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Ukraine-Russia war news – live: Kyiv warns Putin of revenge attack after missile strikes

The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence has warned Putin of a revenge attack following fresh missile strikes.

General Kyrylo Budanov described a wave of attacks on Monday as an attempt to “intimidate us”, adding that Russia would “regret it very soon.”

“All those who tried to intimidate us, dreaming that it would have some effect, you will regret it very soon,” General Budanov said in a statement issued via Ukraine’s intelligence ministry. “Our answer will not be long.”

Explosions echoed through the centre of Kyiv on Monday morning, hours after a heavy Russian missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital.

Witnesses reported residents headed for shelters in metro stations as the sky above Kyiv filled with blast clouds and smoke trails in the sixteenth attack on the city this month.

The city’s military administration later said Ukrainian air defences shot down all missiles fired at Kyiv in the daytime attack on Monday and no targets were hit in the capital.

Elsewhere, two people were killed and eight wounded in a Russian attack on the city of Toretsk in the eastern region of Donetsk on Monday, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

Key Points

  • Russia fires largest air-strike in war so far

  • Russia fired more than 40 drones and missiles overnight - Kyiv military

  • Belarus's Lukashenko says there can be 'nuclear weapons for everyone'

  • More than 40 Russia-launched drones downed in Kyiv's airspace

  • Russia warns of escalation to war if UK keeps supplying weapons to Ukraine

  • Explosions rock Kyiv after new air-raid warning

Kyiv warns Putin of revenge attack after missile strikes

16:56 , Eleanor Noyce

The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence has warned Putin of a revenge attack following fresh missile strikes.

General Kyrylo Budanov described a wave of attacks on Monday as an attempt to “intimidate us”, adding that Russia would “regret it very soon.”

“All those who tried to intimidate us, dreaming that it would have some effect, you will regret it very soon,” General Budanov said in a statement issued via Ukraine’s intelligence ministry. “Our answer will not be long.”

Kyiv resident tells of air raid alarms and running to bomb shelters

16:07 , Tara Cobham

A Kyiv resident has described trying to access her office in the city centre with her colleagues “when the air alarm starts and everybody moves to the bomb shelters”.

Ekateryna Derkach told The Independent: “Before the war started, May in Kyiv was considered to be one of the most beautiful months - because chestnuts are blooming.

“28 May, 2023, it was Kyiv's birthday, it turned 1541. And exactly this day Russians decided to ‘greet us’ with a heavy drones attack, which was the most numerous since the war started.

“My colleagues and I are also trying to visit my office and when the air alarm starts - everybody moves to the bomb shelters.”

However, because most of the missiles were intercepted by the Ukrainians, she said, “It still feels more or less safe.”

She added: “Russians aim to destabilise the situation among citizens and target civilian objects. However, we are more united than ever before.”

Two dead, eight wounded in Russian attack in Donetsk region - governor

16:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Two people were killed and eight wounded in a Russian attack on the city of Toretsk in the eastern region of Donetsk on Monday, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

Kyrylenko said Russia had used high-explosive aerial bombs in the attack at about 11:30 a.m. (0830 GMT), damaging a gas station and a multi-storey building in the small city which had a pre-war population of about 30,000 people.

Rescue services were working at the site, he said, urging remaining residents to evacuate.

“Every day, the Russians purposefully hit civilians in the Donetsk region,” Kyrylenko said on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia has previously denied targeting civilians and has rejected allegations of war crimes in what it calls a “special military operation”.

The Donetsk region has seen some of the fiercest battles of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Ukraine aide proposes post-war demilitarised zone in Russia

16:24 , Eleanor Noyce

A Ukrainian presidential aide said on Monday a demilitarised zone of 100-120 km (62-75 miles) should be established inside Russia along the border with Ukraine as part of a post-war settlement.

The zone would be necessary to protect Ukrainian regions from shelling, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

“The key theme of the post-war settlement should be the establishment of safeguards to avoid the recurrence of aggression in the future,” he wrote.

To ensure the safety of residents in several frontline Ukrainian regions, he wrote, “it will be necessary to introduce a demilitarization zone of 100-120 km on the territory of Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, and Rostov republics.”

The reference to the Russian regions as republics appeared to be a nod towards Moscow backing separatist entities calling themselves “people’s republics” in Ukraine‘s Donetsk and Luhansk regions which border Russia.

Podolyak said the demilitarised zone could initially have an international presence to control it.

“Probably, at the initial stage with a mandatory international control contingent,” he wrote.

ICYMI: Ukrainian rapper took fury over war to Eurovision after brother killed

14:29 , Tara Cobham

The tragic reality of Russia’s bloody war on Ukraine took centre stage in a rather unusual setting recently – the Eurovision song contest.

The embattled nation was supposed to host the event but due to the ongoing and deadly conflict, it was relocated to Liverpool.

Ukrainian performers not only attended the ever-popular show but made sure to use the opportunity to spread their message to the huge TV audience.

Among them was Kyiv rapper Otoy, who lost his own brother on the frontline.

The 24-year-old, whose real name is Vyacheslav Drofa, performed at Eurovision alongside other Ukrainian musicians, bringing awareness of the atrocities of the invasion to millions.

Read more here:

Ukrainian rapper took fury over war to Eurovision after brother killed

Denmark plans $2.6 billion more military aid for Ukraine

13:43 , Tara Cobham

Denmark plans to increase its spending on military aid to Ukraine by 17.9 billion crowns ($2.59 billion) over this year and next, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Monday, winning thanks for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Denmark, with a population of less than 6 million, in March established a $1 billion fund for military, civilian and business aid to Ukraine in 2023.

Frederiksen, seen as a possible contender to become new NATO chief, on Monday told Danish public radio the government planned to add another 7.5 billion crowns to the fund this year, and 10.4 billion next year.

"This major contribution will further strengthen the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the short and medium term," Zelenskiy said in a tweet. "Our strength is in unity!"

The new money is earmarked for military aid, Danmarks Radio reported.

The announcement comes ahead of visits this week by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Denmark's fellow Nordic countries Sweden, Norway and Finland.

Jens Stoltenberg, the transatlantic military alliance's secretary-general, is due to step down in September.

Finland recently joined NATO due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Sweden hopes to join by the alliance's summit in Vilnius in July.

Russia's Lavrov warns West: Black Sea grain deal is in danger of collapse

13:15 , Tara Cobham

Russia said on Monday that the Black Sea grain deal would no longer be operational unless a UN agreement with Moscow to overcome obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports was fulfilled.

"If everything remains as it is, and apparently it will, then it will be necessary to proceed from the fact that it [the deal] is no longer functioning," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a visit to Nairobi.

An agreement struck in July last year requires the United Nations to help Russia overcome any obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports for three years.

