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Ukraine-Russia war – latest: Putin ‘plans nuclear radioactive leak to postpone counteroffensive’

Russia is plotting a “large-scale provocation” at a nuclear power station it occupies in the south-east of Ukraine to disrupt a looming counteroffensive, Kyiv’s military intelligence has said.

A statement from the intelligence directorate of Ukraine‘s Defence Ministry claimed Russian forces will strike the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the biggest in Europe, and report a radioactive leak in order to trigger an international probe that would pause the hostilities and give them the respite they need to regroup.

In order to make that happen, Russia “disrupted the rotation of personnel of the permanent monitoring mission” of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that was scheduled for Saturday, the statement said.

It did not offer evidence to back up any of the claims, while the IAEA said it did not have any immediate comment on the allegations, and Russian officials did not immediately comment.

This comes after Dmitry Medvedev, who is Russia’s security council deputy chairman, alleged the West was “not fully realising” the threat of nuclear war.

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky said at least one person was killed and 15 were injured in a Russian missile strike on a clinic in Dnipro on Friday.

Key Points

  • One killed, 15 wounded in Russian attack on Ukrainian clinic

  • Putin ally says Ukraine war could last 'decades’

  • Wagner starts handing Bakhmut to regular Russian troops

  • Vladimir Putin signs deal for Belarus to station its tactical nuclear weapons

Ukraine conflict may last for decades, negotiation with 'clown' Zelensky impossible, says Medvedev

05:15 , Namita Singh

A senior ally of president Vladimir Putin said the conflict in Ukraine could last for decades and that negotiations with Ukraine were impossible as long as Western-backed president Volodymyr Zelensky was in power.

Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered the deadliest European conflict since the Second World War and the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Thousands of people have been killed or seriously wounded in the conflict, whose roots date to 2014 after a pro-Russian president was toppled in Ukraine’s popular Maidan uprising. Russia also annexed the Crimea peninsula that year and Russian-backed separatists seized swathes of eastern Ukraine.

“This conflict will last for a very long time. For decades, probably. This is a new reality,” Russian security council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

He said Russia could not trust any truce with the current rulers of Kyiv as the conflict would simply erupt again and so the very nature of the current government of Ukraine would have to be destroyed.

Negotiations, he said, with “the clown Zelensky”, were impossible.

“Everything always ends in negotiations, and this is inevitable, but as long as these people are in power, the situation for Russia will not change in terms of negotiations.”

Mr Medvedev, who cast himself as a liberal moderniser when he was president from 2008-12, now presents himself as a fiercely anti-Western Kremlin hawk. Diplomats said his views give an indication of thinking at the top levels of the Kremlin elite.

Germany to remove over 100 of its employees working in Russia, says source

14:31 , Tara Cobham

Germany will remove more than 100 government employees working in Russia after Moscow imposed limits on the numbers allowed to work at German diplomatic missions in the country, a source with the German foreign ministry said on Saturday.

“This limit, set by Russia for the beginning of June, requires a major cut in all areas of our presence in Russia,” the source said.

Those affected include teachers, as well as other employees of schools and the Goethe Institute, and is necessary to maintain the right balance for Germany’s diplomatic presence, said the person, who described the number affected as at least 100.

Relations between Russia and Germany, which used to be the biggest buyer of Russian oil and gas, have broken down since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the West responded with sanctions and weapons supplies.

The source called the limit, announced in April, “unilateral, unjustified and incomprehensible”. The person declined to say what the limit imposed by Moscow was.

The number of German employees leaving was earlier reported by Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Russia’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Russia claims its forces intercepted two British Storm Shadow missiles

13:54 , Tara Cobham

Russian forces intercepted two long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles supplied to Ukraine by Britain, the RIA news agency cited the Defence Ministry as saying on Saturday.

The ministry also said it had intercepted shorter-range U.S.-built HIMARS-launched and HARM missiles, and shot down 12 drones in the last 24 hours, RIA reported.

Russia accuses Japan of ‘cynical speculation’ after Tokyo's nuclear rebuke

12:41 , Tara Cobham

Russia on Saturday accused Japan of "cynical, unscrupulous speculation" over Tokyo's comments around the nuclear threat Moscow poses and promised to respond to Japan's latest round of sanctions imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno on Friday said Japan would place additional sanctions on Russia after the Group of Seven (G7) summit Tokyo hosted last week agreed to step up measures to punish Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Matsuno also condemned Russia's plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, saying it would further inflame the situation and that Japan would never accept "Russia's nuclear menace, let alone its use".

Russia's foreign ministry said it was assessing the implementation of Japan's sanctions on its national security and economy and would not leave Tokyo's "illegitimate actions" unanswered.

The ministry also took issue with Matsuno's casting of Russia as engaging in "nuclear blackmail".

"The desire to attribute the non-evident intention to use nuclear weapons in relation to events in Ukraine to Russia is nothing more than cynical, unscrupulous speculation," the ministry said.

Russia earlier on Saturday dismissed criticism from US President Joe Biden over Moscow's plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, saying Washington had for decades deployed such nuclear weapons in Europe.

The foreign ministry urged Japan to show similar "concern" towards US deployments in Europe.

German diplomats and teachers to be expelled from Russia

12:10 , Tara Cobham

Russia is to start expelling German diplomats, teachers and employees of cultural institutions next month.

It is being seen as a move that will further enhance tensions between the two countries that have already had very fraught ties since Russia invaded Ukraine early last year.

The German foreign ministry criticised Russia's move, calling the upcoming expulsions a "unilateral, unjustified and incomprehensible decision".

The expulsion will affect several hundred German state employees, including teachers and staff of the Goethe Institute, which promotes German culture and language abroad, daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported.

The expulsion comes in response to the reduction of the presence of Russian intelligence services in Germany earlier this year.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry had made public in April its decision to introduce a cap on the number of staff at our missions abroad and at German intermediary organisations in Russia," a German Foreign Office spokesperson said.

The expulsions will lead to "a major cut in all areas of our presence in Russia", the spokesperson added.

Germany did not announce any concrete response to Russia's expulsions, which are expected to begin next week.

The Foreign Office said that "with regard to the upper limit on the Russian presence in Germany, the German government will ensure that there is a real balance in practice as well".

Ukraine asks Germany to provide Taurus long-range missiles - Berlin

11:41 , Tara Cobham

Ukraine has asked Germany to supply it with Taurus cruise missiles, an air-launched weapon with a range of some 500 km (310 miles), a spokesperson for the defence ministry in Berlin said on Saturday.

Germany received the request several days ago, the spokesperson said, confirming a report by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. She declined to provide further details or say how likely it was that Germany would supply the missiles to Ukraine.

If it supplies the missiles, Germany would be following in the footsteps of Britain, which earlier in May became the first country to publicly provide Kyiv with long-range cruise missiles.

The United States has so far declined to supply Ukraine with the 297-km range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles amid concerns that Ukraine could use them to strike inside Russia's internationally recognised borders.

Ukraine has been asking for months for this kind of weapons, but support from Western allies has focused on shorter-range weapons.

Taurus is built by European missile maker MBDA and has similar features to the British Storm Shadow.

It can be used to hit high-value targets, troops or fuel dumps deep behind the front lines and has the capability to destroy hardened targets such as bunkers buried deep underground.

Russia tells US to not lecture it on nuclear deployments

10:57 , Tara Cobham

Russia on Saturday dismissed criticism from US President Joe Biden over Moscow's plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, saying Washington had for decades deployed just such nuclear weapons in Europe.

Russia said on Thursday it was pushing ahead with the first deployment of such weapons outside its borders since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the weapons were already on the move.

Biden said on Friday he had an "extremely negative" reaction to reports that Russia has moved ahead with a plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. The U.S. State Department denounced the Russian nuclear deployment plan.

"It is the sovereign right of Russia and Belarus to ensure their security by means we deem necessary amidst of a large-scale hybrid war unleashed by Washington against us," Russia's embassy in the United States said in a statement.

"The measures we undertake are fully consistent with our international legal obligations."

The United States has said the world faces the gravest nuclear danger since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis because of remarks by President Vladimir Putin during the Ukraine conflict, but Moscow says its position has been misinterpreted.

Putin, who has cast the Ukraine war as a battle for the survival of Russia against an aggressive West, has repeatedly warned that Russia, which has more nuclear weapons than any other country, will use all means to defend itself.

Tactical nuclear weapons are used for tactical gains on the battlefield, and are usually smaller in yield than the strategic nuclear weapons designed to destroy U.S., European or Russian cities.

The Russian Embassy called the U.S. criticism of Moscow's planned deployment hypocritical, saying that "before blaming others, Washington could use some introspection".

"The United States has been for decades maintaining a large arsenal of its nuclear weapons in Europe. Together with its NATO allies it participates in nuclear sharing arrangements and trains for scenarios of nuclear weapons use against our country."

