Ukraine news - live: Putin ‘has lost’ as ‘global pariah Russia is paying enormous price’ for war

Vladimir Putin has lost “strategically, operationally and tactically” in his war on Ukraine, as Russia is now a “global pariah”, a top US general has said.

General Mark Milley was speaking after a meeting with his Nato counterparts in Brussels as Putin’s forces were said to be making incremental gains in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

With him was the US defence secretary Lloyd Austin, who added that while Russia was introducing new troops to the battlefield, many are “ill-trained and ill-equipped”.

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.

It comes as the UK government announced that an unidentified British national has died in Ukraine.

Key Points

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

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

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

• Putin ‘changing generals like socks’ — White House

• Moscow can take Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa, Russian official claims

‘Russia has lost strategically, operationally and tactically'

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.

Moscow accuses Japan of 'Russophobia’

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?

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

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

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

18:08 , Andy Gregory

Breaking - British national has died in Ukraine

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12:50 , Emily Atkinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Germany 'to restart production of Gepard ammunition for Ukraine’

09:50 , Emily Atkinson

Germany has signed contracts with Rheinmetall to restart the production of ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft guns it has delivered to Kyiv, German defence minister Boris Pistorius says.

“We will quickly start our own production of Gepard ammunition at Rheinmetall. I am very happy we have been able to guarantee the delivery of this important part of air defense,” Mr Pistorius said before a meeting with Nato ministers in Brussels.

Germany has been trying for months to find new munitions for the Gepard anti-aircraft guns which its own military had decommissioned in 2010.

Kyrgyzstan to replace Armenia in leading Russia-led security bloc’s peacekeeping drills

09:30 , Emily Atkinson

Kyrgyzstan will host a Russia-led security bloc’s peacekeeping drills this year instead of Armenia, which last month declined to host the exercise, it has been announced.

Armenia, engaged in a dispute with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, said last month it would be unreasonable for it to host the drills of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the near future.

Anatoly Sidorov, the chief of the CTSO united staff, told a briefing on Tuesday that Kyrgyzstan has volunteered to host the “Indestructible Brotherhood” drills. He provided no further details.

Kyrgyzstan was scheduled to hold a similar CTSO exercise last year, but cancelled it amid a violent border conflict with another bloc member, Tajikistan. The bloc also includes Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Asked about the bloc’s potential deployment in Ukraine, Sidorov said he saw no need for that.

Putin ‘preparing for more war’, says Stoltenberg

09:00 , Emily Atkinson

Nato must ensure Ukraine has the weapons it needed “to win this war”, the military alliance chief has reiterated.

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg also urged allies to note that Russian president Vladimir Putin was not preparing for peace but instead “preparing for more war.”

“We see no signs that president Putin is preparing for peace, what we see is the opposite, he is preparing for more war, new offensives and new attacks,” said Mr Stoltenberg.

“This is a grinding war of attrition, therefore a battle of logistics,” added Mr Stoltenberg, referring to Ukraine‘s needs for more weapons and talks over possibly providing aircraft for Ukraine.

Ukraine warns of mines drifting along Black Sea coast due to storm

08:30 , Emily Atkinson

Shipping and coastal communities around Ukraine‘s major seaport hub of Odesa received a warning from military officials on Tuesday over the high risk of naval mines drifting along the coast and washing ashore.

Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of using mines off the Ukrainian coast, which prevents safe navigation in the region.

The Soviet-made mines were anchored, but in a storm some of them could come loose and be carried by the current.

“There is a high probability of naval mines breaking off their anchors and washing up on the shore, as well as drifting along the coast,” Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesman of Odesa military administration, wrote on Telegram.

“Since March last year, Russia has continued to use anti-ship mines on anchors as an unguided weapon against Ukraine,” he said in a separate video.

Wagner group ‘makes further small gains around outskirts of Bakhmut’

08:00 , Emily Atkinson

Russia’s Wagner group has made further small gains around the northern outskirts of the Donbas town of Bakhmut in Ukraine in recent days, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) says.

The tactical Russian advance to the south of Bakhmut has likely made little progress, the 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.

Russia rejects accusation of plot to destabilise Moldova

07:30 , Emily Atkinson

Russia has rejected an accusation by Moldova’s president that Moscow was plotting to destabilise the former Soviet republic.

Moldova’s president, Maia Sandu, complained on Monday that Russia was planning to use foreign saboteurs to bring down her country’s leadership, stop it joining the EU and use it in the war against Ukraine.

