Ukraine news – live: Russia failing to ‘punch through’ despite 97% of army at war

Russia has not been able to “punch through” Ukraine’s defences, despite almost all of its army deployed in the war.

It comes as the Kremlin has intensified attacks across a swathe of southern and eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, and a major new offensive has been widely anticipated.

“That has come at a huge cost to the Russian army. We now estimate 97 per cent of the Russian army, the whole Russian army, is in Ukraine,” Ben Wallace told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Meanwhile, Russia claimed on Wednesday that they made a breakthrough in the eastern front of Luhansk.

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office said Ukrainian forces had repelled some Russian attacks in Luhansk but added: “The situation in the region remains difficult.”

Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai said Russia was pouring heavy equipment and mobilised troops into Luhansk.

“The attacks are coming from different directions in waves,” Haidai said. But he added: “Those who spread the information that allegedly our defence forces have pulled back beyond the line of the administrative border (of Luhansk) - this does not correspond to reality.”

Key Points

• Russia failing to ‘punch through’ despite 97% of army at war

• Russia ‘held 6,000 Ukrainian children for re-education'

• Children held in camps as part of ‘large-scale systematic network’,

• Bakhmut under Russia’s ‘crazy, chaotic shelling' in new offensive – officials

• Wagner has ‘almost certainly’ made gains around Bakhmut – UK intelligence

Russia failing to ‘punch through’ despite 97% of army at war

15:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has not been able to “punch through” Ukraine’s defences, despite almost all of its army deployed in the war, the UK defence secretary has said.

It comes as the Kremlin has intensified attacks across a swathe of southern and eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, and a major new offensive has been widely anticipated.

“That has come at a huge cost to the Russian army. We now estimate 97 per cent of the Russian army, the whole Russian army, is in Ukraine,” Ben Wallace told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Russian general who led oppression of journalists is claimed to have killed himself

14:22 , Lucy Skoulding

A Russian general who led the oppression of journalists, opposition activists and protesters is claimed to have killed himself a month after he was relieved from his post by Vladimir Putin.

Major General Vladimir Makarov, aged 72, was previously the main organiser in the “hunt” for those deemed an inconvenience by the Kremlin, according to Russian journalists.

But he was reported to have been recently forced into retirement from his role as deputy head of the Main Directorate for Combating Extremism, a department established in 2008 which persecutes protesters and monitors opposition sentiment on social media.

Read the full story by Independent reporter Andy Gregory.

Russia ‘held 6,000 Ukrainian children for re-education'

04:45 , Stuti Mishra

Russia has held at least 6,000 Ukrainian children with the aim of political re-education, according to a U.S.-backed report published on Tuesday.

The report said Yale University researchers had identified at least 43 camps and other facilities in Russia and Crimea where Ukrainian children have been held that were part of a “large-scale systematic network” operated by Moscow since its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The children included those with parents or clear familial guardianship, those Russia deemed orphans, others who were in the care of Ukrainian state institutions before the invasion and those whose custody was unclear or uncertain due to the war, it said.

“The primary purpose of the camp facilities we’ve identified appears to be political re-education,” Nathaniel Raymond, one of the researchers, said in a briefing to reporters.

Some of the children were moved through the system and adopted by Russian families, or moved into foster care in Russia, the report said.

The youngest child identified in the Russian program was just four months old, and some camps were giving military training to children as young as 14, Raymond said, adding that researchers had not found evidence those children were later deployed in combat.

Moscow has denied intentionally targeting civilians in what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, and has pushed back against previous claims it had forcibly moved Ukrainians.

Ukraine defence minister confident West will send jets

13:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Wednesday he was “absolutely” confident Western countries will supply fighter jets to Kyiv to help fight Russia‘s invasion even though some have been cool on the idea so far.

In an interview with Reuters in Brussels, Reznikov noted that Ukraine‘s allies had already ended up providing a range of Western weapons systems after initially saying they would not do so. “Impossible became possible,” he said.

He said fighter jets were needed as part of a broader system of air defences to protect Ukraine from Russian attacks.

“We vitally need aircraft as a platform to defend our sky. We have to dominate in our Ukrainian sky. It will protect our civil population, first of all, and certainly our armed forces.”

In recent weeks, U.S. President Joe Biden Washington said Washington would not supply F-16 jets to Ukraine and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also ruled out sending fighter aircraft.

Other countries, such as Poland, have signalled they are open to the idea but would only act with broad Western support. Britain has said it will provide training for Ukrainian fighter pilots but not yet whether it would supply jets.

Some Western officials have also noted it would likely take many months to provide fighter jets and train Ukrainian pilots to use them. Others have also expressed concerns that supplying Western jets could be a dangerous escalation in the war.

Speaking the day after meeting in Brussels with NATO defence ministers and a coalition of more than 50 countries supporting Kyiv, Reznikov said fighter jets were “on the table” and allies were assessing which model would be best for Ukraine.

