Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin launches fresh drone strikes on Kyiv as air raid sirens wail across capital

Russia launched a fresh wave of drone strikes on Kyiv and other parts of the country early on Tuesday morning, Ukraine has said.

The Kremlin used Iranian-made Shahed drones to attack Kyiv for the sixth time this month, but all were shot down, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration, said.

Air raid sirens wailed across the capital and attacks were also reported in the north and centre of Ukraine but none in the south. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to buildings.

Air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said air defences had been engaged in three regions in the north of the country.

“About 10 drones were recorded, the information is being clarified,” he told Ukrainian television, adding that up to five were destroyed.

Earlier, thousands of Wagner group mercenaries have arrived in Belarus since the group’s short-lived rebellion, a military monitoring group said.

Between 3,450 and 3,650 soldiers have travelled to a camp close to Asipovichy, a town 230 kilometres (140 miles) north of the Ukrainian border, according to Belaruski Hajun, an activist group that tracks troop movements within the country.

Key Points

• Putin in fresh drone strikes on Kyiv

• Thousands of Wagner troops arrive in Belarus after failed Kremlin coup

• Russia launches sixth air attack on Kyiv this month

• Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant's fourth and fifth blocks in shutdown mode

• Moscow’s grain and fertiliser exports on agenda for Russia-Africa summit

• Russia threatens revenge after drone attacks on Moscow and Crimea

• Four injured as Russian attack on Odesa destroys grains depot, says Ukraine

• Putin gives chilling warning to Poland as Moscow ready to defend Belarus

Putin ‘looked paralysed and unable to act’ as Wagner coup unfolded

03:45 , Arpan Rai

Vladimir Putin was reportedly left “paralysed” when the Wagner coup began and no orders were given that day.

The mercenary group launched its short-lived mutiny on 24 June, driving its forces towards the Kremlin and preaching open rebellion against Russia’s military leadership – only to abandon its mission just hours later.

Now, security officials from Ukraine and other parts of Europe have spoken out, claiming the Russian president was unable to act when he first heard the news.

According to intelligence assessments shared with the Washington Post, Mr Putin got a warning from Russian security services that the leader of the Wagner Group Yevgeniy Prigozhin was possibly planning a rebellion, two or three days before it began.

Putin ‘looked paralyzed and unable to act’ as Wagner coup unfolded

Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet vows to return to the West despite cultural boycott

09:37 , Laura Sharman

The artistic director of Moscow’s state-owned Bolshoi Ballet has vowed that his company will eventually perform in the West again, having been subject to a cultural boycott since Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.

In its first international tour since the pandemic, the storied ballet company performed at Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts on Tuesday.

Speaking in Beijing on the eve of the performance, artistic director Makhar Vaziev, 62, insisted the troupe was “not suffering” from being unable to perform in the West.

“I have no doubt that one day everything will go back to how it should be because culture is a wave that is very hard to suppress,” he added.

“Many governments have banned cultural figures from Russia...but we are still talking to the same people we talked to in the past.”

The Bolshoi’s dancers hope their performances will herald a return to the global stage for the crown jewel of Russian culture, which toured the world even in the most tense days of the Cold War.

But the company only has two further confirmed international stops so far: the Belarusian capital Minsk in November, and Oman in January 2024.

Putin invited to visit China and plans to go in October

09:12 , Laura Sharman

Vladimir Putin has been invited to visit China, according to a foreign policy adviser at the Kremlin.

The Russian president plans to travel to the country in October when the One Belt One Road forum will take place, Yury Ushakov said.

It comes after China’s foreign minister Wang Yi announced the country is open to working with Russia as well as Brazil, India, and South Africa on “more practical cooperation” when it comes to the challenges of international secnrutiy.

Greek politician urges government to seek help from Russia to fight wildfires

08:39 , Laura Sharman

A former Greek defence minister has urged the Greek government to seek help from Russia to fight the devastating wildfires.

Panos Kamennos claims it is impossible to cope with the ravaging fires without the support of the Russian Be-200 amphibious aircraft.

“Without Beriev, nothing happens. Let’s bow out heads and ask for help now. We will be given...” he said in a social media post.

North Korea to welcome Russia with military display after pandemic isolation

08:28 , Laura Sharman

After years of pandemic isolation, North Korea has invited its friends back this week, hosting senior Russian delegations for 70th anniversary commemorations of the Korean War and the struggle against the United States and its allies.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is expected to be presented with one of North Korea’s signature events: a massive military parade showcasing its latest weaponry.

Chinese officials have also been invited to the event.

Analysts say the spectacle will likely include the North’s nuclear-tipped missiles banned by the United Nations Security Council, where Russia and China are permanent members.

The visits are the first known foreign delegations to visit North Korea since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

North Korea’s capital Pyongyang has looked to deepen its ties with Beijing and Moscow, finding common ground in their rivalries with Washington and the West.

