Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv’s troops forced back by intense fighting in east as Putin’s soldiers advance
LIVE – Updated at 15:53
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.
It comes as Russia 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.”
Key Points
- Kyiv’s troops forced back by intense fighting in east
- Russia targets hotel housing ‘English-speaking mercenaries’
- Russia targeted gas facilities that secure EU supply, says Zelensky
- Russia attacks Ukrainian hotel with Shahed drones
- Ukraine launches 17 drones at Russia, targets oil facility
Kyiv’s troops forced back by intense fighting in east
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
14:00 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine pulls US-provided Abrams tanks from front lines over Russian drone threats
Two Russian journalists jailed on ‘extremism’ charges
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
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
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
10:55 , Alexander Butler
Russia files hundreds of drone patents as ‘global arms race’ ramps up
Russia targets hotel housing ‘English-speaking mercenaries’
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
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
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
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
05:01 , Andy Gregory
Russia launches fresh missile barrage across Ukraine – but Kyiv fights back with drones
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Russia steps up offensive on east Ukraine village,
Saturday 27 April 2024 23:59 , Reuters
Russia has sent more troops to Ocheretyne in eastern Ukraine to reinforce an offensive there, but Kyiv’s forces largely hold the village and expect US arms deliveries to turn the tide in their favour, the Ukrainian military said on Saturday.
Russian troops have slowly advanced through at least half a dozen villages on the eastern front since capturing the bastion town of Avdiivka in February as exhausted Ukrainian forces rationed dwindling artillery supplies.
Fierce fighting raged in Ocheretyne on Saturday but Nazar Voloshyn, spokesperson for the eastern command, said Ukrainian forces had the situation “under control” and controlled two-thirds of the village.
Ukrainian troops, he said, were able to shell the part of the village seized by Russian forces and that “the enemy is blocked and measures are being taken to kick them out.”
To the north on the eastern front, Russian forces were trying to capture the strategic town of Chasiv Yar at all costs, though they had not entered the town, he said.
Chasiv Yar, which lies on high ground, is seen as a gateway to the remaining important cities controlled by Ukraine in the Donbas, which Russia seeks to capture in full folllwing its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukrainian troops are outgunned and outnumbered, but received a huge morale boost when the United States finally signed off on a major aid package this week that contains military assistance.
Voloshyn said Ukraine expected foreign military aid, including ammunition, shells and weapons, to help turn around the situation on the Bakhmut and Avdiivka fronts and in other areas.
Watch: Xi Jinping meets Antony Blinken for talks on Ukraine war
Saturday 27 April 2024 23:00 , Andy Gregory
Russian think tank warns of stagnating industrial output
Saturday 27 April 2024 22:01 , Andy Gregory
Russia’s industrial production and investments are stagnating, its exports of goods are continuing to deteriorate and profitability in most industries is declining, a think-tank close to the government has said in a report.
The Centre for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting issued its downbeat assessment on Saturday, also warning about a shortage of imported components and raw materials.
Despite Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, its economic performance last year exceeded the expectations of officials and analysts. But in its monthly analysis of macroeconomic trends for April, the centre said it saw signs of a deterioration in many indicators at the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024.
The emerging trends are a cause for concern, it said, while long-term challenges to the economy need solutions “here and now”.
”In most of the main types of activity, the transition to stagnation has either already occurred or is increasingly visible,” it noted, adding that high interest rates were beginning to slow the growth of consumer demand, seen as a key driver of economic growth.
Import restrictions due to Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine and problems with payments were among the difficulties facing the Russian economy as some businesses were critically dependent on the supply of components and raw materials, it said.
And Russia can no longer rely on energy revenues and cheap labour for economic growth due to sanctions on hydrocarbons and a shortage of personnel, it said.
ICYMI: Ukraine’s farm minister is the latest corruption suspect as Kyiv aims to undo recent Russian gains
Saturday 27 April 2024 21:00 , Andy Gregory
A Ukrainian court has ordered the detention of the country’s farm minister in the latest high-profile corruption investigation, while Kyiv security officials assessed how they can recover lost battlefield momentum in the war against Russia.
Illia Novikov has more details here:
Ukraine’s farm minister is the latest corruption suspect as Kyiv aims to undo recent Russian gains
US intelligence believes Putin probably didn’t order his rival Navalny’s killing, report claims
Saturday 27 April 2024 20:01 , Andy Gregory
US intelligence agencies are said to have concluded that Vladimir Putin probably did not directly order the killing of his most prominent critic Alexei Navalny, who suddenly died in his Arctic prison cell in February.
