Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin responds after Moscow hit with drone attack

Vladimir Putin has reacted after Moscow was hit with a drone attack for the first time since the war in Ukraine began.

The Russian president accused Ukraine, which has denied any involvement in the drone attack, of choosing the path of attempting “to intimidate Russia, Russian citizens and attacks on residential buildings”.

“This is clearly a sign of terrorist activity,” he said.

Drones hit several buildings in Moscow, forcing some people to evacuate their homes after Russia launched its third attack on Kyiv in 24 hours.

Two people sought medical assistance following the drone attack on the Russian capital, which president Putin has claimed was aimed at “civilian tragets”, but none were seriously injured, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

Moscow blamed Ukraine for the attack, which came after Russian air strikes hit Kyiv overnight in the third attack on the Ukrainian capital in 24 hours.

One person was killed and 11 were injured in the Kyiv strikes.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that its forces carried out strikes on Ukrainian “decision-making centres” in Ukraine.

Key Points

• Russia won’t negotiate while trying to win Ukraine war, says EU’s Borrell

• One killed and four injured in attacks on Kyiv

• Drones hit several buildings in Moscow – mayor

• Russia fires drones on Kyiv for third night in a row

• Russia deploys units in Bakhmut as Wagner pulls out

• US Patriots giving Ukraine 100% interception rate, says Zelensky

Moscow residents react following drone attack

15:33 , Martha Mchardy

Moscow residents have reacted following a drone attack on the city this morning.

“The Kyiv regime is already crossing all the lines,” Natalia, 59, told Reuters, referring to the Ukrainian government which Russia said was behind the drone attack on Moscow.

“This is very sad, especially since they are directing these drones at residential buildings, at the city, at civilians, where there are no military facilities.”

Meanwhile, Olga, who said she lived near to the site of one of the drone collisions on Profsoyuznaya Street, called the strikes “logical, to be expected ... what else were we waiting for?”

“Of course I am glad it didn’t fall on our house, just nearby”, Olga added. “I’m thinking about moving to a safer place.”

One middle-aged man, who declined to give his name, told Reuters in central Moscow: “You need to understand cause and effect, why everything is happening.

“I think that these attacks are due to only one thing: the fact that our ruler began waging a war.

“All of this is because of our ruler,” said the man. “It’s no surprise it’s bounced back to here.”

Putin claims Moscow drone attack 'attempt to scare and provoke Russia'

15:28 , Martha Mchardy

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Ukraine’s biggest ever drone strike on Moscow was an attempt to scare and provoke Russia, and air defences around the capital would be strengthened.

Russia said eight drones targeted civilian areas of Moscow and the Moscow region - with a population of over 21 million - in the early hours of Tuesday but were either shot down or diverted with special electronic jammers.

Putin cast the assault, which brought the 15-month war in Ukraine to the heart of Russia, as a terrorist response that came after Russia struck at Ukraine’s military intelligence headquarters several days ago.

Ukraine, Putin said, had chosen the path of attempting “to intimidate Russia, Russian citizens and attacks on residential buildings”.

“This is clearly a sign of terrorist activity,” he said.

Kyiv seeks guarantees Black Sea grain deal will work if it allows Russian ammonia transit

15:22 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine is seeking guarantees from Moscow and the U.N. that a deal on the safe export of Black Sea grain will work normally if Kyiv allows Russian ammonia to transit Ukrainian territory, a Ukrainian official said on Tuesday.

The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative between Moscow and Kyiv last July to help tackle a global food crisis aggravated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a leading global grain exporter.

Russia agreed to a two-month extension of the deal this month but has said the initiative will cease unless an agreement aimed at overcoming obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports is fulfilled.

The demands set out by Moscow include the resumption of the transit of ammonia from Russia via Ukrainian territory to Pivdennyi port in Odesa, from where it is exported. Transit of ammonia, an important part of nitrogen-based fertilisers, was halted via the pipeline after Russia’s invasion.

“We do not understand now - does the ammonia pipeline itself solve something or not? If it does not solve anything by itself, then there is no dialogue,” Yuriy Vaskov, Ukraine’s deputy renovation minister, told a grain conference.

“If it (ammonia) is a key issue, then they, the U.N., must clearly say that if the ammonia pipeline resumes working, then Ukraine will have such opportunities (to export grain in a normal way) and then our top political leadership will decide whether it is in our interests or not.”

The grain deal has not yet resumed full operations since it was extended, and no ships have been authorised to travel to Pivdennyi port since April 29, the U.N. said last week.

Russia’s demands to improve its grain and fertiliser exports include the reconnection of Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the SWIFT international payment system.

They also include the resumption of supplies of agricultural machinery and parts; a lifting of restrictions on insurance and reinsurance; and the unblocking of assets and accounts of Russian companies involved in food and fertiliser exports.

Ukrainian officials have said that since mid-April, Russia has “unreasonably restricted” the work of the Black Sea grain deal. Russia has denied this.

A senior government source told Reuters this month that Kyiv would consider allowing Russian ammonia to transit its territory for export on condition that the Black Sea grain deal is expanded to include more Ukrainian ports and a wider range of commodities.

