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Ukraine news – live: Putin has lost nearly 200,000 troops in war, US officials say

Russian troops who have either died or were left wounded in the continuing war in Ukraine is nearing 200,000, according to the US and Western officials.

Senior US officials and Western diplomats said the number has climbed above the 100,000 figure given in November last year, The New York Times reported.

This week, senior US officials said they believed the number for Russia was closer to 200,000, according to the report.

This comes as Vladimir Putin marked the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi forces in the battle of Stalingrad, and invoked the battle as justification for the conflict in Ukraine.

Mr Putin evoked the spirit of the Soviet army that defeated Nazi German forces at Stalingrad 80 years ago to declare that Russia will defeat Ukraine.

Lambasting Germany for helping to arm Ukraine, he said: “Unfortunately we see that the ideology of Nazism in its modern form and manifestation again directly threatens the security of our country.

Key points

  • Nearly 200,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine, US officials say

  • Putin commemorates Stalingrad battle, echoing Ukraine fight

  • Nearly 500,000 troops likely in major new Russian offensive

  • Anti-missile system operational in Ukraine within 7-8 weeks, Italy says

Nearly 200,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine, US officials say

06:43 , Arpan Rai

The number of Russian troops who have either died or were left wounded in the continuing war in Ukraine is nearing 200,000, according to a report that cited US and Western officials.

On Thursday, The New York Times reported that senior US officials and Western diplomats said the number has climbed above the 100,000 figure given in November last year.

In that month, General Mark A Milley, chairman of the US joint chief of staffs, gave the last public estimate provided by the Biden administration.

Read the full story here:

Nearly 200,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine, US officials say

Ukraine will fight to hold on to the eastern ‘fortress’ city of Bakhmut, says Zelensky

15:38 , Joe Middleton

President Volodymyr Zelensky said today that Ukraine would fight to hold on to the eastern “fortress” city of Bakhmut for as long as it could, and urged the West to supply long-range weapons to help Kyiv push Russian forces out of the Donbas region.

“Nobody will give away Bakhmut. We will fight for as long as we can. We consider Bakhmut our fortress,” Zelenskiy told a news conference with top European Union officials following a summit in Kyiv.

“Ukraine would be able to hold Bakhmut and liberate occupied Donbas if it received long-range weapons,” he said.

The city of Bakhmut has become the focal point of Ukrainian resistance to Russia’s invasion and of Moscow’s drive to regain battlefield momentum.

Russian officials have said Russian forces are encircling Bakhmut from several directions and battling to take control of a road which is also an important supply route for Ukrainian forces.

Zelenskiy said Russia would continue to push in the east but that Ukrainian forces would be able to hold out until more Western weapons arrived.

Reuters

Ukraine may also get old Leopard 1 tanks from German stocks

14:42 , Joe Middleton

Ukraine may be able to add old Leopard 1 battle tanks from German defense industry stocks to deliveries of modern tanks that Berlin and other governments pledged last week to counter Russian forces in the war.

German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit confirmed Friday that “export authorization has been granted” but declined to give numbers or other details, saying that they may become more concrete “in the coming days and weeks.” He told reporters in Berlin that the application from industry to permit delivery of Leopard 1 tanks had been made “some time” ago.

Hebestreit’s comments came after the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that the government had cleared the export of the tanks and that they could be sent as soon as the defense industry gets them in working order.

Ukraine may also get old Leopard 1 tanks from German stocks

Ukraine steps up efforts to exclude Russia from Olympics

14:02 , Joe Middleton

Ukraine stepped up efforts Friday to lobby international sports leaders against Russian participation in next year’s Paris Olympics as indications mount that the games could see the biggest boycott since the Cold War.

A meeting of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee did not commit to a boycott but approved plans to consult with and persuade sports officials around the world over the next two months.

The committee members voted for “consultations on preventing the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in all international competitions and a possible boycott.”

Ukraine steps up efforts to exclude Russia from Olympics

Russia is planning ‘maximum escalation’ on anniversary of invasion

13:22 , Lucy Skoulding

Russia is planning a major escalation of the war on February 24 to mark the anniversary of his invasion, according to President Zelensky’s top security official.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, told The Times Russia is “obsessed by dates” and will try to tie anything they do to signifcant days “even at the cost of their own lives”.

Danilov said: “Starting with the revolution of 1917, they try to tie all their activities to special dates, to anniversaries. Even at the cost of their own lives, they will do everything to make these anniversaries. And the next they want to do it is February 24.”

President Putin (AP)
President Putin (AP)

Germany goes ahead with Leopard 1 tank deliveries

13:13 , Lucy Skoulding

Germany has now approved the delivery of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine as the war continues.

Government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit confirmed “an export licence has been issued” for delivery of its older Leopard 1 tanks.

Arms maker from Germany Rheinmetall’s hopes to sell 88 of its tanks for a total cost of 100 million euros.

German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that deliveries of the tanks could happen as soon as they are repaired. They are still having issues obtaining the required 105-millimetre ammunition, however.

Top European officials to meet in Kyiv today

11:05 , Lucy Skoulding

Ukrainian President Zelensky is due to meet with Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, and Charles Michael, European Council President, in Kyiv on Friday along with 15 European commissioners. The meeting is being described as a summit.

