Ukraine-Russia news - live: Putin ‘likely using mobilised reservists’ to defend Kherson

Russia has expanded some of its units with “mobilised reservists” west of the Dnipro River due to an “extremely low” level of manning, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said.

The river runs through much of Kherson, a strategically important Russian-held city where Ukrainian Armed Forces have made advancement along the west bank of the river.

In September, Russian companies in the Kherson sector consisted of between six and eight men – but should deploy with around 100 personnel.

In recent weeks, Russia has transitioned to a “long-term, defensive posture” on the frontline in Ukraine, most likely due to being “severely undermanned” and “poorly trained”, the defence ministry said in an intelligence update.

It added that even if Russia consolidates long-term defensive lines in Ukraine, its operational design will remain “vulnerable”.

Russia will need to regenerate “higher quality” and “mobile” forces capable of “dynamically countering” Ukraine’s offensive to regain the initiative, the update concluded.

Key Points

• Putin says world facing ‘most dangerous and unpredictable time’

• Zelensky says Russia has carried out nearly 4,500 missile strikes

• UN to probe Russia’s ‘dirty bomb’ claim

• South Korea denies sending lethal weapons to Ukraine

Russia has lost almost 70,000 troops, says Ukraine’s Armed Forces

08:52 , Aisha Rimi

Latest figures from Ukraine’s Armed Forces estimate around 69,700 Russian troops have died since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

Top Putin aide visits Kherson

08:22 , Aisha Rimi

Vladimir Putin’s first deputy chief of staff, Sergei Kiriyenko, has visited the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Kherson, the Russian-installed governor of Crimea said.

He visited the ferry port which is evacuating people from the right back of the Dnipro ahead of an expected Ukrainian offensive, said Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.

"The work on organising the departure of residents has been completed," Mr Aksyonov said.

Mr Kiriyenko also visited the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and spoke to staff at the station.

Inside Bakhmut, the city being bombed to ruins by Russia’s forces

08:07 , Aisha Rimi

Shelling and missile strikes are so constant and intense that a lull seems unnatural. But it is in these brief periods of relative calm that residents left in this broken city emerge from underground refuges to seek sustenance.

Time is short for those who come to get food and water, as well as for volunteers handing out supplies. Russian drones fly overhead and gatherings of people have frequently been targeted for strikes. There is anxiety among those in the queue, and relief when they get to leave with their ration.

Kim Sengupta has more:

‘Life can end suddenly here’: Inside Bakhmut, the city being bombed to ruins

ICYMI: Zelensky accuses Putin’s commanders of ‘crazy’ tactics to escalate war

07:57 , Aisha Rimi

Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin’s commanders of using “crazy” tactics to escalate the war in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president was referring to Bakhmut, which lies on a main road leading to the Ukrainian-held cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Russian forces have repeatedly tried to seize the city, and are now attempting to accelerate the invasion through drastic measures, he said.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain has more:

Zelensky accuses Russian commanders of ‘crazy’ tactics to escalate war in Ukraine

Russian forces shell Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

07:02 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russian troops shelled areas of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast using Grad missile launchers and heavy artillery, governor Valentyn Reznichenko said.

In Nikopol city, dozen high-rises and private residences along with several power lines were damaged in the attack.

US to send additional $275m in military aid to Ukraine

06:43 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The US is sending Ukraine a new $275m package of weapons and other aid, in a move to bolster the effort to drive Russian forces out of key.

Officials said there are no major new weapons in the package, which is expected to be announced on Friday, according to the Associated Press.

Instead, the US aid is largely aimed at restocking thousands of rounds of ammunition for weapons systems already in use, including for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.

Putin hits out at Liz Truss over comments on nuclear weapons

06:29 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Vladimir Putin accused Liz Truss of being “a bit out of it” over comments she made about nuclear weapons.

The Russian president hit out at the former prime minister as he sought to defend his country from the criticism of Western leaders since the invasion of Ukraine.

It comes amid concerns that with Russia struggling to make ground in Ukraine, Mr Putin could turn to nuclear weapons.

“We’ve never said anything proactively about possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia. We have only hinted in response to those statements that the Western leaders have made,” he said, according to a live translation on Sky News.

Dominic McGrath has more.

Putin accuses Liz Truss of being ‘out of it’ over comments on nuclear weapons

South Korea denies sending lethal weapons to Ukraine

06:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol said that Seoul has not provided any lethal weapons to Ukraine, after Russian president Vladimir Putin said such a decision would destroy their bilateral relations.

“We have been in solidarity with the international community for peaceful, humanitarian aid to Ukraine and have not provided any lethal weapons, but that’s in any regard a matter of our sovereignty,” Mr Yoon told reporters.

The US ally has maintained that it would not provide Ukraine with lethal aid and has sought to avoid antagonizing Russia due to Moscow’s influence over North Korea.

“We are putting efforts to maintain peaceful, good relations with every country in the world, including Russia,” Mr Yoon added.

Russia deployed over 30 drones in two days, says Zelensky

06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has launched more than 30 drone attacks on the war-torn country in just two days.

Since February, Moscow has carried out nearly 4,500 missile strikes and over 8,000 air raids, the president said in his nighttime address.

Standing beside what appeared to be a downed Iranian Shahed drone, Mr Zelensky pledged to “clip the wings” of Moscow’s air power.

He said: “Enemy planes will fall. Enemy helicopters will fall. ‘Shaheds’ will fall.”

UN to probe Russia’s ‘dirty bomb’ claim

05:56 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi said he is sending inspectors to two locations in Ukraine where Russia alleged that activities related to the possible production of “dirty bombs” was taking place.

He said the inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency would be traveling this week to the two sites, following a written request from the Ukrainian government.

Russia’s UN ambassador alleged in a letter to Security Council members this week that Ukraine’s Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv and Vostochniy Mining and Processing Plant “have received direct orders from (Volodymyr) Zelensky’s regime to develop such a dirty bomb.”

World faces ‘most dangerous and unpredictable time’, says Putin

05:55 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russian president Vladimir Putin said the world is facing the most dangerous decade since World War II as Western powers power struggle to prevent their crumbling of global dominance.

“The historical period of the West’s undivided dominance over world affairs is coming to an end,” Mr Putin said at the Valdai Discussion Club, a conference of international policy experts.

“We are standing at a historical frontier - Ahead is probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and, at the same time, important decade since the end of World War II.”

He accused the West of playing a “dangerous and dirty game” and seeking to escalate the war in Ukraine.

05:17 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Russia’s war on Ukraine.