Ukraine-Russia war – live: Over 3,000 evacuated in Russian city after undetonated bomb found

Thousands have been evacuated from their homes in the Russian city of Belgorod after an undetonated bomb was found.

Over 3,000 people were evacuated on Saturday two days after Russia accidentally dropped a bomb on the same city, which is located about 25 miles from the border with Ukraine.

It is not known if the bomb came from the same aircraft. However, the undetonated device was found in the same area as the bomb that was accidentally dropped on Thursday evening.

Local governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov said that 17 apartment buildings had to be cordoned off “within a radius of 200 metres” of the undetonated bomb.

At least two people were injured after the bomb was dropped on Thursday evening, which left a crater of about 20 metres wide.

Buildings were destroyed and a car was blown on to the roof of a nearby shop.

The Russian defence ministry admitted that one of its fighter jets had “accidentally discharged aircraft ordnance” over the city.

Key Points

• Vladimir Putin ‘struggling to maintain narrative’ justifying war in Ukraine

• Wagner chief expresses concern over Ukrainian counterattack

• Three injured in Russian misfire on own city

• Fighting in Ukraine slowed by severe mud, says UK

• Over 3,000 evacuated in Russian city after undetonated bomb found

Over 3,000 evacuated in Russian city after undetonated bomb found

Saturday 22 April 2023 18:50 , Martha Mchardy

Thousands have been evacuated from their homes in the Russian city of Belgorod after an undetonated bomb was found.

Over 3,000 people were evacuated on Saturday two days after Russia accidentally dropped a bomb on the same city, which is located about 25 miles from the border with Ukraine.

It is not known if the bomb came from the same aircraft. However, the undetonated device was found in the same area as the bomb that was accidentally dropped on Thursday evening.

Local governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov said that 17 apartment buildings had to be cordoned off “within a radius of 200 metres” of the undetonated bomb.

At least two people were injured after the bomb was dropped on Thursday evening, which left a crater of about 20 metres wide.

Buildings were destroyed and a car was blown on to the roof of a nearby shop.

The Russian defence ministry admitted that one of its fighter jets had “accidentally discharged aircraft ordnance” over the city.

Latest updates in the Ukraine war

07:15 , Matt Mathers

Fighting

• At least five Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and surrounding districts late on Saturday night, causing some damage to civilian buildings, local officials said.

• Russia’s Defence Ministry said Russian forces had captured three more blocks in the western part of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

• Units from Belarus returned home from Russia on Saturday after training on how to use the Iskander tactical missile system to launch nuclear weapons, the Belarusian defence ministry said.

Why Vladimir Putin needs Xi Jinping now more than ever

06:00 , Joe Middleton

The autocrats may be exaggerating when they tout their ‘no-limits’ friendship, but Beijing is indeed willing to step up its support if the Russian regime reaches the brink of collapse, experts tell Arpan Rai.

Why Vladimir Putin needs Xi Jinping now more than ever

Drone footage shows explosions and smoke over Bakhmut

05:00 , Joe Middleton

Brazil's Lula kicks off visit to European ally Portugal

03:59 , Joe Middleton

Portugal’s president welcomed President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil on an official visit Saturday, as the Brazilian leader looks to strengthen ties with his country’s natural partner in the European Union.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received Lula and Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. Portugal is home to over 250,000 Brazilians, and some were on hand to cheer the visiting president.

The trip is Lula’s first to a European country since he defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and won a third non-consecutive term in October. While in Portugal, the left-wing leader aims to aims to secure about a dozen agreements on trade and migration.

Lula annoyed leaders in the EU and the United States last weekend by stating that Ukraine and Russia had both chosen to go to war and that Western military aid was fueling the conflict. He also welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Brasilia on Monday.

Brazil's Lula kicks off visit to European ally Portugal

Aftermath of explosion as Russian warplane accidentally fires into city near Ukraine

03:00 , Joe Middleton

A Russian warplane accidentally fired a weapon into the city of Belgorod, Russia, near Ukraine late on Thursday 20 April, causing an explosion and damaging buildings.

Local authorities reported a large blast in the city, which lies just across the border from Ukraine.

The regional governor said two women had been injured when a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane accidentally discharged aviation ammunition.

The Su-34 is a supersonic fighter-bomber jet.

Video footage from the site showed piles of concrete on the street, several damaged cars and a building with broken windows.

One shot showed what appeared to be a car upside down on the roof of a store.

