Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv forced to pull back US tanks as Moscow sends nuclear warheads to Belarus

LIVE – Updated at 09:36

Ukraine has withdrawn its American-made Abrams battle tanks from the frontline over concerns they can be easily detected and targeted by Russian drones.

Kyiv has lost five of the 31 Abrams tanks given to it by the US to Russian attacks since October last year. Ukraine had engaged in a months-long campaign arguing that the tanks, which cost about $10m apiece, were vital to its ability to breach Russian lines.

The US is expected to announce that it will provide another $6bn in long-term military aid to Ukraine, US officials said, adding that it will include much sought after munitions for Patriot air defence systems.

Elsewhere, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed “several dozen” Russian tactical nuclear weapons had been deployed in Belarus, Russia’s Tass news agency said, under an agreement jointly announced last year with Vladimir Putin.

It came as the Belarusian security service claimed to have thwarted an attack on the capital Minsk by drones launched from Nato-member Lithuania, which denied taking any hostile action.

Key Points

• Ukraine pulls US- provided Abrams tanks from front lines over Russian drone threats
• US expected to provide $6bn to fund long-term weapons contracts for Ukraine
• Russia has deployed nuclear warheads in Belarus, Minsk says
• At least seven wounded in Russian air attack on Kharkiv, governor says

Spain to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine – report

09:36 , Matt Mathers

Spain will send a small number of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, El Pais newspaper reported on Friday, in response to pressure from EU and NATO allies to send more military aid to Kyiv.

With Russia having stepped up air attacks on Ukraine, EU governments have been urged to supply more protective systems to Kyiv, especially countries like Greece and Spain that have such arms in their arsenal.

Greece said on Thursday it would not be able to provide air defence systems to Ukraine.

El Pais, quoting unidentified government sources, said on Friday that Spain had ruled out delivering Patriot anti-aircraft launchers but it would supply the Ukrainian military with missiles for the system.

“The transfer of a small number of missiles has come after the defence ministry refused to hand over to Ukraine the battery it has had deployed since 2013 on the Turkish-Syrian border,” El Pais said.

“It will be a very limited number, as the Spanish war reserve is around 50 units and interceptors are very expensive.”

The defence ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the report but on Thursday a Spanish diplomatic told foreign reporters that Madrid needed to step up its commitment to Ukraine.

File photo: A patriot missile

Greece rules out air defence systems to Ukraine, prime minister says

08:20 , Matt Mathers

Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece can not offer air defence systems like Patriots or S-300 to Ukraine responding to pressure from EU and NATO allies to send more military aid to Kyiv.

With Russia having stepped up air attacks on Ukraine, EU governments are under pressure to supply more protective systems to Kyiv especially countries like Greece and Spain that have such systems in their arsenal.

“Greece is not going to send S-300 or Patriot to Ukraine,” Mitsotakis said in an interview in Skai TV late on Thursday.

European Union ministers said on Monday they were looking urgently at how to provide more air defences to Ukraine but they stopped short of concrete pledges of the Patriot systems that Kyiv values most.

“We were asked and we explained why we cannot do it,” Mitsotakis said adding that these systems are “critical to our deterrent capability.”

Defence is a very sensitive issue for Athens given the tensions with Turkey, especially for a conservative government.

Greece has sent to Ukraine in the past thousands of rockets, explosives, IVFs vehicles, high explosive incendiaries, ammunition and anti-tank rockets.

The US will host on Friday a virtual meeting of Ukraine international aid donors, days after Congress emerged from a half-year of deadlock to approve a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine.

Russia responds to ‘dangerous’ Polish discussion of hosting US nuclear weapons

07:10 , Namita Singh

Russia yesterday said that Poland was playing a “very dangerous game” by considering the possibility of hosting US nuclear weapons.

Polish president Andrzej Duda earlier said he had invited prime minister Donald Tusk for talks on 1 May about the possibility of nuclear weapons from Nato states being deployed in Poland.