“We have to choose the best solution,” he said, citing U.S. F-16 jets and Swedish Gripen aircraft as leading options.

Ukraine defends Luhansk region as Russia brings in troops - governor

12:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia is pouring heavy equipment and mobilised troops into the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine but Ukrainian forces are still defending the region, regional governor Serhiy Haidai said on Wednesday.

Russia said earlier on Wednesday that its troops had broken through two fortified lines of Ukrainian defences on the eastern front. Russia‘s Defence Ministry said Ukrainian forces had retreated in the face of Russian attacks in Luhansk but did not say in which part of the region.

“There is a lot of shelling, the aviation is already connected. The attacks are coming from different directions in waves,” Haidai said. “We see that they are transferring mobilised people (to the front), we also see that there is more (heavy) equipment.”

But he added: “Those who spread the information that allegedly our defence forces have pulled back beyond the line of the administrative border (of Luhansk) -- this does not correspond to reality.”

NATO countries increasing production of 155 mm artillery rounds

12:26 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The head of NATO said on Wednesday that NATO countries are increasing the production of 155 mm artillery rounds and needed to ramp up that production even further to help Ukraine against Russia.

“Artillery shells 155 are increasing,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.

“So yes, things are happening but we need to continue, we need to step up even more. This is now becoming a grinding war of attrition and a war of attrition is a war of logistics,” he added.

Ukraine war has exposed Europe’s vulnerability, says Wallace

10:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The war in Ukraine has exposed the vulnerability of Europe’s defences in the face of an aggressor, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warned.

Mr Wallace said forces across the continent were paying the price for years of “hollowing out” that has seen ammunition stocks depleted, readiness levels reduced and essential maintenance neglected.

He said that at a time that the world was becoming “much more dangerous and unstable” it underlined the need for a long-term increase in the defence budget.

Mr Wallace, who is in Brussels for a meeting of Nato defence ministers, said the problems facing the UK were not unique to Britain.

“Ukraine has exposed across Europe – including in France and in Germany and other nations – our own vulnerabilities,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“Our ammo stocks, our readiness levels, our ability to meet Russia or any other enemy that chooses to play or attack us at what we call ‘below threshold’, before formal armed conflict.

“It has been well known for decades that where the armed forces have had to save money on things like its readiness or its infrastructure, the places that got unfunded were the unsexy parts of defence.

“Maintenance, ship lifts, all sorts of things that you and I don’t think are that exciting but are nevertheless really, really important.”

Tank delivery for Ukraine came a bit late, German vice chancellor says

10:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The delivery of German-made Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine came “a bit too late”, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said, since time was running short ahead of an expected Russian offensive.

“With the decision to send the tanks we are doing what we can,” he told newspaper Die Zeit in comments published on Wednesday. “A bit too late, but it’s done... Everyone is expecting a terrible Russian offensive... Time is pressing.”

He added that Germany was not up for a debate on sending warplanes, which Ukraine says it needs in its war against Russian invaders. Germany does not own any of the U.S. F-16 warplanes that are most often mentioned in this context.

Russia: new foreign policy to focus on ending Western 'monopoly'

10:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow would focus on ending what he called a Western “monopoly” over global affairs as part of a new foreign policy.

“Our renewed foreign policy concept will focus on the need to end the monopoly of the West on shaping the framework of international life,” Lavrov said.

Ukraine says it has repelled Russian attacks in Luhansk region

09:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian forces have repelled some Russian attacks in the eastern region of Luhansk but the situation there remains difficult, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office said on Wednesday.

Russia said earlier on Wednesday that its troops had broken through two fortified lines of Ukrainian defences on the eastern front. The Russian Defence Ministry said Ukrainian forces had retreated in the face of Russian attacks in the Luhansk region.

Zelenskiy’s office made no mention of any retreats but said: “The situation in the region remains difficult.”

Russia claims breakthrough in Luhansk region

09:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has claimed they made a breakthrough in the eastern front of Luhansk as intense fighting continued overnight.

The Russian defence ministry said the Ukrainians had retreated in the face of Russian attacks, allowing its own troops to break through two fortified lines of defence.

“During the offensive ... the Ukrainian troops randomly retreated to a distance of up to 3 km (1.9 miles) from the previously occupied lines,” the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

“Even the more fortified second line of defence of the enemy could not hold the breakthrough of the Russian military.”

However, no further details were provided and Reuters was not able to independently verify the battlefield report.

It comes as the Kremlin has intensified attacks across a swathe of southern and eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, and a major new offensive has been widely anticipated.

EU to sanction Iran entities involved in Russian war in Ukraine - Von der Leyen

08:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday the EU will propose sanctions targeting for the first time Iranian economic operators involved in the Russian war in Ukraine.

“For the first time we are also proposing to sanction Iranian entities including those linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard,” Von der Leyen told European lawmakers in Strasbourg.

