Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin ‘buying time’ to strike back at Wagner chief Prigozhin, says US

Russian president Vladimir Putin is the “ultimate apostle of payback” and is buying time to strike back against Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prighozin, CIA director William Burns said.

The Wagner mutiny last month was one of the toughest challenges to the Kremlin in decades and exposed “some of the significant weaknesses in a system that Putin has built”, Mr Burns said.

“Putin is someone who generally thinks that revenge is a dish best served cold,” he said at the Aspen Security Forum 2023.

“In my experience, Putin is the ultimate apostle of payback so I would be surprised if Prigozhin escapes further retribution.

“If I were Prigozhin, I wouldn’t fire my food taster.”

Meanwhile, the US has hit nearly 120 people and entities with new Russia-related sanctions, designed to block its access to electronics and battlefield supplies.

Russia‘s embassy in Washington denounced the sanctions as part of “endless attacks” by Joe Biden’s administration “in the context of the hybrid war unleashed by the West against our country”.

Elsewhere, US-supplied cluster munitions are in the Ukrainian military’s hands and are being deployed, John Kirby said.

Key Points

• Russia restricts movements of British diplomats in response to 'hostile actions'

• China’s consular building damaged in Russian attack on Ukraine’s Odesa

• Russia preparing for attacks on civilian ships in Black Sea, White House claims

• Wheat prices soar as Russia attacks grain storage

• Why the expiry of the Black Sea grain deal matters

Putin buying time to strike back Wagner group leader, says CIA chief

04:26 , Shweta Sharma

Russian president Vladimir Putin is likely buying time while working out how best to seek revenge against Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prighozin, CIA director William Burns said.

Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, Mr Burns said the rebellion last month by the mercenary group exposed significant weaknesses in Mr Putin’s projected power on the world stage.

“What we are seeing is a very complicated dance,” the CIA chief said on Thursday.

“Putin is someone who generally thinks that revenge is a dish best served cold,” Mr Burns said. “In my experience, Putin is the ultimate apostle of payback so I would be surprised if Prigozhin escapes further retribution.”

Joe Biden earlier speculated that Mr Prigozhin could be poisoned, saying: “If I were he I’d be careful what I ate. I’d keep my eye on my menu.”

Mr Burns shared similar concerns, saying: “If I were Prigozhin, I wouldn’t fire my food taster.”

New round of US sanction target Russia’s ‘access to battlefield supplies'

04:12 , Shweta Sharma

The US on Thursday imposed a new round of sanctions against 120 people and entities to block Russia’s access to electronic and other goods that aid its war against Ukraine, the Treasury and State Department announced.

The new measures were designed to “reduce Russia’s revenue from the metals and mining sector, undermine its future energy capabilities and degrade Russia’s access to the international financial system,” the Treasury said.

“Today’s actions represent another step in our efforts to constrain Russia’s military capabilities, its access to battlefield supplies, and its economic bottom line,” deputy treasury secretary Wally Adeyemo said in the statement.

Russia’s embassy in Washington denounced the sanctions as “endless attacks” by US president Joe Biden’s administration “in the context of the hybrid war unleashed by the West against our country”.

The White House’s “destructive actions” confirmed Russia’s policy of boosting its “defence capability and financial and technological sovereignty” and leave no alternative “to speeding up the process of decoupling the dollar from worldwide economic relations,” an embassy statement said.

Sanctions were imposed on people, including a Russian and a North Korean national – Yong Hyok Rim – linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary organisation, for helping to supply munitions to Russia.

Two other private Russian military companies were targeted, including Okhrana, owned by Kremlin-controlled energy company Gazprom.

Ukrainian minister quits as Zelensky orders restraint on spending in wartime

03:57 , Shweta Sharma

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged his government on Thursday to show restraint over spending in wartime so the country can focus more resources on the defence department.

The call prompted his culture minister, who is a proponent of several high-profile and costly projects, to offer his resignation.

“In a time of war like this the maximum amount of state attention and therefore state resources should go to defence,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address, referring to a conversation he had earlier with prime minister Denys Shmyhal.

He told Mr Shmyhal to find alternative funding for projects “that are really necessary. This applies to various areas, including culture. Museums, cultural centres, symbols, television series are important, but we have other priorities.”

He said he had appealed to local councils to show restraint so that “people feel that budget resources are used fairly and correctly... Cobblestones, city decorations, fountains will have to wait. Victory first.”

And he asked Mr Shmyhal to “consider replacing” culture and information policy minister Olexander Tkachenko.

Within an hour, Mr Tkachenko said he had tendered his resignation, while remaining unapologetic about his projects.

“Culture in wartime is important as this war is not just about territory but also people – our memory, history, language and creativity despite the war,” Mr Tkachenko, who headed a television channel before entering politics, wrote on Telegram.

“Private and state funding for culture in wartime is no less important than for drones. Culture is the shield for our identity and our borders.”

Cluster munitions in Ukrainian hands, being deployed in field -White House

Friday 21 July 2023 00:00 , William Mata

US-supplied cluster munitions are in Ukrainian hands and being deployed in the field as part of Kyiv’s battle against Russia, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, the country imposed sanctions on roughly 120 firms and people from Russia to the United Arab Emirates to Kyrgyzstan in an effort to choke off Moscow's access to products, money and financial channels that support its invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine and Pakistan call for restoring the Black Sea grain deal after talks in Islamabad

Thursday 20 July 2023 23:00 , William Mata

The foreign ministers of Ukraine and Pakistan called Thursday for the restoration of the Black Sea grain initiative to ensure global food security, days after Russia halted the wartime deal that had allowed grain to flow from Ukraine.

The two sides made the demand at a news conference after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari after arriving on his first visit to the Islamic nation.

Kuleba also met with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to a government statement. It quoted Sharif saying that the conflict in Ukraine has had a significant global impact that has hurt the economies of many countries.

US sanctions 120 firms and people from Russia to UAE to weaken Moscow’s access to products

Thursday 20 July 2023 22:00 , William Mata

The US has imposed sanctions on roughly 120 firms and people from Russia to the United Arab Emirates to Kyrgyzstan in an effort to choke off Moscow's access to products, money and financial channels that support its invasion of Ukraine.

The sanctions imposed by the Treasury and State departments target dozens of Russian mining, technology and munitions firms and commercial banks.

In addition, a group of Kyrgyzstan-based electronics firms and its leadership were targeted as exporters of components and other technology to Russia.

A UAE-based engineering company that sent dozens of shipments of electronics to Russia was also sanctioned.

The latest sanctions build on those imposed on Russia when the US and other G7 nations rolled out a wave of global actions during a Japan summit in May.

"Since Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States, working with our allies and partners, has taken unprecedented steps to impose costs on Russia and promote accountability for the individuals and entities who support its illegal war," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

"We will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," he said.

Russia imposes travel restrictions on UK diplomats

Thursday 20 July 2023 21:00 , AP

Russia on Thursday imposed travel restrictions on most British diplomats in the country, a practice reminiscent of the Soviet Union's tight control over the movement of foreigners.

The Foreign Ministry summoned UK charge d'affaires Tom Dodd to announce the policy, saying it was "a response to the hostile actions of London, including hindering the normal functioning of Russian overseas missions in the UK."

The ministry also said it upbraided Dodd for the UK's support of "the terrorist actions of the Kyiv regime." Britain is among the countries most strongly supporting Ukraine in the fighting with Russia.

Under the restrictions, most UK diplomatic personnel will be required to give Russia five days' notice of intent to travel out a 120-kilometer (75-mile) radius and to state the purpose of the trip, the route, accommodations and planned contacts.

The ambassador, the consuls in Moscow and the deputy chief of mission are exempt from the order.

Russia has no plans to attack civilian ships in Black Sea - ambassador

Thursday 20 July 2023 20:30 , William Mata

Russia is not preparing to attack civilian ships in the Black Sea despite assertions by the United States, Russia's ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, said on Thursday, in comments posted by his embassy.

On Wednesday, Moscow said it would deem all ships travelling to Ukrainian ports to be potential carriers of military cargo and their flag countries to be parties to the conflict on the Ukrainian side, after quitting a year-old deal to give ships exporting Ukrainian grain safe passage despite the war.

Commenting on the decision, White House said Russia may expand its targeting of Ukrainian grain facilities to include attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea.

Russia has still not granted IAEA access to Zaporizhzhia reactor roofs

Thursday 20 July 2023 20:00 , William Mata

Russia has still not let the UN nuclear watchdog's team at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine have access to the rooftops of the occupied plant's reactors, the agency said on Thursday as it follows up on Ukrainian accusations of foul play.