Ukraine wants to make Danube canal deeper to expand grain export routes - Kyiv

15:12 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine wants to begin work to make its Danube shipping canal deeper as early as this year to expand its alternative routes to export grain, deputy minister of Renovation and Infrastructure Yuriy Vaskov said on Tuesday.

Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia last year, has already increased the depth of its southwestern Bystre Canal on the Danube River to 6.5 metres from 3.9 metres with the aim of increasing food exports from its river ports.

The push for alternative export routes has taken on urgency during the war after Russia blocked Ukraine’s traditional export route via the Black Sea and only a limited volume is shipped out under a deal mediated by Turkey and the United Nations.

Vaskov told a grain conference on Tuesday that the new depth of the Bystre Canal allowed ships to stop at Ukraine’s Danube ports, but that it was still not enough for loaded ships that have to use Romania’s Sulina Canal, which is deeper.

He said Ukraine would like to extend the depth to 7.2 metres, similar to the Romanian canal, and intended to hold talks with European Union officials on the matter in the near future.

Romania has said it is concerned that any work on the waterway through the shared Danube Delta area could threaten wildlife at the UNESCO World Heritage Site and break international environmental protection treaties.

Ukraine has been transporting grain on the Bystre Canal as it develops alternative routes for its exports.

A quarter of Ukraine’s agricultural exports currently pass through its Danube ports, while half exits via its Black Sea ports and another quarter traverses Ukraine’s western land border.

Kyiv woman died after ‘going out on balcony to watch drones being shot down,’ says Kyiv mayor

15:07 , Martha Mchardy

Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has said a woman died in Kyiv today after ‘going out on the balcony to watch drones being shot down.’

One woman died and 11 were injured after overnight Russian airstrikes on Kyiv.

The mayor said he had visited the 24-story building where the woman was killed.

Confirming the incident, he said: “The probability of air attacks is very high. Therefore, I urge the citizens of Kyiv not to neglect their own safety, not to ignore the alarm signals!

“And do not go out to the balconies and streets to observe how the air defence works. Because at night, a woman died in a house in the Holosiivskyi district, who went out on the balcony to watch drones being shot down.”

Russia’s Putin says drone attack was aimed at ‘civilian targets’

15:00 , Martha Mchardy

Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that a drone attack on Moscow earlier in the day was aimed at “civilian targets” and that the capital’s air defences would be boosted.

Russia puts Ukraine's top general on wanted list - RIA

14:59 , Martha Mchardy

Russia’s Interior Ministry has put Ukraine’s top general Valeriy Zaluzhnyi on a “wanted list”, the state-run RIA news agency said on Tuesday.

The article he is wanted under has not been specified, RIA reported, citing the ministry’s wanted person database.

Ukrainian minister urges Britain and Germany to send Eurofighter jets

14:59 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov wants Germany and Britain to send his country Eurofighter Typhoon jets to combat Russian air attacks, he said in an interview published on Tuesday by the Funke media group.

Ukraine has been campaigning for its Western allies to provide it with fighter jets, in particular the U.S.-built F-16s flown by several NATO nations.

US president Joe Biden gave the green light for Western allies to hand over their F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv during the G7 conference in Japan to bolster Ukraine’s defences, and also agreed to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s.

However, Germany and Britain have so far declined to send jets, saying they do not have the F-16s that Ukraine wants. They say the time required to train pilots and the substantial support crews needed to send their Eurofighter Typhoon jets meant they would be of little immediate use.

Reznikov, however, said these could also be helpful in Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion.

“If Britain and Germany were to combine their Eurofighter supply capabilities, that would be an important step,” he was quoted as saying.

Russia’s deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko warned that supplying F-16s to Ukraine could pose a “colossal risk”.

A spokesperson for the German defence ministry said Berlin’s stance still stood. Britain’s defence ministry did not immediately respond.

So far, no Western-designed jets have been donated. Poland and Slovakia have supplied 27 MiG-29s to supplement Ukraine’s Soviet-era fleet.

Russia says it can take ‘severe measures’ after drone attack

14:53 , Martha Mchardy

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it reserved the right to take the most “severe measures” in response to a drone attack on the capital Moscow earlier in the day.

“Assurances by NATO officials that the Kyiv regime will not launch strikes deep into Russian territory prove to be completely hypocritical,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Russia reserves the right to take the harshest possible measures in response to the terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime,” it added.

EU doubles financial aid to Moldova in a bid to quell pro-Russian sentiments

14:51 , Martha Mchardy

European Union governments decided on Tuesday to nearly double the amount of EU financial support to Moldova to a total of 295 million euros, the Swedish presidency of the EU said.

The decision comes as the EU seeks to quell pro-Russian sentiments in parts of Moldova.

“Moldova can continue to count on the EU. We will continue to support Moldova, also financially. Given the current circumstances, it is appropriate that we double the funds which we make available to Moldova,” Swedish finance minister Elisabeth Svantesson said in a statement.

