Russia-Ukraine war – live: Kyiv 'crosses key Dnipro River' ahead of ...
Ukrainian troops have taken up positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson, a US think-tank has said.
Citing Russian military bloggers embedded with Moscow’s forces, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine had “established positions” on the eastern bank, though it was not clear “at what scale or with what intentions”.
The Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s southern region denied the report. “There is no enemy foothold on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro river ... our military completely controls that territory,” Vladimir Saldo wrote on his Telegram channel.
It comes as Russia has said their Black Sea Fleet repelled a drone attack on the Crimean port of Sevastopol in the early hours of Monday.
“According to the latest information: one surface drone was destroyed ... the second one exploded on its own,” Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhaev wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “Now the city is quiet.”
No damage was reported, Mr Razvozhaev added.
Sevastopol, along with the rest of the Crimean peninsula, was declared annexed by Russia in 2014 but is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.
Key pointsBlack Sea Fleet repels drone attack on Sevastopol
Putin 'closing in on Bakhmut' from three sides
Son of Putin spokesman says he served with Wagner in Ukraine
Zelensky vows to keep defending fortress city
Chinese cooperation with Europe 'unlimited, as with Russia’
Black Sea Fleet repels drone attack on Sevastopol - Russian-backed governor07:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia‘s Black Sea Fleet repelled a drone attack on the Crimean port of Sevastopol in the early hours of Monday, the Moscow-installed governor of the city said through social media.
“According to the latest information: one surface drone was destroyed ... the second one exploded on its own,” governor Mikhail Razvozhaev wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “Now the city is quiet.”
No damage was reported, Razvozhaev added.
Passenger ferry transport had been suspended in the Black Sea port city, Russia‘s Interfax news agency reported, citing Sevastopol transport authorities. No reason was given, but the agency said traffic had been suspended in the past due to drone attacks or storms.
Sevastopol, along with the rest of the Crimean peninsula, was declared annexed by Russia in 2014 but is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.
There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine. Kyiv almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia and on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.
Kyiv ‘crosses key Dnipro River’, according to US think-tank20:30 , Joe Middleton
Ukrainian troops have taken up positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson, a US think-tank has said.
Citing Russian military bloggers embedded with Moscow’s forces, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine had “established positions” on the eastern bank, though it was not clear “at what scale or with what intentions”.
The Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s southern region denied the report. “There is no enemy foothold on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro river ... our military completely controls that territory,” Vladimir Saldo wrote on his Telegram channel.
“There may be cases of enemy sabotage groups making landings to take a selfie, before being ... destroyed or pushed into the water by our fighters.”
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern command neither confirmed nor denied the report and called for “informational silence” to ensure operational security.
“I want everyone to understand that it is very difficult work to cross an obstacle like the Dnipro, for example - when the front line runs along such a wide, powerful river,” Natalia Humeniuk told Ukrainian television.
“It’s necessary to gather up some patience,” she added.
Russia claims world facing ‘even more dangerous’ period than Cold War19:41 , Joe Middleton
The risk of conflict between global powers are at an “historic high” thanks to the invasion of Ukraine, the head of the UN has said, while Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the world is at a threshold “possibly even more dangerous” than during the Cold War
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke seated next to Moscow’s Sergei Lavrov in the UN Security Council. Mr Lavrov chaired the meeting because Russia holds the council’s monthly rotating presidency for April.
“As during the Cold War, we have reached the dangerous, possibly even more dangerous , threshold,” Mr Lavrov said. “The situation is worsened with the loss of trust in multilateralism.”
Russia claims world facing ‘even more dangerous’ period than Cold War
Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect19:00 , Joe Middleton
A suspect in a bombing that killed a well-known Russian military blogger had her appeal rejected Monday by a court in the Russian capital.
Moscow City Court turned down Darya Trepova’s appeal against her arrest on charges of involvement in the April 2 bombing that killed Vladlen Tatarsky and injured 50 others at a St. Petersburg cafe. It upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Trepova to remain in custody for two months pending investigation.