The last time a similar meeting was held was in October 2021, a few months before Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, assistance for the Ukraine from the EU has amounted to around €50bn (£44.6bn).

Currently the EU is providing Ukraine with both humanitarian and financial aid. It is also planning its 10th round of sanctions against Russia, but Zelensky has criticised the pace of action.

Ukraine is pushing to join the 27-country-strong EU on an accelerated timescale as the process usually takes years. In the meantime, von der Leysen said the European Commission would be willing to let Ukraine join some “key European programs” which will still have a similar benefit to membership.

This will be discussed during today’s meeting.

Criminal charges pressed on head of Wagner group

10:36 , Lucy Skoulding

Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office has now pressed criminal charges on long-term Putin ally, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder and head of the Wagner group.

Grim footage shows Prigozhin at a basement filled with bodies of fighters near Ukraine’s eastern front. The people, many of who were convicts, had been killed in the fight for Bakhmut city.

He has been charged under Article 110 part 3 of the criminal code of Ukraine for encroaching on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine. He has also been charged with waging a war of agression on Ukraine.

Long-term Putin ally, Yevgeny Prigozhin (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Long-term Putin ally, Yevgeny Prigozhin (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Summary of last 24 hours

10:01 , Lucy Skoulding

The state broadcaster of Ukraine, Suspline, has shared a summary of what’s happened in the last 24 hours.

It writes: “At night, the Russian military attacked the Barvinkove community in the Kharkiv region. A private house was destroyed and a 70-year-old man was rescued from the rubble. Two men died.

“Also at night, the Russian army shelled Kherson. They hit one of the shopping centres, a fire started there. People were not injured. Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region also came under fire. There are no dead or injured.

“Over the past 24 hours, one person was killed by Russian shelling in Donetsk region, and eight others were injured. In the Kherson region, two people were killed in a day, nine more were injured, among them a five-year-old child.”

Trump bizarrely suggests halting military aid to Ukraine will end bloody conflict

07:00 , Joe Middleton

Former president Donald Trump on Thursday suggested ending military aid to Ukraine would bring an end to the year-old war by encouraging negotiations that could be led by the United States.

Mr Trump made the bizarre claim during an interview with right-wing talk show host Hugh Hewitt for his eponymous radio programme when Mr Hewitt asked if the US should be sending Ukraine’s defence forces F-16 multirole fighters.

President Joe Biden has said the US would not be sending Kyiv the fighter jets. But rather than address the question he was asked, Mr Trump told Mr Hewitt the US should “negotiate peace” between Ukraine and the country that launched an unprovoked invasion on it last February.

Trump bizarrely suggests halting military aid to Ukraine will end bloody conflict

ICYMI: Russian state TV describes vulnerabilities of Nato tanks promised to Ukraine

06:00 , Joe Middleton

High-level Kyiv visit aims to deepen EU-Ukraine ties

05:00 , Joe Middleton

Senior members of the European Union’s executive branch traveled to Ukraine on Thursday looking to boost relations with the war-torn country and pave the way for it to one day join the bloc, but concerns over corruption and democratic deficiencies remain.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen led a team of 15 policy commissioners who were to spend the day discussing Ukraine’s financial, business and energy needs, and how to bring the former Soviet state’s legislation into line with EU standards.

The highly symbolic visit is the first EU political mission of its kind to a country at war. Von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel, who chairs meetings of the bloc’s heads of state and government, will hold a summit in Kyiv on Friday with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

High-level Kyiv visit aims to deepen EU-Ukraine ties

Putin commemorates Stalingrad battle, echoing Ukraine fight

04:00 , Joe Middleton

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday attended commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi forces in the battle of Stalingrad, a long and grueling fight that resonates in the current conflict in Ukraine.

Putin laid a wreath at the eternal flame of the memorial complex to the fallen Red Army soldiers in Volgograd, the current name of the city, which stretches along the western bank of the Volga River. The memorial is dominated by an 85-meter (279-foot) sculpture of a sword-wielding woman, Europe’s tallest statue.

The Russian leader is set to speak at a memorial event and have a meeting with activists later in the day.

Putin commemorates Stalingrad battle, echoing Ukraine fight

Austria expels 4 Russian diplomats based in Vienna

03:00 , Joe Middleton

Austria‘s government said Thursday that it has ordered four diplomats based in Vienna, including two at Moscow‘s mission to U.N. agencies in the city, to leave the country.

The Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement that two diplomats at the Russian Embassy had “engaged in acts incompatible with their diplomatic status” and two at the permanent mission to the United Nations in Vienna “committed acts incompatible with the Headquarters Agreement.” It didn’t elaborate.

The diplomats were given a week to leave Austria.

Austria expels 4 Russian diplomats based in Vienna

ICYMI: Boris Johnson calls for Ukraine to be given 'tools to finish the job' during US visit

01:00 , Joe Middleton

UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee becomes biggest donor to charities after Ukraine appeal

Thursday 2 February 2023 23:59 , Joe Middleton

More than £400m has been donated to UK charities to help people in Ukraine.

As a result, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has become the biggest charity donor to the response inside Ukraine, and to the regional refugee response, according to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The UK government match-funded £25m of public donations to the DEC’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, its largest-ever commitment through UK Aid Match.

