Ukraine news – live: Russia sanctions James Cleverly over war as German defence minister resigns

Russia has sanctioned British foreign secretary James Cleverly in a punitive move over the Ukraine war and asked the top official about why he has supported “neo-Nazism” and the Kyiv administration run by Volodymyr Zelensky.

“Dear James, you don’t understand. This is for the anti-Russian course and personal sanctions. But you still have to answer for the support of the Kyiv regime and neo-Nazism,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said yesterday.

The British official, who will hold diplomatic talks with his US and Canadian counterparts starting today to rally more support for Ukraine, confirmed that he has been targeted by Moscow, and added that if that were the price to be paid for supporting the war-hit nation, then he was happy to be sanctioned.

This comes as German defence minister Christine Lambrecht resigned from chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government yesterday amid rising discontent on her ability to revive Germany’s armed forces with the war playing out in Europe.

Russia has warned that any Challenger 2 tanks that Britain sends to Ukraine to help the war effort “will burn”.

Key Points

• British Challenger tanks sent to war ‘will burn’ - Kremlin

• Ukraine likely maintaining positions in Soledar, northern Bakhmut - MoD

Ukraine to take Russia to International Criminal Court for Dnipro missile strike

05:33 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukrainian authorities in the security service have already started gathering information about Russian military involved in preparing and and carrying out this strike on an apartment building in Dnipro.

“This strike at Dnipro, as well as other similar strikes, falls, in particular, under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. And we will use all available opportunities - both national and international - to ensure that all Russian murderers, everyone who gives and executes orders on missile terror against our people, face legal sentences. And to ensure that they serve their punishment,” Mr Zelensky said.

He added: “There is no doubt: every person guilty of this war crime will be identified and brought to justice.”

More than 7,000 civilians killed and over 11,000 injured in Ukraine war - UN

05:21 , Arpan Rai

The UN’s office of the high commissioner for human rights has totalled the civilian casualties in the Ukraine war to more than 18,000 since the first day of Russian invasion in its latest update.

As of Sunday, the top UN office has recorded 18,358 civilian casualties in the country, out of which 7,031 people have been killed and 11,327 injured.

“A total of 7,031 killed (2,784 men, 1,875 women, 177 girls, and 221 boys, as well as 35 children and 1,939 adults whose sex is yet unknown),” the UNHCR said yesterday.

It added: “A total of 11,327 injured (2,472 men, 1,764 women, 240 girls, and 325 boys, as well as 262 children and 6,264 adults whose sex is yet unknown)”

In Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the UN authorities have recorded 9,853 casualties (4,102 killed and 5,751 injured).

Germany’s defence minister quits after string of gaffes

05:10 , Arpan Rai

German defence minister minister Christine Lambrecht announced her resignation as her department steers the massive project of modernising the country’s military and oversees expanding weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

The minister said that she had submitted her resignation request to chancellor Olaf Scholz, adding that “months of media focus on my person” had stood in the way of a factual debate about the military and Germany’s security policy.

“The valuable work of the soldiers and many people in my department must stand in the foreground,” she said.

Read the full story here:

Germany's defense minister resigns amid Ukraine criticism

Russia questions 'dear' James Cleverly on his support for 'neo-Nazism'

04:47 , Arpan Rai

Russia has asked British foreign secretary James Cleverly why he has supported “neo-Nazism” and the Kyiv administration just hours after sanctioning him.

“Dear James, you don’t understand. This is for the anti-Russian course and personal sanctions. But you still have to answer for the support of the Kyiv regime and neo-Nazism,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said yesterday.

Russia terms its invasion of Ukraine as a “special military operation” aimed at fighting “Nazism” but has targeted the former Soviet territory’s civilian infrastructure and citizens by indiscriminately shelling and bombing the country with missiles.

Mikhailo Mudryk: Shakhtar to donate £20m of Chelsea transfer fee to Ukrainian soldiers

04:47 , Andy Gregory

Shakhtar Donetsk will donate more than £20million of the transfer fee received for Mikhailo Mudryk to Ukrainian soldiers, my colleague Ben Burrows reports.

The 22-year-old forward joined Chelsea for £88m on Sunday after the Blues moved late to hijack a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Shakhtar held out in negotiations for the biggest possible fee with a portion now set to go to “soldiers, defenders and their families” in the ongoing defence against the Russian invasion.

Shakhtar to donate £20m of Mikhailo Mudryk transfer fee to Ukrainian soldiers

James Cleverly says he has been sanctioned by Russia

04:39 , Arpan Rai

British foreign secretary James Cleverly said he is the latest minister to have be sanctioned by Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

“I’ve been sanctioned by the Russian government. Good. If this is the price for supporting Ukrainian freedom, then I’m happy to be sanctioned #SlavaUkraini,” he said on Twitter.

Doubling down on British government’s support for Ukraine, Mr Cleverly said that he spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart after the UK promised military aid t Ukraine.

“I spoke to my friend @DmytroKuleba following the announcement that the UK will provide Challenger 2 tanks and further military support to Ukraine. Ukraine will win. We will support you for as long as it takes,” he said in another tweet.

Cleverly to urge US to step up support for Ukraine

03:38 , Arpan Rai

Foreign secretary James Cleverly is holding talks in Washington as he seeks to bolster support for Ukraine in its struggle against Russia’s invasion.

Mr Cleverly will meet US secretary of state Antony Blinken today before travelling to Toronto for talks tomorrow with his Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly.

He is expected to use his visit to urge the allies to go “further and faster” in their support for the government in Kyiv, arguing that, with the right equipment, the Ukrainians can prevail against Moscow.

Cleverly to urge US to step up support for Ukraine

Expanded US training for Ukraine forces begins in Germany

03:34 , Andy Gregory

Washington’s new and expanded training scheme for Ukrainian forces began in Germany on Sunday – with a goal of getting a battalion of some 500 troops back on the battlefield in the next five to eight weeks, General Mark Milley has said.

Expanded US training for Ukraine forces begins in Germany

CIA director warned Zelensky of assassination threat at secret meeting before Russia invasion, book claims

02:31 , Andy Gregory

The director of the Central Intelligence Agency travelled to Kyiv before the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine in order to inform Volodymyr Zelensky of a Russian plan to assassinate him, reports my colleague Andrew Feinberg.

In a forthcoming book, author Chris Whipple reports that at the same time Mr Zelensky was publicly dismissive of warnings from US officials that Moscow would soon launch its land invasion, he was getting a clandestine briefing from CIA Director Bill Burns about the threat on his life.

CIA warned Zelensky of assassination threat before Russia invasion, book claims

Residents mourn 40 dead in ‘awful’ attack in Dnipro

01:19 , Andy Gregory

Dnipro was in mourning today after the Russian attack alleged to have killed 40 civilians and left 75 wounded, including 14 children.

