Russia accuses Ukraine of drone attack on Europe’s largest nuclear plant
Russia accused Ukraine of flying military drones into Europe’s biggest nuclear plant in central Ukraine.
The attack, which took place as Ukraine also destroyed six Russian planes at an airbase inside Russia, caused no damage to its critical infrastructure, the management of the Russian-occupied facility has claimed.
The Telegraph could not independently verify the alleged incident. Both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the power plant.
“Russia warns Kyiv against any attempts to attack or destabilise the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, said.
The alleged series of strikes come after Ukraine launched over 50 drones into Russian territory overnight, the majority targeting an airbase in the Rostov region, in one of Kyiv’s biggest air attacks of the war.
03:19 PM BST
That’s all for today
Thank you for tuning in to today’s live blog. We’ll be back tomorrow to bring you all the latest from the Russia-Ukraine war.
Key moments from today:
Ukraine is building a drone that can fly more than 2,000 miles, reports suggest.
Moscow is very likely to have been behind a series of disturbances affecting GPS navigation in the Baltic region, the German defence ministry has said, pointing to the Kaliningrad exclave as a source of the problem.
Russia has said that strategic security issues, including space-based weapons, were the main potential area for dialogue with the United States.
Six warplanes were destroyed and eight others suffered damage in a “massive” drone attack on a Russian military airfield, Ukraine has claimed.
The governor of Russia’s far northern Murmansk region was in hospital Friday after being stabbed by a man, his spokeswoman said.
Russia is unlikely to launch a large-scale offensive in the near future, a Nato official has said.
Moscow has made “thousands” of attempts to disrupt European train networks in a bid to derail the EU and cripple critical infrastructure, the Czech Republic’s transport minister has said.
Russian forces have advanced into a suburb of the city of Chasiv Yar in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency reported.
03:18 PM BST
Russian army ‘advances into crucial city’ near Bakhmut
Russian forces have advanced into the suburbs of Chasiv Yar, a crucial city near Bakhmut, Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency reported.
Located around six miles west of Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar has served as an important staging point for Ukrainian troops in the area and is now heavily fortified, RIA said.
Ukraine has denied the claims that Russia has entered the suburbs of the city. “The situation there is very difficult, the fighting continues, but they [Russian troops] are not there,” Andriy Zadubinnyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern command, said. “Don’t believe the Russian reports.”
The Institute for the Study of War reported yesterday that Russia had carried out a mechanised assault on the city, advancing up to its eastern outskirts. A rapid capture of Chasiv Yar would mark a grim setback for Kyiv as Russia continues to inch forwards on Ukraine’s eastern front.
02:51 PM BST
Pictured: Ukrainian double-amputee prepares to run in marathon
02:16 PM BST
Ukraine building drone ‘with 2,000-mile range’
Ukraine is building a drone that can fly more than 2,000 miles, reports suggest.
“Rockets are a thing of the past. Drones are the future,” a source familiar with the matter told Bild, the German newspaper, adding that Ukraine is stepping up its production of long-range drones in the absence of Western missiles.
Luch, the state-owned Kyiv manufacturer, has developed a super drone that is said to have a range of more than 2,000 miles, Bild reported. Called the Sokil-300, the drone can allegedly fly for up to 26 hours and fire a guided missile with a range of six miles.
A total of 10 Ukrainian manufacturers are currently developing drones with a range of more than 1,500 miles, the source reported.
If brought into production, the drones would have the capacity to strike military bases deep inside Russian territory, including those within the arctic circle.
The report comes after Ukraine flew what appeared to be a light aircraft packed with explosives into a factory assembling drones in Russia’s central Tatarstan region, in what is thought to be the “deepest strike inside Russian territory” since the start of the war.
01:47 PM BST
Russia ‘very likely’ behind Baltic GPS disruption, says Germany
Moscow is very likely to have been behind a series of disturbances affecting GPS navigation in the Baltic region, the German defence ministry has said, pointing to the Kaliningrad exclave as a source of the problem.
“The persistent disruptions to the global navigation satellite system are very likely of Russian origin and are based on disruptions in the electromagnetic spectrum, including those originating in the Kaliningrad Oblast,” a spokesman for the ministry said.
The spokesman declined to give details on how Berlin made its assessment or the exact nature of the disruptions, citing “reasons of military security”.
Kaliningrad is a Russian territory wedged between Lithuania and Poland on the coast of the Baltic Sea.
Last month, a government source told Reuters that Russia was believed to have jammed the satellite signal on an aircraft used by Grant Shapps, the British Defence Minister, when it flew close to Kaliningrad.
01:29 PM BST
Pictured: Ukraine repairs power grid
01:08 PM BST
Kremlin agrees to discuss space weapons with White House
Russia has said that strategic security issues, including space-based weapons, were the main potential area for dialogue with the United States.
