Ukraine news – live: UK demands release of Britons sentenced to death in ‘show trial’

Two Britons and a Moroccan man have been sentenced to death by pro-Russian separatists for fighting with the Ukrainian army in what foreign secretary Liz Truss has branded a “sham judgment”.

Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, and Saaudun Brahim, from Morocco, were captured earlier in the war. A court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic announced their death sentences on Thursday.

The foreign secretary said: “I utterly condemn the sentencing of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner held by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine.

“They are prisoners of war. This is a sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy.

“My thoughts are with the families. We continue to do everything we can to support them.”

The families of the men strongly deny they were mercenaries, saying they were fighting for the Ukrainian army and should be protected under international law.

It comes after Polish president Andrzej Duda claimed talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin were like negotiating with Adolf Hitler.

He also slammed the leaders of France and Germany over their phone calls with the Russian president, after French president Emmanuel Macron said “we must not humiliate Russia” for future diplomatic reasons.

Key Points

• Liz Truss condemns death sentences decision as ‘a sham judgment’

• British soldiers in Ukraine sentenced to death by Russian separatists

• Putin’s troops ‘about to take full control’ of key city

• Putin talks ‘like negotiating with Hitler’, Polish president says

• Russia's promises on grain shipments ‘empty words’, Kyiv says

• Lavrov claims invasion going to plan

• Putin ‘feels too strong’ to end conflict, Zelensky fears

UK demands release of Britons sentenced to death in ‘disgusting Soviet-style show trial’

19:48 , Chiara Giordano

Robert Jenrick has called for the Russian ambassador to the UK to be summoned to the Foreign Office over the “disgusting Soviet-era style show trial” of two British soliders sentenced to death by pro-Russian separatists.

Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, and Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, were captured earlier in the war while fighting with the Ukrainian army. A court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic announced their death sentences today.

Mr Jenrick, the Tory MP for Mr Aslin’s constituency, told ITV he had asked the foreign secretary to summon the Russian ambassador to “make it clear that you cannot treat British citizens in this way and get away with it”.

He added on Twitter: “This disgusting Soviet-era style show trial is the latest reminder of the depravity of Putin’s regime. Russia should be clear, they cannot treat British citizens like this and get away with it.

“Contrary to the Kremlin’s propaganda, Aiden Aslin is not a mercenary. He has been living in Ukraine and serving in its armed forces before Russia’s illegal invasion and as a prisoner of war is entitled to protection under the Geneva Convention.

“The Russian Ambassador should be summoned to the Foreign Office to account for this most egregious breach of the Geneva Convention. Aiden must be released as soon as practicable.”

Putin draws parallel with mission to ‘return’ Russian lands as he pays tribute to Peter the Great

19:37 , Chiara Giordano

Vladimir Putin has paid tribute to Tsar Peter the Great on the 350th anniversary of his birth, drawing a parallel between what he portrayed as their twin historic quests to win back Russian lands.

"Peter the Great waged the Great Northern War for 21 years,” the Russian president said after visiting an exhibition dedicated to the tsar.

“It would seem that he was at war with Sweden, he took something from them. He did not take anything from them, he returned (what was Russia's).”

In televised comments on day 106 of his war in Ukraine, he compared Peter's campaign with the task facing Russia today.

"Apparently, it also fell to us to return (what is Russia's) and strengthen (the country),” he said. “And if we proceed from the fact that these basic values form the basis of our existence, we will certainly succeed in solving the tasks that we face.”

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky imposes sanctions on Putin and his allies

19:19 , Chiara Giordano

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree imposing sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, on Russian president Vladimir Putin and dozens of other top Russian officials, according to his website.

The sanctioned officials include Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, prime minister Mikhail Mishustin, veteran foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and defence minister Sergei Shoigu.

The sanctions, imposed in the fourth month of Russia's 24 February invasion, appear unlikely to have much practical impact beyond the symbolic.

In the early phases of the war, Mr Zelensky had been pushing for a meeting with Putin, an idea downplayed by the Kremlin which said there was still much preparatory peace negotiating to be done by their respective delegations.

Putin cancels annual telephone marathon as Ukraine war grinds on

19:17 , Chiara Giordano

Vladimir Putin has cancelled his annual telephone marathon with the Russian public amid speculation that he fears being asked about his war in Ukraine.

The cancellation of this year’s Direct Line with Vladmir Putin, a Q&A which was first televised in the early 2000s, comes as repression in Russia continues to grow.

Rory Sullivan has the full story:

Putin cancels annual telephone marathon as Ukraine war grinds on

Sentencing British soldiers to death is ‘serious violation of international humanitarian law’, says expert

18:14 , Chiara Giordano

An expert in conflict and security law has said sentencing British soldiers Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner to death for fighting with the Ukrainian army is “a serious violation of international humanitarian law”.

Dr Aurel Sari, from the University of Exeter, said: “British nationals serving in Ukraine’s armed forces are not mercenaries, but lawful combatants.

“They cannot be prosecuted for lawful military actions carried out prior to their capture.

“Sentencing them for participating in the hostilities is a serious violation of international humanitarian law, including the Third Geneva Convention of 1949 on prisoners of war.”

Putin talks ‘like negotiating with Hitler,’ Polish president says

18:06 , Chiara Giordano

Poland’s president has compared talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to negotiating with Adolf Hitler.

Andrzej Duda criticised the leaders of France and Germany for having phone calls with the Russian president, saying the conversations were akin to speaking to the Nazi dictator during the Second World War, according to the German tabloid Bild.

Read the full story:

Putin talks ‘like negotiating with Hitler’, Polish president says

Tom Tugendhat accuses Putin of carrying out ‘hostage taking’ as ‘revenge’

17:30 , Chiara Giordano

The Conservative chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee has accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of carrying out "a form of hostage taking, a form of revenge".

Tom Tugendhat told BBC Radio 4's PM programme: "It's not a state, it's not a court and the judges are merely people dressing up and pretending.

