Ukraine-Russia war – live: Beheading video proves Putin’s regime is ‘worse than Isis’, Kyiv says

Ukraine compared Russia to Isis after a video circulated online showing apparent Russian soldiers filming themselves beheading a Ukrainian prisoner of war.

In response to the video, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmitro Kuleba said: “It’s absurd that Russia, which is worse than Isis, is presiding over the UNSC,” referring to the UN Security Council, which Russia took presidency of this month.

He added: “Russian terrorists must be kicked out of Ukraine and the UN and be held accountable for their crimes.”

Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity or provenance of the video on social media, which showed a man in uniform beheading a man who wears the yellow arm band used by Ukrainian soldiers.

The Kremlin described the video as “awful” but said its authenticity needed to be checked. Moscow has denied in the past that its troops carry out atrocities during the conflict.

“There is something that no one in the world can ignore: how easily these beasts kill,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message.

“There will be legal responsibility for everything. The defeat of terror is necessary.”

Key Points

• Ukraine compares Russia to Isis after beheading video of Ukrainian prisoner of war circulates online

• US concerned by Hungary’s ‘eagerness’ for Russia

• Russia completes ‘successful' test launch of new intercontinental ballistic missile

• Dozens of UK’s elite special forces 'deployed in Ukraine', leaked documents claim to show

The Pentagon leaks are staggering in scale – and expect more to come

21:30 , Liam James

Kim Sengupta’s take on the ongoing leak of US security documents:

The Pentagon documents currently being leaked are staggering in scale and range, an unveiling of secrets and lies spanning the globe with fresh and detailed instalments being drip-fed every day.

The Ukraine war has been the common link in revealing a web of intrigue involving governments, politicians and diplomats, intelligence agencies and the military, mercenaries and arms dealers and millions of dollars in weapons and oil contracts.

The Pentagon leaks are staggering in scale – and expect more to come | Kim Sengupta

World Bank to give £160m for Ukraine’s battered power grid

20:45 , Liam James

The World Bank said it would finance $200m (£160m) to help fix Ukraine‘s energy and heating infrastructure, with partners and others to provide another $300m in additional funding as the project expands.

The $200m grant will be used to make emergency repairs to Ukraine‘s transition transformers, mobile heat boilers and other emergency critical equipment, the World Bank said in a statement.

Ukraine endured a brutal Russian campaign of strikes on its energy infrastructure from October last year. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said around one-third of Ukraine’s power system, though British intelligence last week said Russia’s energy assault had subsided in recent weeks.

Russia says it escorts German naval plane over Baltic Sea

20:00 , Liam James

Russia said on Wednesday it sent a fighter jet to escort a German reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea after it approached the Russian border.

“The crew of the Russian fighter jet identified the air target as a P-3C Orion patrol aircraft of the German Navy,” Russia’s defence ministry said.

The German plane did not cross the Russian border, it said.

Macron’s China visit a ‘mistake’, says Truss

19:15 , Liam James

Former British prime minister Liz Truss said it was a mistake and a sign of “weakness” to ask for China’s help in ending the war in Ukraine.

At a speech to the Heritage Foundation in Washington, Ms Truss hit out at French president Emmanuel Macron after his visit to China, on which he controversially said Europe should not follow the US over the Taiwan dispute.

Mr Macron said in Beijing: “I know I can count on you [President Xi] ... to bring Russia to its senses and bring everyone back to the negotiating table.”

Ms Truss, speaking today, pointed to Russian president Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine, and China’s President Xi and “the build-up of armaments in China” and the “menacing” of Taiwan.

She said later in her speech: “Putin and Xi have made it very clear that they are allies against western capitalism. That’s why I think it was a mistake for western leaders to visit President Xi and ask for him to intervene in seeking a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.”

US doc leak latest: Ukraine and Russian casualties ‘10 times higher than claimed’

18:30 , Liam James

As many as 354,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured in the Ukraine war which is grinding towards a protracted conflict that may last well beyond 2023, according to a trove of purported US intelligence documents posted online.

If authentic, the documents, which look like secret US assessments of the war as well as some US espionage against allies, offer rare insight into Washington’s view of one of Europe’s deadliest conflicts since World War Two.

The Independent has not been able to independently verify the documents and some countries, including Russia and Ukraine, have questioned their veracity, while US officials say some of the files appear to have been altered.

According to an assessment collated by the US Defence Intelligence Agency, Russia has suffered 189,500-223,000 total casualties, including 35,500-43,000 killed in action and 154,000-180,000 wounded.

Ukraine has suffered 124,500-131,000 total casualties, including 15,500-17,500 killed in action and 109,000-113,500 wounded in action, according to the document entitled “Russia/Ukraine - Assessed Combat Sustainability and Attrition.”

The figures are around 10 times bigger than any public casualty figures published by either Moscow or Kyiv.

The US was thrown into a diplomatic crisis after documents, labelled “Secret” and “Top Secret”, appeared on social media sites in March, purportedly revealing details of Ukrainian military vulnerabilities and information about allies including Israel, South Korea and Turkey.

The Pentagon issued a statement on Sunday saying it was reviewing the documents, while analysts have said they appear authentic.

US concerned by Hungary’s ‘eagerness’ for Russia

17:45 , Liam James

The United States has concerns over the Hungarian government’s “continued eagerness” to foster ties with Russia, the US ambassador to Budapest said after Washington announced sanctions against three top officials of the International Investment Bank in Hungary.

David Pressman told a news conference that the government had dismissed US concerns raised over the presence of the Russia-controlled International Investment Bank (IIB) in Budapest.

Hungary yesterday signed new agreements to ensure its continued access to Russian energy – a sign of the country’s continuing diplomatic and trade ties with Moscow.

Poland shields gas plant over Russian spy fears

17:00 , Liam James

Poland will introduce a temporary 200 metre exclusion zone around its Swinoujscie Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminal on Thursday, the interior minister said on Wednesday, citing concerns about Russian espionage.

The exclusion zone for members of the public will not affect the terminal’s operations, Poland’s gas pipeline operator said of the plant located on the Baltic coast.

A staunch ally of Ukraine and a hub for deliveries of weapons to Kyiv’s armed forces, Poland says it has regularly found itself the target of Russian efforts to destabilise the country.

In March Poland said it broke up a Russian espionage network that it said was preparing acts of sabotage and was monitoring rail routes to Ukraine.