“Such claims are completely unfounded and unsubstantiated,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Russia blamed Ukraine for stirring tension between Russia and Moldova, saying Kyiv was trying to draw Moldova “into a tough confrontation with Russia”.

NATO chief says Ukraine's ammunition use outstripping supply

07:00 , Sam Rkaina

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned Ukraine is using up ammunition far faster than its allies can provide it and putting pressure on Western defense industries, just as Russia ramps up its military offensive.

“The war in Ukraine is consuming an enormous amount of munitions and depleting allied stockpiles,” Stoltenberg said. “The current rate of Ukraine’s ammunition expenditure is many times higher than our current rate of production. This puts our defense industries under strain.”

According to some estimates, Ukraine is firing up to 6,000-7,000 artillery shells each day, around a third of the daily amount that Russia is using almost one year into the war.

Speaking on the eve of a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers, Stoltenberg said the waiting time for the supply of “large-caliber ammunition has increased from 12 to 28 months,” and that “orders placed today would only be delivered two-and-a-half years later.”

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

06:57 , Arpan Rai

The British defence ministry says mercenary forces from Russia’s Wagner Group have almost certainly made further small gains in the last three days around the northern outskirts of the contested Donbas town of Bakhmut, including into the village of Krasna Hora.

However, organised Ukrainian defence continues in the area. The tactical Russian advance to the south of the town has likely made little progress, the ministry said in its latest intelligence update today.

It added: “In the north, in Kremina-Svatove sector of Luhansk Oblast, Russian forces are making continuous offensive efforts, though each local attack remains on too small a scale to achieve a significant breakthrough.”

“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.” the MoD said.

It added that overall, the current operational picture suggests that Russian forces are being given orders to advance in most sectors, but that they have not massed sufficient offensive combat power on any one axis to achieve a decisive effect.

What has Elon Musk said about Russia’s war in Ukraine?

06:30 , Sam Rkaina

Elon Musk, the boss of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter and the world’s richest man, is facing criticism over his decision to restrict the availability of his Starlink satellite high-speed broadband service to Ukraine.

When Russia first invaded its western neighbour on 24 February 2022, Mr Musk responded to an appeal for help from Ukraine’s vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov by generously dispatching 20,000 SpaceX Starlink terminals to the country.

Since then, Vladimir Putin’s forces have relentlessly targeted Ukraine’s telecommunications infrastructure with missile strikes. This has caused Kyiv to rely on SpaceX’s technology as a source of uninterrupted, independent and secure internet access, enabling lines of communication to remain open with its troops on the frontline of the conflict in the south and east.

Click here for the full story.

Ukraine’s ammunition use outstripping supply – Nato chief

06:03 , Arpan Rai

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg warned that Ukraine is using up ammunition far faster than its allies can provide it and putting pressure on Western defense industries, just as Russia ramps up its military offensive.

“The war in Ukraine is consuming an enormous amount of munitions and depleting allied stockpiles,” Stoltenberg said. “The current rate of Ukraine’s ammunition expenditure is many times higher than our current rate of production. This puts our defense industries under strain.”

According to some estimates, Ukraine is firing up to 6,000-7,000 artillery shells each day, around a third of the daily amount that Russia is using almost one year into the war.

Read more here:

NATO chief says Ukraine's ammunition use outstripping supply

Scotland plans Ukraine Forever programme in Edinburgh

06:02 , Sam Rkaina

And as part of the Ukraine Forever programme in Edinburgh, there will be a range of events including a fundraiser for a paramedic charity at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on February 23, and a night of music with Scottish and Ukrainian artists at the Usher Hall on February 28.

Hannah Beaton-Hawryluk, Edinburgh’s branch chairwoman of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, said she hoped the programme of events would “provide an opportunity for both residents of Edinburgh and Ukrainians living in the city to come together to commemorate the human sacrifice in the defence of Ukraine”.

“The first anniversary is a really important, but sombre, milestone to ensure that the profile of Ukraine’s fight is kept at the forefront of society’s discourse in the coming year ahead,” she said.

“We need all of your help to continue supporting Ukraine.”

On February 23, there will be a special debate at the Scottish Parliament, with politicians from across the spectrum set to take part.

And, two days later, there will be a march in support of Ukraine, which will head from Edinburgh Castle to the Scottish Parliament.

MSP Neil Gray, the minister with special responsibility for refuges from Ukraine, said as the anniversary approached it was “important for us to take a moment to pause and reflect, and to remember all those who have lost their lives in the conflict”.

