Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin ally warns of nuclear world war as Kyiv raids Dnipro River

An ally of Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has warned that the world is probably on the verge of a new world war as the risks of a nuclear battle escalate.

“The world is sick and quite probably is on the verge of a new world war,” former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev told a conference in Moscow.

He said such a new world war was not inevitable but that the risks of a nuclear confrontation were growing – and more serious than concerns about climate change.

It comes as Ukrainian forces based on the western side of the River Dnipro begin frequently carrying out raids on the eastern bank near the city of Kherson to try to dislodge Russian troops, a regional official said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Ukraine accused Moscow of deploying the kind of war tactics used in Syria to level Bakhmut, as heavy fighting for control of the salt mining city continues.

“Using the so-called ‘Syrian tactics’ of total destruction of buildings and structures, the enemy in some places has [made] progress at the expense of destroyed objects,” Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maylar said.

Key points

• ‘We are on the verge of a new world war,’ Russia’s Medvedev says

• Putin’s troops using ‘Syrian tactics’ in destruction of Bakhmut

• Russian troops trying to steal 'as much as they can' in Kherson

• Iran shipped one million rounds to Russia via Caspian Sea – report

• Casualties among Putin’s troops drop, says UK Ministry of Defence

‘We are on the verge of a new world war,’ Russia’s Medvedev says

08:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Tuesday that the world was probably on the verge of a new world war, cautioning that the risks of a nuclear confrontation were also rising, though neither scenario was inevitable.

“The world is sick and quite probably is on the verge of a new world war,” former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Putin’s powerful security council, told a conference in Moscow.

He said such a new world war was not inevitable but said the risks of a nuclear confrontation were growing - and more serious than concerns about climate change.

Ukraine plans for 'complete transformation' of six war-hit towns

15:32 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine will seek the “complete transformation” of six towns which have suffered “terrible destruction” in Russia’s war, in a reconstruction programme announced today by prime minister Denys Shmyhal.

The project is part of a broader plan to fast-track reconstruction even though the war is not over, with Kyiv’s allies preparing to give billions of pounds to support such efforts.

Mr Shmyhal said the towns of Borodianka and Moshchun near the capital Kyiv, Yahidine in the north, Trostianets and Tsyrkuny in the east, and Posad-Pokrovske in the south would be rebuilt “comprehensively and according to new principles” under an experimental programme

“This means that particular houses and buildings will not be rebuilt, but everything - with a system approach, new planning and a complete transformation of these settlements,” he told a government meeting.

Two killed after Russian missile strikes Kupiansk museum, Ukraine says

14:11 , Andy Gregory

A Russian missile has killed two women and injured 10 others as it struck a museum in the centre of Kupiansk, Ukraine’s state emergency service has said.

Rescue workers dug through mounds of rubble to retrieve the bodies after the local history museum was hit by what president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff and Kharkiv’s regional governor said was a Russian S-300 missile.

Mr Zelensky posted a video of a devastated building that had spewed out rubble and debris into the street. Its windows were smashed and a section of the wall and roof was destroyed.

“The terrorist country is doing everything to destroy us completely,” he said. “Our history, our culture, our people.”

Russia did not immediately comment on the attack, but frequently denies deliberately targeting civilians – despite gruesome and repeated evidence to the contrary.

Kupiansk, an important rail hub with a pre-war population of 26,000, was occupied by Russian forces for months after they invaded Ukraine, but were chased out in Kyiv’s rapid September counteroffensive.

Russia expels Moldovan diplomat in retaliatory move

13:40 , Andy Gregory

Moscow has said it will expel a Moldovan diplomat, in what its foreign ministry cast as retaliation for the expulsion last week of a Russian diplomat in Moldova over fears of possible interference in a regional election.

The ministry said it had summoned Moldova’s ambassador in Moscow to announce the expulsion, as well as to protest against what it called “unfriendly steps towards Russia” and “regular anti-Russian statements” from Chisinau.

Moldovan foreign minister Nicu Popescu called the move “hostile” and said it was the latest episode in decades of Russian efforts to hold back Moldova’s development as an independent state.

Announcing the initial expulsion last week, Moldova cited the actions of Russian embassy staff towards Moldovan border guards who had denied entry to a regional Russian politician at Chisinau airport.

Moldovan police said that Tatarstan governor Rustam Minnikhanov had wanted to visit Moldova to boost support for a pro-Russian candidate in a regional election.

Hungary wants Ukrainian grain ban until end-2023, minister says

13:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Hungary and other east European countries want to maintain an import ban on Ukrainian grain put in place last week until the end of 2023, Farm Minister Istvan Nagy said on Facebook on Tuesday.

“We would like the (European) Commission to accept our measures as we aim to uphold them until the end of the year, to allow our farmers to harvest and store their crop,” said Nagy, who is attending a meeting with European Union counterparts in Luxembourg.