Mr Duda has reiterated his position that Poland would be ready for such a possibility, prompting Mr Tusk to say he would like a clarification from the president.

Russian state news agency RIA quoted deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying that such discussions were provocative.

“If they follow the path of further escalation – and this is how the discussions can be assessed, these so far verbal games with nuclear weapons – then a further round of tension will occur. And in general, this game is very dangerous, its consequences may be hard to predict,” he said.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said any US nuclear missiles in Poland could become targets in the event of a Russia-Nato war.

“It is not difficult to assume that if American nuclear weapons appear on Polish territory, the corresponding objects will immediately join the list of legitimate targets for destruction in the case of direct military conflict with Nato,” she told reporters.

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

07:00 , Namita Singh

The United States has secretly provided Ukrainian armed forces with long-range ballistic missiles which have already been used to strike targets deep within Russian territory, according to US officials.

Our White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports:

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

Case of US citizen facing drug charges in Russia adjourned until mid-May

06:50 , Namita Singh

A US citizen arrested on drug charges in Moscow amid soaring Russia-US tensions appeared in court yesterday and had his case adjourned until mid-May.

Robert Woodland is facing charges of trafficking large amounts of illegal drugs as part of an organized group — a criminal offence punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He was remanded into custody in January, and the trial began in the Ostankino District Court in late March.

“Our position is that there is, I may say, no evidence of drug sales in the materials on the case,” his lawyer Stanislav Kshevitskii told reporters.

More here:

A US citizen facing drug charges in Russia appears in court. His case was adjourned until mid-May

Nato chief warns against relying on China

06:40 , Namita Singh

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg yesterday cautioned Western allies against becoming as dependent on China as they had been on Russia.

“In the past, we made the mistake of becoming dependent on Russian oil and gas,” he said.

“We must not repeat that mistake with China. Depending on its money, its raw materials, its technologies – dependencies make us vulnerable.”

File: Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg addresses a press conference at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade on 23 April 2024 in Warsaw, Poland (Getty Images)

China has strengthened trade and military ties with Russia in recent years as the United States and its allies imposed sanctions on both, but particularly Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine.

China-Russian trade hit a record of $240.1bn in 2023, up 26.3 per cent from a year earlier, Chinese customs data shows. Chinese shipments to Russia jumped 46.9 per cent in 2023 while imports from Russia rose 13 per cent.

Last month, Reuters reported that Russian president Vladimir Putin will travel to China in May for talks with Chinese president Xi Jinping, in what could be the first overseas trip of his new presidential term.

China must stop aiding Russia if it seeks good relations with West, Nato says

06:30 , Namita Singh

China must stop supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine if it wants to enjoy good relations with the West, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday, warning Beijing in unusually harsh words it cannot have it both ways.

During a visit to Berlin, the chief of the Western military alliance said Beijing’s help was vital to Moscow’s war effort as it was propping up Russia’s war economy by sharing high-end technology like semiconductors.

“Last year, Russia imported 90 per cent of its microelectronics from China, used to produce missiles, tanks and aircraft. China is also working to provide Russia with improved satellite capabilities and imaging,” Mr Stoltenberg said.

“China says it wants good relations with the West. At the same time, Beijing continues to fuel the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War Two. They cannot have it both ways,” he warned.

Ukrainian duo heads to Eurovision Song Contest with a message: We’re still here

06:15 , Namita Singh

Even amid war, Ukraine finds time for the glittery, pop-filled Eurovision Song Contest. Perhaps now even more than ever.

Ukraine’s entrants in the pan-continental music competition — the female duo of rapper alyona alyona and singer Jerry Heil — set off from Kyiv for the competition yesterday.

In wartime, that means a long train journey to Poland, from where they will travel on to next month’s competition in Malmö, Sweden.

