Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin launches fresh wave of deadly strikes on Kyiv

At least three people have been killed as Russia unleashed a deadly new wave of overnight attacks on Kyiv and surrounding regions, officials said.

“It was exceptional in its density – the maximum number of attack missiles in the shortest period of time,” said Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s city military administration.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed there were explosions in Kyiv. “A few – in the Solomyan district. And in Shevchenkivskyi, on the territory of the zoo, rocket debris fell,” he said.

The mayor said several cars caught fire in the Solomyansk district as a result of falling rocket debris but rescue workers are at the spot of attacks.

Nearly all of Ukraine was under air raid alerts in the early hours today.

Local journalists in Kyiv described the attack as causing “building-shaking explosions” in central Kyiv as air raid sirens wailed in the Ukrainian capital.

The wave of missile and rocket attacks on Kyiv comes a week after Russia fired a barrage of missiles on the war-hit nation, coinciding with the Vladimir Putin-led celebrations of Victory Day in Moscow.

Key Points

• Wagner chief offered to reveal Russian troop locations to Ukraine – report

• Kremlin claims to have shot down first British Storm Shadow missile

• Rishi Sunak welcomes president Zelensky to the UK as he arrives at Chequers

• Putin will be concerned as Russian air defences compromised, says UK MoD

• Ukraine’s Zelensky: We want to create a ‘jets coalition'

• UK has no plans to send fighter jets to Ukraine - PM's spokesman

• Russia says two of its commanders killed as Kyiv wages Bakhmut offensive

Massive explosions thunders in Kyiv, three killed as overnight Russian attack returns

03:48 , Arpan Rai

Several explosions rocked Kyiv in the early hours today killing three people, officials said.

“Explosions in Kyiv. A few - in the Solomyan district. And in Shevchenkivskyi, on the territory of the zoo, rocket debris fell. All services go to places,” Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

There are three victims in Solomyan district in Kyiv, he said, adding that there were no casualties in Obolonskyi, where the debris fell.

“Several cars caught fire in the Solomyansk district as a result of falling rocket debris. The damaged building with an area of ​​200 square meters. Rescuers are working on the spot. The victims have not been identified so far,” the mayor said on Telegram.

Photos of Belarus leader emerge after days of absences that sparked health rumours

03:00 , Eleanor Noyce

For nearly a week, the whereabouts of Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko have been a mystery.

The 68-year-old was last seen in public at a May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square, looking pale and bloated, and he skipped a celebratory breakfast in the Kremlin to fly home. Later that day, he appeared at a similar event in his capital of Minsk to celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, but then skipped other scheduled appearances for days, feeding speculation on social media about his health.

On Monday, the state news agency Belta reported Lukashenko inspected an air force installation and a photo was posted to the presidential website showing him standing stiffly in a military jacket, taking a salute from an officer.

The intent of the photo was clear -– to dispel rumours and reports that Lukashenko was seriously ill — although a bandage was wrapped on his left hand. On May 9 in Red Square, his right hand was bandaged.

The man who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for nearly three decades has been a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing the Kremlin to use his country as a staging ground for its war in neighbouring Ukraine, although he has stopped short of committing his troops to the conflict.

Yuras Karmanau has the full story:

Photos of Belarus leader emerge after days of absences that sparked health rumors

China's Ukraine envoy due to start Europe trip

02:00 , Eleanor Noyce

A Chinese envoy was preparing Monday to visit Ukraine and Russia, but there appeared to be little chance of a breakthrough to end the 15-month-long invasion.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government says it is neutral and wants to play a role as mediator, but has given Moscow political support. Beijing released a proposed peace plan in February, but that was largely dismissed by Ukraine’s allies, who insist Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces must withdraw.

Li Hui, a former ambassador to Moscow, also will visit Poland, France and Germany, according to the foreign ministry. It gave no other schedule details.

Political analysts see little hope for a peace agreement because neither Ukraine nor Russia is ready to stop fighting. They say by sending an envoy, China appears to be trying to neutralize criticism of its friendship with Putin and to split European allies away from Washington.

Read more:

China's Ukraine envoy due to start Europe trip

Truss: China ‘largest threat to free world’ and West too dependent on Beijing

01:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Liz Truss branded China “the largest threat that we face to the free world” as she accused the UK along with other western countries of being “too dependent” on Beijing.

Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister – who was widely expected to adopt a more hawkish stance towards the nation during her premiership – warned against capitulating to “rhetorical bullying from authoritarian regimes”.

Appearing at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit ahead of a high-profile visit to Taiwan, Ms Truss said: “There’s no doubt that the entire western world including the United States, including Europe, including the UK, has become too dependent on China, and that’s a problem because it’s given China leverage over us, and it’s also a problem economically.

Ms Truss said the issue of Beijing was also “inherently linked” to the war in Ukraine, drawing parallels between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Nina Lloyd reports:

Truss: China ‘largest threat to free world’ and West too dependent on Beijing

Sunak embraces Zelensky on Ukraine leader’s surprise UK trip - as PM pledges more missiles and drones

Tuesday 16 May 2023 00:10 , Eleanor Noyce

Volodymyr Zelensky was greeted with a hug by Rishi Sunak after arriving in Britain to seek more support for his country’s war effort - as the UK vowed to provide Ukraine with air defence missiles and attack drones.

The Ukrainian president met his “friend”, the prime minister, as part of a trip around Europe pressing western allies for more military aid.

Mr Sunak welcomed Mr Zelensky to country retreat Chequers - the first time he has hosted a visiting leader at the Buckinghamshire mansion - before the two leaders held talks.

The two leaders had discussed western fighter jets, Mr Zelensky said, and he anticipated “very important decisions” to be made soon. It came as No 10 said Britain would send hundreds of air defence missiles and further unmanned aerial systems to the war-torn country.

Archie Mitchell reports:

Sunak embraces Zelensky on surprise UK trip - as PM pledges more missiles and drones

Fears over Russia using chemical weapons if Ukraine counter-offensive succeeds

Monday 15 May 2023 23:10 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia could use chemical weapons if Ukraine’s counter-offensive is successful in regaining territory, MPs have heard.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the UK is “very much on our guard about what happens next” after concerns were raised that Russian President Vladimir Putin may “turn ugly” and resort to using non-conventional weapons systems in Ukraine.

Mr Wallace pointed to the use of chemical weapons by Russia in Syria and the Russian-state Salisbury poisonings in 2018.

Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, who chairs the Commons Defence Committee, welcomed the visit of Volodymyr Zelensky to the UK on Monday and noted there is a “warm relationship” developing between the Ukrainian president and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Mr Ellwood asked if “fast jets” would be the next military equipment given to Ukraine, adding in the Commons: “There’s much talk of a counter-offensive.

Richard Wheeler reports:

Fears over Russia using chemical weapons if Ukraine counter-offensive succeeds

Truss urges Sunak to be vigilant on ‘threat from China’ to avoid ‘very serious problem’

Monday 15 May 2023 22:40 , Eleanor Noyce

Liz Truss has urged Rishi Sunak to be vigilant on the “threat from China” as she welcomed his talks with Volodymyr Zelensky to send fighter jets to Ukraine.

“We’ve got to focus on Ukraine, but we also need to focus on the threat from China,” the former prime minister said, speaking at a democracy summit in Copenhagen on Monday 15 May.

“If we take our eye off the ball on China, we’ll be facing a very, very serious problem down the road.”

Watch:

Truss urges Sunak to be vigilant on China ‘threat’ to avoid ‘very serious problem’

White House: Russia looks to purchase more attack drones from Iran after depleting stockpile

Monday 15 May 2023 22:10 , Eleanor Noyce

The White House on Monday said that Russia is looking to buy additional advanced attack drones from Iran for use in the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine after using up most of the 400 drones it had previously purchased from Tehran.

The Biden administration last year publicised satellite imagery and intelligence findings that it said indicated Iran sold hundreds of attack drones to Russia. For months, officials have publicly stated that the United States believed Iran was considering selling hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia, but Washington did not have evidence a deal was consummated.

“Iran also continues to provide Russia with one-way attack UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Since August, Iran has provided Russia with more than 400 UAVs primarily of the Shahed variety,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

“Russia has expended most of these UAVs, using them to target Ukrainian critical infrastructure inside Ukraine. By providing Russia with these UAVs, Iran has been directly enabling Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine,” Kirby told reporters.

Aamer Madhani has the full story:

White House: Russia looks to purchase more attack drones from Iran after depleting stockpile

South African army general in Moscow days after country accused of sending weapons to Russia

Monday 15 May 2023 21:40 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s top army general and his South African counterpart discussed “military cooperation” while meeting Monday in Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The announcement came hours after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa denied accusations by the United States that his country was siding with Russia in the war in Ukraine and had sent weapons to help it.

Gen. Oleg Salyukov, the commander of Russia’s ground forces, met the chief of South Africa’s army, Lt. Gen. Lawrence Mbatha, at Russia’s general command headquarters in Moscow, the Russian ministry said.

“The sides discussed issues of military cooperation and the implementation of projects geared to enhance the combat readiness of the two countries’ armies,” the ministry said in a statement. “The meeting between the military commanders yielded agreements on the further expansion of cooperation between the land forces in various areas.”

The Defense Ministry said a South African delegation would visit a number of Russian army “educational and training facilities.”

Read more:

South African army general in Moscow days after country accused of sending weapons to Russia

IOC puts trust at risk by seeking ways to allow Russia to compete at Olympics, EU official tells AP

Monday 15 May 2023 21:10 , Eleanor Noyce

The European Union’s presidency urged the International Olympic Committee to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from next year’s Paris Games, yet said Monday a boycott by the 27-nation bloc is not on the table.

