Belgium pledges dozens of F-16 fighter jets as Putin’s troops ‘massing on border’

Belgium has pledged to send more than two dozen F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as part of a near €1 billion (£832 million) military support package.

The aid was announced as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels for discussions with the prime minister, Alexander De Croo.

In a later statement, Mr Zelensky confirmed that they had signed a “bilateral security and long-term support agreement” worth €977 million. It included 30 US-made F-16 fighter jets that will be delivered to Ukraine incrementally until 2028.

Kyiv has asked its Western supporters to donate F-16 jets since the start of the war more than two years ago. They view them as vital to countering Russia’s aerial threat.

It comes as Russian troops are reportedly gathering on the Ukrainian border as they prepare for fresh offensive operations.

War-monitoring think tank The Institue for the Study of War said this concentration of forces are likely to be used to draw Ukrainian troops into the area and prepare to expand the Russian foothold in the northeastern border area of Kharkiv.

Key Points

• Belgium to provide 30 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as Zelensky lands in Brussels

• Spain provides more air defence missiles to Ukraine

• Russia dropped 3,200 bombs on Ukraine in May, Zelensky says

• Death toll in Kharkiv attack rises to 14

EU tries to drum up military support for Ukraine as Zelenskyy tours Spain, Belgium and Portugal

17:00 , Tom Watling

EU tries to drum up military support for Ukraine as Zelenskyy tours Spain, Belgium and Portugal

No clear position on EU training Ukrainian forces in Ukraine – Borrell

15:45 , Tom Watling

European Union ministers debated training Ukrainian forces in Ukraine but there is no clear common position yet, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday.

“About doing part of the training in Ukraine, there has been a debate, but (there) is not a clear common European position on that”, he said in a press conference.

Zelensky meets with the King of Belgium

15:15 , Tom Watling

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has met with Belgium’s King Philippe on the second day of his European tour.

Earlier, Mr Zelensky met with the Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo. The pair signed a nearly €1 billion security agreement.

UK vows action over hundreds of Ukrainians with disabilities vanished into Russia

14:45 , Tom Watling

UK vows action over hundreds of Ukrainians with disabilities vanished into Russia

Ukraine to receive F-16s ‘very soon’ but much aid arriving late, defence minister says

14:15 , Tom Watling

Ukraine will receive its first supplies of F-16 fighter jets “very soon” but around half of its desperately needed foreign military aid is arriving late, Kyiv’s defence minister has said.

Rustem Umerov, 42, told Reuters in an interview in Kyiv late on Monday that Russia was deploying more manpower and equipment to the front, more than 27 months after its full-scale invasion.

Kyiv’s forces have managed to stabilise the new front in the northeastern Kharkiv region where Russia attacked earlier this month. But Mr Umerov said Moscow was preparing for a new push.

“Their objective is to open a new front in the north to start using all their manpower, firing power, against us, they are continuing with their objective to destroy the nation,” he said.

“We are withstanding, but of course we need more weapons, we need more firing power, we need long-range missiles, not to allow them to enter our state.”

He said Ukraine was grateful for the military aid and weapons supplied by its partners, but that only half of the promised deliveries arrived on time. Every delay benefited Ukraine‘s much larger and better-equipped foe, with a front line stretching 750 miles.

Glide bombs, missiles and drones: The aerial bombardment raining down on Ukraine’s troops around Kharkiv

13:45 , Tom Watling

Glide bombs, missiles and drones rain down on Ukraine’s troops around Kharkiv

Image shows giant crater next to Kharkiv publishing house

13:15 , Tom Watling

An image has shown a giant bomb crater next to a Kharkiv publishing house that was destroyed by a Russian missile strike last week.

More than 50 people were believed to be inside the Faktor Druk printing house when it was hit. At least seven people were killed and dozens more injured. You can read the full story here.

Kremlin says Russia should continue Ukraine operation in response to West

12:45 , Tom Watling

Russia should stand its ground and continue what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine in response to the West’s military fervour, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, as quoted by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

At the same time, Peskov said that the West had no unanimity of opinion regarding the Ukrainian army’s strikes with Western weapons on Russian territory.

Russia to build a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan

12:20 , Tom Watling

Russia to build a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan

Here are the latest photos from Zelensky’s visit to Belgium

12:00 , Tom Watling

We have some photos dropping on the wires of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Belgium, part of his multi-day tour across Europe to drum up further support for Kyiv.

Earlier today, we reported that the two nations had agreed on a nearly €1 billion military aid package including 30 F-16 fighter jets.

Sweden halts plan for Gripen jets to Ukraine, news agency TT reports

11:40 , Tom Watling

Sweden is pausing plans to send Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine in order to allow for the introduction of F-16 fighter jets, the Swedish defence minister has told news agency TT in Brussels.

Ukraine last year started discussions with Sweden about the possibility of receiving Gripen jets, and the Nordic country later said its would assess the potential for sending the aircraft made by Swedish defence contractor Saab.

“We have been urged by the other countries in the coalition to wait with the Gripen system,” defence minister Pal Jonson told TT, referring to nations that plan to donate US-made F-16 planes to Ukraine.

