The Kremlin is hunting for cyber targets in countries that oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the director of the GCHQ spy agency has warned.
Sir Jeremy Fleming said that Britain’s intelligence services had detected a “sustained intent from Russia to disrupt Ukrainian government and military systems”.
“We’ve certainly seen indicators which suggests Russia’s cyber actors are looking for targets in the countries that oppose their actions,” added Sir Jeremy.
While there were expectations that Russia would launch a major cyber attack as part of its military campaign, Sir Jeremy said such a move was never a central part of Moscow’s standard playbook for war.
He also praised Kyiv’s “information operation” for being highly effective at countering Russia’s disinformation drive during its invasion.
Follow the latest updates below.
09:13 AM
Pictured: Zelensky addresses Australian Parliament
09:04 AM
Russia-backed separatists claim significant gains in Ukraine’s east
Pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine have said they control almost all of the Luhansk region and more than half of the Donetsk region after Moscow made these territories its primary military goal.
The claims have not been independently verified.
Russia recognised the independence of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics shortly before sending troops into Ukraine on February 24.
“As of the morning of March 31, 2022, more than 90 per cent of the territory of the People’s Republic of Luhansk has been liberated,” the foreign ministry of the self-proclaimed republic said on Telegram today.
Denis Pushilin, the leader of the Donetsk separatists said yesterday that “around 55 to 60 per cent” of the region’s territory was under Russian control.
Before the start of Russia’s invasion, the separatists – locked in conflict with Ukraine’s army since 2014 – controlled about a third of each of these regions.
08:59 AM
Japan rules out withdrawal from joint Russia gas project
Japan has no plans to withdraw from a joint Russian oil and gas project, despite joining tough sanctions on Moscow over its Ukraine invasion, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said today.
Energy resource-poor Japan is attempting to balance its need for fossil fuels with toeing a hard line on Russia, and has faced questions over its continued involvement in the Sakhalin-2 project.
After Russia launched its war in Ukraine last month, oil giant Shell said it would sell its 27.5 per cent stake in Sakhalin-2 in Russia’s far east.
But Kishida said the project was helping to provide “long-term, inexpensive and stable LNG supplies” to Japan.
“It is an extremely important project in terms of our energy security,” he told a parliamentary session. “Our plan is not to withdraw.”
Japan’s Mitsui controls a 12.5 per cent stake in the project, while Mitsubishi owns 10 per cent. It is 50 per cent controlled by Russian energy company Gazprom.
08:50 AM
Russian foreign ministry would not refuse meeting with Ukrainian counterparts
Moscow would not refuse a meeting between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba but any talks between them would need to be substantive, the Russian news agency RIA cited the Russian foreign ministry as saying today.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier that Turkey was working to bring together the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers for further talks after hosting peace negotiations in Istanbul this week.
Mr Cavusoglu said the meeting could happen within two weeks
08:43 AM
Nato has been ‘defeated’, says former British Army officer
General Sir Nick Parker, former commander of land forces in the British Army, said Nato has been “defeated” and called for a smaller coalition of nations to develop an offensive counter-strategy to Vladimir Putin.
Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about Nato’s response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, he said: “Slightly controversially I suppose, I mean Nato’s been defeated, Nato’s bluff was called.
“We were unable to stop the Russians trampling all over Ukraine and now Nato is holding the line of the 2004 expansion, along the line of the Baltic states and Poland and Hungary and Romania.
“And what it has to do is to defend that line, it’s in what in military terms we would call a defensive position.
“And I don’t think it has the capacity to move on to the offensive with its 30 nations all with slightly different views.
“We need to have a smaller coalition of nations who can start to develop an offensive counter-strategy to Putin.”
08:37 AM
Zelensky says other countries may be emboldened if Russia not punished
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President, told Australia’s parliament that Russia must be held accountable for its invasion of Ukraine, warning that a failure to punish Moscow may encourage other countries to wage war against their neighbours.
“If we don’t stop Russia now, if we don’t hold Russia accountable, then some other countries of the world who are looking forward to a similar war against their neighbours will decide that such things are possible for them as well,” Mr Zelensky said in the video address.
Mr Zelensky, seated at a desk wearing his trademark khaki t-shirt, did not specify which countries he feared would be inspired by Russia.
08:26 AM
Gazprom studies options for halting gas supplies to Europe, reports suggest
Russian energy giant Gazprom is looking at options for halting gas supplies to “unfriendly” countries, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.