Swedish sports minister Jakob Forssmed told The Associated Press the IOC should reconsider its position to let Russians and Belarusians compete as neutral athletes in sporting events despite the war in Ukraine.

Sweden holds the EU presidency until July. Being in office allows a member nation to help set the EU’s tone and the bloc’s agenda.

Asked whether EU nations should use the threat of a collective boycott to pressure the IOC to backpedal, Forssmed said that option is not being discussed right now.

“We’re not there,” Forssmed said on the sidelines of a gathering of sports ministers in Brussels. “But I do think that the International Olympic Committee, they really risk a trust issue here if they are not listening, and also making sure that no Russian athletes can represent Russia in any way at the Olympics.”

Read more:

IOC puts trust at risk by seeking ways to allow Russia to compete at Olympics, EU official tells AP

Zelensky needs Sunak to push Ukraine’s allies to go further and faster over weapons and jets, writes Kim Sengupta

Monday 15 May 2023 20:40 , Eleanor Noyce

To celebrate the coronation of King Charles the Ukrainian defence ministry issued a version of the song ‘London Calling’ by The Clash.

The accompanying video, a typically sleek Kyiv production, had images of Charles, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer meeting Volodymyr Zelensky, and the weapons Britain has sent to Kyiv, including Challenger 2 tanks. It ended with the question “wonder what our British friends will send us next?” A clip of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth followed with the caption: (“Only joking!”).

The UK has been the second-largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine behind the United States, with £30 billion worth of supplies. It was also among the earliest to start training and arming the country’s forces after the overthrow of the pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych in 2013 and the subsequent Russian-backed separatist war in the east.

Britain’s willingness to step first into the breach over military support has spurred wider Western action, writes Kim Sengupta:

Analysis: Zelensky needs Sunak to push allies to go further and faster over weapons

NATO mulls future security guarantees for Ukraine but wary of igniting a wider war

Monday 15 May 2023 20:10 , Eleanor Noyce

NATO leaders are discussing ways to ensure that Ukraine does not come under attack from Russia again once the war is over, but they are concerned about doing anything that might drag the organization into a wider conflict, the head of the military alliance said Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking “security guarantees” from the 31-nation alliance to ward off any future attack from Ukraine’s neighbour. Some countries are weighing what could be done to avoid a repeat of the war. Russia already annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

“There are consultations that are going on,” ahead of a summit involving U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts in Lithuania on July 11-12, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during an interview with his predecessor, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, at a conference in Copenhagen.

Stoltenberg declined to provide details about those talks.

NATO allies benefit from a collective security guarantee — so called Article 5 of the organisation’s founding Washington Treaty — which ensures that an attack on any one of their number would be considered an attack on them all.

Lorne Cook has more:

NATO mulls future security guarantees for Ukraine but wary of igniting a wider war

Putin using ‘Western electoral cycles’ to measure war in Ukraine, says former Labour defence secretary

Monday 15 May 2023 20:05 , Eleanor Noyce

Former Labour defence secretary Lord Browne of Ladyton said he believes Vladimir Putin is measuring the war in Ukraine by Western electoral cycles.

Noting that the former head of MI6 said Putin’s strategy is one of attrition, he said: “With the possibility of a more isolationist United States post the presidential election, my suspicion is that Putin is measuring the war as much by Western electoral cycles as by more conventional military metrics.

“What discussions are we having with our allies about the diplomatic framework that could bring this conflict to an end - and in particular about the nature of the security guarantees that will be offered to Ukraine to ensure an equitable lasting peace?”

Foreign Office minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said: “In terms of electoral cycles, you know the real strength of democracy, that’s illustrated here as well, and it’s illustrated in the United States and elsewhere across Europe.

“The unity of purpose and action is something that is shared by parties of all different political spectrums and that is the message going out to Mr Putin that: ‘You may think that an electoral cycle may deter the United Kingdom or the United States - the answer is no, it will not’.”

UK government ‘fanning war’ in focusing on military support for Ukraine, says Tory peer

Monday 15 May 2023 19:55 , Eleanor Noyce

Tory peer Lord Balfe accused the UK government of “fanning war” with its focus on military support for Ukraine, calling on them to “take the initiative” in seeking a peace agreement with Russia.

The former MEP said: “This war has now been going on for a year and getting worse. We have started to see incidents within the Russian Federation borders.

“Unless someone soon makes some efforts to get peace talks going, we’re going to head into a tragedy.

“Is it not the job of His Majesty’s Government, as a member of the P5, to start taking the initiative for peace, instead of constantly fanning war?”

Foreign Office minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said: “I refute Lord Balfe’s assertion - we do not fan war. The war and the aggressor is Russia.

“As he knows, Russia is also a P5 member. It’s about time Russia stood up to its responsibility as a P5 member. We want peace, the Ukrainians want peace, do Russia want peace? We want the answer.”

UK has ‘failed’ to retain sufficient military capacity, says Lord Stirrup

Monday 15 May 2023 19:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Former head of the Armed Forces Lord Stirrup told the Government that the UK has “failed” to retain enough military capacity over the past few years to be secure in its own position.

The independent crossbench peer said: “I welcome the support that’s being offered to Ukraine, including the training of pilots, but the truth is we have had a hard enough time over the last few years training our own pilots with the capacity we have.

“Has this Government finally learned the lesson that we need to retain sufficient military capacity and resilience in our own country if we are to be secure in the years ahead?

“This is something which it has signally failed to do in recent years.”

Foreign Office minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon assured him the Government was doing “just that, in terms of ensuring that we replenish any of the support we are giving in terms of missiles, ammunitions, and indeed other equipment in Ukraine, because any responsible Government, the first responsibility is the security of our own nation.”

Wagner chief ‘offered to give up locations of Russian soldiers’ to Ukraine, leaked papers say

Monday 15 May 2023 19:32 , Eleanor Noyce

The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force, Yevgeny Prigozhin, offered to reveal the positions of Vladimir Putin’s forces to Ukraine, leaked US intelligence documents show.

The extraordinary offer – which was rejected by Ukraine – was made in January by the Wagner chief as part of a proposed quid pro quo deal with Kyiv, reported the Washington Post.

The Wagner chief offered to leak information on the positions held by Russian troops if Ukraine’s commanders withdrew their own soldiers from the area around the fortress city of Bakhmut, handing Prigozhin a victory there in exchange for the opportunity to accurately target Russian positions elsewhere along the frontline.

Prigozhin’s offer was made via his contacts in Ukraine’s intelligence service, according to the reported documents. The leaks did not detail which Russian positions the Wagner chief was offering to disclose to Ukraine.

Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, has repeatedly threatened publicly to withdraw his mercenaries from the area around Bakhmut, where they are at the vanguard of the Russian offensive, as he sought more ammunition from Moscow.

Arpan Rai reports:

Wagner chief ‘offered to reveal locations of Russian soldiers’ to Ukraine, leak shows

European human rights summit to step up aid for Ukraine to counter Russian invasion

Monday 15 May 2023 19:10 , Eleanor Noyce

At the conclusion of their previous Council of Europe summit, the 46 member states solemnly declared they “bear witness to unprecedented pan-European unity.”

Fast-forward 18 years, to the day, on Tuesday, and the same institution, Europe’s pre-eminent human rights organization, faces a massive war on its continent, forcing it to gather as many of its leaders as possible in Reykjavik, Iceland, to deal with the epochal crisis in Ukraine, one of its member states.

Perhaps more heed should have been paid to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov‘s ominous warning at the 2005 summit in Warsaw that “Russia was, is and will be a major European nation.”

Neither Lavrov, nor any Russian government official, will be flying to Europe’s far-flung island nation, since the Council expelled Russia over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The two-day summit will seek to reinforce a sense of common purpose and the defense of Ukraine stands out like a beacon.

Raf Casert has more:

European human rights summit to step up aid for Ukraine to counter Russian invasion

Sunak vows to help Zelensky build ‘jets coalition’ – but without British warplanes

Monday 15 May 2023 18:40 , Eleanor Noyce

Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Rishi Sunak to help him create a “jets coalition” of western warplanes for Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion after dropping his plea for British fighter planes.

No 10 pledged to work with western allies on securing the planes the Ukrainian president wants and announced a new flying school to help train Kyiv’s pilots in Britain – but made clear UK made clear it has no plans to supply British jets to Ukraine.

When Mr Zelensky visited parliament in February he pleaded with the UK and other nations for jets – presenting Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle with a pilot’s helmet as he called for “wings for freedom”.

But after talks between Mr Sunak and Mr Zelensky, it emerged that Ukraine has opted to seek the American F-16 jets used by many Nato members – but not the UK – as it tries to shift away from Soviet-era planes towards modern military equipment.

“The Ukrainian government has made the decision to train their pilots on F-16 jets, that’s a decision for them,” said Mr Sunak’s spokesman. “I believe they are in discussions with other countries who use those jets, and we are working with those countries.”

Following two hours of negotiations with the PM at Chequers, Mr Zelensky said: “We want to create this jets coalition and I’m very positive with it. We spoke about it and I see that in the closest time you will hear some, I think, very important decisions – but we have to work a little bit more on it.”

Adam Forrest reports:

Sunak vows to help Zelensky build ‘jets coalition’ – but without British planes

Sunak appears to compare Zelensky to Churchill during Chequers meeting

Monday 15 May 2023 18:10 , Eleanor Noyce

Rishi Sunak appeared to compare Ukraine’s President Zelensky to Winston Churchill as he welcomed him to his Chequers residence.

