formally. They appear to have established an amicable and straight-talking relationship – their discussions were described by Putin at their closing press conference as “frank, open and friendly”.

Viewed through the longer lens of history, however, this visit may end up being seen as a unique, landmark, occasion: the point at which the global centre of gravity started seriously to shift from West to East.

Why the West should worry about the Putin and Xi summit | Mary Dejevsky

Russia says risk of a nuclear clash ‘is at its highest level in decades'

Wednesday 22 March 2023 18:00 , Emily Atkinson

The risk of a nuclear clash is at its highest level in decades, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov has said.

Strained relations between Russia and the United States have worsened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. In February, Moscow pulled out of the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with Washington.

Speaking at an event entitled “A World Without START: What’s Next”, Ryabkov said there was “no question” of Russia restoring the treaty for now, criticising what he called Washington’s “hostile course” towards Moscow.

“I wouldn’t want to dive into a discussion about whether the likelihood of a nuclear conflict is high today, but it is higher than anything we have had for the past few decades, let’s put it that way,” the Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.

Ryabkov said Russia was committed to keeping the world “safe and free” from the threat of nuclear war, but added later that business could not continue as usual, given that Moscow was now “in a de facto state of open conflict with the United States”.

Prince William makes surprise trip to base near Kyiv border

Wednesday 22 March 2023 17:36 , Emily Atkinson

Prince William has thanked British troops based roughly an hour’s drive from the Ukrainian border for “defending our freedoms” during a surprise trip to Poland.

The Prince of Wales told soldiers at an air defence military base in the south-eastern Polish city of Rzeszow that their work to keep “an eye on” the situation in Ukraine is “really important”.

After arriving at the base on Wednesday afternoon, the prince, dressed casually in a black puffer jacket and trousers, was shown a missile launcher.

William said the two-day trip will allow him to personally thank troops and pay tribute to the “inspiring humanity of the Polish people” aiding Ukrainian refugees.

Speaking to the soldiers, he said: “I just wanted to come here in person to say thank you for all that you’re doing, keeping everyone safe out here and keeping an eye on what’s going on.

“So, just a big thank you for what you do on a day-to-day basis.”

He added: “You’re doing a really important job out here and defending our freedoms is really important, and everyone back home thoroughly supports you.”

The base, made up of a coalition of British, Polish and US troops, is helping to aid support to Ukraine.

Watch: China's Xi Jinping tells Putin 'change is coming' as he departs Moscow

Wednesday 22 March 2023 16:48 , Emily Atkinson

China ‘watching the world’s response to war in Ukraine'

Wednesday 22 March 2023 15:37 , Katy Clifton

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said that China is “very carefully” watching how Washington and the world respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the impact of which he said was being felt in Asia.

Speaking on the heels of a visit to Moscow by Chinese president Xi Jinping, Blinken said if Russia was allowed to attack its neighbour with impunity, it would “open a Pandora’s box” for would-be aggressors and lead to a “world of conflict.”

“The stakes in Ukraine go well beyond Ukraine ... I think it has a profound impact in Asia, for example,” Mr Blinken said, noting that Japan and South Korea had been major supporters of Ukraine in the conflict.

Russia’s invasion has led to debates over how the war will affect China’s military thinking regarding Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing sees as sovereign Chinese territory.

‘Seven killed in Russian strikes'

Wednesday 22 March 2023 15:05 , Katy Clifton

At least seven people have been killed in Russian air strikes on Ukrainian cities today, officials have said.

In a series of early-morning drone strikes, six people were killed and 18 were taken to hospital when two dormitories and an educational facility were hit in Rzhyshchiv, 40 miles (64 km) south of Kyiv, according to regional police chief Andrii Nebytov.

The attack left a gaping hole in the top floor of a five-storey dormitory and a pile of rubble marked where part of another building had stood, a Reuters witness said.

Hours later, two residential buildings were damaged in a missile strike on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. Local officials said one person was killed and 33 were taken to hospital.

Russia says risk of nuclear conflict at highest level in decades

Wednesday 22 March 2023 14:51 , Katy Clifton

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday that the probability of a nuclear conflict was at its highest level in decades, Russian news agencies reported.

He also said there could be no talk of secret or open negotiations with Washington on restoring the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, which Russia pulled out of in February.

‘Bestial’ Zaporizhzhia strike kills one, says Zelensky

Wednesday 22 March 2023 14:30 , Liam James

Ukraine’s president posted a video showing what he said was a Russian missile slamming into an apartment building in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least one person.

The video posted by Volodymyr Zelensky to Telegram appeared to be CCTV footage that captured the moment a missile hit the nine-storey residential block by a busy road.

Ukrainian media carried pictures showing charred apartments on several storeys of the affected buildings, and flames billowing from some of them. Two children were among the wounded, said Zaporizhzhia city council secretary Anatolii Kurtiev, adding that 25 needed hospital treatment, with three in a critical condition.