Thursday’s holiday, in which North Korea celebrates what it sees as a victory over US-led allied forces in the 1950 to 1953 Korean War, provides a chance for Pyongyang to highlight the Cold War days when North Korean troops fought with Chinese and Russian support.

Ukraine’s allies commit $244m for humanitarian demining, says official

07:46 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s allies have committed to allocate $244m (£189m) in addition to special equipment for the country’s humanitarian demining needs, first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.

“Our task is not only to demine the entire territory in order to save people’s lives, but also to speed up this process,” Ms Svyrydenko, who is also economy minister, said in a statement on the government’s website.

“This is a question of economic recovery, because the sooner we return potentially mined lands to circulation, the faster business will develop on them,” the official said.

Russia left large areas of land filled with mines after it halted its initial full-scale invasion in Ukraine in the first half of last year and moved its forces to the east.

Ukraine’s international partners Japan, Canada, Korea, Switzerland, Lithuania, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the United Nations Development Programme, and others have committed to hundreds of metal detectors and pyrotechnic machines, as well as individual demining kits and gear.

Increasing violence in Black Sea amid war expected, says UK MoD

07:20 , Arpan Rai

The British Ministry of Defence has said that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has altered its posture since Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), in preparedness to enforce a blockade on Ukraine.

“The modern corvette SERGEY KOTOV, has deployed to the southern Black Sea, patrolling the shipping lane between the Bosphorus and Odesa. There is a realistic possibility that it will form part of a task group to intercept commercial vessels Russia believes are heading to Ukraine,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that the grain initiative has moderated the involvement of the Black Sea in the war. “There is now the potential for the intensity and scope of violence in the area to increase,” the ministry said.

Wave of wounded soldiers reaching Ukrainian surgeons since counteroffensive began

06:48 , Arpan Rai

Wounded soldiers being evacuated from trenches in the east, forests in the north and the open fields of the south begin showing up at the Mechnikov Hospital in late afternoon. They are followed by dozens more in desperate need of surgery who are wheeled in before the sun rises the next day.This massive spike in the count of wounded soldiers coincides with the major counteroffensive Ukraine launched in June to try to recapture its land, nearly one-fifth of which is now under Russian control.

Surgeons at Mechnikov are busier now than perhaps at any other time since Russia began its full-scale invasion 17 months ago, according to doctors at the hospital, who declined to be more specific, reports Associated Press.In a war where casualty counts are treated as state secrets, the hospital — one of Ukraine‘s biggest — serves as a measurement of distant battles. When they intensify, so does the doctors’ workload, which these days consists of 50 to 100 surgeries per night.“Here, we see the worst of the front line,” Dr Serhii Ryzhenko, the hospital’s 59-year-old chief doctor, says with a weary smile. “We have 50 operating rooms, and it’s not enough.”

Blinken defends latest tranche of Ukraine aid: ‘Russia could end this war at any time'

06:16 , Arpan Rai

Secretary of State Antony Blinken remarked on the latest military aid announcement for Ukraine by the US, defending the assistance in the continuing war as an act of solidarity with Kyiv.

“Russia could end this war at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks against Ukraine‘s cities and people. Until it does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine, for as long as it takes,” Mr Blinken said in a statement.

The attacks from Russia on Ukraine ports and Ukrainian infrastructure have shot up after Vladimir Putin withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative last week.

Russia, whose 16-month full-scale invasion of Ukraine has caused deaths of thousands and the displacement of millions of civilians, denounced the new US package.

“The actions by Washington... are beyond morality and common sense,” Russia’s ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov said in a post on the embassy’s Telegram channel.

US to deliver Black Hornet spy drone for Ukraine in fresh military aid

05:53 , Arpan Rai

The US Department of Defence has announced $400m (£310m) in additional security assistance for Ukraine and will deliver air defence missiles, armoured vehicles and small drones.

The new aid package will for the first time include US-furnished Black Hornet surveillance drones, made by Teledyne FLIR Defence.

The Norwegian-built Hornet is being used in Ukraine through donations by the British and Norwegian governments, the company said. FLIR Unmanned Aerial Systems was awarded a $93m (£72m) contract in April to provide the small reconnaissance drones to the US army.

In addition, the weapons aid package includes munitions for Patriot air defence systems and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), Stinger anti-aircraft systems, more ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Stryker Armoured Personnel Carriers and a variety of other missiles and rockets.

Wagner gold smuggling critical to keeping Russia’s economy afloat, MPs say

05:00 , Arpan Rai

A UK parliamentary report has suggested Russia’s economy is being kept afloat by “critical” gold-smuggling operations by the Wagner mercenary group led by its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The report by the foreign affairs committee said that Mr Prigozhin’s Wagner Group is smuggling “significant” quantities of the precious metal out of Sudan.

The private military company (PMC) has been simultaneously supporting Sudan’s RSF paramilitary group and its army forces since conflict erupted between the military factions in April, the committee said.

