Ukraine war latest: ‘Killing zone’ in city of Bakhmut; Russia carrying out ‘unauthorised change’ at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukrainian official warns
Fighting in the eastern city of Bakhmut has “escalated”, according to a Ukrainian minister. Russia continues to send wave after wave of troops into the city in an attempt to advance. Listen to our daily podcast while you scroll.
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‘Killing zone’ in hotly-contested city of Bakhmut View post
‘Unauthorised change’ at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant View post
Volodymyr Zelenskyy leads tributes to popular ‘Da Vinci’ commander View post
Up to 30,000 Russian troops have died trying to take Bakhmut View post
Putin launched major attack to appease pro-war communities but they were ‘fruitless’ – analysts View post
Putin can ‘never again’ weaponise energy, Sunak says View post
Live reporting by Michael Drummond, with Stuart Ramsay in Ukraine and Diana Magnay in Moscow
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8h ago
10:22
Training begins for 28,000-strong Offensive Guard
Ukraine has begun training “almost all” of its new, 28,000-strong assault brigades, who will be tasked with recapturing occupied territory, according to Ukrainian news outlet Pravda.
The ministry of internal affairs told The Ukrainian Weekly that the so-called Offensive Guard will be used to clear cities and villages after the army breaks through Russian front lines.
Police officers, border guards and national guardsmen were to make up the ranks of the Offensive Guard when the idea was first proposed by the former minister of internal affairs, Denys Monastyrskyy, who died in a helicopter crash in January, reported The Ukranian Weekly.
Pravda reported the current minister, Ihor Klymenko, said: “We have started the training of almost all units on the training grounds of our country, and not all of them can withstand the trials there.
“The training will continue as long as necessary to produce combat-ready units of the national guard, state border guard service and national Police, all of which are now called the Offensive Guard.”
He added more volunteers will be recruited for reserves.
Training will take between two and four months, according to a statement by the Ukrainian National Guard’s Facebook account on Thursday.
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8h ago
09:58
Ukraine’s spring counter-offensive ‘not far off’
Ukraine’s spring counter-offensive is “not far off”, according to the commander of its ground forces.
Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi said holding Bakhmut – the focus of Russian efforts for several months – is necessary to buy Ukraine time.
It needs to build its reserves before launching an assault, and so far Bakhmut’s defences have given Russia a “decent rebuff”, according to the Ukrainian Army Land Forces’ Telegram account.
“The real heroes now are the defenders who hold the eastern front on their shoulders,” said the commander.
“It is necessary to gain time to accumulate reserves and start a counteroffensive, which is not far off.”
The head of Russia’s paramilitary group, Wagner, said earlier today they were doing “everything” they can to prevent a Ukrainian counter-offensive.
It was thought Ukraine might withdraw from Bakhmut just days ago, but it appears Kyiv wants to continue the months-long war of attrition in the city.
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9h ago
09:39
Shelling kills four civilians in Ukrainian cities
Russian shelling in southern and eastern Ukraine has killed four civilians today.
The attacks caused three deaths in Kherson and one in the Kostyantynivka, Donetsk.
An elderly woman was among three other people injured by artillery in Kherson, according to regional Oleksandr Prokudin.
“Today the Russian occupiers have hit Kherson again. On a Mykolayivsky road near a shop, debris from a shell killed three people,” he told Ukrainian TV.
Several buses, a car and a commercial property were damaged, he added.
Kherson was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in November, following its occupation by Russia at the start of the invasion.
From the opposite side of the Dnipro River, Russian soldiers are almost constantly firing at the city.
In Donetsk to the east, the city of Kostyantynivka saw one death and three injuries today, according to regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.
The region has seen heavy fighting since the beginning of the war.
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9h ago
09:00
Exiled mayor working on vision for ‘Mariupol Reborn’
The mayor of Mariupol, Vadym Boychenko, says planning is underway for how to rebuild the city when it is liberated.
Mr Boychenko has been continuing in his position in exile following Russian forces’ capture of the city.
Huge swathes of Mariupol were raised to the ground by punishing artillery fire from Kremlin forces.
Mr Boychenko said work is progressing to form a vision of the city’s future after de-occupation: “Mariupol Reborn”
The plan will encompass:
Restoring critical infrastructure immediately after liberation
Working with international partners to determine the damage caused by Russia
Working with the community on how best to convince people to return to the city
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10h ago
08:31
‘I want Putin to die’
By Stuart Ramsay, Sky News chief correspondent
I met Larysa standing on broken glass outside her Kyiv apartment block trying to convince two council workmen to come up to her flat and mend her shattered windows.
Only hours earlier she had been shaken to the core by a huge explosion in the residential complex car park three floors beneath her.
She invited us inside saying she had been terrified by the blast.
Larysa was clearly in shock and very teary.
