Ukraine-Russia war live: Putin’s troops advance amid North Korea concern at US giving Kyiv long-range missiles

LIVE – Updated at 12:57

Kyiv’s troops have been forced back amid intense fighting in eastern Ukraine as Vladimir Putin’s soldiers advanced along the frontline.

Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said troops had retreated from three villages to new positions west of Berdychi and Semenivka, both north of Avdiivka.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday its forces taken over the village of Novobakhmutivka, near Berdychi, but Ukraine’s military has not commented on the claim.

“In general, the enemy achieved certain tactical successes in these areas, but could not gain operational advantages,” Syrsky said.

The update from the frontline came as North Korea criticised the United States for supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine, state media KCNA reported on Monday, citing a statement from the defence ministry.

The United States in recent weeks secretly shipped long-range missiles to Ukraine for use in its battle to fight off Russian invaders.

The director of North Korea’s Department of Foreign Military Affairs said in a statement: “The US has secretly supplied long-range missiles to Ukraine, sparking off uneasiness and concern of the international community.”

Key Points

• Kyiv’s troops forced back by intense fighting in east
• North Korea criticises US for supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine, KCNA says
• Russia targets hotel housing ‘English-speaking mercenaries’
• Russia targeted gas facilities that secure EU supply, says Zelensky
• Russia attacks Ukrainian hotel with Shahed drones

Russian forces advance in Ukraine’s east

12:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian forces advanced at points along the front line in Ukraine on Monday, taking a village in the Donetsk region, gaining better positions in the Kharkiv region and repelling a number of Ukrainian attacks, Russia‘s defence ministry said.

Russia controls about 18% of Ukraine – in the east and south – and has been gaining ground since the failure of Kyiv’s 2023 counter-offensive to make any serious inroads against well dug-in Russian troops.

President Vladimir Putin in February ordered Russian troops to push further into Ukraine after the fall of the town of Avdiivka where he said Ukrainian troops had been forced to flee in chaos. Ukraine said it withdrew from Avdiivka.

Russia‘s defence ministry said its troops had taken the village of Semenivka, northwest of Avdiivka. Russia said it had defeated Ukrainian forces and foreign mercenaries in a number of other villages in the area.

Russia also reported defeating Ukrainian troops in the areas of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region and at a number of other points along the front line. It also said it had struck Ukrainian drone workshops.

North Korea criticises US for supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine, KCNA says

11:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

North Korea criticised the United States for supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine, state media KCNA reported on Monday, citing a statement from the defence ministry.

The United States in recent weeks secretly shipped long-range missiles to Ukraine for use in its battle to fight off Russian invaders, a US official said on April 24.

On Sunday, the director of the Department of Foreign Military Affairs of North Korea’s Ministry of National Defence was quoted as saying in a statement: “The US has secretly supplied long-range missiles to Ukraine, sparking off uneasiness and concern of the international community.”

“The US can never defeat the heroic Russian army and people with any latest weaponry or military support,” the director said.

Military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow are growing which the U.S. and its allies see as escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

Russian forces take control of village in Ukraine’s Donetsk region

11:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian forces have taken the village of Semenivka in Ukraine‘s Donetsk region, Russia‘s defence ministry said on Monday.

On Sunday, the ministry announced the capture of Novobakhmutivka, another village close to Ocheretyne, which has become a focal point of fighting in recent days.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Telegram unblocks chatbots used by Ukraine’s security services

11:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine said on Monday the Telegram messaging app had restored access to a number of chatbots used by Ukraine‘s security agencies to collect information about Russia‘s war effort after the services were briefly suspended.

The Dubai-based Telegram app founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov blocked a number of bots used by Ukraine to fight back against Russia‘s full-scale invasion, Kyiv’s military spy agency GUR said in a statement shortly after midnight.

A Telegram bot is an automated feature that allows the app’s users to submit or ask for information. Some of the bots run by Ukraine‘s government allow people to report the whereabouts of Russian military hardware and personnel inside Ukraine.

The GUR had said that “management of the Telegram platform unreasonably blocked a number of official bots that have opposed Russia‘s military aggression against Ukraine, including the (GUR) bot”.

By morning, Ukraine‘s Centre for Strategic Communication said that three affected bots, used by Ukraine‘s SBU security service, GUR and digital ministry for the war effort had been unblocked.

