Ukraine war latest: Russia installs ‘devil’s teeth’ defences ahead of Ukrainian counterattack – as analyst warns West’s weapons now ‘wiped out’
“Devil’s teeth” have been deployed behind a 19-mile stretch of anti-tank ditches in the Zaporizhzhia region, as Russia prepares for a Ukrainian offensive. It comes as military analyst Neil Melvin says the West’s weapons stocks have been almost wiped out, so Kyiv must succeed this spring.
Friday 28 April 2023 00:16, UK
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Ukraine
Pic: AP
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A Ukrainian soldier holds an Igla rocket launcher in Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region, where heavy fighting persists. Pic: AP
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Key points
Russia installs ‘devil’s teeth’ defences ahead of Ukrainian counterattack – as analyst warns West’s weapons now ‘wiped out’ View post
Wagner boss hits out at Russian ‘decision makers’ View post
Putin carrying out ‘deliberate depopulation campaign’ in Ukraine View post
Russian troops building fighting positions at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant View post
Expectations of Ukrainian counteroffensive ‘overheated’ View post
Russia rejects US request to visit Wall Street Journal reporter View post
Live reporting by Brad Young and (earlier) Bhvishya Patel
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4h ago
17:00
Russian drone industry could soon be worth £10bn
A plan to boost drone production could result in the industry in Russia being worth £10bn (1trn roubles) soon, Vladimir Putin has said.
Russia has been relying on Iranian-made Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles in its attacks on Ukraine so far, but last year President Putin announced an eight-year development plan.
The proposals are set to be ready by 1 July, first deputy prime minister Andrei Belousov said, with Mr Putin pursuing investment in production and infrastructure for military and civilian use.
During the televised remarks, one executive said drones would be particularly helpful for farmers.
Vladimir Putin visits a drone exhibition in Moscow
Vladimir Putin visits a drone exhibition in Moscow
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5h ago
16:40
Medics treat wounded soldiers near Bakhmut
Military medics give first aid to wounded Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut, a city at the heart of one of the war’s bloodiest and longest battles.
Russia’s defence ministry said earlier today that its forces had taken four blocks in the city’s north-west, west and south-west, state media reported.
Meanwhile, the head of the Wagner Group said Ukrainian troops were pouring in ahead of an “inevitable” counter-offensive.
AP
AP
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5h ago
15:56
Child deportions to Russia a policy of ‘genocide’, says Council of Europe
Evidence of child deportations to Russia equates to “genocide”, the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe has said.
Transfers of children have been “clearly being planned and organised in a systematic way” as state policy, agreed the 46 member states of the human rights group.
It said there was evidence that deported children were banned from speaking Ukrainian, exposed to propaganda and re-educated in Russian language, culture and history.
Vladimir Putin and children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova have both been accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court over what Ukraine alleges is over 19,000 deportations.
Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska told the assembly: “The Hague Court has named two suspects, but in reality there are thousands of them, because this is not an accidental crime.
“It is a whole policy, and a whole conscious mechanism by Russia – to alienate our children, depriving them of their families, names, language, roots.”
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6h ago
15:20
Water ‘disaster’ in Russian-occupied Ukraine
A water crisis is looming over Russian-occupied Donetsk, CNN has reported.
Its Moscow-backed leader, Denis Pushilin, said many households receive two hours of water every three days, according to the news organisation.
Residents have resorted to pumping “inadequate quality” water from the region’s mines.
“This is disastrous for our water networks, which are already in a poor condition,” said Mr Pushilin in an online Q&A.
CNN quoted Mr Pushilin as saying the military is attempting to find a solution and crews are working to install a canal to the Siverskyi Donets River and build a pipeline to the Don River in Russia.
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7h ago
14:51
Russian ground force ‘bigger today’ than at outbreak of war
The Russian ground force is “bigger today” than it was at the start of the war, according to a senior US military commander.
General Christopher Cavoli told a US committee that the Russian air force has “lost very little” – estimating 80 planes – with another 1,000 fighters and bombers left in their arsenal.
