New Wagner commander confirms integration with Russia's national guard

Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group is building a new headquarters as part of a merger with the country’s national guard, its new leader has claimed.

In his first public appearance since the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the group’s former leader, Anton Yelizarov said Wagner was “working for the good of the country”.

“We are building a camp, so that the new units (a volunteer unit) that will be formed — which will become part of the volunteer corps of the Russia’s National Guard (Rosgvardiya) — can arrive and settle,” said Yelizarov, who goes by the call sign “Lotus”.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence said the so-called “Cossack Camp” would “almost certainly” be based in Russia’s southern city of Rostov, which was captured by Prigozhin and Wagner fighters during a short-lived coup in June last year.

In its latest intelligence update on the war, the ministry added Moscow had “highly likely authorised the construction of Wagner’s new base and highly likely perceives that by subordinating Wagner to Rosgvardiya, it has removed any potential threat Wagner might pose to Russia’s security”.

The video address by Yelizarov came days after reports in Russia suggested he had disappeared.

The new leader is a seasoned Wagner fighter, having led the mercenary forces in their capture of Soledar, on the outskirts of Ukraine’s eastern town of Bakhmut, in January 2023.

03:12 PM GMT

That's all for today

Thank you for following our live coverage of the Ukraine-Russia war. We’ll be back tomorrow with all the latest updates. The live blog is now closed.

Key moments from today:

• The Kremlin has insisted Tucker Carlson is not “pro-Russian” as it confirmed the former Fox News host has interviewed Vladimir Putin.

• Ukraine urges EU to boost munitions deliveries as doubts loom over US aid package.

• The Wagner mercenary group appears to have been absorbed into Russia’s internal military force, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

• Ukraine’s parliament has tentatively backed a bill to boost military numbers amidst pressure from army chiefs.

• Russian missile and drone strikes hit Kyiv and other major cities, killing at least four people and injuring 25 others, including a pregnant woman, Ukrainian authorities reported.

• A former Wagner group commander has had his asylum request rejected by Norwegian authorities, his lawyers report.

02:55 PM GMT

Tucker Carlson is not ‘pro-Russia’, Kremlin insists

The Kremlin has insisted Tucker Carlson is not “pro-Russian” as it confirmed the former Fox News host has interviewed Vladimir Putin.

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said Mr Carlson does not “advocate” for Russia, but his position “differs” from that of much of the Western media, which he said does not even try to appear objective.

It is the first time Putin has been interviewed by Western media since Russia invaded Ukraine.

“Tucker Carlson is not pro-Russian and not pro-Ukrainian — he is pro-American,” Mr Peskov said.

The interview is likely to be aired on Thursday, Russia’s TASS news agency said, citing reports by the Wall Street Journal.

In a video posted on Twitter, Mr Carlson said he wanted to do the interview because “Americans have a right to know all they can about a war they are implicated in”.

When questioned by reporters, Mr Carlson added that he does not feel guilty about the interview despite coming under criticism.

02:31 PM GMT

Ukraine urges EU to boost munitions deliveries as doubts loom over US aid package

Ukraine has urged the European Union to take “urgent steps” to increase deliveries of artillery shells which it says are desperately needed to defend the front line against Russia.

Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister told Josep Borrell, the EU’s chief diplomat, that he expected the bloc to ease regulation and sign long-term contracts with defence companies to boost production.

His comments come as a $60 billion (£51 billion) US aid deal looks set to fall through after Senate Republicans, egged on by Donald Trump, turned against the bill, which is bound up with funding for US boarder security.

“Everything is very confusing,” Mr Kuleba said during a press conference with Mr Borrell in Kyiv. “Everyday we work with the American side, mostly not publicly... we are working to ensure that this decision is made as soon as possible.”

02:14 PM GMT

Russia fired North Korean missiles at Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials report

Missiles fired at Kharkiv this morning were produced in North Korea, local officals have said.

Russian missiles targeted civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv this morning, injuring a 52-year-old woman, Ukrainian officials said.

Analysing shrapnel from two of the five missiles, Serhiy Bolvinov, a police chief for the region, said that the weapons were likely North Korean in origin.

“Metal fragments of ballistic missiles were collected by explosives on the territory of the industrial zone. The preliminary conclusions of specialists are that they are North Korean HWASON 11GA (KN-23) missiles,” he wrote on Facebook.

This comes a month after the White House said it had evidence that North Korea had provided ballistic missiles to Russia, and that the North was seeking military hardware in return.

