Ukraine-Russia news – live: EU nation buys dozens of German-made Leopard 1 tanks for Kyiv

Dozens of second-hand Leopard 1 tanks are being readied for Ukraine’s forces fighting the Russian invasion and will hit the battlefield by winter, said an arms trader who finalised the deal.

The tanks, that number 50 and were bought from the Belgium government five years ago, were sold to an unnamed European government at a confidential price, said Freddy Versluys, CEO of defence company OIP Land Systems.

Arms maker Rheinmetall acquired the tanks and will prepare most of them for export to Ukraine, reported German newspaper Handelsblatt.

Of these, 50 tanks will be refurbished at Rheinmetall factories in Germany and 30 overhauled models will be made ready for export. The report did not name the government behind the deal.

This comes as Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed Ukraine will fight back against Russia in the Black Sea.

“If Russia continues to dominate the Black Sea, outside its territory, blockading or firing at us again, launching missiles at our ports, Ukraine will do the same,” he said.

“We don’t have that many ships. But they should clearly understand that by the end of the war, they will have zero ships, zero.”

Key Points

• New Wagner ‘tent city’ being built 15 miles from Belarus-Ukraine border, Kyiv group claims

• Ukraine detains woman accused of spying on Zelensky for Russia

• Independent TV: Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska’s interview with Bel Trew

• Ukraine and Russia confirm Kyiv hits Chonhar bridge to Crimea

• Russian retaliation threat sees up to 70 air assault weapons used overnight

Russia claims two Ukrainian drones downed near Moscow

06:29 , Arpan Rai

Russia has claimed it has shot down two Ukrainian drones near Moscow today, one near a major airport to the south of the city and one to the west of the capital.

“An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack with unmanned aerial vehicles was prevented over the territory of the Moscow region,” the defence ministry said, adding that two UAVs were destroyed by air defences.

One was shot down near Domodedovo, where one of Russia’s biggest international airports is located, and another near the Minsk motorway, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

Kyiv has never claimed responsibility for attacks inside the Russian territory.

Poland to send 2,000 troops to Belarus border - PAP

10:28 , Eleanor Noyce

Poland will send 2,000 troops to the Belarus border to support the Border Guard, Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wasik told state-run news agency PAP on Wednesday.

How many casualties has Russia suffered in Ukraine?

10:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Establishing accurate data on the number of military casualties sustained since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022 is difficult for two reasons. The severity of the fighting on the ground and the fact that both sides are inclined to keep their cards close to their chests to avoid damaging morale – especially at a time when the war is entering a pivotal new stage.

The Kremlin, in particular, is unlikely to admit to high fatality rates among its troops because to do so would amount to a confession that Vladimir Putin’s spurious war to “de-Nazify” Russia’s neighbour state is not going according to plan and, in fact, represents a monumental miscalculation on the part of its leader, who is already under pressure at home over the attempted uprising by Wagner Group mercenaries.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

How many casualties has Russia suffered in Ukraine?

Sixteen injured in blast at factory northeast of Moscow - TASS

09:59 , Eleanor Noyce

A blast rocked an optical-mechanical factory in the town of Sergiev Posad, 50 km (30 miles) northeast of Moscow, on Wednesday, injuring at least 16 people, TASS cited emergency services as saying.

It said the blast appeared to have occurred in a warehouse containing pyrotechnic equipment. The popular online news channel Mash said the warehouse had been rented by a pyrotechnics firm.

Unverified footage on social media showed a huge column of smoke, and high-rise buildings with windows blown out.

The facility was being evacuated, TASS said.

The factory in Sergiev Posad produces optical equipment, with the Russian security forces among its clients.

However, TASS cited emergency services as saying they did not suspect that the blast had been caused by a Ukrainian drone attack - many of which have taken place in Moscow and the surrounding area in recent weeks and months.

Voices: Britain and the West must win the economic war for Ukraine and freedom

09:45 , Eleanor Noyce

It is heartening that the government has responded with such alacrity to calls from Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first lady, to tighten the sanctions regime on Russia. As she pointed out so forcefully in her exclusive interview with The Independent, many states friendly to Russia are assisting the Kremlin in getting around international sanctions imposed on key individuals and on the wider Russian economy.

Sanctions have had an impact on the Russian war machine, and the exit of many Western industrial groups has denuded its ability to manufacture weapons. However, as Ms Zelenska reminds us, it is tempting for states such as Turkey, Kazakhstan and Armenia to try to leverage some short-term tactical gains from covert assistance to Russia. Even more damaging to Ukraine has been the studied yet misguided neutrality of the likes of South Africa, Brazil and India, while Iran and North Korea, experts in the field of sanctions-busting, have given Vladimir Putin plenty of advice as well as hardware.

Read more:

Britain and the West must win the economic war for Ukraine and freedom

Eleven injured in blast at factory northeast of Moscow - TASS

09:42 , Eleanor Noyce

A blast rocked an optical-mechanical factory in the town of Sergiev Posad, 50 km (30 miles) northeast of Moscow, on Wednesday, injuring at least 11 people, TASS cited emergency services as saying.

