Ukraine-Russia war - live: G20 meeting ends without agreement as China refuses to condemn war

The meeting of G20 leaders in India ended in disagreement over the Ukraine war after China and Russia refused to condemn the invasion.

India, which holds the G20 presidency, issued a “chair’s summary and outcome document” instead of a joint communique. It was backed by delegates from 17 of the group’s 20 members.

Meanwhile, Russia likely ignored the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine because it has failed to achieve any of its objectives, a US think tank has said.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has remarked that Moscow’s inability to secure major territorial gains could have influenced its decision.

President Putin made a number of appearances throughout the week, notably delivering the State of the Nation address, but he was silent on the 24 February anniversary.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he plans to meet Xi Jinping to discuss Beijing’s proposed peace plan to end the war, though one senior adviser has dismissed these motives as “betting on an aggressor.”

Key Points

• China refuses to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during G20

• CIA confirms China considering sending lethal aid to Russia

• Russian diplomat accuses West of ‘arm twisting’ others during UN vote

• EU slaps sanctions on top Russia officials, banks, trade

• Zelensky wants to meet Xi Jinping following China’s peace plan

• Putin’s regime will be ‘crushed’, widow of Russian defector says

Putin overconfident in grinding down Ukraine, says CIA chief

17:48 , Jane Dalton

The head of the CIA has said Vladimir Putin is being “too confident” in his military’s ability to grind Ukraine into submission.

William Burns also said the head of Russia’s intelligence services had displayed “a sense of cockiness and hubris” that reflected Mr Putin’s own beliefs “that he can make time work for him, that he believes he can grind down the Ukrainians, that he can wear down our European allies, that political fatigue will eventually set in”.

That conversation, in which Mr Burns also warned of the consequences if Russia were to deploy a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, was “pretty dispiriting”, he told CBS’ Face the Nation.

He judged Mr Putin as “quite determined” to continue prosecuting the war, despite the casualties, tactical shortcomings and economic and reputational damage to Russia.“I think Putin is, right now, entirely too confident of his ability ... to wear down Ukraine,” he said.

“At some point, he’s going to have to face up to increasing costs as well, in coffins coming home to some of the poorest parts of Russia,” where he said many of the conscripts “being thrown as cannon fodder” are from.

Putin will eventually be killed by his inner circle – Zelensky

23:01 , Jane Dalton

President Volodymyr Zelensky has predicted that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will one day be killed by his own inner circle, saying: “Predators will devour a predator”:

Putin will eventually be killed by his inner circle, Ukraine’s Zelensky says

CIA chief: ‘Very risky and unwise’ for China to send lethal aid

21:52 , Jane Dalton

The director of the CIA has confirmed that US intelligence believes China is considering supplying “lethal provisions” to Russia, warning that such action would be “very risky and unwise” for Beijing.

“We’re confident that the Chinese leadership is considering the provision of lethal equipment,” said William Burns.

“We also don’t see that a final decision has been made yet, and we don’t see evidence of actual shipments of lethal equipment.”

He said US president Joe Biden wanted to make clear there would be consequences if Beijing did offer Russia weapons or armaments, saying it “would be a very risky and unwise bet”:

CIA chief says it would be ‘risky and unwise’ for China to send lethal aid to Russian

Zelensky sacks top forces chief

21:37 , Jane Dalton

President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired a senior military commander helping lead the fight against Russian troops in the country’s embattled east but gave no reason for the move.

In a one-line decree, Mr Zelensky announced the dismissal of Eduard Moskalyov as commander of the joint forces of Ukraine, which are engaged in battles in the Donbas region.

Mr Zelensky mentioned Moskalyov in a daily address on Friday when listing the military commanders he had spoken to. Moskalyov had been in the post since March 2022, shortly after Russia invaded.

Opinion: Peace will depend on one crucial thing

21:10 , Jane Dalton

Negotiations will need investment, reconstruction and recovery in a corruption-free environment, writes Fergus Drake, of Crown Agents, a not-for-profit international development company:

Peace in Ukraine will depend on one crucial thing | Fergus Drake

Zelensky vows to retake Crimea

20:20 , Jane Dalton

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed confidence that the return to Ukrainian control of the Crimean peninsula would be part of an end to the war.

Marking the anniversary of Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014, he wrote: “This is our land. Our people. Our history. We will return the Ukrainian flag to every corner of Ukraine.”

Putin ally Lukashenko to visit China

19:45 , Jane Dalton

Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and a close ally of the Russian leader, will visit Beijing this week, China’s foreign ministry said, as US concerns grow that China is considering providing military aid to Russia:

Belarus leader and Putin ally Lukashenko to visit China

Republicans slate Biden’s refusal to send fighter jets

19:00 , Jane Dalton

Republican politicians have criticised the Biden administration for not sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Michael McCaul, chairman of the House foreign relations committee, told ABC’s This Week that planes and long-range artillery could help end the war on a faster timeline.

“This whole thing is taking too long,” Mr McCaul said. “And it really didn’t have to happen this way.”

Joe Biden said on Friday that he was “ruling it out for now”, saying that they are not the weaponry that Ukrainians needed in the near term.

Senator Dan Sullivan said the White House had been slow in providing the military equipment that Ukraine sought, including jets.

“That has been a pattern with this administration from the beginning, where they have slow-rolled critical military weapons systems,” he said.

But White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said they’re providing Ukraine with the military aid needed to retake territory seized by Russia.

Trump mocked over plan to end war: ‘Knock heads and get it done’

18:15 , Jane Dalton

Critics have mocked former US president Donald Trump after he suggested the solution to the war would be to “get people in a room” and “knock heads”:

Trump mocked after sharing his plan to end Ukraine war: ‘Knock heads’

Drone footage shows Bakhmut devastated by Russian forces

17:05 , Jane Dalton

Drone footage published by a Russian news agency shows extensive damage in the city of Bakhmut, which has been the focus of prolonged fierce battles between the Ukrainian army and the Russian military.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Russian paramilitary and mercenary organisation Wagner Group claimed his forces had captured more settlements around the small eastern city.

The Ukrainian army said attacks were continuing, citing “unsuccessful offensives” near six settlements in the region that Moscow claims to have annexed.

Russia has made progress towards encircling Bakhmut but failed to capture it in time to deliver a victory for President Vladimir Putin to announce on Friday’s anniversary of his invasion.

China has not ruled out giving Putin military aid, says US official

16:41 , Jane Dalton

China has not moved toward providing lethal aid that would help Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, according to the Biden administration.

And the United States has made clear behind closed doors that such a move would have serious consequences, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

“Beijing will have to make its own decisions about how it proceeds, whether it provides military assistance - but if it goes down that road it will come at real costs to China,” Mr Sullivan told CNN’s State of the Union programme.

China has not moved forward in providing that aid, but nor has Beijing taken the option off the table, he told ABC.

US officials have warned their Chinese counterparts privately about what those costs might be, Mr Sullivan said, but he would not elaborate on the discussions.

16:02 , William Mata

CIA director William Burns has spoken with US broadcaster CBS on the Ukraine crisis.

He said that China sending lethal aid to Russia would be ‘very risky and unwise’ and that he thinks President Xi has been ‘surprised’ and ‘sobered’ by Russian failure and US solidarity

Mr Burns added that Russia’s spy chief showed ‘cockiness and hubris’ in ‘dispiriting’ meeting with CIA chief, while the CIA boss also accuses Putin of 'hubris'.

“Right now, the honest answer, I think Putin is quite determined,” he said, also adding that the Russian leader is “not serious” about negotiation.

Bakhmut: ‘Destroyed but strong’

15:31 , William Mata

Shocking drone footage which shows the devastation in Bakhmut has been viewed thousands of times on Twitter.

Maria Drutska, who works in Ukraine’s defence sector, shared the footage on Sunday.

She wrote: “Bakhmut, may have been destroyed and almost wiped off the Earth’s surface by the russians, but it still stands strong thanks to the bravery and sacrifice of Ukrainian soldiers. We all honour their courage. Thank you!”

Belarus leader and Putin ally Lukashenko to visit China

15:08 , William Mata

Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and a close ally of the Russian leader, will visit Beijing this week, China's Foreign Ministry said, as U.S. concerns grow that China is considering providing military aid to Russia.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying said Lukashenko is due to visit Tuesday through Thursday, but gave no details about his agenda.

Belarus has strongly backed Moscow and allowed its territory to be used as a staging ground for the initial invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

Sunday afternoon round-up

14:50 , William Mata

Here are some of the top headlines this afternoon:- Putin accuses West of plotting to ‘eliminate’ Russia in new interview

- Any China lethal aid to Russia ‘would come at real costs’ - US: China has not moved toward providing lethal aid that would help Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said.