“This has to do with the fact that the focus is now on introducing the F-16 system,” Mr Jonson said.

They escaped Russia’s deadly assault on Kharkiv – now these Ukrainians face another catastrophe

11:20 , Tom Watling

They escaped Russia’s deadly assault on Kharkiv – now they face another catastrophe

US President Biden should attend Swiss peace summit on Ukraine – Zelensky

11:00 , Tom Watling

US President Joe Biden should attend a planned peace summit in Switzerland on the Ukraine conflict next month to make the meeting a success, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a news conference in Brussels on Tuesday.

Mr Biden’s absence would benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin, who gave the order to invade Ukraine in 2022, Mr Zelensky said.

Ukraine’s use of weapons on Russian territory won’t draw NATO into the war – Stoltenberg

10:40 , Tom Watling

Ukraine‘s use of weapons supplied by its western allies against targets inside Russia would not make Nato and its members part of the conflict, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a European Union meeting on Tuesday.

These Ukrainians fear they will be the next target for Putin’s forces – but they will fight to the last

10:20 , Tom Watling

These Ukrainians fear they will be the next target for Putin’s forces

EU diplomats back Ukraine’s request to be able to fire missiles into Russia

10:00 , Tom Watling

The top diplomats of two European countries have called for Ukraine to be allowed to fire missiles and drones into mainland Russia without reprimand.

Their comments come a day after Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said the “time had come” for Kyiv’s allies to give Ukrainian forces the all-clear to hit mainland Russia, especially as Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv, the countries second largest, is being battered by Moscow’s missiles.

Top allies, including the US and Germany, have called on Ukraine to only use their missiles in their own territory, for fear of Russia escalating the war if they are hit on their own land.

But Dutch defence minister Kajsa Ollongren said it was “quite clear that they [the Ukrainians] have to strike inside Russia”.

“From my point of view this should not be a matter of discussion, and I hope that other countries that have a different position will change it,” she said.

Her Estonian counterpart Hanno Pevkur agreed. He said: “It cannot be normal that Russia is attacking from very deep into Ukrainian territory and the Ukrainians are fighting with one hand behind their back.”

Drone warning signs installed in Russian region bordering Ukraine

09:40 , Tom Watling

Road signs warning of possible drone attacks have been installed in the Russian district of Shebekinsky after several attacks hit the area.

Photos published by a local news channel in Shebekinsky, a district of the wider Belgorod region, showed signs reading “UAV Danger” with a picture of a drone beneath. “UAV” stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

In recent months, Ukrainian drones have targeted military outposts and infrastructure throughout the Belgorod region as Russian forces continue to launch deadly cross-border attacks and fire fatal bombs at civilian hubs.

Russian drones hit apartment block in southern Ukraine – video

09:19 , Tom Watling

Footage has shown the aftermath of a Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian town of Ochakiv in the southern region of Mykolaiv.

Ukraine’s state emergency services posted the below video as they searched the damaged building.

“The enemy targeted a two-story building that houses a store and a non-operational fitness room,” a statement read. “A fire broke out. Firefighters extinguished the fire. There was no information about the victims.”

Russian prisoners get to make phone calls home. Ukrainians don’t

09:15 , Tom Watling

Russian prisoners get to make phone calls home. Ukrainians don’t

Zelensky issues statement after Belgium F-16 deal

09:00 , Tom Watling

Ukrainian President Voldoymyr Zelensky has issued a statement confirming earlier reports that Belgium had agreed to supply 30 F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv.

The US-made jets have long been sought after by Ukraine, with many believing they are the only way of stopping Russia’s use of deadly glide bombs, which have killed hundreds this year.

The explosives are fired from Russia’s own fighter jets beyond the range of Ukraine’s air defence systems.

“Today in Brussels, Prime Minister AlexanderDeCroo and I signed a bilateral security and long-term support agreement between Ukraine and Belgium,” Mr Zelensky wrote.

“The document includes at least €977 million (£832m) in Belgian military aid to Ukraine this year, as well as Belgium’s commitment to providing our country with support over the course of the agreement’s ten-year term.

“For the first time, such an agreement specifies the exact number of F-16 fighter jets – 30 – that will be delivered to Ukraine until 2028, with the first arriving already this year.”

You can read Mr Zelensky’s full statement below.

Ukraine PM to meet some EU leaders in Prague for military aid talks, Czech PM says

08:45 , Tom Watling

Ukraine‘s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal will meet a group of European Union leaders in Prague on Tuesday to discuss military aid to Kyiv for its fight against a Russian invasion, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has said.

Speaking ahead of the meeting later in the day, Mr Fiala reiterated the first deliveries of ammunition procured in a Czech-led initiative, which sources supplies from outside the EU, would reach Ukraine in June.

Mr Shmyhal’s meetings come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues his tour around Europe. He is expected in Brussels today and Portugal later in the week, having already visited Spain yesterday.

Netherlands pledges parts of Patriot air defence system to Ukraine

08:33 , Tom Watling

The Netherlands will deliver parts of a Patriot air defence system to Ukraine and is talking to other countries in order to assemble a complete system, the Dutch defence minister Kajsa Ollongren has said.

