Ukraine-Russia war – live: ‘Significant losses’ for Putin’s forces as Kyiv retakes village and attacks ships

Ukraine has claimed fresh success in its counteroffensive against Vladimir Putin’s forces, with the recapture of another village – a liberation that the army says is “key to success in all further directions”.

The announcement by the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said that Russian forces had faced “significant losses” in the battle.

Kyiv’s forces are seeking to reclaim land occupied by Moscow across multiple areas of southern and eastern Ukraine. The village of Andriivka is about 10 kilometres south of the Donetsk town of Bakhmut, which Russia captured in May after some of the bloodiest fighting of the war.

Meanwhile, Britain’s most senior military officer said Ukraine had taken the initiative over Russia with its offensive, even if gains are gradual. Sir Tony Radakin said: “In the north they are holding and fixing Russian forces there and in the south they are making progress between 10 and 20km.”

His comments came as Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky hailed Ukraine’s destruction of a Russian air defence system in the annexed Crimea peninsula.

Key Points

• Ukraine liberates village near Bakhmut - Kyiv

• Zelensky to meet Biden next week

• Kyiv drone attack wipes out $1.2bn air defence system in Crimea

• Ukraine targets Russia’s Black Sea fleet for second day

Zelensky’s property among 100 which Russian-backed leaders plan to sell in Crimea

07:28 , Andy Gregory

Russian-installed authorities in Crimea have said they plan to sell about 100 Ukrainian properties, including one belonging to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament, said the nationalised properties would be sold “soon” and the authorities had held the first eight auctions for the properties of Ukrainian business figures.

The sale contracts amounted to more than 815 million roubles (£6.8m), Mr Konstantinov said in a statement on Telegram.

Russian-installed authorities in Crimea said in February that they had nationalised around 500 properties in Crimea including some belonging to senior Ukrainian politicians and business figures.

Ukraine recaptures another village from Putin’s forces – as it keeps up attacks on Russia’s ships

07:00 , Chris Stevenson

Ukraine has claimed fresh success in its counteroffensive against Vladimir Putin’s forces, with the recapture of another village – a liberation that the army says is “key to success in all further directions”.

Kyiv’s forces are seeking to reclaim land occupied by Moscow across multiple areas of southern and eastern Ukraine. The village of Andriivka is about 6 miles (10 kilometres) south of the Russia-occupied town of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region. Bakhmut is one of Ukraine’s key targets, with Russia having occupied it after some of the bloodiest fighting of Moscow’s 18-month invasion.

Russian forces suffered significant casualties and lost various pieces of military hardware, the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said. “Capturing and holding Andriivka - is our path to a breakthrough on the right flank of Bakhmut and the key to the success of the entire further offensive,” said the Third Assault Brigade, which took part in the push.

“There is no Andriivka left per se,... but as a place, as a square, it is an important square,” brigade spokesman Oleksandr Borodin said.

Click here for the full story.

Kim visit publicised on Russian state TV

06:00 , Sam Rkaina

Kim visited aviation facilities in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant and the Yakovlev plant, both units of United Aircraft Corporation, which is under Western sanctions.

At the Gagarin plant, which is also specifically under U.S. sanctions, he inspected assembly workshops where the Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter and Su-57 fighter are made, escorted by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, the government said.

Kim, dressed in a suit and accompanied by North Korean military officials in uniform, was shown on Russian state television examining the cockpit of a fighter jet.

He then inspected workshops where the fuselage compartments and wing assemblies of Russia’s Sukhoi Superjet 100 are made before watching a demonstration flight of the Su-35. He nodded with approval as the fighter performed.

Russia has gone out of its way to publicise the visit and to drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the then-Soviet Union.

For Putin, who says Russia is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while potentially securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war.

Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, which has the world’s biggest store of nuclear warheads, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made.

US ‘not going to take Russia’s word’ over Kim visit

05:00 , Sam Rkaina

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. view before and after Kim’s visit was that “talks about the provision of weapons by North Korea to Russia, to kill Ukrainians, have been advancing and continued to advance.”

“We’re not going to take their word for that, or basically anything they say,” he told a White House press briefing, when asked about the Russian statement. “We’ll see what actually ends up happening.”

“I can’t name a specific agreement for you today, but we take a look at that with a heavy grain of salt,” Sullivan added.

He said Russia, and China, had legal obligations to uphold U.N. resolutions on North Korea.

“We have very real concerns based on what Russia has just done, that they are going to live up to their basic responsibility as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council,” Sullivan said.

Kim visits Russian fighter jet factory

04:00 , Sam Rkaina

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a Russian fighter jet factory under Western sanctions on Friday.

It was part of a visit Washington and its allies fear could strengthen Russia’s military in Ukraine and bolster Pyongyang’s missile program.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation when they met on Wednesday.

South Korea and the United States said military cooperation between North Korea and Russia was a violation of U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang, and that the allies would ensure there is a price to pay.

Putin told reporters Russia was “not going to violate anything”, but would keep developing relations with North Korea. His spokesman said no agreements had been signed during Kim’s visit on military issues or any other topic.

Finland joins Baltic neighbors in banning Russian-registered cars

03:00 , Sam Rkaina

Finland has joined the three Baltic countries in banning vehicles with Russian license plates from entering their territory, a joint move in line with a recent interpretation of the European Union’s sanctions against Moscow over its war on Ukraine.

The Nordic EU member’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the ban would stop private cars from entering Finland as of Friday midnight, Finnish broadcaster YLE said.

Earlier this week, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania imposed the measure. Estonia said the decision followed “the additional interpretation of the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation published by the European Commission” on Sept. 8.

As for the exclave of Kaliningrad, which is surrounded by Lithuania, Russian citizens will be able to continue transiting through the southernmost Baltic state by train.

Under the EU’s decision, motor vehicles registered in the Russian Federation are no longer allowed to enter the territory of the 27-member bloc, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Baltic states are among the most vocal European critics of Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

YLE said that Russian-registered cars with fewer than 10 passengers will no longer be permitted to enter Finland from Russia, although some exceptions are likely.

In April, Finland joined NATO, doubling Russia’s border with the world’s biggest security alliance. Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with its eastern neighbor. The three Baltic states are also NATO members.

Senators press Pentagon on whether Musk used Starlink programme to thwart Ukrainian attack

02:00 , Sam Rkaina

Three senators who serve on the Committee on Armed Forces have sent a letter to the Department of Defence (DoD) expressing concern over allegations that Elon Musk controlled Ukrainian soldiers’ ability to access satellite communications via Starlink.

Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen, Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to provide clarification over an incident from last year in a letter sent on Friday.

The incident, laid out in Walter Isaacson’s biography of Mr Musk, claims that the billionaire tech entrepreneur stopped the Ukrainian armed forces from accessing satellite communications via Starlink near the Crimean Peninsula thus thwarting a potential assault on Russian ships.

Mr Musk clarified on X that he did not discontinue Starlink connectivity but refused a request by Ukraine to provide it there out of fear of escalating war.

The three senators said the “confusion over what actually happened” demands answers and expressed great concern about Mr Musk’s role in the incident.

Russian general in Algeria in ‘return to work’ after Wagner mutinty

01:00 , Sam Rkaina

Russian general Sergei Surovikin is in Algeria as part of a Defence Ministry delegation, in an apparent return to official duties after coming under suspicion in connection with a June mutiny by the Wagner mercenary force, Kommersant newspaper has reported, citing a source close to the general

The newspaper published photographs of Surovikin wearing a khaki suit without military insignia that it said had been taken in Algeria, a major buyer of Russian weapons

Surovikin, dubbed “General Armageddon” for his use of carpet bombing tactics during Russia’s intervention in Syria’s civil war, briefly headed Russia’s campaign in Ukraine last year before being demoted in January

He became popular among hardline critics of the Russian military establishment including Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was killed in a plane crash last month

As Wagner mercenaries marched on Moscow in late June, he appeared in a video looking distressed and holding an assault rifle on his lap, urging them to turn back

The general, who was praised publicly by Prigozhin, disappeared from public view after the mutiny. The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence believed he had known in advance about the revolt, the biggest challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s authority in his 24 years in power.