Von der Leyen said the 10th package of sanctions, worth a total of 11 billion euros ($11.79 billion), would target new trade bans and technology export controls, including drones, helicopters and missiles.

British national killed in Ukraine, government says

08:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A British national has died in Ukraine, the government said.

The identity of the individual is not yet known, but their family has been informed.

The dead person is a man, according to the BBC, which would make them at least the eighth British male to die in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began last February.

The Foreign Office has not confirmed any further details but a spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Ukraine, and are in contact with the local authorities.”

It comes after the government announced that a national one-minute silence will be held to mark the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine next week.

British national dies in Ukraine, Foreign Office says

Russian leaders 'likely aware' of 'critical weakness' in industrial output

08:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Senior Russian leaders are “likely aware” that the state’s military-industrial output is becoming a critical weakness, particularly in light of the strategic and operational miscalculations made during the invasion of Ukraine, the ministry of defence has said in its latest update.

The MoD said production levels are “almost certainly falling short” of Moscow’s demands “to resource the ongoing Ukraine campaign and also to restore its longer-term defence requirements.”

Deputy security council chairman Dmitry Medvedev called for an increase in Russian tank production earlier, while visiting the Omsk Transport Machine Construction plant on 9 February, it said.

This follows several public comments by president Vladimir Putin urging the defence industry to better support the “special military operation”.

No sign that Putin is preparing for peace in Ukraine, Nato secretary general says

08:00 , Stuti Mishra

UK’s commitment to Nato ‘is enduring'

07:45 , Stuti Mishra

The Ministry of Defence has posted a series of tweets about defence minister Ben Wallace’s meeting with Nato on Tuesday.

The MoD states: “The UK’s commitment to #NATO is enduring and we remain one of NATO’s highest spending members.

“The UK and our @NATO Allies are focused on our unwavering support for Ukraine. Defence Secretary @BWallaceMP met his French and Romanian counterparts @SebLecornu @RomaniaNATO in Brussels for meetings to discuss ongoing military cooperation. “

'Extraordinary' Russian parliament session to focus on 'adoption of laws for integration of four regions'

07:30 , Stuti Mishra

More information coming on the “extraordinary” meetings Russia’s lower and upper chambers will be holding on 22 February from RIA Novosti as a senior lawmaker is quoted saying it would focus on the adoption of laws on the integration of four regions into the Russian Federation.

Last year Moscow moved to annex the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in Ukraine in a move condemned by most countries of the United Nations as illegal.RIA quoted a source as saying that the State Duma, the lower chamber, will gather in the morning on 22 February while the Federation Council’s session will start at 12pm GMT.

President Vladimir Putin will deliver his annual address to the federal assembly - a joint meeting of Russia’s two houses of parliament - on 21 February.

Russia calls its invasion of Ukraine last February a “special military operation” to eliminate security threats. Kyiv and its allies call Russia’s actions an unprovoked land grab.

Sunak set to join world leaders for Munich conference

07:30 , Stuti Mishra

Rishi Sunak will join other world leaders in Munich this weekend for a conference on international security.

The gathering comes days after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky toured London, Paris and Brussels as part of efforts to convince allies to arm Kyiv with fighter planes.

Downing Street confirmed that the prime minister will travel to Germany for the conference, which was held last year in the days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russian banks and invasion leaders in focus as EU debates new sanctions

07:00 , Stuti Mishra

Representatives of the 27 European Union countries will meet in Brussels today to discuss a new batch of sanctions against Russia, with politicians, military leaders and four more Russian banks expected to be targeted.

Any new measures, which the bloc is expected to agree to mark the anniversary of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, would require the unanimous backing of all EU member states.

"We will impose sanctions on a number of politicians and military leaders," said European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen after a summit last week with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

"We will target [Russian president Vladimir] Putin's propagandists because their lies are poisoning the public space in Russia and abroad.

"The package will include additional export bans worth more than 10 billion euros. This will further starve Russia's military machine and continue to shake the foundation of its economy," she said.

US officials point to Russia using Iranian drones in Ukraine

06:50 , Stuti Mishra

American defence officials on Tuesday sought to dispel any doubt that Iran is supplying drones for Russia’s war in Ukraine, releasing photos and analysis of unmanned aircraft deployed in the conflict to demonstrate Tehran’s involvement.

During a briefing in London, analysts from the US Defense Intelligence Agency displayed photos of drones that attacked Ukraine alongside images of those previously traced to Iran.

A comparison of design details such as tail fins, nose cones and landing gear shows that the weapons used in Ukraine are “indistinguishable” from Shahed-131 and -136 attack drones and Mohajer 6 unmanned aerial vehicles used in the Middle East.

The effort to “show the homework’’ is intended to help persuade governments or international agencies of Tehran’s involvement. Iran has said it supplied a “small number” of drones to Russia before the invasion of Ukraine but has denied providing any more since troops crossed the border last February.

The evidence proves otherwise, an official from the Defence Intelligence Agency said while speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.

