Ukraine news – latest: Zelensky vows to ‘find murderers’ after soldier ‘shot by Russians’

A senior Chinese official has blamed an “invisible hand” for stoking the war between Ukraine and Russia – but fell short of offering any names.

The “invisible hand” is “using the Ukraine crisis to serve certain geopolitical agendas”, Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang said, as he reiterated Beijing’s call for dialogue.

Asked about comments this morning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the hand belonged to the United States.

China has fiercely defended its stance on Ukraine, even as the West has criticised Beijing’s decision to not call Russia the aggressor after Vladimir Putin invaded Kyiv last year.

Beijing has also vehemently denied accusations from Washington that it has been considering providing lethal weapons to Russia.

But China must advance its relations with Russia as the world becomes more turbulent, Mr Qin said.

It comes as Russian mercenary group Wagner’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has said he is “knocking on all doors” for replenishing arms and ammunition for his forces leading the battle in the besieged country amid signs of deepening feud with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Key points

• China accuses ‘invisible hand’ of stoking Ukraine war

• Wagner chief says knocking on all doors for ammunition

• Ukraine’s defence holding out in ‘utter hell’ of Bakhmut, says commander

• Russia ‘deploying 60-year-old battle tanks' to compensate battlefield losses

• Russian army says it hit Azov Regiment command centre in Ukraine

Ukraine vows to find killers of unarmed prisoner of war

12:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine has opened a criminal investigation to find the killers of an unarmed prisoner of war, after footage of the shooting emerged online.

President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to “find the murderers” after a video showing an apparently unarmed man being gunned down by unseen shooters was circulated on social media.

The 12-second video seen by The Independent shows the unidentified man in uniform with a Ukrainian flag insignia on his arm standing and smoking a cigarette in a wooded area.

Kate Plummer has more:

Ukraine vows to find killers of unarmed prisoner of war

China accuses ‘invisible hand’ of stoking Ukraine war

06:14 , Arpan Rai

Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang has said an “invisible hand” is pushing for the escalation of war in Ukraine after Russia invaded the country last year, but the official did not take names.

The “invisible hand” is “using the Ukraine crisis to serve certain geopolitical agendas”, Mr Qin said, as he reiterated China’s call for dialogue.

China has fiercely defended its stance on Ukraine, even as west has criticised Beijing’s decision to not call Russia the aggressor after the Soviet nation invaded Kyiv last year.

Beijing has also vehemently denied accusations from Washington that it has been considering providing lethal weapons to Russia.

But China must advance its relations with Russia as the world becomes more turbulent, Mr Qin said.

Russia says 90 prisoners of war returned from Ukraine

15:15 , Emily Atkinson

The Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday that 90 Russian prisoners of war have been returned from Ukraine after talks, RIA news agency reported.

Thousands of people in Ukraine have complex war-related injuries - WHO

14:45 , Emily Atkinson

Thousands of people in Ukraine have sustained complex injuries linked to the war and need rehabilitation services and equipment to help them, a senior World Health Organisation (WHO) official has said.

Attacks on healthcare facilities, fewer healthcare workers due to displacement and power shortages were all making it difficult for people to get care, Dr. Satish Mishra from the WHO’s regional office for Europe, told a media briefing.

Even before the war, in 2019, about half the population in Ukraine could have benefited from rehabilitation services for non-communicable conditions such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes, Dr Cathal Morgan, another WHO official said.

Since then, the Covid-19 pandemic and the war have significantly increased the need for rehab services, he added. “Hence the need for urgency.”

In pictures: Russian T-90 battle tank fire in Donetsk

14:20 , Emily Atkinson

Lithuania calls for permanent presence of German troops

13:50 , Emily Atkinson

Lithuania’s defence minister Arvydas Anusauskas said on Tuesday he wants a permanent presence of a German military brigade on Lithuanian soil in order to help ensure the Baltic country’s security.

Ukrainian tennis star refuses handshake after beating Russian opponent

13:20 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk refused to shake the hand of her Russian opponent, Varvara Gracheva, after securing her first WTA title in Texas.

Kostyuk secured her first senior tournament win at the ATX Open with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Gracheva.

The 20-year-old has been a vocal critic of Russian and Belarusian players being allowed to continue to play on the WTA Tour, and spoken previously of her disapproval of players who refuse to condemn the invasion of her country by Moscow.

Harry Latham-Coyle reports:

Ukraine tennis player refuses to shake Russian opponent’s hand after win

Decision on permanent troop deployment to Lithuania ‘up to Nato’, Germany says

12:50 , Emily Atkinson

A decision on a permanent deployment of a German brigade to Lithuania will be “up to Nato”, German defence minister Boris Pistorius has said.

“This not down to who wants what - or who wants to provide what - but rather up to Nato,” Pistorius told reporters as he visited drills of hundreds of German troops at Pabrade training ground in Lithuania.

