Ukraine war – latest: New Russian offensive ‘has begun’ – as ex-Wagner Group fighter ‘executed on camera with sledgehammer’
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg says a new Russian offensive has started; video has emerged alleging to show the execution of a former Wagner Group fighter. Listen to the latest episode of the Ukraine War Diaries as you scroll.
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Ukraine
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Key points
New major Russian offensive has begun – NATO chief View post
Ex-Wagner Group fighter ‘killed with a sledgehammer after trying to flee’ View post
Russian troops have advanced a mile in four days, shifting frontline – Kremlin View post
Russian soldiers taking up arms against Kremlin View post
Former Italian PM accused of spreading Russian propaganda View post
Live reporting by Samuel Osborne (now) and Bhvishya Patel (earlier), with updates from Deborah Haynes in Ukraine and Diana Magnay in Moscow
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3h ago
18:27
Western allies prepare pledges of more ammunition and air defences – report
Ukraine’s western allies are preparing pledges of more ammunition and air defence equipment to bolster Kyiv’s forces, according to the Financial Times.
The new promise of military support comes amid a planned large scale offensive by Moscow and after Kyiv warned NATO of ammunition shortages.
Officials said Ukraine’s immediate needs have outweighed its longer-term requests for the likes of fighter jets or quicker shipments of western battle tanks.
“What Ukraine tells us they really need is ammunition and additional air defence capabilities,” a western official told the FT.
Meanwhile, a US official said fighter jets were less important in the near term as Ukraine tries to maintain an edge.
“What we really have to concentrate on now is Ukraine’s ability to defend the air and they’ll do that through air defence artillery, equipped with the proper ammunition. Fighter jets are not and will not be as capable against the Russian air force as an integrated air defence system,” the US official said.
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5h ago
16:39
Fighting on the frontline
These photos show Ukrainian servicemen fighting on the frontline in the Donetsk region.
Pics: AP
Pics: AP
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6h ago
15:47
Ukraine’s top general talks with top US Army commander in Europe
Ukraine’s top general and the top US Army commander in Europe discussed military aid and training for Ukrainian forces in a phone call on the eve of a meeting of Kyiv’s allies in Brussels.
The Ukrainian defence ministry said Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, shared his vision for victory with the commander in chief of Europe’s combined NATO forces, US General Christopher Cavoli.
“We discussed the issue of supplying international military aid to Ukraine and training our units on the territory of partner countries,” the ministry quoted Mr Zaluzhnyi saying.
Earlier we reported Ukrainian troops had already begun training on the German-made Leopard 2 tanks in Poland this week.
Mr Zaluzhnyi expressed his gratitude for Mr Cavoli’s “deep understanding of the situation and significant efforts to bring our victory closer”.
They spoke ahead of a US-hosted meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels tomorrow.
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6h ago
15:21
Life on the frontline for Ukrainian troops
These pictures show Ukrainian servicemen near the frontline town of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.
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10h ago
12:07
Russia launches system to scan internet for banned content
Russia has launched a new system to scan the internet for banned content.
The “Oculus” system will make it easier for authorities to detect unsanctioned protests, anti-war dissent and “LGBT propaganda”, officials said.
It can analyse more than 200,000 images per day at a rate of around three seconds per image, the Interfax news agency reported.
Moscow has suppressed political opposition and independent media inside Russia since it invaded Ukraine last February.
Oculus “automatically detects offences such as extremist content, calls for illegal mass gatherings or suicide, pro-drug content, LGBT propaganda and so on,” Interfax quoted the Main Radio Frequency Centre (MRFC), part of the communications supervisor Roskomnadzor, saying.
“Since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, ‘fakes’ have proliferated and spread at an unprecedented rate, aiming to replace real facts with a specially constructed reality,” it said.
“The creation of this system is our response to provocations and anti-Russian actions on the part of foreign resources.”
Russia has accused the West of promoting the spread of what it calls fake information about its “special military operation” in an attempt to discredit its armed forces.
Last year it passed legislation imposing fines on people spreading such information, while cracking down on social media sites and news outlets that share content at odds with Moscow’s official line on the conflict.
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10h ago
11:40
Russia is main security threat for all of Europe, Norway says
Russia is the main security threat for all of Europe, Norway’s intelligence officials have warned.