"The reality is this is an absolutely brutal thing to do to three completely innocent people."

Who are the Britons sentenced to death in Russian-occupied Ukraine?

17:05 , Chiara Giordano

Two British soldiers who were captured by Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine have been sentenced to death by pro-Moscow rebels.

Aiden Aslin, 28 and Shaun Pinner, 48, were found guilty of taking action towards violent seizure of power at a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

Tom Batchelor explains everything we know about the two Britons here:

Who are the Britons sentenced to death in Russian-occupied Ukraine?

Russia energy revenue may be higher now than before Ukraine war, US official says

16:48 , Chiara Giordano

Russia may be getting more revenue from its fossil fuels now than before its invasion of Ukraine, as global price increases offset the impact of western efforts to restrict its sales, US energy security envoy Amos Hochstein has said.

"I can't deny that," Mr Hochstein told the Senate Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation in response to a question about whether Moscow was making more money now off its crude oil and gas sales than before the war.

The United States and the European Union agreed to ban imports of Russian energy and imposed escalating sanctions to punish the country for its invasion of Ukraine.

While those moves put a chill on global trade in Russian fossil fuels, they also helped to trigger a surge in global prices of oil and gas. At the same time, Russia has been able to sell more cargoes to other buyers, including major energy consumers China and India, by offering it at a discount to oil from other origins.

Hochstein said that while those Russian sales to China and India have been discounted compared with supplies from other countries, the global market price surge means Russia's revenues are likely higher now.

He said he has asked India in recent conversations not to purchase too much Russian oil, and that he believes there is a "ceiling" to how much oil India will buy from Russia.

Foreign secretary Liz Truss condemns death sentences decision as ‘a sham judgment’

16:20 , Chiara Giordano

Foreign secretary Liz Truss has condemned the death sentences handed to British soldiers Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, and Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, by pro-Russian rebels for fighting in Ukraine as a “sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy”.

UK ‘deeply concerned’ by death sentences given to Britons in DPR

16:10 , Rory Sullivan

The UK has expressed its deep concern with the death sentences handed down to two British men in Russian-occupied Ukraine, a spokesperson for the prime minister has said.

“We’re obviously deeply concerned by this. We’ve said continually that prisoners of war shouldn’t be exploited for political purposes,” they said on Thursday.

“Under the Geneva convention, prisoners of war are entitled to combatant immunity, and they should not be prosecuted for participation in hostilities. So we will continue to work with Ukrainian authorities to try and secure the release of any British national who was serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and who are being held as prisoners of war.”

Ukraine war in photos

15:50 , Rory Sullivan

Kyiv seeks to build military cemetery

15:25 , Rory Sullivan

Officials in Kyiv have said they plan to establish a military cemetery in the capital to honour those killed in the war with Russia.

The city council will ask Ukraine’s parliament to given the green light to the site, which would be built near the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial.

It would be a good way to ensure “honorary burials of Ukraine’s defenders,” mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

British soldiers in Ukraine sentenced to death by Russian separatists

15:06 , Rory Sullivan

Two Britons and a Moroccan man who fought for Ukraine have been sentenced to death by pro-Russian separatists.

Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, and Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim were charged with being mercenaries. However,

The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reports that they have been sentenced to death by a court (which is not recognised internationalyl) in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).

The British men’s family’s say they were serving in the Ukrainian army and were not mercenaaries.

“The Supreme Court of the DPR passed the first sentence on mercenaries- the British Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner and the Moroccan Saadun Brahim were sentenced to death,” RIA Novosti reported.

Britons captured in Ukraine war sentenced to death by separatist court

Ukrainian teenager hailed a ‘hero’ for using drone to geolocate Russian convoy

14:59 , Rory Sullivan

A 15-year-old Ukrainian boy has been hailed as a hero for using his drone to geolocate an advancing Russian convoy earlier in the war.

Andrii Pokrasa, who lives near Kyiv, sent the coordinates to the Ukrainian army, allowing them to attack the military vehicles.

Yurii Kasjanov, a Ukrainian commander, told Global News: ‘[Andrii] was the only one who was experienced with drones in that region.

“He’s a real hero. A hero of Ukraine,” he added.

Battle for Sievierodonetsk taking place ‘house-to-house’, says Ukrainian commander

14:40 , Rory Sullivan

The battle for the strategic city of Sievierodonetsk is being fought door-to-door, a Ukrainian commander has said.

Petro Kuzyk, who leads the Svoboda (Freedom) National Guard battalion, said on Thursday that the street fighting there was intense.

“We fight for every house and every street,” he said, adding that his country’s forces had turned from “blind defence to small counter-offensives in some areas”.

“Yesterday was successful for us. We went on a counterattack and in some areas we managed to push them back by one or two blocks. In others we pushed them back literally by one or two houses.”

Mr Kuzyk said the Ukrainian army was in desperate need of “serious technology” to counter Russian artillery.

Finland looks to build barriers along Russian border

14:20 , Rory Sullivan

Finland plans to build barriers along its eastern border with Russia amid security concerns prompted by the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Finnish government, which recently applied to join Nato, wants to amend its legislation to permit fences and near roads to be constructed along the forest-covered frontier.

“Later on, the government will decide on border barriers to the critical zones on the eastern border, on the basis of the Finnish Border Guard’s assessment,” internal affairs minister Krista Mikkonen said.

Three dead in Russian shelling of Kharkiv, say Ukrainian emergency services

14:08 , Rory Sullivan

Russia’s shelling of Kharkiv killed three people on Wednesday, Ukraine’s emergency services have said.

Local authorities said five others were injured in the attack, which hit a cafe, supermarket and school library.

Economic instability from Ukraine war will abate over time, Boris Johnson says

13:56 , Thomas Kingsley

Prime inister Boris Johnson warned Britain on Thursday there was no quick fix to the instability prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine but that the economic consequences of the war would abate over time.