Hungary last week banned imports of Ukrainian grain and agricultural products after Poland took the same measure to counter an influx of cheaper products that has put domestic pressure on the government to shield local farmers.

Slovakia and Bulgaria also followed suit.

The countries, with others in central and eastern Europe, have said EU measures are needed to tackle the problem. Hungary has called for “progressive” aid from the EU to help move Ukraine‘s grain through central European countries.

The countries became transit routes for Ukrainian grain that could not be exported through the country’s Black Sea ports after Russia‘s invasion. But bottlenecks trapped millions of tonnes of grains in countries like Hungary and Poland that border Ukraine.

Watch: The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary

12:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

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

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

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

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

The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary

Kremlin dismisses 'lies' that Putin has doubles and sits in a bunker

12:12 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kremlin rejected what it said were lies that President Vladimir Putin had lookalike body doubles who stood in for the 70-year-old leader and that he spent much of his time shielding in a nuclear bunker.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov listed what he said were fabrications about Russia in a speech that touched on the country’s history since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, the causes of the Ukraine war and the alleged perfidy of Western society.

“You have probably heard that he (Putin) has very many doubles who work instead of him while he sits in a bunker,” Peskov said at a Moscow conference, before chuckling: “Yet another lie.”

“You see yourselves what our president is like: he always was, and is now, mega-active - those who work next to him can hardly keep up with him,” he said.

“His energy can only be envied. His health can, God willing, only be wished for. Of course, he doesn’t sit in any bunkers. This is also a lie,” Peskov added.

The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed speculation that Putin, Russia‘s paramount leader since 1999, is ill.

During a state visit to Moscow last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Putin he was convinced voters would support the Russian leader again in a presidential election due in 2024. Putin has not yet said whether he will seek another term.

When he first came to power, Putin vowed to end the chaos that gripped post-Soviet Russia in the 1990s, but the invasion of Ukraine is the most serious military crisis any Kremlin chief has faced since the Soviet-Afghan war of 1979-89.

The conflict in Ukraine has ushered in the gravest confrontation with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, while Putin has vowed to pivot away from the West towards China.

Ukraine stages raids across Dnipro River as counteroffensive looms

11:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian forces based on the western side of the River Dnipro are frequently carrying out raids on the eastern bank near the city of Kherson to try to dislodge Russian troops, a regional official said on Tuesday.

Russian forces have held the eastern side of the Dnipro near Kherson since retreating from the southern city in November after months of occupation, but Ukraine is expected to launch a spring counteroffensive to try to recapture more territory.

Yuriy Sobolevskiy, deputy head of the Kherson regional administration, said the raids were intended to reduce the combat capability of Russian troops who have been shelling Kherson city since being forced to retreat. “Our military visit the left (eastern) bank very often, conducting raids. The Ukrainian armed forces are working, and working very effectively,” Sobolevskiy told Ukrainian television.

“The results will come as they did on the right bank of the Kherson region when, thanks to a complex and long operation, they were able to liberate our territories with minimal losses for our military. The same thing happens now on the left bank.”

Kremlin remains downbeat on state of Black Sea grain deal

11:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kremlin reaffirmed its position on Tuesday that the Black Sea grain deal is not working for Moscow, a day after the head of the United Nations handed Russia a letter with proposals to improve and expand it.

“Despite the fact that so much time has passed, (the deal) has not yet been implemented, it has not come together as a package, the conditions that concerned us have still not been realised,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“Therefore, while the circumstances don’t add up in favour of this deal, we continue to observe,” he said.

The deal was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations last July to allow Kyiv to resume grain exports from its Black Sea ports that had been severed after Russia invaded Ukraine five months earlier.

Russia has signalled that it will not allow the deal to be extended beyond May 18 unless obstacles to its own food and fertiliser exports are removed.

On Monday, a U.N. spokesperson said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin a “way forward aimed at the improvement, extension and expansion” of the agreement.

The proposal was outlined in a letter that Guterres asked Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to deliver to Putin.

The grain deal was aimed at alleviating a global food crisis, as both Ukraine and Russia are major exporters of grain.

Peskov, however, played down the extent to which shortfalls of grain from both countries had contributed to the crisis.

“We all know that the genesis of the global food crisis has other roots. And it is not a direct consequence of the loss of Ukrainian grain from the market,” he said.

“Of course, the loss of Ukrainian grain and Russian grain from the market may be one of the factors, but not decisive.”

UN chief and West berate Russia's top diplomat over Ukraine

10:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The United Nations chief and representatives from Western nations berated Russia’s top diplomat as he chaired a U.N. meeting Monday, accusing Moscow of violating the U.N. Charter by attacking Ukraine and occupying part of its territory.

Russia’s foreign minister responded by defending his country’s military action and accusing the U.S. and its allies of undercutting global diplomacy, the foundation of the United Nations, which was created to prevent a third world war.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called cooperation among the U.N.’s 193 member nations the organization’s “beating heart” and “guiding vision,” and he warned the Security Council that global collaboration is under the greatest strain since the creation of the United Nations in 1945 on the ashes of World War II.