Tatarsky, 40, an ardent supporter of the Kremlin‘s military action in Ukraine who filed regular reports on the fighting from the front lines, was killed as he led a discussion at a riverside cafe in the historic heart of Russia’s second-largest city.
Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect
Finland’s military spending soars 36% as global defence budgets hit Cold War levels18:10 , Joe Middleton
Global military expenditure rose to a record high last year as Russia’s war in Ukraine prompted European nations to invest the kinds of figures in their defence capabilities not seen since the end of the Cold War, according to a new report.
Researchers from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) estimate that last year’s total global military spending rose by 3.7 per cent in real terms to $2.24 trillion.
Finland, which formally joined Nato earlier this month and shares a border with Russia, recorded the most dramatic spending boost of 36 per cent following a purchase of F-35 fighter jets.
The European country whose defence spending has soared 36%
Estonian prime minister Ukraine over EU and NATO bids17:09 , Joe Middleton
Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas supported Kyiv’s calls for accession to NATO “as soon as conditions allow” during a visit to Ukraine on Monday.
Kallas, whose country is a member of NATO and the European Union, had talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the northwestern city of Zhytomyr and signed a joint declaration with him condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We agree that a strong, independent and prosperous Ukraine, as part of the Euro-Atlantic family and as a member of the EU and NATO, is essential for the future of European security,” the joint declaration said.
“In the context of the NATO Vilnius Summit (in July), we agree to work together to establish a path that will help bring Ukraine closer to NATO membership and pave the way for Ukraine to join NATO as soon as conditions allow.”
Zelensky thanked Estonia for its defence support, but also reiterated demands for rapid deliveries of more weapons from Western allies “so that we can speed up the end of this war”.
UN chief criticizes Russia at UN meeting chaired by Lavrov15:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a meeting chaired by Russia‘s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday that Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine is “causing massive suffering and devastation to the country and its people” and fueling “global economic dislocation triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Tensions between major powers are at an historic high. So are the risks of conflict, through misadventure or miscalculation,” Guterres also warned the U.N. Security Council meeting.
Lavrov chaired the meeting on multilateralism and the founding U.N. Charter because Russia holds the monthly rotating presidency of the 15-member body for April.
Report: Ukrainian forces across key river, raising hopes15:13 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyiv‘s long-awaited spring counteroffensive.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported late Saturday that geolocated footage from pro-Kremlin military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, along with “stable supply lines” to their positions.
Analysts widely believe that if Ukraine goes ahead with a spring counteroffensive, a major goal would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnieper River in the country’s south.
Report: Ukrainian forces across key river, raising hopes
China says it respects sovereignty of ex-Soviet states14:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
China respects the status of former Soviet member states as sovereign nations, its foreign ministry said on Monday, distancing itself from comments by its envoy to Paris that triggered an uproar among European capitals.
Several EU foreign ministers had said earlier that comments by ambassador Lu Shaye - in which he questioned the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet states - were unacceptable and had asked Beijing to clarify its stance.
Asked about his position on whether Crimea was part of Ukraine or not, Lu said in an interview aired on French TV on Friday that historically it was part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
“These ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status,” Lu added.
Lu has earned himself a reputation as one of China’s “wolf warrior” diplomats, so called for their hawkish and abrasive style.
Asked if Lu’s comments represented China’s official position, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that Beijing respected the status of the former Soviet member states as sovereign nations following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Mao told a regular news briefing that it was her remarks on sovereignty that represented China’s official government stance.
Her statement, following the backlash, appeared to be an effort to distance Beijing from Lu’s comments and ease the tension with Brussels.
China has been “objective and impartial” on issues of sovereignty, she said.
The Chinese embassy in Paris issued a statement later to say that Lu’s comments on Ukraine “were not a political declaration but an expression of his personal views”. It said the comments should not be “over-interpreted”.
Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect14:41 , Joe Middleton
A suspect in a bombing that killed a well-known Russian military blogger had her appeal rejected Monday by a court in the Russian capital.
Moscow City Court turned down Darya Trepova’s appeal against her arrest on charges of involvement in the April 2 bombing that killed Vladlen Tatarsky and injured 50 others at a St. Petersburg cafe. It upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Trepova to remain in custody for two months pending investigation.