“This room that we’re standing in, Winston Churchill made many of his famous speeches in World War Two from this room.

In the same way today, your leadership, your country’s bravery and fortitude are an inspiration to us all”, Mr Sunak told Mr Zelesnky in front of reporters.

Mr Zelensky’s latest visit to the UK was announced early on Monday morning (15 May), before Ukraine’s president touched down in Hertfordshire shortly afterwards.

Watch:

Sunak appears to compare Zelensky to Churchill during Chequers meeting

Zelenskyy's European tour aimed to replenish Ukraine's arsenal and build political support

Monday 15 May 2023 17:40 , Eleanor Noyce

Volodymyr Zelenskyy set off across Europe with a long shopping list. Ukraine’s president will head home with much of what he wanted — though not the Western fighter jets he seeks to defend against Russian air attacks.

European leaders promised Zelenskyy an arsenal of missiles, tanks and drones during a whirlwind three-day visit to Italy, the Vatican, Germany, France and the U.K. that sought to replenish Ukraine’s depleted weapons supplies ahead of a long-anticipated spring offensive aimed at turning the tide of the war.

The trip was also about shoring up European political and military support for the longer term, to ensure Ukraine can hold any ground it takes back and press for a favorable peace.

“They’ve got to show … they’re in this conflict for the long term and that they’re able to keep sustaining this effort,” said Justin Crump, a former British tank commander who heads security consultancy Sibylline. “It’s not going to be one shot and done.”

Zelenskyy’s energetic international diplomacy over 15 months of war has persuaded Ukraine’s Western allies to send ever more powerful weapons, from German Leopard tanks to U.S. Patriot missile systems and Storm Shadow cruise missiles from the U.K.

Jill Lawless has the full story:

Zelenskyy's European tour aimed to replenish Ukraine's arsenal and build political support

Poland receives UK rocket launchers in defence upgrade

Monday 15 May 2023 17:12 , Matt Mathers

Poland has received its first shipment of US-made Himars rocket launchers as part of a defence upgrade amid security concerns due to the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak and military officials attended an acquisition ceremony at a Warsaw air base on Monday.

Mr Blaszczak said that combat in Ukraine has proven the value of the Himars and that Nato member Poland was seeking to procure additional launchers, with a goal of acquiring some 500 units.

"We are watching the developments in Ukraine, and we know that artillery has a key role in the war, in repelling the Russian invasion," he said.

Sunak and Zelensky spent ‘substantive elements’ of time together speaking ‘one-on-one’, Downing Street says

Monday 15 May 2023 16:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky were able to talk face-to-face in detail about matters that security issues can make “tricky” when talking remotely, Downing Street said.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman, asked about Mr Zelensky’s visit to Buckinghamshire, said: “It was a warm meeting. It was collegiate, they talked for an hour-and-a-half, which was longer than had been planned.

“Subsequently, they went for a walk around Chequers as well.

“I think you saw from the tone of their conversation afterwards that they get on well.

“Equally, the meeting was very productive and a chance to talk in detail, which can be quite tricky sometimes, given some of the security situation, so it was a helpful meeting on both sides.”

The spokesman said “substantive elements” of the two leaders’ time together was spent speaking “one-on-one”.

Attack drones donated to Ukraine by UK only for use on Ukrainian soil, No 10 confirms

Monday 15 May 2023 16:35 , Eleanor Noyce

Attack drones given by the UK to Ukraine are only to be used on Ukrainian soil, No 10 has said.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Our support has always been on the condition that it is used to defend Ukrainian sovereignty. That is no different with these drones.”

Asked whether the UK Government’s position meant that striking targets within Russia would go beyond the purpose of defending Ukraine, the spokesman replied: “Yes.

“I think there is no question of this military aid we’re providing as being used for anything other than the defence of Ukraine and Ukraine soil.”

Put to him that military sites within Russia that are being used to attack Ukraine could be deemed legitimate targets by Kyiv, Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said: “Again, from our perspective - and I can’t speak for the Ukrainians more widely - the aid we provide is for use within Ukrainian sovereign borders.

“It is not for use beyond that.”

Irish government doing ‘all we can’ to accommodate refugees, says Leo Varadkar

Monday 15 May 2023 16:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said the government is “doing all we can” to find accommodation for international protection applicants who are currently sleeping rough.

He added: “Let’s not forget the bigger picture here. You know the last year or so we’ve taken in 100,000 people from other parts of the world, mainly from Ukraine, but from other parts of the world as well, and almost all of those have been provided with accommodation.

“But it’s a refugee crisis on the scale that we’ve never experienced in our history and, yes, you know, we are at a point where we’re finding it difficult to provide accommodation to everyone who comes here, but we’ll certainly turn nobody away.”

Russia could use chemical weapons if Ukraine’s counter-offensive proves successful

Monday 15 May 2023 15:51 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia could use chemical weapons if Ukraine’s counter-offensive is successful in regaining territory, MPs have heard.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the UK is “very much on our guard about what happens next” after concerns were raised that Russian President Vladimir Putin may “turn ugly” and resort to using non-conventional weapons systems in Ukraine.

Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, who chairs the Commons Defence Committee, told the Commons: “Could I ask the Secretary of State about the comments of Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, now openly criticising President Putin for an absence of ammunition, tactics on the battlefield as well.

“Is he concerned that if this counter-offensive is successful, that terrain is gained, that Russia, Putin, will turn ugly and resort to non-conventional weapons systems, such as chemical weapons and biological (weapons), as he did in Syria?”

Mr Wallace, in his reply, said: “The use of chemical weapons in Syria was another turning point, the use of chemical weapons here on the streets of the United Kingdom in the Skripals poisoning in Salisbury.

“We are on our guard, the international community regularly communicate, we stand ready with Nato, we increase our readiness as we do, and we have started to increase the investment in our capabilities, all important, but he is right we have to be very much on our guard about what happens next.”

China ‘threat' ‘inherently linked’ to the war in Ukraine, Liz Truss says

Monday 15 May 2023 15:35 , Eleanor Noyce

Liz Truss has branded China “the largest threat that we face to the free world” and “inherently linked” to the war in Ukraine.

Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister used an appearance at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit to warn “we cannot listen to rhetorical bullying from authoritarian regimes”.

Asked whether she thought the UK Government was doing enough to support Ukraine, she said: “I think we are sending extra long-range weapons - that is very welcome.

“I’ve said I want to see us sending fighter jets to Ukraine - I know we’re supplying training on that ... but we’ve got to focus on Ukraine, we also need to focus on the threat from China.

“That is my message - that these things are inherently linked. If we take our eye off the ball on China, we’ll be facing a very, very serious problem down the road.”

Asked about her own stance on Beijing compared with the less hawkish position of her successor Rishi Sunak, she said: “I stand by my assertion that we should designate China as a threat. I think they’re a very clear threat. I think they’re the largest threat that we face to the free world.”

Putin touts cooperation with ex-Soviet states in Security Council meeting

Monday 15 May 2023 15:02 , Matt Mathers

Russian President Vladimir Putin told members of his Security Council that their video meeting on Monday should discuss the benefits of cooperation among former Soviet states.

The meeting is usually held on a Friday but was brought forward for undisclosed reasons.

“We and the republics of the former Soviet Union have a whole range of significant.

competitive advantages,” Putin told the meeting, which was attended by top members of his cabinet, in televised opening remarks.

“Let’s talk about this today, about what more can and should be done in order to achieve better results in our joint work.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Moscow’s ex-Soviet neighbours have become vital economic partners as it grapples with Western trade sanctions.

Kremlin claims to have shot down first British Storm Shadow missile

Monday 15 May 2023 13:53 , Matt Mathers

Russia’s Defence Ministry said for the first time on Monday that it had downed a long-range Storm Shadow missile supplied to Ukraine by Britain, which announced last week that it was providing them.

The ministry said in its daily briefing on the Ukraine conflict that it had shot down the cruise missile, as well as shorter-range U.S.-built HIMARS-launched and HARM missiles. Reuters was unable to verify the reports.

Britain is the first country to publicly supply Kyiv with long-range cruise missiles, which will allow Ukrainian forces to hit Russian troops and supply depots far behind the front lines as it prepares a major counteroffensive.

Moscow said on Sunday that Ukraine had used the missiles to strike industrial sites in the Russian-controlled city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia viewed Britain’s decision to supply the missiles "extremely negatively".

"Britain claims to be at the forefront among those countries that continue to pump weapons into Ukraine," he told reporters in a daily call.

Germany's Scholz: some nations see Western double standards on Russia

Monday 15 May 2023 13:43 , Matt Mathers

Influential countries such as India, Vietnam and South Africa balk at criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine because they believe international principles are not applied equally, German chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a speech on Monday.

"When I talk to leaders from those countries, many assure me that they are not questioning the underlying principles of our international order. What they are struggling with is the unequal application of those principles," he said.

"What they expect is representation on equal terms, and an end to Western double standards."

Russia claims to have downed Storm Shadow missile supplied to Ukraine by UK

Monday 15 May 2023 13:21 , Joe Middleton

Russia’s defence ministry said for the first time this afternoon that it had downed a long-range Storm Shadow missile supplied to Ukraine by Britain.

The ministry said in its daily briefing on the Ukraine conflict that it had shot down the cruise missile, as well as shorter-range U.S.-built HIMARS-launched and HARM missiles.

