Ukraine-Russia news – live: Putin shells Kherson ‘all day’ with hospital hit

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned the relentless strikes on Kherson which damaged a hospital and residential buildings.

“Today, the Russian army has been shelling Kherson atrociously all day. Residential buildings, various social and transport facilities, including a hospital, post office, and bus station, have been damaged,” he said in his nightly address.

“Two women, nurses, were wounded in the hospital. As of now, there are reports of six wounded and three dead.”

A missile also struck an apartment building in the northeastern town of Kharkiv, killing an elderly woman, regional Governor Oleh Synehubov said.

Zelensky added that Ukraine was facing a difficult situation in Donetsk and needed faster weapons supplies and new types of weaponry.

“The situation is very tough. Bakhmut, Vuhledar and other sectors in Donetsk region – there are constant Russian attacks,” he said.

“Russia wants the war to drag on and exhaust our forces. So we have to make time our weapon. We have to speed up events, speed up supplies and open up new weapons options for Ukraine.”

Key points

Russian army shells Kherson ‘atrociously all day’

Putin threatened to kill me with missile attack, says Boris Johnson

Germany warns against arms race

Situation on frontline ‘very tough’, says Zelensky

No sense talking to Kyiv, says top Russian minister

Russian business offers cash bounties to destroy Western tanks in Ukraine

Russian army shells Kherson ‘atrociously all day’

10:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strikes on Kherson which damaged a hospital and residential buildings.

“Today, the Russian army has been shelling Kherson atrociously all day. Residential buildings, various social and transport facilities, including a hospital, post office, and bus station, have been damaged,” he said in his nightly address.

“Two women, nurses, were wounded in the hospital. As of now, there are reports of six wounded and three dead.”

Story continues

(AFP/Getty)

Slovenia arrests two men suspected on spying for Russia

13:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Slovenia’s state security agencies have arrested two men suspected of spying for the Russian military intelligence service, the Ljubljana-based Delo newspaper reported on Monday, citing sources.

The suspects, one of whom has citizenship of a South American country, operated under assumed identities from a rented office in the Ljubljana neighbourhood of Bezigrad, the report said.

The two suspects have been charged with espionage and using false documents. If convicted, they may face jail terms of up to eight years, the report said.

Slovenia’s intelligence agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report when contacted by Reuters.

More Russian forces moved to Kursk region on Ukrainian border -governor

12:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has moved additional forces and equipment to the Kursk region on the border with Ukraine to protect the frontier and ensure security, regional governor Roman Starovoit said on Monday, according to Interfax news agency.

Local authorities say that the region has repeatedly been subjected to Ukrainian shelling since Russia invaded Ukraine almost a year ago.

Some of Russia‘s troops entered from the Kursk region, although the areas of northeastern Ukraine that they seized have since been retaken by Kyiv’s forces.

Starovoit told a meeting of the regional government that a solid contingent of personnel from the armed forces, border guards and law enforcement agencies had already been formed in Kursk, but that “it is necessary to provide comprehensive support for the reception, deployment and arrangement of additional forces”.

Kyiv has repeatedly warned that Russia could make a new attempt to seize parts of northeastern Ukraine, pointing to increased joint military activity in Russia‘s close ally Belarus, another of the staging points for February’s invasion, around 200 km (120 miles) west of Kursk province.

In pictures: Kherson strikes damage residential homes

12:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian firefighters douse flames in a burning house following Russian shelling in the city of Kherson.

(AFP via Getty Images)

(AFP via Getty Images)

(AFP via Getty Images)

Ryanair hiring Ukraine staff in anticipation of return after war

11:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ryanair is hiring significant numbers of Ukrainian pilots and cabin crew so that it will be ready to return to the country when the war with Russia ends, Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said on Monday.

“We are very committed to returning to Ukraine as soon as it is safe to do so,” said O’Leary, who had said on the eve of the conflict that he was considering basing up to 20 aircraft in the country.

“We are hiring quite a number of Ukraine pilots and cabin crew specifically so that we can … restore bases in Ukraine if and when it is safe to do so,” O’Leary told analysts after the release of third-quarter financial results.

Russian shelling kills 5 in tough eastern Ukraine combat

11:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian shelling killed at least five people and wounded 13 others during the previous 24 hours, Ukrainian authorities said Monday as the Kremlin’s and Kyiv’s forces remained locked in combat in eastern Ukraine.

The casualties included a woman who was killed and three others who were wounded by the Russian shelling of Kharkiv, Ukraine‘s second-largest city in the country’s northeast, according to regional Gov. Oleh Syniyehubov.

(via REUTERS)

(via REUTERS)

Boris Johnson lied about Putin missile threat, Kremlin says

10:13 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kremlin said on Monday that former British prime minister Boris Johnson was lying when he said Vladimir Putin had threatened him with a missile strike during a phone call in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that what Johnson said was not true, or “more precisely, a lie”.

Johnson, speaking to the BBC for a documentary, said the Russian leader had threatened him with a missile strike that would “only take a minute”.

“He threatened me at one point, and he said, ‘Boris, I don’t want to hurt you but, with a missile, it would only take a minute’ or something like that,” Johnson said.

Russia seeks ‘new level’ of China ties

09:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia said on Monday that it wanted to take ties with China to a “new level” and was looking forward to face-to-face talks with Beijing’s leadership as a Russian newspaper reported that China’s top diplomat would visit Moscow in February.

“We are convinced that the potential for Russian-Chinese bilateral cooperation is still far from exhausted,” Russia‘s foreign ministry said.