“With our offer, and if other potential partner countries are able to deliver parts and ammunition, we would be able to supply at least one complete system to Ukraine in the short term,” Ms Ollongren said.

Mapped: Russia make advances in Vovchansk

08:15 , Tom Watling

Russian forces have pushed further into the northeastern town of Vovchansk, in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, updated maps have shown.

The town, which had a prewar population of 17,000 but is now home to just a couple of hundred people, has become the primary defensive line for Ukraine’s forces in that region.

Poland should not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, says foreign minister

08:00 , Tom Watling

Poland should not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski has said, as Kyiv struggles to repel Russian advances.

While Ukraine‘s Nato allies have vowed to supply the war-torn nation with money and weapons for as long as it takes to repel a Russian invasion, they have generally ruled out the possibility of sending soldiers to the country.

Asked in an interview whether Poland was ready to send troops to Ukraine, Mr Sikorski said: “We shouldn’t rule it out. We should leave Putin guessing as to our intentions.”

However, he did not specify what role Polish troops would play.

The interview was published in Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza, Italy’s La Repubblica and Spain’s El Pais.

French President Emmanuel Macron opened the door to sending troops to Ukraine and at a conference in Paris in February, suggesting that one area Western troops could help with would be to train Ukrainians in Ukraine.

Mr Sikorski himself has previously said that the presence of Nato troops in Ukraine is “not unthinkable”.

Belgium to provide 30 F-16 jets to Ukraine

07:45 , Tom Watling

Belgium will commit to equip Ukraine with 30 F-16 fighter jets with first deliveries planned for this year, news agency Belga has reported, citing the country’s foreign minister Hadja Lahbib.

The announcement comes hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy is due to meet with the government in Brussels later today.

Here are some of the latest photos from Ukraine

07:37 , Tom Watling

Good morning.

Below are some of the latest photos from Ukraine.

Before invasion, Putin told Germany’s Scholz Russia can change Ukraine’s borders

07:18 , Arpan Rai

Before rolling out Russian forces into Ukraine in February 2022, Vladimir Putin had warned German chancellor Olaf Scholz that Russia could change Ukraine’s borders forcibly.

The Russian president had claimed that Ukraine is not an independent state and that Russia can unilaterally and forcibly change its smaller neighbour’s borders.

His remarks were mentioned by Mr Scholz at the Freedom for Democracy Festival in Berlin on Sunday.

Putin had said “Ukraine and Belarus are parts of Russia” and the German chancellor’s discussion with Putin demonstrated that Putin thinks that one can change borders “with the help of force.”

“Putin has consistently demonstrated that he does not consider Ukraine an independent state with its own history, identity, and culture separate from Russia, as evidenced by his 2021 essay, “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians”; that his war aims include the total defeat of Ukraine; and that he has expansive territorial ambitions in Ukraine,” said The Institute for the Study of War in its assessment.

Spain provides more air defence missiles to defend against Russian glide bombs

06:53 , Arpan Rai

On a visit to Madrid, Volodymyr Zelensky has secured a pledge of additional air defence missiles from Spain to help fight the about 3,000 bombs that he says Russia launches every month at Ukraine.

The Ukrainian war-time president said the country still urgently needs another seven US-made Patriot air defence systems to stop Russia hitting the power grid and civilian areas, as well as military targets, with devastating glide bombs that wreak wide destruction, Mr Zelensky said.

“If we had these modern Patriot systems, (Russian) airplanes wouldn’t be able to fly close enough to drop the (glide) bombs on the civilian population and the military,” he told a news conference in the Spanish capital.

Glide bombs are heavy Soviet-era bombs fitted with precision guidance systems and launched from aircraft flying out of range of air defences. The bombs weigh more than a ton and blast targets to smithereens, leaving a huge crater.

Kyiv says it will invite French military instructors to train troops in Ukraine

06:00 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s top military commander Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said he has signed documents that will allow French military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres.

General Syrskyi said he and Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov had a video call with French defence minister Sebastien Lecornu.

Paris has not confirmed any timeline for sending French military instructors to Ukraine.

The French defence ministry said it has been discussing sending French military instructors to Ukraine since president Emmanuel Macron met with European leaders in February this year to discuss European support for Ukraine, but did not explicitly confirm that France would send French military instructors to Ukraine.

Putin’s troops attack sweets manufacturer in Kharkiv, killing one

05:33 , Arpan Rai

Russian forces attacked companies producing sweets and agricultural machinery in the besieged Kharkiv region, killing one 46-year-old woman, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine’s internal affairs ministry said two multi-purpose aerial glide bombs hit the companies, in an attack targeting the Kholodnohirskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts of Kharkiv.

“Two companies were hit, one of which produces sweets and the other specialises in the production of agricultural machinery,” the ministry said on its Telegram channel.

The attack injured 11 other people, it added.

Russian facility in captured Luhansk comes under fresh attack

05:01 , Arpan Rai

The Ukrainian city of Luhansk, which is currently under Russian control, came under attack in the early hours of today for the second time in a week, officials in Moscow said.

