The Government has targeted a key Russian commander allegedly involved in the Bucha massacre as part of a wave of new sanctions targeting some of Vladimir Putin’s “key leaders”.
The Foreign Office said it was targeting those “commanding the front line” to commit “heinous” acts with 26 new sanctions.
Those sanctioned include Lt Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov, a commanding officer in the Russian army involved in the “Bucha massacre”; Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov, commander of airborne forces; Major General Valery Flyustikov, commander of special operations forces; and Colonel General Nikolay Bogdanovsky, first deputy chief of the general staff.
Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, said: “The depravity of Russia’s assault on the people of Ukraine is plain for all to see. They are deliberately targeting hospitals, schools, and transport hubs in Mariupol and beyond – just as they did in Chechnya and Syria.
“The UK is unyielding in our support for Ukraine and in holding Putin and his regime to account. Today’s new wave of sanctions hits the generals and defence companies that have blood on their hands.”
It came as a senior Ukrainian official said that the bodies of more than 1,000 civilians had been discovered in the Kyiv region after Russian troops withdrew from areas around the capital.
Follow the latest updates below.
01:24 PM
US to announce $500m aid package for Ukraine
The US will provide Ukraine with a new $500 million aid package to help the government in Kyiv, a Treasury official said on Thursday.
The aid package will help to keep the Ukrainian economy afloat, by allowing President Zelensky’s government to continue paying salaries and pensions and providing essential services.
The official said the aid package will be officially announced by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during her meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Finance Minister Sergiy Marchenko.
01:10 PM
Spanish prime minister announces new shipment of military aid to Ukraine
Spain has sent a new shipment of 200 tons of ammunition and military supplies to Ukraine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Kyiv on Thursday.
Sanchez is in the Ukrainian capital meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Sanchez also said Spain will ask the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged Russian war crimes and confirmed it plans to send war crime investigators to the country.
12:52 PM
Ukraine receives 19 prisoners of war from Russia, deputy PM says
Russia has handed 10 soldiers over to Ukraine in an exchange of prisoners of war, including two officers and nine civilians, the Ukrainian deputy prime minister has said.
“This time there were wounded among those released and… now they will be able to receive full treatment and undergo rehabilitation,” Iryna Vereshchuk said on the Telegram messaging app.
12:38 PM
Ukraine calls for ‘urgent’ evacuations from Mariupol plant
Ukraine has called for a humanitarian corridor to be opened immediately to allow civilians and wounded fighters to be evacuated from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol holding out against Russian forces.
“Hundreds of civilians, children, injured Ukrainian defenders are trapped in plant’s shelters. They have almost no food, water, essential medicine. An urgent humanitarian corridor is needed from the Azovstal plant with guarantees people will be safe,” the Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement on social media.
12:16 PM
‘It’s time to make a choice’, Ukraine’s foreign minister tells Bulgaria
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba appealed to Nato and EU member Bulgaria on Thursday to provide sorely needed military aid to help his country survive Russia’s invasion.
Bulgaria has condemned the invasion, voted to support European Union sanctions against Russia and is hosting more than 90,000 Ukrainian refugees, but the four-party ruling coalition remains split over whether to send arms and ammunition to Kyiv.
Mr Kuleba, who arrived in the Black Sea country on Tuesday, said he has still not received a clear answer from Sofia on military aid.
“The best way to bring peace closer today is to stand by Ukraine, not to stand neutral,” Mr Kuleba said in the Bulgarian parliament at the opening of a photo exhibition depicting the war in Ukraine.
“Sometimes you have to make a choice, you cannot be in between, you cannot come up with endless arguments. You have to take a side and you have to take the side of truth. So all I can say is it is time to make a choice,” he said.
12:08 PM
Spanish PM blasts Russian ‘atrocities’ during Ukraine visit
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has condemned the “atrocities” allegedly committed by Russian forces in the town of Borodyanka outside Kyiv during a visit to Ukraine with his Danish counterpart.
