Ukraine war – live: Kyiv officials say US and Ukraine relations not affected despite damning leaked documents
Top officials in Kyiv said that information on Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia --- that was part of leaked US Pentagon documents --- was already known and not surprising.
The leaked documents hinted that Ukraine faced challenges in massing troops, equipment, and ammunition and that Kyiv may fall short of counter-offensive goals.
A senior Ukrainian official told BBC that the problems faced by the country were already known, adding that the leaks would not affect relations between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Moscow’s defence ministry has claimed that military pilots from Belarus have completed training to use Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons.
Belarusian defence minister Viktor Khrenin threatened the West that “it could be the next step” to also host part of Moscow’s strategic arsenal, claiming: “We are already preparing the sites that we have.”
On the battlefield in Ukraine, Kyiv has been forced to concede ground in the bloody battle for Bakhmut after being bombarded with “particularly intense” Russian artillery fire over the past 48 hours, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said.
Key Points
US document leak reveals were already known, Kyiv officials claim
Russia says Belarusian air force now trained for using its nuclear weapons
Vladimir Putin’s Bakhmut offensive ‘re-energised’ as Ukraine ‘loses ground’
‘Pentagon papers’ leak suspect to appear in US court after FBI arrest
Russian oil exports exceed pre-war levels as India and China buy crude
Ukraine says UN Security Council has lost 'meaning’
US document leak reveals were already known, Kyiv officials claim
06:37 , Vishwam Sankaran
Information on Ukraine’s war efforts against invading Russian forces, which were revealed from the leak of secret US Pentagon documents, were already known and not surprising, according to top officials in Kyiv.
The problems faced by the country were already known, BBC quoted a senior Ukrainian official as saying. The official added that the leaks would not affect relations between the US and Ukraine.
One of the leaked documents suggested the Ukrainian army continued to face challenges in massing troops, equipment, and ammunition.
It suggested Ukraine may fall short of its goals to launch a counter-offensive against Russia.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council head Oleksiy Danilov said the leaks did not affect the military’s plans, adding that “everything will be decided at the last moment”.
Belarus 'already preparing' sites to host Russian nuclear weapons
Friday 14 April 2023 15:11 , Andy Gregory
Belarus is “already preparing” sites to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons, Minsk’s defence minister has said – in addition to the smaller strategic nuclear weapons Vladimir Putin already plans to station there.
Viktor Khrenin said on Friday that “it could be the next step” if the West continues what he described as its hostile course, adding: “We will respond to force only with force. Otherwise, they don’t get it in the West.
“We are already preparing the sites that we have.”
The threatening remarks came as Russia’s defence ministry claimed that Belarusian pilots had completed their training for using tactical nuclear weapons.
The ministry released a video in which a Belarusian pilot said that the training course in Russia had given the crews of the Belarusian air force's Su-25 ground attack jets the necessary skills for using the weapons.
Russian-installed official says Ukrainian shelling kills four civilians north of Donetsk
09:16 , Martha Mchardy
Four people were killed and 10 wounded by Ukrainian shelling of a residential area in a Russian-controlled town in eastern Ukraine, the top Russian-installed official in the region said.
The official, Denis Pushilin, said a seven-year-old girl was among those wounded in the town of Yasynuvata, just north of Donetsk.
The shelling and the casualties have not been independently verified.
Yasynuvata is about 80 km (50 miles) south of Sloviansk, where Russian missiles hit residential buildings on Friday and killed at least nine people, including a two-year-old child.
Finland’s embassy in Moscow ‘receives letter of unknown powder’
08:12 , Tara Cobham
Finland's embassy in Moscow received a letter containing an unknown powder and has reported the matter to the Russian authorities, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.
This comes after Finland became Nato’s newest member earlier this month, posing a “real dilemma” for Russian President Vladimir Putin, according western officials. Finland, which has an 830-mile border with Russia, will be able to make a “significant” contribution to its armament, officials said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, diplomatic tensions continue to rise elsewhere as the Norwegian PST security police said on Friday that fifteen Russian diplomats expelled by Norway this week had sought to recruit sources, intercept communications and buy advanced technology.
China opposes U.S. Russia-related sanctions on its firms
07:34 , Tara Cobham
China "resolutely opposes" the sanctions the United States placed on some Chinese firms over their alleged involvement with Russia, state media reported the country’s commerce ministry said on Saturday.
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on over 120 targets, including a China-based firm, to squeeze Russia for its war in Ukraine.
The ministry said Washington should immediately correct what it called wrongdoing and stop unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies, media reported.
As Western supplies are squeezed by sanctions, Ukrainian forces are finding more components from China in Russian weapons used in Ukraine, according to a senior adviser in President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office.
This comes as China’s Defence Minister Li Shangfu will visit Russia from 16-19 April, and meet Russian military officials, the Chinese defence ministry said. U.S. officials have expressed concern China might supply arms to Russia, something Beijing has denied.
Russia fines Wikipedia for Ukraine war article
06:10 , Vishwam Sankaran
A Moscow court has fined the Wikimedia Foundation which owns Wikipedia two million rubles (about $25,000) for refusing to remove an article on the war in Ukraine.
Court documents say Wikipedia refused to remove details about the hostilities “within the framework of the special military operation” in Ukraine, Russia’s state-owned news agency TASS reported.
Over recent months, Wikipedia has had “a steady stream of takedown orders that target well-sourced content on Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects”, CNN reported, citing a senior legal manager at the foundation.
Harsh penalties for people who evade Russia's new military call-up
05:50 , Vishwam Sankaran
Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed into law yesterday a bill that allows for setting up electronic draft call-up procedures. The law is expected to make military mobilisation more streamlined in Russia.
And those failing to comply may face restrictions such as being prohibited from leaving the country, Kyiv Independent noted.
People who are non-compliant with the draft call-ups may also reportedly be restricted from performing societal functions like buying real estate or taking out a loan.
Russia using more Chinese electronic components in weapons, Ukraine claims
05:36 , Vishwam Sankaran
Ukraine has alleged that it is finding more Chinese components in Russian weapons.
A growing number of components in Russian weapons recovered from the battlefield in Ukraine are reportedly originating from China, Reuters reported, citing a senior adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky.
The trend marks a shift away from Russia’s use of Western-made electronics to Chinese ones, the official said.
Two-year-old among civilians killed in Russian missile strikes
05:19 , Vishwam Sankaran
A two-year-old girl was among the civilians killed in missile strikes in eastern Ukraine yesterday, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office.
At least eight people were killed, and 21 injured as a Russian missile hit a five-story building in Donetsk Oblast.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack saying “the invaders brutally bombed the city”.
