Ukraine-Russia war – live: Poland scrambles jets as Zelensky predicts which country Putin will target next

LIVE – Updated at 12:41

Polish and allied aircraft were scrambled this morning after Russia launched missile strikes on Ukraine, the Operational Command of the Polish armed forces said.

“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in Polish airspace, which may result in increased noise levels, especially in the southeastern part of the country,” the Command said on the social media platform X.

Russia attacked three thermal power plants of Ukraine’s largest private power firm DTEK on Friday, damaging facilities, the firm said.

It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky predicted which countries Vladimir Putin would attack if he was successful in Ukraine – including Germany.

And Moscow has claimed it has ‘evidence’ that the gunmen who killed more than 140 people in an attack on a concert hall last week were linked to “Ukrainian nationalists”.

Mr Putin continues to try and implicate Ukraine in the massacre, despite the lack of evidence and Islamic State claiming responsibility after the killings.

Key Points

• Poland activates fighter jets after Russian strikes
• Putin says Russia will not attack NATO – but F-16s will be shot down in Ukraine
• Russia may have used new guided bomb to attack Ukraine’s Kharkiv, local officials say
• Ukraine destroys 26 Russian drones in latest overnight strike
• Kyiv prosecutor says 5,600 Ukrainians have been tortured by Russia

Zelensky predicts which countries Putin would target after Ukraine

12:31 , Sam Rkaina

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned which countries he believes Vladimir Putin will target next if he is victorious in Ukraine.

Kazakhstan would be next, followed by the Baltic states, Poland and then Germany, Mr Zelensky claims.

“Even tomorrow, the missiles can fly to any state,” he told US broadcaster CBS. “For him, we are a satellite of the Russian Federation,.

“At the moment, it’s us, then Kazakhstan, then Baltic states, then Poland, then Germany. At least half of Germany.”

(UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER)

Nine more people detained over Moscow terror attack

11:34 , Sam Rkaina

Nine people have been detained by Tajikistan’s state security service over suspected contact with the perpetrators of last week’s attack by gunmen on a Moscow concert hall that killed 144 people, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said.

“Nine residents of the Vakhdat district were detained for contact with the persons who committed the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall on March 22,” the agency reported, citing information from an unnamed source in Tajikistan’s special services, who said that Russian security forces were also involved in the operation to detain the suspects.

Those detained are also suspected of having connections with the Islamic State group, according to RIA Novosti.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Thursday it had detained another suspect in relation to the raid on Crocus City Hall, on suspicion of being involved in financing the attack. It did not give further details of the suspect’s identity or alleged actions.

Russian officials previously said that 11 suspects had been arrested, including four who allegedly carried out the attack.

Those four, identified as Tajik nationals, appeared in a Moscow court on Sunday on terrorism charges and showed signs of severe beatings. One appeared to be barely conscious during the hearing.

Ukraine urges India to rethink ‘Soviet legacy’ of Russia ties

11:01 , Sam Rkaina

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has urged India to stand by Kyiv, saying the South Asian nation’s close ties with Russia are based on a Soviet legacy that is evaporating, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

India has traditionally had close economic and defence ties with Moscow and refrained from criticising Russia over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, instead increasing purchases of Russian oil to a record.

Kuleba, who began a two-day visit on Thursday looking to advance Kyiv’s vision of the path to peace in Ukraine and strengthen ties with India, said it had much to gain from expanding trade and technology ties with his country.

“We are interested in importing some of the heavy machinery items that India is producing,” he said, as Ukraine looks to restore trade with India, particularly of farm products such as sunflower oil and other Indian goods. He offered Indian companies a role in postwar reconstruction.

“The co-operation between India and Russia is largely based on the Soviet legacy,” he added. “But this is not the legacy that will be kept for centuries; it is a legacy that is evaporating.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Residential buildings destroyed in latest Russian strikes

10:30 , Sam Rkaina

The pictures below show damage from the latest Russian attacks on Ukraine.

In the first, a firefighter works at the site of a Russian missile and drone strike in the Cherkasy region.

And below that, you can see residential buildings damaged in the city of Kamianske, in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

(via REUTERS)

(via REUTERS)

Three thermal power plants hit in morning attacks

10:00 , Sam Rkaina

The largest private power firm, DTEK, said its three thermal power plants had come under attack.

“The equipment was severely damaged,” it said on Telegram. “After the attack ended, the power engineers promptly started to repair the damage.”

Ukrainian power distributor Yasno said this week that DTEK lost about half its capacity following Russian missile and drone attacks.

Ukrainian state-run Naftogaz oil and gas firm also said its facilities had come under attack on Friday morning.

“(Russian attacks) targeted Naftogaz Group’s facilities, but there was no serious damage,” it said in a statement, giving no more details.

