Opening summary

Good morning and welcome to the blog. It has just passed 10am in Kyiv and 11am in Moscow.

Ukraine’s air force chief said on Wednesday that Russia launched 13 Shahed drones at Ukraine overnight, 10 of which were downed in Kharkiv, Sumy and Kyiv regions.

“Anti-aircraft missile units, mobile fire groups, electronic warfare equipment … were involved in repelling the air attack,” Mykola Oleshchuk said.

In other developments:

• Ukraine’s navy claims it has sunk or disabled a third of all Russian warships in the Black Sea in just over two years of war. Dmytro Pletenchuk from the navy said the latest strike on Saturday night hit the Russian amphibious landing ship Kostiantyn Olshansky, which was resting in dock in Sevastopol in Russia-occupied Crimea. The ship was Ukrainian before being captured by Russia in 2014.

• Pletenchuk previously announced that two other landing ships of the same type, Azov and Yamal, also were damaged in Saturday’s strike along with the Ivan Khurs intelligence ship. He said the weekend attack, using Ukraine-built Neptune missiles, also hit Sevastopol port facilities and an oil depot. “Our ultimate goal is complete absence of military ships of the so-called Russian Federation in the Azov and Black Sea regions,” Pletenchuk said.

• Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has replaced the secretary of Ukraine’s national security council, Oleksiy Danilov, with Oleksandr Lytvynenko, 51, head of the foreign intelligence service. Danilov had been secretary of the council since October 2019. Zelenskiy said Danilov was being transferred to new duties, with details to be made public later. “The strengthening of Ukraine and the renewal of our state system in all sectors will continue.”

• Ukraine has staged further air attacks on Belgorod, just over the border inside Russia. The regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported damage on the ground and claimed air defence engaged 18 incoming targets.

• Nato is considering shooting down Russian missiles that stray too close to its borders, Poland’s deputy foreign minister, Andrzej Szejna, has told Polish media outlet RMF24. “[Russia] knew that if the missile moved further into Poland, it would be shot down. There would be a counterattack.” Poland’s armed forces said Russia violated Poland’s airspace on Sunday morning with a cruise missile launched at targets in western Ukraine.

• And away from the war there was some positive news for Ukraine on the football pitch with their team qualifying for Euro 2024 following a 2-1 defeat of Iceland at a match played at Poland’s Wroclaw stadium on Tuesday night. As Jonathan Liew writes in our match report, for the thousands of Ukrainian fans who witnessed them qualifying for their first major tournament since the start of the conflict:

In times like these even to shout the name of Ukraine is to partake in a kind of resistance.

You can read his full report here.

Share

Opening summary

Good morning, it is currently 10.30am in Kyiv and 11.30am in Moscow. Welcome to the Guardian’s real-time coverage of the conflict in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian navy is claiming a strategic triumph after successfully targeting the Konstantin Olshansky landing ship, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, with a missile.

Speaking on Tuesday morning, Ukrainian navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk stated, “At present, this ship is no longer operational.”

In 2014, Russia took possession of the Konstantin Olshansky, along with the majority of Ukraine’s naval fleet, during its invasion of the Crimean peninsula.

“The ship had undergone renovations and was being readied for use against Ukraine, so unfortunately the decision was made to target it,” Pletenchuk added.

The vessel, constructed in 1985, was transferred to the Ukrainian navy in 1996 as part of the division of the Soviet Union’s naval fleet, as indicated by the Kyiv Independent.

Here are other recent developments:

• Investigations are ongoing into Friday evening’s devastating terrorist attack at the Crocus city hall in Moscow, which resulted in the deaths of at least 139 people. Four suspects have already been brought before the court with visible signs of torture. Overnight, news wire services reported that Russian investigators were questioning the families of the men in Tajikistan. This Central Asian country has long grappled with an extremist Islamist insurgency. Despite Islamic State claiming responsibility for the attack, Vladimir Putin continues to suggest a Ukrainian connection. He stated on Monday night, “This atrocity may be just one part of a broader series of attempts by those who have been at war with our country since 2014, at the hands of the neo-Nazi Kyiv regime.” No evidence supporting Ukraine’s involvement has been provided.

