Ukraine war news – live: Kyiv troops ‘sent to death’ in Bakhmut as Putin suffers ‘heavy losses’

Ukrainian troops have told of being “sent to their death” in Bakhmut – the small eastern city at the centre of Russia’s winter campaign.

Amid reports of heavy losses within Moscow’s ranks, Kyiv forces have spoken of their own desperate fight for survival against Russia’s “infinite” stocks of artillery and personnel.

It comes as Russian-US relations continue to deteriorate, after an American drone was downed after an incident with one of Moscow’s fighter jets.

Russian forces reached the site of the downed surveillance drone in the Black Sea on Wednesday, US officials told CNN, as the Kremlin vowed to recover it from deep water around 70 miles from Crimea.

And in a separate incident, a Russian aircraft was intercepted by RAF and German fighter jets near Estonian airspace in the first joint exercise between the two Nato allies.

Two British and German Typhoon jets were scrambled on Tuesday when a Russian air-to-air refuelling aircraft failed to communicate with Estonian air traffic control.

The UK Ministry of Defence stressed the “routine” nature of the mission, but it comes amid tensions between the West and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

Key points

• RAF and German air force intercept Russian aircraft in ‘routine’ Nato mission

• Drone crash incident a provocation, says Russia’s ambassador to US

• US surveillance drone crashes into Black Sea after ‘Russian intercept’

• Putin ‘recruiting soldiers from women’s prison’ to make up for heavy losses

• Wagner group ‘recruiting in schools’

• Russia moves to push conscription age back

The Ukrainian troops being ‘sent to death’ in Bakhmut

Wednesday 15 March 2023 15:21 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian troops have told of being “sent to death” in Bakhmut – the small eastern city at the centre of Russia’s ever-intensifying winter campaign.

Amid reports of ”heavy losses” within Moscow’s ranks, Kyiv forces have spoken of their own desperate fight for survival against Russia’s “infinite” stocks of artillery and personnel.

“When they drive us to Bakhmut, I already know I’m being sent to death,” one Ukrainian soldier told The Kyiv Independent during a short stay in nearby Kramatorsk, some 25km west of the front line.

“(The Russians) keep firing at us, but we don’t have artillery – so we have nothing to attack them back with,” said Volodymyr, whose surname was withheld to protect his identity. “I don’t know if I will return or not. We are just getting killed.”

Russia’s advance has relied heavily on members of the Wagner group – often referred to as Vladimir Putin’s “private army” — who have made slow gains in Bakhmut, but at an immense cost.

Moscow first attempted to win the brutal conflict with a “human wave” of assaults using battalions of convicts, before sending in elite mercenary troops.

It comes after president Volodymyr Zelensky and his top military command agreed to continue to defend Bakhmut.

“It’s a pity that probably 90 per cent of our losses are from artillery – or tanks and aviation. And much less (casualties) from shooting battles,” Valeriy, another solider, told the news site a few hours after leaving Bakhmut.

He said “only a few” of the original 27 members of his platoon got out of the city with him, but explained that most of them were wounded, not killed.

“The Russians have so many weapons, and there are so many of them,” Valeriy said. “They are firing at us all the time. Sometimes, you hear an incoming (shell) every second.”

US, Russian military chiefs resume contact to discuss drone

06:30 , Namita Singh

Defense secretary Lloyd Austin said he spoke to his Russian counterpart yesterday about the destruction of a US drone over the Black Sea, which had brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

It was the first call between Austin and Defense Secretary Sergei Shoigu since October.

“I just got off the phone with my Russian counterpart, Minister Shoigu,” Mr Austin said at a Pentagon press briefing. “As I’ve said repeatedly, it’s important that great powers be models of transparency and communication, and the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows.”

Report:

US, Russian military chiefs resume contact to discuss drone

Russia says US relations are ‘lamentable’ after downing of American drone

06:00 , Namita Singh

Russia’s relationship with the United States is in a “lamentable state”, the Kremlin has said, following the downing of a US drone harassed by Russian jets over the Black Sea.

The US military said that a Russian fighter plane had clipped the propeller of one of its drones as it flew over international waters. Russia denied that the downing was intentional, saying the crash happened because of “sharp manoeuvring”.

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, said that bilateral relations were “at their lowest point, in a very lamentable state”. However, he added “at the same time, Russia has never refused constructive dialogue, and is not refusing now”.

Later, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the country’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and his US counterpart, the secretary of defence Lloyd Austin had spoken over the phone.

Eric Garcia reports:

Russia says US relations are ‘lamentable’ after downing of American drone

Russian forces reach US drone crash site in Black Sea, say reports

05:30 , Namita Singh

Russian forces have reached the site of the US MQ-9 surveillance drone that was downed in the Black Sea in an attempt to recover it, officials told CNN.

The Kremlin vowed on Wednesday to try and recover the large drone which crashed in international waters after its encounter with Russian fighter jets a day earlier.

It is not clear if Russia has been able to recover any remains of the drone when they arrived at the crash site, which is around 70 miles southwest of Crimea, the US officials told the news network.