- No Nato development: A Ukraine government spokesman has said there has been no development in the discussion over possible Nato security guarentees.

Update: ‘Russia has no choice’ - Putin

14:40 , William Mata

Russian president Vladimir Putin said in an interview on Sunday that Russia has no choice but to take into account Nato's nuclear capabilities.

He made the remarks in justifying Russia's recent suspension of its participation in the New START treaty, which seeks to cap the number of nuclear warheads possessed by the US and Russia.

Mr Putin claimed that Russia faces an existential threat because, in his view, Nato members are seeking the country's "strategic defeat".

He said on Russian state TV, that the suspension of New START stemmed from the need to "ensure security, strategic stability" for Russia.

"When all the leading Nato countries have declared their main goal as inflicting a strategic defeat on us, how can we ignore their nuclear capabilities in these conditions?" he said.

Mr Putin declared on Tuesday that Moscow was suspending its participation in the 2010 New START treaty, saying that Russia can't accept US inspections of its nuclear sites under the pact while Washington and its Nato allies seek Russia's defeat in Ukraine.

He emphasised that Moscow was not withdrawing from the pact altogether, and the Russian foreign ministry said the country would respect the treaty's caps on nuclear weapons and keep notifying the US about test launches of ballistic missiles.

Any China lethal aid to Russia ‘would come at real costs’ - US

14:19 , Emily Atkinson

China has not moved toward providing lethal aid that would help Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said.

“Beijing will have to make its own decisions about how it proceeds, whether it provides military assistance, but if it goes down that road, it will come at real costs to China,” he said in an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” program.

‘No development over Nato security guarentees'

12:38 , William Mata

A Ukraine government spokesman has said there has been no development in the discussion over possible Nato security guarentees.

A statement on Sunday read: “At the recent meeting of German chancellor Olaf Scholz and French president Emmanuel Macron with Ukrainian leader Zelenskiy, this issue played no role at all.”

It follows a report by The Wall Street Journal that said some of Nato’s European affiliates are considering an agreement with the war-torn country.

Algeria to reopen its embassy in Kyiv after one-year closure

12:16 , William Mata

Algeria will reopen its embassy in Kyiv one year after it was closed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Algerian state television said on Sunday citing a foreign ministry statement.

"This decision falls within the framework of preserving the interests of the Algerian state and the interests of the national community in this country," state TV quoted the foreign ministry statement as saying.

"The Algerian embassy in Kiev, which suspended its activities due to the deteriorating security situation in Ukraine, will be managed by the Chargé d'Affaires."

The embassy closed in March last year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The decision to reopen the embassy will be effective "as soon as possible," the statement read.

11:07 , William Mata

Germany’s defence minister has reacted with scepticism to reports of a Chinese ceasefire proposal.

Boris Pistorius said on Sunday: “When I hear reports – and I don’t know whether they are true – according to which China may be planning to supply kamikaze drones to Russia while at the same time presenting a peace plan, then I suggest we judge China by its actions and not its words.”

Sunday headlines: ‘Putin friend paid towards Prince George’s school pool’

10:50 , William Mata

The Sun has led with a story alleging Arkady Rotenberg, an oil billionaire with links to Vladimir Putin, donated £2.2 million towards the construction of a swinning pool at Lambrook school.

The Berkshire school is attended by Prince George, as well as the other children of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

There has not been any suggestion of wrongdoing by the school.

A spokeswoman said: "Lambrook has, and will always, fully comply with all appropriate legislation and undertakes strict due diligence for any charitable donation."

British MPs meet Zelensky in Ukraine

10:23 , William Mata

A group of MPs, including Labours Alex Sobel and Anna McMorrin and Conservative Party members evin Foster and Scott Benton, travelled to Ukraine to give supplies.

The four were in western city Lviv to deliver medical equipmet and tools. They also attended a conference held by president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

True death toll remains unknown

10:05 , William Mata

The true death toll of the Ukraine - Russia conflict remains unknown, the Sunday Times has reported.

Western reports have focused on high Russian casualties - with Ben Wallace saying 180,000 have been killed or wounded. However, the Ukrainian death toll could be between 80,000 and 100,000.

The last official total from Ukrainian officials put the figure at 10-13,000 but the UK government has said “nobody wants to say” what the more recent and accurate number is.

Ukrainians struggling to bring family to UK because of government rules

09:54 , William Mata

Ukrainians who have fled the war are struggling to bring loved ones to live with them in the UK because government schemes gave them fewer rights than other refugees - it has been reported.

A university lecturer’s mother and sister had to settle in Germany after he had to “give up” trying to bring them to Britain, while a working couple’s elderly parents ended up in Ireland after they were told they could not act as sponsors.

They are among numerous Ukrainian families separated by stringent rules stemming from ministers’ decision to give those fleeing the conflict temporary three-year visas, rather than full refugee status.

Read the full article here.

Latest photos from Ukraine

09:41 , William Mata

Friends to cycle 100km for Ukraine appeal

09:36 , William Mata

A group of lads are completing a 100km charity cycle - on an intricate route mapped out to be the shape of the Ukraine.

Maksym Oberemok, 22, and a group of friends are heading out today on the ride to raise money for his home country.

Maksym, from Trowbridge, Wilts, was born in Ukraine but moved to Wiltshire with his parents and sister when he was two.

The lads are hoping to raise £5,000 for the people of Ukraine, for whom this week marked a year of attacks from Russian forces.

More than a third of British adults have donated - Christian Aid poll

09:28 , William Mata

More than a third of British adults have donated to the Ukraine appeals, a Christian Aid poll has found.

The charity has released research that found that 37 per cent of the adult population had made some kind of donation while 81% per cent said they remain concerned about the impact of the conflict.

John Sentamu, charity chairman, said: “I am not surprised that so many people across our isles remain worried about the war. We must remember every prayer, every gift, every action is bringing hope to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.”

Sunday: What we know so far

09:03 , William Mata

A few headlines this Sunday morning:

- Ukraine's military said on Sunday that Russia conducted unsuccessful offensives near Yahidne over the past day, after Russia's Wagner mercenary group claimed to have captured the village in eastern Ukraine near the focus on intense fighting.

- Ukraine’s armed forces said Russia keeps concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive actions along the Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Shakhtar parts of the frontline.

- The deputy chief of Ukraine’s military intelligence has said the country is seeking to mount a fresh push to retake territory this spring.

- President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Russia had no choice but to take into account the nuclear capabilities of Nato.

Ukraine: Plan for spring push to re-take territory

08:49 , William Mata

The deputy chief of Ukraine’s military intelligence has said the country is seeking to mount a fresh push to retake territory this spring.

Vadym Skibitsky told German media on Sunday: “[We will] not stop until we get our country back to its 1991 borders.

“One of our strategic military objectives is to try to drive a wedge into the Russian front in the south, between Crimea and Russian territory.”

He added: “The objective of our counter-offensive is to liberate all the occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea.”

Russia must take into account NATO nuclear capability - state TV

07:47 , William Mata

President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Russia had no choice but to take into account the nuclear capabilities of NATO as the U.S.-led military alliance was seeking the defeat of Russia.

"In today's conditions, when all the leading NATO countries have declared their main goal as inflicting a strategic defeat on us, so that our people suffer as they say, how can we ignore their nuclear capabilities in these conditions?" Putin told Rossiya 1 state television, according to TASS.

The West, Putin said, wanted to liquidate Russia.

"They have one goal: to disband the former Soviet Union and its fundamental part - the Russian Federation," Putin said, according to TASS.

The West, he said, was an indirect accomplice to the "crimes" committed by Ukraine.

Sunday morning update

07:28 , William Mata

Here is a round-up of some of the headlines on the Ukraine front this Sunday morning.

- The European Union vowed to increase pressure on Moscow "until Ukraine is liberated" as it adopted a tenth package of sanctions on Russia on Saturday, a day after the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.

- Russia's senior diplomat to the United Nations accused the West on Sunday of "cowboy" methods and "arm twisting" of some countries during last week's United Nations General Assembly vote that demanding Moscow withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

- French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday he will visit China in early April, in part to seek Chinese help with ending Russia's invasion.

- Ukraine's military said on Sunday that Russia conducted unsuccessful offensives near Yahidne over the past day, after Russia's Wagner mercenary group claimed to have captured the village in eastern Ukraine near the focus on intense fighting.

The weapons the world is sending to Ukraine

07:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

On the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Nato members have pledged further support to Ukraine’s defence effort.

Ben Wallace has said more tanks could be sent from Britain to aid Kyiv forces, with the defence secretary expressing concern that the Kremlin’s “meat grinder” army could still be battling in another year.