Ukraine PM says Kyiv, Washington remain united despite document leaks
04:02 , Vishwam Sankaran
In an address in the US yesterday, Ukraine’s prime minister Denys Shmyhal said Kyiv and Washington remain united, but declined to say if the mass leak of classified documents was discussed in meetings with US officials.
Mr Shmyhal said he welcomed the “continuous, ironclad and unprecedented support” of the US.
The prime minister’s statement comes as classified documents were leaked in the US which shared the plans for both Ukraine and Russia as the invasion moves forward.
He shared his plans for Ukraine’s future to focus on its reconstruction and restoration to its pre-war state.
Poland plans to 'gradually' supply fighter jets to Ukraine
03:47 , Vishwam Sankaran
Polish president Andrzej Duda said yesterday in a press conference that the country would transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine “gradually”.
Poland’s prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the country, which has so far given eight MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine, can send only a limited number of fighter jets.
It plans to send six more in the coming weeks.
Ukraine’s Spokesperson for the Air Force Command Yurii Ihnat has repeatedly said it needs fighter jets to defend against Russian aircraft dropping high-explosive bombs.
Russian oil exports back above pre-Ukraine war levels as India and China buy 90% of Moscow’s crude
03:30 , Sam Rkaina
Russian crude oil exports are back above levels seen before Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, despite the ratcheting up of Western sanctions, new data shows.
India and China now account for 90 per cent of Russia’s seaborne crude oil exports, according to figures shared with The Independent by commodities tracking firm Kpler.
The Asian giants are each buying an average of 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd), absorbing the shortfall in exports to European nations that previously accounted for two-thirds of Russian crude.
Despite Western sanctions designed to stop funds reaching Vladimir Putin’s war chest following his Ukraine invasion, Russia’s crude oil exports have actually risen from 3.35 million bpd in 2022 to 3.5 million in the first quarter of 2023, Kpler said. After India and China, the two largest buyers of Russian crude are now Turkey and Bulgaria.
Click here for the full story.
Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal discusses country’s future in Washington DC
02:30 , Sam Rkaina
Ukraine’s prime minister Denys Shmyhal made an address in Washington DC today (14 April), ahead of the country’s risky decision to launch a counteroffensive in the ongoing war with Russia.
The timing also closely aligns with a classified documents leak, sharing the plans for both Ukraine and Russia as the invasion moves forward.
Yesterday (13 April), Shmyhal welcomed the “continuous, ironclad and unprecedented support” of the United States, insisting that Ukraine had accounted for every dollar it had received in help.
The prime minister now plans to focus on Ukraine’s reconstruction, and restoring it to its pre-war state.
Energy, humanitarian demining, housing, critical and social infrastructure, and private sector development were all seated firmly at the top of his list of priorities.
Sunak and Zelensky discuss accelerating military support to Ukraine
01:30 , Sam Rkaina
Rishi Sunak and Volodymyr Zelensky discussed ramping up military support to Ukraine in a phone call on Friday, Downing Street said.
The Prime Minister told the Ukrainian president that Britain and its allies “needed to continue to ensure Ukraine was in the strongest possible position to build on its recent battlefield successes”.
The two leaders discussed the latest developments in Russia’s invasion, with Mr Sunak paying tribute to the efforts of Ukrainian troops in the highly-contested town of Bakhmut.
Click here for the full story.
How was a 21-year-old gamer able to leak a mountain of major Pentagon secrets?
Saturday 15 April 2023 00:30 , Sam Rkaina
Handcuffed and with his legs in shackles, Jack Douglas Teixeira glanced nervously around a crowded Boston courtroom on Friday morning.
The 21-year-old Massachusetts National Guard airman whispered “yes” when informed of his rights as a criminal defendant, according to CNN, showing no hint of the swagger of his online persona OG.
As the hearing concluded, a man in the public gallery shouted: “Love you, Jack.” Without looking back, Mr Teixeira replied: “You too, Dad”.
Federal prosecutors allege that the low-level IT worker, while caught up in the braggadocio culture of online gaming, shared hundreds of classified documents on a Discord chat server in the biggest leak of US intelligence data in a decade.
Despite his low-level rank as a “cyber systems journeyman” with the National Guard, he has held top secret security clearance since 2021, according to charging documents unsealed on Friday.
Click here for the full story.
Ukraine secures promises of $5 billion in additional funding
Friday 14 April 2023 23:30 , Sam Rkaina
Ukraine secured promises of $5 billion in additional funding to support its ongoing fight against Russia amid “fruitful meetings” in Washington this week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
Shmyhal met with representatives of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank as well as top U.S. officials, on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank.
He said Ukraine received new pledges of additional support from Switzerland, Denmark and a number of other countries during the meetings, as well as an agreement from U.S. aircraft maker Boeing to relieve Ukrainian companies of $200 million in previous commitments. Kyiv expected to receive more support during an upcoming conference in London, he added.
Ukraine ‘buying time’ for counteroffensive
Friday 14 April 2023 22:22 , Sam Rkaina
Ukrainian officials have said they’re buying time by depleting Russian forces in the battle while Kyiv prepares a counteroffensive.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy argues that if Russia wins the Bakhmut battle, Russian President Vladimir Putin might be able to begin building international support for a deal that would require Ukraine to make unacceptable compromises to end the war.
The Ukrainian president’s office said Friday that fighting over the previous 24 hours in Bakhmut destroyed two kindergartens and residential buildings. The city already resembles a ghost town.
The British military observed that regular Russian troops have increasingly joined the battle.
“Wagner assault groups continue to conduct the main advance through the center of town, while Russian airborne forces have relieved some Wagner units securing the northern and southern flanks of the operation,” the British military said on Twitter.
It noted, however, that though the Ukrainian defenders have “significant resupply issues” their withdrawals from Bakhmut positions have been made in an orderly fashion.
Fighting continued elsewhere in the Donetsk region that includes Bakhmut. Five people were killed when Russian missiles struck the city of Sloviansk on Friday, said regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.
Earlier, the presidential office said at least three civilians were killed and nine wounded from Thursday to Friday.
Battle for Bakhmut ‘heating up again'
Friday 14 April 2023 21:25 , Sam Rkaina
The battle for Bakhmut is heating up again, analysts and Russian officials said on Friday, as Ukrainian defenders of the devastated city resisted a coordinated three-pronged attack by the Kremlin’s forces and efforts to stop supplies from reaching them.
“Russia has re-energized its assault” on Bakhmut, the U.K. Ministry of Defence said of recent developments in the eastern Ukraine city, which for eight and a half months has been the stage for the war ‘s longest and bloodiest fight.
