Ukraine-Russia war: Russian forces 'destroy two British-made howitzers' in eastern Ukraine

Russian troops claim they have destroyed two British-made howitzers that were being used by Ukraine's forces in Donetsk.

Alexander Gordeyev, a Russian military spokesman, said a "Lancet loitering munition destroyed an enemy’s UK-made L119 howitzer in the area of Shevchenko."

The Lancet loitering munition is one of Russia's most sophisticated weapons. It is a small drone capable of being used for reconnaissance or attack missions and has a range of up to 25 miles.

The Russian army aims to capture the entire Donetsk region, half of which it currently occupies.

05:25 PM

Today's top stories

• All major TV news channels and newspapers wiped out their usual schedules to cover the Coronation live on Saturday

• Prominent nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin was seriously wounded in a car bombing that killed his driver on Saturday

• Ukrainian servicemen of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade Edelweiss fire a D-30 howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in a front line in Donetsk

• Chechen troops will reportedly take over for Wagner PMC in Bakhmut when the mercenary group withdraws on May 10

• Ukrainian prisoners of war pose for a picture after a swap, at an unknown location in the country

• The chief of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner asked Moscow to let him hand over his positions in the hotspot city of Bakhmut to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov

• Claims that Russian troops had turned off all the power units at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant are false, an energy has company has said

• Ukraine's air force claimed today to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly acquired American Patriot defense systems – the first known time the country has been able to intercept one of Moscow's most modern missiles

• Ukraine has sent its first lady Olena Zelenska and Denys Shmyhal, the prime minister, to London for King Charles' Coronation today

• Russia has set Bakhmut ablaze with incendiary weapons just hours after the boss of the Wagner mercenary group announced his forces could soon withdraw

05:09 PM

Republican France is captivated by the Coronation of King Charles III, writes James Allen in Paris

All major TV news channels and newspapers wiped out their usual schedules to cover the Coronation live on Saturday.

France’s main TV news channels all announced they TF1 – France’s national broadcaster – sent its star presenters to London.

Philip Corbé, editorial director of BFM, the 24-hour news channel, said his team in London was supported by ‘experts in Royalty and experts in international politics’.

Papers including Le Parisien – the leading tabloid in the French capital – put the story on their front page, and also produced special supplements.

“Let the Party Begin!” was the front page headline on Le Parisien, while Ouest France (West France) – the biggest provincial paper in the country – led with: “The United Kingdom is ready for the coronation of its King Charles III”.

There were garden and street parties planned across France, with the most prestigious at the British Embassy in Paris.

Dame Menna Rawlings, British Ambassador to France, said guests would include members of the expat community in France and French dignitaries.

Parties in other parts of France included one planned by the British Association of the Côte d’Opale, the coastal region of northeast France.

04:57 PM

Prominent Russian nationalist narrowly survives car bombing

Prominent nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin was seriously wounded in a car bombing that killed his driver on Saturday.

Mr Prilepin’s car reportedly exploded when he returned to it after stopping to eat in the city of Nizny Novgorod, about 250 miles east of Moscow.

The writer, who recently called for a "cultural purge" of anti-war artists, was sent to hospital with two broken legs but is said to be in recovery. He was travelling with his family at the time.

A spokesman for the Russian government said a suspect had been arrested and the Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a terrorism inquiry.

Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, blamed the incident on Britain and the US owing to their support for the Ukrainians in the war.

04:20 PM

In Pictures: Ukrainian servicemen fire a howitzer near Soledar

Ukrainian servicemen of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade Edelweiss fire a D-30 howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in a front line in Donetsk.

04:06 PM

Chechen troops 'to replace Wagner' in Bakhmut

Chechen troops will reportedly take over for Wagner PMC in Bakhmut when the mercenary group withdraws on May 10.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said that Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya’s leader will step in as his troops are fatigued.

Mr Prigozhin said: “I am contacting (Kadyrov’s) representatives to start transferring positions (to Kadyrov's troops) immediately so that on May 10, at 12 a.m., exactly at the moment when we estimate that we will have fully exhausted our combat potential, our comrades-in-arms could take our places and continue the assault on Bakhmut.”

The announcement comes shortly after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of mercenary group Wagner, threatened to withdraw troops from Bakhmut if the Russian president did not provide ammunition and resources.

Mr Prigozhin posted a video walking among his dead fighters' bodies and blaming the Russian government for not providing enough ammunition.

03:43 PM

In Pictures: Prisoners of war are released in a swap

Ukrainian prisoners of war pose for a picture after a swap, at an unknown location in the country.

02:56 PM

'No-change' in Zaporizhzhia power plant, says energy firm

Claims that Russian troops had turned off all the power units at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant are false, an energy has company has said.

Energy company Energoatom released a statement today discrediting the "propaganda" amid reports of "hysteria" in the region.

A Telegram post allegedly by Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, said that Russian troops had switched off the power and were likely preparing to blame the move on the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Vladimir Putin’s forces have been evacuating residents from the occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia, fuelling concerns there could be a full-scale attack.

Energoatom said: “The statements by pro-Russian propagandist media resources about the full shutdown of Zaporizhzhia NPP contradict the reality. There have been no changes in the plant’s performance."

02:43 PM

Ukraine downs Russian hypersonic missile with US Patriot

Ukraine's air force claimed today to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly acquired American Patriot defense systems – the first known time the country has been able to intercept one of Moscow's most modern missiles.

Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said in a Telegram post that the Kinzhal-type ballistic missile had been intercepted in an overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital earlier in the week. It was also the first time Ukraine is known to have used the Patriot defense systems.

“Yes, we shot down the ‘unique’ Kinzhal,” Mr Oleshchuk wrote. “It happened during the night time attack on May 4 in the skies of the Kyiv region.”