A serviceman in uniform laid flowers and sobbed, clutching his head in grief next to an impromptu shrine to the dead at a bus stop across the street from a gaping hole where the nine-storey apartment block had stood, Reuters reported.

“We all live in buildings like this one and we all imagine what if it happened to us. It is awful,” Polina, a 28-year-old resident of the neighbourhood told the news agency.

Russia claimed it was not to blame for the destruction in Dnipro as it was caused by Ukrainian air defences. Kyiv says the apartment building was hit by a Russian ship-to-ship missile, a type that Ukraine does not have the capability to shoot down.

Dnipro attack underscores need for quicker arms supplies, says Zelensky

00:11 , Andy Gregory

The death toll from a Russian missile strike in city of Dnipro rose to 40 today, with dozens more missing, making it the deadliest civilian incident of Moscow’s three-month campaign of firing missiles at cities far from the frontline.

Officials expressed meagre hope of finding anyone else alive in the rubble, but president Volodymyr Zelensky said the rescue operation would go on “as long as there is even the slightest chance to save lives”.

“Dozens of people were rescued from the rubble, including six children. We are fighting for every person,” Mr Zelensky said in a televised address.

Speaking later in his nightly video address, Mr Zelensky said the Dnipro attack underscored the need to speed up decisions on arms supplies and “coordinate all the efforts of the coalition defending Ukraine and freedom”.

Cleverly to help persuade allies to provide Kyiv with tanks, says Kuleba

Monday 16 January 2023 23:21 , Andy Gregory

British foreign secretary James Cleverly has spoken to his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and “confirmed his readiness to work together on persuading other nations to provide Ukraine with western-type tanks”, the latter has said.

Mr Cleverly and Mr Wallace will meet allies to discuss further military support for Kyiv.

No 10 backs Ukraine’s effectiveness with British tanks, despite Kremlin’s threat

Monday 16 January 2023 22:36 , Andy Gregory

Downing Street has expressed confidence that Ukraine will use British tanks effectively after Russia claimed the Challenger 2s “will burn” on the battlefield, reports Sam Blewett.

No 10 said there is a “plethora of evidence” showing Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops have used UK-supplied weapons successfully and minsters fully expected them to continue.

You can read more on today’s developments here:

No 10 backs Ukraine’s effectiveness with British tanks, despite Kremlin’s threat

How George Orwell’s Animal Farm is helping Ukraine 76 years on

Monday 16 January 2023 21:48 , Andy Gregory

A first edition Ukrainian language copy of George Orwell’s Animal Farm is set to go on sale to raise money for a charity supporting refugees who fled the Russian invasion, reports my colleague Liam James.

The Ukrainian translation of the seminal satire of the Russian revolution was the only one to feature a foreword from Orwell – written at the behest of his publisher, who felt the author should introduce himself to the edition’s intended audience of Ukrainians displaced by the Second World War.

The 1947 copy of the book, also dubbed the “refugee camp edition”, is now set to be sold by London antique bookshop Jarndyce for £1,850 on 20 January on a first come, first serve basis.

How George Orwell’s Animal Farm is helping Ukraine 76 years on

Germany and Netherlands condemn Russia’s forced deportation of children

Monday 16 January 2023 21:04 , Andy Gregory

Germany and the Netherlands have condemned the deportation by Russians of thousands of Ukrainian children, calling it a deliberate policy of cruel and inhumane abductions that is tearing families apart.

“Russia must account for the whereabouts of these children,” German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said at a joint press conference with her Dutch colleague Wopke Hoekstra in The Hague, according to the Associated Press.

“Their parents, families, caregivers must no longer be in uncertainty and fear. These children have their homes with their families in Ukraine. These children did not leave their homes voluntarily. These children have been abducted.”

Ms Baerbock said that German and Dutch ministers would work together with organisations including the United Nations and International Criminal Court on the issue.

“This deliberate Russian policy is tearing families apart and traumatising children,” said Mr Hoekstra. “It is cruel and it is inhumane. And let me be clear that children abducted by Russia must be returned to their own country as soon as possible.”

Ukraine’s infrastructure could collapse ‘at any second’, warns Kyiv mayor

Monday 16 January 2023 20:29 , Reuters

Ukraine’s infrastructure could collapse at any second as Russia’s sporadic missile attacks along with freezing winter temperatures put local authorities under increasing strain, Kyiv’s mayor has warned.

Vitali Klitschko and his brother Vladimir told Reuters that Ukraine’s Western allies had to speed up deliveries of air defence systems capable of downing Russian missiles.

“We don’t talk about the collapse, but it can happen ... at any second [because] Russian rockets can destroy our critical infrastructure in Kyiv,” Vitali said, adding that there was currently a 30 per cent deficit in energy in the capital.

“It’s pretty cold in Ukraine right now so living without electricity and heating is almost impossible. The situation is critical. We are fighting to survive,” he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos.

Russia will not launch land offensive from Belarus, says Tsikhanouskaya

Monday 16 January 2023 20:01 , Andy Gregory

Belarus’s exiled opposition leader has said she does not think Russia will launch an offensive on Ukraine from her country after the two nations began military drills – but warned Moscow could launch more missiles strikes from its ally’s territory.

Moscow and Minsk started joint military exercises on Monday, triggering fears in Kyiv and the West that Moscow could use its ally to launch a new ground offensive in Ukraine.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos that she believed the drills aimed to scare the Belarus people about the possibility of war and make president Alexander Lukashenko appear to be doing everything to avoid conflict.

“The other purpose is to threaten the Ukrainians, distract them and turn the attention of their troops from the eastern part of the country to the northern borders,” said Ms Tsikhanouskaya, who fled Belarus after a presidential election in 2020.

UK’s surgeon general to visit Ukraine, says Ben Wallace

Monday 16 January 2023 19:32 , Andy Gregory

The UK’s surgeon general will visit Ukraine, defence secretary Ben Wallace has said, after a call from former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith to provide Ukrainian troops with mental health support to help counter a large rise in suicides.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Wallace replied that the most senior uniformed medical officer in the British armed forces would visit Ukraine soon “to see what more we can do to help those individuals especially suffering from the acute mental health challenges they have”.

He added: “It is easy to forget that there are lots of Ukrainians suffering either post-conflict through the suicide or indeed just ordinary individuals.

“The tragedy is 10 months in – people get slightly immune to what they see on the telly and social media from what is really violence and destruction of a staggering scale.”

Kyiv’s forces need more mental health support amid huge rise in troop suicides, MPs told

Monday 16 January 2023 19:01 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s armed forces need more mental health support, ministers have been told after hearing claims that an “astonishing” number of soldiers have died by suicide after their experiences on the battlefield.

Former Tory party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the Commons that the UK and US should provide mental health support for Ukraine’s armed forces due to the two countries’ experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Sir Iain told the Commons that he had recently visited Ukraine while working with a charity, and heard calls for donations of more armoured ambulances and paramedics.