Biden to meet with Zelenski with more aid coming for Ukraine

Saturday 16 September 2023 00:01 , Sam Rkaina

The United States expects to announce additional aid to Ukraine at some point next week, national security adviser Jake Sullivan hassaid.

President Joe Biden is also due host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday at the White House.

Zelensky is expected to meet with congressional leaders from both political parties while he is in Washington, Sullivan said.

Zelensky calls EU decision to lift grain export ban ‘true unity’

Friday 15 September 2023 23:00 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the EU’s decision not to further expand the ban on grain exports from Ukraine and called it an example of true unity and trust.

As Poland, Slovakia and Hungary on Friday indicated they would impose their own ban after an EU decision to lift it, Zelenskiy said that if neighboring countries violate EU law, “Ukraine will respond in a civilized manner”.

“It is important now for European unity to work at the bilateral level as well. So that neighbors support Ukraine during the war,” he said on the Telegram messaging app after talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Moscow ‘using jailed Americans as bargaining chips'

Friday 15 September 2023 22:00 , Sam Rkaina

Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB.

Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips after U.S.-Russian tensions soared over the Kremlin’s military operation in Ukraine.

At least two U.S. citizens arrested in Russia in recent years — including WNBA star Brittney Griner — have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has previously said it would consider a swap for Gershkovich only in the event of a verdict in his trial. In Russia, espionage investigations and trials can last for more than a year.

U.S. Ambassador to Russia visits imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter

Friday 15 September 2023 21:30 , Sam Rkaina

The U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow said in an online statement.

Tracy’s visit comes a day after Gershkovich’s parents and sister appeared in the United Nation’s headquarters in New York and called on world leaders to urge Russia to free the reporter, who was arrested earlier this year in espionage charges he and his employer reject.

Gershkovich, a 31-year-old U.S. citizen, was detained in late March in the city of Yekaterinburg, almost 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) east of Moscow, while on a reporting trip. He has been held in Moscow’s Lefortovo pre-trial detention center, notorious for its harsh conditions, ever since. Last month, a court in Moscow extended his detention until the end of November.

Russia’s Federal Security Service said Gershkovich, “acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.”

The authorities haven’t detailed what — if any — evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges, which both Gershkovich and WSJ deny. The U.S. government declared him to be wrongfully detained. The case against Gershkovich, shrouded in secrecy, has rattled journalists both inside and outside Russia.

Tracy, the U.S. ambassador, visited Gershkovich in prison several times since his arrest, most recently in August. Following her visit on Friday, the U.S. embassy said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, that Gershkovich “remains strong and is keeping up with the news - including his parents’ appearance at the UN this week,” and reiterated the call to release him and another American imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges, Paul Whelan.

UNESCO previously added Ukraine‘s Black Sea port city of Odesa

Friday 15 September 2023 21:00 , Sam Rkaina

The two sites on the Dnipro River, a 15-minute drive from one another, are “a masterpiece of human creative genius,” according to UNESCO.

The other site is the historic center of Lviv, near the Polish border. A fifth-century castle overlooks streets and squares built between the 13th and 17th centuries. The site includes a synagogue as well as Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic religious buildings, reflecting the city’s diversity.

“In its urban fabric and its architecture, Lviv is an outstanding example of the fusion of the architectural and artistic traditions of Eastern Europe with those of Italy and Germany,” UNESCO said. “The political and commercial role of Lviv attracted to it a number of ethnic groups with different cultural and religious traditions.”

Lviv is more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) from Kyiv and even further from any front lines, but it hasn’t been spared. Russian cruise missiles slammed into an apartment building in the city in July, killing at least six people and wounding dozens.

UNESCO added Ukraine‘s Black Sea port city of Odesa to its list of endangered heritage sites in January. Russian forces have launched multiple attacks on the city, a cultural hub known for its 19th-century architecture. Russia says that it only strikes military targets.

Under the 1972 UNESCO convention, ratified by both Ukraine and Russia, signatories undertake to “assist in the protection of the listed sites” and are “obliged to refrain from taking any deliberate measures” which might damage World Heritage sites.

Inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger is meant to rally urgent international support for conservation efforts. The list includes more than 50 sites around the world.

Monastery of the Caves and St. Sophia Cathedral put on danger list

Friday 15 September 2023 20:00 , Sam Rkaina

A Ukrainian government official welcomed Uncesco’s move.

“We are very happy to have a very rich history and culture of our country, and we would like to say that it has been over thousands of years, and we try to preserve it for our future generations,” Deputy Culture Minister Anastasia Bondar said. “So it’s very much important that the whole world community will join us also.”

The gold-domed St. Sophia Cathedral, located in the heart of Kyiv, was built in the 11th century and designed to rival the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The monument to Byzantine art contains the biggest collection of mosaics and frescoes from that period, and is surrounded by monastic buildings dating back to the 17th century.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, is a sprawling complex of monasteries and churches — some underground — that were built from the 11th to the 19th century. Some of the churches are connected by a labyrinthine complex of caves spanning more than 600 meters (2,000 feet).

UNESCO puts two locations in Ukraine on its list of historic sites in danger

Friday 15 September 2023 19:30 , Sam Rkaina

The U.N.’s World Heritage Committee has placed two major historical sites in Ukraine on its list of such sites that it considers to be in danger.

The St. Sophia Cathedral in the capital, Kyiv, and the medieval center of the western city of Lviv, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites central to Ukraine‘s culture and history.

The decision to put those two on the body’s list of sites “in danger” has no enforcement mechanism, but could help deter Russian attacks.

Neither site has been directly targeted since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Lviv has largely been spared from the fighting.

But Russia has unleashed waves of strikes on Kyiv and other cities, hitting residential areas and critical infrastructure with Iranian-made attack drones.

The decision was made at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, which is being held in Saudi Arabia. The committee maintains UNESCO’s World Heritage List and oversees conservation of the sites.

Hungary imposes import ban on 24 Ukrainian farm products, including grains

Friday 15 September 2023 18:45 , Sam Rkaina

Hungary imposed a national import ban on 24 Ukrainian agricultural products, including grains, vegetables, several meat products and honey, according to a government decree published on Friday.

The ban is effective from Saturday.

Hungary decided to unilaterally ban the imports of Ukrainian foodstuff after the European Commission said that it would not extend a current ban on imports of Ukrainian grains into Ukraine‘s five EU neighbours that is due to expire on Friday.

Poland will impose its own ban on Ukrainian grain, says PM

Friday 15 September 2023 18:14 , Sam Rkaina

Poland will itself extend a ban on Ukrainian grains into Poland from midnight, the prime minister said on Friday, after the European Union said it would not extend a ban it had imposed.

“We will extend this ban despite their disagreement, despite the European Commission’s disagreement,” Mateusz Morawiecki told a rally in the northeastern town of Elk.

“We will do it because it is in the interest of the Polish farmer.”

ICYMI: Why support for Ukraine is in danger of splitting the EU

Friday 15 September 2023 16:40 , Matt Mathers

The European Union has reacted to the war in Ukraine with a rare unity – but splits are already emerging between countries offering support for as long as it takes and those agitating for Kyiv to cut its losses, writes Mary Dejevsky

Read Mary’s full piece here:

Is Ukraine in danger of splitting the EU? | Mary Dejevsky

ICYMI: Kim Jong Un stops to see a fighter jet factory as Russia and North Korea are warned off arms deals

Friday 15 September 2023 16:20 , Matt Mathers

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stopped in a far eastern Russian city Friday to see a factory that builds the country’s most advanced fighter jets on his extended trip that hints at his interest in sophisticated weaponry, as the US and others warned Moscow and Pyongyang against making banned weapons transfer deals.

Kim’s visits to Russian weapons and technology sites and meetings with President Vladimir Putin have raised speculation he will supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia as the two nations deepen their ties while both are increasingly isolated and sanctioned in separate confrontations with the West.

Kim Jong Un stops to see a fighter jet factory as Russia and North Korea are warned off arms deals

Where is Andriivka, village recaptured by Ukraine?

Friday 15 September 2023 15:47 , Matt Mathers

Andriivka is a small village about six miles south of Bakhmut - the site of the lengthiest and bloodiest battle in the war so far.

The Wagner Group, which has now left Ukraine, claimed it had taken Bakhmut in May, although fierce fighting continues in the surrounding areas.