He said on Thursday that he was “open” to sending more British tanks and suggested Ukraine was likely to receive fighter jets from Nato member countries.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on western allies for help in defending its borders against Russian insurgencies.

The weapons the world is sending to Ukraine

Ukraine unveils postage stamps depicting Banksy's mural

06:59 , Maroosha Muzaffar

To mark the first anniversary of the devastating war, Ukraine unveiled postage stamps featuring a mural by Banksy.

The mural depicts a man — resembling Russian president Vladimir Putin — being flipped during a judo match with a young boy.

Mr Putin is a judo black belt and a fan of martial arts.

The original mural is on a house that was destroyed during a Russian missile attack in Borodyanka, near Kyiv.

The phrase “FCK PTN” in Cyrillic has been added to the lower left part of the new stamp, it was reported.

How Britain – and Boris – led the way in global fight against Putin

06:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak told the cabinet on Tuesday he was struck by the number of people at last weekend’s Munich security conference who noted that “UK leadership had played an important part in the global response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”.

For once, it wasn’t just spin. I’ve talked to some of the participants in Munich. They confirmed the plaudits for the UK, and said the prime minister made a good impression, describing him variously as “serious,” “smart” and “trustworthy.”

Ukraine – a year of war: The UK has been a driving force behind the coalition of Western nations supporting Kyiv with weaponry and billions of pounds of aid, writes Andrew Grice

How Britain – and Boris – led the way in global fight against Putin

Ukranian military commander claims Russian troops in Bakhmut ‘unsuccessful’

06:24 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Ukrainian troops are standing their ground around Bakhmut, a Ukrainian commander said yesterday.

Yuriy Fedorovych Madyar, a colonel in Ukraine’s military, posted a video message on his Telegram channel saying that “Ukrainian troops have retained their positions on all three suburbs of Bakhmut — the northern, eastern and southern-southwestern. The enemy had no territorial successes.”

He added that the “enemy assault operations were unsuccessful”.

Mr Madyar said that Ukrainian forces “don’t see any additional accumulation” of Russian troops in these areas but added that the concentration of Russian forces in Bakhmut is “already considerable” which, he said allows the Russians “to launch assault operations several times a day”.

Putin’s regime will be ‘crushed’, widow of Russian defector says

06:13 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The wife of Alexander Litvenenko says Vladimir Putin’s regime will be “crushed” and a new one will rise.

Speaking to Sky News in London during a protest against Russia, Marina Litvenenko said: “A lot of Russian are now supporting Ukraine. They are doing everything so Ukraine will win.”

She said the “message to the international community - Russians are against the war. You don’t need to support Putin or make any explanation as to why he started this war. Putin [carried out] crimes. War crimes.”

She continued: “Ukraine will win and Putin’s regime will be crushed and a new Russian regime will rise.”

Zelensky calls EU’s fresh sanctions against Russia ‘powerful'

05:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Volodymyr Zelensky said that European Union’s fresh sanctions against Russia would deal a significant blow to Russian enterprises.

In his address yesterday, he said: “Now, new sanctions steps are in the 10th package, powerful, against the defence industry and the financial sector of the terrorist state and against the propagandists who drowned Russian society in lies and are trying to spread their lies to the whole world. They definitely won’t succeed.”

He added that the Ukrainian government is working “to extend global and, in particular, European sanctions to the Russian nuclear industry, Rosatom, all those involved in the missile program and nuclear blackmail of the terrorist state.

“The partners – the United States, the UK – have already made relevant steps. We expect the appropriate steps from the European Union.”

ICYMI: Ukrainian artist returned home to find all her belongings stolen

05:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

An artist and gallery owner who survived the Bucha massacre has recalled returning to her home only to find that everything had been stolen.

Alina Kosenko is selling paintings depicting the atrocities seen from her basement during the occupation by Russian soldiers.

Bucha is on the outskirts of Kyiv and is an area where war crimes were allegedly carried out by the Kremlin’s occupying forces.

Read the full piece here:

Bucha massacre: Ukrainian artist returned home to find all her belongings stolen

Vladimir Putin: What is driving Russian leader’s relentless assault on Ukraine?

05:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In the year since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has been the figurehead of what he initially termed a “special military operation”.

Russia’s president might have prepared the political ground with a show of collective responsibility – few will forget how he solicited the support of key ministers live on TV just hours before ordering the invasion – but he has fronted the invasion ever since, often alone, and it is he who will answer to history.

He sold the invasion as a collective decision with his military chiefs, but it is the president alone who will have to answer to history, writes Mary Dejevsky

What is driving Putin’s relentless war on Ukraine?

Olaf Scholz criticises Beijing’s peace plan

05:22 , Maroosha Muzaffar

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has criticised China’s proposed peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, noting that the document does not explicitly include the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

“From my perspective, there is no recognisable line that says: Russian troops must also withdraw,” Mr Scholz was quoted as saying by a German outlet Welt yesterday.

He mentioned that the condemnation of the increased risk of nuclear weapons included in the proposed peace plan was “remarkably correct”. But added that there can be no “dictated peace Russian-style”.

Macron urges China to pressure Russia to end the war

05:10 , Maroosha Muzaffar

French president Emmanuel Macron said yesterday that he would visit China in April and also urged Beijing to pressure Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

“The fact that China is engaging in peace efforts is a good thing,” Mr Macron said in reference to Beijing’s peace plan.

He said that peace was only possible if “Russian aggression was halted, troops withdrawn, and the territorial sovereignty of Ukraine and its people was respected”.

ICYMI: Hundreds of protestors march outside Russian embassy in London

04:57 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Watch the video here:

Hundreds of protestors march outside Russian embassy

EU slaps sanctions on top Russia officials, banks, trade

04:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The European Union agreed yesterday to impose new sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine targeting more officials and organisations accused of supporting the war, spreading propaganda or supplying drones, as well as restricting trade on products that could be used by the armed forces.

The EU’s Swedish presidency said the sanctions “are directed at military and political decision-makers, companies supporting or working within the Russian military industry, and commanders in the Wagner Group. Transactions with some of Russia’s largest banks are also prohibited.”

Read the full story here:

EU slaps sanctions on top Russia officials, banks, trade

It will take decades to identify Ukraine war victims, authorities predict

04:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

It could take decades to identify Ukraine’s war dead, a leading forensics body has predicted.

As the war reached its one-year anniversary, The Independent revealed that at least 100,000 civilians are believed to have been killed in Russia’s brutal assault – more than 10 times the current official death toll, according to the country’s leading war crimes prosecutor.

Forensic anthropologist Photis Andronicou of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) said identifying victims in the horrific war could take decades without significant help from the Ukrainian authorities and the international community.

“From other contexts that I have worked on – and experience – I would say this process in Ukraine will take years, many years,” Mr Andronicou told The Independent.

Thomas Kingsley reports:

It will take decades to identify Ukraine war victims, authorities predict

Peace in Ukraine will depend on one crucial thing

04:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The real gain in foreign commercial opportunities will be through investment in a revitalised nation, where reconstruction has delivered a broad-based and unifying peace dividend that will resolve many of the country’s pre-war challenges, writes Fergus Drake

Peace in Ukraine will depend on one crucial thing | Fergus Drake

CIA confirms China considering sending lethal aid to Russia

04:07 , Maroosha Muzaffar

CIA director Bill Burns has confirmed that China is considering sending lethal aid to Russia.

In an interview with CBS News, Mr Burns said: “We’re confident that the Chinese leadership is considering the provision of lethal equipment.”

He, however, emphasised that China has not yet made the decision to transfer lethal aid to Russia.

“We also don’t see that a final decision has been made yet, and we don’t see evidence of actual shipments of lethal equipment.”

He continued: “And that’s why, I think, Secretary [Anthony] Blinken and the president have thought it important to make very clear what the consequences of that would be as well.”

Mr Burns said that sending this type of aid to Russia would be a “very risky and unwise bet” for Xi Jinping.

Russian diplomat accuses West of ‘arm twisting’ others during UN vote

03:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russia’s senior diplomat to the United Nations has accused the West of “cowboy” methods and “arm twisting” of some countries during last week’s United Nations General Assembly vote that demanded Moscow withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

“The methods of achieving the result are again ‘cowboy’," Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s deputy UN ambassador, said on the Telegram messaging platform.

He added that a number of representatives from “developing” countries complained to the Russian mission about pressure from their Western colleagues who are allies of Kyiv.

“According to our calculations, almost 30 pairs of arms were twisted,” Mr Polyansky said.

There were 141 votes in favour and 32 abstentions. Six countries joined Russia to vote no – Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua and Syria. Russia’s close ally China abstained on the UN vote.

Mr Polyansky dismissed the action at the United Nations as “useless”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on Twitter: “This resolution is a powerful signal of unflagging global support for Ukraine”.