According to The Wall Street Journal, US intelligence services believe Putin most likely did not choose for the killing to be carried out or the date on which it took place.
While the findings by US intelligence agencies did not “dispute Putin’s culpability” for his rival’s death – given the conditions Mr Navalny was being held in and the constant harassment he had faced – the report said it is believed that he “probably did not order it at that moment”.
These findings have been accepted within the intelligence community and shared across several wings of intelligence in Washington, including the CIA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the State Department’s intelligence unit, the paper reported, citing people aware of the matter.
My colleague Arpan Rai has the full report:
US intelligence believes Putin probably didn’t order Navalny’s killing, report claims
Macron to spend longer in Germany than planned, sources say
Saturday 27 April 2024 19:02 , Andy Gregory
Emmanuel Macron will visit Germany in May and will spend more days than planned with chancellor Olaf Scholz, government sources have told Reuters, in a sign of their ambition to bring more unity to EU relations.
Mr Macron’s previously announced state visit from 26-28 May could be followed by another trip to Germany the next month as well, the sources said, in a possible sign that Franco-German relations remain strong, despite reports of deep disagreement between the two leaders.
Although both leaders show support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion, his approaches on how to help the country differ, with Germany being more cautious about weapon deliveries or sending troops.
But at an EU summit last week, Mr Macron and Mr Scholz said they wanted to jointly implement an EU capital markets union and reduce bureaucracy in the single market.
Moscow may seize private US assets in Russia if US seizes frozen reserves, says Putin ally
Saturday 27 April 2024 18:09 , Andy Gregory
Russia may respond to any US confiscation of its currency reserves frozen in the West by seizing the assets, including property and cash, of US citizens and investors in Russia, former president Dmitry Medvedev has threatened.
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill allowing the Biden administration to confiscate Russian assets held in American banks and transfer them to Ukraine, something the Kremlin has said would be illegal and trigger retaliation.
In response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the US and its allies prohibited transactions with Russia’s central bank and finance ministry and blocked about $300bn of sovereign Russian assets in the West, most of which are in European not American financial institutions. The G7 is also looking at what it may be able to do around the frozen Russian assets.
Mr Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, said on Saturday that Russia would not be able to retaliate in kind against any US seizure of its reserves.
“The reason is clear – we do not have a significant amount of American state property, including money, rights and other US assets. Therefore, the answer can only be asymmetrical. It is not a fact that it will be any less painful,” Mr Medvedev said.
“We are talking about the foreclosure, for example by a court decision, on the property of private individuals located in the jurisdiction of Russia (money, real estate and movable property in kind, property rights).”
“Yes, this is a complex story, since these individuals usually acted as investors in the Russian economy,” Medvedev said. “And we guaranteed them the inviolability of their private property rights. But the unexpected happened – their state declared a hybrid war on us. This must be answered.”
‘Staggering’ Russian casualties estimate suggests Moscow has lost double its initial invasion force
Saturday 27 April 2024 17:10 , Andy Gregory
“Staggering” new British government estimates claiming Russia may have suffered 450,000 casualties since invading Ukraine would suggest Moscow has lost double the number of troops in its initial invasion force, a leading expert notes.
Russia claims attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure are retaliation
Saturday 27 April 2024 16:39 , Andy Gregory
The Russian defence ministry has claimed that a series of its forces’ recent attacks on Ukraian infrastructure and other targets were a response to Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s own facilities.
Russia – which has targeted Ukrainian criticial infrastructure since the early days of its invasion – sad its forces had carried out 35 strikes in the last week against Ukrainian energy facilities, defence factories, railway infrastructure, air defences, and ammunition stocks.
It clamed these were “in response to attempts by the Kyiv regime to damage Russian energy and industrial facilities”, and had been carried out using sea- and air-launched long-range precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and drones.
The ministry also said it had also targeted and hit Ukrainian troop formations as well as what it described as foreign mercenaries.
Ukraine has systematically targeted Russian oil refineries and other facilities in drone attacks in recent weeks, ignoring US requests not to do so.
Ukrainian officials said Russian missiles had pounded power facilities in central and western Ukraine on Saturday, increasing pressure on the ailing energy system as the country faces a shortage of air defences despite a breakthrough in US military aid.