Professor Michael Clarke, defence and security analyst and former director-general of the Royal United Services Institute, said recapture of the village could help Ukraine get at Russia’s reserve lines.

He told Sky News: “If they can get south of Bakhmut, then they can get into open country into Russia’s reserve lines.”

Ukraine plans big rise in defence spending in 2024 draft budget

Friday 15 September 2023 15:28 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s government approved on Friday a draft budget for next year, planning for higher defence spending and counting on continued Western financial support to cover the expected deficit.

The draft 2024 budget puts the deficit at 1.548 trillion hryvnias ($42 billion) or at about 20.4 per cent of gross domestic product.

More than half of all planned Ukrainian budget spending next year, or 1.7 trillion hryvnias, is planned for the defence sector to fund the war effort against Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Finland joins Baltic neighbors in banning Russian-registered cars from entering their territory

Friday 15 September 2023 15:07 , Matt Mathers

Finland on Friday joined the three Baltic countries in banning vehicles with Russian license plates from entering their territory, a joint move in line with a recent interpretation of the European Union’s sanctions against Moscow over its war on Ukraine.

The Nordic EU member’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the ban would stop private cars from entering Finland as of Friday midnight, Finnish broadcaster YLE said.

Full report:

Finland joins Baltic neighbors in banning Russian-registered cars from entering their territory

Ukraine claims Russia is trying to hunt for warplanes used in Crimea strikes

Friday 15 September 2023 14:49 , Matt Mathers

Russia is trying to find and destroy warplanes used in an attack against its Black Sea fleet that destroyed two ships, Ukraine has said.

Yuriy Ihnat, Ukraine Air Force colonel, said that overnight drone attacks in the region of Khmelnytskyi were aimed at the planes.

“Khmelnytskyi region was attacked. We understand what the enemy is looking for: where the command has hidden our bombers after the events that happened recently in the sea near Crimea,” Reuters reports Ihnat told local TV last night.

Romania plan to boost Ukraine grain transport achievable, minister says

Friday 15 September 2023 14:31 , Matt Mathers

Romania’s plan to double Ukrainian grain transit capacity through its Constanta port to 4 million tonnes in the coming months remains achievable, the country’s transport minister Sorin Grindeanu said on Friday.

Grindeanu was meeting with officials from Ukraine, Moldova, the European Commission and the United States as the parties seek to help Ukraine, a top global grain exporter, keep up exports after Russia refused to extend a safe passage corridor.

Meanwhile, the European Union faced a Friday deadline to decide whether to extend a ban on Ukrainian food from five nearby countries that have complained that an influx of agricultural products from the war-torn nation has hurt their farmers.

Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria still allow grain and other Ukrainian food to pass through on the way to parts of the world in need.

The five EU members have said food coming from Ukraine has gotten stuck within their borders, creating a glut that has driven down prices for local farmers and hurt their livelihoods. The issue has threatened European unity on supporting Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion.

More below:

EU faces deadline on extending Ukrainian grain ban as countries threaten to pass their own

Ukraine targets Russia Black Sea fleet again

Friday 15 September 2023 14:10 , Matt Mathers

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Friday that its forces had destroyed two Ukrainian naval drones in the southwest part of Black Sea, state news agency TASS reported.

Earlier the ministry said a Russian warship had destroyed a naval drone, apparently in a separate incident.

ICYMI: Pope's Ukraine peace envoy raises stalled Black Sea grain exports in Beijing talks

Friday 15 September 2023 14:00 , Matt Mathers

Pope Francis’ Ukraine peace envoy discussed the need to resume Ukraine grain exports to feed the world’s hungry during a meeting Thursday with a Chinese official while on a mission to Beijing, the Vatican said.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi met with Li Hui, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, at the Chinese foreign ministry. According to a Vatican statement, the meeting focused on the war, “emphasizing the need to join efforts to foster dialogue and find paths leading to peace.”

Full report:

Pope's Ukraine peace envoy raises stalled Black Sea grain exports in Beijing talks

ICYMI: Ukraine ‘holds initiative’ in counteroffensive against Russia, says UK military chief

Friday 15 September 2023 13:35 , Matt Mathers

Britain’s military chief has defended Ukraine’s counteroffensive and said its troops “continue to hold the initiative” amid criticism that the pushback against the Russian invasion is moving slowly.

The comments have also come as the war-hit nation’s deputy defence minister on Thursday said “good news” had emerged in the eastern front of the battlefield.

Arpan Rai reports:

Ukraine ‘holds initiative’ in counteroffensive against Russia, says UK military chief

Putin meets the leader of Belarus, who suggests joining Russia's move to boost ties with North Korea

Friday 15 September 2023 13:05 , Matt Mathers

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a meeting Friday with his Belarusian ally, who suggested that Minsk could join Moscow’s efforts to revive an old alliance with Pyongyang after this week’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made the proposal as he met with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, where the Russian leader said he would brief him about the talks with Kim on Wednesday at the Vostochny spaceport in Russia’s Far East.

Full report:

Putin meets the leader of Belarus, who suggests joining Russia's move to boost ties with North Korea

Recapture of Andriivka ‘strategically important’ for Ukraine - military analyst

Friday 15 September 2023 12:48 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s recapture of Andriivka is “strategically important” for its wider war effort, a military analyst has said.

Professor Michael Clarke, defence and security analyst and former director-general of the Royal United Services Institute, said the gain could help Ukraine get at Russia’s reserve lines.

He told Sky News: "If they can get south of Bakhmut, then they can get into open country into Russia’s reserve lines.”

Andriivka lies around 13km (8 miles) south of Bakhmut, which was the site of a long and bloody battle over many months.

The Wagner Group, which has now left Ukraine, claimed it had taken Bakhmut in May.

Professor Clarke added that getting south of the key frontline city means troops could "maybe turn south into Donetsk and try to really get behind Donetsk itself".

"[Andriivka] doesn’t look much but it is strategically quite important. You can see it’s like a First World War battlefield. They’ve really struggled for it."

Ukraine security agency confirms new allegations against magnate Kolomoisky

Friday 15 September 2023 11:50 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian business magnate Ihor Kolomoisky has been served with notice of a third set of allegations following his detention on suspicion of fraud and money laundering, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Friday.

The new allegations against one of Ukraine’s richest men were first reported on Thursday by Serhiy Leshchenko, a former investigative journalist and parliamentarian who now works as an adviser in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office.

The SBU, acting with Ukraine’s Economic Security Bureau and the prosecutor general’s office, said Kolomoisky was suspected of receiving 5.8 billion hryvnias from an alleged scheme to embezzle funds from a bank he founded and was a shareholder of.

The sum, currently worth $157 million, was the equivalent of more than $700 million at the time, the SBU said.

Kolomoisky is suspected of having set up an organised group, which comprised employees of the bank, to obtain the funds from 2013 to 2014, it said.

Reuters could not immediately reach Kolomoisky or his lawyers for comment on the new allegations. Kolomoisky has in the past denied any wrongdoing.

Russian serviceman helped plan Black Sea fleet attack - report

Friday 15 September 2023 11:35 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s attack on Moscow’s Black Sea fleet was planned with the help of a Russian serviceman, it has been claimed.

A spokesperson for ATESH, a Ukrainian-Crimean Tatar movement, told the Kyiv Post one of its members in the naval fleet obtained details of the location and possible missions of the Rostov submarine, which suffered “catastrophic damage” in the attack.

“We managed to attract one of the military members of the Russian Black Sea Fleet,” the spokesperson said. “He got up-to-date information about the placement and probable combat missions of the Rostov-on-Don submarine.”

Watch: Kim Jong-un tests out Putin’s limousine during historic meeting

Friday 15 September 2023 11:20 , Matt Mathers

Kim Jong-un tests out Putin’s limousine

Putin regime ‘in desperate mode’ over North Korea weapons talks - US

Friday 15 September 2023 11:05 , Matt Mathers

Putin’s apparent willingness to get arms from North Korea shows his regime is “ in quite a desperate mode,” the US has said.

The Pentagon said North Korea providing Russia with weapons would only prolong the war in Ukraine.

Deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said the US had not seen a formal agreement from Russia or North Korea but “it’s something that we’re certainly monitoring and would expect”.