It said the blast appeared to have occurred in a warehouse containing explosive equipment.

The authorities were evacuating the facility, TASS said.

Fortum fights to sell seized Russian assets and get compensation

09:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Finnish utility Fortum still hopes to sell its Russian assets and get compensation for their seizure by the Kremlin via arbitration, its chief executive told Reuters.

Fortum is one of a handful of companies with assets placed under “temporary control” by Moscow in response to the European Union’s sanctions since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, which prompted over a thousand Western firms to exit Russia.

In the second quarter, Fortum wrote off the entire value - 1.7 billion euros ($1.9 billion) - of its seven thermal power plants and a joint-venture portfolio of wind and solar plants in Russia, after Moscow placed them under its control by presidential decree in April.

“We still hold legal ownership of the businesses, but we don’t get any information, dividends or loan paybacks from there,” CEO Markus Rauramo said in his first interview about the subject.

“We do still pursue their sale,” he added.

Rauramo did not give further details about that, but said Fortum had been in advanced talks with a potential buyer for the asset portfolio, which he described as “well-invested, profitable, efficient and the best that exists in Russia”.

Before the seizure, Fortum and its unidentified potential buyer had presented their plans to the Russian government commission that gives permission for foreign-owned asset sales.

Instead of approving the deal, Russia announced the seizure, which came as a surprise and without any warning, Rauramo said.

Finding the right buyer is crucial, experts and executives at companies that have successfully left Russia have told Reuters, with close relations to government officials seen as a real advantage.

President Vladimir Putin’s seizure decree was published late on 25 April and new management took control of the Russian unit, PAO Fortum, the following lunchtime.

Fortum has started legal proceedings to seek compensation for the seizure on the basis of international investment protection agreements which Russia has signed, Rauramo said, adding the arbitration would begin next year.

“We aim to get the value of our possessions back and we believe that we will get some compensation,” he said.

Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

09:12 , 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.

Read more:

Here’s why Putin really invaded Ukraine

Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting rescue workers in latest missile strikes

08:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Kyiv has accused Moscow of targeting rescue workers after an eastern Ukrainian city was hit with two missiles in quick succession – the first destroying buildings before the second hit emergency crews clearing the scene.

The strikes on the downtown district of the city of Pokrovsk – in the Donetsk region – killed at least seven people, including an emergency official, and wounded more than 80 others, most of them police officers, emergency workers and soldiers who rushed to assist residents, Ukrainian officials said.

My colleague Chris Stevenson has more:

Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting rescue workers in latest missile strikes

18-year-old boy killed in Russian shelling attack

08:41 , Eleanor Noyce

An 18-year-old boy has been killed in a Russian shelling attack on Nikopol, Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office has said.

Three men were also wounded in the attack, which damaged a church, private houses, farm buildings, cars and power lines.

“Priority measures are being taken to fix the crimes committed by the army of the aggressor country”, the prosecutor general’s office said.

Nikopol is in southern Ukraine, to the right of the Dnipro River.

Russians blamed for shock cyber attack hitting millions of UK voters

08:19 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia is suspected of being behind the cyber attack on the Electoral Commission which left the data of 40 million UK voters exposed, sparking fears of an attempt to “interfere” with British democracy.

The elections watchdog apologised after revealing that it first detected the “complex” hack in October 2022. But the breach had happened more than a year before, in August 2021.

Britain’s intelligence services have detected evidence linking the attack to Russians, according to The Times and The Telegraph, after the commission asked GCHQ to investigate the breach.

Adam Forrest reports:

Russians blamed for shock cyber attack hitting millions of UK voters

Poland to hold parliamentary elections in October in shadow of Ukraine war

06:55 , Eleanor Noyce

Poland’s president announced Tuesday that the country would hold its parliamentary election on Oct. 15, marking the official start of an electoral campaign that has informally been underway for months and is being shaped by Russia’s war against Ukraine.

President Andrzej Duda said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the elections for the 460-seat lower house of parliament, the Sejm, and for the 100-seat Senate will both take place on that Sunday. Politicians will be elected for a four-year term.

The election campaign begins during rising anxieties in Poland over the presence of Russia-linked Wagner mercenaries across the Nato nation’s northeastern border in Belarus, where they have arrived by the thousands since a short-lived mutiny in Russia in June.

Tensions have also been growing with ally Ukraine, to the country’s southeast, over grain imports and historical memories of past ethnic conflicts.

Ex-Nato chief says F-16s slowed down due to Putin’s ‘intimidation’

06:16 , Arpan Rai

Former supreme commander of the Nato allies forces has said the west’s promised assistance with F-16 for Ukrainian pilots has been slowed down as the war-hit nations’ allies do not wish to provoke Russia.