Tatarsky, 40, an ardent supporter of the Kremlin‘s military action in Ukraine who filed regular reports on the fighting from the front lines, was killed as he led a discussion at a riverside cafe in the historic heart of Russia’s second-largest city.
Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect
Chinese ambassador expressed ‘personal point of view’, says embassy in France13:51 , Joe Middleton
Comments about Ukraine by China’s ambassador in Paris were an expression of a personal point of view, should not be over-interpreted and are not a Chinese policy statement, the Chinese embassy in France said in a statement on Monday.
Asked about his position on whether Crimea was part of Ukraine or not, ambassador Lu Shaye said in an interview aired on French TV on Friday that historically it was part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the minister of internal affairs in Ukraine, said Lu Shaye repeated “Russian propaganda narratives”.
Drones attack Sevastopol, crashed drone found near Moscow13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russian-appointed authorities in Crimea said the military fended off a Ukrainian strike on the port of Sevastopol on Monday, while a drone was also reportedly found in a forest near Moscow — attacks that come as Ukraine is believed to be preparing for a major counteroffensive.
The Moscow-appointed head of the port city of Sevastopol in Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said the military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor in the early hours. He said another drone blew up without inflicting any damage.
The attack was the latest in a series of attempted strikes on Sevastopol, the main naval base in Crimea that Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
Drones attack Sevastopol, crashed drone found near Moscow
Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect13:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A suspect in a bombing that killed a well-known Russian military blogger had her appeal rejected Monday by a court in the Russian capital.
Moscow City Court turned down Darya Trepova’s appeal against her arrest on charges of involvement in the April 2 bombing that killed Vladlen Tatarsky and injured 50 others at a St. Petersburg cafe. It upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Trepova to remain in custody for two months pending investigation.
Tatarsky, 40, an ardent supporter of the Kremlin‘s military action in Ukraine who filed regular reports on the fighting from the front lines, was killed as he led a discussion at a riverside cafe in the historic heart of Russia’s second-largest city.
Moscow court rejects appeal from cafe bombing suspect
Grain deal: Here is the latest updates12:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
* The Group of Seven (G7) economic powers called on Sunday for the “extension, full implementation and expansion” of the grain deal that enables vital exports of food from Ukraine.
* Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday that if the G7 moved to ban exports to Russia, it would respond by terminating the grain deal, which it has already signalled it will not allow to continue beyond May 18.
* A first batch of Russian fertilizer that Latvia seized last year is being shipped to Kenya by the U.N. World Food Programme, Latvia’s foreign ministry said on Saturday. Russia has cited the seizure as a key stumbling block to its continued participation in the grains deal.
Russia's defence ministry said it repelled overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Sevastopol - TASS11:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia‘s defence ministry said on Monday that three Ukrainian naval drones had unsuccessfully attempted overnight to attack Russia‘s Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol, on the annexed peninsula of Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported.
All three were destroyed and there were no casualties, the ministry said.
EU's Borrell sees deal soon to buy ammunition for Ukraine10:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed confidence on Monday that the bloc would finalise a plan within days to buy ammunition for Ukraine after Kyiv expressed frustration at wrangling among EU member states.
“Yes, still there is some disagreement. But I am sure everybody will understand that we are in a situation of extreme urgency,” Borrell told reporters as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
“I am sure that in the following days we will reach (an agreement),” he said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed frustration in a tweet last week that the landmark deal sealed last month for EU countries to jointly buy artillery shells for Kyiv has not yet been implemented due to disagreements over how much of the business has to stay within Europe.
“For Ukraine, the cost of inaction is measured in human lives,” he warned on Thursday.
Kuleba was expected to make his case directly to EU foreign ministers at Monday’s meeting, addressing them by video link on the state of the war triggered by Russia‘s invasion last year.
Artillery rounds, particularly 155mm shells, have become critical to the conflict as Ukrainian and Russian forces wage an intense war of attrition. Officials say Kyiv is burning through more rounds than its allies can currently produce.
The joint procurement plan is part of a multi-track EU deal to get 1 million artillery shells or missiles to Ukraine within 12 months and ramp up European munitions production, approved by foreign ministers last month.
