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Ukraine news - live: Frontline ‘very tough’ as Putin’s attacks ‘constant’, Zelensky says

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of “constant Russian attacks” across frontline regions in his daily address.

Mr Zelensky says the eastern Donetsk region has seen “constant fighting”, calling the situation across the frontline “very tough.”

The president added that Russia is looking to drag out the conflict in a ‘war of attrition’. He said: “We must speed up the events, speed up the supply and opening of new necessary weaponry options for Ukraine.”

Talks reported to be ongoing over requests for long-range missiles and military aircraft were confirmed by Ukraine’s defence minister, who said in an interview on Canadian television he saw military jets as a “game changer”.

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The discussions come as shelling in the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine on Sunday killed three civilians, hitting a hospital and a school.

A missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, is also reported to have killed one civilian, wounding several others.

Meanwhile, an attack from the mercenary Wagner Group on Blahodatne in the eastern part of the Donetsk region on Sunday, was repelled by Ukraine’s forces, according to the General Staff of Ukraine‘s Armed Forces.

Key points

  • Situation on frontline ‘very tough’, says Zelensky

  • Possibility of military aircraft a ‘game changer’, says Ukraine defence minister

  • Russia to make basic military training mandatory in school curriculum from September

  • Zelensky slams Olympic committee chief’s ‘neutrality’ amid war

  • Ukraine negotiating to get long-range missiles to strike Russian depots - official

  • First Ukrainian troops arrive in UK to begin training on Challengers tanks

Situation on frontline ‘very tough’, says Zelensky

Sunday 29 January 2023 23:00 , Daniel Reast

President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of “constant Russian attacks” across frontline regions in his daily address.

In a markedly sombre tone, Zelensky said: “The situation is very tough. Bakhmut, Vuhledar and other areas in the Donetsk region are under constant Russian attacks.

“There are constant attempts to break through our defense.”

Zelensky repeated reports from his previous address on Saturday of fierce fighting in the Donetsk region, amid reports of Ukrainian forces struggling to hold Bakhmut, at the epicentre of fighting in the region.

President Zelensky continued: “We are doing everything to ensure that our pressure outweighs the occupiers’ assault capabilities.

“Russia hopes to drag out the war, to exhaust our forces. So we have to make time our weapon.

“We must speed up the events, speed up the supply and opening of new necessary weaponry options for Ukraine.”

President Zelensky also paid tribute to those killed in shelling in Kherson, where three people died on Sunday.

What did Russia's defence minister tell Ben Wallace on his trip to Moscow?

04:15 , Namita Singh

Defence secretary Ben Wallace spoke to the Putin vs The West programme, set to air this evening, about his journey to Moscow in February as he sought to reach a breakthrough and prevent a war.

He recalls speaking to Russia’s minister of defence Sergei Shoigu, as well as chief of general staff Valery Gerasimov.

“And I remember saying to minister Shoigu ‘they will fight’ and he said, ‘My mother is Ukrainian, they won’t!’ He also said he had no intention of invading,” Mr Wallace said.

Britain’s defence secretary Ben Wallace leaves after attending the weekly cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, in London, on 10 January 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)
Britain’s defence secretary Ben Wallace leaves after attending the weekly cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, in London, on 10 January 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Wallace said it was a Russian “demonstration of bullying or strength: ‘I’m going to lie to you. You know I’m lying. I know you know I’m lying and I’m still going to lie to you.’ He knew I knew and I knew he knew. But I think it was about saying: ‘I’m powerful.’”

I remember as we were walking out General Gerasimov said, ‘Never again will we be humiliated. We used to be the fourth army in the world, we’re now number two. It’s now America and us.’ And there in that minute was that sense of potentially why [they were doing this].

Ben Wallace

Author of Ukrainian declaration of sovereignty, and famous poet Pavlychko dies at 93

04:00 , Daniel Reast

Ukrainian poet, literary critic and politician Dmytro Pavlychko has died aged 93.

Active in Soviet Ukraine, Pavlychko was one of the founders of the Soviet-controlled nation’s first major independent political party, Rukh (People’s Movement of Ukraine).

In 1990, he co-authored the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine, a law which overruled the authority from the Soviet parliament.

He later served as ambassador in post-Soviet Ukraine to neighbouring countries Slovakia, and later to Poland, before being awarded the nation’s highest honour, Hero of Ukraine, in 2004.

In a post on Telegram, president Volodymyr Zelensky paid tribute to Pavlychko in his political and literary achievements, calling him “an outstanding poet.”

Putin threatened to kill me with missile attack, says Boris Johnson

03:30 , Namita Singh

Boris Johnson has claimed that Russian president Vladimir Putin threatened to kill him in a missile attack, saying “it would only take a minute” in a call ahead of the invasion of Ukraine.

The former prime minister said the “extraordinary” conversation took place in February after he had visited Kyiv in a last-ditch attempt to show Western support for Ukraine amid growing fears of an assault.