My colleague Graeme Massie has more:

Russian forces reach US drone crash site in Black Sea according to reports

Russia making small advances near Bakhmut, but at cost, says top US general

05:00 , Namita Singh

Russia is making small advances near the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut but this was coming at a great cost, the top US general said on Wednesday.

“The Russians are making small, tactical advances [but] at great cost,” Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley told reporters.

Ukrainian troops have also told of being “sent to death” in the fight for the small eastern city that has spent months under siege.

Zelensky thanks British journalists for ‘vital support’ in Ukraine’s war against Russia

04:30 , Namita Singh

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said the country “needs the world’s attention even more than before” as he thanked British journalists for their “vital support” in the war against Russia.

In a keynote address to the Society of Editors Media Freedom Conference in London on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky urged more reporters to travel to the country to “spread the truth about the Russian aggression, support our defence, and give Ukrainian life worth”.

He told representatives of the British media that the country had issued over 15,000 accreditations to foreign journalists since the beginning of the conflict.

Speaking in a pre-recorded address, Mr Zelensky said: “Now that Russia’s full-scale war has been going on more than a year, Ukraine needs the world’s attention even more than before.”

Russia's Oscar-winning opposition mired in conflict

04:00 , Namita Singh

Kremlin critics were cheered this week when a Western documentary about jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny won an Oscar, but his political movement is in turmoil and some Ukrainian politicians say the award is undeserved.

Mr Navalny, president Vladimir Putin’s most high-profile domestic critic, is serving 11-1/2 years in jail in Russia after being convicted of fraud in two cases he and the West say were trumped up to silence him, and his anti-corruption organisation has been banned as extremist.

His supporters cast him as a Russian version of Nelson Mandela who survived an assassination attempt and will one day be freed from unjust imprisonment to lead Russia. The lawyer-turned-activist remains a fierce Kremlin critic, releasing regular statements via his lawyers from behind bars.

But his Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF), which now operates outside Russia, is reeling after his Chief of Staff Leonid Volkov admitted he had - without his colleagues’ knowledge - lobbied the European Union to lift sanctions on Mikhail Fridman, one of Russia’s richest men.

Volkov apologised for what he said was “a big political mistake” and said he was taking a break from his role as chairman of the ACF.

Yet some fellow opposition members were furious, saying the ACF should be trying to hasten Putin’s political demise rather than helping wealthy businessmen.

Ukraine wants to bring home tycoon to face corruption charges

03:30 , Namita Singh

Ukrainian tycoon Kostyantyn Zhevago said his record of investing in his homeland was proof of innocence ahead of today’s extradition hearing in a French Alpine town over accusations of embezzling tens of millions of dollars.

Mr Zhevago’s case comes as Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky seeks to clip the wings of oligarchs dominating the economy since the fall of the Soviet Union three decades ago.

The 49-year-old billionaire, who controls London-listed iron pellet producer Ferrexpo, was arrested at a ski resort in December at the request of Ukraine which wants him over the disappearance of $113m from the now bankrupt lender Finance & Credit Bank.

Mr Zhevago, a former lawmaker and former beneficiary owner of Finance & Credit Bank, was released on bail for €1mn and due to appear at an appeals court in the nearby town of Chambery.

“If I had actually embezzled $100mn as I am falsely accused of doing in Ukraine, I would have parked the money abroad,” he told Reuters.

“Instead, I have systematically invested in my public companies in recent years,” he added, saying he had ploughed $500mn into Ukraine over the past five years.

Mr Zhevago added Finance & Credit was one of dozens of banks to lose vast sums of money after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Canada announces new military aid

03:00 , Liam James

Canada will send about 8,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and a dozen air defense missiles as part of Ottawa’s latest military aide to Kyiv, the Canadian defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Ottawa will also provide Ukraine with more than 1,800 rounds of training ammunition for Leopard 1 battle tanks donated by Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, one of Ukraine’s most vocal international supporters, has committed over C$1bn (£600m) in military aid to Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion last year.

Canada has already announced it is donating eight Leopard 2 main battle tanks, which are expected to be in Ukraine in the coming weeks, the ministry said.

US drone ‘will be hard to recover from sea'

01:00 , Liam James

A US surveillance drone brought down over the Black Sea after a Russian military intercept probably broke apart and would be difficult to recover given the depth of the water in the area, the top US general said on Wednesday.

Russia’s defense ministry blamed “sharp manoeuvering” by the drone for the crash and said its jet did not make contact.

“It probably sank to some significant depths, so any recovery operation from a technical standpoint would be very difficult,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley told reporters.

He cautioned that it would take several days before the United States would know for certain the size of the debris field in waters as deep as 4,000 to 5,000ft, Milley said.

Russia said it would try to retrieve the remains the drone but appeared to acknowledge the challenges.

Russian forces reach US drone crash site in Black Sea, say reports

Wednesday 15 March 2023 23:57 , Graeme Massie

Kremlin has vowed to recover drone after it crashed in international waters.