Report:

Ukrainian duo heads to the Eurovision Song Contest with a message: We’re still here

Macron outlines his vision for Europe as war in Ukraine rages on

06:00 , Namita Singh

French president Emmanuel Macron yesterday warned that Europe could “die” if it fails to build its own robust defence as Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on, or if it fails to undertake major trade and economic reforms to compete with China and the US.

Mr Macron urged Europeans to become more ambitious in a fast-changing world to face the challenges of war, fierce trade competition, energy scarcity, climate change and increasing authoritarianism.

More here:

Macron outlines his vision for Europe to become an assertive global power as war in Ukraine rages on

Conductor of Ukrainian orchestra to deliver lecture at Gordonstoun

05:40 , Namita Singh

The principal conductor of an orchestra from Ukraine has said it will be a “real privilege” to give a lecture to children at his former school in Scotland.

Hobart Earle, who has conducted the Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra for the last 30 years, will give the annual Prince Philip Memorial Lecture to pupils at Gordonstoun School near Elgin, today.

His interactive talk and presentation, titled Ukraine. Music In Wartime, will provide an insight into how musicians in Ukraine have adapted to living and performing in wartime, and features videos of the orchestra performing from 2014, when Russia first invaded the country, to the present day.

Report:

Conductor of Ukrainian orchestra to deliver lecture at Gordonstoun

US expected to provide $6bn to fund long-term weapons contracts for Ukraine, officials say

05:20 , Namita Singh

The US is expected to announce that it will provide about $6bn in long-term military aid to Ukraine, US officials said, adding that it will include much sought after munitions for Patriot air defence systems.

The officials said the aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term contracts with the defence industry and means that it could take many months or years for the weapons to arrive. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

The new funding — the largest tranche of USAI aid sent to date – will include a wide array of munitions for air defence, such as the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, as well as the Patriot munitions, Switchblade and Puma drones, counter-drone systems and artillery.

File: US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin is interrupted by protesters from the group Code Pink as he speaks at a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on 17 April 2024 in Washington (Getty Images)

The announcement is expected to come as defence secretary Lloyd Austin convenes a virtual meeting today of defence officials from Europe and around the world to discuss international aid for Ukraine. The gathering — created by Mr Austin and known as the Ukraine Defence Contact Group — has been meeting about monthly for the past two years, and is the primary forum for weapons contributions to Kyiv for the war.

Europe is ‘too slow and lacks ambition’ in the face of global threats, says Macron

04:55 , Andy Gregory

Emmanuel Macron has urged Europe to improve its defences and cut red tape as it faces existential threats from Russian aggression and American isolationism.

In a nearly two-hour speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris, Mr Macron claimed the 27-member European Union (EU) was “too slow and lacks ambition” before demanding that the bloc does not become a “vassal of the United States”.

“Our Europe is mortal. It could die,” the French president said. “We are not equipped to face the risks. We must produce more, we must produce faster and we must produce as Europeans.”

Thursday’s speech was billed by Mr Macron’s advisers as France’s contribution to the EU’s strategic agenda for the next five years. The agenda is due to be decided after the European elections, which will take place in early June.

My colleague Tom Watling reports:

Europe is ‘too slow and lacks ambition’ says Macron

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

04:40 , Namita Singh

Ukraine has sidelined US-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now in its fight against Russia, in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two US military officials told the Associated Press.

The US agreed to send 31 Abrams to Ukraine in January 2023 after an aggressive monthslong campaign by Kyiv arguing that the tanks, which cost about $10m apiece, were vital to its ability to breach Russian lines.

But the battlefield has changed substantially since then, notably by the ubiquitous use of Russian surveillance drones and hunter-killer drones. Those weapons have made it more difficult for Ukraine to protect the tanks when they are quickly detected and hunted by Russian drones or rounds.

Five of the 31 tanks have already been lost to Russian attacks.

File: US soldiers on Abrams tank (AFP via Getty Images)

The proliferation of drones on the Ukrainian battlefield means “there isn’t open ground that you can just drive across without fear of detection,” a senior defence official told reporters yesterday.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide an update on US weapons support for Ukraine before today’s Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting.