“The Ukrainian defense still holds the western districts of the town but has been subjected to particularly intense Russian artillery fire over the previous 48 hours,” the ministry’s assessment said.
Until recently, private Russian military contractor the Wagner Group spearheaded the campaign to take Bakhmut, making slow, grinding progress at the cost of thousands of lives on both sides. Now, regular Russian units have joined the thrust.
Military analysts have said that seizing Bakhmut would have public relations and tactical military value for Moscow though it would be unlikely to prove decisive in the war’s outcome. The Russian Defense Ministry also noted the stepped-up fighting in western parts of the city Friday.
“Wagner assault detachments are engaged in high-intensity combat operations to capture areas of western Bakhmut with airborne forces supporting on the flanks,” the ministry said in a statement.
It added: “The units of the airborne forces operating on the flanks are providing support to the assault squads and stop the enemy’s attempts to deliver ammunition to the city and bring in reserves.”
Bakhmut lies in Donetsk province, one of four provinces Russia illegally annexed last fall. Moscow controls about half of the province. Bakhmut is a stepping stone to seizing the remaining half.
Putin signs new law for electronic draft call-up
Friday 14 April 2023 20:20 , Sam Rkaina
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill on setting up electronic draft call-up procedures aimed at making military mobilisation more efficient and closing loopholes.
A website outlining legislative procedures said Putin signed the law, endorsed this week by the State Duma lower house of parliament.
Russia says it mobilised just over 300,000 men last year to help bolster its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
UN chief raises concerns with Russia about Ukraine grain deal
Friday 14 April 2023 19:30 , Sam Rkaina
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has written to Russia, Ukraine and Turkey to raise concerns about the implementation of a deal that allows the safe wartime export of grain from several Ukrainian Black Sea ports, a U.N. spokesman said on Friday.
The move comes after the United Nations said no ships were inspected on Tuesday under the deal “as the parties needed more time to reach an agreement on operational priorities.”
Inspections resumed on Wednesday.
Five people and 17 wounded in Russian missile strike on Sloviansk
Friday 14 April 2023 18:42 , Sam Rkaina
A Russian missile has struck the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, killing at least five people and wounding 17, officials said.
Ukraine’s National Police, in a post on Telegram, put the death toll at five after S-300 missiles damaged 10 apartment buildings and other sites.
A senior official in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, Daria Zarivna, said a child pulled alive from the site of the attack had died on the way to a hospital.
Donetsk Region Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said seven people were believed to have been trapped under rubble.
“The evil state once again demonstrates its essence,” Zelenskiy wrote in a separate post accompanied by footage of a damaged building. “Just killing people in broad daylight. Ruining, destroying all life.”
The police said the two top floors of a five-storey building had collapsed after the strike and a fire had broken out opposite the site.
Rescue teams were combing through the affected area. Sloviansk is one of two eastern cities coveted by Russian forces, currently bogged down in nearby Bakhmut, as they push ahead with their invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's Pacific Fleet put on high alert for snap drills
Friday 14 April 2023 17:30 , Eleanor Noyce
The entire Russian Pacific Fleet was put on high alert on Friday for snap drills that will involve practice missile launches in a massive show of force amid the tensions with the West over the fighting in Ukraine.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the goal of the war games was to test the capability of Russia’s armed forces to mount a response to aggression.
Along with the missile launches, the drills will also involve nuclear-capable strategic bombers and other warplanes besides ones from the Pacific Fleet’s air arm, Shoigu said.
The Russian military has concentrated the bulk of its forces on the front lines in Ukraine, but also continued conducting regular drills across Russia to train its forces and demonstrate their readiness.
Shoigu said the scenario for Friday’s manoeuvres envisages a response to an adversary’s attempt to make a landing on Sakhalin Island and the southern Kuril Islands.
Read more:
Russia's Pacific Fleet put on high alert for snap drills
Russian oil exports back above pre-Ukraine war levels as India and China buy 90% of Moscow’s crude
Friday 14 April 2023 17:10 , Eleanor Noyce
Russian crude oil exports are back above levels seen before Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, despite the ratcheting up of Western sanctions, new data shows.
India and China now account for 90 per cent of Russia’s seaborne crude oil exports, according to figures shared with The Independent by commodities tracking firm Kpler.
The Asian giants are each buying an average of 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd), absorbing the shortfall in exports to European nations which previously accounted for two-thirds of Russian crude.
Despite Western sanctions designed to stop funds reaching Vladimir Putin’s war chest following his Ukraine invasion, Russia’s crude oil exports have actually risen from 3.35 million bpd in 2022 to 3.5 million in the first quarter of 2023, Kpler said. After India and China, the two largest buyers of Russian crude are now Turkey and Bulgaria.
Read the full story here:
How India and China are helping Putin beat sanctions impact
What we know about the leaked Pentagon documents on Ukraine
Friday 14 April 2023 16:50 , Eleanor Noyce
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 publicized 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’ trust in sharing information with the US or impact Ukraine’s plans to intensify the fight against Russia this spring.
Overall, the leaked documents present a “very serious risk to national security,” a top Pentagon spokesman told reporters Monday.
This is a look at what the documents are, what is known about how they surfaced, and their potential impact:
What we know about the leaked Pentagon documents on Ukraine
King Charles praises ‘courageously indomitable Ukrainian people’ at Sandhurst Sovereign’s Parade
Friday 14 April 2023 16:30 , Eleanor Noyce
On Friday, King Charles attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for the 200th Sovereign’s Parade. Here, he saw the 171 cadets who have completed their training as army officers and will receive their commission at midnight.
He spoke of the war in Ukraine and praised the support given by the British Army as well as the “courageously indomitable Ukrainian people”.
He said: “As we have now passed the first anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine, it is worth saying that I have been particularly impressed and proud of the role the British Army, alongside wider defence, has played in supporting Ukraine.
“The UK has been a leading nation in delivering training expertise, equipment and advice alongside our allies and partners.”
Full report: Sunak and Zelensky discuss accelerating military support to Ukraine
Friday 14 April 2023 16:10 , Andy Gregory
Rishi Sunak and Volodymyr Zelensky discussed ramping up military support to Ukraine in a phone call on Friday, Downing Street said.
The Prime Minister told the Ukrainian president that Britain and its allies “needed to continue to ensure Ukraine was in the strongest possible position to build on its recent battlefield successes”.
You can read the full report here:
Sunak and Zelensky discuss accelerating military support to Ukraine
‘Pentagon Papers’ suspect remanded in custody ahead of hearing next week
Friday 14 April 2023 15:54 , Andy Gregory
The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman arrested in the leak of highly classified US military documents has been ordered to remain behind bars pending a hearing next week.