“Edinburgh’s Ukraine Forever programme will help us all to show our continued support and solidarity with Ukrainians all over the world,” he said.

“To all the Ukrainians in Scotland, my message remains clear, we stand with you and want you to know that Scotland is your home for as long as you need it to be.”

Thousands of Ukrainian refuges have made Scotland home since the invasion, with more than 22,000 people from the war-torn country arriving north of the border through private sponsors or super-sponsor scheme.

US doesn’t have spare missiles to share with Ukraine – Politico

05:26 , Arpan Rai

Officials in the Biden administration have told Ukraine that they are concerned about sharing much-wanted long-range missiles as the US military does not have any to spare, reported Politico.

Representatives in Kyiv have been informed that the Pentagon doesn’t have any Army Tactical Missile Systems to spare, said four people with knowledge of the talks.

They added that sending the ATACMS to the battlefield in eastern Europe would dwindle America’s existing stockpiles and impact the US military’s readiness for a future fight.

What has Elon Musk said about Russia’s war in Ukraine?

05:08 , Arpan Rai

Elon Musk, the boss of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter, is currently facing criticism over his decision to restrict the availability of his Starlink satellite high-speed broadband service to Ukraine.

Starlink’s small, portable terminals are ideal for the situation because they have minimal energy requirements and are difficult to hack.

Mr Musk acknowledged its vital role in a tweet of his own from 31 January this year in which he also expressed discomfort about the Ukrainian military using the service to fly drones carrying anti-tank grenades over Russian positions. He said he would “not allow” the practice to continue.

Here’s more on what he said that sparked criticism:

What has Elon Musk said about Russia’s war in Ukraine?

Events planned in UK to mark first anniversary of war next week

05:01 , Sam Rkaina

Events to mark the start of Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine are set to begin on Saturday ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion which has claimed the lives of tens of thousands and caused turmoil across the globe.

The Ukraine Forever programme was announced on Monday at Edinburgh Castle by Lord Provost Robert Aldridge, who joined other representatives at the landmark ahead of a series of events to mark the war’s beginning which include a planned parliamentary debate and march next week.

On February 24 2022, Putin’s troops tried to storm the country but met stiff resistance from Ukrainian fighters defending their homeland and, to mark the start of the full-scale invasion attempt, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the castle and the City War Memorial on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

Mr Aldridge said: “On this most sombre of anniversaries, we are reminded of the terrible consequences of Russia’s illegal invasion during the past year.”

In cities and towns north of the border there will be events to mark the start of the war, with other wreath-laying events to take place as well as church services and processions.

Edinburgh’s first event, a commemorative gala concert in support of Ukraine, will be held at St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, Lothian Road, on February 18.

Nato defence ministers meet today to vow aid for Ukraine

04:44 , Arpan Rai

Nato defence ministers are meeting today in Brussels to coordinate weapons supplies for Ukraine and discuss the threat posed by spy balloons.

The meeting at the alliance’s headquarters in the Belgian capital comes ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ahead of the meeting, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said defence ministers would work to strengthen the alliance’s deterrence and defence, increase industrial capacity and replenish members’ munitions stockpiles, as well as “step up and sustain our support for Ukraine”.

“It is clear that we are in a race of logistics,” he said.

Nato defence ministers gather to discuss support for Ukraine, spy balloons

Main developments from Monday

04:01 , Sam Rkaina

* The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said Russian mortar and artillery fire had struck areas around seven settlements, including Bakhmut, along a line running north and south of the town, as well as other areas also coming under fire.

* Russia said its troops had managed to advance 1.2 miles to the west in four days. However, it did not say which part of the long frontline, encompassing several Ukrainian regions in the south and east, had moved.

* Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the Russian region of Chechnya, said in an interview on state television Russia had the forces to take the capital Kyiv - from which it was driven back in the early weeks of the war - and that it needed to capture Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv and its main port, Odesa.

Putin struggling, not making good decisions — White House

03:41 , Arpan Rai

White House official John Kirby derided Russian president Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine and said that his military’s struggles in the war have only been exacerbated by the leader.

“Clearly, Mr Putin is not making good decisions. Shouldn’t have invaded in the first place. This is a country that posed no threat to anybody, let alone Russia,” the spokesperson for the National Security Council said at a news briefing last night.

