Ukraine-Russia news – live: Minister ‘among 16 dead’ in helicopter crash near Kyiv nursery

A helicopter crash in a Kyiv suburb on Wednesday killed 16 people, including Ukraine’s interior minister and two children, according to Ihor Klymenko, chief of Ukraine’s National Police.

Nine of those killed were aboard the emergency services helicopter that crashed in Brovary, Kyiv’s eastern suburb, Mr Klymenko said.

A total of 22 people were injured, including 10 children. Earlier, officials and media reports said the helicopter crashed near a kindergarten.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is inching closer to securing approval for German-made Leopard 2 tanks. British defence secretary Ben Wallace is set to meet his counterparts from the Baltic countries to build more pressure on Berlin to send the heavy war vehicles to Kyiv.

This comes amid fears of officials in Kyiv that Vladimir Putin could order his troops to make a final “final push” on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Key Points

• Helicopter crashes near Bovary nursery

• Ukraine closer to securing German modern battle tanks

• Putin preparing ‘major’ overhaul of army following series of setbacks

• Ukraine defending Bakhmut’s outskirts against Russian attacks - MoD

• Ukraine’s military Patriot training will take 10 weeks - official

Helicopter crashes near Ukraine nursery

07:34 , Matt Mathers

A helicopter crashed near a nursery and a residential building in the town of Brovary outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Wednesday, and there were casualties, the local governor said.

"At the time of the tragedy, children and staff of the institution were in the kindergarten. Everyone has now been evacuated," Kyiv region governor Oleksiy Kuleba wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Update: Two children among 16 people killed in helicopter crash near Kyiv

08:37 , Matt Mathers

A helicopter crash in a Kyiv suburb Wednesday killed 16 people, including Ukraine’s interior minister and two children, according to Ihor Klymenko, chief of Ukraine’s National Police.

Nine of those killed were aboard the emergency services helicopter that crashed in Brovary, Kyiv’s eastern suburb, Klymenko said.

A total of 22 people were injured, including 10 children. Earlier, officials and media reports said the helicopter crashed near a kindergarten.

US sent Israel-stored munitions to Ukraine - New York Times

08:08 , Matt Mathers

The United States sent a munitions stockpile stored in Israel to Ukraine for use in the war against Russia, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, saying the decision was made last year when Washington’s Middle East ally was under a centrist premier.

An Israeli official confirmed the report to Reuters, saying that then-prime minister Yair Lapid approved the transfer although the United States does not formally need such consent.

While it has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Israel has limited its assistance to Kyiv to humanitarian aid and protective gear, while ruling out a direct weapons supply.

The Israelis want to maintain a coordination hotline with Russia, set up in 2015, over their military strikes on suspected Iranian targets in Syria, where Moscow has a garrison. They are also mindful of the welfare of Russia’s big Jewish community.

The Israeli official did not know if any further such U.S. arms transfers from Israel were expected under conservative prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who took office on 29 December and who, during previous terms, had cultivated a personal rapport with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president.

The US Embassy in Israel had no immediate comment on the New York Times report. Ukrainian ambassador Yevgen Korniychuk told Reuters by phone that he had "no idea" if the report was true. The Russian embassy declined comment.

Ukraine's military Patriot training will take 10 weeks - defence minister

07:08 , Matt Mathers

The training of Ukrainian officers to operate the Patriot advanced long-range air defence system will last 10 weeks, Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Tuesday.

The United States, Germany and the Netherlands have pledged to send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine to repel a barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks.

"There is a decision that our officers will be trained in 10 weeks. Such obligations were undertaken by the American partners," Reznikov said, in remarks published on Ukraine’s state Military Media Center Telegram messaging app.

Cleverly and Blinken reaffirm support for Ukraine after Washington talks

06:59 , PA

Britain and the US have reaffirmed their support for Ukraine in its struggle against the Russian invasion.

After talks at the State Department in Washington with foreign secretary James Cleverly, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said they remained committed to backing Ukraine “for as long as it takes”.