The United States has deployed nuclear weapons in Western Europe since U.S. President Dwight D Eisenhower authorised their deployment in the Cold War as a counter to the perceived threat from the Soviet Union. The first U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe were deployed in Britain in 1954.

Much of the detail about the current U.S. deployment is classified, though the Federation of American Scientists says that the U.S. has 100 B61 tactical nuclear weapons deployed in Europe - in Italy, Germany, Turkey, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Iran says Ukrainian president’s drone criticism is bid for Western arms

10:16 , Tara Cobham

Tehran on Saturday accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of anti-Iranian propaganda in his call for Iran to halt the supply of drones to Russia, saying his comments were designed to attract more arms and financial aid from the West.

Zelenskiy in a video address on Wednesday called on Iranians to stop their slide into "the dark side of history" by supplying Moscow with drones.

Iran initially denied supplying Shahed drones to Russia but later said it had provided a small number before the conflict began. Ukraine says the drones have played a major role in Russia's attacks on cities and infrastructure.

"The Ukrainian president's repeat of delusional claims against the Islamic Republic of Iran is in line with the anti-Iranian propaganda and media war aimed at attracting as many arms and financial aid as possible from Western countries," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a statement carried by Iranian media.

Ukraine, Kanaani said, has been refusing to allow an independent investigation into these claims.

Russia has boosted its military cooperation with Iran since the launch of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It has admitted using Iranian-made drones, but it is now seeking to boost its own production.

In his Wednesday address, Zelenskiy said: "The simple question is this: what is your interest in being an accomplice to Russian terror?"

"Your Shaheds, which terrorise Ukraine every night, mean only that the people of Iran are being driven deeper and deeper into the dark side of history," he said.

Poland says it will close border to freight vehicles from Belarus and Russia

10:05 , Tara Cobham

Poland will close its eastern border to freight vehicles registered in Belarus and Russia until further notice, according to a draft regulation published on Friday by the interior ministry.

The move comes as a Belarusian court upheld an earlier decision to sentence a journalist of Polish origin to eight years in prison, stoking tensions between the two countries that have been running high in part due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

According to the justification of the regulation, the decision was necessary to "ensure public safety".

While the regulation concerning the border did not mention the case of jailed journalist Andrzej Poczobut, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Twitter that he would add several hundred Belarusian officials to sanctions lists as a result of the verdict, which he labelled "draconian".

Poland had previously closed some border crossings with Belarus following Poczobut's imprisonment and the expulsion of Polish diplomats by Minsk.

The Belarusian foreign ministry could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

Belarus has previously said that Polish decisions to close border crossings were irrational and dangerous, accusing Warsaw of causing long delays and failing to implement bilateral agreements.

Poland has been an important refuge for opponents of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, and Warsaw has become one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters since Belarus' main ally Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Poland also accuses Belarus of artificially creating a migrant crisis on the border by flying in people from the Middle East and Africa and attempting to push them across the frontier.

While the numbers of migrants crossing are lower than at the peak of the crisis in 2021, the Polish Border guard reports dozens of attempts to enter Poland illegally daily.

Drone attack damages Russian oil pipeline building - governor

09:36 , Tara Cobham

An attack by two drones caused an explosion in Russia's Pskov region near the border with Belarus that left an oil pipeline's administrative building damaged, local Governor Mikhail Vedernikov said on Telegram on Saturday.

Vedernikov did not point the finger at Ukraine, but Moscow has previously blamed Kyiv for similar incidents, some of which have caused damage to people and property hundreds of kilometres from its border with Ukraine.

Ukraine has not publicly acknowledged launching attacks against targets inside Russia, but senior officials in Kyiv have on occasion appeared to welcome the news of successful drone attacks on Russian soil.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on Saturday.

"Provisionally, the building was damaged as a result of an attack by two unmanned aerial vehicles," Vedernikov said.

He said there were no casualties and that an operational group that would deliver final conclusions was working at the scene.

The incident occurred near the village of Litvinovo, less than 10km (6.2 miles) from Russia's border with Belarus.

At least 974 attacks by Russia against health care in Ukraine

08:45 , Tara Cobham

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recorded at least 974 attacks against health care in Ukraine since Russia invaded, with 873 of those impacting medical facilities.

The attacks have killed at least 101 people and injured 136 since war began.

Russia’s missile strike on a medical clinic in Dnipro on Friday is not yet included in that figure because it takes time for the WHO to verify all attacks. According to the regional governor, Serhiy Lysak, two people were killed and 31 wounded in this latest attack.

Biden feels 'negative' about Russian nuclear moves in Belarus

08:31 , Tara Cobham

US President Joe Biden said on Friday he had an "extremely negative" reaction to reports that Russia has moved ahead with a plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Russia's defence minister announced the deal with Belarus on Thursday. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said that tactical nuclear weapons were already on the move.

A growing number of LGBT+ Russians seek refuge from war, discrimination in Argentina

07:30 , Namita Singh

Anastasia Domini and wife Anna Domini walked hand in hand on a recent sunny day in Argentina’s capital while their four restless children played nearby.

It’s a common sight in a country where same-sex marriage has been legal for more than a decade. But the couple, who got married shortly after arriving in Buenos Aires early last year, still remember the fear they felt when they first decided to hold hands in public after leaving Russia, which explicitly outlawed same-sex marriages in 2020.

“It was really scary,” Anastasia Domini said, but “we were looking around and really, really nobody was looking.”

Report:

A growing number of LGBTQ+ Russians seek refuge from war, discrimination in Argentina

Ukraine soccer league set for a title-deciding game in a remarkable, war-hit season

07:00 , Namita Singh

Two soccer teams exiled from cities in war-battered eastern Ukraine play each other Sunday in the safer western part of the country with the league title at stake.

The showdown between competition leader Shakhtar Donetsk and second-place Dnipro-1 at Arena Lviv can be decisive in a soccer season that is finishing on schedule in remarkable circumstances. The stadium was one of four in Ukraine, including Shakhtar’s home in Donetsk, secure enough in 2012 from Russian aggression to co-host that year’s European Championship with Poland.

Shakhtar leads by five points and needs just a draw this weekend to secure the title ahead of the last scheduled round on June 4.

“I think it will maybe be one of our best matches ever,” Ukrainian league chief executive Ievgen Dykyi told the Associated Press this week in a call from Kyiv. “Because the situation now is really hard and all the players understand about this.”

Report:

Ukraine soccer league set for a title-deciding game in a remarkable, war-hit season

Zelensky says one killed in Russian attack on Dnipro clinic

06:28 , Namita Singh

One person was killed and 15 wounded in a Russian missile strike on a clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

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

06:19 , Namita Singh

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

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

Ukraine struck southern Russia with rocket and drone, country's officials and media say

06:18 , Namita Singh

Ukraine struck two regions in southern Russia with a rocket and a drone, though the missile was shot down by air defences, according to Russian officials and media reports.

In the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, a blast damaged a residential and office building, officials said.

They did not state what caused the blast, though Russian media said it was a drone attack. Unverified videos on social media showed a drone flying over the city.

Firefighters rest during their intervention at a medical facility, the site of a missile strike, in the city of Dnipro on 26 May 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)
Firefighters rest during their intervention at a medical facility, the site of a missile strike, in the city of Dnipro on 26 May 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)

“All emergency services are working at the scene. The cause of the incident is being investigated. Residents are asked to stay calm,” Krasnodar mayor Yevgeny Naumov wrote on Telegram.

In the neighbouring Rostov region, the local governor said a Ukrainian missile had been shot down by air defences on Thursday near Morozovsk, where there is a Russian air base.

“In the area of Morozovsk, an air defence system went off, shooting down a Ukrainian missile,” Rostov governor Vasily Golubev said. “The military is doing its job. Stay calm.”

Medvedev warns against underestimating risk of nuclear war

06:15 , Namita Singh

Russian security council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev has warned that the West is seriously underestimating the risk of a nuclear war over Ukraine, cautioning that Russia would launch a pre-emptive strike if Ukraine gets nuclear weapons.

Russia, which has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, has repeatedly accused the West of waging a proxy war with Russia over Ukraine that could mushroom into a much bigger conflict.

Russia’s former leader Dmitry Medvedev, a President Putin ally who is now deputy chairman of the country’s security council, meets with staff members during his visit to the military-industrial corporation NPO Mashinostroyenia in Reutov, outside Moscow, on 25 April 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)
Russia’s former leader Dmitry Medvedev, a President Putin ally who is now deputy chairman of the country’s security council, meets with staff members during his visit to the military-industrial corporation NPO Mashinostroyenia in Reutov, outside Moscow, on 25 April 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

“There are irreversible laws of war. If it comes to nuclear weapons, there will have to be a pre-emptive strike,” Mr Medvedev said.