UN chief and West berate Russia's top diplomat over Ukraine

Long days of gravediggers tell story of Ukraine's war dead

10:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The graves are dug in the morning. Four plots, each two meters deep in the section of a cemetery in a central Ukrainian city devoted to the nation’s fallen soldiers.

The day begins for Oleh Itsenko, 29, and Andrii Kuznetsov, 23, shortly after dawn, when the two diggers report for the grueling work. A day in their lives tells the story of Ukraine’s mounting war dead. They won’t be finished until sunset.

With a tractor equipped with an earth auger they bore into the ground. Armed with shovels, they go about carving out perfect rectangles with precision, the final resting place for the country’s soldiers killed in fierce battles on Ukraine’s eastern front.

Long days of gravediggers tell story of Ukraine's war dead

Ukrainian museum worker killed and 10 injured in Russian attack

10:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Russian missile has hit a museum building in a Ukrainian city, killing a worker and injuring 10 other people.

The Russian military used S-300 air defence missiles to attack Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, hitting the museum of local history in the centre of the city.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video from the site that shows the ruined building and emergency personnel examining the damage.

“The terrorist country is doing everything to destroy us completely,” Mr Zelensky said. “Our history, our culture, our people. Killing Ukrainians with absolutely barbaric methods.”

Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said that three people were admitted to hospital, seven received minor injuries and two others were believed to remain under the debris. Emergency responders were working to rescue them.

Kupiansk was captured by Russian forces in the earlier stages of the Russian invasion and reclaimed by Ukrainian forces in a surprise counter-offensive in September that saw the Russians driven out of broad swathes of the Kharkiv region.

A woman also died in Russian shelling of the town of Dvorichna, near Kupiansk, and two civilians were killed in the eastern Donetsk region, according to the Ukrainian presidential office.

The Ukrainian military is now preparing for a massive counter-offensive, relying on the latest supplies of Western battle tanks and other weapons, and fresh troops who were trained in the West.

Ukraine‘s military intelligence chief, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine released on Monday, described the planned counter-offensive as a “landmark battle in Ukraine‘s modern history” that will see the country “reclaim significant areas”.

Russia expels Moldovan diplomat in retalitory move -foreign ministry

09:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s foreign ministry on Tuesday said it was expelling a Moldovan diplomat in what it cast as retaliation for the expulsion last week of a Russian diplomat in Moldova.

The ministry said in a statement it had summoned Moldova’s ambassador in Moscow to announce the expulsion, as well as to protest against what it called “unfriendly steps towards Russia“ and “regular anti-Russian statements” from Chisinau.

Moldova said last week it was expelling a Russian diplomat. A government spokesman linked that expulsion to actions of embassy staff towards Moldovan border guards who had denied entry to a regional Russian politician at Chisinau airport.

Moldovan police said that Tatarstan governor Rustam Minnikhanov had wanted to visit Moldova to boost support for a pro-Russian candidate in a regional election.

Moldova, which applied to join the European Union last year alongside its neighbour Ukraine, has repeatedly accused Russia of trying to destabilise the country, something Moscow denies.

Russia claims world facing ‘even more dangerous’ period than Cold War

09:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The risk of conflict between global powers is at a “historic high” thanks to the invasion of Ukraine, the head of the UN has said, while Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the world is at a threshold “possibly even more dangerous” than during the Cold War.

United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres spoke seated next to Mr Lavrov in the UN Security Council. Mr Lavrov chaired the meeting because Russia holds the council’s monthly rotating presidency for April.

“As during the Cold War, we have reached the dangerous, possibly even more dangerous, threshold,” Mr Lavrov said. “The situation is worsened with the loss of trust in multilateralism.”

Russia claims world facing ‘even more dangerous’ period than Cold War

One killed, 10 wounded in Russian attack on museum in east Ukraine

08:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian forces struck a museum in the centre of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk during an attack on Tuesday, killing one person, wounding 10 more and burying others under rubble, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

“So far we know of a dead museum worker and 10 injured. There are more people under the rubble. The recovery from the shelling continues. All necessary agencies are involved,” Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram messenger.

The president’s chief of staff and the regional governor said the damage was caused by a Russian S-300 missile.

Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians in its full-scale invasion that has killed thousands of people, uprooted millions and destroyed cities.

Zelenskiy posted a video of a badly damaged building that had spewed out rubble and debris into the street. Its windows were smashed and a section of the wall and roof was destroyed.

Kupiansk, which had a pre-war population of 26,000, lies in Kharkiv region. It is an important rail hub that was occupied by Russian forces for months after they invaded Ukraine in February, 2022.

Ukrainian forces chased them out of Kupiansk in a lightning counteroffensive in September that also recaptured the cities of Izium and Balakliia

Gazprom to ship 40.1 mcm of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday

08:12 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s Gazprom said that it would ship 40.1 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday.

