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Ukraine war – latest: Moscow fires top war commander; former Russian intelligence agent ‘heavily implies’ he wants Putin removed from power
Moscow has fired the commander of its military operations in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group claims it has taken control of Soledar, but this is disputed by Kyiv. Listen to the latest episode of Ukraine War Diaries as you scroll.
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Key points
Russia fires top war commander in leadership shake-up View post
What does Gerasimov’s appointment mean for politics inside the Kremlin? View post
Russian military appointment is ‘poisoned chalice’ – and confirmation of ‘serious offensives’ coming up View post
Russia’s Wagner group claims it has ‘control of entire territory of Soledar’ View post
Russian frustration with war ‘reaching boiling point’ – as former intelligence agent ‘heavily implies’ he wants Putin removed View post
How could the war in Ukraine come to an end? View post
Live reporting by Emily Mee. Updates from Alex Rossi in Kyiv and Diana Magnay in Moscow
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1h ago
22:30
Ukrainian forces fire rockets at Russian positions
Ukrainian servicemen have been pictured firing rockets towards Russian positions at the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region.
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2h ago
21:21
What’s been happening on the ground?
Below is a quick recap of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Moscow named a new commander for its invasion of Ukraine, while Russian private military firm Wagner Group said it had completed its capture of the salt mining town Soledar in the eastern part of the country;
The head of Wagner said his forces had achieved the complete “liberation” of Soledar, killing around 500 pro-Ukraine troops;
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy mocked Russian claims to have taken over parts of Soledar in his nightly address, saying that fighting was still going on.
The capture of the strategic town would be Moscow’s most substantial gain since a series of retreats throughout much of the second half of last year;
Russia’s defence ministry said airborne units had cut off Soledar from the north and south, while the Wagner contract militia published pictures of the group’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin with fighters inside what appeared to be Soledar’s mines;
The sound of armoured vehicles reverberated around sleepy west Ukrainian towns near the Belarusian border on Wednesday as Kyiv’s forces trained for the threat of a fresh assault across a new front in the north;
Russia and Ukraine have agreed on an exchange of 40 prisoners of war each, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials.
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6h ago
17:19
Russia’s Wagner Group claims body found of missing British aid worker in Ukraine
Russia’s Wagner Group has claimed the body of one of the missing British aid workers in Ukraine has been found.
Christopher Parry, 28, and Andrew Bagshaw, 48, were last seen on Friday leaving Kramatorsk for Soledar.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the families of two British men who have gone missing in Ukraine.
“We are aware of recent reports and are in touch with the Ukrainian authorities.”
A statement on Telegram from the Russian mercenary group said documents belonging to both Britons had been found on the man’s body.
Originally from Cornwall, Mr Parry had been working as a running coach in Cheltenham when Russia invaded on 24 February last year.
Mr Bagshaw resides in New Zealand, and his family earlier released a statement saying that he went to Ukraine because he believed it to be the “morally right thing to do”.
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6h ago
16:53
Wagner Group founder ‘trying to position himself as shadow defence minister’
An expert has offered his take on the ambitions of Putin ally and Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Samuel Ramani, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said the head of the Russian mercenary group has had a “long-standing” rivalry with defence minister Sergei Shoigu.
He told CNN that this dates back to the Syrian war, when the Wagner Group was often directly hired by Assad to carry out operations – going over the head of the Russian Defence Ministry.
Mr Prigozhin has now been “trying to take advantage of the frustration of Russian nationalists” towards the handling of the conflict and using his Telegram channels to smear Mr Shoigu.
Mr Ramani said the Wagner founder “appears to be trying to position himself as a shadow defence minister of sorts who is more respected than Shoigu”.
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7h ago
16:13
UK government says ‘no decisions made’ on sending tanks to Ukraine
A government minister appears to have confirmed the UK is considering sending tanks to Ukraine.
Asked about the possibility, minister for defence procurement Alex Chalk said: “I have to be clear that no decision’s been made about that and that I know is something that will be being considered.”
He said that such a move would have both a symbolic value and also provide “additional capability” for Ukraine.
Our security and defence editor Deborah Haynes first reported that the government was considering sending tanks to Ukraine for the first time.
A Western source with knowledge of the conversations said the government was considering delivering a number of the British Army’s Challenger 2 main battle tanks.
Today, the Financial Times reported that Downing Street had confirmed it is planning to provide the tanks.
A spokesperson for Number 10 told journalists that Rishi Sunak has asked defence secretary Ben Wallace to “work with partners” in the coming weeks to go “further and faster with our support for Ukraine including the provision of tanks”.
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7h ago
15:49
Satellite images reveal intensity of fighting around Soledar and Bakhmut
Intense battles continue as Russian forces pile men and equipment towards the eastern settlements of Soledar and Bakhmut.
Satellite images from Maxar show thousands of bomb craters in fields and along roads in the area.
Meanwhile, hundreds of homes, schools and buildings have been destroyed.
