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Russia-Ukraine latest news

  • The Telegraph - George Styllis 10 MAY 2022 • 5:16 PM
  • Sam Hall
  • Max Stephens
  • Marcus Parekh
  • Chanel Zagon

Russia wasn't ready to fight an army, says ex-Kremlin mercenary

Russian forces were “caught by surprise” by the fierce resistance of the Ukrainian army, according to a former mercenary who fought with the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group.

Marat Gabidullin took part in Wagner Group missions on the Kremlin's behalf in Syria and in a previous conflict in Ukraine, before quitting the group in 2019.

"They were caught completely by surprise that the Ukrainian army resisted so fiercely and that they faced the actual army," Mr Gabidullin said about Russia's setbacks in Ukraine.

He said people he spoke to on the Russian side had told him they expected to face rag-tag militias when they invaded Ukraine, not well-drilled regular troops.

"I told them: 'Guys, that's a mistake'," said Mr Gabidullin, who refused a call from a recruiter inviting him to go back to fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine several months before Russia launched its invasion.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he did not know who Mr Gabidullin was or whether he had ever been a member of any private military companies.

​​Follow the latest updates below.

Auto updateOn5:16pm

Belarus to deploy special forces to southern border near Ukraine

Belarus will deploy special operations troops in three areas near its southern border with Ukraine, the armed forces said today as President Alexander Lukashenko talked up the role of Russian-made missiles in boosting the country's defences.

Minsk has complained for months about Nato countries amassing soldiers near its borders - Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are all members of the alliance - and is increasing the amount and intensity of its own military exercises in response.

"The United States and its allies continue to build up their military presence on the state borders of the Republic of Belarus," Chief of General Staff Viktor Gulevich said. "The established grouping has more than doubled in the past six months in quantity and quality."5:01pm

Ukraine's gas system operator to suspend flows at key entry point

Ukraine’s gas system operator GTSOU said it would declare force majeure on the transportation of gas through the Sokhranivka entry point, with flows stopping on May 11.

GTSOU said it could not carry out operations at the Novopskov gas compressor station at the site due to "the interference of the occupying forces in technical processes."

The Novopskov compressor station in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine has been occupied by Russian forces and separatist fighters since soon after the invasion began.

Ukraine has continued to be a major transit route for Russian gas to Europe even after Russia's invasion of the country on February 24.4:53pm

Mark Almond: Putin's supporters are on the march in the developing world

Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine is still dominating Western media. To us it is obvious why the ghastly return of war on a grand scale to Europe should be the focus of concern. But across a vast swathe of the world, other ghosts haunt politics and shape public opinion, writes Mark Almond

The landslide victory of “Bongbong” Marcos, the son of the disgraced former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, in yesterday’s Filipino presidential election was a warning straw in the wind for the West. And if opinion polls are to be believed, later this year Brazilians will re-elect their former president, the socialist Lula da Silva, who spent time in prison on corruption charges.

Shady pasts or family skeletons should concern us less than the geopolitical implications of success for these candidates. Western assumptions that all democracies would fall in line to challenge Putin’s aggression and China’s assertiveness have been contradicted across the developing world. The studied refusal of the world’s largest democracy, India, to condemn outright Moscow’s attack on Ukraine is not just because of Narendra Modi’s cussedness.

Read Mark's full piece here.4:37pm

Invasion at 'bit of a stalemate', says US intel official

Russia's three-month-long war in Ukraine is at a "bit of a stalemate" and Vladimir Putin appears to be preparing for a long conflict, top US intelligence officials said today.

"The Russians aren't winning and the Ukrainians aren't winning and we're at a bit of a stalemate here," Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, the head of the Defence Intelligence Agency, said before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

He added that so far, between eight and 10 Russian generals have been killed in the war.4:15pm

Blinken: Russia launched cyber attacks to disrupt Ukraine during invasion

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Russia launched cyber attacks in late February against commercial satellite communications networks to disrupt Ukrainian command and control during Moscow's invasion of its neighbour.

Those actions had spillover impacts into other European countries, Mr Blinken added in a statement.4:13pm

New podcast episode: Understanding the cyberwar & undercover from Moldova

4:04pm

Czech Republic elected to replace Russia on UN rights council

The United Nations General Assembly has elected the Czech Republic to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to replace Russia, which was suspended last month over its invasion of Ukraine and then immediately quit the 47-member body.