A Telegram spokesperson said bots were “temporarily disabled due to a false positive but have since been reinstated”, without giving further details.

Ukraine’s farm minister welcomes end of Polish border blockade

10:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine’s farm minister welcomed the ending of a months-long border blockade by Polish protesters, which he said followed productive talks with Poland.

“The negotiations that took place were not easy, but the main thing is that we have a result,” Mykola Solsky was quoted as saying in a statement from the ministry.

(REUTERS)

Polish protestors stop blocking cargo vehicles at Ukraine crossing point

10:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Polish protesters have stopped blocking cargo vehicles at the Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska crossing point,The Kyiv Independent reported on Monday.

Ukraine’s Border Guard Service said in a statement that trucks carrying grain crops to Poland would still not be allowed passage, except for those transiting to other countries.

Zelensky says Ukraine is focusing on improving drone operations

10:07 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Volodymyr Zekensky said Ukraine is making “every effort to increase our capabilities in drone operation” in a post on X today.

The Ukrainian president also thanked all those involved in the production which is helping to “protect Ukrainian skies”.

UAE and Ukraine conclude talks on bilateral trade deal

09:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The United Arab Emirates and Ukraine have completed negotiations for a bilateral trade deal, according to a joint statement released on Monday, ahead of its formal signing.

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will remove or reduce tariffs on a range of good and products, remove trade barriers and ease market access to exporters from both sides, the statement said.

In addition, the CEPA will also “support Ukraine‘s recovery and the rebuilding of key industries and infrastructure, while also helping to strengthen supply chains to the (Middle East and North Africa) region for major exports such as grains, machinery and metals.”

UAE-Ukraine bilateral non-oil trade reached $385.8 million in 2023, with joint investment worth about $360 million by the end of 2022 spanning sectors including logistics and infrastructure, travel and tourism, and advanced technology.

“We want to be ready for the next era of Ukraine,” Thani al Zeyoudi, UAE minister for foreign trade, told Reuters.

“It (the CEPA) is an important step for us to have another gateway to Europe through Ukraine,” Zeyoudi said, adding the deal will provide potential market access not only for goods but also services and allow UAE companies to build up connectivity to the European Union if or when Ukraine joins the bloc.”

Ukraine’s farm minister is the latest corruption suspect as Kyiv aims to undo recent Russian gains

09:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Ukrainian court ordered the detention of the country’s farm minister on Friday in the latest high-profile corruption investigation, while Kyiv security officials assessed how they can recover lost battlefield momentum in the war against Russia.

Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ruled that Agriculture Minister Oleksandr Solskyi should be held in custody for 60 days, but he was released after paying bail of 75 million hryvnias ($1.77 million), a statement said.

Ukraine is trying to root out corruption that has long dogged the country. A dragnet over the past two years has seen Ukraine’s defense minister, top prosecutor, intelligence chief and other senior officials lose their jobs.

Ukraine’s farm minister is the latest corruption suspect as Kyiv aims to undo recent Russian gains

Ukraine spy agency says Telegram platform blocks its key bots

08:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine‘s military spy agency GUR said on Monday that the management of the Telegram messaging platform has blocked a number of official bots that opposed Russia‘s military aggression against Ukraine.

“Today, the management of the Telegram platform unreasonably blocked a number of official bots that opposed Russia‘s military aggression against Ukraine, including the main Intelligence bot,” GUR said in a statement posted on the Telegram.

“Despite the blocking of our bot – your personal data is safe.”

Telegram’s press service did not immediately reply to Reuters’ request to comment.

A bot is a software application that can run on its own following instructions and is programmed to perform certain tasks. It can mimic conversation with people, among others, or collect content.

The Dubai-based Telegram messaging app, one of the most popular social media platforms, was founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after he refused to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on another social media platform, which he had sold.

Ukraine pushes to get military-age men to come home

08:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine’s foreign minister doubled down on the government’s move to bolster the pool of fighting forces by cutting off consular services to conscription-age men outside the country, saying it was a question of “justice.”

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the policy would ensure men in Ukraine and those who have left were both treated fairly.

“It’s about justice — justice in the relationship between Ukrainian men abroad and Ukrainian men inside of Ukraine,” he said on Friday.

Earlier this month, Ukraine lowered the conscription age from 27 to 25 in an effort to bolster the size of its military.

