Ukraine-Russia war – latest: Explosions reported on Crimean bridge amid ‘emergency situation’

Officials closed roads leading to the Kerch Bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula in the early hours today citing an “emergency situation” amid multiple reports of explosions.

There was no immediate confirmation of an attack on the bridge, a critical supply route of munitions for Russian fighters in Ukraine, but it has been struck at least once previously since Vladimir Putin’s invasion began more than 500 days ago.

Preliminary visuals of the lit-up Kerch Bridge on social media appeared to show a portion had been damaged. Russian military bloggers reported two missile strikes on the overpass.

The RBC-Ukraine news agency said explosions were heard on the bridge.

The bridge suffered a powerful blast in October last year, killing three people, which Mr Putin called a “terrorist attack” orchestrated by the Ukrainian security services.

Kyiv has never claimed responsibility for attacks outside its soil but Volodymyr Zelensky indirectly suggested that his country was responsible for the attack as he listed it as one of his army’s “successes” in 2022.

Key Points

• Residents asked not to travel on Crimean Bridge amid ‘emergency'

• Vladimir Putin issues cluster bomb threat to Kyiv

• Russia claims to shoot down Ukrainian drones over Sevastopol

• Russia's Wagner fighters are training soldiers in Belarus - ministry

• Putin offered Wagner the chance to keep fighting under ‘Grey Hair’ commander

• Russian official says Ukraine shelled border town

• Underwater drones used in Crimea attack as Putin threatens ‘reciprocal action’

Russia halts grain deal but says no link to bridge attack it blames on Ukraine

11:04 , Tara Cobham

Russia said on Monday that it had halted participation in a landmark UN-brokered deal which allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea just hours after Moscow said Ukraine had attacked the Crimean Bridge.

The Kremlin said the halting of the Black Sea grain deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, had nothing to do with the bridge attack.

"In fact, the Black Sea agreements ceased to be valid today," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. "Unfortunately, the part of these Black Sea agreements concerning Russia has not been implemented so far, so its effect is terminated."

Russia has notified Turkey, Ukraine and the UN that Moscow is against extending the deal, Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry, said.

The Chicago Board of Trade's most active wheat contract was up 3.4% at $6.84 a bushel by 0910 GMT after earlier rising over 4%.

Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's top agricultural producers, and major players in the wheat, barley, maize, rapeseed, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed and sunflower oil markets. Russia is also dominant in the fertiliser market.

Crimean Bridge badly damaged after ‘multiple blasts’ in early hours

10:32 , Tara Cobham

The Crimean Bridge has been badly damaged after reports of explosions on the road between Crimea and Russia’s mainland.

Officials in Crimea have said that the damage was caused by a Ukrainian attack.

Footage shows a section of the bridge that detached from the rest of the road.

The Kerch bridge is a major supply artery for Russian troops fighting in Ukraine and a prestige project that was personally opened by President Vladimir Putin.

Two parents were killed and their daughter was being treated in intensive care, Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region said in a message on the Telegram messaging app.

Holly Patrick reports:

Crimean Bridge badly damaged after ‘multiple blasts’ in early hours

Russian investigators shown working at scene of damaged Crimean bridge in video

10:16 , Tara Cobham

Russian investigators were shown working at the scene of an overnight incident that damaged the Crimean bridge in video posted by Russia’s Investigative Committee on Monday.

The video appeared to show that a section of road had split and was sloping towards the sea. Debris was scattered across the road surface.

Russia said two people had been killed and one person wounded in the attack, which it blamed on Ukrainian special services.

Senior politician says Russia should not renew grain deal after Crimea Bridge incident

09:55 , Tara Cobham

A senior Russian politician said on Monday that Russia should not renew the Black Sea grain deal in light of an attack on the bridge linking Russia to Crimea.

Details were unclear but some Russian politicians were quick to blame Ukraine for blasts on the Crimean Bridge in what Russian officials called an emergency incident. There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian government.

Sergei Mironov, leader of the A Just Russia party in Russia's parliament, said Moscow should respond by destroying Ukrainian infrastructure. "That is what we need to do, and not discuss a grain deal that helps Kyiv's rulers and their Western masters line their pockets. There can be no grain deal after another terrorist attack," he said on Telegram.

Russia agreed a year ago to sign the Black Sea grain deal which allowed Ukraine to resume shipping food from its southern ports despite the war. But it has repeatedly cast doubt on whether it will agreed to extend the arrangement, which expires on Monday.

The Kremlin has yet to comment on the Crimean Bridge incident or its possible implications for the grain deal.

In Pictures: Crimean Bridge and its reported damage

09:20 , Tara Cobham

Russia accuses Britain of supporting ‘terrorist’ Ukraine ‘attack’ on Crimea bridge

09:02 , Tara Cobham

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Monday accused Ukraine of carrying out an attack on the bridge connecting Russia and Crimea, with the involvement of Britain and the United States.

Zakharova did not provide evidence to support the assertions.

"Today's attack on the Crimean bridge was carried out by the Kyiv regime. This regime is terrorist and has all the hallmarks of an international organized crime group," she said.

"Decisions are made by Ukrainian officials and the military with the direct participation of American and British intelligence agencies and politicians. The U.S. and Britain are in charge of a terrorist state structure."

Girl injured in Crimea Bridge incident in intensive care

08:45 , Tara Cobham

A girl who was injured in an incident on the Crimea Bridge is in intensive care in a hospital in the Russian city of Temryuk, RIA Novosti quoted the hospital's representatives as saying on Monday.