Russia had been in its second year of a three-year term. The Czech Republic will complete that term on the council, which cannot make legally binding decisions. Its decisions carry political weight, however, and it can authorise investigations.

The Czech Republic was elected with 157 votes in favour, while 23 countries abstained. 3:53pm

Ukraine pushes Russian troops back in counter-offensive near Kharkiv

Ukraine said its forces had recaptured villages from Russian troops north and northeast of Kharkiv, pressing a counter-offensive that could signal a shift in the war's momentum and jeopardise Russia's main advance.

Tetiana Apatchenko, press officer for the 92nd Separate Mechanised Brigade, the main Ukrainian force in the area, confirmed that Ukrainian troops had recaptured the settlements of Cherkaski Tyshky, Ruski Tyshki, Borshchova and Slobozhanske, in a pocket north of Kharkiv in recent days.

Yuriy Saks, an adviser to Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said the successes were pushing Russian forces out of range of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, which has been under perpetual bombardment since the war began.

"The military operations of the Ukrainian armed forces around Kharkiv, especially north and northeast of Kharkiv, are sort of a success story," Mr Saks told Reuters. "The Ukrainian army was able to push these war criminals to a line beyond the reach of their artillery."3:47pm

GCHQ chief: West helping Ukraine ‘excel’ by passing on Russian tactics

The director of GCHQ has said passing intelligence on the “behaviours and tactics” of Vladimir Putin’s forces is helping Ukraine “excel” in the war against Russia, reports Dominic Nicholls.

Sir Jeremy Fleming said that the war in Ukraine was “at the front of all of our minds” and the immediate and closest threat.

Speaking at a cyber security conference in Wales, Sir Jeremy said: “The suffering and broader humanitarian effects are terrible as we see the implications of indiscriminate warfare and Putin’s miscalculations play out on the battlefield.

“We’re also seeing this conflict in near real-time in information, cyber and technology spaces.

“It is already a remarkable feature of this war just how much information about the behaviours and tactics of the Russian forces are out in the public domain and how much intelligence has been released by Western allies to challenge and get ahead of Putin’s actions."

Read the full story here.3:35pm

MoD issues Ukraine intelligence update

3:27pm

US: Putin could impose martial law to support war effort

Vladimir Putin is expected to become more unpredictable and could order martial law in Russia to support his ambitions in Ukraine, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said today.

Putin's aims are greater than Russian military capabilities, and that "likely means the next few months could see us moving along a more unpredictable and potentially escalatory trajectory," Ms Haines told a Senate hearing.

"The current trend increases the likelihood that President Putin will turn to more drastic means, including imposing martial law, reorienting industrial production, or potentially escalatory military options to free up the resources needed to achieve his objectives," she said.

Ms Haines also said Putin is not likely to order the use of nuclear weapons unless the Russian homeland faces an "existential threat."3:08pm

Putin preparing for prolonged war, says US spy chief

The US believes that Vladimir Putin is preparing for a long conflict in Ukraine and that a Russian victory in the Donbas in the east of the country might not end the war, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said today.

"We assess President Putin is preparing for a prolonged conflict in Ukraine during which he still intends to achieve goals beyond the Donbas," Ms Haines told US lawmakers.

She added that Putin was counting on Western resolve to weaken over time. 2:55pm

Kuleba hails 'turning point' after Germany toughens stance on Russia

Ukraine welcomed what it called an "historical turning point" as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Kyiv today backing Ukraine's bid for full European Union membership and cutting energy ties to Russia.

"The fact that Germany is standing up for peace, for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine - this is a big historical turning point and I am grateful to the German government for this position," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

"I would like to thank Germany for changing its position on a number of questions. We saw the first Russia rocket hit Kyiv on February 24 and it also struck Germany's traditional Russia policy," he said at a joint briefing.2:39pm

Germany to reopen embassy in Kyiv

Germany will reopen its embassy in Kyiv, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said today during a visit to Ukraine, the first by a senior government figure since the Russian invasion.

"We will shortly reestablish a minimal presence of our German embassy in Kyiv," Ms Baerbock said as she travelled to the capital in the hope of soothing strained relations between Germany and Ukraine.2:26pm

Boris Johnson to travel to Sweden and Finland tomorrow

Boris Johnson will travel to Sweden and Finland tomorrow, his spokesman said, as the two countries consider joining Nato.

