Russia-Ukraine latest news: Kremlin accuses US of ‘adding fuel to the fire’ with long-range missiles

The Kremlin has accused Washington of “adding fuel to the fire” by planning to supply Ukraine with advanced missile systems.

“We believe that the United States is adding fuel to the fire deliberately and on purpose,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He added that “such supplies” did not encourage Kyiv to resume peace talks.

The United States revealed this week that it will send more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine capable of travelling nearly 80km.

Ukraine will receive a small number of the medium-range M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars), according to a senior Biden administration official.

It came after Ukraine gave assurances to the US that it would not use the precision-guided munitions against targets inside Russia, a move that could escalate the conflict.

Follow the latest updates below.

11:48 AM

Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier greets his wife and daughter as they arrive at the train station in Kharkiv

Rodion, a Ukrainian soldier, greets his wife Tetiana and 1-year-old daughter Polina as they arrive at the train station in Kharkiv, Ukraine on May 29, 2022  - Carol Guzy/Zuma Press — Rodion, a Ukrainian soldier, greets his wife Tetiana and 1-year-old daughter Polina as they arrive at the train station in Kharkiv, Ukraine on May 29, 2022 – Carol Guzy/Zuma Press

11:33 AM

West’s ‘irrational fear’ of Russia driving ceasefire push, says Ukrainian negotiator

A Ukrainian presidential advisor and peace talks negotiator has accused Europe and the United States of having an “irrational fear” of Russia in an interview released on Wednesday by news agency Interfax Ukraine.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a key negotiator for Ukraine during previous talks with Russia, said the political elites of the West “want to return to the pre-war period and do not want to solve problems,” adding that their financial priorities took precedence in decision-making.

11:23 AM

Russia taking steps to ‘minimise’ effects of EU oil embargo

Russia is taking measures to “minimise” the effects of a partial oil embargo imposed by EU countries to punish Russia for its military campaign in Ukraine, the Kremlin has claimed.

“Sanctions will have a negative effect for Europe, us and the whole global energy market,” Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, told reporters.

Peskov added that a “reorientation” was underway to find alternatives for the oil that will no longer be sold to Europe.

“These are purposeful, systematic actions that will allow us to minimise the negative consequences,” he said.

At a summit on Monday, the EU agreed to a sixth package of sanctions on Moscow that will see the majority of Russian oil stopped, but exempted supplies by pipeline in a concession to Hungary.

11:08 AM

Russia cuts off natural gas supply to Denmark

Denmark’s largest energy company said Russia cut off its gas supply Wednesday because it refused to pay in rubles, the latest escalation over European energy amid the war in Ukraine.

Russia previously halted natural gas supplies to Finland, Poland and Bulgaria for refusing a demand to pay in rubles. And on Tuesday, the tap was turned off to the Netherlands.

Danish energy company Ørsted said it still expected to be able to serve its customers.

“We stand firm in our refusal to pay in rubles, and we’ve been preparing for this scenario,” Ørsted CEO Mads Nipper said. “The situation underpins the need of the EU becoming independent of Russian gas by accelerating the build-out of renewable energy.”

In response to Western sanctions imposed against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree saying foreign buyers needed to pay in rubles for Russian gas as of April 1.

10:45 AM

Watch: Moment Russian tank is hit by two landmines and a missile

This was the moment a Russian tank roaming in the Donetsk region ran over two landmines and was then hit by a Ukrainian missile.

Miraculously, two crew members appear from the burning tank seemingly unharmed after the mine explosions.

[embedded content]

The drone footage then captures a Ukrainian missile hit the tank, which the crew also survive.

The eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk is under constant bombardment from Russian forces as Vladimir Putin attempts to capture the industrial heartland.

10:31 AM

Europe’s appalling cowardice over Ukraine has given new life to Putin

The tables seem to have turned once again.

Slowly but surely, Putin is regaining the initiative in his murderous assault on Ukraine. That’s partly down to a more competent, if extraordinarily destructive, military campaign.

But it is also because the Western alliance assembled against him is quite plainly fracturing, particularly within the European Union, where — predictably — it is proving virtually impossible to agree the common, hardline approach required to help Ukraine defeat Vladimir Putin’s ambitions.

Read the full story from Jeremy Warner here

10:21 AM

EU court rejects Putin ally appeal against Libya sanctions

A top EU court has rejected a bid by Kremlin-linked oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, alleged financier of the Wagner mercenary group, to overturn sanctions imposed over the conflict in Libya.

Prigozhin had challenged a 2020 decision to freeze his assets in the European Union and to place him on a visa blacklist over the deployment of Wagner fighters to the war-torn north African country.

