Kyiv forces ‘break through Putin’s strongest line of defence’ – Ukraine-Russia war live

Ukraine’s forces believe they have broken through the most difficult line of Russian defences in the south and will now be able to advance “faster”, a commander has said.

Ukrainian forces said on Wednesday they had raised the national flag in the settlement of Robotyne in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, about 10 km (six miles) south of the frontline town of Orikhiv.

“We don’t stop here,” said a commander, Skala, who led some of the troops into Robotyne.

“Next we have (the town of) Berdiansk, and then more. I made it clear to my fighters at once: our goal is not Robotyne, our goal is (the Sea of) Azov.”

Robotyne is about 100 km from Berdiansk, a port on the shores of the Sea of Azov, and 85 km from the strategic city of Melitopol. Both are occupied by Russian forces following Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February last year.

“We have passed the main roads that were mined. We are coming to those lines where we can go (forward). I’m sure we’ll go faster from here,” Skala said.

Key Points

• Ukraine forces 'break through Putin's strongest line of defence'

• Vladimir Putin forces Wagner fighters to sign oath of allegiance to Russian state

• Belarus president says he warned Wagner chief on threats to life

• Russia says Biden’s jibe about Putin was ‘unacceptable’

• Prigozhin plane crash caused by explosion, US spy chiefs suspect

Ukraine liberates key south-eastern village amid heavy fighting

07:30 , Holly Evans

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister has said that the south-eastern village of Robotyne has been liberated.

Kyiv’s troops are trying to advance further after the victory, which commanders had previously said could unlock Russia’s defences.

Since launching their counteroffensive in June, Ukraine have been pushing for a significant breakthrough.

The village of Robotyne is considered an important objective as it situated on the road to Tokmak, which defends the road towards Melitopol, the biggest city in the area.

Russia cancels grand military exercise amid lack of troops and ammunition, says UK MoD

07:09 , Arpan Rai

Russia has likely cancelled joint military exercises dubbed Zapad (‘West’) that were due to start imminently, amid a lack of troops and equipment.

The planned “joint strategic exercise” was a major annual event intended to be the culmination of the military’s training year.

“The Russian military’s under-performance in Ukraine has highlighted how JSEs have had limited training value and have largely been for show. Russia has likely cancelled Zapad 23 because too few troops and equipment are available,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that there is a “realistic possibility that the Russian leadership is also sensitive to domestic criticism liable from running another slickly presented JSE during wartime”.

“From 2010 Russia ran a four-year cycle, rotating JSEs around the country. However, since 2021, Russia has based the JSE in western Russia at least every second year as it prioritises confronting what it perceives as the threat from Nato. This follows ZAPAD 21, the largest Russian exercise since Soviet times,” the ministry said today.

Zelensky fears 'big risk' of attacking Russian soil

06:59 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said he fears Ukraine would be abandoned by its allies in the West and elsewhere if Kyiv expanded its ground operations into Russian territory.

“I believe that this is a big risk, we will definitely be left alone,” the war-time president said in an interview with national media, on being asked if it was time to attack Russia on its own soil.

Ukraine has yet to launch any ground assaults on Russian territory or the Crimean peninsula, but drone attacks on Russian provinces have grown in recent weeks, forcing Moscow to shut its airspace on several occasions, and pro-Ukraine saboteurs have claimed success in operations within Russia.

While Ukraine has never come forward to take responsibility for attacks on Russian or Russia-occupied territory, its leaders – including Mr Zelensky – have expressed satisfaction with the results and declined to deny Ukrainian involvement.

Watch: Putin appears to speak with bizarre altered voice in video address during Brics summit

06:59 , Andy Gregory

Opinion | If the Wagner mercenary chief is dead, he got the death he deserved

05:59 , Andy Gregory

In response to news of the crash of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s private plane near Moscow, our international editor Chris Stevenson gave his take in this Independent Voices article:

“It is not surprising that Russian authorities have declared Yevgeny Prigozhin dead. Given the attempted mutiny he led with the Wagner mercenary group against Moscow, the assumption was that he may not be long for this world.