For now, the tanks have been moved from the front lines, and the US will work with the Ukrainians to reset tactics, said Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Admiral Christopher Grady and a third defence official who confirmed the move on the condition of anonymity.“When you think about the way the fight has evolved, massed armor in an environment where unmanned aerial systems are ubiquitous can be at risk,” Mr Grady said, adding that tanks are still important.

“Now, there is a way to do it,” he said. “We’ll work with our Ukrainian partners, and other partners on the ground, to help them think through how they might use that, in that kind of changed environment now, where everything is seen immediately.”

Blinken meets Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing

04:20 , Namita Singh

US secretary of state Antony Blinken met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing for talks across a range of complex issues, including deepening strains over China’s backing of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Blinken is due to spend several hours with Mr Wang across closed-door meetings at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and a working lunch as the two sides try to maintain progress in ties despite a broad and thorny agenda.

US State Department officials signalled ahead of the sessions that China’s support for Russia would feature strongly, saying that Washington is prepared to act against Chinese companies that have been helping retool and resupply Russia’s defence industry.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken shakes hands with China’s foreign minister Wang Yi during a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on 26 April 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

They have said that such assistance risks hurting the broader China-US relationship, even as ties stabilise after being hit by then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in 2022 and the US downing of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon in February 2023.

Chinese officials and state media have cast doubt over the extent of possible progress on several fronts, with a China Daily editorial saying that both sides “have been largely talking past each other”.

“On the conflict in Ukraine, the world can see it clearly that the Ukraine issue is not an issue between China and the US; and the US side should not turn it into one,” it said.

Nato chief warns West against becoming as reliant on China as it did with Russia

03:01 , Andy Gregory

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has warned Western allies against becoming as dependent on China as they had been on Russia.

“In the past, we made the mistake of becoming dependent on Russian oil and gas,” he said during a visit to Berlin.

“We must not repeat that mistake with China. Depending on its money, its raw materials, its technologies – dependencies make us vulnerable.”

China must stop supporting Russia’s war if it wants good relations with West, warns Nato chief

01:46 , Andy Gregory

China must stop supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine if it wants to enjoy good relations with the West, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has warned.

During a visit to Berlin, Mr Stoltenberg said Beijing’s help was vital to Moscow’s war effort – as it was propping up Russia’s war economy by sharing high-end technology like semiconductors.

“Last year, Russia imported 90 per cent of its microelectronics from China, used to produce missiles, tanks and aircraft. China is also working to provide Russia with improved satellite capabilities and imaging,” Mr Stoltenberg said.

“China says it wants good relations with the West. At the same time, Beijing continues to fuel the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War Two. They cannot have it both ways,” he warned.

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

Friday 26 April 2024 00:05 , Andy Gregory

Kyiv says fighting-age men will no longer be able to renew passports outside of Ukraine

Thursday 25 April 2024 23:01 , Andy Gregory

In a push to reverse the drain of its potential soldiers, Kyiv has dramatically announced that men of conscription age will no longer be able to renew passports from outside Ukraine.

The Cabinet of Ministers said late on Wednesday that men between 18 and 60 years old who are deemed fit for military service will only be able to replace their passports inside Ukraine.

Millions of Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, mostly to neighboring European countries. The European Union’s statistics agency, Eurostat, says 4.3 million Ukrainians are living in EU countries, 860,000 of them men 18 years of age or older.

Poland’s defence minister said his country – which is home to one of the largest Ukrainian diasporas – was ready to help “in ensuring that those who are subject to compulsory military service go to Ukraine” as they “have obligations towards the state” – but he did not specify how.

However the move has met with some criticism inside Ukraine, with senior opposition politician Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze warning that denying military-age men access to consular services could lead to “well-founded” legal challenges at the European Court of Human Rights.

“I think that these actions will only push an enormous number of Ukrainians to look for different ways to obtain citizenship from other countries,” she warned.

Can Britain back up its bold defence pledge to Ukraine?