Moldova, a small, poor state bordering Ukraine and Romania, has denounced Russia’s invasion and accused Moscow of trying to destabilise the administration of president Maia Sandu.

However, earlier this month the assembly in a pro-Russian region of Moldova endorsed the election of a local leader intent on improving ties with Moscow.

Russia says it struck 'decision-making centres' in Ukraine

14:48 , Martha Mchardy

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that its forces carried out strikes on Ukrainian “decision-making centres” in Ukraine, the Interfax news agency reported.

Russia’s Lavrov accuses West of ‘supporting genocide’ in Ukraine

14:47 , Martha Mchardy

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that the West was “supporting genocide” in Ukraine through its backing for president Volodymyr Zelensky’s peace plan, which he claimed would “destroy everything Russian” in east Ukraine and Crimea.

Lavrov, speaking during a trip to Africa, did not offer evidence to support his claim. Russia has long accused the West of ignoring what it says is Ukrainian persecution of Russian language speakers in the eastern Donbas region and elsewhere.

“The conclusion is very simple - the West directly supports genocide,” Lavrov said during a press conference with his Burundian counterpart.

Watch: Buildings damaged in Moscow in wake of suspected strike

14:15 , Martha Mchardy

ICYMI: Moscow targeted by ‘30 drones’ as Ukraine war reaches Russia’s capital

13:45 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine has denied direct involvement in a series of early morning drone attacks in Moscow that brought the war to the heart of Russia.

Sergei Sobyanin, the capital’s mayor, said that two people were hurt - but not seriously injured - in the strikes. Buildings were also damaged.

It was the first time Moscow has been targeted by multiple drone attacks since Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered his illegal invasion of Ukraine on 24 February last year.

Matt Mathers reports:

Moscow targeted by ‘30 drones’ as Ukraine war reaches Russia’s capital

13:13 , Martha Mchardy

Following last night’s attack on Kyiv, Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has called for “greater production and supply of air defence systems and ammunition by EU and NATO partners”.

It comes as NATO countries seek to narrow divisions over Ukraine’s membership bid at a meeting in Oslo this week.

NATO member states have dragged their feet over Ukraine’s attempt to join NATO over fears of entering an active war with Russia.

Ukrainian officials have previously claimed that NATO membership for the country would help to end the war, since NATO member states are honour bound to come to the defence of any of its fellows under attack.

Earlier today, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he saw no signs of aid fatigue among Western democracies regarding supporting Ukraine.

Stoltenberg was speaking on the eve of a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo.

Both Kyiv and some of its closest allies in eastern Europe have been pushing for NATO to at least take concrete steps to bring Ukraine closer to membership at the alliance’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12.

“It would be very sad if in any way anyone could read the outcome of the Vilnius summit as a victory of Russia in precluding Ukraine to join NATO one day,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Friday.

Last week, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg made it clear that Ukraine will not be able to join the alliance as long as the war against Russia continues.

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

NATO agreed at its 2008 summit in Bucharest that Ukraine will join eventually.

Russian PM: 1.5 million people in annexed Ukraine regions have received Russian passports

12:59 , Martha Mchardy

Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Tuesday that almost 1.5 million people in the newly annexed Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson have now received Russian passports.

Russia claimed last September to have annexed the four regions but its forces do not fully control any of them, and the annexations have not been recognised internationally. Moscow also annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region in 2014.

South Africa opposition party to take legal action to force government to arrest Putin at BRICS summit

12:57 , Martha Mchardy

The leading South African opposition party is taking legal action to force the government to arrest Vladimir Putin when he visits the country for the BRICS summit.

Earlier today, the Kremlin said will the Russian president take part at the “proper level” in the BRICS summit in South Africa despite an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court that would require South Africa to arrest him.

The Democratic Alliance party said it has launched a court application to ensure the South African government hands Putin over to the ICC, “should he set foot in South Africa”.

Shadow minister of justice Glynnis Breytenbach said: “This pre-emptory court action aims to ensure that South Africa upholds its obligations.”

It comes after the Sunday Times reported local officials were attempting to convince Putin to attend the summit virtually due to the ICC warrant for his arrest.

South Africa granted diplomatic immunity to attendees of a BRICS foreign ministers meeting this week.

South Africa’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement claiming the granting of diplomatic immunity to attendees of the BRICS summit is “standard procedure”.

The move could mean president Putin is granted diplomatic immunity when he attends the BRICS heads of state summit on August 22-24 in Johannesburg.

BRICS comprises China, Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa.

33-year-old woman killed and 11 injured in Kyiv attacks

12:35 , Martha Mchardy

A 33-year-old woman died and 11 were in injured in overnight Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian capital Kyiv, police said.

Russia has carried out 17 air attacks on Kyiv this month, mostly at night. Ukrainian officials say the strikes are intended to sow fear and wear down air defences before an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Falling debris hit several districts, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said, including the historic Podil and Pechersk neighbourhoods in central Kyiv and the Holosiivskyi district in Kyiv’s southwest.

The Kyiv military administration said Russia had used only Iranian-made Shahed drones in Tuesday’s attack.