UN chief and West berate Russia's top diplomat over Ukraine

07:45 , Arpan Rai

The United Nations chief and representatives from Western nations berated Russia’s top diplomat as he chaired a UN meeting, accusing Moscow of violating the UN Charter by attacking Ukraine and occupying part of its territory.

In response, the Russian foreign minister defended his country’s military action and accusing the US and its allies of undercutting global diplomacy, the foundation of the United Nations, which was created to prevent a third world war.

UN chief and West berate Russia's top diplomat over Ukraine

Casualties among Putin’s troops drops – UK MoD

07:03 , Arpan Rai

Russia’s average daily casualty rate has highly likely fallen by around 30 per cent this month, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) says.

This follows exceptionally heavy Russian casualties over the January-March 2023 period.

“Figures released by the Ukrainian General Staff suggest a reduction from a daily average of 776 Russian casualties in March, to an average of 568 so far in April. Defence Intelligence cannot verify Ukraine’s exact methodology, but the general trend is likely accurate,” the ministry said.

It added that Russia’s losses have “highly likely reduced as their attempted winter offensive has failed to achieve its objectives, and Russian forces are now focused on preparing for anticipated Ukrainian offensive operations”.

Russia debuts T-14 Armata battle tank in Ukraine – RIA

06:58 , Arpan Rai

Russia has begun using its new T-14 Armata battle tanks to fire on Ukrainian positions “but they have not yet participated in direct assault operations,” Russian state news agency said today.

The tanks have been fitted with extra protection on their flanks and crews have undergone “combat coordination” at training grounds in Ukraine, the report added.

The T-14 tank has an unmanned turret, with crew remotely controlling the armaments from “an isolated armoured capsule located in the front of the hull.”

The tanks have a maximum speed on the highway of 80 kilometres (50 miles) per hour, RIA reported.

In January, British military intelligence reported that Russian forces in Ukraine were reluctant to accept the first tranche of the tanks due to their “poor condition.”

It also said that any deployment of the T-14 would likely be “a high-risk decision” for Russia, and one taken primarily for propaganda purposes.

Russian attack kills two, 13 injured in Donetsk

06:52 , Arpan Rai

At least two have been killed and 13 injured in Shakhtarske village in Ukraine’s Donetsk oblast, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram today.

Russia may exit from intermediate, shorter-range nuclear missiles treaty – report

06:10 , Arpan Rai

Russia may exit from the moratorium on the deployment of intermediate and shorter-range missiles, a Russian diplomat has said, blaming the US for its potential pull-out from a critical nuclear agreement.

Moscow will evaluate the range of American-made missiles that, he said, are capable of reaching the Asia-Pacific region, said Vladimir Yermakov, the foreign ministry’s head of nuclear non-proliferation, reported news agency TASS.

“But even now we can say with confidence that the destabilising US military programmes and their allies make our moratorium more and more fragile – both in the Asia-Pacific region and in Europe,” Mr Yermakov said.

Iran shipped one million rounds to Russia via Caspian Sea – report

06:08 , Arpan Rai

Iran has shipped more than 300,000 artillery shells and a million rounds of ammunition to Russia by routing it via the Caspian Sea in the past six months, officials aware of the shipment details said.

A close ally to Russia, Tehran has aided the invasion in Ukraine spearheaded by Vladimir Putin by routinely supplying drones, shells and ammunition – debris of which has been found across Ukraine.

Intelligence on these shipments to Moscow was passed on to the US, people familiar with the developments said, reported The Wall Street Journal.

The latest shipment of weapons from Iran for Russia crossed the Caspian Sea in early March on the 460-foot Russian cargo ship Rasul Gamzatov, it added.

This shipment included 1,000 containers with 2,000 artillery shells.

Finland’s military spending soars 36% as global defence budgets hit Cold War levels

06:00 , Joe Middleton

Global military expenditure rose to a record high last year as Russia’s war in Ukraine prompted European nations to invest the kinds of figures in their defence capabilities not seen since the end of the Cold War, according to a new report.

Researchers from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) estimate that last year’s total global military spending rose by 3.7 per cent in real terms to $2.24 trillion.

Finland, which formally joined Nato earlier this month and shares a border with Russia, recorded the most dramatic spending boost of 36 per cent following a purchase of F-35 fighter jets.

The European country whose defence spending has soared 36%

Russian troops trying to steal 'as much as they can' in Kherson

05:09 , Arpan Rai

Officials in Ukraine have accused Russia of “forcibly evacuating” civilians from the partially occupied Kherson region ahead of an anticipated round of heavy fighting in the southern city.

“I have information that the evacuation starts today [Sunday] with an excuse of protecting civilians from the consequences of heavy fighting in the area,” Oleksandr Samoylenko, the Ukrainian head of Kherson’s regional council, said.