Mr Blinken welcomed Rishi Suank’s decision to supply British Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine and said he expected the US would be announcing further assistance in the coming days.

“We have continuously provided what Ukraine needs and we are doing it in a way that makes sure we are responsive to what is actually happening on the battlefield as well as projecting where it might go,” he said.

“We are determined to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to succeed on the battlefield.”

Mr Cleverly said the US and UK have worked “hand in glove” - along with other allies - to support Ukraine since the start of the conflict.

“Never in living memory has Russia been more isolated and the Atlantic alliance more united,” he said. “If Putin believed that the world would succumb to Ukraine fatigue and lose the will to resist his ambitions then that was once again another colossal misjudgment on his part.”

Ukraine defending Bakhmut’s outskirts against Russian attacks - MoD

06:39 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian forces have likely established new defensive lines to the west, the British defence ministry said today.

“By the end of 16 January [Monday], Ukrainian forces had highly likely withdrawn from the Donbas town of Soledar, leaving Russian military and Wagner Group proxy forces in control,” the ministry said.

It added: “Russia’s advance on Soledar primarily consisted of Wagner forces and was a supporting operation aimed to enable the eventual envelopment of the larger settlement of Bakhmut. One of Ukraine’s two main supply routes into Bakhmut is now under increasing pressure.”

The British defence ministry pointed to imagery showing that since the start of January 2023, the south and east of Bakhmut has continued to be subjected to intense artillery bombardment.

Ukrainian forces almost certainly continue to defend against Russian forces on the outskirts of the city, the MoD said.

Ukraine’s military Patriot training will take 10 weeks - official

06:01 , Arpan Rai

The training of Ukrainian forces to operate the Patriot advanced long-range air defence system will last 10 weeks, Ukraine‘s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov has said.

“There is a decision that our officers will be trained in 10 weeks. Such obligations were undertaken by the American partners,” Reznikov said, in remarks published on Ukraine‘s state Military Media Center Telegram messaging app.

The United States, Germany and the Netherlands have pledged to send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine to repel a barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks.

Ukraine father killed in Dniprorocket attack after recently celebrating daughter’s birthday

06:01 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine closer to securing German modern battle tanks

05:34 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine is a step closer to winning approval for German-made modern battle tanks to confront invading Russian forces and has secured a pledge of more Patriot defence missiles as its allies appear ready to rally for the next phase of the war.

Germany’s Leopard 2 tank, operated by armies in about 20 countries, is regarded as one of the West’s best. The tank weighs more than 60 tons, has a 120mm smoothbore gun and can hit targets at a distance of up to five km.

Ukraine, which has relied mainly on Soviet-era T-72 tank variants, says the new tanks would give its ground troops more mobility and protection ahead of a broadly expected fresh Russian offensive as well as help re-take some of its territory.

More than 14,000 Ukrainian children abducted - official

05:09 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia of abducting almost 14,000 children in Ukraine during the war, the presidential adviser Daria Herasymchuk said.

The presidential advisor for children’s rights and rehabilitation said that only 125 children, who were illegally deported to Russia, have been returned to Ukraine, as of yesterday.

Russian troops have killed 456 children and injured 897 since the beginning of Russian invasion of Ukraine, the official said.

Western allies to meet at German airbase this week

04:59 , Andy Gregory

Western allies are scheduled to meet at the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday to pledge military support for Ukraine, with a focus on the proposal to provide battle tanks, reports my colleague Chris Stevenson.

German-made Leopard tanks, held by armies across Europe, are seen as the most likely option to be sent in large numbers, but Berlin has been reticent to provide the approval required.

That decision now sits with Germany’s new defence minister, Boris Pistorius, who has been chosen to replace Christine Lambrecht, who quit after a number of recent missteps.

Ukraine father killed in rocket attack during daughter’s birthday party

04:33 , Arpan Rai

A Ukrainian father was killed during a rocket attack while celebrating his daughter’s birthday.