Lavrov said that agreement was not being fulfilled "at all".

The UN-Russia agreement was reached at the same time as a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of food and fertilizer from Ukraine following Russia's February 2022 invasion.

This month Moscow reluctantly agreed to extend the Black Sea grain deal for a further two months, until July 17, but said more progress had to be made to advance its own interests.

Lavrov said that less than 3 per cent of the grain exported under the deal had reached the world's poorest countries.

Russia calls for Lindsey Graham’s assassination after controversial comments about ‘dying Russians’

13:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian government officials and state media called for Lindsey Graham’s assassination this weekend after a video of his comments to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky was edited to make it look like he made a disparaging comment about killing Russians.

The edited video was shared widely in Russia, appearing to show Mr Graham concluding a discussion over US support for Ukraine by saying: “And the Russians are dying. It’s the best money we’ve ever spent.”

In fact, Mr Graham’s comment about US spending was not linked to the deaths of Russians, but to helping Ukrainians defend their country. His full remarks, which were released by the Ukranian president’s office, show his “Russians are dying” observation was followed by Mr Zelensky saying: “Yes, but they came to our territory. We are not fighting on their territory.”

Maroosha Muzaffar has the full story:

Russia calls for Lindsey Graham’s assassination over ‘dying Russians’ comment

Kremlin says 'vacuum' emerging in arms control

12:45 , Tara Cobham

The Kremlin said on Monday that a "vacuum" was emerging in the area of arms control as a result of poor relations between a number of states and said Russia was not to blame for the situation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was responding to a question about Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to formally "denounce" an arms control treaty dating back to the end of the Cold War.

"... in this area of arms control, of strategic stability, a big vacuum is now developing, of course, which ideally would be filled urgently by new acts of international law to regulate this situation," Peskov told a regular news briefing.

"This is in the interests of the whole world. But for this to happen we need working bilateral relations with a whole array of states which at the current time are lacking," he said, adding that this was "not our fault".

The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) placed limits on the deployment of military equipment in Europe. Russia suspended its participation in the treaty in 2007 and "completely halted" participation in 2015.

Putin signed a decree this month symbolically denouncing the treaty following a debate and vote in the Russian parliament on the matter.

Russia has recently suspended a number of arms control agreements with Western states, including the New START treaty, which regulates nuclear proliferation, and has begun moving tactical nuclear weapons into neighbouring Belarus.

Relations between Moscow and Western countries have plunged to their lowest level since the Cold War after Putin sent tens of thousands of Russian troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, in what he says is a "special military operation" to protect Russia's own security against pro-Western authorities in Kyiv.

Ukraine and its Western allies say Russia's actions constitute an unprovoked war of aggression aimed at seizing territory.

He fled Ukraine under the barrel of a gun. Now his invention could turn the tide of Putin’s war

12:40 , Eleanor Noyce

An aerospace engineer and entrepreneur, who left the USSR as a child, has created “robot” planes that he says could “change the world” and he wants them to be used in the war to help his birthplace.

Gene Avakyan knows what it’s like to grow up during times of tension, having been born in Kyiv, Ukraine, before leaving the country when he was just nine years old – fleeing in the middle of the night and made to walk a gauntlet of “soldiers with AK-47s” just to get on a train.

Gene Avakyan knows what it’s like to grow up during times of tension, Robert Waugh writes:

He fled Ukraine under the barrel of a gun. Now his invention could derail Putin’s war

Russia trying to disrupt expected Ukrainian counterattack - Kyiv

12:15 , Tara Cobham

After months of attacks on energy facilities, Russia is now increasingly targeting military facilities and supplies to try to disrupt Ukraine's preparations for its long-awaited counterattack, Kyiv says.

“With these constant attacks, the enemy seeks to keep the civilian population in deep psychological tension,” Serhiy Popko, the head of the city’s military administration said.

Moscow says Ukraine has stepped up drone and sabotage attacks against targets inside Russia as Kyiv prepares for the counteroffensive.

Ukraine forces shell settlements in Russia’s Belgorod border region - governor

11:45 , Tara Cobham

The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said on Monday that several frontier settlements were being shelled simultaneously by Ukrainian forces.

In a statement published on the Telegram messaging app, Vyacheslav Gladkov said two industrial facilities in the town of Shebekino had been shelled and that four employees had been wounded.

Kyiv says it shot down all Russian missiles fired in Monday's second attack

11:35 , Tara Cobham

Ukrainian air defences shot down all missiles fired at Kyiv in a daytime attack on Monday and no targets were hit in the capital, the city's military administration said.

The air attack followed hours after overnight missile and drone strikes and was the 16th on Kyiv this month, it said.

Russia hits Ukrainian military facility and Odesa port in air strikes

11:15 , Tara Cobham

Russia put five aircraft out of action in an attack on a military target in western Ukraine and caused a fire at the Black Sea port of Odesa in heavy air strikes early on Monday, Ukrainian officials said.

Kyiv also came under intense attack for the second successive night, but reported no significant damage and said that most of the drones and missiles fired at the capital overnight had been shot down.

The attacks were part of a new wave of increasingly frequent and intense air strikes launched by Moscow this month as Kyiv prepares to launch a counteroffensive to try to take back territory occupied by Russian forces.

In a rare acknowledgement of damage suffered at a military "target", Ukraine did not name the site or sites hit in the western region of Khmelnitskiy but said work was under way to restore a runway and five aircraft were taken out of service.

A large military airfield was located in the region before the war.

"At the moment, work is continuing to contain fires in storage facilities for fuel and lubricants and munitions," the Khmelnitskiy region governor's office said.

Ukraine's military said the attack on Odesa port had caused a fire and damaged infrastructure but did not specify whether the damage threatened grain exports.

Ukraine is an important global grain supplier and the port is vital for shipping agricultural products abroad. It is also one of three included in a U.N.-brokered deal on the safe export of grain via the Black Sea.

"A fire broke out in the port infrastructure of Odesa as a result of the hit. It was quickly extinguished. Information on the extent of the damage is being updated," the military's southern command said on Facebook.

UK Ministry of Defence latest update on Ukraine

11:09 , Tara Cobham

The UK Ministry of Defence has released its latest update on the situation in Ukraine, describing a “security exercise” Russia recently conducted around the Crimea Bridge.

It writes that, on Wednesday, “Russia conducted a security exercise around the Crimea Bridge, which links the Russian city of Kerch to the occupied peninsula. This included the creation of a smoke screen, partially masking the bridge.”

The MOD continues: “The smoke screen was laid by TDA-3 truck-mounted smoke generators, likely of the 28th Brigade of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops.

“Russian doctrine considers the use of smoke part of maskirovka (camouflage and deception) - upon which it places strong emphasis.

