Ukraine war latest: Pentagon leaks suspect ‘a strange kid’; footage shows large-scale Russian military drills
More than 100 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been released as part of an Orthodox Easter exchange with Russia, while the commander of Russia’s corps of airborne troops is thought to have returned to the front line. Scroll down to see all the latest updates.
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More than 100 Ukrainian prisoners of war released in Easter exchange View post
Girl, 14, rescued from rubble as number of people killed in Russian rocket attack rises View post
Watch: Russia holds large scale military drills as part of sudden combat readiness check View post
US leaks suspect was ‘recluse who remained under the radar’ | James Matthews View post
Could Putin be using Ukraine war to annex Belarus by stealth? | Sean Bell View post
Mapped: How has the territorial picture changed during the war? View post
Live reporting by Jess Sharp
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4h ago
17:45
Ukraine’s foreign minister to pay first visit to Iraq since Russia’s invasion
Ukraine’s foreign minister is expected to pay his first visit to Iraq since Russia’s invasion began.
Dmytro Kuleba is due to land in Baghdad on Monday, where he will hold talks with Iraq’s foreign minister as well as Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, news agency AFP reported.
His visit comes less than a week after Mr Sudani had a phone call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Iraq maintains good economic ties with both Kyiv and Moscow and has adopted a neutral stance since the war broke out.
Dmyto Kuleba
Dmyto Kuleba
AP
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5h ago
17:19
Bulgaria considering halting Ukrainian grain imports
Bulgaria is considering following in the footsteps of Poland and Hungary by halting Ukrainian grain imports.
The country’s agriculture minister Yavor Gechev said it was looking at making the move.
Poland and Hungary both made the decision to no longer allow Ukrainian grain and other products to be brought over to protect their own agricultural sectors.
Their decisions have prompted a row within the European Union, with a European Commission spokesperson earlier saying the “unilateral actions” are “not acceptable”.
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5h ago
16:59
Russia trying to deport Ukrainian children in occupied region, Ukrainian official claims
Russian forces are trying to deport children in the occupied southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia in a bid to “intimidate people”, a Ukrainian military spokesperson has said.
Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi made the claim on Ukrainian national TV, according to CNN.
It comes after groups on the messaging app Telegram, made similar claims from Enerhodar – a city in the region.
Some people reported children getting taken from their families and transported to Crimea in buses used to take workers to a nuclear power plant in the area.
Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia.
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6h ago
16:26
Russia ‘keeps using terror tactics’: Ukraine says it has repelled more than 45 attacks today
Ukraine has repelled more than 45 Russian attacks today, the country’s General Staff of the Armed Forces has said.
Throughout the day, which marks Orthodox Easter across both countries, at least 28 air strikes were fired at Ukraine, as well as 25 air defence system missile strikes, it said in its daily update.
“The Russian aggressor keeps using terror tactics. The likelihood of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains high,” it added.
Moscow is continuing to focus their main offensive operations on Lyman, Bakhmut, Marinka and Avdiivka.
“During the day of 16 April, Ukrainian defence forces repelled more than 45 enemy attacks in these areas on the frontline,” the authority said.
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6h ago
15:58
In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers celebrate Easter on the frontline
Today marks Orthodox Easter in Russia and Ukraine.
Despite the shared holiday, Russian shelling and missile attacks have continued, according to social media statements from Ukrainian regional officials.
On the frontline in the eastern city of Bakhmut, Ukrainian soldiers have still tried to mark the religious occasion with traditional sweet treats.
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6h ago
15:31
Air defence commander sentenced for shooting down Ukrainian plane
An air defence commander has been sentenced for allegedly downing a Ukrainian passenger plane amid Iran-US tensions three years ago, it has been reported.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard mistakenly shot down the Ukraine International Airlines flight in January 2020.
The missile strike killed all 176 people on board and came as Tehran and Washington teetered on the brink of war.
The commander whom officials said ordered the strike was sentenced to 13 years in prison, the official judiciary news outlet, Mizan, said.
The commander, who has not been identified, was also ordered to pay fines to families of victims, the report added.
Iran’s government has said it plans to pay $150,000 for each victim to their families, the outlet said.
Just hours before the shooting down, Iran had fired ballistic missiles at American bases in Iraq in retaliation for a US drone strike that killed top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.
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7h ago
14:55
Putin welcomes Chinese defence minister to Moscow
Vladimir Putin has held an unexpected working meeting with China’s defence minister in Moscow, Russian state media has reported
Li Shangfu’s visit was announced last week, but Beijing said he was meeting defence officials, and made no mention of the Russian president.
“We are working actively through our military departments, regularly exchange useful information, work together in the field of military-technical cooperation, and hold joint exercises,” Mr Putin said.
The exercises, he added, had been held in the Far East as well as Europe and involved ground, naval and air forces.
The meeting comes after China’s President Xi Jinping met Mr Putin in Moscow last month.
Russia and China have declared a “no limits” partnership and have moved to further strengthen their economic, political and military ties since the war in Ukraine began.