Boxing coach Mikhailo Korenovsky, 39, died when a missile struck the building where he lived with his family, in the city of Dnipro on Saturday.

Photos of the top floor apartment show how an entire side was blown off, revealing the family’s yellow kitchen inside.

Father celebrating daughter’s birthday killed in rocket attack as home devastated

Ukraine’s top general lays out the ‘urgent’ military needs to fight Russia – as nations pledge more support

03:55 , Chris Stevenson

Ukraine’s top general has laid out the “urgent needs” of his armed forces in a first face-to-face meeting with his US counterpart, with Kyiv hopeful of securing the tanks that it believes are needed to drive back Russian forces.

“I outlined the urgent needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the fulfilment of which will accelerate our victory,” General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi wrote in a statement on Telegram following the meeting in Poland with the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, General Mark Milley.

Ukraine’s top general lays out ‘urgent needs’ to fight Russia’s forces

Zelensky’s adviser quits after ‘fundamental error’ remark on Dnipro missile attack

03:49 , Arpan Rai

An adviser reporting to Volodymyr Zelensky has tendered his resignation after causing a public outcry by suggesting a missile that hit the apartment block had been shot down by Ukraine.

Hours after the missile strike, Oleksiy Arestovych initially said it appeared that the Russian missile had fallen on the building after being shot down by Ukrainian air defences. Moscow often blames Ukraine’s air defences for missile strikes.

On Tuesday morning, Mr Arestovych, a presidential adviser to Mr Zelensky, posted a photograph of a letter of resignation and acknowledged making a “fundamental error”.

“I offer my sincere apologies to the victims and their relatives, the residents of Dnipro and everyone who was deeply hurt by my prematurely erroneous version of the reason for the Russian missile striking a residential building,” he wrote.

Ukraine’s top general lays out ‘urgent’ military needs to fight Russia

03:40 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s top general has laid out the “urgent needs” of his armed forces in a first face-to-face meeting with his US counterpart, with Kyiv hopeful of securing the tanks that it believes are needed to drive back Russian forces.

“I outlined the urgent needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the fulfilment of which will accelerate our victory,” General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi wrote in a statement on Telegram following the meeting in Poland with the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, General Mark Milley.

Read the full story here:

Ukraine’s top general lays out ‘urgent needs’ to fight Russia’s forces

US and UK vow to maintain support for Ukraine ‘for as long as it takes’

03:23 , Arpan Rai

The United States has signalled that it is ready to further step up its military assistance for Ukraine as Britain and American vowed to maintain their support in the struggle against Russia “for as long as it takes”.

Following talks in Washington with foreign secretary James Cleverly, US secretary of state Antony Blinken welcomed the UK’s decision to supply Kyiv with British Army Challenger 2 main battle tanks.

He indicated that the US would be making further announcements in the coming days, with defence secretary Lloyd Austin due to host talks with key allies in Ramstein in Germany later this week.

Read the full story here:

US and UK vow to maintain support for Ukraine ‘for as long as it takes’

Mourners in Dnipro leave cuddly toys at makeshift memorial after apartment attack

02:47 , Andy Gregory

Mourners in Dnipro have left flowers and cuddly toys at a makeshift memorial near the apartment block where dozens of civilians were killed during a wave of Russian missile attacks on Saturday.

Hundreds of mourners bade farewell to boxing coach Mykhailo Korenovskyi, killed in a strike, while footage showed the kitchen of his apartment, decorated in bright yellow colours, now exposed to the air after the external wall was torn off.

Jailed Navalny vows to keep resisting the Kremlin as campaign launched to free him

01:56 , Andy Gregory

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has pledged to keep opposing the Kremlin, as his family and allies launched a campaign to free him exactly two years after he was arrested upon his return from Germany, where he was treated for poisoning with a deadly Soviet-era nerve agent.