Russian forces reach US drone crash site in Black Sea according to reports

Russia warns drone flights near Crimea ‘could lead to escalation'

Wednesday 15 March 2023 23:50

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin on Wednesday that operating drone flights near Crimea was provocative and could lead to an escalation, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

“It was noted that flights by American strategic lethal drones by the Crimea coastline were provocative in nature and created pre-conditions for an escalation of the situation in the Black Sea zone,” a ministry statement said of Shoigu’s telephone conversation with Defense Secretary Austin.

Russia, the statement said, “had no interest in such a development but will in future react in due proportion”.

US says drone crash ‘likely unintentional'

Wednesday 15 March 2023 22:45 , Sam Rkaina

A US military surveillance drone’s crash into the Black Sea after being intercepted by Russian jets was likely an unintentional act from Russia’s side, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday.

Moscow has warned Washington to keep well away from its air space after the incident from a day earlier,

which took place in international air space near territory Russia claims to have annexed from Ukraine.

“I think the best assessment right now is that it probably was unintentional. It probably was the result of profound incompetence on the part of one of these Russian pilots,” Price said in an interview on MSNBC.

“This incident demonstrates a lack of competence, in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional,” Price added.

The U.S military MQ-9 surveillance drone crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday after a Russian Su-27 jet struck its propeller, the Pentagon said, the first such incident since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over a year ago.

Russia has denied that any contact was made and says the drone crashed after “sharp maneuvering”.

The US State Department spokesperson also confirmed there is surveillance video of the incident and that the Department of Defense was determining whether to release it to the public.

The Russian and US defence ministers held a phone call on Wednesday, the Russian defense ministry said. Russia has said it will try to retrieve the remains of the drone while White House spokesman John Kirby said the drone may never be recovered.

Ransomware could impact Ukraine’s supply lines

Wednesday 15 March 2023 21:50 , Sam Rkaina

Microsoft found that a particularly sophisticated Russian hacking team, known within the cyber security research community as Sandworm, was testing additional ransomware-style capabilities that could be used in destructive attacks on organizations outside Ukraine that serve key functions in Ukraine’s supply lines.

A ransomware attack typically involves hackers penetrating an organization, encrypting their data and extorting them for payment to regain access.

Historically, ransomware has also been used as cover for more malicious cyber activity, including so-called wipers that simply destroy data.

Since January 2022, Microsoft said it had discovered at least nine different wipers and two types of ransomware variants used against more than 100 Ukrainian organizations.

These developments have been paired with a growth in more stealthy Russian cyber operations designed to directly compromise organizations in countries allied to Ukraine, according to the report.

“In nations throughout the Americas and Europe, especially Ukraine’s neighbors, Russian threat actors have sought access to government and commercial organizations involved in efforts to support Ukraine,” said Clint Watts, general manager for Microsoft’s Digital Threat Analysis Center.

Microsoft warns of new Russian cyber attack on Ukraine

Wednesday 15 March 2023 20:55 , Sam Rkaina

Russian hackers appear to be preparing a renewed wave of cyber attacks against Ukraine, including a “ransomware-style” threat to organizations serving Ukraine’s supply lines, a research report by Microsoft said on Wednesday.

The report, authored by the tech giant’s cyber security research and analysis team, outlines a series of new discoveries about how Russian hackers have operated during the Ukraine conflict and what may come next.

“Since January 2023, Microsoft has observed Russian cyber threat activity adjusting to boost destructive and intelligence gathering capacity on Ukraine and its partners’ civilian and military assets,” the report reads. “One group appears to be preparing for a renewed destructive campaign.”

The findings come as Russia has been introducing new troops to the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, according to Western security officials. Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov last month warned that Russia could accelerate its military activities surrounding the February 24 anniversary of its invasion.

Experts say the tactic of combining physical military operations with cyber techniques mirrors prior Russian activity.

“Pairing kinetic attacks with efforts to disrupt or deny defenders’ ability to coordinate and to use cyber-dependent technology is not a new strategic approach,” said Emma Schroeder, associate director of the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative.

Zelensky thanks British journalists for ‘vital support’ in Ukraine’s war against Russia

Wednesday 15 March 2023 20:00 , Sam Rkaina

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the country “needs the world’s attention even more than before” as he thanked British journalists for their “vital support” in the war against Russia.

In a keynote address to the Society of Editors Media Freedom Conference in London on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky urged more reporters to travel to the country to “spread the truth about the Russian aggression, support our defence, and give Ukrainian life worth”.

He told representatives of the British media that the country had issued over 15,000 accreditations to foreign journalists since the beginning of the conflict.

Speaking in a pre-recorded address, Mr Zelensky said: “Now that Russia’s full-scale war has been going on more than a year, Ukraine needs the world’s attention even more than before.”

Click here for the full story.