In a speech in the northern town of Blackpool, Johnson said now was not the time to stop supporting Ukraine and even though prices for gas, oil, grain and fertilisers had risen, the West could not force Kyiv to accept peace terms dictated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"And I know there are some who, they argue, not in this country perhaps but elsewhere, that the price of supporting the Ukrainians is now too high and they should be encouraged to accept whatever terms Putin may ask. I do not believe that option is really open to us," he said.

"Over time I believe the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine will abate."

Premier League suspends TV deal with Russian broadcaster over Ukraine invasion

12:52 , Thomas Kingsley

The Premier League has suspended its six-year deal with Russian broadcaster Match TV.

The previous deal with Russian media group Rambler was suspended in March after its country’s invasion of Ukraine and a new contract with Match TV, reported to be worth £43million, had been set in place to cover the next six seasons.

But with the conflict in Ukraine showing no signs of easing, the Premier League announced at its annual general meeting that the new deal has been put on hold.

Read the full story below:

Premier League suspends TV deal with Russian broadcaster over Ukraine invasion

Russia's Navalny scolds Google and Meta for helping Putin

12:26 , Thomas Kingsley

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny scolded Google and Meta on Thursday for shutting down advertising, a step he said had undermined the opposition and thus was a gift to President Vladimir Putin.

Navalny, by far Russia's most prominent opposition leader, casts Putin's Russia as a dystopian state run by thieves and criminals where wrong is cast as right and judges are in fact representatives of a doomed lawless country.

In a written address to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, Navalny, who is currently in a Russian jail, said technology was being used by the state to arrest dissidents but that it also gave an opportunity to get to the truth.

"The Internet gives us the ability to circumvent censorship," Navalny said in the address, a copy of which was posted on his official blog.

"Yet, at the same time, Google and Meta, by shutting down their advertising in Russia, have deprived the opposition of the opportunity to conduct anti-war campaigns, giving a grandiose gift to Putin."

Neither Google nor Meta immediately responded to a request for comment on Navalny's remarks. Both companies paused advertising targetting users in Russia in March, just days after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Russia says no agreement reached with Turkey on Ukrainian grain exports

12:05 , Thomas Kingsley

The Kremlin said on Thursday that no agreement had been reached with Turkey on exporting Ukrainian grain shipments across the Black Sea.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that work was continuing.

Turkey has been pushing for an agreement between Russia and Ukraine on a plan to resume grain exports from Ukrainian ports, although prospects for a deal look dim, with each side blaming the other for disrupting global food supplies.

Russia has been accused of using food as a weapon as blockages to Ukraine’s ports threatens to leave millions in starvation.

Kremlin says no more gas cuts to European customers expected

11:50 , Thomas Kingsley

The Kremlin said on Thursday it does not expect Gazprom to cut gas supplies to any more European customers, adding that its scheme to make buyers pay for their gas in roubles was functioning as intended.

Gazprom has cut supplies to some European countries for refusing to make payments for Russian gas in roubles under a new scheme the Kremlin set up in response to Western sanctions.

Russia has cut gas supplies to Finland and Poland during the course of its invasion of Ukraine.

After Western powers sanctioned Russia over the war, Russia said "unfriendly" countries must pay for gas using the Russian currency, a move the EU considers blackmail.

Ukraine regains some territory in counter-offensive in Kherson area

11:35 , Thomas Kingsley

The Ukrainian defence ministry said on Thursday that its forces had won back some territory from Russian forces in a counter-offensive in the Kherson area of southern Ukraine.

It gave no details but said the Russian forces had "suffered losses in manpower and equipment", mined territory as they were pushed back and erected barricades for the Ukrainian troops.

Kherson was one of the first major cities to be captured by Russia, with Putin’s troops taking control of it within the first week of its invasion.

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg contracts shingles

11:19 , Thomas Kingsley

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg called off a series of in-person meetings in Germany and Romania because he has contracted shingles after having a coronavirus infection last month, his office said Thursday.

"The secretary general will conduct his planned visit to Germany (and Romania) remotely rather than in person. He has been diagnosed with shingles, which can occur after COVID-19, and is working from home," a Nato official said.

The 63-year old former Norwegian prime minister had been due to attend meetings in Berlin on Thursday with Germany's chancellor and with the country's defense minister.

Ukraine sees threat of pollution to water basins after Russian invasion

11:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Russia's invasion of his country posed a huge threat of pollution to water basins, including the Sea of Azov.

In an address to a ministerial meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), he also underlined the need for green energy to replace Russian natural gas supplies following Russia's invasion on 24 February.

Satellite images show scale of destruction in Ukraine

10:45 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko has shared a satellite image of a "typical field" in Ukraine heavily damaged by Russian shelling amid the war.

Ms Vasylenko said in a statement that despite the damage, 75% of Ukrainian fields had been sown and that Ukraine would do all it could to "prevent global famine".

The images provided by US company Maxar Technologies shows the scale of damage caused by the Russian war.

Ukraine regains some territory in counter-offensive in Kherson area - Defence Ministry

10:30 , Thomas Kingsley

The Ukrainian defence ministry said on Thursday that its forces had won back some territory from Russian forces in a counter-offensive in the Kherson area of southern Ukraine.

It gave no details but said the Russian forces had "suffered losses in manpower and equipment", mined territory as they were pushed back and erected barricades for the Ukrainian troops.

Long range weapons from the west could help Ukrainians in Severodonetsk region, governor says

10:15 , Thomas Kingsley

Serhiy Haidai, governor for the Luhansk region, said if the west supplied long-range artillery, Ukraine would have the firepower it needs to push back Russian forces

He said if Ukraine gets Western long-range weapons, Russia would "lose to the West, and our defenders will be able to clean up Severodonetsk in two to three days".

He added that Russia was destroying “everything that can be used for defence by Russia.” Mr Haidai said "silence in Severodonetsk lasts only when guns are reloaded" and evacuation from the city "is still impossible".

Over 70,000 Ukrainians arrived in UK under visa scheme

10:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Some 70,500 people have arrived in the UK under Ukraine visa schemes, according to provisional government figures published on Thursday.