"International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts have carried out additional inspections and walkdowns at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) over the past week.

“So far without observing any heavy military equipment, explosives or mines, but they are still awaiting access to the rooftops of the reactor buildings," the IAEA said in a statement.

US ‘deeply concerned’ about Russian attacks

Thursday 20 July 2023 19:30 , William Mata

The United States is “deeply concerned” about Russian attacks in the Black Sea, the White House said Thursday.

“We’re deeply concerned about what we’re seeing in the Black Sea right now”, Olivia Dalton, White House deputy press secretary, told reporters on Air Force One, citing three straight days of Russian attacks on port cities and indications Russia could attack civilian ships in the area.

EU to create dedicated 20 billion Euros section for Ukraine defence

Thursday 20 July 2023 19:00 , Reuters

The European Union will provide up to five billion euros ($5.57 billion) a year for the next four years for Ukraine's defence needs via the means of a "dedicated section" under the European Peace facility, the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said on Thursday.

“It's still the same tool, the European Peace facility, which has been working very well and we will continue using it but with a dedicated chapter inside it, with a specific funding which can be estimated on the figures I mentioned," Mr Borrell told reporters during a press conference after convening with EU member states' foreign ministers.

Tinkoff investigating impact of US and Canadian sanctions

Thursday 20 July 2023 18:30 , William Mata

Tinkoff has said it is investigating the impact of US and Canadian sanctions, imposed on Thursday.

The statement comes after Britain removed sanctions on serial entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov on Thursday, days after an appeal by British billionaire Richard Branson and nine months after Tinkov, critical of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, renounced his Russian citizenship.

Britain sanctioned Tinkov, the founder of digital bank Tinkoff, a month after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, naming him as "a prominent Russian businessman" who had been involved in an area of strategic significance to the Russian government.

The United States targeted 18 individuals and dozens of organisations, including Tinkoff Bank, in its latest Russia-related sanctions on Thursday.

Russia steps up assault on Ukraine’s ports and threatens attack on ships

Thursday 20 July 2023 18:00 , William Mata / Chris Stevenson

Russia has stepped up its assault on Ukraine's ports with a third night of air strikes and a threat it is now treating all ships heading for those ports as potential military targets.

Saying that Moscow was deliberately turning the Black Sea into a "danger zone", Kyiv responded in kind by saying that from Friday they would treat ships heading for Russian ports – or Russian-occupied ports in Ukraine – would be treated the same way, as if they are carrying weapons or other military cargo.

Read Chris Stevenson’s story here.

Labour call for Wagner group to be ‘terror’ organisation

Thursday 20 July 2023 17:30 , PA

Senior Labour figures, including shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, have called on the Government to proscribe the Wagner group as a terror organisation for its role in the Ukraine conflict.

Wagner forces played a major part, albeit with reports of heavy casualties during fierce fighting, in capturing the salt mining city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region for Moscow earlier this year.

Ministers have so far refused to proscribe the organisation, pointing instead to the extensive sanctions applied by Britain on the group's leadership.

Downing Street says it is ‘too early’ to say what impact Black Sea grain deal with have on UK

Thursday 20 July 2023 17:00 , William Mata

Downing Street said it was "too early" to say what impact the Russia decision to end the Black Sea grain deal would have on the UK and inflation rates.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Russia pulling out of the grain deal is going to affect vulnerable countries the most."

He added that the UK was "speaking to other partners to seek to find a way forward for this".

Confirmation that three died in attack on southern cities

Thursday 20 July 2023 16:47 , William Mata / Reuters

Three people have been confirmed to have died in an attack on Thursday night in southern Ukrainian port cities which damaged a Chinese consular building.

Regional governor Oleh Kiper posted a photograph showing at least one broken window at the Chinese consulate in the Black Sea city of Odesa, but there was no sign of any other damage.

Beijing, a Russian ally, did not immediately comment on the incident, one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said 60,000 tons of agricultural products destined for China had been destroyed in an attack on another Ukrainian port city.

Belarus defence ministry release video said to show joint Wagner drills - video

Thursday 20 July 2023 16:23 , William Mata

The Belarus defence ministry has released a video said to show joint Wagner drills.

Ryanair eyes Ukraine tourism after Russia’s war ends

Thursday 20 July 2023 16:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ryanair’s boss has pledged to “charge back into Ukraine” once commercial flying reopens and promised investment worth $3 billion in the war-torn country.

Michael O’Leary visited Kyiv on Thursday and said that he soon hoped to reconnect Ukraine’s Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa airports with more than 20 European Union capital cities within eight weeks of the reopening of air space with around 600 weekly flights.

“The fastest way to rebuild and restore the Ukrainian economy will be with low fare air travel,” the chief executive said.

“Ryanair intends to invest heavily in Ukraine and lead this aviation recovery by investing up to $3 billion and basing up to 30 Boeing MAX aircraft at Ukraine’s three main airports in Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa.

Ryanair eyes Ukraine tourism after Russia’s war ends

UK sanctions ‘despicable’ Wagner leaders linked to African killings and torture

Thursday 20 July 2023 15:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

UK sanctions have been announced against “despicable” individuals linked to massacre, rape and torture carried out by the Wagner Group across Africa.

Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell said the Russian mercenary unit, as well as assisting the Kremlin with its invasion of Ukraine, was “acting with impunity” in countries such as Mali, Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan.

Mr Mitchell on Thursday announced 13 sanctions in a package aimed at individuals and businesses.

Officials said Wagner has operated in Mali, CAR and Sudan for several years where it is “aggressively pursuing Russian foreign policy interests” and providing military support to counter-terrorism operations which have seen hundreds of civilians killed.

UK sanctions ‘despicable’ Wagner leaders linked to African killings and torture

UK removes sanctions on businessman Tinkov after Branson plea

Thursday 20 July 2023 15:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Britain removed sanctions on serial entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov on Thursday, days after an appeal by British billionaire Richard Branson and around nine months after Tinkov, critical of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, had renounced his Russian citizenship.

The United Kingdom sanctioned Tinkov, the founder of digital bank Tinkoff, a month after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, naming him as “a prominent Russian businessman” who had been involved in an area of strategic significance to the Russian government.

Tinkov contested that designation, routinely criticising Russia‘s actions in Ukraine, offloading his stake in Tinkoff Bank and ultimately renouncing his Russian citizenship last October, saying he did not want to be associated with “fascism” or people who collaborate with “killers”.

“I decided to renounce my Russian citizenship after Russia invasion of independent Ukraine,” he wrote on Instagram in November. “I am against this war, and the killing of peaceful people.”

The UK Treasury on Thursday said: “The following entry has been removed from the consolidated list and is no longer subject to an asset freeze or trust services sanctions.”

Former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Virgin-founder Branson are among the high-profile figures to have come out in support of Tinkov.

The Times on Monday quoted Branson as writing: “I feel strongly that Mr Tinkov has been wrongly included on the list of sanctioned Russians.

“Whilst he was a wealthy Russian businessman he has never been an oligarch. I have always known him as a self-made dynamic entrepreneur. That is why I have liked and supported him and continue to do so.”

The British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office did not immediately comment on further questions about the decision to remove sanctions and whether Branson’s plea had played a role.

Law firm Corker Binning, which represented Tinkov, said it welcomed the FCDO’s decision.

Tinkov’s lawyers said his opposition to the invasion had led Russia‘s government to force him into selling his 35% stake in Tinkoff-owner TCS Group to Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin.

Russia restricts movements of British diplomats in response to 'hostile actions'

Thursday 20 July 2023 14:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia said on Thursday it was imposing restrictions on British diplomats, requiring them to give five days’ notice of any plans to travel beyond a 120-km (75-mile) radius, due to what it called London’s “hostile actions”.

Britain’s chargé d’affaires in Russia was summoned to the foreign ministry in Moscow to be scolded for what Moscow said was support for the “terrorist actions” of Ukraine and for obstruction of Russian diplomacy in Britain.

“The British side was also informed of the decision to introduce a notification procedure for the movement of employees of British diplomatic missions on the territory of our country as a response to London’s hostile actions,” the ministry said.

Britain is one of the loudest cheerleaders for concerted international opposition to what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, and one of the leading Western suppliers of weaponry to help Ukraine defend itself.

British diplomats, with the exception of the ambassador and three other senior diplomats, will be required to send notification of any plans to travel beyond the 120-km (75-mile) “free movement zone” at least five working days ahead.