Her parents were killed in the incident, Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region previously said in a message on the Telegram messaging app.

“The girl was injured,” he said. “The hardest thing is that her parents died, dad and mum.”

“No words can calm the pain of loss here,” he said.

Russian official says Ukraine behind Crimea bridge incident - RIA

08:22 , Tara Cobham

The Russian-installed head of Crimea’s parliament said on Monday that Ukraine was behind an incident on the Crimea bridge which killed two people earlier, the state RIA news agency reported.

He was quoted as saying that the bridge had been attacked by what he called Ukraine‘s “terrorist regime” and that the railway part of the bridge was not damaged.

Crimea Bridge incident could be Moscow's provocation - Ukraine's military

07:29 , Tara Cobham

The incident on the Crimea Bridge could be an act of provocation on Moscow's side, Natalia Humeniuk, the spokesperson for Ukraine's southern military command, said on Monday.

"The creation of such provocations, which the occupying authorities of Crimea report immediately very loudly, is a typical way of solving problems by authorities of Crimea and the aggressor country," Humeniuk told the national broadcaster Rada.

The Crimea Bridge, which connects the peninsula to Russia and is a key supply line for Russian troops in Ukraine, was damaged in an "emergency" situation which killed two people and injured a child, Russian officials said on Monday.

Kerch Bridge attack: What do we know so far

07:15 , Arpan Rai

• The traffic on the key bridge connecting Crimea to Russia’s mainland has been halted amid reports of explosions.

• Two killed, one injured in explosions around 3am

• The governor of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, announced the closure early Monday but did not specify the reason.

• News reports said local residents heard explosions before dawn, but there was no confirmation.

• The 19kms (12-mile) bridge that was opened in 2018 is the main land connection between Russia and the Crimean peninsula.

Read more about the attack here:

Traffic on key bridge connecting Crimea to Russia's mainland halted amid reports of explosions

How Kerch bridge attack leaves Putin with limited supply lines for his troops

06:53 , Arpan Rai

Any serious damage to the Kerch Bridge will significantly impair Russian supply lines of military equipment and munitions for its troops fighting in Ukraine, experts have warned.

George Barros, an analyst at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, said if the Kerch Bridge is damaged it will leave Russia with just a singular supply point, calling it a “logistically significant object”.

“Russia will only have one ground supply line – the coastal highway on the Sea of Azov – to sustain (or evacuate) its tens of thousands of troops in occupied Kherson and Crimea if UKR [Ukraine] manages to degrade/destroy the bridge,” Mr Barros said.

Kerch Bridge saw heavy holiday traffic despite being a sensitive target

06:21 , Arpan Rai

The Crimean peninsula has been a major and cherished holiday destination for Russians, especially after Moscow launched its invasion on Ukraine in 2022 and travelling to the West became more difficult for many.

In recent weeks, traffic jams to the entrance of the bridge stretched for kilometres on a daily basis as Russians went on holidays.

Vladimir Putin ally Arkady Rotenberg’s company built the vast structure, which is Europe’s longest bridge. Mr Putin has long lauded the project, boasting at one point that Russian Tsars and Soviet leaders had dreamed of building it but never did.

This morning, the traffic jam ran for kilometres before police directed vehicles away from the bridge. Social media accounts showed cars lined up on the bridge and its entrance.

The Russian-backed administration of the Crimean peninsula urged residents not to travel via the bridge.

The Kerch Bridge was previously damaged by an explosion last October, in an attack that the Kremlin said had been orchestrated by Ukrainian security forces. Ukraine admitted only indirectly to the attack months later.

No traffic currently using Crimean bridge

06:10 , Arpan Rai

People are not using the Kerch Bridge today and no traffic is currently present on the flyover, according to a video by Reuters.

The video showed the scene this morning on the bridge connecting Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula after local officials declared an “emergency”.

The Crimean Bridge was damaged by an explosion last October, in an attack that the Kremlin said had been orchestrated by Ukrainian security forces. Ukraine admitted only indirectly to the attack months later.

Ferry service disrupted at Crimea Bridge as crowd gathers – report

05:48 , Arpan Rai

Police officials at the Crimea Bridge warned drivers in the early hours today that the ferry service at the bridge was not working, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported.

This comes as videos shared on social media showed traffic jam near the bridge as police official on the spot tell them to “take the ferry or go home”.

Russia-backed officials are also trying to assure the locals that the peninsular region is fully stockpiled with fuel, food and industrial goods and local warehouses have all the necessary stockpiles to avert any crisis-like situation.

Parents killed in Crimea bridge attack and child suffers injuries, Russia says

05:36 , Arpan Rai

At least two people have died in the explosions on Crimea’s Kerch Bridge this morning, Russian officials said.

A family of three – a couple and their daughter – were travelling across the bridge when the incident took place.

“We all saw with you on a video on the internet [of] a damaged car with Belgorod numbers. What information is available at the moment: a girl was injured,” said Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region in southern Russia.

“The hardest thing is that her parents died, her dad and mum.”

Trump says he would tell Zelensky to 'make a deal'

05:29 , Arpan Rai

Donald Trump has again offered his insight on how the war can be ended in Ukraine, claiming that he knows the Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky very well.