Since 2017, Germany has led an international battalion with some 1,500 troops in Lithuania as part of a Nato effort to deter Russia from attacking the Baltic region, seen as one of the weakest spots in the alliance’s eastern flank.

Berlin also has a brigade of some 3,000 to 5,000 troops on standby in Germany with the ability to deploy to Lithuania within 10 days if needed.

But the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been calling for bigger and permanent Nato deployments to defend their territories since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Poland says it will send 10 more Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine this week

12:25 , Emily Atkinson

A further 10 Leopard 2 tanks from Poland will be sent to Ukraine this week, the Polish defence minister said on Tuesday.

“Four (tanks) are already in Ukraine, another 10 will go to Ukraine this week,” Mariusz Blaszczak told a news conference. Poland had promised to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks in total.

Belarus won’t be ‘dragged into conflict’, says Lukashenko

11:32 , Emily Atkinson

Alexander Lukashenko, who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and allowed Putin to use Belarus as a launchpad to invade Ukraine last February, repeated his position that Belarus would not be “dragged into” the conflict.

“If you think that by throwing down this challenge, you will drag us into a war tomorrow, which is already raging across over Europe today, you are mistaken,” Belta quoted Lukashenko as saying in comments directed at Kyiv and Washington.

He has previously said Belarus would only enter the war directly if its territory came under attack from Ukraine.

Capture of Bakhmut will allow further offensives in Ukraine, Russia warns

10:46 , Emily Atkinson

Russia’s seizure of Bakhmut would allow Vladimir Putin’s forces to mount further offensive operations, Moscow has warned.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said that despite the ramping of Western arms deliveries to Kyiv, Russia’s advance on the embattled eastern city would not change course.

Moscow’s forces have been waging an intense campaign for months to seize control of the small city in what would become their first significant territorial advance since last summer.

“The liberation of Artemovsk continues,” Shoigu told broadcasters, using the old Soviet-era name for Bakhmut.

“The city is an important hub for defending Ukrainian troops in the Donbas. Taking it under control will allow further offensive actions to be conducted deep into Ukraine‘s defensive lines,” Shoigu said.

Belarus detains 'terrorist' behind attempted sabotage at air field base

10:37 , Emily Atkinson

Belarus has detained what it said was a “terrorist” working with Ukrainian and U.S. intelligence services over attempted sabotage at a Belarusian air field, the Belta news agency reported, citing president Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarusian anti-government activists said last month they had blown up a sophisticated Russian military surveillance aircraft in a drone attack at an airfield near the Belarusian capital Minsk, a claim disputed by Moscow and Minsk.

“The Security Service of Ukraine, the leadership of the CIA, behind closed doors, are carrying out an operation against the Republic of Belarus. A terrorist was trained,” Belta quoted Lukashenko as saying.

Lukashenko said the aircraft had suffered only superficial damage in the attack, which was carried out using a “small drone”, it reported.

The suspect detained over the attack against the Beriev A-50 surveillance plane is a dual Russian-Ukrainian national, Belta also cited Lukashenko as saying.

‘Invisible hand’ stoking Ukraine conflict belongs to US, says Kremlin

09:53 , Emily Atkinson

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that the United States was driving the Ukraine conflict and welcomed China’s growing diplomacy.

Asked about comments by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang that an “invisible hand” was driving the conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the hand belonged to the United States.

China warns US to stop suppression or risk ‘conflict’

09:38 , Emily Atkinson

The United States should change its “distorted” attitude towards China or “conflict and confrontation” will follow, China’s foreign minister said on Tuesday, while defending its stance on the war in Ukraine and defending its close ties with Russia.

The US had been engaging in suppression and containment of China rather than engaging in fair, rule-based competition, foreign minister Qin Gang told a news conference on the sidelines of an annual parliament meeting in Beijing.

“The United States’ perception and views of China are seriously distorted,” said Qin, a trusted aide to president Xi Jinping and until recently China’s ambassador in Washington.

“It regards China as its primary rival and the most consequential geopolitical challenge. This is like the first button in the shirt being put wrong.”

Nationwide air raid alert declared

08:45 , Emily Atkinson

An air alert has been issued across Ukraine, a map shows.

Live updates on Ukraine’s air alerts can be seen here:

Ukrainian troops told ‘not to withdraw’ from Bakhmut

08:20 , Emily Atkinson

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed Bakhmut with top commanders on Monday night, who instructed Ukraine “not to withdraw” and instead to strengthen the city’s defences.

“The command unanimously supported this position. There were no other positions. I told the commander-in-chief to find the appropriate forces to help our guys in Bakhmut,” Zelensky said in his nightly address.

It comes after the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force, which has led the Bakhmut assault, said on Monday he needed the regular army to supply him with more ammunition if he was to win the battle.