Sweden and Finland are expected to make a decision about whether to apply to join Nato this month.

"It is about not just Ukraine, but about the broader security of Europe," the Prime Minister's spokesman said of the trip.2:08pm

Xi Jinping warns of confrontations arising from Ukraine conflict

Confrontation between blocs resulting from conflict in Ukraine could become a bigger and more lasting threat to global peace than the crisis itself, China's President Xi Jinping told his French counterpart today, according to Chinese state media.

China has repeatedly urged European countries to exercise diplomatic autonomy instead of aligning with the United States in what Beijing says is a "cold war mentality". China has refused to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, which Russia calls a "special military operation".

Speaking to French President Emmanuel Macron on the phone, Xi said that China felt Europe should have full control of European security, Chinese state television reported.

Xi also said he hopes France will play an active role in promoting China-EU ties as it holds the rotating presidency of the EU.2:05pm

Russian state TV war commentator openly criticises outdated weapons

1:53pm

Macron discusses Ukraine with Xi Jinping

French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the Elysee presidential office said, adding that the leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine and the global food crisis resulting from the war.

"The two heads of state reiterated their commitment to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine", the Elysee said.1:48pm

Lithuanian lawmakers brand Russian actions as 'genocide'

Lithuania's parliament has voted unanimously to describe Russia's actions in Ukraine as "genocide" and "terrorism" and to call for a international tribunal, modelled on the Nuremberg Trials, to prosecute suspected war crimes.

The motion, co-sponsored by Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, said Russian forces' war crimes in Ukraine included the deliberate killing of civilians, mass rape, forcible relocation of Ukrainian citizens to Russia and the destruction of economic infrastructure and cultural sites.

"The Russian Federation, whose military forces deliberately and systematically select civilian targets for bombing, is a state that supports and perpetrates terrorism," the Lithuanian parliamentary motion said.

Lithuania's move follows a similar unanimous vote by Canadian lawmakers on April 27 to call Russia's attacks in Ukraine a "genocide".1:45pm

German foreign minister backs full EU membership for Ukraine

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Ukraine should become a full member of the European Union at some point though there could be no shortcut to membership.

Speaking alongside her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, Ms Baerbock stressed that Germany would reduce its imports of Russian energy to zero, "and that will stay that way forever". 1:38pm

Refugees increasingly at risk of human trafficking, report suggests

Refugees fleeing Ukraine are becoming increasingly vulnerable to human traffickers as the war rages, a new report has said, urging the registration of victims, especially unaccompanied children.

More than two million children have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24, according to the 42-page report compiled by the Dutch-based La Strada anti-trafficking organisation and commissioned by Britain's Freedom Fund.

"People fleeing the war, mainly women and children, are extremely vulnerable and face increased risk of sexual and labour exploitation as organised criminal groups and individual profiteers take advantage of the turmoil," the groups said in a statement.

There are already signs of human trafficking activity since the war started "and it is likely that these risks will increase in the coming period, as the war continues," the report said.1:21pm

Pictured: A Bucha resident rides past a destroyed Russian military vehicle

Pictured: A Bucha resident rides past a destroyed Russian military vehicle
CREDIT: EFREM LUKATSKY /AP

1:05pm

WHO members pass resolution against Russia

Members of the World Health Organisation's European region passed a resolution today that could result in the closure of Russia's regional office and the suspension of meetings in the country in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

The special session of the European region passed the resolution, supported by Ukraine and the European Union, with 43 in favour and 3 against and 2 abstentions.

Russia's envoy Andrey Plutnitsky opposed the resolution and said he was "extremely disappointed".1:00pm

German foreign minister vows 'justice' for Bucha on surprise visit

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Dutch counterpart Wopke Hoekstra visited war-torn areas around Kyiv today on a surprise trip to Ukraine.

Both visits were unannounced, with Ms Baerbock visiting Bucha, a town which has become synonymous with allegations of Russian war crimes after dozens of bodies in civilian clothing were found in the streets.

After talks with locals, the German minister said Bucha was a place where "the worst crimes imaginable have happened", promising to "hold accountable" those responsible.

