Ukraine news – live: Russian forces close in on Bakhmut as leaders meet in Munich

Leaders across the world are gathering for a security conference in Munich today as Russian forces close in on Bakhmut.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz, French president Emmanuel Macron and US vice president Kamala Harris are among many top officials attending the Munich Security Conference.

This year, leaders will grapple with the consequences of Vladimir Putin’s decision to ignore their pleas of bringing the war to an end.

Russian leaders will be notable by their absence at the conference, which runs until Sunday, but senior Ukrainian officials are expected to address it.

Meanwhile, at least three men and two women were killed as Russian Grad rockets and barrel artillery slammed into Bakhmut, with Ukraine’s prosecutor general saying it was being investigated as a war crime.

Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine, is highly sought after by Putin. However, experts say it has little strategic importance on its own, but is seen as a stepping stone to capturing larger swathes of the east.

Key Points

• World leaders gather in Munich as official says Russia must leave Ukraine before peace talks start

• Russian artillery slams in Bakhmut, killing five

• Ben Wallace admits West needs to ‘ramp up’ production of ammunition for Ukraine

• War in Ukraine to dominate global security gathering in Munich

• Imperative for all civilians to leave Bakhmut, says deputy PM

War crime allegations an 'attempt to demonise Russia', Russian envoy says

04:54 , Vishwam Sankaran

Russia’s US ambassador has said claims by the US that Russia is behind crimes against humanity in Ukraine are an “attempt to demonise Russia”.

Ambassador Anatoly Antonov accused the US of trying to justify its own actions in fomenting the crisis in Ukraine with the war crime allegations.

“We regard such insinuations as an unprecedented attempt to demonise Russia in the framework of the hybrid war unleashed against us,” Mr Antonov was quoted as saying by Russia’s TASS state news agency.

“There is no doubt that the purpose of such attacks by Washington is to justify its own actions to fuel the Ukrainian crisis,” he said.

US formally concludes Russia is guilty of ‘crimes against humanity’ in Ukraine

Saturday 18 February 2023 12:17 , Andy Gregory

The United States has formally concluded that Russia has committed “crimes against humanity” during its war in Ukraine, vice president Kamala Harris has said.

“In the case of Russia’s actions in Ukraine we have examined the evidence, we know the legal standards, and there is no doubt: these are crimes against humanity,” Ms Harris, a former prosecutor, told the Munich Security Conference.

“And I say to all those who have perpetrated these crimes, and to their superiors who are complicit in those crimes, you will be held to account.”

The official determination carries with it no immediate consequences for the ongoing war but, according to Reuters, Washington hopes that it could help further isolate Vladimir Putin and galvanise legal efforts to hold members of his government accountable through international courts and sanctions.

US government, Elon Musk discuss about Starlink use in Ukraine

06:15 , Vishwam Sankaran

US secretary of state Antony Blinken had conversations with SpaceX chief Elon Musk about the use of his company’s Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine.

SpaceX had put in place measures earlier this month to prevent Ukraine’s Armed Forces from using the satellite internet service for controlling drones, Reuters reported.

“Well, I can’t share any conversations we’ve had other than to say we’ve had conversations,” Mr Blinken said in an interview with NBC News.

Netherlands to expel some Russian diplomats accused of spying

05:45 , Vishwam Sankaran

The Dutch government is reportedly expelling some Russian diplomats out of the country, accusing Moscow of “secretly” getting intelligence agents into the Netherlands.

“Russia keeps trying to secretly get intelligence agents into the Netherlands under cover of diplomacy. We cannot and shall not allow that,” Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in a statement on Saturday.

“At the same time Russia refuses to give visas to Dutch diplomats who would work at the consulate in St Petersburg or the embassy in Moscow,” he added.

The Dutch government also said it would be closing its consulate in St Petersburg.

The Netherlands is the latest in a line of countries, including France, Denmark, and Austria that have expelled Russian diplomats following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

China is considering sending weapons to Russia, US claims

05:14 , Vishwam Sankaran

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has warned China of consequences if it provides weapons and material support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Blinken said following a meeting with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi that the US was concerned Beijing may supply weapons to Moscow.

“There are various kinds of lethal assistance that they are at least contemplating providing, to include weapons,” Mr Blinken said, adding that Washington would soon release more details, Reuters reported.

The Chinese diplomat told Mr Blinken that the US must “face up to and resolve the damage” to relations between the two countries “caused by the indiscriminate use of force,” referring to the recent shootdown of what the US suspected to be a Chinese spy balloon.

Russia claims to have captured Hriankyivka

00:01 , Katy Clifton

Russia’s defence ministry has claimed that its forces have captured Hrianykivka, a village in Ukraine‘s eastern Kharkiv region that is well to the north of most significant fighting.

A briefing note from Ukraine‘s General Staff later on Saturday said the village was being shelled, but made no mention of an assault.

Hrianykivka is around 180 km (110 miles) north of Bakhmut, a city in the eastern Donetsk region that has seen fierce fighting in recent weeks.

Macron: ‘I do not think we must aim for a total defeat of Russia'

Saturday 18 February 2023 23:00 , Katy Clifton

France wants Russia to be defeated in Ukraine but it does not want to “crush” it, president Emmanuel Macron has told paper Le Journal du Dimanche.

“I do not think, as some people do, that we must aim for a total defeat of Russia, attacking Russia on its own soil. Those observers want to, above all else, crush Russia. That has never been the position of France and it will never be our position,” Mr Macron said.

Mr Macron has drawn criticism from some NATO allies for delivering mixed messages regarding his policy on the war between Ukraine and Russia, with some considering Paris a weak link in the Western alliance.

On Friday, Mr Macron urged allies to step up military support for Ukraine.

EU gives hope of more ammunition to Ukraine

Saturday 18 February 2023 22:00 , Katy Clifton

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said today she was confident the EU’s joint interest in getting more ammunition to Ukraine will trump individual national interests when it comes to common European defence procurement programmes.

The bloc is urgently exploring ways for its member countries to team up to buy munitions to help Ukraine, following warnings from Kyiv that its forces - which are firing up to 10,000 artillery shells daily - need more supplies quickly.

“As always in this atrocious war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine, we see that we can move mountains under pressure, and therefore here too,” she said in an interview with Reuters and other media at the Munich Security Conference.

“These are not normal times, these are extraordinary times. And therefore we should also look at extraordinary measures or procedures,” she added.

Moscow accused of smuggling spies into Netherlands

Saturday 18 February 2023 21:00 , Katy Clifton

The Dutch government has said “a number” of Russian diplomats will have to leave the Netherlands, accusing Moscow of trying to smuggle spies into the country that is home to institutions including the International Criminal Court and the global chemical weapons watchdog.

The announcement is the latest twist in a diplomatic dispute between the two countries that began shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago sparked a war on Europe’s eastern flank.“Despite numerous attempts by the Netherlands to find a solution, Russia continues to try to get intelligence officers into the Netherlands under diplomatic cover,” Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in a statement. “We cannot and will not allow that.”He added that it remains “important to keep the embassies open as a communication channel, even now that relations with Russia are more difficult than ever.”The Russian diplomats were given two weeks to leave the country. A Russian trade office in Amsterdam was ordered shut by Tuesday.