There were at least two large explosions heard, said Rodion Miroshnik, a special ambassador for the Russian foreign ministry.

“It cannot be ruled out that the repeat strike occurred at the site where rescue teams are dealing with the aftermath of the previous missile attack,” Mr Miroshnik said.

Ukraine-appointed Luhansk oblast governor Artem Lysohor said the fire broke out near the infrastructure facilities of the former Luhansk Higher Military Aviation School and the nearby aircraft repair plant.

The attack comes just a week after Ukrainian forces targeted a Russian military base in Luhansk’s suburb of Yuvileine, he said.

Russia claims its forces have captured two Ukrainian settlements

04:48 , Arpan Rai

Russia is claiming its forces have captured two villages in Ukraine, including one in the embattled Kharkiv region.

The Russian defence ministry said the settlements are Ivanivka in the Kharkiv region and Netailove in Donetsk.

Moscow’s claims have not been confirmed by Ukrainian officials, although they did admit that the Russian offensive had enjoyed “partial success” in Kharkiv.

Yesterday evening, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said it had repelled seven Russian advances in the Kupiansk sector.

Russian forces had recorded “partial success” in one of the areas of the Kupiansk sector, it added, and Ukrainian forces were “taking measures to stabilise the situation and prevent the enemy from advancing”.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think-tank monitoring the war, said Russian forces continued intense glide bomb strikes against Kharkiv city and elsewhere in northern Kharkiv Oblast yesterday.

“The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces fired 25 guided glide bombs against northern Kharkiv oblast during the day on 27 May, including two glide bombs against Kharkiv city. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian glide bombs struck an industrial facility and residential area in Kharkiv City, killing one and injuring 11,” it said.

Frustrated EU ministers urge Hungary to stop blocking military aid to Ukraine

Monday 27 May 2024 22:00 , Athena Stavrou

European Union foreign ministers urged Hungary on Monday to stop blocking measures to provide billions of euros in military aid to Ukraine, as long-simmering tension with Budapest boiled over.

Even before a meeting of the EU’s 27 foreign ministers began, Lithuania’s top diplomat Gabrielius Landsbergis accused Hungary of systematically blocking EU foreign policy positions.

“Almost all of our discussions and needed solutions and decisions by (the) EU are being blocked by just one country,” he told reporters as he arrived at the meeting in Brussels.

“We have to start seeing this as a systematic approach towards any efforts by (the) EU to have any meaningful role in foreign affairs.”

Estonia and Italy also expressed dissatisfaction before the meeting with Budapest’s blocking tactics. Diplomats say Hungary’s stance is often in line with Russia’s interests but Budapest insists it is advocating for peace

Russia dropped 3,200 bombs on Ukraine in May, Zelensky says

Monday 27 May 2024 21:00 , Athena Stavrou

Russian forces have attacked Ukraine with around 3,200 guided aerial bombs this month, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference in Madrid, he added that Ukraine‘s military does not have enough air-defence missiles to stop Russia from dropping thousands of bombs per month.

Poland to limit movement of Russian diplomats

Monday 27 May 2024 19:30 , Athena Stavrou

Poland will introduce restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats on its territory due to Moscow’s involvement in what it deems a hybrid war against the European Union, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Monday.

Relations between Poland and Russia have deteriorated sharply since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.

Warsaw has also accused Moscow of spying and sabotage.

“These are national decisions, but we have evidence that the Russian state is involved in authorizing sabotage in our country as well. We hope that the Russian Federation will treat this as a very serious warning,” Radoslaw Sikorski told journalists in Brussels.

The Russian embassy in Warsaw said it could not immediately comment as it had not received official information on the measures.

Spain to give Ukraine 1 billion euros worth of military aid

Monday 27 May 2024 18:30 , Athena Stavrou

Spain has pledged to provide military support to Ukraine worth 1 billion euros this year under an agreement signed on Monday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid.

“It is more important than ever to redouble our support,” Sanchez told a press conference.

The pact, which covers the next decade, calls for the supply of modern military equipment for ground, aerial, naval and other uses, “prioritising Ukraine‘s key capacity needs”, and an emphasis on maritime means to protect Ukraine‘s food export routes, but gave no specifics.

Three killed in Russian attack on Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, Kyiv says

Monday 27 May 2024 17:30 , Athena Stavrou

Three people were killed and six wounded in a Russian attack on Ukraine‘s southern Mykolaiv region on Monday, Ukrainian emergencies service and a local official said.

“In the afternoon, as a result of a missile attack on (the town of) Snihurivka, a fire broke out in a coffee shop, a car shop and a tyre service, and a blast wave damaged a self-service car wash,” the service said in the Telegram messaging app.

“The bodies of two people were found during the rubble removal,” it added.

The Mykolaiv governor later said the death toll had risen to three.

One killed in Russian attack on Kharkiv, local governor says

Monday 27 May 2024 16:25 , Athena Stavrou

One civilian was killed and 10 injured in a Russian attack on Ukraine‘s eastern city of Kharkiv on Monday, local governor said.