“However, in practice, Russian maskirovka has generally been ineffectual in the Ukraine war, likely because of a lack of a strong central planning function and poor low-level battle discipline.”

Russia’s air raids unleashed on Ukraine over weekend

10:30 , Tara Cobham

With a long-promised Ukrainian counteroffensive looming to recapture territory taken by Russia in fifteen months of fighting, Moscow has launched a series of attacks on Kyiv over the weekend targeting military infrastructure and supplies.

Explosions echoed through the centre of Kyiv on Monday morning, hours after a heavy Russian missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital.

Russia launched air attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of Monday using drones and cruise missiles. Ukrainian officials said defence forces shot down more than 40 targets.

Russia unleashed what Ukrainian officials said was the largest drone attack on Kyiv since the start of the war on Sunday, killing one and injuring several people.

In an indication of the importance of the drone battle, Ukraine has stepped up attacks deep inside Russia, including on its oil infrastructure.

Ukraine says shot down 29 of 35 drones, 37 of 40 Russia-launched missiles

09:45 , Tara Cobham

Ukraine's Air Force said on Monday that it shot down 29 out of 35 Russia-launched drones and 37 out of 40 cruise missiles overnight.

The Air Force also said on its Telegram channel that Russia targeted military facilities and critical infrastructure in its Monday attacks.

Explosions rock Kyiv after new air-raid warning

09:31 , Tara Cobham

Explosions rocked the centre of Kyiv on Monday morning as Russia launched a new air strike on the Ukrainian capital, hours after unleashing dozens of missiles and drones on targets across the country.

Panicked residents, some of whom initially ignored the air raid siren as they ate breakfast in cafes, rushed to take cover when the sky filled with smoke trails and blast clouds, Reuters witnesses said.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said there were explosions in the capital's central districts and that emergency services had been dispatched. He urged residents to stay in shelters.

"Emergency services have responded to a call near the centre of the capital. The attack on Kyiv continues. Don't leave the shelters!" he wrote on the Telegram messaging app as residents ran to shelters in metro stations.

Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, said the attack had been conducted with ballistic missiles - thought to be Iskanders - and possibly also S-300 and S-400 missiles.

He said he would provide more details later.

There was no immediate reports of major damage.

Klitschko posted a photograph of a large burning lump of metal lying in the middle of a busy road.

The underground metro was heaving with people taking shelter, many of them checking their phones, footage from the Suspilne public broadcaster showed.

The air raid siren blared across Kyiv and the surrounding region after Russia unleashed dozens of missiles and drones on targets across the country in the early hours of Monday.

Many residents at first ignored the air raid alarm until the calm was shattered by a series of loud blasts in the heart of the city.

People rush to take shelter during a Russian rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday morning (AP)
People rush to take shelter during a Russian rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday morning (AP)

Russia says it has put US Senator Graham on wanted list

08:59 , Tara Cobham

Russia's interior ministry has put US Senator Lindsey Graham on a wanted list, Russian media reported on Monday, citing the ministry's database.

In an edited video released by the Ukrainian president's office of Graham's meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday, Graham was shown saying "the Russians are dying" and then saying U.S. support was the "best money we've ever spent".

After Russia criticised the remarks, Ukraine released a full video of the meeting which showed the two remarks were not linked.

Russia's Investigative Committee said on Sunday that it was opening a criminal probe into Graham's comments. It did not specify what crime he was suspected of.

Graham disputed Russian criticism of his support for Ukraine on Sunday, saying he had simply praised the spirit of Ukrainians in resisting a Russian invasion with assistance provided by Washington.

A South Carolina Republican known for his hawkish foreign policy views, Graham has been an outspoken champion of increased military support for Ukraine in its battle against Russia.

Russia has previously added dozens of US officials and elected politicians to stop lists, banning them from entering the country, but has rarely sought the arrest of senior American officeholders.

Russia’s interior ministry has put US Senator Lindsey Graham on a wanted list, Russian media reported on Monday, citing the ministry’s database (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Russia’s interior ministry has put US Senator Lindsey Graham on a wanted list, Russian media reported on Monday, citing the ministry’s database (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Russia hits military target in western Ukraine - governor's office

08:18 , Tara Cobham

Russia hit a military target in Ukraine’s western region of Khmelnytskiy in air strikes early on Monday and rescuers are still fighting to contain fires, the regional governor said.

“At the moment, work is continuing to contain fires in storage facilities for fuel and lubricants and munitions,” the Khmelnytskiy regional governor’s office wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Moscow has been engaging in its largest aerial attack on Ukraine with more than 40 Iranian-made Shahed drones and missiles.

Russian forces fired air-based cruise missiles and Iranian-made Shahed drones overnight on Ukraine from nearly all directions, including the Caspian Sea area in the southeast, the top Ukrainian military commander said today.

An explosion is seen in the sky over Kyiv during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid its overnight attack on Ukraine (Reuters)
An explosion is seen in the sky over Kyiv during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid its overnight attack on Ukraine (Reuters)

Belarus's Lukashenko says there can be 'nuclear weapons for everyone'

07:14 , Arpan Rai

Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko has said there could be “nuclear weapons for everyone” if any other nation wanted to join the Russia-Belarus union.

"No one is against Kazakhstan and other countries having the same close relations that we have with the Russian Federation," Mr Lukashenko said in an interview published late yesterday.

"If someone is worried... [then] it is very simple: join the Union State of Belarus and Russia. That’s all: there will be nuclear weapons for everyone.”

The leader said this was his own view and not of Russia.

Mr Lukashenko said that it must be “strategically understood” that Minsk and Moscow have a unique chance to unite.

This comes just a week after Russia moved to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in its neighbourhood ally Belarus. It is the first such deployment of warheads outside Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, sparking widespread concerns in the West as the war continues against Ukraine near both nation’s territories.

On Sunday, the Belarusian defence ministry announced that another unit of the S-400 mobile, surface-to-air missile systems arrived from Moscow, with the systems to be ready for combat duty soon.

Russia fires 67 cruise missiles and drones overnight, all downed

06:55 , Arpan Rai

Russian forces fired air-based cruise missiles and Iranian-made Shahed drones overnight on Ukraine from nearly all directions, including the Caspian Sea area in the southeast, the top Ukrainian military commander said today.

“67 air targets were destroyed by the forces and means of the air command in cooperation with the air defence of other components of the defence forces of Ukraine: 37 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles, 29 Shahed-136/131 attack and 1 UAV reconnaissance of operational-tactical level,” said Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Ukraine.

“The enemy fired up to 40 X-101/X-555 air-based cruise missiles from nine Tu-95ms strategic aircraft from the Caspian Sea area.