“When it comes to the iron-grip President Vladimir Putin has on his nation – if you come for the king, as the adage goes, you best not miss.

“But as the speculation swirls about the end of Prigozhin and the embarrassment that Putin could not let stand, it can be easy to brush past the terrible things Progozhin’s mercenaries are believed to have done. Let’s get this straight, Prigozhin deserved the end that all signs point to him having met.”

Opinion: If the Wagner mercenary chief is dead, he got the death he deserved

Second vessel leaves Odesa through temporary Black Sea corridor

05:57 , Arpan Rai

A vessel carrying steel products to Africa has left Ukraine’s Odesa port through a temporary Black Sea corridor, a senior Ukrainian government official said.

The ship, en route to Africa, is the second such to do so since Russia withdrew last month from a UN-brokered deal that allowed for grain to be safely exported.

Deputy prime minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the Liberian-flagged ship PRIMUS had begun sailing through a temporary corridor set up for civilian vessels, confirming a report on Saturday by a Ukrainian lawmaker.

“The 2nd vessel blocked due to the war has left the port of Odesa and is now sailing through a temporary corridor,” Mr Kubrakov posted on the social media platform X, formerly called Twitter.

Mr Kubrakov said the ship had been at the port since February last year, just four days before Russia’s invasion, and was carrying steel products to Africa.

Discontent brewing in Crimea over Russia’s forced mobilisation push

05:25 , Arpan Rai

Local reports from inside Crimea indicate increasing dissatisfaction with the Russian military’s efforts to forcibly mobilise the population of the peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014.

A closed survey of locals by Russian-backed authorities sought people’s opinions on the military draft in which the results show “an extremely negative attitude” towards conscription, reported Ukraine’s National Resistance Centre in the region.

The movement by Kyiv’s Special Operations Forces is aimed against the occupation of Ukraine.

The survey results, according to the resistance centre, motivated occupation authorities to offer conscripts additional benefits, but these bonuses were unlikely to sway the public mood, the report added.

Russia shoots down two drones over Kursk, Bryansk regions

04:48 , Arpan Rai

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces shot down two drones overnight in two regions bordering Ukraine.

One drone was shot down over the Bryansk region in Russia’s west and another in the Kursk region, just south of it, the defence ministry said on the Telegram messaging channel.

There was no further information about possible damage or casualties.

Who is ‘Juice’? The ‘mega talent’ Ukrainian pilot killed in mid-air plane crash

04:37 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine is mourning the loss of three fighter pilots killed as two training aircraft collided in the skies some 90 miles west of Kyiv.

Singled out for particular praise by president Volodymr Zelensky and Ukraine’s airforce is Captain Andriy Pilshchykov, a pilot who went by the military callsign “Juice”.

The late pilot, who was 30 years old when the crash occured over the western Zhytomyr region on Friday, had become known not just for his defence of Ukraine, but also for his passionate advocacy for the United States to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets.

The Mig-29 pilot first won fame in Ukraine as he took part in “dogfights” with Moscow’s fighter jets in the skies above Kyiv during the initial months of Russia’s invasion, according to Ukrainian news outlets.

Who is ‘Juice’? The ‘hero’ Ukrainian pilot killed in mid-air plane crash

Genetic tests confirm Wagner chief Prigozhin died in plane crash

04:00 , Arpan Rai

Genetic tests conducted on the remains of passengers from the private jet which crashed near Moscow last week have confirmed the death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian officials said.

“As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular-genetic examinations have been completed,” Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement.

“According to their results, the identities of all 10 dead were established. They correspond to the list stated in the flight sheet,” it said.

A list of 10 names, including the Wagner chief and his close associates, was published by Russia’s aviation agency soon after the private jet crashed in the Tver region northwest of Moscow on Wednesday last week.

They included Prigozhin as well as Dmitry Utkin, his right-hand man who helped found the Wagner mercenary group.

There had been some speculation, especially on pro-Wagner Telegram channels, about whether Prigozhin – who was known to take various security precautions in anticipation of a possible attempt on his life – had really been on the doomed flight.

Authorities are yet to explain what they believe caused his private jet to fall from the sky.