US sanctions Turkish entities on claims of Russian links

16:22 , Liam James

Washington imposed sanctions on at least four Turkey-based entities it said violated US export controls and helped Russia’s war effort, in the biggest US enforcement action in Turkey since the invasion of Ukraine last year.

The designations – which included an electronics company and a technology trader alleged to have helped transfer “dual-use” goods – were part of a global sanctions package on more than 120 entities announced by the US Treasury.

The US and its allies imposed extensive sanctions on Russia after its invasion, but supply channels from Black Sea neighbour Turkey and other trading hubs, including Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, have remained open.

A US administration official told Reuters the sanctions targeted entities and people in Turkey’s maritime and trade sectors that were “primarily” Russia-owned or Russia-linked.

“It’s meant as a warning shot in the evolving phase of enforcing export controls,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

Ukraine denies Russia's Wagner controls 80% of Bakhmut

15:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine‘s military rejected as untrue a Russian claim to have captured more than 80% of the city of Bakhmut and said on Wednesday that Kyiv’s forces controlled “considerably” more than 20% of it in the east.

Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern military command, made the comment to Reuters a day after the head of Russia‘s Wagner mercenary group said that his forces were advancing in their bid to seize Bakhmut after months of fighting.

“I was just in touch with the commander of one of the brigades holding the defence of the city. And I can confidently say that Ukrainian defensive forces control a considerably larger percent of Bakhmut’s territory,” he said.

Ukrainian forces have hung on for months in Bakhmut, a small city in eastern Donetsk region, where the fiercest fighting of Moscow’s full-scale Feb. 2022 invasion has killed thousands of soldiers and been dubbed the “meat-grinder”.

Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Tuesday his forces controlled most of Bakhmut including the whole administrative centre, factories, warehouses and municipality buildings.

“Prigozhin needs to show at least some kind of victory in the city, which they have been trying to capture for nine months in a row and that’s why he’s making such statements,” said Cherevatyi.

Ukraine compares Russia to ISIS after beheading video of Ukrainian prisoner of war circulates online

14:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine compared Russia on Wednesday to Islamic State and called on the International Criminal Court to investigate after a video emerged online showing apparent Russian soldiers filming themselves beheading a Ukrainian captive with a knife.

Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity or provenance of the video on social media, which showed a man in uniform beheading a man who wears the yellow arm band used by Ukrainian soldiers.

The Kremlin described the video as “awful” but said its authenticity needed to be checked. Moscow has denied in the past that its troops carry out atrocities during the conflict.

“There is something that no one in the world can ignore: how easily these beasts kill,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video message.

“There will be legal responsibility for everything. The defeat of terror is necessary.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba said on Twitter: “A horrific video of Russian troops decapitating a Ukrainian prisoner of war is circulating online.

“It’s absurd that Russia, which is worse than ISIS, is presiding over the UNSC,” he said, referring to the U.N. Security Council, where Russia took up the rotating presidency this month.

“Russian terrorists must be kicked out of Ukraine and the UN and be held accountable for their crimes.”

Militants from Islamic State in Iraq and Syria were notorious for releasing videos of beheadings of captives when they controlled swathes of those countries from 2014-2017.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a briefing: “First of all, in the world of fakes that we live in, we need to check the veracity of this footage.”

“Then it could be a pretext to check whether or not this is true, whether it happened, and if it did, where and by whom,” Peskov said.

Ukraine‘s foreign ministry called on the International Criminal Court to “immediately investigate yet another atrocity of the Russian military”.

Egypt wanted to arm Russia with thousands of rockets in secret ‘to avoid problems with West’, report claims

14:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In case you missed it...

Egypt’s president Abdel Fatah El-Sisi had allegedly ordered 40,000 rockets to be discreetly shipped to Russia, showed some of the classified US intelligence documents that were recently leaked on social media.

Discussions between high-level Egyptian officials about the sale of weapons to Russia were found in the series of classified files, reported The Washington Post.

The leaked documents made their way to gaming social media platform Discord in February and March.

The Egyptian president had ordered his subordinates to facilitate the shipment of the rockets to Russia, but asked officials to secretly handle the production and shipment to “avoid problems with the West”, as per one of the documents dated 17 February.

Egypt ‘wanted to arm Russia in secret to avoid problems with West’

Frontline cemeteries shut to Ukrainians for Easter over dangerous war debris

14:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Hundreds of cemeteries near front lines will be closed to Ukrainians wanting to pay their respects at graves of their relatives for Orthodox Easter this weekend, as officials fear the danger of land mines and unexploded ordnance.

But in the formerly Russian-occupied village of Kobzartsi in the southwest Mykolaiv region, residents say they are hugely grateful that demining officers have been able to clear one of the two local cemeteries of hazards to allow them to visit.

“Thank God that (deminers) came through here. We will visit (the cemetery) as usual, and we will celebrate Easter. Thank God we are alive, this is most important,” said Olena Yarova, a 46-year-old villager.

Many Ukrainians visit the graves of their loved ones around Easter to pay their respects and tidy up the graves.

Only 42 people remain in Kobzartsi out of 1,200 who lived there before Russia invaded in February 2022. Fighting has littered Ukraine with an appalling amount of dangerous war detritus.

The head of the demining unit in Kobzartsi said they had found munitions and debris on the ground.

“If it goes off nearby, there is a 100% possibility of shrapnel wounds. In 90% of such cases a person dies after being hit with such munitions,” said Vladyslav Hrytsai, the officer.

The second cemetery was not demined and 74-year-old Lidiia Osypenko said: “We will go only after the deminers. We will not go without them. It is dangerous to go just like this.”

The village was liberated after months of occupation in November when Ukrainian forces recaptured a swathe of the Kherson region, which was taken shortly after the start of Russia‘s invasion.

The governor of Kherson region, tracts of which remain occupied, has declared a ban on cemetery visits for Easter this year. In the northeastern Kharkiv region, back in Ukrainian hands after a partial Russian occupation, 753 cemeteries have been closed.

Ukraine says Pentagon leaks are a mix of truth and falsehood

13:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine‘s defence minister said on Wednesday that the alleged Pentagon document leaks contain a mixture of true and false information, and that the information which was true was no longer relevant.

Speaking in Madrid, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said he believed the leaks were a psychological information operation which would benefit Russia and its allies.

