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Ukraine war – latest: Kyiv plans to ‘drive a wedge’ between Russia and Crimea – as Moscow rejects China’s peace plan
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Chinese peace plan should be analysed in detail and account for the interests of all sides, but suggested Moscow saw no signs suggesting a peaceful resolution was feasible.
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Key points
Zelenskyy fires top Ukrainian military commander View post
Russia will be ‘concerned’ about ‘unexplained’ explosions in occupied city View post
Moscow politely rejects China’s peace plan View post
Russian-installed leaders ‘fleeing occupied Ukraine’ – reports View post
Ukraine’s counteroffensive to ‘drive a wedge’ between Crimea and Russia View post
Stuart Ramsay: I was shot reporting in Ukraine – but some doubt my story View post
Sean Bell: What would Russian success mean for Western security? View post
Live reporting by Brad Young, with Deborah Haynes in Ukraine, Dominic Waghorn in Poland and Diana Magnay in Moscow
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23m ago
14:00
China ‘playing dangerous game of chicken with US’
Returning to the subject of China briefly, and a number of analysts have been offering their views on the likelihood of China following through on thinly disguised threats to supply Russia with military support.
Among them is political scientist Ian Bremmer, who said the development “could be a complete game changer, both for the war in Ukraine and for relations between China and the West”.
“If Beijing followed through, it would put China in a much more directly adversarial position not just with the US but with NATO,” he writes for the GZERO website.
“It would accelerate decoupling with the West. It would bring the US and Europe closer together against Beijing.”
He concludes, in line with a number of other experts, that “it probably won’t happen”.
Mr Bremmer speculates that the shift in geopolitical strategy from Beijing may be driven by the Xi Jinping’s regime believing the conflict has tipped in Russia’s favour and that “they want to back the winner.
However, he suggests that he believes China has no intention of entering the war “but wants to use the threat of it to force a peace settlement, extract concessions from the West in other areas, or weaken Western support for Ukraine”.
Neverthess, he warns: “China has clearly decided to play chicken with the US. Especially in light of Xi’s propensity to miscalculate, that’s a dangerous game.”
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1h ago
13:00
Ukrainian rockets fire on the front line
A multiple launch rocket system, based on a Soviet-era self-propelled rocket launcher, fires near the frontline in the eastern Donetsk region.
A Multiple Launch Rocket System
A Multiple Launch Rocket System
Voldymyr, a commander, waits for an order to fire
Voldymyr, a commander, waits for an order to fire
A Ukrainian serviceman checks the coordinates for a Multiple Launch Rocket System
A Ukrainian serviceman checks the coordinates for a Multiple Launch Rocket System
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2h ago
11:49
Russian-installed leaders ‘fleeing occupied Ukraine’
Russian-installed authorities in occupied Ukraine are “fleeing to Crimea” as President Zelenskyy’s forces prepare for a spring counteroffensive.
Local leaders in Oleshki and Skadovsk, Kherson, have been evacuating since Tuesday, according to the general staff of the armed forces of Ukraine.
Military trucks transported the Russian proxies with just their hand luggage, the general staff posted on Facebook.
The news comes as Ukraine looks to “drive a wedge” between Crimea and mainland Russia in Spring.
Ukrainian intelligence chief Vadym Skibitsky told the Berliner Morgenpost they will return Ukraine to its 1991 borders, before Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
Ukraine’s September counteroffensive was highly successful, recapturing key towns and cities in the northeast of the country.
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3h ago
11:17
‘Significant obstacles’ to transferring frozen Russian assets to Ukraine
The US treasury secretary said there were significant legal obstacles to seizing £250bn in frozen Russian central bank assets during a visit to Kyiv today.
Janet Yellen reiterated the US’s intention to make Russia pay for Ukraine’s recovery and announced the transfer of the first £1bn from the latest £8.2bn tranche of American assistance.
Ms Yellen met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other key government officials, where they discussed further sanctions.
“America will stand with Ukraine as long as it takes,”
said Ms Yellen, flanked by sandbags at the cabinet ministers’ office.
She commended Mr Zelenskyy “for his leadership and resolve in the face or Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war” and his actions to address corruption, which she said were needed to ensure that aid is spent responsibly.
Economic support is keeping Ukraine’s critical public services running, schools open and pensions paid, said the US secretary.
“A sustained military effort cannot succeed without an
effective government at home,” she said.
Ukraine is estimated to need £33bn to £47bn in
external financing this year to support its economy.