China refuses to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during G20

03:34 , Maroosha Muzaffar

China has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine just days after Beijing revealed a peace plan to end the war.

Finance ministers of the G20 countries failed to agree on a closing statement following a summit in India after China refused to condemn the war.

China reportedly declined to accept parts of the statement that deplored Russia’s invasion “in the strongest terms”.

Meanwhile, Moscow said that “anti-Russian” Western countries had “destabilised” the G20.

Russia's Prigozhin, Ukraine give varying accounts on fighting near Bakhmut

03:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said forces of his Wagner group had captured the village of Yahidne, just north of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine on Saturday.

But Ukrainian military reports issued a day after the first anniversary of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, suggested that villages near the key town remained under Kyiv’s control.

Reuters could not independently confirm Prigozhin’s claim, in a short audio message, or the report by the Ukrainian military’s general staff.

“At 1900 on 25th February, storm units of the Wagner private military company secured complete control of the locality of Yagodnoye (Yahidne) to the north of Bakhmut,” Prigozhin said in the audio clip.

A day earlier, he said Wagner had taken control of Berkhivka, an adjacent village on the outskirts of Bakhmut.

The months-long struggle for Bakhmut, where only about 5,000 of 70,000 residents remain, has seen some of the bloodiest attritional fighting of Russia‘s invasion.

Wagner units have suffered heavy losses, prompting Prigozhin to complain bitterly that the Russian defence establishment has failed to properly acknowledge their contribution.

This week he even accused the army top brass of treason for failing to supply his men with sufficient ammunition, though he later said the situation had been remedied.

The prolonged siege has prompted Ukrainian analysts to consider openly whether its troops should consider abandoning their defence of the city.

On Thursday, Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov acknowledged in a YouTube presentation that Berkhivka had come under Russian control.

The latest general staff report said Russian forces had made unsuccessful advances on villages around Bakhmut, including Berkhivka.

There was no mention in the report of Yahidne. But it said 18 localities in the area had been shelled by Russian forces, including villages on Bakhmut’s southern and western approaches.

How Putin can cling on… even if Russia loses the war in Ukraine

03:19 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The Russian president’s grasp is loosening both on the battlefield and at home, writes Mark Galeoti. But is it really the end of the road?

How Putin can cling on… even if Russia loses the Ukraine war

Ukraine 'Art Weapon' show draws crowds in Berlin

02:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In a converted former mint in Berlin on Saturday, crowds danced in a blaze of strobe light as a rapper hollered Ukrainian lyrics to punchy beats.

In other parts of the complex, revellers looked at painted bullet-proof vests hanging from the ceiling and queued for plates of Ukrainian dumplings and borsch served by women with blue and yellow ribbons weaved into their hair.

The ‘Art Weapon’ event - which opened at Berlin’s sprawling Alte Muenze complex on Saturday - also featured live painting by Ukrainian artists, Ukrainian-language theatre and the chance to sit for a Ukrainian tattoo artist.

Running non-stop till Sunday morning, the marathon event sold more than 1,000 tickets two hours after opening, its organisers said. It’s aim - to show that Ukrainian contemporary culture has been flourishing since the start of the war.

“The war boosted our artists and they are now super-passionate about what they are doing and understand their mission,” said Harry Pledov, the Kyiv-based organiser.

Pledov organised several festivals in Ukraine before the war and has held two such events in the country since Russia launched what it calls its “special military operation”. But curfews and blackouts in Ukraine made it increasingly difficult to continue.

He decided to apply for funding through a German organisation supporting cultural initiatives, allowing him to organise “Art Weapon” in Berlin.

In one room at the Alte Muenze, artist Vitalii Shupliak explained the meaning behind a work comprising two prints showing buttered bread with nails poking through the surface. The images are mounted on separate stacks of cages.

Reading “Famine comes with the sole of a Russian soldier,” the work represents both the impoverishment of Ukraine and the detached soles of Soviet-era military boots, Shupliak said.

“The invasion has definitely changed art in Ukraine,” he added. “It has forced us to reflect on our identities.”

Opinion: Peace in Ukraine will depend on one crucial thing

01:20 , Holly Bancroft

The real gain in foreign commercial opportunities will be through investment in a revitalised nation, where reconstruction has delivered a broad-based and unifying peace dividend that will resolve many of the country’s pre-war challenges, writes Fergus Drake

“All wars end in negotiations, as India’s former president Jahrwal Nehru once said. But a large part of those negotiations, in modern war at least, lies in securing a pathway to reconstruction and recovery.”

Read more here:

Peace in Ukraine will depend on one crucial thing | Fergus Drake

How Putin can cling on… even if Russia loses the war in Ukraine

00:25 , Holly Bancroft

It is impossible yet to know for sure when and how the war in Ukraine will end, but it is clear that Vladimir Putin will not achieve either his original grandiose goal of installing a puppet regime in Kyiv, nor his fallback of conquering all the regions of south-eastern Ukraine.

Even retaining the territories he was occupying before the February 2022 invasion looks like a difficult, if not wholly impossible task.

Although his myth is irretrievably tarnished and his system of control is in decay, Mr Putin could conceivably survive defeat, and the trajectory of a post-Putin Russia is equally uncertain. Three main variables will be crucial: the fate of Crimea (which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014), the speed of that victory, and Western policies.

Read more on How Putin could cling on to power here:

How Putin can cling on… even if Russia loses the Ukraine war

Why Russia’s aggressive revisionism in Ukraine is a global threat

Saturday 25 February 2023 23:45 , Eleanor Noyce

24 February 2022 will forever be recalled as the day when Russia started its brutal, unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine.

This was – and remains – a case of pure aggression and a clear-cut breach of the UN Charter. This war is neither, “just a European issue”; nor is it about, “the West versus the rest”. It is about the kind of world we all want to live in: no one is safe in a world where the illegal use of force – by a nuclear power and permanent member of the Security Council – would somehow be “normalised”.

That is why international law must be enforced everywhere to protect everyone from power politics, blackmail and military attack.

One year on, there is a risk that people become inured to the images of war crimes and atrocities that they see – because there are so many; that the words we use start to lose their significance – because we have to repeat them so often; that we get tired and weaken our resolve – because time is passing and the task at hand is hard.

This we cannot do. Because every day, Russia keeps violating the UN charter, creating a dangerous precedent for the whole world with its imperialist policy. Every day, Russia keeps killing innocent Ukrainian women, men and children, raining down its missiles on cities and civilian infrastructure. Every day, Russia keeps spreading lies and fabrications.

Josep Borrell writes:

Why Russia’s aggressive revisionism in Ukraine is a global threat | Josep Borrell

Refugees, mass graves and liberation: A year on the ground in Ukraine – in pictures from The Independent’s Bel Trew

Saturday 25 February 2023 23:15 , Eleanor Noyce

At dawn on 24 February 2022 Russia shook the world by invading Ukraine, launching the bloodiest war in Europe in generations.

International Correspondent for The Independent, Bel Trew crossed the land border from Poland and began documenting the destruction, as millions of desperate Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes. She has spent a year photographing the devastating impact of the conflict on civilians across the country.

Twelve months on, as Russia has only ratchet up its attacks in the east and the south, there is little hope of peace.

Read more:

A year on the ground in Ukraine – in photographs by The Independent’s Bel Trew

Voices: I’ve spent 20 years covering conflict, from Iraq to Syria – but nothing prepared me for the horrors of Ukraine

Saturday 25 February 2023 22:15 , Eleanor Noyce

“These are human beings, they have thrown them away like bags of rubbish,” whispered Iryna Bondarenka at a mass grave behind St Andrew’s church in Bucha as she searched for the body of her missing brother. The corpses had been flung into a shallow pit in black plastic sacks. Some had split, limbs had broken free; one palm rose from the soil as if cupped in supplication.

Nicolai Bondarenko had been taken away by Russian troops after the town was captured. His body – fingers broken, ribs smashed, with a bullet hole in the back of the head – was eventually found in the basement of a burned-out house along with two others. This was just one episode in a systematic process of violent human rights abuse by Russian forces in occupied areas.

Torture, rape, murder and abductions of civilians, the echoing sadness of the families left behind, is the familiar sorrow and pity of war: scenes that those of us who have covered conflict have witnessed in many places around the world.

In the course of reporting war we have experienced targeted violence – like in Iraq, where our hotel in Baghdad was blown up by suicide bombers, killing more than 40 people. Fellow journalists, friends like James Foley and Steven Sotloff, have been kidnapped and murdered by Isis in Syria.

But even in this world of risk and strife, Ukraine feels different from other wars. What has been unfolding here for the past year is of seismic significance – a chapter in shaping modern history, akin to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath. The norms of geopolitics, as we know them, have shifted fundamentally.