Ukraine pushes to get military-age men to come home. Some neighboring countries say they will help

Ukraine faces worsening situation on eastern front thanks to intense Russian attacks, army chief says

08:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine’s top commander has said Kyiv‘s outnumbered troops have fallen back to new positions west of three villages on the eastern front where Russia has concentrated significant forces in several locations.

The statement by Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi reflected Ukraine’s deteriorating position in the east that Kyiv hopes it can stabilise once it takes delivery of U.S. weapons under a $61 billion (£48bn) aid package approved this week.

“The situation at the front has worsened,” he wrote on the Telegram app, describing the “most difficult” areas as west of occupied Maryinka and northwest of Avdiivka, the town captured by Russian forces in February.

Ukraine faces worsening situation on eastern front, army chief says

Record 30 per cent rise in Russian men aged 31-59 with disabilities

07:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian demographers have recorded a 30 per cent increase in Russian men aged 31-59 with disabilities since 2023, attributing the rise to military casualties since the war began.

Russian journalists jailed on ‘extremism’ charges for alleged Navalny group work

07:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Two journalists have been arrested in Russia on charges of “extremism” amid claims from the Kremlin they were connected to groups founded by late Russian politician and freedom fighter Alexei Navalny.

Journalists Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin both denied the charges of alleged “participation in an extremist organisation” with a penalty of six years in jail.

They are just the latest media personnel targeted amid a government crackdown on dissent and independent media that has intensified after the invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.

The Russian government passed laws criminalising what it deems as false information about the military, or statements seen as discrediting the military, effectively outlawing any criticism of the war in Ukraine or speech that deviates from the official narrative.

Forbes magazine Russian journalist Sergei Mingazov was also arrested on charges of spreading false information about the Russian military, his lawyer said on Friday.

Mr Gabov and Mr Karelin are accused of preparing materials for a YouTube channel run by Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption, which Russian authorities have outlawed.

Russian journalist Konstantin Gabov (AP)

Russian journalist Sergey Karelin (AP)

Ukraine pulls US-provided Abrams tanks from the front lines over Russian drone threats

07:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine pulls US-provided Abrams tanks from front lines over Russian drone threats

Ukraine spy agency says Telegram platform blocks its key bots

06:45 , Namita Singh

Ukraine’s military spy agency GUR said that the management of the Telegram messaging platform has blocked a number of official bots that opposed Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

“Today, the management of the Telegram platform unreasonably blocked a number of official bots that opposed Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, including the main Intelligence bot,” GUR said in a statement posted on the Telegram.

“Despite the blocking of our bot – your personal data is safe.”

Ukrainian servicemen of the 22nd Brigade ride a buggy on a road near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, on 27 April 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)

Telegram’s press service did not immediately reply to Reuters’ request to comment.

A bot is a software application that can run on its own following instructions and is programmed to perform certain tasks. It can mimic conversation with people, among others, or collect content.

The Dubai-based Telegram messaging app, one of the most popular social media platforms, was founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after he refused to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on another social media platform, which he had sold.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has become a tool for both governments and a go-to place for posting and accessing unfiltered information about the war.

Ukraine-born Congresswoman votes against aid for homeland

06:30 , Namita Singh

US representative Victoria Spartz, the first and only Ukrainian-born member of Congress, emerged early on as a natural advocate for supporting her native country in its war with Russia.

But when $61bn in additional support for the war effort came up for a vote in the House recently, she voted against it.

Instead she has called for better oversight of US funds and opposed giving “blank checks” to the Ukrainian cause. She says US border security should be a bigger priority.

That puts her more in line with conservative House Republicans and more notably with voters in her deeply conservative central Indiana congressional district. She’s locked in a tough reelection fight in the 7 May GOP primary, made all the more complicated by her public announcement more than a year ago that she wouldn’t seek another term, a decision she later reversed.

The aid package, part of a larger bill that also included assistance for Israel, Taiwan and other global hot spots, was approved by the House on 20 April, the Senate on Tuesday and signed into law by president Joe Biden on Wednesday.

Ms Spartz said she is “kind of appalled” at the notion that her heritage should dictate support for the Ukrainian cause if she feels the money would be wasted.“My responsibility is the protection of American people,” she said during a recent interview.

Ms Spartz beat a crowded 2020 primary field with Donald Trump’s endorsement, winning nearly 40 per cent of the vote. She ran unopposed in the 2022 primary.