01:57 PM GMT

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko at the site of an airstrike in Kyiv

01:26 PM GMT

MoD: Wagner 'absorbed into Russian national guard'

The Wagner mercenary group appears to have been absorbed into Russia’s internal military force, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

It has established a new base in Rostov, southern Russia, which is also said to house the Rosgvardiya’s new volunteer corps.

The MoD said this “implicitly” confirms the fact that Wagner, which launched an abortive coup against Russia’s military leadership last year, is subordinate to the national guard.

“The Russian state highly likely authorised the construction of Wagner’s new base and highly likely perceives that by subordinating Wagner to Rosgvardiya, it has removed any potential threat Wagner might pose,” it added.

01:10 PM GMT

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12:57 PM GMT

Ukraine parliament backs controversial bill to draft more soldiers into the army

Ukraine’s parliament has tentatively backed a bill to boost military numbers amidst pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky from his army chief.

Kyiv’s military had for months been asking the government to draft more troops to boost its dwindling ranks and relieve soldiers at the front.

After refusing outright to debate the bill last month, 243 lawmakers approved the measure in its first reading on Wednesday — though the process of making it law could take weeks.

“This is not a final decision. There will be a second reading, amendments will be made to it,” opposition lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko said on Telegram.

The decision follows General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi last week calling on his political masters to take “unpopular measures” to boost military personnel, in what many viewed as a swipe at Mr Zelensky’s reluctance to back calls for a military draft of up to 500,000 people.

If passed in its original form, the new bill would make it harder to avoid the draft and lower the age of military service from 27 to 25.

“This is a list of complex but extremely necessary solutions that are designed to make our state stronger in the face of the challenges of a long-term war,” the Defence Ministry said following the vote.

12:39 PM GMT

Rescue efforts under way in Kyiv following Russian missile attack

12:30 PM GMT

UN nuclear chief arrives at Russian-occupied nuclear power plant

Rafael Grossi, the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief, has arrived at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Russian-controlled Ukraine, Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Mr Grossi is accompanied by International Atomic Energy Agency staff and Russian soldiers, RIA said.

The proposed aim of the visit is to assess the safety of the facility, which has remained inactive for the past 18 months, following concerns over sharp cuts to Ukrainian facility staff by Russian authorities and question marks over whether its year-old uranium fuel remains safe.

Mr Grossi told AP: “This huge facility used to have around 12,000 staff. Now, this has been reduced to between 2,000 and 3,000, which is quite a steep reduction in the number of people working there.

“So far the situation is stable, but it is a very, very delicate equilibrium,” he added. “So this is why I need to see for myself what is the situation, what are the prospects in terms of staffing, medium-term and long-term as well.”

12:13 PM GMT

Ukrainian minister resigns amidst speculation of reshuffle among military top brass

Ukraine’s veterans affairs minister has resigned amidst reports that Volodymyr Zelensky is planning a large-scale reshuffle of the country’s leadership, the Kyiv Independent reports.

Yulia Laputina’s resignation was approved by Ukraine’s parliament, with 302 lawmakers supporting the decision and no one voting against the move.

Ms Laputina submitted her resignation to parliament on Feb 5.

The news came a day after Mr Zelensky said he was planning a whole-scale reset of Ukraine’s government and military leadership amid rumors of the potential dismissal of his top general Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.

Ms Laputina did not specify the reason for her decision in the resignation letter.

12:02 PM GMT

Former Arsenal shareholder to remain on EU sanctions list, court rules

Russian-Uzbek metals and telecoms tycoon Alisher Usmanov will remain on the European Union sanctions list over ties to Moscow, a top EU court has ruled.

Mr Usmanov, who was a 30 per cent shareholder in Arsenal football club, has had his appeal to be taken off the list denied.

In its decision to add him to the list following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU described Usmanov as having “particularly close ties” with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president.

“He actively supported the Russian government’s policies of destabilisation of Ukraine,” the EU sanctions decision says.

11:51 AM GMT

Swiss minister asks China to ‘give us a hand’ with Ukraine peace talks

Ignazio Cassis, the Swiss foreign minister, has said he hoped China would “give us a hand” in Ukraine peace talks, after Switzerland last month agreed to host a global peace summit on Ukraine.

Ukraine said it had invited Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, to participate in a planned “peace summit” of world leaders in Switzerland to seek ways to end the war with Russia.

At the request of Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, neutral Switzerland has agreed to host the event, but a date and venue have yet to be set.