Kim Sengupta reports:

I’ve spent 20 years covering war – but nothing prepared me for Ukraine | Kim Sengupta

Where are the African students who fled Ukraine one year on?

Saturday 25 February 2023 21:45 , Eleanor Noyce

When war broke out in Ukraine, African students trying to flee the country reported being blocked at the border.

Following outcry from the community, the UN acknowledged that Black people faced racism at Ukraine’s borders.

The Independent’s Nadine White spoke with Korrine Sky, 27, who says she was forced to abandon her dream of becoming a doctor after what happened to her.

“It’s very, very hard. And I empathize with a lot of my colleagues who have resulted in taking their own lives. I experienced an identity crisis”, Korrine told The Independent.

Watch:

Where are the African students who fled Ukraine one year on?

Vladimir Putin: What is driving Russian leader’s relentless assault on Ukraine?

Saturday 25 February 2023 21:15 , Eleanor Noyce

In the year since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin. has been the figurehead of what he initially termed a “special military operation”. Russia’s president might have prepared the political ground with a show of collective responsibility – few will forget how he solicited the support of key ministers live on TV just hours before ordering the invasion – but he has fronted the invasion ever since, often alone, and it is he who will answer to history.

From the start, Russia’s military action tended to be seen as an old-fashioned war launched by an old-fashioned autocrat. As such, it was as surprising as it was shocking to all those who believed such wars to be over, at least in Europe. The scenes that have dominated our television screens ever since have been tragically reminiscent of black-and-white newsreel showing battles for the very same cities during the Second World War.

But the supposedly old-fashioned autocrat who gave the orders for this war is a more complicated figure than many think.

Read more:

What is driving Putin’s relentless war on Ukraine?

The before and after images that show the true extent of the devastation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Saturday 25 February 2023 20:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine is paying tribute to fallen loved ones as we reach the anniversary of Russia’s invasion – but President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed his country will fight on to victory.

Russia, having originally predicted what it calls a ‘special military operation’ would be finished in a matter of weeks, is now locked in a battle of attrition with Kyiv’s forces, with fighting concentrated in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Mr Zelensky has said of the start of the invasion: “[It was] the longest day of our lives. The most difficult day in our recent history. We woke up early and haven’t slept since.”

These before and after pictures show the devastation on cities that have been shelled and bombed as part of the Russian offensive.

Read more:

The before and after images that show the devastation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

How to donate to Ukraine as 18 million estimated to be affected by war

Saturday 25 February 2023 20:15 , Eleanor Noyce

It has been one year since Russia declared war on Ukraine.

Ever since the conflict, many people from around the world have donated millions of pounds to help families, individuals, and organisations impacted by the conflict.

One year later, Ukraine continues to recover from the damages caused by the war so far.

In order to offer financial support, however big or small, here are some of the ways one can donate to appeals benefiting Ukraine right now…

Read more:

How to donate to Ukraine one year on

How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine spread global economic turmoil

Saturday 25 February 2023 19:45 , Eleanor Noyce

To understand the pervasive and deeply damaging impact of the war in Ukraine it is only necessary to glance at headlines here in Britain, far away from the shelling. Tomato rationing at your local Tesco, for example. The reasons for shortage are many and complex but one that’s agreed on is that supplies from growers in Britain and the Netherlands are lower than usual because farmers can’t afford to run energy-intensive greenhouses; in turn, that’s because of sanctions on Russian oil exports imposed by the West and a deliberate policy by the Kremlin of restricting energy supplies to Europe.

Much the same goes for the loss of 300 jobs at the British steelworks in Scunthorpe, with possibly many thousands to follow. Steel takes a lot of energy to make, and the Chinese firm that owns the company says parts of the plant are no longer economical because of the high cost of energy. Or take the food bank in Flintshire that has reported a doubling of demand over the past year caused by the cost of living crisis and high inflation.

The war in Ukraine is again to blame – at least in part. Energy is an input into everything we consume or use, from a takeaway Domino’s pizza baked in a hot oven and delivered via a petrol-powered moped to a new-build home made of energy-intensive brick. If you wanted to find a way of wrecking the global economy by squeezing every home and business on the planet, a war that reduces energy and food supplies would be the tool of choice.

Ukraine – a year of war: Financial struggles between Moscow and the West will be just as drawn-out as the battles in Ukraine, argues Sean O’Grady:

How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine spread global economic turmoil

Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

Saturday 25 February 2023 19:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine has been raging for one year now as the conflict continues 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, although Joe Biden has since visited Kyiv in a gesture of solidarity.

Much of the fighting has been concentrated around the key eastern city of Bakhmut of late, with bombardments and heavy artillery fire taking place as Russian forces ramp up a major new offensive with the one-year anniversary of the war looming.

Read more:

Here’s why Putin really invaded Ukraine

'Hard to process:’ Ukrainian teen returns to home frozen in time with phone still on charge and beds unmade

Saturday 25 February 2023 18:45 , Eleanor Noyce

A woman has shared the shocking reality of her home in Ukraine after returning one year after the war started.

Anna Malygon, 19, from Kharkiv, left home 18 months ago to study abroad – but had no idea that she would be unable to return.

After setting eyes on it earlier this month on a trip back, she was stunned to find it still standing.

“It was heartbreaking,” Anna told NeedToKnow.online.

“My apartment was dirty, cold and really smelly. There was mould everywhere and food in the fridge which had expired one year ago.

“Nuts and cereals were filled with worms. The water was rusty. There was unfinished coffee and a pastry that my mum didn’t finish because the war started.”

Read the full story:

Ukrainian teen returns to home frozen in time with phone still on charge

Pete Doherty sings ‘Dirty Old Town’ in Ukrainian in rare TV appearance

Saturday 25 February 2023 18:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Pete Doherty made a rare TV appearance on Channel 4 comedy talk show The Last Leg on Friday night (24 February).

The Libertines frontman, 43, performed The Pogues’ 1985 classic “Dirty Old Town”, changing the one of the lyrics to “brudne stare misto”, which is Ukrainian for “dirty old town”.

At the end of the song, he smiled and shouted “slava Ukraini!”, meaning “glory to Ukraine”.

Friday was the one-year anniversary of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The number of Ukrainian civilians killed in the war with Russia could be as high as 100,000, with both sides suffering tens of thousands of military casualties.

Millions of Ukrainians have either been displaced or left homeless 12 months on since Russian tanks rolled across the border.

Ellie Harrison reports:

Pete Doherty sings ‘Dirty Old Town’ in Ukrainian in rare TV appearance

The weapons the world is sending to Ukraine

Saturday 25 February 2023 17:45 , Eleanor Noyce

On the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Nato members have pledged further support to Ukraine’s defence effort.

Ben Wallace has said more tanks could be sent from Britain to aid Kyiv forces, with the defence secretary expressing concern that the Kremlin’s “meat grinder” army could still be battling in another year.

He said on Thursday that he was “open” to sending more British tanks and suggested Ukraine was likely to receive fighter jets from Nato member countries.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on western allies for help in defending its borders against Russian insurgencies.

And while his request for fighter jets has not been honoured, here is what has been promised to help Ukraine’s effort so far.

William Mata reports:

The weapons the world is sending to Ukraine

G-20 meeting in India ends without consensus on Ukraine war

Saturday 25 February 2023 17:15 , Eleanor Noyce

A meeting of finance chiefs of the Group of 20 leading economies ended on Saturday without a consensus, with Russia and China objecting to the description of the war in Ukraine in a final document.

The meeting hosted by India issued the G-20 Chair’s summary and an outcome document stating that there was no agreement on the wording of the war in Ukraine. The first day of the meeting took place on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Group of Seven major industrial nations announced new sanctions against Russia on Friday, just as the talks of the G-20 group wrapped up in confusion in the Indian technology hub of Bengaluru.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen condemned the “illegal and unjustified war against Ukraine” at a session attended by Russian officials and reiterated calls for G-20 nations to do more to support Ukraine and hinder Moscow’s war effort.

At the last major G-20 meeting, in Bali, Indonesia, in November, leaders had strongly condemned the war, warning that the conflict was intensifying fragilities in the world’s economy. The group includes Russia and also countries like China and India that have significant trade with Moscow.

Read the full report:

G-20 meeting in India ends without consensus on Ukraine war

Refugees, mass graves and liberation: A year on the ground in Ukraine – in pictures from The Independent’s Bel Trew

Saturday 25 February 2023 16:45 , Eleanor Noyce

At dawn on 24 February 2022 Russia shook the world by invading Ukraine, launching the bloodiest war in Europe in generations.