12:30 , Martha Mchardy

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday he saw no signs of aid fatigue among Western democracies regarding supporting Ukraine.

Stoltenberg was speaking on the eve of a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo.

Kremlin statement in full as Moscow hit by first drone attack since war began

12:28 , Martha Mchardy

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The president’s working day started very early today. He received direct information both via the Defence Ministry and via the relevant departments.”

He also received “information from the Mayor of Moscow, the governor of the Moscow region, the Ministry of Emergency Situations,” Peskov said.

He continued: “Everything worked properly, worked well. The air defence system also worked well. It is quite clear that we are talking about the Kyiv regime’s response to our very effective strikes on one of the decision-making centres... on Sunday.

“This once again confirms the need to continue this special military operation and achieve the set goals.”

“It is, of course, obvious that this is an attack by the Kyiv regime. And this must be absolutely clearly understood.”

Peskov said there is “currently no threat whatsoever for the residents of Moscow and the Moscow region”.

Watch live: View of Moscow after drone attack damages buildings and leaves at least two injured

12:14 , Martha Mchardy

Watch a live view of Moscow from the Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills) area of the city.

Ukraine has denied direct involvement in a series of early morning drone attacks in Moscow that brought the war to the heart of Russia.

Sergei Sobyanin, the capital’s mayor, said that two people were hurt - but not seriously injured - in the strikes. Buildings were also damaged.

It was the first time Moscow has been targeted by multiple drone attacks since Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered his illegal invasion of Ukraine on 24 February last year.

Live: View of Moscow after drone attack damages buildings and leaves at least two injured

Wagner mercenary chief criticises Russian defence ministry after Moscow drone attack

12:11 , Martha Mchardy

Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has criticised the Russian defence ministry after a drone attack hit Moscow.

It is the first time Moscow has been targeted since the war in Ukraine began. The Kremlin has blamed Ukraine for the attack, but Ukraine has denied involvement.

Prigozhin criticised the Russian defence ministry for allowing drones to reach Moscow.

He said: “You are the Ministry of Defence. You didn’t do a damn thing to advance. Why the f--- did you let these drones get to Moscow?

“They’re flying to Rublyovka to your houses - let your houses go up in flames! And what will ordinary people do when drones with explosives crash into their windows? So as a citizen, I am deeply outraged that these scum sit quietly with their arseholes smeared with expensive creams. And that’s why I think the people have every right to ask them these questions, these bastards.

“But I have already warned about this many times, but no one wants to listen. Because I’m angry and I upset bureaucrats who have a great life.”

The Wagner chief, once a close ally of Putin, has recently been embroiled in a row with the Kremlin over president Putin’s war strategy.

In May he threatened to withdraw his troops from the besieged eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, citing a lack of ammunition received from Putin’s government. Russia has recently claimed to have taken control of Bakhmut, a symbolic target for both Kyiv and Moscow, but Ukrainian officials have denied they are in total control of the area.

Meanwhile, Prigozhin also recently warned that Russia could lose the war in Ukraine, warning he “hardly believes” Russia can hold on to the territory it has claimed to control.

He claimed Moscow’s invasion has seen Ukraine amass “one of the world’s strongest armies” with the help of Western support.

West ‘stepping up’ supplies to Ukraine, says Russian defence minister

11:46 , Martha Mchardy

Western countries were stepping up supplies of equipment and weapons to Ukraine, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said, ahead of what he said would be a “large-scale offensive” by Kyiv, Russian news agencies reported.

Shoigu also said Russia was monitoring the routes of these supplies and would strike them if they were detected, news agencies quoted him as saying.

It comes as 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.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky gave the US president a “flat assurance” that Ukraine would not use F-16 jets to attack Russian territory, during the G7 summit in Japan.

Russia’s deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko warned that supplying F-16s to Ukraine could pose a “colossal risk”.

Russia has previously claimed Western allies are planning to help Ukraine escalate the war. UK defence secretary Ben Wallace has denied this claim.

Watch: Russian soldiers flee after tank struck by Ukrainian drone

11:38 , Martha Mchardy

NATO seeks to narrow differences over Ukraine membership bid

11:31 , Martha Mchardy

NATO foreign ministers will seek to narrow divisions over Ukraine’s membership bid at a meeting in Oslo this week, with allies at odds over calls to grant Kyiv a road map to accession at their July summit.

NATO has not acceded to Ukraine’s request for fast-track membership as Western governments such as the U.S. and Germany are wary of moves that they fear could take the alliance closer to entering an active war with Russia.

However, both Kyiv and some of its closest allies in eastern Europe have been pushing for NATO to at least take concrete steps to bring Ukraine closer to membership at the alliance’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12.

“It would be very sad if in any way anyone could read the outcome of the Vilnius summit as a victory of Russia in precluding Ukraine to join NATO one day,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Friday.

Last week, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg made it clear that Ukraine will not be able to join the alliance as long as the war against Russia continues.

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

NATO agreed at its 2008 summit in Bucharest that Ukraine will join eventually.

