Ukraine strikes airbase deep inside Russia

A Ukrainian drone targeted a military airfield in Russia’s Novgorod region, causing a fire and damaging one warplane, Russia’s Defence Ministry has said.

The ministry said nobody was hurt and the fire was quickly extinguished. The Novgorod region lies northwest of Moscow, hundreds of miles from Russia’s border with Ukraine.

”As a result of the terrorist attack on the territory of the airfield, a fire broke out in the parking lot of aircraft, which was quickly eliminated by firefighters. One aircraft was damaged,” the ministry said in a statement.

Drone strikes inside Russia have increased in recent months. One smashed into a building in central Moscow on Friday after Russian air defences shot it down, disrupting air traffic at all civilian airports of the Russian capital.

Earlier on Saturday, the Defence Ministry said Russia’s air defence forces had shot down a Ukrainian missile over the Crimean peninsula.

05:00 PM BST

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04:57 PM BST

Pictured: A view of a damaged restaurant after a missile strike on Chernihiv

04:52 PM BST

The robot stretcher drone saving lives on Ukraine’s battlefields

A crowd-funded remote-controlled mechanical stretcher invented by a toy designer is now evacuating injured Ukrainian soldiers from the front lines.

Ukraine’s ministry of defence said that the stretcher mounted on small tracks can carry up to 150kg over rough terrain, with its controller able to operate it safely from a distance of 100 metres.

It quoted a Ukrainian combat medic as saying that the mechanical stretcher made it far safer to evacuate injured soldiers under fire.

Read more from James Kilner here

04:35 PM BST

Mapped: Chernihiv missile strike

04:18 PM BST

Ukraine in pictures:

03:48 PM BST

UN condemns 'heinous' Russian attack on Chernihiv

The UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine condemned a Russian missile attack on Chernihiv’s city centre that killed at least seven and wounded over 100 as “heinous”, calling for Moscow to end strikes on “populated areas”.

“It is heinous to attack the main square of a large city, in the morning, while people are out walking, some going to church to celebrate a religious day for many Ukrainians,” Denise Brown, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said in an online statement.

She was referring to the Orthodox holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord which saw some in Chernihiv attending church services in the morning.

“I condemn this repeated pattern of Russian strikes on populated areas of Ukraine, causing deaths, massive destruction and soaring humanitarian needs.”

“Attacks directed against civilians or civilian objects are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law,” she added.

“It must stop.”

03:31 PM BST

The secret trade routes helping Putin dodge Western sanctions

Western sanctions on Russia are tougher than ever and the impact is clear to see in trade figures.

Germany’s exports to the country were down by 54pc in the first six months of this year compared to the same period in 2019, according to an analysis by the Institute for International Finance (IIF).

In the initial months of the war, Russian imports plunged as the West turned its back. In dollar terms, monthly imports in March 2022 were down by 30pc year-on-year.

Read more here.

02:51 PM BST

Zelensky asks Sweden for Gripen jets

Ukraine has begun discussing with Sweden the possibility of receiving Gripen jets to boost its air defences, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said after a meeting Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

President Zelensky’s visit is his first to Sweden since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 and the talks about obtaining Gripen jets, which he cast as preliminary, follow approval from the United States for Denmark and the Netherlands to send F-16 fighters to Ukraine.

“Today we discussed in detail the future steps regarding the possibility of opening the subject of receiving Swedish Gripens,” he said at a joint news briefing with Mr Kristersson, adding that the topic would be central to his meetings with other Swedish officials.

In June, the Swedish government said it would give Ukrainian pilots the opportunity to test its Saab-made Gripen fighter jet, but it has also said that it needs all its planes to defend Swedish territory.

Mr Kristersson made no mention of Gripens in his remarks, but condemned a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Saturday that killed seven people and wounded 90.

“It only reinforces the need for us to stand with your in all your struggles,” he said.

02:25 PM BST

110 wounded in Chernihiv attack

The number of wounded in Ukraine’s Chernihiv has left 110 wounded and seven dead, a local official said, after a Russian missile attack struck the centre of the northern city.

“As of 3:25 pm, 117 people were injured in the terrorist attack on the centre of Chernihiv, seven of them died,” Oleksandr Lomako, Chernihiv’s acting mayor, said on Telegram.