Latest pictures from frontline in Bakhmut

07:55 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian servicemen fire a 2S5 Giatsint-S self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops outside the frontline town of Bakhmut.

Ukraine investigates alleged Russian shooting of prisoner of war

07:30 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine launched a criminal investigation into what it said was Russia’s “brutal and brazen shooting of an unarmed person” depicted in a video spread on social media, the country’s top prosecutor said on Monday.

The 12-second video, which rapidly amassed shares on Twitter, shows an apparently unarmed man in a uniform with a Ukrainian flag insignia on his arm standing and smoking a cigarette in a wooded area.

The man says “Slava Ukraini!” - or Glory to Ukraine - before multiple shots are heard coming from an unseen shooter or shooters. The man slumps to the ground as bullets appear to hit his body. A voice is heard saying “Die, bitch” in Russian.

The “Glory to Ukraine“ phrase and the response “Heroyam Slava”, or “Glory to the Heroes”, has been a hallmark of post-Soviet Ukraine, but it has taken on special significance as a common greeting in public life since the start of the war. It has also served to rally international support for Ukraine.

Andriy Kostin, Ukraine‘s prosecutor general, said on Telegram that Ukraine‘s security service had registered the shooting as a criminal case under a part of the country’s criminal code that covers violations of war laws and customs.

“Even the war has its own laws,” he said, adding that prosecutors from his office would lead the case. “There are rules of international law systematically ignored by the Russian criminal regime. But sooner or later, there will be punishment.”

ICYMI: Putin’s troops ‘left to fight with shovels’ as Russia suffers ammunition shortage

06:58 , Andy Gregory

Russian troops are likely using shovels for "hand-to-hand" combat in Ukraine because of an ammunition shortage, UK intelligence has said.

In an update on the war, the UK’s Ministry of Defence claimed Vladimir Putin’s troops were ordered to attack a Ukrainian position armed just with “firearms and shovels” late last month.

My colleague Lucy Skoulding has more details here:

Putin’s troops ‘left to fight with shovels’ as Russia suffers ammunition shortage

Ukraine probing shooting of unarmed man it says was prisoner of war

06:46 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s top prosecutor confirmed a criminal investigation into what he called the “brutal and brazen shooting of an unarmed person” seen in a video shared on social media, as the official accused Russia of ignoring the laws of war.

Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said the man was a Ukrainian prisoner of war and that the incident was part of a “deliberate policy of terror” by Russia.

“The murder of a captive is the latest Russian war crime,” Mr Yermak said, and added that “for every such war crime there will be retribution.”

In the 12-second video widely shared on Twitter, an apparently unarmed man in uniform with a Ukrainian flag insignia on his arm standing smoking in a wooded area.

The man says, “Glory to Ukraine.” Multiple shots are heard coming from an unseen shooter or shooters, and the man slumps to the ground as bullets appear to hit his body. A voice is heard saying “Die, b***h,” in Russian.

Reuters was not immediately able to verify the authenticity, date or location of the video, which is of poor quality.

Moscow has not responded to reports about the video.

Muddy conditions likely hampering Ukraine’s resupply in Bakhmut – MoD

06:32 , Arpan Rai

British intelligence has said that the Ukrainian defence of Bakhmut continues to degrade forces on both sides with the conditions of spring hampering the battle for mining city in eastern sector.

“Over the weekend, Ukrainian forces likely stabilised their defensive perimeter following previous Russian advances into the north of the town,” the British defence ministry said.

It added: “A Russian strike destroyed a bridge over the only paved supply road into Bakhmut still under Ukrainian control around 2 March. Muddy conditions are likely hampering Ukrainian resupply efforts as they increasingly resort to using unpaved tracks.”

Additionally, the ministry said that the public disagreements between the Wagner group and Russian ministry of defence over the allocation of munitions spilling out in open “highlight the difficulty in sustaining the high levels of personnel and ammunition required to advance with their current tactics”.

Watch: Putin’s gymnast ‘lover’ says Russian president is ‘ideal man’ in resurfaced clip

06:01 , Andy Gregory

Ukrainian generals tell Zelensky not to withdraw from Bakhmut

05:45 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he has been told by his commanders to not withdraw from Bakhmut and that no part of Ukraine can be abandoned.

“Today at the staff meeting, I directly asked both Khortytsia commander, general Syrskyi, and commander-in-chief Zaluzhny about their view of the further defense operation in the Bakhmut sector,” he said in his nightly address, with options of “either withdrawal or continuation of defence and reinforcement of the city.”

“Both generals replied: do not withdraw and reinforce. And this opinion was unanimously backed by the staff,” he said, adding that there were “no other opinions”.

“I told the commander-in-chief to find the appropriate forces to help the guys in Bakhmut,” he said.

