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Wagner Group founder challenges Zelensky to a dogfight for control of Bakhmut

The founder of Russia’s notorious Wagner mercenary group challenged Volodymyr Zelensky to a dogfight on Monday for the control of Bakhmut, as Ukraine braced for a renewed Russian offensive.

Yevgeny Prigozhin threw down the gauntlet to the Ukrainian leader in a bizarre video from the cockpit of an SU-24 fighter-bomber, claiming he had just flown a night sortie over the town in the eastern Donbas region.

“Volodymyr Oleksandrovych [Zelensky], we have landed. We have bombed Bakhmut," he said. “I will fly a MiG-29. If you so desire, let's meet in the skies. If you win, you take Artemivsk (Bakhmut’s Soviet-era name). If not, we advance till (the River) Dnipro.”

The battle of Bakhmut is fast approaching a tipping point, with Russia throwing fresh waves of troops into the assault on the Donetsk city.

While the Russian efforts appear to be focused on Bakhmut, Kyiv has warned it is preparing for a large-scale offensive by Moscow's forces as it attempts to regain the initiative.

Ukrainian gunners fire at Russian positions in Bakhmut - Adrien Vautier/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA/Shutterstock/Shutterstock
Ukrainian gunners fire at Russian positions in Bakhmut - Adrien Vautier/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA/Shutterstock/Shutterstock

In recent months, Mr Prigozhin has sought to promote his image publicly as part of a rumoured attempt to oust and replace Russia's beleaguered defence minister, Sergei Shoigu.

Despite his boast, Moscow has been unable to fully capture Bakhmut, with Ukrainian forces still repelling multiple attacks on smaller settlements surrounding the town.

Mercenaries from Prigozhin's Wagner Group have spearheaded a brutal eight-month-long effort by Russia to capture the town, although analysts argue it has little military significance.

But in recent weeks, regular, well-trained Russian troops have been brought in to lead what could be the final charge, also dealing a blow to Mr Prigozhin's standing with the Kremlin.

Ukraine's general staff said on Monday that "there is a complete lack of coordination and interaction" between the Russian military and Prigozhin's mercenaries attempting to encircle Bakhmut.

A growing number of Ukrainian officials, including Mr Zelensky, have issued warnings over expected Russian plans to launch a new offensive on the Donbas and southern areas of the country.

Bakhmut - AFP
Bakhmut - AFP

"There are already many reports that the occupiers want to do something symbolic in February," the Ukrainian president said late on Sunday, hinting at a Russian offensive in time for the first anniversary of the invasion.

"To try to avenge their last year's defeats. We see this increased pressure in various areas of the front line, as well as pressure in the information field," he added.

It is believed that Russia hopes to capture the rest of the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine during its next major offensive.

An unnamed adviser to the Ukrainian military told the Financial Times that Kyiv had "very solid intelligence of intent" by Russia to launch the attack within 10 days.

On Monday, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukrainian military intelligence, said: "We have determined that Russian troops may attack in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and possibly in Zaporizhzhia."

He added that Russia had plans to mobilise between 300,000 and 500,000 conscripts to support the offensives in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Kyrylo Budanov - AFP
Kyrylo Budanov - AFP

Andriy Chernyak, an official in Ukraine’s military intelligence, has said Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, had ordered his armed forces to capture the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk, the two halves of the Donbas, by March.

A renewed assault on Kyiv has yet to be ruled out, but Ukrainian and Nato officials have poured cold water on Russia's chances of succeeding.

Russia has some 326,000 troops inside Ukraine, according to Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence.

It means half of the 300,000 men Moscow mobilised last autumn have been given months of training, meaning they could be more effective than recruits sent straight to war.

But Kyiv believes elite units, many of which had been recalled to Russia to be replenished, would spearhead any expected offensives.


03:01 PM

What we learned today

  • Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, has challenged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to a dogfight for Bakhmut.

  • Germany expects that it will soon have sufficient commitments from other European Union countries to send a promised contingent of Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine, a German government spokesperson said on Monday.

  • The Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, a strong supporter of President Vladimir Putin, worked for Soviet intelligence while living in Switzerland in the 1970s, Swiss newspapers reported, citing declassified archives.