“Shocked to witness the horror and atrocities of Putin’s war on the streets of Borodyanka,” Mr Sanchez tweeted along with a video of his visit to the war-ravaged town.
“We will not leave the Ukrainian people alone,” he added.
The bodies of nine civilians, some showing signs of torture, were found Wednesday night in two graves around Borodyanka, a senior police official said.
The pullback of Russian forces from towns and villages around Kyiv left a trail of civilian deaths, beginning with discoveries in Bucha, that have led Ukrainian officials to accuse Russia of genocide.
11:55 AM
Over five million Ukrainians have fled war, UN says
A total of 5,085,360 Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia invaded on February 24, the UN refugee agency said Thursday.
The figure marks an increase of 50,921 from Wednesday’s data, UNHCR said.
Women and children account for 90 percent of those who fled abroad, with men aged 18 to 60 eligible for military call-up unable to leave.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said an additional 218,000 citizens of third-countries – largely students and migrant workers – have also escaped to neighbouring countries.
Beyond the refugees, the IOM estimates 7.1 million people are displaced within in Ukraine.
11:43 AM
Pictured: Vladimir Putin and Sergei Shoigu in Kremlin
11:41 AM
Japan and New Zealand to keep pressure on Russia
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will keep piling pressure on Moscow, they said in a joint statement on Thursday.
The two leaders “will continue to raise the costs for the architects of Russia’s illegal and unjustified aggression” against Ukraine, the joint statement said.
11:28 AM
UNESCO June meet in Russia on world heritage postponed indefinitely
A meeting of the UN cultural agency’s World Heritage Committee scheduled to have been hosted by Russia in June has been postponed indefinitely, a source said Thursday, after weeks of intense diplomatic wrangling prompted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian ambassador to UNESCO had proposed in a letter postponing the meeting, to be hosted by the Russian city of Kazan, and its indefinite postponement has now been formally agreed, a senior UNESCO source told AFP, asking not to be named.
10:50 AM
South African leader speaks to Zelensky
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call and called for a negotiated end to the conflict with Russia, Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
“We agree on the need for a negotiated end to the conflict which has impacted Ukraine’s place in global supply chains, including its position as a major exporter of food to our continent,” Mr Ramaphosa wrote on Twitter.
Mr Zelensky said on Twitter that he told Mr Ramaphosa about Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression and discussed the threat of a global food crisis.
Mr Ramaphosa has resisted calls to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, and last month blamed military alliance Nato for not heeding warnings about its eastward expansion.
South Africa has close historical ties to Moscow because of the Soviet Union’s support for the anti-apartheid struggle and sees itself as a champion of the non-aligned movement.
10:35 AM
Ukraine president’s adviser says Russia realised it could not take Mariupol’s Azovstal
Russia decided to blockade the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol because it cannot take it by force, Oleksiy Arestovych, Ukraine’s presidential adviser said on Thursday.
“They physically cannot take Azovstal, they have understood this, they have taken huge losses there. Our defenders continue to hold it,” Mr Arestovych said at a briefing.
It “can also be explained by the fact that they have moved part of their forces (from Mariupol) to the North in order to reinforce the troops attempting to fulfill their main objective… advancing to the administrative boundaries of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.”
10:31 AM
Russia’s Lukoil chief Alekperov quits oil giant
The chief executive of Russia’s oil giant Lukoil, who has called for a swift end to the Kremlin’s military campaign in Ukraine, announced Thursday that he was leaving the company he founded.
Lukoil issued a brief statement announcing Vagit Alekperov’s resignation, but provided no reason for his decision to leave Russia’s largest oil producer.
The announcement came less than two months after Lukoil became one of the first major domestic firms to speak out against Russia’s campaign in Ukraine.
“We stand for the immediate cessation of the armed conflict and fully support its resolution through the negotiation process and through diplomatic means,” Lukoil said on March 3.
But Mr Alekperov was still added to a list of sanctions prepared against powerful Russian business leaders by Britain, with which Lukoil has close ties.
Lukoil said Mr Alekperov was resigning as both chief executive and chairman of the company’s board.