“There is restraint regarding quick action due to fears that Mr Putin may cause certain important events. As I have said many times, the situation with the F-16s is just the case,” retired general Philip Breedlove said.

He added that many countries are prepared to train Ukraine’s pilots on F-16, as confirmed after the Nato summit in Lithuania last month, and preliminary plans to initiate that were developed.

However, the “main slowdown is taking place inside” the US, the former top official said.

Russia’s policy, he said, of intimidating the West on fighter jets is showing effectiveness.

"Mr Putin’s ground forces are failing him on the battlefield. But Putin’s war of intimidation, his war to deter the West, is a resounding success. And this is what he works hard [on],” the former Commander of Nato forces in Europe said.

“This intimidation led to deterrence, and slowed down things like sending the F-16s," he said.

Making liberation of Crimea more achievable, says Zelensky

05:51 , Eleanor Noyce

Volodymyr Zelensky has said he and his administration are making the liberation of Crimea more achievable as he stressed on details on deoccupation of the illegally annexed peninsula.

“Today, I also held a meeting on the content of our return policy, specifically regarding Crimea and its reintegration. It is obvious that after the liberation of Crimea from occupation, economic opportunities, personal security for people, and a sense of real freedom, which has not been there since 2014, will return there,” Mr Zelensky said in his late night address.

He added: “But all of this should not be just abstract - every detail of the de-occupation of Crimea should have a specific meaning. How exactly normal life returns. What exactly this means for Crimea and for all our people. This should be clear to everyone.”

“Step by step, we are making the de-occupation of Crimea more and more achievable and well-thought-out.”

The Crimean Peninsula has been a battleground, with drone attacks and bombs seeking to dislodge Moscow’s hold on the territory and bring it back under Kyiv’s authority, despite the Kremlin vocally claiming the territory as its own.

Mr Zelensky has vowed to retake the diamond-shaped peninsula that Vladimir Putin had illegally annexed in 2014.

How many casualties has Russia suffered in Ukraine?

05:43 , Andy Gregory

Establishing accurate data on the number of military casualties sustained since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022 is difficult for two reasons.

The severity of the fighting on the ground and the fact that both sides are inclined to keep their cards close to their chests to avoid damaging morale – especially at a time when the war is entering a pivotal new stage.

My colleague Joe Sommerlad takes a look here:

How many casualties has Russia suffered in Ukraine?

Zelensky vows retaliation against Putin’s forces in Black Sea

05:05 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed retaliation from Ukraine against Russia in the Black Sea in a bid to prevent the blockading of its waters that could hurt the import and export of grains and other trade.

“If Russia continues to dominate the Black Sea, outside its territory, blockading or firing at us again, launching missiles at our ports, Ukraine will do the same. This is a just defence of our opportunities, of any corridor,” Mr Zelensky said.

“We don’t have that many ships. But they should clearly understand that by the end of the war, they will have zero ships, zero,” the war-time leader said.

The Ukrainian president has also called on Russia to stop firing at Ukrainian ports which is hindering the trade in the region.

Watch: Ukraine’s First Lady criticises other countries for circumventing Russian sanctions

04:35 , Andy Gregory

30 German-made Leopard 1 tanks coming for Ukraine via Belgium

03:55 , Arpan Rai

Once assets for Belgium, dozens of second-hand Leopard 1 tanks are now being readied for Ukrainian forces fighting the Russian invasion, an arms trader who finalised the deal said.

The tanks, all of 50, have been sold to an undisclosed European government at a confidential price, said Freddy Versluys, CEO of defence company OIP Land Systems.

He said the tanks were bought from the Belgian government more than five years ago.

“The fact that they leave our company proves that we asked for a fair market price and someone was more than happy to take them,” Mr Versluys said in a post on LinkedIn, accompanied by a picture of tanks next to a bottle of Ukrainian vodka.

These tanks are now being transported to a factory for a substantial overhaul, he said, adding that some of the tanks would be used for spare parts while others would be repaired.

It could be four to six months before they are on the battlefield in Ukraine, the official said.

According to German newspaper Handelsblatt, arms maker Rheinmetall has acquired the tanks and would prepare most of them for export to Ukraine.

Of these, 50 tanks would be refurbished at Rheinmetall factories in Germany and 30 overhauled models would be made ready for export. It did not name any government as being behind the deal.

The coveted Leopards have been at the centre of a public spat since early this year after Belgian defence minister Ludivine Dedonder said the government had explored buying back tanks to send to Ukraine but had been quoted unreasonable prices.

Kremlin rushes out schoolbook praising Putin’s Ukraine invasion

03:26 , Andy Gregory

Russian students will be reading a coursebook that praises Valdimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on their national curriculum when they return to school next month – as the Kremlin seeks to control the historial narrative around its war provided to young people, my colleague William Mata reports.

The Kremlin is said to have ordered the rapid writing of the coursebooks, which will be aimed at 17-year-olds, with Ukraine’s Western allies seeking to make Moscow a global pariah over the invasion of its neighbour.