He added that the Russian troops were “trying to steal as much as they can” as they continued to exit the city.

This comes hours after Ukrainian troops started taking up positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson after crossing a bridge, as experts suggest this could be Kyiv setting the stage for its awaited counteroffensive.

Drones attack Sevastopol, crashed drone found near Moscow

05:00 , Joe Middleton

Russian-appointed authorities in Crimea said the military fended off a Ukrainian strike on the port of Sevastopol on Monday, while a drone was also reportedly found in a forest near Moscow — attacks that come as Ukraine is believed to be preparing for a major counteroffensive.

The Moscow-appointed head of the port city of Sevastopol in Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said the military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor in the early hours. He said another drone blew up without inflicting any damage.

The attack was the latest in a series of attempted strikes on Sevastopol, the main naval base in Crimea that Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Drones attack Sevastopol, crashed drone found near Moscow

Putin’s troops using ‘Syrian tactics’ in destruction of Bakhmut

04:52 , Arpan Rai

The epicentre of the war in Ukraine is in the east with the “fiercest battles” taking place on the frontline there, deputy defence minister Hanna Maylar has said.

“The fiercest battles are going on now for Bakhmut and Maryinka. The enemy is trying to establish control over these two cities,” the minister said, adding that Russia’s activity in Lyman has gone down after they were unable to break through Kyiv’s defences.

“The aggressor has concentrated his main efforts in the direction of Bakhmut and is trying to dislodge our units from positions in Bakhmut. Using the so-called ‘Syrian tactics’ of total destruction of buildings and structures, the enemy in some places has [made] progress at the expense of destroyed objects,” the Ukrainian minister said on Telegram last night.

She added that the Ukrainian defenders are carrying out active assault actions and preventing the enemy from taking control of the city.

“In addition, the enemy is constantly storming the suburbs of Bakhmut. In several other directions in the east, the enemy carries out a systematic fire attack with the aim of restraining the actions of units of the defence forces of Ukraine,” Ms Maylar said.

Arms supply to Ukraine has to grow in days, says EU chief

04:29 , Arpan Rai

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Fontelles has called for the ammunition supplies being provided to Ukraine to increase in the coming days.

“More than 1,000 missiles have been provided to Ukraine and a number of ammunition, which is still growing, but it has to grow quicker in the next days,” the EU official said.

He also met with the Ukrainian minister of foreign affairs Dmytro Kuleba yesterday and said that the “best way to stop the war is for Russia to cease the bloodshed and fully withdraw from Ukraine’s territory”.

Russia vows it ‘will not forgive’ US for blocking visit by journalists

04:03 , Arpan Rai

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has threatened the US after the American government allegedly denied visas to some Russian journalists.

Mr Lavrov said Russia “won’t forget” and “will not forgive” the US for halting visa proceedings for journalists who intended to travel with Mr Lavrov on a diplomatic visit to New York this week.

The Russian foreign minister is set to host a United Nations meeting in the Big Apple to mark his chairmanship of the UN Security Council.

Read the full story here:

Russia vows it ‘will not forgive’ US for blocking journalists’ visit

China affirms ex-Soviet nations' sovereignty after uproar

04:00 , Joe Middleton

The Chinese government said Monday it respects the sovereignty of former Soviet Union republics after Beijing’s ambassador to France caused an uproar in Europe by saying they aren’t sovereign nations.

The governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania rejected Ambassador Lu Shaye’s comment to a French broadcaster. While answering a question about the status of Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, Lu said there was no agreement to “solidify their status as a sovereign country.”

Beijing declared it had a “no-limits friendship” with Moscow before its 2022 invasion of Ukraine but has tried to appear neutral, calling for a cease-fire and peace talks. China has repeated Russian justifications for the invasion.

China affirms ex-Soviet nations' sovereignty after uproar

Russia 'will not forgive' US denial of journalist visas

03:00 , Joe Middleton

Russia said Sunday that the United States has denied visas to journalists who wanted to cover Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov‘s trip to New York, and Lavrov suggested that Moscow would take strong retaliatory measures.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. State Department about the claim of refused visas. The journalists aimed to cover Lavrov’s appearance at the United Nations to mark Russia’s chairmanship of the Security Council.

“A country that calls itself the strongest, smartest, free and fair country has chickened out and done something stupid by showing what its sworn assurances about protecting freedom of speech and access to information are really worth,” Lavrov said before leaving Moscow on Sunday.

Russia 'will not forgive' US denial of journalist visas

Is the US in a proxy war with Russia?

02:00 , Joe Middleton

The short answer: it depends on how the term is defined, says Karen DeYoung, who speaks to experts on Washington’s continued involvement in Ukraine, and what its long-term objectives might be.

Is the US in a proxy war with Russia?

Putin struggling to ‘maintain narrative used to justify the war’, says UK

01:00 , Joe Middleton

Russia is struggling to maintain the narrative that its conflict in Ukraine is similar to the Soviet Union’s battle against the Nazis in the Second World War, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (Mod) has said.