Kremlin says electronic draft papers will fix 'mess' at military recruitment offices

13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a move to bring in electronic draft papers for the first time in Russia‘s history was needed to sort out what it called “a mess” at military recruitment offices.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that the problems in drafting men into the army had come to light last year when Moscow launched what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Russia says it mobilised just over 300,000 men last year to help bolster its forces in Ukraine where, according to Western officials, it has suffered tens of thousands of casualties in the biggest land war since World War Two.

The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, on Tuesday gave its backing to a package of legislative amendments that will bring in electronic draft papers and close numerous loopholes exploited by draft dodgers.

The changes were rushed through the Duma with little public scrutiny, prompting some lawmakers to complain, and fuelling speculation that Russia may be poised to announce another wave of mobilisation, something the Kremlin has denied.

Peskov said that the changes to how men are drafted - which will apply to both conscripts who are called up twice a year as well as to separate mobilisation campaigns - are badly needed.

“When the special military operation began, you and I saw that in some places we had a lot of mess in the military recruitment offices,” said Peskov.

“That is exactly the purpose of this legislative initiative: to clear up this mess and to make it (the system) modern, effective and convenient for citizens.”

Russia says U.S. intelligence leaks may be fake, part of hybrid war against it

13:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday that a trove of U.S. intelligence documents posted online in recent weeks might be fake and a deliberate attempt to mislead Moscow.

The documents, the authenticity of which Reuters has not been able to independently verify, include what look like classified U.S. assessments of the war in Ukraine and the casualties purportedly suffered by the two armies, as well as documents covering other countries.

Ryabkov told Russian news agencies on Wednesday that, for now, the leak threw up many questions.

“It’s probably interesting for someone to look at these documents, if they are documents at all, or maybe they are fake, maybe this is a deliberate information dump,” Ryabkov was cited as saying.

“Since the United States is a party to the (Ukraine) conflict and is in essence waging a hybrid war against us, it’s possible such things are being done to mislead the enemy - that is the Russian Federation,” he said.

The Kremlin said earlier on Wednesday that it did not know “like everyone else” how authentic the documents were.

Some national security experts and U.S. officials say they suspect that the leaker could be American, but do not rule out pro-Russian actors.

A former CIA officer has said it is highly likely that Moscow orchestrated the leak in order to sow confusion and potential divisions between Washington and its allies.

When asked about such allegations, the Kremlin has said there’s a tendency to always blame everything on Russia.

Russia says it strikes Ukrainian forces trying to reinforce Bakhmut

12:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s defence ministry said on Wednesday that its forces had struck Ukrainian army reserves trying to break through to the embattled city of Bakhmut, the Interfax news agency reported.

Russia also said Wagner mercenary forces had captured three more blocks in their attempt to seize control of the city in eastern Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported.

UK sanctions ‘financial fixers’ for Russian oligarchs Abramovich and Usmanov- update

12:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Britain on Wednesday sanctioned individuals and companies who it accused of acting as “financial fixers” for Russian oligarchs Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov.

Britain’s Foreign Office said in a statement the new measures targeted those helping the two prominent businessmen to avoid the full cost of sanctions that were imposed following Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.

“We are closing the net on the Russian elite and those who try to help them hide their money for war,” foreign minister James Cleverly said in the statement. “We will keep cutting them off from assets they thought were successfully hidden.”

The government said sanctions were imposed on Demetris Ioannides and Christodoulos Vassiliades, two Cypriots it described as “professional enablers” who had helped to create offshore structures and trusts.

The sanctions were also targeted at Usmanov’s financial network, including companies USM, Curzon Square Ltd, and Hanley Limited, according to the statement.

Britain froze the assets of Abramovich and Usmanov within weeks of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

UK sanctions financial network of Russian oligarchs Abramovich and Usmanov

11:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Britain on Wednesday sanctioned individuals and companies with financial links to Russian oligarchs Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov.

Britain’s Foreign Office said the measures target those helping oligarchs to avoid the full cost of sanctions.

Leaked Pentagon documents claim elite British special forces are in Ukraine

11:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The British defence ministry has deployed some of its elite special forces alongside scores of other Western military personnel to Ukraine during the war, the latest tranche of leaked Pentagon intelligence documents purport to show.

A total of 50 British special forces members are in the war-hit nation, an intelligence document dated 23 March claimed, according to The Telegraph.

It suggests that British soldiers may comprise more than half of the western special forces personnel present in the war-hit nation between February and March this year.

Alongside Britain, Latvia has 17 elite military personnel in Ukraine, France has 15, the US has 14 and there’s one elite soldier from the Netherlands, the report claims.

Arpan Rai reports:

Leaked Pentagon documents claim elite British special forces are in Ukraine

Kremlin says electronic draft papers are needed to sort out 'mess' at military recruitment offices

11:01 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a move to bring in electronic draft papers for the first time in Russia‘s history was needed to sort out what it called “a mess” at military recruitment offices.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that the problems had come to light during a mobilisation drive last year to draft more troops for what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

The lower house of parliament gave its backing to the necessary legislative amendments on Tuesday that will bring in the changes in an effort to make it harder for men to avoid being drafted.

Watch: Putin launches 'new intercontinental ballistic missile'

10:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has completed a test-launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar training ground in Russia’s Astrakhan Region, Kremlin’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

“On April 11, 2023, the combat crew of the Strategic Missile Troops successfully launched the intercontinental ballistic missile of the land-based mobile missile system from the Kapustin Yar State Central Multiservice Training Ground in the Astrakhan Region,” the report said.

Ukraine farmers say protests in EU over Ukrainian grain are political

10:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Protests by European farmers are political and shipments of Ukrainian grain are not reducing the profitability of their business, Ukrainian food producers’ union UAC said on Wednesday.

Logistical bottlenecks have kept large quantities of Ukrainian grains, which are cheaper than those produced in the European Union, in Central European states, reducing prices and sales for farmers there who have staged protests.

Poland last week said it would temporarily halt Ukrainian grain imports after farmers’ protests led Poland’s agriculture minister to resign, but transit would still be allowed.

“The political nature of the European farmers’ strikes is obvious. Ukraine sells some grain to Poland, and this is not a massive amount,” Denys Marchuk, deputy chair of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council (UAC), said in a statement.

“However, certain forces need to demonstrate that this is due to an oversupply of Ukrainian grain,” he said, noting that the country faced elections later this year.

He said that the decline in global grain and oilseed prices was a trend and that Ukraine was using Poland and Romania as transit routes rather than directly exporting to them.