“Russia is shelling the city with bestial savagery,” Mr Zelensky wrote to accompany the video. “Residential areas where ordinary people and children live are being fired at.”

China calls for UN investigation into Nord Stream blast

Wednesday 22 March 2023 14:00 , Liam James

China supports a United Nations led investigation into the Nord Stream blast, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said in a tweet on Wednesday.

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines built by Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom connecting Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea were hit by a series of unexplained explosions last September.

Russia called for a UN-led investigation at a meeting of the UN Security Council last month, but Western members said Moscow was using the incident to distract from its invasion of Ukraine.

The Chinese foreign ministry’s announcement follows a series of closed door meetings between Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Putin’s claim UK is sending nuclear arms to Ukraine is ‘bonkers’ says expert

Wednesday 22 March 2023 13:30 , Liam James

China’s peace plan could be the basis for settling the war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin claimed on Tuesday as he accused Britain of using “nuclear” tank ammunition (Alastair Jamieson writes).

Speaking after marathon talks in Moscow with Xi Jinping, the Russian president accused the West of not being interested in a deal and said Britain plans to provide Kyiv with tank rounds containing depleted uranium.

“If that happens, Russia will respond accordingly, given that the collective West is starting to use weapons with a nuclear component,” he said.

However, the Ministry of Defence dismissed it as deliberate misinformation while a weapons expert called it “bonkers”.

Putin’s claim UK is sending nuclear arms to Ukraine is ‘bonkers’

Slovakia offered US helicopters for Ukraine aid

Wednesday 22 March 2023 13:00 , Liam James

The United States has offered Slovakia 12 new military helicopters as compensation for the MiG-29 fighter jets the European country is giving to Ukraine, Slovakia’s defense minister said today.

Under the offer, Slovakia would pay $340m (£277m) for the Bell AH-1Z attack choppers in a deal worth about $1bn (£0.8bn) that also includes 500 AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles and training, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said.

U.S. foreign military financing would cover the other $660m, he said. The European Union also would send Slovakia €200m (£175m) in additional compensation, Mr Nad said.

The Slovak government still needs to accept the offer. Mr Nad said his country’s armed forces currently don’t have any combat helicopters and that the deal would “significantly increase the defense capability of Slovakia.”

Cost of rebuilding Ukraine shoots up to £335bn

Wednesday 22 March 2023 12:30 , Liam James

Rebuilding Ukraine’s economy after Russia’s invasion more than a year ago is now expected to cost $411bn (£335bn), 2.6 times Ukraine’s expected 2022 gross domestic product, a new study by the World Bank, United Nations, European Commission and Ukraine found.

The estimate released Wednesday covers the period spanning one year from Russia’s invasion on 24 February 2022 and quantifies the direct physical damage to infrastructure and buildings, the impact on people’s lives and livelihoods and the cost to “build back better,” the World Bank said.

The amount is up sharply from an estimate of $349bn (£284bn) released last September, since when Ukraine has endured a brutal campaign of attacks by Russia on its energy infrastructure.

Zelensky on frontline in Bakhmut

Wednesday 22 March 2023 11:50 , Liam James

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky visited Ukrainian troops near the frontline city of Bakhmut today and handed out medals, his office said.

“I am honoured to be here today to give awards to our heroes. To shake hands and thank them for protecting the sovereignty of our country,” Mr Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app under video footage showing him handing out the awards.

Four killed in Kyiv drone strike

Wednesday 22 March 2023 11:12 , Liam James

The death toll from a drone strike in Kyiv Oblast has been revised upwards to four.

A high school and two dormitories were partially destroyed in an overnight drone attack in the city of Rzhyshchiv, south of the Ukrainian capital, local officials said. It was not clear how many people were in the dormitories at the time.

The body of a 40-year-old man was pulled from the rubble on a dormitory’s fifth floor, according to regional police chief Andri Nebytov.

More than 20 people were hospitalised, Mr Nebytov said, and a few others were unaccounted for. Ukrainian air defenses downed 16 of the 21 drones launched by Russia, the Ukraine General Staff said.

Russia is only one talking about nuclear escalation, says UK

Wednesday 22 March 2023 10:13 , Liam James

British foreign secretary James Cleverly said the UK was not seeking nuclear escalation in the Ukraine war, after Russia condemned London’s plan to supply Ukraine with ammunition containing depleted uranium.

The Ministry of Defence on Monday confirmed it was supplying Ukraine with that type of ammunition, which is used in weapons because it can penetrate tanks and armour more easily due to its density and other physical properties.

“There is no nuclear escalation. The only country in the world that is talking about nuclear issues is Russia. There is no threat to Russia, this is purely about helping Ukraine defend itself,” Mr Cleverly said.