President Vladimir Putin consistently said he wanted to “denazify” Ukraine in the run up to his country’s invasion in February last year.

Putin, assisted by the country’s state media, has exploited the memory of the Second World War, which is a lynchpin of Russia’s national identity.

Putin struggling to ‘maintain narrative used to justify the war’, says UK

Why Russia’s war in Ukraine is bad news for polar bears, too

Monday 24 April 2023 23:59 , Joe Middleton

The invasion is first and foremost a human tragedy but it is also dire for wildlife, stalling scientific work on the bears and other species threatened with extinction, writes Dino Grandoni.

Why Russia’s war in Ukraine is bad news for polar bears, too | Dino Grandoni

How ‘Putin’s chef’ and his Wagner Group cronies are cashing in on conflicts around the world

Monday 24 April 2023 22:00 , Joe Middleton

They’ve drawn most attention in eastern Ukraine, but it seems wherever war breaks out – from Syria to Sudan – this group of mercenaries can be found profiting from bloodshed, writes World Affairs Editor Kim Sengupta.

How ‘Putin’s chef’ and his Wagner Group cronies are cashing in on conflict

Why Russia’s war in Ukraine is bad news for polar bears, too

Monday 24 April 2023 21:40 , Joe Middleton

The invasion is first and foremost a human tragedy but it is also dire for wildlife, stalling scientific work on the bears and other species threatened with extinction, writes Dino Grandoni.

Why Russia’s war in Ukraine is bad news for polar bears, too | Dino Grandoni

China affirms ex-Soviet nations' sovereignty after uproar

Monday 24 April 2023 20:40 , Joe Middleton

The Chinese government said Monday it respects the sovereignty of former Soviet Union republics after Beijing’s ambassador to France caused an uproar in Europe by saying they aren’t sovereign nations.

The governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania rejected Ambassador Lu Shaye’s comment to a French broadcaster. While answering a question about the status of Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, Lu said there was no agreement to “solidify their status as a sovereign country.”

Beijing declared it had a “no-limits friendship” with Moscow before its 2022 invasion of Ukraine but has tried to appear neutral, calling for a cease-fire and peace talks. China has repeated Russian justifications for the invasion.

China affirms ex-Soviet nations' sovereignty after uproar

Kyiv ‘crosses key Dnipro River’, according to US think-tank

Monday 24 April 2023 20:30 , Joe Middleton

Ukrainian troops have taken up positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson, a US think-tank has said.

Citing Russian military bloggers embedded with Moscow’s forces, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine had “established positions” on the eastern bank, though it was not clear “at what scale or with what intentions”.

The Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s southern region denied the report. “There is no enemy foothold on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro river ... our military completely controls that territory,” Vladimir Saldo wrote on his Telegram channel.

“There may be cases of enemy sabotage groups making landings to take a selfie, before being ... destroyed or pushed into the water by our fighters.”

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern command neither confirmed nor denied the report and called for “informational silence” to ensure operational security.

“I want everyone to understand that it is very difficult work to cross an obstacle like the Dnipro, for example - when the front line runs along such a wide, powerful river,” Natalia Humeniuk told Ukrainian television.

“It’s necessary to gather up some patience,” she added.

Russia claims world facing ‘even more dangerous’ period than Cold War

Monday 24 April 2023 19:41 , Joe Middleton

The risk of conflict between global powers are at an “historic high” thanks to the invasion of Ukraine, the head of the UN has said, while Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the world is at a threshold “possibly even more dangerous” than during the Cold War

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke seated next to Moscow’s Sergei Lavrov in the UN Security Council. Mr Lavrov chaired the meeting because Russia holds the council’s monthly rotating presidency for April.

“As during the Cold War, we have reached the dangerous, possibly even more dangerous , threshold,” Mr Lavrov said. “The situation is worsened with the loss of trust in multilateralism.”

Russia claims world facing ‘even more dangerous’ period than Cold War

Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect

Monday 24 April 2023 19:00 , Joe Middleton

A suspect in a bombing that killed a well-known Russian military blogger had her appeal rejected Monday by a court in the Russian capital.

Moscow City Court turned down Darya Trepova’s appeal against her arrest on charges of involvement in the April 2 bombing that killed Vladlen Tatarsky and injured 50 others at a St. Petersburg cafe. It upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Trepova to remain in custody for two months pending investigation.

Tatarsky, 40, an ardent supporter of the Kremlin‘s military action in Ukraine who filed regular reports on the fighting from the front lines, was killed as he led a discussion at a riverside cafe in the historic heart of Russia’s second-largest city.

Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect

Finland’s military spending soars 36% as global defence budgets hit Cold War levels

Monday 24 April 2023 18:10 , Joe Middleton

Global military expenditure rose to a record high last year as Russia’s war in Ukraine prompted European nations to invest the kinds of figures in their defence capabilities not seen since the end of the Cold War, according to a new report.