CNN reported the commander of US European Command saying the “Russian ground force has been degenerated somewhat by this conflict, although it is bigger today than it was at the beginning of the conflict”.
This is despite a US assessment made at the end of March estimating more than 220,000 Russian troops and mercenaries had been killed or injured.
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7h ago
14:10
Russia installs ‘devil’s teeth’ defences ahead of Ukrainian counterattack
“Devil’s teeth” have been deployed in rows behind a 19-mile stretch of anti-tank ditches in the Zaporizhzhia region, as Russia prepares for a Ukrainian offensive.
Behind the concrete barricades are defensive trenches, where troops will be positioned to take on the Ukrainian army, their NATO-supplied combat vehicles and their 40,000-strong storm brigades.
Satellite imagery taken by Capella Space provides an insight into the vast network of Russian fortifications sweeping down eastern Ukraine and toward Crimea.
Novofedorivka
Novofedorivka
Zaporizhzhia
Zaporizhzhia
Capella Space
Military experts have said the defences mean Ukraine’s chances of success depend on its ability to carry out complex, combined operations effectively, rather than the Soviet method of attrition.
Watching is the Western world, which has provided billions in military assistance for the Ukranian resistance – and failure could impact repeat support.
“We’ve cleaned out most of the stocks in the West,” said Neil Melvin, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute Melvin.
“It’s going to take some years to rebuild. I think this is [Ukraine’s] big opportunity to press on.”
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7h ago
13:55
Russian soldier admits cutting war prisoners’s throats in ‘intercepted call’ – Ukraine
Ukraine’s security service claims it has intercepted a phone call in which a Russian soldier admits to killing prisoners of war.
The conversation, reported by the SBU on Telegram, involved the soldier describing how he cut the throats of POWs once he had extracted the information he needed.
The security service claims the soldier said the following to an acquaintance:
“You have to stab a person a little bit. But this is not the first time for me. People who are prisoners of war… there is no point in keeping them. Well, because we get all the information from them. There is no point in holding on. Here… they need to be disposed of.”
The call was intercepted on the eastern front, the SBU said, with the war crimes occurring in the Kharkiv region.
Sky News has no way of verifying these claims.
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8h ago
13:11
US retaliates to wrongful detentions with more sanctions
As Brittney Griner spoke, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Russia’s security service for their involvement in the wrongful detention of Americans.
Speaking anonymously, a senior official called the move on the FSB a “warning” to those around the world who use US civilians for political leverage.
The intelligence unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will also be sanctioned.
This comes in the wake of the arrest of US journalist Evan Gershkovich in Russia.
A spotlight was shone on the plight of Americans detained in foreign countries by Mrs Griner in our last post, below.
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9h ago
12:54
Tearful basketball star once imprisoned in Russia gives advice to those wrongfully detained
US basketball star Brittney Griner, who spent 10 months behind bars in Russia on drug possession charges, has used her first news conference since then to urge all wrongfully detained people not to give up hope.
Her comments come while US journalist Evan Gershkovich remains detained on suspicion of espionage in Russia – accusations he, the US, and his employer the Wall Street Journal deny.
The WNBA player teared up as she spoke about her own ordeal, in which she was detained at a Moscow airport in February, 2022, by customs agents who said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage.
She pleaded guilty at her trial saying she used the cartridges to relieve pain from sports injuries and was sentenced to nine years in prison, before being released in a prisoner swap in December.
Asked about Mr Gershkovich, she said: “I would say to everyone who is wrongfully detained across the world, stay strong, keep fighting, don’t give up, just keep waking up, find a little routine and stick to that routine as best you can.”
She said that when she was detained there was a delay in information but she said knew “people were fighting for” her and it gave her hope.
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9h ago
12:19
Military exercises near Kyiv
Members of the Ukrainian National Guard from the Bureviy Brigade participate in military exercises in the Kyiv region in these pictures from AP…
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9h ago
12:00
Five things to know at 5pm
If you’re just joining us, here’s what you need to know as you head home from work…
Power plant militarisation: Russian forces have established sandbag fighting positions on the roofs of several reactor buildings at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the first indication of reactors being integrated into defence planning.