On being asked about Mr Putin’s “decision-making now, the calibre of his decision-making, and also his grip on power in his own country”, Mr Kirby said: “I can’t speak to the way Mr Putin gets advised and how he — you know, who’s advising him and what they’re saying. I couldn’t begin to get inside Kremlin decision-making processes.”

He added: “Clearly, he hasn’t made sound decisions, nor has his military, with respect to their performance on the battlefield. They’re still suffering some of the same problems they were a year ago: logistics, sustainment, integration of joint fires, manpower, personnel, unit cohesion. I could go on and on. The Russian military is still struggling. They have not surmounted these — these problems.”

He added that Mr Putin is still struggling as the challenges facing Russia are “borne out by the fact that, you know, he continues to change generals the way I change socks. So, I mean, he’s — he’s still struggling.”

Dutch F-35s intercept three Russian warplanes near Poland

03:31 , Arpan Rai

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

The Russian jets have been escorted out, it added.

“The then unknown aircraft approached the Polish Nato area of responsibility from Kaliningrad,” the ministry said, reported Reuters.

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-28 fighter aircraft.

Moscow has not confirmed the incident so far.

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

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

03:23 , Arpan Rai

Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine has come under heavy artillery fire as Russia launched its anticipated major new offensive to mark one year of the war, officials said.

“The city, the city’s suburbs, the entire perimeter, and essentially the entire Bakhmut direction and Kostyantynivka are under crazy, chaotic shelling,” Volodymyr Nazarenko, deputy commander of Ukraine’s Svoboda battalion, said last night.

Bakhmut is Russia’s latest territorial target to capture from Ukrainian control as the invading troops mark their biggest advance in eastern Ukraine in more than six months.

A deputy battalion commander confirmed that Ukrainian positions in Bakhmut have been fortified and only people who have military role are allowed in. Civilians keen on leaving the city under heavy Russian siege will now have to brave the incoming fire, he added.

If Vladimir Putin’s soldiers capture Bakhmut — a prime objective this month for the Kremlin — the capture would give Russia a new foothold in the Donetsk region and a rare victory after months of setbacks.

President calls out exiled Moldovan oligarchs

03:03 , Sam Rkaina

The president added that the plan would “rely on several internal forces, but especially on criminal groups” and went on to name two Moldovan oligarchs, Ilan Shor and Vladimir Plahotniuc, both of whom are currently in exile. Both men last year were sanctioned by the U.S. and the U.K.

Last fall, a series of mass anti-government protests organized by Shor’s populist, Russia-friendly Shor Party, also rocked Moldova amid the energy crunch.

The president’s press briefing Monday comes after the surprise resignation on Friday of Moldova’s Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita.

The same day, Ms Sandu appointed her defence and security adviser, pro-Western economist Dorin Recean, to succeed Gavrilita.

On Friday, after Moldovan authorities confirmed the missile incident, U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters in Washington that “Russia has for years supported influence and destabilization campaigns in Moldova, which often involve weaponizing corruption to further its goals.”

Moldovan authorities ‘under huge pressure’ after Zelensky comments

02:02 , Sam Rkaina

Costin Ciobanu, a political scientist at the Royal Holloway University of London, said it’s likely there “was a huge pressure” on Moldovan authorities to explain more to the public after Zelensky first went public with the security information last week in Brussels.“

Today’s announcement by President Sandu legitimizes the narrative that Moldova needs to focus on its security,” he told The Associated Press. “Probably, based on the evidence they received, they are now more sure of these kinds of attempts by Russians.”

He added that Sandu going public could also be a preemptive bid to thwart “Russia’s attempts to destabilize Moldova,” in the same way Western officials called out the Kremlin’s war plans before its invasion of Ukraine.

Sandu calls for new laws to protect country’s security.

01:03 , Sam Rkaina

Last April, tensions in Moldova also soared after a series of explosions in Transnistria — a Russia-backed separatist region of Moldova where Russia bases about 1,500 troops — which had raised fears it could get dragged into Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Transnistria has a population of about 470,000 and has been under the control of separatist authorities since a civil war in 1992.

President Sandu claimed Russia wants to use Moldova in the war against Ukraine and that information obtained by intelligence services contained what she described as instructions on rules of entry to Moldova for citizens from Russia, Belarus, Serbia, and Montenegro.

“I assure you that the state institutions are working to prevent these challenges and keep the situation under control,” Sandu said.

She said Moldova’s Parliament must adopt draft laws to equip its Intelligence and Security Service, and the prosecutor’s office, “with the necessary tools to combat more effectively the risks to the country’s security.”