Russia aims to reach its target of $200 billion worth of trade between the two countries ahead of schedule and to “significantly deepen” its ties with Beijing, it said.

The deepening “no limits” partnership between the rising superpower of China and the natural resources titan of Russia is being watched by the West with some anxiety, though it is unclear just how deep the partnership is.

China has refrained from condemning Russia‘s operation against Ukraine or calling it an “invasion” in line with the Kremlin which casts the war as “a special military operation”.

After the West imposed the most severe sanctions in modern history on Moscow due to the war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin says Russia is turning towards Asia – and China in particular – after centuries of looking to the West as the crucible of economic growth, technology and war.

The Russian foreign ministry’s comments came shortly after Russia‘s Vedomosti newspaper reported that China’s chief diplomat Wang Yi was set to visit Moscow in February.

According to the newspaper, Wang may visit Putin during his stay. The purpose of Wang’s visit is unclear but may be related to preparations for an upcoming visit to Russia by Chinese President Xi Jinping, it added.

When asked about the potential visit by Wang Yi, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular briefing that she was not yet aware of such a meeting.

Iran summons senior Ukraine diplomat over comments on drone strike

09:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Iran summoned Ukraine‘s charge d’affaires in Tehran on Monday over his country’s comments on a drone strike on a military factory in the central Iranian province of Isfahan, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

In Ukraine, which accuses Iran of supplying hundreds of drones to Russia to attack civilian targets in Ukrainian cities far from the front, a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky linked the incident directly to the war there.

“Explosive night in Iran,” Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted on Sunday. “Did warn you.”

A US official told Reuters that Israel appears to have been behind the attack.

Iran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia but says they were sent before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year.

Moscow denies its forces use Iranian drones in Ukraine, although many have been shot down and recovered there.

(AP)

Watch: Three killed in Russian strike on Kherson

09:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian missile strikes killed three people in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson while fighting raged in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia again shelled the key town of Vuhledar, Ukrainian officials said.

Russian business offers cash bounties to destroy Western tanks in Ukraine

08:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Russian company said it will offer five million roubles – approximately £58,000 – in cash to the first soldiers who destroy or capture western-made tanks in Ukraine, after the Kremlin vowed Russian forces would wipe out any Western tanks shipped to Ukraine.

The United States, Germany and several other European countries are lining up to send Kyiv dozens of advanced combat tanks over the next few months to help boost Ukraine‘s military capacity as the war approaches the 12-month mark.

The decision has been criticised by the Kremlin as a dangerous escalation, and spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the tanks would “burn” on the frontlines.

Now a Russian company – Fores, a Urals-based firm which makes proppants for the energy industry – is offering cash payments to Russian servicemen who “capture or destroy” German-made Leopard 2 or U.S.-made Abrams tanks.

The company said it will pay five million roubles to the first Russian soldier to destroy one of the tanks, and 500,000 roubles ($7,200) for all subsequent attacks.

Echoing language used by Russian officials and pro-war state TV hosts, Fores said NATO was pumping Ukraine with an “unlimited” amount of arms and escalating the conflict. It also said it would pay a 15-million rouble ($215,000) bounty on Western-made fighter jets, should they ever be delivered to Ukraine.

The tanks have not yet been dispatched to Kyiv, and it could take several months before the bulk of the promised deliveries are sent.

Putin threatened to kill me with missile attack, says Boris Johnson

08:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Boris Johnson has claimed that Russian president Vladimir Putin threatened to kill him in a missile attack, saying “it would only take a minute” in a call ahead of the invasion of Ukraine.

The former prime minister said the “extraordinary” conversation took place in February after he had visited Kyiv in a last-ditch attempt to show Western support for Ukraine amid growing fears of an assault.

Mr Johnson, who would emerge as a staunch backer of Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, made the claim in a new three-part series for BBC Two looking at how the West grappled with Mr Putin in the years leading up to the invasion.

The former PM, who left No 10 in September after being forced from office, made the visit to Kyiv in early February to warn Russia that an invasion would prove disastrous and lead to tough Western sanctions.

Adam Forrest reports:

Putin threatened to kill me with missile attack, says Boris Johnson

In video: Russia makes basic military training mandatory in schools from September

07:30 , Namita Singh

Secondary school students in Russia will learn basic military skills as part of a “life safety” course from 1 September, according to UK officials.

The last time it was a compulsory part of the school curriculum was in the 1993 Soviet Union.

“The initiatives highlight the increasingly militarised atmosphere in wartime Russia, as well as being a (likely deliberate) evocation of Soviet Union,” posted the UK’s Ministry of Defence on Twitter.

Russia makes basic military training mandatory in schools from September

Ukrainian refugees need more support for mental health, charity says

07:15 , Namita Singh

Ukrainian refugees require more psychological support to cope with the impact of the Russian invasion of their country, a charity has said.

In a report published today, Ukrainian psychologists Marina Kedrova and Sergii Ugrium said refugees and internally-placed people had suffered from a “profound range of problems” since the invasion in February 2022.

These included anxiety, emotional instability, feelings of “survivor’s guilt” and post-traumatic stress disorder.

In a series of interviews with refugees, Ms Kedrova and Mr Ugrium also found some Ukrainians feared human trafficking and physical abuse, as well as aggression from those who had remained in Ukraine once they returned home.

Volunteers in Santa costumes welcome refugees from Ukraine to an Epiphany event at the Tegel refugees registration center and temporary shelter on 7 January 2023 in Berlin, Germany (Getty Images)

Children have been particularly affected by psychological symptoms, in some cases regressing and struggling with school in their host countries, in turn adding to the burdens faced by their parents.