Disasters Emergency Committee biggest donor to charities after Ukraine appeal

Trump bizarrely suggests halting military aid to Ukraine will end bloody conflict

Thursday 2 February 2023 23:00 , Emily Atkinson

Former president Donald Trump on Thursday suggested ending military aid to Ukraine would bring an end to the year-old war by encouraging negotiations that could be led by the United States.

Mr Trump made the bizarre claim during an interview with right-wing talk show host Hugh Hewitt for his eponymous radio programme when Hewitt asked if the US should be sending Ukraine’s defence forces F-16 multirole fighters.

President Joe Biden has said the US would not be sending Kyiv the fighters, but rather than address the question he was asked, Mr Trump told Hewitt the US should “negotiate peace” between Ukraine and the country that launched an unprovoked invasion on it last February.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Trump bizarrely suggests halting military aid to Ukraine will end bloody conflict

Watch: Boris Johnson criticises Rishi Sunak decision not to give Ukraine fighter jets

Thursday 2 February 2023 22:00 , Emily Atkinson

Anti-missile system operational in Ukraine within 7-8 weeks, Italy says

Thursday 2 February 2023 21:00 , Emily Atkinson

An Italo-French SAMP/T air defence system will be up and running in Ukraine within the next two months, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday.

“I believe it will be operational within seven to eight weeks,” Antonio Tajani, who is also deputy prime minister, told a TV show in remarks confirmed by his spokesman.

The system can track dozens of targets and intercept 10 at once. It is the only European-made system that can intercept ballistic missiles.

Kyiv has asked its Western allies for more air defence systems and specifically requested the SAMP/T, known as Mamba, in November.

Rescue crews continue to search rubble of blasted Kramatorsk apartment block

Thursday 2 February 2023 20:00 , Emily Atkinson

Rescue crews are continuing to search for survivors in the rubble of an apartment building hit late on Wednesday by a Russian missile that killed at least three people and wounded 21 others.

At least one more victim was thought to be under the debris, Ukraine‘s presidential office said.

“Kramatorsk again shattered by explosions - the Russians made two more rocket strikes,” regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote in a Telegram post.

Putin evokes Stalingrad to predict victory over 'new Nazism' in Ukraine

Thursday 2 February 2023 19:00 , Emily Atkinson

President Vladimir Putin evoked the spirit of the Soviet army that defeated Nazi German forces at Stalingrad 80 years ago to declare that Russia would defeat a Ukraine in the grip of a new incarnation of Nazism.

In a fiery speech in Volgograd, known as Stalingrad until 1961, Putin lambasted Germany for helping to arm Ukraine and said, not for the first time, that he was ready to draw on Russia’s entire arsenal, which includes nuclear weapons.

“Unfortunately we see that the ideology of Nazism in its modern form and manifestation again directly threatens the security of our country,” Putin told an audience of army officers and members of local patriotic and youth groups.

“Again and again we have to repel the aggression of the collective West. It’s incredible but it’s a fact: we are again being threatened with German Leopard tanks with crosses on them.”

Reuters

In pictures: Russian president speaks in Volgograd at Stalingrad commemoration

Thursday 2 February 2023 18:00 , Emily Atkinson

 (SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)
(SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)
 (AP)
(AP)
 (via REUTERS)
(via REUTERS)

‘No magic wand’ for sending fighter jets to Ukraine, says Wallace

Thursday 2 February 2023 17:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ben Wallace said there was “no magic wand in this horrendous conflict” when asked whether the UK could send fighter jets to Ukraine.

The defence secretary, taking questions at a press briefing in Portsmouth alongside Australian ministerial counterparts, said: “On the question of jets, one thing I’ve learned over the last year is don’t rule anything in, don’t rule anything out.

“That is the simple reality. We respond to the needs of the Ukrainians at the time, based on what the Ukrainians tell us, what we see in intelligence, in our knowledge of the Russians on the battlefield.

“Right now what the Ukrainians need is the ability to form military formations on the ground in order to use combined artillery to push back Russian forces.

“The issue here is it’s easy to get carried away. Last week we gave tanks, what next?”

Mr Wallace said training Ukrainian pilots to use UK fighter jets would “take months”, and suggested the priority should be helping train Kyiv’s forces to take back territory.

Kremlin warns of greater response as West delivers arms

Thursday 2 February 2023 16:00 , Emily Atkinson

Russia will make greater use of its response capability as the West steps up arms deliveries to Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

“As new weapons are delivered by the collective West, Russia will make greater use of its potential to respond in the course of the special military operation,” state news agency TASS quoted him as saying.

Mr Peskov had been asked to comment on an earlier remark by president Vladimir Putin that Russia’s response would go beyond the use of armoured vehicles.

Ukraine hopes to secure full-fledged IMF financing programme

Thursday 2 February 2023 15:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine hopes to start negotiations with the International Monetary Fund on a full-fledged programme during the second quarter of 2023, finance minister Serhiy Marchenko has said.

The IMF approved a four-month monitoring programme for Ukraine in December that is aimed at maintaining economic stability following Russia’s invasion, and at helping promote donor financing.

“We hope that the successful implementation of the monitoring program with the IMF will allow us to receive a full-fledged financing program from the IMF, and we will negotiate this, beginning the second quarter of this year already,” Interfax quoted Mr Marchenko as telling a meeting in Kyiv of the Ukrainian government and the European Commission.