Moldova confirms another missile entered airspace on Friday

00:01 , Sam Rkaina

President Sandu said that between October and December Moldovan police and its Intelligence and Security Service, the SIS, have intervened in “several cases of organized criminal elements and stopped attempts at violence.”Over the past year, non-NATO member Moldova has faced a string of problems.

These include a severe energy crisis after Moscow dramatically reduced gas supplies; skyrocketing inflation; and several incidents in recent months involving missiles that have traversed its skies, and debris that has been found on its territory.Moldovan authorities confirmed that another missile from the war in Ukraine had entered its airspace on Friday.

Russia ‘want to overthrow the constitutional order’ in Moldova

Monday 13 February 2023 23:00 , Sam Rkaina

Since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly a year ago, Moldova, a former Soviet republic of about 2.6 million people, has sought to forge closer ties with its Western partners. Last June, it was granted EU candidate status, the same day as Ukraine.Ms Sandu said the alleged Russian plot’s purpose is “to overthrow the constitutional order, to change the legitimate power from (Moldova’s capital) Chisinau to an illegitimate one,” which she said “would put our country at the disposal of Russia, in order to stop the European integration process.”

There was no immediate reaction from Russian officials to Sandu’s claims.

Moldova’s president accuses Russia of planning to bring down her leadership

Monday 13 February 2023 22:01 , Sam Rkaina

Moldova’s president accused Russia on Monday of planning to use foreign saboteurs to bring down her tiny country’s leadership, stop it joining the European Union and use it in the war against Ukraine.

President Maia Sandu made her comments after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week his country had uncovered a Russian intelligence plan “for the destruction of Moldova”, and days later the country’s government resigned.

Ms Sandu, whose country borders Ukraine, has repeatedly expressed concern about Moscow’s intentions towards the former Soviet republic and about the presence of Russian troops in the breakaway Transdniestria region.

She said the plan involved citizens of Russia, Montenegro, Belarus and Serbia entering Moldova to try to spark protests in an attempt to “change the legitimate government to an illegal government controlled by the Russian Federation.”

“The Kremlin’s attempts to bring violence to Moldova will not work. Our main goal is the security of citizens and the state. Our goal is peace and public order in the country,” she told a news briefing.

Russia denied last year wanting to intervene in Moldova after authorities in Transdniestria said they had been targeted by a series of attacks.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby on Monday said reports of the plot had not been independently confirmed but were “deeply concerning” and “certainly not outside the bounds of Russian behaviour.”

Ukraine braced for new ground attacks

Monday 13 February 2023 21:01 , Sam Rkaina

The eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has endured heavy artillery fire today in what the NATO chief said appeared to be the start of a major new Russian offensive days before the first anniversary of Moscow’s invasion.

Ukrainian defenders, who have already held out for months, were braced for new ground attacks, Ukrainian military officials said.

Positions in Bakhmut have been fortified and only people with a military role were being allowed in, a deputy battalion commander said. Any civilians who still wanted to leave the city would have to brave the incoming fire, he said.

Bakhmut is a prime objective for Russian President Vladimir Putin and its capture would give Russia a new foothold in the Donetsk region and a rare victory after several months of setbacks.

Donetsk and Luhansk regions make up the Donbas, Ukraine’s industrial heartland, now partially occupied by Russia which wants full control.

“.The reality is we have seen the start (of a Russian offensive) already because we see now what Russia does now - President Putin does now - is to send thousands and thousands more troops, accepting a very high rate of casualty,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

The Russian assault on Bakhmut has been spearheaded by mercenaries of the Wagner group, who have made small but steady gains. The renewed Russian bombardments made the situation there even more acute.

Ukraine and US generals discuss support for Kyiv

Monday 13 February 2023 20:15 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine’s top general and the top US Army commander in Europe discussed military aid and training for Kyiv’s forces on Monday.

The conversation comes on the eve of a meeting of Ukraine’s allies in Brussels, the Ukrainian defence ministry said.

The ministry said in a statement on its Telegram channel that Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, had shared his vision for victory with the commander in chief of Europe’s combined NATO forces, U.S. General Christopher Cavoli.

“We discussed the issue of supplying international military aid to Ukraine and training our units on the territory of partner countries,” the ministry quoted Zaluzhnyi as saying.

They were speaking ahead of a U.S.-hosted meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters, following a 20 January conference at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany that was key to decisions to send Kyiv scores of modern battle tanks.

