Ukraine-Russia war latest: Wagner hiring of sacked Russian minister sparks intrigue – as group’s boss swears next to bloodied corpses in new video
Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin personally blamed top defence chiefs for losses suffered by his fighters in a video filled with bleeped-out expletives.
Friday 5 May 2023 17:25, UK
Russia
Ukraine
Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin speaks next to the bodies of what he says are Wagner fighters killed in Russia-Ukraine conflict
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The boss of Russian mercenary group Wagner has blamed top defence chiefs for losses suffered by his fighters
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Key points
Fight breaks out as Russian delegate takes down Ukrainian flag View post
Wagner boss swears at Russian defence chiefs in video View post
Group’s hiring of sacked Russian minister sparks intrigue View post
US will want to distance itself from ‘attack’ | Diana Magnay View post
Explained: Will Putin fly to South Africa – and could it lead to his arrest? View post | Why Ukraine may start to see more casualties View post
Live reporting by Samuel Osborne
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11h ago
12:25
That’s all for today’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine
Keep an eye on the Sky News website for the latest updates and breaking stories on the conflict.
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11h ago
11:58
Russian theatre director appears in court accused of ‘justifying terrorism’
A prominent Russian theatre director has been remanded in custody after being accused of justifying terrorism with an award-winning play about Russian women who married Islamic State fighters, state news agency TASS reported.
Investigators opened a case this week against Yevgenia (Zhenya) Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk, claiming that Petriychuk’s “Finist, the Brave Falcon”, which premiered in 2020 under Berkovich’s direction, had broken the law.
Moscow has intensified a clampdown on freedom of expression, and encouraged citizens to report anyone they suspect of demonstrating disloyalty since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Finist, the Brave Falcon” won two “Golden Mask” national theatre awards last year, and Berkovich also received a nomination for best director.
The detention of the two women has drawn condemnation from several prominent Russian artists and cultural figures.
Journalist Ksenia Sobchak said the case against them showed “rampant ignorance”, and that the play in fact had an anti-terrorist message.
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12h ago
11:26
Wagner boss says truth behind former defence minister’s appointment is ‘secret’
We return briefly to the subject of Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, the former Russian deputy defence minister who is believed to have joined the Wagner Group private militia as a deputy commander.
The development, alongside other statements over recent days from Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, has prompted widespread speculation that the mercenary leader may be intensifying efforts to strengthen his position amid growing rumours of a Kremlin power struggle.
In a video statement, Prigozhin praised Gen Mizintsev but did not confirm that he had been hired.
Reuters news agency is now reporting that in response to its question, he said that in wartime, such matters were “secret”.
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13h ago
10:28
Regions across Ukraine announce air alerts
The capital Kyiv and most Ukrainian regions have announced air alerts, officials said.
The number of alerts has risen sharply in recent days, after Russia claimed Ukraine had attempted to assassinate Vladimir Putin in a drone attack early Wednesday morning – something Kyiv denies.
Kyiv alone has issued six alerts warning of Russian attacks in the last three days.
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13h ago
10:19
Putin discusses Victory Day parade with Security Council
Vladimir Putin discussed preparations for Tuesday’s Victory Day parade in a meeting with his Security Council today, the RIA Novosti news agency reported citing the Kremlin.
Moscow said the parade will go ahead despite its assertion Ukraine tried to kill Mr Putin in a drone attack on the Kremlin in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Kyiv has denied any involvement in the incident.
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13h ago
09:50
Expected Ukrainian counteroffensive prompts evacuations
People are leaving the Ukrainian city of Kherson ahead of a curfew and the Russian-installed governor of the Zaporizhzhia region has ordered the evacuation of villages close to the frontline ahead of a widely-expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Small buses and dozens of cars left Kherson today ahead of a 58-hour curfew following a spate of Russian attacks before the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Kherson, which Kyiv recaptured from Russia last November after eight months of occupation, is regularly bombarded from across the River Dnipro.
Two villages in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the Kherson region were hit four times today by Russian guided bombs, which destroyed a church building and damaged 20 homes, wounding one person, the regional administration said.
Meanwhile, the Russian-installed governor of the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region has ordered the evacuation of villages close to the frontline, saying Ukrainian shelling had intensified in recent days.
A widely expected Ukrainian counteroffensive is likely to take place in the region, where Russian forces hold around 80% of the territory.
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14h ago
09:05
Moscow redeploying Wagner fighters to besieged city
Russia is bringing Wagner mercenary fighters from other parts of the frontline to fight in the battle for Bakhmut, which Moscow wants to capture in time for its Victory Day celebrations, a senior Ukrainian official has said.
Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar made the remarks after Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said his mercenary forces would pull out of the area on 10 May because of heavy losses and inadequate ammunition supplies, as we reported earlier (see 9.45 post).
It would be a day after the annual event commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
In a video earlier today Mr Prigozhin said Wagner would stay in the city until 9 May to avoid shame on the day of the commemoration.
“We are now seeing them pulling (fighters) from the entire offensive line where the Wagner fighters were, they are pulling (them) to the Bakhmut direction,” Ms Maliar said.