Allowing Ukraine nuclear weapons - a step no Western country has publicly proposed - would mean “a missile with a nuclear charge coming to them”, Mr Medvedev was quoted as saying.

“The Anglo-Saxons do not fully realise this and believe that it will not come to this. It will under certain conditions.”

Scarred by war, Ukrainian children carry on after losing parents, homes and innocence

06:11 , Namita Singh

Two children squinted to see through the thick smoke that hung in the air after a deafening blast shook their small home in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.The children, aged 9 and 10, called out for their father.

But only eerie silence followed.

Then Olha Hinkina and her brother Andrii rushed to the bomb shelter as they had been taught. When the booms stopped and the smoke cleared, they found their father on the porch — motionless and covered in blood after being struck by a Russian projectile.

“Father was killed at seven in the morning,” said Andrii, who now lives in the safer western city of Lviv, near the border with Poland.The two siblings join a generation of Ukrainian children whose lives have been upended by the war. Russia’s full-scale invasion has subjected them to constant bombardment, uprooted millions from their homes and turned many into orphans.

Report:

Scarred by war, Ukrainian children carry on after losing parents, homes and innocence

Ukraine shoots down 10 missiles, over 20 drones in Russian attacks

06:00 , Namita Singh

Ukraine shot down 10 missiles and over 20 drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks on capital Kyiv, the eastern city of Dnipro and other eastern areas, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.

Russia has intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukraine this month, mainly attacking logistics and infrastructure facilities before an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 10 missiles fired from the Caspian Sea, 23 Iranian-made Shahed drones and two reconnaissance drones.

It said a total of 17 missiles and 31 drones had been launched during the attacks, which started at around 10pm on Thursday and continued until 5am on Friday.

Several drones and several missiles hit targets in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, officials said.

There was no immediate word of any deaths.

A firefighter examines the destroyed building of a medical facility, the site of a missile strike, in the city of Dnipro on 26 May 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)
A firefighter examines the destroyed building of a medical facility, the site of a missile strike, in the city of Dnipro on 26 May 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)

“It was a very difficult night. It was loud – the enemy launched a mass attack on the region with missiles and drones,” Serhiy Lysak, the Dnipropetrovsk regional governor, said on the Telegram messaging app. “Dnipro has suffered.”

Mr Lysak said several houses, cars, and private companies, including a transport company and a gas station, had been damaged.Officials in Kyiv said the roof of a shopping mall, a private house and several cars had been damaged. The governor of the Kharkiv region also reported damage to several private houses and industrial facilities.

Russia, which began its full-scale invasion 15 months ago, has launched hundreds of missile attacks since last October, seeking to destroy critical infrastructure and power facilities.

It has shifted the focus of its missile strikes to try to disrupt preparation for a Ukrainian counterattack, military officials have said.

Russia's Medvedev says pre-emptive strike needed if Ukraine receives nuclear weapons

05:56 , Namita Singh

Russia will have to launch a pre-emptive strike if the West gives Ukraine nuclear weapons, Russian news agencies quoted former Russian president and current security council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev as saying on Friday.

“There are irreversible laws of war. If it comes to nuclear weapons, there will have to be a pre-emptive strike,” he said.

Ukraine warns of Russian plan to ‘simulate accident’ at Zaporizhia nuclear power plant

04:35 , Namita Singh

Intelligence chiefs in Kyiv have issued an alert over what they claim are Russian plans to simulate an accident at the occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, in an attempt to halt the Ukrainian counteroffensive aimed at retaking territory.

An emergency leak of radioactive substances will be announced in the coming hours, the defence ministry claimed in an online statement on Friday evening, warning that Ukraine will “traditionally be blamed for the incident”.

“The occupiers are preparing large-scale provocations to create a centre of radiation danger,” the message read.

My colleague Jane Dalton has more:

Ukraine warns of Russian plan to ‘simulate nuclear power plant accident’

ICYMI: Russian attack on Ukrainian clinic kills two and wounds 30, Kyiv says

03:15 , Martha Mchardy

A Russian missile has hit a clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing two people and wounding 30 in an attack that President Volodymyr Zelensky called a crime against humanity.

Video footage showed a devastated building with smoke pouring out of it and rescue workers looking on. Much of the upper floor of what appeared to be a three-storey building had been badly damaged. A covered corpse lay in the road nearby.

“Another [Russian] missile attack, another crime against humanity,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter. He said a psychological clinic and a veterinary clinic had been hit, and added: “Only an evil state can fight against clinics. There can be no military purpose in this. It is pure Russian terror.”

Olena Harmash and Max Hunder report:

Russian attack on Ukrainian clinic kills two and wounds 30, Kyiv says

In pictures: Destruction in Ukrainian town of Kupiansk

02:15 , Martha Mchardy

A destroyed building in the town of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region (AFP via Getty Images)
A destroyed building in the town of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region (AFP via Getty Images)
A destroyed house in the town of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region (AFP via Getty Images)
A destroyed house in the town of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region (AFP via Getty Images)
A destroyed building in the town of Kupiansk (AFP via Getty Images)
A destroyed building in the town of Kupiansk (AFP via Getty Images)

Watch: Water rushes over destroyed Ukrainian dam after Russian shelling

01:15 , Martha Mchardy

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

Saturday 27 May 2023 00:15 , Martha Mchardy

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

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

Watch: Zelensky receives standing ovation after speech to Johns Hopkins University graduates

Friday 26 May 2023 23:15 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine war pensioner sweeps fields for mines to protect cows

Friday 26 May 2023 22:15 , Laura Sharman

A remarkable pensioner in Ukraine has been using a metal detector to comb her fields for mines and war detritus so she can put her cow out to pasture and plant vegetables.

Hanna Plishchynska, 67, returned several weeks ago to her home in Stepova Dolyna, southwesten Ukraine - a rural community of 150 people that emptied as fighting raged for months last year during Russia’s invasion.

The village on the edge of Kherson region found itself on the front lines and took heavy shelling from both sides. Plishchynska wanted to stick it out, but eventually fled with her cow, chickens and ducks.

The area is in ruins though the fighting moved away after Ukraine recaptured Kherson city last November.

She returned to find her house standing, albeit with smashed windows, and began scouring the area with a metal detector to check for mines and other dangers.

“What if my cow was killed by an explosion, what would I do?” she said.

Russia’s Foreign Minister thanks China for its “balanced position” on the war

Friday 26 May 2023 21:30 , Laura Sharman

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed gratitude for China’s “balanced position” and willingness to play a positive role, his ministry said.

Lavrov and Chinese special envoy Li Hui discussed prospects for resolving the war in Ukraine at a meeting in Moscow on Friday, it added.

Li, who spent 10 years as ambassador to Moscow, has been on a tour of European capitals, and last week visited Kyiv.

After those talks, China said it wanted to “form the greatest common denominator for resolving the Ukrainian crisis, and make its own efforts to stop the fighting and [establish a] ceasefire and restore peace as soon as possible”.

Black Sea grain deal slow to get moving after extension

Friday 26 May 2023 21:11 , Martha Mchardy

A deal allowing the safe wartime export of grain and fertilizer from Ukrainian Black Sea ports has not yet resumed full operations, the United Nations said on Friday, having come to a halt before Russia’s decision last week to extend it.

The pact called the Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July with Russia and Ukraine to try to ease a global food crisis aggravated by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, covers three ports, but no ships have been authorized to travel to Pivdennyi (Yuzhny) port since April 29, the U.N. said.

The United Nations and Turkey “are working closely with the rest of the parties with the aim to resume full operations ... and lift all impediments that obstruct operations and limit the scope of the Initiative,” the U.N. said in a statement.

Ukraine accused Russia on Tuesday of effectively cutting Pivdennyi port out of the Black Sea deal as Russia complained that it had been unable to export ammonia via a pipeline to Pivdennyi under the agreement.

The U.N. said on Friday that the Black Sea deal also provides for the exports of fertilizer, including ammonia, but “there have been no such exports so far.”

“Russia is ready without delay, in a matter of days, to launch the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline, while Kyiv has been stalling it for almost a year, imposing new conditions,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

A Ukrainian government source told Reuters last week that Kyiv would consider allowing Russian ammonia to transit its territory for export if the Black Sea grain deal was expanded to include more Ukrainian ports and a wider range of commodities.

Under the Black Sea grain export agreement a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul - made up of officials from the Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the U.N. - authorizes ships and conducts inbound and outbound inspections of the vessels.

“According to information shared by the Ukrainian delegation with the parties at the JCC, there are 54 vessels waiting to move to Ukrainian ports. Out of these, 11 applications have been shared with the JCC for registration,” the U.N. said.