Mr Johnson, who would emerge as a staunch backer of Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, made the claim in a new three-part series for BBC Two looking at how the West grappled with Mr Putin in the years leading up to the invasion.

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest has more:

Putin threatened to kill me with missile attack, says Boris Johnson

US officials meet with Ukrainian deputy PM to ‘ensure transparency’ of aid

03:00 , Daniel Reast

Inspectors from the US government have met with Ukraine’s deputy PM to discuss proposals for a new audit mechanism to “ensure transparency in the use of partners’ aid.”

Oleksandr Kubrakov, who is also head of Ukraine’s infrastructure projects, added that any funds utilised for infrastructure repairs and reconstruction should be monitored with US assistance.

Scrutiny of how aid is being used in Ukraine has increased since a recent scandal involving the sale of food packages at inflated prices, which prompted the deputy defence minister, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, to resign.

Deputy prime minister Kubrakov said in a post on Facebook: “I am grateful to my American colleagues for their leadership role in supporting our country in the fight against the Russian aggressor.

“Today, Ukraine shows the whole world that it is a reliable and predictable partner with working anti-corruption institutions, and we continue to move in this direction.”

Zelensky pushes for Russian ban from Paris 2024 Olympics in latest address

02:00 , Daniel Reast

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his stance on Russian athletes competing at the 2024 Paris Games, suggesting it showed that “terror is somehow acceptable”.

He added that he had sent a letter to French president Emmanuel Macron as part of his assertive campaign.

In his latest address, Zelensky said: “Attempts by the International Olympic Committee to bring Russian athletes back into the Olympic Games are attempts to tell the whole world that terror is somehow acceptable.

“As if you could shut your eyes to what Russia is doing in Kherson, Kharkiv, Bakhmut and Avdiivka,” all of which have been the focus of intense attacks in recent days.

His latest comments were accompanied by references to the “tragedies” of the 20th century, including the hosting of the 1936 Olympic Games in Hitler’s Berlin.

Zelensky added “The Olympic movement and terrorist states definitely should not cross paths.”

Read more here:

IOC will be on wrong ‘side of history’ if Russian athletes compete at Paris 2024

US military officials ‘urging’ supply of F-16 fighter jets, says defence department sources

01:00 , Daniel Reast

Efforts within the US military high command to supply Ukrainian forces with modern F-16 fighter jets are quietly gaining pace, a defence department official has said.

Speaking with Politico, a senior official from the US department of defence said: “I don’t think we are opposed,” when asked if jets were being considered for supply.

A spokesperson for the White House declined to comment for this story, though referred reporters to previous statements made by deputy national security adviser Jon Finer.

Ukraine’s own stock of fighter jets are older models, first produced by the Soviet Union (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Ukraine’s own stock of fighter jets are older models, first produced by the Soviet Union (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Finer said that US officials would be discussing the prospect of fighter jets “very carefully” with Ukraine and its other western allies.

He continued: “We have not ruled in or out any specific systems.”

President Zelensky reiterated his plea for arms and military equipment in his latest daily address, where he said: “We must speed up the events, speed up the supply and opening of new necessary weaponry options for Ukraine.”

Putin threatened to kill me with missile strike, says Boris Johnson

00:15 , Daniel Reast

Boris Johnson has claimed that Russian president Vladimir Putin threatened to kill him in a missile attack, saying “it would only take a minute” in a call ahead of the invasion of Ukraine.

The former prime minister said the “extraordinary” conversation occurred in February following his visit to Kyiv in a last-ditch attempt to show Western support for Ukraine, amid growing fears of invasion.

The former prime minister, who would later emerge as a key supporter among western allies of Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, made the claim in a new series for BBC Two looking at how the West grappled with the Russian president in the years leading to the invasion.

Read more here:

Putin threatened to kill me with missile attack, says Boris Johnson

Four killed in Ukrainian attack on bridge in Melitopol, Russian authorities say

00:01 , Daniel Reast

Four people were killed and five injured in an attack by Ukrainian forces on a bridge in Melitopol, a city in southeastern Ukraine.

Reported by Russian-installed head of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, wrote on Telegram that a rocket was launched at the railway bridge from across the Molochna river.

The Zaporizhzhia region has been partially occupied by Russia since it first invaded in February last year, and contains Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

Balitsky added that the rocket was launched from a Himars missile system, which are in production in the United States.

He added: “At this time, renovation work was under way at the facility. According to preliminary data, as a result of the shelling, four people from the railway brigade were killed, five were injured, they are receiving the necessary medical care.”

Reporters from news agency Reuters were unable to verify the accuracy of Balitsky’s statement.

Russia-Japan disputed islands fishing talks ‘ruled out’, says Russian foreign ministry

Sunday 29 January 2023 22:00 , Daniel Reast

Russia’s foreign ministry said on Sunday it will not hold annual talks with Japan on renewing a pact allowing Japanese fishermen to operate near disputed islands.

The islands, off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, are known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories.