Britain is the first country to publicly supply Kyiv with long-range cruise missiles, which will allow Ukrainian forces to hit Russian troops and supply depots far behind the front lines as it prepares a major counteroffensive.

Moscow said on Sunday that Ukraine had used the missiles to strike industrial sites in the Russian-controlled city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia viewed Britain’s decision to supply the missiles “extremely negatively”.

“Britain claims to be at the forefront among those countries that continue to pump weapons into Ukraine,” he told reporters in a daily call.

Reuters was unable to verify the reports.

Downing Street releases statement following Sunak and Zelensky meeting

Monday 15 May 2023 13:06 , Martha Mchardy

Downing Street said: “The Prime Minister welcomed Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to Chequers today.

“President Zelenskyy thanked the Prime Minister for the enduring support of the British people for the people of Ukraine.

“The Prime Minister outlined the new package of support the UK has announced today, including further air defence missiles and drones. This builds on the confirmation last week that the UK has become the first country to provide long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine.

“The Prime Minister reiterated that the UK will continue its support to ensure Ukraine secures a just and lasting peace. That includes both immediate military support and providing long-term security assistance to guarantee Ukraine’s ability to deter aggression.

“The Prime Minister said he would use his meetings with world leaders over the coming days at the Council of Europe and G7 Summits to stress the importance of sustaining global support for Ukraine at this pivotal time.”

EU exec backs Kyiv peace plan as China starts ‘political settlement’ tour

Monday 15 May 2023 13:03 , Martha Mchardy

The European Union’s chief executive said on Monday that Kyiv’s own peace plan should serve as the starting point for any efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, in comments timed to coincide with the start of China’s “political settlement” tour of Europe.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen spoke as a top Chinese envoy began a tour of Europe that Beijing says is aimed at discussing a “political settlement” to the war in Ukraine, now in its 15 month.

“Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” said Ms von der Leyen, who visited Kyiv last week. “We should never forget that Ukraine is the country that was brutally invaded. It’s therefore the one that should set out the core principles for just peace.”

While she said it was “very good” that Chinese president Xi Jinping had held a phone call with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, she stressed Beijing should use its influence on Moscow to end the war.

She spoke on the eve of an intense international diplomacy week during which Russia’s war against Ukraine would top the agenda.

“We will keep supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Ms von der Leyen told a news conference, a statement she said “must translate into stable financial support also beyond 2023, and accelerated military support focused on now and here.”

Ms Von der Leyen also backed creating a special tribunal to hold Russia to account and said a new “register of damage” would be launched in the Hague: “a very good step towards Russian compensation.”

Her comments come a day ahead of a summit of the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights watchdog, in Reykjavik, which will be followed by a gathering of G7 leaders in Japan.

Ms Von der Leyen said the G7 would discuss sanctions over Russia’s war, including the latest proposal for new EU measures put forward by her Commission, the EU’s executive arm.

Ukraine’s Zelensky hails ‘important and powerful’ new military aid

Monday 15 May 2023 12:41 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday lauded “important and powerful” military aid from Britain, France and Germany, and said he was pleased with agreements reached during a tour of Europe.

“The priority (during our talks) was our counteroffensive actions, I am very pleased with the achievements and agreements,” he said in remarks in Ukrainian while visiting UK prime minister Rishi Sunak.

UK has no plans to send fighter jets to Ukraine - PM's spokesman

Monday 15 May 2023 12:25 , Martha Mchardy

Britain has no plans to send fighter jets to Ukraine after the Ukrainian military indicated it would prefer to use F-16 fighter jets, prime minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said on Monday.

Asked if Britain would send fighter jets to Ukraine, the spokesman said: “There are no plans to do that.”

“The Ukrainians made the decision to train their pilots on F-16s and you will know the RAF don’t use those,” he said.

Watch: Zelensky calls for ‘coalition’ of jets after Sunak fighter plane talks

Monday 15 May 2023 12:16 , Martha Mchardy

Training Ukrainian pilots with NATO tactics ‘important part of relationship’ between UK and Ukraine, PM says

Monday 15 May 2023 12:07 , Martha Mchardy

Rishi Sunak said the prospect of training Ukrainian pilots with NATO tactics was “an important part of the long-term relationship between our countries”.

Speaking to broadcasters following his talk with the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, the prime minister said: “(We will be) training Ukrainian citizens to be absolutely combat-ready aircraft pilots and particularly whether it comes to NATO tactics as well, because that’s an important part of the long-term relationship between our countries.

“So we’ve had very good productive discussions on that today. Other countries are involved, I’m talking to those leaders.

“I’ll be doing more of that this week in my international engagement and we’re very keen to build that coalition of countries to give Volodymyr and his people the aircraft support that they need.”

UK to train Ukrainian pilots to use Western fighter jets, Rishi Sunak says

Monday 15 May 2023 12:00 , Martha Mchardy

The UK will be ready to help train Ukrainian pilots to use Western fighter jets “relatively soon”, Rishi Sunak said today following a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

He said the provision of warplanes was “not straightforward” but that Britain will play a “key part” in a coalition of countries giving that support to the war-torn nation.

Speaking after his talk with president Zelensky at Chequers, Mr Sunak said: “We are going to be a key part of the coalition of countries that provides that support to Volodymyr and Ukraine.

“It is not a straightforward thing as Volodymyr and I have been discussing to build up that fighter combat aircraft capability.

“It’s not just the provision of planes its also the training of pilots and all the logistics that go alongside that and the UK can play a big part in that.

“One thing we will be doing starting actually relatively soon is training of Ukrainian pilots and that’s something we’ve discussed today and we’re ready to implement those plans in relatively short order.”

The prime minister also tweeted: “We will open a new UK flying school giving Ukrainian pilots the training they need to handle different types of aircraft, enabling them to better defend their citizens against Russian aggression.”

No 10 said an elementary flying phase for cohorts of Ukrainian pilots will begin this summer, with the training going hand in hand with UK efforts to work with other countries on providing F16 jets.

NATO chief: expect agreement on program to help Ukraine towards NATO military standards

Monday 15 May 2023 11:53 , Martha Mchardy

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday he expects allies to agree on a multi-year program to help Ukraine move towards NATO military standards at a July summit in Vilnius.

Mr Stoltenberg also said that he plans to leave his post as secretary general of NATO when his tenure ends in October.

Ukraine’s Zelensky: We want to create a ‘jets coalition'

Monday 15 May 2023 11:46 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday he and British prime minister Rishi Sunak had discussed Western nations providing Kyiv with fighter jets and they wanted to create a “jets coalition”.

“Today we spoke about the jets. Very important topic for us because we can’t control the sky,” president Zelensky said following a meeting with prime minister Sunak.

He said Ukraine and the UK were “real partners,” with Mr Sunak knowing details of developments on the battlefield.

“I see that in the closest time, you will hear some, I think, very important decisions but we have to work a little bit more on it.”

Sunak and Zelensky discussed ‘long-term’ security arrangements against ‘future Russian aggression'

Monday 15 May 2023 11:44 , Martha Mchardy

Rishi Sunak has said he discussed “long-term” security arrangements from allied countries for Ukraine to protect itself against “future Russian aggression” in his meeting with the country’s leader.

Speaking to broadcasters following his talk with Volodymyr Zelensky at Chequers, the prime minister said: “Another topic of conversation we’ve had today is about the security arrangements we should put in place among allied countries for Ukraine for the long term to ensure it can defend itself and provide effective deterrence against future Russian aggression.”

Kremlin says Macron is wrong to say Russia is subservient to China

Monday 15 May 2023 11:11 , Martha Mchardy

The Kremlin has said that it categorically disagreed with French president Emmanuel Macron who said that Russia had “entered a form of subservience with regards to China” since being shunned by the West over the conflict in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s ties with China were those of a strategic partner and had nothing to do with dependence.

British military aid to Ukraine won’t alter outcome of conflict, says Kremlin

Monday 15 May 2023 10:50 , Martha Mchardy

Russia takes an “extremely negative” view of Britain’s decision to supply long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles and other military hardware to Ukraine, but does not believe it will change the conflict’s outcome, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Four killed in Russian attack on hospital in Ukrainian city Adviivka

Monday 15 May 2023 10:36 , Martha Mchardy

Four people were killed in a Russian missile attack that hit a hospital in the eastern city of Avdiivka on Monday, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

“The Russians attacked the city with missiles this morning, they hit a hospital,” he wrote on Telegram.

Governor Kyrylenko posted photographs of a heavily damaged three-storey brick building that was missing a chunk of its side and had spewed rubble and debris onto the ground.

He called on residents of the small city in the industrial Donbas region to evacuate as fast as possible.

“Every new day spent in the Donetsk region increases the risk of becoming a victim of Russian aggression,” he said.

Avdiivka was one of the main targets of a Russian winter offensive which was intended to reinvigorate Moscow’s full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022, but made only small territorial advances in the east.

Wagner chief dismisses reports he offered to give Russian troop positions to Ukraine

Monday 15 May 2023 10:35 , Martha Mchardy

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russia’s Wagner private militia, on Monday

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russian mercenary group Wagner, has dismissed a report in the Washington Post that he had offered to reveal the position of Russian troops to the Ukrainian government.

Wagner’s soldiers have been at the forefront of a bloody Russian offensive to take the city of Bakhmut.

The Post reported that Prigozhin in January offered to tell Ukrainian intelligence the positions of Russian forces, with which his militia has frequently been at loggerheads, in exchange for Ukraine pulling back from the area.

The paper said Ukraine had rejected the offer.