China maintains close ties with Russia, refraining from criticising its invasion of Ukraine, but has also said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations must be respected and has offered to help mediate in the conflict.

Mr Cassis, when asked at a news conference in Beijing on whether China responded to the invitation to the summit, said: “It’s a very high-level conference, we can’t expect an immediate answer.”

11:46 AM GMT

Sweden drops investigation into Nord Stream gas explosions

Swedish officials have closed their investigation into the explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, saying they don’t have jurisdiction.

The decision comes despite Sweden confirming traces of explosives were found at the site, suggesting that sabotage had taken place.

The multibillion-dollar Nord Stream pipelines transporting Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of blasts in September 2022, putting pressure on Europe’s energy security in the early stages of the war.

Sweden’s probe was only one of three into the explosions, with Denmark and Germany continuing to examine the blast.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a press conference on Wednesday: “It will be interesting to see how thorough the German authorities will be when it comes to this investigation.”

11:20 AM GMT

Russia launches ‘massive’ air attack targeting major Ukrainian cities

Russian missile and drone strikes hit Kyiv and other major cities on Wednesday morning, killing at least four people and injuring 25 others, including a pregnant woman, Ukrainian authorities reported.

The attacks targeted Kharkiv, southern Mykolaiv and Kyiv, where the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell was visiting. He was forced to start his day in an air raid shelter, calling it part of Ukraine’s “daily reality”.

Several blasts were heard in the country’s capital when air defence systems were engaged in repelling the attack.

Volodymyr Zelensky warned there “may be more people underneath the rubble” and vowed to “retaliate against Russia”.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the strikes left power lines damaged and apartments, cars and a service station on fire.

In southern Mykolaiv, local authorities reported one person was killed and several others wounded. Explosions were also heard in northeastern Kharkiv.

According to the Ukrainian air force, Russian cruise missiles were also detected manoeuvring above the western regions of Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk.

The whole country was put under air alert at around 6am local time (04:00 GMT).

11:08 AM GMT

Kremlin says many Western outlets want Putin interview, contradicting Carlson

The Kremlin has rubbished the claims of talk show host Tucker Carlson that he was the only Western reporter to request an interview with Putin, stating “many” foreign news outlets had tried.

The former Fox News host, who reportedly interviewed Putin in Moscow yesterday, said no Western journalist had “bothered” to  approach the Russian President since the invasion of Ukraine.

“We receive many requests for interviews with the president,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked whether Carlson was the only person who requested a sit-down with Putin.

“But when it comes to countries of the collective West, we are talking about large online media outlets that can’t boast of trying to at least look objective,” he said in a daily briefing.

09:56 AM GMT

Putin paying Iran billions for drones, leaked documents reportedly suggest

Russia is paying Iran $4.5 billion a year to import drones to use in Ukraine, a leading US thinktank has reported.

The Institute for the Study of War said a group of hackers made the claim after it infiltrated servers belonging to a company linked to the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“The leaked documents suggest that Russia pays $193,000 per Shahed-136 drone in batches of 6,000 drones, which would total about $1.1 billion for all 6,000,” it said.

“Another type of Shahed-238 reportedly costs about $900,000 per drone and Russia reportedly plans to purchase 2,310 per year for just under $2.1 billion,” it added.

It also describes how Moscow reportedly pays $1.4 million per unit for another type of drone and plans to purchase 677 of them.

“A Russian milblogger justified the high cost due to the risk that Iran assumes by selling these drones to Russia and noted that all documents indicated that Russian plans to further localise production of Shaheds,” it added.

09:12 AM GMT

EU's top diplomat forced to shelter in Kyiv

09:06 AM GMT

Zelensky says two killed in Russian missile attack on Kyiv

Volodymyr Zelensky said two people have died and 10 are wounded after the missile strike launched on Kyiv this morning.

The Ukrainian president warned there “may be more people underneath the rubble” and vowed to “retaliate against Russia” in a statement posted on Twitter.

“Another massive Russian air attack against our country. Six regions came under enemy fire. All of our services are currently working to eliminate the consequences of this terror,” he said.

“In Mykolaiv, dozens of houses were destroyed and one person was killed. More than ten people were injured in Kyiv, and two have been reported dead as of now. There may be people underneath the rubble.

“My condolences to all who have lost loved ones. We will definitely retaliate against Russia; terrorists will always face the consequences of their actions.”