Aftermath of explosion as Russian warplane accidentally fires into city near Ukraine

Minister: Ukraine will win war of technologies

02:00 , Joe Middleton

As Ukrainian and Russian troops fight conventional battles on the front lines, Europe’s first major war of the internet age has also sparked a war of technology as both sides vie for advantage with their drones and satellite communications.

While the two sides have kept pace with one another thus far, Ukraine’s minister in charge of technology told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that he was confident his country had the motivation and abilities to out-innovate Russia in the end.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, said unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), electronic warfare, satellite communications and other technologies had been a fundamental part of the war with Russia that began more than a year ago.

Minister: Ukraine will win war of technologies

How ‘Putin’s chef’ and his Wagner Group cronies are cashing in on conflicts around the world

01:00 , Joe Middleton

They’ve drawn most attention in eastern Ukraine, but it seems wherever war breaks out – from Syria to Sudan – this group of mercenaries can be found profiting from bloodshed, writes World Affairs Editor Kim Sengupta.

How ‘Putin’s chef’ and his Wagner Group cronies are cashing in on conflict

Five people sanctioned over imprisonment of British-Russian dissident

Saturday 22 April 2023 23:58 , Joe Middleton

The UK has sanctioned five people including two Russian spies following the imprisonment of a British-Russian dissident for 25 years in Moscow.

Vladimir Kara-Murza was jailed on Monday after being convicted of treason and spreading false information about the Russian army in a process he described as a “show trial”.

The Kremlin critic, a close ally of murdered opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, has already survived two poisonings that left him in a coma in 2015 and 2017.

Five people sanctioned over imprisonment of British-Russian dissident

ICYMI: All Nato members agree Ukraine will join, Stoltenberg says

Saturday 22 April 2023 23:00 , Joe Middleton

Russia expels German diplomats in tit-for-tat move

Saturday 22 April 2023 22:19 , Joe Middleton

Russia said on Saturday it was expelling a number of German diplomats in a tit-for-tat move, although Germany did not immediately confirm any expulsions of its own.

Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency said, without citing a source, that Germany was expelling more than 20 Russian diplomats.

A German Foreign Ministry official said Berlin and Moscow had been in contact about their respective representations in the last few weeks, and that the arrival of a Russian government airplane in Berlin was connected to the issue.

Relations between Russia and Germany, which used to be the biggest buyer of Russian oil and gas, have fallen apart since Moscow sent its armed forces into Ukraine in February 2022 and the West responded with sanctions and with weapons for Ukraine.

“The German authorities have decided on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“We strongly condemn these actions by Berlin, which continues to demonstratively destroy the entire array of Russian-German relations.”

At least five Russian missiles hit eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, claims local officials

Saturday 22 April 2023 21:22 , Joe Middleton

At least five Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and surrounding districts late on Saturday night, causing some damage to civilian buildings, local officials said.

Russia has for months been launching drones and missiles against a wide variety of Ukrainian targets in a bid to damage vital infrastructure.

Regional governor Oleh Sinegubov, writing on Telegram, said one missile hit a house in the village of Kotliary, just to the south of Kharkiv, while another sparked a major fire in the city itself.

Reuters

Lula does not want to ‘please anyone’ with Ukraine views

Saturday 22 April 2023 20:44 , Joe Middleton

Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Saturday he did not want to “please anyone” with his views about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking in Lisbon at the start of his first visit to Europe since being elected president, Lula said his aim was to “build a way to bring both of them (Russia and Ukraine) to the table”.

“I want to find a third alternative (to solve the conflict), which is the construction of peace,” he told a news conference.

Last week he said the United States and European allies should stop supplying arms to Ukraine, arguing that they were prolonging the war. “If you are not making peace, you are contributing to war,” Lula said.

The White House accused Lula of parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who accompanied Lula at the news conference, said their countries’ stances on the war were different.

Portugal is a founding member of Nato and has sent military equipment to Ukraine. Rebelo de Sousa said Ukraine had the right to defend itself and recover its territory.

Lula arrived in Portugal on Friday for a five-day visit as he strives to improve foreign ties after Jair Bolsonaro’s four years in office, during which Brazil’s relations with many countries including its former colonial power frayed.

Reuters

Why Russia’s war in Ukraine is bad news for polar bears, too

Saturday 22 April 2023 19:58 , Andy Gregory

For three years, Eric Regehr travelled more than 2,000 miles to what he calls “the end of the world”, reports Dino Grandoni.