Energy facilities in Ukraine targeted again

09:27 , Sam Rkaina

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said energy facilities in six Ukrainian regions had been attacked. He said Ukraine needs more air defence systems to secure critical infrastructure and protect the population.

The Ukrainian military said its air force had destroyed 58 Russia-launched attack drones overnight from a total of 60, along with 26 of 39 missiles.

“The enemy launched a powerful missile and air strike against the fuel and energy sector of Ukraine, using various types of missiles and attack drones,” the commander said.

Ukrainian television said explosions were heard in the regions of Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi as well as the city of Dnipro as Russian cruise missiles were spotted in Ukrainian air space.

Ukraine says Russian drone, missile attacks damage power facilities

08:30 , Sam Rkaina

Russian missile and drone attacks hit thermal and hydro power plants in central and western Ukraine, power grid operator Ukrenergo said on Friday, in the latest barrage targeting the country’s already damaged power infrastructure.

“During the night, the Russians struck again at energy facilities in a massive and combined attack,” Ukrenergo said on the Telegram messaging app. “Thermal and hydroelectric power plants in the central and western regions were damaged.”

Regional officials said Russian forces had attacked infrastructure in the Kamianske district near the city of Dnipro. At least one person was wounded, they added.

Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko also said power facilities in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Cherkasy were attacked.

“Electricity generation facilities were targeted by drones and missiles,” Gelushchenko said on Facebook.

Russia attacks three thermal power plants in Ukraine

08:00 , Stuti Mishra

Russia attacked three thermal power plants of Ukraine’s largest private power firm DTEK on Friday, damaging facilities, DTEK said.

“The equipment was severely damaged. After the attack ended, the power engineers promptly started to repair the damage,” the company said on the Telegram messaging app.

Poland activates fighter jets after Russian strikes

07:14 , Stuti Mishra

Polish and allied aircraft were activated early this morning after Russia launched missile strikes on Ukraine, the Operational Command of the Polish armed forces said.

“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in Polish airspace, which may result in increased noise levels, especially in the southeastern part of the country,” the Command said on the social media platform X.

The southeastern part of Poland borders Ukraine.

US journalist marks a year in a Russian prison as courts keep extending his time behind bars

07:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

For Evan Gershkovich, the dozen appearances in Moscow‘s courts over the past year have fallen into a pattern.

Guards take the American journalist from the notorious Lefortovo Prison in a van for the short drive to the courthouse. He’s led in handcuffs to a defendants’ cage in front of a judge for yet another hearing about his pre-trial detention on espionage charges.

The proceedings are always closed. His appeals are always rejected, and his time behind bars is always extended. Then it’s back to Lefortovo.

US journalist marks a year in a Russian prison as courts keep extending his time behind bars

George Galloway accuses UK of being involved in Moscow terror attack

06:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Newly elected MP George Galloway has accused the UK of being involved in last week’s Moscow terror attack in comments seized upon by a Kremlin-linked newspaper.

The Rochdale MP accused the US and the UK of lying about the involvement of Isis in the attack, which killed at least 139 people and injured around 360, on his talk show on YouTube.

In the month after his return to parliament, described as a “dark day” for Britain’s Jewish community, Mr Galloway espoused conspiracy theories about the Princess of Wales being dead and likened Israel to Nazi Germany.

George Galloway MP accuses UK of involvement in Moscow terror attack

How events in Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region raised fears of Russian interference

05:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, fears have risen in neighboring Moldova that it could also be in Moscow’s crosshairs.

Like Ukraine, Moldova is a former Soviet republic that has aligned itself with the West and aspires to join the European Union. And both countries hope to eventually reintegrate Russian-speaking breakaway territories that view Moscow as their protector.

After a short war in the early 1990s, Transnistria declared independence from Moldova, where today’s pro-Western government has firmly opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war with Ukraine.

How events in Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region raised fears of Russian interference

Actor Steven Seagal visits Moscow terror attack victims

04:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

US actor Steven Seagal visited victims of the Moscow concert hall shooting this week as he declared the attack a “terrible tragedy”.

Russia’s ministry of health posted photos of the 71-year-old meeting patients at the capital’s Pirogov National Medical Center.

“What happened was a terrible tragedy that should not have happened,” he said. “And I think that Russia will serve as an example and let the world understand that you can’t just do this to any people and go unpunished.

Ukraine foreign minister arrives in New Delhi to boost ties with India, a historical ally of Russia

03:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine‘s foreign minister arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day visit to boost bilateral ties and cooperation with India, which considers Russia a time-tested ally from the Cold War-era.

Dmytro Kuleba will meet with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday, as well as the deputy national security advisor, according to India’s Foreign Ministry. On Thursday, Kuleba will pay his respects to Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat memorial site.

His visit comes a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladmir Putin, whom India has so far avoided criticizing over the war in Ukraine. Instead, New Delhi has stressed the need for diplomacy and dialogue on ending the war and has expressed its willingness to contribute to peace efforts.