“Russia today poses the biggest threat to Norwegian and European security, and the confrontation with the West will be long-lasting,” Bjorn Arild Gram, the defence minister, said.
Lars Nordrum, the deputy head of the foreign Norwegian Intelligence Service, said Norway’s oil and gas installations could be targeted by Russian sabotage.
Sofie Nystrom, head of the Norwegian National Security Authority, warned “all of Europe will suffer” if such oil and gas installations were hit.
“Norway is now Europe’s most important energy supplier after Russia ended its gas exports to the West,” Mr Nordrum said.
However, the domestic security service, known by its acronym PST, assessed that it is unlikely Russia would carry out any sabotage operation on Norwegian soil this year.
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10h ago
11:17
Pundits discuss how Russia can make more ‘friends’
Russian pundits have been discussing how the country can entice more countries to side with it in the war.
In a clip shared by Julia Davis, columnist at The Daily Beast, pundits discuss how it can help other countries and make them see the benefit of being on “Russia’s side”.
One person says: “This is one of our problems. Americans have USAID, they have aid programmes. They have development programmes for foreign aid.
“It supplies not only weapons and equipment but education, among other things.”
Another commentator questions whether Russia is doing everything it can for Belarus.
He says: “Belarus got quite a collection of sanctions. Are we really doing everything we can for Belarus?
“Are we everything so that they will say ‘thanks to Russia, our economy is growing and the living standards are improving’ so the guys from another geographical direction would say ‘it is better to be on Russia’s side'”.
Another person says that once Russia wins the war, more countries will want to be friends with them.
“The ability of any country to negotiate with us regardless of their practical thinking is directly proportionate to our army’s victory in Ukraine,” he adds.
“This is the most important thing. When we win in Ukraine, I assure you they will all line up to be friends with us.”
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11h ago
10:50
Russian soldiers taking up arms against Kremlin
Russian soldiers have been taking up arms against their own country and helping Ukrainian troops, the New York Times reports.
The Free Russia Legion, which the group has come to be known as, are concentrated in the eastern Bakhmut city – where the fighting is intense – and are overseen by Ukrainian officers.
Some of them had been living in Ukraine when Russia invaded the country on 24 February last year, while the others crossed into Ukraine from Russia after the war began.
Speaking on his decision to help Ukraine, one soldier, who said he was under 20, told the newspaper: “We haven’t come here to prove anything.
“We’ve come here to help Ukraine achieve the full withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory and the future de-Putinisation of Russia.”
The solider said he signed up to join the fight after Russia invaded.
“At such a young age, it is a little early for me to talk about my political opinions and world view, because these are just forming now,” he said.
“But when your country has been taken over by one bad man, you need to take things into your own hands.”
The military unit was initially not allowed to join Ukrainian soldiers due to a law in Ukraine but in August legislation was finalised to allow the legion to legally join.
Earlier this month, the legion was recognised as a terrorist organisation by Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office.
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11h ago
10:27
Austria ‘won’t train Ukrainian troops on Leopard 2 tanks’
Austria – a neutral country – has said it will not train Ukrainian troops on Leopard 2 battle tanks, according to a report.
Speaking to a national radio station, defence minister Klaudia Tanner said it was a “sovereign decision of each state to support Ukraine within the framework of its laws”.
Her comments were picked up by Austria’s Kurier newspaper.
For context: We reported earlier (see our 1.27pm post) that Ukrainian troops had already begun training on the German-made Leopard tanks in Poland this week.
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, took weeks to deliberate on whether to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, despite facing international pressure to approve their use.
Other countries that were willing to provide Leopard model tanks, such as Poland, had to wait for Berlin’s approval as they are supplied under a German licence.
However, last month Germany pledged to deliver 14 of the tanks to Ukraine by the end of March.
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12h ago
10:05
Before and after images of village shelled by Russians
Satellite images collected by the US space technology firm Maxar show the situation on the ground before and after intense shelling in the village of Petrivka, in the eastern Donetsk region.
The first image taken in August 2022 shows the village before it was hit by Russian shelling, with homes surrounded by trees and grass.
Petrivka before shelling
Petrivka before shelling
An image of the same village taken this month shows charred buildings and a scorched ground.
The Donetsk and the Luhansk regions, which Russian forces have been trying to capture, make up the Donbas – Ukraine’s industrial heartland.