The first element is the most immediate. It sets aside 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to reimburse EU governments for sending munitions to Ukraine from existing stocks.
Borrell stressed that track was up and running. He said EU countries had already requested reimbursements for ammunition worth 600 million euros ($660 million).
But the second track, worth another 1 billion euros to fund joint procurement, has yet to be finalised.
EU officials have said they hope to sign the first contracts with arms firms at the end of next month.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Russia 'will not forgive' US denial of journalist visas10:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
In case you missed it...
Russia said Sunday that the United States has denied visas to journalists who wanted to cover Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov‘s trip to New York, and Lavrov suggested that Moscow would take strong retaliatory measures.
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. State Department about the claim of refused visas. The journalists aimed to cover Lavrov’s appearance at the United Nations to mark Russia’s chairmanship of the Security Council.
“A country that calls itself the strongest, smartest, free and fair country has chickened out and done something stupid by showing what its sworn assurances about protecting freedom of speech and access to information are really worth,” Lavrov said before leaving Moscow on Sunday.
“Be sure that we will not forget and will not forgive,” he said.
Russia 'will not forgive' US denial of journalist visas
What is the latest in Ukraine-Russia politics?09:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
* Turkey’s defence minister said he planned to meet his Syrian, Russian and Iranian counterparts in Moscow on Tuesday, state-owned Anadolu news agency said, amid efforts to rebuild Ankara-Damascus ties after years of animosity during the Syrian war.
* The European Union must accelerate its joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine, Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said.
* Russia said on Saturday it was expelling more than 20 German diplomats in a tit-for-tat move.
Trump to publish letters with King Charles without permission in book revealing Putin friendship09:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A private letter written by King Charles to Donald Trump is set to be published without the monarch’s permission.
The former president, facing 34 charges for falsifying business records, plans to publish the correspondence on Tuesday.
It forms part of a new book which in which Mr Trump will reveal his correspondence with other world leaders, public figures and celebrities.
Matt Mathers reports:
Trump to publish King Charles letters without permission
Why Vladimir Putin needs Xi Jinping now more than ever08:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
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
In the last minutes of their meeting in Moscow last month, Xi Jinping declared that his Russian counterpart was driving the kind of geopolitical changes not seen in the world in more than 100 years.
When Mr Xi extended his right hand for a formal farewell, Vladimir Putin grasped it with both hands and wished him a safe trip, standing there beaming until the Chinese convoy had left the premises.
Why Vladimir Putin needs Xi Jinping now more than ever
EU ministers say China envoy's remarks on Ukraine sovereignty unacceptable08:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Recent remarks by China’s ambassador to France questioning the sovereignty of former Soviet states such as Ukraine are totally unacceptable, foreign ministers for the Czech Republic and Lithuania said before a meeting with EU colleagues on Monday.
“It is totally unacceptable”, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said ahead of the Luxembourg meeting. “I hope bosses of this ambassador will make these things straight.”
Asked about his position on whether Crimea is part of Ukraine or not, Chinese ambassador to Paris Lu Shaye said in an interview aired on French television on Friday that historically it was part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
“These ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status,” Shaye added.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis also said such comments were “totally unacceptable” and said the three Baltic countries will officially ask China for clarification to check if its position has changed.
France, Ukraine and the three Baltic states all expressed dismay at Lu’s comments over the weekend.
Putin struggling to ‘maintain narrative used to justify the war’, says UK08:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia is struggling to maintain the narrative that its conflict in Ukraine is similar to the Soviet Union’s battle against the Nazis in the Second World War, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (Mod) has said.
President Vladimir Putin consistently said he wanted to “denazify” Ukraine in the run up to his country’s invasion in February last year.
Putin, assisted by the country’s state media, has exploited the memory of the Second World War, which is a lynchpin of Russia’s national identity.
However, in its latest intelligence update on Saturday, the MoD said: The Russian state is struggling to maintain consistency in a core narrative that it uses to justify the war in Ukraine: that the invasion is analogous to the Soviet experience in the Second World War.”