“Such a document should contain information about the timing, purpose, type of trip, planned business contacts, accompanying persons, type of transport, places of visit and accommodation, as well as the route of the trip,” the ministry said.

Kyiv condemns 'unfriendly' Polish decision to extend Ukrainian grain ban

Thursday 20 July 2023 14:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Thursday condemned a decision by Poland to extend a ban on Ukrainian grain exports to the European Union as an “unfriendly and populist move”.

“During this critical time, Poland intends to continue blocking the export of UA (Ukrainian) grain to the EU. This is an unfriendly and populist move that will severely impact global food security and Ukraine‘s economy,” he wrote on Twitter.

Five central European countries want a European Union ban on grain imports from Ukraine to be extended at least until the end of the year. The ban is set to expire on Sept. 15.

Poland will not lift the ban on Sept. 15 even if the EU does not agree on its extension, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday.

Shmyhal urged Ukraine‘s partners and the executive European Commission to ensure the unimpeded export of all Ukrainian agriculture products to the EU.

“This is an act of solidarity not only with Ukraine but with the world, which relies on our grain,” he said.

Maintaining the exports is important for Ukraine, especially after Russia quit a deal allowing safe shipments of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea.

Agricultural exports are crucial for Ukraine‘s economy, making up about 12% of gross domestic product before Russia‘s invasion in February 2022 and about 60% of all exports.

EU ministers discuss 20 bln euro plan for Ukraine military aid

Thursday 20 July 2023 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

European Union foreign ministers met on Thursday to discuss their support for Ukraine, including a proposal to spend up to 20 billion euros ($22.4 billion) on weapons, ammunition and other military aid over four years.

The proposal, by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, is part of an effort to put European support for Kyiv on a longer-term footing, after more than a year of scrambling to respond to Ukraine‘s immediate needs following Russia‘s invasion.

The move would also be part of an international drive to give Ukraine long-term security assurances, as announced by members of the G7 bloc of wealthy nations on the sidelines of last week’s NATO military alliance summit in Vilnius.

“We’ll discuss how to continue supporting Ukraine in the long run,” Borrell said on arrival at the meeting in Brussels.

“I presented a plan in order to ensure financial support for Ukraine in the next years, which will amount to quite an important amount of money. I hope the ministers will support it,” he told reporters.

Borrell declined to provide figures before the meeting. But diplomats and officials said his proposal - first reported by Politico - is to add up to 5 billion euros a year for Ukraine into an EU-run fund named the European Peace Facility (EPF).

The Peace Facility has already allocated more than 5 billion euros in support for Ukraine since February last year.

The proposed extra funding would cover 2024 to 2027.

The Peace Facility is used to reimburse EU countries for at least part of the cost of weapons, ammunition and other military aid that they give to nations outside the bloc.

Borrell raised the prospect of a new cash pot for Kyiv last month and said it could be called the Ukraine Defence Fund.

White House says Russia is preparing for attacks on civilian ships in Black Sea

Thursday 20 July 2023 13:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Days after Russia suspended participation in a wartime deal that allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries around the world, the White House on Wednesday warned that the Russian military is preparing for possible attacks on civilian shipping vessels in the Black Sea.

Since leaving the Black Sea Grain Deal this week, Russia has already struck Ukraine’s grain export ports in Odesa with missile and drone attacks. Some 60,000 tons of grain were destroyed in the attacks.

“Our information indicates that Russia laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports,” White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said in a statement. “We believe that this is a coordinated effort to justify any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea and lay blame on Ukraine for these attacks.”

White House says Russia is preparing for attacks on civilian ships in Black Sea

Thursday 20 July 2023 13:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Foreign Office has announced sanctions against 13 individuals and businesses linked to the actions of the Wagner Group in Mali, Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Three designations are targeted at the mercenary group’s top officials in Mali and Central African Republic, including Konstantin Aleksandrovitch Pikalov, the so-called ‘right-hand man’ of Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The UK Government said Mr Pikalov had been responsible for the torture and targeted killings of civilians.

Wagner leader Mr Prigozhin, who led a mutiny against Moscow last month, has already been sanctioned by Britain, along with several of his key commanders, for their part in Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.

Andrew Mitchell, minister for development and Africa, said: “The Wagner Group is committing atrocities in Ukraine, as well as acting with impunity in countries like Mali, Central African Republic and Sudan. Wherever Wagner operates, it has a catastrophic effect on communities, worsens existing conflicts and damages the reputations of countries that host them.

“These sanctions expose despicable individuals who have commissioned violations of international humanitarian law, holding them to account for the severe harm they are inflicting on innocent civilians for financial gain.”

In a refugee camp in Kenya, food shortages left kids hungry even before Russia ended grain deal

Thursday 20 July 2023 13:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Abdikadir Omar was trapped in an extremist-controlled town in Somalia for years until May, when he slipped out to make a 12-day journey with his wife and seven children to neighboring Kenya in search of food and safety.

To his surprise, “I found peace but no food,” the 30-year-old told The Associated Press. He stood near the withered maize he tried to plant around his family’s makeshift shelter of branches and plastic sheeting outside one of the world’s largest refugee camps.

As global food insecurity suffers another shock with Russia’s termination of a deal to keep grain flowing from Ukraine, the hundreds of thousands of Somalis who have fled climate change and insecurity offer a stark example of what happens when aid runs low.

In a refugee camp in Kenya, food shortages left kids hungry even before Russia ended grain deal

At least 21 injured in third night of Russian air attacks

Thursday 20 July 2023 12:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A third night of Russian air attacks targeted Ukraine‘s southern cities, including the port city of Odesa, where at least two people were killed, Ukrainian officials have said.

Moscow vowed “retribution” earlier this week for an attack that damaged a crucial bridge between Russia and the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Russian officials blamed that strike on Ukraine.

Odesa governor Oleh Kiper said Ukrainian air defences destroyed all of the 12 Iranian-made Shahed drones and two Kalibr missiles that targeted Odesa.

But he said air defence systems were unable to shoot down some incoming missiles, in particular the X-22 and Onyx types.

The two people who died in Odesa were a 21-year-old security guard and another person who was found dead under rubble during a search and rescue operation, Mr Kiper said.

In Mykolaiv, another southern city close to the Black Sea, at least 19 people were injured overnight, the region’s governor Vitalii Kim said in a statement on Telegram.

Russian strikes partially destroyed a three-storey building and caused a fire that burned for hours.

Two people were admitted to hospital, including a child, according to the regional governor.

Ukraine urges restoration of Black Sea grain initiative

Thursday 20 July 2023 12:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday called for the restoration of the Black Sea grain initiative to meet the challenge of global food insecurity.

Kuleba is visiting Islamabad on a two-day trip.

His counterpart in Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari endorsed his comments, saying he planned to take the issue up with the secretary general of the United Nations.

The Black Sea grain deal expired on Monday after Russia quit it.

“We had to find the way to export our grain to the global market,” said Kuleba, adding, “land corridors cannot export the full amount of cereals available for export, this is the issue, which means prices will go up because of shortages of delivery.”

This is why it is so important to make everything possible to restore the Black Sea grain initiative, he said.

Chinese consular building damaged in Russian attack on Ukraine's Odesa

Thursday 20 July 2023 12:01 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A building at the Chinese consulate in Odesa was damaged in a Russian missile and drone attack on the southern Ukrainian port city, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Thursday.

The damage appeared to be minor. Kiper posted a photograph online showing the building with broken windows.

Russia, which is an ally of China, attacked the port cities of Odesa and Mykolaiv overnight for the third successive night.

“The aggressor is deliberately hitting the port infrastructure - administrative and residential buildings nearby were damaged, also the consulate of the People’s Republic of China. It shows the enemy does not pay attention to anything,” Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his daily late-night video address on Wednesday that 60,000 tons of agricultural products destroyed in a Russian air strike on Odesa port had been intended for shipment to China.

Putin extends export restrictions until end of 2025

Thursday 20 July 2023 11:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday extended a March 2022 decree imposing restrictions on the export of manufactured goods and raw materials from Russia until Dec. 31 2025, according to the text of a decree published on a Russian government website.

Kremlin concerned about Poland reinforcing Belarus border as Wagner arrives

Thursday 20 July 2023 11:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Poland’s decision to bolster its forces along its border with Belarus in response to the presence of Russian Wagner mercenary fighters was “a cause for concern”.

Poland, a member of the Western Nato military alliance, began moving over 1,000 troops, along with military hardware, to the east this month.

Warsaw had previously announced it was also sending 500 police to shore up security on the border to cope with rising numbers of migrants crossing, as well as the prospect of a Wagner presence.