Mr Zaluzhnyi expressed his gratitude for General Cavoli’s “deep understanding of the situation and significant efforts to bring our victory closer,” the ministry added.

Duda thanks Germany for tanks approval

Monday 13 February 2023 19:30 , Sam Rkaina

Stationed in Swietoszow are Poland’s 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade and a U.S. armored cavalry combat group.

Warsaw is among the most active supporters of neighboring Ukraine, and has pushed European nations to provide the Leopard 1 and 2 tanks.

Germany has pledged at least 178 Leopard 1 tanks and 14 Leopard 2s. Poland has pledged 14 Leopard 2s. Other contributing countries include Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, while Britain has pledged Challenger tanks and the U.S. its M1 Abrams main battle tanks.

President Andrzej Duda especially thanked Germany for allowing the German-made tanks to be made available to Kyiv and for its own contribution.

Poland has also provided or pledged more than 300 of its Soviet-era T-72 tanks and modernized PT-91 tanks.

Ukrainian officials say they expect Russian forces to make a new drive in eastern and southern Ukraine, as the Kremlin strives to secure territory it illegally annexed in late September and where it claims its rule is welcomed.

Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said last week that the first battalion of 31 Leopard 1 tanks in Ukraine should be ready in April. The first Ukrainian soldiers to be trained on the tanks departed for Germany last week.

Tanks ‘will have great effect’ in the war

Monday 13 February 2023 18:45 , Sam Rkaina

A Polish instructor, Senior Staff Warrant Officer Krzysztof Sieradzki, said the Ukrainians are so motivated to learn everything fast that the instructors “have to hold them back and transfer knowledge to them in small batches.”

The trainees’ commander, Major Vadym Khodak, said they all have combat experience.

“They didn’t come from the street, they’ve been fighting on our tanks for a long time, so I think learning how to operate these tanks will be a lot easier,” said Khodak, who’s from Dnipro in eastern Ukraine.

Khodak said the modern tanks would be a great help.

“If we learn how to use them, we will put them to test in combat conditions and it will give a great effect,” he said.

Poland’s president meets with tank instructors helping Ukraine troops

Monday 13 February 2023 18:01 , Sam Rkaina

Poland’s president and defense minister met Monday with Polish and foreign instructors intensively training Ukrainian troops to operate the German-made Leopard 2 tanks that some European countries and Canada have offered Kyiv to help fight the Russian invasion.

President Andrzej Duda and minister Mariusz Blaszczak also watched Leopard 2 training at a military base and test range in Swietoszow, in southwestern Poland.

The training is part of the European Union’s military assistance to Ukraine, but Canadian instructors also have a role, as do Norwegians.

Taking part are Ukrainian tank crews from units fighting in the east of the country. The intensive training lasts up to 10 hours a day, including weekends, the Polish military said. Instruction is also being held in Germany.

Duda voiced hope the tanks would help Ukrainian forces “in a much more efficient way to defeat the enemy.”

He said the Ukrainian trainees have come straight from the front line. “You can see in their faces that these people have gone through terrible things, but they are determined to defend their homeland.”

Russian hackers ‘disrupt Turkey-Syria earthquake aid’ in cyber attack on Nato

Monday 13 February 2023 17:00 , Emily Atkinson

Russian hackers launched a cyber attack on Nato which disrupted communication with an aircraft providing earthquake aid to Turkey and Syria, according to reports.

The Killnet group - a Russian-aligned hacker group - claimed responsibility on Telegram for distributed denial of service (DDos) attacks impacting the Nato website, according to The Telegraph.

The Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC), a multi-national organisation which relies on Nato support to provide military and humanitarian airlifts, was also affected. The SAC is helping transport search and rescue equipment to areas affected by the devastating earthquake.

Kate Plummer has more:

Russian hackers ‘disrupt Turkey-Syria earthquake aid’ in cyber attack on Nato

Watch: Sending planes to Ukraine not an easy decision, Polish president says

Monday 13 February 2023 16:30 , Emily Atkinson

Fighter jets and ‘wings of freedom’: Will supplying aircraft bring the UK closer to war with Russia?

Monday 13 February 2023 16:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky recent mini European tour – including a visit to the UK – was taken up by an appeal for fighter jets to bolster his Ukraine’s fightback against Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces.

“I appeal to you and the world with simple and yet most important words: combat aircraft for Ukraine, wings for freedom,” he told a rapt audience in parliament.