“There is no part of Ukraine about which one can say that it can be abandoned. There is no Ukrainian trench in which the resilience and heroism of our warriors would be disregarded,” Mr Zelensky said.

UK ammunition reserves fall to ‘dangerously low’ levels due to supply to Ukraine, say MPs

05:18 , Arpan Rai

Rebuilding Britain’s dwindling stockpile of munitions after the war in Ukraine could take at least a decade putting UK national security at risk, MPs have warned.

The Commons Defence Committee said the UK and other Nato allies have allowed their reserves of ammunition to fall to “dangerously low levels” as they seek to keep Kyiv supplied in its struggle against the Russian invader.

It said the way in which Western governments procure armaments is “not fit for purpose” and it urged the Ministry of Defence to draw up an action plan to cut the time needed to restore its stockpiles.

Read the full story here:

UK ammunition stockpile ‘dangerously low’ due to supply to Ukraine, say MPs

How shadowy Wagner Group mercenaries support Russian soldiers in Ukraine conflict

04:59 , Andy Gregory

Our international correspondent Borzou Daragahi reports:

The planes started moving in late December 2021 and early January 2022. Onboard the secretive military aircraft from Libya were hundreds of hardened mercenaries of the Wagner Group, the shadowy umbrella of private military contractor firms linked to Vladimir Putin’s ally Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Their destination was the same place where the so-called “little green men” first came to international prominence in 2014: Ukraine.

Experts closely following the movements and actions of the Wagner complex for years say the military contractors – who include former and active-duty Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Serbian soldiers – have been on the ground in Ukraine for months, their presence confirmed in news reports and hinted at in cryptic social media posts by accounts associated with the mercenary group.

But many questions remain about their role in the Ukraine conflict.

“They are skilled at counterinsurgency, and Ukraine is the birthplace of the group,” said Ruslan Trad, a specialist on the Wagner Group who has traced its movements in the Middle East and Africa. “They are very good at tracking resistance. But I doubt they will participate in direct fighting,” he told The Independent.

That has not been borne out by subsequent events, with Wagner fighters frequently in the thick of it all along the frontline, most recently in the entrenched, months-long warfare around the old Donbas mining town of Bakhmut, seen as a crucial strategic target by Moscow.

How shadowy Wagner mercenaries support Russian soldiers in Ukraine conflict

Wagner chief says denied access to Russian military command

04:49 , Arpan Rai

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has accused the Kremlin of denying his representative access to the headquarters of Russia’s military command for Ukraine and said that he was still not getting enough munitions despite repeated public complaints.

“On 5 March, I wrote a letter to the commander of the SMO (special military operation) grouping about the urgent need to allocate ammunition. On 6 March, at 8 am my representative at the headquarters had his pass cancelled and was denied access,” he said via his press service on Telegram.

He added that his representative had been spurned by the army’s top brass a day after he urgently requested ammunition supplies.

The Russian defence ministry has not responded to the private militia leader.

Moscow’s warfare on Ukraine has been commanded personally by Russia’s top general, chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov.

Control of Bakhmut is of ‘symbolic’ rather than ‘strategic’ value, says US defence chief

03:52 , Andy Gregory

Control of Bakhmut is more of “symbolic” than “strategic” value, the US defence secretary has said.

Speaking to reporters in the Middle East on Monday, Lloyd Austin said he would not predict when or if Ukrainian troops might leave Bakhmut, but that should it fall that “won’t necessarily mean that the Russians have changed the tide of this fight”.

“I think it is more of a symbolic value than it is strategic and operational value,” Mr Austin said.

Wagner chief says knocking on all doors for ammunition

03:28 , Arpan Rai

Russia’s Wagner mercenary force chief Yevgeny Prigozhin reiterated his desperate plea to regular army, seeking to supply his forces with more ammunition and reinforcements along with covering support if his private army has to win the war against Ukraine.

“I’m knocking on all doors and sounding the alarm about ammunition and reinforcements, as well as the need to cover our flanks,” he said in a statement yesterday released by his press service.

“If everyone is coordinated, without ambition, screw-ups and tantrums, and carries out this work, then we will block the armed forces of Ukraine. If not, then everyone will be s*****d,” the Wagner chief warned.

Wagner group, comprising strongly of prison convicts released from Russia’s prisons to fight the grinding war in Ukraine, is leading the Bakhmut assault but has faced hiccups this week.

The appeal from him comes amid signs of a deepening rift between him and the Russian defence ministry whom he has bitterly criticised for months and accused of deliberately starving his men of ammunition, an allegation it has rejected.

Bakhmut defence ‘yielding great results’, says Zelensky

02:41 , Andy Gregory

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Bakhmut is “yielding one of the greatest results” of Russia’s war.