“These are smart people, including Macron of France. I could go through the whole list of people, including Putin.… These people are sharp, tough and generally vicious. They’re vicious, and they’re at the top of their game. We have a man that has no clue what’s happening. It’s the most dangerous time in the history of our country,” the former US president told Fox News.

On being asked about his claims to “end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours” and response to the situation, Mr Trump added: “I know Zelensky very well. I felt he was very honourable because when they asked him about the perfect phone call that I made, he said it was indeed, he said it was.”

“He didn’t even know what they were talking about. He could have grandstanded...,” he said.

“I know Zelensky very well, and I know Putin very well, even better. And I had a good relationship, very good with both of them. I would tell Zelensky, no more. You got to make a deal. I would tell Putin, if you don’t make a deal, we’re going to give him a lot. We’re going to [give Ukraine] more than they ever got if we have to. I will have the deal done in one day. One day,” he said.

Why is Kerch bridge important for Russia in war with Ukraine

05:16 , Arpan Rai

The Kerch Bridge has been a sensitive and potentially strategic target ever since the start of the Ukraine war, with at least one previous successful attack and several reported attempts taking place.

The bridge is crucial for the supply of fuel, food and other products to Crimea, where the port of Sevastopol is the historic home base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

It also became a major supply route for Russian forces deeper in Ukraine after Moscow invaded its neighbour last February, sending forces from Crimea to seize most of southern Ukraine’s Kherson region and some of the adjoining Zaporizhzhia province.

The 19km (12 mile) bridge, also known as the Crimea Bridge or the Kerch Strait Bridge, is the only direct land link between Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Two 3am attacks on Crimean bridge, traffic suspended

04:52 , Arpan Rai

At least two missile strikes have been reported on the Kerch Bridge, at 3.04am and 3.20am, by Russia’s Grey Zone channel, a heavily followed Telegram channel affiliated with the Wagner mercenary group.

The Independent has not verified these reports.

Russia-backed governor Sergei Aksyonov and the governor of the Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratyev, said they have set up operational headquarters in their regions to address the “emergency situation” on the bridge.

Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Odesa military administration, posted a photo on his Telegram of what seemed to be the outline of the bridge in the distance, broken in the middle.

It was not immediately clear what the incident on the bridge would mean for the UN-brokered deal that allows the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain. The deal is due to expire today and was still in limbo as of Sunday night.

Second attempt to strike Kerch Bridge in 10 days leaves it damaged

04:44 , Arpan Rai

Less than 10 days ago, Russian-installed authorities in the Crimean peninsula confirmed a cruise missile was shot down near the city of Kerch, briefly suspending the traffic on the flyover connecting the annexed region to Russia.

The interception of the missile by Russian air defences didn’t result in any damage or casualties, the Moscow-appointed governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, had said.

Officials in Russian regions and Moscow-appointed authorities in Crimea, which was illegally annexed in 2014, have regularly reported explosions, drone strikes, and even cross-border raids by Ukrainian saboteurs. Kyiv has never openly taken responsibility for these attacks.

Russia reports intercepting a missile over annexed Crimea and briefly halts traffic on key bridge

Residents asked not to travel on Crimean Bridge amid ‘emergency'

03:58 , Arpan Rai

Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov asked people to refrain from travelling on the Crimean Bridge connecting the peninsula to Russia this morning, after reporting earlier an “emergency situation” on the bridge.

The RBC-Ukraine news agency had earlier reported that explosions were heard on the bridge.

Traffic was stopped at the Russian-built Crimean Bridge linking the Crimean peninsula to the Russian region of Krasnodar due to “an emergency” situation, Mr Aksyonov wrote on Telegram earlier today.

He did not provide any further detail.

Moscow takes shares of Danone and Carlsberg subsidiaries

03:00 , Holly Hales

Russia has seized control of French yoghurt maker Danone’s subsidiary in the country along with beer maker Carlsberg’s stake in a local brewer.

The insight was confirmed in a decree signed by Putin on Sunday.

In the memo, Danone Russia and Baltika Breweries were said to be put under “temporary management” of government property agency Rosimushchestvo.

Wagner fighters arrive in Central African Republic

01:30 , Holly Hales

Hundreds of “experienced” Wagner fighters have arrived in the Central African Republic to secure a referendum, according to a Russian private security company.

The Officers’ Union for International Security (OUIS) on Telegram on Sunday: “Another plane has arrived in Bangui with instructors to work in the Central African Republic [CAR].”

The arrival is in anticipation of the constitutional referendum scheduled for 30 July.

OUIS is a front company for the Wagner Group in CAR, according to the United States.

It is believed to be run by Russian Alexandre Ivanov, who was sanctioned by the in January.

Russia’s security woes after Wagner mutiny

Monday 17 July 2023 00:30 , Holly Hales

The UK’s Ministry of Defence has said Russia’s security apparatus entered a period of negotiation after the Wagner Group mutiny.

It also claimed an interim arrangement for the future of the group had started to form.

The ministry explained its analysis posted on Sunday.

“On 12 July 2023, the Russian MoD announced that Wagner had handed over 2000 pieces of military equipment, including tanks. As of 15 July 2023, at least a small contingent of Wagner fighters have arrived at a camp in Belarus,” the post read.

“Concurrently, some Wagner-associated social media groups have resumed activity, with a focus on highlighting the group’s activities in Africa.

“Based on recent announcements by Russian officials, the state is likely prepared to accept Wagner’s aspirations to maintain its extensive presence on the continent.”