Further problems have been caused by difficulties integrating in refugee host countries, due to language and cultural barriers making it hard to access services.

The researchers have called for more to be done to support the mental health of Ukrainians, both in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, saying the whole population of Ukraine were “psychological victims of Putin’s aggression”.

They added: “It is already clear there is a need to provide increased psychological and psychiatric support for the innocent victims of war.

“This will be particularly challenging as refugees return to a war-torn Ukraine with a vast array of reconstruction needs.”

Sweden ‘will be shocked’ if Turkey approves Finland NATO membership first, says Erdogan

07:00 , Daniel Reast

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated that Turkey might sign off on Finland’s membership to NATO before its decision on Sweden.

Both countries applied to join the NATO community following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

In a prerecorded video, president Erdogan said: “If needed, we could give a different message about Finland.

“Sweden will be shocked when we give the different message about Finland.”

Relations between Turkey and Sweden have been strained with president Erdogan urging his Swedish counterpart, prime minister Ulf Kristersson, to deport alleged terrorists residing in Sweden.

The burning of a Koran by far-right activist Rasmus Paludan outisde the Turkish embassy in the Swedish capital Stockholm has also raised tensions.

Turkey responded to the incident by indefinitely postponed key meetings in Brussels to discuss Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership.

Read more here:

Protests across the Middle East against far-right Quran burning

China’s top diplomat ‘to visit Moscow in February

06:48 , Namita Singh

Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi is set to visit Moscow in February, Russia’s Vedomosti newspaper reported today citing two sources.

Mr Wang is the director of the Communist Party’s foreign affairs commission, making him China’s most senior diplomat.

The visit to Moscow could include a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to the newspaper.

Erdogan might approve Finland’s Nato bid, ‘shock’ Sweden

06:45 , Namita Singh

Turkey‘s president has suggested his country might approve Finland‘s application for Nato membership before taking any action on Sweden‘s, while the Turkish government issued a travel warning for European countries due to anti-Turkish demonstrations and what it described as Islamophobia.

The travel warning published late Saturday followed demonstrations last weekend outside the Turkish Embassy in Sweden, where an anti-Islam activist burned the Quran and pro-Kurdish groups protested against Turkey. The events stiffened Turkey’s refusal so far to ratify Sweden’s Nato bid.

Sweden and Finland applied jointly to become members of the military alliance, dropping their longstanding military nonalignment following Russia’s war on Ukraine. In a prerecorded video of an event released Sunday, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated that Turkey might sign off on only Finland.

Report:

Erdogan might approve Finland’s NATO bid, ‘shock’ Sweden

Russia says nuclear arms treaty with US may end after 2026

06:32 , Namita Singh

Russia’s deputy foreign minister said in an interview published today that it was “quite possible” the New Start nuclear arms control treaty with the United States would end after 2026.

“This is quite a possible scenario,” deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA news agency in an interview.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov looks on during a press conference following talks with US counterpart on 10 January 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

US–Russia talks on resuming inspections under the New Start treaty, which expires in February 2026, were called off at the last minute in November 2022. Neither side has agreed on a time frame for new talks.

Missile hits Kharkiv apartment building, killing one says regional governor

06:30 , Namita Singh

An apartment building was hit by a missile on Sunday in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city. One person is reported to have died, with others injured.

The report came from regional governor Oleh Synehubov, issuing a statement on Telegram, who said the missile landed in the city’s central Kyiv district.

A picture from the news agency Reuters shows the fire engulfing part of a residential building.

There was no verified reports of how many people were injured. Synehubov earlier suggested the number of injured was three people and said casualties were receiving medical treatment.

Russian official says ‘small steps’ needed to reconcile with US

06:26 , Namita Singh

Russia’s deputy foreign minister said that “small steps” would be needed for Moscow and the United States to come closer to agreement on bilateral issues, reported the RIA news agency.

“We hope that the tactics of small steps will allow us to come to mutually acceptable solutions on the most important issues of the bilateral agenda,” deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA news agency in an interview.

US-Russia talks unlikely to end with all-for-all prisoner swap – RIA

06:20 , Namita Singh

Russia and United States will continue talks on prisoner exchanges but it is unlikely they will end with an all-for-all swap, RIA Novosti news agency cited Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Monday.

‘Negotiations on creating safety zone around Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant are tough’

06:05 , Namita Singh

Negotiations on creating a safety zone around Ukraine’s Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant are tough, and Kyiv appears to be just stalling for time, RIA Novosti cited Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying.

“While consultations with the IAEA are ongoing, it would not be right to make public information about the possible parameters of the ZNPP protection zone. The negotiation process is not progressing easily,” Mr Ryabkov said in an interview with the agency.

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov attends a meeting in Moscow on 15 March 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

“We handed over our proposals to Rafael Grossi, the agency’s director general. As far as we know, Kyiv has not yet given a clear answer to the initiative of the IAEA head. Apparently, it’s just stalling.”

Russian offensive ongoing in Donetsk region, says Russian military

06:00 , Daniel Reast

Russian forces are conducting an offensive in multiple parts of the Donetsk region, according to official reports from the Russian military.

The Russian General Staff said that its troops were attacking towards the settlements of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Novopavlivka.

Ukrainian troops have been locked in battle in the eastern Ukraine region, as Putin’s forces look to strike further following the announcement of new military equipment, including main battle tanks, last week.

The report added that Russian troops are attempting to hold positions and maintain its defence of occupied regions.