Speaking in his nightly address, the president said: “Bakhmut has yielded and is yielding one of the greatest results during this war, during the entire battle for Donbas And I thank every soldier who is fighting in this most difficult area. Who is fighting for all parts of our country, in all directions.

“We are defending and will continue to defend every part of Ukraine. When the time comes, we will liberate every city and village of our country. And we will hold the occupier accountable for every shot against Ukraine, for every meanness against Ukrainians.

“If we can do it legally, then we will do it legally. If we can do it with weapons, then we will do it with weapons.

“Due to our unity, due to our determination, due to the fact that we value the whole of Ukraine and every Ukrainian, we know exactly the outcome of this war. We have known it since the first days of the war.”

Watch: 'Scared' kitten rescued from shelled building by Ukrainian crew

01:34 , Andy Gregory

Zelensky pledges to ‘find the murderers’ of ‘prisoner of war’ in viral clip

00:38 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned an unverified video on social medai he claims showed Russian occupiers brutally killing an unarmed Ukrainian soldier.

In his nightly address, the president referred to viral footage which appeared to show the individual hailing Ukraine before being shot by a Russian-speaker, saying: “I want us all in unity to respond to his words, ‘Glory to the hero. Glory to the heroes. Glory to Ukraine.’ And we will find the murderers.”

The head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said the man was a Ukrainian prisoner of war and that the incident was part of a “deliberate policy of terror” by Russia.

“The murder of a captive is the latest Russian war crime,” Mr Yermak tweeted. “For every such war crime there will be retribution.”

Top Ukrainian prosecutor announces probe into ‘brazen shooting of an unarmed person'

Monday 6 March 2023 23:33 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s top prosecutor has announced the launch of a criminal investigation into what he called the “brutal and brazen shooting of an unarmed person”.

An unverified clip widely shared on social media shows an apparently unarmed man in uniform with a Ukrainian flag insignia on his arm standing smoking in a wooded area. The man says, “Glory to Ukraine”. Multiple shots are heard coming from an unseen shooter or shooters, and the man slumps to the ground as bullets appear to hit his body. A voice is heard saying, “Die, b****,” in Russian.

Russia’s Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a query about the video, while Ukrainian authorities did not say where or when the shooting occurred.

Andriy Kostin, Ukraine’s prosecutor general, said on his Telegram channel that Ukraine’s security service had registered the shooting as a criminal case under a part of the country’s criminal code that covers violations of the laws and customs of war.

“Even the war has its own laws,” he said, adding that prosecutors from his office would lead the case. “There are rules of international law systematically ignored by the Russian criminal regime. But sooner or later, there will be punishment.”

Ukraine’s forces say they are holding out in ‘utter hell’ of fight for Bakhmut

Monday 6 March 2023 22:47 , Chris Stevenson

Ukrainian has said its forces are holding out in the brutal fight for the eastern city of Bakhmut – as the head of the mercenary Wagner group complained that Russia's frontlines around the area could collapse without more ammunition from Moscow.

Russia is trying to encircle Bakhmut to secure what would be its first major gain in its invasion for more six months, at the culmination of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war during the winter months. Moscow sees the capture of the city in Donetsk as a stepping stone towards control of the wider Donbas – Ukraine's industrial heartland which encompasses the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The months of intense fighting, for Bakhmut particularly but also in other areas, has depleted both sides' artillery reserves, with thousands of shells fired daily. Volodymyr Nazarenko, a Ukrainian commander in Bakhmut, said there had been no order to retreat from the city and "the defence is holding", albeit in grim conditions.

You can read our full report here:

Ukraine says it is holding out in ‘utter hell’ of fight for eastern city of Bakhmut

Zelensky says his advisers have unanimously agreed ‘not to retreat’ in Bakhmut

Monday 6 March 2023 21:56 , Andy Gregory

Volodymr Zelensky said his advisers have unanimously agreed to press on with the fight in Bakhmut, “not to retreat” and to bolster Ukrainian defences.

The Ukrainian president’s top adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said no decision has been made to retreat because of “a consensus among the military about the need to continue defending the city” and grinding down enemy forces “while building new lines of defence”.

By pressing the defence, Ukraine has exhausted Russia’s main combat-ready groups and trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian military personnel for a possible counteroffensive, Mr Podolyak said.

Kyiv officials broaden cluster bomb plea to US, Democrats say

Monday 6 March 2023 20:52 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine has broadened a plea for controversial cluster bombs from the United States to include a weapon it wants to cannibalise to drop the munitions using drones, two US politicians have told Reuters.

Officials from Kyiv asked US politicians to press the White House to approve sending the MK-20, an air-delivered cluster bomb, at last month’s Munich Security Conference, said Jason Crow and Adam Smith, Democrats who both sit on the House of Representatives’ armed services committee.