Ukrainian forces have found a growing number of components from China in Russian weapons, a senior official in Kyiv said on Friday, but Beijing has denied sending any military equipment to Moscow.
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7h ago
14:30
Watch: Russia holds large scale military drills as part of sudden combat readiness check
The Russian Marine Corps have held a large-scale military drill as part of a sudden combat readiness check on its Pacific Fleet.
Landing ships Nikolay Vilkov and Admiral Nevelskoy took part in the exercises, which have been held 160km (99 miles) from the major Russian port city of Vladivostok, state broadcaster RTR said.
Crews from the Russian Navy’s Coastal Troops also moved ashore, where they performed tactical tasks such as driving tanks and firing guns.
Footage of the drills has been released by Russia’s state broadcaster, but it has not been independently verified.
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8h ago
14:04
Girl, 14, rescued from rubble as number of people killed in Russian rocket attack rises
A 14-year-old girl has been rescued from a pile of a rubble after a Russian rocket attack destroyed a five-storey building in eastern Ukraine on Friday.
The bodies of two men were also retrieved from the ruins this afternoon – taking the total number of dead to 15 – up from 13 earlier today.
A further 24 people have been injured.
The strike in Slovyansk, Donetsk, hit flats, houses, and cars across the city – one which Russia hopes to take control of after nearby Bakhmut.
Rescue teams have been working through the debris for two days, and the Ukrainian State Emergency Service has confirmed rescue operations are now complete.
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8h ago
13:40
In pictures: Site of ‘massive rocket attack’
Earlier we told you, two teenagers had died after a “massive rocket attack” struck a town in southern Ukraine.
Snihurivka in Mykolaiv was blasted by around 10 S-300 missiles, Ukrainian authorities said, claiming they were aimed at civilians.
Emergency services are continuing to work at the site of the attack.
Here are some of the latest photos released by the Prosecutor General’s Office.
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9h ago
13:15
Five country alliance set up to ‘isolate Putin’s Russia’ from nuclear energy market
An alliance between the UK, US, Canada, Japan and France has been created in an attempt to take Vladimir Putin out of the international nuclear energy market, it has been announced.
As part of the agreement, the five nations will leverage their own nuclear power resources to “undermine Russia’s grip on supply chains”.
It will also support the “stable supply of fuels for the needs of today, as well as guarantee the safe and secure development and deployment of fuels for the advanced reactors of tomorrow”, a joint statement read.
The UK’s Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The UK has been at the very heart of global efforts to support Ukraine, defeat Putin and ensure neither him nor anyone like him can ever think they can hold the world to ransom over their energy again.”
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9h ago
12:52
EU warns against one-sided steps after Poland and Hungary ban Ukrainian grain
Individual trade actions by European Union countries are “unacceptable”, the European Commission has said.
It comes after Poland and Hungary announced it was banned Ukrainian grain and other food imports in a bid to protect their own agricultural sectors.
Following Russia’s invasion, some Black Sea ports were blocked by Moscow’s troops and large quantities of Ukrainian produce ended up staying in Central European states due to logistic bottlenecks.
This caused prices and sales for local farmers to be majorly affected, as Ukrainian grain is significantly cheaper than that produced in the EU.
“It is important to underline that trade policy is of EU exclusive competence and, therefore, unilateral actions are not acceptable,” a European Commission spokesperson said.
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10h ago
12:27
Watch: Putin attends Orthodox Easter service
Vladimir Putin joined worshipers at Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral for Easter services this afternoon.
The service was led by Russian Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill – a supporter of the war in Ukraine who has previously referred to the country as “little Russia”.
In a video message broadcast on state television before the start of the ceremony, he called for prayers to see Russia “united” again.
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10h ago
12:02
Brazil calls for ‘peace group’ to be set up to end Ukraine war
Brazil’s president has called for a peace group, made up of countries not involved in the conflict, to be created and work to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he discussed the matter with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping earlier this week.
“I think we need to sit on a table and say, ‘that’s enough, let’s start talking’ because war never brought and will never bring any benefit to humanity,” said Mr Lula.
His comments come after he criticised the US and the European Union for providing Ukraine with weapons and other support since Russia invaded.
Germany earlier this year reportedly asked Brazil to supply arms as well, but Mr Lula refused.
On Sunday, he repeated his view that the decision to start war was “made by two countries,” appearing to place some blame on Ukraine, and adding that ending it will be harder as more nations would need to be persuaded.
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10h ago
11:42
Two teenagers killed after ‘massive rocket attack’ in southern town
A 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old girl have been killed in a “massive rocket attack” in a southern Ukrainian town.
In the early hours of this morning, as the country was preparing to celebrate Orthodox Easter, Snihurivka in Mykolaiv came under a barrage of attacks.
Russian shells hit residential buildings, and around 10 S-300 missiles were fired at civilians, the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said.
Emergency services are continuing to work at the site of the attack, and explosive technicians from the National Police Department have been sent, it added.
Snihurivka was taken by Russian forces fairly early in the war but was recaptured by Ukrainian troops back in November.