Ukraine foreign minister arrives in New Delhi to boost ties with India, a historical ally of Russia

Russia arrests another suspect in concert hall attack that killed 143

02:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s top investigative body said Thursday that another suspect has been detained as an accomplice in the attack by gunmen on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed 143 people.

A statement from the Investigative Committee said the latest person detained was involved in financing Friday’s attack on the Crocus City concert hall in which gunmen shot people who were waiting for a show by a popular rock band and then set the building on fire. It did not give further details of the suspect’s identity or alleged actions.

Officials previously said that 11 suspects had been arrested, including four who allegedly carried out the attack. Those four, identified as Tajik nationals, appeared in a Moscow court on Sunday on terrorism charges and showed signs of severe beatings. One appeared to be barely conscious during the hearing.

Russia arrests another suspect in concert hall attack that killed 143

Hundreds of planes stuck in Russia are at the centre of a $10 billion court battle

01:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A $10 billion battle over more than 200 jets stuck in Russia should be heard in London rather than Moscow, London’s High Court has ruled on Thursday.

The battle is between reinsurers and aircraft leasing companies seeking payouts.

Aircraft lessors, including Ireland’s AerCap and US-listed Carlyle Aviation Partners, are pursuing insurers for losses after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grounded their jets in Russia.

Hundreds of planes stuck in Russia are at the centre of a $10 billion court battle

Russian veto brings end to UN panel monitoring enforcement of North Korea nuclear sanctions

00:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution Thursday in a move that effectively abolishes the monitoring by United Nations experts of U.N. sanctions against North Korea aimed at reining in its nuclear program, though the sanctions themselves remain in place.

Russia’s vote sparked Western accusations that Moscow was acting to shield its weapons purchases from North Korea for use in its war against Ukraine, which violate U.N. sanctions.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have heightened with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatening nuclear conflict and escalating tests of nuclear-capable missiles designed to target South Korea, the United States and Japan. The three countries have responded by strengthening their combined military exercises and updating their deterrence plans.

Russian veto brings end to UN panel monitoring enforcement of North Korea nuclear sanctions

Zelensky tells U.S. House speaker: quick passage of military aid is vital

Thursday 28 March 2024 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

President Volodymyr Zelensky told the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives during a phone call on Thursday that it was vital that Congress passes a new military aid package for Kyiv rapidly.

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has held up a bill for months that would supply $60 billion in military and financial aid for Ukraine.

“Quick passage of U.S. aid to Ukraine by Congress is vital. We recognise that there are differing views in the House of Representatives on how to proceed, but the key is to keep the issue of aid to Ukraine as a unifying factor,” Zelensky said on X.

Ukrainian troops are on the back foot on the battlefield, facing shortages of artillery supplies with the U.S. assistance held up in Congress and the European Union failing to deliver on time munitions that it had promised earlier.

In a statement, Zelensky said he briefed Johnson about the situation on the battlefield and also spoke about “the dramatic increase in Russia‘s air terror”.

The Ukrainian military later said that its top commander, Oleksander Syrskyi, had spoken to the U.S. Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Brown, about battlefield issues.

Poland and Ukraine close to agreement on food imports, says Tusk

Thursday 28 March 2024 22:00 , Joe Middleton

Poland and Ukraine are closer to reaching an agreement regarding agricultural imports, the Polish prime minister said on Thurdsay after intergovernmental talks, as Warsaw seeks to defuse farmers’ protests.

“We are close to a solution,” Donald Tusk told a news conference. “This applies to the amount of products that can flow into Poland, once we determine it, we are close to ensuring that transit does not disturb the Polish market.”

Spy chief details assassination drive for Ukrainians collaborating with Russia

Thursday 28 March 2024 21:00 , Jane Dalton

The head of Ukraine’s national spy agency has revealed details of a secretive assassination campaign apparently targeting Ukrainians collaborating with Russia.

Ukraine spy chief details assassination campaign against Russia collaborators

Send us military aid, Zelensky tells Speaker blocking bill

Thursday 28 March 2024 20:15 , Jane Dalton

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has told the speaker of the US House of Representatives in a phone call that it was vital that Congress rapidly pass a new military aid package for Kyiv.

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has held up a bill for months that would supply $60 billion in military and financial aid for Ukraine.

“Quick passage of US aid to Ukraine by Congress is vital. We recognise that there are differing views in the House of Representatives on how to proceed, but the key is to keep the issue of aid to Ukraine as a unifying factor,” Zelensky wrote on social media.

Ukrainian troops are on the back foot on the battlefield, facing shortages of artillery supplies with the US assistance held up in Congress and the European Union failing to deliver on time munitions that it had promised.

Mr Zelensky warned Mr Johnson about “the dramatic increase in Russia’s air terror”.