Thursday 25 April 2024 22:00 , Alexander Butler

Can Britain back up its bold defence pledge to Ukraine?

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

Thursday 25 April 2024 21:00 , Alexander Butler

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

Ukraine bans men of fighting age from applying for new passports

Thursday 25 April 2024 20:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine bans men of fighting age from applying for new passports

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

Thursday 25 April 2024 19:00 , Alexander Butler

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

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

Thursday 25 April 2024 18:00 , Alexander Butler

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

Putin to visit China in May

Thursday 25 April 2024 16:37 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin has announced that he plans to visit China in May, in what is likely to be the first overseas visit of his new six-year presidential term.

He last visited China in October 2023, having previously signed a “no limits” partnership agreement with Chinese president Xi Jinping just weeks before launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

(via REUTERS)

At least seven wounded in Russian air attack on Kharkiv, governor says

Thursday 25 April 2024 16:18 , Andy Gregory

At least seven people have been injured in a Russian air attack which hit an area close to a railway station in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, its governor has said.

Oleh Syniehubov said the attack hit the city of Balakliia, which was seized by Russia early on in its full-scale invasion but recaptured by Ukraine months later.

Kharkiv and the surrounding region have long been targeted by Russian attacks – but the strikes have become more intense in recent weeks, hitting civilian and energy infrastructure.

Poland playing ‘very dangerous game’ if it hosts US nuclear weapons, Kremlin warns

Thursday 25 April 2024 15:59 , Andy Gregory

Russia has warned that Poland is playing a “very dangerous game” by considering the possibility of hosting US nuclear weapons.

It came hours after Polish president Andrzej Duda revealed he had invited prime minister Donald Tusk for talks next week about the possibility of nuclear weapons from Nato states being deployed in Poland.

Mr Duda has reiterated his position that Poland would be ready for such a possibility, prompting Mr Tusk to say he would like a clarification from the president.

Russian state news agency RIA quoted deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying that such discussions were provocative.

“If they follow the path of further escalation – and this is how the discussions can be assessed, these so far verbal games with nuclear weapons – then a further round of tension will occur. And in general, this game is very dangerous, its consequences may be hard to predict,” he said.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova added that any US nuclear missiles in Poland could become targets in the event of a Russia-Nato war.

Sweden to move ahead with sending troops to Latvia as part of Nato forces

Thursday 25 April 2024 15:40 , Andy Gregory

Sweden will move ahead with plans to send troops to Latvia as part of Nato’s deployment in the Baltic countries, which share land borders with Russia and its ally Belarus, Swedish premier Ulf Kristersson has said.

“This morning, the government took the formal decision to assign the armed forces the task of preparing the Swedish contribution to the reduced battalion,” Mr Kristersson told a news conference with his Latvian counterpart Evika Silina. “The goal is to have this force operational from the beginning of next year.”

The contribution will include armoured vehicles and Leopard tanks, Mr Kristersson added. Sweden’s armed forces have previously said the country’s deployment to Latvia could include about 600 army troops.

The Nordic country joined Nato last month, abandoning decades of non-alignment in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden had already said it aimed to contribute a reduced mechanised battalion to Nato’s deployment in Latvia as early as next year, troops intended to deter and defend against any attack, but the final decision awaited Nato membership.

Lithuania rejects claims drones were launched at Minsk from Nato territory

Thursday 25 April 2024 15:22 , Andy Gregory

Lithuania’s army has denied taking any hostile action against other states – after the Belarusian security service claimed to have thwarted attack on Minsk by drones launched from Lithuania, which is part of the Nato military alliance.

“This is nonsense – I can’t find another word,” a Lithuanian military spokesperson told reporters.

“Such statements by the Belarusian KGB can be regarded as a continuous hostile provocation and an informational attack against Lithuania, which has nothing to do with reality,” added the Lithuanian crisis management centre.

“It can be considered that they are also intended for the domestic audience of the country.”