“Our miserable, exhausted Motherland needs to be saved. It has been pillaged, wounded, dragged into an aggressive war, and turned into a prison run by the most unscrupulous and deceitful scoundrels,” Mr Navalny wrote on Twitter via his lawyers.

You can read the full report here:

Jailed Navalny vows to keep resisting the Kremlin as campaign launched to free him

Nato sending message to Putin with arms deliveries, says Cleverly

00:41 , Andy Gregory

Nato allies are conveying a clear message to Vladimir Putin by boosting their arms supplies to Ukraine, Britain’s foreign secretary James Cleverly has said.

“The message we’re sending to Putin ... is that we made a commitment to support Ukrainians until they are victorious,” Mr Cleverly told delegates at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Rutte discusses Patriot systems for Ukraine with Biden

Tuesday 17 January 2023 23:33 , Andy Gregory

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has spoken to US president Joe Biden of plans to offer Patriot missile defence systems to Ukraine, working alongside Germany and Washington to deliver support to Kyiv.

The two leaders held wide-ranging talks today, and Mr Rutte also spoke to Germany’s Olaf Scholz.

Mr Biden told Mr Rutte that he looked forward to discussing ways to strengthen the supply chain as he welcomed the prime minister to the White House, also thanking him for being “very very stalwart” in supporting for Ukraine.

Ukraine suffered more than 2,000 cyberattacks last year, says top official

Tuesday 17 January 2023 22:44 , Andy Gregory

The head of Ukraine’s information protection agency has blamed Russia for the bulk of more than 2,000 cyberattacks carried out against Kyiv last year – at a conference he claimed was itself delayed by a cyberattack.

Ukraine has been hit by 2,194 cyberattacks in 2022, with 1,655 of those coming after Moscow’s invasion, Yuriy Schygol told reporters.

Government institutions sustained 557 cyberattacks last year, he said, laying the blame for the bulk of the attacks at Moscow’s door.

“Essentially all hackers who work with Russia, most of them don’t even hide their affiliation – they are all funded by the FSB, are on military service, or are in the employ of those agencies,” he claimed.

Ukraine’s information chief blames cyberattack conference delay on cyberattack

Tuesday 17 January 2023 22:01 , Andy Gregory

A press conference discussing cyberattacks on Ukraine was delayed because of a Russian cyberattack, the head of Ukraine’s information protection service claimed.

Yuriy Schygol, head of Ukraine’s State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, told reporters that his livestreamed conference was forced to start 15 minutes late because of a Russian hack – though he did not elaborate or present evidence for his assertion.

“All that the Russian hackers could do was to delay the start of our briefing by 15 minutes,” he said.

Japan will roll out support for Kyiv at ‘appropriate time’, says White House

Tuesday 17 January 2023 21:28 , Andy Gregory

Japan is engaged deeply on issues in Ukraine and is expected to roll out plans at the “appropriate time” to support Kyiv against Russia’s invasion, the White House has said.

“Prime Minister Kishida has a game plan and is already engaged deeply on issues in Ukraine,” Washington’s Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Tuesday.

US president Joe Biden and Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida met last week when the latter was in Washington, on the last stop in a tour of the G7 industrial powers.

“I fully expect that at appropriate time Japan will be rolling out specific plans to support Ukraine in a variety of ways. They are active in many of the contact group discussions about support for Ukraine and they are just a key member,” Mr Campbell said, adding that Japan was “stepping up”.

19 people still missing in Dnipro

Tuesday 17 January 2023 19:41 , Lucy Skoulding

The death toll from the Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro has risen to 45.

A total of 19 people are still missing, according to Dnipropetrovsk’s governor, Valentyn Reznichenko.

The rocket attack hit a residential building in the city on Saturday, causing extensive damage and loss of life.

Photos from the scene have gone viral on social media, including one showing an almost entact kitchen where one wall has been blown off.

James Cleverly justifies supply of challenger tanks

Tuesday 17 January 2023 18:38 , Lucy Skoulding

UK foreign secretary James Cleverly has justified supplying Challenger tanks to Ukraine to bring the war to an end quickly.