  • China is sending technology used by Moscow’s military to wage war against Ukraine to Russia, new trade data has revealed, as Iran moves forward with plans to build a new factory that could make at least 6,000 kamikaze drones.

  • A senior Ukrainian official said on Monday that no personnel changes would be announced at the defence ministry this week, despite saying earlier that Oleksii Reznikov, the Ukrainian defence minister, would be replaced.

Thanks for following today's Ukraine liveblog. Please follow along tomorrow for all the latest updates.


02:39 PM

Russia's Prigozhin challenges Ukraine's Zelensky to aerial duel in cockpit video

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, has published a video of himself in the cockpit of a military aircraft, challenging Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President, to an aerial duel.

"Volodymyr Oleksandrovych (Zelensky), we have landed. We have bombed Bakhmut," Prigozhin said in the short video.

"Tomorrow, I will fly a MiG-29. If you so desire, let's meet in the skies. If you win, you take Artyomovsk (Bakhmut). If not, we advance till (the River) Dnipro."

The clip was release by Prigozhin's press service, which said it was filmed aboard a Su-24 bomber plane operated by Wagner.

It was the latest in a series of statements and videos in which Prigozhin has sought to promote himself and his private army as the spearhead of Russian military operations in east Ukraine.


02:18 PM

'Grateful to the Norweigan people'


01:43 PM

American conservatives are right behind Ukraine – but they want a better strategy than Biden’s

Boris Johnson’s visit to Washington last week was a major event on Capitol Hill.

The New York-born former prime minister is an instantly recognisable figure here, with celebrity status among many who follow British politics. His profile is far greater than that of Rishi Sunak, who is relatively unknown outside of the DC Beltway.

It was a smart move by Boris to meet with the new Republican leadership in the House of Representatives, and a recognition that the balance of power is shifting away from the Left following last November’s midterm elections.

Read more from Nile Gardiner here


01:24 PM

Ukraine-Russia in pictures:

An undertaker walks by the Alley of Heroes at the Irpin Cemetery in Ukraine - Daniel Cole/AP
An undertaker walks by the Alley of Heroes at the Irpin Cemetery in Ukraine - Daniel Cole/AP
A pedestrian walks past a building decorated with a mural depicting a photograph of World War Two times with the slogan reading "And the saved world remembers!" in Moscow - YURI KADOBNOV/AFP
A pedestrian walks past a building decorated with a mural depicting a photograph of World War Two times with the slogan reading "And the saved world remembers!" in Moscow - YURI KADOBNOV/AFP
Members of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade (Azov Unit) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine prepare to fire 152 mm howitzer 2A65 Msta-B - MARKO DJURICA/REUTERS
Members of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade (Azov Unit) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine prepare to fire 152 mm howitzer 2A65 Msta-B - MARKO DJURICA/REUTERS

12:54 PM

Russia ‘within firing distance’ of last few roads out of ‘Fortress Bakhmut’

Ukrainian soldiers fighting in “Fortress” Bakhmut are close to being cut off from their supply lines as Russian forces came within firing distance of the last remaining roads out of the city, writes Roland Oliphant and James Kilner.

Fighting was said to be “ferocious”, with Russian mercenaries said to be confronting Ukrainian defenders for “every stairwell” in the shredded streets.

“The armed forces of Ukraine are not retreating anywhere. They are fighting to the last,” said Yevgeny Prigozhin, who leads the Wagner mercenary group.

Read the whole story from Roland Oliphant and James Kilner here


12:18 PM

‘I won’t kill Zelensky’ – what Vladimir Putin told Israel’s ex-prime minister

A former Israeli prime minister who served briefly as a mediator at the start of Russia’s war with Ukraine says he drew a promise from Russian President Vladimir Putin not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett emerged as an unlikely intermediary in the war’s first weeks, becoming one of the few Western leaders to meet Mr Putin during the war in a snap trip to Moscow last March.