Another suspect in Moscow concert hall attack detained
Saturday 27 April 2024 15:56 , Reuters
Russian authorities have detained another suspect as an accomplice in the attack by gunmen on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed 144 people in March, Moscow City Courts said.
Dzhumokhon Kurbonov, a citizen of Tajikistan, is accused of providing the attackers with means of communication and financing. The judge at Moscow’s Basmanny District Court ruled that Kurbonov would be kept in custody until May 22 pending investigation and trial.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said Kurbonov was reportedly detained on April 11 for 15 days on the administrative charge of petty hooliganism.
Independent Russian media outlet Mediazona noted that this is a common practice used by Russian security forces to hold a person in custody while a criminal case is prepared against them.
Twelve defendants have been arrested in the case, including four who allegedly carried out the March 22 attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue, according to RIA Novosti.
Government sets out details of military aid package
Saturday 27 April 2024 15:28 , Andy Gregory
The government has set out details of what the military aid package announced by Rishi Sunak this week will include.
“We will provide over 400 vehicles to Ukraine, consisting of 160 protected mobility Husky vehicles; 162 armoured vehicles comprised of further AS90 155mm artillery guns and Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked); and 78 all-terrain vehicles made up of Bv-206 and Viking,” defence minister James Cartlidge told Labour’s John Healey.
“These will provide much needed additional artillery support, reconnaissance capabilities, and amphibious mobility to support development of the Ukrainian marine corps.”
Russia has suffered 450,000 casualties since outset of invasion, MoD estimates
Saturday 27 April 2024 15:00 , Andy Gregory
Britain’s Ministry of Defence has claimed that Russia has suffered around 450,000 casualties since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Responding to a parliamentary question by Labour, armed forces minister Leo Dochery said: “We estimate that approximately 450,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded, and tens of thousands more have already deserted since the start of the conflict.
“The number of personnel killed serving in Russian private military companies (PMCs) is not clear.
“We also estimate that over 10,000 Russian armoured vehicles, including nearly 3,000 main battle tanks, 109 fixed wing aircraft, 136 helicopters, 346 unmanned aerial vehicles, 23 naval vessels of all classes, and over 1,500 artillery systems of all types have been destroyed, abandoned, or captured by Ukraine since the start of the conflict.”
ICYMI: Europe is ‘too slow and lacks ambition’ in the face of global threats, says Macron
Saturday 27 April 2024 14:31 , 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.”
My colleague Tom Watling has the full report:
Europe is ‘too slow and lacks ambition’ says Macron
Hackers claim to have infiltrated Belarus’ main security service
Saturday 27 April 2024 14:02 , Yuras Karmanau, AP
A Belarusian hacker activist group claims to have infiltrated the network of the country’s main KGB security agency and accessed personnel files of over 8,600 employees of the organization, which still goes under its Soviet name.
The authorities have not commented on the claim, but the website of the Belarusian KGB was opening with an empty page on Friday that said it was “in the process of development”.
Seeking to back up its claim, the Belarusian Cyber-Partisans group published a list of the website’s administrators, its database and server logs on its page in the messaging app Telegram.
Group coordinator Yuliana Shametavets told the Associated Press from New York that the attack on the KGB “was a response” to the agency’s chief Ivan Tertel, who publicly accused the group this week of plotting attacks on the country’s critical infrastructure, including a nuclear power plant.
“The KGB is carrying out the largest political repressions in the history of the country and must answer for it,” said Shametavets. “We work to save the lives of Belarusians, and not to destroy them, like the repressive Belarusian special services do.”
Zelensky issues new appeal for air defences
Saturday 27 April 2024 13:42 , Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a new appeal for air defences and fast weapons deliveries after yet another series of Russian strikes on the Ukrainian energy sector.
The Ukrainian president said his country needed sufficient quantities of air defence and other weapons to protect its cities and prevail on the frontline.
“Terror should always lose, and anyone who helps us stand against Russian terror is a true defender of life,” Mr Zelensky said.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Full report: Russian court places Forbes journalist under house arrest
Saturday 27 April 2024 12:38 , Andy Gregory
A Russian court has placed a journalist from the local edition of US magazine Forbes under house arrest, reports my colleague Arpan Rai.
Sergei Mingazov was detained earlier on Friday on suspicion of spreading false information about the Russian army, according to the magazine.