Zelenksy gives state awards to tank troops

Friday 15 September 2023 10:50 , Matt Mathers

Volodymyr Zelenksy has given state awards to tank soliders for their service in the war against Russia.

The Ukraine president said he was “honoured” to present the awards as he congratulated the troops for their “heroic bravery”.

“Awards for our tank soldiers. I am honored to present them today,” he said.

“When we congratulate our heroic tank troops and thank them, we thank them precisely for the fact that they return freedom, life, faith to our people in victory to Ukraine and make our forces stronger.”

Kim Jong Un stops to see a fighter jet factory as Russia and North Korea are warned off arms deals

Friday 15 September 2023 10:35 , Matt Mathers

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stopped in a far eastern Russian city Friday to see a factory that builds the country’s most advanced fighter jets on his extended trip that hints at his interest in sophisticated weaponry, as the U.S. and others warned Moscow and Pyongyang against making banned weapons transfer deals.

Kim’s visits to Russian weapons and technology sites and meetings with President Vladimir Putin have raised speculation he will supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia as the two nations deepen their ties while both are increasingly isolated and sanctioned in separate confrontations with the West.

Full report:

Kim Jong Un stops to see a fighter jet factory as Russia and North Korea are warned off arms deals

G7 to announce Russian diamonds ban in 2-3 weeks - Belgian official

Friday 15 September 2023 10:21 , Matt Mathers

A Belgian government official said on Friday it expects the Group of Seven countries to announce an indirect ban on Russian diamonds in the next 2-3 weeks.

The ban would come into effect in January.

A number of Western countries - including the UK and EU - have place sanctions on the Russian state and Russian oligarch since the war started in February last year.

Last week the UK announced that it was sanctioning a Russian cyber gang accused of targeting hospitals and other critical infrastructure

Some 11 members of the gang were sanctioned in total.

Ukraine hails recapture of Andriivka near Bakhmut

Friday 15 September 2023 10:05 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine hailed the recapture of a village near the key battlefield of Bakhmut as it paid tribute to soldiers killed in the fighting.

In a Telegram post, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade said the win was the result of a “lightning operation” and paid tribute to those who died in the fighting.

“The capture and holding of Andriivka is our way to a breakthrough on the right flank from Bakhmut, and the key to the success of all further offensives,” the statement said.

“We pay a high price for the results of these battles. And the blood of each of our fighters will be repaid only with blood.”

Zelensky to meet Poland's Duda next week

Friday 15 September 2023 09:50 , Matt Mathers

The president of Poland Andrzej Duda is scheduled to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky next week, he has said.

The two leaders will hold talks in New York, where the United Nations General Assembly is taking place, Duda’s office said in a tweet.

“In a few days, in New York, I have an appointment with the President of Ukraine @ZelenskyyUa,” he said.

“We will, among others: talk about grain. Ukraine must understand our position - my task is to take care of our Polish interests.”

Earlier this week Ukraine warned it could seek international arbitration over restrictions on its grain exports after Poland said it would continue to block domestic imports of Ukrainian grain even if Brussels lifts a ban.

Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, while permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere.

Why support for Ukraine is in danger of splitting the EU

Friday 15 September 2023 09:35 , Matt Mathers

The European Union has reacted to the war in Ukraine with a rare unity – but splits are already emerging between countries offering support for as long as it takes and those agitating for Kyiv to cut its losses, writes Mary Dejevsky.

Read Mary’s full piece here:

Is Ukraine in danger of splitting the EU? | Mary Dejevsky

Washington will respond ‘appropriately’ after Russia expels two diplomats

Friday 15 September 2023 09:21 , Matt Mathers

The US has expressed its regret at the expulsion of two of its diplomats from Russia and vowed to respond “appropriately.”

Russia’s foreign ministry on Thursday declared two US diplomats “persona non grata” and ordered them to leave the country within seven days as they were allegedly involved in “illegal activity.”

The ministry charged in a statement that the first secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, Jeffrey Sillin, and the second secretary, David Bernstein, “kept in touch” with a former employee of the US Consulate in Vladivostok who was arrested earlier this year. The ex-employee was accused of collecting information for U.S. diplomats about Russia’s military action in Ukraine and related issues.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “Once again, Russia has chosen confrontation and escalation instead of constructive diplomatic engagement. It continues to harass our embassy staff, just as it continues to intimidate its own citizens.”

Putin rolls out red carpet for Kim ahead of aircraft plant visit

Friday 15 September 2023 09:00 , Matt Mathers

Russia rolled out the red carpet for Kim Jong-Un ahead of the North Korean leader’s visit to an aircraft plant.

Kim was welcomed as a “top-ranking guest” upon his arrival at Russia’s eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday, according to state media.

“A red carpet was unfurled for the top-ranking guest”, Russian state media TASS said, adding that Kim was welcomed with bread and salt in keeping with the Russian tradition for “special guests”.

Kim has been visiting Russia this week and held talks with the Russian president about “economic cooperation” between the two countries.

Russia’s Shoigu inspects nuclear submarine modernisation in Far East

Friday 15 September 2023 08:45 , Matt Mathers

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu checked on the repair and modernisation of the Pacific Fleet’s nuclear submarines at a top military shipyard on Friday, his ministry said.

Shoigu earlier this week took part in talks between president Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un who visited two aviation plants in the town of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday.

Shoigu checked construction of a floating docking complex and on how nuclear submarines are being repaired and modernized at Zvezda plant in the town of Bolshoi Kamen, the defence ministry said in statement.

It added that Zvezda is the leading submarine repair facility of Russia’s Pacific Fleet and the only one in the Far East specialising in repair and modernization of nuclear-powered submarine missile carriers.

"Sergei Shoigu demanded the maximum use of Zvezda’s production facilities in order to complete the repair and modernisation of submarines," the defence ministry said.

Ukraine shoots down 17 drone overnight

Friday 15 September 2023 08:30 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine says it shot down 17 drones launched by Russia overnight.

“On the night of September 15, 2023, the enemy attacked Ukraine with ‘Shahed-136/131’ type UAVs from the southeast (Prymorsko-Akhtarsk — Russian Federation),”Ukraine’s air forces said in a statement.

“A total of 17 UAVs were launched, which were moving along different routes in the direction of Khmelnytskyi. All 17 ‘Shakhediv’ was destroyed by anti-aircraft defense along the tracking route.”

Ukrainian forces reclaim a village in the east as part of counteroffensive

Friday 15 September 2023 08:15 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian forces have recaptured a village in the country’s east after intense battles with Russian troops, the country’s military said Friday.

The village of Andriivka — about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of the Russia-occupied town of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region — is the latest gain for Kyiv in a counteroffensive that has seen slow but steady gains by Ukrainian forces.

The announcement of reclaiming Andriivka came early Friday from the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces.

The 3rd Assault Brigade said it captured the village after surrounding the Russian garrison in Andriivka in what it described as a "lightning operation" and destroying it over two days.

It described the capture of Andriivka as a breakthrough on the southern flank of Bakhmut and "key to success in all further directions."

Arpan Rai has the full report:

Ukraine closes in on village near Bakhmut amid Russian losses in east and south

Zelensky to visit US next week for military aid talks

Friday 15 September 2023 08:00 , Matt Mathers

Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the US next week for talks with Joe Biden about getting more military aid for Ukraine.

The two presidents are expected to meet either at the White House or at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US media report.

Both Zelensky and Biden are scheduled to address the UN assembly on Tuesday. Full report here.

He couldn’t see his wedding. But this war-blinded Ukrainian soldier cried with joy at new love

Friday 15 September 2023 07:45 , Matt Mathers

Blinded by a Russian mortar shell, Ukrainian veteran Ivan Soroka couldn’t see his bride when she walked into his family home in a shoulderless white dress, a bouquet of white flowers in her right hand.

But when Vladislava Ryabets, 25, stepped toward him, Soroka wept with joy at the new chapter of life starting months after enemy artillery stole his sight.

War-blinded Ukrainian soldier cries with joy at new love at his wedding

Russia has lost 271,440 soldiers since start of invasion - Ukraine

Friday 15 September 2023 07:32 , Matt Mathers

Russia has lost 271,440 soldiers during its illegal invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv has claimed.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Moscow lost 470 troops in one day.