“The enemy attacked a civilian enterprise with a guided bomb. There is damage to production facilities,” the governor Oleh Syniehubov said on the Telegram messaging app.

Russian troops gather on border

Monday 27 May 2024 14:38 , Athena Stavrou

Russian troops are reportedly gathering on the Ukrainian border as they prepare for fresh offensive operations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Saturday that Putin’s forces are preparing for new offensive and are gathering near the border 90 kilometers northwest of Kharkiv City.

War-monitoring think tank The Institue for the Study of War said this concentration of forces are likely to be used to draw Ukrainian troops into the area and prepare to expand the Russian foothold in the northeastern border area.

The past week has seen an uptick in strikes on the city of Kharkiv after Russian troops stormed across the border, opening a new front north of the city.

Russia captures two settlements in Ukraine, defence ministry says

Monday 27 May 2024 13:30 , Athena Stavrou

Russian forces captured two villages in Ukraine, the defence ministry said on Monday. The settlements are Ivanivka in the Kharkiv region and Netailove in Donetsk

They escaped Russia’s deadly assault on Kharkiv – now these Ukrainians face another catastrophe

Monday 27 May 2024 12:43 , Athena Stavrou

The Russian assault on the Ukraine’s northeastern region of Kharkiv threatens to leave thousands of newly-displaced civilians without homes, UN officials and aid workers have told The Independent, as the United Nations grapples with an “extremely worrying” shortage of humanitarian aid.

More than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians have been forced to evacuate their homes after Russian forces launched a multi-pronged, cross-border attack into the Kharkiv region on 10 May.

Tom Waitling reports:

They escaped Russia’s deadly assault on Kharkiv – now they face another catastrophe

Ukraine drone attacks Russian early-warning radar at ‘record’ distance, Kyiv source says

Monday 27 May 2024 09:58 , Athena Stavrou

A Ukrainian drone attacked a Russian “Voronezh M” early-warning radar near the city of Orsk in the Orenburg region at a “record” distance, a Kyiv intelligence source said on Monday.

The source told Reuters the attack was conducted by Ukraine’s military spy agency on Sunday and did not say whether it caused any damage. The city of Orsk lies around 1,500 km from the nearest parts of Ukrainian-controlled territory.

One killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Oryol region, governor says

Monday 27 May 2024 07:54 , Athena Stavrou

One person was killed and three wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Oryol region on Monday, the regional governor, Andrey Klychkov, said on the Telegram messaging app.

Klychkov said a drone had crashed into a gas station, damaging it, and a second fell on it later, killing a firefighter

Ukraine’s attack on Russian nuclear radar system sparks alarm in West

Monday 27 May 2024 07:19 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s drone attack on a Russian facility tracking nuclear missiles has raised concern in the West over the benefits of targeting a nuclear-armed nation’s infrastructure for atomic weapons.

Kyiv said it had hit the Armavir radar station in the Krasnodar border last week on Thursday, targeting a critical facility which supports both Moscow’s conventional air defence and also forms part of its nuclear warning system.

The strike has been criticised by experts in the West. Hans Kristensen, a nuclear arsenal expert at the Federation of American Scientists, said the move to hit the critical Russian nuclear facility was “not a wise decision on the part of Ukraine”. “Bombers and military sites in general are different because they’re used to attack Ukraine,” he said.

Thord Are Iversen, a Norwegian military analyst, said targeting a unit of Russia’s nuclear warning system was “not a particularly good idea, especially in times of tension.”

“It’s in everyone’s best interest that Russia’s ballistic missile warning system works well,” he said.

Russian POWs get to make phone calls home. Ukrainians don’t

Monday 27 May 2024 06:44 , Arpan Rai

Precious few choices are available to Alexander, a 26-year-old Russian soldier, since his capture: Clothes, meals and the hours of his day are rigidly accounted for in the camp for prisoners of war.

But Ukraine allows Alexander to call home to his family in Kursk, a Russian city about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the Ukrainian border, and he says that has kept him grounded.

It is a lifeline unavailable to Ukrainian POWs. Now, infuriated Ukrainian families are demanding an end to the phone calls imprisoned Russian soldiers get to make.

For imprisoned Ukrainians, calls are nonexistent and even letters rare. Families usually learn their fate only when comrades freed in exchanges bring back word.

Russian POWs get to make phone calls home. Ukrainians don’t. A growing movement wants that to change

Putin arrives in Uzbekistan for gas talks: ‘Extensive possibilities’

Monday 27 May 2024 06:15 , Arpan Rai

Vladimir Putin, making his third foreign trip since his re-election in March, arrived in ex-Soviet Uzbekistan yesterday. He met with his counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev ahead of the start of formal talks.

Mr Mirziyoyev met the Russian president on arrival in Tashkent in the evening and the two leaders travelled together in a single car.

Photos and video footage posted on the Kremlin website and by Russian news agencies showed Mr Putin visiting the New Uzbekistan park in Tashkent and laying a wreath at a monument to Uzbek independence.

Russia was open to broader cooperation on gas supplies with Uzbekistan, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, adding that “the possibilities here are very extensive”.