Zelenskyy pays tribute to Ukraine’s sovereignty anniversary

Sunday 16 July 2023 23:30 , Holly Hales

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has marked the 33rd anniversary of the Declaration of the Soverign State of Ukraine.

The Ukraine President made the acknowledgement in his nightly address and detailed the events of 16 July 1990.

On the date, a document decreed Ukraine would have its own laws separate from the former USSR along with its own army, currency and bank.

He went on to say the country “will never give up its sovereignty”.

“Whatever the Russian terror may be Ukrainian freedom will still be preserved and will still prevail,” he added. “Every year Ukraine will get stronger,” Mr Zelenskyy said.

Underwater drones used in Crimea attack as Putin threatens ‘reciprocal action’

Sunday 16 July 2023 22:33 , Holly Hales

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had prevented Ukraine from attacking the Black Sea port of Sevastopol on Sunday, destroying seven aerial and two underwater drones.

“This morning, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack by seven unmanned aerial vehicles and two unmanned underwater vehicles on objects on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula near the city of Sevastopol was thwarted,” the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

There were no casualties and no damage, the ministry added.

It said that two aerial drones were shot down over the Black Sea at a great distance from the coastline, while five were intercepted by Russia’s electronic warfare forces.

Two unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), known as underwater drones were discovered in the northern part of the Black Sea, and destroyed by fire, the ministry said.

Earlier, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, said on the Telegram messaging app that the attacks were over the harbour of Sevastopol and the city’s Balaklava, Khersones districts.

Maritime transport, including passenger ferries, was suspended for several hours early on Sunday, the city’s Moscow-backed transport authorities said on their Telegram channel.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the attack on Sevastopol, a port in the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published on Sunday that Moscow has a “sufficient stockpile” of cluster munitions.

He warned that the country “reserves the right to take reciprocal action” if Ukraine uses the controversial weapons.

In his first comments on the delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine from the US, Mr Putin said that Russia has not used cluster bombs in the war with Ukraine so far.

But the use of cluster bombs by both Russia and Ukraine has been widely documented, including by The Associated Press and international humanitarian organisations, and cluster rounds have been found in the aftermath of Russian strikes.

“Until now, we have not done this, we have not used it, and we have not had such a need,” Mr Putin said.

Rossiya TV reporter Pavel Zarubin published excerpts of the interview to his Telegram channel on Sunday before a scheduled broadcast on Sunday night.

Russian official says Ukraine shelled border town

Sunday 16 July 2023 22:10 , Holly Hales

Ukraine has issued no immediate comment after governor of Russia’s Belgorod region said forces had shelled the Russian town of Shebekino near the Ukrainian border with Grad missiles, killing a woman riding her bike.

The country almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia. Reuters was not able to verify what happened.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, Belgorod’s governor, said the Grad missiles had struck a market area, damaging a building and two cars.

“To much grief, one person was killed - a woman was riding a bicycle on the pavement at the time of the shelling. Injuries she received from shrapnel were incompatible with life,” Gladkov said on the Telegram messaging app.

He said Ukrainian shelling of two other Belgorod settlements on Sunday caused no casualties but damaged three homes in Gorkovsky, and warehouses, a fence, a water tower and a power line at an agricultural enterprise in Ilek-Penkovka.

The Grad (Hail) weapons system is a truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher used by both Ukrainian and Russian forces. Its use against civilian areas is regarded as a war crime by human rights activists.

The town of Shebekino, about 5 km from the Ukrainian border, has been repeatedly targeted by what Russia says is indiscriminate shelling by Ukraine’s armed forces.

Kyiv has accused Russian forces of indiscriminately shelling its civilian areas too. Both sides deny targeting civilians.

Sunday 16 July 2023 21:59 , Rich Booth

The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region said on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had shelled the Russian town of Shebekino near the Ukrainian border with Grad missiles, killing a woman riding her bike.

Analysis | Ben Wallace: The former favourite for PM whose global ambitions were thwarted

Sunday 16 July 2023 17:09 , Andy Gregory

Following Ben Wallace’s revelation today that he will resign as defence secretary in the next Cabinet reshuffle – and as an MP at the next election – our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta writes that the politician had previously “made no secret that his dream job was to be the next Nato secretary general”.

“And his early and robust support for Ukraine, it was thought, would put him in a good position as Europe scrambled to be combat-ready in the face of Vladimir Putin’s invasion,” he writes.

“ ... While finding his path to Nato stopped, Wallace was also set to lose his seat of Wyre and Preston North in boundary changes. Along with that came persistent rumours that Wallace, one of the longest-serving Conservative defence secretaries, would lose his post in Rishi Sunak’s autumn reshuffle.

“With the Conservatives highly unlikely to win the next election Wallace was said to be increasingly unwilling to go through the troubles of finding another seat, only to spend years in opposition backbenches. He planned to announce during the summer recess that he would be leaving politics at the next election.”

You can read his analysis in full with Independent Premium:

Ben Wallace: Former favourite for PM whose global ambitions were thwarted

‘The world believes in Ukraine’: Zelensky issues rallying call

Sunday 16 July 2023 16:38 , Andy Gregory

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that “the world believes in Ukraine”, as he shared images of Kyiv’s soldiers in a rallying call on social media.

It comes after a week in which Mr Zelensky travelled to Vilnius for the Nato summit, where the alliance’s inability to reach a consensus on offering Ukraine membership sparked frustration in Kyiv.