The Belarusian defence ministry said on Thursday that Wagner mercenaries had started to train Belarusian special forces at a military range just a few miles from the border with Poland.

Asked about Poland’s move, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “Of course it is a cause for concern. The aggressiveness of Poland is a reality.

“Such a hostile attitude towards Belarus and the Russian Federation requires heightened attention (from our side).”

The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary

Thursday 20 July 2023 10:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

It was a month into Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces had withdrawn from around Kyiv and in their wake Bel Trew and her team stumbled on a body by an abandoned Russian camp.

His hands were tied. He had been burned and shot in the back. Soldiers said he was a teenager.

As Bel tried to find out who he was and what had happened, she uncovered a nightmare world: a nation struggling to find thousands of its missing and to identify its dead.

The Body in the Woods by Bel Trew is streaming now on Independent TV and on your smart TV.

The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary

Vladimir Putin to skip South Africa summit where he faced risk of arrest

Thursday 20 July 2023 10:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vladimir Putin will not attend a summit in South Africa next month – allowing the hosts to avoid a decision whether or not to arrest the Russian leader thanks to an international warrant over war crime allegations.

As a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC) which issued the warrant, South Africa would be expected to detain Mr Putin once he sets foot in the country. Although it has refused to honour that obligation in the past, allowing safe passage to Sudan’s then-president Omar al-Bashir in 2015, who was facing allegations of war crimes against his own people.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Mr Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights Maria Lvova-Belova in March in relation to the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

Putin will not attend South Africa summit – where he faced risk of arrest

Russia preparing for attacks on civilian ships in Black Sea, White House claims

Thursday 20 July 2023 09:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Russian military is preparing for possible attacks on civilian shipping vessels in the Black Sea, the White House has warned.

It comes days after Russia suspended participation in a wartime deal allowing grain to flow from Ukraine to countries around the world.

Since quitting the Black Sea grain deal this week, Russia has already hit Ukraine‘s grain export ports in Odesa with missile and drone attacks.

Some 54,400 tonnes of groin were destroyed in the attacks.

White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said in a statement: “Our information indicates that Russia laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports.

“We believe that this is a co-ordinated effort to justify any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea and lay blame on Ukraine for these attacks.”

Poland says it is monitoring situation on Belarus border

Thursday 20 July 2023 09:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Poland’s defence ministry is monitoring the situation on the border with Belarus and is prepared for various scenarios, it said on Thursday, after Belarus said mercenaries from Russia‘s Wagner Group would take part in military exercises near the border.

“Poland’s borders are secure, we are monitoring the situation on our eastern border on an ongoing basis and we are prepared for various scenarios as the situation develops,” the defence ministry said in an emailed statement.

German foreign minister: Ukrainian grain cannot be left to rot in silos

Thursday 20 July 2023 09:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Germany is working with allies to ensure that Ukrainian grain is not left to rot in silos after Russia pulled out of an export deal, and will intensify work on getting the grain out by rail, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels, Baerbock accused Russia of blackmail and trying to use the grain as a weapon at the expense of the world’s poorest.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Western countries of “perverting” the grain deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.

“Hundreds of thousands of people, not to say millions, urgently need the grain from Ukraine, which is why we are working with all our international partners so that the grain in Ukraine does not rot in silos in the next few weeks, but reaches the people of the world who urgently need it,” Baerbock said.

Russia fails to renew involvement in the Black Sea Grain Initiative

Thursday 20 July 2023 08:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In the latest intelligence update, the UK ministry of defence has said Russia “failed to renew its involvement in the Black Sea Grain Initiative”.

The ministry added: “This effectively nullified the security agreement which, despite the war, had ensured the safe passage of vessels exporting grain from Ukraine. Russia is aiming to deter all merchant shipping from Ukrainian ports.”

Teenage girl killed in Ukrainian drone strike on Crimea

Thursday 20 July 2023 08:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A teenage girl was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a settlement in Crimea in which four administrative buildings were damaged, the Russian-installed head of Crimea said on Thursday.

Sergei Aksyonov, the official, said the strike took place in the northwestern part of the Black Sea peninsula where he said emergency and other services were working.

“Unfortunately, there were victims. A teenage girl was killed. I express my sincere and deep condolences to her family and friends. All necessary support will be provided to the family.”

There was no immediate reaction to his assertion from Ukraine.

Russia seized and annexed Crimea, where its Black Sea Fleet is based, from Ukraine in 2014.

Kyiv says Crimea is Ukrainian and that it intends to take it back by force as part of its drive to expel Russian troops from its territory.

The Kremlin on Wednesday accused the West of turning a blind eye to what it said were “terrorist attacks” committed by Ukraine inside Russia, noting what it said was the silence this week over a deadly attack on the Crimean Bridge which it blamed on Kyiv.

Belarus forces holding exercises with Wagner fighters on border with Poland

Thursday 20 July 2023 07:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Belarus’ Defence Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the country’s military were continuing exercises with fighters from Russia‘s Wagner Group mercenary force at a military base near the city of Brest, on the border with Poland.

On the ground in Ukraine, there’s one weapon troops want from the UK more than any other

Thursday 20 July 2023 07:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

On the frontline around Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, the scene of some of the war’s most intense fighting, soldiers are waiting for supplies from Britain. Without our missiles, they tell Askold Krushelnycky, advancing is more difficult – and every metre they take is “drenched in blood”.

I am standing outside a base – concealed by camouflage netting – for soldiers of the air defence units belonging to Ukraine’s 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade. Beside me, the commander, a captain, identified by his war name “Kamin” (which translates as “rock”), reels off the impressive amount of Russian hardware his men have shot out of the sky. Eight fighter jets, six helicopters, and more than three dozen drones of varying types – worth tens of millions of pounds.

On the ground in Ukraine, there’s a weapon troops really want from the UK

Ukraine says it destroyed 5 Russian missiles and 13 drones

Thursday 20 July 2023 07:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukraine’s military said it shot down five cruise missiles and 13 attack drones launched by Russian forces overnight at the southern Mykolaiv and Odesa regions.

It said Russia fired 19 cruise missiles and 19 drones in total, without specifying where the other missiles struck.

US approves $1.3bn package of military aid for Ukraine

Thursday 20 July 2023 07:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The Pentagon has announced a new $1.3bn package of long-term military aid to Ukraine, including four air defence systems and an undisclosed number of drones.

The new assistance comes on the heels of a meeting on Tuesday by defence and military leaders from around the globe to discuss ongoing efforts to give Ukraine the weapons it needs in its battle to retake territory seized by Russian forces.

Included in the aid, which is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, will be funding for four National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or Nasams, and munitions for them, as well as Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade drones.

More here.

US approves $1.3 billion package of long-term military aid for Ukraine

Ireland will stand with Ukraine for ‘as long as it takes’

Thursday 20 July 2023 06:50 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ireland’s premier has vowed to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes after holding talks with president Volodymyr Zelensky on a visit to Kyiv.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited the sites of several atrocities committed in the early weeks of the Russian invasion, before meeting the Ukrainian leader in the capital.

After an engagement with the president, Mr Varadkar then met Ukraine’s prime minister Denys Shmyhal and the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk.

More here.

Ireland will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, vows Leo Varadkar

Russia lost over 240,000 troops in 17 months, claims Ukraine

Thursday 20 July 2023 06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia has lost 240,010 troops in Ukraine since the onset of the invasion in February 2022, according to the Ukrainian armed forces.

At least 530 Russian soldiers were killed just over the past day, it alleged.

Russia has lost 4,129 tanks, 8,065 armored fighting vehicles, 7,134 vehicles and fuel tanks and 4,592 artillery systems, according to the Ukrainian armed forces report.

Video appears to show Wagner boss for first time since mutiny

Thursday 20 July 2023 06:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A new video appears to show Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin for the first time since he led an armed mutiny last month.

The mercenary leader is seen telling his troops they will spend some time in Belarus training its military before deploying to Africa.

Messaging app channels linked to Mr Prigozhin’s Wagner private military company said he spoke at a field camp in Belarus and ran a blurry video purported to show him there, his silhouette seen against the sky at dusk.

His gravelly voice was clearly distinguishable as he said: “Welcome guys! I am happy to greet you all. Welcome to the Belarusian land!“We fought with dignity! We have done a lot for Russia.”

Matt Drake reports.

Video appears to show Wagner boss for first time since armed mutiny

18 injured in fresh Russian airstrike

Thursday 20 July 2023 05:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

At least 18 people sustained injuries after a Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv, regional governor Vitaliy Kim said.