Vladimir Putin has said Russia will soon require “unfriendly” countries to pay for fuel in roubles, raising alarm about a possible gas supply crunch in Europe.
Putin has ordered the Russian central bank and Gazprom to prepare the payment scheme by March 31 amid Western sanctions against Russia.
Countries in the European Union, where Gazprom accounts for about 40 per cent of gas supplies, have stated their refusal to pay for Russian gas in roubles.
“Gazprom … is indeed working on an option of a complete stoppage of gas supplies to ‘unfriendly countries’ and is evaluating the consequences of such measures,” the newspaper wrote.
08:17 AM
Pictured: Damaged Red Cross warehouse in Mariupol
08:08 AM
Turkey says Abramovich ‘sincerely’ working to end war
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who is sanctioned by European nations over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was “sincerely” working to end the war.
He has been liaising between Kyiv and Moscow since the invasion began on February 24, Mr Cavusoglu said.
Mr Abramovich made a surprise appearance at Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Istanbul on Tuesday.
07:56 AM
Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers could meet within two weeks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba could meet within two weeks for talks, Turkey said today after hosting negotiators from both sides earlier this week.
“There could be a higher-level meeting, at least at the level of foreign ministers, within about a week or two weeks,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a televised interview.
07:53 AM
Truss and Lavrov arrive in Delhi to court Indian leaders
Both the British and Russian Foreign Secretaries have arrived in Delhi to court Indian leaders, amidst the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, reports Joe Wallen in New Delhi.
Liz Truss, the British Foreign Secretary, will attempt to convince Indian leaders to reduce their historic ties to Moscow and condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine but it is unlikely to be successful.
So far, India has remained diplomatically neutral, abstaining on seven United Nations votes against Russia. It has also increased its imports of oil from Moscow, attracting the ire of its ally the US.
Meanwhile, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Secretary, is in India for a two-day trip to discuss further trade between the two countries.
On Sunday, India openly said it was considering doubling its imports of Russian coking coal and discussing the potential for a rupee-rouble trade system.
“India will import more items from Russia, especially if it is at a discount,” one senior Indian government official said.
07:39 AM
Gravestones depicting Putin and Lukashenko erected in city near Kyiv
Gravestones depicting Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko have been erected in a small city near Kyiv, reports Tom Ough.
Putin’s face is depicted ghoulishly, with blood leaking from his mouth. Lukashenko is wearing, for reasons that are unclear, what appears to be naval gear.
The city in which the two gravestones have appeared is Malyn, which is in Zhytomyr Oblast, about 62 miles (100km) north-west of Kyiv. It is a similar distance from Belarus, which is to the city’s north.
Malyn, which before war had a population of under 30,000, was badly hit by Russian bombing earlier this month.
07:24 AM
Europe must stop buying Russian oil and gas, Lithuania’s president says
Europe must stop buying oil and gas from Russia and should apply new sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania’s president Gitanas Nauseda said today.
“Europe must stop buying Russian gas and oil, because the Kremlin regime uses this money to finance destruction of Ukrainian cities and attacks on peaceful civilians,” Nauseda told a joint news conference with the Danish prime minister.
“The fifth sanction package must deliver a maximum blow to the Kremlin regime,” he said.
07:12 AM
Zelensky tells Australia that more Russian sanctions needed
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President, told Australia’s parliament today that new and stronger sanctions against Russia were needed to increase the pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Australia has supplied defence equipment and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine, as well as imposing a ban on exports of alumina and aluminium ores, including bauxite, to Russia.
It has imposed a total of 476 sanctions on 443 individuals, including businessmen close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and 33 entities, including most of Russia’s banking sector and all entities responsible for the country’s sovereign debt.
07:02 AM
Vladimir Putin turns on his military advisers as invasion falters
The Russian president feels ‘misled’ by spy chiefs and generals over failings of the war, with several being reportedly sacked or arrested, writes Nataliya Vasilyeva.
Vladimir Putin set out to capture Kyiv and topple its government at lightning speed when he launched his invasion of Ukraine under the guise of a “special operation”.
But five weeks into the war, there is mounting evidence that the Russian president is turning on his own spy chiefs and military advisers as his invasion falters.
According to declassified US intelligence reports, Putin feels he has been “misled” by military leaders who have failed to inform him how poorly his campaign in Ukraine is going.