Not even the coronavirus pandemic stopped the University of Washington biologist’s research on Wrangel Island, high above the Arctic Circle in Russia. When the pandemic grounded Regehr in 2020, his Russian colleagues continued monitoring the remote island’s polar bears, a carnivore many fear may decline as the world warms.

But after Vladimir Putin’s troops invaded Ukraine early last year, Regehr’s research in Russia stalled. “It’s bad timing,” Regehr says, “because things are changing fast.”

Russia’s war in Ukraine is first and foremost a human tragedy. But it has been dire for wildlife and those who study it, too. Sanctions and other US policies meant to isolate Russia, along with the Kremlin’s crackdown on dissent, have chilled scientific collaboration between American and Russian biologists, leading to nixed research trips, cancelled conservation work, restricted funding and uncollected data related to species at risk of disappearing in the coming decades without human help.

You can read the full story here:

Why Russia’s war in Ukraine is bad news for polar bears, too | Dino Grandoni

Drone footage shows explosions and smoke over Bakhmut

Saturday 22 April 2023 19:30 , Joe Middleton

Russia ‘responding in kind’ to mass expulsion of diplomats from Berlin

Saturday 22 April 2023 18:52 , Andy Gregory

Moscow is responding in kind to a mass expulsion of its diplomats from Berlin, Russia’s foreign ministry has said.

“The German authorities took a decision on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany. We strongly condemn these actions of Berlin, which continues to defiantly destroy the entire array of Russian-German relations,” the ministry said.

It did not reveal the number of diplomats involved.

“As a reaction to the hostile actions of Berlin, the Russian side decided to mirror the expulsion of German diplomats from Russia, as well as to significantly limit the maximum number of employees of German diplomatic missions in our country,” the ministry said.

Germany’s ambassador in Moscow had been notified about the move on 5 April, the ministry said.

Latvia releases batch of seized Russian fertiliser key to Black Sea export deal

Saturday 22 April 2023 17:48 , Andy Gregory

A first batch of Russian fertiliser which Latvia seized last year is being shipped to Kenya by the United Nations’ World Food Programme, Latvia's Foreign Ministry has said.

Russia has cited the seizure as a key stumbling block to its continued participation in a Black Sea grains deal that allows Ukraine to export grains.

A vessel left the port of Riga on Friday with part of the 200,000 tonnes of seized fertiliser, the ministry said.

Several more vessels are due to transport the rest of the fertilizer which was seized in March 2022, a ministry spokesperson said.

Russia has indicated that it will not allow the deal brokered by the UN and Turkey in July 2022 to continue beyond 18 May because a list of demands to facilitate its own grain and fertiliser exports have not been met.

US to commence tank training for Kyiv’s troops

Saturday 22 April 2023 16:51 , Andy Gregory

Washington has said that it will soon start training Ukrainian troops to use its Abrams tanks, as Germany announced a deal to establish a hub in Poland to repair tanks deployed in Ukraine.

The tanks pledged by the US in January will arrive in Germany in the coming weeks for Ukrainian troops to begin training, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters after a meeting with allies at the Ramstein Air Base on Friday.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the training would last about 10 weeks and would involve hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers.

While the tanks will make a difference in the war, they are no silver bullet, said General Mark Milley, chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Here are more details about the tanks which Western nations have pledged:

How Leopard tanks could give Ukraine a battlefield edge over Russia

Pentagon leaks suspect was sharing secrets for longer than previously known, report says

Saturday 22 April 2023 15:57 , Stuti Mishra

The suspect behind the leak of sensitive documents from the Pentagon was sharing information online for longer than previously known, a recent report revealed.

Jack Teixeira, an air national guardsman, reportedly leaked sensitive material as far back as the beginning of Ukraine’s invasion in 2022, according to a New York Times report reviewing online postings.

The newspaper reported that a profile matching Mr Teixeira posted secret intelligence on the Russian war effort on a chat group on Discord in February 2022.

Pentagon leaks suspect shared secrets for longer than previously known

Russia claims to capture three more districts in western Bakhmut

Saturday 22 April 2023 14:50 , Andy Gregory

Russia claims its “assault troops” have captured three more districts in the western part of Bakhmut, which is the last area of the city still held by Kyiv’s forces.

In an update on Saturday, Russia’s Defence Ministry said: “The airborne troops were restraining the Ukrainian units on the flanks and supported the actions of the assault squads to capture the city.”

The Russian military sometimes refers to the Wagner group of fighters as “assault troops”.

Ukraine recently conceded that Russia had made gains in the city, but said its troops were still holding on.