"We owe it to the victims to not only commemorate here, but to also hold the perpetrators accountable. This is what we are going to do as the international community, that's the promise that we can and must give here in Bucha," she said.

"No one can take away the pain... but we can ensure justice," she said, accompanied on her visit by Ukraine's attorney general who is investigating the killings.12:50pm

More than 8 million people displaced in Ukraine, says UN

More than 8 million people have been internally displaced in Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion on February 24, the UN migration agency said today.

The survey by the International Organisation for Migration also showed that nearly half of those people, or 44 per cent, were considering further relocation due to the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the country. 12:48pm

Russia to help Belarus create Iskander-type missile

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that Moscow had agreed to help Minsk produce missiles, including one similar to Russia's Iskander, as it looks to beef up its military capabilities, the state-run Belta news agency reported.

Lukashenko told a meeting of defence officials that events in Ukraine had demonstrated the importance of having troops with modern, highly effective weapons and supplies, stressing also the importance of logistics.

"We are creating a new missile," Belta quoted Lukashenko as saying. "A very effective missile similar to the Iskander model. There was full support."12:37pm

Kyiv mayor says nearly two-thirds of residents have returned

The mayor of Kyiv has said that nearly two-thirds of the capital's residents had returned after a massive exodus following Russia's invasion in late February.

"Before the war, 3.5 million people lived in Kyiv. Almost two-thirds of the capital's residents have returned," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko told a press briefing.12:24pm

Russian troops ill-prepared for war, says ex-Kremlin mercenary

The Russian military's failure to seize the Ukrainian capital was inevitable because in the preceding years they had never directly faced a powerful enemy, according to a former mercenary with the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group who fought alongside the Russian army.

Marat Gabidullin, 55, took part in Wagner Group missions on the Kremlin's behalf in Syria and in a previous conflict in Ukraine, before deciding to go public about his experience inside the secretive private military company.

He quit the Wagner group in 2019, but several months before Russia launched the invasion on February he said he received a call from a recruiter who invited him to go back to fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.12:10pm

Russia behind cyberattack against Ukraine at onset of war, says EU

Russia was behind a massive cyberattack against a satellite internet network which took thousands of modems offline at the onset of the war in Ukraine, the European Union said in a statement today.

The attack against Viasat's KA-SAT network in late February took place just as Russian forces pushed into Ukraine. 11:57am

Finnish defence committee recommends Nato membership

Joining Nato is the best option for Finland to guarantee its national security, the Finnish Parliament's defence committee said today, ahead of Finland's official decision on whether or not to join the alliance in the coming days.

Finland's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) would significantly increase the deterrent for becoming a target of Russia's aggression, the defence committee concluded in a statement.

Finland, which shares a 1,300 km (810 mile) border and a difficult past with neighbouring Russia, is reconsidering its long-standing position to refrain from joining Nato in order to maintain friendly relations with its eastern neighbour.

Finland's President Sauli Niinisto is expected to announce on Thursday his stance on joining Nato, a move that would mean a major shift of security policy for the Nordic country in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.11:51am

Zelensky: Sixth package of EU sanctions against Russia needed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the European Union's planned sixth package of sanctions against Russia, including an oil embargo, was needed as the bloc's proposals still faced talks.

"Now the sixth package of sanctions will be adopted, and it is certainly a package that we need, and also energy sanctions are needed," Mr Zelensky told Slovakia's parliament in a video address. 11:34am

EU's top diplomat hopes for Russian oil sanctions soon

The European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell said he hoped for a deal soon on an EU oil embargo on Russia.

Foreign ministers from the bloc are due to meet on May 16 and Mr Borrell said last week he could also call an emergency meeting of the ministers to sign off on the sanctions if they were ready, or to move negotiations forward.

He added that foreign ministers could try to break any deadlock, in a bid to win over reluctant states, particularly Hungary. The European Commission proposed the oil embargo on May 4. 11:13am

10:58am

Putin orders officials to tackle Siberian forest fires

Russian President Vladimir Putin told regional officials on Tuesday to deal with forest fires in Siberia and said there could be no repeat of last year's fire season - the biggest on record.

In an online meeting shown on state TV, Putin said fires were causing significant material damage and posing a threat to life, the environment and the economy.

Acting Emergencies Minister Alexander Chupryan told Putin: "Altogether since the start of the year on Russian territory there have been 4,000 forest fires on an area of 270,000 hectares" - an area larger than Luxembourg.