As reported on Russian state media, the defence ministry said: “In the context of the anti-Russian measures taken by the Japanese government ... the Russian side informed Tokyo that it could not agree on the holding of intergovernmental consultations on the implementation of this agreement.”

Japan tightened its sanctions regime on Russian trade, institutions and individuals on Friday in response to the increase in shelling attacks.

Russia had suspended the diplomatic agreement in June which allowed Japanese boats to fish near the islands, though the Japanese chief cabinet secretary has demanded the talks to go ahead.

Ukrainian defence ministry calls for F-16 fighter jets in Twitter post

Sunday 29 January 2023 21:15 , Daniel Reast

Heavy shelling in Kherson hits hospital, kills three civilians says Ukraine officials

Sunday 29 January 2023 20:30 , Daniel Reast

Three people were killed by Russian shelling on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Sunday, damaging a hospital and a school, regional officials said.

The administration wrote on Telegram: “Today’s Russian shelling injured nine people: three people died (two men and one woman), six were injured.”

In an earlier post, before casualties could be identified, it was reported: “As a result of enemy shelling, a number of civil infrastructure objects were damaged: the Kherson Regional Clinical Hospital, a school, a bus station, a post office, a bank, and residential buildings.”

Ukrainian firefighters work to extinguish a fire in a house following Russian shelling in the city of Kherson on January 29 (AFP/Getty)
Ukrainian firefighters work to extinguish a fire in a house following Russian shelling in the city of Kherson on January 29 (AFP/Getty)

Ukraine’s ministry of health posted on Facebook that a nurse was wounded in the attacks.

Ukraine recaptured Kherson in November after Russian forces occupied the city in the early days of the conflict.

The city has since seen regular shelling and attacks from Russian positions across the Dnipro river.

Ukraine’s western allies concerned ‘time might be on Russia’s side’, say officials

Sunday 29 January 2023 20:15 , Daniel Reast

Officials from Ukraine’s western allies have reported concern that the “window for Ukraine isn’t indefinite”, requiring more munitions and supply to break through.

Cited in a report from the Wall Street Journal, the unnamed officials from western nations suggest Russian forces will control any ‘war of attrition’, with Ukraine needing an expansion of supply of powerful military equipment to counter this.

Recent expansion of conscription, military training in Russian schools and continued ability to finance spending in the conflict have suggested Moscow has a greater ability to stay in the war.

According to the Ukrainian armed forces’ General Staff, Russia has lost 126,000 troops and thousands of pieces of military hardware since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

The report also suggests that officials have less confidence in the ability of Ukraine’s armed forces to carry out offensives seen last year.

Ukrainian president Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News that Ukraine needs “500 tanks” to liberate its provinces.

Alleged Ukrainian shelling into Russia left villages without electricity, says Russian governor

Sunday 29 January 2023 19:30 , Daniel Reast

The Russian regional governor for Kursk, situated on the northeastern border of Ukraine, has reported shelling of the bordering region and strikes on Russian villages.

Alleged mortar strikes cut off two villages from electricity, however there were no reported casualties.

Governor Roman Starovoyt said on Telegram messaging app: “The village of Chervonozhovtneve of the Glushkovsky district of the Kursk region came under mortar fire from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“12 hits were recorded. There are no casualties. Power supply lines were damaged, which left the village of Chervonozhovtneve and the neighboring village of Volfino without electricity.”

Ukraine’s military has not commented on the alleged attack.

Possibility of military aircraft a ‘game changer’, says Ukraine defence minister

Sunday 29 January 2023 18:45 , Daniel Reast

Early talks on the supply of military aircraft and long-range missiles for Ukrainian forces could be a “game changer”, Ukraine’s defence minister has said.

Speaking with Canada’s CBC, defence minister Olek Reznikov said he had written a “wish list to Santa” for military supplies.

Reznikov said the list contained: “fighter jets, aircraft, and probably rockets… long-hand options to hit the Russians’ fuel depots, ammunition depots, and their commanders.”

Presidential adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Ukraine was in “fast track talks” to secure a supply of new missiles and military equipment.

Ukraine’s western allies have so far declined to supply military aircraft such as fighter jets. But Reznikov said that military equipment and weapons previously refused by allies, were now arriving in Ukraine.

The minister added: “For me, everything that’s impossible today [will be] possible tomorrow.”

Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, was quoted in the Spanish newspaper El Pais saying that their forces aim to receive 24 fighter jets, though Germany has previously said jets were ‘off the table’.

Read more here:

Ukraine in ‘fast-track’ talks with allies for fighter jets and missiles

First Ukrainian troops arrive in UK to begin training on Challengers tanks

Sunday 29 January 2023 18:00 , Daniel Reast

The first tank crews from Ukraine to use UK-supplied Challenger tanks have arrived in the country, the Ministry of Defence has said.

Sharing photos of the crews on Twitter, the ministry added: “The UK will provide Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine alongside global partner nations - demonstrating the strength of support for Ukraine, internationally.”