Thousands evacuated after explosive found in Russian city, says governor

Saturday 22 April 2023 13:44 , Andy Gregory

Thousands of residents have been evacuated after an explosive was found in the Russian city of Belgorod, its governor has said.

People have been told to leave seventeen apartment blocks in the city near Ukraine’s eastern border, he added, two days after Russia admitted its warplane had accidentally bombed the city, injuring three people.

It was not immediately clear if the two incidents were related, and Kyiv has previously warned that Moscow could stage false-flag attacks in order to justify harsher actions in Ukraine.

Military explosive experts have decided to “neutralise” the explosive at a training ground, Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

“The operational headquarters decided to evacuate 17 apartment buildings within a radius of 200 metres. According to preliminary data, it is more than 3,000 people. Anyone who needs help with temporary accommodation, it will be provided,” he said.

Kyiv joining Nato could cause ‘final collapse’ of European security, Russia claims

Saturday 22 April 2023 12:55 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s defence ministry has criticised Nato general secretary Jens Stoltenberg’s remarks that Ukraine will one day join the military alliance as “short-sighted and simply dangerous”.

Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Nato wanted to defeat Russia and claimed that the alliance was keeping Ukraine – which is fighting for its survival – motivated by promising membership after the war ended.

“It could lead to the final collapse of the European security system,” she claimed on Telegram.

Bakhmut fighting reaches last part of city held by Kyiv, Russia claims

Saturday 22 April 2023 11:59 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed yesterday that assault troops were fighting in western parts of Bakhmut, the last part of the frontline Ukrainian city still held by Kyiv’s forces.

Kyiv admitted that Russian forces had made some advances in fierce fighting for Bakhmut, but insisted that the situation was under control.

It came as Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was actively preparing new units that had yet to appear on the front line, as the Wagner mercenary chief – whose units have been leading Russia’s charge in Bakhmut – expressed concern over the new units and looming Ukraining counterattack.

“Today we are killing those who were trained in Ukraine but the ones coming from Germany will be technologically educated,” Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio recording released on Telegram. “The West has handed over 230 tanks and 1,500 other armoured vehicles. This, too, is enough to provide serious opposition.”

He added: “They will attack ... they will come and try to tear us apart, and we must resist.”

Russia ‘struggling to maintain narrative’ justifying war in Ukraine, claims UK

Saturday 22 April 2023 11:21 , Andy Gregory

The UK’s Ministry of Defence has suggested that Russia’s leadership is “struggling to maintain consistency” in the narrative it uses to justify its war in Ukraine – according to which, the invasion is purportedly analogous to the Soviet experience in the Second World War.

In an intelligence update, the ministry said: “On 18 April 2023, Russian state media announced the cancellation of this year’s Immortal Regiment ‘Great Patriotic War’ remembrance marches on ‘safety’ grounds. In reality, the authorities were highly likely concerned that participants would highlight the scope of recent Russian losses.

“This follows Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin publicly questioning whether there are actually any ‘Nazis’ in Ukraine, going against Russia’s justification for the war.

“The authorities have continued attempts to unify the Russian public around polarising myths about the 1940s.

“On 12 April 2023, state news agency RIA Novosti reported ‘unique’ documents from FSB archives, implicating the Nazis in the murder of 22,000 Polish nationals in the Katyn Massacre of 1940. In reality, FSB’s predecessor agency, the NKVD, was responsible. Russia’s State Duma officially condemned Joseph Stalin for ordering the killings in 2010.”

Crimea activates air defences

Saturday 22 April 2023 10:11 , Sam Rkaina

The top official in the Russian-annexed Crimea region of Ukraine has said air defence systems have been activated this morning.

“Air defence forces worked in the sky over Crimea. No damage or casualties. I ask everyone to remain calm and trust only trusted sources of information,” the official, Sergei Aksyonov, said on the messaging app Telegram.

He did not say what the target of the air defences was or specify the location of the military activity.

Ukraine war latest

Saturday 22 April 2023 08:10 , Sam Rkaina

* The U.S. decision to provide Ukraine with 31 advanced M1A2 Abrams tanks will make a difference in the war but is no silver bullet, U.S. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Friday.

* Six German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks destined for Ukraine left Spain by ship, according to a naval monitoring website.

* Ukraine pressed allies for long-range weapons, jets and ammunition as the U.S. hosted a meeting at the Ramstein air base in Germany on Friday to discuss stepped up support to repel the Russian invasion.