Russia partially occupies the Donbas but wants to gain full control of it.
Petrivka after shelling
Petrivka after shelling
Bakhmut is a prime objective for President Vladimir Putin and its capture would give Russia a new foothold in the Donetsk region and a rare victory after several months of setbacks.
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12h ago
09:46
In pictures: Ukrainians get trains away from danger
Nearly a year after the Russian invasion, Ukrainians continue to be evacuated from their homes in parts of the country near the frontline.
There are regular evacuation trains from Pokrovsk station in the eastern Donetsk region, carrying passengers away from the horrors of war.
These pictures give us a glimpse at what the route to safety looks like…
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12h ago
09:30
Poor weather and lack of training could hinder Russia’s Bakhmut offensive
Russia might be pushing too early to seize Bakhmut as it is “desperately keen” to see progress before Western aid arrives in Ukraine in spring, an expert has said.
Speaking to Sky News, retired Air Vice-Marshal Sean Bell said Russian forces had been making progress of around 100 metres per day towards the key city in eastern Ukraine throughout the winter, but this has ramped up to more than a mile in three days.
However, Mr Bell said poor weather and a lack of training could hinder the Russian offensive.
“The weather is still bad. You can’t do off road manoeuvre warfare. The Russian air force can’t get involved because the clouds are still there and the Russian forces haven’t had the right training, paying a huge price,” he said.
“So why are they doing it now? Almost certainly this is a political expedient by Russia, desperately keen to see progress before the Western aid arrives in spring.”
Mr Bell said it’s likely Ukraine will “take their opportunity to withdraw” from Bakhmut, but will “make Russia pay a huge price every step they take”.
Elsewhere, there’s been an increase in Russian military activity on the ground and reports of shelling all over the country in the last 24 hours.
It comes amid reports that a new major Russian offensive has already begun – you can scroll back to our 12.31pm post to read more on the announcement from NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
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12h ago
09:16
France ‘strongly’ advises citizens against going to Belarus
French citizens are being “strongly” advised by their government to avoid going to Belarus.
The French Foreign Affairs Ministry said today it had given the advice due to the “new offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine”.
Earlier, the US also told its citizens to leave Russia immediately due to the war in Ukraine and the risk of arbitrary arrest or harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies.
For context: Earlier, we reported that a major new Russian offensive in Ukraine had begun, according to NATO.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the organisation saw no sign whatsoever” that Vladimir Putin was “preparing for peace” and instead saw him “wanting to control Ukraine”.
Ukraine has been bracing for a major new offensive by Russia, previously warning that it needs fighter jets and long-range missiles in order to oppose it.
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13h ago
08:27
Ukrainian troops trained on Leopard 2 tanks
We have been reporting recently as numerous Western countries pledged to donate battle tanks to Ukraine, aiming to prepare the country for an anticipated renewed Russian offensive.
At least 300 tanks were promised from the likes of the US, UK, Germany and Poland – after much back and forth.
The photographs below capture Ukrainian troops being trained on how to use German-made Leopard 2 tanks, which were the subject of much of these discussions, in Poland.
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14h ago
08:15
Russia plans to take control of Moldova, says country’s president
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has accused Russia of planning a coup d’etat in the country, with allegations of attacks on government buildings.
She claimed that Moscow is planning to use foreign saboteurs to bring down the Moldovan government, stop it joining the European Union and use it in the war against Ukraine.
Her comments come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country had uncovered a Russian intelligence plan “for the destruction of Moldova”.
She said: “Through violent actions disguised as protests by the so-called opposition, the change of power in Chisinau would be forced.”
Materials now provided to Moldova by Ukraine allegedly “contain instructions on the rules of entry into Moldova for citizens of Russia, Belarus, Serbia, and Montenegro”.
Ms Sandu claimed that Russia “to overturn the constitutional order, to change the legitimate power from Chisinau to an illegitimate one that would put [Moldova] at Russia’s disposal to stop the European integration process”.
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14h ago
07:59
What’s happening in Bakhmut – as battle for key town continues
Russia’s advance on Bakhmut continued on Monday with shelling and infantry attacks outside the Ukrainian stronghold.
Violent battles over the key city have been ongoing for months, and the situation is looking ever tougher for Ukraine.