Latest on US drone incident from today

Wednesday 15 March 2023 19:15 , Sam Rkaina

* The U.S. military surveillance drone that crashed into the Black Sea after being intercepted by Russian fighter jets may never be recovered, White House spokesman John Kirby said. Russia said it would try to retrieve the remains of the drone.

* Russia’s ambassador to the United States said he had told Washington that Russia would “no longer allow anybody to violate our waters”, the TASS news agency reported.

* The incident shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to expand the Ukraine-Russia conflict zone, a senior Ukrainian security official said.

Oscar stirs criticism of Navalny from Ukrainians

Wednesday 15 March 2023 18:30 , Sam Rkaina

Kremlin critics were cheered this week when a Western documentary about jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny won an Oscar, but his political movement is in turmoil and some Ukrainian politicians say the award is undeserved.

Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most high-profile domestic critic, is serving 11-1/2 years in jail in Russia after being convicted of fraud in two cases he and the West say were trumped up to silence him, and his anti-corruption organisation has been banned as extremist.

His supporters cast him as a Russian version of Nelson Mandela who survived an assassination attempt and will one day be freed from unjust imprisonment to lead Russia. The lawyer-turned-activist remains a fierce Kremlin critic, releasing regular statements via his lawyers from behind bars.

But his Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF), which now operates outside Russia, is reeling after his Chief of Staff Leonid Volkov admitted he had - without his colleagues’ knowledge - lobbied the European Union to lift sanctions on Mikhail Fridman, one of Russia’s richest men.

Volkov apologised for what he said was “a big political mistake” and said he was taking a break from his role as chairman of the ACF.

Yet some fellow opposition members were furious, saying the ACF should be trying to hasten Putin’s political demise rather than helping wealthy businessmen.

Vladimir Milov, a Navalny ally and a former deputy energy minister, said some in the opposition had shown themselves to be “super-naive” in seeking the lifting of sanctions on Fridman, whom he described as Russia’s “champion corporate raider”.

“It inflicts colossal damage on the image of the Russian opposition,” said Milov. “After this it will be necessary to restore the reputation of the Russian opposition in the West.”

Russia’s weekly consumer prices rise ahead of rates decision

Wednesday 15 March 2023 17:45 , Sam Rkaina

Russia’s weekly consumer prices rose marginally, data from the state statistics service Rosstat showed on Wednesday, reinforcing analysts’ expectations for the central bank to hold rates at 7.5% Friday.

The Bank of Russia has become more hawkish this year, warning as it held its key rate at 7.5% last month that further widening of the budget deficit may compel it to raise the cost of borrowing. Analysts polled by Reuters expect a hold.

Consumer prices rose 0.02% in the week to March 13, Rosstat said, compared with no change in the previous week and a slight drop the week before.

Since the start of the year, prices have risen 1.32%, a slower pace than in the same period of 2022, Rosstat said.

Separately, the economy ministry said inflation was running at an annualised rate of 7.65% as of March 13, slowing from 9.43% a week earlier.

Inflationary pressure, though elevated, is showing signs of easing. Inflationary expectations for the year ahead among Russian households, an indicator the central bank watches closely, dropped to 10.7% in March, data showed on Wednesday, down from 12.2% in February.

“Such figures two days before the Bank of Russia’s board of directors meeting effectively remove the question of a possible rate hike from the agenda,” said CentroCreditBank economist Evgeny Suvorov. “The main intrigue now is - will the central bank soften its rhetoric?”

Russia’s annual inflation rate in 2022 was 11.9%, almost three times the government’s official 4% target. The central bank forecasts inflation will be 5%-7% this year, falling to the 4% target in 2024.

Russian households regularly cite inflation as a key concern, with many having no savings after a decade of economic crises. Rising prices have dragged living standards down.

EU lawmakers ask UEFA to ban Belarus from Euro 2024

Wednesday 15 March 2023 17:15 , Emily Atkinson

A group of more than 100 European Union lawmakers is urging European soccer’s governing body to ban Belarus from qualifying for the 2024 European Championship.

MEPs from across the political spectrum wrote in a letter sent to UEFA president Alexander Ceferin that the Belarusian national team should not be able to compete because of the country’s terrible human rights record.

“These are not only UEFA values at stake, but also UEFA’s reputation and image within democratic societies and international community,” they said.

More on this story here:

EU lawmakers ask UEFA to ban Belarus from Euro 2024

US drone may not be recovered from Black Sea

Wednesday 15 March 2023 16:51 , Emily Atkinson

The US military surveillance drone that crashed into the Black Sea after being intercepted by Russian fighter jets may never be recovered, White House spokesman John Kirby has said.

In the first such incident since the Ukraine war began, Russian Su-27 jets struck the propeller of the unmanned drone, making it inoperable, the Pentagon said, worsening already tense relations between Washington and Moscow.

“It has not been recovered. And I’m not sure that we’re going to be able to recover it,” Kirby said in an interview with CNN. “Where it fell into the Black Sea — very, very deep water. So we’re still assessing whether there can be any kind of recovery effort. There may not be.”

If the Russians recover the craft, US authorities have taken precautions to ensure that their ability to draw useful intelligence from it will be limited, Kirby told ABC.