• Finland and Sweden believe that further EU sanctions against Russia are necessary, according to Finland’s foreign minister, Elina Valtonen.

• Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down all 12 attack drones launched by Russia overnight over the southern Mykolaiv and eastern Kharkiv regions of the country.

• Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declared that any global peace summit on Ukraine that excludes Russia is “absurd” and doomed to fail. In an interview published on Tuesday, Peskov stated, “Can the Ukrainian issue be resolved without Russia’s involvement? The answer is clear—it cannot be.” He added, “Ukraine has been transformed into a tool in the hands of the collective West, which aims to exert more pressure on Russia, restrain Russia, and marginalize its development. And, if they succeed, to finish it off.” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for an international peace summit, and earlier this year, Switzerland volunteered to host the event.

• Iceland has announced its participation in the Czech initiative, which seeks to supply at least 800,000 shells gathered from various parts of the world, in addition to existing EU commitments.

Share

Ukrainian air force intercepts two ballistic missiles as explosions rock Kyiv

According to AFP journalists, multiple explosions have been heard in the center of Kyiv, Ukraine. The country’s air force confirmed that it successfully shot down two ballistic missiles launched by Russia, specifically targeting the Ukrainian capital.

These missiles originated from the occupied Crimea peninsula and were intercepted at approximately 10:30 am local time, as stated by Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, the air force commander.

“Explosions in Kyiv. Seek shelter immediately,” urged Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, on social media. He later revealed that emergency services had been dispatched to three districts throughout the capital.

The head of Kyiv’s military administration also confirmed that a residential building in the Pechersky district was damaged by a Russian missile, with further details awaiting confirmation.

“The attacks from Russia against Ukraine continue this morning, involving hypersonic missiles. Loud explosions in Kyiv,” stated Bridget Brink, the United States Ambassador to Ukraine, in a social media post on X.

“Over the past 5 days, Russia has launched numerous missiles and drones aimed at a sovereign nation. Ukraine urgently requires our support. There is no time to waste.”

In recent days, Russia has intensified its airstrikes on Kyiv, targeting critical infrastructure in response to fatal Ukrainian bombardments on Russian border regions.

Rescue workers are seen at the location where a building in Kyiv suffered damage from a Russian missile strike. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/ReutersShare

EU leaders call for ‘immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire’ in Gaza

The European Council president, Charles Michel, announced that European leaders have reached a unanimous agreement regarding the situation in the Middle East.

“The EU is urging for an immediate humanitarian pause that will lead to a sustainable ceasefire. It is crucial to ensure full and safe access to humanitarian aid in Gaza in order to deliver life-saving assistance to the civilian population amidst this catastrophic situation,” he stated.

The EU’s 27 heads of state and government have approved a statement that includes the following declaration:

The European Council demands an immediate humanitarian pause that will lead to a sustainable ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the provision of humanitarian aid.

In addition, the statement strongly condemns Hamas for its brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, acknowledging Israel’s right to self-defense in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law. The EU also calls for the immediate release of all hostages without any preconditions.

Furthermore, the statement expresses deep concern about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and its disproportionate impact on civilians, particularly children. It emphasizes the urgent need for sufficient aid to enter Gaza to prevent an imminent famine.

The conclusion also highlights the necessity of taking immediate measures to prevent further displacement of the population and to provide safe shelters, ensuring the protection of civilians at all times.

Here is the full text regarding the Middle East:

Share

Russia condemns Cern decision to halt science collaboration

The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, expressed strong objections on Wednesday to the European Organization for Nuclear Research’s decision to terminate its cooperation with Russian scientists, deeming it politicized and unacceptable, as reported by Reuters.

Known as Cern, the organization announced in December that it would discontinue collaboration with Russia starting November 2024.

Zakharova stated, “We regard these actions as politicized and completely unacceptable. The western world is increasing its pressure on our country in the realm of fundamental science.”

Furthermore, Zakharova criticized Cern’s decision, claiming it unfairly targets Russian scientists and is discriminatory in nature.

Share

Opening summary

Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine.