Education minister Sergei Kravtsov unveiled the book at a press conference on Monday and said the material aimed to “convey the aims [of the Ukraine offensive] to schoolchildren”.

Kremlin rushes out schoolbook praising Putin’s Ukraine invasion

Finland and Norway ban Yandex from transferring data to Russia

02:17 , Reuters

Finnish and Norwegian regulators said on Tuesday they had banned Russian tech group Yandex and its Netherlands-based partner Ridetech International from transferring to Russia any personal data of customers of Yandex’s Yango ride-hailing app.

“The Finnish DPA (data protection authority) has become aware of a legislative reform that will enter into force in Russia at the beginning of September, under which the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation will have the right to receive data processed in taxi operations,” the regulator said in a statement.

The Yango ride-hailing service, which operates in 14 countries including Finland and Norway, is one of many services offered by Yandex, often dubbed “Russia’s Google”.

“There is an acute risk to privacy as Russian authorities could potentially monitor the movements of Norwegian citizens via Yango,” the Norwegian Data Protection Authority said in a separate statement.

Yango said it was studying the requests from Norwegian and Finnish regulators and intended to fully comply with new requirements. It said it processes data in strict compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and EU legislation.

Independent TV: What Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska wants the world to know

01:09 , Andy Gregory

In a rare interview the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, has spoken to Independent TV about her work rebuilding Ukraine in the middle of war, the pressures on her family and concerns for the future of her country.

From the presidential palace, she told The Independent’s Bel Trew about the need to reconstruct cities despite the fighting raging on, about building cutting-edge facilities to treat the country’s’ war-wounded and fighting stigma on trauma around the country.

Video report: Pokrovsk reduced to rubble after Russian strike hits hotel, killing eight

Wednesday 9 August 2023 00:03 , Andy Gregory

Russian missiles kill nine, destroy hotel in eastern Donetsk, Ukraine says

Tuesday 8 August 2023 23:06 , Reuters

Russian missiles struck the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk twice on Monday night, killing nine people, wounding scores and destroying apartments and a popular hotel, officials said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that 82 people were wounded in the attack, and rescue operations in Pokrovsk, about 45 miles southwest of Bakhmut in eastern Donetsk, had been completed.

“Everyone is provided with the necessary assistance. There are two children among the wounded,” Mr Zelensky said in his evening address.

Separately, Russian-installed Donetsk mayor Alexei Kulemzin accused Ukraine in a social media post of shelling the city of Donetsk, killing three people and wounding 10 on Tuesday.

In the Pokrovsk strikes, two missiles hit the centre of the city, which had a pre-war population of about 60,000, within 40 minutes of each other, witnesses said. Pictures posted online by officials showed that Druzhba (Friendship) Hotel suffered a direct hit, with several floors missing.

Deal struck to send German-made Leopard 1 tanks from Belgium to Ukraine

Tuesday 8 August 2023 22:25 , Andy Gregory

Some 50 Leopard 1 tanks which once belonged to Belgium have been bought by another European country which plans to provide them to Ukraine, the arms trader who did the deal has said.

The German-made tanks were at the centre of a public spat earlier this year after Belgium’s defence minister said the government had explored buying back tanks to send to Ukraine but had been quoted unreasonable prices – a predicament faced by several governments who had recently discarded arms as obsolete and now find them in high demand, and often owned by private companies.

Freddy Versluys, chief executive of defence company OIP Land Systems, who bought the tanks from the Belgian government more than five years ago, told Reuters he had now sold all 50 tanks to another European government, which he could not name due to a confidentiality clause.

“The fact that they leave our company proves that we asked for a fair market price and someone was more than happy to take them,” Mr Versluys said in a post on LinkedIn, accompanied by a picture of tanks next to a bottle of Ukrainian vodka.

He said the tanks were now being transported to a factory for a substantial overhaul. Some of the tanks would be used for spare parts while others would be repaired, he said. He estimated it could be four to six months before they are on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper reported that arms manufacturer Rheinmetall had acquired the tanks and would prepare most of them for export to Ukraine.

Editorial | Britain and the West must win the economic war for Ukraine and freedom

Tuesday 8 August 2023 21:39 , Andy Gregory

In our latest editorial, The Independent argues that the West must “intensify its efforts in the financial war to ensure Ukraine gains the edge in its fight for freedom and the international rule of law”. It states:

“It is heartening that the government has responded with such alacrity to calls from Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first lady, to tighten the sanctions regime on Russia. As she pointed out so forcefully in her exclusive interview with The Independent, many states friendly to Russia are assisting the Kremlin in getting around international sanctions imposed on key individuals and on the wider Russian economy.