The enemy attacked from the north and south with Iranian Shahed-136/131 UAVs. About 35 strike drones in total,” the official said on Telegram.

All targets were destroyed, the official said.

Foreign investors withdrew $36bn after selling businesses in Russia – report

06:25 , Arpan Rai

Foreign investors withdrew about $36bn (£29bn) from Russia, after leaving the country and selling their businesses between March 2022 and March 2023, according to the data from the Central Bank, Moscow’s state news agency RIA reported today.

This comes a week after the Russian central bank played down the impact of foreign company exits, saying that around 200 sale deals had been finalised in the March 2022-2023 period.

It said 20 per cent of these deals involved large asset sales – those in excess of $100m (£80m).

Several of the world’s largest companies have left or scaled back their operations in Russia after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.

Wagner chief says prisoner exchange with Ukraine was ‘very calm’

05:54 , Arpan Rai

The head of Russia’s private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin said the regular exchange of war prisoners with Ukraine last week was carried out peacefully.

“Maybe I don’t know something or I don’t guess about something, but on 25 May, a regular exchange of prisoners was carried out in a very calm manner like never before. The Wagner PMC [Private Military Company] group, which has always dealt with exchanges, arrived at a point that was agreed in advance,” the mercenary chief said on Telegram in a statement.

He added: “A Ukrainian group drove up there, brought prisoners, exchanged, and, in fact, you saw all this on the screen.”

It was an “absolutely standard exchange” including Wagner troops, Russian Guard’s forces and Russian defence ministry’s soldiers, wherein the prisoners were transferred from Ukraine.

After the exchange, the released Russian troops were sent to their subordinate structure, he said.

Wagner had released footage of a prisoner exchange with Ukraine, just hours after it claimed to have initiated its withdrawl from Bakhmut last week.

Kyiv will ‘survive the ruscists’, says Zelensky

05:21 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his air defence forces, ground forces, mobile forces group and anti-aircraft missile troopers in his nightly address to Ukrainians as he pledged an end to Russian attacks.

“Throughout its history, Kyiv has seen various meannesses from invaders. It has survived them all, and it will survive the ruscists. None of them will be here. Kyiv and all our cities, our entire Ukraine, will put an end to the history of Moscow’s despotism, which has been bringing enslavement to many different peoples for a very long time,” he said in his nightly address.

He added: “Neither Shaheds nor any other means of terror that it humiliatingly seeks around the world will save it. Because strength is in people, it is in cities, it is in life, and when life, people, and the most important cities for culture are despised, Russia will only face defeat.”

No casualties recorded in Russia’s largest air-strike in war so far

04:23 , Arpan Rai

There were no major damages or casualties in Kyiv, officials said, in what is so far the largest Russian aerial attack on Ukraine with more than 40 Iranian-made Shahed drones and missiles.

“Another difficult night for the capital,” Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.

Officials said the Russian missile bombardment is aimed at putting civilians in psychological distress.

“With these constant attacks, the enemy seeks to keep the civilian population in deep psychological tension,” Serhiy Popko, head of the city’s military administration said on a Telegram messaging channel.

Monday morning’s attack exceeds the largest drone barrage of 36 aerial targets launched on Kyiv the previous night, which killed one person and injured several.

Several explosions as Russia fires drones and missiles for second night in a row

04:00 , Arpan Rai

The Ukrainian capital Kyiv was shaken by several explosions in the early hours today after Russia fired more than 40 missiles and drones on the besieged country, marking the second overnight attack in a row.

This is the 15th such aerial assault by Russia on Kyiv this month.

“A missile shot down near Kyiv,” Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. “Air defence working!”

Blasts were heard in several districts of Kyiv, including the historic neighbourhood of Podil where debris from the attack fell on a house and damaged a roof, the mayor said.

The Monday attack appeared to include a combination of missiles and drones, follows the largest drone barrage launched on Kyiv the previous night, which killed one person and injured several.

Russia fired more than 40 drones and missiles, all destroyed - Kyiv military

03:46 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian air defence force shot down more than 40 Russian aerial targets moving towards Kyiv in the early hours today, Kyiv city military administration said on Telegram.

The huge barrage of munitions included drones and missiles, the military administration said.

Russia’s ambassador to the UK openly defends attacks on Ukraine by shifting blame

03:00 , Joe Middleton

Russia‘s ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, openly defended the country’s attacks on Ukraine during a new appearance on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg (28 May).

As the journalist brought up recent devastation from a missile hitting a hospital, the ambassador appeared agitated.

“The problem is the shooting is going on for nine years”, he said, blaming ‘US weapons’ as the cause of mass destruction, and denying Russian war crimes taking place.

Instead, Kelin said he had ‘documentation’ of crimes being committed by Ukrainian troops since the invasion began.

Russia’s ambassador to the UK openly defends attacks on Ukraine by shifting blame

Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine facade is crumbling – this week proves it

02:45 , Joe Middleton

From nuclear threats to raids on Russian territory, Russia’s president has plenty on his mind, writes Chris Stevenson

Analysis: The facade Putin has built over Ukraine is crumbling – this week proves it

In wartime Russia, a farm-to-table evangelist finds refuge in a village

01:45 , Joe Middleton

Robyn Dixon talks to Boris Akimov, one of a post-Soviet generation who left the city in favour of a more rural life – and whose business has flourished as Western sanctions resulted in a farming boom

In wartime Russia, a farm-to-table evangelist finds refuge in a village

Russia warns of escalation to war if UK keeps supplying weapons to Ukraine

Monday 29 May 2023 00:45 , Joe Middleton

Russia’s ambassador to the UK has warned of an escalation to the war in Ukraine as Britain and other Western allies commit more weapons to aid President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Andrei Kelin said the actions of Nato countries, “especially” the UK, risk lengthening and triggering a “new dimension” in the war.

He said Russia had “enormous resources” and despite the war already raging for over a year, he claimed his country had not yet started to “act very seriously”.

Russia warns of escalation to war if UK keeps supplying weapons to Ukraine

Ukrainian rapper took fury over war to Eurovision after brother killed

Sunday 28 May 2023 23:45 , Joe Middleton

Otoy’s emotional music about the invasion ‘helps him feel alive’ despite tragedy close to home, Tara Cobham writes.

Ukrainian rapper took fury over war to Eurovision after brother killed

Lindsey Graham calls ‘Russians dying’ the ‘best money US has spent’ in Zelensky meeting

Sunday 28 May 2023 22:45 , Joe Middleton

US senator Lindsey Graham dubbed ‘Russians dying’ as ‘the best money’ the US has spent during a meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelensky on Friday (26 May).

Footage from inside the room where it took place shows Graham joking with Zelensky that it’s ‘free or die’, as Ukraine requested more ‘long-range weapons’ to aid the ongoing invasion.

