Ukraine news – live: Elon Musk to continue funding Ukraine’s Starlink satellite internet

Tesla chief Elon Musk has recommitted to providing Starlink satellite internet service to war-torn Ukraine days after complaining that it was too expensive for his company.

“The h*** with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free,” the multibillionaire tweeted yesterday.

SpaceX had reportedly written to the US Pentagon last month asking the US military to cover its satellite internet costs in Ukraine, estimating it would come to about $400m for the next year.

This comes as Russian president Vladimir Putin said the “partial mobilisation” of army reservists ordered last month would be completed in two weeks, boosting Russia’s fighting force in Ukraine.

Mr Putin said he would even be ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia’s “territorial integrity” and warned that a direct clash with Nato troops could lead to a “global catastrophe.”

The Russian president added he did not have any regrets in relation to the conflict in Ukraine, insisting that Russia was doing the right thing

Elon Musk recommits to providing Ukraine Starlink internet

04:46 , Vishwam Sankaran

Tesla chief Elon Musk tweeted that he’d continue to provide Starlink satellite internet service to Ukraine after he complained earlier that it was too expensive for his company.

Last month, SpaceX had reportedly written to the US Pentagon saying the company was “not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time.”

Now, taking a U-turn, the multibillionaire tweeted that even though Starlink is “still losing money....we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.”

Elon Musk recommits SpaceX to providing Ukraine with satellite internet

France to train up to 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers

05:15 , Vishwam Sankaran

French president Emmanuel Macron has reportedly backed a proposal to train up to 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers.

“The president... has approved a training plan that will allow up to 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers to be welcomed in France,” French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Saturday.

He added that France would also provide Crotale short-range anti-air missiles to Ukraine to intercept low-flying missiles and aircraft.

Ukrainian soldiers will be assigned to French units for several weeks, according to the French newspaper Le Parisien.

Shooting at Russian military range leaves 11 dead, 15 injured

05:39 , Vishwam Sankaran

Two volunteer soldiers at a military range in the Belgorod region of southwestern Russia shot at other Russian forces preparing to fight against Ukraine, killing 11 and wounding 15, the country’s defence ministry said.

The ministry described the shootings as a “terror attack.”

It said the two volunteers were from an unnamed former Soviet nation and fired on other soldiers during target practice, and were killed by return fire.

“During a firearms training session with individuals who voluntarily expressed a desire to participate in the special military operation, the terrorists opened fire with small arms on the personnel of the unit,” RIA, the state-owned domestic news agency said, citing a defence ministry statement.

Volunteer soldiers ‘shoot dead 11 troops at Russian military firing range’

Russia’s deportations of Ukrainians likely amount to ethnic cleansing, report says

06:15 , Vishwam Sankaran

A report by The Institute for the Study of War suggests Russia’s deportations of Ukrainians amount to deliberate ethnic cleansing.

“Russia continues to conduct massive, forced deportations of Ukrainians that likely amount to a deliberate ethnic cleansing campaign in addition to apparent violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” the report noted.

The report cites Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin who said “several thousand” children from Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast are “already in other regions of Russia, resting in rest homes and children’s camps.”

US 'growing frustrated' over EU's delay in assisting Ukraine

06:43 , Vishwam Sankaran

The US is reportedly growing “frustrated” over EU’s delay in financially assisting Ukraine.

The Washington Post reported that “tensions are rising” between the US and the EU over Ukraine’s deteriorating economy.

US treasury secretary Janet Yellen has reportedly called on its western allies to both speed up and increase money going to Ukraine.

“Meeting Ukraine’s needs will require a unified and coordinated effort, and I continue to call on donors to speed the delivery of economic support. Together, we can help Ukraine win and rebuild,” Ms Yellen said.

No civilians killed in Russian military base attack, region's governor says

07:19 , Vishwam Sankaran

No civilians were killed in the attack at a military base in Russia’s Belgorod region in which two volunteers killed 11 Russian soldiers and wounded 15 others.

“A terrible event happened on our territory, on the territory of one of the military units,” the governor of Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a post on the Telegram.

“Many soldiers were killed and wounded...There are no residents of the Belgorod region among the wounded and killed,” he added.

City administration building in Donetsk hit by shelling

08:05 , Vishwam Sankaran

Shelling by Ukrainian forces has damaged the administration building in the city of Donetsk, the Russian-backed administration of the city said on Sunday.

The city has been controlled by Russian-backed Donetsk People’s Republic since 2014.

The city’s administration said in a post on the Telegram messaging app that the main entry into the administration building was hit and many nearby cars damaged.

Russia's overnight shelling in Nikopol wounds civilian

08:30 , Vishwam Sankaran

Over 40 Russian shells were reportedly fired into Nikopol overnight.

The shelling injured a 47-year-old man, according to a Telegram post by Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko.

More than 30 high-rise buildings, residences, cars, and gas transmission lines were damaged in Nikopol, he said.

Romania to allocate $400,000 to Ukraine

09:20 , Vishwam Sankaran

Romania will allocate $400,000 to Ukraine as part of a Nato assistance package.Romania’s Foreign Affairs minister Bogdan Aurescu said the country has “allotted $1.4 million as a voluntary contribution to Nato Trust Funds for enhancing resilience and defense capacities” of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and Jordan.

According to his tweet, $400,000 will be transferred to Ukraine, $600,000 for Moldova, $300,000 for Georgia and $100,000 for Jordan.

11:05 , Vishwam Sankaran

The Independent is temporarily pausing live coverage of the Ukraine war.

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