Russia-Ukraine war live: Russian retreat in Bakhmut ‘highlights shortage of credible combat units’

Read More

Life before war broke out in my home country of Ukraine feels like a distant memory. Before, I was frontman of the band Antytila. I lived with my wife and three children in Kyiv. With my bandmates, we had plans to make new music and tour, playing stadiums across the country. But after February 2022, our only thoughts were to serve; to resist. Life changed radically overnight for all of us.

My bandmates Serhii Vusyk, Dmytro Zholud and I swapped our instruments for rifles and joined the frontline. We became paramedics with the 130th battalion of the Ukrainian territorial defence forces, giving first aid to our injured brothers and saving lives.

It was too dangerous for our families to stay in Kyiv, so our wives and children moved first to western Ukraine before settling abroad. My wife and three children landed in New Jersey, US, where they have remained with my mother and stepfather.My wife, musician Alyosha, wrote last year of how she kept her bags packed by the door, desperate to return home at the first sign of safety. Our separation was made all the more dramatic by the very real threat I was facing each day: would I leave the frontline alive?

Read more here:

An unidentified object that entered Polish airspace from the direction of Belarus was probably an observation balloon, the defence ministry said on Saturday on Twitter.

Nato-member Poland is on alert for infractions of its airspace as war rages in neighbouring Ukraine after incidents in November and December in which missiles landed on its territory.

“The Air Operations Center noted the appearance in Polish airspace of an object that flew in from the direction of Belarus,” the defence ministry said on Twitter.

“It is probably an observation balloon,” it added. “Radar contact was lost near Rypin”, a town in north-central Poland.

A spokesperson for Poland’s territorial defence force told Reuters a search for the object was under way. Russian and Belarusian authorities were not immediately available for comment.

Hello and welcome to our coverage of Russia’s war on Ukraine, now in its 444th day. It’s approaching noon in Ukraine, here’s a look at the latest.

Ukrainian forces have regained at least a kilometre of territory in Bakhmut amid a Russian withdrawal that reflects Moscow’s “severe shortage of credible combat units”, the UK Ministry of Defence has said in its latest intelligence briefing.

It said elements of a Russian brigade withdrew “in bad order” from their positions on the southern flank of the eastern Ukrainian city, the scene of the war’s longest battle. The brigade had been “dogged with allegations of poor morale and limited combat effectiveness”.

In other developments:

Zelenskiy arrived in Italy on Saturday for talks with prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, President Sergio Mattarella and Pope Francis. The trip is Zelenskiy’s first to Italy since Russia invaded on 24 February last year.

The German government will provide further military equipment worth EUR2.7bn (?2.4bn) to Ukraine in what would be the biggest Berlin has provided since Russia’s invasion. The package includes 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 30 Leopard 1 tanks, 15 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, 200 reconnaissance drones, four additional Iris-T anti-aircraft systems including ammunition, additional artillery ammunition and more than 200 armoured combat and logistics vehicles, according to Der Spiegel.

Russian attacks injured three people in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, the city’s mayor said. The strikes occurred early on Saturday, Oleksandr Sienkevych said on his Telegram channel. Russian forces targeted a local factory, also damaging nearby residential buildings, causing fires in three apartments and damaging an educational institution, he said.

Russian-installed officials in Luhansk have said missiles fired by Ukrainian forces injured six children and a Russian parliamentarian and damaged two disused factories in the eastern Ukrainian region’s main city, about 100km (60 miles) behind the frontlines.

Two Russian pilots were killed when a Russian Mi-28 military helicopter crashed in the annexed peninsula of Crimea, Russian news agencies reported, citing the defence ministry. It said it believed the reason for Friday’s crash was equipment failure, Tass reported.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has thanked the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, for the provision of long-range cruise missiles. The UK defence secretary, Ben Wallace, earlier confirmed it would send the Storm Shadow missiles, prompting a threat from the Kremlin of a military response.

Police in the Russian city of St Petersburg have created an anti-drone unit to detect unmanned drones after a suspected attack on the Kremlin last week. The unit was launched on Tuesday during the annual second world war Victory Day celebrations on St Petersburg’s Palace Square, the city’s interior ministry said.

South Africa’s foreign ministry has summoned the US ambassador over allegations he made that the country had provided arms and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine. Reuben Brigety said on Thursday that South Africa had loaded weapons and ammunition on to a Russian vessel, which is under sanctions, at the Simon’s Town naval base near Cape Town in December last year and that the arms were then transported to Russia.

Russia’s defence ministry has said Ukrainian forces carried out “offensive operations” along the entire line of contact near Soledar, the ministry’s official Zvezda news outlet reported. More than 1,000 troops and up to 40 tanks were used in Thursday’s assault, it said on Friday, adding that the attacks were “repulsed”.