Russia has also lost some 4,612 tanks, 8,814 armoured combat vehicles and 5,972 artillery systems among other military kit since 24 February last year.

Washington will respond ‘appropriately’ after Russia expels two diplomats

Friday 15 September 2023 09:19 , Matt Mathers

The US has expressed its “regret”at the expulsion of two of its diplomats from Russia and vowed to respond “appropriately.”

Russia’s foreign ministry on Thursday declared two US diplomats “persona non grata” and ordered them to leave the country within seven days as they were allegedly involved in “illegal activity.”

The ministry said in a statement that the first secretary at the US embassy in Russia, Jeffrey Sillin, and the second secretary, David Bernstein, “kept in touch” with a former employee of the US Consulate in Vladivostok who was arrested earlier this year.

The ex-employee was accused of collecting information for US diplomats about Russia’s military action in Ukraine and related issues.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “Once again, Russia has chosen confrontation and escalation instead of constructive diplomatic engagement. It continues to harass our embassy staff, just as it continues to intimidate its own citizens.”

Ships in Black Sea fleet have suffered ‘catastrophic damage’ - MoD

Friday 15 September 2023 07:16 , Matt Mathers

Key Russian ships by missiles in a Ukrainian strike of the Kremlin’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea suffered “catastrophic damage”, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

The MoD said landing ship ‘Misnk’ has almost certainly been “functionally destroyed” while the Rostov submarine has likely suffered “catastrophic damage”.

This was despite the Kremlin trying to play down the significance of the attacks,the MOD.

A statement said: “Despite the Russian Ministry of Defence downplaying the damage to the vessels, open-source evidence indicates the Minsk has almost certainly been functionally destroyed, while the Rostov has likely suffered catastrophic damage.”

Latest attack sign of escalating fighting in Black Sea

Friday 15 September 2023 07:00 , Sam Rkaina

While Kyiv’s counteroffensive in the south and east has been slowed by minefields and Russian defensive lines, fighting has escalated in the Black Sea region where Russia is imposing a de facto blockade on Ukraine‘s seaborne exports.

Russian drones have regularly attacked Ukrainian port infrastructure along the Danube River, a vital alternative export route for the major grain producer. It uses its Black Sea Fleet to rain down missiles on Ukrainian targets from afar.

Ukraine‘s embattled navy has used sea drones to strike back, hitting the Olenegorsky Gornyak landing ship near Russia’s naval base at Novorossiysk early last month and a Russian fuel tanker.

Senior presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukraine was focused on three key tasks aimed at the de-occupation of the peninsula, which lies far behind the battlelines of southern Ukraine.

Kyiv, he said, was targeting air defence systems to open up the path to more strikes on Russian military and warehouse infrastructure. Kyiv was also attacking transport logistics to “stop the large-scale continuous supply of resources and reserves into the area of active hostilities,” he said

“We need to chase away remnants of the Russian Black Sea fleet from Crimean territorial waters and beyond and reinstate the status of the Black Sea as the sea of external jurisdiction,” he wrote in English.

Russia regards the peninsula as strategically important and uses its Black Sea Fleet to project power.

Ukraine attacks Russian patrol ships

Friday 15 September 2023 06:00 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine said on Thursday it attacked two Russian patrol ships and destroyed a sophisticated air defence system in the west of occupied Crimea, ramping up its strikes to challenge Moscow’s dominance in the Black Sea region.

The attacks come a day after Kyiv said it seriously damaged a Russian submarine and landing ship undergoing repairs in a missile strike on a shipyard in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

The Ukrainian military, in a post on Telegram messenger, said it hit two Russian patrol boats in the southwest of the Black Sea, causing “certain damage” in a morning attack.

“The (Sergei) Kotov was hit,” military intelligence official Andriy Yusov told Reuters, sharing a grainy video circulated online by a Ukrainian government minister that appeared to show sea drones attacking a vessel at sea.

The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed an attack on the Sergei Kotov in a morning statement, but said the assault involving five sea drones was repelled. It made no mention of damage.

Ukraine closes in on village near Bakhmut amid Russian losses in east and south

Friday 15 September 2023 05:33 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s military has “good news” in the eastern front of the battlefield where heavy fighting is underway to regain ground, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar has said, saying Kyiv’s forces were making gains near Bakhmut.

“We are moving forward in the Bakhmut direction. The main battles continue in the districts of Andriivka, Kurdyumivka, Klishchiivka. And we have good news there – Andriivka. The situation is very complex and changeable, we keep our fingers crossed,” the deputy defence minister said in her official Telegram channel on Thursday evening.

Initially, the minister claimed Ukrainian forces had retaken Andriivka village, which falls south of Bakhmut, but the country’s Third Assault Brigade fighting in the region said the report was “premature”.

More details on Ukraine’s advance here:

Ukraine closes in on village near Bakhmut amid Russian losses in east and south

US names former commerce secretary to coordinate private sector aid for Ukraine

Friday 15 September 2023 05:00 , Sam Rkaina

The Biden administration has tapped former Commerce Secretary and major Democratic donor Penny Pritzker to coordinate U.S. efforts to channel private sector reconstruction assistance to Ukraine.

President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the appointment on Thursday, just moments after the Treasury imposed a raft of new sanctions on Russia and Russian operatives for their role in the war on Ukraine.

“Working in lockstep with the Ukrainian government, our allies and partners, international financial institutions, and the private sector, she will drive the United States’ efforts to help rebuild the Ukrainian economy,” Biden said in a statement.

“This includes mobilizing public and private investment, shaping donor priorities, and working to open export markets and businesses shut down by Russia’s brutal attacks and destruction.”

Why support for Ukraine is in danger of splitting the EU

Friday 15 September 2023 04:00 , Sam Rkaina

Mary Dejevsky writes: “This may have been a mistake, but I have always regarded Ursula von der Leyen as a rather low-key, matter-of-fact politician in a Merkel-esque mode. This week, she defied that image, delivering her fifth and possibly last State of the (European) Union address in untypically high-flown and futuristic terms.

“It was a wide-ranging, well-organised – and rather good – speech, but little noted, alas, in the post-EU UK. And one of her main themes – how could it not be? – was Ukraine and its place in Europe. “History,” she said, “is now calling us to work on completing our Union”, and she set herself unambiguously on the side of EU enlargement, to include Moldova and the Western Balkans, plus, of course, Ukraine.”

Click here for the full view.

Kim Jong-un tests out Putin’s limousine during historic meeting

Friday 15 September 2023 03:00 , Sam Rkaina

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin convened at a rocket launch facility in Siberia in their first summit in four years.

After visiting the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Putin decided to show Kim his armoured Aurus limousine, inviting him to take a seat inside.

Their meeting location shows that Putin is ready to share Russian rocket and space technology with Pyongyang in exchange for access to North Korea’s arms stockpiles for the war in Ukraine.

The talks between the two leaders were expected to focus on expanding military cooperation amid their intensifying confrontations with the West.

Inside the Kim-Putin meeting this week

Friday 15 September 2023 02:00 , Sam Rkaina

Over a sumptuous lunch of Russian “pelmeni” dumplings made with Kamchatka crab, white Amur fish soup and sturgeon, Kim on Wednesday toasted to Putin’s health, to the victory of “great Russia” and to Korean-Russian friendship, predicting victory for Moscow in its “sacred fight” with the West.

North Korea was founded in September 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union, and Moscow supported it for decades during the Cold War, though support dropped off after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

In recent years, China has been seen as the power with the most influence over Kim, but Pyongyang’s leaders have often tried to balance ties with both Moscow and Beijing.

After taking over from Boris Yeltsin in 1999, Putin visited Pyongyang in July 2000 for a meeting with Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un.

At the summit on Wednesday, it was unclear just how far Putin was prepared to go in fulfilling North Korean wish lists for technology.

Amid artillery battles in Ukraine, Russia has ramped up its shell production, but a North Korean supply line could be useful.

North Korea is believed to have a large stockpile of artillery shells and rockets compatible with Soviet-era weapons, as well as a history of producing such ammunition.

Asked whether Russia could simply remove sanctions on North Korea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia remained a responsible member of the U.N. Security Council.