In a statement after the meeting, he said he expected the Ukrainian counter-offensive to ‘yield results’.

Lindsey Graham says ‘Russians dying’ the ‘best money US spent’ in Zelensky meeting

Russia's ambassador to UK defends Ukraine attacks

Sunday 28 May 2023 21:45 , Joe Middleton

France condemns drone attack “in the strongest terms”

Sunday 28 May 2023 20:20 , Sam Rkaina

France condemned the attack “in the strongest terms”, adding that it had claimed the lives of at least two people and left several injured, in what it called a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

“These unacceptable acts constitute war crimes and cannot go unpunished,” the French foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.

With a Ukrainian counteroffensive looming 15 months into the war, Moscow has intensified air strikes after a lull of nearly two months, targeting chiefly military site and supplies. Waves of attacks now come several times a week.

The Sunday attacks came after Kyiv said that combat clashes eased around the besieged city of Bakhmut in southeastern Ukraine, the site of the war’s longest battle.

Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, said the attack was carried out in several waves, and air alerts lasted more than five hours.

“Today, the enemy decided to ‘congratulate’ the people of Kyiv on Kyiv Day with the help of their deadly UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles),” Popko said on the Telegram messaging channel.

Several districts of Kyiv, by far the largest Ukrainian city with a population of around 3 million, suffered in the overnight attacks, officials said, including the historical Pecherskyi neighbourhood.

Sunday developments so far - Russia launches ‘record’ drone attack

Sunday 28 May 2023 19:25 , Sam Rkaina

Russia unleashed waves of air strikes on Kyiv overnight in what officials said appeared to be the largest drone attack on the city since the start of the war, as the Ukrainian capital prepared to celebrate the anniversary of its founding on Sunday.

Ukraine’s Air Force said it downed 52 out of the 54 Russia-launched drones, calling it a record attack with the Iranian-made ‘kamikaze’ drones. It was not immediately clear how many of the drones were shot over Kyiv.

In what also appears to be the first deadly attack on Kyiv in May and the 14th assault this month, falling debris killed a 41-year-old man, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

The pre-dawn attacks came on the last Sunday of May when the capital celebrates Kyiv Day, the anniversary of its official founding 1,541 years ago. The day is typically marked by street fairs, live concerts and special museum exhibitions - plans for which have been made this year too, but on a smaller scale.

“The history of Ukraine is a long-standing irritant for the insecure Russians,” Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office, said on his Telegram channel.

The Air Force said on Telegram that Russia had targeted military and critical infrastructure facilities in the central regions of Ukraine, and the Kyiv region in particular.

Watch: Russia's ambassador to UK defends Ukraine attacks

Sunday 28 May 2023 18:30 , Martha Mchardy

Voices: Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine facade is crumbling – this week proves it

Sunday 28 May 2023 18:00 , Martha Mchardy

From nuclear threats to raids on Russian territory, Russia’s president has plenty on his mind, writes Chris Stevenson.

Analysis: The facade Putin has built over Ukraine is crumbling – this week proves it

ICYMI: Putin ‘planning provocation’ at nuclear plant to disrupt Ukraine counteroffensive, Kyiv says

Sunday 28 May 2023 17:30 , Martha Mchardy

Russia is plotting a “large-scale provocation” at a nuclear power station it occupies in the southeast of Ukraine to disrupt an imminent counteroffensive, Kyiv’s military intelligence has claimed.

A statement from the intelligence directorate of Ukraine’s defence ministry claimed Russian forces will strike the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the biggest in Europe.

It will then report a radioactive leak in order to trigger an international probe that would pause the hostilities and give them the respite they need to regroup.

Joe Middleton reports:

Putin ‘planning ‘provocation’ at a nuclear plant to disrupt Ukraine counteroffensive

Russia will be ‘held accountable’ for attack on Kyiv, EU spokesperson says

Sunday 28 May 2023 16:55 , Martha Mchardy

EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali said on Twitter: “Russia’s barbaric attacks continue, killing & terrorising civilians: attack on hospital in #Dnipro, now #Kyiv on dawn of #KyivDay.

“[Russian] leadership & perpetrators will be held accountable. We remain committed to help Ukraine defend itself.”

It comes after Kyiv was hit by a “record” drone attack overnight as the Ukrainian capital prepared to celebrate the anniversary of its founding on Sunday.

One 41-year-old man was killed by falling debris in the attack involving 54 drones, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Another 35-year-old woman was injured by falling drone wreckage in the Solomyanskyi district.

Meanwhile, the death toll after a missile attack on a health clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro rose to four today, the city’s governor said.

Among the victims are a 56-year-old doctor, a 64-year-old member of staff at the clinic and a 57-year-old employee from a nearby vet clinic, the governor said.

Ukraine‘s Defence Ministry called the attack a serious war crime under the Geneva Conventions, which set out how soldiers and civilians should be treated in war.

Kyiv symbol of ‘the Kremlin’s failed imperial ambitions’ - Ukrainian defence minister

Sunday 28 May 2023 16:47 , Martha Mchardy

Kyiv “has become a symbol of Ukraine’s unbreakable spirit and the Kremlin’s failed imperial ambitions,” Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said in a post on Twitter to commemorate Kyiv Day.

He said: “Last night, Kyiv survived one of the largest russian air attacks since the beginning of the war. They have failed yet again. Kyiv stands strong.

“They didn’t take you in 3 days. They couldn’t intimidate you in 459 days. They will be defeated.”

It comes after Kyiv was hit by a “record” drone attack overnight as the Ukrainian capital prepared to celebrate the anniversary of its founding on Sunday.

One 41-year-old man was killed by falling debris in the attack involving 54 drones, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Another 35-year-old woman was injured by falling drone wreckage in the Solomyanskyi district.

Ukraine joining NATO ‘could end war,’ says top Ukrainian official

Sunday 28 May 2023 16:40 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine joining NATO could be a “key factor in ending this war,” the head of the office of the president of Ukraine, Andrii Yermak, has said.

In an interview with Voice of America, Mr Yermak said: “I believe that the invitation of Ukraine to NATO can be a key factor in ending this war. Russia, with its aggression changed reality on February 24. But now this is the reality. Finland has already become a member of NATO, Sweden is on the way to it. The same should happen for Ukraine.”

NATO members are honour-bound to come to the defence of any of its fellows under attack.

Last September, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced a bid for fast-track membership of NATO after Russia’s president Vladimir Putin proclaimed four partially-occupied regions of Ukraine as annexed Russian land as part of Moscow’s invasion.

Western allies of Kyiv have been wary of moves that could push NATO towards an active war with Russia.