Read more from our chief correspondent:
Ukraine war: ‘I want Putin to die’ – Shock and anger after dozens of Russian missiles hit Kyiv | World News | Sky News
Sky News
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11h ago
07:45
ICYMI Why is Bakhmut so important?
Professor Michael Clarke talks to Sky News about why the city of Bakhmut is so important in the ongoing battle for the Donbas.
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11h ago
07:20
Lithuania celebrates 33 years of independence from the Soviet Union
There were cheers and chanting in the Lithuanian parliament as the nation celebrates 33 years of restored independence.
Lithuania proclaimed its independence on 11 March, 1990, a year before the formal breakup of the Soviet Union.
“We have been celebrating Independence Day for the fourth decade, we are celebrating liberation from occupation, the victory of democracy”, prime minister Ingrida Simonyte said.
Ms Simonyte said the “spirit of unity” accompanies her people to this day in creating “a rich, modern and, most importantly, free Lithuania”.
But she also turned her attention to Lithuania’s neighbour, Ukraine, which is fighting against Russian aggression.
“Today, Ukrainians pay a heavy price and defend the freedom of all of us. Therefore, we must do more than we can to win victory as soon as possible, to bury once and for all the imperial ambitions of one sick country.”
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11h ago
07:00
Destabilisation in Moldova is ‘standard Russian distraction’ – analyst
Anti-government protests in Moldova have been taking part in recent weeks, supported by members of Moldova’s Russia-friendly Shor Party.
The developments have been viewed with concern by the US, which warned that actors, some connected with Russian intelligence, are seeking to stage and use protests in Moldova as a basis to foment an insurrection against Moldova’s new pro-Western government.
“This is a typical Russian tactic. There is a lot of destabilisation going on inside Moldova,” former intelligence officer Philip Ingram told Sky News.
He added: “They’re trying to destabilise the government. It’s right on NATO’s borders as well.
“This is a standard Russian distraction tactic, suggesting that actually their activities in Ukraine are not going the way the Russians want them to go.”
On Thursday, Moldova’s national anti-corruption agency said officers carried out car searches of “couriers” for the Shor Party, and seized more than 150,000 euros (£132,700) in a case of alleged illegal party financing by an organised criminal group.
The money, which was stuffed into envelopes and bags in at least two different currencies, was earmarked to “pay for the transport and remunerate people who come to the protests organized by the party,” the agency said. Three people were detained.
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12h ago
06:38
Olena Zelenska speaks about stories that inspire, including tomato strike on drone
Olena Zelenska, first lady of Ukraine and wife of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, gave an interview to NBC alongside Hillary Clinton.
She spoke about the story – which has become legend in Ukraine – about a woman who took out a Russian drone by throwing a jar of tomatoes at it.
“We’ve heard a lot of these kinds of stories, and if they inspire us, let’s believe them”, she said.
Sky News has been unable to verify the story about the drone incident.
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12h ago
06:18
Up to 30,000 Russian troops have died trying to take Bakhmut
The death toll of Russian soldiers in the hotly contested city of Bakhmut could be as high as 30,000, military analyst Philip Ingram told Sky News.
The former intelligence officer says Bakhmut is a “small, insignificant” city on about 745 miles (1,200km) of front line.
He added: “The Russians see it as a stepping stone to go into further cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, and so moving forward to try and capture the rest of this Donbas region.
“Ukrainians, as we’ve heard from President Zelenskyy, see it as a fixing operation militarily… (and) from an emotional perspective and therefore from an attention perspective.
“So Ukraine can prepare for what it wants to do elsewhere because all of Russian focus seems to be on this little city.”
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12h ago
06:00
‘Unauthorised change’ at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
An “unauthorised change” is taking place at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, a Ukrainian official has said.
The nuclear plant – Europe’s largest – has been under Russian control for months and there are continued worries over its condition.
Oleg Korikov, head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspection of Ukraine, said the occupation are illegally interfering with the heat and electricity supply systems and building unknown structures.
Both sides have accused each other of shelling around the nuclear facility and inspectors say its physical integrity has been “violated”.
The chilling consequences of a nuclear disaster are known all too well in Ukraine, where the catastrophe at Chernobyl is still in living memory.
Mr Korikov said it is unrealistic to assess the extent of the damage at the Zaporizhzhia plant while it is still under Russian control.
“We have not lost hope for the return of the station to safe operation after deoccupation.”
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13h ago
05:35
‘Killing zone’ in Bakhmut – UK intelligence
Wagner Group mercenary forces have taken control of most of the eastern part of Bakhmut, according to UK intelligence.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Bakhmutka River in the city centre now marks the front line.
Ukrainian forces hold the west of the city and have demolished key bridges over the river, the department said.
The MoD added: “With Ukrainian units able to fire from fortified buildings to the west, this area has become a killing zone, likely making it highly challenging for Wagner forces attempting to continue their frontal assault westwards.