“That said, it’s our property,” Kirby added, and US authorities will continue to explore recovery options.

Latest images from embattled eastern Ukraine

Wednesday 15 March 2023 16:26 , Emily Atkinson

Russia says US relations are ‘lamentable’ after downing of American drone

Wednesday 15 March 2023 16:05 , Emily Atkinson

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia’s relationship with the United States was in a “lamentable state” after it downed a US drone over the Black Sea, Reuters reported.

The US military said that a Russian fighter plane had clipped the propeller of one of its drones over the Black Sea as it flew over international waters. Russia denied that the downing was intentional, saying the crash happened because of “sharp manoeuvring.”

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Kremlin, said that Russia had no high-level contact with Washington about the crash.

Eric Garcia has more:

Russia says US relations are ‘lamentable’ after downing of American drone

Syria's Assad offers Putin support in Ukraine conflict

Wednesday 15 March 2023 15:45 , Emily Atkinson

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has offered Russian president Vladimir Putin his support in the conflict in Ukraine.

In a televised meeting with Putin in the Kremlin, Assad said Russia was fighting neo-Nazis and “old Nazis” in Ukraine, according to a Russian translation.

Without offering evidence, Assad said the West had taken in “old Nazis”, and was now giving them support.

Kyiv and the West say Russian accusations that Ukraine has become a hotbed of Nazism and “Russophobia” are a baseless pretext for an unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine.

Russia’s military support for Assad helped him to turn the tide in a ruinous civil war that began in 2011 as a pro-democracy movement.

German arms industry seeks clarity on Ukraine weapons orders

Wednesday 15 March 2023 14:50 , Emily Atkinson

Germany’s defence industry says it stands ready to ramp up its output, including the kinds of arms and ammunition needed by Ukraine, but needs clarity about what governments want before investing in further production capacity.

Ukraine became the world’s third largest importer of arms in 2022 after Russia’s invasion triggered a big flow of military aid to Kyiv from the United States and Europe, according to Swedish think tank SIPRI.

More on this story here:

German arms industry seeks clarity on Ukraine weapons orders

Russia accuses US of ‘direct participation in war’ after drone collision

Wednesday 15 March 2023 14:30 , Emily Atkinson

Russia says it will try to retrieve the remains of a US military surveillance drone that fell into the Black Sea after an incident involving Russian fighter planes, accusing Washington of “directly participating” in the war in Ukraine.

Kremlin security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev told the Rossiya-1 TV channel: “I don’t know whether we will be able to retrieve it or not, but that it has to be done. And we’ll certainly work on it. I hope, of course, successfully.”

“Secondly, regarding the drone - the Americans keep saying they’re not taking part in military operations. This is the latest confirmation that they are directly participating in these activities - in the war,” he said.

Latest pictures from the area of the heaviest battles in Bakhmut

Wednesday 15 March 2023 14:20 , Emily Atkinson

World should move on from Ukraine war, says India’s G20 negotiator

Wednesday 15 March 2023 13:57 , Emily Atkinson

Russia’s war in Ukraine has brought the world to a standstill when urgent action is needed to address growing global poverty, India’s G20 summit negotiator Amitabh Kant said on Wednesday.

Kant’s comments follow two back-to-back G20 ministerial meetings in India in the last three weeks overshadowed by the war, which entered its second year last month.

India, which holds the bloc’s presidency this year, has sought to highlight the economic impact of the conflict as well as issues such as climate change and poorer countries’ debt.

“Europe cannot bring growth, poverty, global debt, all developmental issues to a standstill across the world,” Kant told reporters.

“Especially when the south is suffering, especially when 75 countries are suffering from global debt, especially when one-third of the world is in recession, especially when 200 million people have gone below poverty line. Can that one war bring the entire world to a standstill?”

“Nutrition has been impacted, health outcomes have been impacted, learning outcomes have been impacted, people have become stunted and wasted and we are just concerned with one Russia and Ukraine war,” Kant said. “The world needs to move on and Europe needs to find a solution to its challenges.”

Putin set to host Syrian leader Assad at the Kremlin

Wednesday 15 March 2023 13:30 , Emily Atkinson

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to host Syrian leader Bashar Assad for talks in the Kremlin on Wednesday that are expected to focus on rebuilding Syria after a devastating civil war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the two leaders would talk about “postwar reconstruction and the continuation of the peace process in all of its aspects with an emphasis on the absolute priority of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

More from the AP here:

Putin set to host Syrian leader Assad at the Kremlin

£11bn boost for defence budget over the next five years, says UK chancellor

Wednesday 15 March 2023 13:07 , Emily Atkinson

British chancellor Jeremy Hunt has confirmed the government would add £11bn to the defence budget over the next five years.

Jeremy Hunt said: “Today, following representations from our persuasive defence secretary, I confirm that we will add a total of £11bn to our defence budget over the next five years and it will be nearly 2.25 per cent of GDP by 2025.