Orban accuses EU of fanning flames of war

Saturday 18 February 2023 20:00 , Katy Clifton

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has said that the European Union is partly to blame for prolonging Russia’s war in Ukraine, doubling down on his government’s insistence that supporting Kyiv was a mistaken strategy for Europe.Speaking at an annual state of the nation address in Budapest, Mr Orban claimed the EU had fanned the flames of the war by sanctioning Russia and supplying Ukraine with money and weapons, rather than seeking to negotiate peace with Moscow.“When Russia launched its attack, the West didn’t isolate the conflict but elevated it to a pan-European level,” Mr Orban said.

“The war in Ukraine is not a conflict between the armies of good and evil, but between two Slavic countries that are fighting against one another. This is their war, not ours.”

Finland could join Nato ahead of Sweden, defence minister says

Saturday 18 February 2023 18:54 , Karl Ritter

Finland’s defense minister said Saturday that his country will join Nato without waiting for Sweden if its Nordic neighbor’s accession is held up by the Turkish government.

Mikko Savola told The Associated Press on Saturday that Finland would prefer that that the two countries join the alliance together, but it wouldn’t hold up the process if Turkey decides to approve Finland, but not Sweden, as it has warned.

“No, no. Then we will join,” Savola said in an interview on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich.

Since they broke with decades of non-alignment in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland and Sweden have insisted they want to join Nato together. But Turkey’s reluctance to accept Sweden unless it steps up pressure on Kurdish exile groups has made it more likely the two will have to join the alliance at different speeds.

“Sweden is our closest partner,” Savola said. “Almost every week our defense forces are practicing together and so on. It’s a very deep cooperation and we also trust fully each other. But it’s in Turkey’s hands now.”

Defense minister: Finland could join NATO ahead of Sweden

Sunak says UK ready to support allies who can provide Ukraine with fighter jets

Saturday 18 February 2023 18:06 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak has been asked whether he has spoken to Poland about providing its MiG aircraft to Ukraine during his discussions in Germany today.

“What I’ve done is said to all allies that we stand ready to support them if they can provide fighter jets for Ukraine now,” the PM told broadcasters in Munich.

“And for our part, we’re also leading the world in training Ukrainian pilots on Nato-standard aircraft. That’s the right thing to do because this is about giving Ukraine the means to defend themselves and win this war.

“That’s about more air defence, that’s about armoured vehicles, it is about long-range weapons - the UK is out in front on all these things. And it is important we continue to do so and lead because we all want to see Ukraine succeed and this Russian aggression go ... completely checked and punished.”

Russia’s war has shown EU ‘can move mountains under pressure’, says von der Leyen

Saturday 18 February 2023 17:12 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shown that the EU “can move mountains under pressure”, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has said.

The bloc is urgently exploring ways for its member countries to team up to buy munitions to help Ukraine, following warnings from Kyiv that its forces – which are firing up to 10,000 artillery shells daily – need more supplies quickly.

“As always in this atrocious war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine, we see that we can move mountains under pressure, and therefore here too,” she told reporters at the Munich Security Conference, adding: “These are not normal times, these are extraordinary times. And therefore we should also look at extraordinary measures or procedures.”

In the past, the focus on national interests has often prevented closer defence cooperation between European countries, hampering and slowing down joint procurement programmes, but Ms von der Leyen expressed confidence that the bloc’s joint interest in providing Kyiv with ammunition will trump individual national interests when it comes to common European defence procurement programmes.

In her speech to the conference, Ms von der Leyen earlier suggested the EU join forces with the bloc’s defence industry to speed up and scale up the production of ammunition badly needed on the battlefield in Ukraine and to replenish stocks at home (see post at 10:46am).

Sunak and Harris agree Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ‘is a global war’, No 10 says

Saturday 18 February 2023 16:20 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak and Kamala Harris have agreed that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a “global war”, Downing Street has said.

“The prime minister and Vice President Harris condemned those countries who have supported Putin’s efforts politically and militarily,” No 10 said in a statement, after their meeting at the Munich Security Conference.

“They agreed that Putin’s war in Ukraine is a global war, both in terms of its impact on food and energy security and in terms of its implications for internationally accepted norms like sovereignty,” the statement added.

'Justice must be served,’ Kamala Harris says

Saturday 18 February 2023 15:25 , Andy Gregory

Vice president Kamala Harris has said that “justice must be served” as she announced that the United States believes Russia is guilty of “crimes against humanity” in Ukraine.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Ms Harris said the international community has both a moral and a strategic interest in pursuing those crimes, pointing to a danger of other authoritarian governments taking advantage if international rules are undermined.

Ms Harris said that, as a former prosecutor and former head of California’s Department of Justice, she knows “the importance of gathering facts and holding them up against the law”.

“In the case of Russia‘s actions in Ukraine, we have examined the evidence, we know the legal standards and there is no doubt,” she said. “These are crimes against humanity.”

Sunak and von der Leyen agree on giving Ukraine ‘military momentum’ to secure victory

Saturday 18 February 2023 15:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen “agreed on the importance of giving Ukraine the military momentum” it needs to win against Russia.

In a readout of the Prime Minister’s meeting with Ms von der Leyen on the margins of the Munich security conference, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “President of the Commission von der Leyen and Prime Minister Sunak updated one another on their discussions with President Zelensky last week. They agreed on the importance of giving Ukraine the military momentum they need to secure victory against tyranny.

“The leaders welcomed the powerful alignment in EU and UK support for Ukraine over the past year, as exemplified both by our record military and economic aid to the country, and the co-ordination of the most substantial and unprecedented sanctions packages in response to Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

“They agreed EU and UK efforts to train Ukrainian troops will make a real difference on the battlefield.

“The President and the Prime Minister expressed their confidence that the spirit of co-operation with which we have responded to Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine should also be reflected across the full range of issues the EU and the UK face together.

Two civilians injured as Russia fires missiles from Black Sea, Ukraine officials say

Saturday 18 February 2023 14:44 , Andy Gregory

Russian missiles fired from the Black Sea today have wounded two civilians and shattered hundreds of windows in the west Ukrainian city of Khmelnytskyi, officials have said.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched four Kalibr missiles from the Black Sea, two of which were shot down by air defences. Two explosions were heard in Khmelnytskyi, which lies 170 miles (274 km) west of Kyiv, the regional governor said.

Oleksandr Symchyshyn, the mayor of Khmelnytskyi, said on national television that the explosions, for which he blamed Russia, had wounded two people, but their injuries were not serious.

“There are three damaged educational institutions, around ten damaged high-rise apartment blocks. Around five hundred windows and balconies have been destroyed,” he said.

Mr Symchyshyn did not say if the missiles had struck their targets, or what they were aiming for.

Russia claims capture of village in Kharkiv region

Saturday 18 February 2023 14:21 , Andy Gregory

Russia's defence ministry has claimed that its forces have captured the village of Hrianykivka, in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

A briefing note from Ukraine’s General Staff earlier on Saturday said the village was being shelled, but made no mention of an assault.

UK will ‘take steps’ to protect against ‘systemic challenge’ posed by China, says Sunak

Saturday 18 February 2023 13:56 , Andy Gregory

Britain will “take steps” to protect itself against the “systemic challenge” China presents to its values, Rishi Sunak has said when asked about Beijing’s role in Ukraine.