International centre for prosecution crimes in Ukraine to be set up in The Hague

Thursday 2 February 2023 14:11 , Emily Atkinson

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that an international centre for the prosecution of crimes in Ukraine would be set up in The Hague.

“It will coordinate the collection of evidence, it will be embedded in the joint investigation team which is supported by our agency Eurojust”, von der Leyen said during an official visit in Ukraine.

European Council agrees €500m military aid package for Ukraine

Thursday 2 February 2023 13:52 , Andy Gregory

The European Council has agreed to provide Ukraine with a seventh package of military support worth €500m.

“Today’s new measures send a clear message at a crucial time: we will continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes and as long as it is needed,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell said in a statement.

No 10 rejects Boris Johnson’s call for UK to provide Ukraine with fighter jets

Thursday 2 February 2023 13:29 , Andy Gregory

Downing Street has rejected calls from Boris Johnson to supply fighter jets to UK.

During his trip to Washington, the former prime minister appeared to further attempt to undermine his successor as he said he took the argument that the RAF’s jets were too complicated with a “pinch of salt”.

But Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson said it could take years to fully train a pilot and that the UK’s focus was on providing help Ukraine could use in the short term.

“We will continue listening to the Ukrainians and consider what is right for the long term,” they said. “But it’s helpful to understand the situation, that the fastest training programme for a new pilot is approximately 35 months. The current UK fast jet training programme takes five years.”

Mr Sunak’s strategy was to “focus on how we can help Ukraine defend their country and push back this year”, the spokesperson added.

Moldova has chosen to be ‘part of the free world’, Chisinau says in retort to Moscow

Thursday 2 February 2023 13:07 , Andy Gregory

Moldova has hit back at claims by Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov that the West was trying to turn the country into Moscow’s enemy, saying that it has chosen in own future as “part of the free world”.

“We categorically reject the statement by the head of Russian diplomacy, which does not correspond to reality, and is part of the already well-known threatening rhetoric of Russian diplomacy,” Moldova’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The European Union accepted Moldova and neighbouring Ukraine as candidate members last June.

“We would like to remind the Russian side that the path Moldova is following is the path of accession to the EU. Moldova has clearly chosen its future, and this future is part of the free world,” the ministry said.

‘Proceeds of war’: Sunak ‘absolutely’ understands anger over Shell’s record profits, insists No 10

Thursday 2 February 2023 12:49 , Andy Gregory

Downing Street has insisted that Rishi Sunak “absolutely” understands people’s anger over Shell’s record profits – dubbed “unexpected windfall profits from the proceeds of war” by Labour – when they are facing soaring energy bills.

“We recognise that the public will think these are extraordinary profits, clearly,” the prime minister’s official spokesperson told reporters.

“That’s why once it was clear that there would be a windfall because of various factors including the war in Ukraine, we put in place the energy profits levy.”

He added: “The new headline 75 per cent tax rate is comparable with other North Sea tax regimes including Norway, and we think that strikes a balance between funding cost-of-living support while encouraging investment in order to bolster the UK energy security.”

Belarus announces end to air force drills with Russia

Thursday 2 February 2023 12:20 , Andy Gregory

Belarus has finished its joint air force drills with Russia, Minsk has said.

The fortnight-long drills had prompted fears in Kyiv that Russia could be preparing to embroil Minsk further in its war in Ukraine, having used the country as a launching pad for its invasion last February.

President Alexander Lukashenko suggested earlier this week that Belarus would be willing to provide military support to Moscow – but that Russia did not need any help with its 11-month war.

The Belarusian defence minsitry said on Thursday that a wide range of tasks had been completed during the drills, which it added were “exclusively defensive in nature”.

Zelensky urges EU for more sanctions against Russia

Thursday 2 February 2023 11:56 , Liam James

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called on the European Union to take further punitive measures against Russia and said he discussed a new EU sanctions package with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

Mr Zelensky, speaking at a joint news conference in Kyiv with Ms von der Leyen, said the speed of the EU sanctions campaign against Russia had “slightly slowed down” and should be stepped up.

The EU and other allies of Kyiv have brought sweeping sanctions against Russian trade and individuals since Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine last year.

But after a global forecast by the International Monetary Fund this week showed the Russian economy was faring better than some G7 nations, experts have questioned the effectiveness of the sanctions regime.

Zelensky and von der Leyen in Kyiv today (AFP/Getty)
Zelensky and von der Leyen in Kyiv today (AFP/Getty)

Latest photos from Kramatorsk after deadly strike

Thursday 2 February 2023 11:24 , Liam James

More photographs have come through from Kramatorsk, where Ukraine says a Russian missile strike last night killed three, injured 18 and left one missing as nine residential buildings were damaged and one was destroyed.

A police officer guards the site of a residential building destroyed in last night’s attack on Kramatorsk (Reuters)
A police officer guards the site of a residential building destroyed in last night’s attack on Kramatorsk (Reuters)
An officer inspects parts of a missile by the site of last night’s strike (Reuters)
An officer inspects parts of a missile by the site of last night’s strike (Reuters)
Rescuers search the rubble for a missing person (EPA)
Rescuers search the rubble for a missing person (EPA)

EU makes strong showing in Ukraine ahead of anniversary

Thursday 2 February 2023 11:05 , Liam James

Over a dozen top European Union officials arrived in Kyiv this morning to promise military, financial and political aid, a symbolic trip meant to rally support for Ukraine ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion on 24 February.