Prigozhin claimed he had “no knowledge of an entity known as Wagner Group” and said the EU had failed to justify the move.

But the EU’s General Court rejected his case and confirmed the sanctions against him.

It said the bloc had provided “specific, precise and consistent evidence demonstrating the numerous close links between Mr Prigozhin and Wagner Group”.

10:10 AM

Russian gas exports drop 27 percent in January-May: Gazprom

Russia’s Gazprom has said its gas exports to countries outside of the former Soviet Union dropped by more than a quarter year-on-year between January and May after losing several European clients.

Exports to countries outside the region totalled 61 billion cubic metres, a 27.6 per cent fall from the same period last year, the energy giant said in a statement.

Gazprom added that gas deliveries to China via the “Power of Siberia” pipeline were increasing, but it did not provide any figures.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, Moscow has demanded that clients from “unfriendly countries” – including EU member states – pay for their gas in roubles.

The new requirement is seen as a measure to sidestep Western financial sanctions against Russia’s central bank imposed over Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.

So far Poland, Bulgaria, Finland and the Netherlands have had their natural gas deliveries suspended over refusing to pay in roubles.

09:54 AM

Russian shelling destroys school

A police officer checks a school during an evacuation of local residents between shelling in the town of Marinka in Donetsk - STRINGER/REUTERS — A police officer checks a school during an evacuation of local residents between shelling in the town of Marinka in Donetsk – STRINGER/REUTERS

The school has been destroyed during the course of the Russian invasion - STRINGER/REUTERS — The school has been destroyed during the course of the Russian invasion – STRINGER/REUTERS

09:28 AM

Russian economy crashes 15pc as sanctions choke oil and arms trade

Russia is on course to suffer its deepest recession since the collapse of the Soviet Union as its economy collapses under the weight of Western sanctions.

Official government analysis of the punitive measures, briefed to The Telegraph, also revealed how they have helped cripple Vladimir Putin’s war machine in the 100 days since Britain first sanctioned Moscow.

According to the research, Russia’s economy is set to take a £256 billion hit from the sanctions issued in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, with its GDP expected to shrink up to 15 per cent this year.

Our Brussels correspondent Joe Barnes has the full story here.

09:03 AM

Wheat can’t be ‘weapon of war’ – Pope

Pope Francis has appealed to authorities to lift a block on exports of wheat from Ukraine, saying the grain could not be used as a “weapon of war”.

Many millions of people, particularly in the world’s poorest countries, depend on wheat from Ukraine, the pope told a general audience of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square, calling for the block to be lifted.

The United Nations, which says a global food crisis is worsening, is trying to broker a deal to unblock Ukraine’s grain exports, though Western leaders have blamed Russia for holding the world to ransom by blockading Ukrainian ports.

“The blocking of exports of wheat from Ukraine is very worrying because the lives of millions of people depend on it, especially in poorer countries,” the pope said.

“I make a heartfelt appeal so that every effort is made to resolve this problem, to guarantee the universal right to nutrition. Please! Do not use wheat, a basic foodstuff, as a weapon of war,” he added, to applause from the crowd.

08:46 AM

Ukrainian army growing vegetables on the front lines

08:25 AM

German to send fresh arms to Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that his country will supply Ukraine with modern anti-aircraft missiles and radar systems, stepping up arms deliveries amid criticism that Germany isn’t doing enough to help Kyiv.

Mr Scholz told lawmakers that the government has decided to provide Ukraine with IRIS-T missiles developed by Germany together with other Nato nations.

He said Germany will also supply Ukraine with radar systems to help locate enemy artillery.

The announcements come amid claims at home and abroad that Germany has been slow to provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs to defend itself against Russia.

07:36 AM

Joe Biden will provide advanced rockets to Ukraine

The United States will send more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine capable of travelling nearly 80km, a senior US official confirmed.

It came after Ukraine gave assurances to the US that it would not use the precision-guided munitions against targets inside Russia.

Ukraine will be provided with a small number of the medium-range M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars), a senior Biden administration official said.

The system can launch a rocket capable of 48 miles (77km), the official said. They are mounted on a truck and can carry a container with six rockets.

You can read the full report from our US Editor Nick Allen here.

07:15 AM

Russia accused of torture in Kherson

Ukrainian civilians living in Kherson have accused Russian forces of torture, according a report by the BBC.

Olexander Guz, a deputy in the village of Bilozerka in the Kherson region, told the broadcaster he was left with severe bruising after being beaten by Russian forces.

“They put a bag on my head,” he said. “The Russians threatened that I would not have kidneys left.”