‘Prelude to confrontation’: North Korea expresses displeasure over Nato chief’s visit to South Korea

05:45 , Namita Singh

A disgruntled North Korea called Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg’s visit to South Korea a “prelude to confrontation and war”.

In a statement carried by state media, officials described the trip as bringing the “dark clouds of a ‘new Cold War’ to the Asia-Pacific region”.

Earlier today, Mr Stoltenberg urged South Korea to increase military support to Ukraine, citing other countries that have changed their policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict after Russia’s invasion.

Last year South Korea opened its first diplomatic mission to Nato, vowing to deepen cooperation on non-proliferation, cyber defence, counter-terrorism, disaster response and other security areas.

Germany warns against arms race as Zelensky demands faster weapon supplies

05:30 , Namita Singh

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned against a race to supply advanced arms systems to Ukraine, after Volodymyr Zelensky’s demand for faster deliveries of supplies from the West.

Mr Zelensky urged Western allies to supply Ukraine with new types of weaponry, saying that the country is facing a “very tough” situation in Donetsk region and is under “constant Russian attacks”. He also requested the supply of long-range missiles and fighter jets to strengthen the country’s air defence.

Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a joint statement with Chile’s president Gabriel Boric following their meeting at La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, on 29 January 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

But the German chancellor advised “against entering into a constant competition to outbid each other when it comes to weapons systems”.

“The question of combat aircraft does not arise at all,” Mr Scholz said, as he declined Kyiv’s request of supplying them with warplanes.

No sense talking to Kyiv, says top Russian minister

05:15 , Namita Singh

With the United States supplying tanks to Ukraine, there is no sense in talking to Kyiv or its Western “puppet masters”, RIA news agency quoted Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying.

Mr Ryabkov said no one in the West has come up with any serious initiatives on resolving the Ukrainian crisis.

Scholz downplays differences on Ukraine on South America tour

05:00 , Namita Singh

German chancellor Olaf Scholz sought to drum up support for Ukraine during his first South American tour although differences with his hosts emerged, with Argentine president Alberto Fernandez declaring the region was not planning on sending weapons.

On his three-day trip, Mr Scholz has sought to stress unity, noting all three countries he is visiting – Argentina, Chile and Brazil – condemned Russia’s invasion at the United Nations General Assembly last year.

The fallout of the war and Western sanctions on Russia such as soaring food and energy prices, however, have hit the region particularly hard, raising questions over the West’s approach.

Chile’s president Gabriel Boric speaks next to Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz during a joint statement following their meeting at La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, on 29 January 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Fernandez said in a joint news conference with Mr Scholz in Buenos Aires on Saturday that Argentina, like Germany, wanted to help restore peace as soon as possible.

But asked if Argentina would send weapons to Ukraine to fend off Russian troops like Germany and its western allies had, he gave an emphatic no.

“Argentina and Latin America are not planning to send weapons to Ukraine or any other conflict zone,” he said.

Chilean president Gabriel Boric did not refer to the war in his opening statements at a news conference with Mr Scholz in Santiago de Chile yesterday, focusing instead on economic cooperation, particularly in the commodities sector.

Nato’s chief urges South Korea to step up military support for Ukraine

04:45 , Namita Singh

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg urged South Korea today to increase military support to Ukraine, citing other countries that have changed their policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict after Russia’s invasion.

Mr Stoltenberg is in Seoul, the first stop on a trip that will include Japan and is aimed at strengthening ties with US allies in the face of the war in Ukraine and rising competition with China.

In meetings with senior South Korean officials, the Nato chief argued that events in Europe and North America are interconnected with other regions, and that the alliance wants to help manage global threats by increasing partnerships in Asia.

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a conversation at Chey Institute in Seoul on 30 January 2023 (Getty Images)

Speaking at the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in Seoul, he thanked South Korea for its non-lethal aid to Ukraine, but urged it to do more, adding there is an “urgent need” for ammunition.

South Korea has signed major deals providing hundreds of tanks, aircraft and other weapons to Nato member Poland since the war began, but South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol has said that his country’s law against providing arms to countries in conflicts makes providing weapons to Ukraine difficult.

Mr Stoltenberg noted that countries such as Germany, Sweden, and Norway had similar policies but have changed them.

If we don’t want autocracy and tyranny to win, then (the Ukrainians) need weapons, that’s the reality.

Jens Stoltenberg

What did Russia’s defence minister tell Ben Wallace on his trip to Moscow?

04:15 , Namita Singh

Defence secretary Ben Wallace spoke to the Putin vs The West programme, set to air this evening, about his journey to Moscow in February as he sought to reach a breakthrough and prevent a war.

He recalls speaking to Russia’s minister of defence Sergei Shoigu, as well as chief of general staff Valery Gerasimov.

“And I remember saying to minister Shoigu ‘they will fight’ and he said, ‘My mother is Ukrainian, they won’t!’ He also said he had no intention of invading,” Mr Wallace said.

Britain’s defence secretary Ben Wallace leaves after attending the weekly cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, in London, on 10 January 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Wallace said it was a Russian “demonstration of bullying or strength: ‘I’m going to lie to you. You know I’m lying. I know you know I’m lying and I’m still going to lie to you.’ He knew I knew and I knew he knew. But I think it was about saying: ‘I’m powerful.’”

I remember as we were walking out General Gerasimov said, ‘Never again will we be humiliated. We used to be the fourth army in the world, we’re now number two. It’s now America and us.’ And there in that minute was that sense of potentially why [they were doing this].

Ben Wallace

Author of Ukrainian declaration of sovereignty, and famous poet Pavlychko dies at 93

04:00 , Daniel Reast

Ukrainian poet, literary critic and politician Dmytro Pavlychko has died aged 93.