“Iran is a partner in the conflict with Russia,’’ the official said.

Romania, Moldova both report strange objects in their skies amid tensions with Russia

06:40 , Stuti Mishra

Romania briefly scrambled military jets and neighbouring Moldova temporarily closed its air space after authorities in both countries reported mysterious weather balloon-like objects traversing their skies.

The incidents occurred at around midday local time and briefly raised concerns in the two Eastern European countries, both which border Ukraine and have been affected by Russia's war.

Romania's defence ministry said it deployed two jets that are under Nato command to its southeastern skies to seek an aerial object it described as being small with "characteristics similar to a weather balloon."

It had been detected initially by radar systems in Romanian airspace at an altitude of about 36,000 feet.

The incident in Moldova triggered widespread travel disruption and brief panic when authorities temporarily closed the country's airspace over what they later described as an object "similar to a weather balloon" spotted near the northern border with Ukraine.

Scores of flights in the country of about 2.6 million people, one of Europe's poorest, were cancelled or rescheduled. Some were diverted to Romania.

It was unclear whether the two incidents were related, and neither country said where they believed the objects had come from.

This comes after Moldovan president Maia Sandu accused Russia of plotting to overthrow her country's government and derail it from its EU accession path, an allegation Russia has dismissed as "absolutely unfounded and unsubstantiated."

Fans banned from Europa Conference League match amid Moldovan fears of Russian coup

06:30 , Stuti Mishra

Partizan Belgrade fans have been banned from travelling to watch their side play Sheriff Tiraspol as tensions escalate in Moldova amid fears Russia may be planning a coup.Partizan and Sheriff are due to meet in the first leg of their Europa Conference League knockout play-off tie on Thursday in a match that will now be played behind closed doors.The president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, said on Monday that she feared Russia were preparing an attempt to overthrow her government.

Read more:

Fans banned from Europa Conference League match amid Moldovan fears of Russian coup

Russian parliament to hold extraordinary meeting next week

06:10 , Stuti Mishra

The lower and upper chambers of Russia's parliament will hold an extraordinary meeting on 22 February, RIA Novosti news agency reported early morning, citing a source.

The meeting will be held two days after the Russia-Ukraine war completes one year, a military operation Vladimir Putin began expecting a quick win.

Not much is known about the agenda of the meeting yet.

Russia says it has broken through defences in Ukraine's Luhansk

06:00 , Stuti Mishra

Russian troops have broken through the Ukrainian defences in part of the Luhansk region, the Russian defence ministry claimed early this morning.

"During the offensive ... the Ukrainian troops randomly retreated to a distance of up to three kilometres from the previously occupied lines," the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

"Even the more fortified second line of defence of the enemy could not hold the breakthrough of the Russian military."

The ministry did not specify in which part of the Luhansk region the offensive took place.

Ukraine's military has been reporting increasingly heavy Russian shelling along the frontline, with officials calling the situation difficult, but also says that its army has been able to repel many Russian attacks. Ukraine has urged allies to speed up the pace of military aid.

Russia now holds swathes of the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, including its nuclear plant, nearly all of Luhansk and over half of Donetsk, including the regional capital.

US may take action against individuals mentioned in Yale report

05:50 , Stuti Mishra

State Department spokesperson Ned Price indicated that action could be taken against 12 individuals the report said are not yet under US sanctions.

“We are always looking at individuals who may be responsible for war crimes, for atrocities inside of Ukraine,” he said.

“Just because we have not sanctioned an individual to date says nothing about any future action that we may take.”

Ukrainian prosecutors say they are examining allegations of forced deportation of children

05:40 , Stuti Mishra

Ukrainian prosecutors have said they are examining allegations of forced deportation of children as part of efforts to build a genocide indictment against Russia.

No more details have been shared at the moment.

Network ‘stretches from one end of Russia to the other’

05:30 , Stuti Mishra

Researchers behind the report accusing Russia of holding Ukrainian children in “re-education” camps say they believe the number of facilities in which Ukrainian children have been held exceeds 43.

“This network stretches from one end of Russia to the other,” Nathaniel Raymond, one of the researchers, told reporters.

The system of camps and the adoption by Russian families of Ukrainian children taken from their homeland “appears to be authorised and coordinated at the highest levels of Russia’s government,” the report said, beginning with president Vladimir Putin and extending to local officials.

Children's camps 'clear violation of 4th Geneva Convention'

05:15 , Stuti Mishra

The report accusing Russia of holding Ukrainian children in “re-education” camps was the latest produced by the Yale University School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab as part of a State Department-backed project that has examined human rights violations and war crimes allegedly committed by Russia.

“What is documented in this report is a clear violation of the 4th Geneva Convention,” the agreement that protects civilians in wartime, said Nathaniel Raymond, one of the researchers.

He said it could also be evidence that Russia has committed genocide during its war in Ukraine, since the transfer of children for purposes of changing, altering or eliminating national identity can constitute a component act of the crime of genocide.