Drone destroyed by air defences near Moscow, says mayor

03:54 , Arpan Rai

Air defences in Russia shot down a hostile drone near Moscow in the early hours today, city mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

“Today, air defense forces in the Lyubertsy region destroyed a drone flying towards Moscow. Emergency services are on the scene,” he said on a Telegram message around 4am.

According to preliminary information no casualties or damage on the ground have been reported, he said.

Mapped: What gains have Ukraine made in Zaporizhzhia

03:46 , Andy Gregory

Here is the latest battlefield assessment in Zaporizhzhia from the US-based Institute for the Study of War think-tank, where Ukrainian forces are thought to have broken through Russia’s first line of defence to have seized the village of Robotyne.

The think-tank said on Saturday that geolocated footage suggested Kyiv’s troops had progressed to a treeline some distance from Robotyne, and were approaching a vast anti-tank ditch forming part of Russia’s second line of defences:

Who is ‘Juice’? The ‘mega talent’ Ukrainian pilot killed in mid-air plane crash

02:43 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine is mourning the loss of three fighter pilots killed as two training aircraft collided in the skies some 90 miles west of Kyiv, with a fallen pilot who went by the military callsign “Juice” singled out for particular praise by president Volodymyr Zelensky.

The late pilot, who was 30 years old when the crash occured over the western Zhytomyr region on Friday, had become known not just for his defence of Ukraine, but also for his passionate advocacy for the United States to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets.

You can read more about the pilot here:

Who is ‘Juice’? The ‘hero’ Ukrainian pilot killed in mid-air plane crash

Watch: Ukrainian troops evacuate civilians from Robotyne as troops gain foothold

01:33 , Andy Gregory

Zelensky singles out Ukrainians for praise in nightly address

00:39 , Andy Gregory

Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Ukrainian troops and medics “who have distinguished themselves the most in protecting lives and Ukraine” over the past week, in his nightly address.

The Ukrainian president singled out numerous individuals for praise, including Yaroslav Bevz, who he said was among the first soldiers to enter the Zaporizhzhia village of Robotyne, and who returned the Ukrainian flag to a school which had been destroyed Russian troops.

He also thanked employees of the State Emergency Service across Ukraine, highlighting those in Odesa “who took part in the liquidation of the consequences of terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure”, and civil defence chiefs who “personally evacuated the wounded from the destroyed bus station in Dnipro”.

And in what appeared to be a possible reference to the drone strike on five Russian fighter jets in Kursk, claimed by an SBU source, Mr Zelensky added, that “today – without names, without details, but there is something to recognise our intelligence officers and special services for ... Well done indeed!”

Russia amassing more than 100,000 troops near northeastern frontline, Ukraine claims

23:46 , Andy Gregory

Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops in Ukraine’s northeast and have significantly intensified shelling and airstrikes in Kharkiv and Donetsk, Kyiv’s military has warned.

Nearly 50,000 soldiers are positioned near Lyman in Luhansk, with another 45,000 focused towards Kupiansk, a spokesperson said, where residents fear a second Russian takeover just less than a year after the Kharkiv city was liberated – and evidence of torture chambers and mass graves uncovered.

The reports of Russian troops amassing further north also come amid Ukrainian claims, as per the Institute for the Study of War think-tank, that Moscow could be diverting some “relatively elite” soldiers to Zaporizhzhia, where Ukraine appears to have broken through Russia’s front lines – in a move suggesting Moscow may be suffering from a lack of reserve troops there.

Wartime elections could take place in Ukraine, says Zelensky

22:55 , Andy Gregory

Elections could potentially take place in Ukraine during wartime if Kyiv’s allies share the cost, domestic politicians approve and all residents are able to vote, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

In an interview with Ukrainian broadcaster 1+1, the president discussed claims by US senator Lindsey Graham that Ukraine must show it was different to Russia by holding elections in wartime – which is currently forbidden under Ukraine’s martial law.

“I gave Lindsey a very simple answer very quickly,” Mr Zelensky said. “He was very pleased with it. As long as our legislators are willing to do it.”