She made things harder for herself when she announced in early 2023 that she would not run again, citing fatigue with Washington politics and her desire to spend more time with her family. She also threatened to resign if the national debt was not addressed.

Two Ukrainians killed in Germany

06:15 , Namita Singh

Two Ukrainian men died after they were fatally stabbed at a shopping centre in Germany, said the local police.The deceased, aged 36 and 23, were military personnel undergoing medical rehabilitation, said Ukraine’s foreign ministry.

The identity of the victims was withheld as per local laws.

The local authorities have arrested a Russian national as they investigate the murder, police said.

No way back for UK and Putin after Ukraine invasion, David Cameron says

06:00 , Alexander Butler

No way back for UK and Putin after Ukraine invasion, David Cameron says

Russia launches fresh missile barrage across Ukraine

05:45 , Namita Singh

Russian missiles pounded power facilities across Ukraine on Saturday– with Kyiv saying it had launched its own major long-range drone attack into Russia.

The airstrikes by Moscow, carried out with ballistic missiles and cruise missiles fired by Russian strategic bombers based in the Arctic Circle, are the fourth large-scale aerial assault targeting the power system since the last week of March.

“The enemy again massively shelled Ukrainian energy facilities,” said DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private electricity company, adding that four of its six thermal power plants had suffered damage on Saturday night.

Report:

Russia launches missile barrage across Ukraine – but Kyiv fights back with drones

Zelensky issues fresh plea for timely weapons deliveries as Ukraine loses ground

05:30 , Namita Singh

President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a fresh plea to international partners to speed arms deliveries as Ukraine pulled back forces to new positions west of three villages on the eastern front.

He said he spoke with US House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries yesterday and “underscored that Patriot systems are needed, and as soon as possible.

”Ukraine is currently expecting a long-awaited shipment of US military aid which officials say is critical to holding off Russia’s two-year-old invasion. Mr Zelensky said Ukrainian and US teams were working on a “specific text” of a 10-year security agreement that would include weapons and other support.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky arrives for talks with Lithuania’s President at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 11 April 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters this week that Russia was conducting airstrikes on Ukrainian rail lines to disrupt the delivery of US weapons to the front and to complicate military logistics.

Ukraine pulls back from three villages in east

05:15 , Namita Singh

Ukraine’s outnumbered troops have fallen back to new positions west of three villages on the eastern front, said Kyiv’s top commander yesterday.

The statement by Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi reflected Ukraine’s deteriorating position in the east that Kyiv hopes it can stabilise once it takes delivery of US weapons under a $61bn aid package approved this week.

“The situation at the front has worsened,” he wrote on the Telegram app, describing the “most difficult” areas as west of occupied Maryinka and northwest of Avdiivka, the town captured by Russian forces in February.

Mr Syrskyi said Kyiv’s troops had taken up new positions west of the villages of Berdychi and Semenivka, both north of Avdiivka, and Novomykhailivka, further south near the town of Maryinka.

“In general, the enemy achieved certain tactical successes in these areas, but could not gain operational advantages,” he said, adding that Russia had committed four brigades to the assault.

Freshly rested Ukrainian brigades were being rotated in those areas to replace units that had suffered losses, he said.

His statement did not mention the status of Novobakhmutivka, another village near Berdychi, that Russia’s defence ministry yesterday said its forces had captured.

05:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine bans men of fighting age from applying for new passports

North Korea criticises US for supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine, KCNA says

04:45 , Namita Singh

North Korea criticised the United States for supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine, state media KCNA reported this morning, citing a statement from the defence ministry.

The United States in recent weeks secretly shipped long-range missiles to Ukraine for use in its battle to fight off Russian invaders, a US official said on 24 April.

The director of the Department of Foreign Military Affairs of North Korea’s Ministry of National Defence yesterday told the outlet: “The US has secretly supplied long-range missiles to Ukraine, sparking off uneasiness and concern of the international community.”

Ukrainian servicemen of the 22nd Brigade ride a buggy on a road near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, on 27 April 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

“The US can never defeat the heroic Russian army and people with any latest weaponry or military support,” the director said.

Military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow are growing which the US and its allies see as escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

Two Russian journalists jailed on extremism charges

04:30 , Namita Singh

Two Russian journalists have been arrested on extremism charges for working for a group founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin both denied the charges, for which they will be detained for a minimum of two months before any trials begin. Each faces a minimum of two years in prison and a maximum of six years for alleged “participation in an extremist organisation,” according to Russian courts.