Cluster munitions are banned by more than 120 countries and their indiscriminate nature is viewed as a threat to civilians, and it is by no means certain that the Biden administration will approve such a request, Reuters reported.

A spokesperson for Washington’s National Security Council told the outlet that, while Ukraine and the White House “closely coordinate” on military aid, she had no “new capabilities to announce.”

Britain’s defence secretary ‘pretty confident’ about receiving Budget boost

Monday 6 March 2023 20:22 , Andy Gregory

UK defence secretary Ben Wallace has said he is “pretty confident” his department will be given the investment boost it requires in next week’s Budget to carry out army upgrades, reports Patrick Daly.

The Cabinet minister has lobbied chancellor Jeremy Hunt in public for extra cash for the Ministry of Defence to help deal with inflationary pressures and the costs of backing Ukraine in its battle against Russia’s invading forces.

Mr Wallace reportedly wanted up to £11bn extra over the next two years but, according to The Times, Mr Hunt has agreed a rise of closer to £4-5bn as part of his Budget package.

Defence Secretary ‘pretty confident’ about receiving Budget boost

Russian journalist handed corrective labour sentence over criticism of Russian army

Monday 6 March 2023 19:58 , Andy Gregory

A Russian journalist has been handed an eight-month corrective labour sentence after criticising Moscow’s army, his former employer said.

Siberia.Realities, a local project of US broadcaster Radio Free Europe, which Russian authorities have designated a “foreign agent”, said a court in the Siberian region of Kemerovo had convicted him for allegedly knowingly distributing false information about the Russian army.

The report said Andrei Novashov – who denies wrongdoing – had also been barred from posting any material online for a year on top of the corrective labour punishment. His lawyer will appeal the verdict, according to the report.

Novashov was reported to have been found guilty of discrediting the army for four posts on social media, plus a repost of an article which accused Russian forces of shelling civilian infrastructure in their campaign to capture the Ukrainian city of Mariupol last year.

His lawyer is reported to have said that the prosecution did not provide evidence that the information was deliberately false.

“Discrediting” Russia’s army can currently be punished by up to five years in prison, while spreading deliberately false information about it can attract a 15-year jail sentence.

Russia calls for African leaders to press for abolition of sanctions as it pledges fertiliser

Monday 6 March 2023 19:13 , Andy Gregory

Russia has donated 20,000 tonnes of fertiliser to Malawi, as part of its efforts to garner diplomatic support from various African nations.

Russia will give 260,000 tonnes of fertiliser to countries in the continent, the Russian ambassador to Malawi, Nikolai Krasilnikov said at a handover ceremony in the capital city of Lilongwe on Monday.

Mr Krasilnikov said he hopes African leaders will press for the abolition of international sanctions against Russia when they attend the second Russia-Africa summit to be held in St Petersburg at the end of July.

Malawi voted to censure Russia at the United Nations last year for its invasion of Ukraine. More than 15 other African countries abstained from the vote.

Malawi’s minister of agriculture Sam Kawale said the fertiliser will reach 400,000 farming households and boost their agricultural production. A representative of the United Nations' World Food Programme also attended the event in Lilongwe.

Drone footage shows Ukrainian city ‘completely destroyed’ by Russian army

Monday 6 March 2023 18:04 , Andy Gregory

Shocking images show the extent of damage to a Ukrainian city invaded by Russia’s army, my colleague Kate Plummer reports.

Aerial footage taken by drones for the Associated Press reveal how the city of Marinka, in Donetsk, which once housed 10,000 people, has been left in ruin, with remains of buildings now surrounded by debris after sustained attacks.

Marinka, which sits by a significant road and rail link southwest of Donetsk leading into western Ukraine, was first hit when Russian troops and Donbas separatists first seized the city. Then, four months later, it was retaken by Ukrainian forces.

But since the war started anew in February 2022, all the buildings and trees in the city have been destroyed leaving it uninhabitable.

Drone footage shows how Ukrainian city has been ‘completely destroyed’ by Russia

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk refuses to shake Russian opponent's hand as she wins first WTA title

Monday 6 March 2023 17:36 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk refused to shake the hand of her Russian opponent, Varvara Gracheva, after securing her first WTA title in Texas, reports Harry Latham-Coyle.

Kostyuk secured her first senior tournament win at the ATX Open with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Gracheva.

The 20-year-old has been a vocal critic of Russian and Belarusian players being allowed to continue to play on the WTA Tour, and spoken previously of her disapproval of players who refuse to condemn the invasion of her country by Moscow.

After securing victory in Austin, Kostyuk shook the hand of the umpire but not her beaten opponent, twice walking past a beaten Gracheva for a handshake as the Russian headed directly to her chair.

The eighth seed dedicated her victory to “all the people who are fighting and dying” in the conflict.