Nuclear war: The Russian foreign ministry said the country will do “everything” to prevent nuclear war, as long as its interests are not “infringed” – warning the West not to “test” it.
Detained journalist: The foreign ministry rejected a request from the US embassy to visit detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Russian infighting: Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin once again verbally attacked Russian officials for failing to provide his fighters with ammunition in Bakhmut.
NATO – Ukraine: More than 98% of NATO combat vehicles have been delivered to Ukraine by its allies, according to its chief, ahead of the anticipated counteroffensive.
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9h ago
11:57
Crimean depot cleared by Russian forces
Crimea remains a strategically important territory on the Black Sea for both Ukraine and Russia.
And these satellite images from the region provide an insight into the movements of Russian troops in the area.
The images show Russian fighters have been emptying out a military depot in northern Crimea.
On 11 January this year, the depot appeared stocked with tanks, armoured equipment and vehicles.
But on 11 February, the site appeared to have very few vehicles and equipment on the ground and by 27 March the land was empty.
The facility is near the village of Medvedivka and close to the border with Kherson, southern Ukraine.
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10h ago
11:25
Russia takes control of two foreign assets
Two foreign-owned corporate assets temporarily taken over by the Russian state will be run by managers from Russia’s energy company Rosneft, the country’s deputy finance minister Alexei Moiseev has announced.
On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin signed a decree placing the Russian assets of two European state-owned utilities, Finland’s Fortum and Germany’s Uniper, which both operate power plants in Russia, under Moscow’s control.
Russia made clear the move could be reversed, but the Kremlin also said it could seize more Western assets in retaliation for foreign moves against Russian companies.
The decree said Rosimushchestvo, the federal government property agency, would take over temporary management.
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10h ago
11:10
‘It was a joke’: Wagner boss says he hasn’t actually suspended fire in Bakhmut for US journalists
Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has clarified he was joking when he said his fighters would suspend artillery fire in Bakhmut to allow Ukrainian forces on the other side of the frontline to show the city to visiting US journalists.
In an audio message published earlier today, the mercenary group boss is reported to have said that a decision had been made to suspend artillery fire so that “American journalists can safely film Bakhmut and go home”.
However, in a later audio message, Mr Prigozhin said: “Guys, this is military humour. Humour, and nothing more. It was a joke.”
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10h ago
11:04
Brittney Griner to hold news conference ahead of return to training camp
US basketball star Brittney Griner is holding a news conference in a short while before returning to American basketball team Phoenix Mercury’s training camp.
After the news conference, she’ll unveil a mural outside the Footprint Center arena in Phoenix that brings awareness to individuals still wrongfully detained abroad.
Griner was released in a prisoner swap for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in December last year.
The all-star centre was detained at a Moscow airport in February last year when customs agents said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage.
She pleaded guilty at her trial saying she used the cartridges to relieve pain from sports injuries and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
In November, her legal team said she was transferred to one of Russia’s most notorious penal colonies, where former inmates have described torture, harsh beatings and slave labour conditions.
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11h ago
10:42
Russia will do ‘everything’ to prevent nuclear war – as long as its interests are not ‘infringed’
Russia says it will do “everything” to avoid using nuclear weapons – as long as its “vital interests” are not “infringed”.
The comments – not dissimilar to what we’ve heard before – came in a regular news conference by Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
This is what she said…
“We will do everything to prevent the development of events according to the worst scenario, but not at the cost of infringing on our vital interests. I do not recommend that anybody doubt our determination and put it to the test in practice.”
Ms Zakharova went on to make familiar – and familiarly unspecific – accusations against the US…
“They [the US] continue to deliberately infringe on our fundamental interests, deliberately generate risks and raise the stakes in the confrontation with Russia…”
Russia has repeatedly condemned the expansion of NATO on its borders. This border doubled when Finland joined the military organisation this month.