* Russia’s Defence Ministry said assault troops were fighting in western parts of Bakhmut, the last part of the embattled Ukrainian city still held by Kyiv’s forces.

* Ukraine said Russian forces had made some advances in their fight for Bakhmut but the situation was under control.

Minister: Ukraine will win war of technologies

Saturday 22 April 2023 06:00 , Emily Atkinson

As Ukrainian and Russian troops fight conventional battles on the front lines, Europe’s first major war of the internet age has also sparked a war of technology as both sides vie for advantage with their drones and satellite communications.

While the two sides have kept pace with one another thus far, Ukraine’s minister in charge of technology told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that he was confident his country had the motivation and abilities to out-innovate Russia in the end.

More on this story here:

Minister: Ukraine will win war of technologies

Zelensky says Kyiv preparing new units for front line

Saturday 22 April 2023 04:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address that Kyiv was actively preparing new units that had yet to appear on the front line amid heavy fighting in Bakhmut.

Russia’s assault on Bakhmut relies heavily on the Wagner Group private army, whose commander Yevgeny Prigozhin on Friday expressed concern about a Ukrainian counter attack.

“Today we are killing those who were trained in Ukraine but the ones coming from Germany will be technologically educated,” he said in an audio recording released on Telegram, an apparent reference to Ukrainians who will be trained in Germany to use Abrams tanks provided by the United States.

“The West has handed over 230 tanks and 1,500 other armoured vehicles. This, too, is enough to provide serious opposition.”

Ukraine, he predicted, would strike when the ground had firmed up after spring rains.

“They will attack ... they will come and try to tear us apart, and we must resist,” he said.

Photo of pregnant woman in bombed-out Mariupol maternity hospital wins World Press Photo award

Saturday 22 April 2023 02:00 , Emily Atkinson

A gut-wrenching photo of a pregnant woman in a bombed-out Mariupol maternity hospital has won the World Press Photo award this year.

The winning photo shows 32-year-old Iryna Kalinina, an injured pregnant woman being carried from a maternity hospital that was damaged during a Russian airstrike in Mariupol in March last year.

Her baby – named Miron after the word for “peace” – was stillborn. The World Press Photo website said Kalinina died half an hour after giving birth.

My colleague Maroosha Muzaffar reports:

Photo of pregnant woman in bombed-out Mariupol hospital wins World Press Photo award

Six Leopard tanks leave Spain en route to Ukraine

Saturday 22 April 2023 00:00 , Emily Atkinson

Six Leopard 2A4 tanks destined for Ukraine left Spain by ship on Friday, according to a naval monitoring website, part of Western military aid for Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion.

The German-made Leopard tanks and armoured personnel carriers were driven onto a cargo vessel, Reuters witnesses said. The ship will go to Poland and the hardware transferred to Ukraine, which is expected to launch a spring counteroffensive. It was unclear when the equipment would arrive.

Spanish defence minister Margarita Robles said this month that Spain will send 10 Leopard 2A4 tanks. The military is repairing the remaining four. Spain has also trained 40 tank crew members and 15 mechanics.

Aftermath of explosion as Russian warplane accidentally fires into city near Ukraine

Friday 21 April 2023 22:00 , Emily Atkinson

Aftermath of explosion as Russian warplane accidentally fires into city near Ukraine

Watch: All Nato members agree Ukraine will join, Stoltenberg says

Friday 21 April 2023 20:00 , Emily Atkinson

Abrams tanks will make difference in Ukraine war but no silver bullet, says US general

Friday 21 April 2023 19:00 , Emily Atkinson

The US decision to provide Ukraine with 31 advanced M1A2 Abrams tanks will make a difference in the war but is no silver bullet, US army general Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Friday.

Milley’s remarks came as the United States announced that Abrams tanks to be used to train the Ukrainians will arrive in Germany in the coming weeks.

“I’m biased, but I think the M1 tank’s the best tank in the world ... I do think the M1 tank, when it is delivered, will make a difference,” Milley, the top US general, said after a meeting of Ukraine‘s allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

“But I would also caution there’s no silver bullet in war.”

Russian official warns of ‘uncontrollable’ arms race

Friday 21 April 2023 18:11 , Emily Atkinson

A Russian official warned on Friday of an “uncontrollable” arms race involving multiple nuclear powers, the state-owned RIA news agency said.

“In essence, we are witnessing a missile arms race with consequences that are hard to predict. Tens of billions of dollars are being invested in improving missile technology. This process is taking on an uncontrollable character,” Grigory Mashkov, ambassador-at-large, was quoted as saying.