Challenger 2 tanks will be used in Ukraine along with a range of armoured vehicles supplied by other western allies, including Germany, Poland and the US.

Read more on western nations supply of tanks here:

How Western tanks could give Ukraine a battlefield edge over Russia

Russia makes basic military training mandatory in schools from September

Sunday 29 January 2023 17:15 , Daniel Reast

Mourners remember British volunteer aid worker killed in eastern Ukraine

Sunday 29 January 2023 16:45 , Daniel Reast

 (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
 (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
 (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Mourners in Kyiv gather to commemorate British aid worker killed in Soledar

Sunday 29 January 2023 16:30 , Daniel Reast

Mourners in Kyiv have paid tribute to a British volunteer killed while on a rescue mission in the eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar.

Voluntary aid worker Andrew Bagshaw, for whom the service was held, and fellow volunteer Chris Parry, were killed in an attempted evacuation in eastern Ukraine, Parry’s family has said.

Both men were killed as a Russian artillery shell hit their car.

Several dozen people, including aid workers and volunteers who knew Bagshaw, packed into a small refectory near the St. Sophia cathedral, Kyiv, for an Orthodox memorial service.

A fellow volunteer, Ignat Ivlev-Yorke, organised the service and told reporters: "I remember one of the first times when we went [on an evacuation run] together. He was a very quiet person, he just wanted to help people.

"He felt that this was his mission. That he had a duty to do it."

Sky News reported Bagshaw’s family saying the volunteers were killed while attempting to rescue an elderly woman from the town of Soledar. Ukrainian police reported the two men missing on January 7.

Ukraine has since acknowledged its withdrawal from Soledar, almost two weeks after Russian forces reported they had captured the small salt-mining town.

Putin ‘remains open to contacts' with German chancellor Scholz, says Kremlin spokesman

Sunday 29 January 2023 15:45 , Daniel Reast

Russian president Vladimir Putin is open to contacts with German chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Kremlin spokesman told Russian news reporters on Sunday.

Dmitry Peskov told reporters from RIA Novosti: “For now, there are no agreed talks [with Scholz] in the schedule. Putin has been and remains open to contacts.”

The last time both leaders spoke by phone was in early December, before the German chancellor approved the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz is currently on a visit to South America, aiming to foster good trade relations for the supply of lithium (AP)
German chancellor Olaf Scholz is currently on a visit to South America, aiming to foster good trade relations for the supply of lithium (AP)

According to an interview in German newspaper Tagesspiegel published on Sunday, Scholz was quoted as saying, “I will also speak to Putin again - because it is necessary to speak.”

He added: “The onus is on Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine to end this horrendous, senseless war that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives already.”

The chancellor’s office could not be immediately reached for comment, with Scholz currently on a visit to South America.

Weapons latest

Sunday 29 January 2023 11:54 , Alice Murphy

Talks are under way among Ukraine and its allies about a request for long-range missiles that it says are needed to prevent Russia from destroying its cities, a top aide to President Zelenskiy said on Sunday.

The news comes as German arms-maker Rheinmetall is ready to greatly boost the output of tank and artillery munitions to satisfy strong demand in Ukraine and the West, and may start producing HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in Germany, CEO Armin Papperger told Reuters.

Ukraine has been promised 321 heavy tanks by several countries, its ambassador to France said.

And Poland will send an additional 60 tanks to Ukraine on top of the 14 German-made Leopard 2 tanks it has pledged, the Polish prime minister said in an interview with Canadian television.

Russia claims hospital hit

Sunday 29 January 2023 11:52 , Rich Booth

Russia has accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately striking a hospital in a Russian-held area of eastern Ukraine on Saturday in what it said was a war crime that killed 14 people and wounded 24 patients and medical staff.

There was no immediate response to the allegations from Ukraine.

Reuters said it was not able to independently verify the report.

Wagner claims Blahodatne

Sunday 29 January 2023 11:50 , Rich Booth

Ukraine has said its forces repelled an attack in the area of Blahodatne in the eastern part of the Donetsk region on Sunday, responding to claims by Russia’s Wagner private military group that it took control of the village.

“Units of Ukraine‘s Defence Forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of ... Blahodatne ... in the Donetsk region,” the General Staff of Ukraine‘s Armed Forces said in its daily morning report, referring to fighting on Saturday.

It added that its forces repelled Russian attacks in the areas of 13 other settlements in the Donetsk region.

The Wagner Group, designated by the United States as transnational criminal organisation, said on the Telegram messaging app on Saturday that its units had taken control of Blahodatne.

News agency Reuters, who reported the message, was not able to independently verify the reports.

With fighting heating up in the Donetsk region, the exact line of contact has been unclear, especially around the town Bakhmut where some of the heaviest fighting of the war has been taking place in recent weeks. The Wagner Group has made premature success claims before.

Ukraine has said that the Russian offensive on Bakhmut has not culminated, but the situation along the front line there has been growingly difficult. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that it was acute.