Ukraine tennis player refuses to shake Russian opponent’s hand after win

Ukrainian defence in Bakhmut ‘is holding’ – in conditions described as ‘utter hell’

Monday 6 March 2023 17:06 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine has said its troops are still holding out in a “hellish” fight for Bakhmut, as president Volodymyr Zelensky’s office said his chief of the general staff and commander of ground forces had both spoken to him “in favour of continuing the defensive operation” in the frontline city.

Volodymyr Nazarenko, a Ukrainian commander in Bakhmut, said there had been no order to retreat and “the defence is holding”, albeit in conditions of “utter hell”.

Russia expresses ‘serious concern’ over fatal tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh

Monday 6 March 2023 16:45 , Reuters

Russia has expressed “serious concern” over rising tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, where it said five people had been killed in a shoot-out between ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijani troops on Sunday.

Russia’s defence ministry said the Azerbaijani troops had opened fire on a car carrying local law enforcement officials in the region, killing three and injuring another. In return fire, the pro-Armenian officials killed two Azerbaijani troops, Moscow said.

The deadly clash comes three months into the latest standoff between Baku and Yerevan over the region, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but populated mostly by ethnic Armenians. The two countries have fought two bloody wars and staged dozens of border clashes for control of the region over the last 35 years.

Russia forced to use 60-year-old tanks because of heavy losses, says UK

Monday 6 March 2023 15:30 , Emily Atkinson

Russia has been forced to turn to 60-year-old tanks because it is suffering heavy losses in its war against Ukraine, the UK has said.

An official intelligence update from the Ministry of Defence said the country’s military had taken 800 T-62 main battle tanks (MBTs), first introduced in 1961, out of storage “to make up for previous losses” in the ongoing conflict.

Russia has also deployed an unspecified number of Russian BTR-50 armoured personnel carriers, first used in war in 1954, in Ukraine for the first time and the update said it may bring more of both these types of vehicles into service as the war continues.

Kate Plummer reports:

Russia forced to use 60-year-old tanks because of heavy losses, says UK

Russia brands Transparency International 'undesirable organisation'

Monday 6 March 2023 15:00 , Emily Atkinson

Russia’s Prosecutor General said on Monday that it was labelling German-based anti-corruption group Transparency International an “undesirable organisation”.

“It was found that the activities of this organisation clearly go beyond the declared goals and objectives,” it said.

The label “undesirable” has been applied to dozens of foreign groups in Russia since it started using the classification in 2015, and often serves as a precursor to the Justice Ministry banning an organisation outright.

British army equipment ‘desperately in need of replacement'

Monday 6 March 2023 14:30 , Emily Atkinson

Ben Wallace said the British Army’s equipment was “desperately in need of replacement” and that Russia’s attack on Ukraine meant some upgrades needed to happen faster than initially planned.

The Defence Secretary told Conservative Home’s defence and security conference: “What happened before Ukraine is we unlocked a huge investment from the then-chancellor and the prime minister, the £24 billion or £16 billion of extra that, in some case, dealt with the historical black holes, but also managed to start that modernisation.

“We were prepared to take some risks in the timeframes of bringing in new capability.

“Then, of course, (Russian president Vladimir) Putin invades Ukraine and that changes some of those middle-of-the-decade timetables that we were prepared to take a risk in.

“That is partly ... the negotiations I’m involved in are about how I can bring some equipment forward in order to mitigate those risks.”

Mr Wallace also called for the UK to move to a 10-year budget framework for defence to provide long-term stability when it comes to military investment.

Watch: Wagner chief says Bakhmut is ‘practically surrounded'

Monday 6 March 2023 14:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian girl, 14, dies after being found unconscious on Devon beach

Monday 6 March 2023 13:30 , Emily Atkinson

A teenage girl from Ukraine has died after being found unconscious on a beach in south Devon.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the girl, was found on Saturday at Dawlish Beach, following a search involving the police helicopter and coastguard.

Detective Inspector Becky Davies said: “We were called on the evening of Saturday 4 March with reports of a 14-year-old girl missing from the Dawlish area.

Kate Plummer reports:

Ukrainian girl, 14, dies after being found unconscious on Devon beach

Images of a destroyed school after a Russian missile strike in Kramatorsk, Donbas

Monday 6 March 2023 13:02 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian generals 'support continuing Bakhmut defence’

Monday 6 March 2023 12:31 , Emily Atkinson

Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the situation in besieged Bakhmut with senior commanders, and two top generals supported continuing to defend the eastern city against Russian forces, his office said.

Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine‘s ground forces, “spoke in favour of continuing the defensive operation and further strengthening (Ukrainian) positions in Bakhmut,” it said in a statement on its website.

Russian mercenary chief says army HQ has barred his representative

Monday 6 March 2023 12:00 , Emily Atkinson

The founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force Yevgeny Prigozhin claims his representative had been denied access to the headquarters of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after Prigozhin complained about a lack of ammunition.