At least eight people died in Siberia on Saturday as fires ripped through hundreds of buildings in several villages, with high winds hampering efforts to extinguish the blazes.10:50am

Ukraine death toll 'thousands higher' than reported, says UN

The head of the UN human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine said on Tuesday that thousands more civilians had been killed in the country since the war began than its official toll of 3,381.

"We have been working on estimates, but all I can say for now is that it is thousands higher than the numbers we have currently given to you," Matilda Bogner, head of the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, told a press briefing in Geneva, when asked about the total number of deaths and injuries.

"The big black hole is really Mariupol where it has been difficult for us to fully access and to get fully corroborated information," she added.

Russian missiles have reduced large parts of Mariupol to rubble
Russian missiles have reduced large parts of Mariupol to rubble CREDIT: AFP

10:40am

EU Commission working on proposal for joint borrowing to help finance Ukraine

The European Commission is considering new joint debt issuance by the 27-nation bloc, two EU officials said, to cover Ukraine's liquidity gap of 15 billion euros ($15.9 billion) over the next three months.

A proposal by the commission will be published on May 18, one EU official said.

The new joint EU borrowing, if agreed, could be based on the EU's SURE scheme for financing unemployment benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic, officials said.

This would mean that Ukraine would get very cheap loans from the bloc, and EU governments would need to provide guarantees that the joint borrowing would be repaid.

"It is one of the models under consideration, but nothing has been decided yet," one senior EU official said.

The EU expects that the United States would join the effort and provide around five billion euros, which would leave the EU to raise some 10 billion euros through the joint borrowing, officials said.10:38am

Over 1,000 Ukrainian fighters trapped in steel plant in Mariupol

More than 1,000 Ukrainian troops, many of them injured, remain trapped in the sprawling Azovstal steel works in the Russian-controlled port city of Mariupol,  Kyiv's government has said

"More than a thousand" Ukrainian soldiers remain in the plant, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, told AFP news agency.

"Hundreds are injured. There are people with serious injuries who require urgent evacuation. The situation is deteriorating every day."

Smoke rises above the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol
Smoke rises above the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol CREDIT: ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO/REUTERS

10:29am

Russia's foreign minister visits Algeria as EU steps up push for alternative gas

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited gas-producing ally Algeria for talks on Tuesday as a European drive to secure alternative supplies gathers pace.

Lavrov, who arrived in Algiers late on Monday, was due to hold talks with both Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algerian reports said.

His visit is the first since January 2019 and comes as the two countries mark the 60th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held telephone talks with his Algerian counterpart last month on "coordination within OPEC+ as well the situation in Ukraine," Russia's TASS news agency said.

OPEC+ is a forum that brings together the OPEC oil cartel with allied producers led by Russia in managing output and prices.

Algeria is a major gas supplier to Europe, providing 11 percent of its imports, compared with 47 percent for Russia.10:23am

Cyberattack knocks out Russian video platform Rutube

Russia's Rutube video platform remained offline for a second day on Tuesday, after a massive cyberattack knocked it out just hours before it was to stream the Victory Day parade in Moscow.

"We have, in fact, been hit with the biggest cyberattack in Rutube's history," the platform said in a message on Telegram on Tuesday.

"Restoring (access) will take more time than engineers first thought," it said, while its website rutube.ru displayed a message saying it was working on restoring access following the hack.

The site went offline on Monday morning, ahead of the annual Victory Day parade on the Red Square in Moscow that came more than two months after Russia launched what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

"Following sites of Russian institutions, which over the past two months have constantly come under cyberattacks, hackers have reached Rutube. The video hosting site has come under a massive cyberattack," the company said in a Telegram message on Monday.

"Someone really wanted to prevent Rutube from showing the Victory Day parade and the holiday fireworks."10:21am

EU embargo on Russia oil possible 'this week'

France, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, says Hungary could agree to an EU-wide embargo on Russian oil as early as "this week".

Landlocked Hungary, a Moscow ally that relies on Russian oil, has been holding up the embargo, saying it needs more time to find new energy sources.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said she made "progress" during talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday in Budapest.

"I think we could have a deal this week, we're working hard to achieve that," France's European affairs minister Clement Beaune told France's LCI broadcaster.