He also told the Commons: “The third area they were keen on – and this is something that is shocking – is that the number of Ukrainian military committing suicide now as a result of battlefield stress is astonishing, they desperately need help.

“They did ask that the US and the UK – who have experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, etc – could help by sending some people over to help train in those mental health practices.”

UK to reevaluate size of its tank fleet, says Wallace

Monday 16 January 2023 18:33 , Andy Gregory

The UK could re-evaluate whether it needs a “larger tank fleet” based on “the lessons of Ukraine”, Ben Wallace has said, promising to “build on the army’s modernisation programme at pace”.

The defence secretary told MPs: “Even as we gift Challenger 2 tanks [to Kyiv], I shall at the same time be reviewing the number of Challenger 3 conversions to consider whether the lessons of Ukraine suggest that we need a larger tank fleet.

“We will also build on the army’s modernisation programme at pace, specifically on artillery. I’m accelerating the Mobile Fires programme, so instead of delivering in the 2030s it will do this earlier this decade.”

UK to ‘double down’ on training Ukrainian troops on British soil, says Wallace

Monday 16 January 2023 18:04 , Andy Gregory

The UK is “doubling down” its training of Ukrainian soldiers on British soil, the defence secretary has said.

Ben Wallace told the Commons: “Doubling down on the success of our basic training of Ukrainian military in 2022 in the United Kingdom, we are also now increasing this number this year to a further 20,000”.

He added: “Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, New Zealand and the Netherlands have already joined this effort, and I’m pleased to say we are now going to be joined by a subgroup of Australian military to train in this country as well.”

Britain to send Kyiv hundreds of armoured vehicles in ‘most significant combat package to date’

Monday 16 January 2023 17:39 , Andy Gregory

Britain will send hundreds more armoured vehicles to Ukraine, including Bulldog vehicles and Challenger 2 tanks, the defence secretary has told MPs.

Speaking in the Commons, Ben Wallace claimed that Britain “will be the first country to donate Western main battle tanks”, saying that Russia has “managed to lose significant numbers of generals and commanding officers” while failing to “break the will” of the Ukrainian people.

Announcing what he described as “the most significant package of combat to date to accelerate Ukrainian success”, Mr Wallace said that Kyiv’s allies must “accelerate our collective efforts to dramatically, economically and militarily to keep the pressure” on Vladimir Putin.

“After discussion with the United States and our European allies, it is hoped that the example set by the French and us will allow those countries holding Leopard tanks to donate as well. I know there are a number of countries who want to do the same,” he told MPs.

“It is worth reiterating why we are doing this. In 2023, the international community will not let Russia wait it out while inflicting terrible suffering on Ukrainian civilians.”

Russia makes first set of Poseidon nuclear-capable torpedoes

Monday 16 January 2023 16:40 , Liam James

Russia has produced the first set of Poseidon nuclear capable super torpedoes that are being developed for deployment on the Belgorod nuclear submarine, Tass reported, citing an unidentified defence source.

US and Russian officials have both described Poseidon as a new category of retaliatory weapon, capable of triggering radioactive ocean swells to render coastal cities uninhabitable.

“The first set of Poseidons have been manufactured, and the Belgorod submarine will receive them in the near future,” Tass, a state news agency, quoted the source as saying.

Tass said the main components of Poseidon, including a nuclear reactor to give the torpedo its own power source, had been successfully completed. The crew of the Belgorod nuclear submarine has also completed tests with models of the torpedo, Tass said.

Apartment building blast death toll rises to 40

Monday 16 January 2023 16:00 , Matt Mathers

The death toll from a Russian missile strike in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro rose to 40 on Monday with dozens more missing, making it the deadliest civilian incident of Moscow’s three-month campaign of hurling missiles at cities far from the front.

Kyiv says the mass civilian deaths, which it describes as terrorism, demonstrate why it needs more weapons to defeat Russian forces 11 months after they invaded. Russia denies intentionally targetting civilians.

Germany’s Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht resigned on Monday, while her government came under mounting pressure to let allies send Ukraine heavy tanks, at the start of what is expected to be a pivotal week for Western plans to arm Kyiv.

Taiwan ‘could be next Ukraine’, Japan’s prime minister warns G7 leaders

Monday 16 January 2023 15:50 , Matt Mathers

Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida told Western nations that east Asia could become the next Ukraine given a rise in China’s aggression against Taiwan and North Korea’s military activity.

During his first trip to Washington since his election in October 2021, Mr Kishida visited leaders of all members of the Group of 7 nations (G7), except Germany.

The Japanese president stressed the importance of standing up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, arguing that if a unilateral change to the status quo went unchallenged, the same would happen elsewhere.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports:

Taiwan ‘could be next Ukraine’, Japan’s prime minister warns G7 leaders

Turkey renews offer to mediate in Russia-Ukraine war - Erdogan’s office

Monday 16 January 2023 15:10 , Matt Mathers

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan renewed his offer to help mediate an end to the conflict in Ukraine during a phone call on Monday with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Erdogan’s office said.

"During the call, President Erdogan reiterated that Turkey is ready to undertake the task of facilitating and mediating for the establishment of a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine," it said in a statement.

The two leaders also discussed Russian grain and ammonia exports via the Black Sea, it added.

Putin and Erdogan discuss Ukraine by phone - Kremlin

Monday 16 January 2023 14:50 , Matt Mathers

President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call where they discussed Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Monday.

The two sides discussed a potential prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, as well as normalisation of Turkish-Syrian relations, the Kremlin said.

"The exchange of views on the situation around Ukraine continued," the Kremlin said.

More than 7,000 civilians killed in war so far - UN

Monday 16 January 2023 14:21 , Matt Mathers

More than 7,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded its neighbour last February, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Monday.

"Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects, including shelling from heavy artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, missiles and air strikes," an OHCHR statement said.

The UN rights office said it had confirmed 7,031 civilian deaths but believes actual casualty tolls are "considerably higher" given the pending corroboration of many reports and the inaccessibility of areas where intense fighting is taking place.

Most of the recorded civilian deaths occurred in government-held areas of Ukraine - 6,536 compared with 495 recorded in Russian-held areas. OHCHR did not attribute responsibility for the deaths.

Ukraine says the numbers of civilians killed could run into the tens of thousands. Both countries deny targeting civilians.

Buildings destroyed in Dnipro

Monday 16 January 2023 13:50 , Matt Mathers

Russian installed officials say buildings destroyed on Donetsk

Monday 16 January 2023 13:37 , Matt Mathers

Swedish PM Kristersson condemns Russian attack in Dnipro

Monday 16 January 2023 13:07 , Matt Mathers

Sweden condemns Russian attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets, including an attack against an apartment block in Dnipro, Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson told news conference with European Council president Charles Michel.

"The Swedish government condemns in the strongest terms Russia’s continuing, systemic attacks against civilians, civilian objects and critical infrastructure, including Saturday’s attack on an apartment block in the town of Dnipro," Mr  Kristersson said.