Active in Soviet Ukraine, Pavlychko was one of the founders of the Soviet-controlled nation’s first major independent political party, Rukh (People’s Movement of Ukraine).

In 1990, he co-authored the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine, a law which overruled the authority from the Soviet parliament.

He later served as ambassador in post-Soviet Ukraine to neighbouring countries Slovakia, and later to Poland, before being awarded the nation’s highest honour, Hero of Ukraine, in 2004.

In a post on Telegram, president Volodymyr Zelensky paid tribute to Pavlychko in his political and literary achievements, calling him “an outstanding poet.”

Putin threatened to kill me with missile attack, says Boris Johnson

03:30 , Namita Singh

Boris Johnson has claimed that Russian president Vladimir Putin threatened to kill him in a missile attack, saying “it would only take a minute” in a call ahead of the invasion of Ukraine.

The former prime minister said the “extraordinary” conversation took place in February after he had visited Kyiv in a last-ditch attempt to show Western support for Ukraine amid growing fears of an assault.

Mr Johnson, who would emerge as a staunch backer of Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, made the claim in a new three-part series for BBC Two looking at how the West grappled with Mr Putin in the years leading up to the invasion.

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest has more:

Putin threatened to kill me with missile attack, says Boris Johnson

US officials meet with Ukrainian deputy PM to ‘ensure transparency’ of aid

03:00 , Daniel Reast

Inspectors from the US government have met with Ukraine’s deputy PM to discuss proposals for a new audit mechanism to “ensure transparency in the use of partners’ aid.”

Oleksandr Kubrakov, who is also head of Ukraine’s infrastructure projects, added that any funds utilised for infrastructure repairs and reconstruction should be monitored with US assistance.

Scrutiny of how aid is being used in Ukraine has increased since a recent scandal involving the sale of food packages at inflated prices, which prompted the deputy defence minister, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, to resign.

Deputy prime minister Kubrakov said in a post on Facebook: “I am grateful to my American colleagues for their leadership role in supporting our country in the fight against the Russian aggressor.

“Today, Ukraine shows the whole world that it is a reliable and predictable partner with working anti-corruption institutions, and we continue to move in this direction.”

Zelensky pushes for Russian ban from Paris 2024 Olympics in latest address

02:00 , Daniel Reast

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his stance on Russian athletes competing at the 2024 Paris Games, suggesting it showed that “terror is somehow acceptable”.

He added that he had sent a letter to French president Emmanuel Macron as part of his assertive campaign.

In his latest address, Zelensky said: “Attempts by the International Olympic Committee to bring Russian athletes back into the Olympic Games are attempts to tell the whole world that terror is somehow acceptable.

“As if you could shut your eyes to what Russia is doing in Kherson, Kharkiv, Bakhmut and Avdiivka,” all of which have been the focus of intense attacks in recent days.

His latest comments were accompanied by references to the “tragedies” of the 20th century, including the hosting of the 1936 Olympic Games in Hitler’s Berlin.

Zelensky added “The Olympic movement and terrorist states definitely should not cross paths.”

Read more here:

IOC will be on wrong ‘side of history’ if Russian athletes compete at Paris 2024

US military officials ‘urging’ supply of F-16 fighter jets, says defence department sources

01:00 , Daniel Reast

Efforts within the US military high command to supply Ukrainian forces with modern F-16 fighter jets are quietly gaining pace, a defence department official has said.

Speaking with Politico, a senior official from the US department of defence said: “I don’t think we are opposed,” when asked if jets were being considered for supply.

A spokesperson for the White House declined to comment for this story, though referred reporters to previous statements made by deputy national security adviser Jon Finer.

Ukraine’s own stock of fighter jets are older models, first produced by the Soviet Union (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Finer said that US officials would be discussing the prospect of fighter jets “very carefully” with Ukraine and its other western allies.

He continued: “We have not ruled in or out any specific systems.”

President Zelensky reiterated his plea for arms and military equipment in his latest daily address, where he said: “We must speed up the events, speed up the supply and opening of new necessary weaponry options for Ukraine.”

Putin threatened to kill me with missile strike, says Boris Johnson

00:15 , Daniel Reast

Boris Johnson has claimed that Russian president Vladimir Putin threatened to kill him in a missile attack, saying “it would only take a minute” in a call ahead of the invasion of Ukraine.

The former prime minister said the “extraordinary” conversation occurred in February following his visit to Kyiv in a last-ditch attempt to show Western support for Ukraine, amid growing fears of invasion.

The former prime minister, who would later emerge as a key supporter among western allies of Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, made the claim in a new series for BBC Two looking at how the West grappled with the Russian president in the years leading to the invasion.

Read more here:

Putin threatened to kill me with missile attack, says Boris Johnson

Four killed in Ukrainian attack on bridge in Melitopol, Russian authorities say

00:01 , Daniel Reast

Four people were killed and five injured in an attack by Ukrainian forces on a bridge in Melitopol, a city in southeastern Ukraine.

Reported by Russian-installed head of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, wrote on Telegram that a rocket was launched at the railway bridge from across the Molochna river.

The Zaporizhzhia region has been partially occupied by Russia since it first invaded in February last year, and contains Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

Balitsky added that the rocket was launched from a Himars missile system, which are in production in the United States.

He added: “At this time, renovation work was under way at the facility. According to preliminary data, as a result of the shelling, four people from the railway brigade were killed, five were injured, they are receiving the necessary medical care.”