Watch: Ukrainian MP on how Britain can help country win war

Thursday 28 March 2024 19:30 , Jane Dalton

Ukrainian MP on how Britain can help country win Russia war: ‘Let’s make Putin pay’

Russia claims to have proof of ‘Ukrainian links’ to concert gun terror

Thursday 28 March 2024 18:40 , Jane Dalton

Russian investigators say they have found proof that gunmen who killed more than 140 people at a concert last week were linked to “Ukrainian nationalists”, an assertion dismissed by the United States as baseless propaganda.

Moscow has said from the outset that it believes Ukraine was linked to the attack, even though Kyiv has denied it and the militant group Islamic State has claimed responsibility.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said for the first time it had proof of a Ukrainian connection, although it did not publish it.

“As a result of working with detained terrorists, studying the technical devices seized from them, and analysing information about financial transactions, evidence was obtained of their connection with Ukrainian nationalists,” it said.

It said there was “confirmed data” that the attackers had received significant amounts of cash and cryptocurrency from Ukraine.

Minutes later, White House national security spokesman John Kirby described the Russian claims as “nonsense and propaganda” and said Islamic State was solely responsible for the attack.

The US had publicly warned earlier in March that it had intelligence that “extremists” were planning an imminent attack in Moscow. Kirby said it had also provided written warning to Russian security services.

“In fact, the United States tried to help prevent this terrorist attack and the Kremlin knows this,” he said.

Flowers for the 140 victims outside the Crocus concert hall (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Defence minister says only 3% of Russian missiles hit military targets

Thursday 28 March 2024 18:00 , Sam Rkaina

Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said the support of allies on air defences was crucial and that it could save thousands of lives.

“The total explosive power of combined air attacks on Ukraine since the beginning of the year exceeds 9 kilotons,” he wrote on X after addressing participants via video link.

“Only 3% of those Russian missiles, drones and guided bombs hit military targets, while 97% struck civilian infrastructure,” he wrote.

Russia denies targeting civilians, although the war that began with its invasion of Ukraine has killed thousands of people, uprooted millions and destroyed towns and cities. Russia has stepped up its airstrikes on Ukraine this month.

Last week alone, it has used almost 190 missiles, 140 attack drones and 700 guided bombs, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said earlier.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov rides in an APC during a visit to the front-line city of Kupiansk (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Ukraine asks Nato for more air defences

Thursday 28 March 2024 17:03 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine‘s defence minister asked allies for more air defences at an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council on Thursday and said nearly all the impact from Russian strikes this year had been on civilian infrastructure.

Last Friday, Russia carried out its largest air strike on Ukraine‘s energy system since its invasion in February 2022, damaging power units at a dam and causing blackouts for more than a million people.

Moscow has described its recent attacks as part of a series of “revenge” strikes in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian regions. Russia has increased its use of ballistic missiles.

Russian military plane crashes in sea off Crimea, says local governor

Thursday 28 March 2024 16:00 , Tara Cobham

A Russian military aircraft crashed into the sea on Thursday off the Crimean port of Sevastopol, the Russian-installed governor of the region said.

The pilot safely ejected and was picked up by rescuers. Civilian objects were not damaged, Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said.

Earlier, Russian Telegram channels reported that a Russian Su-35 fighter jet had crashed near Sevastopol. It was not clear what caused the incident.

Poland and Ukraine close to agreement on food imports, says Tusk

Thursday 28 March 2024 15:15 , Tara Cobham

Poland and Ukraine are closer to reaching an agreement regarding agricultural imports, the Polish prime minister said on Thurdsay after intergovernmental talks, as Warsaw seeks to defuse farmers’ protests.

“We are close to a solution,” Donald Tusk told a news conference. “This applies to the amount of products that can flow into Poland, once we determine it, we are close to ensuring that transit does not disturb the Polish market.”

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal (left) and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk shake hands after bilateral talks to resolve a conflict over farm imports in Warsaw on Thursday (AFP via Getty Images)

Kyiv asks NATO partners for air defence supplies after Russia hits energy system

Thursday 28 March 2024 14:30 , Tara Cobham

Ukraine asked Western allies for air defence supplies at an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council on Thursday after a spate of Russian missile attacks on critical and energy infrastructure, Ukraine’s mission to NATO said.

Russia last Friday conducted its largest air strike on Ukraine’s energy system since invading in February 2022, damaging power units at a major dam and causing blackouts for more than a million people in a number of regions.

The mission said on the X platform that Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov had briefed partners on the aftermath of the attacks, urging them to provide more equipment to block incoming salvos.

Moscow has described its recent attacks as part of a series of “revenge” strikes in response to Kyiv’s attacks on Russian regions, and increased its use of harder-to-stop ballistic missiles.

Flames and smoke rise from a blaze at an electricity facility after a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Friday (AP)

Kyiv to tighten security after ballistic missile attacks

Thursday 28 March 2024 13:45 , Tara Cobham

Security measures in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv will be tightened after a spate of Russian ballistic missile attacks and threats of escalation, a city official said on Thursday.