"Those responsible for war crimes will be held to account," he added. Sweden holds the rotating EU presidency since the turn of the year.

ICYMI: British tanks will ‘burn’ in Ukraine

Monday 16 January 2023 12:45 , Matt Mathers

The Kremlin said on Monday that tanks Britain plans to send to Ukraine “will burn”, warning the West that supplying a new round of more advanced weapons to Ukraine would not change the outcome of the war.

Since President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine on 24 Feb,the United States and its allies have given tens of billions of dollars’ worth of weaponry including rocket systems, drones, armoured vehicles and communications systems.

Britain said on Saturday it would send 14 of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks as well as other advanced artillery support in the coming weeks.

"They are using this country as a tool to achieve their anti-Russian goals," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the British tanks.

"These tanks are burning and will burn just like the rest," Peskov said.

Finland says giving Leopard tanks to Ukraine depends on Germany

Monday 16 January 2023 12:15 , Matt Mathers

Finland’s stance on giving Leopard tanks to Ukraine depends on Germany’s lead, Finnish defence minister Mikko Savola said on Monday, adding that exporting the German-made equipment would require a permit from Germany.

His comments came after Poland’s prime minister called on Germany to send Ukraine tanks to aid its war effort against Russia.

Mateusz Morawiecki made the comments while on a visit to meet political leaders in Berlin on Monday morning.

EU Commission expect first joint purchases of gas before summer

Monday 16 January 2023 11:42 , Matt Mathers

The European Commission aims to launch its scheme for EU-wide joint purchases of gas "well before summer," European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Monday.

Following a first meeting of EU representatives to coordinate the planned purchases, Mr Sefcovic said that he had urged member states to swiftly engage with key market players in their countries to estimate the volumes of gas that would be needed to fill storages before the next winter.

The Commission aims to publish the aggregate demand to attract buyers in early spring, Mr Sefcovic said.

Polish PM calls for Germany to send Ukraine tanks

Monday 16 January 2023 11:20 , Matt Mathers

Poland’s prime minister has called on Germany to send Ukraine tanks to aid its war effort against Russia.

Mateusz Morawiecki made the comments while on a visit to meet political leaders in Berlin on Monday morning.

He said Ukraine needs all the weapons that it can get and that Nato countries’ tanks should not stay in warehouses.

More to follow...

Russian forces do not target residential buildings - Kremlin

Monday 16 January 2023 10:48 , Matt Mathers

The Kremlin said on Monday that Russian forces did not strike residential buildings in Ukraine, two days after an apartment complex in the city of Dnipro was hit during a major Russian missile attack that Kyiv says killed at least 36 people.

During a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "The Russian Armed Forces do not strike residential buildings or social infrastructure facilities. Attacks are made on military targets, either obvious or disguised."

The Ukrainian Air Force says the apartment complex was hit by a Russian Kh-22 missile, which Kyiv says it does not have the equipment to shoot down.

Mr Peskov suggested that the strike had been the result of a Ukrainian "anti-aircraft counter-missiles" intercepting the Russian missile, saying that "some representatives of the Ukrainian side" had reached the same conclusion.

ICYMI: UK will provide Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, Rishi Sunak confirms

Monday 16 January 2023 10:20 , Matt Mathers

The UK will provide Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine to help Kyiv’s forces “push Russian troops back”, Rishi Sunak has confirmed.

In a pledge that Downing Street said was made on Saturday morning, 14 January, on a phone call to Volodymyr Zelensky, the prime minister also offered additional artillery systems as a sign of the UK’s “ambition to intensify our support to Ukraine”.

The UK is the first Western power to supply Ukraine with main battle tanks, the exact number of which has not yet been confirmed.

Watch the video here:

UK will provide Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, Rishi Sunak confirms

Russia warns British tanks ‘will burn'

Monday 16 January 2023 10:07 , Katy Clifton

The Kremlin has said the tanks Britain plans to send to Ukraine “will burn”.

Britain said on Saturday it would send 14 of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks as well as other advanced artillery support in the coming weeks.

“They are using this country as a tool to achieve their anti-Russian goals,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“These tanks are burning and will burn just like the rest,” Peskov said.

Peskov said the new supplies from countries like Britain and Poland would not change the situation on the ground.

Russia downs drone over Sevastopol -Russian-installed governor

Monday 16 January 2023 09:40 , Matt Mathers

Russian anti-aircraft defences shot down a drone over the city of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula, the city’s Russian-installed governor said on the Telegram messenger app on Monday.

The city has come under attack repeatedly since Russia ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on 24 Feb 2022. Russian officials have blamed Ukraine for the attacks.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Death toll following Russia strike on apartment block rises to 35

Monday 16 January 2023 09:10 , Matt Mathers

The death toll from the weekend Russian missile strike on an apartment building in the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro has risen to 35, officials said.

Rescuers are continuing to search through the rubble for more victims, regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said.

At least 75 people were wounded and 35 others are still missing after Saturday’s strike.

About 1,700 people lived in the multi-storey building, with residents saying there were no military facilities at the site.

The reported death toll made it the deadliest attack in one place since a September 30 strike in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to The Associated Press-Frontline War Crimes Watch project.

The strike on the building on Saturday came amid a major barrage of Russian cruise missiles across Ukraine.

Russia produces first nuclear warheads for Poseidon super torpedo - Russian state media

Monday 16 January 2023 08:10 , Matt Mathers

Russia has produced the first nuclear warheads for the Poseidon super torpedoes to be deployed on the Belgorod nuclear submarine, TASS reported on Monday, citing an unidentified defence source.

"The first Poseidon ammunition loads have been manufactured, and the Belgorod submarine will receive them in the near future," TASS quoted the source as saying.

President Vladimir Putin first announced what would become known as Poseidon in 2018, saying it was a fundamentally new type of strategic nuclear weapon with its own nuclear power source.

In the 2018 speech, Mr Putin said the range of the torpedo would be unlimited and that it could operate at extreme depths at a speed many times that of any submarine or other torpedoes.

"They are very low noise, have high maneuverability and are practically indestructible for the enemy. There is no weapon that can counter them in the world today," he added.

Cargo ship from Ukraine grounded in Bosphorus strait

Monday 16 January 2023 07:24 , Matt Mathers

The cargo ship MKK 1, travelling from Ukraine to Turkey, was grounded in Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait on Monday and traffic in the strait was suspended but no damage was reported, shipping agents Tribeca said.

Several tugs were among vessels sent to provide assistance to the ship, the coastguard authority said.

Television footage showed the bow of the ship, carrying 13,000 tonnes of peas, grounded close to the coastline on the Asian side of the Bosphorus.