Britain’s Johnson discussed Ukraine with U.S. Trump - spokesperson

Friday 26 May 2023 21:08 , Martha Mchardy

Britain’s former prime minister, Boris Johnson, and U.S. former President Donald Trump discussed Ukraine and “the vital importance of Ukrainian victory” on Thursday, Johnson’s spokesperson said on Friday.

Since being ousted as Britain’s prime minister last year, Johnson has been keen to forge a profile as one of Ukraine’s most ardent backers in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion and has been visiting the United States this week to speak to politicians about maintaining support for Kyiv.

A spokesperson for Johnson, who was once dubbed “Britain Trump” by the former president, said Johnson met Trump on Thursday “to discuss the situation in Ukraine and the vital importance of Ukrainian victory”. There were no further details.

US and EU boost efforts to help solve Kosovo-Serbia dispute as war rages in Ukraine

Friday 26 May 2023 20:45 , Laura Sharman

The United States and the EU have stepped up efforts to help solve the Kosovo-Serbia dispute, fearing further instability in Europe as the war rages in Ukraine.

The EU has made it clear to both Serbia and Kosovo they must normalise relations to advance in their intentions to join the bloc.The conflict in Kosovo erupted in 1998 when separatist ethnic Albanians rebelled against Serbia’s rule, and Serbia responded with a brutal crackdown. About 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, died.

Russia acknowledges Vatican peace initiative, says no steps yet for a mission to Moscow

Friday 26 May 2023 20:00 , Laura Sharman

Russia on Friday indicated that it views Pope Francis’ Ukraine peace initiative positively, but stressed that there are no immediate plans for a Vatican mission to Moscow.

The statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry to the state RIA Novosti agency was the first public acknowledgment by Moscow of the pope’s move. It followed the Vatican’s weekend announcement that a veteran of the Catholic Church’s peace mediation initiatives, Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, had been tapped by Francis as his envoy.

“We acknowledge the Holy See’s sincere desire to promote the peace process,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said, according to RIA Novosti. “At the same time, no practical steps have been taken by the Vatican side to organize the trip to Moscow.”

Russia acknowledges Vatican peace initiative, says no steps yet for a mission to Moscow

Ukraine harasses Russian border regions, Russia strikes Dnipro clinic

Friday 26 May 2023 19:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia’s southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine came under attack from Ukrainian artillery fire Friday, authorities said, hours after at least one nighttime blast rocked a Russian city in a region next to the annexed Crimea peninsula.

The Kremlin’s forces, meanwhile, struck a clinic in Dnipro, in central Ukraine, killing one person and wounding 16, including two children, Ukrainian officials said. Also, a Russian S-300 missile hit a dam in the Karlivka district of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk province, placing nearby settlements under threat of severe flooding.

The Belgorod town of Graivoron, some 7 kilometers (4.5 miles) from the Ukrainian border, was under fire for several hours, with four houses, a store, a car, a gas pipeline and a power line damaged, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov reported.

Ukraine harasses Russian border regions, Russia strikes Dnipro clinic

Scarred by war, Ukrainian children carry on after losing parents, homes and innocence

Friday 26 May 2023 18:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The two children squinted to see through the thick smoke that hung in the air after a deafening blast shook their small home in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

The pair, ages 9 and 10, called out for their father. Only eerie silence followed.

Then Olha Hinkina and her brother, Andrii, rushed to the bomb shelter, as they had been taught. When the booms stopped and the smoke cleared, they found their father on the porch — motionless and covered in blood after being struck by a Russian projectile.

“Father was killed at seven in the morning,” said Andrii, who now lives in the safer western city of Lviv, near the border with Poland.

Scarred by war, Ukrainian children carry on after losing parents, homes and innocence

Putin: Russia is open to dialogue over Ukraine

Friday 26 May 2023 17:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a phone call with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, confirmed that Russia is open to dialogue over Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Friday.

Lula earlier tweeted that he had reiterated Brazil’s willingness to talk to both sides of the war in Ukraine.

Russia Armenia Azerbaijan (Sputnik)
Russia Armenia Azerbaijan (Sputnik)

Brazil’s Lula said spoke to Putin on war

Friday 26 May 2023 17:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Friday he had a phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and reaffirmed his willingness to establish peace talks with both sides of the war in Ukraine.

Lula tweeted he had also thanked Putin for an invitation to attend an economic forum in Saint Petersburg, but had to decline it as he “can’t visit Russia at the moment”.

“I reiterated Brazil’s willingness, along with India, Indonesia and China, to talk to both sides of the conflict in pursuit of peace,” the leftist leader added.

Lula has pitched himself as a peace broker to end the war, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. His proposal, based on Brazil’s tradition of non-intervention and neutrality, calls for a group of nations not involved in the war to engage both Russia and Ukraine in talks.

Netherlands 'seriously considering' sending F-16's to Ukraine

Friday 26 May 2023 16:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Netherlands is “seriously considering” sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine but has not taken any final decision yet, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday.

Earlier this week the Netherlands said it wanted to start training Ukrainian pilots in flying F-16’s as soon as possible.

Asked if the Netherlands would send fighter jets to Ukraine, Rutte told a news conference no final decision had been taken, but added that “if you start training it’s obvious that is something you are seriously considering”.

Any decision on sending F-16s was dependent on approval from the U.S. to do so, Rutte said. He added that the Netherlands would potentially have fighter jets to pass on as it was currently phasing out its F-16’s.

According to figures from the Dutch defence ministry the Netherlands currently has 24 operational F-16’s which will be phased out by mid-2024. Another 18 of the jets are currently available for sale, of which 12 have been provisionally sold.

Last Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden endorsed training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy assured Biden that the planes would not be used to cross into Russian territory.

The West says it wants to help Ukraine defeat Russia but has repeatedly insisted it does not want to trigger a direct confrontation between the U.S.-backed NATO military alliance and Russia.

Poland says it will close border to freight vehicles from Belarus and Russia

Friday 26 May 2023 16:13 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Poland will close its eastern border to freight vehicles registered in Belarus and Russia until further notice, according to a draft regulation published on Friday by the interior ministry.

The move comes as a Belarusian court upheld an earlier decision to sentence a journalist of Polish origin to eight years in prison, stoking tensions between the two countries that have been running high in part due to Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the justification of the regulation, the decision was necessary to “ensure public safety”.

While the regulation concerning the border did not mention the case of jailed journalist Andrzej Poczobut, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Twitter that he would add several hundred Belarusian officials to sanctions lists as a result of the verdict, which he labelled “draconian”.

Poland had previously closed some border crossings with Belarus following Poczobut’s imprisonment and the expulsion of Polish diplomats by Minsk.

The Belarusian foreign ministry could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

Belarus has previously said that Polish decisions to close border crossings were irrational and dangerous, accusing Warsaw of causing long delays and failing to implement bilateral agreements.

Poland has been an important refuge for opponents of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, and Warsaw has become one of Kyiv’s staunchest supporters since Belarus’ main ally Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Poland also accuses Belarus of artificially creating a migrant crisis on the border by flying in people from the Middle East and Africa and attempting to push them across the frontier.

While the numbers of migrants crossing are lower than at the peak of the crisis in 2021, the Polish Border guard reports dozens of attempts to enter Poland illegally daily.

Lavrov, Chinese special envoy Li discuss prospects for peace in Ukraine, Russia says

Friday 26 May 2023 15:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Chinese special envoy Li Hui discussed prospects for resolving the conflict in Ukraine at a meeting in Moscow on Friday, Russia‘s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Li has been on a tour of European capitals including Kyiv.

In a meeting with officials from the European Union in Brussels on Thursday, Li said China had always upheld an objective and just position on the Ukrainian issue and actively promoted peace talks.

 (EPA)
(EPA)

Russian attack on Ukrainian clinic kills two and wounds 30, Kyiv says

Friday 26 May 2023 15:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Russian missile hit a clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday, killing two people and wounding 30 in an attack that President Volodymyr Zelensky called a crime against humanity.

Video footage showed a devastated building with smoke pouring out of it and rescue workers looking on. Much of the upper floor of what appeared to be a three-storey building had been badly damaged. A covered corpse lay in the road nearby.

“Another (Russian) missile attack, another crime against humanity,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter.

He said a psychological clinic and a veterinary clinic had been hit, and added: “Only an evil state can fight against clinics. There can be no military purpose in this. It is pure Russian terror.”

Regional governor Serhiy Lysak said a 69-year-old man had been killed as he passed the clinic and another man’s body had been pulled from the rubble.

He said 30 people had been wounded, including two children, and contact had not yet been made with three people thought to have been in the building when it was hit.

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

Russia‘s Defence Ministry said it had carried out an overnight strike on Ukrainian ammunition depots.

“The target of the strike has been achieved. All designated facilities were hit,” the RIA news agency quoted it as saying.