But unwilling to admit a country at war, the EU is set to dash Ukraine’s hopes of being swiftly allowed membership, underlining the need for more anti-corruption measures after recent weeks have seen an eruption of official resignations on allegations of graft.

“It is a very strong signal that we are in Kyiv during the war. It’s a signal to the Ukrainian people. It’s a signal to Russia. It’s a signal to the world,” said a senior EU official.

On Ukraine’s prospects for membership, an EU official said: “Some may want to speculate about the end game but the simple truth is that we are not there yet.” The bloc has listed several entry requirements, from political and economic stability to adopting various EU laws.

Members of the EU’s executive European Commission were due to meet members of the government later. On Friday, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, chair of the 27 EU national leaders, will meet President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Three killed in attack on Kramatorsk, says Ukraine

Thursday 2 February 2023 10:47 , Liam James

At least three people were killed and 18 injured as a Russian missile destroyed an apartment building and damaged nine more in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk last night, regional police said.

Emergency responders are searching through rubble for a missing person.

Local authorities said an Iskander-K tactical missile had struck at 9.45pm local time.

“At least eight apartment buildings were damaged. One of them was completely destroyed,” police said in a Facebook post. “People may remain under the rubble.”

At least 44 people were killed last month when a Russian missile hit an apartment building in the eastern city of Dnipro.

Emergency responders search rubble of buildings destroyed in an attack on Kramatorsk (National Police Ukraine)
Emergency responders search rubble of buildings destroyed in an attack on Kramatorsk (National Police Ukraine)
Missile strike destroyed a housing block and damaged nine others (National Police Ukraine)
Missile strike destroyed a housing block and damaged nine others (National Police Ukraine)
Police are still searching the rubble for a missing person (National Police Ukraine)
Police are still searching the rubble for a missing person (National Police Ukraine)

Russia will come out stronger, says Lavrov

Thursday 2 February 2023 10:28 , Liam James

Russia will emerge from the current situation stronger and better able to defend itself, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with state TV after several months of difficulty for Moscow’s forces in Ukraine.

Mr Lavrov repeatedly said Russia was ready for peace in Ukraine, but that if you want peace, you have to be ready to defend yourself.

Kremlin figures have repeatedly claimed to be waiting for Ukraine to ask for peace, but critics have pointed out that, as the invading force, Russia need only withdraw its troops to end the war.

Lavrov at a news conference in Moscow on Tuesday (Reuters)
Lavrov at a news conference in Moscow on Tuesday (Reuters)

Austria expels four Russian diplomats

Thursday 2 February 2023 10:09 , Liam James

Austria has ordered four Russian diplomats based in Vienna to leave the country.

The Foreign Ministry said two diplomats at the Russian Embassy “engaged in acts incompatible with their diplomatic status” and two at the permanent mission to the United Nations in Vienna “committed acts incompatible with the Headquarters Agreement”.

It did not elaborate. The diplomats have been given a week to leave Austria.

Western European nations and Russia have expelled each others’ diplomats on several occasions since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine started nearly a year ago.

Russia marks 80 years since Stalingrad victory

Thursday 2 February 2023 09:50 , Liam James

Russia is today marking 80 years since the Soviet army won at Stalingrad in a pivotal battle against the Nazis.

The battle, fought between 1942 and 1943 and estimated to have claimed 2 million casualties, is widely seen as the moment when the Nazi forces that had captured most of Europe were finally forced onto the defensive.

A military parade was held for the anniversary in the southern Russian town where fighting centred, since renamed to Volgograd.

Russian troops dressed in historical uniforms march in a military parade for the 80th anniversary of Stalingrad in Volgograd (AFP/Getty)
Russian troops dressed in historical uniforms march in a military parade for the 80th anniversary of Stalingrad in Volgograd (AFP/Getty)
Servicemen ride in a military pickup adorned with the letter V, a tactical insignia of Russian troops in Ukraine, during the Stalingrad parade (AFP/Getty)
Servicemen ride in a military pickup adorned with the letter V, a tactical insignia of Russian troops in Ukraine, during the Stalingrad parade (AFP/Getty)
A giant statue of “Mother of the Homeland” is seen atop the memorial site on Mamayev Hill illuminated for marking the 80th (AP)
A giant statue of “Mother of the Homeland” is seen atop the memorial site on Mamayev Hill illuminated for marking the 80th (AP)

Russian arms trade suffering in war, says MoD

Thursday 2 February 2023 09:23 , Liam James

Russia is losing face in the international arms trade as it is keeping the new munitions for its war in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

In a daily intelligence update on the conflict, the MoD said: “When faced with conflicting demands, Russia will almost certainly prioritise deploying newly produced weapons with its own forces in Ukraine over supplying export partners.”

The Russian arms industry is also likely facing a shortage of components for building in-demand equipment such as armoured vehicles, attack helicopters and air defence systems and it may have to breach existing international contracts for repairs and parts supplies, the MoD said.

In 2016-2020, the latest period for when data is available, Russia was the world’s second largest arms exporter, behind the US, and accounted for 20 per cent of global weapons sales, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Its biggest customers were India, China, Algeria and Egypt.