Four civilians were killed, one in Bakhmut, and 17 wounded in Russian attacks on the region on Saturday, Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region said on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine has won promises of Western battle tanks and is seeking fighter jets to push back against Russian and pro-Moscow forces, which are slowly advancing along part of the front line.

On Saturday, Zelenskiy’s top aide said that expedited talks were under way between Ukraine and its allies about its requests for long-range missiles to prevent Russia from destroying Ukrainian cities

German arms-maker Rheinmetall looking to boost munitions output, HIMARS production

Sunday 29 January 2023 09:31 , Arpan Rai

German arms-maker Rheinmetall is preparing to significantly boost the output of tank and artillery munitions to satisfy strong demand in Ukraine and the West, its CEO Armin Papperger said.

He added that Rheinmetall may also start producing HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in Germany.

“We can produce 240,000 rounds of tank ammunition (120mm) per year, which is more than the entire world needs,” Mr Papperger said in an interview with Reuters.

He added that the capacity for the production of 155mm artillery rounds can be ramped up to 450,000 to 500,000 per year which would make Rheinmetall the biggest producer for both kinds of ammunition.

In 2022, Rheinmetall made some 60,000 to 70,000 rounds each of tank and artillery shells, according to Papperger, who said production could be boosted immediately.

His remarks comes just days before Germany’s defence industry bosses are due to meet new defence minister Boris Pistorius for the first time.

What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine?

Sunday 29 January 2023 08:54 , Arpan Rai

The US has pledged to send 31 of its M1 Abram battle tanks, worth an estimated $400m, to Ukraine to help the resistance fight back against the Russian onslaught as the one-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s invasion approaches.

Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the US, said the decision by Joe Biden’s administration amounted to “another blatant provocation” against Moscow, pledged that the tanks would be destroyed and warned the West it would come to regret the “delusion” that Ukraine could ever win the day.

Read the full story here:

What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine?

Trump claims he could solve Ukraine war in ‘24 hours’

Sunday 29 January 2023 08:27 , Arpan Rai

Donald Trump has said he would build an “impenetrable dome” to protect the US from nuclear missile attacks as he also claimed he could end the Russian invasion of Ukraine “within 24 hours.”

The one-term president released a video saying that foreign powers were now openly “using the nuclear word all the time” because “they have no respect for our leadership.”

Mr Trump added that “it is a word you are never allowed to use” and insisted it had never been said when he was in the White House.

Trump claims he could solve Ukraine war in ‘24 hours’ and would build ‘dome’ over US

North Korea says US pledge of tanks to Ukraine ‘unethical crime’

Sunday 29 January 2023 08:10 , Arpan Rai

North Korea criticised the US decision to send tanks to Ukraine and called it an “unethical crime” as it continued its charge against the war-hit country’s ally for a second day.

“The US is working hard to supply such offensive weapons as (main battle tanks) to Ukraine at any cost in disregard of the just concern and criticism of the international community,” Kwon Chung-keun, director of US affairs at North Korea’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

“This is an unethical crime aimed at keeping the international situation unstable,” the official said.

The top official also derided Washington’s allegations that North Korea has provided arms to Russia as a “groundless rumor” to justify its own military aid to Ukraine.

The baseless claims of North Korea-Russia arms deals are a “grave provocation that can never be allowed” and perpetuating them will bring a “really undesirable result”, Mr Kwon added.

Ukraine says attacks around Blahodatne repelled as Russia’s Wagner claims control

Sunday 29 January 2023 07:39 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s military has said its forces repelled an attack in the area of Blahodatne in the eastern part of the Donetsk region amid claims from Russia’s Wagner private military group of taking control of the village.

“Units of Ukraine’s defence forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of... Blahodatne... in the Donetsk region,” the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said this morning, confirming the fighting that took place on Saturday.

The Ukrainian army said its forces repelled Russian attacks in the areas of 13 other settlements in the Donetsk region.

This comes just hours after Russia’s proxy mercenary Wagner Group — termed by the United States as a transnational criminal organisation — said that its units had taken control of Blahodatne.

While the Wagner has made premature claims of capturing territory in eastern Ukraine, including Soledar recently, it is not immediately clear what part of the region remains under Ukraine’s active control.

Russia to make basic military training mandatory in school curriculum from September

Sunday 29 January 2023 06:53 , Arpan Rai

The Russian education ministry has made basic military training mandatory in the country’s secondary school curriculum and it will be taught from September this year, the British defence ministry said today.

“In recent weeks, the Russian ministry of education has provided more detail on the rollout of the previously announced plan to include basic military training in Russia’s secondary school curriculum,” the MoD said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that the module will be included within the ‘Basics of Life Safety’ course and teach students about “training with AK series assault rifles and hand grenades, military drill and salutes, and the use of personal protective equipment.”

“The lessons will become mandatory from 01 September 2023. In addition, in December 2022, the ministry of science and higher education announced a ‘military training basics’ programme for university students,” the ministry said.