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

 (EPA)
(EPA)

Which companies are leaving Russia and which are staying? Here's a look

Friday 26 May 2023 14:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

More than 500 companies have suspended their business in Russia, and a similar number have withdrawn completely.

An additional 151 are “scaling back,” 175 are “buying time” and 230 are “digging in,” according to database kept by Yale University. Chinese companies figure prominently in the last category.

Here’s a look at some of the Western companies that have chosen to stay or exit Russia:

Which companies are leaving Russia and which are staying? Here's a look

Swedish foreign minister says ambition is to join NATO by July

Friday 26 May 2023 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Sweden still hopes to be a member of NATO by the time of the alliance’s summit in Vilnius in July, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said on Friday.

Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine convinced Sweden and Finland last year to ditch long-held policies of military non-alignment and seek security of NATO’s collective defence commitment.

Finland joined NATO last month, but Sweden’s membership has been held up by objections from Turkey and Hungary.

“There isn’t going to be any plan B or anything like that. Plan B is plan A - that is full membership in NATO and that is what I and the government are going to work for all the way to Vilnius,” he told reporters.

Turks vote in the second round of a tight presidential election on Sunday, with incumbent Tayyip Erdogan leading after the first ballot.

Billstrom said he hoped Turkey’s parliament would begin the ratification process after the dust has settled.

“It is time for Turkey to start its ratification process and uphold its part of the bargain,” Billstrom said.

Sweden and Finland struck a three-way deal in Madrid in June last year aimed at addressing Turkey’s security worries.

But Ankara has continued to drag its heels over Sweden, saying Stockholm harbours members of militant groups it considers to be terrorists.

Hungary has also objected to Sweden’s application citing grievances over Swedish criticism of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s record on democracy and the rule of law.

Billstrom said it was unclear what objections Budapest had to Sweden’s membership.

“Hungary gave its support at the summit in Madrid last year for Sweden to be given invitee status without any conditions,” he said. “It is our firm opinion that they should start ratification.”

Watch: Zelensky receives standing ovation after speech to Johns Hopkins University graduates

Friday 26 May 2023 13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia says it carried out overnight strike on Ukrainian ammo depots

Friday 26 May 2023 13:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s Defence Ministry said on Friday that it carried out an overnight strike on Ukrainian ammunition depots, the RIA news agency reported.

“The target of the strike has been achieved. All designated facilities were hit,” the defence ministry was quoted as saying.

Map shows the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine

Friday 26 May 2023 13:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The UK ministry of defence has published a map which shows the latest Russian attacks and troop locations in the Ukraine war.

Nato chief says Ukraine should not join alliance until Russia’s invasion is over

Friday 26 May 2023 12:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine will not be able to join Nato as long as Russia’s invasion continues, the head of the alliance has said.

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

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

Since then, there have been plenty of platitudes from Nato members about how Ukraine belongs in the alliance, but little concrete action, with some Western allies of Kyiv wary of moves that could push Nato towards an active war with Russia.

Our foreign editor Chris Stevenson reports:

Nato chief says Ukraine should not join alliance until Russia’s invasion is over

Blast in Russia's Krasnodar was caused by drones, governor says

Friday 26 May 2023 12:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A blast that damaged a residential and office building in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, east of Crimea, on Friday was caused by two drones, the region’s governor said.

“There is some damage to buildings, but critical infrastructure was not damaged. And most importantly, there were no casualties,” governor Veniamin Kondratyev wrote on Telegram.

The Russians out for revenge on Putin

Friday 26 May 2023 11:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion were formed in Ukraine in the wake of Moscow’s invasion. Now, the militias are taking the fight to the Kremlin – and aiming to topple the president. Kim Sengupta reports:

The Russians out for revenge on Putin

One killed, 15 wounded in Russian attack on Ukrainian clinic

Friday 26 May 2023 10:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

At least one person was killed and 15 wounded in a Russian missile strike on a clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

He denounced the attack as a crime against humanity, and the Ukrainian Defence Ministry called it a serious war crime under the Geneva Conventions, which set out how soldiers and civilians should be treated in war.

Video footage showed a devastated building with smoke pouring out of it and rescue workers looking on. Much of the upper floor of what appeared to be a three-storey building had been badly damaged, as had cars parked nearby.

“Another (Russian) missile attack, another crime against humanity,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter.

“The buildings of a psychological clinic and a veterinary clinic in the city of Dnipro were destroyed. As of now, one person was killed and 15 were wounded.”

Russia has denied repeated accusations that its soldiers have committed war crimes in Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials said earlier on Friday that air defences had shot down 10 missiles and more than 20 drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks on the capital Kyiv, Dnipro and eastern regions.

Reuters was unable to verify the reports.

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine 15 months ago, did not immediately comment on the reported air strikes but said Ukraine had struck two regions in southern Russia with a rocket and a drone.

 (via REUTERS)
(via REUTERS)

One killed in Russian attack on clinic in Ukraine’s Dnipro- Zelensky

Friday 26 May 2023 10:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

At least one person was killed and 15 wounded in a Russian missile strike on a clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

In an online post under video footage of a badly damaged building with smoke pouring out of it, he said rescue efforts were under way.

“Russian terrorists once again confirm their status of fighters against everything humane and honest,” Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

“A rocket attack on a clinic in the city of Dnipro. As of now, one person was killed and 15 were wounded. The shelling aftermath is being eliminated and the victims are being rescued.”

Ukrainian officials said earlier on Friday that air defences had shot down 10 missiles and more than 20 drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks on the capital Kyiv, Dnipro and eastern regions.

Reuters was unable to verify the reports.

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine 15 months ago, did not immediately comment on the reported air strikes but said Ukraine had struck two regions in southern Russia with a rocket and a drone.

Firefighters work at a facility of a transport company damaged by a Russian missile strike in Dnipro (via REUTERS)
Firefighters work at a facility of a transport company damaged by a Russian missile strike in Dnipro (via REUTERS)

Hospital in Ukrainian city of Dnipro hit in Russian attack - governor

Friday 26 May 2023 09:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A hospital in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro was hit on Friday in a Russian missile attack, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said.

“Missile attack on Dnipro. ‘Rashist’ bastards attacked a medical facility. There are victims,” Lysak said on the Telegram messaging app, using a derogatory term for Russians.

China says it hopes Black Sea grain deal can be done in balanced, comprehensive manner

Friday 26 May 2023 09:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

China hopes the Black Sea grain deal can be implemented in a balanced and comprehensive manner, and wants to cooperate on global food security, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday.

Russia signaled on Thursday that if demands to improve its grain and fertilizer exports are not met then it will not extend the deal beyond July 17.

Russia's Medvedev warns West is underestimating risks of nuclear escalation over Ukraine

Friday 26 May 2023 08:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A senior ally of President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday that the West was seriously underestimating the risk of a nuclear war over Ukraine, cautioning that Russia would launch a pre-emptive strike if Ukraine gets nuclear weapons.

Russia‘s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has triggered the deadliest European conflict since World War Two and the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Russia, which has more nuclear weapons than any other state, has repeatedly said the West is engaged in a proxy war with Russia over Ukraine that could escalate into a much bigger conflict.

“There are irreversible laws of war. If it comes to nuclear weapons, there will have to be a pre-emptive strike,” Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

Allowing Ukraine nuclear weapons, a step no Western state has publicly proposed, would mean “a missile with a nuclear charge coming to them,” Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012, was quoted as saying.

“The Anglo-Saxons do not fully realise this and believe that it will not come to this,” Medvedev said. “It will under certain conditions.”

Medvedev, who once cast himself as a liberal moderniser, now presents himself as a fiercely anti-Western Kremlin hawk. Diplomats say his views give an indication of thinking at the top levels of the Kremlin elite.

The West says it wants to help Ukraine defeat Russia but U.S. President Joe Biden has cautioned that a direct confrontation between the U.S.-backed NATO military alliance and Russia would result in World War Three.

Russia says Washington would never allow Russia to arm a country bordering the United States, and the Kremlin says the West is already essentially fighting an undeclared war with Russia.

When Ukraine gained independence after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, it hosted thousands of nuclear weapons. It handed these to Russia under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, in return for guarantees of its security and sovereignty from Russia, the United States and Britain.

 (AP)
(AP)

‘Dnipro has suffered,' regional governor says

Friday 26 May 2023 08:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia attacked the city of Dnipro with missiles and drones overnight.

“It was a very difficult night. It was loud - the enemy launched a mass attack on the region with missiles and drones,” Serhiy Lysak, the Dnipropetrovsk regional governor, said on the Telegram messaging app. “Dnipro has suffered.”

Lysak said several houses, cars, and private companies, including a transport company and a gas station, had been damaged.

Officials in Kyiv said the roof of a shopping mall, a private house and several cars had been damaged. The governor of the Kharkiv region also reported damage to several private houses and industrial facilities.

Russia, which began its full-scale invasion 15 months ago, has launched hundreds of missile attacks since last October, seeking to destroy critical infrastructure and power facilities.

It has shifted the focus of its missile strikes to try to disrupt preparation for a Ukrainian counterattack, military officials have said.

A rescuer is seen at a compound of a petrol station damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro (via REUTERS)
A rescuer is seen at a compound of a petrol station damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro (via REUTERS)
Firefighters work at a facility of a transport company damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro (via REUTERS)
Firefighters work at a facility of a transport company damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro (via REUTERS)

Ukraine shoots down 10 missiles, over 20 drones in Russian attacks

Friday 26 May 2023 07:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine shot down 10 missiles and over 20 drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks on the capital Kyiv, the city of Dnipro and eastern regions, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.

Russia has intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukraine this month, mainly attacking logistics and infrastructure facilities before an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 10 missiles fired from the Caspian Sea, 23 Iranian-made Shahed drones and two reconnaissance drones.

It said a total of 17 missiles and 31 drones had been launched during the attacks, which started at around 10:00 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Thursday and continued until 5:00 a.m. on Friday.

Several drones and several missiles hit targets in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, officials said.

There was no immediate word of any deaths.

A view shows a residential house damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro (via REUTERS)
A view shows a residential house damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro (via REUTERS)

Russia's Medvedev says pre-emptive strike needed if Ukraine receives nuclear weapons

Friday 26 May 2023 07:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia will have to launch a pre-emptive strike if the West gives Ukraine nuclear weapons, Russian news agencies quoted Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman, former president Dmitry Medvedev, as saying on Friday.

“There are irreversible laws of war. If it comes to nuclear weapons, there will have to be a pre-emptive strike,” Medvedev said.

Russian president Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev (AFP via Getty Images)
Russian president Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev (AFP via Getty Images)

The Russians out for revenge on Putin: ‘We’ll begin to liberate Russia’

Friday 26 May 2023 06:45 , Arpan Rai

The fighters are exuberant after their cross-border mission, showing off a captured BRT armoured car and machine guns among their battle trophies, while vowing further attacks in a long campaign and predicting Vladimir Putin’s downfall.

They have not invaded Russia on Ukraine’s behalf, but started a war of liberation, declares Denis Kapustin, the head of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) at a camp in northeastern Ukraine. “We went back to our homeland. There were no Ukrainian soldiers with us; they will not appear in the territory of the Russian Federation. This is our internal problem,” he insists.

Kim Sengupta reports

The Russians out for revenge on Putin

Ukraine releases 106 Bakhmut soldiers from Russian captivity

Friday 26 May 2023 06:29 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky announced the return of over a hundred Ukrainian soldiers, initially considered missing in the battlefield, who fought in the grinding battle of Bakhmut last night.

“Today we have another positive result from our team working on exchanges. We have returned 106 more of our warriors from Russian captivity - they fought in the Bakhmut sector,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

He added: “It is very important that there was no information about many of these 106 people at all – they were considered missing. But we found them. We brought them back home. 8 officers, 98 soldiers and sergeants…”

Putin’s ally threatens ‘pre-emptive’ strike: ‘Irreversible laws of war'

Friday 26 May 2023 06:19 , Arpan Rai

Russia will need to launch a pre-emptive strike if the West gives nuclear weapons to Ukraine, one of the Russian president’s closest aides has said.

“There are irreversible laws of war. If it comes to nuclear weapons, there will have to be a pre-emptive strike,” former Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said, according to Russian state media.

As the Ukraine war spills into Russia, a dangerous new front is about to explode

Friday 26 May 2023 05:45 , Arpan Rai

At the start of this week, an unknown number of paramilitaries entered the Russian region of Belgorod from Ukraine.

The details are both unclear and contested, but what appears to have happened is essentially this: they took over a border post, attacked a few villages on the Russian side of the border north of Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, and advanced several dozen kilometres further into Russia before being beaten back by Russian troops.

Russia claims they killed 70, but there is no corroboration.

Ukraine says it was a couple of Russian volunteer groups opposed to President Putin, operating independently of the Kyiv government; Russia says it was Ukrainian saboteurs and terrorists operating with the full knowledge and support of Kyiv. But whoever was behind this raid is a secondary detail to the fact that it happened.

Read the full story here:

As the Ukraine war spills into Russia, a new front is set to explode | Mary Dejevsky

‘I thank everyone who gave this result’ - Zelensky

Friday 26 May 2023 05:00 , William Mata

Ukraine is celebrating the return of more than 100 soldiers from captivity.

“Today we have another positive result from our team working on exchanges,” Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Twitter.

“We have returned 106 more of warriors from captivity - they fought in the Bakhmut sector. It is very important that there was no information about many of these 106 people at all - they were considered missing. But we found them.

“We brought them back home. 8 officers, 98 soldiers and sergeants... I thank everyone who gave this result.”

Wagner starts handing Bakhmut to regular Russian troops

Friday 26 May 2023 04:55 , Arpan Rai

Russia’s Wagner private army started handing over its positions in Bakhmut to regular Russian troops yesterday, five days after announcing complete capture of the devastated eastern Ukrainian city following the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.

“From today at five in the morning, May 25 until June 1, most of the (Wagner) units will rebase to camps in the rear,” Wagner chief Yevgeny Prighozin said in a video. The mercenary group’s leader was wearing battle gear and standing beside a war-damaged residential block.

However, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said Wagner has only handed over positions on the city’s outskirts but “inside the city itself Wagner fighters remain”.

Prigozhin has said his fighting unit would be ready to return to the city if needed.

Putin ally says Ukraine war could last 'decades’

Friday 26 May 2023 04:09 , Arpan Rai

One of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s top aides has said the war in Ukraine could last for decades, with long periods of fighting interspersed by truces, a state news agency reported today.

“This conflict will last a very long time, most likely decades,” former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said.

“As long as there is such a power in place, there will be, say, three years of truce, two years of conflict, and everything will be repeated,” he continued, reiterating Moscow’s claim that Ukraine is a Nazi state.

The remarks by the deputy chairman of Putin’s powerful security council were made during a visit to Vietnam, reported RIA news agency. He had described the Ukrainian authorities as an “infection”.

Pictures: May 25 in Ukraine

Friday 26 May 2023 04:00 , William Mata

A Ukrainian prisoner of war (POW) receives a medical aid after a swap, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine (via REUTERS)
A Ukrainian prisoner of war (POW) receives a medical aid after a swap, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine (via REUTERS)
Ihor Medunov walks next to a police boat on a flooded island which locals and officials say is caused by Russia’s chaotic control of the Kakhovka dam downstream, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, near Zaporizhzhia (REUTERS)
Ihor Medunov walks next to a police boat on a flooded island which locals and officials say is caused by Russia’s chaotic control of the Kakhovka dam downstream, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, near Zaporizhzhia (REUTERS)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the graduating class of Johns Hopkins University via livestream from Ukraine, (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the graduating class of Johns Hopkins University via livestream from Ukraine, (AP)
This picture taken with a smartphone shows an elderly woman gesturing to a crow as they sit on a bench during a warm spring day, in the centre of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv (AFP via Getty Images)
This picture taken with a smartphone shows an elderly woman gesturing to a crow as they sit on a bench during a warm spring day, in the centre of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv (AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine warns of increased danger from missile strikes this morning

Friday 26 May 2023 03:49 , Arpan Rai

Military authorities in Kyiv warned of an increased danger of Russian missile strikes in the early hours today, adding that the anti-aircraft defences were working.

“Increased missile danger! Air defences are working in the region,” the Kyiv regional military administration said in a message on Telegram.

Russia has targeted all of Ukraine and especially Kyiv in the recent months with early morning combined strikes of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles in a bid to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences.

However, Kyiv says it has knocked out most of the Russian missiles headed towards Ukrainian cities with a high rate of success since April.

No details of possible damage were immediately available.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers surprise commencement speech to Johns Hopkins

Friday 26 May 2023 03:00 , William Mata

During a surprise commencement address to graduates of Johns Hopkins University on Thursday morning, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told them to take advantage of the time and resources they have to pursue their passions and uphold the democratic values at stake in his country’s war against Russia.

He spoke via livestream from Ukraine, where the ongoing conflict has impacted the futures of countless young Ukrainians, robbing them of opportunities and loved ones, Mr Zelensky said.

He told Hopkins graduates to make the most of every moment.

“Time is the most valuable resource on the planet,” he said. “Some people realize this sooner, and these are the lucky ones.

Others realize it too late, when they lose someone or something.”

He also thanked US leaders for their support since the Russian invasion, including significant investments in humanitarian and military aid.

