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Ukraine war – latest updates: More than a dozen injured in deadly Russian cafe blast, as US demands release of WSJ journalist from Moscow
Some 30 people have been injured following a deadly blast in St Petersburg, that killed a pro-war blogger. Listen to the latest Sky News Daily Podcast as you scroll.
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Pro-war blogger reportedly killed in blast in St Petersburg View post
Bakhmut front line ‘especially hot’ today – Zelenskyy View post
US demands Kremlin releases imprisoned American journalist View post
‘Extremely high’ number of Russian troop deaths linked to alcohol – MoD View post
Basketball star urges US to bring arrested journalist home View post
Will Putin shake up his top military brass – again? View post
The boy who cried wolf – should Putin’s nuclear threat be believed? | Sean Bell View post
Live reporting by Chris Lockyer and Michael Drummond
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1m ago
17:30
Decision by Poland and Slovakia to send fighter jets to Ukraine should be example to others – Polish minister
Poland and Slovakia’s decision to supply MiG-29 fighter planes to Ukraine should be an example to other countries, Poland’s European Affairs Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek says.
Poland and Slovakia are the first NATO countries to offer to send jets to Ukraine.
Speaking to German news outlet RND, he said Germany was often preoccupied with formality instead of pursuing practical to help Ukraine.
He called on Germany to “stand on the side of good, not just with words but with actions”.
Calls from Ukraine for its allies to provide fighter jets have increased in recent months, particularly following the decision to supply Kyiv with NATO-standard battle tanks.
So far no country has agreed to send Western-made planes to Ukraine, perhaps out of fears of provoking Moscow.
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12m ago
17:15
Steely determination to defeat Russia remains, despite high numbers of Ukrainian casualties
In the vast windswept cemetery on the outskirts of Dnipro, low clouds drift and mist drizzles over the graves of the fallen in this war.
There is no noise apart from the flapping of hundreds of Ukraine flags – blue for the sky, yellow for the wheatfields of this farming country.
Mounds of freshly dug earth indicate new graves in preparation for more bodies brought from the frontlines.
Their arrival is inevitable now, and most are coming from the eastern city of Bakhmut.
Read more from Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay:
Ukraine is holding strong – but as war deaths mount its fortitude is to be severely tested
Sky News
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32m ago
16:55
Who is behind the killing of Vladlem Tatarsky?
Christo Grozev from the renowned investigative reporting website Bellingcat has been speaking to Sky News about Vladlem Tatarsky.
He says the Russian blogger was known for some “extremely radical statements”.
These included disparaging the official Russian military forces and praising the Wagner Group mercenaries, Mr Grozev said.
He added it is important to remember that Tatarsky was a soldier who participated in the 2014 invasion of Ukraine, not just a blogger.
Discussing the blast, Mr Grozev added: “At this point nothing is certain. It could well be that this was a Ukrainian operation.
“It might also be an operation of Russian security services as a false flag operation to consolidate the pro-war sentiments in Russia.”
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47m ago
16:40
UN Security Council ‘needs reforming’ – Czech foreign minister
The foreign minister of the Czech Republic has joined Volodymyr Zelenskyy in calling for the “reforming” of the UN Security Council.
Jan Lipavsky said on Twitter: “The latest evidence of that is the fact that the institution supposed to ensure peace is being presided over by a state that is violating the UN Charter 🇺🇳and threating the security of the entire world.”
His remarks come after Russia assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council, a body responsible for maintaining peace and combatting acts of international aggression.
Mr Lipavsky also hit out at the fact that Russian athletes are to be allowed to compete at the Olympics while Russian soldiers are killing Ukrainians.
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1h ago
16:27
Silence in Western capitals over St Petersburg blast ‘speaks for itself’ – Kremlin
More on the St Petersburg explosion now as information – and accusations of blame – continues to emerge.
Russia’s foreign ministry made no accusations of involvement in the attack which killed prominent pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.
However it said silence in Western capitals exposed hypocrisy over expressions of concern for journalists.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, said the absence of reaction in Washington, London and Paris “speaks for itself given their ostensible concern for the well-being of journalists and freedom of expression”.
“The reaction in Kyiv is striking where those who receive Western grants are in no way concealing their delight at what has happened”, she wrote on the ministry’s website.
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1h ago
16:11
Arrest made over cafe blast – report
Interfax, a Russian news agency, has said an arrest has been made over the death of Vladlen Tatarsky in St Petersburg.
Darya Trepova, a resident of the city, has been accused of taking an explosive device to the cafe.
Sky News has not verified this information.
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1h ago
15:53
Nuclear weapons in Belarus will be moved near to border with Poland – report
Russian nuclear weapons being stationed in Belarus will be positioned near the country’s western border, a Kremlin diplomat says.