“Two years ago, I left parliament thanking you for the delicious English tea. Today I will leave Parliament thanking all of you in advance for powerful English planes.”

Joe Sommerlad has the details:

Will supplying fighter jets bring the UK closer to war with Russia?

Moldova’s president outlines Russian ‘plan’ to topple government

Monday 13 February 2023 15:40 , Emily Atkinson

Moldova’s President has outlined what she described as a plot by Moscow to use external saboteurs to overthrow her country’s government, put the nation “at the disposal of Russia“ and derail its aspirations to one day join the EU.

President Maia Sandu’s briefing comes a week after president Volodymyr Zelensky said his country had intercepted plans by Russian secret services to destroy Moldova, claims that were later confirmed by Moldovan intelligence officials.

“The plan for the next period involves actions with the involvement of diversionists with military training, camouflaged in civilian clothes, who will undertake violent actions, attack some state buildings, and even take hostages,” Sandu told reporters at a briefing.

“The purpose of these actions is to overthrow the constitutional order, to change the legitimate power from Chisinau to an illegitimate one,” Sandu said, “which would put our country at the disposal of Russia, in order to stop the European integration process.”

She defiantly vowed: “The Kremlin’s attempts to bring violence to our country will not succeed.”

Luhansk town attacked ‘from all sides’

Monday 13 February 2023 15:20 , Emily Atkinson

Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai said Russian forces had attacked the town of Bilogorivka from all sides before dawn on Monday.

“But our forces fought back there,” he told Ukrainian television.

“It was the same situation in the direction of Kreminna - a lot of them (Russians) appeared there. But they pulled back after the fight with our forces.”

Regarding the Russian offensive, he said: “Preparations for this offensive are already under way, the amount of shelling, air strikes and attacks by small groups has already increased. We are waiting for them to start massive round-the-clock attacks.”

Russia says sanctions are a barrier to Black Sea grain deal renewal

Monday 13 February 2023 14:55 , Emily Atkinson

It would be “inappropriate” to extend the Black Sea grain deal unless sanctions affecting Russia’s agricultural exports are lifted and other issues are resolved, Moscow has said.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed by Russia and Ukraine last July, created a safe corridor to allow grain to be exported from Ukrainian ports blockaded by the war.

The agreement, brokered by the UN and Turkey, was extended by a further 120 days in November and is up for renewal again next month, but Russia has signalled that it is unhappy with some aspects of the deal and asked for sanctions affecting its agricultural exports to be lifted.

“Our position on the issue of a further continuation of the Black Sea Initiative remains the same,” Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Vershinin said in an interview with RTVI .

“Without tangible results on the implementation of the Russia-UN Memorandum, above all on the real removal of sanctions restrictions on Russian agricultural exports... the extension of the Ukrainian document is inappropriate,” he said.

Russia’s major new spring offensive in Ukraine has already begun, Nato warns

Monday 13 February 2023 14:42 , Emily Atkinson

Russia has launched a long-expected major offensive in Ukraine, Nato said today.

In Brussels, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Moscow had already begun its latest push for territory as the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion approached.

“We see no sign whatsoever that President Putin is preparing for peace,” he said ahead of a meeting of the alliance’s defence minister’s meeting on Tuesday.

Liam James reports:

Russia’s major new spring offensive in Ukraine has already begun, Nato warns

France ‘strongly' advises its citizens against going to Belarus

Monday 13 February 2023 14:28 , Emily Atkinson

France’s foreign affairs ministry has said it “strongly” advised its citizens against going to Belarus giving the “new offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine”.

Earlier in the day, the United States told its citizens to leave Russia immediately due to the war in Ukraine and the risk of arbitrary arrest or harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies.

Possible aircrafts supply to Ukraine to be discussed on Tuesday - Stoltenberg

Monday 13 February 2023 14:14 , Emily Atkinson

Nato’s secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg says he expects issue of aircrafts to be discussed at the upcoming two-day meeting of Nato defence ministers from Tuesday.

“There is now a discussion going on also on the question of aircrafts and I expect that also to be addressed tomorrow at the meeting in Brussels”, he said, adding that supplying aircrafts to Ukraine whereas the country under attack by Russia needs urgent support on the ground.

Stoltenberg also stressed that Nato countries supplying fighter jets to Ukraine would not make the military alliance part of the conflict.

Russian launches system to scan internet for undesired content and dissent

Monday 13 February 2023 13:58 , Emily Atkinson

Russia has launched a system that will scan the internet for illegal content.