However, leaders have since stopped short of steps such as giving Kyiv a membership action plan that would lay out a timetable for bringing the country closer to NATO.

On the sidelines of their Oslo meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, foreign ministers are also expected to touch on the search for a new NATO chief, with Stoltenberg due to step down in September.

Meanwhile, president Tayyip Erdogan’s election victory in Turkey has brought fresh momentum to efforts to break a deadlock over the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership, held up by objections from Turkey and Hungary.

Any progress in Oslo is unlikely, however, as Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will not be there, Sweden said, although talks between him and Sweden’s Tobias Billstrom will nevertheless take place “soon”.

Mayor of Kyiv visits apartment block destroyed in Russian airstrikes on Kyiv

11:03 , Martha Mchardy

The Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko is visiting an apartment block where one person died and four were injured after Russia launched its third attack on Kyiv in 24 hours.

Debris from a destroyed Russian projectile hit the building, sparking a fire, Ukrainian officials said. Two upper floors of the building were destroyed with people possibly still under rubble.

Photos from Kyiv officials and Reuters showed flames engulfing the top of the building.

Mayor Klitschko confirmed in a telegram post he was visiting the 4-story building in the Holosiivskyi district after 20 residents were reportedly evacuated from the damaged building.

He said: “Search and rescue operations have been completed. Damaged cars of residents are taken out of the yard. At night, 20 residents were evacuated from the damaged building. One person died, four were injured.

“The commission is already examining the extent of the damage in order to begin restoration work as soon as possible.

“In general, as a result of the night attack, one person died. Eleven were injured. Of those: six people received medical care on an outpatient basis, five were hospitalised. Currently, three people are in the city’s hospitals.”

Putin to ‘take part at proper level’ in BRICS summit despite arrest warrant

10:50 , Martha Mchardy

Russian president Vladimir Putin will take part at the “proper level” in the BRICS summit in South Africa, the Kremlin has said, despite an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court that would require South Africa to arrest the Russian president.

It is unclear whether this means president Putin will attend the summit in person.

Putin has been invited to the summit, even though South Africa would theoretically be required to arrest him under an International Criminal Court warrant issued in March for Putin’s arrest for war crimes.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said further details would be announced later on the matter.

BRICS comprises China, Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa.

Watch live: Mayor of Kyiv visits overnight attack sites

10:45 , Martha Mchardy

The mayor of Kyiv is attending the site of an overnight Russian airstrike on the capital which killed one and injured four.

Live: Mayor of Kyiv visits overnight attack sites

10:40 , Martha Mchardy

President Vladimir Putin is working in the Kremlin and has been briefed about drone attacks on Moscow, his spokesman said on Tuesday.

Dmitry Peskov also said Russian air defences and the defence ministry had worked well in dealing with the assault and added that there were currently no plans for Putin to comment on the drone attack, which Moscow has blamed on Ukraine.

Poland to close border for Russian and Belarusian trucks as Lukashenko appoints new border force head

10:37 , Martha Mchardy

Poland is set to ban freight trucks registered in either Russia or Belarus from entering into the country, according to the Polish news agency PAP.

Polish interior minister Mariusz Kaminski signed an order yesterday to ban trucks entering through Polan’s Belarusian border that will come into effect on June 1 and last “until further notice.”

It comes as Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko appointed a new head of the Belarus State Border Committee.

Konstantin Molostov was appointed as chairman of the country’s State Border Committee, charged with ensuring Belarus’ border security, replacing Anatoly Lappo.

Poland has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since the war began. The country became the first NATO member state to send MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Russian MP says three drones downed over exclusive Moscow suburb where Putin has official residence

09:48 , Martha Mchardy

A senior Russian politician said three drones shot down over Moscow on Tuesday had been downed over the Russian capital’s exclusive Rublyovka suburb, where President Vladimir Putin has an official residence.

The Russian defence ministry earlier said air defences had destroyed all eight of the drones used in the attack, which it blamed on Ukraine. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said two people were injured in the attack but no deaths were reported.

In a post on Telegram, Alexander Khinshtein, a prominent member of Russia’s parliament from the ruling United Russia bloc, said three drones had been downed over three Rublyovka villages, one of which is located just a10 minute drive away from Putin’s residence at Novo-Ogaryovo.

Russia’s Investigative Committee, which has begun probing the drone strike, confirmed that drones were downed over the Odintsovsky district, which includes Rublyovka.

Rublyovka, a patchwork of elite gated communities in the forests west of Moscow that once boasted some of the world’s highest real estate prices, is home to much of Russia’s political, business and cultural elite.

Apart from Putin, former president Dmitry Medvedev and prime minister Mikhail Mishustin have been reported to own homes in Rublyovka, alongside many of Russia’s richest business figures.

A Ukrainian presidential aide denied Kyiv was directly involved in Tuesday’s drone attack on Moscow but said Ukraine was enjoying watching the events and predicted an increase in such attacks.

Two dead after Russian shelling of Donetsk region

09:40 , Martha Mchardy

Two people died and ten were injured after Russian shelling in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian state broadcaster Suspline reports, citing the National Police of the Donetsk region.