This includes 24,000 people under the family scheme, and 46,500 people under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme as of Monday.

The figures also show that, as of Tuesday, around 154,500 applications have been made for visas, and 124,400 visas have been issued.

This includes 47,300 applications under the family scheme, of which 41,000 visas have been granted, and 107,200 applications under the sponsorship scheme, of which 83,400 visas have been granted.

Mayor of Ukraine’s Sievierodonetsk says evacuation impossible as 10,000 civilians remain

09:45 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukrainian forces still hold the industrial zone and adjacent areas in the city of Sievierodonetsk, and the situation is "difficult but manageable", Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk said on Thursday.

He said defence lines were holding despite intense Russian artillery fire but that it was now impossible to evacuate people from Sievierodonetsk. He said about 10,000 civilians remained in the city, which is now the main focus of Russia's offensive in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin has cancelled live TV Q&A

09:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Vladimir Putin has abruptly cancelled a live television show which have seen him answer questions from the Russian public.

There is speculation he feared a barrage of ‘hostile’ queries which would surround the war in Ukraine however no official reason was given for the cancellation.

The Direct Line with Vladimir Putin annual show has been broadcast since 2004 and allows “ordinary” citizens across Russia to send in questions.

Mr Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a new date for the annual event is “unknown.”

“The Direct Line cannot take place this month”, he added.

ICYMI: Intelligence report reveals Ukraine forces outgunned up to 40 to one by Russian forces

09:15 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukrainian troops are suffering massive losses as they are outgunned 20 to one in artillery and 40 to one in ammunition by Russian forces, according to new intelligence painting a bleak and desperate picture of the vicious conflict on the frontline.

A report seen by The Independent reveals concern for the first time about Ukrainian soldiers deserting, and says Ukraine forces are restricted to a range of 15.5 miles, while the enemy can strike from 12 times that distance.

The grinding battle in eastern Ukraine is having “a seriously demoralising effect on Ukrainian forces as well as a very real material effect; cases of desertion are growing every week,” it says.

Read the full exclusive from our defence and security editor, Kim Sengupta:

Ukraine forces outgunned up to 40 to one by Russia, intelligence report reveals

Polish president criticises leaders for calls with Putin

09:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Polish president Andrzej Duda slammed the leaders of France and Germany over their phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it was like having talks with Adolf Hitler during World War Two, according to the German mass-selling daily Bild.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Macron have both held one-on-one phone calls with Putin since Russia launched a devastating invasion of Ukraine, with Macron in particular stirring Ukrainian ire by saying Russia must not be "humiliated" so as to preserve chances of a diplomatic solution.

Duda, in an interview with Bild first released on its YouTube channel late on Wednesday, said such discussions only legitimised an illegal war in Ukraine.

"Did anyone speak like this with Adolf Hitler during World War Two?" Duda said. "Did anyone say that Adolf Hitler must save face? That we should proceed in such a way that it is not humiliating for Adolf Hitler? I have not heard such voices."

Watch: John Cena meets Ukrainian refugee in heartwarming video

08:40 , Thomas Kingsley

Millions could starve due to Russia port blockages - Zelensky

08:25 , Thomas Kingsley

Millions of people could starve because of Russia's blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.

Warning that the world was on the brink of a "terrible food crisis", he said in a televised statement that Ukraine was unable to export wheat, corn, oil and other products and added: "Millions of people may starve if the Russian blockade of the Black Sea continues."

Likely Ukraine war will be ‘prolonged conflict', former Nato chief says

08:10 , Thomas Kingsley

The war in Ukraine will likely be a “prolonged conflict” the former Nato chief has warned.

Speaking to Sky News, former secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said: “I think the biggest risk right now is a prolonged conflict because Putin and Russia are experts in prolonged simmering, frozen conflicts.

He added: “For decades they have been in the eastern part of Moldova, since 2008 they have operated in parts of Georgia, since 2014 they have been in Crimea and the eastern part of the Donbas region, so I think Putin’s goal might be to continue to destabilise and weaken Ukraine through a prolonged conflict.”

Mr Rasmussen stressed the importance of the west supplying Ukraine with weapons to fight Russia.

“The only language Putin understands is the language of strength, force and unity,” he added.

‘Russia feels too strong’ to end war now, Zelensky says

07:55 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Russia will not enter negotiations to end the war any time soon.

Speaking to US business leaders, he said for the opposition to join talks is "simply not possible now because Russia can still feel its power".

He repeated his stance that Ukraine is willing to enter negotiations, but "not at the expense of our independence".

The Ukrainian president also called on the business leaders to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, saying: "We need to switch Russia off the global financial system completely."

Ukraine and Russia have attempted negotiations multiple times but talks have faltered.

Latest British intelligence update

07:40 , Thomas Kingsley

The latest British intelligence update on the war in Ukraine has said that although fighting continues in the Sieverodonetsk pocket, in the lasttwo days, Russia’s Eastern Group of Forces (EGF) have also likely increased their efforts to advance to the south of Izium.

The update added however that: “Russia’s progress on the Izium axis had remained stalled since April, after Ukrainian forces made good use of the terrain to slow Russia’s advance.”

Russia now advancing to Izium as fighting continues in Sieverodonetsk, claims UK

07:25 , Arpan Rai

The British defence ministry has said that Russian forces are ramping up their efforts to move towards Izium in Donetsk.

“Fighting continues in the Sieverodonetsk pocket but, in the last 48 hours, Russia’s Eastern Group of Forces (EGF) have also likely increased their efforts to advance to the south of Izium,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update on Thursday.

It added: “Russia’s progress on the Izium axis had remained stalled since April, after Ukrainian forces made good use of the terrain to slow Russia’s advance.”

With its units likely under-strengthened, the ministry has claimed Russia has attempted to “reconstitute EGF after they suffered very heavy casualties in the failed advance on Kyiv.”

“Russia likely seeks to regain momentum in this area in order to put further pressure on Sieverodonetsk, and to give it the option of advancing deeper into the Donetsk Oblast,” the ministry said.