Researchers from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) estimate that last year’s total global military spending rose by 3.7 per cent in real terms to $2.24 trillion.

Finland, which formally joined Nato earlier this month and shares a border with Russia, recorded the most dramatic spending boost of 36 per cent following a purchase of F-35 fighter jets.

The European country whose defence spending has soared 36%

Estonian prime minister Ukraine over EU and NATO bids

Monday 24 April 2023 17:09 , Joe Middleton

Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas supported Kyiv’s calls for accession to NATO “as soon as conditions allow” during a visit to Ukraine on Monday.

Kallas, whose country is a member of NATO and the European Union, had talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the northwestern city of Zhytomyr and signed a joint declaration with him condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We agree that a strong, independent and prosperous Ukraine, as part of the Euro-Atlantic family and as a member of the EU and NATO, is essential for the future of European security,” the joint declaration said.

“In the context of the NATO Vilnius Summit (in July), we agree to work together to establish a path that will help bring Ukraine closer to NATO membership and pave the way for Ukraine to join NATO as soon as conditions allow.”

Zelensky thanked Estonia for its defence support, but also reiterated demands for rapid deliveries of more weapons from Western allies “so that we can speed up the end of this war”.

UN chief criticizes Russia at UN meeting chaired by Lavrov

Monday 24 April 2023 15:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a meeting chaired by Russia‘s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday that Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine is “causing massive suffering and devastation to the country and its people” and fueling “global economic dislocation triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Tensions between major powers are at an historic high. So are the risks of conflict, through misadventure or miscalculation,” Guterres also warned the U.N. Security Council meeting.

Lavrov chaired the meeting on multilateralism and the founding U.N. Charter because Russia holds the monthly rotating presidency of the 15-member body for April.

Report: Ukrainian forces across key river, raising hopes

Monday 24 April 2023 15:13 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyiv‘s long-awaited spring counteroffensive.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported late Saturday that geolocated footage from pro-Kremlin military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, along with “stable supply lines” to their positions.

Analysts widely believe that if Ukraine goes ahead with a spring counteroffensive, a major goal would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnieper River in the country’s south.

Report: Ukrainian forces across key river, raising hopes

China says it respects sovereignty of ex-Soviet states

Monday 24 April 2023 14:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

China respects the status of former Soviet member states as sovereign nations, its foreign ministry said on Monday, distancing itself from comments by its envoy to Paris that triggered an uproar among European capitals.

Several EU foreign ministers had said earlier that comments by ambassador Lu Shaye - in which he questioned the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet states - were unacceptable and had asked Beijing to clarify its stance.

Asked about his position on whether Crimea was part of Ukraine or not, Lu said in an interview aired on French TV on Friday that historically it was part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

“These ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status,” Lu added.

Lu has earned himself a reputation as one of China’s “wolf warrior” diplomats, so called for their hawkish and abrasive style.

Asked if Lu’s comments represented China’s official position, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that Beijing respected the status of the former Soviet member states as sovereign nations following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Mao told a regular news briefing that it was her remarks on sovereignty that represented China’s official government stance.

Her statement, following the backlash, appeared to be an effort to distance Beijing from Lu’s comments and ease the tension with Brussels.

China has been “objective and impartial” on issues of sovereignty, she said.

The Chinese embassy in Paris issued a statement later to say that Lu’s comments on Ukraine “were not a political declaration but an expression of his personal views”. It said the comments should not be “over-interpreted”.

Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect

Monday 24 April 2023 14:41 , Joe Middleton

A suspect in a bombing that killed a well-known Russian military blogger had her appeal rejected Monday by a court in the Russian capital.

Moscow City Court turned down Darya Trepova’s appeal against her arrest on charges of involvement in the April 2 bombing that killed Vladlen Tatarsky and injured 50 others at a St. Petersburg cafe. It upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Trepova to remain in custody for two months pending investigation.

Tatarsky, 40, an ardent supporter of the Kremlin‘s military action in Ukraine who filed regular reports on the fighting from the front lines, was killed as he led a discussion at a riverside cafe in the historic heart of Russia’s second-largest city.

Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect

Chinese ambassador expressed ‘personal point of view’, says embassy in France

Monday 24 April 2023 13:51 , Joe Middleton

Comments about Ukraine by China’s ambassador in Paris were an expression of a personal point of view, should not be over-interpreted and are not a Chinese policy statement, the Chinese embassy in France said in a statement on Monday.

Asked about his position on whether Crimea was part of Ukraine or not, ambassador Lu Shaye said in an interview aired on French TV on Friday that historically it was part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the minister of internal affairs in Ukraine, said Lu Shaye repeated “Russian propaganda narratives”.

Drones attack Sevastopol, crashed drone found near Moscow

Monday 24 April 2023 13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian-appointed authorities in Crimea said the military fended off a Ukrainian strike on the port of Sevastopol on Monday, while a drone was also reportedly found in a forest near Moscow — attacks that come as Ukraine is believed to be preparing for a major counteroffensive.