Asked about a resolution to ban the deployment of nuclear weapons in space put forward by the US to next week’s UN Security Council, the Kremlin said it was open to discussions.
“The main potential area for dialogue between the United States and Russia is issues related to strategic security, which includes the space issue,” Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said.
The resolution came after US sources said in February that Russia is attempting to develop a space-based nuclear weapon.
12:44 PM BST
Macron’s claims Russia will target Paris Olympics ‘unacceptable’, says Kremlin
The Kremlin has blasted French president Emmanuel Macron’s claims that Russia will seek to disrupt the Paris Olympics as “unacceptable”.
Macron said yesterday that Moscow was trying to promote the narrative that France was unable to host the Games and that the event would be a risk.
“They are completely unsubstantiated accusations,” Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said, adding that it was “absolutely unacceptable behaviour”.
The West has long accused Russia of waging disinformation campaigns and trying to sow discord, particularly through online media.
12:22 PM BST
Update: Chasiv Yar under ‘constant fire’
The eastern Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar is now under “constant fire” from Russian forces, the head of the city’s military administration reported.
“If before there were moments when you could hear silence in the city, now there is no silence in the city. There is constant fire,” Sergiy Chaus said.
His comments come amid claims that Russia has advanced into the city’s suburbs - a claim Kyiv denies.
12:03 PM BST
Pictured: Ukraine at war
11:43 AM BST
Three dead and 11 injured in Russian strikes on Ukraine
At least three people were killed and 11 injured in Russian strikes against Ukraine over the past day, regional authorities said.
An airstrike on the village of Niu-York in Donetsk killed two people and injured two others, Vadym Filashkin, the regional governor, said, adding that 37 homes were damaged in the attack.
A further person was killed in Kramatorsk, Mr Filashkin said, as Russia targeted 10 Ukrainian regions in total.
11:24 AM BST
Six warplanes destroyed in ‘massive’ drone attack on Russian airfield
Six warplanes were destroyed and eight others suffered damage in a “massive” drone attack on a Russian military airfield, Ukraine has claimed.
An intelligence source, speaking to the Reuters news agency, said the attack was a joint operation conducted by the SBU security service and the military.
Russian air defence intercepted more than 40 drones targeting the airfield, located around 100 miles from the Ukrainian border, Vasily Golubev, the regional governor, posted on Telegram.
Footage of the incident posted on social media showed several explosions rocking the airfield, with anti-aircraft fire erupting into the night sky.
11:03 AM BST
Russian regional governor in hospital after being stabbed
The governor of Russia’s far northern Murmansk region was in hospital Friday after being stabbed by a man, his spokeswoman said.
Andrey Chibis, a member of Vladimir Putin’s party who was sanctioned by the European Union in 2022 over his support for the war in Ukraine, was knifed in the stomach on Friday evening outside a cultural centre in the town of Apatity, where he had been holding a meeting.
“Now he is in post-operative condition. It is too early to make predictions on his recovery and how long it will take,” Liliya Sechkina told state TV.
Mr Chibis, 45, said in a video posted on Telegram from his hospital bed early on Friday that he had “come around” after surgery and that doctors had saved his life.
The attacker was detained and is expected to undergo forensic and “psychiatric examinations”, investigators said.
“During interrogation, the man explained that he had committed the attack because he felt dislike for the Governor, although he did not know him personally,” they said.
10:39 AM BST
Airbase attack ‘will significantly reduce Russia’s combat potential’
This morning’s large-scale drone attack on a Russian military airfield in Rostov “will significantly reduce the combat potential of the Russians,” a Ukrainian security source has said.
Morozovsk air base is usually home to Moscow’s 559th Guards Bomber Regiment, which has used its fleet of SU-24s and SU-34s to strike targets in Ukraine.
Satellite imagery from Thursday and analysed by open source researchers appeared to show at least 30 Russian fighter jets and bombers stationed at the base shortly before the Ukrainian attack.
Locals claimed to have witnessed at least 60 explosions in the early morning raid.
10:18 AM BST
Mapped: Ukraine’s drones strike Russian air base
09:32 AM BST
Six warplanes destroyed in air base drone attack, claims Kyiv
Ukraine attacked Russia’s Morozovsk military air base in the Rostov region, destroying six Russian warplanes in a joint operation conducted by the SBU security service and military, an intelligence source has said.
“At least six Russian military aircraft were destroyed and another eight were heavily damaged,” the source said.
The Telegraph could not immediately verify the claim.
09:24 AM BST
Russian spring offensive unlikely, says Nato official
Russia is unlikely to launch a large-scale offensive in the near future, a Nato official has said.