NATO general secretary Jens Stoltenberg said last week Ukraine will not be able to join NATO as long as Russia’s invasion continues.

“To become a member in the midst of a war is not on the agenda,” Mr Stoltenberg said. “The issue is what happens when the war ends.

“There are different views in the alliance and, of course, the only way to make decisions in Nato is by consensus. There are consultations going on now,” he said, with the alliance set to hold a summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius in July.

“No one is able to tell you exactly what will be the final decision of the Vilnius summit on this issue,” Mr Stoltenberg said.

In April, Mr Stoltenberg made a visit to Kyiv to reiterate that the alliance stands with Kyiv. “Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO,” the alliance’s secretary general said, “and over time, our support will help you make this possible.” However, he did not give a timeframe.

NATO agreed at its 2008 summit in Bucharest that Ukraine will eventually become a member of the alliance.

Plan for West to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets an ‘unacceptable escalation’ - Lavrov

Sunday 28 May 2023 16:25 , Martha Mchardy

The plan for some Western countries to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is an “unacceptable escalation”, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has warned.

Lavrov criticised what he described as an attempt by the West to “weaken Russia,” the kyiv Independent reported.

“It’s playing with fire,” he said.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service)
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service)

US president Joe Biden gave the green light for Western allies to hand over their F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv to bolster Ukraine’s defences during the G7 summit in Japan.

President Biden said Volodymyr Zelensky had given the US a “flat assurance” that Ukraine would not use F-16 jets to attack Russian territory.

The US also said it will provide training to Ukrainian pilots.

Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko has warned that supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets would carry “colossal risks”.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak welcomed President Biden’s decision on the F-16 fighter jets, having previously pressed allies to provide the Ukrainian president with the jets.

Supplying Ukraine’s Air Force with F-16s would represent a substantial upgrade in the country’s defence capabilities.

Picture shows drone exploding after it was shot down over Kyiv

Sunday 28 May 2023 16:10 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine’s ministry of defence claimed that the country’s air defence shot down 52 out of 54 Iranian-made Shaheds drones overnight.

A drone explodes after it was shot down during a massive Russian drones strike mainly targeting the Ukrainian capital (AFP via Getty Images)
A drone explodes after it was shot down during a massive Russian drones strike mainly targeting the Ukrainian capital (AFP via Getty Images)

Two killed in seperate shelling in Kharkiv province, regional governor says

Sunday 28 May 2023 15:48 , Martha Mchardy

A 61-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man were killed in two separate shelling attacks in the north-eastern Kharkiv province in the past day, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Three others were injured, the governor said, adding that Russian forces attacked 12 settlements across the region.

Houses and a cultural facility were damaged in the attack, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Elsewhere, explosions were heard in the city of Zhytomyr early on Sunday morning, Ukrainian state news agency Suspilne reported.

A kamikaze drone attack damaged an infrastructure site, governor Vitalii Bunechko said in a Telegram post. No casualties were reported.

Ukrainian rapper took fury over war to Eurovision after brother killed

Sunday 28 May 2023 15:38 , Martha Mchardy

Otoy’s emotional music about the invasion ‘helps him feel alive’ despite tragedy close to home, Tara Cobham writes.

Ukrainian rapper took fury over war to Eurovision after brother killed

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk booed for refusing to shake Belrusian opponent’s hand after French Open match

Sunday 28 May 2023 14:45 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk was booed after refusing to shake hands with Aryna Sabalenka following defeat in the French Open first round to the Belarusian.

It was a dominant win for the world No 2 to begin her Roland Garros campaign, which could see her become world number one, but it came against a player who “hates” her.

Kostyuk has been the most outspoken Ukrainian player about the sport’s response to the invasion of her home country by Russia and believes Russian and Belarusian players should have been willing to condemn their nations’ actions.

Jack Rathborn reports:

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk booed for refusing to shake opponent’s hand

Lindsey Graham calls ‘Russians dying’ the ‘best money US has spent’ in Zelensky meeting

Sunday 28 May 2023 14:15 , Martha Mchardy

US senator Lindsey Graham dubbed ‘Russians dying’ as ‘the best money’ the US has spent during a meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelensky on Friday (26 May).

Footage from inside the room where it took place shows Graham joking with Zelensky that it’s ‘free or die’, as Ukraine requested more ‘long-range weapons’ to aid the ongoing invasion.

In a statement after the meeting, he said he expected the Ukrainian counter-offensive to ‘yield results’.

Lindsey Graham says ‘Russians dying’ the ‘best money US spent’ in Zelensky meeting

Watch: Russia’s ambassador to the UK openly defends attacks on Ukraine by shifting blame

Sunday 28 May 2023 13:45 , Martha Mchardy

Russia‘s ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, openly defended the country’s attacks on Ukraine during a new appearance on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg (28 May).

As the journalist brought up recent devastation from a missile hitting a hospital, the ambassador appeared agitated.

“The problem is the shooting is going on for nine years”, he said, blaming ‘US weapons’ as the cause of mass destruction, and denying Russian war crimes taking place.

Instead, Kelin said he had ‘documentation’ of crimes being committed by Ukrainian troops since the invasion began.

One killed in Russian airstrikes on Donetsk region

Sunday 28 May 2023 13:09 , Martha Mchardy

One person died after Russia launched 19 airstrikes on the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine’s National Police has said.

Police said people were also injured in the attack but did not say how many. The Kyiv Independent reported that three people were injured in the attack, citing governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.

A Russian missile also struck an industrial site in the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast, the Kyiv Independent reported.

A total of 30 houses, as well as a factory, several cars and the city’s electricity network were damaged in the attack.

Attacks by Russian forces also injured a total of five people in the Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia over the past 24 hours, according to the cities’ regional governors.

Zelensky asks Ukrainian parliament to sanction Iran for 50 years after Russian drone attack on Kyiv kills one

Sunday 28 May 2023 12:33 , Martha Mchardy

President Zelensky has asked the Ukrainian parliament to impose sanctions on Iran for 50 years.

Iran has supplied Russia with drones and military equipment since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The sanctions include a complete ban on trade with Iran, investments, and transferring technologies, the Kyiv Independent reported.

They will also include bans on Iranian transit across Ukrainian territory and the withdrawal of Irainian assets from Ukraine.

A vote has not yet been scheduled by the Ukrainian parliament.

Ukraine’s ministry of defence claimed today that the country’s air defence shot down 52 out of 54 Iranian-made Shaheds drones overnight after Russia unleashed the largest drone attack on the capital since the start of the war ahead of Kyiv Day, killing one person.

The US and the EU have imposed sanctions against Iran for supplying Russia with drones.