The development of drones is key to give Kyiv an advantage over “a numerically superior” Russian forces, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, has said.

“The development of the use of unmanned systems is my priority,” Syrskyi wrote on Telegram after meeting his deputy, Vadym Sukharevskyi. “We are looking for asymmetric solutions to gain a qualitative advantage over a numerically superior opponent.”

Military analysts say drones could give Ukraine a technological edge over Moscow, given its shortages in artillery shells and other more traditional weapons, though Russia’s drone industry is also developing rapidly.

In other key developments:

• Following his landslide presidential election win – condemned as illegitimate by western leaders – Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, addressed a crowd at a Red Square pop concert on Monday to mark 10 years since Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. Putin, who was basking in his election victory, told the crowd that Crimea was the “pride of Russia” and that the Black Sea peninsula had “come back to its native harbour” when Moscow annexed the region. “Through decades, they carried faith in their fatherland. They never separated themselves from Russia and that’s what allowed Crimea to return to our common family,” he said. The official tally from the three-day election was a 87.28% share of the vote for Putin, which the Kremlin on Monday portrayed as a dominant victory, saying the results showed that the people had consolidated around the Russian president.

• Ukrainian troops are strengthening fortifications in the Sumy region, in the north-east of the country, an official has been quoted as telling the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. “The defence forces in the Sumy region perform combat tasks to protect the state border and prevent Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups and the Russian military from crossing the border,” Vadym Mysnyk said.

• The EU is preparing to levy tariffs on grain imports from Russia and Belarus to placate farmers and some member states, the Financial Times reported. The European Commission is in the coming days expected to impose a duty of €95 (£81) per tonne on cereals from Russia and Belarus, the FT said, adding that tariffs of 50% would also be placed on oil seeds and derived products.

• Russian attacks against Ukraine have killed four people and injured six others over the past day, damaging homes and civilian infrastructure, regional officials reported on Tuesday. Russia reportedly targeted nine Ukrainian regions – Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Donetsk, with the casualties being killed in the latter three areas.

• During a visit to Kyiv, the Republican US senator, Lindsey Graham, said he was confident an aid package stalled by Republican opposition in the US Congress would soon be approved, but called for aid to take the form of a low-interest, waivable loan. He and other Republicans have backed the notion of loans rather than grants for US allies to make the expenditure more sustainable and popular, a plan espoused by former president Donald Trump, the likely Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election.

• Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has congratulated Putin on his re-election and offered to mediate between Moscow and Ukraine, the Turkish presidency announced. Turkey’s top diplomat, Hakan Fidan, also hit out at “dangerous” rhetoric coming from both Europe and Moscow. “This war must end,” Fidan said in an interview with CNN Turk aired on Monday evening. “On both sides, tens of thousands of mothers are burying their children and it’s continuing. Both sides have only too much to lose and nothing to gain,” he said.

• EU foreign ministers strongly support taking the revenues from frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. “I am not saying there was unanimity but [there was] a strong consensus to take this decision,” Borrell told reporters on Monday after a meeting with the ministers held in Brussels.

• The Council of the European Union ratified an agreement to increase the EU’s support for the Ukrainian military by €5bn (£4.3bn) through a dedicated assistance fund. The EU said the money would fund training and both lethal and non-lethal military gear.

Share

Western leaders condemn Putin’s ‘unjustifiable’ election victory

Leaders from Western countries have criticized what they perceive as a fraudulent Russian election, in which Vladimir Putin secured his fifth term as Russian president with an overwhelming victory of approximately 87%, according to exit polls.

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, dismissed the result as illegitimate.

“The entire world understands that this individual, like numerous others throughout history, has been corrupted by power and will stop at nothing to retain control indefinitely,” he stated.

“He is capable of committing any atrocity to maintain personal power, and no one is immune from his reach.”

John Kirby, spokesperson for the US National Security Council, remarked, “The elections are clearly not free or fair, given Mr Putin’s imprisonment of political opponents and his obstruction of others from running against him.”

David Cameron, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, described the “illegitimate” elections as having “insufficient options for voters and the absence of independent OSCE monitoring,” adding, “This does not align with the principles of free and fair elections.”