He said it cost 5 billion hryvnia (£107m) to hold elections in peacetime, adding: “I don’t know how much is needed in wartim. So I told him that if the US and Europe provide financial support ... I will not take money from weapons and give it to elections. And this is stipulated by the law.”

Mr Zelensky added that he had told the Republican senator: “You and I should send observers to the frontlines so that we have legitimate elections for us and for the whole world”, adding that Kyiv would also need help setting up voting access for citizens now overseas.

Mr Zelensky also said those fighting Russia’s invasion would have to be included. “They are defending this democracy today, and not to give them this opportunity because of war – that is unfair. I was against the elections only because of this.”

Destroyed Russian tanks installed at Kyiv’s Independence Square

22:03 , Andy Gregory

Residents in Kyiv have been pictured walking past an installation showing destroyed Russian tanks, set up on Khreschatyk Street in the Ukrainian capital’s centre.

A protest calling for the release of Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia took place at the adjoining Independence Square in Kyiv, 500 days after they were seized in the city of Mariupol.

ICYMI: Putin orders Wagner fighters to sign oath of allegiance following Prigozhin plane crash

21:14 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin has ordered Wagner fighters to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian state, amid anger in the mercenary group’s ranks over their leader’s apparent assassination in a plane crash near Moscow.

The decree was published on the Kremlin’s website and signed with immediate effect by Mr Putin, as his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted that claims Prigozhin had been killed on the Russian president’s orders were an “absolute lie”.

The wording of the oath includes a line in which those who take it promise to strictly follow the orders of commanders and senior leaders, as questions hang over the fate of the mercenaries – many of whom had already relocated to Belarus following their mutinous march on Moscow in June.

You can read the full report here:

Putin orders Wagner fighters to sign oath of allegiance after Prigozhin death

Listen as Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin confirmed dead by Russian officials

20:51 , Andy Gregory

Putin ‘remains in a difficult position’ after Prigozhin death, says former diplomat

20:23 , Andy Gregory

An “under pressure” Vladimir Putin “remains in a difficult position” in spite of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s apparent death, an expert has suggested.

Describing it as a “surprise” that the Russian president appeared to spare the Wagner mercenary last June after his shortlived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership, Dr Nigel Gould-Davies of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said it now appears that Mr Putin “merely postponed Prigozhin’s death”.

Dr Gould-Davies, a former ambassador to Belarus, suggested that this was “probably to lull him and others into a false sense of security while the security services conducted their investigation into the extent of sympathy for, complicity in and foreknowledge of the Wagner revolt in military and other circles”.

“It is likely that they have now concluded this investigation,” he said. “General Sergei Surovikin, detained after the revolt and not seen since, was fired as head of the Russian Aerospace Forces immediately before Prigozhin’s death. This timing is unlikely to be a coincidence.

Describing Prigozhin’s June revolt as “the biggest threat so far to Putin’s presidency”, he added: “Although Prigozhin is dead, Putin remains in a difficult position and is under pressure from hardline siloviki to escalate the war by mobilising far more of Russia’s human and material resources.”

Zelensky vows to seek harsher punishments for wartime corruption

20:02 , Andy Gregory

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to ask parliament this week to increase penalties for those found guilty of corruption during wartime.

“I have set a task for the legislation and the Ukrainian legislators will be offered my proposals to equate corruption with high treason in wartime,” he said, adding: “I think the parliament will get it in the next week and then the ball is in the parliament’s court.”

Earlier this month, Mr Zelensky dismissed regional military recruitment chiefs at all conscription centres across Ukraine following a nationwide audit, as he seeks to tighten Ukraine’s war effort and reassure Western allies that he is serious about cracking down on corruption.

Ukraine ranks 116th out of 180 countries on campaign group Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index.

In the clip shared to Telegram on Sunday, Mr Zelensky said those found guilty must face justice. “But this is not a firing squad. This is not Stalinism,” he added. “If there is evidence, the person must be behind bars.”

Prigozhin death will harm Wagner’s recovery, says analyst

19:40 , Andy Gregory

The apparent deaths of Yevgeny Prigozhin and other Wagner bosses means the Wagner mercenary group will struggle to reverse the trajectory of decline which has befallen it in recent months, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War has suggested.