02:00 PM BST

Putin pays rare visit to top Russian Generals

President Vladimir Putin paid a rare visit to the commander of the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine and other top generals, the Kremlin said.

“Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the headquarters of the special military operation group in Rostov-on-Don,” the Kremlin said, referring to the town in southern Russian where the meeting took place.

“The head of state listened to briefings by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, commanders of directions and other senior officers of the group.”

Gen Gerasimov has been rarely seen in public since Wagner mercenaries marched on Moscow and demanded his removal.

01:18 PM BST

Russia claims it thwarted Ukraine drone attack on Moscow area

The Russian army claimed it had thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow and its region, hours after other drone raids on Moscow-annexed Crimea and a military airfield.

“An attempt was thwarted this afternoon by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack with an aircraft-type drone on objects on the territory of Moscow and the Moscow region,” the Russian army said.

It added that air defence had detected a drone, which crashed in a “deserted area near the village of Putilkovo,” causing no damage.

12:53 PM BST

Death toll rises to 7 in Russian missile strike on Chernihiv

Seven people including a 6-year-old child were killed and 90 wounded when a Russian missile struck a central square in the historic northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, the interior ministry said.

People had been on their way to church to celebrate a religious holiday when the strike took place, the ministry said, adding 12 of the wounded were children and 10 were police officers.

12:43 PM BST

Moscow says warplane damaged in Ukrainian drone attack on airfield

A Ukrainian drone targeted a military airfield in Russia’s Novgorod region, causing a fire and damaging one warplane, Russia’s Defence Ministry said.

The ministry said nobody was hurt and the fire was quickly extinguished. The Novgorod region lies northwest of Moscow, hundreds of miles from Russia’s border with Ukraine.

“As a result of the terrorist attack on the territory of the airfield, a fire broke out in the parking lot of aircraft, which was quickly eliminated by fire fighters. One aircraft was damaged,” the ministry said in a statement.

Drone air strikes deep inside Russia have increased in recent months. One smashed into a building in central Moscow on Friday after Russian air defences shot it down, disrupting air traffic at all civilian airports of the Russian capital.

11:54 AM BST

Zelensky starting talks with Swedish PM

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Sweden today to meet with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the royal family and other officials.

It is his first visit to the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.

11:17 AM BST

Russian missile strike on Ukraine city of Chernihiv kills people, Zelensky says

People were killed and wounded when a Russian missile struck a central square in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“A Russian missile hit right in the center of the city, in our Chernihiv. A square, the polytechnic university, a theatre,” he posted on Telegram.

“An ordinary Saturday, which Russia turned into a day of pain and loss. There are dead, there are wounded,” Zelenskiy added. He did not specify the number of casualties.

A short video accompanying Zelenskiy’s post showed debris scattered across a square in front of what appeared to be the regional drama theatre, where parked cars were heavily damaged. One body could also be briefly seen in the video slouched inside a car.

10:55 AM BST

Pictured: A local resident reacts after Russian strike near his home in Kramatorsk

10:39 AM BST

Latest MoD update: Across the front both sides confront a similar challenge

10:11 AM BST

China helping to arm Russia with helicopters, drones and metals

China is helping to arm Russia with helicopters, drones, optical sights and crucial metals used by the defence industry, a Telegraph investigation has found.

Russian firms – including sanctioned companies – involved in the production of missile launchers, armoured vehicles, and strategic bombers, have received tens of thousands of shipments from China since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began through the first quarter of this year.

It comes as China, which insists it remains neutral, is attempting to position itself as a key peace-broker in talks aimed at ending the conflict.

Read more from Sophia Yan here

09:54 AM BST

Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier is seen in a tank at his fighting position

09:39 AM BST

Zelensky visits Sweden

09:37 AM BST

Russia launches overnight drone attack on Ukraine

Russia launched 17 drones overnight attempting to strike Ukraine’s northern, central and western regions, Ukraine’s Air Force has said.

The Air Force said that 15 of the Russia-launched Iranian-made Shahed drones were shot down.

It was not immediately clear what happened to the two drones that were not downed.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. It was not immediately known what objects and areas Russia targeted in its strikes.

09:23 AM BST

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