A three-storey residential building was hit in the Mykolaiv city centre, and emergency services rescued two people from the rubble, the governor wrote on Telegram.

He had written earlier that some people had been killed but provided no further information in subsequent messages.

Zelensky says Russia ‘deliberately’ targeted grain storage

Thursday 20 July 2023 05:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately targeting grain infrastructure in Odesa oblast after a Russian strike destroyed 60,000 tonnes of grain and equipment in the port city.

“Russian terrorists absolutely deliberately targeted the infrastructure of the grain deal, and every Russian missile is a blow not only to Ukraine but also to everyone in the world who seeks a normal and safe life,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

The Russian attack also hit an infrastructure site and damaged recreational centres and hotels along with several buildings in Odesa, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.

Wheat prices soar as Russia attacks grain storage

Thursday 20 July 2023 05:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Global wheat prices have soared following Russia’s attack in Odesa oblast that destroyed 60,000 tonnes of grain.

Wheat prices on the European stock exchange soared by 8.2 per cent, while corn prices were up by 5.4 per cent. Wheat futures in the US jumped nearly 9 per cent yesterday, reportedly the highest daily rise since Russia’s invasion.

The White House said the deal had been “critical” to bringing down food prices, which spiked following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“Russia’s decision to suspend participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative will worsen food insecurity and harm millions of vulnerable people around the world,” said Adam Hodge, a spokesperson for the US national security council.

Wheat prices, however, were still down more than 50 per cent from their all-time high in March 2022.

Ukraine says Russia ‘blackmailing world with hunger’

Thursday 20 July 2023 04:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Kyiv has accused Moscow of “blackmailing the world with hunger” after Russia launched its fiercest attack yet on Ukraine’s port city of Odesa, destroying 60,000 tonnes of grain and key infrastructure.

Odesa’s mayor said Tuesday night was “one of the most terrifying” for the Black Sea city since the start of president Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of the country last February.

For a second consecutive night, Russia bombarded the southern coast, destroying food terminals and tens of thousands of tonnes of grain that was due to be shipped out via a United Nations-brokered grain corridor, according to Ukraine’s agriculture ministry.

The attack came after Moscow pulled out of the year-old agreement allowing the safe passage of Ukrainian produce via the Black Sea, which was mediated by the UN and Turkey to minimise the impact of the war on global food security.

Bel Trew reports.

Ukraine says Russia ‘blackmailing world with hunger’ after attack on Odesa port

Russia likely to attack civilian ships in Black Sea, claims White House

Thursday 20 July 2023 04:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The White House has warned that the Russian military is preparing for possible attacks on civilian shipping vessels in the Black Sea.

The warning comes days after Moscow suspended participation in the Black Sea Grain Deal, which allowed the export of grains from Ukraine.

Since leaving the deal, Russia has already struck Ukraine’s grain export ports in Odesa with missile and drone attacks, destroying nearly 60,000 tons of grain.

“Our information indicates that Russia laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports,” White House national security council spokesperson Adam Hodge said in a statement.

“We believe that this is a coordinated effort to justify any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea and lay blame on Ukraine for these attacks.”

Nine injured in Russian strike on Mykolaiv

Thursday 20 July 2023 04:01 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

At least nine people sustained injuries in a Russian strike on the Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv on Thursday, regional governor Vitaliy Kim said.

A three-storey residential building was hit in the Mykolaiv city centre, the governor wrote on the Telegram.

According to Odesa administration speaker Serhiy Bratchuk, two people were hospitalised after a strike on Odesa which damaged a building and caused a fire.

Ireland will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, vows Leo Varadkar

Thursday 20 July 2023 01:00 , Holly Evans

Ireland’s premier has vowed to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes after holding talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky on a visit to Kyiv.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited the sites of several atrocities committed in the early weeks of the Russian invasion, before meeting the Ukrainian leader in the capital.

After an engagement with the president, Mr Varadkar then met Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk.

Read more

Ireland will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, vows Leo Varadkar

MI6 spy boss in extraordinary call for Russian officials to turn on Putin

Thursday 20 July 2023 00:00 , Holly Evans

It was an extraordinarily public recruitment drive from an MI6 chief – an open invitation to senior officials in Russia’s security establishment to join those who have defected in disgust over Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sir Richard Moore wanted to send a direct message to officials and politicians in Moscow: “You know the address – come and talk to us… our door is always open… our loyalty to our agents is lifelong… our gratitude eternal… Their secrets will always be safe with us.”

Kim Sengupta has more

MI6 spy boss in extraordinary call for Russian officials to turn on Putin

Video appears to show Russian mercenary chief Prigozhin for first time

Wednesday 19 July 2023 23:00 , Holly Evans

A video released Wednesday appears to show Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin for the first time since he led a short-lived rebellion last month, and he is seen telling his troops they will spend some time in Belarus training its military before deploying to Africa.

Video appears to show Russian mercenary chief Prigozhin for first time since short-lived mutiny

Moscow’s demands to return to the Black Sea deal

Wednesday 19 July 2023 22:00 , Holly Evans

President Putin stated Moscow’s position that it would return to the Black Sea grain deal as soon as the West met its five key demands. Since Monday, Russia has backed out of the deal, which allowed Ukraine to continue exporting grain to alleviate a global food crisis.

Of his five conditions, Putin enumerated:

- readmission of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the SWIFT payment system;

- resumption of exports of agricultural machinery and spare parts to Russia;

- removal of restrictions on insurance and access to ports for Russian ships and cargo;

- reinstatement of a now-damaged ammonia export pipeline from Russia’s Togliatti to Odesa in Ukraine;

- the unblocking of accounts and financial activities of Russian fertiliser companies.

“If all these conditions are fulfilled, which we previously agreed on - they are not something I have invented now - but as soon as they are fulfilled, we will immediately return to the deal,” Putin said.

Wednesday 19 July 2023 21:00 , Holly Evans

President Vladimir Putin has accused Western countries of perverting the expired Black Sea grain deal for their own ends, after targeting the port city of Odesa for two nights.

However, he said Russia would immediately return to the agreement if all its conditions were met.

On Monday, Moscow had quit the deal, under which it had allowed Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports despite the war to alleviate a global food crisis/

It said a parallel memorandum signed at the same time, intended to facilitate its own grain and fertiliser exports in the face of the Western sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, had been ignored.

“Initially, the essence, the meaning of the grain deal has a colossal humanitarian significance,” Putin said.

“The West has completely emasculated and perverted this essence, and instead of helping countries in real need, the West used the grain deal for political blackmail, and in addition ... made it a tool for enriching transnational corporations, speculators in the global grain market.”

US announces new $1.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine

Wednesday 19 July 2023 20:08 , Holly Evans

The Pentagon has announced a new $1.3 billion package of long-term military aid to Ukraine, including four air defense systems and an undisclosed number of drones.

The new assistance comes on the heels of a meeting Tuesday by defense and military leaders from around the globe to discuss ongoing efforts to give Ukraine the weapons it needs in its battle to retake territory seized by Russian forces.

Included in the aid, which is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, will be funding for four National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS, and munitions for them, as well as Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade drones.

Unlike the presidential drawdown authority that the Pentagon has used repeatedly over the past 17 months to pull weapons from its own stocks and quickly ship them to Ukraine, the USAI-funded equipment could take a year or two to get to the battlefront.

As a result, this new package will do little to help Ukraine in its current offensive, but will help in future defense of its country.

Irish prime minister meets Ukrainian actor assaulted in Dublin

Wednesday 19 July 2023 19:30 , Holly Evans

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has met with a Ukrainian actor who was assaulted in Dublin last month.

Oleksandr Hrekov was attacked in Dublin city centre shortly after performing at the city’s Abbey Theatre.

He was part of a Kyiv theatre company that had travelled to Dublin to put on a production of Translations by Irish playwright Brian Friel. The actor required stitches in hospital.

Mr Varadkar visited the Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Drama Theatre company in Kyiv on his visit to the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday.

They performed a song for the Taoiseach before presenting him with a copy of Translations signed by the cast.

Mr Varadkar then spoke with Mr Hrekov, shaking his hand and inquiring about his well-being since the assault.

Putin says Russia would return to grain deal if conditions met

Wednesday 19 July 2023 19:00 , Holly Evans

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday blamed western countries he said “completely distorted” the expired Black Sea grain deal, but said Russia would “immediately” return to the deal if all its conditions for doing so were met.

Earlier on Wednesday, Russia’s Defence Ministry said Moscow would consider all vessels heading to Ukrainian ports as potential carriers of military cargoes, days after the collapse of the grain deal, which Russia had repeatedly criticized in recent weeks.