Russia staged concerted air strikes on Ukraine’s energy system last week in what Moscow said was part of a series of “revenge” strikes in response to Kyiv’s bombardment of Russian regions.

Moscow has since increased its use of ballistic missiles, which are much faster than regular cruise missiles and harder to shoot down, to attack Ukrainian cities.

Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said a city defence council would review the staging of public events and enhance security around large gatherings.

He said the decision had been made because of Russian statements and Russian forces’ use of missiles that reach their target within minutes of being fired.

He added that Russian agents “and other enemy elements” could be attempting to infiltrate the city.

“I ask Kyivans to remain calm. Do not panic. We are using preventative measures so that Kyiv and its residents are reliably defended,” he said on Telegram.

Ukrainian officials regularly urge their Western allies to supply more air defence systems and munitions to thwart increasing Russian missile and drone attacks.

Kremlin says silence essential for any Gershkovich prisoner exchange

Thursday 28 March 2024 13:00 , Tara Cobham

The Kremlin said on Thursday complete silence was needed when it came to discussions about possible prisoner exchanges involving Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia a year ago on suspicion of espionage.

Gershkovich, 32, became the first U.S. journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War when he was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on March 29.

The reporter, the Journal and the U.S. government all deny he is a spy. Russia says he was caught red-handed.

Asked about when a court would hear Gershkovich’s case or whether there would be a prisoner exchange, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “We do not have information about the court – it is not our prerogative.”

“As for exchange matters, we have repeatedly stressed that there are certain contacts, but they must be carried out in absolute silence,” Peskov said, adding that public remarks were a hindrance.

The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said Gershkovich had been trying to obtain military secrets.

He has now spent almost a year at Moscow’s high-security Lefortovo prison, which is closely associated with the FSB, and his detention has been extended to June 30.

US journalist Evan Gershkovich inside a Moscow court (AFP via Getty Images)

Russia tries to wear down Ukraine’s air defences during wait for F-16s fighter jets

Thursday 28 March 2024 12:15 , Tara Cobham

Russia fired drones and missiles overnight at southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, authorities said, injuring more than a dozen people as the Kremlin’s forces persevered with attritional attacks designed to wear down Ukrainian defenses.

Air defense systems intercepted 26 out of 28 Shahed drones, Ukraine’s air force said. Russian forces also launched five missiles overnight, it said.

The regular bombardment of Ukraine by the Kremlin’s forces during the war has recently gained momentum, with missile barrages of the capital Kyiv and strikes on energy facilities across the country. The attacks also aim to weaken Ukrainian morale and act as retribution for Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian soil.

Illia Novikov reports:

Russia tries to wear down Ukraine’s air defences during wait for F-16s fighter jets

Putin says Russia will not attack NATO – but F-16s will be shot down in Ukraine

Thursday 28 March 2024 11:35 , Tara Cobham

Russia has no designs on any NATO country and will not attack Poland, the Baltic states or the Czech Republic but if the West supplies F-16 fighters to Ukraine then they will be shot down by Russian forces, President Vladimir Putin said late on Wednesday.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has triggered the deepest crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Speaking to Russian air force pilots, Putin said the U.S.-led military alliance had expanded eastwards towards Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union but that Moscow had no plans to attack a NATO state.

“We have no aggressive intentions towards these states,” Putin said, according to a Kremlin transcript released on Thursday. “The idea that we will attack some other country – Poland, the Baltic States, and the Czechs are also being scared – is complete nonsense. It’s just drivel.”

The Kremlin, which accuses the US of fighting against Russia by supporting Ukraine with money, weapons and intelligence, says relations with Washington have probably never been worse.

Asked about F-16 fighters which the West has promised to send to Ukraine, Putin said such aircraft would not change the situation in Ukraine.

“If they supply F-16s, and they are talking about this and are apparently training pilots, this will not change the situation on the battlefield,” Putin said. “And we will destroy the aircraft just as we destroy today tanks, armoured vehicles and other equipment, including multiple rocket launchers.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that if the West supplies F-16 fighters to Ukraine then they will be shot down by Russian forces (AFP via Getty Images)

Poland says breakthrough on Ukrainian grain unlikely in Warsaw talks

Thursday 28 March 2024 11:30 , Tara Cobham

The Polish and Ukrainian governments meet in Warsaw on Thursday for talks to defuse a row over grain imports that has caused mass protests by farmers, but a top Polish official said a breakthrough was unlikely.

Farmers in Poland and elsewhere in the European Union have been protesting to demand the re-imposition of customs duties on agricultural imports from Ukraine that were waived after Russia’s invasion in 2022.

They say Ukraine’s farmers are flooding Europe with cheap imports that leave them unable to compete.