The panel has called on Wagner to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation, and said its activities in Sudan were “mainly” non-combat.

Wagner gold smuggling critical to keeping Russia’s economy afloat, MPs say

Ban Russia’s Wagner as a terrorist group, say UK lawmakers

04:05 , Arpan Rai

Britain has “underplayed and underestimated” the threat posed by the Russian Wagner mercenary group and should ban it as a terrorist organisation, a powerful committee of UK lawmakers have appealed.

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said the sanctions imposed by Britain on Wagner are “underwhelming” and UK authorities have done little to track the private army’s activities beyond Ukraine, where it has fought as part of Russia’s invading forces.

“There are serious national security threats to the UK and its allies of allowing the network to continue to thrive,” said the committee, whose members come from both governing and opposition parties.

It said Britain should “urgently proscribe the Wagner Network as a terrorist organisation,” something the Conservative government has so far been unwilling to do.

Read the full story here:

Lawmakers say the UK should ban Russia's Wagner as a terrorist group

Trevor Reed, US Marine freed from Russia in prisoner swap, injured fighting in Ukraine

04:00 , Martha Mchardy

Trevor Reed, a former US Marine freed from a Russian prison last year, was injured while fighting as an international volunteer in Ukraine, according to US officials.

A pair of defence sources told The Messenger that Mr Reed, who came back to the US in a high-profile prisoner swap in April 2022, stepped on a land mine in Ukraine and was not in the country acting on behalf of the US government in any way.

“Since the beginning of the war, we have warned that US citizens who travel to Ukraine, especially with the purpose of participating in fighting there, that they face significant risks, including the very real risk of capture or death,” one of the officials said.

Trevor Reed, US Marine freed from Russian prison, injured fighting in Ukraine

Today in pictures

03:00 , Martha Mchardy

Putin ‘looked paralyzed and unable to act’ as Wagner coup unfolded

02:00 , Martha Mchardy

Vladimir Putin was reportedly left “paralysed” when the Wagner coup began and no orders were given that day.

The mercenary group launched its short-lived mutiny on 24 June, driving its forces towards the Kremlin and preaching open rebellion against Russia’s military leadership – only to abandon its mission just hours later.

Now, security officials from Ukraine and other parts of Europe have spoken out, claiming the Russian president was unable to act when he first heard the news.

According to intelligence assessments shared with the Washington Post, Mr Putin got a warning from Russian security services that the leader of the Wagner Group Yevgeniy Prigozhin was possibly planning a rebellion, two or three days before it began.

Lucy Skoulding reports:

Putin ‘looked paralyzed and unable to act’ as Wagner coup unfolded

EU agriculture ministers meet to discuss vital Ukraine grain exports after Russia nixed deal

01:00 , Martha Mchardy

European Union agriculture ministers met Tuesday to discuss ways of moving grain vital to global food security out of Ukraine after Russia halted a deal that allowed the exports. At the same time, they want to protect prices for farmers in countries bordering the war-ravaged nation.

The ministers met in Brussels for the first time since Russia pulled the plug last week on the wartime deal that allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices have pushed more people into poverty.

The deal provided guarantees that ships would not be attacked when entering and leaving Ukrainian ports, while a separate agreement facilitated the movement of Russian food and fertilizer.

Read the full story:

EU agriculture ministers meet to discuss vital Ukraine grain exports after Russia nixed deal

Anger grows in Ukraine's port city of Odesa after Russian bombardment hits beloved historic sites

Wednesday 26 July 2023 00:00 , Martha Mchardy

Tetiana Khlapova’s hand trembled as she recorded the wreckage of Odesa’s devastated Transfiguration Cathedral on her cellphone and cursed Russia, her native land.

Khlapova was raised in Ukraine and had always dreamed of living in the seaside city. But not as the war refugee that she has become.

In only a week, Russia has fired dozens of missiles and drones at the Odesa region. None struck quite as deeply as the one that destroyed the cathedral, which stands at the heart of the city’s romantic, notorious past and its deep roots in both Ukrainian and Russian culture.

“I am a refugee from Kharkiv. I endured that hell and came to sunny Odesa, the pearl, the heart of our Ukraine,” said Khlapova, who has lived in the country for 40 of her 50 years.

Her neck still has a shrapnel scar from the third day of the war, when her apartment was hit. On Day 4, she fled to Odesa.

Read the full story:

Anger grows in Ukraine's port city of Odesa after Russian bombardment hits beloved historic sites

Unilever chose ‘least bad’ option by staying in Russia, boss says

Tuesday 25 July 2023 23:00 , Martha Mchardy

The boss Unilever has insisted that the company chose the “least bad” option by staying in Russia days after the consumer goods giant admitted it would allow its Russian staff to fight in Ukraine if they were called up.

The business, which is behind dozens of brands including Ben & Jerry’s, Dove soap and Hellmann’s mayonnaise, was earlier this month named as an “international sponsor of war” by Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention.