Appearing at the Munich Security Conference, the prime minister was questioned about whether he believed China could be a “sincere mediator” over matters relating to the Russian invasion.

“China has to play a responsible role when it comes to situations like this and that’s what I would urge and ask them to do,” he replied, adding: “When it comes to China more broadly, I’ve been very clear – China represents a systemic challenge to our values and our interests.

“We in the UK are alive to that and we’ll take the steps needed to protect ourselves against that, whether it’s with the power to block hostile investment ... whether it’s standing up for abuses in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

“We will do what’s necessary to protect ourselves and engage with China on trying to resolve some of these pressing problems where we can.”

Whole world must hold Russia to account over war crimes, says Sunak

Saturday 18 February 2023 13:10 , Andy Gregory

The “whole world must hold Russia to account” for war crimes against Ukraine, Rishi Sunak has said, as the prime minister criticised the agreements of the “post-Cold War era” for failing Kyiv.

Calling for a strengthening of international law, he told the Munich security conference: “To win the peace, we also need to rebuild the international order on which our collective security depends.

“First, that means upholding international law. The whole world must hold Russia to account. We must see justice through the ICC for their sickening war crimes committed, whether in Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol or beyond, and Russia must also be held to account for the terrible destruction it has inflicted.”

He added: “Second, the treaties and agreements of the post-Cold War era have failed Ukraine, so we need a new framework for its long-term security.

“From human rights to reckless nuclear threats from Georgia to Moldova, Russia has committed violation after violation against countries outside of the collective assurance of Nato.”

You can read our international correspondent Bel Trew’s dispatch from the shadow of the Russian retreat in Borodyanka, Bucha, Hostomel and Makariv last April here:

In the shadow of Putin’s war: Murder, mass graves and torture mark a Russian retreat

Britain working with allies to ‘build the air force Ukraine need’, says Sunak

Saturday 18 February 2023 13:04 , Andy Gregory

The UK is working with allies to give Ukraine “the most advanced air defence systems” and build the air force it needs to defend the country, Rishi Sunak has said.

Speaking at the Munich security conference, he said: “Together we must help Ukraine to shield its cities from Russian bombs and Iranian drones.”

He added: “It’s why we’re working with allies to give Ukraine the most advanced air defence systems and build the air force they need to defend their nation.

“Of course, the United Kingdom stands ready to help any country provide planes that Ukraine can use today. But we must also train Ukrainian pilots to use the most advanced jets.

“That’s exactly what Britain is doing so Ukraine has the capability to defend its security in the long term.”

Sunak opens speech by declaring victory for Ukraine is ‘only way’ to end ‘pain and suffering'

Saturday 18 February 2023 13:01 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak has kicked off his speech to the Munich security conference by saying the only way to stop pain and suffering inflicted by Russian forces is “for Ukraine to win”.

The prime minister told delegates: “Our collective efforts are making a difference. But with every day that passes, Russian forces inflict yet more pain and suffering.

“Now the only way to change that is for Ukraine to win.”

How does ‘crimes against humanity’ declaration differ to Washington’s past remarks?

Saturday 18 February 2023 12:54 , Andy Gregory

The United States had already concluded that Vladimir Putin’s forces were guilty of war crimes – as has a United Nations-backed investigation.

But the State Department’s conclusion that Russia’s actions amount to “crimes against humanity” (see post at 12:17pm) implies a legal analysis that acts from murder to rape are widespread, systematic and intentionally directed against civilians. In international law, it is seen as a more serious offence.

The UN-backed Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has not yet concluded that the war crimes it says it has identified amount to crimes against humanity.

Sunak and Scholz agree on need to sustain ‘record level of support for Ukraine'

Saturday 18 February 2023 11:40 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak’s first bilateral meeting after arriving at the Munich security conference has been with German chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The leaders greeted each other and shook hands before heading for talks ahead of the PM’s address to the summit.

The pair agreed on the need to sustain the “record level of international support for Ukraine” and that the recent offers of main battle tanks and other equipment would be “transformational on the ground”, the UK government said.

China believes ‘some forces’ do not want Ukraine peace talks to succeed, says top diplomat

Saturday 18 February 2023 11:30 , Andy Gregory

China believes there are “some forces” that do not want Ukraine-Russia peace talks to succeed, and Beijing will issue its own position on a political settlement to the crisis, China’s top diplomat has said.

To maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwanese independence forces must be resolutely opposed, Wang Yi told delegates at the Munich Security Conference.

EU must speed up production of weapons ‘desperately' needed by Ukraine, says Ursula von der Leyen

Saturday 18 February 2023 10:46 , Andy Gregory

The European Union aims to join forces with the bloc’s defence industry to speed up and scale up the production of ammunition badly needed on the battlefield in Ukraine and to replenish military stocks at home, Ursula von der Leyen has said.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the European Commission president suggested the bloc should do what it did during the pandemic to prepare for the large-scale production of a Covid vaccine.

“We could think of, for example, advanced purchase agreements that give the defence industry the possibility to invest in production lines now to be faster and to increase the amount they can deliver,” she said.

Ms Von der Leyen underlined that the bloc could not wait for months and years to be able to replenish its own military stocks or send munitions such as 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine.

“It is now the time, really, to speed up the production, and to scale up the production of standardised products that Ukraine needs desperately, for example standardised ammunition,” she said.

Russian invasion has ‘likely failed to meet any of its strategic objectives’, says UK

Saturday 18 February 2023 10:29 , Andy Gregory

On day 358 of their invasion, Russia are not where they would like have to been in the Donbas region by day 10, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

Writing a year to the day after warning of Vladimir Putin’s imminent invasion seven days later, the ministry said Russia’s campaign “has likely failed to meet any of its operational and strategic objectives”.

“358 days after Russia’s D-Day they continue a grinding offensive in the Donbas,” the ministry said in its daily intelligence update, adding: “But at D+358 they’re not where they likely hoped to be in this sector by D+10. The campaign has likely failed to meet any of its operational and strategic objectives.”

Sunak touches down in Munich to urge allies to ‘double down'

Saturday 18 February 2023 09:27 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak’s plane has landed in Munich as he heads to a security summit in Germany to discuss the conflict in Ukraine.

The prime minister is expected to urge the West to give Ukraine “advanced, Nato-standard capabilities” to win its war against Russia, warning allies that they must “double down” on sending equipment, and that more needs to be done to ensure the country’s “long-term security”.

The intervention comes as the British government is investigating whether it could supply Ukraine with fighter jets, with Mr Sunak saying “nothing is off the table”.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has more details:

Rishi Sunak urges leaders to ‘double down’ and supply Ukraine with advanced weapons

Air raid sirens sound across Ukraine as explosions heard in western city

Saturday 18 February 2023 09:04 , Andy Gregory

Air raid sirens have been issued across Ukraine this morning, as several regions limited electricity supply as a precaution ahead of potential strikes on the grid.

Two explosions could be heard in the western city of Khmelnytskyi, which lies 170 miles west of Kyiv, the regional governor said.

Vitaliy Kim, the governor of the southern region of Mykolaiv, posted a picture on the Telegram messaging app of what appeared to be missile debris lying in a field.

He said it was likely to be part of a Ukrainian air defence missile, and indicated that at least one Russian missile had been shot down. “Let’s say this - the score for shot down missiles has been opened,” he said.