Russia has used cluster bombs since ‘very beginning’ of war in Ukraine, former Zelensky aide says

Sunday 16 July 2023 16:09 , Andy Gregory

With Russia’s Vladimir Putin warning today that Moscow reserves the right to use cluster bombs in retaliation if the shipment from Washington to Kyiv is used against its troops, a former spokesperson for Volodymyr Zelensky has argued that Russia has already used such weapons in Ukraine.

The Chatham House think-tank has also accused Russia of using cluster munitions throughout its war in Ukraine, “along with landmines and thermobaric/vacuum weapons”, while accusing Ukraine of also using its own ex-Soviet stockpile of cluster bombs.

Kosovo buys Turkish drones given prominence in Ukraine war

Sunday 16 July 2023 15:11 , Andy Gregory

Kosovo has bought a batch of Turkish-made Bayraktar drones, its prime minister has said, at a time when it faces its worst violence in the north where ethnic Serbs refuse to recognise Pristina’s authority.

In a Facebook post showing him in front of a drone with his defence minister, Albin Kurti said its latest security spending was making the country safer.

He did not give the number or cost of the drones – Kosovo’s first – nor say what they would be used for.

“Kosovo is now even safer and always proud,” Mr Kurti said, adding that his government had in the last two years raised troop numbers by 80 per cent and the defence budget by more than 100 per cent.

The 15-old republic is building an army intended eventually to have 5,000 regular soldiers and 3,000 reservists. The Nato military alliance – whom Kosovo aims to join, despite four of its members not recognising its independence from Serbia – also has more than 4,500 peacekeepers in the country.

Watch: Former prisoners of war welcomed back by family in Ukraine

Sunday 16 July 2023 14:38 , Andy Gregory

Tucker Carlson and Mike Pence clash in heated exchange over Ukraine at GOP 2024 forum

Sunday 16 July 2023 14:05 , Andy Gregory

Former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson appeared to lose his patience with former vice president Mike Pence on Friday after the 2024 presidential candidate refused to back down from his support for arming Ukraine’s defence forces, reports Andrew Feinberg.

Mr Pence and Carlson, who spoke for approximately 26 minutes as part of a GOP candidate forum in Iowa, spent roughly half of their discussion sparring over Mr Pence’s view of the war, which the ex-vice president described in stark terms based on his two visits to the region.

The ex-Fox News host, who before his firing in April used his prime time programme to rail against US support for Kyiv while frequently parroting Russian government talking points, attempted to bait Mr Pence into denouncing the Ukrainian government for what he described as mistreatment of Christians.

Tucker Carlson and Mike Pence clash in heated exchange over Ukraine at GOP 2024 forum

‘Intensified’ fighting in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv ‘on the defensive’ in Kharkiv

Sunday 16 July 2023 13:54 , Andy Gregory

Fighting in eastern Ukraine has “somewhat intensified” as Ukrainian and Russian forces clash in at least three areas on the eastern front, a senior Ukrainian defence official has said.

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Telegram that Russian forces have been attacking in the direction of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region for two successive days.

“We are on the defensive,” Maliar wrote. “There are fierce battles, the positions of both sides change dynamically several times a day.”

Maliar also said the two armies were pummelling one another around the ruined city of Bakhmut but that Ukrainian forces were “gradually moving forward” along its southern flank, adding that Kyiv’s troops were also fending off Russian attacks near Avdiivka and Maryinka.

Voices | What Britain needs is a ‘grown-up’ relationship with China

Sunday 16 July 2023 12:49 , Andy Gregory

Writing as China and Russia take part in joint military drills in the Sea of Japan, former Lib Dem leader Vince Cable writes for Independent Voices that, while Beijing’s “friendship without limits” with Vladimir Putin jars badly in Europe, it “is severely limited”.

You can read his thoughts on the UK’s future relationship with China here:

What Britain needs is a ‘grown-up’ relationship with China | Vince Cable

Last ship leaves Odesa ahead of deadline to extend Black Sea grain deal

Sunday 16 July 2023 12:05 , Andy Gregory

The last ship to travel under the Black Sea grain export deal has left the port of Odesa ahead of a deadline to extend the agreement, according to a Reuters witness and MarineTraffic.com.

Russia has not agreed to register any new ships since 27 June, and the initiative will expire on Monday unless Moscow agrees to extend it.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres was waiting for a response from Vladimir Putin on a proposal to extend the deal, a UN spokesperson said on Friday.

The Russian president told his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa in a phone call on Saturday that commitments to remove obstacles to Russian food and fertiliser exports had yet to be fulfilled, the Kremlin said.

Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on whether the ship, the Turkish-flagged TQ Samsun, had left Odesa.

Putin insists Ukraine’s counteroffensive is ‘not succeeding'

Sunday 16 July 2023 11:41 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin has claimed Ukraine’s counter-offensive is “not succeeding” and that attempts to break through Russian defences have failed – despite Kyiv’s forces having recaptured several villages and made advances in several areas, according to analysts.

Yet speaking to Russian state TV, the president claimed: “All attempts by the enemy to break through our defence ... have not been successful throughout the entire offensive.”

Russia and China to begin ‘first joint air and naval drill’ in Sea of Japan

Sunday 16 July 2023 11:02 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s naval and air forces are taking part in military drills alongside China in the Sea of Japan for the first time, according to military observers cited by Chinese state newspaper Global Times.