On a call with reporters on Tuesday, chief executive Hein Schumacher said that Unilever was guided by two main principles in how it runs its Russia business.

August Graham reports:

Unilever chose ‘least bad’ option by staying in Russia, boss says

Russia declares independent TV channel 'undesirable,' banning it from country

Tuesday 25 July 2023 22:00 , Martha Mchardy

The Russian prosecutor-general’s office on Tuesday declared independent TV channel Dozhd to be an undesirable organization, continuing the country’s wide crackdown on news media and groups regarded as threats to Russia’s security.

The designation outlaws Dozhd from operating in Russia and exposes its journalists, staff and donors to potential criminal charges.

Dozhd, which is often critical of the Kremlin, closed its operations in Russia soon after the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, moving first to Latvia and then to the Netherlands. The prosecutor-general’s office said Dozhd had spread extremist material and discredited authorities.

Read the full story:

Russia declares independent TV channel 'undesirable,' banning it from country

Estonian-based fighter jet pilots focused despite Ukraine war – RAF commander

Tuesday 25 July 2023 21:00 , Martha Mchardy

Pilots flying fighter jets in Estonia are “very well placed” to deal with threats in the Baltic Sea despite the Russian war in Ukraine, an RAF Lossiemouth wing commander has said.

British military personnel have been deployed at the eastern European country’s Amari airbase since March to uphold security in the region as part of Nato’s Baltic air police mission.

The mission, known as Operation Azotize, began in March 2023 and is the second deployment in the region since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Read the full story:

Estonian-based fighter jet pilots focused despite Ukraine war – RAF commander

Watch: Russian fighter jet damages US drone with flares over Syria

Tuesday 25 July 2023 20:15 , Martha Mchardy

Russian military delegation to join Chinese in North Korea visit

Tuesday 25 July 2023 19:51 , Martha Mchardy

A Russian delegation led by defence minister Sergei Shoigu will visit North Korea this week, Shoigu’s ministry announced on Tuesday, joining a Chinese group as the first such public visitors to the country since the start of the pandemic.

The delegations will visit to celebrate the 70th anniversary of “Victory Day” on Thursday in Pyongyang, state media agency KCNA reported, with Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong leading the group from his country.

Russia’s Defence Ministry, whose delegation will visit from Tuesday to Thursday, said it had been invited by its North Korean counterpart and would attend the Victory Day events.

“This visit will contribute to strengthening Russian-North Korean military ties and will be an important stage in the development of cooperation between the two countries,” the ministry said in a statement.

North Korea closed its border in early 2020 to all trade and diplomatic exchanges, even with its main economic and political partners China and Russia. The state media report did not say whether the visits would mark any change in policy.

The anniversary events are expected to include a major military parade in North Korea’s capital.

Marine veteran freed from Russia in 2022 prisoner swap is injured while fighting in Ukraine, US says

Tuesday 25 July 2023 19:15 , Martha Mchardy

A former U.S. Marine who was released from Russia in a prisoner swap last year has been injured while fighting in Ukraine, the State Department and a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

Trevor Reed was injured several weeks ago, according to the person, who was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said Reed was taken to Germany for medical care. He said Reed was not acting on behalf of the U.S. government.

Reed was released from Russian custody in a prisoner swap last year in exchange for a Russian pilot imprisoned in the U.S. for a drug trafficking conspiracy.

US announces $400 mln in security aid for Ukraine

Tuesday 25 July 2023 18:45 , Martha Mchardy

The United States will provide up to $400 mln in additional security assistance for Ukraine, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday.

The new aid will include air defence munitions, armoured vehicles and anti-armour weapons, it said in a statement.

Putin passes law banning Russians from changing gender in latest blow to LGBT+ communit

Tuesday 25 July 2023 18:30 , Martha Mchardy

Vladimir Putin has signed a new controversial legislation banning surgical gender reassignment in Russia in yet another blow to the country’s LGBT+ population.

Crackdowns against the LGBT+ community and gender minorities in the country have only gathered pace ever since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year as the Russian president seeks popularity among citizens.

The latest move by Mr Putin on Monday marks Russia’s final step in rendering gender-affirming procedures illegal and depriving its transgender population of their right to access gender-reassignment services.

Arpan Rai reports:

Putin signs off law banning Russians from changing gender in blow to LGBT+ community

Putin was told of Wagner mutiny plot but failed to stop it - Washington Post

Tuesday 25 July 2023 18:00 , Martha Mchardy

Russian president Vladimir Putin failed to stop a rebellion by Wagner fighters last month despite being warned of the mutiny days in advance, the Washington Post reported.

President Putin was allegedly told two or three days before the June 23 uprising that Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin was preparing a possible rebellion.

“Putin had time to take the decision to liquidate [the mutiny] and arrest the organisers,” an unnamed European security official said.

“Then when it began to happen, there was paralysis on all levels … There was absolute dismay and confusion. For a long time, they did not know how to react.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the claims as “nonsense” shared by “people who have zero information.”