Destroyed schools and buildings in Soledar
Destroyed schools and buildings in Soledar
Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
The same buildings last August
The same buildings last August
Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
Craters in fields in eastern Bakhmut
Craters in fields in eastern Bakhmut
Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
Exploding munitions in Bakhmut
Exploding munitions in Bakhmut
Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
Smouldering buildings in Soledar
Smouldering buildings in Soledar
Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
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8h ago
15:32
Russia is preventing men eligible for military service from leaving the country, Ukraine says
Ukrainian intelligence suggests Russian conscripts are currently banned from leaving Russia.
Russia’s FSB has ordered the country’s border controls to prevent conscripts from leaving, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said.
The order has reportedly been in place since 9 January.
It also prevents people from leaving who have “limited fitness for military service” and are enrolled in the reserve.
Western experts believe Russia is planning new offensives early this year, while Ukraine has warned Moscow could launch a full-scale mobilisation.
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8h ago
15:11
China ‘seeking to distance itself from Putin’ – report
Chinese diplomats have privately signalled they want to improve relations with Western countries and move away from Russia, according to a report in the Financial Times.
The envoys have been trying to improve relations in particular with Europe, after they were seriously damaged by China’s continued support of Russia.
The paper said Beijing is “unofficially” attempting to convince its European partners that it is ready to use its influence to deter Russia from using nuclear weapons, act as a potential “peacemaker” and help with the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.
One anonymous Chinese official said: “Putin is insane. The decision to invade was made by a very small group of people. China shouldn’t blindly follow Russia.”
But in public, Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have been discussing plans to deepen their relations.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that President Xi had instructed his government to establish closer economic ties with Russia.
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9h ago
14:36
New Russian war commander is ‘significant development’, says British MoD
British officials believe the appointment of a new commander at the top of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine is a “significant development” in Vladimir Putin’s approach.
Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov will take over the operation, replacing Sergei Surovikin – who had only been in the role for three months.
The British Ministry of Defence said the move is “an indicator of the increasing seriousness of the situation Russia is facing, and a clear acknowledgement that the campaign is falling short of Russia’s strategic goals”.
“The move is likely to be greeted with extreme displeasure by much of the Russian ultra-nationalist and military blogger community, who have increasingly blamed Gerasimov for the poor execution of the war,” it said.
Meanwhile, the MoD said Mr Surovikin had been “widely praised by this community for his championing of a more realistic approach”.
“As a now deputy commander, his authority and influence is almost certainly hugely reduced,” it added.
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9h ago
14:28
Ukrainians greet Polish president in Lviv
Andrzej Duda was met with smiles, cheers and waves from excited Ukrainians as he arrived in the western city of Lviv earlier today.
The Polish president met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks in the city today – and said his country planned to take the significant step of sending tanks to its neighbour (you can read more on this in our previous post).
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9h ago
14:20
Poland planning to send tanks to Ukraine
In a significant step-up of support for Ukraine, Poland has decided to send Leopard tanks to its neighbour.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said a company of the German-made tanks – usually meaning 14 vehicles – would be handed over.
Poland previously said it would only send over the Leopard 2 tanks as part of a broader international coalition, and Mr Duda said today that he hoped the Polish tanks would join those from other countries in being sent to Ukraine.
Speaking alongside Mr Duda, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a joint decision was necessary as one country would not be able to provide Ukraine with enough tanks.
Any re-export of the Leopard tanks will require approval by the German government – and earlier, a spokesperson for Berlin said they were not aware of any requests from allies to send the battle tanks to Ukraine.
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9h ago
13:40
UN nuclear watchdog warns negotiations around Zaporizhzhia plant getting more difficult
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog has said brokering a deal on a safe zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has become more difficult.
The facility has been occupied by Russian forces since March and has repeatedly come under fire – prompting concern over a nuclear accident.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi said: “I don’t believe that [an agreement] is impossible, but it is not an easy negotiation.
“It has become… a longer and more difficult [negotiating] table.”
The watchdog chief said the talks had been made more difficult by the involvement of Russia and Ukraine’s military officers.
He said he planned to head back to Ukraine next week to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top officials there, before hopefully travelling on to Moscow.
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10h ago
13:27
Russian military appointment is ‘poisoned chalice’ – and confirmation of ‘serious offensives’ coming up
A political scientist and expert on Russian security affairs has added his thoughts on what it means for Moscow to once again change the guard at the top of its military.
As we’ve been reporting, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov is now commanding Russia’s military operations in Ukraine – taking over from Sergei Surovikin, who will deputise instead.
Mark Galeotti, writing on Twitter, says the move is implicitly a demotion for Mr Surovikin – but it is also a “kind of demotion, or at least the most poisoned of chalices” for Mr Gerasimov.
As he explains, it will now be on Mr Gerasimov to deliver in Ukraine – and Russia is widely expected to be launching new offensives early this year.