Lukashenko claims exiles planning to seize Belarus district and appeal to Nato for support

Thursday 25 April 2024 15:16 , Andy Gregory

Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko has claimed that the country’s exiled opposition plans to seize a western district and request support from Nato troops, Russian state news reports.

“I don’t know why they chose Kobrin district, they talk a lot about it. [They plan to] seize it … and appeal to Nato to deploy troops,” the autocractic leader told the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly – as he insisted that current realities required changes to the country’s security stance.

Mr Lukashenko – who has frequently talked up the dangers of an attack by Nato or Ukraine as justification for maintaining his military and security apparatus on a constant state of high alert – also claimed on Wednesday to have “several dozen” Russian tactical nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus.

“It has acquired a new topic: nuclear deterrence. Those who will push us towards it should know about it and have a rational look at the straightforward consequences of their ill-considered decisions, to put it mildly,” state news agency Belta quoted him as saying.

It was unclear whether Mr Lukashenko provided any evidence for such a plan to seize Kobrin, but all of Belarus’s main opposition figures are either in prison or have been forced into exile.

Franak Viacorka, a top aide to exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, derided the claims and said Mr Lukashenko was “losing the connection to reality”, and said his desire to change Belarus’s military stance was “a desperate attempt somehow to restore his confidence in himself internally”.

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

Thursday 25 April 2024 14:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine prepares for offensive from Putin’s troops in east – as Russia gains ground

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

Thursday 25 April 2024 13:30 , Alexander Butler

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

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

Thursday 25 April 2024 13:00 , Alexander Butler

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

Russia has deployed nuclear warheads in Belarus, Minsk says

Thursday 25 April 2024 12:23 , Alexander Butler

Russia has deployed “several dozen” nuclear warheads in Belarus, the country’s president Alexander Lukashenko said.

Speaking at the 7th session of the National Assembly, Mr Lukashenko also said the risk of military incidents between Minsk and Kyiv were “quite high”.

Russia vetoes UN vote on nuclear weapons in space

Thursday 25 April 2024 12:16 , Alexander Butler

Russia vetoed a resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) aimed at preventing a nuclear arms race in outer space.

The draft vote was proposed by Japan and the US and called on all states to uphold the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which obligates nations “not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction.”

Thirteen of the UNSC’s members voted in favor, while Russia voted against. China abstained. It comes after US congressman Mike Turner raised concern in Februrary after saying that a “serious national security threat” faced the US.

Sources later disclosed that the threat was connected to an alleged Russian desire “to put a nuclear weapon into space.”

Belarus says it thwarted attack on capital by drones launched from Lithuania

Thursday 25 April 2024 11:42 , Alexander Butler

Belarus thwarted a Lithuanian drone attack on its capital city Minsk, the country’s security service claimed. There was no immediate comment from NATO-member Lithuania.

“The State Security Committee, in cooperation with colleagues from other law enforcement agencies, has recently carried out a number of acute security measures, which made it possible to prevent strikes by combat drones from the territory of Lithuania on objects in Minsk and its suburbs,” RIA news agency quoted Belarusian security chief Ivan Tertel as saying.

Belarus is an ally of Russia and allowed Moscow to use its territory to launch its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Macron urges strategy for ‘credible’ European defence

Thursday 25 April 2024 11:40 , Alexander Butler

French president Emmanuel Macron has called on Europe to create a credible defence strategy that would leave the continent less dependent on the United States.

“We need to build this strategic concept of a credible European defence for ourselves,” Mr Macron said in a keynote speech.

He said he would ask European partners for proposals in the next months and adding that Europe also needed its own capacity in cyberdefence and cybersecurity.

Macron called on Europe to create a credible defence strategy which was less dependent on the US

Ukraine to increase long-range strikes in Russia, UK says

Thursday 25 April 2024 10:42 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine is set to increase long-range strikes inside Russia with the help of Western military aid, the UK’s defence chief admitted.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said long-range weapons would help Kyiv shape the war in “much stronger ways” amid the influx of aid.