Britons joining Ukraine fighting must do so ‘very carefully’, says Starmer

Saturday 18 February 2023 08:14 , Andy Gregory

Labour’s leader has refused to criticise British people travelling to fight for Ukraine, saying that anyone getting involved in the conflict should do so “very carefully”, reports Patrick Daly.

Foreign Office advice is to stay away from the conflict zone, with eight Britons known to have died on Ukrainian soil since the war broke out almost a year ago.

Sir Keir Starmer, who has been visiting Ukraine in recent days, indicated that anyone from the UK joining the fighting needed to ensure they did “nothing that undermines” Ukrainian military efforts to defeat Russian troops.

Starmer: Britons joining Ukraine fighting must do so ‘very carefully’

Rishi Sunak en route to Munich for security conference

Saturday 18 February 2023 07:32 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak has boarded his flight from Stansted to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference.

The prime minister will give a speech and meet with a number of world leaders while at the summit.

He is also expected to meet European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on the fringes to talk about a deal to fix the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Watch: Ukrainian soldiers take part in military exercise at Yorkshire training camp

Saturday 18 February 2023 07:00 , Emily Atkinson

Opinion: Russians who support the Ukraine invasion aren’t always ‘brainwashed’ by propaganda

Saturday 18 February 2023 06:00 , Emily Atkinson

Since Russia’s invasion began almost one year ago, the Ukraine war has rarely been out of the news anywhere in the Western world. But one dimension has been largely absent. What Russia thinks – as opposed to what we think about Russia – has featured at best as a very minor strand, writes Mary Dejevsky.

Russians who support the Ukraine invasion aren’t always ‘brainwashed’ | Mary Dejevsky

Key moments in a year of war after Russia invaded Ukraine

Saturday 18 February 2023 05:00 , Emily Atkinson

The war in Ukraine that began a year ago has killed thousands, forced millions to flee their homes, reduced entire cities to rubble and has fueled fears the confrontation could slide into an open conflict between Russia and NATO.

A look at some of the main events in the conflict:

Key moments in a year of war after Russia invaded Ukraine

Stop Russia now to prevent a wider conflict, Estonia warns

Saturday 18 February 2023 04:00 , Emily Atkinson

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearing the one-year mark, a top Estonian defense leader warned that if Vladimir Putin is not stopped now, he could entangle the region in a larger conflict, perhaps one with even greater security implications for the U.S.

That’s because Russia has shown it will keep trying to retake territories that were once part of the Soviet Union and, so far, economic sanctions and its significant military losses in Ukraine have not changed Putin’s larger goals, said Kristjan Mäe, the head of the Estonian Ministry of Defense’s NATO and EU department, as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the Baltic nation on Thursday.

Stop Russia now to prevent a wider conflict, Estonia warns

Russia to test missile in drills with China and South Africa

Saturday 18 February 2023 03:00 , Emily Atkinson

Russia, China and South Africa are set to begin naval drills off South Africa’s Indian Ocean coast Friday in a demonstration of the three countries’ close ties amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s tense relationship with the West.

The 10 days of exercises, named Mosi II, will coincide with the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

A Russian frigate, the Admiral Gorshkov, arrived in Cape Town earlier this week sporting the letters Z and V on its sides, letters that mark Russian weapons on the front lines in Ukraine and are used as a patriotic symbol in Russia.

Russia to test missile in drills with China and South Africa

IMF and Ukraine reach staff-level deal

Saturday 18 February 2023 02:00 , Emily Atkinson

The International Monetary Fund says it has reached a staff-level agreement with Ukraine, setting the stage for talks on a full loan program that would support Kyiv’s economy and its bid to join the EU.

The IMF said the agreement on the first and final review of a Program Monitoring with Board Involvement (PMB) was subject to IMF management approval and showed positive results.

“Performance under the PMB has been strong. Due to the joint efforts of the government ... and the National Bank of Ukraine, all end-December quantitative and indicative targets have been met, as have all five end-January structural benchmarks,” the IMF said in a statement.

Watch: Moment spy David Smith is jailed for 13 years for passing secrets to Russia

Saturday 18 February 2023 01:00 , Emily Atkinson

Wagner Group ‘has suffered over 30,000 casualties in Ukraine'

Saturday 18 February 2023 00:00 , Emily Atkinson

The Russian mercenary company Wagner Group has suffered more than 30,000 casualties in Ukraine, the White House said on Friday.

The United States estimates that 90 per cent of Wagner Group soldiers killed in Ukraine since December were convicts, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

Top Russian spy colonel for Vladimir Putin and celebrated paratrooper killed in Ukraine

23:00 , Emily Atkinson

A Russian intelligence colonel and a decorated paratrooper have been killed in Ukraine, in a setback for morale among Vladimir Putin’s troops.

And in a further blow, the White House says Russian mercenary company Wagner Group has suffered more than 30,000 casualties in Ukraine.

The exact circumstances of how army intelligence officer Lt Col Viktor Fursov died have not been disclosed.

My colleague Jane Dalton reports:

Top Russian spy colonel and celebrated paratrooper killed in Ukraine

Ukraine court gives Russia TV presenter jail term over call to drown children

22:00 , Emily Atkinson

Anton Krasovsky, a pro-war Russian TV presenter who called for Ukrainian children to be drowned, has been given a five-year jail term in absentia by a court in Ukraine, officials say.

Ukraine‘s SBU security service said Krasovsky had been found guilty of two charges of calling for genocide and two charges of advocating the overthrow of Ukraine‘s constitutional system.

In October, Krasovsky told state-control led broadcaster RT that Ukrainian children who saw Russians as occupiers under the Soviet Union should have been “thrown straight into a river with a strong current”. Krasovsky, who has been sanctioned by the European Union, later apologised but was suspended for the remarks.

“Since last February, he publicly supported the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, condoned crimes committed by the racists and called for the genocide of the Ukrainian people,” the SBU announced in a statement.

“At present the criminal is hiding from justice abroad. SBU employees, though, are aware of his whereabouts and are conducting a number of measures to bring the culprit to justice,” it said.A

UK has ‘consistently led the way in Ukraine conflict,’ says Sunak

21:00 , Emily Atkinson

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has said that he will use the Munich Security Conference as an “opportunity” to talk to allies about defeating Russian aggression.

Mr Sunak was asked by BBC News what he wanted to get from the conference.

“As an opportunity for us to talk to, and for me to talk to, our partners and allies around the world about our efforts to increase our support to Ukraine so that they can defeat Russian aggression,” he said.

“We have consistently led the way in this conflict, most recently in being one of the first countries to provide main battle tanks to the Ukrainians, but also to start training their soldiers and aviators on Nato standard aircraft.

“I want to make sure other countries follow our lead and continue to support Ukraine in the way that we are.

“We want to make sure that Russia is defeated, and Saturday’s conference gives me an opportunity to talk to others about that.”

Ukraine not last stop of Putin’s invasion, warns Zelensky

20:11 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine will not be the last stop of president Vladimir Putin’s invasion, Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his latest bid for Western arms deliveries.

The Ukrainian leader told the Munich Security Conference that while the West was negotiating supplies of tanks to Kyiv, the Kremlin was thinking of ways to “strangle” the former Soviet republic of Moldova which lies west of Ukraine.

“It’s obvious that Ukraine is not going to be his last stop. He’s going to continue his movement all the way ... including all the other states that at some point in time were part of the Soviet bloc,” Mr Zelensky said.

He urged the West to maintain speedy weapons deliveries. Kyiv’s allies have promised battle tanks and talks are under way about securing longer-range missiles. Ukraine‘s partners though are hesitant about providing fighter jets.

“Delay has always been and still is a mistake,” Mr Zelensky said.

Biden won’t visit Ukraine during Poland trip to mark war anniversary

20:00 , Emily Atkinson

President Joe Biden will not cross into Ukraine from Poland when he travels there next week to mark the one-year anniversary of the unprovoked war started by Russia last year.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday said Mr Biden’s trip would take him to Warsaw, Poland, where last year he delivered a speech at the city’s Royal Castle in support of Ukraine’s defence efforts.

Ms Jean-Pierre added that the president would meet with Polish president Andrzej Duda and leaders of Nato’s “eastern flank” nations to “reaffirm the United States unwavering support for the security of the alliance” and deliver remarks to commemorate a year of war.

Biden won’t visit Ukraine during Poland trip to mark war anniversary

A Putin cartoon in his locker and a Soviet hat, the British spy who made no secret of his love for Russia

19:30 , Emily Atkinson

David Smith liked Russia. A lot. And he wasn’t shy about expressing his feelings to colleagues at the British embassy in Berlin.

The 58-year-old security guard kept a poster affixed to the inside of his work locker’s door so that every time he opened it, he was greeted with a cartoon of a muscled Vladimir Putin, who was holding a bayonet in one hand and using the other to drag Angela Merkel by the neck.

Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden reports:

The British spy with a Soviet hat who made no secret of his love for Russia

What nuclear weapons does Russia have?

19:00 , Emily Atkinson

Not long after the invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, Russian president Vladimir Putin reminded the world of his country’s nuclear arsenal.

“Whoever tries to impede us, let alone create threats for our country and its people, must know that the Russian response will be immediate and lead to consequences you have never seen in history,” he said in remarks from the Kremlin.

“No one should have any doubts that a direct attack on our country will lead to the destruction and horrible consequences for any potential aggressor,” he added, emphasising that Russia is “one of the most potent nuclear powers and also has a certain edge in a range of state-of-the-art weapons”.

Josh Marcus reports:

What Russian nuclear weapons does Putin have in his war chest?

Moscow expels four Austrian diplomats

18:30 , Emily Atkinson

Moscow has asked four Austrian diplomats to leave Russia in retaliation for the expulsion earlier this month of four Russian diplomats from Vienna.

Austria had accused the Russian diplomats of spying, and Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Friday defended their expulsion.

He said Austria would not watch idly “while espionage occurs in our country and hospitality is abused.”

In announcing the expulsion of the Austrian diplomats on Thursday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the earlier act by Austria “unfriendly and unreasonable,” calling into question Austria’s “previously positioning itself as an unbiased and neutral state.”

Nehammer rejected the claim that Austria isn’t neutral anymore.

Starmer issues warning to Britons travelling to fight in Ukraine

18:00 , Emily Atkinson

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said any British people going out to join Ukrainians in fighting Russia’s occupying troops needed to be “very carefully done”.

Sir Keir, asked on BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine programme if it was “good that British people are going out to fight”, said: “I think a lot of British people are going out to offer all sorts of support.

“Some of them we saw yesterday and this morning.

“Obviously, if people are going out to fight, it has got to be very carefully done because you’ve got the Ukrainian forces there.

“They are disciplined, they are professional, they are working to a strategic plan and nothing should be done that gets in the way of that.

“So, Ukraine wants all the support it can get but nothing that undermines their strategy, their tactics.”

Zelensky urges speed over military support

17:30 , Emily Atkinson

Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western allies to speed up their military support for Ukraine, warning that delays would play into Russia’s hand as the invasion approaches its first anniversary.

“There is no alternative to speed, because it’s speed that life depends on,” Mr Zelensky told the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

In his plea for more Western weapons, he compared Ukraine‘s struggle against the Russian invasion to the biblical fight between David and Goliath, saying his country had David’s courage but needed help getting the sling.

Mr Zelensky vowed that his country would ultimately prevail over Moscow’s aggression — and even predicted that victory would happen this year.

But he warned that Russia “can still destroy many lives.”“That is why we need to hurry up,” Mr Zelensky said. “We need the speed.”

UK a ‘main target’ of Russia, says former MI6 staffer

16:54 , Emily Atkinson

The UK is one of Russia’s “main targets” because it is a “very strong supporter” of Ukraine, former MI6 staffer Christopher Steele has said.

Asked if Russia’s espionage had become “more aggressive” since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Mr Steele told Sky News on Friday: “I suspect it probably has, although the techniques have probably changed to some extent because of the number of expulsions of identified intelligence officers from western capitals.

“But I think clearly when it comes to when a country is at war, as Russia is - whether they like to admit it or not - they’re going to step up their operations.

“They’re going to step up their appetite for taking risks and for throwing large amounts of resources at the main targets, and, of course, Britain is one of those being a very strong supporter of Ukraine.

“And places like Germany are good hunting grounds I think for the Russians and have been historically.”

Senior Russian military official ‘plunges 16 storeys to her death falling from window’

16:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A senior military official in Russia heavily involved in funding Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has reportedly plummeted 16 storeys to her death in St Petersburg.

The body of Marina Yankina was found on the pavement below an apartment building in the city’s Kalininsky district shortly before 8am on Wednesday morning, according to local reports.

The 58-year-old was finance director of the Western Military District, one of the five geographical battalions which comprise Russia’s army, the leader of which Mr Putin has replaced multiple times since invading Ukraine last February.

The Western Military District confirmed one of its employees had died, but refused to comment further – instead pointing local outlets to the authorities investigating her death.

Senior Russian military official ‘dies after plunging 16 storeys falling from window’

Russia and Belarus discuss closer military and economic ties

16:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted neighbouring ally Belarus’s leader on Friday for talks on expanding military and economic cooperation amid the fighting in Ukraine.

Russia used Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine nearly a year ago at the start of what the Kremlin calls its “special military operation.”

Russia has maintained troops and weapons in Belarus and the two countries have regularly conducted joint drills as part of their military alliance.

Speaking at the start of his talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Mr Putin proposed to discuss security issues, military cooperation and ways to further bolster economic ties.

Mr Putin noted that Belarus has preserved Soviet-era industrial assets, adding that it offers good opportunities for joint manufacturing programmes.

“By pooling our efforts we will create synergy,” Mr Putin said. “It could be very efficient in some sectors and bring good results for both Belarus and Russia.”

Time for more Ukraine support, not Russia dialogue, Macron says

15:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

French President Emmanuel Macron appeared on Friday to toughen his stance towards Moscow, urging allies to step up military support for Ukraine to help it push back Russia‘s invasion since now was not the time for dialogue with Moscow.

Macron has drawn criticism among some NATO allies for delivering mixed messages regarding his policy on the war between Ukraine and Russia, with some considering Paris a weak link in the Western alliance.

On Friday, he sought to straighten the course.

“The time is not for dialogue with Russia,” he said in a speech to the Munich Security Conference, adding that Russia‘s almost one-year-old invasion of its neighbour “had to fail.”

He sought to make it clear that, for now, he would be doubling down on French support for Kyiv.

“We absolutely need to intensify our support and our effort to the resistance of the Ukrainian people and its army and help them to launch a counter-offensive which alone can allow credible negotiations, determined by Ukraine, its authorities and its people,” he said.

“We are ready today to intensify (our efforts) and we are ready for an extended conflict .. It is the only way to bring Russia back to the table and build a lasting peace.”

If Europe is to be in it for the long haul, Macron said, the bloc needs to invest in rearmament, and shift supply chains back to the continent and away from non-EU partners.

He called for the EU to come up with a joint defence investment programme by the summer so that it could look after its own interests.

“If Europe wants to defend Europe it must arm itself, take advantage of NATO inter-operability, but also accelerate its capacity to produce on European soil,” he said.

Russia says 'rude' Western journalists will not be tolerated

15:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s foreign ministry on Friday cautioned Western journalists that if they behaved unprofessionally and treated Russia or its people in a rude way then they would not be tolerated.

President Vladimir Putin signed a law in March imposing a jail term of up to 15 years for spreading intentionally “fake” news about the military, prompting some Western media to pull their journalists out of Russia.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that when senior Western correspondents met Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow this week, some had complained about their conditions, including the issuance of visas and accreditation.

“How many years were they provided with conditions that were absolutely favourable,” Zakharova told reporters.

“That is all over now. Now they will live in a new way,” Zakharova said. “If they do their job professionally, they will work; if not, then foreign journalists will not work.”

“If they treat us, our country and our people rudely, then they are simply not welcome here.”

Russian officials say the Western media have reported on the war in Ukraine in a deeply one-sided way, ignoring the roots of the conflict and siding openly with Ukraine while displaying open and unconscious racism against Russians.

Russia has blocked Facebook and Twitter while labelling some Russian reporters as foreign agents. Some of Russia‘s top journalists have left the country.

In the Press Freedom Index, a ranking of press freedom compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders, Russia is ranked 155 out of 180 countries, just above Afghanistan and Pakistan. Norway is ranked first.

Putin travelling in armoured train over ‘fear of flying’

14:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian president Vladimir Putin is “scared” to travel on planes as he fears being tracked or shot down by Nato or Ukraine, an investigative reporter has said.

As a result, he is more frequently travelling on an armoured train, Ilya Rozhdestvensky of the Dossier Center said.

Mr Rozhdestvensky told CNN that Putin believes travelling by train is a “more secure way to travel” and that “nobody will know where he’s going”.

Leopard-1A5 battle tanks will be delivered to Ukraine as soon as possible, Dutch PM says

14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday the first batch of Leopard-1A5 battle tanks the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany are buying for Ukraine will be delivered to the war torn country as soon as possible.

“As soon as the first batch (of Leopard tanks) is combat ready, it will be delivered to Ukraine, we want to do that as soon as possible”, Rutte told journalists in Kyiv, speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Rutte also said the Netherlands were prepared to host a new tribunal to judge Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, adding that more support was needed for that to happen.

Russia summons Italian ambassador after performances cancelled

13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s Foreign Ministry summoned the Italian ambassador on Friday after Moscow said a number of performances by Russian artists in Italy had been cancelled.

In a statement, the ministry accused the Italian authorities of discriminating against Russian artists, without providing further details.

Russia to test missile in drills with China and South Africa

13:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia, China and South Africa are set to begin naval drills off South Africa’s Indian Ocean coast on Friday in a demonstration of the three countries’ close ties amid Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine and China’s tense relationship with the West.

The 10 days of exercises, named Mosi II, will coincide with the first anniversary of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

A Russian frigate, the Admiral Gorshkov, arrived in Cape Town earlier this week sporting the letters Z and V on its sides, letters that mark Russian weapons on the front lines in Ukraine and are used as a patriotic symbol in Russia.

In protest, a small yacht flying Ukraine‘s flag sailed by the Russian frigate in Cape Town’s harbour. South African protesters opposed to the exercises are expected to demonstrate at the Russian Consulate in Cape Town on Friday.

The arrival of the Admiral Gorshkov has stirred considerable controversy because it is armed with the latest Zircon hypersonic missiles, a weapon that Russia says can penetrate any missile defences to strike targets at sea and on land.

The warship is set to test-fire a Zircon missile during the joint naval drills, according to Russian state news agency Tass. The test will be the first launch of the missile in an international exercise.

In addition to the Admiral Gorshkov, other ships participating in the maritime exercises will include a Russian oil tanker for refuelling, a South African frigate and three Chinese ships - a destroyer, a frigate and a support vessel, according to a South African military statement.

The joint naval exercises also come as China’s relations with Washington are tense after its balloon sailed across the US and was eventually shot down by the Americans.

Zelensky says there should be no taboo on supplying weapons to Ukraine

12:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday there should be no taboo on supplying weapons to Ukraine as it needs arms to defend its sovereignty.

Speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Zelensky said: “We have a common understanding with the Netherlands that there should not be any taboo on the supply and support of weapons to our army, to our Ukraine, because it supports and protects our sovereignty.”

Russia summons Dutch ambassador over MH17 probe

12:36 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia said on Friday that it had summoned the Dutch ambassador over what it called “obsessive attempts” by the Dutch authorities to hold it responsible for the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine in 2014.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the joint investigation team set up to establish who was responsible of being “politicised”.

Prosecutors said last week at The Hague they had found “strong indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin had approved the use in Ukraine of a Russian BUK missile system used to shoot down the plane over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

War in Ukraine to dominate global security gathering in Munich

11:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Politicians, military officers and diplomats from around the world gathered in Munich on Friday to discuss Europe’s security situation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago.

The war has reignited long-running debates on questions such as how much Europe should build up its own military capacity, how much it should rely on the United States for its security, and how much governments should spend on defence.

Delegates to the Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering focused on defence and diplomacy, will also discuss the global impact of the war on issues ranging from energy supply to food prices.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are among those attending the conference, which begins on Friday and runs until Sunday. Senior Ukrainian officials are also expected to address it.

Setting out Kyiv’s position, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said “real global security” could only be achieved if Ukraine won the war.

“Negotiations can begin when Russia withdraws its troops from the territory of Ukraine. Other options only give Russia time to regroup forces and resume hostilities at any moment,” Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

Last year’s conference took place just days before the war began.

Russia must leave Ukraine before peace talks start

11:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A senior Ukrainian official on Friday ruled out peace talks with Moscow unless Russia withdraws from Ukraine, reiterating Kyiv’s position before an international conference set to be dominated by the war.

“For decriminalization of global politics and real global security, the war must end with Ukraine‘s victory,” Mykhailo Podolyak, a political adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, wrote on Twitter.

“Negotiations can begin when Russia withdraws its troops from the territory of Ukraine. Other options only give Russia time to regroup forces and resume hostilities at any moment.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are among many top officials attending the Munich Security Conference.

Russia confirms leadership appointments across military

11:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s defence ministry website has posted an update confirming who is in charge of its various military districts, the TASS news agency said on Friday.

According to TASS, Andrey Mordvichev is now head of the Central Military District, confirming an earlier report from the RBC news outlet.

It added that Yevgeny Nikiforov is chief of the Western Military District, Rustam Muradov is chief of the Eastern Military District and Sergey Kuzovlev is chief of the Southern Military District.