“Sanctions have had an impact on the Russian war machine, and the exit of many Western industrial groups has denuded its ability to manufacture weapons. However, as Ms Zelenska reminds us, it is tempting for states such as Turkey, Kazakhstan and Armenia to try to leverage some short-term tactical gains from covert assistance to Russia. Even more damaging to Ukraine has been the studied yet misguided neutrality of the likes of South Africa, Brazil and India, while Iran and North Korea, experts in the field of sanctions-busting, have given Vladimir Putin plenty of advice as well as hardware.

“China, though more circumspect about supplying single-purpose lethal material, hasn’t strayed too far from its “no limits partnership” with Moscow. Even Saudi Arabia, which recently hosted an international conference on the war with president Volodymyr Zelensky in attendance, has proved unhelpful in managing the post-invasion energy crisis.”

Britain and the West must win the economic war for Ukraine and freedom

Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting rescue workers in latest missile strikes

Tuesday 8 August 2023 20:55 , Andy Gregory

Kyiv has accused Moscow of targeting rescue workers after an eastern Ukrainian city was hit with two missiles in quick succession – the first destroying buildings before the second hit emergency crews clearing the scene.

The strikes on the downtown district of the city of Pokrovsk – in the Donetsk region – killed at least seven people, including an emergency official, and wounded more than 80 others, most of them police officers, emergency workers and soldiers who rushed to assist residents, Ukrainian officials said.

The Iskander missiles used in the strikes on Monday evening have an advanced guidance system that increases their accuracy. The two strikes hit within 40 minutes of each other, said Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. The tactic is called a “double tap” in military jargon. It is one that Russia has previously used during Syria’s civil war.

Our international editor Chris Stevenson has the full report:

Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting rescue workers in latest missile strikes

Where is the Zyabrovka airfield?

Tuesday 8 August 2023 20:24 , Andy Gregory

A new “tent city” capable of housing some 1,000 Wagner mercenaries is being built in Belarus just 15 miles from the border with Ukraine, a group in Kyiv has claimed.

The Ukrainian National Resistance Centre, a group established by Kyiv’s army in March 2022, alleges that the new camp at the Zyabrovka airfield will likely be used to “simulate subversive activities on the border with the Chernihiv region”.

Belarus ‘tent city’ to house 1,000 Wagner troops being built 15 miles from Ukraine border, Kyiv claims

Tuesday 8 August 2023 20:05 , Andy Gregory

A new “tent city” capable of housing some 1,000 Wagner mercenaries is being built in Belarus just 15 miles from the border with Ukraine, Kyiv has claimed.

The Ukrainian National Resistance Centre, which was set up by Kyiv’s army following Russia’s invasion, alleges that the new camp at the Zyabrovka airfield will likely be used to “simulate subversive activities on the border with the Chernihiv region”.

“The goal of such a campaign is to force European countries to reduce their support for Ukraine by simulating a military threat to them,” the group claims, warning of attempts

“At the initial stage, within the framework of such an information operation, there is an imitation of the deployment of the Wagner PMC camps and the introduction of narratives into the information field that the mercenaries are ready to attack the EU.”

German offers to keep Patriot air defence systems in Poland for rest of year

Tuesday 8 August 2023 19:49 , Andy Gregory

Germany has offered to extend the deployment of three Patriot air defence units to Poland until the end of the year.

“An extension beyond the end of 2023 is not foreseen,” Germany’s defence ministry said in a statement.

Along with the Patriot systems, some 300 German soldiers have been based in the Polish town of Zamosc, some 30 miles from the Ukrainian border, since the start of the year to protect the southern town and its crucial railway link to Ukraine.

ICYMI: UK launches crackdown on sanctions-busting by Russia’s allies

Tuesday 8 August 2023 19:22 , Andy Gregory

Britain has announced its largest ever crackdown on third countries aiding Russia after a dramatic plea from Ukraine’s first lady in an interview with Independent TV.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly said the 25 new sanctions would allow those assisting Moscow’s illegal invasion “nowhere to hide”.

It follows Olena Zelenska’s warning that without urgent steps to clamp down on loopholes that allow Moscow to fuel its war the conflict risks continuing “endlessly”.

The Independent revealed on Monday that the government was hoping to act on the problem imminently.

UK launches crackdown on sanctions-busting by Russia’s allies

Republican US senator claims Ukraine can’t defeat Russia

Tuesday 8 August 2023 18:54 , Andy Gregory

Putin and Ramaphosa discuss Brics summit, Kremlin says

Tuesday 8 August 2023 18:24 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin has held a phone call with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa, according to the Kremlin.

The two presidents discussed preparations for the upcoming Brics summit, as well as bilateral cooperation.

Mr Putin will not attend the Johannesburg summit in person, after concerns were raised that South African authorities could be obliged to arrest him under the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

Russia further aligns with Iran in hitting out at ‘unacceptable’ Western sanctions

Tuesday 8 August 2023 18:00 , Andy Gregory

Russia has criticised “unacceptable” Western attempts to maintain sanctions on Iran – despite the collapse of a 2015 deal intended to restrain Tehran’s nuclear program in return for relief from the curbs.