Jack Teixeira, 21, appeared in federal court on Boston on Friday, one day after his arrest by armed FBI agents.
A federal magistrate judge ordered that he should remain in jail at least a detention hearing set for next Wednesday.
Denmark to send artillery weapons
Friday 14 April 2023 14:51 , Jane Dalton
Ukraine will receive 19 French-made Caesar howitzer artillery systems within the coming weeks, the Danish defence ministry says.
Denmark’s government in January announced it would donate the weapons after Kyiv had asked Copenhagen to supply them.
Russians stock up on food and water at nuclear power plant
Friday 14 April 2023 14:48 , Jane Dalton
Russian forces have taken large amounts of provisions and water supplies to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which they captured in southeastern Ukraine after invading last year, Kyiv’s state atomic agency says.
Energoatom said the move might indicate Russia is preparing to barricade employees inside because of an acute shortage of qualified staff at Europe’s largest nuclear plant and Ukraine‘s much-expected counter-offensive.
“Given the intense shortage of nuclear specialists needed to operate the temporarily occupied Zaporizhia NPP, and fearing a Ukrainian offensive, the (Russians) are preparing for the long-term holding of ZNPP employees as hostages,” Energoatom said.
“The invaders have already brought a lot of provisions and water to the station,” it added in a statement. “The occupiers will probably not allow the station staff to leave after one of the regular work shifts, forcibly blocking them at the ZNPP.”
Energoatom has repeatedly accused Russian forces of abusing and intimidating their employees there, which Moscow denies.
Russian oil exports exceed pre-war levels as India and China buy crude
Friday 14 April 2023 14:17 , Jane Dalton
India and China are more than making up for Western sanctions on Russian oil by ramping up their imports of Moscow’s crude, The Independent can reveal.
The Asian giants are now each buying an average of 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd), absorbing the shortfall in exports to European nations which previously accounted for two-thirds of Russian crude:
Russia’s oil exports at pre-war levels as India and China take 90%
Belarus says its pilots have completed training with Russia
Friday 14 April 2023 13:29 , Andy Gregory
Belarusian pilots have finished training in Russia, where they were learning how to operate Su-25 fighter planes, according to Minsk’s defence ministry.
“The acquired knowledge and skills will serve to ensure the military security of the Union State,” the ministry said, referring to Belarus’s political union with Russia.
Russian court fines Wikipedia for article about Ukraine war
Friday 14 April 2023 13:18 , Andy Gregory
A Moscow court has once again fined Wikipedia for a Russian-language article it refused to remove about the invasion of Ukraine.
The court fined the Wikimedia Foundation 2 million rubles (£19,600) for not removing a Wikipedia article titled “Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia region”.
The state Tass news agency said the Wikimedia Foundation failed to heed the demands of Russia’s state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor to remove articles it claimed contained “false information.” A Wikipedia representative asked the court to reject the removal demand as vague, Tass reported.
Expelled Russian diplomats tried to recruit sources and intercept communications, says Norway
Friday 14 April 2023 13:05 , Andy Gregory
Fifteen Russian diplomats subject to the largest ever explusion by Norway this week had sought to recruit sources, intercept communications and buy advanced technology, Norwegian security police have alleged.
The diplomats’ real employers were the Russian GRU, FSB and SVR intelligence services, counterintelligence chief Inger Haugland claimed.
“This lowers the threat from Russian intelligence in Norway by permanently reducing the number of intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover,” Haugland said of the expulsions, to which Russia has vowed to respond.
Nato member Norway is now Europe’s top gas supplier following a drop in Russian flows, and has stepped up security since the invasion of Ukraine.
Sunak and Zelensky discuss military support, says No 10
Friday 14 April 2023 12:28 , Andy Gregory
Rishi Sunak and Volodymyr Zelensky have discussed ramping up military support to Ukraine in a phone call this morning, according to No 10.
“The leaders discussed the latest situation on the battlefield and the prime minister paid tribute to the efforts of the Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.
“Discussing the abhorrent beheading of a Ukrainian soldier shown on social media in recent days, the prime minister said the video was appalling and those responsible had to be held to account.
“The leaders also discussed efforts to accelerate military support to Ukraine, and the prime minister said the UK and its allies needed to continue to ensure Ukraine was in the strongest possible position to build on its recent battlefield successes.
“That included increasing interoperability with Nato both in the short and long term, the prime minister added. The leaders agreed to stay in close touch.”
Ukraine will ‘test and use’ any non-banned weapons to retake Crimea, says Kyiv security chief
Friday 14 April 2023 12:02 , Andy Gregory
Ukraine will “test and use” any non-banned weapons to liberate its territory, including annexed Crimea, the head of Kyiv’s National Security and Defence Council has said.
“Crimea is the territory of Ukraine, and we will test and use any weapons not prohibited by international laws, that will help liberate our territories,” said Oleksiy Danilov.
The 21-year-old National Guardsman suspected of leaking secret Pentagon documents
Friday 14 April 2023 11:41 , Andy Gregory
Armed FBI officers have arrested a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard over the alleged leak of classified military intelligence online.
My colleagues Joe Sommerlad and Graeme Massie detail what we know so far about the suspect:
What we know about suspect in leak of secret Pentagon documents
China says no weapons exports to parties in Ukraine conflict
Friday 14 April 2023 11:09 , Andy Gregory
China will not sell weapons to parties involved in the conflict in Ukraine and will regulate exports of items with dual civilian and military use, Beijing’s foreign minister has said.
The US and European allies have expressed concerns that China was considering providing military assistance to Russia, which Beijing has backed politically and rhetorically in the conflict while formally saying it remains neutral.
Qin Gang reiterated China’s willingness to help facilitate negotiations to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict and said all parties should remain “objective and calm.”
Russian and Chinese defence ministers to hold security talks this weekend
Friday 14 April 2023 10:44 , Andy Gregory
Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu will discuss global and regional security at planned talks between Sunday and Tuesday, Moscow’s defence ministryhas said.
Russia and China have declared a “no limits” partnership” and have moved to further strengthen their economic, political and military ties since Moscow invaded Ukraine.
Finland’s embassy in Moscow ‘receives letter containing powder’
Friday 14 April 2023 10:21 , Andy Gregory
Finland’s embassy in Moscow has contacted the Russian foreign ministry after it received three letters, one of which contained powder, the RIA news agency said on Friday.
Relations between Moscow and Helsinki have sharply deteriorated since Finland formally joined Nato 10 days ago – doubling the length of the military alliance’s border with Russia.