Russia bombards eastern frontline as Ukraine prepares for street fighting in Bakhmut

04:15 , Stuti Mishra

Intense fighting continues in Bakhmut as Russia has bombarded the eastern frontline in what appeared to be the early salvoes of a new offensive.

Much of Russia’s artillery fire was focused on Bakhmut, a bombed-out city in Donetsk province and a principal target for president Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian troops there have fortified positions in anticipation of street fighting.

Bakhmut’s capture would provide a stepping stone for Russia to advance on two bigger Donetsk cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, and give Moscow momentum after months of battlefield setbacks following its invasion last February.

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky has urged for “speedy” help from allies as he says Russia is in a hurry to achieve as much as it could with its latest push before Ukraine and its allies could gather strength.

“That is why speed is of the essence,” he said in an evening video address after Nato defence ministers met in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss the war and stockpiles.

Dutch F-35s intercept Russia aircraft near Poland

03:45 , Sam Rkaina

Two Dutch F-35 fighters intercepted a formation of three Russian military aircraft near Poland and escorted them out, the Netherlands’ defence ministry said.

“The then unknown aircraft approached the Polish NATO area of responsibility from Kaliningrad,” the ministry statement said on Monday.

Kaliningrad is a Russian Baltic coast enclave located between NATO and European Union members Poland and Lithuania.

“After identification, it turned out to be three aircraft: a Russian IL-20M Coot-A that was escorted by two Su-27 Flankers. The Dutch F-35s escorted the formation from a distance and handed over the escort to NATO partners.”

The Il-20M Coot-A is NATO’s reporting name for the Russian Ilyushin Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft while the Su-27 Flankers are NATO’s reporting name for the Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft.

The Netherlands’ defence ministry said that eight Dutch F-35s are stationed in Poland for February and March.

Putin holds talks with Azeri counterpart

02:45 , Sam Rkaina

Russian President Vladimir Putin talked to Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev and noted the importance of ensuring stability and security in the southern Caucasus region, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Tensions are high between Azerbaijan and neighbouring Armenia over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has a largely ethnic Armenian population but is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan.

In 2020, Azerbaijan retook territory in and around the enclave after a war that ended in a Moscow-brokered ceasefire upheld by Russian peacekeepers. Both sides accuse each other of violations and Armenia now says Azerbaijan is blockading the only road into Nagorno-Karabakh, a charge Baku denies.

“The importance of consistent steps to ensure stability and security on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border was noted,” said a Kremlin readout of the call between Putin and Aliyev.

“In this context, it was reaffirmed that all the relevant agreements between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia at the highest level should be implemented unconditionally.”

Late last month Yerevan asked Putin to take a tougher line on Nagorno-Karabakh and for Russian peacekeepers to end what it called the blockade.

Germany calls for ramp up in ammunition production

01:45 , Sam Rkaina

NATO defence ministers met with Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov after the Ramstein group gathering.

The alliance plans to increase targets for stockpiling ammunition as Kyiv is burning through shells much faster than the West can produce them, leaving stocks badly depleted.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius called on the national defence industry to ramp up production capacity.

He said Berlin had signed contracts with arms maker Rheinmetall to restart production of ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft guns it has delivered to Kyiv.

It had been trying for months to find new munitions for the guns, which its own military decommissioned in 2010.

Russia is ‘now a global pariah'

00:45 , Sam Rkaina

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg gave the same message about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

“We see no signs that President Putin is preparing for peace. What we see is the opposite, he is preparing for more war, for new offensives and new attacks,” he told reporters.

Nevertheless, the top U.S. general, Mark Milley, said Russia had already lost in the eyes of the world.

“Russia is now a global pariah and the world remains inspired by Ukrainian bravery and resilience. In short, Russia has lost: they’ve lost strategically, operationally and tactically,” Milley, chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.

‘Speed is of the essence’ Zelensky says

Tuesday 14 February 2023 23:45 , Sam Rkaina

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was in a hurry to achieve as much as it could with its latest offensive before Kyiv and its allies could gather strength.

“That is why speed is of the essence. Speed in everything - adopting decisions, carrying out decisions, shipping supplies, training. Speed saves people’s lives, speed brings back security,” he said in an evening video address.

Mr Zelensky - thanking allies for their promises of more air defence weapons, tanks, artillery, shells and training - said much of what had been discussed should be kept a secret.

Mr Austin said he expected Ukrainian forces to conduct an offensive of their own in the spring, and Kyiv’s allies were working to ensure they had the armour, firepower and the logistics to make it effective.

“We believe that there’ll be a window of opportunity for them to exercise initiative,” Austin said.

“The Kremlin is still betting it can wait us out, but one year on we are as united as ever. That shared resolve will help sustain Ukraine’s momentum in the crucial weeks ahead.”