Eight cities and towns in the Donetsk region were shelled, damaging 26 civilian objects over the last 24 hours.

The claims have not been independently verified.

Ukraine denies involvement in Moscow strike and predicts more attacks

09:26 , Martha Mchardy

A Ukrainian presidential aide denied Kyiv was directly involved in a drone attack on Moscow on Tuesday, but said Ukraine was enjoying watching the events and predicted an increase in such attacks.

Russia said Ukraine had launched its biggest drone attack on Moscow but that air defences destroyed all eight of the drones.

“Of course we are pleased to watch and predict an increase in the number of attacks,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told the “Breakfast Show” YouTube channel. “But of course we have nothing directly to do with this.”

In pictures: Buildings damaged in drone attack on Moscow, but no deaths reported

08:38 , Martha Mchardy

Watch: Buildings damaged in Moscow in wake of suspected strike

08:33 , Martha Mchardy

Several buildings were damaged in an apparent strike on Moscow. There were no reports of deaths.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said two people were injured, one of whom was hospitalised, in the early morning attack. The residents of several parts of two apartment blocks had been evacuated but later returned.

Russian lawmaker Maxim Ivanov said it was the most serious attack on Moscow since Nazi attacks during World War Two, saying no citizen could now avoid what he said was “the new reality”.

“You will either defeat the enemy as a single fist with our Motherland, or the indelible shame of cowardice, collaboration and betrayal will engulf your family,” he said.

Russia’s defence ministry said that Ukraine targeted Moscow with eight drones on Tuesday, but that all the drones involved in the incident were downed.

“This morning, the Kyiv regime launched a terrorist drone attack on targets in the city of Moscow,” the defence ministry said.

“Three of them were suppressed by electronic warfare, lost control and deviated from their intended targets. Another five drones were shot down by the Pantsir-S surface-to-air missile system in the Moscow region,” it said.

In pictures: Third attack in 24 hours hit Kyiv, killing one

08:27 , Martha Mchardy

Russian Defence Ministry says Kyiv targeted Moscow with eight drones

07:48 , Martha Mchardy

Russia’s Defence Ministry said that Ukraine targeted Moscow with eight drones on Tuesday, but that all the drones involved in the incident were downed.

“This morning, the Kyiv regime launched a terrorist drone attack on targets in the city of Moscow,” the defence ministry said.

“Three of them were suppressed by electronic warfare, lost control and deviated from their intended targets. Another five drones were shot down by the Pantsir-S surface-to-air missile system in the Moscow region,” it said.

Russia says air defence forces down number of drones near Moscow

07:47 , Martha Mchardy

A number of drones were shot down by Russian air defences on Tuesday as they approached Moscow, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.

Meanwhile, in Kyiv, Ukrainian defence forces said they shot down more than 20 drones.

Russia’s military spending weighing on state finances – UK MoD

07:10 , Arpan Rai

The elevated rate of Russian military spending, which shot up in the wake of full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is adding pressure on the state finances, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) said today.

It pointed to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) stating a spike in Russian military spending by 9.2 per cent in 2022 to USD $86.4bn.

SIPRI assesses this equates to 4.1 per cent of Russia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the ministry said.

“Russia’s true military spending is highly uncertain due to the increased use of classified budget lines, especially since February 2022, and the lack of transparency,” it added.

“Russia has only recently resumed publishing headline expenditure breakdowns after suspending this in May 2022. It is almost certain that military spending remains elevated, and this is putting pressure on Russian government finances,” the ministry said.

Ukraine shoots down 29 out of 31 drones fired overnight, says official

06:45 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian air defence shot down 29 of 31 Iranian-Shahed drones flying over the war-hit nation in an overnight attack, officials said today.

In an earlier update, Kyiv military administration had said at least 20 Shahed drones were destroyed overnight by Ukrainian air defences.

This was the third such Russian attack on the capital in the past 24 hours.

Local residents confirmed hearing the buzzing of drones over the city, followed by loud explosions as the aerial munitions were taken down by Ukraine’s air defence systems.

Drones hit several buildings in Moscow – mayor

06:17 , Arpan Rai

Several buildings in Moscow suffered “minor” damage after a swarm of drones was fired on the city, officials there said.

No serious injuries have been recorded so far, the mayor of the Russian capital said in the early hours today.

“All emergency services of the city are at the scene of incidents,” mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a statement.

Some residents of a building in southern Moscow’s Profsoyuznaya street were being evacuated, reported Russia’s RIA state news agency.

According to Russia’s Telegram messaging channels, between four and 10 drones were shot down in the early morning today.

The Independent has not verified the claims.

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

05:05 , Arpan Rai

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

Kostyuk has been the most outspoken Ukrainian tennis 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 the actions of their countries.

It was a dominant win for world number 2 Sabalenka to begin a Roland Garros campaign which could see her become world number one, but it came against a player who “hates” her.