The country’s presidential office said the situation in Paraskoviivka – a suburb in the north of the town – is “difficult” as Russian forces continue their attempted siege.
A map detailing the key areas of Ukraine as the war with Russia rages on
A map detailing the key areas of Ukraine as the war with Russia rages on
What has happened so far?
Bakhmut, located in eastern Ukraine, has been under endless assault for much of the war, with the battle over the area starting in May 2022.
Capturing the city would be seen by Russia as a major victory in its bid to take control of Donbas – made up of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Both sides have suffered heavy losses in the battle, and though advances have been slow, Russian troops have managed to advance towards the edge of the city.
Many of Bakhmut’s citizens have left, though some still remain in the war-torn area.
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14h ago
07:31
New Russian offensive has begun – NATO chief
A major new Russian offensive in Ukraine has begun, NATO says.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the organisation sees “no sign whatsoever” that Vladimir Putin is “preparing for peace”.
“What we see is president Putin and Russia still wanting to control Ukraine”, Mr Stoltenberg said.
“We see how they are sending more troops, more weapons, more capabilities.”
Ukraine has been bracing for a major new offensive by Russia, previously warning that it needs fighter jets and long-range missiles in order to oppose it.
In an update on Monday, Mr Stoltenberg said defence ministers would discuss whether to supply aircrafts to Ukraine during a two-day meeting in Brussels this week.
“There is now a discussion going on also on the question of aircrafts and I expect that also to be addressed tomorrow at the meeting in Brussels”, he said.
Mr Stoltenberg said NATO would not become part of the conflict if it were to supply the jets.
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15h ago
07:08
Stoltenberg: ‘We must give Ukraine what it needs to win’
Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general, is providing an update at the moment on support for Ukraine as the war with Russia nears the one-year mark.
It comes ahead of a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels tomorrow.
Mr Stoltenberg said: “We will step up and sustain our support for Ukraine.
“Almost one year since the invasion, President Putin is not preparing for peace. He is launching new offensives.
“We must continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to win and to achieve a just and sustainable peace.”
He added that it is clear the West is “in a race of logistics” with Russia.
“Key capabilities… must reach Ukraine before Russia can seize initiative on the battlefield. Speed will save lives.”
Mr Stoltenberg said that if Vladimir Putin wins, it will send a message that force is the way to success.
“Our message is clear – NATO stands with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” he added.
The chief also said the alliance plans to increase its targets for ammunition stockpiles, which are being depleted by the war.
“The war in Ukraine is consuming an enormous amount of ammunition… This puts our defence industries under strain,” he said.
“So we need to ramp up production and invest in our production capacities. NATO stands with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
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15h ago
06:51
Former Italian PM accused of spreading Russian propaganda
Ukraine has hit out at former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi for allegedly spreading Russian propaganda.
It comes shortly after Mr Berlusconi said he would not have sought a meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy if he was still in government.
The former PM, 86, had often boasted of his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin before Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine a year go.
But Mr Berlusconi has now said that all Mr Zelenskyy had to do to prevent the war in his country was to “stop attacking” territory held by Russian-backed separatists.
He said he judged Mr Zelenskyy’s behaviour “very, very negatively”.
In response, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian foreign ministry said Mr Berlusconi’s comments were “ridiculous accusations”.
Oleg Nikolenko added: “At the same time, the Italian politician should understand that by spreading Russian propaganda he encourages Russia to continue its crimes against Ukraine, and therefore bears political and moral responsibility.”
He then accused Mr Berlusconi of trying to show loyalty to “the Russian dictator”.
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15h ago
06:34
Russia ‘may have lost entire brigade’ of naval infantry – report
Russia may have lost an entire brigade of its 155th naval infantry in a battle with Ukrainian troops, according to a report.
Politico is reporting that “a large number” of Russian forces were “destroyed” in the battle over Vuhledar, a mining town in Donetsk Oblast.
Ukrainian military official Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskyi told the newspaper that Russia had also lost “about 130 units of equipment, including 36 units of tanks” over the last week.
Mr Dmytrashkivskyi said the Russian brigade is thought to have lost 5,000 soldiers who were either killed, injured or captured.
While we’re on the topic of Vuhledar…
The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based thinktank, has said Russia’s failures around Vuhledar “may have weakened the Russian ultranationalist community’s belief that Russian forces are able to launch a decisive offensive operation”.