They are just the latest journalists arrested amid a Russian government crackdown on dissent and independent media that intensified after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. The Russian government passed laws criminalising what it deems false information about the military, or statements seen as discrediting the military, effectively outlawing any criticism of the war in Ukraine or speech that deviates from the official narrative.

A journalist for the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, Sergei Mingazov, was detained on charges of spreading false information about the Russian military, his lawyer said on Friday.

Gabov and Karelin are accused of preparing materials for a YouTube channel run by Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption, which has been outlawed by Russian authorities. Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony in February.

Gabov, who was detained in Moscow, is a freelance producer who has worked for multiple organisations, including Reuters, the court press service said. Reuters did not immediately comment on the ruling by the court.

Karelin, who has dual citizenship with Israel, was detained on Friday night in Russia’s northern Murmansk region.

Karelin, 41, has worked for a number of outlets, including for the Associated Press. He was a cameraperson for German media outlet Deutsche Welle until the Kremlin banned the outlet from operating in Russia in February 2022.

“The Associated Press is very concerned by the detention of Russian video journalist Sergey Karelin,” the AP said in a statement. “We are seeking additional information.”

Ukraine’s forces prepare for offensive from Putin’s troops in east

04:00 , Alexander Butler

Russia files hundreds of drone patents as ‘global arms race’ ramps up

Can Britain back up its bold defence pledge to Ukraine?

03:00 , Alexander Butler

Can Britain back up its bold defence pledge to Ukraine?

The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine

02:00 , Alexander Butler

The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine

Russia files hundreds of drone patents as ‘global arms race’ ramps up

01:00 , Alexander Butler

Russia files hundreds of drone patents as ‘global arms race’ ramps up

Russian soldier murder rate soars 900% on return from Ukraine war

Monday 29 April 2024 00:01 , Alexander Butler

Murder rates among Russian soldiers surge amid ‘chronic mental health’ issues

Tajikistan citizens warned not to travel to Russia amid rising prejudice

Sunday 28 April 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler

The foreign office in Tajikistan has advised all citizens to “temporarily refrain” from travelling to Russia.

The advisory was issued after officials expressed concerns about Tajiks being “unjustifiably” denied entry to Russia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

Human rights organisations have also reported rising levels of prejudice against people from Central Asia in Russia after the shooting at a concert hall in Moscow on 22 March.

Ukraine could launch counteroffensive later this year, says think tank

Sunday 28 April 2024 22:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine is very likely to stabilise the frontlines in the coming months, with the possibility of starting a counteroffensive later this year.

According to analysts from think tank, Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces are suffering from widespread tactical failures.

As long as the Russian military continues with these struggles, Ukrainian forces will be able to exploit them, especially with the help of military aid from the US.

Pictured: Russian solider guards captured Western tanks

Sunday 28 April 2024 21:30 , Alexander Butler

A Russian soldier guards a German Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicle (L) and Leopard 2A6 main battle tank (R), captured by Russian troops (EPA)

Two injured after strikes in Kharkiv, local authorities say

Sunday 28 April 2024 21:00 , Alexander Butler

Two people have been injured after Russian strikes in the cities of Kupiansk and Vovchansk, local authorities have said.

A 52-year-old was taken to hospital for treatment after being injured, the military administration in Kharkiv said.

Meanwhile, a 36-year-old woman was trapped under rubble and was given medical care after being rescued.

Annual Russian event cancelled due to ‘security concerns’

Sunday 28 April 2024 20:30 , Alexander Butler

Russia’s Immortal Regiment March – which takes place on Victory Day to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany during the Second World War – has been cancelled for the second year in a row.

Due to take place on 9 May, the march usually sees thousands take to the streets with photographs of veterans, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said.

But this year the photographs will be displayed in cars and public locations from 1-11 May.

Record increase in Russian men with disabilities due to military casualties

Sunday 28 April 2024 20:00 , Alexander Butler

Since 2023, there’s been a record 30 per cdnt increase in Russian men aged 31-59 with disabilities, the UK’s Ministry of Defence says.

In data provided by the MoD, there were 2.17million Russian men aged 31-59 with disabilities, up from 1.67million the year before. It said the increase may be down to a growth in military casualties.