10:02am

German foreign minister visits Bucha on surprise visit

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during a surprise trip to Ukraine on Tuesday visited Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv where Russian troops have been accused of killing civilians.

Ms Baerbock, who was meeting with local residents during the unannounced trip, is the latest in a string of foreign diplomats and leaders to visit Bucha, one of several towns and villages around Kyiv where Moscow's army has been accused of carrying out war crimes.9:43am

Eiffel Tower lit up to support Ukraine

The Eiffel Tower is lit up in the national blue-and-yellow colours of Ukraine to to express solidarity with its people 
The Eiffel Tower is lit up in the national blue-and-yellow colours of Ukraine to to express solidarity with its people  CREDIT: CHRISTIAN HARTMANN /REUTERS

9:25am

'The West now has the chance to cripple Vladimir Putin for good'

We must cement our gains – not just to counter Putin today, but to prevent any tyrant from following his path of destruction in future, says Ben Hodges.

There was some trepidation in Europe when, on a recent visit to Poland, US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin stated that America’s new aim “was to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine”. In places like Germany, such statements are not taken lightly because there is a genuine fear of direct confrontation with Russia. Yet, while the anxiety is understandable, secretary Austin was correct.

As Putin doubles down on his war rhetoric, the reality is that the West has a once-in-a–generation chance to severely weaken Russia’s capabilities, both militarily and geopolitically. We can prevent Russia from having the technical ability to conduct future wars of conquest and incentivise it into a path of respecting the Western-led order – and all without stating the aim explicitly.

You can read Lieutenant General Hodges' views in full here.9:08am

Russia evasive on nuclear strikes

When asked if Russia would rule out a preventative tactical nuclear strike on Ukraine, Russia's deputy foreign minister has said that a decision on the possible use of nuclear weapons was clearly set out in Russia's military doctrine, RIA reported.

"We have a military doctrine - everything is written there," Alexander Grushko was quoted by state news agency RIA as saying when asked if Moscow would rule out a preventative tactical nuclear strike on Ukraine.8:52am

'At least 100 civilians' still in Mariupol steel works

At least 100 civilians remain in a steel works that is under heavy Russian fire in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, an aide to the city's mayor said.

Mariupol has endured the most destructive fighting of the war in Ukraine. The Azovstal steel plant is the last part of the city still in the hands of Ukrainian fighters.

Ukraine had previously indicated that all civilians had left Azovstal, and Russia has said the evacuation of civilians from the plant is complete.

"In addition to the military, at least 100 civilians remain in the (Azovstal) shelters. However, this does not reduce the density of attacks by the occupiers," Mariupol mayoral aide Petro Andryushchenko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.8:27am

44 found dead in Izyum - Ukrainian official

A Ukrainian official says authorities have found the bodies of 44 civilians in the rubble of a building destroyed by Russia in March.

Oleh Synehubov, the head of Kharkiv's regional administration, made the announcement Tuesday via a message on social media. Izyum is in the Kharkiv region.

He said the five-story building had collapsed with the civilians inside.

He said: "This is another horrible war crime of the Russian occupiers against the civilian population!"

Izyum is an eastern Ukrainian city that Russia has been holding as a key front-line node.

Mr Synehubov did not identify specifically where the building was.8:18am

EU deal on Russian oil ban could be reached this week - France

French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said European Union members could reach a deal this week on the EU Commission's proposal to ban all oil imports from Russia.

"I think we could strike a deal this week," Mr Beaune told LCI television, adding that French President Emmanuel Macron was due to talk to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban later in the day.

Hungary is the most vocal critic of this planned embargo on Russian oil.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday she had made progress in talks with Viktor Orban on this project.8:05am

North Korea congratulates Russia on Victory Day

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a congratulatory message to President Vladimir Putin on Russia's Victory Day holiday, expressing his country's "firm solidarity" with Moscow, the North Korean news agency KCNA reports.

In his letter sent on 9 May, Kim "extended firm solidarity to the cause of the Russian people to root out the political and military threat and blackmail by the hostile forces".

The North Korean leader also "expressed belief that the strategic and traditional relations of friendship between the two countries would steadily develop".

North Korea has recently highlighted its close ties with Russia, and publicly backed Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

In February, it blamed the Ukraine conflict on the "hegemonic policy" of the United States and the West.7:47am

Russia could target Ukraine's chemical industries

The Ukrainian military is warning that Russia could target the country's chemical industries.