A Chinese naval flotilla comprised of five warships and four ship-borne helicopters set off from Qingdao on Sunday to join the Russian forces at a “predetermined area” in an exercise aimed at “safeguarding the security of strategic waterways”, China’s defence ministry said.

Codenamed “Northern/Interaction-2023”, the drill marks enhanced military cooperation between China and Russia since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Gromkiy and Sovershenniy, two Russian warships taking part in the Sea of Japan drill, had earlier this month conducted separate training with the Chinese navy in Shanghai on formation movements, communication and sea rescues.

Before making port at the financial hub of Shanghai, the same ships had sailed passed Taiwan and Japan, prompting both Taipei and Tokyo to monitor the Russian warships.

Putin issues cluster bomb threat to Kyiv

Sunday 16 July 2023 10:22 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia has a “sufficient stockpile” of cluster bombs and that Moscow reserves the right to use them if such munitions are used against Russian forces in Ukraine.

Ukraine has received cluster bombs from the United States, despite the weapons being banned in more than 100 countries. Kyiv has pledged to only use them to dislodge concentrations of enemy soldiers, as it continues its long-awaited counteroffensive.

“Of course, if they are used against us, we reserve the right to take reciprocal action,” the Russian president said in a state TV interview, excerpts of which were published on Sunday.

Ben Wallace announces he’ll quit as UK defence secretary

Sunday 16 July 2023 10:12 , Andy Gregory

Ben Wallace has revealed that he will resign his post as defence secretary at the next cabinet reshuffle, and will not seek re-election as an MP at the next election.

“I went into politics in the Scottish Parliament in 1999. That’s 24 years. I’ve spent well over seven years with three phones by my bed,” he told the Sunday Times on his desire to leave Westminster.

Mr Wallace is not going quietly, however, having become involved in a turf war with home secretary Suella Braverman about British soldiers being asked to cover for any gaps in Border Force staff this summer.

The defence secretary has refused Ms Braverman’s request for 750 troops to fill in for any immigration officials who strike or are absent, according to the Mail on Sunday – claiming that the Home Office should have made contingency plans.

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest has more details here:

Ben Wallace in ‘parting shot at Suella Braverman’ as he announces he’ll quit

South Korea to provide more demining equipment to Ukraine

Sunday 16 July 2023 09:43 , Andy Gregory

South Korea will provide more demining equipment to Ukraine, an aide to Yoon Suk Yeol has said following the president’s visit to Kyiv, where he pledged more military and humanitarian aid in the fight against Russia.

“We are thinking to expand support on mine detectors and demining equipment as Ukraine’s demand for them was assessed to be desperately huge,” his deputy national security adviser, Kim Tae-hyo, told reporters.

Mr Yoon pledged more aid in talks with Volodymyr Zelensky during a surprise visit to Kyiv after attending the Nato summit in Vilnius, despite previously resisting Western pressure to help arm Ukraine directly, citing business ties with Russia and Moscow’s influence over North Korea.

In a press conference after the meeting on Saturday, Mr Yoon said South Korea would provide “a larger scale of military supplies” to Ukraine this year, following last year’s provision of non-lethal supplies such as body armour and helmets.

Russian shelling kills 1 in Kharkiv, injures 7 in Zaporizhzhia, say Ukrainian officials

Sunday 16 July 2023 08:58 , Andy Gregory

A civilian was killed and another wounded in Russian shelling in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, while seven were injured in a village in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian officials have claimed.

A 33-year-old man died and another was wounded overnight in Russian firing at residential buildings in the village of Kolodiazne, Kharkiv’s governor Oleh Sinehubov said on Telegram, accusing Moscow of launching four S-400 surface-to-air missiles at the city of Kharkiv, damaging a residential building.

Zaporizhzhia governor Yuriy Malashko alleged that three women and four men were injured and a number of houses damaged in heavy Russian shelling from multiple rocket launchers on the village of Stepnohirske on Saturday afternoon.

Over the past day, there had been 48 instances of Russian artillery firing on a number of towns and villages in the region, the governor said. Russia also shelled the city of Zaporizhzhia, damaging at least 16 buildings, secretary of the city council Anatoliy Kurtiev claimed, adding that one district was without electricity on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, a Russian-installed official in parts of Zaporizhzhia controlled by Moscow, Vladimir Rogov, claimed on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had destroyed a school in the village of Stulneve, while air defence forces intercepted a drone over the city of Tokmak.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Saturday it had destroyed a number of Ukrainian weapons depots in Zaporizhzhia region over the past day. Ukraine’s top military command said Russia was trying to stop Ukraine’s advance there, heavily shelling the area. It was not possible to independently verify the claims.

Passenger ferries suspended near Crimea as Moscow claims to thwart Ukrainian attack

Sunday 16 July 2023 08:32 , Andy Gregory

Passenger ferries and other maritime transport were halted for several hours near the city of Sevastopol, Moscow backed authorities have said, as Russia’s defence ministry claimed its forces had prevented Ukraine from attacking the Black Sea port on Sunday.

There were no casualties and no damage, the ministry insisted, claiming it had shot down two aerial drones over the Black Sea at a great distance from the coastline, while five were intercepted by Russia’s electronic warfare forces.

Two unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), known as underwater drones were discovered in the northern part of the Black Sea, and had been destroyed by fire, the ministry claimed. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

Russia defence ministry says it thwarted Ukraine attack attempt on Sevastopol

Sunday 16 July 2023 07:57 , Matt Mathers

Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday that it had thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack attempt near the port of Sevastopol in Crimea.