“It is difficult to expect any breakthrough after these talks, any specific agreement, for example on agricultural issues,” Jan Grabiec, head of the prime minister’s office, told state news agency PAP. “We are still in dialogue and both sides – at least for today – are not fully satisfied.”

Poland has been eyeing a licensing deal for agricultural trade with Ukraine similar to one agreed with Kyiv by Romania and Bulgaria.

On Wednesday Polish Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski said talks were ongoing about a system of licensing exports, but that there were differences over the range of products that would be covered.

Ukrainian Farm Minister Mykola Solsky said the discussions with Poland were “complicated but frank”.

“It is important that we have already discussed solutions that will soon be announced. At the same time, the issue is difficult for all parties and requires additional time,” he wrote on social media platform X.

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal (L) and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (R) shake hands in Warsaw on Thursday (AFP via Getty Images)

Pray this Easter for journalist Evan Gershkovich jailed in Russia, Archbishop of Canterbury says

Thursday 28 March 2024 10:43 , Tara Cobham

The Archbishop of Canterbury has called on people to pray over Easter for Evan Gershkovich, the journalist from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) who has been held in a Russian jail for a year on false espionage charges.

Mr Gershkovich, 32, became the first US journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War when he was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on 29 March 2023 during a reporting trip in the city of Yekaterinburg.

The reporter, the WSJ and the US government all deny Mr Gershkovich is a spy and he has been falsely imprisoned. He has had his pre-trial detention extended five times, the latest in a court hearing earlier this week that added three months until at least 30 June. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Justin Welby: Pray for jailed journalist Evan Gershkovich this Easter

Russian rights group warns jailed leader’s health is deteriorating

Thursday 28 March 2024 09:49 , Tara Cobham

Leading Russian human rights group Memorial has warned that the health of its jailed 70-year-old head, Oleg Orlov, is deteriorating, accusing prison authorities of subjecting him to inhumane treatment.

Orlov, a leader of Memorial which won a share of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, was sentenced last month to 2-1/2 years in prison for “discrediting the armed forces” after he took part in anti-war demonstrations and published an article in which he said Russia had descended into fascism.

He has since filed an appeal.

Memorial said on Wednesday that Orlov’s health was suffering due to a strict diet of “dry rations” added to boiling water. He is also forced at the request of the judge to make daily trips between the detention centre and the court to review the case materials for his appeal, travelling in an unheated and smoke-filled police van, the group said.

It also said he is not being granted regular and confidential access to his lawyers.

“Orlov’s constant trips to court, as well as the conditions of transportation and detention during trips, together constitute cruel and degrading treatment and violate Orlov’s rights,” his defence team wrote in official complaints it filed to the court and posted on Memorial’s website.

“The current situation gives me serious fears for the life and health of my client,” the complaint says.

Oleg Orlov, the co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights organisation Memorial, gestures while standing in a glass cage after he was taken into custody (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Russia may have used new guided bomb to attack Ukraine’s Kharkiv, local officials say

Thursday 28 March 2024 08:55 , Tara Cobham

Russia may have used a new type of guided bomb in airstrikes on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv that killed at least one person on Wednesday, local officials said.

The officials said four children including a three-month-old baby were among 19 people wounded in Kharkiv in the latest strikes since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, some of which have caused blackouts, including in Kharkiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack as “Russian terror” and Volodymyr Tymoshko, head of the Kharkiv regional police, said Moscow may have used a new type of guided bomb which he described as the UMPB D-30.

“This is something between a guided aerial bomb which they (the Russians) have used recently, and a missile. It’s a flying bomb so to say,” Tymoshko said at the site of the strike.

Regional governor Oleh Synehubov also suggested Moscow may have used a new type of bomb, saying: “It seems that the Russians decided to test their modified bombs on the residents of the houses.”

Russia did not immediately comment on their remarks. It denies targeting civilians although the war has killed thousands of people, uprooted millions and destroyed towns and cities.

Two residential buildings and a medical institution were partially destroyed, and a total of 14 buildings, including an educational facility, were damaged, Synehubov said on the Telegram messenger.

A rescuer works outside a residential building damaged as a result of Russian strikes in Kharkiv on Wednesday (AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine destroys 26 Russian drones in latest overnight strike

Thursday 28 March 2024 08:32 , Tara Cobham

Ukrainian forces shot down 26 out of 28 attack drones launched overnight by Russia, Kyiv’s military said on Thursday.

The Iranian-made drones were destroyed over parts of eastern, southern and southeastern Ukraine, the air force added.

The Zaporizhzhia region’s governor said on Telegram that two women had been wounded when debris struck a residential neighbourhood in the regional capital.

Prosecutors in the eastern Kharkiv region said a restaurant, a store and offices were damaged by debris from three drones.

The air force added that Russia’s overnight attack included several types of missiles. The military’s southern command reported on Telegram that those launched from planes over the Black Sea had “lost their combat capability”.