It added that the “initiatives highlight the increasingly militarised atmosphere in wartime Russia, as well as being a (likely deliberate) evocation of the Soviet Union: similar training was mandatory in schools up to 1993.”

Situation ‘extremely acute’ in Donetsk’s Bakhmut

Sunday 29 January 2023 05:52 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the fierce fighting in eastern Ukraine remains critical over the weekend.

“The situation at the front, and in particular in the Donetsk region – near Bakhmut and Vuhledar, remains extremely acute. The occupiers are not just storming our positions – they are deliberately and methodically destroying these towns and villages around them. Artillery, aviation, missiles,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

He added: “The Russian army has no shortage of means of destruction. And it can be stopped only by force. Our soldiers, who are defending the areas in Donetsk region, are real heroes.”

Nearly 67,000 Russian war crimes and crimes of aggression recorded – official

Sunday 29 January 2023 05:52 , Arpan Rai

More than 66,500 Russian war crimes, crimes of aggression have been recorded in Ukraine, the war-hit country’s prosecutor general’s office said on Saturday.

The Russian military has committed 66,743 war crimes and crimes of aggression in Ukraine after invading the country last February and launching a full-scale war.

At least 459 children and injured at least 917 since 24 February, the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies said.

How the West’s new tanks could give Ukraine a battlefield edge over Russia

Sunday 29 January 2023 04:51 , Arpan Rai

After months of pleas and international pressure, Germany and the US have now agreed to supply Ukraine with tanks – a decision that was hailed by a top presidential aide to Volodymyr Zelensky as “a real punching fist of democracy” against Russia’s invasion.

While unlikely to turn the tide of the war in their current numbers, the roughly three battalions worth mark a gear change in Nato’s support for Kyiv – as underscored by the Kremlin’s accusations of direct Western involvement and a renewed flurry of nuclear threats from Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.

The tanks themselves – including the Leopard 2, M1 Abrams and Challenger 2 designs – are generally viewed as more potent than most of the Soviet and Russian-made vehicles which, to the surprise of those who believed tanks to be practically defunct, have so far played a central role in Europe’s largest land war in decades.

Read the full story here:

How Western tanks could give Ukraine a battlefield edge over Russia

Ukraine in ‘fast-track’ talks with allies for fighter jets and missiles

Sunday 29 January 2023 04:40 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine and its Western allies are engaged in “fast-track” talks over the supply of long-range missiles and military jets, a top aide to president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukraine’s allies “understand how the war is developing” and the need to supply planes capable of providing cover for the tanks which have been pledged this week.

He continued: “We must speak reasonably and tell them [allies], for example, ‘This and this will reduce fatalities, this will reduce the burden on infrastructure. This will reduce security threats to the European continent, this will keep the war localised’.”

Read the full story here:

Ukraine in ‘fast-track’ talks with allies for fighter jets and missiles

Zelensky slams Olympic committee chief’s ‘neutrality’ amid war

Sunday 29 January 2023 04:04 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has come down heavily on International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach for allowing Russia to participate in the Games.

“Olympic principles and war are fundamentally opposed to each other,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address, criticising the Olympic committee’s apparent neutral stance.

“One cannot but be disappointed by the statements of the current president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. I spoke with him several times. And I never heard how he is going to protect sports from war propaganda if he returns Russian athletes to international competitions,” he added.

Mr Zelensky also said that his administration will do “everything so that the world will protect sports from political or any other influence of the terrorist state, which is simply inevitable if Russian athletes participate in competitions. And especially – at the Paris Olympics.”

“I do not want to get into what exactly motivated Mr Bach to promote such an initiative,” Mr Zelensky said.

Ukrainian athletes have been forced to defend their loved ones from Russian aggression, he continued. “Russian strikes took the lives of hundreds of Ukrainian men and women who could have brought their talents to world sports,” he said.

Ukraine negotiating to get long-range missiles to strike Russian depots - official

Sunday 29 January 2023 03:51 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine is holding expedited talks with its allies for securing long-range missiles to stop Russia from bombarding its cities, according to the presidential adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky.

“To drastically reduce the Russian army’s key weapon — the artillery they use today on the front lines — we need missiles that will destroy their depots,” presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said.

He added that there are more than 100 artillery warehouses on the Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula.

“Therefore, firstly, negotiations are already under way. Secondly, negotiations are proceeding at an accelerated pace,” the top aide said without giving details.

Ukraine sanctions on 182 Russian, Belarusian firms, 3 people

Sunday 29 January 2023 03:13 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine has slapped sanctions against 182 Russian and Belarusian companies, and three individuals, president Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday.

“Their assets in Ukraine are blocked, their properties will be used for our defence,” Mr Zelensky said in a video address as he blocked Moscow and Minsk’s connections to Ukraine.

The sanctioned firms are chiefly related to the transportation of goods, vehicle leasing and chemical production, according to the list published by the national security and defence council of Ukraine.