“We were the first large European country to commit to 2 per cent of GDP for defence and will raise that to 2.5 per cent as soon as fiscal and economic circumstances allow.”

Erdogan indicates he will ratify Finland’s Nato bid

Wednesday 15 March 2023 12:45 , Emily Atkinson

Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan has indicated that he would send ratification of Finland’s Nato membership to parliament soon, saying that he would “keep his promise”.

“Mr President (Niinisto) will come to Turkey on Friday and we will meet. After that, we will fulfil our promise,” Erdogan told reporters on Wednesday, when asked whether he would send ratification of Finland’s Nato bid to Turkish parliament next week.

Finland’s Niinisto is due to visit Istanbul on 16-17 March.

“Positive messages will be given to Finland’s president during his visit,” the second official said.

Pope urges 'respect' for Orthodox monastery facing eviction in Kyiv

Wednesday 15 March 2023 12:23 , Emily Atkinson

Pope Francis has called for “respect” of religious sites in Ukraine, as he mentioned the monastery from which the Russian-aligned Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is facing eviction.

Ukrainian authorities have given the UOC a 29 March deadline to vacate its headquarters in the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra complex, in the latest move against a denomination the government says is pro-Russian and collaborating with Moscow.

Referring specifically to the Lavra monastery, Francis asked “the warring parties [in Ukraine] to respect religious sites”, and praised people who devote their lives to prayer, “be they of whatever denomination”.

The pope made the remarks during his weekly address to crowds in St Peter’s Square. In an apparent slip up, he referred to the “nuns” of the monastery, which is actually home to male Orthodox priests.

In pictures: Azovstal defenders remembered

Wednesday 15 March 2023 12:02 , Emily Atkinson

Members of the Association of Azovstal Defenders' Families and activists hold posters during a rally to commemorate the fallen soldiers and prisoners of war.

Ukrainian fighters of Mariupol's Azovstal steel works, who spent months defending the steel plant, surrendered in May last year during the Russian siege.

Drone crash shows Putin ready to expand conflict zone, Ukrainian official says

Wednesday 15 March 2023 11:46 , Emily Atkinson

An incident involving a US spy drone and a Russian fighter jet is a signal that Russian president Vladimir Putin is ready to expand the Ukraine-Russia conflict zone, a senior Ukrainian security official said on Wednesday.

The Ukrainian presidency and government did not immediately offer any official comment on the incident but Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine‘s National Security and Defence Council, voiced concern on Twitter.

“The incident with the American MQ-9 Reaper UAV, provoked by Russia in the Black Sea, is Putin’s signal of readiness to expand the conflict zone with the involvement of other parties,” he wrote.

He said Russia had a tactic of going all-out with a “constant raising of the stakes” in the hope of turning round what he described as the “conditions of a strategic defeat” for Russia.

Zelensky hails 'decisive victory' in Russian Eurobond case

Wednesday 15 March 2023 11:27 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky hailed a “decisive victory” against Russia in a $3bn Eurobond case in the UK Supreme Court on Wednesday.

“Today Ukraine secured another decisive victory against the aggressor,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter. “The Court has ruled that Ukraine‘s defence based on Russia’s threats of aggression will have a full public trial. Justice will be ours.”

Kremlin says relations with US at ‘lowest level'

Wednesday 15 March 2023 11:13 , Emily Atkinson

The Kremlin has said that relations with the United States are in a “lamentable state” and at their lowest level, after Washington accused Russia of downing one of its reconnaissance drones over the Black Sea.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that there had been no high-level contact with Washington over the incident, but said Russia would never refuse to engage in constructive dialogue.

The US military said on Tuesday that a Russian fighter plane had clipped the propeller of one of its spy drones as it flew over the Black Sea in international air space, causing it to fall into the water.

Russia denied this, suggesting it had crashed due to “sharp manoeuvring”.

Zelensky thanks Denmark for new support fund

Wednesday 15 March 2023 11:00 , Emily Atkinson

President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Denmark for establishing a new support fund for Ukraine.

He tweeted: “Sincerely grateful to @folketinget, PM @Statsmin and Government for establishing Support Fund. More than $1 billion in military, humanitarian & economic aid to Ukraine is a guarantee of bringing our common victory over the aggressor and the return of peace to Europe closer!”

Ukraine can defend $3bn Russian Eurobond case, UK court rules

Wednesday 15 March 2023 10:47 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine can defend a £3bn Eurobond lawsuit brought by Russia on the basis it was forced to assume the debt in 2013 because of threats of force by Moscow, the UK Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday.

The long-awaited ruling on the lawsuit, which was brought in 2016 and long predates Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, paves the way for a full trial of Ukraine’s case that it had to accept the money in the face of Russian aggression.

Turkey 'following closely US drone incident in Black Sea’

Wednesday 15 March 2023 10:30 , Emily Atkinson

Turkey is monitoring closely the incident in which a US military drone crashed in the Black Sea after being intercepted by Russian jets, Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar is reported as saying by Demiroren news agency.