Russia says it destroyed 17 drones launched by Ukraine

Sunday 28 April 2024 19:30 , Alexander Butler

Russia’s air defence systems destroyed 17 drones launched by Ukraine over its territory, Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday, with a regional official saying the attack targeted an oil storage facility in the Kaluga region.

The defence ministry said on the Telegram messaging app that three of the Ukraine-launched drones were downed over the Kaluga region, south of Moscow.

Vladislav Shapsha, regional governor of Kaluga, said the drones fell near an oil depot near the town of Lyudinovo.

The US will give $61bn to Ukraine. What does it mean for the war?

Sunday 28 April 2024 19:00 , Alexander Butler

The US will give $61bn to Ukraine. What does it mean for the war?

Russian troops take over Ukrainian village

Sunday 28 April 2024 18:30 , Alexander Butler

Russian troops have taken over the village of Novobakhmutivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, according to the Interfax news agency – citing Russia’s defence ministry.

The village is close to the town of Ocheretyne which has become a focal point for fighting in recent days.

Russian forces are also reported to have repelled a series of counterattacks from the Ukrainians near Chasiv Yar, Interfax reported the ministry saying.

US secretly supplies Ukraine with long-range missiles that can reach deep inside Russia

Sunday 28 April 2024 18:00 , Alexander Butler

US secretly sent long-range missiles to Ukraine that can reach deep inside Russia

Ukraine’s border guard: Two dead after trying to cross river to Romania

Sunday 28 April 2024 17:30 , Alexander Butler

The bodies of two people have been discovered in the Tisa River near Ukraine’s border with Romania, Ukraine’s state border guard reported.

“Despite the lowering of the water level in the Tisa, it is extremely dangerous to swim across it, especially at night,” a statement by the border guard said.

“Sharp stones, roots, tree debris, and the swift and cold stream can pose danger to life and health.”

Russia threatens West with severe response if its assets are touched

Sunday 28 April 2024 17:00 , Alexander Butler

Russian officials threatened the West on Sunday with a “severe” response in the event that frozen Russian assets are confiscated, promising “endless” legal challenges and tit-for-tat measures.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia would never cede territories seized from Ukraine in exchange for the return of frozen assets.

“Our motherland is not for sale,” Zakharova wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

“An Russian assets must remain untouched because otherwise there will be a severe response to Western thievery. Many in the West have already understood this. Alas, not everyone.”

In response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the United States and its allies prohibited transactions with Russia’s central bank and finance ministry and blocked about $300 billion of sovereign Russian assets in the West, most of which are in European not American financial institutions.

Pictured: Voluntary ‘Steppe Wolves’ unit disassemble a shell to be used against Russians

Sunday 28 April 2024 16:30 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian ‘Steppe Wolves’ disassemble a shell to convert it for use against Russian troops (REUTERS)

The group is a voluntary unit considered too old to fight (REUTERS)

Russian soldier murder rate soars 900% on return from Ukraine war

Sunday 28 April 2024 16:00 , Alexander Butler

Murder rates among Russian soldiers surge amid ‘chronic mental health’ issues

Kyiv’s troops forced back by intense fighting in east

Sunday 28 April 2024 15:02 , Alexander Butler

Kyiv’s troops have been forced back amid intense fighting in eastern Ukraine as Putin’s soldiers advanced along the frontline.

Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said troops had fallen back to new positions west of Berdychi and Semenivka, both north of Avdiivka.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday its forces taken over the village of Novobakhmutivka, near Berdychi, but Ukraine’s military has not commented on the claim.

“In general, the enemy achieved certain tactical successes in these areas, but could not gain operational advantages,” Syrsky said.

Ukraine pulls US-provided Abrams tanks from the front lines over Russian drone threats

Sunday 28 April 2024 14:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine pulls US-provided Abrams tanks from front lines over Russian drone threats

Two Russian journalists jailed on ‘extremism’ charges

Sunday 28 April 2024 13:00 , Alexander Butler

Two Russian journalists jailed on ‘extremism’ charges for alleged work for Navalny group

Murder rates among Russian soldiers surge amid ‘chronic mental health’ issues on frontline

Sunday 28 April 2024 12:53 , Alexander Butler

Murder rates among Russian soldiers returning home from the frontline have soared over the last few years amid “chronic mental health” issues on the battlefield.