Jack Rathborn reports:

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

Russia sends airborne troops, motorised rifle units to Bakhmut as Wagner pulls out, says Ukraine

04:55 , Arpan Rai

Russia has dispatched units of its airborne troops and motorised rifle division to Bakhmut as private mercenaries from Wagner Group started to exit the frontline city, according to a Ukrainian military spokesperson.

Ukrainian forces are aware of the names of Russian commanders and combat potential, said Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesperson of the Eastern Group of Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“Yes, there (in Bakhmut) rotational measures are taking place due primarily to the large losses of the Wagner criminal group. They are forced to do this,” he said, reported Ukraine’s Interfax news agency.

He added: “Units of the occupier’s airborne troops and motorised rifle units are coming in. We know their names, we know their commanders and combat potential.”

The official said the mentioned Russian units also fought in the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February last year and suffered heavy losses, following which they had to be supplemented by the mobilised forces.

“For the most part, this is already the second or third of their staff,” the spokesman said.

The dynamics of the war have remained mostly the same in recent days, the military spokesperson added. Ukraine killed 155 Russian soldiers and injured another 116, he said.

“The enemy, however, does not stop combat damage to our positions. During these days, [Russia] made 373 hits with various types of barrel and rocket artillery, six air raids on our combat positions,” the spokesperson said.

Ukrainian forces also destroyed two D-30 cannons, an infantry fighting vehicle, an electronic warfare station, three cars and six field warehouses with ammunition, the spokesperson said.

Russia won’t negotiate while trying to win Ukraine war, says EU’s Borrell

04:54 , Arpan Rai

Russia will not be willing to negotiate while it is still trying to win the war in Ukraine, the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said, adding that he was “not optimistic” about what could happen to change the situation this summer.

“I see a concentration of troops on both sides, the clear will of Russia to try to win the war,” Mr Borrell said at an event in Barcelona.

“(Russia) will not go to a negotiation until it has tried to win the war.”

Mr Borrell added that Russia has repeatedly signalled it would not cease the campaign until its military goals have been achieved.

“I’m afraid that between now and the summer, the war is going to continue. [Vladimir] Putin has amassed over 300,000 men there, twice as many as he had when he launched the invasion,” he told reporters after the event.

He pointed to the “enormous” Russian military presence in Ukraine and that it was still bombing Ukraine daily and destroying civilian infrastructure.

One killed and four injured in attacks on Kyiv

04:14 , Arpan Rai

At least one person has died and four were injured as a result of Russia’s third attack on Kyiv in just 24 hours, an official said today.

Tuesday morning’s attack is only the second deadly incident in Kyiv confirmed by the Ukrainian authorities this month, but the 17th airstrike on the capital overall.

One person died when falling drone debris hit a high-rise apartment building, sparking a fire, officials said.

“The attack was massive, came from different directions, in several waves,” Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on the Telegram messaging channel.

Another four people were injured and 20 were evacuated, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

The top two floors of the building in Holosiivskyi district were seen engulfed in flames and emergency services were continuing to look for people under the rubble.

Preliminary visuals shared on social media showed flames bursting out from the top floors of the building and smoke rising from the roof.

US Patriots giving Ukraine 100% interception rate, says Zelensky

04:04 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky said using US-provided Patriot anti-missile systems has ensured a 100 per cent interception rate for the besieged country’s air defences from Russian attacks.

The top-tier anti-missile system would play a role in pushing forward against Russia’s invasion, Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

“When Patriots in the hands of Ukrainians ensure a 100 per cent interception rate of any Russian missile, terror will be defeated,” he said, adding that with military successes “and with our Patriots, we have to continue responding to Russia and all its manifestations of evil”.

This comes after Ukraine repelled more than 160 Russian missiles and drones in 16 combined munitions attack this month, mostly fired overnight.

The US-made Patriot anti-missile system was to thank for Ukraine’s recent successes against incoming Russian Iskander-M ballistic missiles, Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine‘s air force, indicated.

“I think you can guess. If Iskander-M missiles are intercepted, you can draw conclusions about the means that specifically targeted the objectives – ballistic targets,” he had told Ukrainian television.

Russia fires drones on Kyiv for third night in a row

03:48 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s air defence forces shot down more than 20 drones that were deployed in an overnight air bombardment on Kyiv by Russia, the military administration of the Ukrainian capital said today.

The head of Kyiv’s military administration, Serhiy Popko, said the attack on the capital city was “massive” and carried out in several waves. He added that Russia conducted the assault using only Iranian-made Shahed drones.

Attacks in previous days have included a mixture of drones and missiles, designed to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences.It was the third attack on the city in the space of just 24 hours. No casualties have been reported so far.

Elina Svitolina urges tennis to focus on the suffering in Ukraine rather than Russian players

03:00 , Nick Ferris

Elina Svitolina urged tennis to focus on the suffering in Ukraine rather than issues the war is causing within the sport after reaching the second round of the French Open.

One of Ukraine’s highest-profile sports stars, Svitolina is playing her first grand slam since the Australian Open last year after giving birth to baby Skai in October.

Her comments come as locker room tensions have brewed over the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian players to continue competing.