Zelensky meets with Samantha Power to discuss further support

Wednesday 19 July 2023 18:30 , Holly Evans

USAID administrator Samantha Power met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday afternoon to discuss further support following Russia’s strikes on the Black Sea port of Odesa.

Russia says it will consider Ukraine-bound ships as potential carriers of military cargo

Wednesday 19 July 2023 18:00 , Holly Evans

Reuters has reported that Russia’s Defence Ministry has said it would consider all ships traveling to Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea as potential carriers of military cargoes from midnight on Thursday morning Moscow time (2100 GMT on Wednesday), following the end of the Black Sea grain deal.

In a statement posted on the Telegram messenger app, the ministry said that it was declaring southeastern and northwestern parts of the Black Sea’s international waters as unsafe for navigation, and that the flag states of ships travelling to Ukrainian ports would be considered parties to the conflict on the Ukrainian side.

Ukraine says Russia ‘blackmailing world with hunger’

Wednesday 19 July 2023 17:40 , Holly Evans

Kyiv has accused Moscow of “blackmailing the world with hunger” after Russia launched its fiercest attack yet on Ukraine’s port city of Odesa, destroying 60,000 tonnes of grain and key infrastructure.

Odesa’s mayor said Tuesday night was “one of the most terrifying” for the Black Sea city since the start of President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of the country last February.

For a second consecutive night, Russia bombarded the southern coast, destroying food terminals and tens of thousands of tonnes of grain that was due to be shipped out via a United Nations-brokered grain corridor, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Bel Trew has more

Ukraine says Russia ‘blackmailing world with hunger’ after attack on Odesa port

Ukraine adviser says they need more weapons to defend grain supplies

Wednesday 19 July 2023 17:30 , Holly Evans

Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff has said Ukraine needs more defensive weaponry to protect grain supplies from Russian airstrikes.

Writing on Telegram, Andriy Yermak said: “Russian attacks on the infrastructure of the ‘grain agreement’ are attacks on global food security.

“It is possible to protect the infrastructure - more ABM (anti-ballistic missile) systems are needed for Ukraine to repel air attacks.”

It comes after Ukraine’s agriculture minister said that 60,000 tonnes of grain had been lost when Russia fired cruise missiles on the port of Odesa last night.

Wednesday 19 July 2023 17:00 , Holly Evans

The Irish prime minsiter Leo Varadkar has placed a soft toy at a memorial in central Kyiv for the children who have died in the conflict.

The Taoiseach, who was told the youngest victim of the war was just two days old, paused for a moment’s silence before setting the toy lamb among other teddies.

He has also visited the Verkhovna Rada parliament where he met with its chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk before he went to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, where he paused to view the striking Ukrainian Motherland Monument.

Ukraine setting up temporary shipping route to help grain exports after Russian strikes

Wednesday 19 July 2023 16:30 , Holly Evans

Ukraine is setting up a temporary shipping route to maintain grain shipments after Russia quit a deal allowing Ukrainian exports via a UN-backed safe corridor in the Black Sea, Kyiv said on Wednesday.

Russia attacked Ukraine’s Black Sea Odesa port for the second consecutive night on Tuesday after quitting the deal on Monday, which included Moscow revoking guarantees for safe navigation.

In an official letter letter dated July 18 submitted to UN shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Ukraine on Wednesday said it had “decided to establish on a temporary basis a recommended maritime route”.

“Its goal is to facilitate the unblocking of international shipping in the north-western part of the Black Sea,” Vasyl Shkurakov, Ukraine’s acting minister for communities, territories and infrastructure development, said in the letter.

Ukraine added in the letter that it would establish shipping traffic routes close to the waters around Chornomorsk, Odesa, Pivdennyi, the three Ukrainian ports that were part of the corridor, leading up to the territorial waters and the exclusive maritime economic zone of Romania.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the Black Sea grain deal could continue without Russian participation, and Ukraine is working on options to keep its commitments on food supplies.

Probe under way into image of drone in Ukraine with Ireland stamp – Varadkar

Wednesday 19 July 2023 16:10 , Tara Cobham

Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said an investigation is underway into an image of a drone downed in Ukraine which had a "Made In Ireland" stamp on it.

A post on Twitter shared the image and stated that the drone was shot down over the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine, near the Black Sea.

Asked about the issue during a press conference in Kyiv, the Taoiseach said: "We are aware of that, and we are investigating it at the moment. We don't believe any Irish companies have evaded sanctions, but there are third parties that find ways around the sanctions, and it's really important that we crack down on that and we do take it very seriously."

Former foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan called it "a matter of some concern".

Under EU sanctions imposed on Russia, there is a ban on the sale, supply or export of drone engines and electronic components, along with other items, that may contribute to Moscow's military or the development of its defence and security sector. The list of restricted items also includes toy drones and various technologies.

Putin will not attend South Africa summit – where he faced risk of arrest

Wednesday 19 July 2023 15:53 , Tara Cobham

Vladimir Putin will not attend a summit in South Africa next month – allowing the hosts to avoid a decision whether or not to arrest the Russian leader thanks to an international warrant over war crime allegations.

As a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC) which issued the warrant, South Africa would be expected to detain Mr Putin once he sets foot in the country. Although it has refused to honor that obligation in the past, allowing safe passage to Sudan's then-President Omar al-Bashir in 2015 who was facing allegations of war crimes against his own people.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Putin will not attend South Africa summit – where he faced risk of arrest

Wagner’s Prigozhin says in video his mercenaries will not fight in Ukraine for now

Wednesday 19 July 2023 15:11 , Tara Cobham

Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was shown in a video welcoming his Wagner fighters to Belarus and telling them they would for now take no further part in the Ukraine war.

In the video, the authenticity of which Reuters could not immediately verify, a man whose voice and Russian sounded like Prigozhin's is heard welcoming his men. The video was reposted by his press service on Telegram.

"Welcome lads... Welcome to Belarusian soil," Prigozhin said. The video was shot after night had fallen and it was only possible to discern what looked like Prigozhin's profile.

"We fought honourably," said Prigozhin. "You have done a great deal for Russia. What is going on at the front is a disgrace that we do not need to get involved in."

Prigozhin then tells his men to behave well towards the locals and orders them to train the Belarusian army and collect their strength for a "new journey to Africa."

"And perhaps we will return to the SMO (special military operation in Ukraine) at some point when we are sure that we will not be forced to shame ourselves," Prigozhin said.

A man who sounded like Dmitry Utkin, who helped found Wagner, then spoke to the men.

"This is not the end. This is just the beginning of the biggest work in the world that will be carried out very soon," Utkin said, before switching to English. "And welcome to hell!"

Revealed: Ukraine’s chilling warning to Tony Blair about Putin

Wednesday 19 July 2023 14:55 , Tara Cobham

Newly unsealed government documents reveal that Tony Blair received a chilling warning that Ukraine feared the West was nurturing too “rosy” a view of Vladimir Putin – two decades before Russia’s invasion.

At a time when the Labour prime minister argued that Mr Putin should be given a seat at the international “top table”, having been the first Western leader to visit him in Moscow, files now issued to the National Archives show that Ukrainian officials harboured eerily prescient concerns about the relationship.

In addition to revelations about Mr Blair’s fears over Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi – and admiring letters from Margaret Thatcher to the Labour prime minister – the documents show that Mr Blair was urged by aides not to snuff out Kyiv’s aspirations to join the EU, arguing that the presence of Ukraine within the alliance could form a “formidable barrier” to Russian imperialism.

Andy Gregory reports:

Revealed: Ukraine’s chilling warning to Tony Blair decades before invasion

Video surfaces purporting to show Wagner chief welcoming men to Belarus

Wednesday 19 July 2023 14:35 , Tara Cobham

A video purporting to show Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin welcoming his Wagner fighters to Belarus surfaced on Wednesday on one of his official Telegram channels.

In the video, the authenticity of which Reuters was unable to immediately verify, a man whose voice sounded like Prigozhin's is heard welcoming his men, telling them to behave, and saying theie training will make the Belarusian army the second-best in the world.

The video was shot after night had fallen and it was only possible to discern what looked like Prigozhin's profile.

He is heard saying that his men will stay in Belarus for some time and calling what is happening on the front line in Ukraine a "disgrace" that Wagner should not take part in.

British troops to use e-bikes to sneak up on enemy

Wednesday 19 July 2023 14:01 , Tara Cobham

The British army is trialling battery-powered bikes to gain a tactical advantage on the battlefield, following Ukraine’s example in its war against Russia.