While Mr Bennett’s mediation efforts appear to have done little to end the bloodshed that continues until today, his remarks, in an interview posted online on Saturday, shed light on the backroom diplomacy and urgent efforts underway to try to bring the conflict to a speedy conclusion in its early days.

Read more on the story here


11:54 AM

Ukraine's Leopard-2 battalions should come together soon, says German government

Germany expects that it will soon have sufficient commitments from other European Union countries to send a promised contingent of Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine, a German government spokesperson said on Monday.

"Germany's commitment stands," government spokesperson Wolfgang Buechner said. He declined to name any specific countries that had so far committed to sending the German-made tank, which Ukraine says it needs to repel Russian invaders from its territory.

Germany has promised 14 of its own tanks and wants to assemble two full battalions of the battle tank in cooperation with other EU countries.


11:35 AM

Ukraine says ready to send rescue workers

Ukraine has said it stands ready to assist Turkey after two deadly earthquakes.

"Ukraine stands ready to send a large group of rescue workers to Turkey to assist crisis response. We are working closely with the Turkish side to coordinate their deployment," said Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister.


11:18 AM

Pictured: Orthodox Christians leaving the Church in Bakhmut

Orthodox Christians leave after the Sunday prayer at the Church of All Saints as sounds and vibrations of shelling continue in Bakhmut - YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP
Orthodox Christians leave after the Sunday prayer at the Church of All Saints as sounds and vibrations of shelling continue in Bakhmut - YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP

10:57 AM

Russian Patriarch Kirill spied in Switzerland for KGB in 70s, report Swiss media

The Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, a strong supporter of President Vladimir Putin, worked for Soviet intelligence while living in Switzerland in the 1970s, Swiss newspapers reported, citing declassified archives.

According to the Sonntagszeitung and Le Matin Dimanche weeklies, the Swiss police file on the man who today serves as the spiritual head of the Russian Orthodox Church "confirms that 'Monsignor Kirill', as he is referred to in this document, worked for the KGB."

The two papers said they had gained access to the file in the Swiss national archives.

The Russian Orthodox Church has refused to comment on Kirill's spying activity in Geneva, while the WCC had maintained it had no information about the case, they said.

Mikhail Gundyaev, the patriarch's nephew, who currently represents the Russian church at the WCC in Geneva, however insisted to Le Matin Dimanche that his uncle "was not an agent, although he was subjected to 'strict controls' by the KGB."

And this, he insisted, "did not affect the sincerity of his engagement in ecumenical work with other churches."


10:48 AM

EU leaders plan for Zelensky to visit to Brussels this week for summit, reports suggest

The European Union is planning for Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, to attend a summit of its leaders this week, the Financial Times reported on Monday citing people briefed on the plans.

Zelensky will address a special session of the European Parliament under the proposed plan, which is subject to security concerns, the report said.


10:35 AM

Norway plans $7 billion aid to Ukraine over five years

Norway's prime minister will on Monday propose that his country provides aid to war-torn Ukraine of some 75 billion Norwegian crown ($7.3 billion) in total over a five-year period, newspaper Verdens Gang reported.


10:16 AM

British army would run out of ammunition 'in a few days' if called on to fight

The British army could not fight for "more than a few days", defence sources have warned, as Rishi Sunak was urged to "wake up" to the fight against Russia.

The army would run out of ammunition if called upon to fight, sources told Sky News, as concerns grew that the government's 'refresh' of defence policy could be delayed.

Calling for more resources amid the growing conflict in Ukraine, sources told Sky News: "If you do not replace what you're giving away, then the army cannot fight.

"Arguably it cannot fight now even at a very small scale - at least not for more than a few days."

Lord George Robertson, the last British secretary general of Nato, urged Mr Sunak to take defence more seriously and invest in the right kind of capabilities to keep Britain safe.

"The prime minister needs to wake up to the fact that Vladimir Putin has declared war on the West and we are the second military power in the West and we've got to live up now to the challenge that he [Mr Sunak] faces," he told Sky News in an interview.


09:45 AM

China sending technology to Russia, data shows

China is sending technology used by Moscow’s military to wage war against Ukraine to Russia, new trade data has revealed, as Iran moves forward with plans to build a new factory that could make at least 6,000 kamikaze drones, writes Joe Barnes.