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11h ago
11:15
Protesters demand Czech government’s resignation – and it’s support for Ukraine is one reason why
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Prague to demand the government’s resignation – with its handling of the war in Ukraine being one of the issues raised.
Demonstrators have been rallying against high inflation in the country, blaming the European Union, and the Czech government for rising prices.
But, during today’s protests, the country’s reaction to Russia’s invasion has also been mentioned.
Organised by a new political party known as PRO, the head of the group Jindrich Rajchl has denied it is pro-Russian, but has condemned the Czech Republic’s support for Ukraine.
The government has staunchly supported Kyiv, providing weapons for the Ukrainian military and taken in about 500,000 refugees.
Mr Rajchl called Defence Minister Jana Cernochova, a vocal supporter of the pro-Ukraine stance, “the biggest security risk for our country”.
Some people at the rally were signing a petition demanding the country quits NATO.
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11h ago
10:48
Death toll from Russian rocket attack rises as search for two people continues
The body of a dead woman has been recovered from the wreckage caused by a Russian rocket attack in eastern Ukraine on Friday – taking the total number of dead to 13.
A further 22 people have been wounded, the country’s emergency service has said.
Initially, five people were reported to have died and 15 injured, but these figures have continually risen over the last two days.
The strike in Slovyansk, Donetsk, hit flats, houses, and cars across the city – one which Russia hopes to take control of after nearby Bakhmut.
Rescue teams are still searching through debris, with National Police saying at least two people could still be trapped under piles of rubble.
Here are some of the latest photos of the site, shared by the State Emergency Service…
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12h ago
10:25
US leaks suspect was a ‘strange kid’ and a ‘recluse who remained under the radar’
On Friday, 21-year-old Jack Teixeira was arrested and charged after leaked US military documents, which included information about the Ukrainian military positions, appeared online.
Our US correspondent James Matthews has been talking to people where Teixeira grew up, and they have described him as a “recluse who remained under the radar”.
He was the strange kid who travelled on the school bus wearing headphones to separate him from company.
He was the kid without many, if any, friends who chose a social life online.
He was the pleasant young neighbour, seldom seen, but always polite.
These are things said about Jack Teixeira in his hometown of Norh Dighton in Massachusetts. Interactions with him might have differed, but they share distance.
He’s the recluse who remained under the radar, in more ways than one.
If no-one knows him, no-one knows anything of his motivation or mitigation. Such detail might evoke some sympathy – just maybe – but its absence feeds the clamour to condemn.
To the wider public, a shocking crime has been committed, and what matters most is the crime itself and its consequences.
The suspected criminal isn’t without support in the community, however. Mario Correia, 64, lives next door to the Teireixa family.
He told Sky News: “On one level, I really feel for the young man as I feel like he doesn’t really understand what he did. I certainly feel for his parents because I know them on a personal level and they are really nice people, hard-working people.”
Signs that read “No Trespassing” have been posted on the private road that leads to the Teixeira’s home since the arrest. It’s the same road travelled by armed FBI agents who took him into custody.
It is one of the few visible signs of the huge story that has come to this small town. Not that anyone needs a reminder.
At the nearby Lopes Complex, parents and children were preparing the softball field for the coming season. Nobody had missed the global news gone local.
Chris Andrade said: “It’s pretty shocking. I’m hopeful that it’s just him being an idiot and not thinking [through] the full repercussions. I feel terrible for his family. It’s a shame.”
In this story, the word shame is doing some heavy lifting – in this rural Massachusetts town and far beyond.
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12h ago
10:03
Russian orthodox church destroyed in shelling attack
A Russian orthodox church has been destroyed in a shelling attack ordered by Moscow, Ukraine’s defence ministry has said.
The religious building, which was part of the Moscow Patriarchate’s community, was hit as the country celebrated Orthodox Easter over the weekend.
“Neither the biggest Christian holiday, nor the fact the church was part of the Moscow Patriarchate’s community deterred the terrorists,” the authority said.
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12h ago
09:43
Russian head of eastern Ukraine region introduces spring and fall conscription
The Russian head of Luhansk has signed a decree authorising spring and fall conscription across the region, a US think tank has said.
The eastern Ukrainian city was occupied by Russian forces last year, and was annexed by Vladimir Putin after a series of sham referendums in September, which have been deemed illegal by Ukraine and the West.
Russia refers to the region as the Luhansk People’s Republic, but this is not recognised by the western world.
The decree states that Luhansk spring conscription cycle will align with the Russian spring conscription cycle, running from 1 April to 15 July, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said.
However, considering that cycle has already been ongoing for more than two weeks, it’s unclear how authorities plan to build conscription apparatuses, send summonses, and implement conscription, it added.
It is also unclear where these conscripts will serve, as Russian authorities have denied that other conscripts will fight in the war in Ukraine.
The ISW explained that the announcement contradicts one made last month by the Russian government that conscription will not occur in Ukraine, suggesting there is a “lack of coordination” among authorities.