"This morning, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack by seven unmanned aerial vehicles and two unmanned semi-submersible boats on objects on the territory of the Crimean peninsula near the city of Sevastopol was thwarted," the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

The claim could not immediately be independently verified.

Some Wagner fighters have arrived in Belarus

Sunday 16 July 2023 07:26 , Matt Mathers

Some Wagner Group fighters have arrived in Belarus, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

In its latest update, the MoD said that the Russian security apparatus enetered a “period of confusion” in the aftermath of Wagner’s shortlived rebellion last month.

“In recent days, an interim arrangement for the future of the group has started to take shape,” the MoD added.

“The Russian MoD announced that Wagner had handed over 2000 pieces of military equipment, including tanks. As of 15 July 2023, at least a small contingent of Wagner fighters have arrived at a camp in Belarus.

“Concurrently, some Wagner-associated social media groups have resumed activity, with a focus on highlighting the group’s activities in Africa.

“Based on recent announcements by Russian officials, the state is likely prepared to accept Wagner’s aspirations to maintain its extensive presence on the continent.”

Missing Russian general with links to Wagner boss is ‘resting’

Sunday 16 July 2023 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A top Russian official has addressed the whereabouts of a senior general who has not been seen in public since the Wagner mutiny.

Andrei Kartapolov, head of the state Duma defence committee, said that general Sergei Surovikin is “resting” and “not available right now”.

It follows reports that Wagner boss Yevgeny Priogozhin has likely been murdered or incarcerated after leading a failed rebellion against the Kremlin regime.

More here.

Missing Russian general with links to Wagner boss is ‘resting’ says official

Russia says shot down eight Ukraine drones over Crimea's Sevastopol

Sunday 16 July 2023 06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia’s air defence forces and fleet in the Black Sea intercepted eight Ukrainian drones over the Crimean port of Sevastopol early on Sunday, a Moscow-installed official said.

“No objects, either in the city or in the water area were damaged,” Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, said on the Telegram messaging app.

One drone was shot down over the sea, five were intercepted by Russia’s electronic warfare forces and two water surface drones were destroyed on the outer shore, he added.

The attacks were over the harbour of Sevastopol and the city’s Balaklava and Khersones districts, Razvozhaev said earlier.

Ukrainian courts find over 50 Russians guilty of war crimes

Sunday 16 July 2023 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukrainian courts have found at least 53 Russian nationals guilty of war crimes, the country’s prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said.

He said 200 suspects in such crimes have already been charged, and the evidence has been submitted to the court.“Over 300 people have been identified and become suspects.

These are not only identified potential Russian criminals but there is evidence that confirms that these people committed a particular crime,” the prosecutor said, according to Ukrainska Pravda.

“Some may say that this is not much. When I talk to international partners, they are surprised,” he added.

Wagner fighters arrive in Belarus in ‘several hundreds’

Sunday 16 July 2023 05:56 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A large convoy carrying fighters from the Wagner private army was spotted entering Belarus from Russia yesterday, Ukrainian and Polish officials said.

“Wagner is in Belarus,” Andriy Demchenko, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian border agency, said in a statement. He said the movement of “separate groups” from Russia had been observed in Belarus.

The Belarusian defence ministry released a video on Friday, showing what it said were Wagner fighters instructing Belarusian soldiers at a military range near the town of Osipovichi.

Poland’s deputy minister coordinator of special services, Stanislaw Zaryn, said Warsaw also has confirmation of Wagner fighters’ presence in Belarus.“There may be several hundred of them at the moment,” he tweeted.

The independent monitoring group Belaruski Hajun, which tracks the movements of armed forces in Belarus, said at least 60 trucks, buses and other large vehicles crossed into the eastern European country accompanied by Belarusian police.

The convoy headed toward a military base outside Osipovichi, a town 230km north of the Ukrainian border.

Russian forces repelled Ukraine attack on Crimea - report

Sunday 16 July 2023 05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia’s air defence forces and fleet in the Black Sea were engaged in repelling Ukrainian drone attacks over the Crimean port of Sevastopol this morning, a Moscow-installed official said.

The attacks were over the harbour of Sevastopol and the city’s Balaklava and Khersones districts, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, said.

There were no immediate details of the scale of the attack or any damage from the attacks on the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Image of Wagner boss in pants leaked online

Sunday 16 July 2023 05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Less than a month after leaving the Kremlin quaking as his Wagner mercenaries marched on Moscow, leaked photographs of Yevgeny Prigozhin in his underwear in a tent have been leaked online amid an ongoing campaign to discredit the exiled mutineer.

As Vladimir Putin – whose grip on power is perceived by many to have been severely weakened by the popular mercenary boss’s armed rebellion – sought to insist that Wagner had never actually existed, images showing a dishevelled-looking Mr Prigozhin in a state of semi-nudity appeared on Telegram.

In the latest bizarre twist of the saga, the president insisted to the Kommersant newspaper on Friday that the private military company “simply doesn't exist” as a legal entity under Russian law – while his emboldened ally Alexander Lukashenko claimed that some of the exiled mercenaries were now training Belarus’s military.

Andy Gregory reports.

Yevgeny Prigozhin: Man who led Putin mutiny pictured in pants in tent during exile

Ben Wallace says Ukraine remarks were ‘misrepresented’

Sunday 16 July 2023 03:56 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Defence secretary Ben Wallace has pledged his support for Ukraine after suggesting the invaded country should show “gratitude” for the military support it has been given.