The revelations demonstrate how the Kremlin is circumnavigating Western sanctions in order to replenish its battle-stricken armed forces.

Customs records showed Chinese state-owned defence firms shipped navigation equipment, jamming technology and spare parts for fighter jets to Russian counterparts, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Many of the technologies are included on Western lists of so-called dual-use products – goods with both civilian and military application – that Russia has been banned from importing from the likes of the UK, US and EU.

Meanwhile, Iran and Russia continue to further their military alliance, with the construction of a factory that could be used to build 6,000 Iranian kamikaze drones for use in Ukraine.

US officials have warned that Moscow and Tehren were finalising plans to build the facility some 600 miles east of the Russian capital.


09:19 AM

No changes expected at Ukraine defence ministry this week

A senior Ukrainian official said on Monday that no personnel changes would be announced at the defence ministry this week, despite saying earlier that Oleksii Reznikov, the Ukrainian defence minister, would be replaced.

Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine's defence minister - OLEG PETRASYUK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Shutterstock
Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine's defence minister - OLEG PETRASYUK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Shutterstock

David Arakhamia, head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's parliamentary bloc, said on Sunday that Reznikov would be transferred to another ministerial job. On Monday, he made clear there would not be an immediate reshuffle.

"There will be no personnel changes in the defence sector this week," he wrote on the Telegram messaging app, without giving further details.


09:05 AM

Putin says Russia ready to help Syria and Turkey after major quake

President Vladimir Putin offered Russian assistance on Monday to Syria and Turkey after a major earthquake of magnitude 7.8 killed more than 500 people and injured thousands in the two countries.

"Please accept my deep condolences on the numerous human casualties and large-scale destruction caused by a powerful earthquake in your country," Putin said in his message to Erdogan on Monday.

"We are ready to provide the necessary assistance in this regard."

Separately, Putin told Assad that Russia shared "the sadness and pain of those who lost their loved ones" and said Russia was ready to provide help.


08:44 AM

Ukraine ready to provide help in quake aftermath

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said that his country was ready to provide necessary assistance to "friendly" Turkish people in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck the country earlier on Monday.

"Shocked by the news about the death and injury of hundreds of people as a result of the earthquake in Turkey," Zelensky said on Twitter.

"We extend our condolences to the families of the victims and wish the injured a speedy recovery. We are in this moment close to the friendly Turkish people, ready to provide the necessary assistance."


08:20 AM

Ukraine-Russia in pictures:

Ukrainian artillery teams fire Pions toward Russian positions in Bakhmut. - Madeleine Kelly/SOPA Images/Shutterstock/Shutterstock
Ukrainian artillery teams fire Pions toward Russian positions in Bakhmut. - Madeleine Kelly/SOPA Images/Shutterstock/Shutterstock
The first Canadian Leopard 2 main battle tank to be donated to Ukraine arrives by air transport in Poland - CANADIAN FORCES/via REUTERS
The first Canadian Leopard 2 main battle tank to be donated to Ukraine arrives by air transport in Poland - CANADIAN FORCES/via REUTERS
People pose for a photo inside the Yurt during the opening of the "Yurt of Invincibility" - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu
People pose for a photo inside the Yurt during the opening of the "Yurt of Invincibility" - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu

08:10 AM

Latest MoD update


08:10 AM

Drone explodes outside Russian city of Kaluga, governor says

A drone has exploded outside the Russian city of Kaluga, regional governor Vladislav Shapsha said on Monday, adding that no-one was injured in the blast.

"It has been established that the drone exploded in the air at an altitude of 50 metres in the forest near the city at five o'clock in the morning," he wrote on Telegram.

Kaluga is about 150 km (93 miles) south west of Moscow and 260 km (162 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The governor did not make clear the source of the drone.

Russia has said in the past that Ukrainian drones have flown into its territory and caused damage to civilian infrastructure, an assertion that Kyiv denies.


08:08 AM

Good Morning

Good morning and welcome to today's liveblog on Ukraine.

We will be bringing you all the latest updates on the Ukraine war.