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3h ago
10:48
Russia accused of ‘genocidal crime’
Ukraine’s foreign minister has accused Russia of a “genocidal crime”.
Dmytro Kuleba told the United Nations Human Rights Council that Russia was undertaking the largest forced deportation of children in modern history.
In a video message on the first day of the council in Geneva, he said: “This is a genocidal crime.”
His comments follow those he made at the UN Security Council on Friday, when Mr Kuleba said Russia was engaging in “state-sponsored kidnapping” in Ukraine.
Earlier today, the head of the UN said Russia’s invasion triggered “the most massive violations of human rights”.
In a speech, secretary-general António Guterres condemned Russia’s “senseless” aggression and said it had “unleashed widespread death, destruction and displacement.”
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4h ago
10:20
Apple ‘fined £10m’ in Russia
Apple has paid a £10m fine for allegedly giving its own products a competitive advantage in the app store, Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has said.
The tech giant, which paused all product sales in Russia after its invasion, has previously “respectfully disagreed” with the FAS ruling.
The FAS determined Apple had abused its dominant market position and told the company it could not reject third-party apps from its App Store.
The move came after cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab complained a new version of its Safe Kids application had been declined by Apple’s operating system.
Apple, which was not immediately available for comment, unsuccessfully appealed the decision at various stages but ultimately complied with the order, according to the FAS.
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4h ago
09:58
Putin awards Hollywood actor with state decoration
Vladimir Putin has awarded Hollywood actor Steven Seagal a state award, a Russian decree showed.
It said the action star, 70, has been given Russia’s Order of Friendship for his international humanitarian and cultural work.
The decree mentioned Seagal’s work as a special representative of the foreign ministry for humanitarian ties with the US and Japan.
In 2021, the US actor reportedly joined a pro-Kremlin party, and last summer he visited a Russian-controlled part of eastern Ukraine to meet with a Russian-backed separatist leader.
Ukraine banned Mr Seagal from entering the country in 2017 for five years on national security grounds.
There was no immediate reaction from Seagal.
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4h ago
09:40
Russian paramilitary leader funds contest to make YouTube rival
The head of the Wagner Group, a paramilitary organisation fighting against Ukrainian forces, is funding a contest to create a Russian competitor to social media platform YouTube.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, who rose to prominence leading a combination of convicts and mercenaries on the battlefield, wants to expand his operations into the tech sector by backing programmers to create a new hosting platform, Video Revolution.
He accused YouTube of “strangling Russian programmers” and said his own platform would release Russian video hosting sites “from the information prison.”
“I am funding a contest called Video Revolution, which aims to show the population of the Russian Federation and the whole world that there are a huge number of programmers and other specialists in Russia who are able to create and package video hosting that is no less attractive, than YouTube,” Mr Prigozhin said on Telegram.
“I hope that after the bureaucrats see that, by prolonging the life of YouTube, they are strangling Russian programmers.”
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5h ago
09:20
‘Knock-off’ IKEA to open stores across Russia
The exodus of major western chain stores from Russia since its invasion of Ukraine has given rise to a smattering of suspiciously familiar-looking outlets opening in the country.
To those can now be added Belarusian firm Swed House.
Russian state news agency TASS reports the company, described as an IKEA knock-off by independent news site Meduza, will open 10 stores across the country this year.
Head of the Union of Shopping Centres Bulat Shakirov told TASS: “It is not important whether they are in the Moscow downtown, at the Moscow Ring Road or in bedroom communities.
“Furniture, home products and textile will enjoy the demand in any case.”
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5h ago
08:52
In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers hold out against attacks in Bakhmut
Now to Bakhmut in the east where Ukrainian soldiers have been photographed around the besieged city.
Ukrainian forces are holding out against constant attacks as Russia continues its efforts to capture the mining city.
Here are some of the latest pictures we’ve received…
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5h ago
08:40
Former Kremlin spin doctor who rued his role in clearing path for Putin dies, aged 71
Former Kremlin spin doctor Gleb Pavlovsky has died at the age of 71.
He helped oversee a shift in Russia to what he called “managed democracy”, but what is widely considered to have been key to clearing the path for Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian rule.
While he initially believed they would avoid major political upheaval, he later expressed regret for his role in establishing the changes.
“It’s like those who work on designing a weapon,” he said of the system he created.
“These weapons can end up in the wrong hands or be used the wrong way. Are you responsible because you made the weapon?”
Speaking to the Globe and Mail in 2012, he said: “The system was supposed to be temporary. … But the further it went, the more human passion came into play. I should have read more Plato.