But Peskov added that Moscow would develop its relations with North Korea in accordance with its own interests.

Putin / Kim meeting discussed by US, South Korea and Japan

Friday 15 September 2023 01:00 , Sam Rkaina

On Thursday, the top national security officials of the United States, South Korea and Japan discussed the Putin-Kim meeting in a call.

A White House statement said U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and counterparts Takeo Akiba of Japan and Cho Tae-yong of South Korea noted that any North Korean arms exports to Russia “would directly violate multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, including resolutions that Russia itself voted to adopt.”

South Korea’s National Security Council (NSC) said on Thursday North Korea and Russia would “pay a price” if they violated U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Kim is due to visit military and civilian aviation factories in the Russian city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and to inspect Russia’s Pacific fleet in Vladivostok, Putin said.

Pope's Ukraine peace envoy raises stalled Black Sea grain exports in Beijing talks

Thursday 14 September 2023 23:59 , Sam Rkaina

Pope Francis’ Ukraine peace envoy discussed the need to resume Ukraine grain exports to feed the world’s hungry during a meeting Thursday with a Chinese official while on a mission to Beijing, the Vatican said.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi met with Li Hui, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, at the Chinese foreign ministry. According to a Vatican statement, the meeting focused on the war, “emphasizing the need to join efforts to foster dialogue and find paths leading to peace.”

Food security and Ukraine’s stalled grain exports were discussed “with the hope that it will soon be possible to guarantee the export of cereals, especially to the countries most at risk,” the statement said.

Last month, Russia halted a U.N.-brokered agreement to guarantee safe exports of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea after Russia’s invasion impeded shipments at a time of growing world hunger. Russia said it was suspending the deal until its demands to get Russian food and fertilizer to the world are met.

Ukraine’s agricultural exports, like those of Russia, are crucial for world supplies of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other foods that developing nations rely on. Since Russia’s suspension of the deal, Kyiv has sought to reroute transport through the River Danube and road and rail links into Europe, but those routes are more expensive and less efficient than the Black Sea.

Putin 'gratefully' accepts Kim invite to visit North Korea

Thursday 14 September 2023 23:00 , Sam Rkaina

Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted Kim Jong Un’s invitation to visit North Korea, stoking U.S. concerns that a revived Moscow-Pyongyang axis could bolster Russia’s military in Ukraine and provide Kim sensitive missile technology.

The invite was made during a summit in eastern Russia at which they discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and helping North Korea’s satellite programme.

Calling each other “comrades”, the two leaders toasted their friendship on Wednesday with Russian wine after the 70-year-old Putin showed Kim, 39, around Russia’s most modern space launch facility and they held talks alongside their defence ministers.

“At the end of the reception, Kim Jong Un courteously invited Putin to visit the DPRK at a convenient time,” KCNA said, referring to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s formal name.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin “gratefully” accepted the invite and that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would travel to Pyongyang in October. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Putin has rarely travelled abroad.

For the United States and allies, the burgeoning friendship between Kim and Putin is a concern. Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made.

Both Russia and North Korea have denied those claims, but promised to deepen defence cooperation. During a visit to North Korea in July, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was shown banned ballistic missiles by Kim.

Britain’s top military officer says Ukraine has ‘the initiative’

Thursday 14 September 2023 22:50 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine has the initiative in the war against Vladimir Putin and is pushing Russia back, according to Britain’s most senior military officer.

Speaking at an arms fair in London. Sir Tony Radakin hit back at the idea Kyiv’s counteroffensive was struggling.

“In the north they are holding and fixing Russian forces there and in the south they are making progress between 10 and 20km,” the Guardian reported him saying.

Satellite images appear to show Wagner camp in Belarus being dismantled

Thursday 14 September 2023 22:00 , Sam Rkaina

Satellite images of a military base southeast of the Belarus capital Minsk appear to show the dismantling of tents in recent weeks, which may indicate the winding down of the base for Wagner, the Russian mercenary company behind an abortive mutiny.

On 23 August, Wagner’s boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and his top lieutenants were killed when a private jet he used crashed in so-far unexplained circumstances, leaving the fate of his mercenaries in doubt.

Images of the Tsel military base in Mogilev region, taken on 25 July, 25 August and 9 September and provided by Earth imaging company Planet Labs, appear to show the gradual dismantling of tents in the camp. Sharing the images, Reuters said it could not verify the nature of the changes in the camp.

In June, the Wagner group launched a brief mutiny against the army top brass in Russia, condemned as treason by President Vladimir Putin.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko invited Wagner to set up operations in his country as part of a deal that ended the mutiny.

Zelensky hails destruction of a Russian air defence system

Thursday 14 September 2023 21:03 , Sam Rkaina

President Volodymyr Zelensky tonight hailed what he described as Ukraine‘s destruction of a Russian air defence system in the annexed Crimea peninsula.

“A special mention should be made to the entire personnel of the Security Service of Ukraine as well as our naval forces,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video message.

“I thank you for today’s triumph,” he said, a reference to Russia’s “Triumf” air defence system. “The invaders’ air defence system was destroyed. Very significant, well done.”

US sanctions Turkish companies for supporting Moscow in war on Ukraine

Thursday 14 September 2023 20:21 , Sam Rkaina

The Biden administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on five Turkish companies and a Turkish national, accusing them of helping Russia evade sanctions and supporting Moscow in its war against Ukraine.

The designations, first reported by Reuters, target shipping and trade companies accused of helping repair sanctioned vessels tied to Russia’s defense ministry and helping the transfer of “dual-use goods.” It is part of a bigger package of measures hitting Russia with sanctions on more than 150 targets, including the country’s largest carmaker.

The action was taken at a delicate moment for U.S.-Turkey relations, with Washington hoping Ankara will ratify NATO membership for Sweden when the Turkish parliament reconvenes in early October.

The United States and its allies imposed extensive sanctions on Russia after its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but supply channels from Black Sea neighbor Turkey and other trading hubs have remained open, prompting Washington to issue repeated warnings about the export of chemicals, microchips and other products that can be used in Moscow’s war effort.

Multiple senior U.S. officials, including Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, have traveled to Turkey since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as part of a pressure campaign to prevent any Turkish companies from helping Russia circumvent U.S. curbs.

“For the past 18 months, we’ve shared our concerns with the Turkish government and private sector and informed them of the significant risks of doing business with those we’ve sanctioned who are tied to Russia’s war,” a senior U.S. Treasury official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

“These designations reflect our ongoing commitment to target individuals and entities who provide material support to sanctioned entities,” the official added. There was no immediate comment from the Turkish government.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry orders two US diplomats to leave country

Thursday 14 September 2023 19:39 , Sam Rkaina

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has declared two U.S. diplomats “persona non grata” and ordered them to leave the country within seven days as they were allegedly involved in “illegal activity.”

The ministry charged in a statement that the first secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, Jeffrey Sillin, and the second secretary, David Bernstein, “kept in touch” with a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok who was arrested earlier this year. The ex-employee was accused of collecting information for U.S. diplomats about Russia’s military action in Ukraine and related issues.

According to the statement, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy was summoned to the ministry on Thursday and informed that Sillin and Bernstein were being expelled.

“It was also emphasized that illegal activities of the U.S. diplomatic mission, including interference in the internal affairs of the host country, are unacceptable and will be resolutely suppressed. The Russian side expects Washington to draw the right conclusions and refrain from confrontational steps,” the statement said.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, speaking to reporters in Washington said: “Yet again, Russia has chosen confrontation and escalation over constructive diplomatic engagement. It continues to harass employees of our embassy, just as it continues to intimidate its own citizens. We regret that Russia has taken this path and you can certainly expect that we will respond appropriately to their actions.”

In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow confirmed that the Russian Foreign Ministry informed the U.S. Ambassador Thursday of the decision to target the diplomats and said the U.S. government will “respond appropriately.”

The embassy said it “completely” rejects the reason for the “unprovoked expulsion” of the diplomats and said it condemned the Russian government’s “ongoing attempts to intimidate and harass U.S. Embassy employees.”

Zelensky set to meet Biden at UN next week

Thursday 14 September 2023 18:22 , Sam Rkaina

Volodymr Zelensky is planning to attend the United Nations General Assembly next week and is expected to meet with Joe Biden.