After a meeting of their deputy foreign ministers in Tehran, Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow and Iran were unanimous in believing that the failure to implement the deal stemmed from the “erroneous policy of ‘maximum pressure’ pursued by the United States and those who think similarly”.

Former US president Donald Trump quit the deal known as the JCPOA in 2018, leaving economic sanctions in place, and Iran’s relations with the West have been deteriorating ever since, as it has accelerated its nuclear programme.

Sources told Reuters in June that European diplomats had informed Iran they planned to join the US in retaining sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile programme that are set to expire in October under the nuclear deal.

The three reasons given for this were: Russia’s use of Iranian drones against Ukraine; the possibility that Iran might transfer ballistic missiles to Russia; and depriving Iran of the benefits of the nuclear deal.

Russia’s foreign ministry said the meeting emphasised “the unacceptability of any attempts on the part of the West to impose some new schemes and approaches to solving problems related to the JCPOA, which imply damage to legitimate and mutually beneficial Russian-Iranian cooperation in various fields”.

Video report: Pokrovsk reduced to rubble after Russian strike hits hotel, killing eight

Tuesday 8 August 2023 17:27 , Andy Gregory

Polish presidential election to be held on October 15 with Ukraine a key concern

Tuesday 8 August 2023 16:59 , William Mata

Poland’s president announced on Tuesday that the country would hold its parliamentary election on October 15, marking the official start of an electoral campaign.

The vote is set to be influenced and shaped by Russia’s war against Ukraine.

President Andrzej Duda said on Twitter, that the elections for the 460-seat lower house of parliament, the Sejm, and for the 100-seat Senate will both take place on that same date.

Lawmakers will be elected for a four-year term, and the party with the most votes will be tapped to form the next government.

Polls show that Law and Justice, the conservative party which has governed Poland since 2015, is heading toward the election as the most popular party, but is likely to fall short of an outright majority in parliament.

UN condemns Russian action as violation of “any principle of humanity”

Tuesday 8 August 2023 16:51 , William Mata

United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, described the latest attack as “absolutely ruthless” and said it was “a serious breach” of international law and violated “any principle of humanity”.

Russia fired two missiles into Pokrovsk residential areas in a so-called “double tap” strategy that Ukraine’s government said targeted aid workers.

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, 78 employees of Ukraine‘s State Emergency Service have been killed and 280 have been wounded while responding to Russian missile strikes, according to agency spokesperson colonel Oleksandr Khorunzhyi.

Ukraine says it prevented Russian hacking of armed forces combat system

Tuesday 8 August 2023 15:20 , William Mata

Ukraine has said it has stopped Russian hackers from penetrating the Ukrainian armed forces computer systems.

The Ukrainian SBU security service said on Tuesday that Kremlin hackers are increasingly trying to sabotage and gain information through the sphere, although Russia has denied this.

“As a result of complex measures, SBU exposed and blocked the illegal actions of Russian hackers who tried to penetrate Ukrainian military networks and organise intelligence gathering,” SBU said on the Telegram messaging app.

The service said hackers tried to gain access to “sensitive information on the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the location and movement of the Defence Forces, their technical support”.

Cleverly: ‘Nowhere to hide’ for those helping Russia

Tuesday 8 August 2023 15:01 , William Mata

The British foreign secretary has said there is “nowhere to hide” for those helping Russia - after handing out a fresh round of sanctions.

James Cleverly said on Tuesday that the UK has imposed 25 new sanctions on individuals and businesses in Russia and Belarus.

Those sanctioned include companies based outside Russia but said to be supplying drones and microelectronics to Mr Putin’s defence industry, the Foreign Office said.

Mr Cleverly said: “Today’s landmark sanctions will further diminish Russia’s arsenal and close the net on supply chains propping up Putin’s now-struggling defence industry.

“There is nowhere for those sustaining Russia’s military machine to hide.

“Alongside our G7 partners, the UK has repeatedly called on third parties to immediately cease providing material support to Russia’s aggression or face severe costs.”

Ukraine says Russia targeted rescue workers with a 'double tap' missile strike

Tuesday 8 August 2023 14:15 , William Mata

Ukraine has said that the second of two missiles aimed at a residential area in Pokrovsk was intended to ‘target’ rescue workers.

The dead in the Monday evening strikes in the city of Pokrovsk were five civilians, one rescuer and one soldier, Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko has said.

Dozens more were wounded, most of them police officers, emergency workers and soldiers who had rushed to the scene to assist residents.

Russia has since the start of the war aimed artillery and missiles at the exact same spot it struck around 30 minutes earlier, often hitting emergency workers who had deployed at the scene.

It is called a “double tap” in military jargon and a tactic the Russians also used in Syria’s civil war.

“All of (the police) were there because they were needed, putting their efforts into rescuing people after the first strike,” Ivan Vyhivskyi, chief of Ukraine’s National Police, said Tuesday.

“They knew that under the rubble were the injured — they needed to react, to dig, to retrieve, to save. And the enemy deliberately struck the second time.”