Ukraine hails French gift of radar as 'cherry on the cake'

Thursday 2 February 2023 08:41 , Liam James

Ukraine’s defence minister said Ukrainian lives will be saved by a sophisticated air-defence radar that France is supplying and which is powerful enough to spot incoming missiles and exploding drones in the skies over all of Ukraine’s capital and its surrounding region.

The minister, Oleksii Reznikov, was so enthusiastic about what he called Ukraine’s new “electronic eyes” that he quickly coined a nickname for the Ground Master 200 radar – the “Grand Master.”

Speaking through an interpreter at a handover ceremony for the radar with his French counterpart, Mr Reznikov described the French-made GM200 as a “very effective” improvement for Ukraine’s network of about 300 different types of air-defense radars.

Thales, the manufacturer, says the radar detects and tracks rockets, artillery and mortar shells, missiles, aircraft, drones and other threats.

A Ground Master 200 at the Thales radar factory in Limours, France (Reuters)
A Ground Master 200 at the Thales radar factory in Limours, France (Reuters)

People trapped under rubble in Kramatorsk, says Zelensky

Thursday 2 February 2023 07:36 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky says a Russian ballistic missile attack has led to civilian injuries and deaths, with some residents still trapped under the rubble, in Donetsk’s northern city Kramatorsk.

“Kramatorsk. Russian terrorists have hit the city with a ballistic missile leading to civilian casualties. Some people are still under the rubble. No goal other than terror. The only way to stop Russian terrorism is to defeat it. By tanks. Fighter jets. Long-range missiles,” Mr Zelensky said, as he shared photos of the site of the missile attack.

No 10 still ruling out sending fighter jets

Thursday 2 February 2023 07:01 , Katy Clifton

Downing Street was yesterday continuing to rule out supplying Ukraine with British fighter jets despite Boris Johnson backing the move.

Asked about the former prime minister’s trip to the US, Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister welcomes all colleagues’ backing for Ukraine and is pleased the former prime minister is continuing his staunch support of the United Kingdom’s efforts to help Ukraine secure a lasting peace.”

But he said that Mr Johnson is “acting in his own capacity and not on behalf of the UK Government”.

Asked about Mr Johnson’s jet call, the official said: “It’s currently not practical to send UK jets, we will continue to work closely with the Ukrainians to understand their needs and how allies can further support them.

“Given the complexity of UK fighter jets and the length of time required to train them we do not currently think it is practical to do so.”

Former Wagner commander says 'sorry for fighting in Ukraine’

Thursday 2 February 2023 06:38 , Arpan Rai

A former commander of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group who fled to Norway is apologising for fighting in Ukraine.

“Many consider me to be a scoundrel, a criminal, a murderer,” 26-year-old Andrei Medvedev said. “First of all, repeatedly, and again, I would like to apologise, and although I don’t know how it would be received, I want to say I’m sorry,” he said.

“I want to explain that I am not that person. Yes, I served in Wagner. There are some moments (in my story) that people don’t like, that I joined them at all, but nobody is born smart,” the former Russian trooper, who is now seeking asylum in Norway, said.

He crossed the Russian-Norwegian border last month after he witnessed the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners taken to Ukraine to fight for Wagner.

Mr Medvedev said he fled over the Arctic border, climbing through barbed-wire fences and evading a border patrol with dogs, hearing guards firing shots as he ran through a forest and over the frozen river that separates the two countries.

A proxy group waging war for Russia, Wagner has been locked in a bloody battle of attrition in Ukraine‘s eastern Donetsk region.

Russian arms dealer, son and front firms sanctioned by US

Thursday 2 February 2023 06:22 , Arpan Rai

A Russian arms dealer, his son, a group of front companies across Asia, Europe and the Middle East and their leadership have become the latest target for the US sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, officials announced yesterday.

Russian arms dealer Igor Zimenkov, his son and companies connected to “the Zimenkov network” in Singapore, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Israel, among other countries, were identified by the Treasury department’s office of foreign assets control for financial penalties.

Roughly 22 people and organizations related to a sanctions evasion network supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex were named in Wednesday’s news release.

Russian arms dealer, son and front firms hit with sanctions

Billionaire’s home searched in Ukraine

Thursday 2 February 2023 06:01 , Katy Clifton

Security services searched the home of one of Ukraine‘s most prominent billionaires yesterday, moving against a figure once seen as Volodymyr Zelensky’s sponsor in what the authorities called a wartime anti-corruption purge.

The action, days before a summit with the European Union, appears to reflect determination by Kyiv to demonstrate that it can be a steward of billions of dollars in Western aid and shed a reputation as one of the world’s most corrupt states.

Photos on social media appeared to show tycoon Ihor Kolomoiskiy dressed in a sweatsuit and looking on in the presence of an SBU security service officer at his home. Reuters could not immediately verify the images’ authenticity.

In a statement that did not name Kolomoiskiy, the SBU published the same photos, but with the person’s face blurred.

The SBU said it had uncovered the embezzlement of more than $1 billion at Ukraine‘s biggest oil company, Ukrnafta, and its biggest refiner, Ukrtatnafta. Kolomoiskiy, who has long denied wrongdoing, once held stakes in both firms, which Zelenskiy ordered seized by the state in November under martial law.