Mr Putin has already visited China and Belarus since starting his fifth term as Russian president.

The Kremlin leader has travelled abroad only infrequently since the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

These Ukrainians fear they will be the next target for Putin’s forces – but they will fight to the last

Monday 27 May 2024 05:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Askold Krushelnycky reports from Sumy, near the border with Russia. About three hours’ drive from the fierce battles around Kharkiv, the area is preparing for its own assault by Moscow’s troops:

These Ukrainians fear they will be the next target for Putin’s forces

Putin lost more than 500,000 troops in Ukraine invasion, says Kyiv

Monday 27 May 2024 04:43 , Arpan Rai

Russia has lost over half a million soldiers in its invasion of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has said.

A total of 501,190 Russian forces have either been killed or injured in the battlefield, with 1,110 casualties recorded in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian military said yesterday in its update.

Russia has also lost 7,662 tanks, 14,803 armoured fighting vehicles, 17,639 vehicles and fuel tanks, 12,953 artillery systems, 1,083 multiple launch rocket systems, 814 air defence systems, 357 airplanes, 326 helicopters, 10,425 drones, 27 ships and boats, and one submarine, the General Staff said.

None of these numbers have been confirmed by Russia, which treats figures on its losses in Ukraine as a state secret.

Urgent meeting held at desolate Antarctica airbase amid fears over Russian control

Monday 27 May 2024 04:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Officials from Chile have met at the bottom of the planet in a bid to bolster claims in Antarctica as tensions escalate over Russian movement in the area.

Members of Chile‘s parliamentary defence committee flew to a desolate air base for a meeting billed as an assertion of national sovereignty.

Singling out Russia as posing such a threat, committee member Camila Flores said: “We are going to be sitting in Antarctica in an act of sovereignty, of safeguarding and supporting our national integrity in the face of any threats.”

Urgent meeting held at desolate Antarctica airbase amid fears over Russian control

Russian shelling kills four Ukrainian civilians, prosecutors say

Monday 27 May 2024 04:26 , Arpan Rai

Russian shelling killed three people in three different towns in Donetsk region yesterday, regional officials said.

The civilians died in Siversk in the north of the region and further south in Krasnohorivka and Chasiv Yar, prosecutors in Donetsk region said. Russia has illegally annexed Donetsk, despite only having a limited military presence in the oblast.

One more civilian died near the town of Chuhuyev, southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, where at least 14 people were killed in an attack on a hardware store on Saturday.

Russia’s military has advanced towards Chasiv Yar, the gateway to other cities in Donetsk region, a town it considers crucial to its military goals in Ukraine.

Drone attack kills one in Russia

Monday 27 May 2024 03:50 , Arpan Rai

Russia claimed a Ukrainian drone attack has killed one person and wounded three others in western Russian.

One of the drones hit a gas station and damaged it, and another fell on it later, killing a firefighter, regional governor Andrei Klychkov said.

Russia says its forces take over village in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, TASS reports

Monday 27 May 2024 03:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian forces have taken over the village of Berestove in Ukraine‘s northeastern Kharkiv region, the TASS news agency cited Russia‘s defence ministry as saying on Sunday.

Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield reports.

Zelensky urges Biden and Xi to join peace summit

Monday 27 May 2024 02:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sunday to join an upcoming peace summit as his country struggles to stave off unrelenting attacks by Russia in its 27-month-old invasion.

Moscow’s forces have in recent weeks advanced on the battlefield and stepped up air strikes on cities, and Kyiv hopes the June meeting in Switzerland will help pile international pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In English-language video recorded inside the charred remains of a printing press destroyed on Thursday in a Russian air strike, Zelensky said the summit would “show who in the world really wants to end the war”.

“I am appealing to the leaders of the world who are still aside from the global efforts of the Global Peace Summit to President Biden, the leader of the United States, and to President Xi, the leader of China,” he said.

“Please, show your leadership in advancing the peace, the real peace and not just a pause between the strikes.”

These Ukrainians fear they will be the next target for Putin’s forces – but they will fight to the last

Monday 27 May 2024 01:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Askold Krushelnycky reports from Sumy, near the border with Russia. About three hours’ drive from the fierce battles around Kharkiv, the area is preparing for its own assault by Moscow’s troops:

These Ukrainians fear they will be the next target for Putin’s forces

Why are top Russian military officials being arrested

Monday 27 May 2024 00:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

It began last month with the arrest of a Russian deputy defense minister. Then the head of the ministry’s personnel directorate was hauled into court. This week, two more senior military officials were detained. All face charges of corruption, which they have denied.

The arrests began after President Vladimir Putin began his fifth term and shuffled his ally, longtime Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, into a new post.

Why are top Russian military officials being arrested

China sending ‘lethal equipment’ to Russia for Ukraine war, Grant Shapps warns

Sunday 26 May 2024 23:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In case you missed this…

China is providing Russia with lethal aid for use in its war against Ukraine, Grant Shapps has warned.

The defence secretary suggested that British and US intelligence contradicts Beijing’s previous attempts to present itself as a moderating influence on Moscow and President Xi’s government is instead helping to arm Russia.