Marchuk said Poland’s import ban could affect Ukrainian farmers in western regions as they traditionally sold to consumers in Poland and farms still have up to 40% of last year’s harvest, which they planned to sell and use for the sowing season.

Russia completes ‘successful' test launch of new intercontinental ballistic missile

09:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has completed a test-launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar training ground in Russia’s Astrakhan Region, Kremlin’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

“On April 11, 2023, the combat crew of the Strategic Missile Troops successfully launched the intercontinental ballistic missile of the land-based mobile missile system from the Kapustin Yar State Central Multiservice Training Ground in the Astrakhan Region,” the report said.

The missile hit its test target at the Sary-Shagan proving ground in Kazakhstan, according to the report.

India says Ukraine asked for more medical supplies

08:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

India said on Wednesday that Ukraine has asked for more medicines and medical equipment and has invited Indian companies to help rebuild the country battered by Russia‘s invasion.

Ukraine made its request during a four-day visit to India by First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Emine Dzhaparova that ended on Wednesday, the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Dzhaparova held talks with India’s junior foreign minister, Meenakshi Lekhi, and handed over a letter from President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ministry said. It gave no details of the letter.

“Rebuilding infrastructure in Ukraine could be an opportunity for Indian companies,” the ministry cited Dzhaparova as saying.

India has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the war, including medicines and medical equipment.

Dzhaparova’s visit was the first by a high-ranking official from Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion.

India has not been as critical of its old ally Russia as some other countries for its invasion and it has increased its purchases of Russian oil.

India has sought a diplomatic solution to the conflict while Modi, in comments seen as mildly critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin, told him in September that now was “not an era of war”.

Dzhaparova, in comments to media during her visit, said Ukraine wanted India to be more involved in helping resolve the conflict and Ukraine looked forward to welcoming Modi to Kyiv “one day”.

India holds the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 and Dzhaparova said Ukraine expected India to invite Ukrainian officials to G20 events and that Zelenskiy would be keen to address a G20 Summit in New Delhi in September, as he did by video during the grouping’s last summit in Indonesia.

The Indian ministry did not refer to these requests in its statement.

Russia: Designation of WSJ reporter as wrongfully detained is 'irrelevant'

08:14 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday that the United States’ designation of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained” is “irrelevant” to Russia, the TASS news agency reported.

Russia‘s FSB security agency arrested Gershkovich at the end of March and has charged him with espionage charges that carry a maximum 20-year prison sentence. His arrest triggered outcry from the Wall Street Journal, U.S. President Joe Biden, other media organisations and rights groups.

Viral videos 'show beheading of Ukrainian soldiers'

08:02 , Arpan Rai

Two videos that purportedly show the beheading of Ukrainian soldiers have flooded social media, leading to claims of Russian brutality.

Officials in Kyiv and Moscow have not confirmed the authenticity of the video, but reports said the videos were filmed recently.

One of the videos, allegedly filmed by Wagner mercenaries, was shared on pro-Russian social media on 8 April.

A voice speaking in Russian language in the video is heard saying: “(The armoured vehicle) got f**ked by a mine”.

“They killed them. Someone came up to them. They came up to them and cut their heads off,” another voice is heard saying.

The authenticity of the videos could not be independently verified.

Ukraine asks India for more medical supplies

07:43 , Arpan Rai

Indian officials said Ukraine is seeking more medicines and medical equipment and has invited Indian companies to help rebuild the country battered by Russia’s invasion.

This comes as Ukraine’s first deputy minister of foreign affairs is in New Delhi to meet her counterparts on a four-day visit.

Emine Dzhaparova, the first deputy minister of foreign affairs, held talks with Indian junior foreign minister Meenakshi Lekhi and handed over a letter from president Volodymyr Zelensky to prime minister Narendra Modi, the ministry said.

The ministry did not elaborate on the details of the letter.

Russia solidifying defences near nuclear power plant city in Ukraine – MoD

07:18 , Arpan Rai

The British defence ministry has said Russia is continuing to develop extensive linear defences in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southern Ukraine, fortifying the city with Europe’s largest nuclear power plant which it controls.

The critical area is “highly likely the responsibility of Russia’s Southern Grouping of Forces (SGF)”, the defence ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that Russia has now completed three layers of defensive zones across approximately 120km of this sector.

“These consist of a frontline of forward combat positions, and then two zones of nearly continuous, more elaborate defences. Each zone is approximately 10-20km behind the one in front,” the MoD said.

This indicates that Russia is preparing for Ukrainian counteroffensive in the reggion and it has “probably put significant effort into these defensive works because it is convinced Ukraine is considering an assault towards the city of Melitopol”.

“The defences have the potential to be formidable obstacles, but their utility almost entirely depends on them being supported by sufficient artillery and personnel. It remains unclear if the SGF can currently muster these resources,” the MoD said.

Russia to serve conscripted men with digital call-up papers

07:02 , Arpan Rai

Russia is set to start calling up men to serve in the military via email and other online means, after the country’s parliament approved the move.

Moscow has said that this is not aimed at increasing the speed of mobilisation of Russian men to serve in the military.

Russian parliament’s defence committee chief Andrei Kartapolov said that the military summons are “considered received from the moment it is placed in the personal account of a person liable for military service”.

Up until now, Russia served conscription papers to those being enrolled in the military in person or via an employer.

Dozens of UK’s elite special forces 'deployed in Ukraine', leaked documents claim to show

06:46 , Arpan Rai

The UK has deployed some of its elite special forces alongside scores of other Western military personnel to Ukraine during the war, the latest tranche of leaked Pentagon intelligence documents show.

A total of 50 British special forces are in the war-hit nation, an intelligence document dated 23 March showed, reported The Telegraph.

Latvia has 17 elite military personnel in Ukraine, France has 15, the US has 14 and there’s one elite soldier from the Netherlands, the report claims.

The leaked document does not say whether these special forces soldiers are engaged in combat, training or otherwise.

Shortly after the leaked documents showed the deployment of elite troops abroad, the British defence ministry did not directly deny the information but warned that the “readers should be cautious about taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread misinformation”.

Leaked US documents show Serbia agreed to arm Ukraine

06:11 , Arpan Rai

Serbia agreed to supply arms to Kyiv or has sent them already, a classified Pentagon document has shown.