Kremlin adviser: Putin set to visit China in October

Tuesday 25 July 2023 17:29 , Martha Mchardy

Russian president Vladimir Putin intends to visit China in October, planning his visit to coincide with a “One Belt, One Road” forum, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov told reporters on Tuesday, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

China has become Russia’s most significant ally since early last year, when the West’s already strained ties with Moscow were chilling further as Putin was preparing to send his armed forces into Ukraine.

Putin last visited Beijing just before the invasion, which Russia calls a “special military operation”, and together with Chinese president Xi Jinping announced a “no limits” partnership that has extended into economic, trade, political and military areas.

China has declined to blame Moscow for the war and condemned Western sanctions on Russia, even as it has profited by securing discounts for oil and gas that Russia no longer sells to Europe, and watched Russia increasingly use its yuan as a reserve currency, in preference to the U.S. dollar.

Xi in turn came to Moscow in March, sealing a series of economic and other agreements with his “dear friend” Putin.

China presented a paper in Moscow calling for a de-escalation and eventual ceasefire in Ukraine, but Kyiv and its Western allies rejected the plan, saying it would lock in Russian territorial gains.

Former Russian defence workers sentenced for spying on behalf of Ukraine

Tuesday 25 July 2023 17:25 , Martha Mchardy

Two former Russian defence workers have been jailed for treason after being found guilty of spying for Ukraine.

The couple, who were formerly married, were sentenced to 17 and 13 years in prison after being accused of passing military intelligence to Kyiv.

The two former defence workers also planned to blow up railway lines in the Kursk and Belgorod regions., the Kursk Regional Court said in a statement.

The couple, identified as R.A. Sidorkin and T.A. Sidorkina by the FSB, were accused of handing over technical documents and models used in the manufacture of weapons systems for Russia’s air force.

The FSB said it had seized plastic explosives, four detonators, military design documentation and $150,000 in cash.

Sidorkin, 50, was additionally charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and sentenced to 17 years.

Sidorkina, 41, was sentenced to 13 years.

Ukrainian politician arrested over alleged collaboration with Russia

Tuesday 25 July 2023 17:15 , Martha Mchardy

A Ukrainian politician suspected of collaborating with Russia has been arrested, the country’s prosecutor general’s office has said.

Oleksandr Ponomaryov, a lawmaker elected for a now-banned party accused of ties to Russia, was placed in detention without bail by Kyiv’s Pechersk district court, the prosecutor’s office said.

He is accused of going “over to the side of the enemy” and helping Russia occupy the city of Berdyansk.

Putin visit to Turkey planned, but no firm date yet

Tuesday 25 July 2023 16:59 , Martha Mchardy

Senior Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov said on Tuesday that a visit by Russian president Vladimir Putin to Turkey is in both countries’ plans, but no firm date has yet been agreed, the Russian state news agency TASS reported.

Putin to discuss Ukraine with African leaders at July 28 summit

Tuesday 25 July 2023 16:30 , Martha Mchardy

Russian president Vladimir Putin will discuss Ukraine with a group of African leaders in a working dinner at a summit in St Petersburg on July 28, Russian news agencies quoted Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov as saying on Tuesday.

The state news agency RIA quoted Ushakov as saying that 17 African heads of state would speak at the Russia-Africa summit, which takes place this Thursday and Friday.

Ukraine not ‘slowing down pace’ of its ambitions to join Nato, says Zelensky

Tuesday 25 July 2023 16:27 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine is not “slowing down the pace” of its ambitions to join Nato, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

In a tweet, the Ukrainian president said: “We are not slowing down the pace of our integration with Nato. I brought together representatives of the Verkhovna Rada and government officials to prepare practical steps to implement the decisions of the Vilnius summit.

“In particular, we have a clear plan to launch the Nato-Ukraine council at all levels. We will see its work at the ambassadorial level tomorrow during an urgently convened meeting on the situation in the Black Sea.

“We are also starting to jointly prepare an interoperability plan with the Alliance.”

Russian fighter jet damages US drone with flares over Syria

Tuesday 25 July 2023 16:08 , Martha Mchardy

A Russian fighter jet flew within a few metres of a US drone over Syria and fired flares at it, striking the aircraft and damaging it, the US military said.

A senior Air Force commander said the move on Sunday was an attempt by the Russians to knock the MQ-9 Reaper drone out of the sky and came just a week after a Russian fighter jet flew dangerously close to a US surveillance aircraft carrying a crew in the region, jeopardising the lives of the four Americans on board.

“One of the Russian flares struck the US MQ-9, severely damaging its propeller,” Lt Gen Alex Grynkewich, the head of US Air Forces Central, said in a statement describing the latest close call.

“We call upon the Russian forces in Syria to put an immediate end to this reckless, unprovoked and unprofessional behavior.”