Mr Shapps used a speech at the London Defence Conference to reveal China’s collaboration as he argued Nato needs to “wake up” and bolster defence spending alliance-wide.

China sending lethal equipment to Russia for Ukraine war, UK defence secretary warns

European Union criticises Russia for removing Estonian buoys, demand an explanation from Moscow

Sunday 26 May 2024 22:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Friday called the removal of Estonian buoys by Russian border guards on a river separating the Baltic country from Russia “unacceptable,” and demanded an explanation from Moscow and the immediate return of the orange floating devices.

Early Thursday, Estonian border guards noticed that their Russian counterpart had removed 25 of the 50 buoys that Estonia had installed on the Narva River to prevent boats from accidentally crossing the border.

Borrell said the incident “is part of a broader pattern of provocative behavior and hybrid actions by Russia.”

European Union criticizes Russia for removing Estonian buoys, demand an explanation from Moscow

In pictures: Russian strike targets Kharkiv supermarket

Sunday 26 May 2024 21:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Firefighters put out a fire after two guided bombs hit a large construction supplies store in Kharkiv.

The death toll in Kharkiv attack rises to 14 as Zelenskyy warns of Russian troop movements

Sunday 26 May 2024 20:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Sunday that Russia is preparing to intensify its offensive along Ukraine’s northern border, as the death toll rose to 14 in an aerial bomb attack on a large construction supplies store in the city of Kharkiv.

The bombing of Kharkiv on Saturday afternoon also left 43 injured and 16 missing, Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said.

In a video statement from Kharkiv, Zelenskyy said that Russia is preparing offensive actions 90 kilometers (55 miles) northwest of Ukraine’s second largest city. He said that Russians “gather another group of troops near our border.”

The death toll in Kharkiv attack rises to 14 as Zelenskyy warns of Russian troop movements

Macron begins the first state visit to Germany by a French president in 24 years

Sunday 26 May 2024 19:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Germany Sunday for the first state visit by a French head of state in 24 years, a three-day trip meant to underline the strong ties between the European Union’s traditional leading powers.

The visit was originally meant to take place last July but was postponed at the last minute due to rioting in France following the killing of a 17-year-old by police.

Macron begins the first state visit to Germany by a French president in 24 years

Zelenskyy says Ukraine has taken back control in areas of Kharkiv region, aerial attacks continue

Sunday 26 May 2024 18:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian forces have secured “combat control” of areas where Russian troops entered the northeastern Kharkiv region earlier this month, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Meanwhile, two people were killed Saturday in an aerial attack on the city of Kharkiv, which is the region’s capital, according to local officials.

Kharkiv is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian border. Moscow’s troops have in recent weeks captured villages in the area as part of a broad push, and analysts say they may be trying to get within artillery range of the city. Ukrainian authorities have evacuated more than 11,000 people from the region since the start of the offensive on May 10.

Zelenskyy says Ukraine has taken back control in areas of Kharkiv region, aerial attacks continue

US announces $275M in new military assistance for Ukraine

Sunday 26 May 2024 17:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Biden administration announced on Friday an additional $275 million in military aid for Ukraine as Kyiv struggles to hold off advances by Russian troops in the Kharkiv region.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the package, which was previewed on Thursday by two U.S. officials, “is part of our efforts to help Ukraine repel Russia’s assault near Kharkiv.”

“Assistance from previous packages has already made it to the front lines, and we will move this new assistance as quickly as possible so the Ukrainian military can use it to defend their territory and protect the Ukrainian people,” Blinken said in a statement.

US announces $275M in new military assistance for Ukraine

They escaped Russia’s deadly assault on Kharkiv – now these Ukrainians face another catastrophe

Sunday 26 May 2024 17:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

People from villages and towns around the region have been forced from their homes by fierce fighting, reports Tom Watling:

The Russian assault on the Ukraine’s northeastern region of Kharkiv threatens to leave thousands of newly-displaced civilians without homes, UN officials and aid workers have told The Independent, as the United Nations grapples with an “extremely worrying” shortage of humanitarian aid.

They escaped Russia’s deadly assault on Kharkiv – now they face another catastrophe

Why are top Russian military officials being arrested

Sunday 26 May 2024 16:36 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

It began last month with the arrest of a Russian deputy defense minister. Then the head of the ministry’s personnel directorate was hauled into court. This week, two more senior military officials were detained. All face charges of corruption, which they have denied.

The arrests began after President Vladimir Putin began his fifth term and shuffled his ally, longtime Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, into a new post.

Why are top Russian military officials being arrested

Lithuanians vote in presidential election overshadowed by Russia

Sunday 26 May 2024 15:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Lithuania holds presidential elections on Sunday, with incumbent Gitanas Nauseda expected to win after a campaign dominated by security concerns in the European Union and NATO member next door to Russia.

The Baltic nation of 2.8 million people has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since Russia‘s 2022 invasion. Like other countries in the region, it worries it could be Moscow’s next target.

Nauseda, 60, a former senior economist with Swedish banking group SEB who is not affiliated with any party, won the first round of the election on May 12 with 44% of the votes, short of the 50% he needed for an outright victory.