“Putin was a reasonable man in the beginning. I thought he was smart enough not to make the mistakes he’s making now.”
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6h ago
08:18
Russia politely rejects China’s peace plan
Yesterday, we covered news that the CIA believes China is considering weapons supplies for its ally Russia’s invasion.
Those reports came after Beijing published a 12-point plan calling for a ceasefire and gradual de-escalation by both sides.
Kyiv has struck a receptive tone on some aspects of the plan while reiterating there could be no peace without a total Russian withdrawal – a non-starter for Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday the Chinese plan should be analysed in detail and account for the interests of all sides, but suggested Moscow saw no signs suggesting a peaceful resolution was feasible.
“We are paying a great deal of attention to the plan of our Chinese friends … This is a very long and intense process,” he told reporters.
“At the moment, we do not see any prerequisites for the turning of this whole story in a peaceful direction. For now the special military operation continues, we are moving towards achieving the goals that were set.”
China’s proposals have cut little ice among Ukraine’s NATO military alliance supporters, who say they are trying to dissuade China from supplying lethal aid for Russia’s lumbering invasion, possibly including “kamikaze” drones.
Casting the Ukraine war as a battle for Russia’s survival against a rapacious West, Vladimir Putin last week hailed “new frontiers” in ties with Beijing and indicated that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping would soon visit Moscow.
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6h ago
07:46
Ukraine’s counteroffensive will aim to ‘drive a wedge’ between Crimea and Russia
Ukraine’s deputy military intelligence chief says a spring counteroffensive by his country will aim to “drive a wedge” between Crime and mainland Russia.
Vadym Skibitsky said: “The purpose of our counteroffensive is to liberate all occupied territories of Ukraine – including Crimea. We won’t stop until we have our country back in the 1991 borders”.
Mr Skibitsky made the remarks to the German newspaper, Berliner Morgenpost.
He said one of the military aims of the counteroffensive, planned for spring, will be to “drive a wedge in the Russian front in the south – between Crimea and mainland Russia”.
Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014.
Mr Skibitsky also added that Ukraine’s army could also hit Russian airfields or depots with rockets and artillery systems.
“It is possible that we will also destroy arms depots or military equipment on Russian territory , for example around the city of Belgorod. Attacks on Ukraine will be launched from there,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly said Kyiv return the peninsula to Ukrainian control.
Ukraine’s previous counteroffensive which began last September was highly successful for Kyiv’s forces who recaptured key towns and cities in the northeast of the country.
It comes as Russian forces continue to battle for control of the eastern city of Bakhmut, amid expectations of a spring offensive of their own.
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7h ago
07:04
Watch: Destruction revealed in eastern city of Bakhmut
Now to eastern Ukraine, where footage from inside Bakhmut shows the scale of destruction in the besieged city.
The video shows a series of derelict buildings and empty streets.
The mining city has become the focus of Moscow’s offensive, which so far Vladimir Putin’s forces have failed to capture.
The months long struggle for control of Bakhmut has seen some of the bloodiest fighting in the war.
Before Russia invaded, the city had around 70,000 residents – now only about 5,000 remain.
The prolonged siege has prompted Ukrainian analysts to consider openly whether its troops should consider abandoning their defence of the city.
In a Facebook post, the Ukrainian armed forces’ general staff said Russian troops had carried out several unsuccessful attacks in the Bakhmut area on Sunday.
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7h ago
07:02
Russia ‘destroys ammunition depot near Bakhmut’
Russia claims to have shot down five drones launched by Ukraine – and destroyed an ammunition depot near the eastern city of Bakhmut.
Its defence ministry said on Monday that it also shot down four HIMARS missiles.
It comes as Russia continues its drive to capture Bakhmut and take control of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas industrial region.
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7h ago
06:37
What two maps can tell us about the war in Ukraine
As Russia continues its offensive in eastern Ukraine, we take a look back at how things on the ground have changed over the last six months.
The map on the left is from late August shows Russian gains in the east of the country.
Moscow’s forces had already occupied the Luhansk region and the key port city of Mariupol in the south. However, Ukrainian forces were retaking land in the north around Kharkiv.
The map on the right from today highlights the significant gains which Ukrainian forces have made in the north and south of the country.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s counter-offensive which started in September saw Ukraine recapture large swathes of land in the north including the city of Izyum – a key logistics hub in the Kharkiv region.
In November, Ukraine recaptured the southern city of Kherson after eight months of occupation, as pro-Moscow forces abandoned the only regional capital they had captured since the war began.