While Russian forces have a “significant quantitative advantage” in terms of weapons and personnel, they “still lack the ammunition and maneuverable units required for a successful major offensive,” the official, who was not named, told European Pravda.
The official said Russian units on the front line are “understaffed and inexperienced” and receive “politically-motivated” orders to achieve “unrealistic goals”. Moscow is “unlikely to be able to conduct any significant offensive without further large-scale mobilisation,” they said.
The official’s comments come after Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that Russia is preparing to launch an offensive in Ukraine in spring or the start of the summer.
The Institute for the Study of War has said a Russian offensive may focus on the western part of Donetsk, near Avdiivka, a key front-line city captured from Ukraine in February.
09:11 AM BST
Pro-Ukraine content found on Moscow terror suspect’s phone, claims Kremlin
The Kremlin has said one of the attackers behind last month’s massacre at a Moscow concert hall had pro-Ukrainian content on his phone.
Russian investigators said they had found photos on the phone of one of the suspects showing men in camouflage holding the Ukrainian flag in front of destroyed buildings.
“This data may indicate a link between the attack” and the conflict in Ukraine, the committee said.
Moscow has repeatedly sought to blame Ukraine for the attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue that left at least 140 people dead - an allegation Ukraine flatly denies. US intelligence suggests the attack was orchestrated by the militant group Islamic State, who have claimed responsibility.
08:50 AM BST
Russia is trying to sabotage European railways, warns Prague
Moscow has made “thousands” of attempts to disrupt European train networks in a bid to derail the EU and cripple critical infrastructure, the Czech Republic’s transport minister has said.
Russia has made “thousands of attempts to weaken our systems” since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Martin Kupka told the Financial Times.
The cyber campaign has targeted the signalling systems of Czech Republic’s national rail operator, with previous attacks putting ticketing systems out of service. Concerns have also been raised about the potential for Russian interference with train signals to cause serious accidents.
“It’s definitely a difficult point . . .[but] I’m really very satisfied because we are able to defend all systems before a successful attack,” Mr Kupka said.
08:26 AM BST
Ukraine ‘downs thirteen Russian drones’
Ukraine has shot down all 13 Shahed drones launched in Russia’s overnight attack on southern regions, the air force reported.
Drones were destroyed over Zaporizhzhia, Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk, the air force said, adding that missiles were also launched in the attack.
One of the strikes targeted energy infrastructure in the Odesa region but air defences repelled all four drones, Ukraine’s military said on Telegram, with debris damaging homes and farms.
Elsewhere in Kharkiv, an explosion late yesterday damaged cars and a five-storey building, Oleh Syniehubov, the regional governor, said. No casualties were reported.
08:06 AM BST
Pictured: Art displays in Kyiv amid Russian strikes
07:37 AM BST
Russian forces ‘enter suburb of Chasiv Yar’
Russian forces have advanced into a suburb of the city of Chasiv Yar in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency reported.
Located around six miles west of Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar has served as an important staging point for Ukrainian troops in the area and is now heavily fortified, RIA said.
The news comes after Russia carried out mechanised assault on the city yesterday, advancing up to its eastern outskirts, the Institute for the Study of War reported.
Ukraine has denied the claims that Russia has entered the suburbs of the city. “The situation there is very difficult, the fighting continues, but they [Russian troops] are not there,” Andriy Zadubinnyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern command, said.
07:31 AM BST
UK ‘should consider Sweden-style selective conscription system’
Britain should consider a Sweden-style selective military conscription system, a former head of MI6 has said, Ben Riley-Smith writes.
Sir Alex Younger, who was chief of the Secret Intelligence Service from 2014 to 2020, argued that the UK needed a “wake-up call”.
In Sweden, people aged 18 have to complete an enlistment form, but only some of them are called up to do basic training with military service.
The selective form of conscription was reintroduced in 2017, with the move following Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014. Sweden joined the Nato military alliance in February.
07:29 AM BST
Russia will target Paris Olympics, warns Macron
Russia will seek to disrupt the Paris Olympics, Emmanuel Macron warned on Thursday, as Nato foreign ministers clashed over how to confront the Kremlin, writes Henry Samuel.
The French president disclosed details of a “bizarre and threatening” phone call between Russia’s defence minister and his Parisian counterpart, in which Sergei Shoigu suggested France was involved in the recent terror attack on a Moscow concert hall.
Asked whether he was concerned that Russia may target the Paris Games this summer, Mr Macron said: “I have no doubt, including in the informational [news] space.”
He added: “[Russia] feeds every day into the idea that we shouldn’t do this or that, that there is a risk and that’s why we must stand firm. Strength of character, self-confidence and the relationship with the truth are the great strengths of democracies and great nations.”