International Correspondent for The Independent, Bel Trew crossed the land border from Poland and began documenting the destruction, as millions of desperate Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes. She has spent a year photographing the devastating impact of the conflict on civilians across the country.

Twelve months on, as Russia has only ratchet up its attacks in the east and the south, there is little hope of peace.

Across multiple trips since the start of Russia’s invasion, Bel Trew has been charting the devastating impact of the war on people all over Ukraine:

A year on the ground in Ukraine – in photographs by The Independent’s Bel Trew

Ukraine: Zelenskyy seeks more sanctions, fighting grinds on

Saturday 25 February 2023 16:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Fighting is grinding on in Ukraine after the country marked the anniversary of Russia‘s invasion, with Ukrainian authorities on Saturday reporting dozens of new Russian strikes and attacks on cities in the east and south.

After a somber and defiant day of commemorations on Friday and a marathon news conference, Ukraine’s seemingly indefatigable president followed up with new video posts a day later in which he declared that “Russia must lose in Ukraine” and argued that its forces can be defeated this year.

In a separate tweet, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also pushed for more sanctions pressure on Russia after the U.K., U.S. and the European Union all announced new measures aimed at further choking off funding and support for Moscow.

“The pressure on Russian aggressor must increase,” Zelenskyy tweeted in English.

He said that Ukraine wants to see “decisive steps” against Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, and the Russian nuclear industry as well as “more pressure on military and banking.”

John Leicester reports:

Ukraine: Zelenskyy seeks more sanctions, fighting grinds on

How Britain – and Boris – led the way in global fight against Putin

Saturday 25 February 2023 15:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Rishi Sunak told the cabinet on Tuesday he was struck by the number of people at last weekend’s Munich security conference who noted that “UK leadership had played an important part in the global response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

For once, it wasn’t just spin. I’ve talked to some of the participants in Munich. They confirmed the plaudits for the UK, and said the prime minister made a good impression, describing him variously as “serious,” “smart” and “trustworthy.”

Not everything went according to plan for Sunak. He spoke to a half-empty hall because, after she introduced him, the US vice president, Kamala Harris, departed – in her 35-car motorcade. Security staff closed the hotel entrance, so people couldn’t get in to hear the PM. (There was much grumbling in the margins about the intense US security, which saw even a furious Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, caught in a 20-minute holding operation on his home soil).

Andrew Grice reports:

How Britain – and Boris – led the way in global fight against Putin

Football Arsenal make Oleksandr Zinchenko captain to mark Ukraine conflict

Saturday 25 February 2023 15:25 , Eleanor Noyce

Arsenal made Oleksandr Zinchenko for their game at Leicester as a gesture of love and respect to Ukraine to mark the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

Martin Odegaard, the usual captain, suggested left-back Zinchenko should instead lead the Gunners at the King Power Stadium and manager Mikel Arteta agreed.

Zinchenko, a former Shakhtar Donetsk player, has won 52 caps for his country.

Arsenal said in a statement: “Zinchenko is our captain today, as a mark of respect and love on the first anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine.”

Last season, Zinchenko captained his former club Manchester City in their FA Cup win over Peterborough when regular skipper Fernandinho decided to hand the armband to the Ukrainian after the invasion of his country.

Read more:

Arsenal make Oleksandr Zinchenko captain to mark Ukraine conflict

Ukraine protesters clash in London over supply of weapons

Saturday 25 February 2023 15:18 , Eleanor Noyce

Pro-Ukraine counter-protesters led by campaigner Peter Tatchell have clashed in central London with activists demanding Britain stops supplying weapons to the country.

Mr Tatchell shouted “Chamberlain” - a reference to prime minister Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasing Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime - in reply to protesters who angrily accused him of being an “American stooge”.

He was one of a group of 30 who interrupted a rally by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Stop the War coalition outside the BBC’s Broadcasting House.

His fellow protesters chanted “arm, arm, arm Ukraine, put an end to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s reign” and “self-defence is no offence”.

Mr Tatchell told the PA news agency: “We’re here to protest Stop the War over its opposition to Ukraine. Their stance would leave Ukraine defenceless and result in Russia occupying and annexing all of Ukraine.

“Russia is a fascist, imperialist state, and all progressive people should oppose the Putin regime and Russia’s war of aggression.

“We should arm Ukraine in the same way that we armed anti-Nazi resistance during the Second World War. This is a war between Ukrainian democracy and Russian fascism.”

His group held a banner reading “Victory to Ukraine, arm Ukraine to defeat Russian imperialism”.

Ukraine war in numbers: Shocking figures that define year of brutal conflict

Saturday 25 February 2023 15:15 , Eleanor Noyce

It is exactly a year to the day since Russian fighter jets first struck Kyiv and a huge battery of Moscow’s tanks rolled across the border of Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin began his shock assault on Russia’s sovereign neighbour.

Twelve months on, and it has long been clear that the lightning strike expected by Mr Putin to see his troops seize Kyiv in just 10 days has instead turned into a grinding war of attrition – on a scale not seen in Europe for decades.

With the conflict – currently centred in the Donbas region – showing no signs of slowing as both sides plan renewed counteroffensives, The Independent has taken a look at some key numbers illustrating the brutal impact of Russia’s invasion.

Read more:

Ukraine war in numbers: Shocking figures that define year of brutal conflict

Russia's ambassador to United Nations interrupts minute's silence for Ukraine

Saturday 25 February 2023 14:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations has interrupted a minute’s silence held for Ukraine.

Watch:

American actor and model Milla Jovovich joins with Ukrainian designer for charity auction on war anniversary

Saturday 25 February 2023 14:15 , Eleanor Noyce

American actor and model Milla Jovovich has collaborated with a Ukrainian designer on a charity auction following the first anniversary of the war.

Watch:

Vladimir Putin: What is driving Russian leader’s relentless assault on Ukraine?

Saturday 25 February 2023 13:45 , Eleanor Noyce

In the year since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin. has been the figurehead of what he initially termed a “special military operation”. Russia’s president might have prepared the political ground with a show of collective responsibility – few will forget how he solicited the support of key ministers live on TV just hours before ordering the invasion – but he has fronted the invasion ever since, often alone, and it is he who will answer to history.

From the start, Russia’s military action tended to be seen as an old-fashioned war launched by an old-fashioned autocrat. As such, it was as surprising as it was shocking to all those who believed such wars to be over, at least in Europe. The scenes that have dominated our television screens ever since have been tragically reminiscent of black-and-white newsreel showing battles for the very same cities during the Second World War.

But the supposedly old-fashioned autocrat who gave the orders for this war is a more complicated figure than many think.

He sold the invasion as a collective decision with his military chiefs, but it is the president alone who will have to answer to history, writes Mary Dejevsky:

What is driving Putin’s relentless war on Ukraine?

It will take decades to identify Ukraine war victims, authorities predict

Saturday 25 February 2023 13:15 , Eleanor Noyce

It could take decades to identify Ukraine’s war dead, a leading forensics body has predicted.

As the war reached its one-year anniversary, The Independent revealed that at least 100,000 civilians are believed to have been killed in Russia’s brutal assault – more than 10 times the current official death toll, according to the country’s leading war crimes prosecutor.

Forensic anthropologist Photis Andronicou of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) said identifying victims in the horrific war could take decades without significant help from the Ukrainian authorities and the international community.

“From other contexts that I have worked on – and experience – I would say this process in Ukraine will take years, many years,” Mr Andronicou told The Independent.

“As an example, the situation and events in Cyprus happened in the 60s and 70s ... it is now almost 2023 and the identification rate there is close to 50 to 60 per cent.

“Half the people have not been identified… 48 years later.”

My colleague Thomas Kingsley reports:

It will take decades to identify Ukraine war victims, authorities predict

How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine spread global economic turmoil

Saturday 25 February 2023 12:45 , Eleanor Noyce

To understand the pervasive and deeply damaging impact of the war in Ukraine it is only necessary to glance at headlines here in Britain, far away from the shelling. Tomato rationing at your local Tesco, for example. The reasons for shortage are many and complex but one that’s agreed on is that supplies from growers in Britain and the Netherlands are lower than usual because farmers can’t afford to run energy-intensive greenhouses; in turn, that’s because of sanctions on Russian oil exports imposed by the West and a deliberate policy by the Kremlin of restricting energy supplies to Europe.

Much the same goes for the loss of 300 jobs at the British steelworks in Scunthorpe, with possibly many thousands to follow. Steel takes a lot of energy to make, and the Chinese firm that owns the company says parts of the plant are no longer economical because of the high cost of energy.

Or take the food bank in Flintshire that has reported a doubling of demand over the past year caused by the cost of living crisis and high inflation. The war in Ukraine is again to blame – at least in part.