Russia says it hit Ukrainian command post in Pokrovsk region - reports

Tuesday 8 August 2023 13:50 , William Mata

Russia’s defence ministry on Tuesday said that the Kremlin’s forces had hit a Ukrainian command post in Pokrovsk, the Interfax news agency reported.

The eastern region was hit by missiles twice on Monday night, killing at least seven people and injuring 88. In the attack, flat blocks and apartments were destroyed.

It is understood that rescue efforts are continuing into Tuesday afternoon.

Britain provides more detail on the sanctions it is giving out

Tuesday 8 August 2023 13:30 , William Mata

Britain has said its 25 sanctions to Russian and Belarusian individuals will aim to stop Vladimir Putin accessing foreign military supplies.

Earlier on Tuesday, the foreign office said it was giving 19 Russian sanctions and six to Belarus in addition to those already in place.

The Foreign Office said those sanctioned include businesses based outside Russia but said to be supplying drones, microelectronics and attempting to supply arms to Russia.

Three Russian companies operating in the electronics sector have also been sanctioned, the department added.

British foreign secretary James Cleverly said: “Today’s landmark sanctions will further diminish Russia’s arsenal and close the net on supply chains propping up Putin’s now-struggling defence industry.

“There is nowhere for those sustaining Russia’s military machine to hide.”

Death and injury toll update

Tuesday 8 August 2023 13:10 , William Mata

Ukrainian authorities have said that the two explosions in Pokrovsk have now led to seven deaths and 88 injuries.

It had previously been reported by Ukrainian authorities that eight had died - but this figure had been widely downscaled by all reports to seven by Tuesday lunchtime.

Rescue efforts are continuing to be made.

‘Putin has equipped Russian guard with heavy weaponry’ - says UK

Tuesday 8 August 2023 12:50 , William Mata

Russia has reportedly signed a law to allow the Russian National Guard to be equipped with heavy weaponry.

British intelligence has stated on Tuesday that the decision was made following the aborted Wagner mutiny - although it is disputed as to what role the Russian guard played in that incident.

“President Putin signed into law a measure which will allow Rosgvardia, the Russian National Guard, to be equipped with heavy weaponry,” the UK Ministry of Defence said on Twitter.

“A sprawling organisation of up to 200,000 frontline personnel, Rosgvardia was created in its modern form in 2016 and is led by Putin’s former bodyguard Viktor Zolotov. The decision to strengthen the force follows the abortive Wagner mutiny of June 2023.

“Despite Zolotov’s claim that his force performed ‘excellently’ during the mutiny, there is no evidence that Rosgvardia carried out any effective action against Wagner: exactly the sort of internal security threat it was designed to repress.

“ With Zolotov previously suggesting that heavy equipment should include artillery and attack helicopters, the move suggests that the Kremlin is doubling down on resourcing Rosgvardia as one of the key organisations to ensure regime security.”

‘This is the most difficult time of the war’ - Western allies say of Ukraine situation

Tuesday 8 August 2023 12:41 , William Mata

Western officials are reportedly braced for what they consider to be the “most difficult time of the war” for Ukraine.

US representative Mike Quigley said “our briefings are sobering,” and that they “remind us of the challenges we face”.

“This is the most difficult time of the war,” he told reporters.

“They’re still going to see, for the next couple of weeks, if there is a chance of making some progress,” an unnmaed diplomat told CNN.

“But for them to really make progress that would change the balance of this conflict, I think, it’s extremely, highly unlikely.”

Britain adds 19 Russian designations to sanctions list and six to Belarusian list

Tuesday 8 August 2023 12:30 , William Mata

Britain has reportedly added almost 20 designations to its Russia sanctions list and six to its Belarus sanctions regime.

The government said on Tuesday that it would be adding the 19 Russian firms to the list and it has also released a new map showing that Ukraine is trying to push back.

The graphic, released via Twitter, has shown that Kyiv forces are pushing back in Orikhiv and Vuhledar.

US announces first of its Abram tanks will arrive in Ukraine by September

Tuesday 8 August 2023 12:30 , William Mata

The US has announced its first set of its Abram tanks will arrive in Ukraine by September.

Army acquisition chief Doug Bush said on Monday that the first shipment has been signed off - with the US having pledged in January it would send 31 Abrams to Ukraine.

Mr Bush said in a briefing: “They have to get to Europe, and then to Ukraine, along with all of the things that go with them.

“Ammunition, spare parts, fuel equipment, repair facilities. So you know, it’s not just the tanks, it’s the full package that goes with it. That’s still on track.”

Russian students to get pro-Putin take on invasion in new school coursebook

Tuesday 8 August 2023 12:10 , William Mata

Russian students will be reading a coursebook that praises Valdimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on their national curriculum when they return to school next month – as the Kremlin seeks to control the historial narrative around its war provided to young people.