Volodymyr Zelensky speaking at the G7 conference (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Volodymyr Zelensky speaking at the G7 conference (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan speak of peace progress while arguing in front of Putin

Friday 26 May 2023 02:00 , Reuters

Nagorno-Karabakh region (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Nagorno-Karabakh region (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia on Thursday both spoke of progress towards ending their decades-old conflict over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, even as they argued openly in front of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan, has been a source of conflict between the two Caucasus neighbours since the years leading up to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and between ethnic Armenians and Turkic Azeris for well over a century.

In 2020, Azerbaijan seized control of areas that had been controlled by ethnic Armenians in and around the mountain enclave, and since then it has periodically restricted access to the only access road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, on which the enclave relies for financial and military support.

At a meeting in Moscow, Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of causing a humanitarian crisis by blocking the only land route from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh.

He called it a “direct violation” of a 2020 ceasefire that ended the six-week war between the two countries, and called for an international mission to be sent to evaluate the situation.

US senator hopes Serbia adopts Russia sanctions as Serb spy chief travels to Moscow

Friday 26 May 2023 01:00 , AP

Senator Chris Murphy (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Senator Chris Murphy (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

A US senator on Thursday said he hopes Serbia would adopt Western sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, telling the Balkan country that "there is no future" in an alliance with Moscow.

“Russia's invasion has been an absolute disaster and my belief is that Russia is ultimately going to lose this conflict," Senator Chris Murphy told reporters in the Serbian capital Belgrade. Serbia is the only country in Europe that has not imposed any sanctions on Russia.

“The future for Serbia is with the European Union and with the United States not with Russia," Mr Murphy said. “There is no future with Russia. They (Russia) are going to be devastated, a permanent pariah internationally after this invasion.”

Though Serbia is formally seeking EU membership and has condemned the invasion at the United Nations, Belgrade has maintained its historically friendly relations with Moscow.

Swedish minister for defence tweets about visit

Friday 26 May 2023 00:00 , William Mata

Pål Jonson, Sweden’s minister for defence, has been in talks with Ukraine counterparts over what support the Scandinavian country can bring.

Mr Jonson was joined by his party colleague Carl-Oskar Bohlin for the visit on Thursday.

The minister for defence tweeted: “Impressed by the performance of the Ukrainian armed forces and the resilience of the Ukrainian people.”

Ukraine secures release of 106 'hero' soldiers in swap with Russia - Kyiv

Thursday 25 May 2023 23:00 , William Mata

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office Andriy Yermak and Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk attend a ceremony (REUTERS)
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office Andriy Yermak and Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk attend a ceremony (REUTERS)

Ukraine secured the release of 106 captured soldiers in a prisoner exchange with Russia on Thursday, president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff said.

The soldiers, including eight officers, were captured fighting in the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut that Russia says it has captured, but where Kyiv’s forces say they still have a small foothold.

“Every one of them is a hero of our state. Many of the ones we are returning from captivity were considered missing. The relatives of these people have gone through a difficult time,” the senior official, Andriy Yermak, said.

Tatiana Moskalkova, Russia’s human rights ombudsman, confirmed Russia’s Wagner private military unit took part in an exchange of fighters on Thursday, but gave no further details.

Wagner played a key role in Russia’s months-long onslaught on the city of Bakhmut where both sides likened the ferocious fighting to a “meatgrinder”.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. Ukrainian military intelligence says that 2,430 Ukrainians have been freed in prisoner swaps, including 139 civilians.

Ukraine to open more embassies in Africa

Thursday 25 May 2023 22:00 , William Mata

Dmytro Kuleba in Africa (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Dmytro Kuleba in Africa (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Ukraine leaders said on Thursday they would consider opening more embassies in Africa and hold a summit between the country and continent.

The Guardian reported Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said: “We have recently adopted our first African strategy and intensified our political dialogue with many countries on the continent.

“This year, we are going to establish new embassies in different parts of the continent and plan to hold the first Ukraine-Africa Summit.”

Sweden considers letting Ukrainian pilots try out Gripen fighter jets

Thursday 25 May 2023 21:00 , William Mata

Sweden’s defense minister says the Nordic country is considering whether to let Ukrainian pilots test its JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets.

So far, Sweden has ruled out sending any Gripen fighters to Ukraine, saying it needs them for its own territorial defense.

But defence minister Pål Jonsson told Swedish broadcaster TV4 that Sweden was looking with a “positive spirit” on a Ukrainian request to allow its pilots to try out the Swedish plane.

“That could, for example, mean test flights, using simulators, learning more about the extensive ground system that is part of the Gripen system,” he said.

Ukraine has long asked for Western fighter jets to help it resist the full-scale Russian invasion, now in its second year.

Initially reluctant, the U.S. and other NATO countries recently agreed to allow Ukrainian pilots to receive training to fly F-16 fighters, though none has yet committed to hand over any planes.

The JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets (Agency)
The JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets (Agency)

MPs vote to recognise famine as genocide

Thursday 25 May 2023 20:00 , William Mata

The Houses of Parliament (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
The Houses of Parliament (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

MPs have voted in favour of recognising a famine that engulfed Ukraine in the 1930s as a genocide against the country’s people.

The House of Commons unanimously supported a motion to recognise the Holodomor as a genocide.

The famine is widely agreed to be man-made, and occurred between 1932 and 1933, killing millions of Ukrainians.

A growing number of countries have recognised the Holodomor as a genocide, as they consider it a purposeful attempt by the Soviet government to kill Ukrainians.

The backbench motion, tabled by Conservative MP Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire), is non-binding.

But Ms Latham urged MPs to support it as a means of sending a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin about his invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden could allow Ukrainian pilots to test fly its Gripen fighter jets

Thursday 25 May 2023 18:50 , Andy Gregory

Sweden may allow a few Ukrainian fighter jet pilots to test fly the Nordic country’s Gripen aircraft, Stockholm’s defence minister has said.

But in his comments to broadcaster TV4 on Thursday, Pal Jonson repeated earlier insistences that Sweden has no plans to send any of its Gripen to Ukraine, as all six divisions are required for the defence of Sweden’s territory.

“This concerns the Ukrainians putting in inquiries about various kinds of aviation systems – it can be Tornados, F-16s or Gripens – so that they can test the kinds of platforms and systems that we and other countries operate,” Jonson said.

“We are now looking at the possibility that the Ukrainians can test the Gripen.”

Such an initiative could involve test flights, trying simulators and learning about the fighter jet’s ground support system that, he said, adding: “Some decisions remain, both on the Ukrainian and the Swedish side.”

Russian prosecutor asks court to recognise Nazi crimes around Moscow as genocide

Thursday 25 May 2023 18:14 , Reuters

Russian prosecutors have asked a court to recognise crimes committed by Nazi Germany in the Moscow region as genocide and claim to believe that around 6.4 trillion roubles (£66.8 trillion) in damage was caused.

It was unclear whether the move was a prelude to a new financial compensation claim from Russia to modern Germany, with which relations have soured badly over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

But the statement, which cited the need to defend Russia’s national interests while restoring historical justice, appeared part of a wider effort by Russia to gird its citizens for what it says is an existential war with the West, which some Russian officials have likened to the one fought by the Soviet Union against the Nazis.

The prosecutors asked a Moscow regional court “to recognise as war crimes and crimes against humanity, and as genocide against the Soviet people, the established and newly revealed crimes committed by the German fascist invaders” in the Moscow region between October 1941 and January 1942.

More than 26,000 people were killed in the region during that time, they said in a statement, with Soviet citizens subjected to torture, robbery, forced labour and expulsions. It was not clear how soon the court would rule on the request.

Watch: Asked about Ukraine, US presidential hopeful gives rambling answer about trans people

Thursday 25 May 2023 17:44 , Andy Gregory

Russia summons German, Swedish and Danish ambassadors over Nord Stream probe

Thursday 25 May 2023 17:12 , Andy Gregory

Russia has summoned the ambassadors of Germany, Sweden and Denmark in protest over what it said was the “complete lack of results” in an investigation into who blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

The underwater blasts last September occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark, and the two countries are investigating the explosions – which they say were deliberate – alongside Germany.

In a new statement, Russia’s foreign ministry claimed: “It has been noted that these countries are not interested in establishing the true circumstances of this sabotage. On the contrary, they are delaying their efforts and trying to conceal the tracks and the true perpetrators of the crime behind which we believe are well-known countries.”

“It is no coincidence that ‘leaked’ improbable versions [of what happened] are dumped in the media to try to muddy the waters,” the ministry said.

The Danish foreign ministry confirmed that its ambassador had been summoned, and said authorities in Denmark, Germany, and Sweden were continuing their investigations.