10:21 AM
Estonia calls for EU sanctions on Russia oil and gas transport
The European Union should impose trade sanctions on the transport of Russian oil and gas, Estonia’s foreign minister said on Thursday.
“The war against Ukraine must become so costly for Russia that it would stop the war,” Eva-Maria Liimets told a joint news conference with Germany’s foreign minister.
“Estonia feels that sixth (sanctions) package also must contain sanctions which concern energy carriers, both gas and oil,” Ms Liimets said.
10:20 AM
Pictured: Spanish and Danish PMs in Kyiv
10:16 AM
UK sets out 26 new sanctions against Russia
Britain on Thursday added 26 new designations to its list of sanctions against Russia over the Ukrainian war, including on military figures and defence companies.
Britain, which has sought to play a key role in the West’s response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, has already set out hundreds of sanctions, such as asset freezes and travel bans on prominent Russian billionaires and politicians including President Vladimir Putin.
Among those on the updated sanctions list, published on the government website, were Colonel General Nikolay Bogdanovsky of the Russian army who holds the position of First Deputy Chief of the General Staff, manufacturer Military Industrial Company, and industrial group Promtech-Dubna.
Liz Truss said:
“The depravity of Russia’s assault on the people of Ukraine is plain for all to see. They are deliberately targeting hospitals, schools, and transport hubs in Mariupol and beyond – just as they did in Chechnya and Syria.
“The UK is unyielding in our support for Ukraine and in holding Putin and his regime to account. Today’s new wave of sanctions hits the generals and defence companies that have blood on their hands.”
10:06 AM
Russia closes Baltic consulates, expels employees
Russia has ordered the closure of the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian consulates and asked their employees to leave in a retaliatory move, Moscow’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.
In a statement, Russia’s foreign ministry said it was closing the Latvian consulates in St Petersburg and Pskov, the Estonian consulate in St Petersburg and its office in Pskov, and the Lithuanian consulate in St Petersburg.
Earlier in April, Latvia and Estonia each ordered the closure of two Russian consulates over Russia’s actions in Ukraine, while Lithuania told the Russian ambassador to leave.
10:05 AM
Hungary needs details from EU before deciding on Russia energy sanctions, aide to PM says
Hungary wants to see the details of an European Union proposal for sanctions on Russian oil and gas imports before it decides whether to block those or not, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff said on Thursday.
Hungary has been firmly opposed to a gas and oil embargo, which Budapest has said would wreck the Hungarian economy.
The country imports about 80 per cent of its gas and 65 per cent of the oil it needs from Russia, with MOL’s refineries at Szazhalombatta and in Bratislava, Slovakia, predominantly processing Russian oil at the moment.
Germany will stop importing oil from Russia by the end of the year, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Wednesday.
When asked about Ms Baerbock’s comments, and whether Hungary would veto EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas, Orban’s chief of staff Gergely Gulyas said: “We would like to see what kinds of proposals are on the table and whether there is an alternative to replace resources arriving from Russia.”
09:50 AM
Over 20,000 Ukrainians have arrived in UK under visa schemes
More than 20,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK under visa schemes, new Government figures show.
Some 21,600 Ukrainians with visas had arrived in the UK as of Monday, including around 15,000 under the Family Scheme and around 6,600 via the Homes For Ukraine sponsorship scheme.
The figures were published on Thursday by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Home Office.
09:34 AM
Russia says British fighters captured in Ukraine are being looked after
Russia’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that British fighters who had been captured in Ukraine were being fed, watered and given necessary help.
“Don’t worry, the Russian side is taking care of them. They are fed, watered, and given the necessary assistance. Just like other foreigners who have surrendered or been detained”, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Two British fighters captured in Ukraine by Russian forces appeared on Russian state TV on Monday and asked to be exchanged for a Ukrainian ally of President Vladimir Putin who is being held by the Ukrainian authorities. It was unclear how freely the two men – Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin – were able to talk.
09:20 AM
Mayor of Ukraine’s Kharkiv says city is under intense bombardment
Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv was under intense bombardment on Thursday, its mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
“Huge blasts, the Russian Federation is furiously bombing the city,” Mr Terekhov said in a televised address.