Data from Moscow’s judicial department showed that 113 active servicemen were convicted in 2023 – representing a near 900 per cent increase on just 13 convictions in 2022.

The UK ministry of defence said the high number of homicides was likely due to “war-related chronic mental health issues” and the release of thousands of ex-convicts pardoned for their participation in the war.

“The high numbers of homicides by serving and veteran Russian soldiers are likely in part due to enduring war-related chronic poor mental health issues,” the MoD said.

“These include post-traumatic stress disorder, and battlefield desensitisation to violence. Alcoholism and drug use from low morale and boredom are likely contributing factors.

“Compounding this is the return into the general population of ex-convicts with a pre-existing propensity for criminality and extreme violence.”

The remains of a Russian soldier lies abandoned in Sviatohirsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Russia launches fresh missile barrage across Ukraine – but Kyiv fights back with drones

Sunday 28 April 2024 11:52 , Alexander Butler

Russia launches missile barrage across Ukraine – but Kyiv fights back with drones

Russia files hundreds of drone patents as ‘global arms race’ ramps up

Sunday 28 April 2024 10:55 , Alexander Butler

Russia files hundreds of drone patents as ‘global arms race’ ramps up

Russia targets hotel housing ‘English-speaking mercenaries’

Sunday 28 April 2024 10:30 , Alexander Butler

Putin’s forces have targeted a hotel housing “English-speaking mercenaries” fighting in Ukraine, Russian state media claimed.

Russian troops used an Iranian-made Shahed drone to attack the hotel in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, which was left heavily damaged and set ablaze.

The region’s governor Vitaly Kim said: “The enemy attacked the city with an unmanned aerial vehicle of the ‘Shahed-131/136’ type.

“As a result, a hotel building was heavily damaged, a fire broke out, which was quickly extinguished. There are no casualties.”

Russian suspect arrested after two Ukrainians killed in Germany knife

Sunday 28 April 2024 09:15 , Arpan Rai

A Russian suspect has been held after two Ukrainian citizens were killed in Germany’s Bavaria outside a shopping centre yesterday, police officials said.

The two men, aged 23 and 36, were found critically injured around 5.20pm in the evening and one of them had succumbed to his injuries by the time medical help arrived, reported European Pravda. The second man, who suffered severe injuries, also died in the hospital shortly afterwards.

Police have detained a 57-year-old suspect, a Russian citizen, the report added. The suspect reportedly lived near the scene of the attack.

Ukraine launches 17 drones at Russia, targets oil facility

Sunday 28 April 2024 07:19 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine fired at least 17 drones towards Russia in the early hours today, the Russian defence ministry said. It claimed that all the drones were destroyed by its air defence systems.

A regional official said the attack targeted an oil storage facility in the Kaluga region.

Three of the Ukraine-launched drones were downed over the Kaluga region, south of Moscow, the defence ministry claimed on its Telegram channel.

Another nine were destroyed over the Bryansk region, three over the Kursk region and two over the Belgorod region, it added.

Vladislav Shapsha, regional governor of Kaluga, said the drones fell near an oil depot near the town of Lyudinovo.

“There were no casualties or damage,” he said in a statement on Telegram.

Ukraine war looms large as German parties kick off European Parliament election campaigns

Sunday 28 April 2024 06:57 , Andy Gregory

Several German parties have kicked off their campaigns this weekend for the European Parliament elections in June – with issues such as the war in Ukraine and support by many European voters for far-right nationalist parties looming large.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left Social Democrats, or SPD, launched their official campaign for the election with a rally in Hamburg.

Responding to many German voters’ fears their country could be drawn into Ukraine’s war with Russia if it’s too proactive in its military support for the eastern European country, Mr Scholz tried to alleviate such concerns.

The chancellor reiterated that Germany would continue to stand by Ukraine’s side under his leadership as the second-largest arms supplier after the US, but would avoid a direct confrontation between Nato and Russia.

No way back for Putin after Ukrainian invasion, David Cameron says

Sunday 28 April 2024 05:01 , Andy Gregory

Russia launches fresh missile barrage across Ukraine – but Kyiv fights back with drones

Sunday 28 April 2024 05:00 , Arpan Rai

Russian missiles have pounded power facilities across Ukraine – with Kyiv saying it had launched its own major long-range drone attack into Russia.

The airstrikes by Moscow, carried out with ballistic missiles and cruise missiles fired by Russian strategic bombers based in the Arctic Circle, are the fourth large-scale aerial assault targeting the power system since the last week of March.