ICYMI: ‘This is what madness looks like’: Inside Putin’s endgame for Ukraine

Monday 16 January 2023 07:00 , Joe Middleton

ICYMI

As Russia claims to have seized the eastern town of Soledar after months of fighting, Bel Trew reports on what it means for Moscow’s invasion – and for the Ukrainians in the path of any further advance.

‘This is what madness looks like’: Inside Putin’s endgame for Ukraine

Ukraine likely maintaining positions in Soledar, northern Bakhmut - MoD

Monday 16 January 2023 06:58 , Arpan Rai

Soldiers from the Ukrainian armed forces are “almost certainly” maintaining positions in Soledar, north of Bakhmut even as they continue to face a series of Wagner group assaults, the British defence ministry said today.

Ukraine’s eastern sector on the Donbas front saw intense fighting over the weekend in both the Kremina and Bakhmut, the ministry pointed out.

“Around Kremina, fighting has been characterised by a complex series of local attacks and counter-attacks in wooded country. However, overall, the UAF continue to gradually advance their front line east on the edge of Kremina town,” the MoD said in its latest intelligence update on the war.

It added that over the last six weeks, both Russia and Ukraine have achieved hard-fought but limited gains in different sectors.

“In these circumstances, a key operational challenge for both sides is to generate formations of uncommitted, capable troops which can exploit the tactical successes to create operational breakthroughs,” the ministry added.

Belarus accuses Ukraine of provocation: ‘Keeping our gunpowder dry’

Monday 16 January 2023 06:28 , Arpan Rai

Officials in Belarus have accused Ukraine of “provoking” the Russian ally on the heels of the joint military drills between Moscow and Minsk starting today.

The situation on Belarus’s southern border which it shares with Ukraine was "not very calm," and Ukraine has been "provoking" Belarus, according to Pavel Muraveyko, first deputy state secretary of Belarusian Security Council.

Mr Muraveyko said: "We’re maintaining restraint and patience, keeping our gunpowder dry. We have the necessary set of forces and means that will respond to any manifestations of aggression or a terrorist threat on our territory," according to a post on the Belarusian defence ministry’s Telegram app yesterday.

Death toll from Dnipro apartment building rises to 35

Monday 16 January 2023 06:03 , Arpan Rai

The death toll from the Russian missile attack on a residential building in Dnipro on Saturday has now reached 35, authorities said, as rescue operations entered the third day.

The airstrike hit a section of the apartment building and tore it down, killing dozens — including two children, Dnipropetrovsk oblast governor Valentyn Reznichenko said on Telegram.

Russia has denied targeting residential and civilian infrastructure in its “special military operation” in Ukraine, but there have already been thousands of civilian casualties in the 11-month war.

The question of whether Ukraine will join Nato can – and must – wait

Monday 16 January 2023 06:00 , Joe Middleton

Editorial: Despite the success in Donetsk, this is a weak moment for Russia, and the West should ensure that Ukraine can take full advantage of it.

Editorial: The question of whether Ukraine will join Nato can – and must – wait

‘Battle continues’ in Soledar, says Ukraine

Monday 16 January 2023 05:09 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine has continued to insist that its forces are still fighting in Soledar after Russia claimed last week to have taken control of the town.

Russia’s forces, mostly led by mercenary group Wagner in the eastern Ukrainian territory, are advancing their military offensive in and around the key mining town from various directions.

“Put simply, THE BATTLE CONTINUES,” Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on the Telegram messaging app. “Everything else is unverified information.”

According to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, it was highly unlikely that Ukrainian forces still held positions within Soledar itself.

Dnipro: Rescuers search rubble after Russian attack on apartment block

Monday 16 January 2023 05:00 , Joe Middleton

Expanded US training for Ukraine forces begins in Germany

Monday 16 January 2023 04:30 , Arpan Rai

US military chief General Mark Milley has said that Washington’s expanded combat training of Ukrainian forces began in Germany yesterday, with a goal of getting a battalion of about 500 troops back on the battlefield to fight the Russians in the next five to eight weeks.

Milley, who plans to visit the Grafenwoehr training area today to get a first-hand look at the programme, said the troops being trained left Ukraine a few days ago. In Germany each will be provided with a full set of weapons and equipment.

Until now the Pentagon had declined to say exactly when the training would start.

Read the full story here

Expanded US training for Ukraine forces begins in Germany

Russia and Belarus military drills starting today stoke fears in Ukraine

Monday 16 January 2023 04:03 , Arpan Rai

Russia and Belarus will hold joint air force drills starting today, amid fears in Kyiv and the West that Moscow could use its only regional ally to launch a new ground offensive in Ukraine.

Officials in Belarus have said that the air force drills are defensive in nature to prepare for possible combat missions, but the move comes as concerns grow that Moscow is pushing Minsk to join the war in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin had met his Belarusian counterpart in Minsk last month and troops of both the countries have been training alongside the war.

The Kremlin has denied accusations of wanting to rope Belarus into playing a more active role in the war.

Minsk has separately denied having any intention to enter the conflict, but Kyiv has repeatedly warned of possible attacks from Belarus.

Large majority of Russian prisoners conscripted in Ukraine 'killed, injured or captured'

Monday 16 January 2023 03:26 , Arpan Rai

About 77 per cent of all the Russian prisoners conscripted to fight in Ukraine under the mercenary group Wagner have either been killed, injured or captured by Ukrainian forces, says Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Of the total 38,244 Russian convicts recruited to fight against Ukraine, 29,543 have been killed, captured or wounded, Mr Podolyak said.

ICYMI: Surgeons ‘remove unexploded grenade lodged in Ukrainian soldier’s chest’

Monday 16 January 2023 03:00 , Joe Middleton

ICYMI

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister said the deviced was extracted in an operation closely monitored by sappers, writes Sukhmani Sethi.

Surgeons ‘remove unexploded grenade lodged in Ukrainian soldier’s chest’

PM orders British international diplomatic blitz to secure weapons for Ukraine

Monday 16 January 2023 02:00 , Joe Middleton

The Prime Minister will deploy his ministers on an international diplomatic blitz to galvanise support for Ukraine after agreeing to provide British tanks to Kyiv.

Rishi Sunak signed-off on sending British Army Challenger 2 main battle tanks to the front line in eastern Europe during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.

Downing Street has since confirmed that 14 tanks will be handed over as part of the agreement and around 30 AS90s — large, self-propelled guns operated by five gunners — are expected to follow.

PM orders British international diplomatic blitz to secure weapons for Ukraine

Moldova: Controlled detonations carried out on rocket debris

Monday 16 January 2023 01:00 , Joe Middleton

Authorities in Moldova said Sunday that specialist teams have carried out “controlled detonations” of explosives that were discovered in parts of rocket debris that border officials found in a northern village near the country’s border with Ukraine.

Moldova’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement that an on-site investigation turned up about 80 kilograms of explosives in the remains of the rocket discovered Saturday in the Briceni district village of Larga.

Bomb squads from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defense later performed the controlled explosions, and authorities extended the security zone around the debris, the interior ministry said.