They questioned him while “they tied a rope around [his] neck and another around [his] wrists.”

“When I didn’t answer them, they hit me between my legs. When I fell, I started to suffocate. As you try to get up, they beat you. Then they ask again.”

Russian troops took control of Kherson, in southern Ukraine, early in the war. Ukrainian TV stations were quickly replaced with Russian state broadcasts. Western products were changed for Russian alternatives.

According to multiple first-hand testimonies, people also began to disappear.

06:59 AM

Swiss veto Danish request to send Ukraine armoured vehicles

The Swiss government has vetoed Denmark’s request to send Swiss-made armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine, citing its neutrality policy of not supplying arms to conflict zones, Swiss broadcaster SRF has reported.

The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) rejected Denmark’s bid to provide around 20 Piranha III infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, SRF said, citing confirmation from the agency.

SECO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Neutral Switzerland requires foreign countries that buy Swiss arms to seek permission to re-export them.

In April it vetoed the re-export of Swiss-made ammunition used in anti-aircraft tanks that Germany is sending to Ukraine. It has also rejected Poland’s request for arms to help neighbouring Ukraine.

06:36 AM

Ukraine today, in pictures

bomb disposal experts from the Ukrainian State Emergency Service make safe a Russian BM-30 Smerch rocket and remove it from a field - Christopher Furlong /Getty Images Europe — bomb disposal experts from the Ukrainian State Emergency Service make safe a Russian BM-30 Smerch rocket and remove it from a field – Christopher Furlong /Getty Images Europe

A red poppy flower stands in front of a destroyed residential building in Mariupol  - STRINGER/AFP — A red poppy flower stands in front of a destroyed residential building in Mariupol – STRINGER/AFP

06:19 AM

Russians focus on ‘small section’ of Luhansk – MoD

05:52 AM

Western sanctions push Russia’s economy to the brink of recession

Russia is on course to suffer its deepest recession since the collapse of the Soviet Union as its economy collapses under the weight of Western sanctions.

The measures, it was said, have wreaked havoc to Moscow’s prized energy and arms export industries, as well as cut off domestic consumers from purchasing foreign products.

Punitive measures appear to take toll on Moscow as it is braced for deepest downturn since fall of the Soviet Union - AP — Punitive measures appear to take toll on Moscow as it is braced for deepest downturn since fall of the Soviet Union – AP

Read the full story here

03:49 AM

Ukraine losing up to 100 soldiers every day

Ukraine is losing as many as 60 to 100 soldiers every day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“The situation in the east [of Ukraine] is very difficult. We are losing 60 to 100 soldiers every day and something like 500 wounded in combat,” Mr Zelensky told Newsmax in an interview on Tuesday.

The President said shipments of grain had also been blocked by Russia in the Black Sea.

02:48 AM

In pictures: Ukrainian city of Kharkiv in ruins

A destroyed residential building which was shelled by the Russia in Kharkiv - Anadolu — A destroyed residential building which was shelled by the Russia in Kharkiv – Anadolu

Destruction in Kharkiv after Russian attacks - Anadolu — Destruction in Kharkiv after Russian attacks – Anadolu

Thousands of buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv - Anadolu — Thousands of buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv – Anadolu

02:29 AM

Reports Russian nuclear forces holding manoeuvre drills

Russia’s nuclear forces are reportedly holding drills in the Ivanovo province, northeast of Moscow, Interfax news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying on Wednesday.

Some 1,000 servicemen are reported to be exercising in intense manoeuvres using over 100 vehicles, including Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers.

02:17 AM

Watch: Helicopter pilots brave ‘suicidal’ resupply missions

New footage reveals the incredible heroism of Ukraine’s pilots, some of whom lost their lives while carrying supplies to their trapped comrades in Azovstal:

01:09 AM

Thirty-two journalists killed since war began

According to President Zelensky, 32 journalists have died since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Parliament posted the grim figure on Twitter overnight.

12:16 AM

Biden to send more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine

US President Joe Biden will provide Ukraine with advanced rocket systems that can strike with precision at long-range Russian targets as part of a $700 million weapons package set to be announced on Wednesday.

The US is providing Ukraine with high mobility artillery rocket systems that can accurately hit targets as far away as 80km (50 miles) after Ukraine gave “assurances” they will not use the missiles to strike inside Russia, senior administration officials said.

In a New York Times op-ed published on Tuesday, Mr Biden said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would end through diplomacy, but the US must provide significant weapons and ammunition to give Ukraine the highest leverage at the negotiating table.

“That’s why I’ve decided that we will provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine,” Mr Biden wrote.