Serbia is the only country in Europe that has refused to sanction Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Entitled “Europe|Response to Ongoing Russia-Ukraine Conflict,” the document in chart form lists the “assessed positions” of 38 European governments in response to Ukraine‘s requests for military assistance.

The chart showed that Serbia declined to provide training to Ukrainian forces, but had committed to sending lethal aid or had supplied it already. It also said Serbia had the political will and military ability to provide weapons to Ukraine in the future.

The classified document was among dozens of posted online in recent weeks in what could be the most serious leak of US secrets in years.

The document is marked Secret and NOFORN, prohibiting its distribution to foreign intelligence services and militaries. It is dated 2 March, and embossed with the seal of the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Various governments have questioned the legitimacy of the documents, saying some details have been falsified, but the US has launched an multi-agency investigation into the source of the leak.

Ukraine repels 72 Russian attacks over past day

05:43 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian troops have repelled 72 Russian attacks in those directions over the past day, its general staff of the armed forces said.

Russian forces are concentrating their efforts on conducting offensives toward Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Marinka in Donetsk Oblast, the armed forces said today in a morning update from the battlefield.

WSJ journalist pleads not guilty in Russian court

04:54 , Arpan Rai

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich pleaded not guilty to charges of espionage in Russia during a court appearance today, state-owned news agency TASS reported.

Russia’s top security agency had arrested the journalist on accusations of spying on 30 March.

He was brought to Moscow where a court at a closed hearing ordered him held in pre-trial detention until 29 May. The TASS state news agency said he pleaded not guilty.

The authorities released no evidence publicly and the case is said to have been marked “top secret”.

Zelensky holds meeting with war generals

04:45 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky held his regular meeting with army generals handling the war in Ukraine and signalled that the conflict is at a critical stage.

“I held a regular meeting of the staff today. First of all, we considered the combat situation, what we manage to succeed in in the main directions, in difficult directions, such as Bakhmut and Avdiivka, the Donetsk region in general, such as Kreminna and the Luhansk region in general,” he said, adding that the Ukrainian forces are looking at what needs to be worked on.

“There were reports by General Syrskyi, General Tarnavskyi, the Commander-in-Chief, the main intelligence directorate. The General Staff and the Minister of Internal Affairs reported on the staffing of new units of our defense forces - new brigades,” he said.

Mr Zelensky added: “We are now at such a stage of the war, when it is important for our society and partners not to lose a sense of the path we have to overcome. Precisely the path. The path that’s ahead.”

What we know so far on the leaked Pentagon documents

04:15 , Arpan Rai

It’s been less than a week since news of highly classified military documents on the Ukraine war surfaced, sending the Pentagon into full-speed damage control to assure allies and assess the scope of the leak.

The information on scores of slides has publicised potential vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s air defence capabilities and exposed private assessments by allies on an array of intelligence matters, raising questions about whether the leak will erode allies’s trust in sharing information with the US or impact Ukraine’s plans to intensify the fight against Russia this spring.

This is a look at what the documents are, what is known about how they surfaced, and their potential impact.

What we know so far on the leaked Pentagon documents

Wagner claims 80% of Bakhmut captured

03:56 , Arpan Rai

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has announced that his mercenary fighters have captured more than 80 per cent of Bakhmut and control the salt mining city’s major points.

“In Bakhmut, the larger part, more than 80 per cent is now under our control, including the whole administrative centre, factories, warehouses, the administration of the city,” he said in a video posted by a Russian military blogger.

Wagner’s forces are pressing on with their encirclement of Bakhmut, he said.

The top Ukrainian military officials have not addressed the claims directly but said that their troops were holding firm against fierce attacks.

US will ‘turn over every rock’ to find source of leak – Pentagon chief

03:43 , Arpan Rai

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has said that the country will investigate the recent purported leak of classified documents until the source is found.

“We will continue to investigate and turn over every rock until we find the source of this and the extent of it,” Mr Austin said during a press conference at the State Department.

More than 50 of the documents labelled “Secret” and “Top Secret”, revealing details of military capabilities of US and its allies and adverseries, have been reviewed by Reuters after they first appeared on social media platforms in March

The Pentagon was aware that the documents had been leaked and posted dated 28 February and 1 March but was not certain if the documents had made their way to online platforms previously.

“These are things that we will find out as we continue to investigate,” the top official said.

Leaked documents may have origin in chatroom for gamers

03:30 , Sam Rkaina

A major leak of classified U.S. documents that’s shaken Washington and exposed new details of its intelligence gathering may have started in a chatroom on a social media platform popular with gamers.

Held on the Discord platform, which hosts real-time voice, video and text chats, a discussion originally created to talk about a range of topics turned to the war in Ukraine. As part of debates about Ukraine, according to one member of the chat, an unidentified poster shared documents that were allegedly classified, first typing them out with the poster’s own thoughts, then, as of a few months ago, beginning to post images of papers with folds in them.

The posts appear to have gone unnoticed outside of the chat until a few weeks ago, when they began to circulate more widely on social media and get picked up by major news outlets. The leaks have alarmed U.S. officials and sparked a Justice Department investigation.

The records have provided startling and surprisingly timely details of U.S. and NATO assistance to Ukraine. They also provided clues about efforts to assist Ukraine in its war with Russia, including an anticipated spring offensive.

The scale of the exposure has yet to be determined. Also unclear is whether any government worked to share the documents or manipulate them.

Click here for the full story.

Tuesday recap: Wagner group claims forces control 80% of Bakhmut

02:45 , Sam Rkaina

On the ground, the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed in a video posted on Tuesday that his forces now control more than 80 per cent of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the capture of which Moscow believes will be a stepping stone to taking other, larger cities in the area.

Bakhmut is in the Donbas, which contains the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, the control of which is one of Moscow’s aims in the war.

Bakhmut has been the scene of some of the most intense fighting of the invasion so far. In a video published by a Russian military blogger on the Telegram messaging app, Mr Prigozhin is seen showing on a map of the area how his forces are continuing their encirclement of the now devastated city, which before Russia’s invasion had been home to around 70,000 people.

“In Bakhmut, the larger part, more than 80 per cent, is now under our control, including the whole administrative centre, factories, warehouses, the administration of the city,” Mr Prigozhin said.

The claim was immediately denied by Kyiv. Serhii Cherevatyi, the spokesperson for the eastern grouping of the Ukrainian armed forces, told CNN: “I’ve just been in touch with the commander of one of the brigades that are defending the city. I can confidently state that the Ukrainian defence forces control a much larger percentage of the territory of

.”