Odesa region governor Oleh Kiper said Russia carried out a separate missile strike later in the morning but that no injuries had been reported. He did not specify the target.

Russia has launched regular air strikes on population centres far behind the lines of its two-year-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

What is ISIS-K and why has it attacked Russia?

Thursday 28 March 2024 07:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In the weeks leading up to the tragedy at a Moscow music venue on Friday night, warnings had been relayed to Russia that a terror attack perpetrated by extremists was imminent.

Despite this, it appears their intelligence services were caught unaware when a group of four gunmen opened fire at Crocus City Hall, where 7,000 concertgoers had gathered to watch the progressive rock band Picnic.

At least 137 people have been killed, while over a hundred more have been wounded with the jihadist group ISIS-K claiming responsibility in a series of videos and messages.

What is ISIS-K and why has it attacked Russia?

George Galloway accuses UK of being involved in Moscow terror attack

Thursday 28 March 2024 06:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Newly elected MP George Galloway has accused the UK of being involved in last week’s Moscow terror attack in comments seized upon by a Kremlin-linked newspaper.

The Rochdale MP accused the US and the UK of lying about the involvement of Isis in the attack, which killed at least 139 people and injured around 360, on his talk show on YouTube.

In the month after his return to parliament, described as a “dark day” for Britain’s Jewish community, Mr Galloway espoused conspiracy theories about the Princess of Wales being dead and likened Israel to Nazi Germany.

George Galloway MP accuses UK of involvement in Moscow terror attack

Ukraine spy chief details assassination campaign against Ukrainians collaborating with Russia

Thursday 28 March 2024 05:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The head of Ukraine’s national spy agency has revealed details of a secretive assassination campaign apparently targeting Ukrainians collaborating with Russia.

In an hour-long televised interview, SBU’s senior officer Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk spoke about a number of high-profile killings in Russian-occupied territory and Russia itself, including that of a pro-Kremlin military blogger in Vladimir Putin’s hometown of St Petersburg.

Lt Gen Malyuk claimed “very many” people responsible for war crimes and attacks against Ukrainian citizens had been targeted. But he said: “Officially, we will not admit to this… But at the same time, I can offer some details.”

Ukraine spy chief details assassination campaign against Russia collaborators

Ukraine ramps up spending on homemade weapons to help repel Russia

Thursday 28 March 2024 04:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine needs any edge it can get to repel Russia from its territory. One emerging bright spot is its small but fast-growing defense industry, which the government is flooding with money in hopes that a surge of homemade weapons and ammunition can help turn the tide.

The effort ramped up sharply over the past year as the U.S. and Europe strained to deliver weapons and other aid to Ukraine, which is up against a much bigger Russian military backed by a thriving domestic defense industry.

The Ukrainian government budgeted nearly $1.4 billion in 2024 to buy and develop weapons at home — 20 times more than before Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Ukraine ramps up spending on homemade weapons to help repel Russia

Moscow attack: Everything we know so far about concert hall terror suspects

Thursday 28 March 2024 03:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The four men suspected of carrying out the deadly terrorist attack in Moscow have appeared in court bearing the marks of torture.

The suspects, identified by Russian authorities as being from Tajikistan, a Central Asian nation bordering Afghanistan, were allegedly picked up in the Bryansk region about 210 miles southwest of Moscow hours after the attack. Without providing any evidence, Russian president Vladimir Putin claimed they were heading for Ukraine.

Both Ukraine and its western allies, including the US, have denied any involvement in the attack.

Moscow attack: Everything we know so far about concert hall terror suspects

Russia may have used new guided bomb to attack Ukraine’s Kharkiv, local officials say

Thursday 28 March 2024 02:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia may have used a new type of guided bomb in airstrikes on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv that killed at least one person on Wednesday, local officials said.

The officials said four children including a three-month-old baby were among 19 people wounded in Kharkiv in the latest strikes since Russia‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, some of which have caused blackouts, including in Kharkiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack as “Russian terror” and Volodymyr Tymoshko, head of the Kharkiv regional police, said Moscow may have used a new type of guided bomb which he described as the UMPB D-30.

“This is something between a guided aerial bomb which they (the Russians) have used recently, and a missile. It’s a flying bomb so to say,” Tymoshko said at the site of the strike.

Regional governor Oleh Synehubov also suggested Moscow may have used a new type of bomb, saying: “It seems that the Russians decided to test their modified bombs on the residents of the houses.”

Death toll in Moscow hall attack rises to 143

Thursday 28 March 2024 01:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The death toll from the Moscow concert hall attack has increased to 143, Russian officials said.

Around 80 other people wounded in the siege by gunmen remain in hospital.

The Friday night massacre in Crocus City Hall, a sprawling shopping and entertainment venue on the north-western outskirts of Moscow, was the deadliest terror attack on the Russian soil in nearly 20 years. At least four men armed with automatic rifles shot at thousands of concertgoers and set the venue on fire.