Putin struggling to ‘maintain narrative used to justify the war’, says UK
Kremlin’s spokesman’s son says he served with Wagner in Ukraine07:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The son of the Kremlin spokesman has said he served with the Wagner mercenary group for six months in Ukraine.
Nikolai Peskov, son of Dmitry Peskov, said it was his “duty”.
In an interview with pro-Kremlin daily Komsomolskaya Pravda, the 33-year-old said he “couldn’t sit to one side watching as friends and others went off there”.
After making his decision, he said that he asked his well-connected father to help join the group.
The Wagner Group is known as a “private military group” and has trained and deployed thousands of convicted criminals in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (Reuters)
ICYMI: Is the US in a proxy war with Russia?07:15 , Namita Singh
The short answer: it depends on how the term is defined, says Karen DeYoung, who speaks to experts on Washington’s continued involvement in Ukraine, and what its long-term objectives might be.
More here:
Is the US in a proxy war with Russia?
Russia warns grain deal in peril07:00 , Namita Singh
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said that if the G7 moved to ban exports to Russia, it would respond by terminating the Black Sea grain deal that enables vital exports of food from Ukraine. Russia has strongly signalled that it will not allow the deal to continue beyond 18 May.
The Group of Seven (G7) countries are considering a near-total ban on exports to Russia, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported last week, citing Japanese government sources. Russia has repeatedly threatened to scrap its participation in the grain deal, which is due to expire on 18 May.
This idea from the idiots at the G7 about a total ban of exports to our country by default is beautiful in that it implies a reciprocal ban on imports from our country, including categories of goods that are the most sensitive for the G7. In such a case, the grain deal - and many other things that they need - will end for them.
Dmitry Medvedev
“This idea from the idiots at the G7 about a total ban of exports to our country by default is beautiful in that it implies a reciprocal ban on imports from our country, including categories of goods that are the most sensitive for the G7,” Mr Medvedev said in a post on his Telegram channel.
“In such a case, the grain deal - and many other things that they need - will end for them,” he added.
Russia’s former leader Dmitry Medvedev, a President Putin ally who is now deputy chairman of the country’s security council, is seen before a meeting on 21 March 2023 (SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)
The G7 is reportedly discussing reversing its sanctions approach so that exports to Russia are automatically banned unless they are included on a designated list of products allowed to be shipped to the country. Under the current framework, goods are allowed to be sold to Russia unless they are explicitly black-listed.
Mr Medvedev, a long-time ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, is Putin’s deputy chair at the influential Security Council and heads a government commission on arms production for the war in Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly rallied against the terms of the Black Sea grain deal - the only significant diplomatic breakthrough of the 14-month conflict in Ukraine. It has said it will walk away from the initiative ahead of a 18 May deadline if the West does not lift restrictions on Russian agricultural and fertiliser exports.
Russia ‘will not forgive’ US denial of journalist visas06:45 , Namita Singh
Russia said Sunday that the United States has denied visas to journalists who wanted to cover foreign minister Sergei Lavrov‘s trip to New York, suggesting that Moscow would take strong retaliatory measures.
There was no immediate comment from the US State Department about the claim of refused visas. The journalists aimed to cover Lavrov’s appearance at the United Nations to mark Russia’s chairmanship of the Security Council.
“A country that calls itself the strongest, smartest, free and fair country has chickened out and done something stupid by showing what its sworn assurances about protecting freedom of speech and access to information are really worth,” Mr Lavrov said before leaving Moscow on Sunday.
More in this report:
Russia 'will not forgive' US denial of journalist visas
‘Ukraine war spurs record global spending on military’06:30 , Namita Singh
Global military spending rose to a record last year as Russia’s war in Ukraine drove the biggest annual increase in expenditure in Europe since the end of the Cold War three decades ago, a leading conflict and armaments think tank said on Monday.
World military expenditure rose by 3.7 per cent in real terms in 2022 to $2.24 trillion, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a statement.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February last year following years of growing tensions, has prompted European countries to rush to bolster their defences.
Ukrainian artillerymen of the Aidar battalion work with artillery shells on a front line position near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on 22 April 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)
SIPRI estimated that military aid to Ukraine from the United States accounted for 2.3 per cent of total US military spending in 2022. Though the United States was the world’s top spender by far its overall expenditure rose only marginally in real terms.