Financial struggles between Moscow and the West will be just as drawn-out as the battles in Ukraine, argues Sean O’Grady:

How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine spread global economic turmoil

Senior Zelensky adviser accuses Beijing of “betting on the aggressor”, rejecting China’s plans for peace

Saturday 25 February 2023 12:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Dismissing China’s plan to involve itself in peace talks, an adviser to Zelensky has accused Beijing of “betting on the aggressor.”

Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky, rejected China’s “unrealistic” proposal which it hopes will end the conflict.

“If you claim to be a global player, you don’t offer an unrealistic plan”, Mr Podolyak tweeted.

“You don’t bet on an aggressor who broke intl law and will lose the war. It’s not far-sighted.”

Ukraine war could end now if more weapons were sent, experts suggest

Saturday 25 February 2023 12:15 , Eleanor Noyce

To mark a year since Ukraine was invaded by Russia The Independent brought together a panel of experts on the eve of the anniversary to discuss what has happened since and what is likely to happen next.

News editor Steph Cockroft hosted the virtal event and was joined by Russia expert and columnist for The Independent Mary Dejevsky, The Independent’s international correspondent Bel Trew, live from Ukraine, and Tim White, a journalist who has been reporting from the war torn country for much of the past 12 months and updating his thousands of followers on Twitter regularly from the ground.

The war has had a multitude of repercussions, not only across the rest of Europe but across the world, and of course has left the nation at the heart of it in utter devastation.

Our panel looked back at some of the key moments from the past year.

Ms Dejevsky spoke about what provoked the Russians into invading in the first place.

Read the full story here:

Ukraine war could end now if more weapons were sent, experts suggest

Russian delegates defiant at hostile OSCE assembly meeting

Saturday 25 February 2023 11:45 , Eleanor Noyce

A contentious Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe parliamentary meeting ended Friday with condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — as Russian delegates accused the West of preventing dialogue by arming Kyiv.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the 57-nation OSCE brought together lawmakers from member countries — including Russia — to discuss security and human rights issues at its annual winter gathering, which coincided with the anniversary of the invasion.

Ukraine and Lithuania boycotted the meeting in Vienna due to the presence of six Russian delegates, who were given visas by Austria despite being under European Union and United States sanctions.

“We think it is immoral to sit in the same hall with war criminals who openly support the genocide of Ukraine,” Yevheniia Kravchuk, a Ukrainian lawmaker from the Servant of the People party, told The Associated Press in Vienna.

Kravchuk said Russia had “violated every single letter” of the OSCE’s founding document and should be suspended from the organization.

Read more:

Russian delegates defiant at hostile OSCE assembly meeting

Female scientists concerned about Ukraine ‘brain drain’ after millions flee war

Saturday 25 February 2023 11:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Two Ukrainian scientists have described the importance of being a role model for girls interested in a career in their field and expressed concern over their country’s “brain drain” as young people flee the war.

Olena Pareniuk studies bacteria in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone while Kateryna Shavanova is a biologist who works on the efficiency of agriculture.

They both recently featured in the second season of the online docuseries Women in Science, which aims to make Ukrainian female scientists visible to society and inspire young women to build careers in Stem.

Dr Pareniuk, 35, and Dr Shavanova, 39, spoke to the PA news agency about how a year of the full-scale war — including the capture of Chernobyl — has impacted their work and why it is more crucial than ever that Ukrainian women are encouraged to pursue science professionally.

Lily Ford has the full story:

Female scientists concerned about Ukraine ‘brain drain’ after millions flee war

Women of Ukraine: Where are they one year into Russia’s invasion?

Saturday 25 February 2023 10:45 , Eleanor Noyce

In the first few weeks of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, Independent TV reached out to a group of women who were trying to figure out how to survive the conflict.

Victoria Bredikhina, Valeria Khrystoforova and Anna Labunet all shed light on their experiences over the past year — from being torn away from their families to being left to survive without electricity and water.

“We have no plans, no certainty in the future.

“Every one of us has one dream and one wish, that Ukraine wins as soon as possible,” Miss Labunet added.

Watch:

Women of Ukraine: Where are they one year into Russia’s invasion?

The weapons the world is sending to Ukraine

Saturday 25 February 2023 10:25 , Eleanor Noyce

On the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Nato members have pledged further support to Ukraine’s defence effort.

Ben Wallace has said more tanks could be sent from Britain to aid Kyiv forces, with the defence secretary expressing concern that the Kremlin’s “meat grinder” army could still be battling in another year.

He said on Thursday that he was “open” to sending more British tanks and suggested Ukraine was likely to receive fighter jets from Nato member countries.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on western allies for help in defending its borders against Russian insurgencies.

And while his request for fighter jets has not been honoured, here is what has been promised to help Ukraine’s effort so far:

The weapons the world is sending to Ukraine

Zelensky wants to meet Xi Jinping after Beijing’s peace plan

Saturday 25 February 2023 10:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he wants to meet Chinese president Xi Jinping to discuss his peace proposal for ending the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.

Speaking on the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Mr Zelensky said that he plans to meet China’s president to discuss Beijing’s peace proposals.

“I really want to believe that China will not supply weapons to Russia,” he said.

China has offered a 12-point peace proposal to end the fighting in Ukraine one year into Russia’s war.

In the proposal, China has called for a ceasefire and peace talks, and an end to Western sanctions against Russia. It says “relevant countries should stop abusing unilateral sanctions” and “do their share in de-escalating the Ukraine crisis”.

Peony Hirwani reports:

Zelensky wants to meet Xi Jinping after Beijing’s peace plan

How to donate to Ukraine as 18 million estimated to be affected by war

Saturday 25 February 2023 10:06 , Eleanor Noyce

It has been one year since Russia declared war on Ukraine.

Ever since the conflict, many people from around the world have donated millions of pounds to help families, individuals, and organisations impacted by the conflict.

One year later, Ukraine continues to recover from the damages caused by the war so far.

In order to offer financial support, however big or small, here are some of the ways one can donate to appeals benefiting Ukraine right now…

How to donate to Ukraine one year on

Forgotten and abandoned: the Black, international students caught up in Ukraine conflict

Saturday 25 February 2023 09:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Thousands of African students who fled Ukraine have been “frozen out” of receiving aid for those driven out by Russian attacks, The Independent has been told.

Before the conflict, around 76,000 international students, mostly from Nigeria and Morocco, Ghana, Zimbabwe and India, were based there.

But after grappling with racism at Ukraine’s borders while trying to flee, a large number of students are displaced in countries, including Turkey, Italy, Kenya, Romania and Belgium, unsure of their next move.

Many are unable to complete their studies, battling with the mental and emotional distress of having escaped Putin’s onslaught, some are facing poverty, while others have even taken their own lives, The Independent has learned.

But while Ukrainian citizens are able to receive aid from the international community, their African counterparts have been left to fend for themselves or rely on grassroots organisations for support.

My colleague Nadine White reports:

‘Forgotten’: the Black, international students caught up in Ukraine conflict

Pence urges Ukraine support as GOP hopefuls split on US aid

Saturday 25 February 2023 09:17 , Eleanor Noyce

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Friday the U.S. should step up support for Ukraine, marking the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion with calls for more and faster military aid that put him out of step with some of his likely 2024 presidential rivals.

“Make no mistake: This is not America’s war. But if we falter in our commitment to providing the support to the people of Ukraine to defend their freedom, our sons and daughters may soon be called upon to defend ours,” Pence told an audience at The University of Texas at Austin. “If we surrender to the siren song of those in this country who argue that America has no interest in freedom’s cause, history teaches we may soon send our own into harm’s way to defend our freedom and the freedom of nations in our alliance.”

Pence, who is widely expected to launch a bid for the White House in the coming months, also threw a dig at some in the GOP who have sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war that has upended the lives of millions.

“While some in my party have taken a somewhat different view, let me be clear: There can be no room in the leadership of the Republican Party for apologists for Putin. There can only be room for champions of freedom,” Pence said.

Read more:

Pence urges Ukraine support as GOP hopefuls split on US aid

“Not rational” for China to be involved with Ukraine peace talks, says Biden

Saturday 25 February 2023 09:05 , Eleanor Noyce

US president Joe Biden has remarked that it is “not rational” for China to be involved in any negotiations on Ukraine.

When questioned on Beijing’s peace plan for the conflict, he told ABC News: “Putin’s applauding it, so how could it be any good?”

“The idea that China is going to be negotiating the outcome of a war that’s a totally unjust war for Ukraine, is just not rational.”

War in Ukraine has had “huge impact” on food supply, says National Farmers’ Union

Saturday 25 February 2023 08:45 , Eleanor Noyce

National Farmers’ Union deputy president Tom Bradshaw said “we need to take command of the food we can produce for ourselves” due to “volatility that’s happening around the world”.