The claim by Ukraine's general staff wasn't immediately explained in a report Tuesday. However, it comes after oil depots and other industrial sites have been targeted by Russian shelling in the war.

The military said, "The possibility of sabotage at the chemical industry of Ukraine with further accusations of units of the armed forces of Ukraine is not ruled out."7:28am

Latest MoD update

7:14am

Photos capture two ships off Snake Island

Satellite pictures analysed by The Associated Press show two ships off Russia-occupied Snake Island just before 3pm on Monday.

The images from Planet Labs PBC showed one appearing to be a landing craft off to its east, another was a ship with two smaller rafts near it.

Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russian positions there recently, suggesting Russian forces may be trying to restaff or remove personnel from the Black Sea island.

On Sunday footage emerged of two Ukrainian air force pilots carrying out an audacious night time attack on the island, levelling buildings held by enemy combatants.6:07am

Poland, Ukraine work on shipping more oil products to Ukraine, say officials

Poland and Ukraine are working out ways to ship more oil products to Ukraine and ease fuel shortages there caused by the Russian invasion, officials from both countries said after a joint meeting on Monday.

"Poland can act as a major fuel transporter for Ukraine, ensuring the arrival of more than 200,000 tons of product monthly," Ukraine's Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in a Facebook post.

Last month, Ukraine received only 60,000 tons, she added.

Poland imports almost all of its crude oil and much of the finished petrochemical products it needs, so it is well placed to act as an intermediary, Poland's deputy prime minister, Jacek Sasin, said, according to the Polish weekly Wprost.5:27am

Buildings in Odesa ruined after heavy shelling

Buildings in Odesa lay in ruins on Tuesday after Russian forces pounded the southern Ukrainian port with missiles.

It comes as President Vladimir Putin led defiant celebrations on Monday marking the Soviet's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

While Putin was silent about plans for any escalation in Ukraine, there was no let up in fighting with a renewed push by Russian forces to defeat the last Ukrainian troops holding out in a steelworks in ruined Mariupol.

"You are fighting for the Motherland, for its future, so that no one forgets the lessons of World War Two. So that there is no place in the world for executioners, castigators and Nazis," Putin said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his own speech on Monday, promised Ukrainians would triumph.

Emergency personnel work near a building damaged after a military strike, in Odesa, Ukraine, in this handout image released May 9, 2022. State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. 
Ruined buildings in Odesa  CREDIT: STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAINE 

4:38am

Putin is trapped, worries Biden

US President Joe Biden said he is worried that Vladimir Putin does not have a way out of the Ukraine war, adding that he was trying to figure out what to do about that.

Mr Biden, speaking at a political fundraiser in a Washington suburb, said Putin had mistakenly believed the invasion of Ukraine would break up NATO and break up the European Union.

Instead, the United States and many European countries have rallied to Ukraine's side.

Mr Biden said Putin is a very calculating man and the problem he worries about now is that the Russian leader "doesn't have a way out right now, and I'm trying to figure out what we do about that."4:03am

Japan announces fresh economic sanctions against Russia

Japan announced on Tuesday new sanctions on Russia to freeze the assets of more individuals and ban exports of cutting-edge goods to some Russian groups including scientific research institutions.

It came as Japan said earlier it would phase out Russian oil imports after agreeing on a ban with other Group of Seven nations to counter Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The G7 nations committed to the move “in a timely and orderly fashion” at an online meeting on Sunday to put further pressure on President Vladimir Putin, although members such as resource-poor Japan depend heavily on Russian fuel.

“For a country heavily dependent on energy imports, it’s a very difficult decision. But G7 coordination is most important at a time like now,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.3:40am

Russia not planning to close embassies in Europe, reports RIA

Russia is not planning to proactively close its embassies in Europe in response to unfriendly measures by the West and expansion of sanctions against Moscow, the RIA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing a deputy foreign minister.

"This is not in our tradition," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told RIA.

"Therefore, we believe that the work of diplomatic representative offices is important."