During the early days of the invasion, Ukrainian troops attacked Russian tanks using Delfast e-bikes that have a range of around 200 kilometres.

Now, British soldiers are experimenting with using Carl Gustaf shoulder-fired rifles from a £6,500 electric bike called the Stealth H-52, that would enable fighters to attack the enemy undetected.

Maanya Sachdeva reports:

British troops to use e-bikes to sneak up on enemy

Zelensky thanks Ireland for welcoming 86,000 Ukrainian refugees

Wednesday 19 July 2023 13:12 , Holly Evans

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the people of Ireland for taking in thousands of Ukrainian refugees since the Russian invasion.

He was speaking as he met with Irish premier Leo Varadkar on his unannounced visit to Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky said that although Ireland was a neutral country, it did not mean they were not helping Ukraine and that he was “very grateful” the Taoiseach began his visit in Kyiv’s conflict-hit suburbs of Moschun, Irpin and Bucha.

“You have seen with your own eyes the consequences of the war, the consequences of Russia’s aggression,” he said.

“I, first of all, would like to extend words of gratitude to you and to the whole people of Ireland for hosting our nationals in Ireland, this is a significant moral support to our nation.

“You’ve hosted 86,000 Ukrainian citizens, you’ve provided them with accommodation, with funding, with access to education and health support, this is very important.”

Irish prime minister insists Ukraine would win the war during Kyiv visit

Wednesday 19 July 2023 12:58 , Holly Evans

During an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar told a press conference “Russia cannot be allowed to succeed.”

As well as meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Varadkhar visited cities and villages where scores of civillians had been killed under Russian occupation.

“Perhaps Russia believes that it can break the resolve of the Ukrainian people, but I know from the way you fought for the past few years, and from my visit here, that it cannot,” he said.

“My visits to the sites of these atrocities this morning, and my meeting here in Kyiv, has confirmed to me that Russia will not succeed, and Russia cannot be allowed to succeed.

“This is the 21st century and the idea that national boundaries can be changed by violence, or the democratically-elected governments can be overthrown by foreign invasion, must perish.

“We need to make sure that Ukraine succeeds, that it wins this war, so that no other country gets attacked.

“If Russia thinks that targeting civilians and essential infrastructure will discourage Ukraine’s friends, including Ireland, well, it’s wrong.

“Volodymyr Zelensky, we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. Ukraine will prevail and Ukraine will be rebuilt.”

Kremlin says it did not tell South Africa that Putin arrest would mean war

Wednesday 19 July 2023 12:49 , Holly Evans

Russia did not tell South Africa that arresting President Vladimir Putin on an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) would mean “war”, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

Shortly after the Kremlin’s comments, South Africa said that Putin would not attend a summit of the BRICS group of nations in South Africa in August “by mutual agreement.”

The ICC has accused Putin and his children’s commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova of the war crime of deporting children from Ukraine to Russia, something Moscow rejects as false.

A local court submission published on Tuesday had shown that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had asked permission from the ICC not to arrest Putin in the context of the BRICS summit because to do so would amount to a declaration of war.

Speaking before South Africa said Putin would not be attending, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that everyone understood - without having it explained to them - what an attempt to infringe on Putin’s rights would mean.

Russia says it seizes railway station in Ukraine's Kharkiv region

Wednesday 19 July 2023 12:32 , Holly Evans

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that its forces had captured Movchanove railway station in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, the TASS news agency reported.

Ukraine, which recaptured much of the region last September, said this week that Russia was again on the offensive there and that “heavy fighting” was taking place.

Zelenskiy claims Russians ‘deliberately targeted’ grain terminals in latest strike

Wednesday 19 July 2023 12:17 , Holly Evans

Ukraine have accused Russia of intentionally striking grain terminals and infrastructure in the Black Sea port of Odesa, with one official saying the main aim was to stop Kyiv shipping grain from there.

Russia attacked Odesa for the second consecutive night after quitting a deal on Monday that allowed the safe passage of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.

The Black Sea grain deal, which was agreed in July last year, was intended to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Russian terrorists absolutely deliberately targeted the infrastructure of the grain deal,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app. “Every Russian missile - is a strike not only on Ukraine but on everyone in the world who wants normal and safe life.”

On the ground in Ukraine, there’s one weapon troops want from the UK

Wednesday 19 July 2023 11:57 , Askold Krushelnycky in Bakhmut, Ukraine

I am standing outside a base – concealed by camouflage netting – for soldiers of the air defence units belonging to Ukraine’s 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade. Beside me, the commander, a captain, identified by his war name “Kamin” (which translates as “rock”), reels off the impressive amount of Russian hardware his men have shot out of the sky. Eight fighter jets, six helicopters, and more than three dozen drones of varying types – worth tens of millions of pounds.

We talk not far from the front lines around Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, although Kamin has asked for the exact location to remain unsaid. The Brigade – consisting of thousands of men – was moved here last year to face some of the bloodiest, most intense fighting of Russia’s invasion so far. The job of Kamin’s four battalions? To protect from overhead assault the men, equipment, trenches and fortifications of the brigade, which stretch out across 20 miles of this key front line, as Ukraine pushes on with its counteroffensive to retake territory occupied by Russian forces.

Read more:

On the ground in Ukraine, there’s a weapon troops really want from the UK

Russia on grain deal: ‘We can restart talks if UN meets our needs within three months’

Wednesday 19 July 2023 11:25 , Tara Cobham

Russia said on Wednesday the United Nations had three months to implement the terms of a memorandum that would facilitate Russian agricultural exports if it wanted Moscow to resume talks about allowing Ukrainian grain exports to restart.

Russia said on Monday it was halting participation in a year-old UN-brokered deal that let Ukraine export grain through the Black Sea, complaining that promises to facilitate its own shipments of food and fertilisers had not been kept.

The Black Sea deal was brokered by the UN and Turkey in July last year to help combat a global food crisis and overcome additional obstacles thrown up after Russia sent troops into Ukraine.

Kyiv and Moscow are among the world's top grain exporters.

Russia's withdrawal meant that the related pact to assist its own grain and fertiliser exports was also terminated, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres signalled at the time.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Radio Sputnik on Wednesday the onus was now on the United Nations to implement the Russian deal if it wanted Moscow to return to wider talks about it helping revive Ukrainian exports.

Ukraine says Russia intentionally struck grain terminals in Odesa

Wednesday 19 July 2023 11:05 , Tara Cobham

Russia intentionally struck grain terminals and port infrastructure in Odesa in its latest air strikes, a senior Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Wednesday.

Political adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter that the attacks on Ukraine's main Black Sea port reflected Russia's attitude towards food security.

"The main objective is to destroy the possibility of shipping Ukrainian grain," he said after Russia attacked Odesa port for the second successive night.

Russia quit a deal allowing the safe passage of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea on Monday, a move that raised concerns in Africa and Asia about rising food prices and hunger.

The deal was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in July last year to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and a blockade of Ukrainian ports.

Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office, called for tighter international sanctions on Moscow and more military aid to Ukraine.

Video reportedly showing destruction by Russian strikes on Odesa

Wednesday 19 July 2023 10:47 , Tara Cobham

A video reportedly showing the destruction caused by Russian airstrikes on Ukraine’s port city of Odesa overnight has been posted on social media by the Advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

Anton Gerashchenko also wrote in his tweet of a nine-year-old boy being among six people injured in a blast.

The Independent has not been able to independently verify the footage.

Russians against Ukraine war should spy for the UK, MI6 boss says

Wednesday 19 July 2023 10:17 , Tara Cobham

The head of MI6 has urged Russians appalled by the war in Ukraine to “join hands” with his spy service and bring the bloodshed to an end.

In his second speech since becoming chief of the Secret Intelligence Service in 2020, Richard Moore said there appeared little prospect of Vladimir Putin’s forces regaining momentum in Ukraine – whose long-awaited counteroffensive is now under way.

Delivering his speech at the British embassy in Prague, the MI6 chief likened the current situation in Ukraine to the Prague Spring in 1968, when the Soviet Union quashed liberalising reforms.

Andy Gregory reports:

Russians against Ukraine war should spy for the UK, MI6 boss says

In pictures: ‘Hellish’ Russian strikes on Ukraine’s Odesa port for second night

Wednesday 19 July 2023 10:00 , Tara Cobham

UK MI6 spy chief says Putin 'clearly under pressure'

Wednesday 19 July 2023 09:54 , Tara Cobham

The head of Britain's MI6 foreign spy service said the Wagner group's mutiny attempt in June showed Russian President Vladimir Putin was under pressure, adding he was optimistic about Ukraine's counter offensive.