Leaked Pentagon documents on Ukraine ‘altered to understate Russian losses'

01:45 , Sam Rkaina

US officials had previously said that some of the documents circulating online, giving battlefield casualty estimates from Ukraine, appeared to have been altered to understate Russian losses.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the leak, but said: “There is in fact a tendency to always blame everything on Russia. It is, in general, a disease.”

One of the latest leaks claimed that Egypt was planning to supply Russia covertly with rockets and other munitions, although the US was said to believe that the plan had never been carried out, according to The Washington Post, which reported having seen the document.

A spokesperson for Egypt’s foreign ministry, Ahmed Abu Zeid, told the Post: “Egypt’s position from the beginning is based on non-involvement in this crisis, and committing to maintain equal distance with both sides, while affirming Egypt’s support to the UN charter and international law.”

An unnamed Egyptian official, quoted in state media, called the report an “informational absurdity” and said that Egypt follows a “balanced policy” with all international parties.

As for Kyiv’s response, Mykhailo Podolyak – an adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky – said Ukraine needs more long-range weapons and “less contemplation on leaks”.

US seeks to reassure allies over Pentagon leaks about Ukraine

Wednesday 12 April 2023 00:45 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine has said that the US has made clear its “iron-clad” support for the country’s fight against Russia’s invasion, in the wake of a damaging leak of documents from the Pentagon.

Washington has been attempting to limit the diplomatic fallout from the incident, with the documents appearing to highlight information about Ukraine’s military capability as well as intelligence relating to Washington’s allies, including South Korea and Israel.

The US Department of Justice and US security agencies are investigating the release of the documents while they assess the damage to national security, with analysts saying that the documents appear to have been shared initially on the video-game chat platform Discord in an effort to win an argument about the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said that the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, had assured him in a phone call that Washington still backed Kyiv’s effort to win the war with Russia, and had rejected any notion of doubt in Ukraine’s military capacity.

“During our call today, [Blinken] reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. support and vehemently rejected any attempts to cast doubt on Ukraine’s capacity to win on the battlefield,” he tweeted. “The US remains Ukraine’s trustworthy partner, focused on advancing our victory and securing a just peace.”

Trudeau’s website hacked before Ukraine meeting

Tuesday 11 April 2023 23:45 , Sam Rkaina

Mr Trudeau’s official website on Tuesday morning showed a “service is unavailable” error. The prime minister said the cyber attacks were an “unsurprising” act by Russian hackers.

“It’s not uncommon for Russian hackers to target countries as they are showing their steadfast support for Ukraine,” Trudeau said, adding that Canada was not going to be dissuaded by such attacks.

“We are aware of reports that some Government of Canada websites have been offline,” a spokesperson for Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) said in a statement, and echoed Trudeau’s comment that it not an uncommon occurrence in countries hosting visits by Ukrainian government officials.

“While these incidents draw attention, they have very little impact on the systems affected,” the CSE spokesperson said.

Canada has been one of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine and committed more than C$8 billion ($5.94 billion) to Ukraine in financial, military, humanitarian and other assistance since January 2022, just before the February invasion.

Canada imposes new sanctions on Russia over Ukraine

Tuesday 11 April 2023 22:41 , Sam Rkaina

Canada has imposed new sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and pledged fresh military support for Kyiv after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Toronto.

As the two leaders met, Trudeau’s official website was shut down and the Canadian spy service acknowledged that “some” other government pages had also been offline.

Canada will send 21,000 assault rifles, 38 machine guns and 2.4 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine sourced from Colt Canada, while the new sanctions would target 14 Russian individuals and 34 entities.

Trudeau said Canada was also imposing sanctions on nine entities tied to the Belarusian financial sector to further pressure Russia’s “enablers in Belarus.”

“We will continue to support Ukraine with everything needed for as long as necessary,” Trudeau said.

“Ukraine feels the colossal support of Canada in every area ... and we really appreciate it,” said Shmyhal, the highest ranking Ukrainian to visit Canada since the start of the war over a year ago.

The two discussed a range of subjects including further military support and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine, before signing a joint declaration to modernize trade between the two countries.

No ships inspected under the Ukraine Black Sea grain deal on Tuesday

Tuesday 11 April 2023 21:42 , Sam Rkaina

No ships were inspected on Tuesday under the Ukraine Black Sea grain deal “as the parties needed more time to reach an agreement on operational priorities,” the United Nations said, adding that routine inspections were due to resume on Wednesday.

“We urge all involved to meet their responsibilities to ensure that vessels continue to move smoothly and safely in the interest of global food security,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement, adding that there are currently 50 vessels waiting to move to the Ukrainian ports.

All ships are inspected by officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations in waters near Turkey on the way in and out of Ukraine. Official online data shows no ships were inspected on Tuesday.

Since the deal allowing the safe wartime export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports was agreed in July, more then 27.5 million tonnes of food have been exported. Dujarric said this had contributed to the lowering of food prices globally.

“This critical work is done against the backdrop of the ongoing war and active hostilities. We do not underestimate the challenges, but we know they can be overcome,” he said. “The U.N. team is working closely with all sides, taking into consideration all parties’ concerns.”

The deal - initially brokered last July by Turkey and the United Nations - was renewed last month for at least 60 days, half the intended period.

“The global humanitarian benefits of the initiative are evident and are not limited to exports to specific low-income countries. It is in everyone’s interest to keep it going,” Dujarric said.

Russia has said it will only extend the deal beyond May 18 if impediments to its export of agricultural products and fertilizer are removed. Moscow’s demands include returning the Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT banking system and unblocking the financial activities of fertilizer companies.

To help persuade Russia to allow Ukraine to resume its Black Sea grain exports last year, a three-year deal was also struck in July in which the United Nations agreed to help Russia with its food and fertilizer exports.

Western powers have imposed tough sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While its food and fertilizer exports are not sanctioned, Moscow says restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance industries are a barrier to shipments.

Ukraine resumes electricity exports despite Russian attacks

Tuesday 11 April 2023 20:44 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine began resuming electricity exports to European countries on Tuesday, its energy minister said, a dramatic turnaround from six months ago when fierce Russian bombardment of power stations plunged much of the country into darkness in a bid to demoralize the population.