Reporters from news agency Reuters were unable to verify the accuracy of Balitsky’s statement.

Situation on frontline ‘very tough’, says Zelensky

Sunday 29 January 2023 23:00 , Daniel Reast

President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of “constant Russian attacks” across frontline regions in his daily address.

In a markedly sombre tone, Zelensky said: “The situation is very tough. Bakhmut, Vuhledar and other areas in the Donetsk region are under constant Russian attacks.

“There are constant attempts to break through our defense.”

Zelensky repeated reports from his previous address on Saturday of fierce fighting in the Donetsk region, amid reports of Ukrainian forces struggling to hold Bakhmut, at the epicentre of fighting in the region.

President Zelensky continued: “We are doing everything to ensure that our pressure outweighs the occupiers’ assault capabilities.

“Russia hopes to drag out the war, to exhaust our forces. So we have to make time our weapon.

“We must speed up the events, speed up the supply and opening of new necessary weaponry options for Ukraine.”

President Zelensky also paid tribute to those killed in shelling in Kherson, where three people died on Sunday.

Russia-Japan disputed islands fishing talks ‘ruled out’, says Russian foreign ministry

Sunday 29 January 2023 22:00 , Daniel Reast

Russia’s foreign ministry said on Sunday it will not hold annual talks with Japan on renewing a pact allowing Japanese fishermen to operate near disputed islands.

The islands, off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, are known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories.

As reported on Russian state media, the defence ministry said: “In the context of the anti-Russian measures taken by the Japanese government … the Russian side informed Tokyo that it could not agree on the holding of intergovernmental consultations on the implementation of this agreement.”

Japan tightened its sanctions regime on Russian trade, institutions and individuals on Friday in response to the increase in shelling attacks.

Russia had suspended the diplomatic agreement in June which allowed Japanese boats to fish near the islands, though the Japanese chief cabinet secretary has demanded the talks to go ahead.

Ukrainian defence ministry calls for F-16 fighter jets in Twitter post

Sunday 29 January 2023 21:15 , Daniel Reast

Heavy shelling in Kherson hits hospital, kills three civilians says Ukraine officials

Sunday 29 January 2023 20:30 , Daniel Reast

Three people were killed by Russian shelling on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Sunday, damaging a hospital and a school, regional officials said.

The administration wrote on Telegram: “Today’s Russian shelling injured nine people: three people died (two men and one woman), six were injured.”

In an earlier post, before casualties could be identified, it was reported: “As a result of enemy shelling, a number of civil infrastructure objects were damaged: the Kherson Regional Clinical Hospital, a school, a bus station, a post office, a bank, and residential buildings.”

Ukrainian firefighters work to extinguish a fire in a house following Russian shelling in the city of Kherson on January 29 (AFP/Getty)

Ukraine’s ministry of health posted on Facebook that a nurse was wounded in the attacks.

Ukraine recaptured Kherson in November after Russian forces occupied the city in the early days of the conflict.

The city has since seen regular shelling and attacks from Russian positions across the Dnipro river.

Ukraine’s western allies concerned ‘time might be on Russia’s side’, say officials

Sunday 29 January 2023 20:15 , Daniel Reast

Officials from Ukraine’s western allies have reported concern that the “window for Ukraine isn’t indefinite”, requiring more munitions and supply to break through.

Cited in a report from the Wall Street Journal, the unnamed officials from western nations suggest Russian forces will control any ‘war of attrition’, with Ukraine needing an expansion of supply of powerful military equipment to counter this.

Recent expansion of conscription, military training in Russian schools and continued ability to finance spending in the conflict have suggested Moscow has a greater ability to stay in the war.

According to the Ukrainian armed forces’ General Staff, Russia has lost 126,000 troops and thousands of pieces of military hardware since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

The report also suggests that officials have less confidence in the ability of Ukraine’s armed forces to carry out offensives seen last year.

Ukrainian president Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News that Ukraine needs “500 tanks” to liberate its provinces.

Alleged Ukrainian shelling into Russia left villages without electricity, says Russian governor

Sunday 29 January 2023 19:30 , Daniel Reast

The Russian regional governor for Kursk, situated on the northeastern border of Ukraine, has reported shelling of the bordering region and strikes on Russian villages.

Alleged mortar strikes cut off two villages from electricity, however there were no reported casualties.

Governor Roman Starovoyt said on Telegram messaging app: “The village of Chervonozhovtneve of the Glushkovsky district of the Kursk region came under mortar fire from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“12 hits were recorded. There are no casualties. Power supply lines were damaged, which left the village of Chervonozhovtneve and the neighboring village of Volfino without electricity.”

Ukraine’s military has not commented on the alleged attack.

Possibility of military aircraft a ‘game changer’, says Ukraine defence minister

Sunday 29 January 2023 18:45 , Daniel Reast

Early talks on the supply of military aircraft and long-range missiles for Ukrainian forces could be a “game changer”, Ukraine’s defence minister has said.

Speaking with Canada’s CBC, defence minister Olek Reznikov said he had written a “wish list to Santa” for military supplies.

Reznikov said the list contained: “fighter jets, aircraft, and probably rockets… long-hand options to hit the Russians’ fuel depots, ammunition depots, and their commanders.”

Presidential adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Ukraine was in “fast track talks” to secure a supply of new missiles and military equipment.

Ukraine’s western allies have so far declined to supply military aircraft such as fighter jets. But Reznikov said that military equipment and weapons previously refused by allies, were now arriving in Ukraine.

The minister added: “For me, everything that’s impossible today [will be] possible tomorrow.”

Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, was quoted in the Spanish newspaper El Pais saying that their forces aim to receive 24 fighter jets, though Germany has previously said jets were ‘off the table’.

Read more here:

Ukraine in ‘fast-track’ talks with allies for fighter jets and missiles

First Ukrainian troops arrive in UK to begin training on Challengers tanks

Sunday 29 January 2023 18:00 , Daniel Reast

The first tank crews from Ukraine to use UK-supplied Challenger tanks have arrived in the country, the Ministry of Defence has said.

Sharing photos of the crews on Twitter, the ministry added: “The UK will provide Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine alongside global partner nations – demonstrating the strength of support for Ukraine, internationally.”

Challenger 2 tanks will be used in Ukraine along with a range of armoured vehicles supplied by other western allies, including Germany, Poland and the US.

Read more on western nations supply of tanks here:

How Western tanks could give Ukraine a battlefield edge over Russia

Russia makes basic military training mandatory in schools from September

Sunday 29 January 2023 17:15 , Daniel Reast

Mourners remember British volunteer aid worker killed in eastern Ukraine

Sunday 29 January 2023 16:45 , Daniel Reast

(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Mourners in Kyiv gather to commemorate British aid worker killed in Soledar

Sunday 29 January 2023 16:30 , Daniel Reast

Mourners in Kyiv have paid tribute to a British volunteer killed while on a rescue mission in the eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar.

Voluntary aid worker Andrew Bagshaw, for whom the service was held, and fellow volunteer Chris Parry, were killed in an attempted evacuation in eastern Ukraine, Parry’s family has said.

Both men were killed as a Russian artillery shell hit their car.

Several dozen people, including aid workers and volunteers who knew Bagshaw, packed into a small refectory near the St. Sophia cathedral, Kyiv, for an Orthodox memorial service.

A fellow volunteer, Ignat Ivlev-Yorke, organised the service and told reporters: “I remember one of the first times when we went [on an evacuation run] together. He was a very quiet person, he just wanted to help people.

“He felt that this was his mission. That he had a duty to do it.”

Sky News reported Bagshaw’s family saying the volunteers were killed while attempting to rescue an elderly woman from the town of Soledar. Ukrainian police reported the two men missing on January 7.

Ukraine has since acknowledged its withdrawal from Soledar, almost two weeks after Russian forces reported they had captured the small salt-mining town.

Putin ‘remains open to contacts’ with German chancellor Scholz, says Kremlin spokesman

Sunday 29 January 2023 15:45 , Daniel Reast

Russian president Vladimir Putin is open to contacts with German chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Kremlin spokesman told Russian news reporters on Sunday.

Dmitry Peskov told reporters from RIA Novosti: “For now, there are no agreed talks [with Scholz] in the schedule. Putin has been and remains open to contacts.”

The last time both leaders spoke by phone was in early December, before the German chancellor approved the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz is currently on a visit to South America, aiming to foster good trade relations for the supply of lithium (AP)

According to an interview in German newspaper Tagesspiegel published on Sunday, Scholz was quoted as saying, “I will also speak to Putin again – because it is necessary to speak.”

He added: “The onus is on Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine to end this horrendous, senseless war that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives already.”

The chancellor’s office could not be immediately reached for comment, with Scholz currently on a visit to South America.

Weapons latest

Sunday 29 January 2023 11:54 , Alice Murphy

Talks are under way among Ukraine and its allies about a request for long-range missiles that it says are needed to prevent Russia from destroying its cities, a top aide to President Zelenskiy said on Sunday.

The news comes as German arms-maker Rheinmetall is ready to greatly boost the output of tank and artillery munitions to satisfy strong demand in Ukraine and the West, and may start producing HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in Germany, CEO Armin Papperger told Reuters.

Ukraine has been promised 321 heavy tanks by several countries, its ambassador to France said.

And Poland will send an additional 60 tanks to Ukraine on top of the 14 German-made Leopard 2 tanks it has pledged, the Polish prime minister said in an interview with Canadian television.

Russia claims hospital hit

Sunday 29 January 2023 11:52 , Rich Booth

Russia has accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately striking a hospital in a Russian-held area of eastern Ukraine on Saturday in what it said was a war crime that killed 14 people and wounded 24 patients and medical staff.

There was no immediate response to the allegations from Ukraine.

Reuters said it was not able to independently verify the report.

Wagner claims Blahodatne

Sunday 29 January 2023 11:50 , Rich Booth

Ukraine has said its forces repelled an attack in the area of Blahodatne in the eastern part of the Donetsk region on Sunday, responding to claims by Russia’s Wagner private military group that it took control of the village.

“Units of Ukraine‘s Defence Forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of … Blahodatne … in the Donetsk region,” the General Staff of Ukraine‘s Armed Forces said in its daily morning report, referring to fighting on Saturday.

It added that its forces repelled Russian attacks in the areas of 13 other settlements in the Donetsk region.

The Wagner Group, designated by the United States as transnational criminal organisation, said on the Telegram messaging app on Saturday that its units had taken control of Blahodatne.

News agency Reuters, who reported the message, was not able to independently verify the reports.

With fighting heating up in the Donetsk region, the exact line of contact has been unclear, especially around the town Bakhmut where some of the heaviest fighting of the war has been taking place in recent weeks. The Wagner Group has made premature success claims before.

Ukraine has said that the Russian offensive on Bakhmut has not culminated, but the situation along the front line there has been growingly difficult. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that it was acute.

Four civilians were killed, one in Bakhmut, and 17 wounded in Russian attacks on the region on Saturday, Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region said on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine has won promises of Western battle tanks and is seeking fighter jets to push back against Russian and pro-Moscow forces, which are slowly advancing along part of the front line.