"He's clearly under pressure," Richard Moore, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, said of Putin.

Head of UK’s MI6 tells Russians: ‘Join us as agents to end war’

Wednesday 19 July 2023 09:45 , Tara Cobham

The head of Britain's MI6 foreign spy service appealed on Wednesday to Russians appalled by the war in Ukraine to "join hands" with his intelligence service and bring the bloodshed to an end.

In his second speech since becoming chief of the Secret Intelligence Service in 2020, Moore said there appeared little prospect of Russia regaining momentum in Ukraine.

Delivering his speech at the British embassy in Prague, he likened the current situation in Ukraine to the Prague Spring in 1968 when the Soviet Union quashed liberalising reforms.

"As they witness the venality, infighting and callous incompetence of their leaders - the human factor as its worst - many Russians are wrestling with the same dilemmas as their predecessors did in 1968," Moore said.

"I invite them to do what others have done this past 18 months and join hands with us. Our door is always open ... Their secrets will be safe with us and together we will work to bring the bloodshed to an end."

He described Iran's decision to supply Moscow with suicide drones for the Ukraine conflict as "unconscionable" and it had provoked internal quarrels at the highest level of the regime in Tehran.

Chechen leader's 'dear' nephew made head of Russia's Danone subsidiary

Wednesday 19 July 2023 09:00 , Tara Cobham

A nephew of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has been appointed the new head of Russia's Danone subsidiary after the Kremlin ordered the state to take temporary control of the French yoghurt maker's business in Russia.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, many Western companies have fled Russia and some assets have been put under state management, with close allies of President Vladimir Putin gaining day-to-day control.

According to a decree signed by Putin on Sunday, the Russian state had taken control of Danone's Russian subsidiary along with beer company Carlsberg's stake in a brewer.

Yakub Zakriev, 32, a deputy prime minister of Chechnya and the republic's agriculture minister, took the post of general director of Danone Russia on Tuesday, Interfax's SPARK database of company disclosure documents in Russia showed.

Kadyrov, a close ally of Putin, has referred on social media to Zakriev as his "dear nephew". Zakriev is the son of Zulai, one of Kadyrov's elder sisters, and studied economics at Moscow State University.

The appointment is another indicator of the scope of the transfer of assets underway in Russia since the Ukraine war triggered the biggest crisis in Moscow's relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. It also indicates the considerable clout of Kadyrov, the son of former Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov who was assassinated in a 2004 bombing in Grozny.

Russia strikes Ukraine's Odesa port in 'hellish' attack, says official

Wednesday 19 July 2023 08:32 , Tara Cobham

Russia launched a massive air attack on the Ukrainian port of Odesa for a second night in a row, which one Ukrainian official on Wednesday described as "hellish".

However, authorities vowed they would not be intimidated, saying they would continue work to export grain.

The attack was "very powerful, truly massive," Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said in a voice message on his Telegram channel on Wednesday. "It was a hellish night," he said, adding that details on damage and casualties would come later.

The attacks on Odesa, one of Ukraine's main ports for exporting grain, followed a pledge of retaliation by Russia after a blast on a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula on Monday that Moscow blamed on Ukraine.

Shortly after the bridge was hit on Monday, Moscow withdrew from a year-old Black Sea grain agreement that allowed for the safe export of Ukraine's grain, a move the United Nations said risked creating hunger around the world.

"(They) are trying to scare the whole world, especially those who want to work for the grain corridor ... Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations," said Bratchuk.

Ukraine's air force says it destroyed 37 of 63 targets in overnight attack

Wednesday 19 July 2023 07:42 , Tara Cobham

Ukraine's air force said on Wednesday it downed 37 out of 63 targets in a vast Russian overnight missile and drone attack, including 23 suicide drones and 14 cruise missiles.

The air force said critical infrastructure and military facilities had been attacked in the nighttime strikes, and that the main target was Ukraine's southern Odesa region.

More than 2,000 to be evacuated from near military base on fire in Crimea, says official

Wednesday 19 July 2023 06:34 , Arpan Rai

More than 2,000 people from the area near the Kirovske military base in Crimea will be temporarily evacuated after a fire broke out at the base, Russian-installed Governor Sergei Aksyonov of Crimea said on Telegram.

“It is planned to temporarily evacuate residents of four settlements - this is more than 2,000 people,” Aksyonov said.

Russia claims advances in Kharkiv

Wednesday 19 July 2023 06:17 , Arpan Rai

Moscow and Kyiv have presented vastly different accounts of fighting in northeastern Ukraine.

A Russian defence ministry spokesperson said its forces had advanced by up to 2km (1.2 miles) in the direction of Kupiansk, an important railway junction in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Contesting the claims, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said the initiative in the area had switched to Ukrainian forces.

She said Ukrainian forces made new gains near Bakhmut in the east, a town that was captured by Russian forces in May after months of battles.

Six weeks since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the east and south, Russia is mounting a ground offensive of its own in the northeast.

‘Hellish’ attack on Ukraine’s Odesa port – official

Wednesday 19 July 2023 05:31 , Arpan Rai

Russia launched a massive air attack on the Ukranian port of Odesa for a second night in row, which one Ukrainian official described as “hellish”.

The Ukrainian authorities maintained they have not been intimidated and will continue to work to export grains.

The attack was “very powerful, truly massive,” Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said in a voice message on Telegram.

“It was a hellish night,” he said, adding that details on damage and casualties will come later.

UN says ideas 'floated' on how to get Ukraine, Russia grain to world

Wednesday 19 July 2023 05:22 , Arpan Rai

There are a “number of ideas being floated” to help get Ukrainian and Russian grain and fertilizer to global markets after Moscow quit a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, the United Nations said yesterday.

The Black Sea deal was brokered by the UN and Turkey in July last year to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia are among the world’s top grain exporters.

Russia’s withdrawal on Monday, which included revoking its guarantees for safe navigation, also ended a pact between the United Nations and Moscow in which UN officials agreed to help Russian food and fertilizer exports reach world markets.

However, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres “will continue to explore all possible avenues to ensure that Ukrainian grain, Russian grain, Russian fertilizer are out on the global market,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

“There are a number of ideas being floated,” he told reporters, without giving details.

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said an alternative to the Black Sea grain deal had to be found and “there are very active discussions now.”

Fire breaks out at military base in Crimea, major highway closed

Wednesday 19 July 2023 05:11 , Arpan Rai

A fire broke out at the military training grounds in the Kirovske district on the Crimean peninsula, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea said today.

The fire forced the closure of the nearby Tavrida Highway, Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov of Crimea said on Telegram.

Earlier, the RBC-Ukraine news agency reported that there were explosions on the military training grounds.

Russian air strikes continue for second night on Ukraine port

Wednesday 19 July 2023 04:32 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian air defence systems were engaged in repelling a Russian air attack on the southern port of Odesa for a second consecutive night, the region’s governor said today.

Russia struck Ukrainian ports last night, a day after pulling out of a UN-backed deal for safe Black Sea grain exports, a decision that raised concern primarily in Africa and Asia of rising food prices and hunger.

“Do not approach the windows, do not shoot or show the work of air defence forces,” Odesa governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram

All of the eastern part of Ukraine was under air raid alerts, starting soon after midnight.

US general defends Ukraine counter-offensive, says ‘far from failure'

Wednesday 19 July 2023 04:07 , Arpan Rai

The top US general has warned that while Ukraine’s slow-moving counteroffensive against Russian invasion is far from failure, the war ahead will be long and bloody.

“I think there’s a lot of fighting left to go and I’ll stay with what we said before: This is going to be long. It’s going be hard. It’s going to be bloody,” General Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters.

Asked whether the counter-offensive was a failure, at least so far, he said: “It is far from a failure. I think that it’s way too early to make that kind of call.”

He confirmed that the counteroffensive will be slow, and was asked about another round of talks on arms for Ukraine.

In a delayed counteroffensive that began only a few weeks back, casualties on both sides mount and the frontlines have moved only incrementally.

The United States and other allies have spent months building Ukraine a “mountain of steel” of weaponry and training Ukrainian forces in combined arms techniques to help Kyiv pierce formidable Russian defences during its counteroffensive.

Kyiv has recaptured some villages in the south and territory around the ruined city of Bakhmut in the east, but has yet to attempt a major breakthrough across heavily defended Russian lines.

Kyiv says it is deliberately advancing slowly to avoid high casualties on fortified defensive lines strewn with landmines, and is focused for now on degrading Russia’s logistics and command. Moscow says the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed.