Ukraine war – live: ‘No let-up’ in Bakhmut fighting as 20 Russian attacks repelled in 24 hours
Ukraine says the battle for Bakhmut continues to rage with 20 Russian attacks repelled in the past 24 hours alone.
“In the Bakhmut sector, there was no let-up in enemy actions aimed at storming the city of Bakhmut. At least 20 enemy attacks were repelled here alone over the past 24 hours,” the Ukrainian general staff said in an update on Facebook.
It comes as Finland has officially joined Nato, doubling the military alliance’s border with Russia and dealing a significant blow to president Vladimir Putin.
Near the town of Niu-York, 50km south of Bakhmut, a commander of an infantry unit described how Russia was trying to grind down the Ukrainian defences: “They creep in, fire and try to exhaust us. Then they evaluate the situation and can move forward for a little more”.
“Meanwhile, we try to let them get closer to us so that we can hit them more precisely,” the military commander who gave his nom-de-guerre as “Bodia” told Reuters.
The battle for Bakhmut has been one of the bloodiest of the conflict, inflicting significant losses on both sides.
Key Points
Bakhmut epicentre of fight with ‘no let-up’, 20 attacks repelled
Finland joins Nato, doubling military alliance’s border with Russia
Putin responsible for Finland’s ‘historic’ accession to Nato, says alliance chief
Paranoid Putin stays in bunker because he 'fears for his life', says ex-security guard
Wagner raised ‘flag over some kind of toilet’, says Ukraine
Russia launches 17 drones on Ukraine overnight, 14 drowned
Bakhmut epicentre of fight with ‘no let-up’, 20 attacks repelled
04:13 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian commanders leading the charge in the bitter battle for Bakhmut have said that the relentless attacks from Russia have continued.
“In the Bakhmut sector, there was no let-up in enemy actions aimed at storming the city of Bakhmut. At least 20 enemy attacks were repelled here alone over the past 24 hours,” the Ukrainian general staff said in a report on Facebook.
At least tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers on both sides have been killed in the Russian invasion of Ukraine that started in February last year.
The battle for Bakhmut has been one of the bloodiest of the conflict, with heavy casualties on both sides and the city largely destroyed.
EU lashes out at China for support of Russia in Ukraine war
10:00 , Martha Mchardy
The European Union’s foreign policy chief on Tuesday lashed out at China for its support of Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine and called it “a blatant violation” of Beijing‘s United Nations commitments.
“There cannot be siding with the aggressor,” Josep Borrell said. “There is a clear expectation from a permanent member of the (U.N.) Security Council to stand up in defense of international rules-based order and China as a moral duty to contribute to a fair peace.”
Standing alongside visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Borrell was forceful in his condemnation of a nation that has increasingly moved from being a partner to being a rival on the global stage.
Raf Casert reports:
EU lashes out at China for support of Russia in Ukraine war
Polish agriculture minister resigns amid anger over Ukrainian grain imports
09:30 , Martha Mchardy
Polish Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk will resign from his post, he said on Wednesday, amid rising anger among farmers over the impact of Ukrainian grain imports on prices.
In pictures: In Ukraine, the grief-stricken bear the pain of war
09:00 , Martha Mchardy
Spanish Leopard tanks to leave to Ukraine in second half of April - Defence Minister
08:49 , Martha Mchardy
The six Leopard 2A4 tanks Spain committed to send to Ukraine will leave the country in the second half of April, defence minister Margarita Robles said on Wednesday in an interview on 24H TV station.
She added the country’s army services are working on four additional tanks to make them ready for combat and possibly send them to Ukraine too.
Putin will be angry Finland has joined Nato – but he only has himself to blame
08:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will not be happy with Finland becoming the 31st member of Nato. The date is significant – 4 April – which marks the anniversary of the signing of the Nato treaty 74 years ago, writes Jamie Shea.
Yet Putin has only himself to blame for this most significant enlargement of the Western alliance in some time.
Before Putin invaded Ukraine last year, barely 30 per cent of Finns wanted their country to join Nato.
Finland was largely comfortable with the dense network of security partnerships that it had devised since the end of the Cold War: close cooperation with Nato, participation in the EU’s common security and defence policy and military integration with its neighbour, Sweden, and the other Nordic partners.
Analysis: Putin will be angry Finland has joined Nato – but he can only blame himself
Zelensky arrives in Poland to deepen ties with key Western ally
08:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in neighbouring Poland on Wednesday, a Polish presidential aide said, as he begins an official visit to a close ally that has galvanised Western military and political support for Kyiv.
The visit, which was announced this week by Poland but has not been officially confirmed by Kyiv, comes with Ukraine planning to conduct a counter-offensive in the coming weeks or months to recapture occupied land in its east and south.
“I can say that President Zelensky has crossed the Polish border,” Marcin Przydacz told private broadcaster TVN24 on Wednesday.
In televised comments on Tuesday ahead of the visit, Przydacz had said the visit “should be taken as a sign of trust and of thanking Poland and Poles”.
Poland has taken in more than a million Ukrainian refugees over the past 13 months of war. The NATO member has also played an important role in persuading other Western powers to supply battle tanks and other weaponry to Ukraine.
Military deliveries have been vital for Ukraine to fend off and fight back Russian forces that poured over the Ukrainian border in February 2022. Swathes of Ukraine remain occupied in the south and the east.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Tuesday that Kyiv was grateful to Poland for clearing the way for deliveries of MiG fighter jets. Przydacz said earlier this week the first MiGs had already been delivered to Ukraine.
“MiGs from Poland will significantly strengthen our defence, allow us to make our skies safer, save the lives of our citizens and also reduce the destruction caused by Russian attacks,” Reznikov wrote on Telegram.
Zelensky will meet President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on the trip, and speak to Ukrainian refugees and Polish members of the public, Przydacz said.
“It will not be a surprise to anyone that the Ukrainian side will ask Poland and other foreign partners for more support... but we must be aware that we as Poland have already really done a lot,” he said.
Poland has said talks will focus on developments on Ukrainian front lines, international support and economic cooperation, he said.
Ukraine‘s presidential office has not said anything in advance about the trip or what it will focus on.
Ukrainian drone crashes near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
07:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A Ukrainian drone has crashed near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Russia‘s RIA news agency cited a Russian officer as saying on Wednesday, as the chief of the global nuclear watchdog was expected in Russia for talks on the plant’s security.
International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi was due to travel to Russia‘s Kaliningrad region on Wednesday, a week after visiting the Zaporizhzhia facility in southern Ukraine, which is controlled by Russian forces.
According to the Russian military officer cited by RIA, a Polish-made drone weighing more than 2 kg (4.4 pounds) had crashed near the plant. The news agency did not say when.
Grossi has been pushing for a demilitarised zone around Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which has come under repeated shelling, with Russia and Ukraine have blamed on each other.
Russian foreign ministry claims Finland has ‘lost its special voice in international affairs'
07:00 , Andy Gregory
Russia's foreign ministry has claimed that, in dropping non-alignment, Finland was committing a dangerous historical mistake that would fray relations with Moscow and undo its status as a confidence-building presence in the Baltic Sea and Europe at large.
“This is now a thing of the past. Finland has become one of the small members of [Nato] that doesn’t decide anything, losing its special voice in international affairs. We are sure that history will judge this hasty step,” a ministry statement said.
France boosts military spending amid war in Ukraine
06:03 , AP news wire
The French government has approved a key budget bill presented as the country’s biggest military spending spree in more than 50 years, underscoring the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The bill foresees €413bn in military spending or the period covering 2024-2030 – up by more than a third relative to the previous timeframe.
Defence minister Sébastien Lecornu said bill’s political, budgetary, military and technological drive is comparable to the huge push in the 1960s that saw France develop nuclear weapons, making the country one of the world’s major military powers.
Championed by French President Emmanuel Macron, the bill would notably modernise France’s nuclear arsenal, boost intelligence spending by 60 per cent, double the number of military reservists, reinforce cyberdefense and develop more remote-controlled weapons.
It would also boost the arms industry’s production capacity in order to provide assistance to Ukraine and adequately supply the French military.
France boosts military spending amid war in Ukraine
Zelensky heads to Poland to deepen ties with key Western ally
05:56 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to reach Poland shortly as he looks to thank one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies.
Poland has played a key role in galvanising Western military and political support for Kyiv against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“(The visit) should be taken as a sign of trust and of thanking Poland and Poles,” Polish presidential foreign policy adviser Marcin Przydacz said in televised comments yesterday evening, ahead of Mr Zelensky’s expected arrival.
The visit, which was announced this week by Poland but has not been officially confirmed by Kyiv, comes with Ukraine planning to conduct a counter-offensive in the coming weeks or months to recapture occupied land in its east and south.
Poland has taken in more than a million Ukrainian refugees over the past 13 months of war.
The Nato member has also played an important role in persuading other Western powers to supply battle tanks and other weaponry to Ukraine.
Hopeful Zelensky welcomes Finland’s entry into Nato
05:36 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed Finland’s entry into Nato, cheering on the strengthening of the alliance.
“Today, by the way, a historic event took place for our region, for all of Europe, for the entire Euro-Atlantic community. Finland becomes the 31st member of Nato. The alliance is getting stronger on the eastern flank,” he said in his nightly address.
Mr Zelensky congratulated all the people of Finland and the country’s president “personally on a reliable security guarantee – a collective guarantee”.
“Russian aggression clearly proves that only collective guarantees, only preventive guarantees can be reliable. That’s what we always talked about. We also talked about speed – the speed of security decisions matters. Now we can see how fast the procedures can be,” he said.
He added: “By the way, this year’s Nato Summit in Vilnius deserves to be quite ambitious. The more ambitious the one who protects freedom, the less opportunities for aggression the one who wants evil has. The day will come when security will be guaranteed for our country as well.”
Putin officer defects and says ‘paranoid’ president lives in a bunker
05:26 , Arpan Rai
A protection officer for Vladimir Putin has defected and labelled the Russian president a “paranoid war criminal”.
Gleb Karakulov, 35, had served as an engineer in the Federal Guard Service (FSO) presidential communications unit and said he has fled Russia over the war in Ukraine.
The former FSO officer claims president Putin opts to stay “in his bunker” rather than make trips because he is so paranoid about an assassination attempt. The Russian president also allegedly travels with a 2.5 metre-high box to prevent his secret talks from leaking and Western bugging.
Mr Karakulov escaped to safety via Istanbul while on a business trip to Kazakhstan in October 2022 after accompanying president Putin on more than 180 trips over the past 13 years. It is unclear where the 35-year-old is now.
Read the full story here:
Putin officer says ‘paranoid’ president lives in bunker and is terrified of Covid
Watch: Defecting Russian protection officer labels Vladimir Putin 'war criminal'
05:01 , Andy Gregory
Lawyers meet with jailed WSJ reporter in Russian prison
04:57 , Arpan Rai
Lawyers representing an American reporter arrested in Russia on spying charges met with him in a Moscow prison yesterday for the first time since his detention last week and said “his health is good,” according to his employer, The Wall Street Journal.
Evan Gershkovich, 31, was arrested on Thursday in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city.
He is the first US correspondent since the Cold War to be detained on espionage accusations. The Journal has denied the charges.
“Evan’s health is good, and he is grateful for the outpouring of support from around the world. We continue to call for his immediate release,” the Journal’s editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, said in a note to the newsroom on Tuesday. She said the paper was encouraged by the visit.
Read the full story here:
Lawyers meet with jailed American reporter in Moscow prison
Ukrainian fighters describe Bakhmut battle: ‘They creep in, fire’
04:34 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces placed in the muddy dugouts have described the battlefield situation in Bakhmut where dozens of Russian artillery and missile attacks continue on a daily basis.
Near the town of Niu-York, 50 km south of Bakhmut, a commander of an infantry unit explains: “They creep in, fire and try to exhaust us. Then they evaluate the situation and can move forward for a little more".
"Meanwhile, we try to let them get closer to us so that we can hit them more precisely,” the military commander who gave his nom-de-guerre as "Bodia" told Reuters.
Earlier this week, the chief of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force, Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that his forces have “legally” captured the mining city and logistics hub but Ukraine swiftly denied the reports and said that the fighting continues.
Mike Pompeo warns of Putin’s ‘broader war in Europe'
04:00 , Arpan Rai
Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has warned against larger threats from Vladimir Putin to Europe if Russia wins the war against Ukraine after he returned from his visit to the war-hit nation yesterday.
“I’ve just left Ukraine. I’ve seen the damage caused by Putin’s invasion. And I’ve been inspired by the bravery of the Ukrainian people. One thing is clear: helping Ukraine end this war is in America’s core interest,” Mr Pompeo said.
He added: “Supporting Ukraine isn’t about abstract ideals like ‘global democracy’: it’s about strengthening OUR national and economic security.”
“If Putin wins, he’ll control critical exports to the US. And he’ll be on the brink of a broader war in Europe. We can’t let that happen,” the former top US official from Donald Trump administration said.
Lauding the Ukrainian people for enduring “indescribable suffering”, Mr Pompeo said that the “resilient” people are “not asking for American troops—just our support”.
We should give it to them, Mr Pompeo said.
Visuals from the former director of the CIA visit showed him dressed in casual attire and interacting with locals and children in Ukraine at a site of the attack as a building hollowed out likely in an artillery attack appeared in the backdrop.
Mr Pompeo said he had travelled to Ukraine with a delegation of US businessmen and representatives of several humanitarian institutions. He visited a military hospital and also met Ukrainian government officials.
Britain blocks UN webcast of Russian meeting on Ukraine
03:59 , Reuters
Britain has blocked the UN webcast of an informal Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday at which Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights – who the International Criminal Court wants to arrest on war crimes charges – is due to speak, diplomats said.
Russia had told council members that the discussion about Ukraine will focus on “evacuating children from conflict zone” and signalled that commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova would feature.
Such meetings are held at UN headquarters, but not in the Security Council chamber, and briefings can be done virtually. All 15 council members have to agree to allow it to be webcast by the United Nations.
Britain blocked the webcast because Russia would not confirm who would brief, diplomats said on Tuesday. Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy confirmed Britain’s move on Twitter.
“Russia will from now on block UN webcasts of all similar meetings citing ‘UK censorship clause’,” Polyanskiy wrote. Later on Tuesday Russia confirmed that Lvova-Belova would speak at the briefing.
Diplomats have said it is rare for a U.N. webcast to be blocked. However, last month China blocked the UN webcast of a US-convened informal Security Council meeting on human rights abuses in North Korea.
Moscow hosts talks aimed at Syria-Turkey rapprochement
02:51 , AP
Senior diplomats from Russia, Turkey, Syria and Iran wrapped up two days of talks in Moscow on Tuesday, part of the Kremlin’s efforts to help broker a rapprochement between the Turkish and Syrian governments.
The Russian and Turkish foreign ministries issued terse readouts, saying diplomats discussed preparations for a planned meeting of the four countries’ foreign ministers. Moscow described the consultations as “frank and direct,” and Ankara said they were held in a “transparent and clear manner,” while offering no details.
The talks in Moscow were held as UN-mediated negotiations aimed at reaching a political solution to Syria’s conflict have stalled.
Moscow hosts talks aimed at Syria-Turkey rapprochement
Russia’s Lavrov accuses US of trying to ‘torpedo’ Moscow’s upcoming African summit
01:42 , Andy Gregory
Russia’s foreign minister has accused Washington of trying to wreck Russia’s planned summit with African countries as part of efforts to isolate Moscow.
Moscow is preparing for its second summit with African countries, scheduled for the end of July in St Petersburg, including work on infrastructure, technology and energy projects.
Sergei Lavrov told the news site Argumenty i Fakty that Moscow was different from Western countries in its relations with Africa in that “we never tell our foreign partners how they are supposed to live,” claiming: “We have no secret agenda.”
“It is true that the United States and its vassals are doing everything possible to achieve Russia’s international isolation,” Mr Lavrov told the website. “In particular, they are trying to torpedo the planned second Russia-Africa summit ... to persuade our African friends not to take part.”
He claimed, however, that the chances of damaging the conference were diminishing as “fewer and fewer people are now willing to pull out all the stops for former colonial powers”, saying: “Attempts to interfere in our cooperation with countries for the global South and East will therefore continue, but success is far from guaranteed.”
The US State Department did not address Lavrov’s accusations directly, but said in a statement that Washington was pursuing strong relationships with African countries “to address the shared challenges we face. Our Africa policy is about Africa.”
Full report: Suspect in Russia cafe bombing charged with terror offences
Wednesday 5 April 2023 00:31 , Andy Gregory
A 26-year-old woman has been charged with terrorism offences in Russia over a bombing that killed a military blogger who had been a high-profile cheerleader for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Footage released by the Russian interior ministry on Monday appeared to show Darya Trepova admitting to bringing a statuette to the restaurant in St Petersburg, which blew up, also allegedly injuring 42 others. She did not say that she knew there would be an explosion or who had given her the object.
While it is unclear whether her account was given under duress, Ms Trepova’s husband told Russian website SVTV News that – despite being against the war in Ukraine – his wife “would never kill” and “was framed”.
But on Tuesday, Russian investigators said they had charged Trepova with committing “a terrorist act by an organised group that caused intentional death” and the “illegal possession of explosive devices by an organised group”.
Russia charges St Petersburg cafe bombing suspect with terror offences
Russia accuses US of ‘increasing civilian casualties’ with new military aid package
Tuesday 4 April 2023 23:27 , Andy Gregory
The Russian embassy in Washington has reacted to the Pentagon’s announcement of $2.6bn of military aid for Ukraine by accusing the United States of wanting to drag out the conflict as long as possible.
“The decision to supply weapons to Kyiv is a step towards escalating the Ukrainian crisis and increasing the number of civilian casualties,” Russian news agency Tass cited an embassy statement as saying.
US can protect its values by helping Ukraine, says Zelensky
Tuesday 4 April 2023 22:33 , Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has told the US National Governors Association that the United States could protect its values by helping Ukraine.
“Our cooperation will allow for the new enhancement of your security, for our economy and yours, for jobs in both our countries,” the Ukrainian president said by video link on Tuesday.
“The main thing is not to lose time, not to lose the chance we have. Act now, help now. Ukrainians act so that Americans don’t have to fight – and together we gain new strength for our countries,” he added.
US unveils £2.6bn in military aid for Ukraine, Pentagon says
Tuesday 4 April 2023 21:43 , Andy Gregory
The United States has unveiled $2.6bn of military assistance for Ukraine, as Kyiv prepares for its spring counterattack.
The weapons aid package was comprised of $2.1bn from Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funding which allows Joe Biden’s administration to buy weapons from industry rather than from US weapons stocks.
The USAI package included additional munitions for NASAMS air defenses that the US and allies have given to Kyiv, precision aerial munitions, Soviet-era GRAD rockets, anti-tank rockets, armored bridging systems used in assaults, and 105 fuel trailers, along with funding for training and maintenance.
The remaining $500m came from Presidential Drawdown Authority funds, which allows the president to take from current U.S. stocks in an emergency.
That segment of the package included a half a dozen types of munitions, including munitions for Patriot air defense systems, tank munitions, and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
US journalist jailed by Russia meet lawyers for first time
Tuesday 4 April 2023 20:56 , Andy Gregory
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has met his lawyers for the first time since being arrested and charged with espionage in Russia last week, editor-in-chief Emma Tucker has said in a message to staff.
“Evan’s health is good, and he is grateful for the outpouring of support from around the world,” Ms Tucker said in the letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.
“Evan’s family ... are relieved to know we finally have contact with Evan,” she said, adding she was encouraged by the meeting. Last Thursday a Moscow court remanded Gershkovich in pre-trial detention until May 29 on charges that carry a prison term of up to 20 years.
He has appealed the detention through his lawyers, as Washington said it was pushing hard to secure his release. The Wall Street Journal denies the charges. The Kremlin said last week, without providing evidence, that Gershkovich had been “caught red-handed”.
“We continue to call for his immediate release. The legal avenue is one of several avenues we are working to advocate for Evan’s release,” said Ms Tucker.
First Polish MiG-29 fighter jets arrive in Ukraine
Tuesday 4 April 2023 19:47 , Andy Gregory
The first MiG-29 fighter jets sent from Poland have arrived in Ukraine in a major escalation of military backing for Kyiv, my colleague Mary-Kate Findon reports.
Poland and Slovakia became the first Western countries to announce the shipment of 41 MiG-29s to the war-torn country.
The move is anticipated to start a precedent that could lead to other Nato allies sending fighter jets.
Analysis | Putin will be angry Finland has joined Nato – but he only has himself to blame
Tuesday 4 April 2023 19:14 , Andy Gregory
Jamie Shea writes:
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin will not be happy with Finland becoming the 31st member of Nato. The date is significant – 4 April – which marks the anniversary of the signing of the Nato treaty 74 years ago.
Yet Putin has only himself to blame for this most significant enlargement of the Western alliance in some time.
Before Putin invaded Ukraine last year, barely 30 per cent of Finns wanted their country to join Nato. Finland was largely comfortable with the dense network of security partnerships that it had devised since the end of the Cold War: close cooperation with Nato, participation in the EU’s common security and defence policy and military integration with its neighbour, Sweden, and the other Nordic partners.
Yet overnight public support for joining Nato shot up to around 80 per cent, and has stayed there ever since. Nato membership did not feature as an issue in last weekend’s Finnish elections despite the broad spectrum of parties participating. So, what has changed? Essentially two things.
Read the full analysis here:
Analysis: Putin will be angry Finland has joined Nato – but he can only blame himself
Suspect in killing of Russian war blogger charged with terrorism
Tuesday 4 April 2023 18:42 , Andy Gregory
Russian investigators have charged 26-year-old Darya Trepova with terrorist offences over the killing of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a bomb blast in St Petersburg, and remanded her in pre-trial detention.
Tatarsky, a cheerleader for Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was killed on Sunday in a cafe where he was due to talk.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had charged Ms Trepova with committing “a terrorist act by an organised group that caused intentional death”. The charges carry a maximum jail term of 20 years. It claimed she had acted under instructions from people working on behalf of Ukraine.
Russia’s health ministry said 40 other people had been injured in the blast, and 25 were still in hospital on Tuesday morning.
Ms Trepova was transferred from St Petersburg to Moscow, where the Basmanny district court remanded her in custody on Tuesday until 2 June, Russian news agencies reported.
Subject of ICC arrest warrant denies claims she unlawfully deported children to Russia
Tuesday 4 April 2023 18:06 , Andy Gregory
Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights has rejected International Criminal Court (ICC) allegations that she is responsible for unlawfully deporting children from Ukraine.
The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and children’s commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for the war crime of hundreds of children allegedly being taken from orphanages and children’s care homes in areas of Ukraine claimed by Russia. Some children, the ICC said, had been given up for adoption in Russia.
But Ms Lvova-Belova told reporters on Tuesday that her commission had acted on humanitarian grounds to protect children in a militarised area, and had not moved anyone against their will or that of their parents or legal guardians, whose consent was always sought unless they were missing.
Children were not given up for adoption but were placed with temporary legal guardians in foster homes, she insisted.
“As far as the ICC’s accusations are concerned, we don’t understand what we are accused of. Give us the facts and we will look into it. So far, it all looks like a farce without specifics and is incomprehensible,” she said.
The ICC had not submitted any documents to her office, Ms Lvova-Belova said, noting that Russia did not recognise the court’s jurisdiction anyway. Ukraine has not sent any official requests regarding children allegedly separated from their parents, she claimed.
UN council extends Ukraine inquiry into crimes since Russia's invasion
Tuesday 4 April 2023 17:29 , Andy Gregory
The United Nations Human Rights Council has overwhelmingly voted in favour of extending the mandate of an investigative body probing possible war crimes committed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Twenty-eight countries voted in favour of extending the mandate of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine by a year. Seventeen abstained and two voted against the body, which Ukraine says is essential for keeping Russia accountable for its crimes.
“The scope and brutality of Russia’s atrocities in Ukraine are simply beyond any human comprehension,” Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, told the Council ahead of the vote.
“We strongly believe that the continued work of the Commission in further investigating, documenting and reporting human rights violations and international crimes committed against the people in Ukraine could save more innocent lives (and) could contribute to accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims.”
In a report published last month, the commission found that some crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, including the use of torture and attacks against the country’s energy infrastructure, could constitute crimes against humanity.
Watch: Finland joins Nato
Tuesday 4 April 2023 17:01 , Andy Gregory
Biden urges Turkey and Hungary to approve Sweden’s Nato bid ‘without delay’
Tuesday 4 April 2023 16:32 , Andy Gregory
Joe Biden has welcomed Finland’s accession to Nato, and urged Turkey and Hungary to conclude their ratification processes for Sweden to join the military alliance “without delay”.
“I look forward to welcoming Sweden as a Nato member as soon as possible,” the US president said in a statement.