“We’re not going to see Wagner in the same capacity that we have seen before,” Kateryna Stepanenko, one of the think-tank’s Russia analysts told Axios.

Prigozhin’s death ‘doesn’t change anything’ for Russian activities in Africa, intelligence official warns

19:22 , Andy Gregory

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death “doesn’t change anything” and the Kremlin’s hand in affairs in Africa could now “be more strengthened”, a Nigerian intelligence official has warned.

The official is cited in a Wall Street Journal report which tracks the Wagner chief’s final movements in the weeks before his apparent death in a plane crash near Moscow.

Prigozhin’s death “doesn’t change anything,” the official told the paper, as Nigeria looks on with concern at the possible expansion of Russian-backed military governments in west and central Africa.

“Russia is still there. When the Wagner leader is gone, they are still active in Africa … Maybe now the Kremlin’s hands will be more strengthened.”

Who is ‘Juice’? The ‘mega talent’ Ukrainian pilot killed in mid-air plane crash

19:00 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine is mourning the loss of three fighter pilots killed as two training aircraft collided in the skies some 90 miles west of Kyiv, with Captain Andriy Pilshchykov, a pilot who went by the military callsign “Juice”, having been particularly singled out for praise.

The late pilot, who was 30 years old when the crash occured over the western Zhytomyr region on Friday, had become known not just for his defence of Ukraine, but also for his passionate advocacy for the United States to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets.

The Mig-29 pilot first won fame in Ukraine as he took part in “dogfights” with Moscow’s fighter jets in the skies above Kyiv during the initial months of Russia’s invasion, according to Ukrainian news outlets.

You can read more about his military record and how he chose his callsign here:

Who is ‘Juice’? The ‘hero’ Ukrainian pilot killed in mid-air plane crash

Putin’s hit list: from poisoned tea to mysterious falls, the grisly fate of the Kremlin’s enemies

18:43 , Andy Gregory

In Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane crash, all signs pointed to Vladimir Putin’s revenge, both in the manner of the execution and the manner of the original slight, writes John Kampfner.

What Prigozhin did, in his increasingly voluble videos attacking the Russian military establishment and then in his bizarre not-quite-march-on-Moscow in June, was to hold Putin up to ridicule. Punishment was relatively swift, as it usually is when politicians, journalists or former spooks uncover inconvenient truths.

The methods are many and varied: poisoning, shooting, plane crashes and, the simplest of them all, the mysterious falling out of a window. Sometimes they are carried out discreetly, but more often in the open, to send a signal about the dangers of defiance.

To be fair, targeted killings began before Putin came to power in 2000. In the 1990s, incidents such as these often had the imprimatur of the Chechen leadership. Or else it was criminal gangs (and their political masters) settling scores. What Putin did was to transform state assassinations onto an industrial scale.

Here is the full long read on “Putin’s hit list”:

Putin’s hit list: inside the Kremlin’s killing machine

Brandon Flowers addresses The Killers’s Russia controversy in Georgia

18:10 , Andy Gregory

Brandon Flowers has said he was faced with “an impossible situation” after inadvertently inviting a Russian fan onto the stage during The Killers’ show in Georgia.

The frontman of the Las Vegas-formed rock band caused controversy with remarks he made at the Black Sea Arena in Batumi, where the band were performing as part of their Imploding the Mirage tour.

As is tradition, the band invited a fan onto the stage to play the drums on their 2006 song, “For Reasons Unknown”, when Flowers, 42, addressed the crowd.

“We don’t know the etiquette of this land but this guy’s a Russian. You OK with a Russian coming up here?” he asked. While there were some cheers in the crowd, many booed and shouted: “No.”

Our culture and lifestyle news editor Roisin O’Connor has the story here:

Brandon Flowers says he had to calm ‘an impossible situation’ in Georgia

Export ship becomes second to leave Odesa since collapse of UN’s Black Sea grain deal

17:38 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s deputy PM has said that a vessel carrying steel products to Africa has left Ukraine’s Odesa port through a temporary Black Sea corridor – making it the second ship to embark on the journey since Russia withdrew from the UN-brokered deal last month.