RIA said Mashkov referred in a magazine interview to China’s rapid expansion of its missile systems and to the nuclear capabilities of Israel, India and Pakistan.

Atomic scientists said in January that the “Doomsday Clock” - a notional measure of the risk of mankind’s extinction - had ticked closer to midnight than ever before as a result of rising nuclear tensions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has claimed four regions of Ukraine as its own territory and placed them under its nuclear umbrella, in moves condemned as illegal by most countries at the United Nations. President Vladimir Putin has said repeatedly that Russia would use all means at its disposal to defend its “territorial integrity”.

In February, Putin announced Moscow was suspending the New START treaty with the United States, which limits each side’s deployed nuclear warheads, saying Washington was trying to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia in Ukraine.

Earlier, RIA quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying a “vacuum” could arise in strategic stability once New START expires in 2026. It was not clear whether this was a ministry statement or a comment from Mashkov’s interview.

RIA also quoted the ministry as saying Moscow needed to build up its tactical missile capabilities including in its Kaliningrad region, which borders NATO members Poland and Lithuania.

Analysis: How ‘Putin’s chef’ and his Wagner Group cronies are cashing in on conflict around the world

Friday 21 April 2023 17:00 , Emily Atkinson

They’ve drawn most attention in eastern Ukraine, but it seems wherever war breaks out – from Syria to Sudan – this group of mercenaries can be found profiting from bloodshed. Now, leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rift with the Kremlin could make them even more dangerous, writes World Affairs Editor Kim Sengupta.

How ‘Putin’s chef’ and his Wagner Group cronies are cashing in on conflict

Five people sanctioned over imprisonment of British-Russian dissident

Friday 21 April 2023 16:05 , Emily Atkinson

The UK has sanctioned five people including two Russian spies following the imprisonment of a British-Russian dissident for 25 years in Moscow.

Vladimir Kara-Murza was jailed on Monday after being convicted of treason and spreading false information about the Russian army in a process he described as a “show trial”.

The Kremlin critic, a close ally of murdered opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, has already survived two poisonings that left him in a coma in 2015 and 2017.

More on this story here:

Five people sanctioned over imprisonment of British-Russian dissident

Kyiv says situation in city of Bakhmut 'under control'

Friday 21 April 2023 15:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine said on Friday Russian forces had made some advances in fierce fighting for the eastern city of Bakhmut but that the situation was under control.

Deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar made her comments shortly before Russia’s defence ministry said its assault troops were now fighting in western parts of Bakhmut, the last part of the city held by Ukrainian forces.

“The situation is tense, but under control,” Malyar wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “Decisions are being made according to military expediency.”

Moscow court seeks arrest of Ukrainian spy chief Budanov

Friday 21 April 2023 13:53 , Emily Atkinson

A Moscow court on Friday issued a warrant for the arrest of the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, accusing the spy chief of organising “terrorist attacks” inside Russia, state-owned news agency RIA reported.

RIA cited the court as saying that Budanov was accused of offences related to terrorism and arms smuggling. The move against him was announced “in absentia”, in an apparent acknowledgement that Budanov cannot be immediately detained.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine last year, a number of explosions have hit Russian infrastructure, arms dumps and military facilities. Russia has blamed Ukraine for many of the strikes, while Kyiv has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) previously named Budanov as the organiser of an explosion that damaged the bridge linking Russia to the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in October. Russia has also blamed Ukrainian spies for bombings that killed the daughter of a nationalist writer near Moscow, and a pro-war blogger in St Petersburg.

Mariupol pregnant victim pic wins top photo prize

Friday 21 April 2023 13:20 , Liam James

Associated Press photographer Evgeniy Maloletka won the World Press Photo of the Year award on Thursday for his harrowing image of emergency workers carrying a pregnant woman through the shattered grounds of a maternity hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, in the chaotic aftermath of a Russian attack.

The Ukrainian photographer’s 9 March, 2022, image of the fatally wounded woman, her left hand on her bloodied lower left abdomen, drove home the horror of Russia’s brutal onslaught in the eastern port city early in the war.

The 32-year-old woman, Iryna Kalinina, died of her injuries a half-hour after giving birth to the lifeless body of her baby, named Miron.

Brazil's Lula visits Portugal amid Ukraine tensions with EU

Friday 21 April 2023 12:51 , Liam James

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was set to arrive in Portugal today amid heightened tensions with the European Union over his position on the war in Ukraine, following statements suggesting the invaded country and the West share responsibility for the conflict.