“However, the Ukrainian force and their supply lines to the west remain vulnerable to the continued Russian attempts to outflank the defenders from the north and south.”
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13h ago
05:15
Norway to provide NASAMS air defence systems
Norway will provide Ukraine with two complete NASAMS air defence systems in cooperation with the United States, its defence minister has announced.
Kyiv has been calling for better protection for its cities, which have been under repeated attacks by Russian drones and missiles.
Norwegian defence minister Bjorn Arild Gram visited the Ukrainian capital this week for meetings with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov.
Mr Gram said the extra NASAMS systems will significantly improve Ukraine’s ability to protect its cities and critical infrastructure from Russian missile attacks.
The devastation is difficult to comprehend. Seeing this with my own eyes makes a deep impression, he said.
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13h ago
04:55
What’s it like on Ukraine’s frontline?
Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay has been reporting from Ukraine regularly since the full-scale invasion last year.
In this video, he talks about what it is like for Ukrainian soldiers on the front line.
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14h ago
04:33
Finland’s defence minister plays down fighter jets discussions
Finland’s defence minister has played down suggestions from his own prime minister that Finland could send fighter jets to Ukraine.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin said idea could be discussed (see 09.13 post) while on a visit to Kyiv.
Finland is due to replace its existing fleet of Hornet fighter jets with more modern F-35As, leading to speculation that the older planes could be available to be sent to Kyiv,
However defence minister Antti Kaikkonen said that would be a “difficult task”, Finnish media reported.
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14h ago
04:13
Finland could discuss issue of fighter jets – PM
Finland’s prime minister said the possibility of supplying fighter jets to Ukraine could be discussed.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin emphasised that discussions were at a very early stage and extensive international cooperation is needed, national broadcaster YLE reported.
She was in the Ukrainian capital on Friday for talks to Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Following the decision this year to send tanks to Ukraine – something that looked impossible earlier in the war – calls to provide Kyiv with fighter jets have increased.
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15h ago
03:42
Ukraine must embrace West’s ‘manoeuvre warfare’ – analyst
Ukraine must embrace West’s ‘manoeuvre warfare’ instead of being dragged into traditional Russian-style combat, military analyst Sean Bell says.
Russia’s evident disregard for casualties and collateral damage in the pursuit of victory is very different to the West’s approach to warfare, which has profound implications for the war in Ukraine, and the West’s wider defence planning assumptions.
The legacy of two world wars – wars of attrition with massive casualties – led the West to re-think its military doctrine.
Read more:
Ukraine must embrace West’s ‘manoeuvre warfare’ | World News | Sky News
Sky News
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15h ago
03:02
‘It hurts to lose our heroes’ – Zelenskyy mourns popular fighter
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy led tributes on Friday to a renowned Ukrainian commander who won public affection for committing his entire adult life to fighting Russia and its proxies.
Dmytro Kotsiubailo, 27, was killed this week in the eastern city of Bakhmut where Ukrainian forces have been under fierce attack for months.
Known as “Da Vinci”, Kotsiubailo was made a Hero of Ukraine in 2022, before Russia’s full-scale invasion, for his role in fighting pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
“It hurts to lose our heroes. Brave, courageous, strong. Loyal to themselves and to the state,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
He appeared with the visiting Finnish prime minister, Sanna Marin, at the ornate, golden-domed St Michael’s Cathedral in central Kyiv to lay flowers on Kotsiubailo’s coffin.
“We will never forget. And we will always be grateful.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and visiting Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and visiting Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin
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16h ago
02:43
Fighting around besieged city of Bakhmut has ‘escalated’ – Ukrainian minister
The battle for Bakhmut has “escalated” as Russian forces push to take the city, a Ukrainian minister says.
Fiercely contested for several months now, the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine has taken on huge symbolism as Russian forces throw wave after wave of soldiers into the fray in a bid to overcome stoic Ukrainian defenders.
But in recent weeks the situation has deteriorated, with some hinting that it may be time for Ukraine to withdraw from the city.
On the battlefield on Friday, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said the fighting in Bakhmut had “escalated” with another push by Russian forces to break through defence lines that have largely held firm for the past six months.
Just west of Bakhmut, shelling and missile strikes hit the Ukrainian-held city of Kostiantynivka.
The regional prosecutor’s office said eight people were injured and more than a dozen homes were damaged or destroyed in the attacks.
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16h ago
02:32
Welcome back to our coverage of Ukraine
Hello and welcome back to our liveblog covering the latest updates from the Ukraine war.
If you’re just joining us, here’s an overview of where things stand coming into Saturday morning:
Kyiv has restored most of its power supply, officials say, after Russian missile and drone strikes again targeted critical infrastructure
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital
Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar says fighting in Bakhmut has “escalated”