400 Russian soldiers killed yesterday, Ukraine’s defence ministry claims

Sunday 28 May 2023 12:10 , Martha Mchardy

At least 400 Russian soldiers were killed yesterday, Ukraine’s ministry of defence has claimed.

In a daily update posted on Twitter, Ukraine’s MOD claimed 206,600 Russian troops have been killed since the war in Ukraine began.

The Ukrainian defence ministry also said it destroyed three drones and three tanks yesterday.

The claims have not been independently verified. Neither Russia nor Ukraine publishes its combat death toll.

South Africa to investigate U.S. allegations of arms shipment to Russia

Sunday 28 May 2023 10:55 , Martha Mchardy

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a panel to investigate U.S. allegations that a Russian ship had collected weapons from a naval base near Cape Town last year, the presidency said in a statement on Sunday.

The U.S. ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said on May 11 that he was confident that a Russian ship, which docked at a naval base in Simonstown in the Western Cape in December last year, took aboard weapons from South Africa. An allegation South Africa has since denied.

The allegations have caused a diplomatic row between the U.S., South Africa and Russia and called into question South Africa’s non-aligned position on the Ukraine conflict.

South Africa says it is impartial and has abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions on the war.

“The president decided to establish the enquiry because of the seriousness of the allegations, the extent of public interest and the impact of this matter on South Africa’s international relations,” said the statement.

The three-member panel will be chaired by Phineas Mojapelo, former deputy judge president of Gauteng province. The other two members are Advocate Leah Gcabashe, who was the former evidence leader for a state corruption inquiry that ended last year, and Enver Surty, former deputy minister of basic education. It will have six weeks to conduct its investigation.

The terms of reference for the panel include establishing who was aware of the cargo ship’s arrival, the contents that were loaded and off-loaded and “whether constitutional, legal or other obligations were complied with in relation to the cargo ship’s arrival.”

The president is expected to receive a final report within two weeks of the investigation concluding.

Dnipro health clinic missile attack death toll rises to four, city’s governor says

Sunday 28 May 2023 10:50 , Martha Mchardy

The death toll after a missile attack on a health clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro has risen to four, the city’s governor has said.

Initial reports said two people had died in that attack this week, while 30 people were injured, including two children.

In a post on Telegram, Dnipro governor Serhiy Lysak said the death toll had risen to four after “body fragments” were found at the scene.

“In total, the attack took the lives of four people. Sincere condolences to the relatives,” he said.

“No forgiveness for the aggressor for his terrible crimes. The guilty will answer.”

Among the victims are a 56-year-old doctor, a 64-year-old member of staff at the clinic and a 57-year-old employee from a nearby vet clinic, the governor said.

Ukraine‘s Defence Ministry called the attack a serious war crime under the Geneva Conventions, which set out how soldiers and civilians should be treated in war.

Moscow has dismissed allegations that its soldiers have committed war crimes and denies deliberately targeting civilians although it has bombarded cities across Ukraine since invading 15 months ago.

Mercenary Prigozhin says Kremlin blanking him on state media will provoke backlash

Sunday 28 May 2023 10:42 , Martha Mchardy

Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Sunday he was convinced that senior Kremlin officials had banned reporting about him on state media, cautioning that such a misleading approach would lead to a backlash from the Russian people within months.

Asked about what appeared to be a ban on coverage of him on state media, Prigozhin used a series of Russian proverbs to poke fun at those responsible: “What is forbidden is always sweeter.”

“Wagner is not a piece of slippery soap which the bureaucrats have got used to shoving all over the place; Wagner is an awl, a stiletto that you cannot hide,” Prigozhin said. “I am absolutely convinced they have forbidden (coverage).”

Yevgeny Prigozhin (AP)
Yevgeny Prigozhin (AP)

“That high-level bureaucrats, those very towers of the Kremlin, are trying to shut the mouths of everyone so that they don’t speak about Wagner will only give another shove to the people.”

Such an approach, he said, would provoke a backlash from the Russian people.

“In the long term - long term is two or three months - they will receive a finger-slap from the people for trying to shut everyone’s mouths and ears,” Prigozhin said.

The Kremlin and the defence ministry have ignored Prigozhin’s outbursts, which appear to break the rules of the tightly controlled political system crafted by Putin since he won the top job in the Kremlin on the last day of 1999.

The Kremlin, which did not respond to a request for comment, says all the aims of the “special military operation” in Ukraine will be achieved despite what it says is a proxy-war being waged by the West against it.

UK's Russian ambassador warns Russia not acting 'seriously' yet in Ukraine

Sunday 28 May 2023 10:33 , Martha Mchardy

The Russian ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin has claimed that Russia has not yet started acting “seriously” in Ukraine.

In an interview on the BBC’s Kuenssberg show, Kelin said Russia is “yet to act very seriously” in Ukraine, and warned Russia has “enormous resources” to fight.

Ambassador Kelin also warned of a “new dimension” in the Russia-Ukraine war. He said: “It is a big idealistic mistake to think that Ukraine will prevail. Russia is 16 times bigger than Ukraine. We have enormous resources and we haven’t just started yet to act very seriously.

“We are just defending the lands which are under control and assisting Russian people over there. We are rebuilding the Donbas.

“It depends on the escalation of war that is taking place. Sooner or later this escalation might have a new dimension that we do not need and we do not want. We can make peace tomorrow, if Ukrainian side will be prepared to negotiate but there is no preconditions for that.

“The German defence minister said if we stop supplying weapons to Ukraine, it will stop the day after tomorrow,” he said and laughs, saying he is right.

“If supplies of weapons will be stopped, it will be stopped the day after tomorrow. Please, stop it.”

Ambassador Kelin’s claims of “enormous resources” come after reports that Russian forces on the ground are poorly equipped and without proper training.

Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin last week launched a scathing attack on Vladimir Putin’s war strategy. He said Russia could lose the war in Ukraine, warning he “hardly believes” Russia can hold on to the territory it has claimed to control.

Elsewhere in the interview, Kelin said he disagrees with Prigozhin’s claim that there is a chance of “losing Russia”.

More pictures emerge from Kyiv as Russia unleashes drone strikes on capital

Sunday 28 May 2023 09:46 , Martha Mchardy

Rescuer putting out a fire in a building as a result of falling debris after a massive drone attack mainly targeting Kyiv (State Emergency Service of Ukraine)
Rescuer putting out a fire in a building as a result of falling debris after a massive drone attack mainly targeting Kyiv (State Emergency Service of Ukraine)
Rescuers work at a site of a building damaged during a Russian suicide drone strike (REUTERS)
Rescuers work at a site of a building damaged during a Russian suicide drone strike (REUTERS)
Firefighters work at a site of a tobacco factory damaged during Russian suicide drone strike (REUTERS)
Firefighters work at a site of a tobacco factory damaged during Russian suicide drone strike (REUTERS)

Request made for six day work week for Russians to support war effort, MoD says

Sunday 28 May 2023 09:23 , Martha Mchardy

A request has been made by Russian state-backed media and business groups to the Kremlin for a six-day work week for Russians to support the war effort, the UK Ministry of Defence has said.