In an audio message posted by his press service on Telegram on Monday, Yevgeny Prigozhin called the allegations “nonsense”, and suggested that unnamed residents of Moscow’s Rublyovka suburb, home to many of the business and political elite, were orchestrating an attack on him.

Prigozhin also denied having met Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian military intelligence, in an unnamed African country, saying he had not been in the continent since the start of the Ukraine conflict and portraying the idea of a phone call with him as laughable.

Prigozhin last week publicly threatened to withdraw his mercenaries from Bakhmut, where they have led the Russian offensive for months at enormous cost in casualties, unless they receive more ammunition from the defence ministry. But he also said he and his men would be seen as traitors if they did so.

He has also accused the regular army of failing to defend Wagner’s flanks as it had promised, and has repeatedly suggested that top Russian defence officials and business elites are undermining the military effort in Ukraine.

The Post reported that Prigozhin’s offer had come through his contacts with Ukraine’s intelligence service.

A White House spokesman declined to comment on the report, which was based on secret U.S. documents leaked to the group-chat platform Discord.

Ukraine says Black Sea grain deal’s future uncertain with no more talks set this week

Monday 15 May 2023 10:26 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine cannot rule out that a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain will end on May 18 when it expires and the situation is uncertain, with no additional negotiations planned this week, a Ukrainian foreign ministry official said on Monday.

Olha Trofimtseva, a foreign ministry ambassador at large, told a briefing that Ukraine was receiving conflicting signals about the future of the grain deal.

In pictures: Zelensky arrives at Chequers to meet Rishi Sunak

Monday 15 May 2023 10:10 , Martha Mchardy

Rishi Sunak compares Zelensky to Churchill

Monday 15 May 2023 10:06 , Martha Mchardy

Prime minister Rishi Sunak compared Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to Winston Churchill during Mr Zelensky’s visit to Chequers today.

Welcoming the Ukrainian leader to Chequers, Mr Sunak said: “You are actually the first foreign leader I have had the privilege of welcoming here as Prime Minister and there’s a lot of great history here.

“In fact this room that we are standing in, Winston Churchill made many of his famous speeches in World War Two from this room.

“And the same way today, your leadership, your country’s bravery and fortitude are an inspiration to us all.

“I look forward to us discussing what more we can do to support you and your country.”

Zelensky thanks UK for support since Russian invasion of Ukraine

Monday 15 May 2023 09:52 , Martha Mchardy

Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the UK for the support shown to Ukraine since the invasion.

As he met Rishi Sunak at Chequers, Mr Zelensky said: “Your support is already a lot for us, you did a lot - you, your government and His Majesty the King and of course your people, your society.

“We are thankful from all our hearts, from Ukrainians, from our soldiers, we are thankful.”

The Ukrainian president said his discussions with Rishi Sunak would cover “very important issues, urgent support for Ukraine”.

The crisis was a matter of “security not only for Ukraine, it is important for all of Europe,” he said.

Defence secretary Ben Wallace said last week the UK will send long-range missiles to Ukraine to assist the war effort against Russia‘s invasion.

Explosions heard in Ukrainian city Yevpatoriya - Suspilne

Monday 15 May 2023 09:48 , Martha Mchardy

Explosions have been heard in Ukrainian city Yevpatoriya on the west coast of Crimea, Ukrainian state broadcaster Suspline reports.

Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

The claims have not been independently verified.

Rishi Sunak welcomes president Zelensky to the UK as he arrives at Chequers

Monday 15 May 2023 09:39 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in the UK to meet prime minister Rishi Sunak, landing at Chequers this morning.

Mr Sunak shared a picture of the two leaders embracing as the Ukrainian president arrived.

Wagner chief ‘offered to give up locations of Russian soldiers’ to Ukraine, leaked papers say

Monday 15 May 2023 09:35 , Martha Mchardy

The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force, Yevgeny Prigozhin, offered to reveal the positions of Vladimir Putin’s forces to Ukraine, leaked US intelligence documents show.

The extraordinary offer – which was rejected by Ukraine – was made in January by the Wagner chief as part of a proposed quid pro quo deal with Kyiv, reported the Washington Post.

The Wagner chief offered to leak information on the positions held by Russian troops if Ukraine’s commanders withdrew their own soldiers from the area around the fortress city of Bakhmut, handing Prigozhin a victory there in exchange for the opportunity to accurately target Russian positions elsewhere along the frontline.

Arpan Rai reports:

Wagner chief ‘offered to reveal locations of Russian soldiers’ to Ukraine, leak shows

Watch: Zelensky arrives at Chequers to meet Rishi Sunak

Monday 15 May 2023 09:33 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine must defeat Russia this year or risk waning Western support, former UK Army chief says

Monday 15 May 2023 09:33 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine must defeat Russia this year or risk waning Western support, former head of the Army Sir Richard Dannatt has said

Speaking on Times Radio on Monday, the former chief of the general staff said the Russian military “might crumble” in an anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive later this year.

Sir Richard’s comments come as Ukraine is reported to have made gains around the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut.

He said: “The major counter-offensive which we are all expecting and which the Ukrainians are preparing for has not begun yet but probably is not that far away. If Ukraine is going to succeed in its stated objective of freeing its territory from Russian occupation this is the year they’ve got to do it.

“There is a danger that western support will wane. There is also a danger that (Vladimir) Putin will see that time is on his side, so it is really important that the Ukrainians do mount this offensive effectively at the right time.

“If there are decisive blows struck against the Russians there is a chance that Russian military morale might crack and the Russian army might crumble in the way that we saw around Kharkiv last September.”

Top China envoy will visit Ukraine on May 16-17, Kyiv says

Monday 15 May 2023 09:31 , Martha Mchardy

A top Chinese envoy is due to visit Ukraine on May 16-17, a Ukrainian government official told Reuters on Monday.

Li Hui, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs and former ambassador to Russia, will be visiting Ukraine, Russia and other European cities in a trip Beijing says is aimed at discussing a “political settlement” to the Ukraine crisis.

The Ukrainian official declined to provide further details.

Zelensky urges NATO to make ‘positive political decision’ about Kyiv’s membership

Monday 15 May 2023 09:29 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a new appeal to NATO on Monday to make a “positive political decision” on Kyiv’s membership drive at a July summit.

Mr Zelensky made his remarks in a video address to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit.

Zelensky lands at Chequers for meeting with Rishi Sunak

Monday 15 May 2023 09:28 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has landed at Chequers ahead of his meeting with UK prime minister Rishi Sunak today.

The Ukrainian president will meet his “friend” the prime minister as part of a trip around Europe pressing leaders for more military aid.

G7 leaders to ‘tighten sanctions’ on Russia

Monday 15 May 2023 09:23 , Martha Mchardy

Leaders of the G7 nations will tighten sanctions on Russia at their summit in Japan this week, officials have said.

G7 leaders will aim to target sanctions evasion involving third countries and undermine Russia’s future energy production and curb trade that supports Russia’s military, officials added.

The meeting will take place on 19-21 May.

Explosions reported in occupied Ukrainian city Luhansk

Monday 15 May 2023 09:05 , Martha Mchardy

Explosions were reported in the occupied Ukrainian city Luhansk this morning, Ukrainian state broadcaster Suspilne reports.

The claims have not been independently verified.

In an update posted on its Telegram channel for the Donbas region, the state broadcaster said: “On the morning of 15 May, explosions rang out in occupied Luhansk. This information was confirmed to Suspilne by residents of the occupied city. According to them, the smoke is visible from the side of the former Luhansk military aviation school of navigators.”

The report was accompanied by an image which appeared to show smoke rising above the city.

No casualties were reported, according to Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s occupied Luhansk region.

Ukraine hails first offensive success in defence of Bakhmut

Monday 15 May 2023 08:51 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine’s military on Monday hailed recent advances around Bakhmut as its first successful counterattack in the battle against Russian forces fighting for control of the eastern city.

But Kyiv also said the situation in Bakhmut was difficult. It cautioned that Moscow had not changed its goal of capturing the city and was sending assault troops to Bakhmut’s outskirts.

The Ukrainian military said last week it had started to push Russian forces back in and around Bakhmut after months of heavy fighting, and Moscow acknowledged that its forces had fallen back north of the city.

“The advance of our troops along the Bakhmut direction is the first success of offensive actions in the defence of Bakhmut,” Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of Ground Forces, said in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app.

“The last few days have shown that we can move forward and destroy the enemy even in such extremely difficult conditions,” he said. “We are fighting with fewer resources than the enemy. At the same time, we are able to ruin its plans.”

Kyiv is expected to launch a major counteroffensive soon to try to retake Russian-occupied territory, but Ukrainian officials have indicated that the gains around Bakhmut do not signal that the broader counterattack has begun.

Deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said heavy fighting continued in and around Bakhmut, and that “everything” was difficult there.

“The Russians have not changed their goals. They are sending assault troops to the outskirts of Bakhmut,” she wrote on Telegram.

Battlefield reports have not been independently verified.

South Africa’s non-aligned position does not favour Russia, president Ramaphosa says

Monday 15 May 2023 08:42 , Martha Mchardy

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday the country’s non-aligned position did not favour Russia over other states and reiterated its call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.

His comments in a weekly presidential newsletter came on the heels of U.S. allegations last week that weapons were loaded onto Russian ship Lady R from a naval base in Cape Town late last year, which sparked a diplomatic row.

South African officials swiftly rejected claims made by the U.S. ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety, who also said senior U.S. officials had “profound concerns” over South Africa’s professed policy of non-alignment and neutrality over Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“We do not accept that our non-aligned position favours Russia above other countries. Nor do we accept that it should imperil our relations with other countries,” president Ramaphosa said.