US says Ukraine is at ‘crucial’ point in war

Tuesday 14 February 2023 22:45 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine urgently needs more military aid, the United States and NATO said on Tuesday, pledging that western support will not falter in the face of a new Russian offensive as the war was about to mark the first full year since it began.

Western defence chiefs met in Brussels to discuss new arms provisions to Kyiv, which is pleading for greater firepower, and maintenance of existing supplies including shells whose production can hardly keep pace with the war.

“Ukraine has urgent requirements to help it meet this crucial moment in the course of the war,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said at a meeting of the so-called Ramstein group of allies.

Moscow accuses Japan of 'Russophobia’

Tuesday 14 February 2023 21:45 , Sam Rkaina

Russia, locked in a decades-old territorial dispute with Tokyo over a chain of Pacific islands, has accused Japan of ‘Russophobia’ and mounting “vicious attacks” over the war in Ukraine.

Soviet troops seized the islands off the northern coast of Japan at the very end of World War Two.

The unresolved clash over who has sovereignty over the chain - known in Russia as the Kuril Islands and in Japan as the Northern Territories - has prevented the two sides from signing a formal peace treaty.

Japan - which joined other allies in imposing sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine invasion - marks a Northern Territories Day commemoration every 7 February to remind people of its claim.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the event this year “was marked by a particular intensity of Russophobia,” citing statements by officials and what she called “aggressive actions” by far-right Japanese forces near Russian missions.

“We noted that this time the baseless territorial claims to the southern Kuril Islands were accompanied by vicious attacks against Russia in connection with the situation in Ukraine,” she said in a statement. The Russian military has presence on the islands, which have a population of roughly 20,000.

Zakharova, reiterating Russia’s long-standing position that it has sovereignty over the islands, accused Japan of rewriting history and ignoring post-war realities. Japan’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Japan tightened its Russia sanctions last month in the wake of missile attacks on Ukraine, adding goods to an export ban list and freezing the assets of Russian officials and entities. This prompted Moscow to warn of an unspecified impact on its relationship with Japan.

Who are the Wagner mercenaries and why are they so involved in Ukraine?

Tuesday 14 February 2023 20:45 , Sam Rkaina

Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine have been supported on the battlefield by tens of thousands of mercenaries from a shadowy group led by a businessman and longtime affiliate of President Vladimir Putin.

The Wagner private military company, under the control of Yevgeny Prigozhin, cut its teeth in deployments to Crimea and eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region in 2014 and has since contracted troops to several conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, including the Syrian Civil War.

In Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Wagner has proved indispensable, but a power struggle between the Kremlin and the outspoken Mr Prigozhin recently led to the group having its wings clipped by Moscow.

Click here for the full story.

Key developments on Tuesday so far

Tuesday 14 February 2023 19:42 , Sam Rkaina

Russia’s army bombarded front-line Ukrainian troops and towns in the eastern Donetsk region in what appeared to be early salvoes of a new offensive, as Western allies met to weigh sending more arms to Kyiv for an expected counter-attack.

* Ukraine reported Russian shelling all along the frontline and said 16 settlements had been bombarded near the town of Bakhmut.

* In the last three days, Russia’s Wagner group of fighters made further small gains around the northern outskirts of Bakhmut in Ukraine, Britain’s defence ministry said.

* Ukraine’s military said its forces had repelled attacks in five settlements in Luhansk and six in Donetsk, including around Bakhmut, over the past 24 hours.

Ukraine prepares counter offensive as Russia steps up assault – but needs more Western ammunition

Tuesday 14 February 2023 18:47 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine is preparing its own counter offensive in the face of intensifying Russian bombardment as it fights Moscow’s invasion – but the West is in danger of running out of the ammunition and heavy weaponry components Kyiv will need.

At a meeting of Western defence chiefs in Brussels, the head of Nato – Jens Stoltenberg – said that “we see no signs that President [Vlaimir] Putin is preparing for peace... What we see is the opposite, he is preparing for more war, for new offensives and new attacks” as the anniversary of the invasion approaches.

He added that is is “clear that we are in a race of logistics” and that this required a “huge effort by allies to actually be able to get in the ammunition, the fuel, the spare parts, which are needed” in what has “become a grinding war of attrition”.

Click here for the full story.

Watch: Russian state TV journalist recounts daring escape from country

Tuesday 14 February 2023 18:08 , Andy Gregory

Breaking - British national has died in Ukraine

Tuesday 14 February 2023 17:51 , Sam Rkaina

A British national has died in Ukraine, the government said.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Ukraine, and are in contact with the local authorities.”

We’ll have more on this breaking news story as we get it.

China’s Xi meets with Iranian president as Tehran seeks closer ties with Moscow

Tuesday 14 February 2023 16:59 , AP

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has expressed support for Iran during a visit by its president, as Tehran tries to expand relations with Beijing and Moscow to offset Western sanctions over its nuclear development.