On Monday, Russia's ambassador to Poland was doused in a red substance by people protesting against the war in Ukraine as he went to lay flowers at the Soviet Military Cemetery in Warsaw to mark the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.2:56am

The moment Justin Trudeau met Patron, the mine-sniffing dog

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Sunday. As  he announced new weapons and equipment for Ukraine, he also got to meet one of the country's most recently decorated heroes  – Patron, the brave Jack Russell who has sniffed out hundreds of mines so far.

2:31am

Biden signs Ukraine bill and seeks $40bn aid

Washington sought to portray a united front against Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Monday as President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan measure to reboot the World War II-era "lend-lease" program, which helped defeat Nazi Germany, to bolster Kyiv and Eastern European allies.

The signing comes as the US Congress is poised to unleash billions more to fight the war against Russia, with Democrats preparing $40 billion in military and humanitarian aid, larger than the $33 billion package Mr Biden has requested.

It all serves as a rejoinder to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has seized on Victory in Europe Day – the anniversary of Germany's unconditional surrender in 1945 and Russia's biggest patriotic holiday – to rally his people behind the invasion.

"This aid has been critical to Ukraine's success on the battlefield," Mr Biden said in a statement.2:11am

Ukraine calls for moves to unblock ports and prevent global food crisis

Ukraine's president said on Monday that trade at the country's ports was at a standstill and urged the international community to take immediate steps to end a Russian blockade to allow wheat shipments and prevent a global food crisis.

Volodymyr Zelensky made the comments after speaking to European Council President Charles Michel, who was visiting Odesa – the major Black Sea port for exporting agricultural products where missiles struck tourist sites and destroyed buildings on Monday.

"For the first time in decades and decades, in Odesa there is no regular movement of the merchant fleet, there is no routine port work. This has probably never happened in Odesa since World War Two," Mr Zelensky said in a video address.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by MYKOLA TYS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (12932496b) A farmer works on a field near Lviv, Ukraine, 09 May 2022. Ukrainian President Zelensky discussed the blockade of the export of Ukrainian grain by Russia during his video meeting with European Council President Michel who visited in the south Ukrainian port city of Odesa. On 24 February, Russian troops had entered Ukrainian territory in what the Russian president declared a 'special military operation', resulting in fighting and destruction in the country and fears of shortages in energy and food products globally. Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lviv - 09 May 2022 
A farmer works on a field near Lviv in Ukraine  CREDIT: PHOTO BY MYKOLA TYS/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK

1:48am

Europe needs to think about the price to pay for peace, Zelensky says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said Europe has to once again think about the price to be paid for peace on the continent, like it did in World War II.

In his nightly video address, Mr Zelensky said history would hold Russia responsible.

“And we, Ukrainians, will continue to work toward our defense, our victory and on restoring justice. Today, tomorrow and any other day that is necessary to free Ukraine from the occupiers,” he said.

Mr Zelensky ended the address by promising that the Ukrainian flag will one day once again fly over all of its cities.

“The Ukrainian flag will return. Because this is our country. A free European country,” he said.1:39am

In pictures: Odesa destruction as city bombarded with missile attack

The Grande Pettine Hotel is destroyed by a missile in Odesa, Ukraine, Sunday, May 8
Debris has filled Odesa after the city was hit with several missile strikes. The Grande Pettine Hotel pictured on Sunday, May 8 CREDIT: AP
Destruction in Odesa as Russian forces bombard the city with missile strikes
Destruction in Odesa as Russian forces bombard the city with missile strikes CREDIT: REUTERS

1:23am

Today's top stories

  • Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow went ahead without a promised display of airpower in a muted display
  • The "brutal" Russian military spy unit that tried to assassinate Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018 has been handed command of Russia's intelligence operations in Ukraine
  • Ukrainians are being moved to Russia and taken to "camps" against their will, a US defence official has said
  • Brussels has dropped its proposed ban on EU tankers carrying Russian oil
  • Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, said it was very possible Ukraine could defeat the Russian army
  • Russia’s ambassador to Poland was doused in red paint when he was mobbed by pro-Ukraine protesters at a ceremony to mark Victory Day
  • US congressional Democrats agreed to rush $39.8 billion in additional aid for Ukraine

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WHO and WHAT is behind it all ? : >

The bottom line is for the people to regain their original, moral principles, which have intentionally been watered out over the past generations by our press, TV, and other media owned by the Illuminati/Bilderberger Group, corrupting our morals by making misbehavior acceptable to our society. Only in this way shall we conquer this oncoming wave of evil.

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