“This war has been dragging on for a long time already. And now is the time to bring it to a conclusion,” he said to a Washington think tank.

He continued: “We should look to bring it to a conclusion quickly, the conclusion has to be Ukrainian victory. And that dictates therefore that we need to intensify our support at this point in time, while Russia has been on the back foot.”

Man says one-year-old grandson buried among rubble in Dnipro

Tuesday 17 January 2023 18:01 , Lucy Skoulding

Ukrainian journalist, Myroslava Petsa, has shared a video of a grandfather who said his grandson is buried in the destruction caused by a missile strike in Dnipro, south eastern Ukraine, on Saturday.

A Russian rocket attack hit a residential building. The death toll is currently at 45, including six children. 19 people are still missing and many more are injured.

In the video, the grandfather is crying and holding up a picture of his grandson, who is one.

“This little child is still lying under the rubble,” he says.

Ukraine father killed in rocket attack during daughter’s birthday party

Tuesday 17 January 2023 17:00 , Matt Mathers

A Ukrainian father was killed during a rocket attack while celebrating his daughter’s birthday.

Boxing coach Mikhailo Korenovsky, 39, died when a missile struck the building where he lived with his family, in the city of Dnipro on Saturday.

My colleague Lucy Skoulding reports:

Father celebrating daughter’s birthday killed in rocket attack as home devastated

Zelensky speaks with German president about defence

Tuesday 17 January 2023 16:30 , Matt Mathers

As we reported earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Germany’s president about defence.

We now have some more details on the discussions.

Zelensky thanked Germany on Tuesday for "new defence decisions" taken at the start of this year, and said he and Germany’s president had discussed "the necessity of increasing defence support" for Kyiv.

"Thank you for the comprehensive assistance ... that made our army stronger, for the financial support," Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app following a video call with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

"During the meeting in the format of a video conference ... we discussed the situation on the frontline, the necessity of increasing defence support for Ukraine, the diplomatic process on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula."

Ukraine troops arrive in US for training on missile defence system

Tuesday 17 January 2023 16:00 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian troops have arrived in the US for training on the Patriot missile system.

Soldiers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine were transported to Fort Sill in Oklahoma.

The Pentagon confirmed that around 90 to 100 troops would be part of the programme, which is expected to take several months.

“Once fielded, the Patriot… will contribute to Ukraine’s air defence capabilities, and provide another capability to the Ukrainian people to defend themselves against Russia’s ongoing aerial assaults,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said.

It comes after significant lobbying from Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine first lady to deliver letter to China on behalf of president

Tuesday 17 January 2023 15:40 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s first lady told the World Economic Forum on Tuesday she would deliver a letter to China’s delegation setting out President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposals for ending Russia’s war against his country.

China, like Russia a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, is an important partner for Moscow and has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In a speech urging delegates to do more to help end the war, Olena Zelenska said she planned to hand the letter to Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He - who spoke after her - for passing on to President Xi Jinping.

She said she also had letters for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Swiss President Alain Berset.

"Today I will give the colleagues participating in this part (of the forum) ‘formula letters’ from the president of Ukraine," she said in Ukrainian.

Jailed Navalny vows to keep resisting the Kremlin as campaign to free him launches

Tuesday 17 January 2023 15:08 , Matt Mathers

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Tuesday used the second anniversary of his incarceration to reinforce his promise to keep opposing the Kremlin, as his family and allies launched a campaign to free him.

Navalny, 46, was arrested exactly two years ago as he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had been treated for poisoning with a deadly Soviet-era nerve agent in what he and some Western nations said was a Russian state assassination attempt. The Kremlin denied involvement.

"Our miserable, exhausted Motherland needs to be saved. It has been pillaged, wounded, dragged into an aggressive war, and turned into a prison run by the most unscrupulous and deceitful scoundrels," Navalny wrote on Twitter via his lawyers.