Oleksandr Kubrakov said the Liberian-flagged ship Primus had begun sailing through a temporary corridor set up for civilian vessels, confirming a report on Saturday by a Ukrainian politician with strong links to Odesa.

“The 2nd vessel blocked due to the war has left the port of Odesa and is now sailing through a temporary corridor,” Mr Kubrakov posted Twitter/X, adding that the ship had been stuck at the port since prior to Russia’s invasion last February.

Russian fighter jet ‘escorts US drone over Black Sea’, Moscow claims

17:20 , Andy Gregory

A Russian Su-30 fighter jet has escorted a US reconnaissance Reaper drone over the Black Sea, Russian state news has reported, citing Moscow’s defence ministry.

Tass reported that the unmanned aerial vehicle had not breached Russia’s state border.

In March, Washington officials accused a pair of Russian Su-27 fighter jets of forcing a US drone out of the sky over international waters in the Black Sea by dumping fuel and damaging the drone’s propellor, in what they claimed was a “reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional” set of manoeuvres.

Watch: Wagner chief says plane will ‘fall apart in the air’ in resurfaced clip

17:01 , Andy Gregory

This resurfaced clip shows Wagner leader Yvegeny Prigozhin state a plane “will fall apart in the air” as he compared Russia’s trajectory in the war, my colleague Lucy Leeson reports.

The 40-second clip, which has resurfaced on social media, has sparked conspiracy theories about his death, as Russian officials confirmed he had died in the crash on Wednesday.

In the video taken from an interview originally published on April 29 with Russian military blogger Semyon Pegov, Prigozhin said he would rather be killed than lie to his country and talked about a plane disintegrating in the sky.

Ukrainian troops commemorate fallen pilots

16:38 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s defence ministry has shared footage of troops holding a commemorative service for the three pilots killed as two training aircraft collided over its western Zhytomyr region on Friday.

The clip showed troops lined up to listen and pay their respects as a colleague played piano, which was later set alight in honour of the three individuals, Major Viacheslav Minka, Major Serhii Prokazin, and Captain Andrii Pilshchykov.

“From the first days of russian aggression, they defended Ukraine’s skies and were never defeated in battle,” the ministry wrote on Twitter/X. “Their inspiring courage will forever be remembered by a grateful nation.”

Prigozhin’s death shows Ukraine’s fight for Bakhmut was ‘right choice’, says expert

16:17 , Andy Gregory

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death shows that Ukraine’s decision to engage in the brutal fight for Bakhmut “was the right choice”, an expert has suggested.

Phillips O’Brien, professor of strategic studies at St Andrew’s University, said: “The losses Wagner suffered led to Prigozhin’s growing split with the Russian military. The longer the campaign lasted the more angry he became, and this led directly to the mutiny attempt. No Bakhmut, no mutiny. The mutiny not only crippled Wagner; it’s weakened Putin.

“Wagner fought relatively well at Bakhmut, and with some real aggression. If the Ukrainians had abandoned Bakhmut, it would have preserved large number of Wagner forces, allowed them to recruit more, all of whom would be fighting Ukrainians now. Russia would have real reserves.”

Russia and Ukraine fighting over ‘strategically important’ oil rigs in Black Sea, UK claims

15:56 , Andy Gregory

Russia and Ukraine have been stationing troops, aircraft and long-range missile systems on oil rigs in the Black Sea between Crimea and Odesa, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has claimed.

“As tensions remain high in the Black Sea, skirmishes have taken place between maritime and air forces around strategically important gas and oil platforms between Crimea and Odesa,” the ministry said.

“Last week, a Russian combat jet shot at a Ukrainian military small boat operating near a platform in the north-west of the sea. The platforms are operated by the Chernomorneftegaz company, which was seized by the pro-Russian occupation authorities in Crimea during the 2014 annexation.

“Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has struck several Russian-controlled platforms. Both Russia and Ukraine have also periodically occupied them with troops.

“The platforms command valuable hydrocarbon resources. However, like Snake Island to the west, they can also be used as forward deployment bases, helicopter landing sites, and to position long-range missile systems.”