US, China to meet at Asian security meeting as war plays out in Ukraine

07:07 , Arpan Rai

Officials from the US and China will be face-to-face at the same table during Asia’s top security meet of Shangri-La Dialogue starting 10 June.

The dialogue will see top-level military officials, diplomats and weapons makers from across the world and will be held in Singapore in a first after the pandemic.

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart minister of national defence general Wei Fenghe will also be holding their first in-person meeting since Joe Biden entered the White House.

“We expect, from our perspective, the substance of that meeting to be focused on managing competition in regional and global issues,” a senior US official said.

Beijing will also use the meeting to talk about cooperation with the US, Chinese media has reported.

Putin’s Russia will not seek diplomatic end to war - Zelensky

06:39 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky on Weednesday told a Yale University summit of business leaders that the Vladimir Putin-led Russian invasion of Ukraine will not seek a diplomatic end to the ongoing siege unless the world comes together to back the Ukrainian fighters.

“We are an independent, righteous, normal country,” Mr Zelensky said.

On his troops’ war efforts, he said: “We do it on our land and we slowly push them back. That’s how we’re going to keep on moving.”

In photos: Focus turns to Donbas as Russian soldiers snatch away key city

06:30 , Arpan Rai

Intelligence report reveals Ukraine forces outgunned up to 40 to one by Russian forces

06:10 , Arpan Rai

A new intelligence shows that the Ukrainian troops are suffering massive losses as they are outgunned 20 to one in artillery and 40 to one in ammunition by Russian forces.

A report seen by The Independent reveals concern for the first time about Ukrainian soldiers deserting, and says Ukraine forces are restricted to a range of 15.5 miles, while the enemy can strike from 12 times that distance.

The grinding battle in eastern Ukraine is having “a seriously demoralising effect on Ukrainian forces as well as a very real material effect; cases of desertion are growing every week,” it says.

Read the full story here:

Ukraine forces outgunned up to 40 to one by Russia, intelligence report reveals

Ukraine war increasing suffering of millions, says UN

05:28 , Arpan Rai

The Russian war on Ukraine has “exacerbated a global cost of living crisis unseen in at least a generation”, the UN Global Crisis Response Group said on on Wednesday, as it pointed that the ripple effects of the war are increasing the suffering of millions.

This has been caused by rising food and energy prices and a worsening financial crisis, even as the nations continue to reel from the impat of Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.

The war on Ukraine is underming UN aspirations to end extreme poverty around the globe and achieve 16 other goals for a better world by 2030, it said.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said that the “war’s impact on food security, energy and finance is systemic, severe and speeding up”.

With other crises, this war “is threatening to unleash an unprecedented wave of hunger and destitution, leaving social and economic chaos in its wake,” Mr Guterres said.

More bodies fill morgues in Mariupol: ‘Endless caravan of death'

04:53 , Arpan Rai

Officials in Mariupol are finding 50 to 100 bodies in building every day, as workers comb through the bombed port city days after weeks-long Russian siege ended.

Now under Russian control, Mariupol’s mayoral aide Petro Andryushchenko said that his workers are pulling out scores of bodies in an “endless caravan of death” to a morgue, landfills and other places.

The authorities have said that the bodies are being pulled out of smashed buildings where Ukrainian officials have estimated at least 21,000 civilian deaths during Russian attacks.

Fate of Donbas being decided in Sievierodonetsk, warns Zelensky

04:31 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky said that the fighting underway in Sievierodonetsk is one of the most difficult through the 105 days of the Russian invasion.

“According to the results of this day, the 105th day of the full-scale war, Sievierodonetsk remains the epicentre of the confrontation in Donbas,” Mr Zelensky said, as he added that the Ukrainian fighters continued to “defend our positions, inflict significant losses on the enemy.”

“This is a very fierce battle, very difficult. Probably one of the most difficult throughout this war. I am grateful to everyone who defends this direction. In many ways, the fate of our Donbas is being decided there,” the Ukrainian president said in his nightly address.

Zelensky says still not enough pressure on Russia to end war

04:18 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky said the leading business and a majority in American and European societies do not think there is enough pressure on Russia to end the war.

“…it would be right for politicians to hear this position. Leading business and the majority in American and European societies believe that there is still not enough pressure on the Russian Federation to end this war, Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

Such an audience believes that sanctions against Russia should be strengthened, he said, adding that he is referring to the most influential part of American business.

He said that he spoke with the leaders of major American companies. “This is the 133rd such summit, and this year it brought together the leading forces of global business. We discussed how business can help Ukraine withstand. I urged them to leave the Russian market and not to support this war with their taxes,” he said.

ICYMI: Hacked Russian radio station plays Ukrainian anthem

Thursday 9 June 2022 00:01 , Lamiat Sabin

In case you missed it...

A Russian radio station was hacked today and, after, was broadcasting the Ukrainian national anthem and anti-war songs.

Kommersant FM was then quickly pulled off the air.

The station said in a statement: “The radio station has been hacked. The internet stream will soon be reinstated.”

Some Twitter users posted videos of the Ukrainian national anthem being played on Kommersant FM.

The anti-war tunes included Russian rock band Nogu Svelo!’s song ‘We Don’t Need a War’.

Ukraine-Russia war developments: Politics and economy

Wednesday 8 June 2022 23:33 , Lamiat Sabin

POLITICS

* Russia’s proxies in occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia province announced plans to stage a referendum on joining Russia at an unspecified date later this year.

ECONOMY

* Russian shelling destroyed the warehouses of one of Ukraine‘s largest agricultural commodity terminals in the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv at the weekend, the region’s head said.

* Ukraine could export a maximum of only two million tonnes of grain a month if Russia refuses to lift its blockade of the country’s Black Sea ports, said Ukraine‘s first deputy minister for Agrarian Policy and Food.

* The World Bank board has approved $1.49 billion (£1.2bn) of additional financing for Ukraine to help pay government and social workers’ wages.