He told Times Radio: “As we reposition ourselves in the world, we’ve left a trading bloc in the EU where we had very good trading relationships, we’ve had to go further afield.

“We see geopolitics, and the war in Ukraine being a tragic example, having huge impacts and I don’t think that unrest is likely to go away in the near future; we seem to live in a very volatile world.

“We’ve then got climate change, compounding all of those issues. What we saw last summer with 40C heat is climate change in action.

“And we have 70 million people living on an island and we have to take responsibility for how we’re going to feed those 70 million people.

“Imports will always be part of that but with all of that volatility that’s happening around the world, we need to take command of the food we can produce for ourselves here and make sure that everybody in that supply chain is getting a fair return so that we can continue to provide the food that everybody needs.”

Londoners march to Russian embassy to mark anniversary of invasion of Ukraine

Saturday 25 February 2023 08:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Crowds marched to the Russian embassy in London in a show of defiance against the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Thousands gathered at the embassy on 24 February to mark the one-year anniversary of the war.

This footage shows the scene in London as the crowd demonstrated with Ukrainian flags and signs with anti-war messages.

A vigil was held the night before at Trafalgar Square, where Dame Helen Mirren was among those to speak out against the conflict.

Watch:

Londoners march to Russian embassy to mark anniversary of invasion of Ukraine

India and China abstain from UN vote to demand Russian withdrawal on Ukraine war anniversary

Saturday 25 February 2023 08:00 , Eleanor Noyce

India and China were among the major global powers that abstained from a UN General Assembly vote calling on Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine on the eve of the first anniversary of the invasion.

The UN motion in New York was adopted after 141 UN member nations voted in its favour, while 32 abstained and seven voted against it on Thursday.

The non-binding motion underscored the “need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”.

India, walking a tightrope between Washington and Moscow, said it is “constrained to abstain” from the vote and pledged to “always call for dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable way out”.

The two nuclear-armed south Asian neighbours are engaged in a bitter border dispute since 2020 and have independently found common ground on Russia as both countries enjoy a long-standing relationship with Moscow.

Read more:

India and China abstain from ‘historic’ UN vote condemning Russia for war in Ukraine

German leader Scholz arrives in India to boost economic ties

Saturday 25 February 2023 07:30 , Eleanor Noyce

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in the Indian capital on Saturday where he is expected to discuss with the Indian prime minister Russia‘s war in Ukraine and ways to boost bilateral economic cooperation, officials said.

“We will discuss intensely all topics relevant for the development of our countries but also the peace in the world, which is important,’’ Scholz told reporters after he was received by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the president’s palace.

The trip is Scholz’s first official visit to India, though it is his fourth meeting with Modi since taking office in 2021.

The German chancellor is expected to seek India’s support for the tough stance taken by Europe and the United States toward Russia over the war in Ukraine.

After a videoconference with fellow leaders from the Group of Seven industrial powers on Friday, Scholz said before leaving Berlin for India that “internationally, we are endeavoring to make clear that Russia stands alone in the world with its aggression against Ukraine.”

Ashok Sharma has the full story:

German leader Scholz arrives in India to boost economic ties

‘Even if war stops, you cannot retrieve your dead children’

Saturday 25 February 2023 07:23 , Eleanor Noyce

A portable cabin barely bigger than the bunk bed in it is all that Maria Vasilenko, 78, has left, a year after Russian soldiers marched into her town and destroyed her life.

Most of her family were blown up in a Russian airstrike in March which levelled her home in Borodyanka.

Before the war, the sleepy river-side town of 13,000 people had been an anonymous suburb west of Kyiv. But after Russian forces rolled into Ukraine, it became a frontline area and then was occupied for several weeks.

On 1 March – just a few days into President Vladimir Putin’s invasion – Maria had taken shelter in the building’s basement. Her daughter Alona, 41, a medic, remained above ground with her husband and other family members to tend to the wounded. The decision turned out to be a fatal mistake.

Bel Trew reports:

‘Even if war stops, you cannot retrieve your dead children’

Latvian minister lashes out at Russian delegates at a security meeting

Saturday 25 February 2023 07:01 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A Latvian minister, Rihards Kols called Russia’s inclusion at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meeting a “disgrace”.

His remarks were met with applause from other delegates.

At the meeting held in Vienna by OSCE, the Latvian delegate proposed that the Russian delegates should be barred from speaking.

“We [say] right now that we stand up to our principles and values and statutes. We don’t. There’s an elephant in the room called Russian Federation delegation. I mean, if I were a witness and someone asked me who is a war criminal, well I would point to the back benches in this room.”

He continued: “It’s just disgrace. It’s a disgrace that this delegation is here, particularly the delegation that consists of members who are sanctioned individuals, who voted to annex independent country’s territories – Donbas, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk.”

Blinken credits India and China for preventing Russia from using nuclear weapons on Ukraine

Saturday 25 February 2023 06:28 , Maroosha Muzaffar

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said that Vladimir Putin might have used nuclear weapons on Ukraine already if not for India and China’s “influence”.

In an interview with The Atlantic, Mr Blinken said India and China had “a little bit more influence with Russia these days” in opposing the use of nuclear weapons.

He said “we know that they [India and Cjina] conveyed those messages. And I think that had some effect. It’s something we always have to look at, but again, the track record to date suggests that the escalation that some feared has, at least to now, not happened.”

He added: “Putin might react more, even more irrationally, and there was language coming out of Moscow that suggested that he would look to the use of tactical nuclear weapons. It was a concern.

“We urged, and I think successfully, other countries that might have a little bit more influence with Russia these days, like China, but also other countries like India, to engage him [Vladimir Putin] directly about their absolute opposition to any use of nuclear weapons. And we know that they conveyed those messages, and I think that had some effect,” he added.

Russian troops carry 27 airstrikes and fire 75 rounds from rocket launchers on first anniversary of invasion

Saturday 25 February 2023 06:10 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russian troops carried out 27 airstrikes and fired 75 rounds from rocket launchers, targeting communities across Ukraine yesterday, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Ukrainian forces fought 70 Russian attacks on the day of the first-year anniversary, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces was quoted as saying.

According to the General Staff, Russian forces concentrated their efforts near Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Shakhtarsk.

Over 80 per cent of homes in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, have reportedly been destroyed, the General Staff added.

Zelensky hails ‘invincible’ Ukraine as world marks one year since Russian invasion

Saturday 25 February 2023 05:55 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Volodymyr Zelensky promised victory for Ukraine as he and his allies around the world on Friday marked the grim milestone of one year since the Russian invasion.

On a day of commemorations and defiance, Ukraine’s president said his people had proven “invincible” despite “a year of pain”.

And after receiving the first Leopard 2 tanks pledged by allies, he hinted that F-16 fighter jets might finally also be on the way, with other nations following Britain in offering to train Ukrainian pilots.

“If our partners respect all their promises and deadlines, victory inevitably awaits us,” he said.

Kim Sengupta has the full story:

Ukraine is ‘invincible’ says Zelensky as world marks one year since Russian invasion

ICYMI: What is China’s peace proposal on how to end Ukraine war?

Saturday 25 February 2023 05:43 , Maroosha Muzaffar

China has offered a 12-point peace proposal to end the fighting in Ukraine one year into Russia‘s war.

The proposal follows China’s recent announcement that it is trying to act as a mediator in the war that has re-energised Western alliances viewed by Beijing and Moscow as rivals. China’s top diplomat indicated that the plan was coming at a security conference this week in Munich, Germany.

With its release, President Xi Jinping’s government is reiterating China’s claim about being neutral, despite blocking efforts at the United Nations to condemn the invasion.

The document echoes Russian complaints that Western governments are to blame for the 24 February 2022 invasion and criticises sanctions on Russia.

Matt Mathers explains:

What is China’s peace proposal on how to end Ukraine war?

G20 leaders ‘fail to reach consensus on Russia-Ukraine war’

Saturday 25 February 2023 05:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

G20 heads are unable to reach a consensus on describing the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported today.

Quoting sources, the news agency said it is likely that the leaders will end the meeting in India today without a joint communique.

India, the G20 host, is also pressing that the joint communique avoids using the word “war”, officials told Reuters.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said there was no way the group could step back from a joint statement agreed at a G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, last November, which said “most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine” but also acknowledged some countries saw the conflict differently.

“Either we have the same language or we do not sign on the final communique,” Mr Le Maire told reporters yesterday.

ICYMI: The before and after images that show the true extent of the devastation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Saturday 25 February 2023 05:23 , Maroosha Muzaffar

These before and after pictures show the devastation on cities that have been shelled and bombed as part of the Russian offensive.

The before and after images that show the devastation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website