Russia puts Pacific naval fleet on high alert
Friday 14 April 2023 09:45 , Andy Gregory
Russia has put its Pacific naval fleet on high alert as part of a surprise inspection aimed at building its defensive capabilities, state media reported, citing Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
“The main objective of this inspection is to increase the ability of the Armed Forces to repel the aggression of a probable enemy from the direction of ocean and sea,” Shoigu said, according to the RIA news agency.
Ukraine bans athletes from competing alongside competitors from Russia or Belarus
Friday 14 April 2023 08:59 , Andy Gregory
Ukraine has banned its national sports team from competing in Olympic, non-Olympic and Paralympic events which include competitors from Russia and Belarus.
The sports ministry’s decree comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) angered Kyiv by paving the way for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But it was criticised by some Ukrainian athletes, including Olympian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, criticised the ban saying it would lead to the destruction of Ukrainian sports.
“If Ukrainian representatives are not present at competitions, then we completely vacate the international sports grounds and give the Russian/Belarusian representatives the opportunity to promote their narratives and propaganda,” he wrote on Twitter.
Russia ‘re-energises’ assault on Bakhmut as Ukraine makes ‘orderly withdrawals’, says UK
Friday 14 April 2023 08:43 , Andy Gregory
Russia has “re-energised” its assault on Bakhmut and has subjected Ukraine’s troops in the frontline Donetsk city to “particularly intense” artillery fire over the past 48 hours, according to Britain’s Ministry of Defence.
Amid “improved co-operation” between the Wagner mercenary group and Russian ministry of defence’s forces, the private army continues to conduct the main advance through the centre of Bakhmut, while Russian airborne forces have relieved some Wagner units securing the northern and southern flanks, the ministry said.
Ukrainian forces, who still hold the city’s western districts, “face significant resupply issues but have made orderly withdrawals from the positions they have been forced to concede”, it added.
Marjorie Taylor Greene defends alleged Pentagon leaker as ‘white, male, christian, and antiwar’
Friday 14 April 2023 08:18 , Andy Gregory
US politician Marjorie Taylor Greene has defended the Air National Guardsman arrested by the FBI for allegedly leaking national security documents, my colleague Graeme Massie reports.
The far-right Republican took to Twitter to show her support for Jack Teixeira who she lauded for being “white, male, christian and antiwar” – although she referred to him as “Jake Teixeira”.
Authorities raided the Massachusetts home of the 21-year-old who worked in cyber security for the Guard and took him into custody on Thursday.
Marjorie Taylor Greene defends alleged Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira
China willing to work with Germany on peace in Ukraine
Friday 14 April 2023 08:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta
China has said that it is willing to work with Germany towards an end to the war in Ukraine, and described the two countries as partners not adversaries.
The comments were made by Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang while addressing a joint press conference in Beijing on Friday with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.
On the issue of Ukraine, Mr Qin said China was willing to continue to work for peace and hoped that all parties involved in the crisis would remain “objective and calm” and work together.
After talks between the two minister concluded, Ms Baerbock said that China has been warned against using military force in Taiwan.
“Conflicts must be solved peacefully,” she said, adding Germany was monitoring the tensions in the Taiwan Strait with great concern.
“A unilateral, violent change of the status quo would be unacceptable for us Europeans.”
Cannot trust China if it does not seek peace, says EU
Friday 14 April 2023 07:45 , Sravasti Dasgupta
The European Union (EU) has said that China cannot be trusted if it does not try to seek peace in the ongoing Ukraine crisis.
The remarks by foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell were published on the EU’s website which were due to be delivered at a think tank in Beijing on Friday.
Mr Borrell said in his remarks that it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for Europe to trust China if it did not try to seek a political solution to the Ukraine crisis.
The foreign policy chief had to cancel his trip to China after contracting Covid.
Leaked documents suspect to appear in court
Friday 14 April 2023 07:25 , Sravasti Dasgupta
Jack Teixeira, a junior member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who was arrested on Thursday over the leak of classified US military intelligence, is set to appear in court today.
The 21-year-old suspect was arrested by armed FBI officers outside his home in North Dighton, Massachusetts yesterday.
The authorities raided his Massachusetts home as footage taken from a helicopter showed the suspect in handcuffs as he was marched to a car by heavily-armed federal agents.
The so-called “Pentagon Papers” include hundreds of pages of classified military intelligence that were shared with an online gaming group before becoming public in a string of disclosures last week.
Ukraine bans national sports teams from competing with Russia
Friday 14 April 2023 07:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta
Ukraine has banned its national sports teams from competing with athletes from Russia and Belarus.
The decision came through a decree issued by Ukraine’s ministry of youth and sports on Thursday.
It comes as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recommended the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international sporting events.
Pentagon to review intelligence access after major leak
Friday 14 April 2023 06:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta
The Pentagon will review its intelligence access procedures after classified military information was leaked online.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the Pentagon would conduct a review of its “intelligence access, accountability and control procedures” to prevent such a leak from happening again.
Mr Austin’s statement came after armed FBI officers arrested 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a relatively junior member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, on suspicion of leaking documents.
The 21-year-old National Guardsman suspected of leaking secret Pentagon documents
Friday 14 April 2023 06:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta
Armed FBI officers have arrested 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard over the alleged leak of classified military intelligence online.
Video showed the suspect in handcuffs as he was marched by heavily-armed federal agents from a home in North Dighton, Massachusetts, wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
Joe Sommerlad and Graeme Massie report on what we know about the suspect:
What we know about suspect in leak of secret Pentagon documents
Ukraine says UN Security Council has lost 'meaning'
Friday 14 April 2023 05:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta
As Russia continues to preside over the UN Security Council, Ukraine has said that the body has lost any “meaning”.
Ukraine’s national security and defence secretary Oleksii Danilov said in a Telegram post on Thursday that Russia’s presidency is “incompatible with any logic.”
“This institution (UN Security Council), currently chaired by Russia, with the norms and rules that were fixed after the Second World War, has already lost its meaning,” he said.
“It is no longer the influential institution whose decisions are binding for all countries. When an aggressor country, a terrorist country that killed and continues to kill children, is the chairman of the UN Security Council , then these things are generally incompatible with any logic, not to mention justice. Where is this justice then?”
Russia became the chair of the UN Security Council on 1 April and will hold the presidency for one month.
US thinks UN chief too accommodating to Russia, leaked files suggest
Friday 14 April 2023 04:41 , Sravasti Dasgupta
The US believes that UN secretary general Antonio Guterres is too willing to accommodate Russian interests, according to fresh revelations in leaked classified documents.
The documents suggest that the US has been closely monitoring the secretary general, reported BBC.
They also describe private communications involving Mr Guterres and his deputy as well as candid observations about the war in Ukraine and a number of African leaders.