08:59 AM GMT

Russia's airstrike in pictures

08:54 AM GMT

Ex-Wagner commander who fled to Norway has asylum request rejected

A former Wagner group commander has had his asylum request rejected by Norwegian authorities, his lawyers told Reuters.

Andrey Medvedev made headlines in January last year for defecting and escaping to Norway, where he spoke out about war crimes perpetrated by the Wagner Group and said he was willing to testify against Yevgeny Prigozhin, the group’s deceased former commander.

Medvedev’s lawyer told Reuters that his asylum request was rejected because the Norwegian government did not consider him to have been an official member of the Russian armed forces.

Although Medvedev’s asylum request was denied, Norway does not plan to deport him, his lawyer said.

“He risks being punished for desertion and being killed by people from Wagner,” Medvedev’s lawyer said, adding that he plans to appeal the case.

08:46 AM GMT

Ukraine downs more than two thirds of Russian aerial onslaught

Ukraine downed 44 of the 64 Russian projectiles launched this morning, including 29 missiles and 15 drones, the Ukraine Air Force reported.

The attack targeted Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv, killing at least one person and injuring 13 at the latest count.

Russia deployed a combination of 20 Shahed long-range drones and a variety of missiles.

The drones were launched from Chauda in occupied Crimea, the Air Force said, while cruise missiles were launched from bomber planes in Russia’s Saratov Oblast and the Caspian Sea.

Further cruise, ballistic and anti-air missiles were launched from around Sevastopol and Kursk, the Black Sea, Russia’s Voronezh Oblast and Belgorod, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

08:28 AM GMT

Tucker Carlson: The ousted news anchor polarising America

Tucker Carlson has become one of America’s most controversial media personalities.

Known primarily for his work on Fox News, the 54-year-old anchor rose to fame in the 2010s as presenter of Tucker Carlson Tonight – a polemic news programme that was one of the network’s most popular broadcasts.

Carlson amassed a record viewership on Fox News, becoming a key figure in Republican politics and often interviewing Donald Trump. He was also widely criticised for spreading misinformation on his programmes.

He aired a firestorm of conspiracy theories, including the idea of the “great replacement” of white Americans, and was quick to spread Mr Trump’s baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election.

His show featured extensive discussion of the Covid-19 pandemic, including claims that have been described as misleading and focused on immigration as a major talking point.

Read the full story here.

08:26 AM GMT

In case you missed it: Carlson confirms Putin interview

Tucker Carlson has said he is interviewing Vladimir Putin soon.

The former Fox News host hit out at “fawning” Western journalists for not bothering to interview the Russian leader in a video shared on Twitter — a claim that has been rejected by journalists covering Russia.

Mr Carlson, who has been a vocal supporter of Putin, said he is doing the interview to “inform” Americans.

“Not a single Western journalist has bothered to interview the president of the other country involved in this conflict, Vladimir Putin,” he said.

He added that there have been “scores” of interviews with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, which he described as “fawning pep sessions” to amplify his demand for greater US involvement.

This video follows days of speculation after images emerged of Mr Carlson visiting various locations in Moscow.

A date for the interview has not yet been confirmed, but it would be the first time Putin has been interviewed by Western media since the invasion of Ukraine began.

08:14 AM GMT

Ukraine blows up Russian Black Sea mining platform in special operation

Ukrainian special forces raided and blew up a mining platform in the Black Sea that Russia was using to support its drone operations, Kyiv said on Tuesday evening.

The operation, dubbed Citadel, was conducted at night and also captured “important enemy equipment”.

Russia had previously seized the mining platform, located near the coast of the occupied Crimean peninsula, and installed equipment to increase the scale of its Iranian-made drone capabilities, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces wrote on Telegram.

It added that Moscow had also placed a radar on the platform to monitor ships in the Black Sea and better control the region.

Ukraine said that during the nighttime raid, its forces stormed the platform after sailing out to it in fast boats, evading Russian aircraft and navy patrols. Ukrainian troops searched the facility, mined it, and left with equipment they uncovered.

08:10 AM GMT

Nato fighter jets scrambled after Russian missile reportedly enters Polish airspace

At least three Polish fighter jets were forced to scramble this morning after Russia fired missiles into Nato airspace.

Moscow unleashed a barage of missile at cities across Ukraine as footage shows apartment buildings on fire in Kyiv.

Operational Command of the Armed Forces of Poland said: “Intensive long-range aviation activity of the Russian Federation is being observed due to missile strikes on Ukrainian territory.

“All necessary procedures aimed at ensuring the safety of Polish airspace have been launched.”

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