The pair met in February, when the US president made a surpise visit to Kyiv – his first trip to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion – during what President Zelensky called a “huge moment” for his country.

At the time. Mr Biden announced an additional half-billion dollars in U.S. assistance, including shells for howitzers, anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars and other aid but no new advanced weaponry.

ICYMI: Despite its semi-comic optics, Putin and Kim Jong-un’s show of comradeship is deeply sinister

Thursday 14 September 2023 17:00 , Matt Mathers

Editorial: If the West is serious about defeating the modern-day axis of evil, it will have to match the determination of the autocrats in control of Russia, North Korea and Iran.

Read the full editorial here:

Editorial: Putin and Kim Jong-un show of comradeship is deeply sinister

ICYMI: Boris Johnson takes swipe at Rishi Sunak over ‘slow’ response to Ukraine weapons pleas

Thursday 14 September 2023 16:45 , Matt Mathers

Boris Johnson has taken a swipe at Rishi Sunak, accusing the prime minister and others of “dragging their feet” over the supply weapons to Ukraine.

The former PM has remained publicly quiet on Mr Sunak’s performance in recent months, despite taking on a highly-paid role as a columnist for the Daily Mail.

But in scathing remarks in a piece for The Spectator, the ousted Tory leader attacked his successor by saying the UK had given only a “fraction” of the arms that the US had provided to Kyiv.

Adam Forrest reports:

Boris Johnson attacks Sunak over ‘slow’ response to Ukraine weapons pleas

Russia expels 2 US diplomats, accusing them of 'illegal activity'

Thursday 14 September 2023 16:15 , Matt Mathers

Russia‘s foreign ministry on Thursday declared two US diplomats “persona non grata” and ordered them to leave the country within seven days as they were allegedly involved in “illegal activity.”

The ministry charged in a statement that the first secretary at the US Embassy in Russia, Jeffrey Sillin, and the second secretary, David Bernstein, “kept in touch” with a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok who was arrested earlier this year.

The ex-employee was accused of collecting information for U.S. diplomats about Russia’s military action in Ukraine and related issues.

Full report:

Russia expels 2 US diplomats, accusing them of 'illegal activity'

Update: Battle for Ukrainian village of Andriivka continues - deputy defence minister

Thursday 14 September 2023 15:44 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian troops are continuing to fight to recapture the eastern Ukrainian village of Andriivka, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on Thursday.

"The situation is very difficult and changing," Maliar said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

She said earlier that Ukrainian troops had recaptured the village from Russian forces, but then edited her statement in what she later described as a communication breakdown.

Ukraine opposes any ‘illegal’ extension of European farm trade curbs

Thursday 14 September 2023 15:28 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine said on Thursday that any move by eastern European states to extend restrictions on Ukrainian food exports that are due to expire on 15 September would be illegal and harm common economic interests.

Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, while permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere.

Farmers in these eastern European countries have complained of a cereal glut sending domestic prices crashing and blamed it on cheap Ukrainian imports.

"We’re convinced that any decision ... that will further restrict Ukrainian agricultural exports will not only be unjustified and unlawful," foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook, but also harm "the common economic interests" of Ukraine, EU Member States and the European Union as a whole.

F-35 fighter jets land in NATO-member Denmark to replace F-16s, some of which will go to Ukraine

Thursday 14 September 2023 15:08 , Matt Mathers

Four F-35 fighter jets landed Thursday at an airbase in Denmark in the first installment of the US-made planes ordered by the NATO member to replace its aging fleet of F-16s, some of which have been promised to Ukraine.

Dignitaries and officers clapped as the planes, in Danish Air Force colors, did several flyovers before landing at the Skyrdstrup Air Base.

Ukraine has been asking for Western fighter jets to help it resist the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. The United States recently gave its approval for Denmark and the Netherlands to provide Ukraine with the American-made jets.

Last month, the two countries said they would donate F-16 aircraft to Ukraine, with Denmark pledging 19 and the Netherlands an unspecified number. Denmark said it would need to receive new F-35s first, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in August that she hoped the first six F-16s could be handed over to Ukraine around New Year.

NATO member Norway also has indicated its intention to donate F-16s to Ukraine.

New US sanctions target workarounds that let Russia get Western tech for war

Thursday 14 September 2023 14:45 , Matt Mathers

The United States on Thursday is sanctioning more than 150 businesses and people from Russia to Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Georgia to try to crack down on evasion and deny the Kremlin access to technology, money and financial channels that fuel President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

The sanctions package is one of the biggest by the State and Treasury departments and is the latest to target people and companies in countries, notably NATO member Turkey, that sell Western technology to Russia that could be used to bolster its war effort.

Emma Burrows reports:

New US sanctions target workarounds that let Russia get Western tech for war

Breaking: Ukraine retakes village near Bahmut

Thursday 14 September 2023 14:26 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine has recaptured the eastern village of Andriivka near the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on Thursday.

"Andriivka is ours. We are securing our positions", she wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

UK PM Sunak: We continue to support Ukraine

Thursday 14 September 2023 14:15 , Matt Mathers

The prime minister has hit back at a suggestion from Boris Johnson that Britain needs to speed up and increase its support for Ukraine, Archie Mitchell reports.

A spokesman for Rishi Sunak said: “Under this prime minister, the UK was the first to send main battle tanks and long range missiles like Storm Shadow to Ukraine.

“We hosted the international conference that raised $60bn for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

“On a weekly basis, there is equipment and support going across the border from the UK and into Ukraine - so they can carry out brave attempts to thwart Vladimir Putin’s illegal war.”

The PM’s spokesman said Mr Sunak has “been speaking to president Zelensky on a regular basis” and pointed to “the thanks president Zelensky has had for the prime minister and the people of the UK for the continuation of our support”.

Former prime minister Mr Johnson had earlier asked why Britain is “always so slow”, calling for more backing for the country.

ICYMI: Putin’s meeting with Kim is sign of Kremlin’s isolation, claims No 10

Thursday 14 September 2023 14:00 , Matt Mathers

Vladimir Putin’s isolation on the world stage has left him needing to find an ally in Kim Jong Un, Downing Street claimed.

The Russian president and North Korea’s leader met for talks at a space base in Russia’s far east.

Western officials believe that Mr Putin is seeking weapons from North Korea to rebuild stockpiles run down by the lengthy war in Ukraine.

David Hughes reports:

Putin’s meeting with Kim is sign of Kremlin’s isolation, claims No 10

What is a Storm Shadow cruise missile?

Thursday 14 September 2023 13:35 , Matt Mathers

British Storm Shadow cruise missiles were likely used in the largest Ukrainian attack on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet since the start of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion.

Military sources said Wednesday’s early morning attack on the main Crimean naval base at Sevastopol used Storm Shadow missiles, delivered to Kyiv by the UK earlier this year.

But what is a Storm Shadow cruise missile? Arpan Rai and Cameron Henderson explain:

What is a Storm Shadow cruise missile?

ICYMI: Russian pilot tried to shoot down RAF plane over Black Sea

Thursday 14 September 2023 13:15 , Matt Mathers

A Russian pilot fired two missiles towards an RAF surveillance plane after mistakenly believing he had permission to fire.

Following the incident last September, Russia claimed it had been caused by a “technical malfunction” with the UK’s Ministry of Defence publicly accepting their explanation.

However, intercepted communications reveal that one of the Russian pilots believed he had been given permission to target the aircraft following an ambiguous command from a Russian ground station.

Holly Evans reports:

Russian pilot tried to shoot down RAF plane over Black Sea

Russia says it destroyed uncrewed Ukrainian boat in Black Sea

Thursday 14 September 2023 12:51 , Matt Mathers

Russia’s defence ministry said on Thursday it had detected and destroyed an uncrewed Ukrainian boat in the Black Sea, at a time when Ukrainian forces appear to be launching more regular attacks on Russian ships.

A Ukrainian missile attack on the Sevastopol Shipyard in Russian-annexed Crimea earlier this week caused heavy damage to a large Russian landing ship and submarine, commercial satellite imagery showed.

The claims could not immediately be independently verified.