“Guterres emphasised his efforts to improve Russia’s ability to export,” the document says of the Black Sea Grain deal brokered by the UN and Turkey that was brokered in July amid fears of a global food crisis.
“Even if that involves sanctioned Russian entities or individuals,” the document adds.
Mr Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the secretary general is not surprised that he was being spied on.
“The Secretary-General has been at this job, and in the public eye, for a long time,” he was quoted as saying.“He’s not surprised by the fact that people are spying on him and listening in on his private conversations. What is surprising is the malfeasance or incompetence that allows for such private conversations to be distorted and become public.”
US, EU, UK brief finance chiefs on sanctions evasion
Friday 14 April 2023 03:00 , Liam James
Senior officials from the United States, Europe and Britain met representatives of financial institutions to brief them on efforts by Russia to evade Western sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine, a senior US Treasury official told reporters.
The firms indicated they were working hard to prevent Russian efforts to evade sanctions and export controls, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Western countries are ratcheting up their efforts to crack down on sanctions evasion efforts, the official said, noting Moscow was in a critical period where it needed not only weapons and electronics, but also smaller components to make ammunition.
Friday 14 April 2023 02:00 , Liam James
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Thursday welcomed the “continuous, ironclad and unprecedented support” of the United States as his country fights Russia‘s invasion, and underscored Ukraine’s commitment to battling corruption.
Shmyhal, speaking alongside US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, said it was critically important for Ukraine to begin reconstruction this year, and said Kyiv had identified a priority funding gap of $14bn needed this year.
Ms Yellen, who paid a surprise visit to Kyiv in February, told Shmyhal she had seen “firsthand the bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian military and people,” recounting a visit to a school damaged by Russian attacks where community members were making trench candles to send to the front lines.
She said the United States had stood with Ukraine since the first day of the war, and would continue to back it “for as long as it takes.”
The United States had disbursed significant economic support since the start of the war and would provide more in coming months, on top of security and humanitarian aid, she said.
Jack Teixeira arrest: In pictures
Friday 14 April 2023 00:30 , Liam James
FBI agents descended on the small town of Dighton, Massachussetts this afternoon to arrest a suspect in the investigation into a massive leak of sensitive government documents.
Jack Teixeira, the suspect, was detained.
Pentagon leaks: Armed FBI agents arrest Air National Guardsmen over ‘deliberate criminal’ leaks
Thursday 13 April 2023 23:35 , Liam James
Graeme Massie brings full coverage of Jack Teixeira’s arrest:
Armed FBI officers arrested a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard over the alleged leak of classified military intelligence online.
Authorities raided the Massachusetts home of 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, who worked in cyber security for the Guard and took him into custody without incident on Thursday.
Armed FBI agents arrest Air National Guardsmen over ‘deliberate criminal’ leaks
All we know about the 21-year-old National Guardsman suspected of leaking secret Pentagon documents
Thursday 13 April 2023 22:23 , Sam Rkaina
A Facebook post last July from the 102nd Intelligence Wing, which is based at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, congratulated someone by the name of Jack Teixeira for promotion to airman first class, reported The Washington Post.
The US intelligence community has been racing to track down the person who leaked scores of highly-classified documents online about the Ukraine war, and much else, a week after their existence was first revealed.
The so-called “Pentagon Papers”, widely shared and leaving many in Washington ashen-faced with embarrassment, have yet to be officially authenticated but appear to contain details on deeply sensitive matters pertaining to national security and foreign affairs.
The slides of photographed files that were made public include detailed battlefield maps from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the alarming suggestion that the US believes Kyiv will soon run out of missiles for its air defence systems, in addition to awkward revelations about America’s attitude towards many of its allies around the world, including the UK, South Korea, Egypt, Israel and the UAE.
Precisely how many documents were leaked is not known, with estimates varying from 50 into the hundreds.
Click here for all we know so far.
Leaked Pentagon documents include rumour Putin is undergoing chemotherapy
Thursday 13 April 2023 21:20 , Liam James
Recently leaked documents from the Pentagon include a rumour that Russian President Vladimir Putin is undergoing chemotherapy (Ariana Baio writes).
The papers, labelled as “Top Secret”, also indicate that Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Russian National Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev “devised” a plan to “sabotage” Mr Putin while he undergoes medical treatment.
The papers do not specify what alleged medical condition Mr Putin has that requires chemotherapy but there have been longstanding rumours that the Russian president has cancer.
The source’s name is redacted in the report and claims they received their information from an unidentified Russian source who has access to Kremlin officials.
Click here for the full story:
Leaked Pentagon documents include rumour Putin is undergoing chemotherapy
Full story so far: Armed FBI agents arrest Air National Guardsmen over ‘deliberate criminal’ leaks
Thursday 13 April 2023 20:22 , Sam Rkaina
Armed FBI officers have arrested a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard over the alleged leak of classified military intelligence online.
Authorities raided the Massachusetts home of 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a member of the Guard’s intelligence wing, on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.
Hundreds of pages of classified military intelligence have been shared with an online gaming group before becoming public in a string of disclosures last week.
Click here for the full story so far.
Attorney General confirms suspect’s identity
Thursday 13 April 2023 20:01 , Sam Rkaina
The US attorney general has confirmed that Jack Texeria has been arrested in connection with the Pentagon documents leak.
Footage from the scene shows the 21 year-old being taken away by armed FBI agents.
The Massachusetts Guardsman is to be charged with unauthorized removal of classified national defence information.
FBI at scene of national guardsman’s home
Thursday 13 April 2023 19:49 , Sam Rkaina
FBI agents converged at the Massachusetts home of a member of that state’s Air National Guard, who has emerged as a main person of interest in the disclosure of highly classified military documents on the Ukraine war.
Investigators believe that the guardsman, who specializes in intelligence, led the chat group where the documents were posted, according to the two people, who were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.
They identified the guardsman as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira.
Law enforcement officials roped off the street near the home. The New York Times, which first identified Teixeira on Thursday, said that a man who had been standing outside the Teixeira home earlier said that “he needs to get an attorney if things are flowing the way they are going right now. The Feds will be around soon, I’m sure.”
The emergence of Teixeira as the apparent primary suspect is bound to raise questions about how the highest-profile intelligence leak in years, one that continues to unfold with almost daily revelations of highly classified documents, could have been caused by such a young, low-ranking service member.
The Biden administration has scrambled for days to contain the fallout from the leaked information, which has publicized potential vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and exposed private assessments by allies on an array of intelligence matters.
The National Guard did not confirm his identity but said in a statement that, “We are aware of the investigation into the alleged role a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman may have played in the recent leak of highly-classified documents.”
