Homes and hospital damaged in Kherson shelling
Russia is making gains in Ukraine’s Donetsk but facing fierce resistance for “literally every metre”, according to a Moscow-backed local official.
Administrator Denis Pushilin said that the Russian forces were making advances in Bakhmut, Maryinka and Vuhledar in eastern Ukraine, running north to south to the west of Donetsk city.
Moscow’s gains were “not clear-cut, that is, here there is a battle for literally every metre”, he said, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS.
Military analysts have said that Ukraine still controls Maryinka and Vuhledar – which are now on Russia’s radar after capturing the small mining town of Soledar – and that these areas were witnessing less intense Russian attacks on Monday.
This comes as French president Emmanuel Macron said he has not ruled out sending fighter jets to Ukraine, in a positive sign for Kyiv which has been seeking top notch military aid from allies.
Mr Macron said certain conditions would have to be met by Ukraine before France sent jets.
In pictures: Friends of fallen Azov solider carry his body to Sloviansk cemetary
Ukrainian servicemen carry the body of an Azov battalion soldier killed while fighting in Bakhmut to a cemetary in Sloviansk.
Oleksiy Storozh (R), 28, is seen carrying the cross to be placed at the grave of his late best friend, 28-year-old orphan Oleksandr Korovniy. Other friends of Mr Korovniy are seen carrying his coffin.
Emily Atkinson31 January 2023 10:20
Nato’s Stoltenberg calls for closer ties with Japan
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has called for closer ties between Japan and the military alliance amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking in Japan during a visit as part of his East Asia tour, the Nato secretary general said a Russian victory in Kyiv would be a “tragedy for the Ukrainians.”
Mr Stoltenberg went on: “But it will also send a very dangerous message to authoritarian leaders all over the world because then the message will be that when they use military force they can achieve their goals. So the war in Ukraine matters for all of us.”
He said his visit “is a way to further strengthen the partnership between Nato and our highly valued partner Japan.”
Mr Stoltenberg is set to meet with prime minister Fumio Kishida and hold a joint press conference later today.
Emily Atkinson31 January 2023 10:05
Gazprom ‘to ship 24.5m of gas to EU’
Gazprom said it will ship 24.5m cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday, a volume in line with recent days.
It follows reports that its exports to the EU fell to a record low in the first 30 days of January. For more on that story, see our post from 7.50am.
Emily Atkinson31 January 2023 09:50
Putin ‘speaks to Saudi Arabian prince in phone call’
President Vladimir Putin has spoken with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in a telephone call, according to Russia’s foreign ministry.
“Further development of bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic and energy sectors, as well as cooperation within the Opec Plus group to provide the stability of global oil market were discussed,” a read-out of the call states.
Emily Atkinson31 January 2023 09:35
Review: World leaders seem rightly shamefaced about how they got taken for a ride by Russian president
Putin vs the West is the latest series from the legendary Norma Percy, and the three-parter contains everything you’d expect from the veteran documentarian – the right blend of revelation, anecdote, history, drama, forensic analysis and storytelling. It’s Putin, the Ukraine war and how the West fouled up, all made comprehensible. It’s brilliant, and you have to watch it to understand how we got to where we are now.
Read Sean O’Grady’s latest review here:
Emily Atkinson31 January 2023 09:20
Macron to host Kyiv defence minister in Paris amid jets debate
French president Emmanuel Macron is expected to welcome Ukraine’s defence minister to Paris today amid an ongoing debate among allies over whether to provide Ukraine with fighter jets.
The meeting comes after US president Joe Biden ruled out supplying Ukraine with F-16s to support its efforts against the Russian advance.
Last week, Oleksiy Reznikov said Kyiv was planning to push for Western fourth-generation fighters like F-16s after securing supplies of main battle tanks.
Contrary to the US, France and Poland appear to be willing to consider any such request from Ukraine, with Mr Macron telling reporters in The Hague on Monday that “by definition, nothing is excluded” when it comes to military assistance.
Emily Atkinson31 January 2023 09:05
Advocacy group accuses Ukraine of ‘scattering’ landmines in Izium
Ukraine has been urged to investigate claims that its military used thousands of rocket-fired antipersonnel landmines in and around the eastern city of Izium when Russian forces occupied the area.
“Ukrainian forces appear to have extensively scattered landmines around the Izium area, causing civilian casualties and posing an ongoing risk,” said Steve Goose, arms division director at Human Rights Watch.
“Russian forces have repeatedly used antipersonnel mines and committed atrocities across the country, but this doesn’t justify Ukrainian use of these prohibited weapons,” he said.
“Human Rights Watch documented PFM mine use in nine different areas in and around Izium city and verified 11 civilian casualties from these mines,” it said on Tuesday.
“The nine areas were all close to where Russian military forces were positioned at the time, suggesting they were the target.”
A PFM is a scatterable antipersonnel mine, commonly called the ‘butterfly mine’.
Emily Atkinson31 January 2023 08:50
Kyiv attacks Croatian president’s ‘unacceptable’ comments over Crimea
Kyiv has hit out at comments made by Croatia’s president that Crimea will “never again” be a part of Ukraine, calling them “unacceptable.”
President Zoran Milanovic made the remarks on Monday while detailing his objection to Zagreb providing military aid to Ukraine.
What the West is doing about Ukraine “is deeply immoral because there is no solution (to the war),” Mr Milanovic told reporters. “It is clear that Crimea will never again be part of Ukraine.”
Posting to Facebook on Tuesday, Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said: “We consider as unacceptable the statements of the president of Croatia, who effectively cast doubt on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
Russia seized the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.
Emily Atkinson31 January 2023 08:30
Russia and Belarus ‘start joint training week for regional forces’
Russia and Belarus have started a week-long session of staff training for the joint command of their regional grouping of forces, Minsk’s defence ministry says.
The training is part of preparation for joint drills the two countries will hold in Russia in September, its statement reads.
Emily Atkinson31 January 2023 08:10
Russian gas exports to EU via Ukraine ‘hits record low’
Russian gas exports to the European Union via Ukraine have reached a record low, reports say.
Exports plummeted to a low of 951.4 million cubic metres in the first 30 days of January, a report by Russian business newspaper Vedomosti claims, citing Gazprom figures.
Vedomosti reported that Gazprom had shipped between 41-43 million cubic metres via Ukraine daily during the second half of 2022.
However, from 5 January, daily volumes began to fall sharply, with only 24.4 million cubic metres shipped daily by 19 January.
Vedomosti reported that the decline is primarily the result of reduced demand for Russian gas in Europe, amid an unusually warm and windy winter.
Emily Atkinson31 January 2023 07:50