Russian ambassador to Belarus, Borys Gryzlov, said the move would “increase the possibilities for ensuring our security”, the Belarussian Belta news agency reported.
He hailed Russia and Belarus as a “single space”, adding that countries that host US nuclear weapons are “just puppets”.
The ambassador noted that by 1 July a storage facility for placing tactical nuclear weapons would be prepared.
For context: Last month, Vladimir Putin said that Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
These weapons will remain under Russian control, he added.
Belarussian forces are not officially involved in the war with Ukraine but Minsk has allowed Russian forces to launch attacks from its territory.
Borys Gryzlov, pictured in 2017
Borys Gryzlov, pictured in 2017
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1h ago
15:38
Zelenskyy condemns ‘Russian terrorists’ after six killed in shelling of residential blocks
The killing of six people in Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine by “Russian terrorists” has been condemned by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian president said Kremlin forces shelled residential blocks, causing the deaths of three women and three men.
“Ordinary people of an ordinary town in Donbas,” he said in his nightly address.
He added: “There is only one way to stop Russian terror, to restore security to all our cities and communities – from Sumy region to Donbas, from Kharkiv region to Kherson region, from Kyiv region to Yalta.
“And this is Ukraine’s military victory. There is no other way and there will be no other way.”
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2h ago
15:20
The number of injured in St Petersburg blast rises to 25
At least 25 people were injured in the cafe blast, the state-owned RIA news agency is reporting.
Of these, 19 were being treated in hospital.
Russia’s state Investigative Committee said it had opened a murder investigation.
Speculation over Vladlen Tatarsky’s killing follows the death of Darya Dugina in August last year.
Dugina, the daughter of a prominent ultra-nationalist, was killed in a car bomb attack near Moscow.
Her death was blamed on Ukraine by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). Kyiv denied any involvement.
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2h ago
14:59
Bakhmut front line ‘especially hot’ today – Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has paid tribute to Ukrainian soldiers fighting against Russia, particularly those stationed in the fiercely-contested city of Bakhmut.
Moscow has been sending waves and waves of attacks against the front line city in eastern Ukraine, which has been raised to the ground following months of war.
In his nightly address on Telegram, the Ukrainian president said: “I am grateful to our warriors who are fighting near Avdiivka, Maryinka, near Bakhmut…
“Especially Bakhmut! It’s especially hot there today!”
Ukrainian forces have continued to hold on in Bakhmut despite calls from some Western pundits for them to abandon the city.
Now, according to some reports, Russia’s offensive appears to be culminating in the city.
President Zelenskyy added: “The resilience of everyone is the resilience of the whole of Ukraine, helping everyone in a position nearby is helping the whole of Ukraine!”
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3h ago
14:11
Russia and Ukraine point fingers at each other
There has been no confirmation of who was responsible for the St Petersburg blast.
The destruction at the “Street Bar” cafe in Russia’s second-largest city is 1,000 miles away from the front line in Ukraine, but it is impossible not to place it in the context of the ongoing war.
A leading Russian official pointed the finger at Ukraine, without providing evidence. The claim was rebuffed by Kyiv.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, blamed Russian domestic terrorism for the blast.
“The spiders are eating each other in a jar,” he added.
Russian media and military bloggers said Tatarsky was meeting with members of the public and that a woman presented him with a statuette that apparently exploded.
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4h ago
13:06
Senior Ukrainian politician says ‘troubles’ await Russia after blast
Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Twitter that the “spiders are eating each other in a jar”, while suggesting Russia is facing a troubled time because of its invasion.
It comes after a blast in St Petersburg killed a pro-Kremlin war blogger.
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4h ago
12:58
Pictures emerge from the scene of the cafe blast
Pictures have begun to emerge from the scene of the explosion in St Petersburg, which killed a military blogger.
Reuters
Reuters
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5h ago
12:01
Blast in St Petersburg kills military blogger – reports
A military blogger has been killed, and 16 people have been injured after a blast at a café in the centre of St Petersburg in Russia, the Russian news agency TASS reported.
The blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky, had pro-Kremlin links and had more than 500,000 followers on Telegram.
Reuters
Reuters
Russian Telegram channels appear to suggest he was hosting a “creative evening” at the venue – which was said to be owned at one point by founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Sky News has not verified the information, and it is unclear if this blast is directly linked to the war.
Retired Air Vice Marshall Sean Bell told Sky News there is not enough detail to point fingers, but feels it would be “unlikely” the Ukrainian government was involved.
Russian military blogger killed and six injured in blast at St Petersburg cafe – reports
Sky News
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6h ago
11:20
Aftermath of shelling on Kostiantynivka
Pictures below show the aftermath of Russian shelling on the Donetsk town of Kostiantynivka.