South Africa would continue to honour international agreements and treaties it is a signatory to and its approach to U.S. allegations of arms shipment would abide by them, he added.

President Ramaphosa’s office has said no concrete evidence has been provided to support the claims made by the ambassador, but that an inquiry led by a retired judge would look into them.

South Africa, which has abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions on Russia’s war in Ukraine, says it is impartial but Western countries consider it to be one of Moscow’s closest allies on the continent.

Putin’s defences ‘compromised’ as Kyiv strikes airbase near Ukrainian border

Monday 15 May 2023 08:38 , Martha Mchardy

Russian air defences are “compromised” after Kyiv struck a Russian airbase 150km north of the Ukrainian border.

Russia’s Seshcha Airbase was struck on May 3rd by several uncrewed aerial vehicles, the UK Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update.

One Russian military transport aviation (VTA) aircraft was damaged in the strike.

The UK Ministry of Defence said: “Russian leaders will be concerned that Russia’s air defences continue to be compromised, holding at risk key strategic assets such as VTA bases.”

The Seshcha Airbase is a hub for the VTA in western Russia, the Ministry of Defence said, which has played a major role in enabling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia also uses the airbase to Iranian produced one-way attack aircraft towards Kyiv.

It comes as two of Russia’s military commanders were killed in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv’s forces renewed efforts to break through Russian defences in the embattled city of Bakhmut.

In a daily briefing on Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defence said that Commander Vyacheslav Makarov of the 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade and Deputy Commander Yevgeny Brovko from a separate unit were killed trying to repel Ukrainian attacks.

Moscow acknowledged on Friday that its forces had fallen back north of Bakhmut amid a surge of Ukrainian attacks, but Kyiv has played down suggestions a huge, long-planned counteroffensive has officially begun.

Wagner chief offered to give Russian troop positions to Ukraine - The Washington Post

Monday 15 May 2023 08:16 , Martha Mchardy

Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin offered to give Russian troop positions to Ukraine in late January, The Washington Post reports.

The offer was made as Russian troops were dying in their thousands in the besieged city of Bakhmut. The Wagner chief reportedly offered to give Kyiv information about Russian positions in exchange for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Bakhmut.

Mr Prigozhin made the proposal to Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, who he has maintained secret communication with throughout the war, according to U.S. intelligence documents leaked on Discord.

One official told The Washington Post that Mr Prigozhin made the offer to Ukraine more than once, but it was rejected by Kyiv because officials do not trust the mercenary chief.

Mr Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, has been embroiled in a public feud with Russian military commanders, who he claims have failed to supply his forces with adequate supplies.

In May Mr Prigozhin said he would withdraw his troops from the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, in a row over support from Vladimir Putin’s government.

UK will be ‘sustaining support’ for Ukraine, says Rishi Sunak ahead of Zelensky visit

Monday 15 May 2023 07:49 , Martha Mchardy

Rishi Sunak has said the UK will be “sustaining our support” for Ukraine as he prepares to meet the country’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky for talks in London on Monday.

The prime minister said: “This is a crucial moment in Ukraine’s resistance to a terrible war of aggression they did not choose or provoke.

“They need the sustained support of the international community to defend against the barrage of unrelenting and indiscriminate attacks that have been their daily reality for over a year.

“We must not let them down.

“The frontlines of Putin’s war of aggression may be in Ukraine but the fault lines stretch all over the world. It is in all our interest to ensure Ukraine succeeds and (Vladimir) Putin’s barbarism is not rewarded.

“That is why the UK is sustaining our support to Ukraine - from tanks to training, ammunition to armoured vehicles. And this message of solidarity will ring loud in all my meetings with fellow world leaders in the days ahead.”

Britain to send long-range attack drones to Ukraine

Monday 15 May 2023 07:44 , Martha Mchardy

Britain will send hundreds of new long-range attack drones with a range of over 200km to Ukraine, the government said on Monday after president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the country for talks with prime minister Rishi Sunak.

“Today the Prime Minister will confirm the further UK provision of hundreds of air defence missiles and further unmanned aerial systems including hundreds of new long-range attack drones with a range of over 200km,” the government said in a statement.

“These will all be delivered over the coming months as Ukraine prepares to intensify its resistance to the ongoing Russian invasion.”

Ukraine’s Zelensky in surprise visit to UK to press Sunak for more military support

Monday 15 May 2023 07:42 , Martha Mchardy

Volodymyr Zelensky will meet Rishi Sunak today for “substantive negotiations” to secure more support for his country’s war effort.

The Ukrainian president will meet his “friend” the prime minister as part of a trip around Europe pressing leaders for more military aid.

Mr Zelensky met Pope Francis in the Vatican last weekend, after Italy pledged its full support for Kyiv in its defence against the Russian invasion.

Archie Mitchell reports:

Zelensky in surprise visit to UK to press Sunak for more military support

Russian goals in Bakhmut unchanged - Ukraine deputy defence minister

Monday 15 May 2023 07:29 , Martha Mchardy

Russia’s plans to capture the besieged eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut remain unchanged and new assault forces are being sent to its outskirts, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on Monday.

She made the remarks in a statement posted to the Telegram messaging app.

Monday 15 May 2023 07:28 , Martha Mchardy

President Zelensky has announced he will meet prime minister Rishi Sunak today as part of a tour of several key European allies ahead of an expected major Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russian forces.

“The UK is a leader when it comes to expanding our capabilities on the ground and in the air,” president Zelensky said on Twitter.

“This cooperation will continue today. I will meet my friend Rishi. We will conduct substantive negotiations face-to-face and in delegations.”

The Ukrainian president will also give a speech on Monday to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, addressing the conference remotely via video link, the Danish conference has said.

President Zelensky to meet Rishi Sunak today in surprise visit

Monday 15 May 2023 07:23 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is due to meet prime minister Rishi Sunak today for “substantive negotiations”.

Advance in Bakhmut is first success, says Ukraine’s top commander

Monday 15 May 2023 07:06 , Arpan Rai

Recent days have shown that Ukraine can move forward and counterattack against Russia in Bakhmut, the commander of Ukrainian ground forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said today.

“The advance of our troops along the Bakhmut direction – that is the first successful offensive operation in the city’s defence,” Syrskyi was quoted as saying on Ukraine‘s Media Military Centre Telegram.

“The last few days have shown that we can move forward and destroy the enemy even in such extremely difficult conditions... The operation to defend Bakhmut continues. All necessary decisions for the defence have been made,” the military commander said.

Germany now Ukraine’s second-largest provider of aid, says Zelensky

Monday 15 May 2023 07:01 , Andy Gregory

Germany is now second only behind the United States in providing aid to Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky said during his trip to Berlin on Sunday, following a further pledge worth £2.3bn on Saturday, Germany’s largest yet.

The Ukrainian president joked that he was working to make Germany the biggest donor, as he thanked Mr Scholz for Berlin’s political, financial and military support, which the chancellor said amounted to some €17bn in total.

“German air defense systems, artillery, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles are saving Ukrainian lives and bringing us closer to victory. Germany is a reliable ally! Together we are bringing peace closer!” he wrote on Twitter after the meeting.

After initially hesitating to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons, Germany has become one of the biggest suppliers of arms to Ukraine, including Leopard 1 and 2 battle tanks, and the sophisticated IRIS-T SLM air-defence system.

Mr Zelensky said one reason for multi-stop weekend trip to Italy, Germany and France was to forge a “fighter jet coalition” to provide Ukraine with the aircraft it needs to counter Russia’s air dominance.

Germany has said in the past that it doesn’t have the F-16 jets Ukraine needs and Mr Scholz responded to questions about possible plane deliveries by referring to the anti-aircraft system it has provided to Kyiv, adding: “That’s what we as Germany are now concentrating on.”

Putin will be concerned as Russian air defences compromised, says UK MoD

Monday 15 May 2023 06:54 , Arpan Rai

Russia has suffered a major setback after its Seshcha airbase was damaged in an attack involving multiple drones earlier this month, says the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Moscow is most likely becoming increasingly concerned about its critical ammunition hubs being compromised, the MoD said in its daily update this morning.

Several uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) struck Russia’s Seshcha Airbase on 3 May. The airbase is 150km north of the Ukrainian border. One An-124 heavy transport aircraft of Russia’s Military Transport Aviation (VTA) was likely damaged, the MoD said.

“Seshcha is a hub for the VTA in western Russia and has played a major role in enabling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia also uses the site to launch Iranian-produced one-way-attack UAVs towards Kyiv,” it added.

“The VTA is a well-resourced element of the Russian Air Force, essential for transport across the vast country. Russian leaders will be concerned that Russia’s air defences continue to be compromised, holding at risk key strategic assets such as VTA bases,” the MoD said.

Top Chinese envoy begins Ukraine and Russia visit today

Monday 15 May 2023 06:17 , Arpan Rai

A top Chinese envoy will start his tour of Ukraine, Russia and other European cities in a trip today. Beijing has said the visit is aimed at discussing a “political settlement” to the Ukraine crisis.

Li Hui, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs and former ambassador to Russia, will also visit Poland, France, Germany on the multi-day trip, the foreign ministry announced last week without providing a detailed schedule.

“The visit ... is a testament to China’s efforts towards promoting peace talks, and fully demonstrates China’s firm commitment to peace,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily briefing.

He is the most senior Chinese official to visit Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

Watch: Zelensky meets Macron at Elysee Palace in Paris

Monday 15 May 2023 06:02 , Andy Gregory

Zelensky thanks allies for ‘powerful day’ on defence front

Monday 15 May 2023 05:31 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted at important developments on arms and ammunition acquisition after meeting with German chancellor Olaf Scholz and other officials.