Mr Oleshchuk said the Kh-47 missile was launched by a MiG-31K aircraft from the Russian territory and was shot down with a Patriot missile.

01:37 PM

Ukraine's first lady celebrates the Coronation

Ukraine has sent its first lady Olena Zelenska and Denys Shmyhal, the prime minister, to London for King Charles' Coronation today.

01:32 PM

Russia fire-bombs Bakhmut after mercenary boss threatens to withdraw

Russia has set Bakhmut ablaze with incendiary weapons just hours after the boss of the Wagner mercenary group announced his forces could soon withdraw.

Videos filmed by a Ukrainian drone operator showed the city wreathed in flames, as bright incendiary munitions rained down from the sky.

Another video showed a person cowering as they filmed the flames raining down over the city in eastern Ukraine.

It came after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, threatened yesterday to withdraw his forces on May 10 because of ammunition shortages.

01:06 PM

Zaporizhzhia hit by over 100 strikes

Zaporizhzhia has suffered a wave of Russian missile attacks today that have targeted heavily populated areas, according to Ukraine's national police force.

Russians have fired over 100 strikes on the cities Zaporizhzhia, Vasylivskyi and Pologivskyi districts using anti-aircraft missiles and shelling.

Three civilians have been injured.

Vladimir Putin's forces yesterday launched a rocket attack on Zaporizhzhia which destroyed residential areas in the city.

12:12 PM

In Pictures: Russia's defence minister reviews military kit after Wagner accusations

12:02 PM

Three injured in heavy shelling in Nikopol

Three people have been injured after Russian forces fired multiple rocket launchers at Nikopol today.

More than four dozen shells have been fired against the city with many targeting an industrial area, according to the governor if Dnipro Serhii Lysak.

The victims are workers aged 48, 50, and 58, he added.

Nikopol – located across the Dnipro River from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – has been subjected to continuous shelling.

11:29 AM

No-reply from Putin over UN's grain proposal

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has not yet responded to proposals from the United Nations (UN) on the Black Sea grain deal, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today.

The situation around the deal was "not improving for now", Russian media reported.

In April, the UN chief asked Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to deliver to Putin a letter proposing a "way forward aimed at the improvement, extension and expansion" of the deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain.

The pace of grain shipments from Ukraine under a UN-backed initiative has slowed as concerns grow over ships getting stuck if a deal is not renewed later this month.

10:35 AM

Russian nationalist writer Prilepin wounded in car bombing

A prominent Russian nationalist writer and politician was injured in a car bombing in Russia today.

Zakhar Prilepin, 47,  the former leader of For Truth and award-winning fiction writer, was reportedly wounded in an explosion in the city of Nizhny Novgorod.

The Russian Investigative Committee said Mr Prilepin was "travelling with his family" at the time of the blast.

Russian state-run agencies cited sources in the emergency service saying the writer suffered injuries on his legs.

One other person was killed in the explosion.

Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, blamed the West and Ukraine for the incident a Telegram post. She wrote that "Washington and NATO fed another international terrorist cell - the Kyiv regime," adding that the blast was the "direct responsibility of the United States and Britain."

10:26 AM

Moscow 'likely to celebrate Victory Day'

A small Victory Day celebration will be held in Moscow despite most cities across Russia cancelling the event.

Six regions including the Russian-occupied Crimea and 21 cities have cancelled their parades that are usually held to mark the Soviet Union's victory against Nazi Germany in 1945.

Fears in Russian leadership over security led to the decision after a drone hit the president Vladimir Putin’s residence this week, according to the Ministry of Defence latest intelligence briefing.

"Russia’s increasing vulnerability to such attacks and has almost certainly raised the threat perception of the Russian leadership over the Victory Day events," it said.

09:54 AM

Poland to call for EU sanctions on imports of Russian farm products

Poland will demand European Union sanctions on imports of Russian farm products.

Andrzej Sados, Poland's ambassador to the EU, said: "Europe isn't threatened by disruptions in supply chain of farm products now, contrary, we have a problem of surpluses. We are resolving a problem of increased imports of farm products from Ukraine."

The European Commission earlier this week set restrictions until June 5 on imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed to ease the excess supply of these commodities in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last year, the EU has adopted 10 sanctions packages against Russian individuals and companies.

Poland in April proposed a new set of punitive measures against Moscow, including a ban on pipeline oil and diamond imports.

09:48 AM

Germany and Denmark to send 80 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine

Germany and Denmark are to transfer a batch of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine along with ammunition and spare parts for quick fixes during battle.

The first tanks will be ready for use by June 1, Troels Lund Poulsen, the minister for economic affairs of Denmark told Radio Poland.

"The delivery, the first batch of which will be made now, is very large," Mr Poulsen said. "In addition to the tanks, spare parts and ammunition will also be handed over."

Denmark's Leopard I tanks were reportedly decommissioned in 2005 and replaced by the more modern Leopard II model.

Since then, they have been in storage.

09:24 AM

Ukraine strikes kinzhal missile for first time

09:16 AM

Zelensky to address Switzerland as neutrality ban paused

Switzerland's parliament has approved a request from Ukrainian authorities for Volodymyr Zelensky to address it.

The invitation, announced in a statement late on Friday, comes amid pressure on Switzerland's government to break with a centuries-old tradition of neutrality and end a ban of exports of Swiss weapons to conflict zones such as Ukraine.

So far, the government has refused to change this policy.

The subject of the Ukrainian president's address, which will be the first by video by a foreign leader to the legislature, is unknown. It is scheduled for the summer session beginning on May 30.

During that session, lawmakers are also set to weigh a motion to provide 5 billion Swiss Francs (£4 billion) of support to Ukraine over 5-10 years.