When did Russia invade Ukraine?

10:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine has been raging for almost a year now, the conflict continuing to record devastating casualties and force the mass displacement of millions of blameless Ukrainians.

Vladimir Putin began the war by claiming Russia’s neighbour needed to be “demilitarised and de-Nazified”, a baseless pretext on which to launch a landgrab against an independent state that happens to have a Jewish president in Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine has fought back courageously against Mr Putin’s warped bid to restore territory lost to Moscow with the collapse of the Soviet Union and has continued to defy the odds by defending itself against Russian onslaughts with the help of Western military aid.

Battle tanks from the US, Britain and Germany are now being supplied for the first time and Mr Zelensky toured London, Paris and Brussels in early February 2023 to request fighter jets be sent as well in order to counter the Russian aerial threat, a step the allies appear to have reservations about making.

When did Russia invade Ukraine in 2022?

Labour government support for Kyiv would be ‘unwavering’, Starmer tells Zelensky

10:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A future Labour government would ensure the defence needs of Ukraine continued to be met, Sir Keir Starmer told the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky.

In face-to-face talks in Kyiv, the Labour Party leader assured Mr Zelensky that Ukraine would have his “unwavering support” against Russian aggression if he became Britain’s next prime minister.

With Labour well in front of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party in most national opinion polls, Sir Keir could be walking through the black door of 10 Downing Street as the UK’s new leader after the next general election.

Labour government support for Kyiv would be ‘unwavering’, Starmer tells Zelensky

Russia says Nuland comments on Crimea show U.S. is involved in Ukraine conflict

09:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that comments by United States Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland about Washington supporting Ukrainian attacks on Crimea showed that the United States was involved in the conflict.

Crimea, which includes the port of Sevastopol where Russia‘s Black Sea Fleet is based, is seen by Western and Russian diplomats as the biggest flashpoint of the Ukraine war.

China's Xi plans 'peace speech' on Ukraine invasion anniversary, Italy min says

09:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

China’s President Xi Jinping will deliver a ‘peace speech’ on the anniversary of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, Italy’s foreign minister said on Friday, citing top diplomat Wang Yi.

Wang Yi “told me that Xi will deliver a peace speech on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine“ on Feb. 24, 2022, Minister Antonio Tajani told Italian radio RAI, the day after he met the top Chinese diplomat in Rome.

Tajani said that in the meeting with Wang Yi, he called for China to use all its powers to persuade Russia to sit at the peace table to ensure Ukraine‘s independence and bring the war to an end.

Asked about Italy’s partnership in China’s Belt and Road Initiative trade project, Tajani said Rome was assessing the issue and would decide what to do “at the appropriate time”.

Italy, in 2019, became the first major industrialised nation to sign up for the initiative - a colossal project designed to improve Beijing’s trade reach.

Little has so far come of the pact, signed during a state visit to Italy by Xi Jinping.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said last year, before she was elected, that she did not want “to favour Chinese expansion into Italy or Europe”, and she would not look to pursue the project.

In December, the European Commission unveiled a plan called Global Gateway to invest 300 billion euros ($319 billion)globally by 2027 in infrastructure, digital and climate projects as a better alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Watch live: Russian foreign ministry spokesperson gives weekly briefing

08:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch live as the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova gives a weekly briefing.

It comes as Russia rained missiles across Ukraine yesterday and struck its largest oil refinery, Kyiv said, while the head of the Wagner mercenary group predicted the long-besieged city of Bakhmut would take weeks if not months to fall.

Live: Russian foreign ministry spokesperson gives weekly briefing

Russia appoints Mordvichev to head Central Military District

07:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has officially appointed Lieutenant-General Andrey Mordvichev as commander of the country’s Central Military District, replacing promoted Colonel-General Alexander Lapin, the RBC news outlet reported on Friday.

Lapin was appointed chief of staff of the country’s ground forces last month despite fierce criticism from leading hawks over his performance in Ukraine.

Mordvichev led Russian troops during last year’s offensive in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, RBC said, culminating in a months-long siege at the city’s Azovstal steelworks and its eventual capture by Russian troops.

His appointment had been flagged in January by Dmitry Sablin, a lawmaker from Russia‘s ruling party.

Mordvichev’s appointment follows other sweeping changes to Moscow’s military leadership during the almost year-long war in which Russian forces have seized large parts of southern and eastern Ukraine but suffered painful defeats and retreats.

Last October Russia named Air Force General Sergei Surovikin as the overall commander of its forces in Ukraine, shortly after the reported sacking of the commanders of the Eastern and Western military districts.

President Xi to deliver speech for anniversary of invasion

07:31 , William Mata

China's President Xi Jinping will deliver a peace speech on the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Italy's foreign minister said on Friday, citing top diplomat Wang Yi.

Wang Yi "told me that Xi will make a peace speech on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine" on February 24, Minister Antonio Tajani told Italian radio RAI, the day after he met the top Chinese diplomat in Rome.

Asked about the Belt and Road Initiative, Tajani said the Italian government was assessing the issue and would decide what to do "at the appropriate time"

Facebook ran ads in Moldova for oligarch sanctioned by US

07:15 , Namita Singh

Facebook allowed an exiled Moldovan oligarch with ties to the Kremlin to run ads calling for protests and uprisings against the pro-Western government, even though he and his political party were on US sanctions lists.

The ads featuring politician and convicted fraudster Ilan Shor were ultimately removed by Facebook but not before they were seen millions of times in Moldova, a small nation of about 2.6 million sandwiched between Romania and war-torn Ukraine.

Seeking to exploit anger over inflation and rising fuel prices, the paid posts from Shor’s political party targeted the government of pro-Western president Maia Sandu, who earlier this week detailed what she said was a Russian plot to topple her government using external saboteurs.

“Destabilisation attempts are a reality and for our institutions, they represent a real challenge,” Ms Sandu said yesterday as she swore in a new government led by pro-Western prime minister Dorin Recean, her former defence and security adviser.

“We need decisive steps to strengthen the security of the country.”

The ads reveal how Russia and its allies have exploited lapses by social media platforms — like Facebook, many of them operated by US companies — to spread propaganda and disinformation that weaponises economic and social insecurity in an attempt to undermine governments in Eastern Europe.

Mr Shor’s ads have helped fuel angry protests against the government and appear to be aimed at destabilising Moldova and returning it to Russia’s sphere of influence, according to Dorin Frasineau, a foreign policy adviser to former Moldovan prime minister Natalia Gavrilita, whose resignation led to the formation of the new government on Thursday.

“Even though he is on the US sanctions list, I still see sponsored ads on Facebook,” Mr Frasineau said, saying he had spotted what he believes were fake accounts sharing the posts this week.

He said the Moldovan government sought answers from Facebook to no avail. “We have talked with Facebook, but it is very hard because there is no specific person, no contact.”

Main developments on battlefield from Thursday

07:00 , Sam Rkaina

* Echoing a pattern of heavy aerial bombardment at times of Ukrainian battlefield or diplomatic advances, Russia launched 32 missiles in the early hours, Ukraine’s Air Force said. Half were shot down, it added, a lower rate than normal.

* Among them, air defences in the south downed eight Kalibr missiles fired from a ship in the Black Sea, Ukrainian officials said. Other missiles struck northern and western Ukraine as well as the central regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad.