Mr Lula said last weekend while traveling in the United Arab Emirates and China that both Ukraine and Russia had decided to go to war, and that the US was “stimulating” the fighting.

Earlier in the month, he irked Ukraine, the US and the EU by suggesting that Ukraine cede Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014, to end the current conflict.

Mr Lula also welcomed Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to Brasilia on Monday. The following day, Mr Lula condemned the “violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity” while promoting his proposal for a club of nations, including Brazil, to mediate a peaceful resolution to the war.

Brazil's Lula visits Portugal amid Ukraine tensions with EU

US tank training for Ukrainians set to start soon

Friday 21 April 2023 12:00 , Liam James

The US will start training Ukrainian forces on how to use and maintain Abrams tanks in the coming weeks.

It comes as it continues to speed up its effort to get them on to the battlefield as quickly as possible, American officials said.

The decision was announced as defence leaders from around Europe and the world met at Ramstein Air Base in Germany in the ongoing effort to co-ordinate the delivery of weapons and other equipment to Ukraine.

An official announcement is expected later on Friday.

Kremlin ‘watching reports’ of G7 export ban

Friday 21 April 2023 11:28 , Liam James

The Kremlin said it was monitoring reports of a possible ban on exports to Russia by Western countries, and that new sanctions would hit the global economy.

Japan’s Kyodo news agency said the G7 countries are considering a near-total ban on exports to Russia, citing Japanese government sources.

Bloomberg News on Thursday also reported that the United States and Ukraine‘s allies were considering “an outright ban on most exports to Russia”. That report said officials from G7 nations were discussing the idea before a summit meeting in Japan next month.

Watch the moment Russia accidentally bombs its own city

Friday 21 April 2023 10:47 , Liam James

Russia accidentally fired on its own city last night.

Footage below shows the moment friendly fire rained down over Belgorod.

Czech Republic moves to 2% defence target

Friday 21 April 2023 10:45 , Liam James

The Czech Republic moved towards a defence spending target of 2 per cent of GDP.

European countries have accelerated their defence spending in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as many capitals have not yet met Nato’s 2 per cent financing commitment.

Three injured in Russian misfire on own city

Friday 21 April 2023 09:16 , Liam James

Three people were injured in a Russian misfire on Belgorod, local officials said, revising the total up from two.

Video footage from the site showed piles of concrete on the street, several damaged cars and a building with broken windows. One shot showed what appeared to be car upside down on the roof of a store.

Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced a state of emergency overnight and said there was a crater measuring 20 metres across on one of the main streets. Four cars and four apartment buildings were damaged, he added.

“Thank God there are no dead,” Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a statement on Telegram, adding that an apartment building had been evacuated overnight.

A handout photo made available by Mr Gladkov shows a damaged apartment after the blast

Mayor of the city of Belgorod Valentin Demidov speaks with a local resident in a damaged apartment

Exterior of damaged apartment block, in picture released by Mr Gladkov

Canada announces £23m new Ukraine aid

Friday 21 April 2023 09:06 , Liam James

Canada has announced C$39m (£23m) in new military assistance for Ukraine that will include 40 sniper rifles, 16 radio sets and a donation to a Nato fund to help Kyiv in its war against Russia.

The latest round of Canadian aid, which also includes ammunition for the rifles, was announced by defence minister Anita Anand at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where Nato defence officials are meeting to discuss new military supplies for Ukraine.

The rifles and ammunition will be sourced from Canada-based Prairie Gun Works, while the radios will be from L3Harris Technologies, according to a statement from the Canadian defence ministry.

The contribution to the Nato fund, of about C$34.6m, will help to provide Ukraine with fuel supplies and other assets.

IOC stance on Russians is 'confusing', says Swiatek

Friday 21 April 2023 08:02 , Tara Cobham

The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendation to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition as neutrals is "confusing" because Ukraine is still under attack, tennis world number one Iga Swiatek said.

The IOC sanctioned both Russia and Belarus after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February last year.

However, it now wants to see athletes return across all sports and have a chance to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Russia struck Ukrainian city Bilopillia overnight

Friday 21 April 2023 07:37 , Tara Cobham

Russian forces struck Bilopillia, a city in northeastern Ukraine, three times overnight, according to Ukraine’s state broadcaster Suspilne.

But, citing the local authorities, it reported there were no casualties.