The official Chinese account of Xi’s meeting with Ebrahim Raisi gave no indication whether they discussed Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Tehran supplied military drones to Russian President Vladimir Putin's government but says they were delivered before the war began.

China's Xi expresses support for Iran amid Western pressure

No signs Russia preparing for larger air attack on Ukraine, says US

Tuesday 14 February 2023 16:31 , Andy Gregory

There are currently no signs that Russia is amassing aircraft for a larger air attack on Ukraine, the US defence secretary has said.

“In terms of whether or not Russia is massing its aircraft for some massive aerial attack: we don’t currently see that”, Lloyd Austin said, after a meeting with allied defence ministers in Brussels.

“We do know that Russia has a substantial number of aircraft in its inventory. That’s why we’ve emphasised that we need to do everything that we can to get Ukraine as much air defence capability as we possibly can”, he added.

Putin’s forces making incremental progress in Bakhmut, says White House

Tuesday 14 February 2023 15:58 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin’s forces have made incremental progress over the past few days in their assault on Bakhmut – but it remains unclear whether it will fall to the Russians, the White House has said.

Answering questions from reporters, White House spokesperson John Kirby said that, if Bakhmut were to fall to Moscow, “it would not have a strategic impact on the overall war.”

EU group to seek access to frozen Russian funds

Tuesday 14 February 2023 15:30 , Emily Atkinson

The EU will on Wednesday launch an ad hoc group to investigate how frozen Russian funds can be accessed for the benefit of reconstruction in Ukraine, Sweden’s prime minister Ulf Kristersson has said.

“The mandate is to contribute to mapping which funds have been frozen in the European Union ... and secondly how to legally proceed to access those funds,” Mr Kristersson told a news conference in Stockholm.

Ukraine offensive expected this spring

Tuesday 14 February 2023 15:20 , Katy Clifton

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said he expects Ukraine to conduct an offensive against Russia in spring.

“Ukraine wants to create momentum ... We expect to see them conduct an offensive sometime in the spring”, he told reporters after meeting with NATO defence ministers in Brussels.

He also said that Russia is introducing a number of new troops to the battlefield but that many are ill-trained and ill-equipped.

Asked whether Ukraine’s allies on Tuesday discussed the issue of sending fighter jets to help the country in its war effort, Austin said “I don’t have any announcement to make today.”

‘Russia has lost strategically, operationally and tactically'

Tuesday 14 February 2023 15:18 , Katy Clifton

Russia has lost strategically, operationally and tactically in its war in Ukraine, US joint chiefs chair army General Mark Milley told reporters on Tuesday, after a meeting with NATO defence ministers in Brussels.

“Russia is now a global pariah and the world remains inspired by Ukrainian bravery and resilience. In short, Russia has lost; they’ve lost strategically, operationally and tactically”, he said.

Kyiv troops ‘blow up bridge’ near Bakhmut as Russia bombards city

Tuesday 14 February 2023 15:10 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian forces have blown up a bridge near the embattled town of Bakhmut, reports suggest – hinting that Kyiv might be plotting a retreat.

The bridge is located between Bakhmut and Konstantivka, another town under Kyiv control, according to local Telegram news channel, which posted videos from the scene.

Moldova reopens airspace after temporary closure

Tuesday 14 February 2023 15:00 , Emily Atkinson

Moldova has reopened its airspace for civil aviation just hours after closing it for security reasons, its aviation authority said.

Air Moldova, the national carrier, said earlier the small east European country had temporarily closed its air space.

In a brief statement announcing it was open again, the aviation authority said it would provide more information later.

Britain to mark first anniversary of Ukraine war with minute’s silence

Tuesday 14 February 2023 14:40 , Emily Atkinson

The UK will mark the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with a national minute’s silence, in an expression of solidarity with Kyiv.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak will lead a one-minute silence at 11am on 24 February and will encourage individuals and organisations across Britain to participate.

“As we approach the anniversary of Russia’s barbaric and deplorable invasion of Ukraine, as a nation we pay tribute to the incredible bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people,” Mr Sunak said in a statement.

“Russia’s unjustifiable attack brought war and destruction to our continent once again, and it has forced millions from their homes and devastated families across Ukraine and Russia.”

Russia and Belarus planes forced to take bizarre flight paths

Tuesday 14 February 2023 14:20 , Emily Atkinson

Western airlines are having to fly extended paths to avoid Russian and Belarusian airspace. But a European ban on airlines from those two countries because of the invasion of Ukraine has also created bizarre flight paths for holiday journeys.

Flights from both Russia and Belarus are operating regularly to and from Turkey, particularly Istanbul – the biggest city. Between Moscow and Istanbul’s main airport there are typically 17 daily flights.

The most direct flight path from the Russian capital to Turkey’s biggest city covers 1,077 miles. The flying time would normally be 2h30m or less. But that route crosses Ukraine, which is off-limits to all civilian aircraft.