* However, Ukraine’s energy minister and the national power grid operator signalled that the overnight Russian air strikes had not caused major disruption to electricity supplies.

* Russia has usually carried out its biggest waves of air strikes in daylight, striking energy facilities, but Ukrainian officials suggest Moscow is starting to adapt strategy, including using air balloons for reconnaissance.

* Russia and Ukraine exchanged 101 prisoners of war in their latest prisoner swap on Thursday, authorities said.

* Russia’s current battlefield focus is on the small city of Bakhmut in Donetsk, one of two provinces making up the easterm Donbas, Ukraine’s industrial heartland now partially occupied by Russian forces.

* Russian Wagner militia chief Yevgeny Prigozhin forecast that Bakhmut, now bombed-out from months of heavy shelling, would fall next month or in April, depending on how many men Ukraine throw into the fight and how well his men are supplied.

With eye on Russia, Greece and Bulgaria expand gas deal

06:45 , Namita Singh

The leaders of Greece and Bulgaria have announced plans to expand natural gas cooperation with a deal that could help other countries in the region lower their dependence on Russian energy.

Under an agreement signed in Athens yesterday, Greece will gain access to Bulgaria’s gas storage facilities in exchange for expanded use by Bulgaria of a liquefied natural gas terminal near Athens.

Russian supplier Gazprom halted gas deliveries to Bulgaria over a pay mechanism dispute last April, two months after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Greece has also drastically reduced Russian gas imports over the past year.

Report:

With eye on Russia, Greece and Bulgaria expand gas deal

Russia’s crude output cut signals unsold oil, says US official

06:30 , Namita Singh

Russia’s decision to cut crude oil production by 500,000 barrels per day reflects its inability to sell all of its oil, Ben Harris, a US treasury department assistant secretary, said on Thursday.

Russia’s deputy prime minister Alexander Novak last week said it would voluntarily cut production beginning next month following the start of Western price caps on Russian oil and oil products on 5 February. The move to cut around five per cent of output temporarily pushed up global prices.

“They cut back on production because they just couldn’t sell it (the oil), not because they wanted to weaponise oil and refined products,” Ms Harris said in remarks at the Argus Americas Crude Summit.

The cut follows embargoes and sanctions, including an unprecedented $60 a barrel price cap on its crude, by Western countries to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have pushed for lowering the crude oil cap.

Russia’s monthly budget revenues from oil and gas fell 46 per cent in January to their lowest level since August 2020 under the impact of Western sanctions on its most lucrative export, according to finance ministry data.

The cap sought to maintain market stability and to drive down Russian revenue, both of which have been achieved, Harris said.There have been no American companies involved in trading Russian oil above the price cap, he said.

Keir Starmer tells Zelensky UK support will ‘remain the same’ under Labour government

06:15 , Namita Singh

Sir Keir Starmer has promised Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky that the UK’s commitment to the country would “remain the same” if there is a Labour government.

During a visit to Kyiv on Thursday, the Labour leader said he had a “very constructive meeting” with Mr Zelensky to discuss military support and the need to prosecute Russia’s leaders for “war crimes”.

With his party well in front of the Tories in the opinion polls, Sir Keir also stressed he was committed to Kyiv’s cause if he enters No 10 after the next general election.

Read the details in this report from our political correspondent Adam Forrest:

Keir Starmer tells Zelensky UK support will ‘remain the same’ under Labour

U.S. curbs ‘slowly crippling Russia’s military'

06:00 , Sam Rkaina

A top U.S. trade official said on Thursday that export controls placed on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine have slowly reduced the supply of materials that Moscow can use to rebuild its war machine.

The U.S. and a coalition of 37 other countries imposed unprecedented export controls on Russia over the past year in response to its unprovoked assault on Ukraine, and more actions are in the works.

Alan Estevez, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, said Russia is working hard to evade those controls, but that the goods that are being smuggled in cannot replace everything that needs to be resupplied.

“Evasion techniques are not going to get you the scale you need to reconstitute your military over time,” Estevez said in an interview with Reuters.

Estevez’s comments come amid reports of new ways of getting tech to Russia.

Senior Russian military official ‘plunges 16 storeys to her death falling from window’

05:45 , Namita Singh

A senior military official in Russia heavily involved in funding Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has reportedly plummeted 16 storeys to her death in St Petersburg.

The body of Marina Yankina was found on the pavement below an apartment building in the city’s Kalininsky district shortly before 8am on Wednesday morning, according to local reports.

The 58-year-old was finance director of the Western Military District, one of the five geographical battalions which comprise Russia’s army, the leader of which Mr Putin has replaced multiple times since invading Ukraine last February.

My colleague Andy Gregory has more:

Senior Russian military official ‘dies after plunging 16 storeys falling from window’

Moscow not invited to global security gathering

05:30 , Namita Singh

Even as leading diplomats from around the world gather in Munich today to survey a European security landscape since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow leaders will be notable by their absence.

The conference has sometimes served as a barometer of relations between Russia and the West, most notably in 2007 when Putin attacked the United States in a speech now widely seen as a harbinger of a far harsher stance against liberal democracies.

Conference chair Christoph Heusgen, a veteran German diplomat, said organisers had not invited any Russian officials as Mr Putin had “broken with civilisation”.

By contrast, a US delegation of record size is expected at the conference, including vice president Kamala Harris, secretary of state Antony Blinken and a third of the US Senate.

“We expect a signal of unity from the transatlantic community,” Mr Heusgen told reporters this week.

Discussions at the conference will also highlight a rude awakening for Western leaders - the war has made clear that much of the rest of the world does not see things their way.

Efforts to get African, Asian and Latin American leaders to isolate Moscow have often floundered, due to Russian diplomatic and economic clout - and anger in the Global South that the West has shown far less interest in conflict and injustice there.

Other big international issues will also feature at the conference, particularly relations between the West and China.

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi is expected to attend and Mr Blinken is considering meeting him there, in what would be their first face-to-face talks after the United States shot down what it said was a Chinese spy balloon and other flying objects.

Ben Wallace admits West needs to ‘ramp up’ production of ammunition for Ukraine

05:15 , Namita Singh

The defence secretary Ben Wallace has admitted that Western allies need to “ramp up” production of ammunition to support Ukraine as it faces increasingly intense assault by Russia‘s forces.

Moscow has been bombarding the frontlines in the east Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. The two areas make up what is known as the Donbas, Ukraine’s industrial heartland, which Russia is keen to control. Ukraine says that the situation is “difficult”.

Read more about his remarks in this report:

Ben Wallace admits West needs to ‘ramp up’ production of ammunition for Ukraine

Zelensky urges filmmakers to take sides in speech opening Berlin Film Festival

05:00 , Sam Rkaina

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged filmmakers to take sides in what he termed a battle between freedom and tyranny, drawing a parallel in his speech opening the Berlin Film Festival between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Berlin Wall.

Zelenskiy recalled his own experience as an actor, urging colleagues to “break the fourth wall” by directly addressing their audiences.

“For many years Potsdam Square was divided by the Berlin Wall,” he said via video link. “Today Russia wants to build the same wall in Ukraine: a wall between us and Europe, to separate Ukraine from its own choice for its future.”

Now in its 73rd year, the Berlinale owes its reputation as the most political of the main film festivals to its origins as a divided city on the front lines of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the West.