* Under heavy pressure from Western sanctions and airspace bans, Russian state airline Aeroflot said it planned to raise up to 185.2 billion roubles ($3bn, or £2.4bn) in an emergency share sale.

Ukraine-Russia war developments: Conflict and diplomacy

Wednesday 8 June 2022 23:00 , Lamiat Sabin

CONFLICT

* Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said defenders in the city of Severodonetsk were inflicting major losses on Russian troops during what he called a very fierce and very difficult battle.

* Russian forces control most of the strategic city of Sievierodonetsk and are heavily shelling the twin city of Lysychansk, causing major damage, the governor of Luhansk region said.

* Russia is attacking food and agriculture targets in order to scare the world into agreeing a deal to reopen the Black Sea on Moscow's terms, according to the head of the region where a major agricultural storage facility was struck at the weekend.

* Zelensky said Ukraine would launch next week a “Book of Executioners” to detail war crimes. Russia denies targeting civilians and has rejected allegations of war crimes.

* Two Britons and a Moroccan who were captured while fighting for Ukraine could face the death penalty after pleading guilty in a court of one of Russia’s proxies in eastern Ukraine, Russian news agency RIA reported.

* Over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered in the city of Mariupol have been transferred to Russia for investigation, Russia's state-owned Tass news agency reported, citing a Russian law enforcement source.

DIPLOMACY

* Turkey hosted Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov for talks aimed at restarting the stalled Ukraine peace process and finding a way to reopen Ukrainian ports for shipments of grain.

* Following the talks, Turkey said a proposed U.N. plan to reopen the Ukrainian ports was reasonable, but more negotiations were necessary.

* Lavrov said Ukraine would have to remove mines from its ports to allow them to reopen.

* Lavrov said a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Zelensky could happen only after peace talks resume.

Western artillery 'already making difference for Ukraine’

Wednesday 8 June 2022 22:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Western-supplied artillery systems are already making a difference on the ground for Ukraine, the governor of the Mykolaiv region said.

Governor Vitaliy Kim, whose region is partially occupied by Russia but remains just one of two that retains significant access to the Black Sea, said it is “just a question of time” before Ukrainian forces win back significant ground in the south.

He told Reuters that Ukrainian forces had “some success” in recent weeks in a counterattack in the neighbouring Kherson region.

Asked when Western weapons would start to make a difference on the ground against Russian forces that invaded the country on 24 February, he said: “It is already happening ... and we will have (more) success.”

“We are talking about artillery. It is already working in our region.”

He declined to say what specific Western artillery systems were working there.

Russian troops in Severodonetsk ‘sufffering major losses’

Wednesday 8 June 2022 21:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Defenders in Severodonetsk – a city in eastern Ukraine that is strategic in Russia’s invasion – have inflicted major losses on Vladimir Putin’s troops, Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president described the conflict as a very fierce and very difficult battle.

“In many respects, the fate of the Donbas is being decided there,” he said in a speech broadcast online.

Zelensky and Howard Buffett discuss rebuilding of Ukraine

Wednesday 8 June 2022 21:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Volodymyr Zelensky said he had met American philanthropist Howard Buffett, son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, today in Kyiv and discussed ways to help rebuild the country.

“We discussed assistance that would be valuable for our state. I offered him the chance to join projects restoring irrigation systems in the Odesa region, supporting our people, (and) mine clearance,” the Ukrainian president said in a tweet.

Mr Buffett is a director of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, the conglomerate founded by his father, and CEO of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, which describes itself as one of the largest private charitable foundations in the United States.

The foundation, which had assets of £420 million ($529m) at the end of 2020, said on its website that its priorities are global food security, conflict mitigation and public safety.

Moroccan faces death penalty in DPR alongside two Britons

Wednesday 8 June 2022 20:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Earlier, we reported that two Britons who were captured while fighting for Ukraine could face the death penalty.

The pair have pleaded guilty in a rebel court in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine, Russia’s RIA news agency reported.

Moroccan national Brahim Saadoun had also been held in a courtroom cage with the British men.

The news agency RIA said Pinner and Saadoun had pleaded guilty to actions aimed at the violent seizure of power.

The video appeared to show Aslin pleading guilty to a lesser charge involving weapons and explosives.

RIA quoted prosecutors as saying the combined charges could mean the death penalty for all three.

Ukrainian troops ‘outgunned 40 to one in ammunition'

Wednesday 8 June 2022 20:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Ukrainian forces are outgunned 20 to one in artillery and 40 to one in ammunition by Russian counterparts, according to intelligence that paints a bleak picture of the worsening situation on the frontline – writes Kim Sengupta in Kyiv.

Read his dispatch in full here:

Ukraine forces outgunned up to 40 to one by Russia, intelligence report reveals

Russian troops ‘control most of Severodonetsk’ - local official

Wednesday 8 June 2022 19:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Ukraine said that Russian forces control most of the strategic city of Severodonetsk and are heavily shelling the twin city of Lysychansk.

This is according to the Luhansk region’s governor Serhiy Gaidai, who said Russian troops are causing major damage.

In an online post, Mr Gaidai also said there was no chance of Ukrainian troops in the Luhansk region being encircled.

Russian forces temporarily control 90 per cent of the region, he added.

Wales pauses its super-sponsor scheme for Ukrainian refugees

Wednesday 8 June 2022 19:00 , Lamiat Sabin

The Welsh government has revealed it is pausing its super-sponsor scheme for Ukrainian refugees after receiving 3,000 applications – three times the 1,000 applicants the government initially said it would sponsor.

Of those, 2,453 people have been granted a visa – while 480 people are believed to have actually arrived in the UK.

If granted a visa through the scheme, a person will get accommodation, support and care in Wales without the need for them to be matched with a person or family before they are cleared to travel.

But ministers have now announced a month-long pause on new applications from 10 June, after which they will re-evaluate whether to reopen the scheme or not.

Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt said: “This temporary pause will give us the opportunity to refine the arrangements we have put in place to support people on arrival and ensure all public services, in particular local authorities, can continue to deliver a high standard of support.