She said Ukrainian forces were not only on the defensive in the city but were also conducting assaults.
Kyiv is expected to launch a counter-offensive in the coming weeks in an attempt to push Russian forces in the east and south.
“The Russians are inclined towards symbolism and their key historic myth is 9 May and they really have set the objective of taking control of Bakhmut by this date,” she said.
While Bakhmut is of questionable military strategic value, the city has taken on huge symbolic importance in Russia’s invasion.
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15h ago
08:27
Russian missile system ‘crashes on way to Victory Day parade’
A Russian Iskander missile system has reportedly crashed into a fence in the middle of a road near St Petersburg.
Russian media outlets said the vehicle was heading to a rehearsal for Tuesday’s Victory Day parade and is now likely to miss the practice.
Footage on social media showed what appeared to be the missile system after it had crashed through a barrier.
Iskander missiles travel at a terminal hypersonic speed of Mach 6-7 (2,100-2,600 m/s) and can reach an altitude of 50km with a range up to 500km.
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15h ago
08:07
Conflicting reports emerge over claims Ukraine downed Russian hypersonic missile
While figures including Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former spokesperson, Iuliia Mendel, had posted reports that Ukraine had shot down a Russian hypersonic missile, conflicting claims have since emerged.
Ukrainian news outlet Suspilne media quotes the country’s air force spokesman Yuriy Ignat as refuting the report.
A subsequent post on the official Telegram channel of the Ukrainian Air Force said it would not be offering any comment today, and said Defense Express (which initially reported the claims) and the Kyiv City Military Administration should be contacted for “additional up-to-date, operational and reliable information that the enemy will use in the war against Ukraine”.
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15h ago
08:01
Funeral of US military volunteer killed in Ukraine
A funeral has been held for a US military volunteer who was killed fighting against Russian troops in Ukraine.
Christopher Campbell was a member of the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine and died in the frontline town of Bakhmut.
Ivanna Sanina holds a Ukrainian national flag and a portrait of her boyfriend
Ivanna Sanina holds a Ukrainian national flag and a portrait of her boyfriend
Members of the Honour Guard stand next to a portrait of Christopher Campbell
Members of the Honour Guard stand next to a portrait of Christopher Campbell
Members of the Honour Guard carry Christopher Campbell’s coffin
Members of the Honour Guard carry Christopher Campbell’s coffin
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16h ago
07:24
Intrigue as Russian minister joins Wagner
The appointment of Russia’s former deputy defence minister, Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, as new deputy leader of the Wagner Group has prompted significant interest among experts.
Theories around the move differ among analysts, with some suggesting it is likely to have happened with the blessing of the Vladimir Putin’s regime, for which it is said to be a convenient arrangement because it creates a position for a relatively prominent figure after his dismissal.
However, there is speculation from others that it could form part of the developing power struggle around the Kremlin – and that Gen Mizintsev was relieved of his duties because he was perceived to have become too close to Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
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16h ago
07:03
Russian hypersonic missile ‘shot down by Ukraine for first time’
Ukraine has reportedly shot down a Russian hypersonic missile in the skies over Kyiv for the first time.
Ukrainian news portal Defence Express said it had received photos of wreckage from a Kh-47 Kinzhal missile that had been fired at Kyiv early yesterday morning.
The photos showed the nose cone of the missile without a warhead, it said.
The wreckage showed the missile was intercepted by something that was able to penetrate the thick material of the nose cone, destroying the warhead in mid-air, Defence Express said.
The report has not been verified by Sky News.
The Russian military claims the Kinzhal has a range of 3,000km (1,900 miles) and travels at Mach 12 speed (2.5 miles per second).
It can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads and can be launched by bombers or interceptors.
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17h ago
06:34
Former Russian deputy defence minister joins Wagner
Russia’s former deputy defence minister has joined the mercenary Wagner group as a deputy commander after he was apparently sacked, Russian pro-war social media channels have reported.
Two videos posed by war correspondent Alexander Simonov on Telegram show Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev clad in Wagner-branded combat gear as he visits a training camp and tours Russian positions in the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut.
Last month Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin’s press service said he had offered to take on Mr Mizintsev the day after he was reportedly sacked by the Defence Ministry.
Russian Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev (file pic)
Russian Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev (file pic)
Mr Mizintsev, who orchestrated the siege of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol in the early months of the war last year, had only been made deputy defence minister in charge of logistics and supplies last September.
Gray Zone, a highly-followed Telegram channel affiliated with Wagner, wrote that Mr Mizintsev had become “not the first and obviously not the last general who was out of place amid the bureaucracy and sycophancy”.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Mr Mizintsev in June, calling him the “Butcher of Mariupol”.
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17h ago
06:20
Russia and India suspend efforts to trade in rupees
Russia has accumulated billions of rupees and needs to convert them into other currencies, Russia’s foreign minister has said.
India and Russia suspended efforts to settle bilateral trade in rupees after months of negotiations failed to convince Moscow to keep the currency in its coffers.