He said that around one million people remain in the northeastern city, while about 30 per cent of the population have evacuated, mainly women, children and the elderly.
09:09 AM
Italy should cut off Russian gas ‘soon’, minister says
Italy is ethically obliged to stop buying Russian gas “soon” as the payments are funding the Ukraine war, the country’s Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani said in an interview Thursday.
“I think that we will have to stop supplies of gas from Russia soon for ethical reasons,” he told La Stampa newspaper.
The minister is currently on a two-day trip to Angola and Congo Republic seeking energy deals as Italy scrambles to reduce its dependency on Russia, which provides about 45 percent of Italian gas.
“We are diversifying our sources with great speed,” he said.
“It is clear that all of Europe is heavily dependent on Russia for gas, and this has been a major geopolitical mistake made over the past 20 years,” he said.
“It is useless to think that we can solve it in a month. From a certain point of view, however, this money is a lot… we are indirectly financing the war.”
08:58 AM
Russian tanker impounded by Greece will be released, Reuters source says
A Russian tanker impounded by Greek authorities off the island of Evia earlier this week will be released, a government source told Reuters on Thursday.
“The coast guard has been ordered by the anti-money laundering authority to release the vessel,” the source said.
The 115,500-deadweight tonnage Russian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, was seized near Karystos on the southern coast of Evia, as part of EU sanctions, Greek authorities had said on Tuesday.
08:49 AM
Russia and Belarus ‘will respond to Nato forces on borders’
Russia and Belarus will respond to the strengthening of Nato forces on the borders of their countries, TASS news agency reported on Thursday, citing a Russian diplomat.
“Together with Belarusian allies we have to respond to the military strengthening of Nato forces on the borders of the Union State (Russia and Belarus) and the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization), and to coordinate steps in the international arena,” Alexey Polishchuk, a diplomat in Russia’s Foreign Ministry told TASS in an interview.
08:45 AM
Denmark to deliver more weapons to Ukraine, Danish PM says during Kyiv visit
Denmark has pledged to deliver more weapons to Ukraine, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told broadcaster TV2 during a visit to Kyiv on Thursday with her Spanish counterpart.
Ms Frederiksen did not give any further detail about the weapon supply.
08:43 AM
Pictured: Ukrainians fire a multiple rocket launch system in Kharkiv
08:26 AM
Russia fines Google over YouTube “fakes”, TASS reports
Russia fined Alphabet Inc.’s Google 4 million roubles ($50,000) for failing to delete what it terms “fake” information about its special operation in Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported on Thursday.
Russia’s communications watchdog said earlier this month that it was taking steps to punish Google for “spreading fakes” on YouTube, and has previously warned the US company that it would be fined if it failed to comply.
08:10 AM
Your morning briefing
Here are the latest developments to get you up to speed this morning.
1. Russia tightens grip on Luhansk
The governor of Luhansk said Russian forces now control 80 per cent of the region, which is one of two regions that make up the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.
2. Ukraine offers peace talks in Mariupol
Senior Ukrainian negotiators have offered to hold special talks with Russia in Mariupol without conditions in a bid to evacuate troops and civilians from the besieged port city.
3. Johnson: Negotiations with Kremlin are doomed
Boris Johnson has said any peace talks over Ukraine are likely to fail as he compared holding talks with Vladimir Putin to negotiating with a crocodile.
4. Bodies of nine civilians found with ‘signs of torture’
The bodies of nine civilians, some showing signs of torture, have been found in the town of Borodyanka outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, a senior police official said.
5. Russian troops advancing towards Kramatorsk, MoD says
Russian forces are advancing from staging areas in the Donbas towards Kramatorsk, which continues to be hit by rocket attacks, the Ministry of Defence said.
08:00 AM
Russia says it hit 1,001 targets in Ukraine overnight
Russian missiles and artillery struck 1,001 military targets in Ukraine overnight, including 162 firing positions, the country’s Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.