‘Change is coming,’ Xi tells Putin on leaving Russia

Wednesday 22 March 2023 08:53 , Liam James

China’s President Xi Jinping left Russia on Wednesday after a grandiose display of solidarity with President Vladimir Putin against the West, that ended with the two autocrats pledging to work together to shape a new world order.

During his two-day visit Mr Xi barely mentioned the Ukraine conflict and said on Tuesday in final remarks that China had an “impartial position”. There was no sign that Mr Xi‘s efforts to play the role of peacemaker had yielded results, but nor did he make any offer of direct support for Mr Putin‘s war in Ukraine.

Yet, as Mr Xi departed he told Mr Putin: “Now there are changes that haven’t happened in 100 years. When we are together, we drive these changes.”

“I agree,” Mr Putin said, to which Mr Xi responded: ”Take care of yourself dear friend, please.”

IMF signs off £12.7bn loan for Ukraine

Wednesday 22 March 2023 08:35 , Liam James

Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have agreed on a $15.6bn (£12.7bn) loan package aimed at shoring up government finances severely strained by Russia’s invasion.

Ukraine’s finance ministry said the programme would “help to mobilise financing from Ukraine’s international partners, as well as to maintain macrofinancial stability and ensure the path to post-war reconstruction after Ukrainian victory in the war against the aggressor”.

The loan programme – which was also aimed at leveraging more support by reassuring allies that Ukraine was pursuing strong economic policies – would run for four years.

The first 12 to 18 months would focus on helping Ukraine close its budget deficit and alleviate pressure to finance spending through printing money at the central bank, the IMF said in a statement.

The remainder of the programme would focus on supporting Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership and post-war reconstruction.

Russia warns US against escalation after days of tension

Wednesday 22 March 2023 07:31 , Liam James

Russia is urging the United States not to escalate the situation in Ukraine, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday, the Interfax news agency reported.

The minister’s comments come after days of tension since an American drone was downed by a Russian jet.

Yesterday secretary of Russia‘s Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, said the United States wanted to “defeat Russia“ and had become a participant in the conflict in Ukraine.

Earlier, a Pentagon official said the US plans to speed up the delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine, a Pentagon official said, providing the vital equipment to Kyiv as soon as this fall.

Russia also lashed out at Britain, warning of nuclear escalation after a defence minister in London revealed Challenger tanks being sent to Ukraine would be loaded with missiles tipped with depleted uranium.

Three killed in overnight Russian drone strikes on Kyiv region – officials

Wednesday 22 March 2023 07:02 , Arpan Rai

At least three people were killed and another seven wounded in overnight Russian drone strikes on the Kyiv region, Ukrainian officials confirmed this morning.

A civilian object had been damaged and resecuers are still working at the scene of the military strike, the Kyiv regional military administration reported on its Telegram channel.

The Ukrainian military said it had shot down 16 out of 21 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched at Ukraine overnight by Russia.

Voices: Is Putin desperate enough to let Xi get his way over Ukraine?

Wednesday 22 March 2023 07:00 , Emily Atkinson

Russia is losing badly in Ukraine, writes Timothy Ash. It has already suffered a colossal loss of manpower, military equipment and prestige for Putin. It has also caused a sizeable economic hit to the Russian economy as sanctions have pushed it into recession, forced a brain drain and capital flight and seen close to $400bn in its assets frozen in the West.

Is Putin desperate enough to let Xi get his way over Ukraine?

Russia may be losing grip on Bakhmut, says MoD

Wednesday 22 March 2023 06:39 , Arpan Rai

There is a realistic likelihood that Russia’s assault on Bakhmut is losing the limited momentum it gained over winter and spring, the British defence ministry has said today.

“Over recent days Ukrainian forces initiated a local counterattack to the west of the Donetsk oblast town of Bakhmut, which is likely to relieve pressure on the threatened H-32 supply route,” the MoD pointed out in the latest intelligence update.

It added that fighting continues around the town centre and the Ukrainian defence forces remain at risk from envelopment from the north and south.

“However, there is a realistic possibility that the Russian assault on the town is losing the limited momentum it had obtained, partially because some Russian MoD units have been reallocated to other sectors,” the ministry said.

‘Signs’ Putin has requested lethal weapons from China, Nato chief says

Wednesday 22 March 2023 06:29 , Arpan Rai

Nato general secretary Jens Stoltenberg has warned that China appears to be mulling arms supplies to Russia as Xi Jinping discussed Beijing’s peace plan for Ukraine with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

“We haven’t seen any proof that China is delivering lethal weapons to Russia but we have seen some signs that this has been a request from Russia, and that this is an issue that is considered in Beijing by the Chinese authorities,” Mr Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

He said China should not provide weapons that could be used in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as “that would be to support an illegal war.” He added that arms supplies would prolong the conflict.

Read the full sotry here:

‘Signs’ Putin has requested lethal weapons from China, Nato chief says