The Kremlin is said to have ordered the rapid writing of the coursebooks, which will be aimed at 17-year-olds, with Ukraine’s Western allies seeking to make Moscow a global pariah over the invasion of its neighbour.

The full article is here.

Zelensky makes statement on anniversary of conflict in Georgia

Tuesday 8 August 2023 11:50 , William Mata

Volodymyr Zelensky has shared a video message on the 15h anniversary of the Russo-Georgian War.

In the five day conflict in 2008, Russia was able to set up bases in South Ossetia and Abkhazia .

Mr Zelensky tweeted: “Every year on this day, the world remembers Russian aggression against Georgia.

“Fifteen years have passed. The Russian occupation remains - this wound on the body of the Georgian state remains. Many words have already been said that if the world had been decisive back in 2008, many things would have been different.

“Back then already Russia should have realised that the aggressor pays the highest price for aggression. It must definitely realise this now.”

Poland to send additional troops to Belarus border

Tuesday 8 August 2023 11:30 , William Mata

Poland has committed to sendig additional troops to the border with Belarus, the country’s PAP news agency has reported on Tuesday.

Around 1,000 more personnel could be sent to counter attempts to cross the frontier illegally, the deputy interior minister told PAP.

“Due to the dynamic situation on the Polish-Belarusian border... the Minister of National Defence ordered that the request be implemented and that additional soldiers be assigned to patrol the Polish-Belarusian border,” a defence ministry statement read.

In recent weeks, soldiers from the Wagner mercenary group have appeared near the border.

Pictures: Rescues made in the rubble

Tuesday 8 August 2023 11:10 , William Mata

Further details about missile attack in Pokrovsk

Tuesday 8 August 2023 10:45 , William Mata

Here are the facts of the missile attack in Pokrovsk:

- Two missiles were fired into a residential area in Pokrovsk, in Donesk region to Ukraine’s east, on Monday night.

- The strikes came 40 minutes apart and a hotel as well as a residential flat block were hit directly while a pizzaria was also struck.

- President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia used Iskander ballistic missiles while it has also been reported that responders to the first blast were killed in the second.

- Interior minister Ihor Klymenko said seven people, including five civilians, were killed. But other reports have claimed that the death toll is now eight.

- As of Tuesday morning, emergency services have resumed attempting to clear the rubble.

Accounts from the scene: ‘My window fell on me'

Tuesday 8 August 2023 10:23 , William Mata

Pokrovsk residents have shared their accounts of the Russian missile strike on a flat block which has killed two people and injured many more.

Among those killed in the second blast have been reported to be first responders to the initial one which struck 40 minutes or so before.

Kateryna, a 58-year-old resident of Pokrovsk, told Reuters: “A flame filled up my eyes. I fell down on the floor, on the ground. My eyes (hurt) a lot.”

Another resident, 75-year-old Lidia, said: “Suddenly this [a curtain] flew out and wrapped me up. Then the window fell on me.

"My back has cuts. I just got back from the hospital... My knee and my thigh have cuts."

Search continues for survivors in rubble after attack in Pokrovsk

Tuesday 8 August 2023 10:09 , William Mata

Rescuers are searching for survivors amid the ruins afer Russian missiles hit a residential building in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, on Monday.

Ukrainian Emergency Services were out in force on Tuesday morning to try and find any hope in the rubble after the attack which has killed at least eight people.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of Donetsk's military administration, said on Telegram that at least 67 people have been confirmed to be injured.

“Today we are overwhelmed with pain, anger, tears,” the Pokrovsk military administration wrote on Facebook.

Putin orders increased production of “very effective” drones

Tuesday 8 August 2023 09:49 , William Mata

Vladimir Putin has ordered the increased production of “kamikaze” attack drones as the war escalates.

The Russian president was seen in television footage on Monday night asking the head of state-owned defence conglomerate Rostec to increase the number of these weapons.

Drone warfare is becoming an increasing part of the battle with Ukraine and Mr Putin is looking specifically for Kub and Lancet drones which have proved difficult for Kyiv forces to counter.

Mr Putin has called the drones “very effective”.

At least eight dead after missile strike on flats in Pokrovsk

Tuesday 8 August 2023 08:47 , William Mata

At least eight people have died and many more could be wounded after two Russian missile strikes on the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.

Rescue efforts are currently ongoing and president Volodymyr Zelensky has commented that the flat block at the centre of it was an “ordinary residential building”.

A hotel that is popular with journalists covering the war was also hit as was a pizzeria.

Pokrovsk is 43 miles from Donetsk and 30 miles from the battle frontline.

Mr Zelensky tweeted: “The city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk region. Donbas, from which Russia is trying to leave only broken and scorched stones. Two missile strikes. An ordinary residential building was hit.

“Unfortunately, there are victims. Rescuers and all necessary services are on the scene. The rescue of people continues.”

Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk region, said the number wounded is now 31.

“Among them are 19 police officers, five rescuers and one child,” he added on Telegram.