This also includes Russian potash fertiliser producer and exporter Uralkali, Belarus state-owned potash producer Belaruskali, Belarusian Railways, as well as Russia’s VTB-Leasing and Gazprombank Leasing both dealing with transport leasing.

The latest sanctions take the total list of sanctioned leaders and firms to hundreds since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.

Russian-occupied regions to move to Moscow time zone, says Russian ministry

Sunday 29 January 2023 01:00 , Daniel Reast

Russia is planning to transfer its occupied regions in Ukraine to Moscow Time (MSK), according to a statement by its industry ministry.

In a statement on Telegram, the ministry for industry and trade stated it had submitted an amendment to federal law on Russian time zones.

Its four occupied terriories are listed: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye, which will enter Moscow Time (one hour ahead) if the law is ratified.

Russia organised referenda in the four regions on 23-27 September last year to join Russia, in a voting process declared invalid and illegal by international bodies.

The UN general assembly adopted a new resolution in October condemning the votes held and demanding Russia reverse course on its “attempted illegal annexation” of the regions.

At least three Russia cruise missile carriers in Black Sea, says Ukraine official

Sunday 29 January 2023 00:15 , Daniel Reast

Russia currently has three Kalibr cruise missile carriers in the Black Sea with 20 missiles on them, a Ukrainian official has said.

Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa regional military administration, said in a post on Telegram that the threat of missile attacks is high.

Bratchuk added there were 16 Russian warships currently operating in the Black Sea.

Odesa is the third largest city in Ukraine, situated in the south of the country on the Black Sea. Russian cruise missiles previously hit the city in attacks last year.

Kalibrs cruise missiles have been among the main ordinance used by Russian forces to attack Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and settlements.

The major missile attack against Ukrainian critical infrastructure on January 14 this year was carried out using Kalibr missiles fired from vessels in the Black Sea.

Ukraine armed forces setting up ‘army of drones’

Saturday 28 January 2023 22:45 , Daniel Reast

The Ukrainian military reported on Friday it would be establishing ‘drone assault companies’ equipped with with Starlink satellite communications.

Aimed at providing surveillance and attacks on Russian positions using small explosives, commander-in-chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi signed off on the creation of the units in a multiagency project involving several ministries.

The General Staff said, in a post on Facebook, that “the most professional servicemen” had already been chosen to lead the new companies.

Each of the companies which will receive drones and ammunition, Starlink terminals and other equipment.

“We are doing everything to provide soldiers with modern technologies,” the General Staff continued.

Starlink is a system for satellite communications operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, and widely in use by civilians and the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine’s defence minister said last month that he saw drones as the future of modern warfare.

Moscow has used hundreds of Iranian-made “suicide drones” during the conflict to attack Ukrainian cities.

Read more on Russian use of drones here:

Russia-Ukraine war: What is a kamikaze drone?

Ukraine forces ‘struggling to hold Bakhmut’, military sources say

Saturday 28 January 2023 22:15 , Daniel Reast

Military sources have reported that Ukrainian forces are now struggling to hold the city of Bakhmut, in the eastern Donetsk region.

According to Guardian reporters, continual fighting has intensified after the Ukrainian army’s withdrawal from the nearby city of Soledar last week.

On Saturday, Russia focused its artillery fire on 40 settlements close to Bakhmut.

One source told the Guardian: “The Russians are destroying anything that can be used for cover.

“The Ukrainian forces don’t have enough artillery.”

There are rising concerns over Bakhmut being encircled with shortages of artillery threatening Ukraine’s army in its ability to hold back Russian forces.

Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence council, Oleksiy Danilov, said Russia was intiating new military offensives to mark the anniversary of the invasion, which took place on 24 February 2022.

He also suggested Russian troops were aiming to go “beyond the borders of” the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Japan tightens Russian sanctions regime after latest wave of deadly missile attacks

Saturday 28 January 2023 21:45 , Daniel Reast

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry tightened its economic sanctions against Russia on Friday in response to its latest wave of missile attacks in Ukraine.

The ministry also added goods to an export ban list and freezing the assets of Russian officials and entities.

New missile attacks came in response to the news of greater coordination between Ukraine’s allies of supplying armoured vehicles to Ukrainian forces.

In a statement, the economy ministry said: “In light of the situation surrounding Ukraine and to contribute to international efforts to secure peace, Japan will implement export bans in line with other major nations.”

Included in the new sanctions, Japan will prohibit exports to 49 Russian organizations from early February which could be used to enhance its military capability.

Prohibited exports include water cannons, gas exploration equipment, X-ray inspection equipment, explosives and robots, the ministry added.

German arms-maker Rheinmetall ‘ready to greatly boost’ tank and artillery production for Ukraine

Saturday 28 January 2023 21:10 , Daniel Reast

German arms-maker Rheinmetall is ready to greatly boost its production of tanks, artillery and armaments, its CEO has said.

Strong demand in Ukraine and from its western allies is prompting the expansion of production from the defence company, based in Düsseldorf.

Rheinmetall’s CEO Armin Papperger said in an interview: “In 2022, we had a very good year, a record year.