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder has the details:

Russia and Belarus planes forced to take bizarre flight paths

Stoltenberg plays down dispute over Nordic Nato bids

Tuesday 14 February 2023 13:50 , Emily Atkinson

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has played down the importance of Finland and Sweden joining the military alliance, at the same time as Turkey refuses to ratify their membership.

“The main question is not whether Finland and Sweden are ratified together. The main question is that they are both ratified as full members as soon as possible,” Stoltenberg told reporters.

The consensus at Nato is that both the Nordic neighbors should join at the same time.Mr Stoltenberg said that he is “confident that both will be full members and are working hard to get both ratified as soon as possible.”

It had been hoped that both countries would be welcomed in at Nato’s next summit in Lithuania in July.

Norway to send 8 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

Tuesday 14 February 2023 13:20 , Emily Atkinson

Norway will send eight German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks and other equipment to Ukraine to aid in the war with Russia.

“It is more crucial than ever to support Ukraine‘s fight for freedom,” Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement.

Norway said it will also send four special purpose tanks from its armoured engineering and bridge layer category, with the exact selection depending on what Ukraine needs the most.

Norway will also set aside funds for ammunition and spare parts, the defence ministry said.

Norway, which shares a border with Russia in the Arctic, has 36 Leopard 2 tanks in total.

Watch: Russian state TV journalist recounts daring escape from country

Tuesday 14 February 2023 12:50 , Emily Atkinson

Wagner head admits links to US election-meddling ‘troll farm’

Tuesday 14 February 2023 12:20 , Emily Atkinson

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, said on Tuesday that he founded and financed and the Internet Research Agency, a company Washington says is a “troll farm” which meddled in the 2016 US presidential election.

Prigozhin, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, spent years operating on behalf of the Kremlin in the shadows, but has emerged in recent months as one of the most high profile figures connected with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

He has previously admitted interfering in U.S. elections, but his statement on Tuesday appears to go further than before in outlining his specific links to the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency (IRA).

“I was never just the financier of the Internet Research Agency. I thought it up, I created it, I managed it for a long time,” Prigozhin said in a post shared on social media by the press service of his Concord catering group.

“It was created to protect the Russian information space from the West’s boorish and aggressive anti-Russian propaganda,” Prigozhin said.

Putin making ‘no significant breakthroughs’ as Russia escalates war

Tuesday 14 February 2023 11:49 , Emily Atkinson

Russia is making “continuous offensive efforts” in eastern Ukraine, though these local attacks still remain on too small a scale to achieve a “significant breakthrough”, according to UK intelligence.

The tactical Russian advance to the south of Bakhmut has likely made little progress, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in its regular Twitter bulletin.

“Russia likely aims to reverse some of the gains Ukrainian forces made over September-November 2022: there is a realistic possibility that their immediate goal is to advance west to the Zherberets River,” it added.

Ukraine renews appeal for fighter jets

Tuesday 14 February 2023 11:33 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine has renewed its appeal for fighter jets to help frustrate Moscow’s invasion.Ahead of the meeting of the Ukraine contact group at Nato headquarters in Brussels, Ukraine made its requirements clear.

Defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov, when asked what military aid his country is seeking now, showed reporters an image of a fighter jet.Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky pushed hard for combat planes last week when he visited London, Paris and Brussels on just his second foreign trip since Russia invaded.

Finding air defences ‘more important’ than fighter jet discussions, says Germany

Tuesday 14 February 2023 11:00 , Emily Atkinson

German defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said that finding ammunition and air defences is “much more important at the moment than the discussion about fighter jets.”

Mr Pistorius told reporters that getting pilots up to speed on new aircraft and “training just to fly them takes several months, never mind teaching the abilities needed to deploy the weapons systems.”

He said Ukraine’s partners “should focus on what is now at center stage, particularly in view of a Russian offensive that is apparently taking place.”

Putin orders troops to advance as he ‘struggles to achieve major breakthrough’ in Ukraine

Tuesday 14 February 2023 10:30 , Emily Atkinson

Vladimir Putin’s troops have been commanded to advance in “most sectors” but are struggling to achieve a major breakthrough on the Ukrainian front line, British military chiefs have said.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Tuesday that the Russians have “not massed sufficient offensive combat power” on any one axis to “achieve a decisive effect”.

Its intelligence assessment said Wagner Group mercenaries have likely made “further small gains” around the northern outskirts of the heavily-contested town of Bakhmut.

Putin orders troops to advance as he ‘struggles to achieve major breakthrough’

Russia suffering 824 losses a day in Ukraine war, MoD says

Tuesday 14 February 2023 10:10 , Emily Atkinson

Russia has likely suffered an average of 824 casualties a day in the Ukraine conflict in the past two weeks, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

This is the highest rate of casualties since Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine on 24 February last year and four times the rate reported over the June-July period.

Earlier, Russian mercenary group Wagner said it had taken control of a village near the key city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk Oblast region.

Martha McHardy has more:

Russia suffering 824 losses a day in Ukraine