Ukraine ‘claims to hit' five Russian fighter jets in drone strike on Kursk airfield

15:38 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s defence ministry claims its forces shot down two drones overnight in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, which both border Ukraine.

“The regime in Kiev made further attempts to commit terror attacks using fixed-wing drones on targets in the Russian Federation during the night and in the morning of Aug. 27,” the ministry said on Telegram. It gave no information about possible casualties or damage.

The governor of Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, posted pictures on his Telegram channel which he said showed damage caused by a drone to an apartment block in the city of Kursk, with windows blown out.

But the Kyiv Post reports that a source in Ukraine’s SBU security service claimed Ukraine hit five Russian fighter jets in a drone strike on Kursk airfield, hitting four Su-30s, one MiG-29 – in addition to damaging two Pantsir missile launchers and an S-300 air defence system.

The source claimed that “only 3 of [the drones] were shot down by a leaky air defense system of Russia”, and noted that Russian officials recorded at least 13 explosions.

Listen as Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin confirmed dead by Russian officials

15:21 , Andy Gregory

Putin orders Wagner fighters to sign oath of allegiance following Prigozhin plane crash

14:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vladimir Putin has ordered Wagner fighters to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian state, amid anger in the mercenary group’s ranks over their leader’s apparent assassination in a plane crash near Moscow.

The decree was published on the Kremlin’s website and signed with immediate effect by Mr Putin, as his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted that claims Prigozhin had been killed on the Russian president’s orders were an “absolute lie”.

The wording of the oath includes a line in which those who take it promise to strictly follow the orders of commanders and senior leaders, as questions hang over the fate of the mercenaries – many of whom had already relocated to Belarus following their mutinous march on Moscow in June.

Putin orders Wagner fighters to sign oath of allegiance after Prigozhin death

Ukraine investigates incident that killed 3 pilots while Russia attacks with cruise missiles

14:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian authorities have launched an investigation after a midair collision between two warplanes in the west of the country killed three pilots.

Ukraine’s air force spokesman Yuri Ihnat told Ukrainian television on Sunday it wasn’t immediately clear how long the probe would take.

According to the air force’s Telegram page, two L-39 training military aircraft collided on Friday during a combat mission over Ukraine’s western Zhytomyr region. Three pilots were killed, including Andriy Pilshchykov, a well-known pilot with the nickname “Juice” who was an outspoken advocate for Ukraine getting F-16 fighter jets.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his nightly address on Saturday paid tribute to Pilshchykov, describing him as a “Ukrainian officer, one of those who helped our country a lot.”

Ukraine investigates incident that killed 3 pilots while Russia attacks with cruise missiles

Russia launches overnight air attack on northern, central Ukraine

14:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia launched an overnight air attack against Ukraine on Sunday, sending missiles over other northern and central parts of the country, authorities said.

The Ukrainian military reported shooting down four cruise missiles out of up to eight total airborne targets detected, adding that the rest of the targets were “probably false”.

It also said there were no immediate reports of strikes.

The governor of Kyiv region, Ruslan Kravchenko, said two people had been wounded and 10 buildings damaged by falling missile debris in one unspecified area of the region.

“Thanks to the professional work of the air defence forces, there were no strikes on critical or residential infrastructure,” he said in a statement.

All of Ukraine was under air raid alerts for about three hours early on Sunday before they were cleared at around 6 a.m. (0300 GMT).

Wagner chief dead: Listen as Russian officials confirm Yevgeny Prigozhin died in plane crash

14:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

This is the moment Russian officials confirmed the death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash in Moscow

Russia‘s Investigation Committee said the results of genetic tests had confirmed the identities of the 10 people who died in a plane crash last Wednesday and they included the founder of the Wagner mercenary group.

The statement reads: As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular genetic examinations have been completed. According to their results, the identities of all 10 dead were established, they correspond to the list stated in the flight sheet.”

Listen as Russian officials confirm Yevgeny Prigozhin’s died in plane crash

Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin? Wagner Group chief killed in plane crash

14:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Once a businessman with a catering empire friendly with Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin manoeuvred himself into a position so powerful that, as Russia’s war in Ukraine progressed, he could openly question his paymasters’ strategy.