“We are approaching an order backlog of 30 billion euros, and I expect to see an order backlog of 40 billion euros next year.”

The company sells a wide range of components for arms and armaments but is most famous for supplying the main 120mm gun of the Leopard 2 tank, the main armoured vehicle at the centre of recent pledges for NATO members in supplying Ukraine’s forces.

Papperger also said he expected to see at least 15% to 20% growth in Rheinmetall’s military division in the next few years, and may continue expansion into producing HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in Germany.

Ukraine summons Hungarian ambassador over “no man’s land” remarks

Saturday 28 January 2023 20:30 , Daniel Reast

Remarks by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban comparing Ukraine to Afghanistan and calling Ukraine “a no man’s land” have been criticised by Ukrainian officials.

Speaking with reporters on Friday, Orban also criticised the further supply of armaments, asserting that Western countries providing weapons and money to assist Ukraine in its war with Russia have “drifted” into becoming active participants in the conflict.

Prime minister Orban has previously refused to send weapons to neighboring Ukraine and sought to block EU funds earmarked for military aid.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it would summon Hungary’s ambassador to complain about the remarks.

“Such statements are completely unacceptable. Budapest continues on its course to deliberately destroy Ukrainian-Hungarian relations,” ministry spokesperson, Oleg Nikolenko, said in a Facebook post.

Ukrainian alleged missile strike on hospital a ‘war crime’, says Russian defence ministry

Saturday 28 January 2023 19:46 , Daniel Reast

The Russian defence ministry has accused Ukraine of a ‘war crime’, in deliberately striking a hospital in a Russian-held area of eastern Ukraine on Saturday.

The alleged strike was reported to have killed 14 people and wounded 24 patients and medical staff.

The missile hit a hospital in the Russian-held settlement of Novoaidar and was carried out using a US-supplied HIMARS rocket launch system, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

“A deliberate missile strike against a known functioning civilian medical facility is without doubt a serious war crime by the Kyiv regime,” the defence ministry said.

“All those involved in the planning and execution of this crime will be found and held accountable.”

The ministery continued that civilian and military medics had been working in the hospital for many months, treating local people and soldiers.

There was no immediate response to the allegations from Ukraine.

Russia is violating ‘fundamental principles of child protection’, says UN refugee agency chief

Saturday 28 January 2023 19:00 , Daniel Reast

Russia is violating the “fundamental principles of child protection” in wartime by forcefully issuing Ukrainian children with Russian passports and putting them up for adoption, the U.N.’s refugee agency chief has said.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, speaking after a six-day tour of the country, said his agency was unable to estimate the number of children who had been given passports or put up for adoption, due to limited access in Russia.

“Giving them (Russian) nationality or having them adopted goes against the fundamental principles of child protection in situations of war,” Grandi said.

“This is something that is happening in Russia and must not happen.”

Mr Grandi has also suggested that many refugees could return to the region in warmer months, as seen previously last year (Reuters/Sofiia Gatilova)
Mr Grandi has also suggested that many refugees could return to the region in warmer months, as seen previously last year (Reuters/Sofiia Gatilova)

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked his agency to “do more” to help children from occupied regions to whom this was happening with “defend and return” mechanisms.

Grandi also urged other countries to process asylum seekers from the region more quickly in order to stop unfounded asylum claims from clogging up the system.

US Treasury official to warn UAE and Turkey over Russian sanctions evasion

Saturday 28 January 2023 18:31 , Daniel Reast

A US Treasury official is expected to warn countries in the Middle East that they could lose access to US markets if they continue to trade with Russia.

Brian Nelson, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, will travel to Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey as the US cracks down on its curbs to Russian markets.

US officials have been increasing pressure on countries and institutions which are evading Russian sanctions, including repeated warnings to Turkey to ensure enforcement of economic sanctions to Russia take place.

A spokesperson told Reuters: “Individuals and institutions operating in permissive jurisdictions risk potentially losing access to U.S. markets on account of doing business with sanctioned entities or not conducting appropriate due diligence.”

The US has also imposed a series of sanctions on UAE-based companies who have evaded the Russian economic sanctions policy, including one aviation firm which has supported Russian-mercenary company Wagner Group.

Ukraine ‘fighting for the respect of international law’, says EU president

Saturday 28 January 2023 18:00 , Daniel Reast

President for the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen has reiterated her unconditional support for Ukraine’s defence, ahead of a EU-Ukraine summit next week.

Speaking at an event in Dusseldorf, Germany, she said: "We stand by Ukraine’s side without any ifs and buts,

“[Ukraine] is fighting for our shared values, it is fighting for the respect of international law and for the principles of democracy and that is why Ukraine has to win this war.”

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, left, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, left, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

A planned summit between EU commissioners and Ukrainian officials is expected to take place on February 3.

Ukraine became a candidate for EU membership in June 2022, following its swift application to become a member state in February earlier that year.

Neighbouring country Moldova was also granted candidate status.