“To be clear, this operational pause will not affect any current applications and people will continue to arrive in Wales as visas are granted and travel arrangements are confirmed.”

Welsh Conservatives leader Andrew RT Davies hit back at the news claiming the government was “backtracking” on its promise to provide shelter to Ukrainians and urged them to continue the scheme.

The scheme where individuals can sponsor refugees will continue.

PA

Captured Britons appear in Donetsk rebel court

Wednesday 8 June 2022 18:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Two Britons captured by Russian forces appeared in a court in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic after having been accused of being mercenaries for the Ukrainian army.

Aiden Aslin, 28, from Nottinghamshire, and Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire could face the death penalty if they are convicted of the charges, as the court is not internationally recognised.

Read the full story here by Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Captured Britons appear in Donetsk rebel court

Russian radio station plays Ukrainian anthem after being hacked

Wednesday 8 June 2022 18:00 , Lamiat Sabin

A Russian radio station was hacked today and, after, was broadcasting the Ukrainian national anthem and anti-war songs.

Kommersant FM was then quickly pulled off the air.

The station said in a statement: “The radio station has been hacked. The internet stream will soon be reinstated.”

Some Twitter users posted videos of the Ukrainian national anthem being played on Kommersant FM.

The anti-war tunes included Russian rock band Nogu Svelo!’s song ‘We Don’t Need a War’.

Arctic Council to resume some work, but excluding Russia

Wednesday 8 June 2022 17:30 , Lamiat Sabin

The Arctic Council said it will resume limited internal cooperation on projects that exclude Russia.

The member countries are Canada, Denmark – which also represents Greenland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United States.

The countries halted all Council meetings on 3 March following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

They said in a joint statement published by the Icelandic foreign ministry: “We intend to implement a limited resumption of our work in the Arctic Council, in projects that do not involve the participation of the Russian Federation.”

The Arctic Council works on matters that affect the region’s residents, but it does not deal with security issues.

Russia and Ukraine in ‘50 for 50’ swap of dead troops' bodies

Wednesday 8 June 2022 17:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Russia and Ukraine have engaged in another exchange of deceased soldiers’ bodies.

Both sides gave each other the bodies of 50 of their dead troops – with 37 of the ones swapped by Russia being some of the Ukrainian troops that defended the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

Ukraine’s Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories said: “At the front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast an exchange of bodies of deceased soldiers took place between Ukraine and Russia following the formula ‘50 for 50’.”

The exchange operation was conducted by the Ministry of Reintegration, Intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and other Ukrainian security agencies.

Another Russian commander dies in action, Ukraine says

Wednesday 8 June 2022 16:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Ukraine claims that another Russian commander has been killed in action.

Colonel Ruslan Shirin, the Chief of Staff of the 336th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Russian Baltic Fleet, has allegedly died.

This is according to the Strategic Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The update says: “Colonel Ruslan Shirin has been officially identified and demilitarised.”

The post on Facebook did not state when and how the high-ranking official was killed.

It was also reported on Twitter by Ukrainian armed forces officer Anatoliy Stefan.

Colonel Shirin is reportedly the fourth commander to have been killed since the Russian invasion started on 24 February.

More than 7 million border crossings registered from Ukraine - UN agency

Wednesday 8 June 2022 16:09 , Matt Mathers

More than 7 million people have crossed the border from Ukraine since war broke out there, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

A total of 7,023,559 border crossings have been recorded since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, the agency’s tally showed on Wednesday.

The number of individual refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe stood at 4,712,076, with Poland, Russia and Moldova among the top host countries, it said.

Turkey and Russia fail to come up with plan to export Ukraine’s food as global crisis looms

Wednesday 8 June 2022 15:56 , Matt Mathers

Russia and Turkey failed to come up with a formula to move grain from Black Sea ports to the rest of the world following a closely watched meeting between senior officials in Ankara on Wednesday.

Our international correspondent Borzou Daragahi reports:

Turkey and Russia fail to come up with plan to export Ukraine’s food

Ukraine pushed back to outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, governor says

Wednesday 8 June 2022 15:33 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian forces have been pushed back by a Russian bombardment in the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk and now only control its outskirts, the region’s governor told the RBC-Ukraine media outlet on Wednesday.

Ukrainian special forces launched a counteroffensive days ago and cleared almost half of the city, but it made no sense for them to stay when Russia started levelling the area with shelling and air strikes, the official, Serhiy Gaidai, was quoted as saying.

"...Our (forces) now again control only the outskirts of the city. But the fighting is still going on, our (forces) are defending Sievierodonetsk, it is impossible to say the Russians completely control the city," he said.

Canada bans export of support services for Russian oil, gas and chemical industries

Wednesday 8 June 2022 15:19 , Matt Mathers

Canada said on Tuesday it was imposing new sanctions on Russia, banning export of 28 services, such as accounting and advertising, that are needed for the operation of Russian oil, gas and chemical industries.

Canada’s new measures target an industry that accounts for about 50 per cent of Russia’s federal budget revenues, according to a statement from Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,070 individuals and entities and Joly said Ottawa would "continue to relentlessly pursue accountability for Vladimir Putin’s senseless war."

Drop sanctions then we’ll export grain, Russia says

Wednesday 8 June 2022 15:00 , Matt Mathers

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Western sanctions against Moscow must be lifted before Russian grain could be delivered to international markets.

"President (Vladimir) Putin said that in order for Russian grain volumes to be delivered to international markets, direct and indirect sanctions against Russia must be lifted," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

He said the sanctions, which the West imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, were affecting shipping insurance, payments, and access to European ports."

He added that "no substantive discussions" about lifting them were taking place.

Ukraine and Russia together account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies, while Russia is also a key fertilizer exporter and Ukraine a major supplier of corn and sunflower oil.

Germany never gave fixed date on weapons delivery, says govt spokesperson

Wednesday 8 June 2022 14:43 , Matt Mathers

Germany has never given a fixed date when it comes to the delivery of weapons to Ukraine, said a German government spokesperson on Wednesday in response to reports about delays.