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11h ago
10:38
Former Wagner commander convicted over bar fight and carrying air gun in Norway
A former commander of Russia’s Wagner group has been convicted in Norway of being involved in a bar fight and carrying an air gun.
Andrei Medvedev, 26, received a suspended sentence of 14 days, with a probation period of two years.
He is currently seeking asylum in the Scandinavian country.
The fighter crossed the Russian-Norwegian border in January and has spoken about his time fighting in Ukraine.
On Tuesday he pleaded guilty to fighting outside an Oslo bar on 22 February and preventing a police officer from doing their duty.
He also pleaded guilty to carrying an air gun in public on a separate occasion on 14 March.
But Medvedev had pleaded not guilty to a fourth charge, the most serious one, of committing violence against a police officer.
He was acquitted on that charge today.
Following the ruling, the former commander told Reuters: “I want to thank the court for a fair ruling.
“I am studying Norwegian and I hope I will get asylum.”
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11h ago
10:07
Russia carrying out ‘deliberate depopulation campaign’ in Ukraine
Russia appears to be continuing a “deliberate depopulation campaign” in occupied areas of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports.
In its update, the ISW states that Russia is trying to facilitate the repopulation of Ukrainian territories with Russians.
The American thinktank also notes that Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, Hanna Malyar, also said this week that Russia was “trying to change the ethnic composition of Ukraine” by conducting a large-scale resettlement of people mainly from poorer and remote regions of Russia into Ukraine.
“Russia may hope to import Russians to fill depopulated areas of Ukraine in order to further integrate occupied areas into Russian socially, administratively, politically, and economically, thereby complicating conditions for the reintegration of these territories into Ukraine,” the ISW reports.
The thinktank previously assessed that such depopulation and repopulation campaigns may amount to a “deliberate ethnic cleansing effort” and a violation of the Geneva Convention.
In its latest update, the ISW also notes that the comments made by Russian officials and prominent voices in the Russian information space “continue to highlight a pervasive anxiety over potential Ukrainian counteroffensive actions”.
It states the increasingly despondent and panicked rhetoric emanating from prominent Russian figures suggest that the Russian information space “has not yet settled on a line about how to address significant and growing concerns about the near future”.
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12h ago
09:47
Wagner boss hits out at Russian ‘decision makers’
Russia’s “decision makers” have been accused of treason by Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The mercenary group chief – whose troops are spearheading the fight in the besieged region of Bakhmut – accused the Kremlin of failing to provide his fighters with much-needed shipments of ammunition.
He also said his fighters were doing all they could with the “minimal quantity of ammunition” they currently had.
“A criminal group did not give us ammunition,” Mr Prigozhin said in a five-minute audio statement on Telegram.
Mr Prigozhin claimed stockpiles had not been delivered to the battlefield and said his fighters had no ammunition to fight against Ukrainian artillery because of “treason” by Russian officials, who he described as “thugs”.
He added: “I think what is happening today is a crime against Russia and Russian people. The criminals must be held accountable.”
This month, the Wagner boss, who is an ally of Vladimir Putin, said his forces controlled 80% of Bakhmut.
A critic of Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, Mr Prigozhin also said his forces “will advance at any cost, just to grind down the Ukrainian army and disrupt their offensive”.
For context: Yevgeny Prigozhin is a Russian businessman thought to have close links to Vladimir Putin – though this isn’t publicly acknowledged.
Regular readers of this blog will know that over the last six months there has been speculation that the Kremlin was trying to weaken his apparently growing influence amid tension between him and the defence ministry.
The Institute for the Study of War has interpreted some of his actions as attempts to boost his political profile – though this month the thinktank suggested Mr Prigozhin could be “regaining some favour” with Mr Putin.
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12h ago
09:30
Soldiers struggle to rescue escaped horses from abandoned farm
Wrestling escaped horses into a truck may not seem like much respite for war-weary soldiers, but troops in Avdiivka were smiling as they tried to calm down the animals.
A farm in the town has been abandoned, leaving horses wandering past missile craters in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian fighters and volunteers were tasked with evacuating them, but some were more willing to move than others.