Lt Gen Grynkewich said one of the crew members operating the drone remotely kept it in the air and flew it back to its home base.

The incident is the latest in a series of encounters between Russian fighter jets and US aircraft flying over Syria. In all but the one instance a week ago, the US aircraft were MQ-9 drones without crew members.

On that Sunday, however, the Russian Su-35 jet few close to a US MC-12 surveillance aircraft with a crew, forcing it to go through the turbulent wake.

US officials at the time called it a significant escalation in the ongoing string of encounters between US and Russian aircraft that could have resulted in an accident or loss of life. They said the Russian move hampered the crew members’ ability to safely operate their plane.

In recent weeks, US officials said, Russian fighter jets have repeatedly harassed US MQ-9 drones, which are conducting anti-Islamic State group missions, largely in western Syria.

On multiple occasions in the past three weeks, the officials said, Russian fighter jets flew dangerously close to the US Reapers, setting off flares and forcing the drones to take evasive maneuvers.

US and Russian military officers communicate frequently over a deconfliction phone line during the encounters, protesting against the other side’s actions.

There are about 900 US forces in Syria, and others move in and out to conduct missions targeting Islamic State group militants.

EU ready to move almost all of Ukraine’s grain exports via solidarity lanes

Tuesday 25 July 2023 15:01 , Martha Mchardy

The European Union is ready to export almost all of Ukraine’s agriculture goods via solidarity lanes, the EU’s agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said.

“We are ready to export almost everything. This is about 4 million tonnes per month of oilseeds and grains and we achieved this volume in November last year,” he told reporters.

Prior to Russia pulling out of the U.N.-backed grain deal this month, he said 60% of Ukraine’s exports were shipped via solidarity lanes while 40% went via the Black Sea.

UN says Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk not killed by rocket, as Russia claimed

Tuesday 25 July 2023 14:51 , Martha Mchardy

The U.N. human rights chief on Tuesday called for accountability for the deaths of at least 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war last year in an explosion in a Donetsk region detention facility, rejecting Moscow’s claim that they were killed by a rocket.

The prisoners being held in a Russian-controlled detention facility in Olenivka, in the eastern Donetsk region, were killed by an apparent explosion July 28-29 2022. Unverified Russia media video footage showed the burned out remains of the prison and charred bodies.

Russia’s defence ministry said at the time that a missile strike by a U.S.-made HIMARS rocket was responsible. Kyiv, which frequently raises the incident, has maintained that Russia conducted the explosion at the Olenivka prison in order to hide mistreatment of the Ukrainian captives held inside.

Russia’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Moscow has previously denied maltreating POWs.

“The prisoners of war who were injured or died at Olenivka, and their family members, deserve the truth to be known, and for those responsible for breaches of international law to be held accountable,” said High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk in a statement sent to journalists.

The UN rights body, which said it has conducted extensive interviews with survivors and analysed additional information, added that the incident “was not caused by a HIMARS rocket”.

It said that it has not identified the source of the explosion but would continue to follow up on the incident. Russia has not granted requests to access parts of Ukraine under temporary Russian control nor given the satisfactory safety assurances for a site visit, the statement added.

The U.N. rights office has previously said both Russia and Ukraine have abused prisoners of war during the conflict, although the former has done so on a bigger scale.

Moldova to summon Russian ambassador over spying claims

Tuesday 25 July 2023 14:31 , Martha Mchardy

Moldova’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday it would summon Russian ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov for an explanation of media reports that equipment has been installed on the Russian embassy’s rooftop that could be used for spying.

The Insider media outlet and television channel Jurnal TV said 28 satellite dishes, masts, and transmitting and receiving devices had been installed on the embassy and a neighbouring residential building used by diplomats and technical personnel.

They said in a joint report that people associated with Russian intelligence had been seen on the buildings.

“We consider espionage or foreign interference in the internal affairs of Moldova to be absolutely unacceptable, which represents a direct challenge to the sovereignty and national security of the Moldovan state,” the ministry said.

The embassy and Moscow did not immediately comment on the ministry statement or on the media report.

Russia has denied repeated Moldovan accusations of meddling in its affairs, particularly over the breakaway region of Transdniestria, where Moscow has a contingent of peacekeepers.

Tension has also mounted over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moldova, which borders Ukraine, has criticised the invasion and Russia’s war on its neighbour.

In February, Russia rejected an accusation by Moldova’s president that Moscow was plotting to destabilise the former Soviet republic. The Russian foreign ministry described such assertions as “completely unfounded and unsubstantiated.”

Why are Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – and would they try to invade Poland?