Pentagon leak “a deliberate criminal act” as suspect arrested
Thursday 13 April 2023 19:35 , Sam Rkaina
The FBI confirmed it has “made an arrest and is continuing to conduct authorized law enforcement activity at a residence in North Dighton, Massachusetts,” amid a media report a suspect in the leak of classified has been identified.
The leak of classified information was a “deliberate, criminal act,” the Pentagon said at a press briefing tonight.
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder referred questions about the investigation to the Department of Justice.
Ryder added the Pentagon had taken steps to review distribution lists and ensure that people receiving information had a need to know.
Ukraine, Romania, Moldova sign Black Sea treaty
Thursday 13 April 2023 19:15 , Liam James
Romania, Ukraine and Moldova signed cooperation agreements in Romania’s capital today after a trilateral meeting on ways to strengthen security in their Black Sea region to counter threats posed by Russian aggression.
The Black Sea Security Conference in Bucharest brought together the three neighbouring countries’ foreign and defence ministers, government officials and international partners.
The aim was to address the wide-ranging impact that Moscow’s war in Ukraine is having on the region.
Nato member Romania’s foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu called Russia “the most direct and serious threat” to the Black Sea region and the Western alliance, and said war-torn Ukraine and embattled Moldova are “essential to our future European security”.
Main suspect in Pentagon intelligence leak identified
Thursday 13 April 2023 18:55 , Sam Rkaina
A member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard has been identified by investigators as the main suspect in the leak of classified military intelligence online, according to reports.
Authorities are focussing on 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a member of the Guard’s intelligence wing, senior law enforcement sources told The New York Times and Washington Post.
Hundreds of pages of classified military intelligence have been shared with an online gaming group before becoming public in a string of disclosures last week.
No arrests or charges have been made in the case and investigators continue to collect evidence and are preparing for a prosecution, according to CNN.
Earlier, Joe Biden told reporters in Dublin, Ireland, that the US government was closing in on the leaker.
Click here for the full story.
Pentagon leaks reveal it’s increasingly hard to keep a secret
Thursday 13 April 2023 18:45 , Liam James
The scale of the leak was enormous – thousands of secret documents, some of the most sensitive and important held by United States intelligence, downloaded and put into the public domain in a huge blow to Western security (Kim Sengupta writes).
Classified information was downloaded from the computers of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) by a civilian private contractor who had been vetted and provided with one of the highest forms of security clearance.
That was Edward Snowden, whose devastating disclosures were made almost exactly 10 years ago.
Now there is another huge security leak, from the Pentagon, almost certainly carried out by another civilian contractor.
Click here for the full story:
Pentagon leaks reveal it’s increasingly hard to keep a secret
Russia may consider prisoner swap with US for jailed journalist, says minister
Thursday 13 April 2023 18:15 , Liam James
Russia may be willing to discuss a potential prisoner swap involving jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich with the US after a court delivers its verdict, a top Russian diplomat said today.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency Tass that talks about a possible exchange could take place through a dedicated channel that Russian and US security agencies established for such purposes.
“We have a working channel that was used in the past to achieve concrete agreements, and these agreements were fulfilled,” Mr Ryabkov said, adding that there was no need for the involvement of any third country.
However, he emphasised that Moscow would only negotiate a possible prisoner exchange after a court delivers its verdict in the espionage case against Mr Gershkovich, 31.
The journalist’s detention was widely expected to be used for leverage in prisoner swap discussions with the US.
Russian opposition leader may be ailed with ‘slow poison’
Thursday 13 April 2023 17:45 , Liam James
Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition politician, is grappling with severe stomach pain in jail that could be some sort of slow acting poison, his spokeswoman said on Thursday.
An ambulance was called for Navalny overnight on Friday to Saturday to the maximum security IK-6 penal colony at Melekhovo, about 115 miles east of Moscow, where he is being held. Kira Yarmysh, his spokeswoman, told Reuters.
Mr Navalny was suffering from severe stomach pain, she said, and could not eat the prison food provided to him because it was making his pain worse and since Monday has has been banned from buying alternative food.
Germany approves Polish planes for Ukraine
Thursday 13 April 2023 17:15 , Liam James
Germany has approved Poland’s request to export five old MiG-29 fighter jets to bolster Ukraine’s air power against the Russian invasion, the German defence ministry said just now.
Poland’s defence ministry did not immediately comment.
Get ready ‘for real combat’ President Xi tells Chinese forces
Thursday 13 April 2023 16:45 , Liam James
China’s President Xi Jinping has urged his military to strengthen its readiness for “real combat” following the country’s recent display of force around Taiwan (Maryam Zakir-Hussain writes).
Inspecting his country’s Southern Theatre Command navy he stressed the need to deepen military training and preparation, state media reported.
During his visit, Xi said it was necessary to speed up the transformation and construction of the armed forces and comprehensively raise their level of modernization, CCTV news reported.
Get ready ‘for real combat’ President Xi tells Chinese forces
Nato membership the ‘only option’ for Ukraine, says Kyiv
Thursday 13 April 2023 16:15 , Liam James
Ukraine‘s membership in the Nato military alliance is the only option for the country’s future security, defence minister Oleksi Reznikov said today.
“We need a system of guarantees that would make aggression from Russia impossible,” he told a Black Sea security conference in Bucharest. “There is no alternative to Ukraine‘s accession to Nato.”
Nato says it has an “open-door” policy and expects to admit Ukraine in the future.
Last month Jens Stoltenberg, Nato secretary general, said: “Nato allies have agreed that Ukraine will become a member of our alliance, but at the same time that is a long-term perspective.
“What is at issue now is that Ukraine can prevail as a sovereign independent nation.”
Pentagon leak linked to young gun enthusiast who worked at military base
Thursday 13 April 2023 15:45 , Liam James
The high-profile Pentagon leak which has exposed hundreds of classified documents, including intel about Russia’s war with Ukraine, has been linked to a gun enthusiast in his early 20s.
The man, who is referred to by the initials OG, is understood to have worked on a military base and shared the cryptic information on an online chat group Discord for fellow gamers and weapon fanatics.
The group was most often known as Thug Shaker Central – a nod to the unsubtle racism in the platform.
The invitation-only chat group made up of roughly two dozen people, mostly men and boys, formed in 2020. It is believed that around half of the members were from countries outside of the US.
Pentagon leak linked to young gun enthusiast who worked at military base
Two killed in Kherson strikes – governor
Thursday 13 April 2023 15:20 , Liam James
Russian artillery and aerial attacks killed two civilians and wounded two more in Ukraine’s southern region of Kherson today, the local governor said.