“It was another powerful day for our defence, for our international positions. I thank Mr President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Mr Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the German people for the powerful defence package, for their leadership in defending lives from Russian terror together with us,” he said today.

Mr Zelensky said his delegation is returning to Ukraine “with important decisions on weapons for our warriors”.

“This is yet another recognition that our people are defending freedom – their own and that of the whole of Europe – and strengthening European unity,” Mr Zelensky said.

He also thanked his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron “for the military support for our warriors, which helps in the fight against Russian terrorists”.

Wagner boss’s spat with Russian defence chiefs is ‘unbelievable’, former Nato commander says

Monday 15 May 2023 05:01 , Andy Gregory

A former Nato commander has described Wagner mercenary boss Yevgheny Prigozhin’s bitter public row with Russia’s defence chiefs as “unbelievable”.

“The argument between Prigozhin and the Russian army is unbelievable. This sort of stuff is just not usually allowed,” Hamish De Bretton-Gordon, a former commander of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment of the British army, told The Independent.

“The logistic heart of the Russian army is being strangled. Putin’s edifice is crumbling. It’s difficult to see how Russians can get anything positive out of this.”

What Putin’s ‘parody’ one-tank parade really means for Russia’s war in Ukraine

Ukraine can beat Russia by end of 2023 with Western help, says Zelensky

Monday 15 May 2023 04:53 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine can defeat Russia by the end of this year if it receives more Western support, Volodymyr Zelensky said as he wrapped up his visit to Berlin and thanked the country for its military and economic backing.

“We can make the aggressor’s defeat irreversible already this year,” Mr Zelensky said, saying victory over Vladimir Putin’s forces remains possible.

On being asked if Ukraine has sufficient weapons in its armoury to kickstart a long-awaited counteroffensive, Mr Zelensky joked and said: “It will take one more foreign trip. Then it’s enough.”

Ukraine moving forward in Bakhmut, says minister

Monday 15 May 2023 04:40 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian forces “continue to move forward in the Bakhmut sector in the suburbs”, the war-hit nation’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar confirmed yesterday.

“Our units captured more than ten enemy positions in the north and south of Bakhmut and cleared a large area of forest near Ivanivske. Enemy soldiers from different units were captured,” she said on Telegram.

Neither Ukraine nor Russian forces have been able to take full control of the city, despite months of grinding warfare that has inflicted heavy losses on both sides.

Macron pledges to pour more weapons in war after meeting Zelensky

Monday 15 May 2023 04:07 , Arpan Rai

French officials are ready to send dozens of armoured vehicles and light tanks, including the AMX-10RCs fighting vehicles, to Ukraine in the coming weeks.

The announcement comes after French president Emmanuel Macron and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky held a working dinner in Paris.

Mr Macron has also offered training for soldiers and other assistance ahead of looming Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces.

More Ukrainians will also be made battle-ready, with France aiming to train about 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers in France this year and nearly 4,000 others in Poland as part of a wider European effort, the French presidential office said.

The officials have also promised more air defence systems to Kyiv in coming days but no other details on the tranche were made public.

Ukraine has Germany’s ‘full support’ on path to EU membership, Scholz says

Monday 15 May 2023 04:05 , Andy Gregory

In a speech in Aachen at the ceremony to award the prestigious Charlemagne Prize to the Ukrainian people, chancellor Olaf Scholz gave Germany’s “full support” to Ukraine’s journey towards membership of the European Union.

“Volodymyr Zelenskyy, you have our full support on your path towards the European Union,” Mr Scholz said, addressing the Ukrainian president, who was there to collect the award on behalf of the Ukrainian people.

However, the German chancellor was reported to sidestep questions from reporters on Ukraine’s bid to join Nato, with Kyiv having pushed strongly for membership of both entities since Russia’s invasion last February.

Wagner chief offered to reveal Russian troop locations to Ukraine – report

Monday 15 May 2023 03:58 , Arpan Rai

The head of the Wagner mercenary force, Yevgeny Prigozhin, offered to reveal the position of Russian troops to the Volodymyr Zelensky administration, leaked US intelligence documents show.

The extraordinary offer — which was rejected by Ukraine — was made in January by the Wagner chief as a quid pro quo deal with Kyiv, reported the Washington Post.

If Ukraine’s commanders withdrew their troops from the area around the fortress city of Bakhmut, he offered to leak information on Russian troop positions, giving Ukraine the benefit of attacking them across multiple fighting hotspots, the report added.

Prigozhin’s offer was made via his contacts in Ukraine’s intelligence service.

Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has publicly threatened to withdraw his mercenaries from the area around Bakhmut, where they are at the vanguard of the Russian offensive, as he sought more ammunition from Moscow.

The White House has declined to issue a comment on the matter.

British Air Force to protect Iceland during European security summit

Monday 15 May 2023 03:03 , Reuters

A squadron of the British Air Force will patrol Iceland’s skies next week when leaders from across Europe are due to meet in Reykjavik to discuss the continent’s security and support for Ukraine.

The airspace protection agreement signed by the two countries will provide security before, during and after a summit of the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights watchdog, which is meeting in Iceland on 16 and 17 May.

British prime minister Rishi Sunak is among the government leaders expected to attend the meeting of the 46-nation council. Russia quit the group last March, pre-empting an expected expulsion over its attack on neighbour Ukraine.

The summit will be the largest international event held in Iceland, according to the government. The island nation situated in the North Atlantic ocean has a population of fewer than 400,000 people and no standing army or air force of its own.

The airspace security arrangement was made in coordination with the wider Nato alliance, of which Iceland and the UK are both members, the Icelandic foreign ministry said in a statement.

Watch: Putin would have invaded Ukraine 'successfully' without Brexit, says Rees-Mogg

Monday 15 May 2023 02:01 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s ties with Europe ‘getting stronger’, says Zelensky

Monday 15 May 2023 01:02 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s ties with Europe are “getting stronger”, Volodymr Zelensky said as he made a surprise visit to France after a diplomatic visit to Berlin and Aachen on Sunday.

In a tweet upon arriving in Paris, Mr Zelensky said: “With each visit, Ukraine’s defense and offensive capabilities are expanding. The ties with Europe are getting stronger, and the pressure on Russia is growing.”

The Ukrainian president said that he and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron – who did not speak to waiting reporters as they greeted each other at the French presidential palace – “will talk through the most important points of bilateral relations.”

The Elysee Palace said the two leaders would discuss Ukraine’s military and humanitarian needs and “the more long-term perspectives for a return to peace in Europe,” and that Mr Macron will “reaffirm France and Europe’s unwavering support” for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.

Germany announced its largest ever package of military aid on Saturday, worth £2.3bn, while France has supplied Ukraine with an array of weaponry, include air-defense systems, light tanks, howitzers and other arms and equipment and fuel.

Wagner mercenary chief claims Russia may have shot down its own aircrafts

Sunday 14 May 2023 23:59 , Andy Gregory

Apparently unconcerned at angering the Kremlin, the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin has suggested Russia may have shot down its own aircrafts, after what some observers described as the worst day since the war’s outset for Moscow’s air force.

Moscow-based newspaper Kommsersant reported that two Russian fighter jets and two helicopters – claimed to be highly rare models introduced just weeks ago to jam Ukraine’s air defence systems – were shot down “simultaneously” within Russia’s Bryansk region on Saturday, killing all of the pilots, in

While the incident sparked alarm among Russian commentators about Kyiv’s growing capabilities, Ukraine’s air force denied shooting down the four aircraft, which are reported to have been conducting a bombing raid in Chernihiv.

Writing on Telegram, Mr Prigozhin said: “Four planes, if you draw a circle in the places of their fall, it turns out that this circle has a diameter (and all of them lie exactly in a circle) of 40km.

“Now go on the internet and see what kind of air defence weapon could be in the centre of this circle, and then build your own versions.”

Zelensky quizzed on claims he mulled attacking Russia to strengthen hand in peace talks

Sunday 14 May 2023 22:58 , Andy Gregory

Speaking to reporters in Berlin earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky was quizzed on US intelligence leaks suggesting that he had considered trying to capture parts of Russia to use as bargaining chips in peace negotiations.

With Western governments insisting that their weapons must not be used to attack Russia, Mr Zelensky said: “We don’t attack Russian territory, we liberate our own legitimate territory, adding: “We have neither the time nor the strength. And we also don’t have weapons to spare, with which we could do this.”

“We are preparing a counterattack for the illegally occupied areas based on our constitutionally defined legitimate borders, which are recognised internationally,” he continued.

You can read more about today’s developments in this report, including Mr Zelensky’s multi-stop diplomatic offensive in Europe and the deaths of two Russian commanders in Donetsk:

Two of Putin’s commanders killed as Ukraine launches fresh Bakhmut offensive

Zelensky welcomed with military honours as he visits Germany

Sunday 14 May 2023 21:54 , Joe Middleton

Zelensky will make a surprise visit to France for talks on Sunday night

Sunday 14 May 2023 20:30 , Joe Middleton

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will make a surprise visit to Paris for talks on Sunday night with French President Emmanuel Macron, extending a multi-stop European tour that has elicited fresh pledges of military support as his country gears up for a counteroffensive against Russian occupation forces.

Mr Macron’s office announced the Paris leg of Mr Zelensky’s trip, and France dispatched a plane to pick up Mr Zelensky in Germany, where he met Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier on Sunday.