Tuesday 25 July 2023 14:18 , Martha Mchardy

Thousands of Wagner group mercenaries have arrived in Belarus since its failed mutiny against Moscow led by founder Yevgeny Prigozhin – leading to Nato-member Poland reinforcing its eastern border from the “potential threat” they pose.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko welcomed Wagner forces into the country after brokering a deal between the Kremlin and Mr Prigozhin – stopping the mercenaries march on Moscow about 125 miles from the capital. He and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spoken about the mercenaries on a number of occasions, including during two days of talks over the weekend and into Monday, the Kremlin said on Tuesday. Mr Putin has said that any aggression from

The Wagner chief called the mutiny a “march of justice” to oust the top military leaders. The mercenaries faced little resistance and downed at least six military helicopters and a command post aircraft, killing a number of Russian troops.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Why are Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – and would they try to invade Poland?

Kremlin: Putin and Lukashenko discussed Wagner, economic cooperation, external threats

Tuesday 25 July 2023 13:50 , Martha Mchardy

Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko discussed the Wagner mercenary group, economic cooperation and external threats during two days of talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

Lukashenko, who helped broker a deal to end a mutiny against the army’s top brass by the Wagner group last month, flew to St Petersburg on Sunday to start the talks with Putin.

The two men have met regularly, as well as talking by phone, since Lukashenko allowed Belarus to be used as a staging post for Russia’s armed forces when they launched what Moscow calls its “special military operation” against Ukraine in February 2022.

Peskov said the two men had not set out to reach any new agreements in the latest talks, but that “within the framework of very close relations, the presidents synchronise their positions, synchronise their watches”.

He said the agenda had taken in “the theme of the Wagner Group, and the theme of trade and economic cooperation, and the Union State, and external threats along the perimeter of our countries.”

Russia and Belarus are linked in a partnership called the “Union State” in which Moscow is the dominant player.

Lukashenko has proved his usefulness to Putin not only in February 2022 but also by letting Russian forces train at his military bases and station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

The Kremlin also credited Lukashenko with brokering last month’s deal to end the mutiny, under which Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was allowed to relocate to Belarus. Thousands of his fighters have since moved there.

Russian could target civilian ships in Black Sea after grain deal collapse, warns Cleverly

Tuesday 25 July 2023 13:30 , Martha Mchardy

Russian could target civilian ships in the Black Sea in a bid to “destroy” Ukraine’s exports following the collapse of a crucial grain deal, the Government has warned.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly warned: “The UK believes that Russia may escalate its campaign to destroy Ukraine’s food exports by targeting civilian ships in the Black Sea.”

He said that the Government would raise this “unconscionable behaviour” at the UN Security Council.

“Russia should stop holding global food supplies hostage and return to the deal,” Mr Cleverly said.

The deal, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, was broken off earlier this month by Russia in a move that sparked fresh concerns about global food security as the war drags on.

In recent days Russia has also fired dozens of missiles and drones at the Odesa region, a key Ukrainian hub for exporting grain.

UK PM and Zelensky agree on need for Ukraine to be able to export grain

Tuesday 25 July 2023 13:25 , Martha Mchardy

Prime minister Rishi Sunak and Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky agreed on Tuesday on the importance of ensuring Ukraine can export grain to international markets, Sunak’s office said following a call between the pair.

“Discussing the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the leaders agreed on the importance of ensuring grain was able to be exported from Ukraine to reach international markets,” a spokesperson for Sunak said in a statement.

“The prime minister said the UK was working closely with Turkey on restoring the grain deal, and we would continue to use our role as chair of the UN Security Council to further condemn Russia’s behaviour.”

Sunak also told Zelensky he was appalled by the devastation caused by the recent Russian attacks on Odesa, the statement said.

Kremlin says it is impossible to return to Black Sea grain deal for now

Tuesday 25 July 2023 13:16 , Martha Mchardy

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it was impossible for Russia to return to the Black Sea grain export deal for now, as an agreement related to Russian interests was “not being implemented”.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, however, that president Vladimir Putin had made it clear that the deal could be revived if the Russia-focused part of the agreement was honoured.

The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, aimed to help prevent a global food crisis by allowing grain blocked by the conflict in Ukraine to be safely exported.

Peskov said it would be important for Russia to discuss grain supplies with African countries at a Russia-Africa summit later this week.

Russian lawmakers vote to raise conscription age limit to 30

Tuesday 25 July 2023 13:11 , Martha Mchardy

Russia’s lower house of parliament voted on Tuesday to raise the maximum age at which men can be conscripted from 27 to 30 years, increasing the number of young men liable for a year of compulsory military service at any one time.

The law will come into effect on Jan. 1.

Sunak reaffirms UK support for Ukraine in call with Zelensky

Tuesday 25 July 2023 11:08 , Matt Mathers

Prime minister Rishi Sunak reaffirmed the UK’s support for Ukraine in a call with president Zelensky this morning.

The two leaders said they looked forward to speaking with one another again “soon”, a Downing Street readout of the call said.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The UK continued to support Ukraine’s air defence and artillery needs with more ammunition and missiles being delivered, the prime minister said.

"Reflecting on long-term security assurances, the leaders agreed the number of countries who had put themselves forward to sign up to the multilateral Joint Declaration was a testament to the international support for Ukraine.