Akar also said they have made several contacts about the incident without giving further details, the agency reported.

Watch: Russian fighter jet hitting American drone was 'reckless and unprofessional', US says

Wednesday 15 March 2023 10:15 , Emily Atkinson

China 'to conduct maritime drills with Iran and Russia’

Wednesday 15 March 2023 09:55 , Emily Atkinson

China, Iran and Russia are conducting joint maritime drills in the Gulf of Oman from 15-19 March, the Chinese defence ministry said on Wednesday.

The drills will help “deepen practical cooperation among the navies of participating countries,” the ministry said.

Turkey ‘could ratify Finland’s Nato bid ahead of May elections’

Wednesday 15 March 2023 09:35 , Emily Atkinson

Turkey is planning to approve Finland’s Nato bid, independently from Sweden’s, ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections that will take place on 14 May, two Turkish officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

Turkish parliament is highly likely to ratify Finland’s Nato membership before it closes mid-April for elections, the officials said.

Finland’s president Sauli Niinisto will visit Turkey on Friday to discuss his country’s bid to join Nato with Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan.

In pictures: Kyiv’s forces take part in military exercises in Zaporizhzhia region

Wednesday 15 March 2023 09:15 , Emily Atkinson

Spare a thought for people living with seemingly endless air raid sirens’

Wednesday 15 March 2023 08:55 , Emily Atkinson

The British ambassador to Ukraine has told of how relentless air raid alerts across the nation are a test of resilience for the population.

Tweeting this morning, Melinda Simmons said: “Spare a thought for people living with seemingly endless air raid sirens right now. Sirens alone are enough to cause stress. Trying to carry on as normal while diving in and out of hard cover tests anyone’s resilience.”

Russia forces ‘increasingly disaffected’ officials to forfeit passports

Wednesday 15 March 2023 08:29 , Emily Atkinson

Russia is forcing its “increasingly disaffected” officials to forfeit their passports in a Soviet-era move to prevent possible flight or defection, UK intelligence suggests.

In its latest update, the Ministry of Defence claimed that employees closer to the centre of power in Moscow “face more severe restrictions”, with Kremlin officials “banned from all international leisure travel.”

“Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian public officials and workers have been subject to increasingly severe foreign travel restrictions. Some officials have likely had to forfeit their passports to the Federal Security Service,” ” the MoD said.

“This is a widening of existing measures which date from the Soviet era. Travel restrictions were tightened after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.

“There is a realistic possibility that as the securitisation of the Russian state continues, travel restrictions will be tightened for an increasing number of public sector employees.”

What is an MQ-9 Reaper?

Wednesday 15 March 2023 08:10 , Emily Atkinson

According to the US air force, the Reaper is “employed primarily as an intelligence-collection asset and secondarily against dynamic execution targets”.

“Given its significant loiter time, wide-range sensors, multi-mode communications suite, and precision weapons, it provides a unique capability to perform strike, coordination, and reconnaissance against high-value, fleeting, and time-sensitive targets,” the air force says.

“Reapers can also perform the following missions and tasks: intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, close air support, combat search and rescue, precision strike, buddy-lase, convoy and raid overwatch, route clearance, target development, and terminal air guidance.

“The MQ-9’s capabilities make it uniquely qualified to conduct irregular warfare operations in support of combatant commander objectives.”

Wednesday 15 March 2023 07:55 , Emily Atkinson

A nationwide air raid alert has been declared across Ukraine.

See live updates here:

RAF and German air force intercept Russian aircraft in ‘routine’ Nato mission

Wednesday 15 March 2023 07:50 , Emily Atkinson

A Russian aircraft was intercepted by RAF and German fighter jets near Estonian airspace in the first joint exercise between the two Nato allies.

Two British and German Typhoon jets were scrambled on Tuesday when a Russian air-to-air refuelling aircraft failed to communicate with Estonian air traffic control.

It comes as the UK prepares take over from Germany to lead the Nato mission in Estonia, which borders Russia.

More on this story here:

RAF and German air force intercept Russian aircraft in ‘routine’ Nato mission

Russia calls on US to halt 'hostile' flights after collision

Wednesday 15 March 2023 07:29 , Emily Atkinson

Moscow has called on the US to halt “hostile” flights after a Russian fighter collided with a US Reaper drone, forcing it down into the Black Sea.

Russian news agency TASS cites Moscow’s ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov as saying: “We are concerned about the unacceptable activity of the US military in the immediate vicinity of our borders. We are well aware of the purpose for which such unmanned reconnaissance and strike vehicles are used.

“What are they doing thousands of kilometres from the US? The answer is obvious: they are collecting intelligence information, which is subsequently used by the Kyiv regime to strike at our armed forces and territory.

“Let us ask ourselves a rhetorical question: if, for example, a Russian strike drone appeared near New York or San Francisco, what would be the reaction of the US air force and navy? I am sure that the actions of the US military would be uncompromising in nature, not allowing a “breakthrough” its air or maritime space.