Read more here

Elina Svitolina urges tennis to focus on Ukraine support, not issues from war

‘We will respond to all manifestations of Russia's evil’ says President Zelensky in his nightly address to the Ukrainian people

02:00 , Nick Ferris

Zelensky acknowledged that there were “several Russian terrorist attacks in one day on Monday”, as Russia bombed Kyiv, the port of Odesa, and a military target in Western Ukraine. But he nonetheless struck a note of defiance.

“Today was a very long day, and it started very early for many of our people”, said the President.

“But each […] terrorist attack brings us and the whole world to an obvious conclusion: Russia wants to follow the path of evil to the end, that is, to its defeat, because evil cannot have any other end but defeat.”

Monday saw Russia launch a series of intense air strikes against Ukraine

01:00 , Nick Ferris

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.

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.

Russia also 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.

Zelensky thanks the US for its military support as the US marks Memorial Day

Tuesday 30 May 2023 00:00 , Nick Ferris

President Zelensky thanked the US “on behalf of all Ukrainians”, as the US marked Memorial Day: the US federal holiday that honours US military personnel who died while serving.

“I would like to honor the courage and self-sacrifice of all Americans who stood in defense and keep defending freedom”, said Zelensky on Monday.

“We, Ukrainians, will always be grateful to the US and every American for an extraordinary support which helps us confine the Russian tyranny to the losers – those who lost to freedom.”

Since the war began, the Biden administration and the U.S. Congress have directed more than $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute.

Images of Kyiv emerge after the city was bombed for the sixteenth time in the month of May on Monday

Monday 29 May 2023 23:00 , Nick Ferris

First stages of counteroffensive are already underway, says Ukraine presidential advisor

Monday 29 May 2023 22:00 , Nick Ferris

Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak claimed the first stages of this year’s major Ukrainian counteroffensive were already underway, with operations including blowing up supply lines and depots taking place.

In an interview with The Guardian, Mr Podolyak said that the process was “complicated” and that it was not “a matter of one day or a certain date or a certain hour”.

On Monday, after Russia launched its sixteenth air attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv this month, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence warned Vladimir Putin of a major revenge attack.

“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.”

Russia is replacing Wagner Mercenary fighters with Russian Army units in Bakhmut

Monday 29 May 2023 21:00 , Nick Ferris

Russia’s Wagner private army began handing over positions to regular troops this week after declaring full control of Bakhmut, the eastern Ukrainian city that has witnessed the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.

Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern group of Ukrainian Forces, said that Russian paratroops and motorised units were instead taking up position in the besieged Eastern city.

Cherevatyi also told Ukrainian television there had been three military clashes in his region in the past 24 hours.

“There were 373 shelling hits of various types in the past 24 hours and six air strikes on our positions,” he said.

Cherevatyi added that Ukrainian forces had returned fire, and 155 enemy soldiers had been killed and 116 wounded. Reuters was not able to confirm the battlefield accounts.

Cherevatyi also said that Ukraine’s military was conducting “a reorganisation and other military moves ... so that further movement can be even more successful in terms of hitting the enemy”.

Ukraine warns of revenge attacks after wave of Russian missile strikes on Kyiv

Monday 29 May 2023 19:16 , Sam Rkaina

The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence has warned Vladimir Putin of a revenge attack following a wave of missile attacks on Kyiv.

Russia launched its sixteenth air attack on the Ukrainian capital this month on Monday, causing explosions to ring out across the city. Witnesses reported residents headed for shelters in metro stations as the sky above Kyiv filled with smoke.

Officials said most of the drones and missiles fired overnight had been shot down and no targets were hit in the morning. But Ukraine’s General Kyrylo Budanov described the attacks as an attempt to “intimidate us” and suggested retaliation would follow swiftly.

“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.”

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

Click here for the full story.

Ukraine releases cinematic trailer for counter offensive

Monday 29 May 2023 18:45 , Sam Rkaina

Lukashenko health rumours swirl amid claim he was hospitalised after meeting Putin

Monday 29 May 2023 17:10 , Eleanor Noyce

Rumours are again circulating about the health of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, less than a week after he insisted he was “not going to die” on state TV.

Valery Tsepkalo, a 2020 Belarusian presidential candidate and opposition leader, claimed in a Telegram post at the weekend that the 68-year-old Mr Lukashenko was in hospital in Moscow in “critical condition” following a meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Speculation about the Belarusian leader’s health began earlier this month after he appeared at Victory Day celebrations in Moscow’s Red Square on 9 May with a bandage on his right hand and looked unsteady on his feet. He missed the lunch hosted by Mr Putin.

Later that week on Sunday, the autocratic leader of Belarus did not address the annual celebration of National Flag, Emblem, and Anthem Day as he usually does, with his prime minister reading a message on his behalf instead.

Read more:

Lukashenko health rumours swirl amid claim he was hospitalised after meeting Putin

Kyiv warns Putin of revenge attack after missile strikes

Monday 29 May 2023 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.”

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

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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.

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

Monday 29 May 2023 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.”

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

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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’

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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

Monday 29 May 2023 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.