Kolomoiskiy could not immediately be reached for comment.

Russia’s invasion to continue despite longer-range rockets from US – Moscow

Thursday 2 February 2023 05:56 , Arpan Rai

The Kremlin has said that longer-range rockets from the United States will escalate the conflict but not change its course.

“The special military operation will continue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, using Russia’s term for its invasion.

Russia and Ukraine are believed to be readying their troops for new offensives and Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov has warned that a Russian push could begin as soon as 24 February.

“We keep telling our partners that we have to be ready for this, as quickly as possible. And that’s why we need weapons,” Mr Reznikov told France’s BFM TV.

Germany needs new tanks quickly, says Pistorius: ‘Don’t care about money'

Thursday 2 February 2023 05:20 , Arpan Rai

German defence minister Boris Pistorius has said that country needs to quickly order new Leopard tanks to replace those going to Ukraine.

He added that he did not care where the money to replace these Leopard tanks came from.

“For me, the crucial fact is that we have to order new tanks, not in a year but swiftly so that production can begin,” Mr Pistorius said on a visit to a tank battalion in the western town of Augustdorf that was chosen to supply 14 of its Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

“Where the money will come from? Let me casually put it like this: Frankly, I don’t care. It is essential that we can provide them (the tanks) quickly,” Pistorius added.

ICYMI: Russia wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine without Brexit, suggests top MEP

Thursday 2 February 2023 05:01 , Katy Clifton

Zelenskiy says battle getting 'severe’ in east

Thursday 2 February 2023 04:48 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the situation on the frontlines in eastern Ukraine “has become tougher” in a sombre assessment in his nightly address.

“There is a certain increase in the occupiers’ offensive actions at the front – in the east of our country. The situation is becoming even more severe,” he said.

Mr Zelensky added: “We have steadfastly gone through all this time, from February to February. The enemy is trying to gain at least something now to show on the anniversary of the invasion that Russia allegedly has some chances.

“In such circumstances, we all need to be especially united, especially focused on the national interest, and, as a result, especially resilient. I am confident that we will stay like that,” he said.

Brexit allowed UK to ‘do things differently’ in supporting Ukraine, says Johnson

Thursday 2 February 2023 04:35 , Arpan Rai

Brexit allowed the UK to “do things differently” when it came to providing weapons to Ukraine in its battle against invading Russian forces, former prime minister Boris Johnson has said.

Without Britain’s exit from the European Union, he argued that providing Ukrainian armed forces with anti-tank missiles would not have happened.

Mr Johnson made the comments following a speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington today.

Read the full story here:

Brexit allowed UK to ‘do things differently’ in supporting Ukraine, says Johnson

UK: Fighter jets not an immediate solution

Thursday 2 February 2023 04:01 , Katy Clifton

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said providing fighter planes was “not an immediate solution” for Ukraine in the war against Russia because of the time involved with training Kyiv pilots.

Oliver Dowden was asked what he made of former prime minister Boris Johnson urging the UK Government to commit to providing Ukraine with fighter jets.

The Cabinet minister told ITV’s Peston programme: “I certainly think that we need to be resolute in supporting our Ukrainian allies.

“Now, I think it is a bit premature to start talking about jets and everything else, but of course we don’t rule anything off the table.

“There’s training times and so on associated with that, so it is not an immediate solution, no.”

Nearly 500,000 troops likely in major new Russian offensive, says Ukrainian defence minister

Thursday 2 February 2023 03:41 , Arpan Rai

Vladimir Putin is likely preparing a major new offensive and could strike Ukraine around the one-year anniversary of the war on 24 February, Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said in his latest remarks.

Russia has amassed nearly 500,000 troops for the attack, Ukrainian intelligence indicates.

Mr Reznikov said that Russia has many more new troops than just their officially announced count of 300,000 from the first wave of mobilisation in September.

“Officially they announced 300,000 but when we see the troops at the borders, according to our assessments it is much more,” he told the French BFM network.

Moscow could “try something” to mark the invasion’s first year on 24 February, the minister added, suggesting a grim new chapter in the continuing war.

However, he added that Ukrainian commanders and forces will move to “stabilise the front and prepare for a counter-offensive” ahead of the anticipated Russian advance.

Mr Reznikov said he has “faith that the year 2023 can be the year of military victory,” and that the Ukrainian forces “cannot lose the initiative” they have gained in recent months.

Johnson criticises Sunak decision not to give Ukraine fighter jets

Thursday 2 February 2023 03:01 , Katy Clifton

Russia ‘may stop officials taking holidays abroad'

Thursday 2 February 2023 02:01 , Katy Clifton

Russian legislators will discuss a request by one of Vladimir Putin’s closest allies to ban officials from taking foreign holidays during wartime, state media has cited a senior parliamentarian as saying.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the powerful Wagner Group private army, said it was unacceptable that officials and parliamentarians were vacationing in countries hostile to Russia.

Vasily Piskaryov, head of the committee on security and anti-corruption in the State Duma or lower chamber of parliament, said legislators would take a look at whether changes should be made.

“This initiative ... certainly deserves attention,” Tass cited him as telling reporters. Prigozhin made the request in a letter to Piskaryov that the Wagner Group made public.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP)

Brexit behind UK’s tank pledge, Johnson says

Thursday 2 February 2023 01:00 , Katy Clifton

Without Brexit, the UK would not have delivered the next generation light anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, according to former prime minister Boris Johnson.