In an intelligence update posted on Twitter, the MoD said Russians are being mandated to “actively make sacrifices in support of the war effort.”

Russian state-backed media and business groups have petitioned the Economic Ministry to authorise a six-day week for workers “in the face of the economic demands of the war,” the MoD said.

The six-day work week will not include additional pay, according to the UK defence ministry.

The update pointed to leading Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan, who said citizens should work for two extra hours in munitions factories each day in addition to their regular jobs.

“The evolving tone of the conversations clearly echoes a Soviet-style sense of societal compulsion,” the MoD said.

In pictures: Russia unleashes drone strikes on Kyiv

Sunday 28 May 2023 08:00 , Namita Singh

An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine 28 May 2023 (Reuters)
An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine 28 May 2023 (Reuters)
A firefighter works at a site of a tobacco factory damaged during Russian suicide drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine 28 May 2023 (Reuters)
A firefighter works at a site of a tobacco factory damaged during Russian suicide drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine 28 May 2023 (Reuters)
Firefighters work at a site of a tobacco factory damaged during Russian suicide drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine 28 May 2023 (Reuters)
Firefighters work at a site of a tobacco factory damaged during Russian suicide drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine 28 May 2023 (Reuters)
A firefighter works at a site of a tobacco factory damaged during Russian suicide drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine 28 May 2023 (Reuters)
A firefighter works at a site of a tobacco factory damaged during Russian suicide drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine 28 May 2023 (Reuters)

Russia thwarts drone attack on Krasnodar oil refinery

Sunday 28 May 2023 07:00 , Namita Singh

Russia’s air defence systems destroyed several drones as they approached the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region near the Black Sea, local officials said on Sunday.

“Several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) tried to approach the territory of the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar Krai,” the region’s emergency officials said on the Telegram messaging channel.

“All of them were neutralized, the infrastructure of the plant was not damaged.”

The officials did not say who launched the attack. Reuters was not able to independently verify the report.

On Saturday, Moscow said that Ukraine had struck oil pipeline installations deep inside Russia. Kyiv almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia and on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.

The Ilsky refinery, near the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, has a processing capacity of around 6.6 million tonnes per year. It has been attacked several times this month.

Russia unleashes 'largest' drone attack on Ukrainian capital ahead of Kyiv Day

Sunday 28 May 2023 06:53 , Namita Singh

Russia unleashed multiple waves of air strikes on Kyiv overnight in what officials said appeared to be the largest drone attack on the city since the start of the war, as the Ukrainian capital prepared to celebrate the anniversary of its founding on Sunday.

In what also appeared to be the first deadly attack on Kyiv in May and the 14th assault since the start of the month, officials said air defence systems downed at least 40 drones moving towards Kyiv with falling debris killing one person.

The pre-dawn attacks came on the last Sunday of May when the capital celebrates Kyiv Day, the anniversary of its official founding 1,541 years ago. The day is typically marked by street fairs, live concerts and special museum exhibitions - plans for which have been made this year too, but on a smaller scale.

Rescuers work at a site of a building damaged during a Russian suicide drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine 28 May 2023 (Reuters)
Rescuers work at a site of a building damaged during a Russian suicide drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine 28 May 2023 (Reuters)

“The history of Ukraine is a long-standing irritant for the insecure Russians,” Andriy Yermak, the head of president Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, said on his Telegram channel.

Preliminary information indicated the air raid was the largest drone attack on Kyiv since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration said. Russia used the Iranian-made Shahed drones in the attack, he added.

Reuters was not able to independently verify that information.

“Today, the enemy decided to ‘congratulate’ the people of Kyiv on Kyiv Day with the help of their deadly UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles),” Popko said on the Telegram messaging app.

“The attack was carried out in several waves, and the air alert lasted more than five hours.”

Putin orders stronger Russian border security

Sunday 28 May 2023 06:00 , Namita Singh

President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered stronger border security to ensure “fast” Russian military and civilian movement into Ukrainian regions now under Moscow control.

Speaking in a congratulatory message to the border service, a branch of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), on their Border Guard Day holiday, Mr Putin said their task was to “reliably cover” the lines in the vicinity of the combat zone.

Attacks inside Russia have been growing in intensity in recent weeks, chiefly with drone strikes on regions along the border but increasingly deep into the country as well, including on an oil pipeline northwest of Moscow on Saturday.

Russian president Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link in Moscow, Russia 26 May 2023 (Reuters)
Russian president Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link in Moscow, Russia 26 May 2023 (Reuters)

“It is necessary to ensure the fast movement of both military and civilian vehicles and cargo, including food, humanitarian aid building materials sent to the new subjects of the (Russian) Federation,” Mr Putin said in a message posted on the Kremlin’s Telegram channel.

Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk are the four regions in Ukraine that Mr Putin proclaimed annexed last September following what Kyiv said were sham referendums. Russian forces only partly control the four regions.

On Saturday, officials said three people were injured in Ukrainian shelling in Belgorod, a region that was the target of pro-Ukrainian fighters this week that sparked doubts about Russia’s defence and military capabilities.

More than 40 Russia-launched drones downed in Kyiv's airspace

Sunday 28 May 2023 05:04 , Namita Singh

More than 40 drones launched by Russia overnight were downed in Kyiv’s airspace, the capital’s military administration officials said on Sunday on its Telegram messaging channel.

Russia warns of escalation to war if UK keeps supplying weapons to Ukraine

Sunday 28 May 2023 04:32 , Namita Singh

Russia’s ambassador to the UK has warned of an escalation to the war in Ukraine as Britain and other Western allies commit more weapons to president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Andrei Kelin said the actions of Nato countries, “especially” the UK, risk lengthening and triggering a “new dimension” in the war.

He said Russia had “enormous resources” and despite the war already raging for over a year, he claimed his country had not yet started to “act very seriously”.

A Ukrainian soldier sits in a trench at the frontline near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, 26 May 2023 (AP)
A Ukrainian soldier sits in a trench at the frontline near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, 26 May 2023 (AP)

Mr Kelin said: “Russia is 16 times bigger than Ukraine. We have enormous resources.

“Sooner or later, of course, this escalation may get a new dimension which we do not need and we do not want. We can make peace tomorrow.”

When asked about widespread mounting evidence of Russia’s war crimes, the ambassador said Ukraine was the one committing war crimes.

He then changed tack and said the UN had no power to investigate war crimes.