Meanwhile, Russia’s military spending grew by an estimated 9.2 per cent, though SIPRI acknowledged figures were “highly uncertain given the increasing opaqueness of financial authorities” since its war in Ukraine began.
“The difference between Russia’s budgetary plans and its actual military spending in 2022 suggests the invasion of Ukraine has cost Russia far more than it anticipated,” said Lucie Beraud-Sudreau, director of SIPRI’s military expenditure and arms production programme.
EU ministers braced for Ukrainian frustration over ammunition plan06:15 , Namita Singh
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba gets a chance today to vent Kyiv’s frustration to European Union foreign ministers over wrangling that is holding up an EU plan to buy ammunition to help Ukraine fight Russia’s invasion.
Mr Kuleba expressed frustration in a tweet last week that a landmark deal for EU countries to jointly buy artillery shells for Ukraine has not yet been implemented due to disagreements over how much of the business has to stay within Europe.
“The inability of the EU to implement its own decision on the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine is frustrating,” he said on Thursday.
“For Ukraine, the cost of inaction is measured in human lives.”
Mr Kuleba can make his case directly when he discusses the state of the war and Ukraine’s needs by video link to a regular meeting of EU foreign ministers, taking place in Luxembourg. EU diplomats say they expect him to do so.
Artillery rounds, particularly 155mm shells, have become critical to the conflict as Ukrainian and Russian forces wage an intense war of attrition. Officials say Kyiv is burning through more rounds than its allies can currently produce.
The joint procurement plan is part of a multi-track EU deal to get one million artillery shells or missiles to Ukraine within 12 months and ramp up European munitions production, approved by foreign ministers last month.
The first element is the most immediate. It sets aside $1.1bn to reimburse EU governments for sending munitions to Ukraine from existing stocks.
South Korea restricts technology and industrial export to Russia and Belarus06:00 , Namita Singh
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced restricting technology and industrial exports to Russia and its ally Belarus to support the US-led pressure campaign against Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
In announcing its new regulations over exports of strategic materials, the South Korean trade ministry said the country will place hundreds more industrial products and components under its export restrictions against the two countries beginning this week.
Seoul’s controls so far have covered 57 items, including those related to electronics and shipbuilding, with authorities banning their shipments to Russia and Belarus unless the companies obtain special approvals.
Ukrainian artillerymen of Aidar battalion fire a 122mm D30 howitzer artillery field gun, at a front line near Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region, on 22 April 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)
The list will increase to 798 items beginning Friday, including exports related to construction, machinery, steelmaking, automobiles, semiconductors and advanced computing.
“(We) plan to work with relevant ministries to strengthen crackdowns and enforcement to prevent (the restricted items) from reaching Russia or Belarus through third countries,” the ministry said in a statement.
‘Russian antisubmarine destroyer to conduct drills in Sea of Japan’05:45 , Namita Singh
Russia’s antisubmarine destroyer Admiral Tributs will conduct exercises in the Sea of Japan involving mock enemy objects, the news agency Interfax reported on Monday, quoting the press service of Russia’s Pacific Fleet.
“In the Sea of Japan, the Admiral Tributs ship will conduct an anti-submarine exercise in accordance with the fleet combat training plan,” the press service said.
File: Sailors aboard the Russian anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs stand on 8 April 2019 (AFP via Getty Images)
As part of the exercises, the ship’s crew, in cooperation with naval helicopters, will search for a mock enemy submarine, as well as perform combat training drills with torpedoes.
Launched in 1983, the Admiral Tributs vessel serves in the Russian Pacific Fleet.
Black Sea Fleet repels drone attack on Sevastopol, claims Russian-backed governor05:30 , Namita Singh
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet repelled a drone attack on the Crimean port of Sevastopol in the early hours of Monday, the Moscow-installed governor of the city said through social media.
“According to the latest information: one surface drone was destroyed ... the second one exploded on its own,” governor Mikhail Razvozhaev wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “Now the city is quiet.”
No damage was reported, Mr Razvozhaev added.