Russian forces and Russian-backed separatists have also taken full control of the town of Kreminna in eastern Ukraine, the ministry said.
07:55 AM
Watch: Putin tests ‘Satan II’ nuclear rocket that can hit ‘anywhere in the world’
[embedded content]
07:52 AM
Crypto exchange Binance limits services in Russia after EU sanctions
Binance, the largest crypto exchange by trading volumes, said on Thursday it is limiting services for Russian nationals that have crypto assets exceeding 10,000 euros ($10,912.00), in light of European Union’s (EU) latest sanctions against Russia.
Earlier this month, EU in its fifth package of sanctions against Moscow, had targeted crypto wallets, banks, currencies and trusts to close potential loopholes that could allow Russians to move money abroad.
Russian nationals or legal entities in Russia who have crypto account balances that exceed 10,000 euros will be given 90 days to close their positions, Binance said.
The exchange also said accounts affected by EU’s restrictions will be put into a withdrawal-only mode and no deposits or trading will be permitted.
The announcement comes after the company said last month cardholders of sanctioned Russian banks would not be able to use them on their platform and confirmed that sanctioned individuals have had their access restricted.
07:21 AM
Putin cancels Russian plans to storm Mariupol steel plant and opts for blockade instead
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered the Russian military to cancel plans to storm the Azovstal plant in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol and said he wanted it to continue to be securely blockaded instead.
Putin gave the order to Sergei Shoigu, his defence minister, who had previously told Putin that more than 2,000 Ukrainian fighters were still holed up in the vast plant, which has a large underground component to it.
06:53 AM
Spanish and Danish PMs arrive in Kyiv
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen arrived in Kyiv on Thursday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Spanish government said.
Mr Sanchez on Wednesday said he would convey to Zelensky the European Union and Spain’s “clear engagement… for peace.”
06:36 AM
Warehousing firm Segro flags supply chain and cost pressures amid Ukraine war
Segro Plc said on Thursday the Russia-Ukraine crisis would increase pressure in its construction supply chain and costs as the warehousing specialist flagged rental levels to grow across the group’s portfolio.
Supply chain concerns and inflationary pressures would further “tighten the supply-demand imbalance” for its industrial assets, placing more upward pressure on rents, the company said.
06:27 AM
Ukraine says four buses carrying evacuees have left Mariupol
Four buses carrying evacuees from Mariupol have left the besieged and destroyed port city where Ukrainian forces are battling to retain control, the government said Thursday.
“Four evacuation buses managed to leave the city yesterday through the humanitarian corridor,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on social media, adding that evacuations of women, children and the elderly would continue Thursday.
06:23 AM
The latest pictures from Ukraine
06:17 AM
Ukraine says nine bodies found outside Kyiv, some ‘with signs of torture’
The bodies of nine civilians, some showing signs of torture, have been found in the town of Borodyanka outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, a senior police official said.
“These people were killed by the occupiers and some show signs of torture. I want to emphasise that these people were civilians. The Russian military knowingly shot civilians who did not put up any resistance,” the head of the police in the Kyiv region said overnight Wednesday to Thursday.
05:56 AM
‘Deadliest weapon ever’ a present for Nato
Vladimir Putin boasted last night that he had unleashed the first successful test of a new nuclear missile known as “Satan II”, which carries a dozen warheads and could be used to strike enemies around the world.
The “superheavy” 200-tonne intercontinental ballistic missile was a “present to Nato”, according to the Kremlin, and would make Moscow’s enemies “think twice”.
The new missile, officially known as Sarmat, was launched from a silo in Plesetsk, in Russia’s northwest, and delivered training warheads to a test range 6,000km away in the Kamchatka peninsula.
05:44 AM
Russian forces advancing towards Kramatorsk, says MoD
Russian forces are advancing from staging areas in Donbas towards Kramatorsk, which continues to be hit by rocket attacks, a British military update said on Thursday.
High levels of Russian air activity continue as it seeks to provide close air support to its offensive in eastern Ukraine, and to suppress and destroy Ukrainian air defence capabilities, the UK Ministry of Defence tweeted.