"Any opposition to this gang - even if only symbolic in my current limited capacity - is important. I’m not going to surrender my country to them, and I believe that the darkness will eventually fade away."

Finland's Marin vows years of Ukraine support

Tuesday 17 January 2023 15:12 , Matt Mathers

Finland is prepared to support Ukraine in its war with Russia for as long as necessary, Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin said on Tuesday while speaking at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos.

"I think the only message that we need to send is that we will support Ukraine as long as needed. One year, two years, five years, 10 years, 15 years," Ms Marin said.

In 2022, the Finnish government spent some 300 million euros on support to Ukraine, around 190 million of it on buying defence equipment.

Putin could order ‘final push’ on anniversary of invasion, Ukraine officials fear

Tuesday 17 January 2023 14:30 , Matt Mathers

Vladimir Putin could order a “final push” on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, officials in Kyiv fear.

Oleskiy Danylov, secretary of Ukraine’s Security Council, made the comments on Tuesday as he urged Western countries to send more weapons.

"We must prepare for such events every day,” he said. “And we are preparing... The first and last question is always about weapons, aid to help us defeat this aggressor that invaded our country," Mr Danylov said.

Zelensky: Perpetrators of attack on apartment building will be ‘brought to justice’

Tuesday 17 January 2023 14:00 , Matt Mathers

The Russian soldiers responsible for the deaths of 44 Ukrainians killed when a missile hit an apartment block in Dnipro will be “brought to justice”, Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed.

In his overnight address on Monday, the Ukraine president said authorities will use “all available opportunities”  to find and prosecute the perpetrators of the attack.

“The Security Service of Ukraine has already started to gather information about those Russian military who prepared and carried out this strike,” Mr Zelensky said.

“There is no doubt: every person guilty of this war crime will be identified and brought to justice.”

Ukraine soldiers launch attacks from frontline in Donetsk region

Tuesday 17 January 2023 13:29 , Matt Mathers

Pictures show Ukrainian soldiers launching attacks on Russian targets from the frontline in Donetsk.

Ukrainian servicemen were photographed firing a Polish self-propelled howitzer Krab toward Russian positions on Tuesday.

Fierce fighting continues across several regions including Donetsk, where battles between the opposing sides have intensified in recent weeks.

Lunchtime re-cap

Tuesday 17 January 2023 13:00 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine came a step closer on Tuesday to winning the fleet of modern battle tanks it hopes could turn the course of the war against Russia, after the West’s big holdout Germany said this would be the first item on its new defence minister’s agenda.

CONFLICT

* The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group said on Tuesday that a French Foreign Legion soldier had been found dead in eastern Ukraine, and posted an image of what appeared to be his identity documents.

* A former commander of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group who fought in Ukraine said he has fled to Norway and is seeking asylum in fear for his life after witnessing the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners brought to the frontline.

* Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych tendered his resignation on Tuesday after a public outcry over comments he made suggesting a Russian missile that killed at least 41 people in the city of Dnipro had been shot down by Ukraine.

* Russia said on Tuesday that it would make "major changes" to its armed forces from 2023 to 2026, promising to shake up its military structure after months of setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine.

* Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region said on Tuesday they were in control of Soledar, repeating their earlier claim about the salt-mining town where intense fighting has taken place.

* NATO surveillance planes were due to arrive in Romania on Tuesday to bolster the military alliance’s eastern flank and help monitor Russian military activity.

* More than 9,000 civilians, including 453 children, have been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion last February, a senior Ukrainian presidential aide said on Tuesday.

DIPLOMACY

* Germany’s allies on Tuesday ramped up the pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to allow the supply of German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

* The Kremlin said on Tuesday that another meeting between President Vladimir Putin’s foreign spy chief and U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns would be useful but gave no indication when it might happen.

* The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said he hoped to make progress on a safe zone deal around the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia plant in Ukraine, but stressed it was a tough negotiation.

* Russia should halt its efforts to recruit Serbs to fight alongside its Wagner paramilitary group in Ukraine, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said.