The announcement by Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko that Ukraine was not only meeting domestic consumption demands but also ready to restart exports to its neighbors was a clear message that Moscow’s attempt to weaken Ukraine by targeting its infrastructure did not work.

Ukraine’s domestic energy demand is “100%” supplied, he told The Associated Press in an interview, and it has reserves to export due to the “titanic work” of its engineers and international partners.

Russia ramped up infrastructure attacks in September, when waves of missiles and exploding drones destroyed about half of Ukraine’s energy system. Power cuts were common across the country as temperatures dropped below freezing and tens of millions struggled to keep warm.

Moscow said the strikes were aimed at weakening Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, while Western officials said the blackouts that caused civilians to suffer amounted to war crimes. Ukrainians said the timing was designed to destroy their morale as the war marked its first anniversary.

Ukraine had to stop exporting electricity in October to meet domestic needs.

Engineers worked around the clock, often risking their lives to come into work at power plants and keep the electricity flowing. Kyiv’s allies also provided help. In December, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $53 million in bilateral aid to help the country acquire electricity grid equipment, on top of $55 million for energy sector support.

Biden speaks to parents of journalist detained in Russia

Tuesday 11 April 2023 20:01 , Sam Rkaina

President Joe Biden has spoken to the parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, nearly two weeks after the Moscow-based journalist was detained in Russia and charged with espionage.

Biden made the call as he flew to Belfast to start a four-day trip to Northern Ireland and Ireland. The call happened one day after the Biden administration formally declared the reporter had been “wrongfully detained.”

The designation elevates Gershkovich’s case for the U.S. government and means that a particular State Department office will take the lead on seeking his release.

Before departing Washington on Tuesday, Biden again condemned the journalist’s detention. Both the U.S. government and Wall Street Journal have vehemently denied the Russian accusation that Gershkovich is a spy.

“We’re making it real clear that it’s totally illegal what’s happening, and we declared it so,” Biden said. “It changes the dynamic.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters after the call that Biden “felt it was really important to connect with Evan’s family, his parents,” She said that Gershkovich, 31, has been “top of mind” for the president.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the Russian government has yet to grant U.S. consular access to Gershkovich.

“It’s not for lack of trying,” Kirby said, adding that the State Department has been seeking access “ever since the moment we found out that he was detained.”

Russian authorities arrested Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city, on March 29. He is the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained for alleged spying.

Brazil’s Lula puts Ukraine peace on agenda during visit to China

Tuesday 11 April 2023 19:13 , Sam Rkaina

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva departed Brazil on Tuesday for an official visit to China, where he aims to convince President Xi Jinping to form a group of nations to mediate an end to Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Lula’s visit, postponed from March for health reasons, aims to reset relations with Brazil’s largest trade partner following a frosty four years under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.

Lula is also seeking to put Brazil back on the international stage after a period of relative isolation by Bolsonaro, who spurned his country’s traditional role in multilateral forums and drew criticism for not protecting the Amazon rainforest.

When he meets Xi on Friday, Lula has said he will suggest a proposal to mediate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, an initiative that among Western leaders has only been welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

“I am convinced that both Ukraine and Russia are waiting for someone else to say, ‘Let’s sit down and talk,’” Lula told journalists last week.

Lula has suggested a peace solution could be the return of newly invaded territory, though not Crimea - an option that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has rejected outright.

For his initiative to advance, Lula needs China to send a message to Russia, said a European diplomat in Brasilia.

“Lula knows that China is the only country Russia will listen to,” said the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity and adding: “People are waiting to see if it gets some traction from other countries, like France and Germany.”

US intelligence leak has 'serious level of inaccuracy', says Britain

Tuesday 11 April 2023 17:26 , Liam James

Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said there was “a serious level of inaccuracy” in a widely-reported leak of alleged classified US information.

“Readers should be cautious about taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread disinformation,” a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said in a statement published on Twitter.

US national security agencies and the Justice Department are investigating the release of dozens of classified documents to assess the damage to national security and relations with allies and other countries, including Ukraine.

Hungary signs new energy deal with Russia

Tuesday 11 April 2023 16:31 , Liam James

Hungary has signed new agreements to ensure its continued access to Russian energy – a sign of the country’s continuing diplomatic and trade ties with Moscow which have confounded some European leaders amid the war in Ukraine.

Speaking at a news briefing in Moscow, Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto said Russian state energy company Gazprom has agreed to allow Hungary, if needed, to import quantities of natural gas beyond the amounts agreed to in a long-term contract that was amended last year.

The price of the gas, which would reach Hungary through the Turkstream pipeline, would be capped at 150 euros (£131.80) per cubic meter, Mr Szijjarto said, part of an agreement that will allow Hungary to pay down gas purchases on a deferred basis if market prices go above that level.

Mr Szijjarto’s trip to Russia’s capital was unusual for an official from a European Union (EU) country.

Most members of the 27-nation bloc have distanced themselves from Mr Putin over his invasion of Ukraine and sought to wean their countries off Russian fossil fuels.

The Hungarian government has lobbied heavily in the EU to be exempted from any sanctions imposed on Russian gas, oil or nuclear fuel, and has also threatened to veto proposed EU actions against Moscow.

Russian forces in Crimea brace for possible Ukraine assault

Tuesday 11 April 2023 15:23 , Joe Middleton

The Moscow-appointed leader of Crimea said Tuesday the region is on guard for what may be an impending Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Sergei Aksyonov told reporters that Russian forces in Crimea had built “modern, in-depth defenses” and had “more than enough” troops and equipment to repel a possible Ukrainian assault after 13 months of war following Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“We cannot underestimate the enemy, but we can definitely say that we are ready (for an attack) and that there will be no catastrophe,” he said.

Russian forces in Crimea brace for possible Ukraine assault

Russian forces in Crimea brace for possible Ukraine assault

Tuesday 11 April 2023 15:19 , Joe Middleton

The Moscow-appointed leader of Crimea said Tuesday the region is on guard for what may be an impending Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Sergei Aksyonov told reporters that Russian forces in Crimea had built “modern, in-depth defenses” and had “more than enough” troops and equipment to repel a possible Ukrainian assault after 13 months of war following Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“We cannot underestimate the enemy, but we can definitely say that we are ready (for an attack) and that there will be no catastrophe,” he said.

Russian forces in Crimea brace for possible Ukraine assault

Russia’s Wagner head claims his forces control over 80% of Bakhmut

Tuesday 11 April 2023 14:37 , Joe Middleton

The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said in a video posted on Tuesday that his forces controlled more than 80% of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Bakhmut, a small eastern city in eastern Ukraine, has for months been the target of a major Russian offensive and has seen the heaviest fighting in the nearly 14-month war.