“Russia likely desires to demonstrate significant successes ahead of their annual 9th May Victory Day celebrations,” MoD said.
“This could affect how quickly and forcefully they attempt to conduct operations in the run-up to this date.”
05:35 AM
‘Moskva commanders left our conscript sons to die’
The parents of sailors missing since Russia’s Black Sea flagship sank last week have accused commanders of abandoning the vessel and leaving young conscripts to die.
[embedded content]
They said naval officers had lied to them about the fate of their sons and had tried to bully them into silence.
Tamara Grudinia’s 21-year-old son, Seryozha, had been serving on the Moskva when it was hit by two Ukrainian missiles on April 14. She told Current Time, a Russian language news website, that his commanding officer had since phoned to tell her he was missing.
Read the full story here.
05:00 AM
Putin ally says Russia will capture Mariupol around ‘lunchtime’
A top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russian forces would seize the last main stronghold of resistance in the besieged city of Mariupol on Thursday after Ukraine proposed talks on evacuating troops and civilians there.
Mariupol would be the biggest city to be seized by Russia since invading Ukraine eight weeks ago in an attack that has taken longer than some military analysts expected, seen over five million people flee abroad and turned cities to rubble.
“Before lunchtime, or after lunch, Azovstal will be completely under the control of the forces of the Russian Federation,” Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Russia’s republic of Chechnya, whose forces have been fighting in Ukraine, said of the steel plant.
04:36 AM
China reiterates opposition to sanctions
Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated China’s opposition to unilateral sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction” in a speech on Thursday, without directly mentioning the West’s punitive actions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
China has repeatedly criticised western sanctions, including those against Russia, but it has also been careful not to provide assistance to Moscow that could lead to sanctions being imposed on Beijing.
Delivering a video speech to the annual Boao Forum for Asia gathering on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, Mr Xi warned that economic “de-coupling” and pressure tactics such as severing supply chains would not work.
“China would like to put forward a global security initiative” that upholds “the principle of indivisibility of security”, he said.
“We should uphold the principle of indivisibility of security, build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture, and oppose the building of national security on the basis of insecurity in other countries.”
04:03 AM
More American support on the way for Ukraine
The US President is set to announce plans on Thursday to send additional military aid to help Ukraine fight back against the Russian invasion, according to a US official.
The official said Joe Biden would deliver a Thursday morning address at the White House detailing his plans to build on the roughly US$2.6 billion (£2 billion) in military assistance the administration had already approved.
The new package is expected to be similar in size to the US$800 million package Mr Biden announced last week. It includes much-needed heavy artillery and ammunition for Ukrainian forces in the escalating battle for the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
A senior US defence official said training of Ukrainian personnel on American 155mm howitzers had begun in a European country outside Ukraine.
Mr Biden yesterday lauded US military officials for “exceptional” work arming Ukraine.
03:31 AM
Djokovic slams Wimbledon’s decision to ban players
World number one Novak Djokovic said Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine is “crazy”.
Wimbledon announced on Wednesday that it had barred all Russian and Belarusian players from this year’s championships due to the invasion.
The grass court Grand Slam is the first tennis tournament to ban individual competitors from the two countries, meaning men’s world number two Daniil Medvedev from Russia and women’s fourth-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will be banned.
Djokovic, who grew up in war-torn Serbia, said the athletes had nothing to do with the ongoing conflict.
“I will always condemn war, I will never support war being myself a child of war,” Djokovic said.
“I know how much emotional trauma it leaves. In Serbia we all know what happened in 1999. In the Balkans we have had many wars in recent history.
“However, I cannot support the decision of Wimbledon, I think it is crazy.
“When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good.”
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic and Martina Navratilova lead furious backlash at Wimbledon’s ban of Russian players
03:07 AM
Putin tells children he dreams of peace in Donbas
Vladimir Putin has told schoolchildren he dreams of bringing peace to Donbas – just as Russian forces were intensifying their bombardment of Ukrainian soldiers.