The owner of the Kremlin-allied Wagner Group, the mercenary force that has fought some of the Russian military’s toughest battles in Ukraine – most notably the drawn-out pursuit of Bakhmut – the 62-year-old stepped into his most dangerous role yet this summer: preaching open rebellion against his country’s military leadership.

Now, two months after his men’s attempted uprising ended in uneasy peace talks, Prigozhin is dead in a plane crash just outside of Moscow.

All you need to know about Yevgeny Prigozhin as Wagner chief killed in plane crash

‘Gangster’ Putin committed ‘most ostentatious’ act of savagery in our lifetimes, says Boris

14:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Boris Johnson has said that Vladimir Putin’s “mask is now fully off”, as world leaders and commentators continue to question his role in the death of Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The former prime minister has described the downing of the Wagner chief’s plane as “violent liquidation” and claimed that Putin was “being transformed before our eyes into an Asiatic despot”.

“I cannot think of another example of such ostentatious and uninhibited savagery by a world leader – not in our lifetimes,” he said.

‘Gangster’ Putin committed ‘most ostentatious’ act of savagery, says Boris

If the Wagner mercenary chief is dead, he got the death he deserved

14:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Yes, Prigozhin led a mutiny against Putin. But don’t let that cloud your thinking about a man who was nothing more than a monster and a tyrant who earned his apparent violent end, our international editor Chris Stevenson writes:

It is not surprising that Russian authorities have declared Yevgeny Prigozhin dead. Given the attempted mutiny he led with the Wagner mercenary group against Moscow, the assumption was that he may not be long for this world. When it comes to the iron-grip President Vladimir Putin has on his nation – if you come for the king, as the adage goes, you best not miss.

But as the speculation swirls about the end of Prigozhin and the embarrassment that Putin could not let stand, it can be easy to brush past the terrible things Progozhin’s mercenaries are believed to have done. Let’s get this straight, Prigozhin deserved the end that all signs point to him having met.

It is Putin’s invasion of Ukraine that pushed Prigozhin truly into the public consciousness, with the group having been at the vanguard of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war around the eastern city of Bakhmut.

Opinion: If the Wagner mercenary chief is dead, he got the death he deserved

Wagner boss talks about ‘plane falling apart in the air’ in resurfaced clip fuelling conspiracy theories

14:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A resurfaced clip of the Wagner leader who was killed in a plane crash has resurfaced on social media, stoking conspiracy theories about his demise.

In the 40-second clip, the Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin compared Russia’s trajectory in the war to a plane that will “fall apart in the air”.

The ominous comparison has now added fuel to fire in the theory the Wagner chief was killed the order of Russian president Vladimir Putin, after Prigozhin has been confirmed as one of the passengers on a private jet that crashed northwest of Moscow with no survivors on Wednesday.

Wagner boss talks about ‘plane falling apart in the air’ in resurfaced clip

Prigozhin's final months were overshadowed by questions about what the Kremlin had in store for him

14:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Yevgeny Prigozhin smiled as a crowd of adoring fans surrounded his black SUV on June 24 in Russia’s southern city of Rostov-on-Don and cheered him on.

“You rock!” fans shouted while taking selfies with the chief of the Wagner mercenary group, who was sitting in the vehicle after nightfall. “You’re a lion! Hang in there!”

Prigozhin and his masked, camouflage-clad fighters were leaving the city after a daylong mutiny against the country’s military leadership. President Vladimir Putin decried it as “treason” and vowed punishment, but then cut a deal not to prosecute Prigozhin. Beyond that, his fate looked uncertain.

Prigozhin's final months were overshadowed by questions about what the Kremlin had in store for him

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin confirmed dead in plane crash by Russian investigators

14:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia’s Investigative Committee has confirmed Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash.

The committee said in a statement Sunday that after forensic testing, all 10 bodies recovered at the site of the crash were identified, and their identities “conform to the manifest.”

Russia’s civil aviation authority earlier this week said Prigozhin, along with some of his top lieutenants, were on the list of those on board the plane that crashed Wednesday.

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin confirmed dead by Russia after plane crash