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8h ago
06:05
‘Mariupol is unspeakable’: Tragedy of older Ukrainians under Russian occupation
Living conditions for older Ukrainians in Russian-occupied areas are “unspeakable” and a “tragedy”, a charity has said.
Galina Poliakova, director of Age Concern Ukraine, which provides aid to more than 500 older Ukrainians across the country, said it is impossible to know how they are surviving in Russian-controlled cities.
“Older people have always been vulnerable and in the war time, it’s a very difficult situation,” she told Sky News.
“Their villages are ruined and burned and younger people prefer to leave. So the older people preferred to stay and nothing can force them to leave their half-ruined or completely ruined homes.
Local police helping distribute aid
Local police helping distribute aid
“Many places are still occupied and their lives are not easy and there are so many places which are on the frontline and are under bombardment and people have nowhere to go. It’s still winter and it’s still cold.
“We have no branches in Mariupol and the information we receive is the same as what you see. Mariupol is unspeakable. Who knows what goes on, we only can talk to people who can speak and sometimes they don’t want to speak or sometimes they do. It’s always a very tragic situation.”
In Ukraine, people over 60 make up nearly a quarter of the population, according to Amnesty International.
A year on from Moscow’s invasion and Russia controls nearly a third of Ukrainian territory, including Mariupol.
The port city has been under Russian control since last May after a nearly three-month siege.
Age Concern’s winter aid parcels
Age Concern’s winter aid parcels
Ms Poliakova said the situation for older Ukrainians is most concerning for those living in Russian-occupied areas and near the frontline – including the eastern town of Bakhmut, which as faced near-constant bombardment by the Russians since August.
She added that Russian shelling has not only resulted in damaged housing, but has also left many older Ukrainians isolated, lonely and without essential needs like heating and food.
Age Concern has nine branches across the country in cities including Kyiv, with volunteers aged 60 and over who deliver food, information, clothing and other items to older Ukrainians who are living alone.
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8h ago
05:23
What’s going on in Moldova’s breakaway region and why is the Kremlin worried?
The Kremlin has said it is worried about the situation in Transnistria, where it said external forces were stirring up the situation.
Transnistria is a Russian-backed breakaway territory in Moldova.
The mainly Russian-speaking region broke away from then-Soviet Moldova in 1990.
After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, pro-Russian separatists fought a war with Moldovan government forces.
The breakaway region is now home to around 1,500 “peacekeeping troops”.
The region’s independence is not recognised by the pro-Western government of Moldova or the international community.
Russia’s Defence Ministry recently alleged that Ukraine was planning a “provocation” in Transnistria.
But Ukraine’s president has dismissed Moscow’s assertion that Kyiv wants to take over the region, while Moldova sad there was no truth to the allegations.
Citing intelligence data without presenting any evidence, the Russian military alleged that Ukrainian soldiers disguised as Russian troops planned to launch a false flag operation designed to apportion blame Russia for invading Ukraine from Transnistria.
Kyiv would the then use that as a pretext to invade the territory.
Moldova’s President Maia Sandu, who wants her country to join the European Union, accused Moscow this month of planning a coup to topple the country’s leadership – Moscow denied the allegation.
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10h ago
04:20
Belarusian anti-government activists claim responsibility for attack on Russian aircraft
Belarusian anti-government activists have claimed responsibility for what they said was a drone attack on a Russian military aircraft near Minsk.
Aliksandr Azarov, the leader of anti-government organisation BYPOL, claimed responsibility for the attack on a Russian A-50 surveillance aircraft on Telegram.
BYPOL said Sunday’s attack damaged the front and central parts of the aircraft as well as its radar and antenna at the Machulishchy air base near the Belarusian capital of Minsk.
Mr Azarov said the operation was prepared for several months.
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there have been several acts of sabotage in Belarus and in Russian regions bordering Ukraine, especially on the railway system.
While Belarus has not taken a direct part in Russia’s war on Ukraine, it has allowed its forces access to use territory as a staging post at the beginning of the invasion a year ago.
A Beriev A-50 early warning aircraft in Moscow in 2019
A Beriev A-50 early warning aircraft in Moscow in 2019
Franak Viacorka, an adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, said in a post on Twitter it was the most successful act of sabotage since the beginning of last year.
The Beriev A-50 aircraft, which has the NATO reporting name of Mainstay, is a Russian airborne early warning aircraft, with airborne command and control capabilities, and the ability to track up to 60 targets at a time.