“The army of the Russian Federation hit Zmiivka in Kherson region with guided aerial bombs, they hit a school and ... one person was killed and another was wounded,” Oleksandr Prokudin, the governor, said in a television broadcast.
Another man was killed in the shelling of a park inside the city of Kherson early in the morning and another person was wounded in a village elsewhere in the region, he said.
Ukrainian troops recaptured Kherson last November after nearly eight months of occupation by Russian forces who seized it soon after the start of the invasion.
Biden breaks silence on leaked Pentagon documents
Thursday 13 April 2023 14:41 , Liam James
President Joe Biden said while he was concerned that sensitive government documents had been leaked, “there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence” (Darlene Superville writes).
It was the first time Mr Biden has commented publicly about the release of Pentagon documents that were posted on several social media sites. They appear to detail US and Nato aid to Ukraine and US intelligence assessments regarding US allies that could strain ties with those nations. The Justice Department has opened an investigation.
Mr Biden noted there was a “full-blown” investigation going on with the intelligence community and the Justice Department. “We’re getting close,” he said on answers. “But I don’t have an answer.”
Biden breaks silence on leaked Pentagon documents
Poland asks for approval to send fighter jets to Ukraine
Thursday 13 April 2023 14:14 , Liam James
Poland has requested the German government’s approval to export old German MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, a spokesperson for the defence ministry in Berlin said on Thursday.
Germany will take a decision as soon as Thursday, the DPA news agency quoted the defence minister Boris Pistorius as saying.
The defence ministry in Warsaw did not immediately comment.
Poland’s request comes after documents purportedly leaked from the Pentagon said Russia could achieve air superiority in Ukraine as early as next month due to dwindling Ukrainian anti-aircraft supplies.
Slovakia last month said it had sent four MiG jets to Ukraine, following Poland’s announcement that it intended to send planes.
MSF charity met Russian diplomats to plead for aid access
Thursday 13 April 2023 13:46 , Liam James
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) held talks last month with Russian diplomats in Geneva on providing aid to areas of Ukraine under Russian military control but has yet to be granted access, the medical charity said today.
International aid organisations have been unable to reach large swathes of Ukraine controlled by Russian forces despite calls for Moscow to grant safe passage for aid to be delivered to civilians.
“Our discussion ... concerned the areas of Ukraine under Russian military occupation, where we are aware of substantial medical humanitarian needs, including the lack of doctors, nurses and essential medicines,” MSF said in a statement.
“However, our teams have not yet been granted access to these areas. We continue to discuss this, and other points related to impartial medical humanitarian care in Ukraine.”
The Russian diplomatic outpost confirmed that talks had taken place but would not disclose the issues that were raised.
Norway expels 15 Russian 'intelligence officers' from embassy
Thursday 13 April 2023 12:39 , Matt Mathers
Norway is expelling 15 Russian embassy officials that the foreign ministry said on Thursday were intelligence officers operating under the cover of diplomatic positions, a move which Moscow said it would respond to.
The expulsions amount to a quarter of Russian diplomats currently accredited in Oslo, the Norwegian government said.
It is the latest instance of a Western nation expelling Russian diplomats since the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. So far this year, Estonia, the Netherlands and Austria have also expelled Russian diplomats.
Norway also expelled three Russians in April 2022.
"Their activities pose a threat to Norway," Norwegian foreign minister Anniken Huitfeldt told a news conference.
"We have followed their activities over time. They have increased since the invasion of Ukraine."
The officers concerned must leave Norway shortly, she added.
The Russian foreign ministry said Moscow would respond to the expulsions, state-owned news agency TASS reported, without elaborating.
Kremlin names Ukrainian suspect over killing of war blogger
Thursday 13 April 2023 12:11 , Matt Mathers
Russia’s top security agency on Thursday accused a Ukrainian man of involvement in a bombing that killed a well-known Russian military blogger at a St Petersburg cafe.
Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, an ardent supporter of the war in Ukraine who filed regular reports on the fighting from the front lines, was killed on April 2 as he led a discussion at a riverside cafe in the historic heart of St Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city.
More than 50 people were injured.
A St Petersburg resident, Darya Trepova, 26, who was seen on video moments before the blast presenting Tatarsky with a statuette that contained explosives, was quickly arrested.
According to Russian media reports, she told investigators she was asked to deliver the statuette but did not know what was inside it.
Russian authorities described the bombing as an act of terrorism and blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for orchestrating it.
Ukrainian authorities have not directly responded to the accusation, but an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the bombing as part of Russia’s internal turmoil.
On Thursday, the Federal Security Service, known under its Russian acronym FSB, said a Ukrainian citizen whom it identified as Yuriy Denysov, had gathered information about the blogger and provided Ms Trepova with explosives delivered via courier service.
Kyiv calls for NATO to secure Black Sea and integrate Ukrainian defences
Thursday 13 April 2023 11:32 , Matt Mathers
NATO should play a bigger role in security in the Black Sea, and integrate Ukrainian air and missile defences with those of its allies, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmitro Kuleba said on Thursday.
"The Black Sea is instrumental for making the whole of Europe peaceful and future-oriented," Mr Kuleba, speaking via video link, told a Black Sea security conference in the Romanian capital Bucharest.
"Sadly, it is also a showcase of how rapidly things can deteriorate if one neglects threats. It’s time to turn Black Sea into what the Baltic Sea has become, a sea of NATO."
The Black Sea and its Ukrainian coast have been crucial theatres of war since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
Both Moscow and Kyiv rely on the sea for exports including supplying world grain markets.
‘Russian mine’ explodes near reactor at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant
Thursday 13 April 2023 10:59 , Matt Mathers
A Russian mine has exploded near the reactor room of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Ukraine has said.
Energatom, which runs the country’s power plants, said on Thursday morning that a device detonated at the Zaporizhzhia plant in the southeast.
We’ll have more details on this development as they come in.
Alleged leaks about UK special forces in Ukraine could ‘endanger lives’
Thursday 13 April 2023 10:46 , PA
The chair of the Commons defence select committee has warned allegedly leaked documents about UK special forces in Ukraine could “endanger lives”, Rob Freeman reports.
The Ministry of Defence warned against taking allegations contained in the reported leak of US classified information, which have been published online, at “face value”.
But the committee chair Tobias Ellwood told The Times: “Given our long-established lead in scale and capability when it comes to elite forces, it will come as no surprise that our special forces are doing much of the heavy lifting.
“But this deliberate, large-scale disclosure of sensitive material could easily endanger lives and should prompt an urgent review about who has access to sensitive information and how it is shared.”
Alleged leaks about UK special forces in Ukraine could ‘endanger lives’