Moldova: Controlled detonations carried out on rocket debris

UK will provide Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, Rishi Sunak confirms

Sunday 15 January 2023 23:59 , Joe Middleton

Taiwan ‘could be next Ukraine’, Japan’s prime minister warns G7 leaders

Sunday 15 January 2023 23:06 , Joe Middleton

Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida told Western nations that east Asia could become the next Ukraine given a rise in China’s aggression against Taiwan and North Korea’s military activity.

During his first trip to Washington since his election in October 2021, Mr Kishida visited leaders of all members of the Group of 7 nations (G7), except Germany.

The Japanese president stressed the importance of standing up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, arguing that if a unilateral change to the status quo went unchallenged, the same would happen elsewhere.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.

Taiwan ‘could be next Ukraine’, Japan’s prime minister warns G7 leaders

Dnipro: Rescuers search rubble after Russian attack on apartment block

Sunday 15 January 2023 22:03 , Joe Middleton

Rescuers search rubble after Russian attack on Dnipro apartment block

Sunday 15 January 2023 21:00 , Furvah Shah

Rescuers searched through the rubble from a heavily-damaged apartment block in Dnipro, central Ukraine, following a Russian missile attack on the complex on Saturday, 14 January.

At least 25 people, including one child, were killed in the strike, Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Telegram post.

The Ukrainian president reported that 72 apartments were destroyed and more than 230 apartments were damaged.

People screamed for help underneath the debris from the nine-story block, emergency workers said.

Read more:

Dnipro: Rescuers search rubble after Russian attack on apartment block

Ukrainian military recruits to undergo UK-led training programme

Sunday 15 January 2023 20:30 , Furvah Shah

Ukrainian military recruits are to undergo a UK-led training programme to prepare them to fight in the war with Russia.

The training is for new volunteer recruits who have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine with little to no previous military experience to teach them the skills required to survive and be effective in frontline combat, says the Ministry of Defence.

Zelenksy shares footage of Dnipro blast

Sunday 15 January 2023 19:30 , Furvah Shah

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenksy has shared footage of the aftermath of a Russian blast in Dnipro, eastern Ukraine.

At least 25 people were killed and more than 73 were injured in the blast on Saturday, and rescue operations are still ongoing.

In a Tweet, Zelenksy said: “Eternal memory to all whose lives were taken by Russian terror! The world must stop evil. Debris clearance in Dnipro continues. All services are working. We’re fighting for every person, every life. We’ll find everyone involved in terror. Everyone will bear responsibility. Utmost.”

Russian troops 'highly likely' preparing to repel Ukraine’s offensive in south

Sunday 15 January 2023 18:30 , Furvah Shah

Russian troops are 'highly likely' to be preparing to repel Ukraine’s offensive in south of the country.

Russian troops have been increasing their presence along the front line in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to a spokesperson for the southern command of Ukrainian forces.

Russia’s war has killed at least 454 children, says Ukraine

Sunday 15 January 2023 17:30 , Furvah Shah

Russian forces have killed at least 454 children and injured 894 others since invading Ukraine last February.

The latest attack in the eastern city of Dnipro killed at least one child and injured 14 children causing the death toll to rise, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported on Sunday.

In pictures: Russian attack on Dnipro, Ukraine

Sunday 15 January 2023 16:30 , Furvah Shah

At least 25 people have been killed and more than 70 are injured after an attack by Russia on an apartment building in Dnipro, Ukraine.

Search and rescue operations are still ongoing after the blast on Saturday 14 January.

Death toll for Dnipro strike rises to 25

Sunday 15 January 2023 15:26 , Furvah Shah

At least 25 people are now understood to have been killed in a Russian strike on the city of Dnipro.

The attack on an apartment building apartment building in the city on Saturday has also left more than 40 people in hospital, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko said in a morning Telegram post.

The search and rescue mission continues – now into its second day – as authorities fear at least 40 people are still trapped under the rubble.

115,000 Russian troops killed in war with Ukraine

Sunday 15 January 2023 14:00 , Furvah Shah

Around 115,000 Russian soldiers have been killed during the country’s ongoing war with Ukraine.

Some 115,290 troops have died and at least 6,000 APV vehicles, 3,100 tanks and 286 planes have been lost by Russia, according to Ukrainian armed forces.

Russia may raise military conscription over new draft to not alarm citizens

Sunday 15 January 2023 13:30 , Furvah Shah

Russia may raise their military conscription age from 27 to 30 rather than announcing a new draft in order to “appear less alarming” to citizens.

In its latest update, the UK’s Ministry of Defence reported that a Russian head of defence said they hope to bolster reserves by 30 per cent, a move previously supported by president Vladimir Putin.

In a statement, the British MoD said: “There is a realistic possibility that Russian leaders hope a change of age criteria for routine conscription could bolster personnel available to fight in Ukraine while appear less alarming to the population than announcing another round of the unpopular ‘partial mobilisation’ process.”

ICYMI: 20 dead in Russian attack on Dnipro

Sunday 15 January 2023 13:00 , Furvah Shah

At least 20 people have been killed, including 14 children, and 73 were injured during a Russian strike on the city of Dnipro.

The attack on an apartment building in Dnipro on 14 January has also left more than 40 people in hospital, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko said in a morning Telegram post.

ICYMI: UK commits £2.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine

Sunday 15 January 2023 12:30 , Furvah Shah

The UK have committed £2.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine amid their ongoing war with Russia.

The aid will help Ukraine defend against air attacks, fight on land, defend their shores, and be equipped for winter.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the Ministry of Defence said: “Our commitment to Ukraine remains steadfast and we will match or exceed last year’s military support in 2023.”

One dead in Russian attack on Donetsk Oblast region

Sunday 15 January 2023 12:00 , Furvah Shah

At least one person is dead after Russian forces attacked the region of Donetsk Oblast on 15 January.

According to the Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, Russian forces killed one civilian in the shelling of Kurakhivka, west of the occupied city of Donetsk.

Moldova finds rocket debris from Russia-Ukraine war

Sunday 15 January 2023 11:30 , Furvah Shah

Moldovan authorities have found the remains of a rocket “originating from Russia’s air attacks on Ukraine” in a northern village near the country’s border with war-torn Ukraine.

Moldova’s Interior Ministry said in a statement on Friday that the rocket debris was discovered in the village of Larga and that a bomb squad was deployed to the area, which was cordoned off.

The ministry did not specify when the rocket was fired or who fired it.

Russia backs out of prisoner swap at last minute, says Ukraine

Sunday 15 January 2023 11:00 , Furvah Shah

Russia has cancelled an exchange of prisoners of war on Saturday at the last minute, said the Ukrainian body dealing with prisoners.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Telegram: “Another round of exchange of prisoners was planned today with the Russian side.

“However, it was cancelled at the last moment at the initiative of the Russian side.”

Kremlin continues claims that Ukraine poses threat to Russia

Sunday 15 January 2023 10:30 , Furvah Shah

The Kremlin is continuing its claims that Ukraine poses an existential threat to Russia.

Russia's UN representative responded to Ukrainian proposals for a peace summit on 13 January with claims framing Ukraine as an aggressor that was “about to attack Moscow.”

Vasily Nebenzya said that Russia’s war in Ukraine will only end “when the threat to Russia no longer comes from the territory of Ukraine.”

Ukrainian official says Zelensky hopes to visit UN next month

Sunday 15 January 2023 10:00 , Furvah Shah

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to visit the United Nations to address the General Assembly on the eve of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a senior official said.

First deputy foreign minister, Emine Dzhaparova, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday that many factors needed to be considered before the potential trip.

“Our president would want to come, he has a will or intention to come,” she said, “but it’s still a question if there will be a security situation that will allow him to come.”

14 children dead in Dnipro attack

Sunday 15 January 2023 09:30 , Furvah Shah

At least 20 people have been killed, including 14 children, after a Russian strike on an apartment building in the city of Dnipro.

Around 73 people were injured in the blast and more than 40 people are in hospital, said Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko in a morning Telegram post.

UK commits £2.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine

Sunday 15 January 2023 09:00 , Furvah Shah

The UK have committed £2.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine amid their ongoing war with Russia.

The aid will help Ukraine defend against air attacks, fight on land, defend their shores, and be equipped for winter.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the Ministry of Defence said: “Our commitment to Ukraine remains steadfast and we will match or exceed last year’s military support in 2023.”

Russia may raise upper conscription age to bolster reserves, says MoD

Sunday 15 January 2023 08:30 , Furvah Shah

Russia are considering raising the upper age of routine military conscription from 27 to 30 in order to boost reserves, says the UK’s Ministry of Defence.

Russian State Duma Defense Committee chairman Andrey Kartapolov said extending the upper age limit would increase Russian forces by 30 per cent.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously supported such a move.

NATO planes to be sent to Romania to eye Russian activity

Sunday 15 January 2023 08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

NATO said Friday it plans to deploy three surveillance planes to Romania next week to perform reconnaissance missions and to “monitor Russian military activity ” within the 30-nation military alliance’s territory.

The Airborne Warning and Control System surveillance planes, or AWACS, belong to a fleet of 14 usually based in Germany. Three of the aircraft will be sent Tuesday to an airbase near Romania’s capital, Bucharest, on a mission expected to last several weeks, the 30-nation alliance said in a statement.

NATO planes to be sent to Romania to eye Russian activity

20 killed in Russian attack on Dnipro

Sunday 15 January 2023 07:30 , Furvah Shah

At least 20 people have been killed and 73 were injured during a Russian strike on the city of Dnipro.

The attack on an apartment building in Dnipro on 14 January has also left more than 40 people in hospital, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko said in a morning Telegram post.

Ukraine says Russia cancels new prisoner exchange round

Sunday 15 January 2023 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia has cancelled at the last minute yesterday a scheduled exchange of prisoners of war, the Ukrainian body dealing with prisoners said.

"Another round of exchange of prisoners was planned today with the Russian side," the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Telegram.

"However, it was cancelled at the last moment at the initiative of the Russian side."

‘This is what madness looks like’: Inside Putin’s endgame for Ukraine

Sunday 15 January 2023 07:00 , Joe Middleton

As Russia claims to have seized the eastern town of Soledar after months of fighting, Bel Trew reports on what it means for Moscow’s invasion – and for the Ukrainians in the path of any further advance.

‘This is what madness looks like’: Inside Putin’s endgame for Ukraine

Russia killed 14 in fresh air strike, says Ukraine

Sunday 15 January 2023 06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia unleashed a wave of major attacks across Ukraine yesterday, hitting energy infrastructure and killing at least 14 people in a missile strike on a nine-storey apartment building in Dnipro, Ukrainian officials said.

The attack comes after Britain became the first Western country to offer it the heavy tanks it has long been seeking.

Moscow warned it would only “intensify” the conflict.

ICYMI: Russia’s mercenary Wagner group ‘launch recruitment drive’

Sunday 15 January 2023 06:00 , Joe Middleton

Attempts by the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group to try ando recruit soldiers in Serbia and elsewhere in the world is something that “cannot stand,” a senior US official has said.

State Department counselor Derek Chollet said he voiced these concerns during talks in Belgrade with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

“We have seen that the Wagner Group is seeking to recruit soldiers from Serbia and elsewhere and that’s something we think cannot stand,” he said.

Russia’s mercenary Wagner group ‘launch recruitment drive’

Surgeons ‘remove unexploded grenade lodged in Ukrainian soldier’s chest’

Sunday 15 January 2023 05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Remarkable pictures show a hand grenade said to have been lodged in a Ukrainian soldier’s chest before surgeons removed it.

The unexploded device, just beneath the heart of the soldier, was taken out in the presence of two sappers to ensure the safety of the medical staff.

Read more here.

Surgeons ‘remove unexploded grenade lodged in Ukrainian soldier’s chest’

Death toll from Dnipro attack at 14

Sunday 15 January 2023 04:38 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The death toll from a Russian missile attack that destroyed an apartment building in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro has risen to 14, while rescuers toiled through the night searching for survivors, the regional governor said today.

“The search operation is ongoing,” Valentyn Reznichenko, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region of east-central Ukraine, wrote on the Telegram.

Some 38 people had been rescued, about two dozen were missing and an unknown number of residents remained trapped under a massive pile of debris after the yesterday afternoon attack that injured at last 64, Mr Reznichenko said.

Rocket debris found again in Moldova

Sunday 15 January 2023 04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Moldovan authorities said yesterday that the remains of a rocket “originating from Russia’s air attacks on Ukraine” was found by border officials in a northern village near the country's border with war-torn Ukraine.

Moldova’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that the rocket debris was discovered in the village of Larga, in Briceni county, and that a bomb squad was deployed to the area, which was cordoned off.

The ministry didn't specify when the rocket was fired or who fired it. Photographs of the debris posted on the ministry's Facebook page show what appears to be a jumble of electrical wires and some of the rocket’s casing in the middle of a field.

Rocket debris found again in Moldova, from war next door

Zelensky compares ‘Ruscism’ to Nazism

Sunday 15 January 2023 04:16 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky drew comparisons between “Ruscism” (Russian fascism) and Nazism after a fresh barrage of Russian missile strikes.

The war-time president spoke about the recent Russian attack in Dnipro that killed at least 14 people and destroyed an apartment building.

“This apartment block in Dnipro was on a street called Naberezhna Peremohy (Victory Embankment),” he said in his nightly address.

“When they gave this name to this street, they had in mind the victory over the Nazis in the Second World War.”