“We presume that the United States will refrain from further speculation in the media space and will stop flying near Russian borders.”

Ukraine’s ‘future being decided’ in the east, says Zelensky

Wednesday 15 March 2023 07:01 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s “future is being decided” in battles in the east, including Bakhmut, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said, adding: “It is very tough in the east, very painful. We have to destroy the enemy’s military power. And we shall destroy it.”

Mr Zelensky and his military chiefs agreed on Tuesday to keep defending Bakhmut despite concerns among some military analysts that the losses Ukraine is suffering could undermine its ability to mount a planned counter-offensive when the weather improves.

“It is key to the stability of the defence of the entire front,” said General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Further north on the frontline near Kreminna, one Ukrainian commander said Russian assaults were still relentless despite having claimed little ground there.

“They are pushing hard. They are lobbing mortar bombs at us,” Oleksandr told Reuters, describing Russian units advancing in three-man fire teams, with another wave behind them sent to replace them when they are killed.

“At night they always attack on foot and we sit, looking through our thermal goggles, and shooting them.”

US and Russia clashes in Black Sea: Not the first time

Wednesday 15 March 2023 06:35 , Arpan Rai

This is not the first time Russian aircraft have flown so close to US aircraft in the Black Sea, prompting the Pentagon to publicly condemn the incident for putting the crews at risk.

In 2020, Russian jets crossed in front of a B-52 bomber that was flying over the Black Sea, and flew as close as 100 feet in front of the bomber’s nose, causing turbulence.

Russian jets have also buzzed US warships during exercises in the Black Sea. In 2021, Russian warplanes buzzed the USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer, which had been taking part in a major exercise.

Until Russia’s invasion last year of Ukraine, US warships had established more frequent deployments to the Black Sea in response to Russia’s 2014 attack on Crimea.

Read the full story here:

What's known — and not — about US-Russia military air crash

MPs urge government to ‘get serious’ about enforcing Russian sanctions

Wednesday 15 March 2023 05:56 , PA

MPs have urged Rishi Sunak’s government to “get serious” about enforcing sanctions against Russian oligarchs as they complained only two fines have so far been issued, report Martina Bet, David Lynch and Ben Hatton.

Parliamentarians used a backbench business debate on the seizure of Russian assets in the Commons to criticise the government for its poor enforcement of the sanctions regime.

Labour former minister Liam Byrne said he had discovered there were 147 reports of a breach of the sanctions regime in 2022, after requesting information from the Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.

“Of 147 reports of a breach, there have been the grand total of two monetary fines, both to fintech companies,” the Birmingham Hodge Hill MP said.

He went on: “Despite the scale of sanctions enforcement, we have just two fines that total £86,000. Well, I tell the House this, £86,000 in fines is not going to do much to help us rebuild Ukraine.”

Ron DeSantis dismisses Ukraine war as ‘territorial dispute’

Wednesday 15 March 2023 05:51 , Arpan Rai

Florida governor Ron DeSantis told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that supporting Ukraine as it defends itself from Russia’s assault on its sovereignty was not in the United States’ national interest.

“While the US has many vital national interests – securing our borders, addressing the crisis of readiness within our military, achieving energy security and independence, and checking the economic, cultural, and military power of the Chinese Communist Party – becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them,” Mr DeSantis said in response to Mr Carlson’s question.

Read the full story here:

Ron DeSantis dismisses Ukraine war as ‘territorial dispute’

Zelensky’s fighters told to ‘inflict maximum possible damage’ on Russian forces

Wednesday 15 March 2023 05:38 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the Ukrainian forces have been asked to inflict as much attrition as possible to increase pressure on the Russian forces.

His remarks came after he held a meeting with the armed forces staff, including the commander-in-chief, intelligence, and commanders of directions.

“The main focus is on the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops and Bakhmut. There is a clear position of the entire Staff: to reinforce this direction, to inflict maximum possible damage upon the occupier,” Mr Zelensky said.

He added that Ukrainian General Tarnavsky then reported on the Tavria, which is part of the Donetsk and southern directions.“General Moskaliov reported on the situation for the Odesa operational and strategic group of troops. General Nayev reported on the North,” he added.

“Of course, we are constantly considering the supply of ammunition and weapons at the staff’s meetings. We are constantly working with our partners to increase pressure on Russia,” the war-time president said.

US summons Russian ambassador over drone incident

Wednesday 15 March 2023 04:42 , Andy Gregory

The United States has summoned Russia’s ambassador to Washington after a US surveillance drone fell into the Black Sea after being intercepted by Russian fighter jets.

While Moscow denied that its jets had come into contact with the drone, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that diplomat Anatoly Antonov had been summoned for a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

The US ambassador to Moscow has conveyed a strong message to Russia's foreign affairs ministry, while and U. officials have briefed allies and partners about the incident, Mr Price told reporters.

“We are engaging directly with the Russians, again at senior levels, to convey our strong objections to this unsafe, unprofessional intercept, which caused the downing of the unmanned US aircraft,” Mr Price said.