Romania to buy US F-35 fighter planes to bolster air defences

Tuesday 11 April 2023 13:51 , Joe Middleton

Romania aims to buy the latest generation US F-35 fighter planes to boost its air defences, the country’s supreme defence council (CSAT) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The European Union and Nato state has raised defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product this year from 2 per cent, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The country, which shares a 400 mile border with Ukraine, is host to a US ballistic missile defence system and, as of last year, has a permanent alliance battlegroup stationed on its territory.

“Having robust, credible, interoperable, flexible and efficient air defence operational capabilities ... as part of our commitments as a NATO and EU state is key to Romania meeting its defence policy objectives,” the statement said.

“The air force’s modernisation process will continue through the acquisition of last generation F-35 jets.”

Egypt wanted to arm Russia with thousands of rockets in secret ‘to avoid problems with West’ - report

Tuesday 11 April 2023 13:26 , Joe Middleton

Egypt’s president Abdel Fatah El-Sisi had allegedly ordered 40,000 rockets to be discreetly shipped to Russia, showed some of the classified US intelligence documents that were recently leaked on social media.

Discussions between high-level Egyptian officials about the sale of weapons to Russia were found in the series of classified files, reported The Washington Post.

The leaked documents made their way to gaming social media platform Discord in February and March.

Arpan Rai reports.

Egypt ‘wanted to arm Russia in secret to avoid problems with West’

Russia redeploying ‘heavy flamethrower’ thermobaric weapons to elite frontline troops in Ukraine

Tuesday 11 April 2023 12:45 , Joe Middleton

Russia is likely handing over thermobaric multiple launch rocket systems to its elite airborne forces, suggesting its use in the continuing war against Ukraine, the British defence ministry said on Tuesday.

The British defence ministry cited Russian media reports on the transfer of TOS-1A thermobaric multiple launch rocket systems to Moscow’s airborne forces (VDV) on 3 April.

Thermobaric weapons, fired using the multiple launch rocket systems, are considered to be one of the most brutal war weapons in existence.

Arpan Rai reports.

Russia redeploying ‘heavy flamethrower’ thermobaric weapons to elite frontline troops

Ukrainian children reunited with families after being taken to Russia

Tuesday 11 April 2023 12:20 , Joe Middleton

UN tally of confirmed civilian deaths nears 8,500

Tuesday 11 April 2023 11:50 , Joe Middleton

Nearly 8,500 civilians are confirmed to have been killed in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a U.N. body said on Tuesday, with many thousands more unverified deaths still feared.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said it had recorded 8,490 people killed and 14,244 injured between the launch of the invasion of Feb. 24, 2022, and April 9, 2023.

The body has long described its figures as “the tip of the iceberg” because of its limited access to battle zones.

The majority of the deaths were recorded in territory controlled by the Ukrainian government and under attack by Russian forces, including 3,927 people in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which have witnessed intense fighting.

“OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration,” it said in a statement.

Russian forces have pressed their offensive in the eastern Donetsk region where several cities and towns have under heavy bombardment.

A U.N.-mandated investigative body found last month that Russian forces had carried out “indiscriminate and disproportionate” attacks on Ukraine. Russia denies targeting civilians or committing atrocities.

Reuters

Russia set to draft men into armed forces by sending them electronic call-up papers

Tuesday 11 April 2023 11:08 , Joe Middleton

Russia will soon draft men into the army by sending them electronic call-up papers via an online portal in addition to traditional letters, according to draft legislation due to be debated on Tuesday that aims to facilitate mobilisation.

More than 300,000 former soldiers and ex-conscripts are believed to have been called up since President Vladimir Putin announced an emergency draft last year to support Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Currently, conscription papers in Russia have to be delivered in person by the local military enlistment office or via an employer, but the proposed changes to legislation would see conscription papers being sent via recorded mail and online.

Once an electronic summons is received, citizens who fail to show up at the military enlistment office will be automatically banned from travelling abroad.

“The summons is considered received from the moment it is placed in the personal account of a person liable for military service,” Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the Russian parliament’s defence committee, said in comments on television.

Reuters

Russian tennis player speaks out after sparking outrage with Spartak Moscow shirt

Tuesday 11 April 2023 10:35 , Joe Middleton

Anastasia Potapova has said she will not wear a Spartak Moscow shirt on court again after being warned for doing so during Indian Wells.

Potapova, who has climbed to 25th in the world rankings, was rebuked after warming up in the football shirt during the tournament in California.

Her choice of garment was criticised by Iga Swiatek, who stressed that the Russian should not “show her views in this way” given the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Harry Latham-Coyle reports:

Russian tennis player speaks out after sparking outrage with Spartak Moscow shirt

Kremlin opponent defiant in statement during treason trial

Tuesday 11 April 2023 09:48 , Joe Middleton

Jailed Kremlin opponent Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr. likened judicial proceedings against him on Monday to the sham Stalin-era and later proceedings that condemned his countrymen to prison or death sentences.

Kara-Murza also said he’s proud of his public statements and behavior for which he’s facing charges of treason and spreading false information about the Russian military in Ukraine.

A journalist and a prominent government opponent who twice survived poisonings he blamed on the Kremlin, Kara-Murza has been behind bars since his arrest a year ago. He made his comments near the end of his closed-door trial in a statement posted on Russian social media sites.

Kremlin opponent defiant in statement during treason trial

Russia redeploying ‘heavy flamethrower’ thermobaric weapons to elite frontline troops in Ukraine

Tuesday 11 April 2023 09:07 , Joe Middleton

Russia is likely handing over thermobaric multiple launch rocket systems to its elite airborne forces, suggesting its use in the continuing war against Ukraine, the British defence ministry said on Tuesday.

The British defence ministry cited Russian media reports on the transfer of TOS-1A thermobaric multiple launch rocket systems to Moscow’s airborne forces (VDV) on 3 April.

Thermobaric weapons, fired using the multiple launch rocket systems, are considered to be one of the most brutal war weapons in existence.

Arpan Rai reports.

Russia redeploying ‘heavy flamethrower’ thermobaric weapons to elite frontline troops

Ukrainian children reunited with families after being taken to Russia

Tuesday 11 April 2023 08:47 , Joe Middleton