Sevastopol, along with the rest of the Crimean peninsula, was declared annexed by Russia in 2014 but is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.
There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine. Kyiv almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia and on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.
China’s cooperation with Europe 'unlimited' as with Russia, says its envoy to EU05:18 , Namita Singh
China’s cooperation with Europe and other nations is “endless” just as its ties with Russia are “unlimited”, China’s envoy to the European Union said, giving some reassurance of China’s neutrality over Ukraine in an interview published on Monday.
It was unclear when Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassador to the EU, gave the interview to the Chinese news outlet The Paper.
But its publication comes hard on the heels of controversial remarks by China’s ambassador to France, who questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet Union states including Ukraine during an interview with French television on Friday.
File: FU Cong, Deputy Permanent Representative, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Disarmament Affairs of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Officem speaks to the media on 28 July 2019 (AFP via Getty Images)
Various EU diplomats have slammed China for its refusal to describe Russia’s war on Ukraine as an invasion or call for a Russian withdrawal, noting that Beijing and Moscow declared a “no limits” partnership just days before Russian troops launched their attack on Ukraine.
“The European side should correctly understand the reference to ‘no upper limit’,” Mr Fu told the newspaper. “Friendship and cooperation among countries are endless and should not be artificially limited. Sino-Russian cooperation is “unlimited”, and the same is true for China and Europe.”
He warned against “attempts” to use Sino-Russian relations to sow discord between China and Europe, rejecting talk that China had “prior knowledge” of the Ukraine conflict or has been supplying weapons.
Russia denies reports of Ukraine taking position at Dnipro river bank05:05 , Namita Singh
The Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region denied a report by a US think tank that Ukrainian forces had taken up positions on the Dnipro river’s eastern bank.
“There is no enemy foothold on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro river ... our military completely controls that territory,” Vladimir Saldo wrote on his Telegram channel.
Citing Russian military bloggers embedded with Moscow’s forces, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine had “established positions” on the eastern bank, though it was not clear “at what scale or with what intentions”.
People walk along the Dnipro River on Trukhaniv Island on 7 April 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine (Getty Images)
Russia withdrew forces from the western bank last year as part of a series of withdrawals that signified a shift in momentum in Kyiv’s favour.
Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern command, neither confirmed nor denied the report, which she told Ukrainian television foreshadowed “very powerful shelling” in districts around the west bank cities of Kherson and Beryslav.
“Reacting to such information, the enemy has significantly intensified its attacks on the opposite bank,” she said. Civilians had been injured and about 30 buildings destroyed, including a school, she said.
Zelensky vows to keep defending Bakhmut04:59 , Namita Singh
Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to keep defending Bakhmut as Moscow claimed to be advancing in the eastern Ukrainian city.
“It is impossible for us to give up on Bakhmut because this will expand the battle front and will give the Russian forces and Wagner chances to seize more of our lands,” Mr Zelensky said in an interview with the Al Arabiya news channel published on Sunday.Russia sees Bakhmut as a stepping stone to more advances in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during his joint press conference with Secretary General of Nato Jens Stoltenberg on 20 April 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine (Getty Images)
Ukrainian colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi shared images on the Telegram messaging app of him poring over a map with three other uniformed men, with the caption “Bakhmut frontline. Our defence continues.“We hit the enemy, often unexpectedly for him, and continue to hold strategic lines,” he wrote.
Russia claims progress in battle for Bakhmut04:54 , Namita Singh
Russia on Sunday claimed its forces had advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, all but destroyed in some of the bloodiest combat of the 14-month war, as Kyiv said it was holding on on the frontline.
The Russian defence ministry said its forces had secured two blocks in western districts of Bakhmut and airborne units were providing reinforcements to the north and south.
A BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher fires towards Russian positions on the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on 23 April 2023, amid the Russian invasion on Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)
Reuters was unable to verify battlefield reports.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the private Wagner military force which is leading the Bakhmut assault, has previously claimed 80 per cent control of the city.
04:31 , Namita Singh
Welcome to The Independent’s live blog for Monday, 24 April 2023 where we provide the latest on Russian invasion of Ukraine.