"The leaders looked forward to speaking again soon."

UN warns of mines near occupied nuclear plant

Tuesday 25 July 2023 10:40 , Matt Mathers

The UN atomic watchdog staff at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine have reported seeing anti-personnel mines around the site as Kyiv pursues a counter-offensive against the Kremlin’s forces after 17 months of war.

"Having such explosives on the site is inconsistent with the IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance and creates additional psychological pressure on plant staff," International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi said.

However, any detonation of the mines, located between the site’s internal and external perimeter barriers, "should not affect the site’s nuclear safety and security systems", the statement added.

Russia launches fresh strikes on Kyiv

Tuesday 25 July 2023 09:46 , Matt Mathers

Russia launched new drone strikes on Kyiv and parts of central and northern Ukraine early on Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

There were also no reports of new attacks on southern Ukraine, which had been struck almost every night since Russia pulled out of a deal allowing the safe export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea on July 17.

Russia used Iranian-made Shahed drones to attack Kyiv for the sixth time this month, but all were shot down, said Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration.

Air raid alerts blared for more than three-and-half hours over the Kyiv region. Regional governor Ruslan Kravchenko said there had been no reports of damage or casualties although falling debris set off a fire in a field.

Air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said air defences had been engaged in three regions in the north of the country.

"About 10 drones were recorded, the information is being clarified," he told Ukrainian television, adding that up to five were destroyed.

Ukraine makes small gains in south - Kyiv

Tuesday 25 July 2023 09:07 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine has made small advances against Russian troops in the south of the country, Ukraine’s armed forces has said/

Andriy Kovaliov, spokesperson for the armed forces general staff, said Ukrainian troops had made gains in the direction of the southeastern village of Staromayorske, near settlements recaptured by Ukraine last month in the Donetsk region.

Kyiv says it has retaken more than 192 sq km of land in the south and 35 sq km in the east since launching its counteroffensive, a senior defence official said on Monday.

Moscow and Crimea hit by drone attacks – as Russia strikes ports on the Danube

Tuesday 25 July 2023 08:45 , Matt Mathers

Two drones have crashed into buildings in Moscow, Russian officials said, with one crashing close to the Defence Ministry in the city centre.

Nobody was hurt in the drone attack early on Monday morning, while a senior Ukrainian official said there would be more to come.

One drone struck close to the Moscow building where the Russian military holds briefings, a symbolic blow which underscores the reach of such drones.

Full report:

Moscow and Crimea hit by drone attacks – as Russia strikes ports on the Danube

Russian diplomat says there are no talks on restoring grain deal - RIA

Tuesday 25 July 2023 08:17 , Matt Mathers

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Vershinin said on Tuesday that no talks on resuming the Black Sea grain export deal were currently under way, the RIA news agency reported.

The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, aimed to prevent a global food crisis by allowing grain blocked by the war in Ukraine to be safely exported.

Russia announced it was withdrawing from the deal last week.

Russia targeting Odesa over belief that Ukraine is storing military assets there, says UK MoD

Tuesday 25 July 2023 06:54 , Arpan Rai

The British Ministry of Defence has claimed that Russia is now “less politically constrained” after walking out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and is striking the Odesa port more in recent days as it believes Ukraine is storing military equipment there.

“Since 28 July, Russia has conducted greater numbers of long-range strikes against Odesa and other areas of southern Ukraine. These attacks have featured an unusual number of AS-4 KITCHEN missiles, a 5.5 tonne weapon originally designed to destroy aircraft carriers,” the ministry said today in its latest intelligence update.

It added that the Russian attacks have damaged several grain silos at Chronomorsk Port, south of Odesa, as well as the historic city centre.

The ministry pointed to Russia’s extended one-way attack drone strikes to the docks of the Danube River, approximately 200 metres from the Romanian border, yesterday.

Russia generally refrained from targeting civilian infrastructure in the southern port region between August last year and June this year, when the Black Sea grain deal was still in force, the ministry said.

“Since Russia failed to renew the deal, the Kremlin likely feels less politically constrained, and is attempting to strike targets in Odesa because it believes Ukraine is storing military assets in these areas. Since the start of the war, Russia’s strike campaign has been characterised by poor intelligence and a dysfunctional targeting process,” it added.

Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant's fourth and fifth blocks in shutdown mode

Tuesday 25 July 2023 06:17 , Arpan Rai

Russia-installed officials at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant said the fourth and fifth blocks of the facility were put in a shutdown mode for inspection purposes.

“In order to conduct a scheduled technical inspection of the equipment of power unit number 5, the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant decided to transfer it to the ‘cold shutdown,’ state,” the administration said on its Telegram channel.

“And in order to provide steam for the station’s own needs, the reactor plant of power unit number 4 was transferred to the ‘hot shutdown’ state.”

The plant has been under Russia’s control from the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has seen continuous shelling from both sides, risking the nuclear plant’s safety.