“The enemy again massively shelled Ukrainian energy facilities,” said DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private electricity company, adding that four of its six thermal power plants had suffered damage overnight.

Ukraine has sought to fight back against the aerial onslaught from Russia in recent months using its long-range drones. Kyiv says it is striking at infrastructure to try and disrupt the Russian economy – hence the oil facilities, with Russia being one of the world’s biggest exporters – and military airfields.

Russia launches missile barrage across Ukraine – but Kyiv fights back with drones

Russian forces may make gains but won’t overwhelm Ukraine’s defences, says think tank

Sunday 28 April 2024 04:28 , Arpan Rai

Russian forces will have an opening on the battlefield to make tactical gains in the coming weeks but that will not amount to the collapse of the Ukrainian defence line, a US-based think tank has said.

“Russian forces have opportunities to make significant tactical gains in the Avdiivka area and pursue an operationally significant objective with the seizure of Chasiv Yar; but, neither of these efforts is likely to develop into an operationally significant penetration in the near term, let alone cause the collapse of the Ukrainian defensive line in Donetsk oblast,” The Institute for the Study of War said yesterday.

It cited news reports this week showing that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson in December 2023 that Ukrainian forces would be able to “hold out” until March or April 2024 without additional US security assistance.

This is the period through which Ukrainian forces are now passing on the war frontline without the arrival of US military aid.

“The arrival of US aid at the front in the coming weeks will allow the Ukrainian forces to address their current materiel constraints and blunt ongoing Russian offensive operations, and Russian forces appear to be intensifying efforts to destabilise Ukrainian defences and gain ground ahead of the arrival of the American security assistance,” the ISW said.

Russia targeted gas facilities that secure EU supply, says Zelensky

Sunday 28 April 2024 04:06 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky said a Russian attack on his country’s energy sector with 34 missiles of various types had targeted gas facilities important for supply to the European Union.

“The main target was the energy sector, various facilities in the industry, both electricity and gas transit facilities,” he said in his nightly video address. “In particular, those gas facilities that are crucial to ensuring safe delivery to the European Union.”

He also said that the trajectories and nature of the attack had been calculated to make preventing it as hard as possible. “Each downed rocket today is a significant result,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader called for more air defence supplies, faster deliveries and decisive actions from Kyiv’s allies.

Russia launches missile barrage across Ukraine – but Kyiv fights back with drones

Russian missiles pound power plants in central and western Ukraine

Sunday 28 April 2024 03:46 , Arpan Rai

Russian forces shelled and attacked Ukrainian power plants in central and western parts of the war-hit nation yesterday, officials said.

“The enemy again massively shelled Ukrainian energy facilities,” said DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private electricity company, adding that four of its six thermal power plants had suffered damage overnight.

The air strike was carried out using long-range missiles, including cruise missiles fired by Russian strategic bombers based in the Arctic Circle.

This was the fourth large-scale aerial assault targeting the power system since 22 March, with Russia targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the latest strikes.

None of the Ukrainian facilities hit was identified by name, a security measure intended to prevent Russia quickly assessing the impact of its strikes.

Spain pledges Patriot missiles for Ukraine

Sunday 28 April 2024 03:13 , Andy Gregory

Spain’s defence minister has said that Madrid would deliver Patriot anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, following pressure from Nato and European Union allies to send more military aid to Kyiv.

Defence minister Margarita Robles confirmed the planned missile deliveries during a video conference with other countries supporting Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s invasion, her ministry said.

But a ministry statement announcing the decision to send the missiles as well as ammunition, medicine and combat first-aid kits made no reference to any plans by Madrid to send full Patriot missile defence systems to Ukraine.

Spanish media reported Spain would send four missiles but the defence ministry did not say how many would be sent.

Russian defence minister’s lawyer appeals his detention prior to bribery trial

Sunday 28 April 2024 01:44 , Andy Gregory

Lawyers for Russian deputy defence minister Timur Ivanov have filed an appeal against a court decision to remand him in pre-trial detention, Russian state-owned news agency Tass has reported.

A Russian court on Wednesday remanded Mr Ivanov in custody for two months on suspicion of taking bribes.

The RIA news agency, quoting court documents, later reported that Sergei Borodin, an associate of Ivanov and also in custody, was also appealing the orders maintaining him in detention.