On Saturday, Zelenskiy’s top aide said that expedited talks were under way between Ukraine and its allies about its requests for long-range missiles to prevent Russia from destroying Ukrainian cities

German arms-maker Rheinmetall looking to boost munitions output, HIMARS production

Sunday 29 January 2023 09:31 , Arpan Rai

German arms-maker Rheinmetall is preparing to significantly boost the output of tank and artillery munitions to satisfy strong demand in Ukraine and the West, its CEO Armin Papperger said.

He added that Rheinmetall may also start producing HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in Germany.

“We can produce 240,000 rounds of tank ammunition (120mm) per year, which is more than the entire world needs,” Mr Papperger said in an interview with Reuters.

He added that the capacity for the production of 155mm artillery rounds can be ramped up to 450,000 to 500,000 per year which would make Rheinmetall the biggest producer for both kinds of ammunition.

In 2022, Rheinmetall made some 60,000 to 70,000 rounds each of tank and artillery shells, according to Papperger, who said production could be boosted immediately.

His remarks comes just days before Germany’s defence industry bosses are due to meet new defence minister Boris Pistorius for the first time.

What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine?

Sunday 29 January 2023 08:54 , Arpan Rai

The US has pledged to send 31 of its M1 Abram battle tanks, worth an estimated $400m, to Ukraine to help the resistance fight back against the Russian onslaught as the one-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s invasion approaches.

Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the US, said the decision by Joe Biden’s administration amounted to “another blatant provocation” against Moscow, pledged that the tanks would be destroyed and warned the West it would come to regret the “delusion” that Ukraine could ever win the day.

Read the full story here:

What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine?

Trump claims he could solve Ukraine war in ‘24 hours’

Sunday 29 January 2023 08:27 , Arpan Rai

Donald Trump has said he would build an “impenetrable dome” to protect the US from nuclear missile attacks as he also claimed he could end the Russian invasion of Ukraine “within 24 hours.”

The one-term president released a video saying that foreign powers were now openly “using the nuclear word all the time” because “they have no respect for our leadership.”

Mr Trump added that “it is a word you are never allowed to use” and insisted it had never been said when he was in the White House.

Trump claims he could solve Ukraine war in ‘24 hours’ and would build ‘dome’ over US

North Korea says US pledge of tanks to Ukraine ‘unethical crime’

Sunday 29 January 2023 08:10 , Arpan Rai

North Korea criticised the US decision to send tanks to Ukraine and called it an “unethical crime” as it continued its charge against the war-hit country’s ally for a second day.

“The US is working hard to supply such offensive weapons as (main battle tanks) to Ukraine at any cost in disregard of the just concern and criticism of the international community,” Kwon Chung-keun, director of US affairs at North Korea’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

“This is an unethical crime aimed at keeping the international situation unstable,” the official said.

The top official also derided Washington’s allegations that North Korea has provided arms to Russia as a “groundless rumor” to justify its own military aid to Ukraine.

The baseless claims of North Korea-Russia arms deals are a “grave provocation that can never be allowed” and perpetuating them will bring a “really undesirable result”, Mr Kwon added.

Ukraine says attacks around Blahodatne repelled as Russia’s Wagner claims control

Sunday 29 January 2023 07:39 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s military has said its forces repelled an attack in the area of Blahodatne in the eastern part of the Donetsk region amid claims from Russia’s Wagner private military group of taking control of the village.

“Units of Ukraine’s defence forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of… Blahodatne… in the Donetsk region,” the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said this morning, confirming the fighting that took place on Saturday.

The Ukrainian army said its forces repelled Russian attacks in the areas of 13 other settlements in the Donetsk region.

This comes just hours after Russia’s proxy mercenary Wagner Group — termed by the United States as a transnational criminal organisation — said that its units had taken control of Blahodatne.

While the Wagner has made premature claims of capturing territory in eastern Ukraine, including Soledar recently, it is not immediately clear what part of the region remains under Ukraine’s active control.

Russia to make basic military training mandatory in school curriculum from September

Sunday 29 January 2023 06:53 , Arpan Rai

The Russian education ministry has made basic military training mandatory in the country’s secondary school curriculum and it will be taught from September this year, the British defence ministry said today.

“In recent weeks, the Russian ministry of education has provided more detail on the rollout of the previously announced plan to include basic military training in Russia’s secondary school curriculum,” the MoD said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that the module will be included within the ‘Basics of Life Safety’ course and teach students about “training with AK series assault rifles and hand grenades, military drill and salutes, and the use of personal protective equipment.”

“The lessons will become mandatory from 01 September 2023. In addition, in December 2022, the ministry of science and higher education announced a ‘military training basics’ programme for university students,” the ministry said.

It added that the “initiatives highlight the increasingly militarised atmosphere in wartime Russia, as well as being a (likely deliberate) evocation of the Soviet Union: similar training was mandatory in schools up to 1993.”

Situation ‘extremely acute’ in Donetsk’s Bakhmut

Sunday 29 January 2023 05:52 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the fierce fighting in eastern Ukraine remains critical over the weekend.

“The situation at the front, and in particular in the Donetsk region – near Bakhmut and Vuhledar, remains extremely acute. The occupiers are not just storming our positions – they are deliberately and methodically destroying these towns and villages around them. Artillery, aviation, missiles,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

He added: “The Russian army has no shortage of means of destruction. And it can be stopped only by force. Our soldiers, who are defending the areas in Donetsk region, are real heroes.”