Vladimir Torkonyak, an official from the Khabarovsk Regional Court said that the 55-year-old journalist was placed under house arrest for spreading “fake news about the Russian army” through a two-year-old post on a Telegram channel, reported Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency.
His lawyer, Konstantin Bubon, said the social media post was about the Russian atrocities in Ukraine’s Bucha where the invading forces were accused of murdering and massacring civilians before abandoning the city in April 2022.
“In short, for reposting a publication about the events in Bucha” on a Telegram channel, the lawyer wrote.
Russian court places Forbes journalist under house arrest
Kremlin responds to Blinken’s comments about impact of Chinese dual-use goods on Ukraine war
Saturday 27 April 2024 12:09 , Andy Gregory
The Kremlin has shrugged off a trip to China by US secretary of state Antony Blinken during which he raised concerns about Chinese support for Russia’s military.
Mr Blinken raised concerns on Friday about China’s support for Russia’s military. Despite its “no limits” partnership with Moscow, China has steered clear of providing arms for Russia’s war in Ukraine, but Mr Blinken said its supply of so-called dual-use goods was “having a material effect in Ukraine.”
China has said it has not provided weaponry to any party and is “not a producer of or party involved in the Ukraine crisis”. However, it says that normal trade between China and Russia should not be interrupted or restricted.
Asked about Mr Blinken’s trip and the US pressure on China, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted Moscow and Beijing would continue to develop their own ties, saying: “China is an absolutely sovereign state, a powerful state that is able to defend and protect its interests.
“At the same time, it [China] is our close partner. We will further develop our co-operation.”
Ukraine shot down 21 of 34 missiles in overnight attack, Kyiv claims
Saturday 27 April 2024 11:51 , Andy Gregory
Ukraine’s air defence shot down 21 of 34 Russian missiles fired in an overnight attack, the commander of the Ukrainian air force said on Saturday.
Mykola Oleschuk said Ukrainian fighter planes, air defence missile units, mobile fire groups and means of radio-electronic warfare were involved in repelling the Russian missile strikes.
Currently ‘no grounds’ for peace talks, says Kremlin
Saturday 27 April 2024 11:33 , Andy Gregory
There are currently no grounds for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine due to Kyiv’s formal refusal to negotiate with Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree in 2022 – following Russia’s full-scale invasion – formally declaring the prospect of any Ukrainian talks with Vladimir Putin “impossible”, while leaving the door open to talks with “another president of Russia”.
Ukraine attacks oil refineries and military airfield
Saturday 27 April 2024 11:25 , Andy Gregory
Ukraine has attacked oil refineries and a military airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar region, causing fires at the facilities, a Ukrainian intelligence source has told Reuters, echoing earlier claims by officials.
The attack on the southern Russia region – which neighbours annexed Crimea – was conducted by the SBU security service, the source said, adding: “The SBU continues to target military and infrastructure facilities behind enemy lines effectively.”
With Russia’s invasion now in its third year, Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russian oil and energy facilities using long-range drones.
Local authorities in Russia said the oil refinery in Krasnodar region suspended its operations after the drone attack.
Roman Siniagovskyi, head of the Russian Slavyansk administrative district, said on the Telegram messaging app that there were nine attacks on the storage tank farm and the distillation column, a key piece of equipment in the refining process.
Kyiv launches attacks on two Russian oil refineries
Saturday 27 April 2024 10:21 , Andy Gregory
Russia said its air defence systems had intercepted more than 60 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region, which lies to the east of annexed Crimea.
While Ukrainian officials typically decline to comment on attacks on Russian soil, the Ukrainian energy ministry said that two oil refineries in the Krasnodar region had been hit by drones.
Xi Jinping meets Antony Blinken for talks on Ukraine war and AI in Beijing
Saturday 27 April 2024 09:59 , Andy Gregory
Forbes journalist placed under house arrest
Saturday 27 April 2024 09:40 , Andy Gregory
A Russian court has ordered a journalist for the Russian edition of Forbes to be placed under house arrest, Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency reported on Saturday.
Sergei Mingazov was detained on Friday on suspicion of spreading false information about the Russian army, his magazine said at the time.
Such allegations have been used to fuel a clampdown on reporting which challenges the Kremlin narrative of Vladimir Putin’s war, initially termed a “special military operation”, since Russian authorities introduced harsh new laws shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia launches attacks on Ukrainian power facilities
Saturday 27 April 2024 09:22 , Andy Gregory
Russia has launched a barrage of missiles at Ukrainian power facilities, hitting locations in the centre and west of the country, damaging equipment and injuring at least one energy worker, officials said.
Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko said the Russian strikes targeted the Dnipropetrovsk region in central Ukraine and the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk.
DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, said its four thermal power stations were hit and Mr Galushchenko said that one energy worker had been injured.
“The enemy again massively shelled the Ukrainian energy facilities,” DTEK said. “The company’s equipment was seriously damaged. At this very moment, energy workers are trying to eliminate the consequences of the attack.”
The commander of the Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched combined overnight strikes using a total of 34 cruise and ballistic missiles of which Ukrainian air defence shot down 21.
Since 22 March, Russian forces have ramped up their bombardments of the Ukrainian power sector, attacking thermal and hydropower stations and other energy infrastructure almost daily. Ukraine has lost about 80 per cent of its thermal generation and about 35 per cent of its hydropower capacity, officials said.
Spend more on Nato to fight Putin, Sunak tells EU leaders after his £75bn defence boost
Saturday 27 April 2024 09:10 , Arpan Rai
Rishi Sunak has challenged Britain’s European allies to meet his £75bn pledge to increase defence spending as US president Joe Biden signed a $61bn package of aid for Ukraine.
The prime minister warned the world is “more dangerous now than at any moment since the Cold War” and faces “an axis of authoritarian states”.
He also defended what he called “entirely reasonable” calls from US counterparts for greater European defence spending.
Spend more on Nato to fight Putin, Sunak tells EU after his £75bn defence boost
Ukrainian air defence downs 21 of 34 Russian missiles
Saturday 27 April 2024 08:54 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s air defence shot down 21 of 34 Russian missiles fired in an overnight attack, the commander of the Ukrainian air force said today.
Mykola Oleschuk said Ukrainian fighter planes, air defence missile units, mobile fire groups and means of radio-electronic warfare were involved in repelling the Russian missile strikes.
The US will give $61bn to Ukraine. What does it mean for the war?
Saturday 27 April 2024 08:15 , Arpan Rai
The new $61bn (£49bn) US aid package for Ukraine approved by Congress will undoubtedly improve the country’s battlefield position. Stocks of ammunition from US bases in Poland and Germany can now be shipped quickly to existing Ukrainian forces and allow newly mobilised troops to be equipped.
Critics of Ukraine’s mobilisation law, recently passed by the parliament in Kyiv, argued it made little sense to draft more men if there were no weapons to arm them: now that concern can be discarded.
The US package includes weapons Ukraine has long sought after and which can make a significant difference in the war, like long-range ATACMS missiles. These will improve Volodymyr Zelensky’s capability to threaten and destroy Russian military targets in occupied Crimea, forcing Russia to withdraw its equipment, enhancing Black Sea security.
The US vote also provides an important boost to morale, restoring hope that Western partners are delivering on their promises and sending a powerful signal to Russia.
The US will give $61bn to Ukraine. What does it mean for the war?
Ukrainian duo heads to the Eurovision Song Contest with a message: We’re still here
Saturday 27 April 2024 07:45 , Arpan Rai
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 on Thursday. In wartime, that means a long train journey to Poland, from where they will travel on to next month’s competition in Malmö, Sweden.
“We need to be visible for the world,” Ms Heil said at Kyiv train station before her departure. “We need to show that even now, during the war, our culture is developing, and that Ukrainian music is something waiting for the world” to discover.
Ukrainian duo heads to the Eurovision Song Contest with a message: We’re still here
Russia files hundreds of drone patents as ‘global arms race’ ramps up
Saturday 27 April 2024 07:15 , Arpan Rai
Drone patents have soared across the world amid a “new arms race” as the technology is applied increasingly on the battlefield, experts have warned.
Data from the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) showed that patents filed for technology relating to drones surged by 16 per cent between 2022 and 2023. This represented an increase from 16,800 in 2022 to 19,700 in 2023 – with China, Russia and the US among the top five countries developing the technology.
Marcel Plichta, a former analyst at the US Department of Defense, told The Independent that the scramble for patents marks a new global arms race for a new kind of warfare.
He said: “This is part of a new global arms race. It’s different to a more traditional arms race of tanks and rifles, and is spurred on much more by the tech sector – especially in Ukraine and Russia, where this sort of technology is being developed to get around attrition warfare, where it is difficult to make any real sort of progress.
Russia files hundreds of drone patents as ‘global arms race’ ramps up