In the run-off, he is facing Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, 49, from the ruling centre-right Homeland Union party that has been trailing in opinion polls. She was the only woman out of eight candidates in the first round and came second with 20%.

Polls close at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT), with results expected before midnight.

Just over half of Lithuanians believe a Russian attack is possible or even very likely, according to a ELTA/Baltijos Tyrimai poll conducted between February and March. Russia has regularly dismissed concerns that it might attack a NATO member.

Nauseda told a debate on Tuesday he sees Russia as an enemy. “Our enemies – who even call themselves our enemies, who are enemies of us and all the democratic world – are attempting to destabilise our politics, and we must do all to resist.”

Blinken will head to eastern Europe as concerns mount about Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia

Sunday 26 May 2024 15:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to eastern Europe next week as concerns mount about Russia’s advances in Ukraine, potential Russian interference in neighboring Moldova and pro-Moscow legislation being promoted in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, the State Department said Friday.

Blinken will visit the Moldovan capital of Chişinau on Wednesday before attending a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Prague on Thursday and Friday.

That meeting will be the military alliance’s last major diplomatic get-together before leaders meet at a summit to celebrate NATO’s 80th anniversary in Washington in July.

Blinken will head to eastern Europe as concerns mount about Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia

Russia says its forces take over village in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, TASS reports

Sunday 26 May 2024 14:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian forces have taken over the village of Berestove in Ukraine‘s northeastern Kharkiv region, the TASS news agency cited Russia‘s defence ministry as saying on Sunday.

Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield reports.

In pictures: Deadly Russian attack in Kharkiv

Sunday 26 May 2024 14:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

G7 officials make progress but no final deal on money for Ukraine from frozen Russian assets

Sunday 26 May 2024 13:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Finance officials from the Group of Seven rich democracies said they had moved toward agreement on a U.S. proposal to squeeze more money for Ukraine from Russian assets frozen in their countries. But the ministers left a final deal to be worked out ahead of a June summit of national leaders.

“We are making progress in our discussions on potential avenues to bring forward the extraordinary profits stemming from immobilized Russian sovereign assets to the benefit of Ukraine,” the draft statement said, without providing details.

Despite the progress made at the the meeting in Stresa, on the shores of Lago Maggiore in northern Italy, a final decision on how the assets will be used will rest with the G7 national leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, next month at their annual summit in Fasano, in southern Italy.

G7 officials make progress but no final deal on money for Ukraine from frozen Russian assets

The death toll in Kharkiv attack rises to 14 as Zelensky warns of Russian troop movements

Sunday 26 May 2024 13:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Sunday that Russia is preparing to intensify its offensive along Ukraine’s northern border, as the death toll rose to 14 in an aerial bomb attack on a large construction supplies store in the city of Kharkiv.

The bombing of Kharkiv on Saturday afternoon also left 43 injured and 16 missing, Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said.

In a video statement from Kharkiv, Zelensky said that Russia is preparing offensive actions 90 kilometers (55 miles) northwest of Ukraine’s second largest city. He said that Russians “gather another group of troops near our border.”

The death toll in Kharkiv attack rises to 14 as Zelenskyy warns of Russian troop movements

Russia smashes train tracks in a battered Ukrainian border region where children are being evacuated

Sunday 26 May 2024 12:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A nighttime Russian attack destroyed train tracks and rolling stock in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, officials said Friday, and authorities organized the evacuation of children from the area that is being pummeled by the Kremlin’s forces in a powerful new offensive.

The overnight strike also damaged buildings and freight cars, according to Ukraine’s national railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia. No injuries were reported.

Authorities have evacuated more than 11,000 people from the Kharkiv region since Russia launched an offensive there on May 10, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. Officials on Friday announced the mandatory evacuation over the next 60 days of 123 orphans and children living without their parents in the area.

Russia smashes train tracks in a battered Ukrainian border region where children are being evacuated

14 now confirmed dead in Russian strike on Kharkiv supermarket

Sunday 26 May 2024 12:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Russian strike on a crowded DIY hardware store in Kharkiv killed 14 people and wounded dozens more, Ukrainian prosecutors said on Sunday morning, the death toll rising as the country’s second-largest city reeled from two attacks a day earlier.

Two guided bombs hit the Epicentr DIY hypermarket in a residential area of the city on Saturday afternoon, Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on national television.

The strikes caused a massive fire which sent a column of thick, black smoke billowing hundreds of metres into the air.

Urgent meeting held at desolate Antarctica airbase amid fears over Russian control

Sunday 26 May 2024 12:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Officials from Chile have met at the bottom of the planet in a bid to bolster claims in Antarctica as tensions escalate over Russian movement in the area.

Members of Chile‘s parliamentary defence committee flew to a desolate air base for a meeting billed as an assertion of national sovereignty.

Singling out Russia as posing such a threat, committee member Camila Flores said: “We are going to be sitting in Antarctica in an act of sovereignty, of safeguarding and supporting our national integrity in the face of any threats.”

Urgent meeting held at desolate Antarctica airbase amid fears over Russian control