Mr Macron’s office said the two leaders will hold talks over dinner and that Mr Macron will “reaffirm France and Europe’s unwavering support to re-establish Ukraine in its legitimate rights and to defend its fundamental interests”.

They will also discuss Ukraine‘s military and humanitarian needs and “the more long-term perspectives for a return to peace in Europe”, Mr Macron’s office said.

France has supplied Ukraine with an array of weaponry, include air defence systems, light tanks, howitzers and other arms and fuel.

Putin would have invaded Ukraine 'successfully' without Brexit, says Rees-Mogg

Sunday 14 May 2023 19:27 , Joe Middleton

G7 finance leaders promise support for Ukraine, vow to enforce sanctions against Russia

Sunday 14 May 2023 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In case you missed it...

The Group of Seven (G7) finance leaders set up a new supply chain initiative as they vowed to provide more support for Ukraine in a show of unity against Russia’s war.

The aid for Ukraine through early 2024 was nudged up to $44bn in a move that enabled the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to approve $15.6bn of support over four years, Bloomberg reported.

“We call for an immediate end of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, which would clear one of the biggest uncertainties over the global economic outlook,” they said in a joint statement.

The finance leaders and central bank chiefs ended three days of talks in the Japanese port city of Niigata, with a pledge to bring inflation under control while aiding those suffering the most from surging prices.

G7 finance leaders promise aid for Ukraine, vow to enforce sanctions against Russia

Russian woman charged for ‘desecrating’ Putin grave

Sunday 14 May 2023 17:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Russian woman who left a note on President Putin’s parents’ grave saying they had raised a “monster and murderer” has been handed a two-year suspended sentence.

Irina Tsybaneva, a 60-year-old retiree from St Petersburg, was found guilty of desecrating the Putin family plot in October last year.

Tsybaneva said she was motivated by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and referenced the war in her note, which said Mr Putin had caused “so much pain and trouble,” the Novaya Gazeta Europe news website reported.

“Death to Putin, you brought up a monster and a murderer,” the note said as it urged the president’s deceased parents to “take him with you”.

Russian woman charged for ‘desecrating’ Putin grave

Scholz: Ukraine ready for peace but cannot mean freezing conflict

Sunday 14 May 2023 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine is ready for peace but that cannot mean freezing the conflict and accepting a deal dictated by Russia, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday.

“Russia has to pull back its troops, it will not work any other way,” Scholz said during Zelenskiy’s first visit to Germany since Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.

What Putin’s ‘parody’ one-tank parade really means for Russia’s war in Ukraine

Sunday 14 May 2023 16:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vladimir Putin’s stripped-down Victory Day parade is a sign that Russia is preparing its people for a mighty loss in their war against Ukraine, a former Nato commander has said.

What should have been a spectacular show of Russia’s military muscle was instead reduced to the “extraordinary” sight of a lone T-34 Soviet-era tank rolling down the road.

Moscow said that the events were scaled back as a result of security concerns over what it claimed was a recent attempted Ukrainian strike on the Kremlin.

However, military consultant Hamish de Bretton-Gordon said the single tank symbolised the battering Moscow has taken as the conflict draws on.

Speaking to The Independent, the former commander of the First Royal Regiment, said: “I subscribe to the view that the Russians are preparing their people for failure.”

What Putin’s ‘parody’ one-tank parade really means for Russia’s war in Ukraine

Here is the latest in politics on the conflict:

Sunday 14 May 2023 16:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

* The Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers and the EU will ban Russian gas imports on routes where Moscow has cut supplies, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

* British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will push other global leaders to pledge more support for Ukraine when he attends international summits next week, his office said on Saturday.

* Germany announced 2.7 billion euro ($3.0 billion) of military aid to Ukraine on Saturday, its biggest such package since Russia‘s invasion, and pledged further support for Kyiv for as long as necessary.

* The EU must speed up the supply of ammunition to Ukraine as the country’s forces need 1,000 artillery shells every day in the Bakhmut area alone, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Saturday.

* South Africa is “actively non-aligned” in Russia‘s war against Ukraine, the country’s presidential security adviser said on Saturday, after U.S. allegations that it had supplied weapons to Moscow led to a diplomatic crisis this week.

The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary

Sunday 14 May 2023 15:41 , 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

Watch live: Zelensky awarded Germany’s prestigious Charlemagne prize

Sunday 14 May 2023 15:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch live as Volodymyr Zelensky is awarded Germany’s prestigious Charlemagne prize at a ceremony in Aachen on Sunday, 14 May.

The Ukrainian president is receiving the award as part of his trip in which he secured a new defence aid package.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced that his country will support Ukraine “for as long as it is necessary” and pledged €2.7bn (£2.4bn) worth of weapons.

Russia says two of its commanders killed as Kyiv wages Bakhmut offensive

Sunday 14 May 2023 14:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s Defence Ministry said on Sunday that two of its military commanders were killed in eastern Ukraine, as Kyiv’s forces renewed efforts to break through Russian defences in the embattled city of Bakhmut.

In a daily briefing, the ministry said that Commander Vyacheslav Makarov of the 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade and Deputy Commander Yevgeny Brovko from a separate unit were killed trying to repel Ukrainian attacks.

It said that Makarov had been leading troops from the front line, and that Brovko “died heroically, suffering multiple shrapnel wounds”. The defence ministry rarely announces the deaths of military command in its daily briefings.

It also said Ukrainian forces waged attacks in the north and south of Bakhmut over the past 24 hours, but that they had not broken through Russian defences. “All attacks by units of Ukraine‘s armed forces have been repelled,” it said.

Reuters was not able to independently verify Russia‘s account.

Neither Ukraine or Russian forces have been able to take full control of the city, despite months of grinding warfare that has inflicted heavy losses on both sides.

Moscow acknowledged on Friday that its forces had fallen back north of Bakhmut amid a surge of Ukrainian attacks, but Kyiv has played down suggestions a huge, long-planned counteroffensive has officially begun.

Ukraine’s Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra invite Princess of Wales to join them on tour

Sunday 14 May 2023 14:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Last year’s Ukrainian Eurovision winners have invited the Princess of Wales to tour with them after she stunned with a surprise piano cameo during their opening performance of this year’s contest.

Kate played a pre-recorded instrumental piece, created by Joe Price and Kojo Samuel, during a performance by Kalush Orchestra.

The hip-hop folk band congratulated the princess on her “impressive” piano skills and thanked her for joining them, saying it highlighted the “depth of support” the UK had for the war-torn country.

The band said in a statement: “We want to thank HRH Princess of Wales for joining us for our performance.

“It shows the depth of support the UK has for Ukraine and helps us highlight to the world what our country is going through.

Ukraine Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra invite Princess Kate to join them on tour

Video shows moment helicopter ‘shot down’ over Russia as ‘multiple aircraft downed’ in Bryansk

Sunday 14 May 2023 13:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Footage appears to show a helicopter being shot down in Russia, amid claims that multiple military aircraft have been downed in Bryansk, in what would mark a humilitating blow for Moscow.

Five houses were damaged and a civilian was hospitalised as a result of the helicopter crash, said the governor of Russia’s Bryansk region, which borders northeastern Ukraine, after social media footage showed an aircraft bursting into flame and plummeting to the ground on Saturday.

Shortly afterwards, state-backed Russian news agency Tass reported that an Su-34 fighter-bomber had also crashed in Bryansk, citing a source in the emergency services.

While the fate of those onboard was unknown, Tass reported that two crew members had died in the earlier crash near Klintsy – some 30 miles from Ukraine’s border – and identified the helicopter as an Mi-8.

Video appears to show moment helicopter is ‘shot down’ over Russia

What Putin’s ‘parody’ one-tank parade really means for Russia’s war in Ukraine

Sunday 14 May 2023 13:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vladimir Putin’s stripped-down Victory Day parade is a sign that Russia is preparing its people for a mighty loss in their war against Ukraine, a former Nato commander has said.

What should have been a spectacular show of Russia’s military muscle was instead reduced to the “extraordinary” sight of a lone T-34 Soviet-era tank rolling down the road.

Moscow said that the events were scaled back as a result of security concerns over what it claimed was a recent attempted Ukrainian strike on the Kremlin.

However, military consultant Hamish de Bretton-Gordon said the single tank symbolised the battering Moscow has taken as the conflict draws on.

Read on here:

What Putin’s ‘parody’ one-tank parade really means for Russia’s war in Ukraine

Ukraine and West can make Russia’s defeat ‘irreversible’ this year, Zelensky says

Sunday 14 May 2023 13:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Kyiv and its Western supporters could make Russia‘s defeat in the war in Ukraine “irreversible” this year, as he thanked Germany for its military support.

The Ukrainian leader told a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin that Kyiv would always be grateful to Germany for its support during Russia‘s full-scale invasion.

“Now is the time for us to determine the end of the war already this year, we can make the aggressor’s defeat irreversible already this year,” he said.

Ukraine is expected to launch major counter-offensive operations in the coming weeks to try to recapture tracts of its east and south from Russian forces who launched a full-scale invasion in February last year.

Zelensky said Kyiv was prepared to discuss outside initiatives from other states to bring peace to his country but that those proposals should be based on Ukraine‘s position and its peace plan.

“The war is happening on the territory of our country and so any peace plan will be based on Ukraine‘s proposals,” he said.

Kyiv has ruled out the idea of any territorial concessions to Russia and has said it wants every inch of its land back. Russia claims to have annexed the Crimean peninsula and four other Ukrainian regions, which Moscow now calls Russian land.

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website