Antonio Tajani, Italy’s Foreign Minister, commented that the “elections were neither free nor fair.”

The Czech Foreign Minister, Jan Lipavsky, labeled the election a “farce and mockery.” He declared, “This Russian presidential election clearly demonstrates how this regime suppresses civil society, independent media, and opposition.”

However, some of Russia’s allies have congratulated Putin on his victory and expressed hopes for continued amicable relations.

Beijing extended congratulations to the Russian President, stating, “China and Russia are the largest neighbors and comprehensive strategic cooperative partners in this new era.”

Lin Jian, Foreign Ministry spokesperson, emphasized that Presidents Xi Jinping and Putin will sustain close exchanges, steer both countries to uphold longstanding neighborly friendship, and deepen comprehensive strategic coordination.

Milorad Dodik, leader of the Bosnian Serbs, enthused, “The Serb people jubilantly welcomed President Putin’s victory as they regard him as a remarkable statesman and a dependable friend who safeguards our nation.”

Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela, proclaimed, “Our elder brother has triumphed, which portends well for the world.”

Share

Russia counters Macron’s plea for a ceasefire with a demand for France to halt weapon supplies

In response to Emmanuel Macron’s call for a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Olympic games, Russia has requested that France put an end to its weapon deliveries to the country.

The French president made this request during an interview in Paris on Saturday, stating that a ceasefire is “what has always happened,” according to Reuters.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded to the appeal by urging Macron to cease providing weapons, as reported by the TASS news agency.

Zakharova also noted that Macron should have proposed the same ceasefire to the conflicting parties in the Middle East.

Share

Closing summary

That’s all for today. Thank you for following along.

• Attacks continued on Russia’s Belgorod oblast, with the Russian ministry defence stating that Russian air defense shot down 15 rockets today. These attacks come after a man and a woman were killed in Belgorod oblast earlier today, and another person was killed by Ukrainian shelling in the Russian city of Grayvoron.

• The death toll in the Russian attack on civilian infrastructure in Odesa has risen to 21 people after an emergency worker succumbed to injuries at a hospital. The Russian ballistic missile strike on Odesa was Moscow’s deadliest attack in weeks, wounding more than 75.

• Ukrainian drones struck two Rosneft oil refineries in Russia’s Samara region, leaving one facility on fire on Saturday, the region’s governor said. The Volga river region’s Syzran refinery was on fire, Dmitry Azarov said on Telegram. His comments also confirmed an attack on the Novokubyshev refinery. Workers at both plants had been evacuated and there were no casualties, Azarov claimed.

• Resistance forces set off an explosion yesterday near a polling station in Russian-occupied Skadovsk in the Kherson oblast, injuring five Russian soldiers, the national resistance center of Ukraine said. The explosion forced Russian administration in Skadovsk to cancel voting at polling stations and allow it only at places of residence, the center said.

• There have been 11 attempts to set fire to polling stations in Russia, along with 19 cases of ballot boxes being spoiled with greenery and paint, Nexta reports. Russia is proposing eight-year prison sentences for those involved.

• Russian shelling killed a 51-year-old man in the Donetsk oblast and injured another, regional governor Vadym Filashkin said. Russians shelled the Donetsk oblast about 11,000 times this week, Filashkin said.

• There has been a record growth in the number of Russian men ages 31 to 59 with disabilities, the UK defense ministry said in its daily intelligence briefing. “The increase in the number of men with disabilities was most likely due to the growth in military invalids,” the UK defense ministry said. “This is almost certainly the case. A significant majority of the over 355,000 casualties that the Russian armed forces have suffered as a result of the conflict in Ukraine have been wounded personnel.”

Share

Russia refutes Ukraine’s claim of a foiled cross-border raid into Belgorod

Russia’s defense ministry has countered Ukraine’s allegation of attempting a cross-border attack on Russia’s Belgorod region. Denying the accusations, the ministry stated that Ukraine had tried to deploy forces via helicopters in Belgorod, a province that has faced frequent attacks in recent months. Reuters reports that these attempted incursions coincide with Russia’s ongoing three-day-long presidential election, which is expected to result in Vladimir Putin’s victory.

Share