Prigozhin had previously said that his troops fighting to seize the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut were being deprived of ammunition and that, if they were forced to retreat, the entire front would collapse.

Prigozhin said via his press service that he had written to the army’s top brass, saying his men urgently needed ammunition.

“On March 6, at 8 o’clock in the morning, my representative at the headquarters had his pass cancelled and was denied access to the group’s headquarters,” Prigozhin said.

“We are continuing to smash the Ukrainian army in Bakhmut,” he said.

Russia claims it thwarted Ukraine-backed murder plot against nationalist tycoon

Monday 6 March 2023 11:30 , Emily Atkinson

Russia’s FSB security service said on Monday it had thwarted a Ukraine-backed car bomb attack against a prominent nationalist businessman who has been a cheerleader for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The FSB, Russia’s main domestic intelligence agency, said it had intervened to stop the plot, which it said involved attaching a remote-controlled homemade bomb to the underside of a car used by Russian tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev.

In a statement, the FSB accused the Ukrainian security services of being behind the assassination attempt which it said had been organised on their behalf by Ukraine-based Russian far-right activist Denis Kapustin.

It said a criminal case had been launched against Kapustin for alleged terrorist offences and illicit trafficking in explosives.

The FSB said it had also thwarted an attempt by Kapustin to commit a sabotage attack on an oil and gas facility in Russia’s Volgograd region last year.

Malofeyev, the target of the alleged murder plot, is a supporter of President Vladimir Putin who owns a conservative TV channel that promotes nationalist views and strongly supports Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Malofeyev said on his Telegram channel that he was fine and that nobody had been hurt in the attempt on his life, which he said would not alter what he called his “patriotic position.”

“I have no personal hatred even for those people who want me dead,” he said.

“But as many of our saints have said, one must forgive one’s personal enemies and crush the enemies of the Fatherland. So we will fight against you until our victory. And nothing will stop us.”

Ukraine appoints new top anti-corruption investigator

Monday 6 March 2023 11:02 , Emily Atkinson

The Ukrainian government named a new head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) during a live-streamed cabinet meeting on Monday, part of efforts to show its determination to crack down on graft.

The new NABU chief was named as Semen Kryvonos, who had been serving as head of the State Inspection of Architecture and Urban Planning. The European Union has made fighting corruption a top priority for Ukraine as it seeks membership.

Watch: 'Scared' kitten rescued from shelled building by Ukrainian crew

Monday 6 March 2023 10:40 , Emily Atkinson

Fall of Bakhmut would not mean Russia has changed tide of war - Pentagon chief

Monday 6 March 2023 10:15 , Emily Atkinson

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has said that the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut was of more than symbolic importance than an operational one and it would not necessarily mean that Moscow had regained the momentum in its year-long war effort.

“I think it is more of a symbolic value than it is strategic and operational value,” Austin told reporters while visiting Jordan, adding that he would not predict if or when Bakhmut would be taken by Russian forces.

“The fall of Bakhmut won’t necessarily mean that the Russians have changed the tide of this fight,” Austin added.

Russian mercenary group chief says Putin’s position in Bakhmut at risk over ‘ammunition hunger’

Monday 6 March 2023 09:50 , Emily Atkinson

The Wagner mercenary group is facing an “ammunition hunger” in Bakhmut city, something that can lead to the collapse of the entire front Russia has captured from Ukraine, its chief said.

This is the first sign from the Wagner group of forces on Russia’s side running low on ammunition after heavy fighting in Bakhmut, which Moscow seeks to capture, and indicates that the soldiers are facing difficulties.

“If Wagner retreats from Bakhmut now, the whole front will collapse,” Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video seemingly taken in a bunker on Sunday.

Arpan Rai has the details:

Russia’s Wagner chief says ‘whole Ukraine front will collapse’ amid weapons shortage

Russia’s Tinkoff cancels dollar Eurobond interest payment after EU sanctions

Monday 6 March 2023 09:29 , Emily Atkinson

Russian online bank Tinkoff has cancelled interest payments due later this month on a dollar-denominated Eurobond, days after being targeted with Western sanctions, the lender’s Eurobond issuer said.

Tinkoff, owned by TCS Group Holding, was included in the EU’s tenth package of sanctions against Russia outlined last week following Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. It has already been forced to suspend some trading in euros and had its app removed from the App Store.

The Eurobond issuer, TCS Finance D.A.S, which is also part of the TCS group, said it was notified on March 3 that Tinkoff had cancelled the payment of interest, due on March 15, accrued on a $300 million perpetual bond.

The issuer said interest on March 15 would be automatically cancelled as a result.

It added that noteholders would be deemed to “irrevocably waive their right to receive, and no longer have any rights against the issuer or any other party with respect to payment of the March 2023 interest”.