“As Ukraine gains more capabilities for the long-range fight, its ability to continue deep operations will increasingly become a feature” of the war. They definitely have an effect,” he told the Financial Times.

It comes after US officials said long-range missiles used by Ukraine were “already hitting” Putin’s forces in Crimea under a secret deal secured by Biden earlier this year.

Talks on Ukraine without Russia are pointless, Kremlin says

Thursday 25 April 2024 10:30 , Alexander Butler

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that any talks on ending the conflict in Ukraine were pointless without Russian participation, referring to a conference that Switzerland plans to host in June.

Zakharova also told reporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s peace formula – which calls for a full withdrawal of Russian forces from all the territory they have captured – does not bring peace closer but prolongs the conflict.

Switzerland announced earlier this month it would host a two-day high-level conference on June 15-16 on achieving peace in Ukraine. Russia has said it will not take part, and the Kremlin has said that the idea of holding peace talks without it was ridiculous.

Can Britain back up its bold defence pledge to Ukraine?

Thursday 25 April 2024 10:00 , Alexander Butler

Can Britain back up its bold defence pledge to Ukraine?

Pictured: Jeremy Hunt and Zelensky

Thursday 25 April 2024 09:46 , Alexander Butler

Zelensky thanked the UK for its support of Ukraine (via REUTERS)

Zelensky meets British chancellor in Kyiv

Thursday 25 April 2024 09:43 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met British chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt in Kyiv ant thanked him for the UK’s aid package.

Writing on X, Zelensky said: “I welcomed the UK’s chancellor of the exchequer, Jeremy Hunt and thanked him for the UK’s largest defense aid package, worth half a billion pounds.

“We paid special attention to the sanction policy. It is important to extend restrictive measures against Russia and make the circumvention of sanctions impossible.

“I thank the people, the Government, the prime minister, and the Parliament of the United Kingdom for their support of Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. We highly value our countries’ partnership.”

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

Thursday 25 April 2024 09:30 , Alexander Butler

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

Ukraine bans men of fighting age from applying for new passports

Thursday 25 April 2024 09:03 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine bans men of fighting age from applying for new passports

US long-range missiles ‘already hitting’ Putin’s forces under secret deal

Thursday 25 April 2024 08:24 , Alexander Butler

US-supplied long-range missiles used by Ukraine are “already hitting” Putin’s forces in Crimea under a secret deal secured by Biden earlier this year.

The Army Tactical Missile System, or Atacms, arrived in Ukraine last week under a secret deal agreed in March before the £76bn US security package was passed by congress on Wednesday.

US officials said the weapons had already been used to bomb a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Putin’s troops in another occupied area.

A Russian Orthodox priest who took part in services for Navalny is suspended

Wednesday 24 April 2024 22:00 , Alexander Butler

A Russian Orthodox priest who took part in services for Navalny is suspended by the patriarch

Moscow court rejects Evan Gershkovich’s appeal

Wednesday 24 April 2024 21:00 , Alexander Butler

Moscow court rejects Evan Gershkovich’s appeal, keeping him in jail till at least June 30

Sunak blocks Nato chief from answering reporter’s question about election and new defence spending pledge

Wednesday 24 April 2024 20:00 , Alexander Butler

Sunak bizarrely blocks Nato chief from answering reporter’s question

Top Russian military official appears in court on bribery charges

Wednesday 24 April 2024 19:00 , Alexander Butler

Top Russian military official appears in court on bribery charges

German leader says Europe must keep increasing aid to Ukraine after US approves new military help

Wednesday 24 April 2024 18:00 , Alexander Butler

German leader says Europe must keep increasing aid to Ukraine after US approves new military help

Watch: Biden makes remarks after Congress finally passes Ukraine aid package

Wednesday 24 April 2024 17:00 , Alexander Butler

Watch: Biden makes remarks after Congress finally passes Ukraine aid package