* Russian and Belarusian flags have been banned from the Melbourne Park precinct during the Australian Open after a complaint from the Ukraine ambassador to the country.

Ukraine ends search for survivors in Dnipro, death toll hits 44

Tuesday 17 January 2023 12:17 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine called off search and rescue operations on Tuesday at the rubble of an apartment building in the eastern city of Dnipro where at least 44 people were killed in a Russian missile attack.

The State Emergency Service said 20 people were still unaccounted after Saturday’s attack and that the 44 confirmed dead included five children. Thirty-nine people had been rescued from the rubble and a total of 79 had been hurt, it said.

"At 1:00 p.m. on January 17, search and rescue operations in the city of Dnipro at the site of the rocket attack were completed," the emergency service wrote on the Telegram messaging app under a photograph from the scene.

The attack was the deadliest for civilians since the start a three-month Russian missile bombardment campaign. Regional authorities said on Tuesday the body of a child was among the last pulled out of the rubble.

Ukraine says the apartment building was struck by a Russian Kh-22 missile. Russia, which invaded Ukraine last February, said its wave of missile strikes on Saturday did not target any residential buildings.

Ukraine’s first lady pleads for global help to stop Russia

Tuesday 17 January 2023 11:46 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s first lady has called for international action to end Russian aggression during a rare international address at the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering in the Swiss town of Davos.

As the anniversary of the war in Ukraine nears, Olena Zelenska said parents are in tears watching doctors trying to save their children, farmers are afraid to go back to their fields filled with explosive mines, and that "we cannot allow a new Chernobyl to happen".

She criticised government leaders and corporate executives in a speech on Tuesday for not always using their influence enough.

With the war raising inflation and expanding food insecurity in developing nations, she called it "an insult to mankind and human nature to have mass starvation".

She said the war could expand beyond Ukraine’s borders and worsen the crises but "unity is what brings peace back".

Pistorius confirmed as German defence minister

Tuesday 17 January 2023 11:33 , Matt Mathers

Boris Pistorius has been confirmed as Germany’s new defence minister.

Christine Lambrecht resigned from the position on Monday, ahead of a conference on Friday at the US military base in Ramstein on Western plans to provide Kyiv with more arms.

Earlier, German economy minister Robert Habeck said the issue of sending tanks to Ukraine would be at the top of the agenda for whoever took over the defence brief.

Russian mercenary group chief says French soldier killed in Ukraine

Tuesday 17 January 2023 10:58 , Matt Mathers

The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group said on Tuesday that a French Foreign Legion soldier had been found dead in eastern Ukraine, and posted an image of what appeared to be his identity documents.

"Colleagues from the French Foreign Legion asked us to find Yevhenii Koulyk," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a post on Telegram. "We regret to inform you that a French Foreign Legion soldier has been found dead on DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) territory."

Russia says it has annexed Ukraine’s Donetsk province, proclaimed as the Donetsk People’s Republic in 2014 by separatists supported by Moscow, although Kyiv still controls a large part of the province.

The claim could not be independently verified.

Russia to make 'major changes' to armed forces from 2023 to 2026

Tuesday 17 January 2023 10:22 , Matt Mathers

Russia said on Tuesday that it would make "major changes" to its armed forces from 2023 to 2026, promising to shake up its military structure after months of setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine.

In addition to administrative reforms, the Defence Ministry said it would strengthen the combat capabilities of its naval, aerospace and strategic missile forces.

"Only by strengthening the key structural components of the Armed Forces is it possible to guarantee the military security of the state and protect new entities and critical facilities of the Russian Federation," defence minister Sergei Shoigu said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the changes had been made necessary by the "proxy war" being conducted in Ukraine by the West, which has been sending increasingly heavy weaponry to Ukraine to help it resist Russian forces.

The defence ministry, which has faced sharp domestic criticism for the ineffectiveness of its drive to take control of large tracts of Ukraine, vowed in December to boost its military personnel to 1.5 million.