Fighting in Ukraine slowed by severe mud – UK MoD

Friday 21 April 2023 07:00 , Arpan Rai

Severe mud is highly likely slowing operations for both sides in the conflict with soft ground conditions seen across most of Ukraine, the British defence ministry said today.

“However, Russian online outlets are likely exaggerating the overall impact of mud on Ukrainian forces as part of an information operation aimed at raising Russian morale, and undermining Ukraine’s supporters, in light of an anticipated Ukrainian counter offensive,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that surface conditions can be expected to improve in the coming weeks but the threat from mines probably continues to be a more important factor in limiting the combatants’ off-road manoeuvres.

ICYMI: Mysterious flash in sky over Kyiv sparks bizarre theories after Nasa denies involvement

Friday 21 April 2023 07:00 , Emily Atkinson

A mysterious bright flash of light illuminated night skies above Kyiv on Wednesday, 19 April, sparking theories about what it could be.

The glow was observed in the capital at around 10pm local time (7pm GMT).

Kyiv city officials initially said it was a crashing Nasa satellite, citing “preliminary information,” but the space agency said the satellite was still in orbit.

Ukraine’s air force, who attempt to down missiles and drones from Russia, suggested the light may have come from a meteorite.

Flash in sky over Kyiv sparks bizarre theories after Nasa denies involvement

Ukrainian troops fire howitzers towards Russian targets in Donbas

Friday 21 April 2023 06:36 , Arpan Rai

Zelensky says now is the time for Ukraine to join Nato after chief’s visit

Friday 21 April 2023 06:14 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has told Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg that it is time to let his country into the alliance – during Mr Stoltenberg’s first visit to Kyiv since Russia‘s invasion began.

Mr Stoltenberg said that the “rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family ... is in Nato”, inviting Mr Zelensky to a Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July. The Ukrainian president said that he believed the summit could be “historic” but that his nation needs a roadmap to membership.

“There is no objective barrier to the political decision to invite Ukraine into the alliance and now, when most people in Nato countries and the majority of Ukrainians support Nato accession, is the time for the corresponding decisions.” Mr Zelensky said.

Read the full story here:

Zelensky says now is the time for Ukraine to join Nato as alliance chief visits Kyiv

Russia regional governor quits after son dodges extradition to US

Friday 21 April 2023 06:00 , Emily Atkinson

The governor of the giant Russian territory of Krasnoyarsk has quit, authorities said on Thursday, shortly after his businessman son dodged Italian authorities trying to extradite him to the United States and fled to Russia.

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree accepting the resignation of Alexander Uss but gave no details.

His son, Artem Uss, was due to face charges in the U.S. for shipping oil from Venezuela in breach of sanctions, and for bank fraud. An Italian court allowed him out on house arrest last month but he quickly fled.

In a video released on 9 April, after Artem Uss was back in Russia, Alexander Uss thanked those who had helped him return. He also said he was grateful to Putin, describing him as “a man with a big and open heart”.

Uss wrote on Telegram on Thursday that had talked to Putin recently and received an offer to continue working at the federal level, dealing with socio-economic development.

Italy’s justice minister has begun disciplinary action against three judges who granted Uss house arrest, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.

Earlier this month Artem Uss told Russia’s RIA news agency that the U.S. charges against him were politically motivated.

The territory of Krasnoyarsk covers just under 2.4 million sq km (930,000 sq miles) in Siberia.

Grim video shows Bakhmut fighting from trenches

Friday 21 April 2023 05:36 , Arpan Rai

A video from the battlefield in Bakhmut has shown the deadly fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces with several close-call situations.

Ukrainian ground force battalion DaVinci Wolves shared an 11-minute video showing an armed fight where Russian forces are firing into the trenches used by Ukraine’s troops who are also firing back.

At one point, the Russian forces are also seen throwing a grenade into the trench but it does not explode in a near-death situation.

A Ukrainian soldier is also heard shouting that he has killed a Russian soldier, saying “we killed them”, but another replies that the enemy is alive and moving.

The Independent has not verified the authenticity of the video.

Badminton keeps barring Russia as Olympic qualifying begins

Friday 21 April 2023 05:00 , Emily Atkinson

Badminton upheld its ban on Russian and Belarusian players in international competitions on Thursday, days before Olympic qualifying begins.

Badminton’s qualifying period for next year’s Paris Olympics starts on May 1 and uses a calendar-year ranking.

Meanwhile, modern pentathlon said it would set up a “pathway” for athletes from the two countries to return but didn’t commit to a date.

More on this story here:

Badminton keeps barring Russia as Olympic qualifying begins