A video of Putin meeting the children at the Kremlin showed them looking at him in awe as he told them he had invaded Ukraine in order to protect people living in two breakaway regions.
“[This] simply forced Russia to launch this military operation, which everyone is well aware of today,” he said.
“As I have said from the very beginning, the purpose of this operation is to help people living in the Donbas, our people living in the Donbas. Just like you.”
READ MORE: I dream of peace in Donbas, Vladimir Putin tells schoolchildren
02:33 AM
G20 walkout as Russia’s representative starts speaking
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Ukraine’s Finance Minister, Serhiy Marchenko, walked out of a Group of 20 meeting as Russia’s representative started talking.
Several finance ministers and central bank governors also left the room, according an official. Some ministers and central bank governors who attended the meeting virtually turned their cameras off when Russian President Vladimir Putin’s representative spoke, the person said.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said of Ms Yellen’s walkout: “Certainly we support her steps and it’s an indication of the fact that President Putin and Russia has become a pariah on the global stage.”
The incident came amid the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings, in which finance leaders try to tackle the world’s most pressing issues. The brutal effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine have taken centre stage, and US Treasury Department officials said earlier this week that Ms Yellen would try to avoid contact with Russians who planned to attend some G20 virtually.
02:28 AM
Italy signs new gas deal in attempt to end dependence on Russia
Italy has penned a deal with Angola to ramp up gas supplies from the southern African country as it urgently scrambles to break away from Russian gas over the Ukraine war.
A declaration of intent was signed to develop “new” natural gas ventures and to increase exports to Italy, a statement from the Italian foreign minister announced.
“Today we have reached another important agreement with Angola to increase gas supplies,” Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said.
“Italy’s commitment to differentiate energy supply sources is confirmed.”
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi wants to add Angola and Congo-Brazzaville to a portfolio of suppliers to substitute Russia, which provides about 45 per cent of Italian gas.
“We do not want to depend on Russian gas any longer, because economic dependence must not become political subjection,” he said in an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper.
“Diversification is possible and can be implemented in a relatively short amount of time – quicker than we imagined just a month ago.”
01:46 AM
Troops ignore Russian ultimatums
Remaining Ukrainian troops holed up in a vast steel works in Mariupol have ignored ultimatums by Russia to surrender and made clear on Wednesday that their stance had not changed.
David Arakhamia, a senior Ukrainian negotiator, said in an online post that he and fellow negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak were in constant contact with Ukrainian forces in the city.
“Today, in a conversation with the city defenders, a proposal was put forward to hold direct negotiations, on site, on the evacuation of our military garrison,” Mr Arakhamia said.
“For our part, we are ready to arrive for such negotiations at any time as soon as we receive confirmation from the Russian side.”
Inside the Azovstal steelworks: The sprawling underground city standing between Vladimir Putin and the fall of Mariupol
[embedded content]
01:40 AM
Ukraine offers to hold Mariupol talks with Russia
Senior Ukrainian negotiators have offered to hold special talks with Russia in Mariupol without conditions in a bid to evacuate troops and civilians from the besieged port city.
Negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted on Wednesday that the talks could be “one on one. Two on two. To save our guys, (the far right) Azov (battalion), military, civilians, children, the living and the wounded”.
Ukraine accused Russian forces on Wednesday of failing to observe a local ceasefire agreement long enough to allow large numbers of women, children and elderly people to flee the city, which has been largely pounded to rubble by Russian forces.
01:25 AM
Vladimir Putin tests ‘Satan II’
Vladimir Putin on Wednesday night boasted that he had unleashed the first successful test of a new nuclear missile known as “Satan II”, which carries a dozen warheads and could be used to strike enemies around the world.
The “superheavy” 200-tonne intercontinental ballistic missile was a “present to Nato”, according to the Kremlin, and would make Moscow’s enemies “think twice”.
Putin’s sabre-rattling came at a moment of extreme geopolitical tension, coinciding with the first days of the next phase of Russia’s eight-week-old war in Ukraine as its troops began their assault on the eastern Donbas region.