Mr Zelensky added: “Ruscists took over everything from that enemy of the free world. It’s obvious. And we must do everything we can to stop Ruscism, just as the free world once stopped Nazism.”

Germany opens its 2nd liquefied natural gas terminal

Sunday 15 January 2023 21:27 , Joe Middleton

Germany on Saturday inaugurated its second liquefied natural gas terminal, part of a drive by Europe‘s biggest economy to put reliance on Russian energy sources firmly behind it.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz took part in the ceremony in Lubmin on the Baltic Sea coast, which came less than a month after he inaugurated Germany’s first LNG terminal at Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea. Several more are expected to go online in the coming months, including another in Lubmin.

The terminals are part of an effort to prevent an energy crunch that also includes temporarily reactivating old oil- and coal-fired power stations and extending the life of Germany’s last three nuclear power plants, which were supposed to be switched off at the end of 2022, until mid-April.

Germany opens its 2nd liquefied natural gas terminal

ICYMI: Scholz: will weigh each step carefully on Ukraine arms

Sunday 15 January 2023 04:00 , Joe Middleton

Germany will continue to “weigh every step carefully” and consult with its allies on further weapons deliveries to Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Friday as he faces mounting pressure to approve German-made battle tanks for Kyiv.

Germany has given Ukraine substantial military aid since Russia invaded, including howitzers, Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and the first of four IRIS-T surface-to-air missile systems.

Last week, it announced that it would send 40 Marder armored personnel carriers — a step that came alongside similar moves by the U.S. and France — and as well as a Patriot air defense missile battery.

Scholz: will weigh each step carefully on Ukraine arms

Violence soars in Mali in the year after Russians arrive

Sunday 15 January 2023 03:00 , Joe Middleton

Alou Diallo says he was drinking tea with his family one morning last month when groups of “white soldiers” invaded his village in central Mali, setting fire to houses and gunning down people suspected of being Islamic extremists. He scrambled to safety in the bush, but his son was shot and wounded while fleeing, then was finished off as he lay on the ground.

“I watched my 16-year-old son die,” Diallo told The Associated Press in Mali’s capital, Bamako, where he lives in a makeshift camp for displaced people. As he recounted that awful Saturday in his village of Bamguel, the 47-year-old former cattle breeder made no attempt to hide the anger toward the troops, which he believed to be Russian mercenaries, who turned his world upside down.

“I really want peace to return and things to go back to normal,” he said. “Here in Bamako, I live a life I didn’t choose.”

Violence soars in Mali in the year after Russians arrive

Germany opens its 2nd liquefied natural gas terminal

Sunday 15 January 2023 02:00 , Joe Middleton

Germany on Saturday inaugurated its second liquefied natural gas terminal, part of a drive by Europe‘s biggest economy to put reliance on Russian energy sources firmly behind it.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz took part in the ceremony in Lubmin on the Baltic Sea coast, which came less than a month after he inaugurated Germany’s first LNG terminal at Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea. Several more are expected to go online in the coming months, including another in Lubmin.

Germany opens its 2nd liquefied natural gas terminal

The question of whether Ukraine will join Nato can – and must – wait

Sunday 15 January 2023 01:00 , Joe Middleton

Editorial: Despite the success in Donetsk, this is a weak moment for Russia, and the West should ensure that Ukraine can take full advantage of it.

Editorial: The question of whether Ukraine will join Nato can – and must – wait

ICYMI: ‘Looking for publicity’ in a war zone: Ex-military chiefs warn ‘loose cannon’ Boris Johnson against Ukraine trip

Saturday 14 January 2023 23:59 , Joe Middleton

Senior military figures have criticised Boris Johnson and accused him of “looking for publicity” in a warzone after it was revealed he plans to visit Ukraine.

The former head of the army, Lord Dannatt, also warned that the ex-prime minister was a “loose cannon” whose plan could upstage Rishi Sunak.

Mr Johnson intends to travel to Kyiv in the coming months to show his support for the war-torn country, it has been reported.

Johnson accused of looking for ‘publicity’ in a war zone over Ukraine trip

While evacuating a psychiatric hospital in Ukraine, there was one question on my mind

Saturday 14 January 2023 22:15 , Joe Middleton

Were the personal risks the team in Kherson faced were worth it? Yes, if it meant safeguarding the lives of 400 people, writes Julien Binet.

Opinion: While evacuating a hospital in Ukraine, there was one question on my mind

Ukraine's leader wants to visit UN on invasion anniversary

Saturday 14 January 2023 21:15 , Joe Middleton

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to visit the United Nations to address a high-level meeting of the 193-member General Assembly on the eve of the first anniversary of Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of his country if the security situation permits, a senior Foreign Ministry official said Friday.

First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova cautioned in an interview with The Associated Press that many factors need to be in place for him to come, citing first and foremost the military situation on the ground and a warning from Ukraine’s intelligence service that Russia is planning “a very serious offensive in February.”

Ukraine's leader wants to visit UN on invasion anniversary

Zelensky vows to find those guilty of 'terror’

Saturday 14 January 2023 20:45 , Jane Dalton

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian attacks on civilian targets could be stopped only if Ukraine’s Western partners supplied necessary weapons.

“What is needed for this? Those weapons which are in the depots of our partners and which our soldiers are waiting for so much,” he said in his nightly video address, after the Russian missile attacks on cities.

“The whole world knows what and how to stop those who sow death. I thank everyone who helps us in this!”

Posting footage of the devastation in Dnipro, he vowed Ukraine would find those responsible.

“We’re fighting for every person, every life. We’ll find everyone involved in terror. Everyone will bear responsibility,” he wrote.

Dnipro shelling death toll rises to five

Saturday 14 January 2023 20:23 , Jane Dalton

The death toll in the Dnipro apartment attack has risen to five, officials say.

At least 60 people, including 12 children, were also wounded in the shelling, with more people were still trapped under the rubble, the regional governor said.

Twenty people were rescued from the block where an entire section of the building was reduced to rubble, sending smoke billowing into the sky, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office said.

‘This is what madness looks like’: Inside Putin’s endgame for Ukraine

Saturday 14 January 2023 19:58 , Joe Middleton

As Russia claims to have seized the eastern town of Soledar after months of fighting, Bel Trew reports on what it means for Moscow’s invasion – and for the Ukrainians in the path of any further advance.

‘This is what madness looks like’: Inside Putin’s endgame for Ukraine

Germany opens its 2nd liquefied natural gas terminal

Saturday 14 January 2023 18:58 , Joe Middleton

Germany on Saturday inaugurated its second liquefied natural gas terminal, part of a drive by Europe‘s biggest economy to put reliance on Russian energy sources firmly behind it.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz took part in the ceremony in Lubmin on the Baltic Sea coast, which came less than a month after he inaugurated Germany’s first LNG terminal at Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea.

Several more are expected to go online in the coming months, including another in Lubmin.

Germany opens its 2nd liquefied natural gas terminal