Putin ‘gratefully’ accepts Kim invite to visit North Korea - Kremlin

Thursday 14 September 2023 12:35 , Matt Mathers

Russian president Vladimir Putin accepted Kim Jong Un’s invitation to visit North Korea, stoking US  concerns that a revived Moscow-Pyongyang axis could bolster Russia’s military in Ukraine and provide Kim sensitive missile technology.

The invite was made during a summit in eastern Russia at which they discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and helping North Korea’s satellite programme.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin "gratefully" accepted the invite and that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would travel to Pyongyang in October. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Putin has rarely travelled abroad.

Ukraine thanks Bulgaria for not extending food export restrictions

Thursday 14 September 2023 12:21 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday he was grateful to Bulgaria for not extending restrictions on Ukrainian grain exports from 15 Sept.

"I thank (prime minister) Nikolai Denkov and his team, as well as Bulgarian parliamentarians who supported this move. Bulgaria sets an example of true solidarity," Zelensky said on the X social media platform.

Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, while permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere.

The restrictions, designed to ease excess supply, are due to expire on Friday.

Ukraine thanks Bulgaria for not extending food export restrictions

Thursday 14 September 2023 12:05 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday he was grateful to Bulgaria for not extending restrictions on Ukrainian grain exports from 15 Sept.

"I thank (prime minister) Nikolai Denkov and his team, as well as Bulgarian parliamentarians who supported this move. Bulgaria sets an example of true solidarity," Zelensky said on the X social media platform.

Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, while permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere.

The restrictions, designed to ease excess supply, are due to expire on Friday.

Boris Johnson takes swipe at Rishi Sunak over ‘slow’ response to Ukraine weapons pleas

Thursday 14 September 2023 11:50 , Matt Mathers

Boris Johnson has taken a swipe at Rishi Sunak, accusing the prime minister and others of “dragging their feet” over the supply weapons to Ukraine.

The former PM has remained publicly quiet on Mr Sunak’s performance in recent months, despite taking on a highly-paid role as a columnist for the Daily Mail.

But in scathing remarks in a piece for The Spectator, the ousted Tory leader attacked his successor by saying the UK had given only a “fraction” of the arms that the US had provided to Kyiv.

Adam Forrest has the full report:

Boris Johnson attacks Sunak over ‘slow’ response to Ukraine weapons pleas

Lukashenko to visit Russia tomorrow

Thursday 14 September 2023 11:35 , Matt Mathers

Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko will travel to Russia on Friday for a working visit, state news agency BELTA reports.

He will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, with plans for the two leaders to discuss regional matters and economic collaboration, including import sustitution.

On Wednesday the EU parliament called for the Internation Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Lukashenko for “enabling” Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

North Korean security disinfected Kim’s chair at Putin summit - Kommersant

Thursday 14 September 2023 11:19 , Matt Mathers

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s security detail spent several minutes disinfecting the chair that Kim sat on during a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Thursday.

Video footage published by the newspaper showed a North Korean security official in white gloves scrupulously wiping down Kim’s black chair and spraying around an unidentified substance.

The North Korean sprayed and wiped down the seat, the hands, the legs and even the area around the chair as a Kremlin bodyguard looked on in a slightly bemused way.

Another North Korean guard then gave some sort of order to the guard doing the disinfecting. The nature of the order was unclear.

"The chair turned out to be the subject of the greatest concern of the North Korean side," wrote Kommersant’s Kremlin correspondent, Andrei Kolesnikov.

Apparently Kim’s security detail - of over 100 people - were unhappy with the first chair and another one - exactly the same - was produced by the Russian side, Kommersant said.

South Korea expresses 'concern and regret' over military cooperation talks between Kim and Putin

Thursday 14 September 2023 10:55 , Matt Mathers

South Korea on Thursday expressed “deep concern and regret” over a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin that was apparently focused on expanding military cooperation as the two isolated, nuclear-armed leaders align over their escalating confrontations with the United States.

Washington has warned that the summit on Wednesday between Kim and Putin could lead to a deal to supply ammunition for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. There’s widespread concern in Seoul that the North in return would receive advanced weapons technologies from Russia, including those related to military spy satellites, which would increase the threat posed by Kim’s military nuclear program.

Full report:

South Korea expresses 'concern and regret' over military cooperation talks between Kim and Putin

UK train companies fund thousands of food parcels for Ukrainian rail workers

Thursday 14 September 2023 10:39 , Matt Mathers

Thousands of food parcels for Ukrainian railway workers and their families have been paid for by UK train companies.

Industry body Rail Partners said its fundraising received nearly £106,000 in donations to support the scheme.

This means 7,056 food parcels will be delivered to Ukrainian railway employees and their loved ones through the Global Ukraine Rail Task Force.

The country’s rail network has been under huge pressure since Russia’s invasion in February last year.

Each food package costs around £15 and consists of staples, such as flour, rice, pasta and tinned fish and meat, all sourced in Ukraine.

They have been funded by the private sector members of Rail Partners, such as Arriva and FirstGroup.

Ukraine targetted radar and antenna of Russian air defence system

Thursday 14 September 2023 10:25 , Matt Mathers

Some more detail now on reports that Ukraine destroyed a Russian air defence system.

Ukraine sources said drones blinded the Russian "Triumph" air defence system by attacking its radar and antenna.

The navy then fired two Ukrainian-made Neptune cruise missiles at the system’s launch complexes, the source said.

The Neptune anti-ship missile has been modified to attack ground targets, military analysts say.

The attack comes a day after Ukraine launched missiles at the Crimean port of Sevastopol, home to the Russian navy’s Black Sea Fleet, in an attack that signalled Ukraine’s growing missile capabilities.

Ukraine shoots down 17 Shahed drones

Thursday 14 September 2023 10:09 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine shot down 17 out of 22 Iranian-made Shahed drones overnight, Ukraine has said.

“A total of 22 "shaheeds" were launched in the direction of the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, and Sumy regions,” Ukraine’s Air Force said in a statement.

“According to the results of combat work that night, 17 out of 22 enemy attack UAVs "Shahed-136/131" were destroyed by anti-aircraft defense.”

Ukrainian shelling kills one, damages power supply lines in Russia’s Kursk region - governor

Thursday 14 September 2023 09:45 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian shelling killed one man and damaged power supply lines in Russia’s Kursk region, governor Roman Starovoit said in a post on Telegram on Thursday.

Starovoit said the man had been killed after shelling in the town of Tetkino on the Russia-Ukraine border and that 10 shells had been recorded as striking the village of Gordeevka. No casualties were recorded there, Starovoit said.

The claim could not be immediately independently verified.

Russian pilot tried to shoot down RAF plane over Black Sea

Thursday 14 September 2023 09:30 , Matt Mathers

A Russian pilot fired two missiles towards an RAF surveillance plane after mistakenly believing he had permission to fire.

Following the incident last September, Russia claimed it had been caused by a “technical malfunction” with the UK’s Ministry of Defence publicly accepting their explanation.

However, intercepted communications reveal that one of the Russian pilots believed he had been given permission to target the aircraft following an ambiguous command from a Russian ground station.

Holly Evans reports:

Russian pilot tried to shoot down RAF plane over Black Sea

Arrest Lukashenko for his role in war, EU urges International Criminal Court

Thursday 14 September 2023 09:14 , Matt Mathers

The EU parliament has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko for “enabling” Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Politicians adopted a resolution on Wednesday calling for Lukashenko to be held accountable for his involvement in the conflict.

Lukashenko, nicknamed Europe’s last dictator, allowed his country to be used by Russia as a staging post to invade neighbouring Ukraine from the north in February last year.

The EU “condemns in the strongest possible terms the Lukashenka regime’s involvement in Russia’s unjustified, illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine”, the resolution says.

It calls on the ICC to consider Lukashenko for “as responsible for these war crimes as Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova and therefore calls on the ICC to consider issuing a similar international warrant for Lukashenka’s arrest.”

Ukraine destroys Russian air defence system near Crimea’s Yevpatoriya - source

Thursday 14 September 2023 09:00 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine destroyed a Russian air defence system near the town of Yevpatoriya in annexed Crimea in an overnight drone and missile attack conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine and navy on Thursday, a Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters.

Russia said its air defences had shot down 11 attack drones overnight over Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014.