Mr Johnson, taking questions after a speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington, US, said: “I seriously think that it was in part because of Brexit that we were able to take a decision and to have an approach that was very distinct from the old EU approach, which was by the way all governed by the fabled Normandy Format which was agreed in Normandy in 2014.

“For reasons that are now obscure to me, the British government decided they did not want to be involved in this. France and Germany led it, that was the EU framework.

“If we’d stuck with that, I don’t believe we would have delivered the NLaws and I think we would have taken a very different approach, to be perfectly frank.

“I think because of Brexit we’ve been able to do things differently and I hope in a way that has been useful to Ukraine.”

Mr Johnson used his speech to call for Kyiv to be admitted to both Nato and the European Union.

Zelensky: I’ll make as many personnel changes as necessary

Thursday 2 February 2023 00:01 , Katy Clifton

Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will make as many personnel changes as necessary to fight corruption and stressed the need for the defence ministry to be honest.

“Unfortunately, in some areas, the only way to guarantee the rule of law is to change the leadership ... there will be as many changes as is necessary,” he said in a video address.

Police earlier raided an influential billionaire’s home in what a Zelensky ally touted as a sweeping clamp down on corruption.

Zelensky at a news briefing in Odesa on Monday (Reuters)
Zelensky at a news briefing in Odesa on Monday (Reuters)

Johnson says taking back bridge would be ‘game over’ for Putin

Wednesday 1 February 2023 23:00 , Katy Clifton

Providing Ukraine with the weapons to take back the so-called “land bridge” invaded by Russian forces would be “game over” for Russian president Vladimir Putin, Boris Johnson has said.

The former prime minister, asked after a speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington, US, what land bridge he had been referring to, said: “This is the area, as it was, between Mariupol, between Donbas and the Crimea that Putin has taken, that long strip of land that basically prevents the Ukrainians from reaching the Azov Sea. That’s the area.

“If they take that back — which they can and they have a plan — if they can take back Melitopol and Berdyansk and Mariupol, get back those areas, it is game over for Putin. That’s what needs to happen.”

We need new tanks, says German defence minister

Wednesday 1 February 2023 22:05 , Jane Dalton

Germany needs to order new Leopard tanks quickly to replace those going to Ukraine, defence minister Boris Pistorius has said, adding he did not care where the money came from.

“For me, the crucial fact is that we have to order new tanks, not in a year, but swiftly, so that production can begin,” he told reporters on a visit to a tank battalion in the western town of Augustdorf, which has been chosen to supply 14 of its Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

“Where will the money come from? Let me casually put it like this: Frankly, I don’t care. It is essential that we can provide them (the tanks) quickly,” Mr Pistorius said.

He aims to accelerate arms procurement and ramp up ammunitions supplies in the long term after almost a year of arms donations to Ukraine has depleted German military stocks.

Boris Pistorius, right, sits on a Leopard 2 tank (AP)
Boris Pistorius, right, sits on a Leopard 2 tank (AP)

Why Russia’s economy is still growing despite sanctions

Wednesday 1 February 2023 21:20 , Jane Dalton

ICYMI: Experts say the effect of sanctions seems less strong than the West had hoped. William Mata reports:

Are sanctions working? Why Russia’s economy continues to grow

Top tax officials and ex-minister investigated

Wednesday 1 February 2023 20:35 , Jane Dalton

Raids have also been carried out at Ukraine’s tax office, targeting top tax and customs officials, and on the home of an influential former interior minister.

It comes two days before Kyiv hosts a summit with the European Union at which it wants to show western allies it is cracking down after years of chronic corruption.

The government sees Friday’s summit as key to its hopes of one day joining the bloc.

In a political shake-up, more than a dozen officials quit or were sacked last week.

Former interior minister Arsen Avakov told Ukrainian media that investigators also searched his house following a helicopter crash last month in which his successor, Denys Monastyrsky, died.

Mr Avakov quit in 2021 after a scandal-ridden tenure.

‘Embezzlement’ scheme uncovered, say police

Wednesday 1 February 2023 19:45 , Jane Dalton

Ukraine’s police and security services say they have uncovered a scheme to embezzle more than $1bn at oil producer Ukrnafta and oil refinery Ukrtatnafta, companies that billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky used to partly own.

In a fresh wave of high-profile anti-corruption raids, officials raided the powerful oligarch’s home, as well as those of other incumbent and former top officials.

Kolomoisky, who could not be reached for comment, has previously denied any wrongdoing.

Ukraine billionaire among those targeted in fresh anti-corruption raids

UK refusal to send warplanes could change, defence chief hints

Wednesday 1 February 2023 19:00 , Jane Dalton

A Royal Air Force chief has suggested the UK’s refusal to provide Ukraine with fighter jets could change.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston told the Commons Defence Committee: “I think the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State yesterday were very clear on where we stand on fast jets at this stage.

“But these are things that, the course of the invasion - of the brutal invasion and Ukraine’s heroic defence and how we have supported them - that has been an evolutionary process and I look to the future and we should be ready for any outcomes.”

He declined to say what air power the RAF could make available to Ukraine.

US president Joe Biden said on Monday he would not send warplanes to Kyiv.