Mr Wallace, who revealed in The Sunday Times he plans to resign at the next Cabinet reshuffle and stand down as an MP at the next election, tweeted a lengthy thread in Ukrainian to clarify his comments.

He had made the remark after Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky branded it “absurd” for Nato to insist there were still conditions for his nation to meet before it can gain membership once the war with Russia is over.

Mr Wallace tweeted: “My comments about how best to support Ukraine caused a lot of interest and were somewhat misrepresented.”

More here.

Ben Wallace says Ukraine remarks were ‘misrepresented’

Ukraine denies involvement in Russian journalist plot

Sunday 16 July 2023 01:30 , Nick Ferris

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said in televised remarks that Russia was living in a “constructed mythology”, after Ukraine was blamed for an alleged plot to kill two Russian jorunalists.

A Moscow court on Saturday issued criminal charges against seven people “motivated by national hatred” to kill two prominent Russian journalists in a Ukrainian-backed plot, Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency said.

Asked about the case in an interview, Podolyak played down its significance, saying the journalists “do not play any important role” in the war, nor in the loss of Russia’s positions on the world stage.

ICYMI: Why allowing Ukraine to ship grain during Russia's war matters to the world

Sunday 16 July 2023 01:00 , Nick Ferris

Agreements that the United Nations and Turkey brokered with Ukraine and Russia to allow food and fertilizer to get from the warring nations to parts of the world where millions are going hungry have eased concerns over global food security. But they face increasing risks.

Moscow has ramped up its rhetoric, saying it may not extend the deal that expires Monday unless its demands are met, including ensuring its own agricultural shipments don’t face hurdles.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative has allowed 32.8 million metric tons (36.2 million tons) of food to be exported from Ukraine since last August, more than half to developing countries, including those getting relief from the World Food Program.

Courtney Bonell reports:

Why allowing Ukraine to ship grain during Russia's war matters to the world

Agreements that the United Nations and Turkey brokered with Ukraine and Russia to allow food and fertilizer to get from the warring nations to parts of the world where millions are going hungry have eased concerns over global food security.

Ben Wallace clarifies “Amazon for weapons” comment

Sunday 16 July 2023 00:30 , Nick Ferris

In a series of Tweets written in Ukrainian, UK defence secretary Ben Wallace has clarified comments he made earlier this week that the UK is not an “Amazon for weapons”.

“I said that Ukraine sometimes needs to realize that in many countries and in some parliaments there is not such strong support as in Great Britain,” he wrote.

“It was a comment not about governments, but more about citizens and members of parliaments.”

He continued: “I will personally continue to support Ukraine on its path for as long as it takes, but national parliaments often have competing needs and Ukraine and the UK must continue to encourage this strong support, with facts and friendship”.

Read more about the original story below:

Ben Wallace accused of ‘scolding’ Ukraine over weapons demand

Ukraine criticises Bulgaria’s president over his remarks that Kyiv is to blame for Russia’s ongoing war

Sunday 16 July 2023 00:01 , Nick Ferris

The Ukrainian embassy in Sofia said in a statement on Saturday that Kyiv was doing all it can for peace, after President of Bulgaria said on Friday that “Ukraine insists on fighting this war”.

He added that “it should also be clear that the bill is paid by the whole of Europe”.

The embassy added that blaming Ukraine for the war ““is one of the most common supporting theses of Russian propaganda and hybrid warfare in Europe”.

President Radev is known to harbour pro-Russian views. In October last year, when nine Eastern European countries expressed their support for Ukraine joining NATO, Radev refused to join them.

ICYMI: US support for Ukraine emerges as key dividing line between GOP 2024 hopefuls

Saturday 15 July 2023 23:30 , Nick Ferris

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February of 2022. A year-and-a-half later, the fate of the brutal conflict is still top of mind in Washington.

Joe Biden recently embarked on a high-profile visit to Europe for a Nato summit, where he opined on the future of the alliance and Ukraine’s potential place in it. This shift may even have reached the GOP, which took something of an isolationist turn under Donald Trump.

However, these days, the Ukraine war seems to be a central topic once again.

That renewed focus was on full display on Friday at an event hosted by Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News anchor.

Ariana Baio and Josh Marcus report:

While Mike Pence strongly backs continuing US support for Ukraine’s defence, many of his Republican rivals for the White House feel differently.

South Korea promises $150m in aid to Ukraine this year

Saturday 15 July 2023 22:42 , Nick Ferris

During a surprise visit to Ukraine on Saturday, President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea promised $150m in humanitarian aid in 2023, an increase of $50m on last year.

South Korea has a longstanding policy of not supplying weapons to active conflict zones. But the president also promised equipment including helmets and bullet-proof vests.

Yoon toured Bucha and Irpin, a pair of small cities near Kyiv where bodies of civilians were found in the streets and mass graves after Russian troops retreated from the capital region last year.

He laid flowers at a monument to the country’s war dead.

ICYMI: How the Nato summit was not the triumph that Zelensky hoped it would be

Saturday 15 July 2023 21:00 , Nick Ferris

The recent NATO had its uses for Zelensky - but these were marred by the Ukrainian President having his efforts to join the bloc frustrated, writes Mary Dejevsky.

Read Mary’s full piece here:

The Nato summit was not the triumph that Zelensky hoped it would be | Mary Dejevsky