Reports say six people died.
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6h ago
10:36
Rare call between top US official and Russian foreign minister over arrest of American journalist
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed his grave concern to Russia’s foreign minister over the detention of a US journalist, according to the state department.
Sergei Lavrov told Mr Blinken that Washington should not politicise the investigation, the Russian foreign ministry reported.
The pair held a phone call today, three days after Russia arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on suspicion of espionage – allegations the Journal vehemently denies.
The Russian foreign ministry said Mr Lavrov told Mr Blinken that the journalist’s fate would be determined by a court.
Mr Lavrov and Mr Blinken also discussed the importance of creating an environment that permits diplomatic missions to carry out their work, the US state department said.
Around 30 news organisations and press freedom advocates have written to Russia’s US ambassador to express concern over Mr Gershkovich’s arrest.
This morning we reported how US basketball star Brittney Griner urged her government to do everything possible to bring Mr Gershkovich back to America, following her own arrested on drug possession charges in Russia last year.
For context: Russia’s security service alleges Mr Gershkovich “was acting on instructions from the American side to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret”.
The WSJ “vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich”, it said.
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7h ago
10:22
Ukrainian recruits finish training on British equipment
The British defence ministry has confirmed today that the second round of Ukrainian troops have finished their training on the AS90 – an armoured self-propelled artillery weapon.
They shared a video on social media – which can be seen below…
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7h ago
10:09
Electricity rationing ends in Ukraine as weeks-long repairs finished
Ukraine’s electricity transmission operator has completed restoring power to the country following a “massive missile attack” on 9 March.
Ukrenergo said their are no restrictions to energy consumption in Ukraine, after it finished its work in the central region.
In a post on Telegram, the company thanked its Lithuanian colleagues for their assistance.
“All restrictions on consumption, which were introduced in Kyiv region, Zhytomyr region, and Kharkiv region, due to equipment damage during a massive enemy missile attack on 9 March, have been lifted,” the statement reads.
“In other regions, there are also no restrictions in Ukrenergo networks that would lead to the need to limit consumption.”
This is despite the Zaporizhzhia power station, which accounted for 20% of national power generation before the invasion, being offline since September.
Russia has repeatedly interrupted electricity supply in Ukraine with attacks on the grid over the course of the war.
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8h ago
09:25
EU will ‘stand against’ Russian abuse of UN Security Council presidency
The European Union will stand against any abuse during Russia’s leadership of the United Nations Security Council over the next month, its top diplomat has said.
Josep Borrell told AFP: “Despite being a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia continuously violates the very essence of the UN legal framework
“The EU will stand against any abuse by [the] Russian presidency.”
Russia became the president of the UNSC yesterday in the monthly rotation of the council’s leadership among its 15 members, in a move Volodymyr Zelenskyy called “absurd and destructive”.
The last time it held the position, Russia invaded Ukraine.
Josep Borrell in February
Josep Borrell in February
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8h ago
08:58
Ukrainian who trained in blackouts and air raid sirens crowned Europe’s strongest man
Ukrainian Pavlo Kordiyaka has been crowned Europe’s strongest man, after training amid air raid sirens and intermittent blackouts.
The 26-year-old secured his victory in Leeds yesterday, setting a new Conan’s wheel world record, according to the competition’s YouTube channel.
Contestants were judged based on their performance in several challenges, including log lifting, wheelbarrow racing, deadlifting and Conan’s wheel, where the athletes hold a weight across the front of their chest and rotate it as many times as possible.
Earlier this year, Mr Kordiyaka told The Sun how he had trained in Lviv which, though far from the frontline, still suffered from blackouts and air raid sirens.
The newspaper reported his father and brother-in-law was fighting in the military at the time, and that his mission was to remind the world that “we live in war all day”.
Fellow Ukrainian and 2020’s World’s Strongest Man Oleksii Novikov came second in the competition.
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8h ago
08:36
Ukraine will dismantle 12-mile bridge to Russia if it reclaims Crimea
Ukraine has said it would dismantle a 12-mile bridge joining Crimea with Russia if they reclaim the peninsula.
Ukrainians who worked for the Moscow-appointed administration may be prosecuted, said Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council.
Russian citizens who moved to Crimea after 2014 would be expelled, Mr Danilov said in plans published as the military prepares for a spring counter-offensive.
In response, the Moscow-appointed head of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said: “It would be wrong to seriously treat comments by sick people.
He told the Russian state news agency Tass: “They must be cured, and that’s what our military is doing now.”
The bridge – Europe’s largest – was damaged by a truck bomb in October, though Ukraine did not claim responsibility.
Russia has since repaired the bridge and restored the flow of military supplies to Crimea.