The Moscow-appointed head of the port city of Sevastopol in Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said the military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor in the early hours. He said another drone blew up without inflicting any damage.

The attack was the latest in a series of attempted strikes on Sevastopol, the main naval base in Crimea that Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Drones attack Sevastopol, crashed drone found near Moscow

Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect

Monday 24 April 2023 13:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A suspect in a bombing that killed a well-known Russian military blogger had her appeal rejected Monday by a court in the Russian capital.

Moscow City Court turned down Darya Trepova’s appeal against her arrest on charges of involvement in the April 2 bombing that killed Vladlen Tatarsky and injured 50 others at a St. Petersburg cafe. It upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Trepova to remain in custody for two months pending investigation.

Tatarsky, 40, an ardent supporter of the Kremlin‘s military action in Ukraine who filed regular reports on the fighting from the front lines, was killed as he led a discussion at a riverside cafe in the historic heart of Russia’s second-largest city.

Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect

Grain deal: Here is the latest updates

Monday 24 April 2023 12:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

* The Group of Seven (G7) economic powers called on Sunday for the “extension, full implementation and expansion” of the grain deal that enables vital exports of food from Ukraine.

* Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday that if the G7 moved to ban exports to Russia, it would respond by terminating the grain deal, which it has already signalled it will not allow to continue beyond May 18.

* A first batch of Russian fertilizer that Latvia seized last year is being shipped to Kenya by the U.N. World Food Programme, Latvia’s foreign ministry said on Saturday. Russia has cited the seizure as a key stumbling block to its continued participation in the grains deal.

Russia's defence ministry said it repelled overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Sevastopol - TASS

Monday 24 April 2023 11:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s defence ministry said on Monday that three Ukrainian naval drones had unsuccessfully attempted overnight to attack Russia‘s Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol, on the annexed peninsula of Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported.

All three were destroyed and there were no casualties, the ministry said.

EU's Borrell sees deal soon to buy ammunition for Ukraine

Monday 24 April 2023 10:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed confidence on Monday that the bloc would finalise a plan within days to buy ammunition for Ukraine after Kyiv expressed frustration at wrangling among EU member states.

“Yes, still there is some disagreement. But I am sure everybody will understand that we are in a situation of extreme urgency,” Borrell told reporters as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

“I am sure that in the following days we will reach (an agreement),” he said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed frustration in a tweet last week that the landmark deal sealed last month for EU countries to jointly buy artillery shells for Kyiv has not yet been implemented due to disagreements over how much of the business has to stay within Europe.

“For Ukraine, the cost of inaction is measured in human lives,” he warned on Thursday.

Kuleba was expected to make his case directly to EU foreign ministers at Monday’s meeting, addressing them by video link on the state of the war triggered by Russia‘s invasion last year.

Artillery rounds, particularly 155mm shells, have become critical to the conflict as Ukrainian and Russian forces wage an intense war of attrition. Officials say Kyiv is burning through more rounds than its allies can currently produce.

The joint procurement plan is part of a multi-track EU deal to get 1 million artillery shells or missiles to Ukraine within 12 months and ramp up European munitions production, approved by foreign ministers last month.

The first element is the most immediate. It sets aside 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to reimburse EU governments for sending munitions to Ukraine from existing stocks.

Borrell stressed that track was up and running. He said EU countries had already requested reimbursements for ammunition worth 600 million euros ($660 million).

But the second track, worth another 1 billion euros to fund joint procurement, has yet to be finalised.

EU officials have said they hope to sign the first contracts with arms firms at the end of next month.

Russia 'will not forgive' US denial of journalist visas

Monday 24 April 2023 10:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In case you missed it...

Russia said Sunday that the United States has denied visas to journalists who wanted to cover Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov‘s trip to New York, and Lavrov suggested that Moscow would take strong retaliatory measures.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. State Department about the claim of refused visas. The journalists aimed to cover Lavrov’s appearance at the United Nations to mark Russia’s chairmanship of the Security Council.

“A country that calls itself the strongest, smartest, free and fair country has chickened out and done something stupid by showing what its sworn assurances about protecting freedom of speech and access to information are really worth,” Lavrov said before leaving Moscow on Sunday.

“Be sure that we will not forget and will not forgive,” he said.

Russia 'will not forgive' US denial of journalist visas

What is the latest in Ukraine-Russia politics?

Monday 24 April 2023 09:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

* Turkey’s defence minister said he planned to meet his Syrian, Russian and Iranian counterparts in Moscow on Tuesday, state-owned Anadolu news agency said, amid efforts to rebuild Ankara-Damascus ties after years of animosity during the Syrian war.

* The European Union must accelerate its joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine, Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said.

* Russia said on Saturday it was expelling more than 20 German diplomats in a tit-for-tat move.