An affiliate of the so-called Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the violence, while US intelligence said it had information confirming the group was responsible. French President Emmanuel Macron said France also has intelligence pointing to “an IS entity” as responsible for the attack.

The updated fatalities from Russia‘s Emergencies Ministry did not state the number of wounded, but health minister Mikhail Murashko said earlier on Wednesday that 80 people were in hospitals and another 205 had sought medical treatment from the attack.

Russia‘s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had arrested 11 people the day after the attack, including four suspected gunmen.

Russia extends arrest of US reporter Evan Gershkovich after almost a year in jail

Thursday 28 March 2024 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Moscow court on Tuesday ordered Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to remain in jail on espionage charges until at least late June, court officials said.

The 32-year-old US citizen was arrested in late March 2023 while on a reporting trip and has spent nearly a year behind bars. His arrest was extended until June 30.

Gershkovich and his employer have denied the allegations, and the US government has declared him to be wrongfully detained.

Russia extends arrest of US reporter Evan Gershkovich after almost a year in jail

Russian spy chief makes bizarre claim that the US, UK and Ukraine were involved in Moscow attack

Wednesday 27 March 2024 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In a sign of the Kremlin’s increasing desperation to drag its invasion of Ukraine into the Moscow concert hall attack, the director of Russia’s powerful Federal Security Service (the FSB) has claimed that Kyiv, the US and the UK were behind the incident.

The bizarre claim comes despite a branch of the Isis terror group having claimed responsibility for the attack and published graphic video footage of the shooting, and the US, France and a number of other nations saying they believed the jihadists were behind it.

Russia says 139 people were killed when four armed men burst into the Crocus City Hall concert complex on Friday evening. Another 22 remain in a serious condition, including two children, officials say.

Russian spy chief in bizarre claim that US, UK and Ukraine were behind Moscow attack

Wednesday 27 March 2024 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian MP on how Britain can help country win Russia war: ‘Let’s make Putin pay’

How events in Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region raised fears of Russian interference

Wednesday 27 March 2024 21:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, fears have risen in neighboring Moldova that it could also be in Moscow’s crosshairs.

Like Ukraine, Moldova is a former Soviet republic that has aligned itself with the West and aspires to join the European Union. And both countries hope to eventually reintegrate Russian-speaking breakaway territories that view Moscow as their protector.

After a short war in the early 1990s, Transnistria declared independence from Moldova, where today’s pro-Western government has firmly opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war with Ukraine.

How events in Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region raised fears of Russian interference

Ukraine spy chief details assassination campaign against Ukrainians collaborating with Russia

Wednesday 27 March 2024 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The head of Ukraine’s national spy agency has revealed details of a secretive assassination campaign apparently targeting Ukrainians collaborating with Russia.

In an hour-long televised interview, SBU’s senior officer Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk spoke about a number of high-profile killings in Russian-occupied territory and Russia itself, including that of a pro-Kremlin military blogger in Vladimir Putin’s hometown of St Petersburg.

Lt Gen Malyuk claimed “very many” people responsible for war crimes and attacks against Ukrainian citizens had been targeted. But he said: “Officially, we will not admit to this… But at the same time, I can offer some details.”

Ukraine spy chief details assassination campaign against Russia collaborators

Nearly 100 people still missing after Moscow attack, Russian news site says

Wednesday 27 March 2024 19:00 , Holly Evans

As many as 95 people are still missing after last week’s attack near Moscow when gunmen sprayed concertgoers with automatic weapons and set the venue on fire, a Russian news outlet reported on Wednesday.

The official toll from the attack on Crocus City Hall now stands at 140 dead and 182 wounded. But the Baza news service, which has good contacts in Russian security and law enforcement, said 95 more people appeared in lists compiled by the emergency services based on appeals from people about missing relatives.

“These lists include people with whom relatives have not been able to get in touch since the terrorist attack, but who are not on the lists of wounded and dead,” Baza said. “Some of these people died, but have not yet been identified.”

Nearly 100 people are still missing after the terror attack on a concert hall (AP)

Russian investigators said the attack was carried out by four shooters using Kalashnikov automatic weapons. More than 500 rounds were found at the scene.

The shooting began shortly before the Soviet-era rock group “Picnic” was set to play to a full house of 6,200 people. More than 200 people could have been in the blazing building moments before the roof collapsed, Baza reported on Saturday, citing emergency service sources who reviewed surveillance footage.

Russia uses bombs in airstrike on Ukrainian city of Kharkiv

Wednesday 27 March 2024 18:00 , Holly Evans

Russia attacked the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with guided bombs on Wednesday for the first time since 2022, damaging a school and a residential area, regional police said.

“Kharkiv was hit by aerial bombs – for the first time since 2022,” Serhiy Bolvinov, the head of the investigative department of the regional police, said on Facebook.