But Mr Galeotti says Vladimir Putin likely has “unrealistic expectations” – and if he does not get a win, Mr Gerasimov’s military career will end in disgrace.
The political scientist says the new appointment is “confirmation, if we needed it, that there will be serious offensives coming, and that even Putin recognises that poor coordination has been an issue”.
However, he says that while there will be some advances there will be “nothing decisive”.
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10h ago
13:10
Head of pro-Russian mercenary group claims Soledar ‘completely liberated’ and 500 Ukrainian soldiers killed
In a statement completely contradicting one given by the Ukrainian president just minutes earlier, the head of Russia’s private military firm Wagner has claimed his forces have “completely liberated” the mining town of Soledar.
Yevgeny Prigozhin said around 500 Ukrainian troops had been killed in the fighting.
“I want to confirm the complete liberation and cleansing of the territory of Soledar from units of the Ukrainian army… Ukrainian units that did not want to surrender were destroyed,” he said.
“The whole city is littered with the corpses of Ukrainian soldiers.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said shortly before that fighting was ongoing, backing up previous statements from other Ukrainian officials.
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10h ago
13:02
Strike hits perinatal centre in Kherson
A Russian strike has damaged a perinatal centre in southern Ukraine, breaking the windows of the children’s ward.
Ukrainian official Emine Dzheppar said one woman was injured in the blast.
The city of Kherson was liberated from Russian control in November, but Moscow’s troops have continued to bombard it from the other side of the nearby river.
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10h ago
12:50
Ukrainian officer describes Russian military tactics around Soledar
An unnamed Ukrainian military officer has given some insight into the fierce battle around Soledar in the east of the country.
The fate of the salt-mining town is currently hanging in the balance as Ukrainian troops fend off soldiers from the infamous Wagner mercenary group.
The officer said the Russians will first send one or two waves of soldiers, many of them Wagner troops, who take heavy casualties as they head toward the Ukrainian defences.
When the Ukrainian troops have taken casualties and are exhausted, the Russians send a fresh wave of highly-trained soldiers, paratroopers or special forces, said the officer, who insisted on anonymity for security reasons.
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11h ago
12:18
Soledar remains under Ukrainian control, says Zelenskyy
The Ukrainian president has mocked Russian claims that fighters have taken over parts of the salt-mining town of Soledar.
In a video address, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said fighting was ongoing – echoing comments from other Ukrainian officials earlier today.
Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin earlier said his fighters – who have been engaged in some of the fiercest battles in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region – had taken control of parts of the territory.
They posted a photo that they claimed to show fighters inside the salt mine.
But Ukraine has denied the territory has been taken over, and CNN reporters on the ground also reported hearing artillery fire ongoing in the area.
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11h ago
12:05
What does Gerasimov’s appointment mean for politics inside the Kremlin?
Over the course of the war, factions appear to have emerged within Russia’s leadership.
Back in November, POLITICO reported on an internal power struggle with two main alliances.
These were a “war party” led by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, and on the other side Russian security agencies, defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
As we’ve been reporting, Mr Gerasimov has just been appointed the head of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine – surely a win for this faction.
Could the appointment be for political reasons?
It’s thought some in the Kremlin believe Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power could slip suddenly – which explains why top officials are lining up to take advantage.
For example, Mr Kadyrov and Mr Prigozhin have made attempts to steal the political spotlight – with the latter heading to the frontline near Bakhmut to meet Wagner troops fighting there, while Mr Putin has avoided visiting Ukraine since the war broke out.
Mr Prigozhin had openly supported Sergei Surovikin, who has today been demoted from his role of commander of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
Military analyst Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, explained why he thinks the change of command may have happened…
The Wagner mercenary group’s increasing profile in the Ukraine war – particularly its battle for the city of Bakhmut – has helped raise Mr Prigozhin’s profile too.
And while he has shared videos from near the frontline, he has criticised generals and defence ministry leaders for not doing the same.
Mr Lee says that the change of leadership means Mr Gerasimov can now “put out videos showing him doing the same and taking charge when the front line has stabilised”.
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11h ago
11:49
Royal Navy tracking movements of Russian warship in the North Sea
A Russian warship in the North Sea is being tracked by a Royal Navy ship, officials have said.
The Royal Navy said escorting warships in UK territorial waters and nearby is a “routine activity”.
We’ll bring you more on this story as it unfolds.
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12h ago
11:28
Who is Valery Gerasimov, the new head of Russia’s ‘special military operation’?
Valery Gerasimov currently holds the job of Russia’s highest-ranking uniformed officer, as Chief of the General Staff.
Sitting at the right hand of Vladimir Putin, he was one of only three people – including the president himself and the defence minister – who were in charge of plotting the invasion of Ukraine.
Back in May, he reportedly visited the frontline in the eastern Donbas region – as troops were apparently suffering from low morale and heavy losses.
He was a veteran commander from the Second Chechen War, previously serving as a deputy for Nikolai Makarov.