“As for rupees, this is a problem because there are billions of rupees accumulated in accounts at Indian banks and we need to use this money,” Sergei Lavrov, Moscow’s foreign minister, told a press conference in India.
“For this, rupees should be converted into other currencies. This is being discussed.”
It will likely be a major setback for Indian importers of cheap oil and coal from Russia, who were awaiting a permanent rupee payment mechanism to help lower currency conversion costs.
Moscow believes it will end up with an annual rupee surplus of over $40bn (£31.7) if such a mechanism is worked out and considers rupee accumulation “not desirable”, an Indian government official told Reuters.
Another Indian official said Russia wanted to be paid in Chinese yuan or other currencies.
The rupee is not fully convertible and India’s share of global exports of goods is around 2%, factors which reduce the necessity for other countries to hold rupees.
Most trade is done in dollars but an increasing amount is being carried out in other currencies such as the United Arab Emirates dirham.
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17h ago
05:59
China says it will promote Ukraine peace talks
China’s foreign minister has said Beijing will continue to promote Ukraine peace talks with Russia.
Qin Gang said China is “willing to maintain communication and coordination with Russia to make tangible contributions to the political settlement of the crisis”, a foreign ministry statement said.
It comes after Mr Qin met Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Goa, India, yesterday.
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17h ago
05:45
Ukraine conflict in photos today
Photos show life continuing in Kyiv, as Ukrainians enjoy cherry blossoms and shelter during air raid alerts.
Elsewhere, members of Ukraine’s delegation unfurled their national flag next to the deputy head of Russia’s delegation, Olga Timofeeva, to disrupt her speech during a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in Ankara, Turkey.
People take pictures under cherry blossoms in a park in Kyiv
People take pictures under cherry blossoms in a park in Kyiv
Members of Ukraine’s delegation unfurl their national flag next to the depty head of Russia’s delegation during a summit in Turkey
Members of Ukraine’s delegation unfurl their national flag next to the depty head of Russia’s delegation during a summit in Turkey
People shelter inside a subway station during an air raid alert in Kyiv
People shelter inside a subway station during an air raid alert in Kyiv
Firefighters and local resisdents at a site of a building damaged by the remains of a shot-down drone in Kyiv
Firefighters and local resisdents at a site of a building damaged by the remains of a shot-down drone in Kyiv
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18h ago
05:15
Second drone attack on Russian oil refinery causes fire
A fire broke out at an oil refinery in southern Russia after it was attacked by drones for the second time in two days, the TASS news agency reported, citing emergency services.
There were no casualties in the attack on the Ilsky refinery, the RIA Novosti news agency reported, and the fire was put out.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the strike.
Ukrainian officials do not typically claim responsibility for attacks inside Russian territory, though sometimes they celebrate them using euphemistic language.
The Ilsky refinery, near the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, has a processing capacity of around 6.6 million tonnes a year.
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18h ago
04:57
Russian Security Council likely to discuss drone attack today
Russia’s Security Council is meeting today and is likely to discuss what Moscow has described as an attempted Ukrainian drone attack on Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin has said.
Kyiv has denied it was behind the incident, which took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Russia has also accused the US of being behind the attack, which Washington has rejected.
Moscow has said it reserves the right to retaliate.
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18h ago
04:45
Wagner boss swears at Russian defence chiefs in video next to bloodied corpses
The boss of Russian mercenary group Wagner has personally blamed top defence chiefs for losses suffered by his fighters in Ukraine – and said his fighters will pull out of Bakhmut within days.
Standing in a field of bloodied corpses, Yevgeny Prigozhin accused Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister, and Valery Gerasimov, the chief of general staff, of starving his forces of ammunition.
“We have a 70% shortage of ammunition. Shoigu! Gerasimov! Where is the ******* ammunition?” he yelled in a video filled with bleeped-out expletives.
Those responsible would go to hell, he shouted.
Mr Prigozhin said Wagner’s losses would be five times smaller if it was adequately supplied.
“These are Wagner lads who died today. The blood is still fresh,” he said, pointing to the corpses surrounding him.
“They came here as volunteers and they’re dying so you can get fat in your offices.”
In a separate statement, Mr Prigozhin said his forces would pull out of the eastern city of Bakhmut on 10 May.
“I declare on behalf of the Wagner fighters, on behalf of the Wagner command, that on May 10, 2023, we are obliged to transfer positions in the settlement of Bakhmut to units of the defence ministry and withdraw the remains of Wagner to logistics camps to lick our wounds,” he said.
“I’m pulling Wagner units out of Bakhmut because in the absence of ammunition they’re doomed to perish senselessly.”
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19h ago
04:40
Russia ‘unable to fully protect rail networks from attack’
An increase of Russian rail accidents in areas bordering Ukraine attributed to sabotage has “almost certainly” caused short-term disruption to Russian military rail movements, according to British intelligence.
The sabotage had been committed by “unknown actors”, the UK defence ministry said in its daily update.
The sabotage will increase pressure on Russia’s internal security forces, the ministry said, adding they will likely remain unable to protect Russia’s vulnerable rail networks from attack.