"What’s clear is that everything we have decided to deliver and have announced, we want to deliver as soon as possible," added the spokesperson.

Germany still has not received a request from Spain about sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine, added the spokesperson.

Ukraine files eight more war crimes cases to court - prosecutor

Wednesday 8 June 2022 14:14 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine has filed eight more war crimes cases to court in addition to three sentences that have already been handed down to Russian soldiers, Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said on Wednesday.

Ukrainian authorities have opened more than 16,000 investigations into possible war crimes during Russia’s invasion which began on Feb. 24, she said on television.

Moscow denies allegations that its troops have committed war crimes in what it describes as a "special operation" to demilitarise Ukraine.

Venediktova said there were 104 suspects, nine of whom were linked to crimes in a school basement in the village of Yahidne in the northeastern Chernihiv region, where Russian troops kept hundreds of people during their occupation from March 3-30.

She said that 10 people died from the ordeal of their confinement in the basement and that a small baby and a 93-year-old had been among those held there.

Russian Orthodox Church sends its second most powerful figure on lower-ranking overseas posting

Wednesday 8 June 2022 13:49 , Matt Mathers

Russia’s Orthodox Church has ousted its second most powerful bishop from his role in charge of foreign relations and sent him to Budapest, an abrupt decision indicating discord at the top of the Moscow Patriarchate over the war in Ukraine.

The Holy Synod, which met at the white-walled 13th century Danilovsky Monastery in Moscow on Tuesday, decreed to remove Metropolitan Hilarion as the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations.

The Synod had discussed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which is being challenged as the leader of Slav Orthodoxy by the rival autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the Metropolitan of Kyiv.

More than 700-words into the minutes of the meeting, the Synod decreed Hilarion be relieved of his roles as head of foreign relations, permanent member of the Synod and rector of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Institute of Post-Graduate Studies.

"It is decreed that Bishop Hilarion, Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, will be the administrator of the Budapest-Hungarian Diocese, Metropolitan of Budapest and Hungary," the minutes said.

Russian proxies plan vote in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region on joining Russia

Wednesday 8 June 2022 13:35 , Matt Mathers

The Russian-installed administration in the occupied part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region plans to stage a referendum later this year on joining Russia, Russian news agencies quoted one of its members as saying.

"The people will determine the future of the Zaporizhzhia region. The referendum is scheduled for this year," the official, Vladimir Rogov, was quoted by TASS as saying, giving no further details about the timing.

Around 6 per cent of the region is under Russian control, part of a swathe of southern Ukraine that Moscow seized early in the war, including most of neighbouring Kherson province where Russian-installed officials have also discussed plans for a referendum.

Rogov said the administration would draw up plans for how to proceed with a referendum even if Russia could not gain control over the entire region. Zaporizhzhia city, the main urban centre, is still held by Ukraine.

Ukraine forces could pull back from embattled eastern city, governor says

Wednesday 8 June 2022 13:19 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian forces battling Russian troops in a key eastern city appear on the cusp of retreat, although the regional governor insisted they were still fighting "for every centimetre" of the city.

The urban battle for Sievierodonetsk testifies to the painstaking, inch-by-inch advance by Russian forces as they close in on control of the entire Luhansk region, one of two that make up the industrial heartland known as the Donbas.

Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai acknowledged the difficulties in Sievierodonetsk on Wednesday, saying "maybe we will have to retreat, but right now battles are ongoing in the city".

Ukraine grain silos half-full ahead of harvest, industry group says

Wednesday 8 June 2022 12:58 , Matt Mathers

Grain silos in Ukrainian territory controlled by the government are about half full in the run-up to this year’s harvest, the head of the Ukraine Grain Association said on Wednesday.

There were some 30 million tonnes of grain stored in Ukrainian-held territory out of capacity of around 55 million tonnes, Mykola Gorbachov told an International Grains Council conference in London.

There were 13-15 million tonnes of storage capacity in Russian-occupied areas, he added.

Back to Lavrov’s visit to Turkey...

Wednesday 8 June 2022 12:57 , Zoe Tidman

Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow would not use the situation over grain shipments in and around the Black Sea to advance its invasion as long as Ukraine lets ships leave safely.

“These are guarantees from the president of Russia,” the foreign minister said.

Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but the war and a Russian blockade of its ports have halted much of that flow, endangering food supplies to many developing countries.

Turkey is involved in efforts for the establishment of a UN-led mechanism that would create a secure corridor for the shipment of the Ukrainian grain - and for Russia to export food and fertiliser.

PA

Ukraine files more war crime cases, prosecutor says

Wednesday 8 June 2022 12:28 , Zoe Tidman

Ukraine has filed eight more war crimes cases to court in addition to three sentences already handed down to Russian soldiers, its top prosecutor Iryna Venediktova has said.

It has opened more than 16,000 investigations into possible war crimes during the Russian invasion starting in late February, she said.

Ms Venediktova said there was a daily increase in probes. “We are talking about people who didn’t just come as military combatants ... but also came to rape, kill civilians, loot, humiliate and so on,” she said.

Moscow denies allegations of war crimes.

Zelensky discusses Russia treatment of prisoners of war with Germany call

Wednesday 8 June 2022 11:53 , Zoe Tidman

Ukraine’s president said he raised the issue of Russia’s compliance with international rules governing the treatment of prisoners of war during a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday.

He did not elaborate further about the prisoners.

Reuters

What will happen to vital grain supplies?

Wednesday 8 June 2022 11:24 , Zoe Tidman

Amid the carnage and bloodshed in Ukraine, a new tragedy is looming, as businesses in the wartorn country increasingly fear that they may soon have to start throwing away food that the world desperately needs.

Hopes are fading among Ukrainian business leaders that Vladimir Putin will lift a blockade on the Black Sea ports before the harvest begins in just a few weeks, Ben Chapman writes.

Full story here:

Ukraine in race to export millions of tonnes of food as Putin ‘blackmails’ world