Moscow created the system to make it easier for authorities to detect unsanctioned protests, anti-war dissent and “LGBT propaganda”, officials said on Monday.

Reuters adds:

The “Oculus” system will be able to read text and recognise illegal scenes in photos and videos, analysing more than 200,000 images per day at a rate of about three seconds per image, the Interfax news agency reported.

Since sending its armed forces into Ukraine in February, Moscow has suppressed political opposition and independent media inside Russia that had survived previous clampdowns, and amplified a conservative, nationalist narrative that frowns on “non-traditional” lifestyles and orientations.

Oculus “automatically detects offences such as extremist content, calls for illegal mass gatherings or suicide, pro-drug content, LGBT propaganda and so on,” Interfax quoted the Main Radio Frequency Centre (MRFC), part of the communications supervisor Roskomnadzor, as saying.

“Since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, ‘fakes’ have proliferated and spread at an unprecedented rate, aiming to replace real facts with a specially constructed reality,” it said.

“The creation of this system is our response to provocations and anti-Russian actions on the part of foreign resources.”

New Russian offensive has already started, says Stoltenberg

Monday 13 February 2023 13:45 , Emily Atkinson

Nato’s secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday that the feared new major Russian offensive in Ukraine, almost one year after Moscow launched the war, has already started

“We see no sign whatsoever that (Russian) president (Vladimir) Putin is preparing for peace (...) What we see is president Putin and Russia still wanting to control Ukraine”, he said. “We see how they are sending more troops, more weapons, more capabilities.”

Russia is widely thought to be planning a major new offensive and Ukraine says it needs fighter jets and long-range missiles to counter this and to recapture lost territory.

Russia ‘likely to spy more on Norway’s energy industry'

Monday 13 February 2023 13:30 , Emily Atkinson

Russia will seek to gather more intelligence about Norway’s oil and gas infrastructure as part of an effort to put pressure on European energy supplies, the Nordic country’s police security agency (PST) said in its annual threat assessment on Monday.

While Russia is “unlikely” to carry out acts of sabotage on Norwegian territory in 2023, this could change if Moscow’s willingness to escalate the conflict with Nato and the West were to increase, PST said.

The assessment of threats against Norway is the first since the start of the war in Ukraine in February last year. Since then the Nato member has become Europe’s largest gas supplier, following a drop in Russian gas flows.

“Norway’s role as an energy supplier to Europe has assumed even greater security policy importance as a result of the war in Ukraine,” PST said in its report.

Oslo has reinforced security at its oil and gas installations following the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines on 26 September, and is receiving help from Nato allies to protect them.

“We have seen the emergence of Russian ambitions to exert pressure on European energy security. PST therefore expects that in 2023, Russia will try to gather intelligence about most aspects of Norway’s oil, gas and power sector,” it said.

In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers fire anti-tank missile system on frontline in Donetsk

Monday 13 February 2023 13:00 , Emily Atkinson

Hungary’s foreign minister visits Minsk

Monday 13 February 2023 12:30 , Emily Atkinson

Hungary’s foreign minister has announced that he was paying a visit to Minsk on Monday with the aim of keeping “channels of communication open”.

Peter Szijjarto said in a post on his Facebook page that during his talks in Belarus he would represent the Hungarian stance of trying to achieve peace in Ukraine.

Ukraine accuses Berlusconi of showing loyalty to ‘Russian dictator’ Putin

Monday 13 February 2023 12:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine has accused former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi of spreading Russian propaganda after he said he would not seek a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky if he were still head of government.

Berlusconi, 86, often boasted of his friendship with Vladimir Putin before Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

In comments on Sunday, Berlusconi said all Zelensky had to do to prevent the war in Ukraine was to “stop attacking” territory held by Russia-backed separatists in the east and that he judged the president’s behaviour “very, very negatively”.

“Berlusconi’s ridiculous accusations against the Ukrainian president are an attempt to kiss Putin’s hands, which are covered in blood up to the elbows,” Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for Ukraine‘s foreign ministry, wrote on Facebook.

“At the same time, the Italian politician should understand that by spreading Russian propaganda he encourages Russia to continue its crimes against Ukraine, and therefore bears political and moral responsibility,” he said.

He accused Berlusconi of trying to show loyalty to “the Russian dictator”, and drew parallels with the former Italian prime minister’s relationship with late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. In his Facebook post, Nikolenko published a photograph of Berlusconi kissing Gaddafi’s hand in 2010.