Finland joining Nato is ‘direct result of Putin’s aggression’, says UK
Tuesday 4 April 2023 16:05 , Andy Gregory
Finland’s accession to Nato is a “direct result” of Vladimir Putin’s aggression and demonstrates the strength of the alliance, Britain’s foreign secretary has said.
Mr Cleverly, who was at Nato’s headquarters, said: “Today we see, as a direct result of Vladimir Putin’s aggression and his illegal invasion of Ukraine, the day where a new ally joins our defensive alliance.”
He added: “Russia thought its aggression would divide us. Instead, we are bound tighter together, resolute in our defence of the principles of freedom and the rule of law. Let us be clear that our door remains open. We will welcome further allies with open arms and we continue to push for Sweden’s swift accession.”
Calling it “a historic day”, prime minister Rishi Sunak said Finnish membership “made our alliance stronger and every one of us safer”, adding: “All Nato members now need to take the steps necessary to admit Sweden too, so we can stand together as one alliance to defend freedom in Europe and across the world.”
Defence secretary Ben Wallace said the tectonic shift should “be a lesson to President Putin”, adding: “Finland chose to join, based on their own free will. The freedom to choose their alliances as a sovereign state is a matter for their citizens and their citizens alone.”
Finland joining Nato is ‘direct result of Putin’s aggression’, says UK
West should not ‘provoke Moscow’ as tactical nuclear weapons to move to Belarus, says Russian official
Tuesday 4 April 2023 15:37 , Andy Gregory
The West should acknowledge realities after Russia’s decision to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and not “provoke Moscow”, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov has said.
The senior Russian official claimed on Tuesday that Russia had gained new opportunities to guarantee its security after suspending its participation in the New START nuclear arms control treaty, the TASS news agency reported.
Lukashenko to join Putin in Moscow for two-day talks
Tuesday 4 April 2023 15:11 , Andy Gregory
Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko will travel to Moscow on Wednesday for two days of talks with Vladimir Putin, according to the Kremlin.
Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that Moscow was boosting Belarus’s nuclear capabilities in response to Finland joining Nato.
Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov that the two presidents would discuss Mr Lukashenko’s call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine at an upcoming face-to-face meeting.
In an anouncement on Tuesday, the Kremlin said the pair would discuss “topical bilateral and international issues” on Wednesday, before a meeting on Thursday of the Supreme Council of the Union State.
Russia and Belarus are formally part of a Union State, a borderless union and alliance between the two ex-Soviet countries, though long-standing plans for closer integration of their economies have repeatedly stalled.
Finland’s president hails ‘great day’ for his country as it joins Nato
Tuesday 4 April 2023 14:43 , Andy Gregory
Finland’s president has said that “it is a great day for Finland” and “an important day for Nato” as his country joined the military alliance.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Nato general secretary Jens Stoltenberg, Mr Niinisto said Finland’s most significant contribution to Nato’s common deterrence and defence would be to defend its own territory.
There is still significant work to be done to coordinate this with Nato, he said.
Full report: Finland joins Nato, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Tuesday 4 April 2023 14:04 , Andy Gregory
My colleague Liam James has more details on Finland’s accession to Nato in this breaking report, which you can refresh for updates:
Finland joins Nato, doubling alliance’s border with Russia
Breaking: Finland joins Nato
Tuesday 4 April 2023 13:55 , Andy Gregory
Finland has officially joined Nato, doubling the military alliance’s border with Russia and dealing a significant blow to president Vladimir Putin.
Finland’s membership became official when its foreign minister handed over documents completing its accession process to US secretary of state Antony Blinken.
The US State Department is the repository of Nato texts concerning membership.
Russia has warned that it would be forced to take “retaliatory measures” to address what it called security threats created by Finland’s membership, and that it will bolster forces near Finland if Nato sends any additional troops or equipment to what will be its 31st member country.
Watch: Defecting Russian protection officer labels Vladimir Putin 'war criminal'
Tuesday 4 April 2023 13:24 , Andy Gregory
Putin officer defects and says ‘paranoid’ president lives in a bunker and is terrified of Covid
Tuesday 4 April 2023 13:00 , Emily Atkinson
More now from my colleague Martha McHardy on the interview given by a former protection officer of Vladimir Putin...
Putin officer says ‘paranoid’ president lives in bunker and is terrified of Covid