“Denmark has been providing ongoing updates to Russia regarding the investigation’s progress and responding to their inquiries. We will continue to do so,” the ministry told Reuters.

Relocation of nuclear warheads to Belarus has already started, claims Lukashenko

Thursday 25 May 2023 16:40 , Andy Gregory

Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko has claimed that the relocation of some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus has already started, state news agency Tass reports.

Russia signed a deal with its close ally Belarus earlier on Thursday about the storage of the warheads at a special facility, which it claims should be completed in just over a month’s time.

EU tells China to play constructive role towards peace in Ukraine

Thursday 25 May 2023 15:54 , Reuters

The European Commission has repeated calls for China to play a constructive role in establishing peace in Ukraine, after a top EU diplomat met Li Hui, China’s special representative for Eurasian Affairs and former ambassador to Russia.

“The EU expects China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to play a constructive role ... and to recall the necessity to respect the principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity ... by unconditionally withdrawing all forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders,” the EU said in a statement.

Last week, Li Hui visited Ukraine and met president Volodymyr Zelensky in a European tour that Beijing billed as its effort to promote peace talks and a political settlement. He is set to visit Russia on Friday.

Cyprus upholding sanctions on Russia, EU must support sectors hit

Thursday 25 May 2023 15:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Cyprus said on Thursday it was committed to upholding European Union sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and urged the bloc to support sectors, such as shipping, that have felt the impact of EU decision.

“Right from the start, Cyprus has been implementing all the sanctions related to the Russian invasion to Ukraine“, President Nikos Christodoulides said after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. “We’re on the right side of history and we will continue in the same direction.”

“Where there is a cost for the European industries due to the decisions that we take - the right decisions that we take - the European Union should intervene to support those sectors.”

 (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Russia signs deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus

Thursday 25 May 2023 14:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia and Belarus signed a deal on Thursday formalizing the procedure for deploying Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. Control of the weapons will remain with Moscow.

The move formalized the deal agreed on earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Putin previously announced in March that his country planned to deploy tactical, comparatively short-range and small-yield nuclear weapons in Belarus. The inking of the deal comes as Russia braces for Ukraine’s much-anticipated counteroffensive.

Both Russian and Belarusian officials framed the step as driven by hostility from the West.

Russia signs deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus

Russia expels five Swedish diplomats, says ties at "unprecedented low"

Thursday 25 May 2023 14:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia said on Thursday it would expel five Swedish diplomats in what it said was a retaliatory measure for Sweden’s “confrontational course” in relations with Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was responding to the expulsion of five of its diplomatic staff from Sweden last month, which it called an “openly hostile step”.

Relations between the two countries have worsened since Sweden last year announced its intention to join NATO following Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian statement said ties had “reached an unprecedented low”.

Russia summons Germany, Denmark, Sweden envoys over 'stalled' Nord Stream investigation

Thursday 25 May 2023 13:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it had summoned the ambassadors of Germany, Sweden and Denmark to protest over what it said was the “complete lack of results” in an investigation to identify who blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year.

Several unexplained underwater explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 and newly-built Nord Stream 2 pipelines that link Russia and Germany across the Baltic Sea in September 2022.

The blasts occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark and both countries say the explosions were deliberate, but have yet to determine who was responsible. The two countries and Germany are investigating the incident.

Russia‘s Foreign Ministry in a statement accused all three of deliberately dragging their feet and of trying to conceal who was behind the blasts.

It said it was unhappy about what it called the opaque nature of the investigation and its refusal to engage with Russia.

“It has been noted that these countries are not interested in establishing the true circumstances of this sabotage. On the contrary, they are delaying their efforts and trying to conceal the tracks and the true perpetrators of the crime behind which we believe are well-known countries,” it said.

“It is no coincidence that ‘leaked’ improbable versions (of what happened) are dumped in the media to try to muddy the waters.”

The United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation have called the incident “an act of sabotage.” Moscow has blamed the West. Neither side has provided evidence.

The ministry said Moscow would keep trying to ensure that Germany, Denmark and Sweden conducted what it called an objective investigation with Russia participating too.

Live: Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin speaks at Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting

Thursday 25 May 2023 13:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch live as US secretary of defense Lloyd Austin delivers opening remarks at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

Live: Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin speaks at Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting

Nato chief says Ukraine should not join alliance until Russia’s invasion is over

Thursday 25 May 2023 13:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine will not be able to join Nato as long as Russia’s invasion continues, the head of the alliance has said.

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

Last September, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced a bid for fast-track membership of Nato after Russia’s president Vladimir Putin proclaimed four partially-occupied regions of Ukraine as annexed Russian land as part of Moscow’s invasion. Since then, there have been plenty of platitudes from Nato members about how Ukraine belongs in the alliance, but little concrete action, with some Western allies of Kyiv wary of moves that could push Nato towards an active war with Russia.

At an event organised by think tank German Marshall Fund of The United States in Brussels, Mr Stoltenberg acknowledged there were differences among the alliance over how to address Kyiv’s membership ambitions.

Nato chief says Ukraine should not join alliance until Russia’s invasion is over

Watch: Wagner leader says Russian forces withdrawing from Bakhmut

Thursday 25 May 2023 12:13 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine says Russian soldiers replace Wagner units in Bakhmut outskirts

Thursday 25 May 2023 11:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has replaced its Wagner private military units with regular soldiers in the outskirts of Bakhmut but the group’s fighters remain inside the devastated city, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Thursday.

Her comments appeared at least partially to confirm an announcement by Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin that his group had started withdrawing its forces from Bakhmut in east Ukraine and handing over its positions to regular Russian troops.

Russia shuts Swedish consulate, expels diplomats in tit-for-tat move

Thursday 25 May 2023 11:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia said on Thursday it would shut Sweden’s consulate in St Petersburg and its own mission in Sweden’s second-biggest city Gothenburg, and expelled five Swedish diplomats in a tit-for-tat move after Stockholm expelled five Russians last month.

Stockholm said last month it had expelled the diplomats over espionage concerns. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the expulsions an “openly hostile step”.

It said it had withdrawn its consent for the Swedish consulate in St Petersburg from September.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said in a statement the news was “very regrettable” and “further confirmation of the negative political development in Russia and the country’s international isolation”.

“Russia has chosen to expel Swedish diplomats who acted within the framework of the Vienna Convention and conducted customary diplomatic activities in Russia. We also deeply regret the Russian announcement about the Consulate General in St Petersburg,” he said.

Relations between the two countries have worsened since Sweden last year announced its intention to join NATO following Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian statement said ties had “reached an unprecedented low”.

Russia signs deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, says they stay under its control

Thursday 25 May 2023 10:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia and Belarus signed a deal on Thursday to formalise the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear missiles on Belarusian territory, a step Moscow said was driven by rising tensions with the West.

“In the context of an extremely sharp escalation of threats on the western borders of Russia and Belarus, a decision was made to take countermeasures in the military-nuclear sphere,” TASS news agency quoted Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying.

The deployment of the missiles was first announced by President Vladimir Putin in March. Since invading Ukraine last year, Putin has said repeatedly that Russia would be ready to use nuclear weapons if needed to defend its “territorial integrity”.

NATO said at the time it did not see any need to adjust its own nuclear posture, though it said Putin’s nuclear rhetoric was “dangerous and irresponsible”.

Ukraine said Russia‘s ally Belarus had been “taken hostage” by Moscow.

Moscow will retain control over the weapons and any decisions on their use, Shoigu said.

TASS quoted him as saying that Iskander-M missiles, which can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, had been handed to the Belarusian armed forces, and some Su-25 aircraft had been converted for the possible use of nuclear weapons.

“Belarusian servicemen have received the necessary training in Russian training centres,” Shoigu was quoted as saying.

He added that the agreements signed with his Belarusian counterpart covered the procedure for establishing a “special storage facility for nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.”

Tactical nuclear weapons refer to lower-yield weapons designed for battlefield use, as opposed to strategic ones capable of wiping out entire cities. Russia has not disclosed how many tactical nuclear weapons it has.

Russia's Wagner starts withdrawing units from Bakhmut

Thursday 25 May 2023 10:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s Wagner mercenary group has started withdrawing its forces from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and transferring its positions there to regular Russian troops, its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video published on Thursday.

“We are withdrawing the units from Bakhmut. From today at five in the morning, May 25 until June 1, most of the units will rebase to camps in the rear. We are handing our positions to the military,” he said.

The video was posted on Telegram by his press service, and showed Prigozhin dressed in battle gear and standing beside a war-damaged residential block.

Prigozhin announced the capture of Bakhmut on Saturday after the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.

In the latest video Prigozhin, who has repeatedly voiced public criticism of senior Russian defence officials, said his forces would be ready to return to Bakhmut if the regular army was unable to manage the situation.

 (AP)
(AP)