The UN nuclear watchdog chief, Rafael Grossi, plans to present an agreement with Russia and Ukraine on protecting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to the UN security council this month, indicating a deal is close, four diplomats have told Reuters. Grossi has been trying for months to secure an agreement to reduce the risk of a catastrophic accident from shelling at the Russian-occupied nuclear power station, Europe’s biggest.

Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, has expressed disappointment at a decision to block Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s request to speak via video at Saturday’s Eurovision grand final. The European Broadcasting Union, which produces the event, said the Ukrainian president had “laudable” intentions but rejected the request over fears it could politicise the event.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived at Rome’s Ciampino airport on Saturday, a political source told Reuters.

Confirming the visit on Twitter, the Ukrainian president said it was important for “approaching victory of Ukraine”.

During his stay in Rome, he will meet the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, the president, Sergio Mattarella, and Pope Francis. The pontiff said in late April that the Holy See was involved in a peace mission to end the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine aims for repeat victory in most political Eurovision in years

There will be rockets, soldiers and moustachioed men in their underpants lampooning Vladimir Putin as a “crocodile psychopath” – and that’s just the Croatian act.

One of the most stridently political Eurovision grand finals in years takes place in Liverpool on Saturday night against a backdrop of a war in Ukraine that shows little sign of ending.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s request to make a live address during the four-hour broadcast was denied as organisers were concerned it risked politicising the contest. There will be little subtlety, however, in the 67th edition of this ritually outre event.

Read more here:

The German government is to provide further military equipment worth EUR2.7bn (?2.4bn) to Ukraine in what would be the biggest Berlin has provided since Russia’s invasion.

The package includes 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 30 Leopard 1 tanks, 15 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, 200 reconnaissance drones, four additional Iris-T anti-aircraft systems including ammunition, additional artillery ammunition and more than 200 armoured combat and logistics vehicles, according to Der Spiegel.

“We all wish for a speedy end to this terrible and illegal war…. Unfortunately, this is not yet foreseeable. Therefore, Germany will provide any help it can – as long as it takes,” German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday.

“Thank you to our allies,” Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, wrote in a post on Telegram confirming the package.

Zelenskiy is expected in Italy on Saturday for talks with government officials and Pope Francis, who in late April said that the Holy See is involved in a peace mission to end the war with Russia.

The trip, Zelenskiy’s first to Italy since Russia invaded on 24 February last year, has not been officially confirmed for security reasons, Reuters reports.

But sources expect him to meet separately with President Sergio Mattarella and the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, before heading to the Vatican. He is also expected to be the guest of a popular Italian television talk show before heading to Germany.

Meloni visited Zelenskiy in Kyiv in February to assure him of Italy’s continued support for Ukraine, despite some of her allies, most notably the former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, having longstanding, close ties with Moscow.

Here are the latest images coming across the wires from Ukraine:

South Africans were left angry and baffled after the US accused their country of secretly shipping arms to Russia, a charge that triggered both a government rebuke and the announcement of an inquiry, Agence France-Presse reports.

The US ambassador, Reuben Brigety, said on Thursday that Washington was confident weapons and ammunition had been loaded on a Russian freighter that docked at a Cape Town naval base.

The explosive remarks drew an angry response from President Cyril Ramaphosa, who did not deny the charge but said a retired judge would lead an investigation into it.

They were also seized on by the Kremlin, which on Friday said the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had agreed to deepen ties with Ramaphosa.

South Africa has been walking a diplomatic tightrope over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which it has refused to condemn, saying it prefers dialogue to end the war.

The country has strong economic and trade relations with the United States and Europe. Trade with Russia is much smaller, but Pretoria has ties with Moscow dating back decades, to when the Kremlin supported the now ruling African National Congress party in its struggle against apartheid.

The announcement of an inquiry was welcomed by the US but met with ridicule and bewilderment at home. The political and economic analyst Daniel Silke said:

It perhaps points to a South African president who simply is unaware of what is happening effectively under his nose.

The Lady R, a cargo vessel under western sanctions flying a Russian flag, docked at South Africa’s largest naval base in December, officially to offload an old order of ammunition. But Brigety said intelligence showed weaponry was loaded on to the vessel before it headed back to Russia.

Bongani Bingwa, the host of a popular morning radio show, wrote on Twitter:

Did we or didn’t we? And if we did, shouldn’t the president know?

Russian claims of Ukrainian missile strikes on the Luhansk region’s main city have prompted speculation among analysts that Kyiv could have used a new missile with a longer range because the city lies far from Ukrainian positions.

Reuters reports that Moscow-installed officials said on Friday that the missiles had injured six children and a Russian parliamentarian and damaged two disused factories about 100km (60 miles) behind the frontlines.

Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-installed head of the region, which Russia annexed last year, said the attack was carried out to disrupt local Republic Day celebrations.

The claimed strikes were unable to be verified and there was no immediate official reaction from Kyiv to them.

Ukraine’s Suspilne Donbas television station reported explosions in the city, quoting residents.

Luhansk is about 30km (18 miles) from the border with Russia and 100km from the frontlines of fighting, putting it beyond the reach of most of the shorter-range missiles, such as the US-supplied Himars that Ukraine has largely been using in the conflict.

The UK said this week it had delivered to Ukraine longer-range cruise missiles that could hit targets at 300km – the furthest rockets supplied to Kyiv by its western allies.

Russian attacks injured three people in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, the city’s mayor has said.

The strikes occurred early on Saturday, Oleksandr Sienkevych said on his Telegram channel. Russian forces targeted a local factory, also damaging nearby residential buildings, causing fires in three apartments and damaging an educational institution, he said.

In Kyiv, the capital, air raid sirens sounded overnight, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Strikes were also reported in Lviv, western Ukraine, with the regional military administration saying kamikaze drones were involved.

Sienkevych said rescuers were working at the scene in Mykolaiv. One of the injured was taken away by ambulance while two received medical assistance on site.

Ukrainian forces have regained at least a kilometre of territory in Bakhmut amid a Russian withdrawal that reflects its “severe shortage of credible combat units”, the latest UK intelligence briefing has said.

The Ministry of Defence said that over the past four days, elements of Russia’s 72nd separate motor rifle brigade (72 SMRB) likely withdrew “in bad order” from their positions on the southern flank of the Bakhmut operation.

The area was tactically significant because it was a Russian bridgehead on the western side of the Donets-Donbas canal, which marked the frontline through parts of the area, the ministry said in its update, posted on Twitter.

72 SMRB is an element of Russia’s 3rd Army Corps, a formation created in autumn 2023 and dogged with allegations of poor morale and limited combat effectiveness.

Its deployment to such a demanding and operationally important sector highlights Russia’s severe shortage of credible combat units.

Hello and welcome back to our coverage of Russia’s war on Ukraine, now in its 444th day. I’m Adam Fulton and here’s a look at the latest.

Ukrainian forces have regained at least a kilometre of territory in Bakhmut amid a Russian withdrawal that reflects Moscow’s “severe shortage of credible combat units”, the UK Ministry of Defence has said in its latest intelligence briefing.

It said elements of a Russian brigade withdrew “in bad order” from their positions on the southern flank of the eastern Ukrainian city, scene of the war’s longest battle. The brigade had been “dogged with allegations of poor morale and limited combat effectiveness”.

More on that story soon. In other developments:

Russian-installed officials in Luhansk have said missiles fired by Ukrainian forces injured six children and a Russian parliamentarian and damaged two disused factories in the eastern Ukrainian region’s main city, about 100km (60 miles) behind the frontlines.

Two Russian pilots were killed when a Russian Mi-28 military helicopter crashed in the annexed peninsula of Crimea, Russian news agencies reported, citing the defence ministry. It said it believed the reason for Friday’s crash was equipment failure, Tass reported.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has thanked the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, for the provision of long-range cruise missiles. The UK defence secretary, Ben Wallace, earlier confirmed it would send the Storm Shadow missiles, prompting a threat from the Kremlin of a military response.

Police in the Russian city of St Petersburg have created an anti-drone unit to detect unmanned drones after a suspected attack on the Kremlin last week. The unit launched on Tuesday during the annual second world war Victory Day celebrations on St Petersburg’s Palace Square, the city’s interior ministry said.

South Africa’s foreign ministry has summoned the US ambassador over allegations he made that the country had provided arms and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine. Reuben Brigety said on Thursday that South Africa had loaded weapons and ammunition on to a Russian vessel, which is under sanctions, at the Simon’s Town naval base near Cape Town in December last year and that the arms were then transported to Russia.

Russia’s defence ministry has said Ukrainian forces carried out “offensive operations” along the entire line of contact near Soledar, the ministry’s official Zvezda news outlet reported. More than a thousand troops and up to 40 tanks were used in Thursday’s assault, it said on Friday, adding that the attacks were “repulsed”.

The UN nuclear watchdog chief, Rafael Grossi, plans to present an agreement with Russia and Ukraine on protecting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to the UN security council this month, indicating a deal is close, four diplomats have told Reuters. Grossi has been trying for months to secure an agreement to reduce the risk of a catastrophic accident from shelling at the Russian-occupied nuclear power station, Europe’s biggest.

Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, has expressed disappointment at a decision to block Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s request to speak via video at Saturday’s Eurovision grand final. The European Broadcasting Union, which produces the event, said the Ukrainian president had “laudable” intentions but rejected the request over fears it could politicise the event.