A US official said on Wednesday that Putin “didn’t even know his military was using and losing conscripts”, which was “showing a clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information”.
06:52 AM
Anne-Marie Trevelyan: India sitting on the fence in regard to Russian invasion
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the International Trade Secretary, said she understands why India has “chosen to sit on the fence” when it comes to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but added it is important for countries to stand up for democracy.
Ms Trevelyan told Sky News: “We understand why they’ve chosen to sit on the fence at the moment – they, you know, have connections in both directions.
“But for us, it’s really important to see all countries who believe in democracy and the rule of law, and indeed defending your own territorial borders and wanting to have that sovereignty, you know, respected by those around you, to stand up for that.”
06:36 AM
Pictured: A destroyed Russian tank in Trostyanets
06:26 AM
Convoy of buses trying to reach trapped civilians in Mariupol
A convoy of Ukrainian buses set out for the southern port city of Mariupol to try to reach trapped civilians, said Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister.
She said the International Committee of the Red Cross had confirmed that Russia had agreed to open a humanitarian corridor to the besieged city where tens of thousands of civilians remain after weeks of Russian bombardment.
06:14 AM
Russian troops eating dogs because they are ‘sick’ of ration packs
Ukraine’s security service intercepted an audio recording of a call from a soldier to his family, who said they were desperate for meat, reports David Millward.
Russian soldiers are eating dogs rather than the ration packs they have been given, Ukraine’s security service has claimed.
According to a 45-second call from a serviceman to his family, soldiers are “sick” of the ready-to-eat meals they have been given.
An audio recording of the call, which was intercepted by Ukraine’s security service, was posted on Twitter.
The soldier is asked, “Are you eating ok at least?”
He replies, “Not too bad. We had Alabay, (a breed of sheepdog found in Central Asia) yesterday. We wanted some meat.”
06:06 AM
MoD: Ukrainian forces remain in control of centre of Mariupol
05:43 AM
China warned about being ‘too closely aligned’ with Kremlin
The head of Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters spy service has warned China not to become “too closely aligned” with the Kremlin.
Speaking at the Australian National University in Canberra, Sir Jeremy Fleming said western allies were making “deeply secret intelligence” public to get ahead of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s information war, while also tackling cyber threats.
On China, he said the country’s long-term interests were not well served by an alliance with a leader that “wilfully and illegally” ignores the international “rules of the road”.
05:25 AM
Kremlin hunting for cyber targets, says spy chief
Sir Jeremy Fleming, who heads the GCHQ electronic spy agency, has warned that the Kremlin is hunting for cyber targets and bringing in mercenaries to shore up its stalled military campaign in Ukraine.
He praised Volodymyr Zelensky’s “information operation” for being highly effective at countering Russia’s massive disinformation drive spreading propaganda about the war.
While there were expectations that Russia would launch a major cyber attack as part of its military campaign, Sir Jeremy said such a move was never a central part of Moscow’s standard playbook for war.
05:00 AM
Taiwan studies Ukraine’s war tactics
Taiwan’s defence ministry has set up a working group to study the tactics of the war in Ukraine, including how the country has been able to hold out against Russia, and has been discussing this with the United States, its minister said on Thursday.
Taiwan, claimed by China as its own territory, has raised its alert level since the Russian invasion, wary of Beijing possibly making a similar move on the island.
Taiwan’s Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said they had had “contact” with foreign countries to talk about how the war was being fought.
While Taiwanese officials have seen many parallels in the Ukraine war and their own situation, including having their own giant neighbour with territorial ambitions, they have also pointed to major differences.
Taiwan has talked, for example, of the “natural barrier” of the Taiwan Strait, which would make China putting troops on the ground much more difficult than Russia just crossing over its land border with Ukraine.
Taiwan also has a large and well-equipped air force, and is developing its own formidable missile strike capability.
04:44 AM
In pictures: Another day in the life of Ukrainians at war
04:21 AM
US considers releasing up to 180 million barrels of oil
The Biden administration is considering releasing up to 180 million barrels of oil over several months from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), four US sources said, as the White House tries to lower fuel prices.
The move would mark the third time the US has tapped its strategic reserves in the past six months, and would be the largest release in the near 50-year history of the SPR.
The releases have not managed to lower prices as world demand has nearly reached pre-pandemic levels while supply has tightened globally.
Oil prices have surged since Russia invaded Ukraine and the US.
US President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on Thursday on his administration’s actions, the White House said.
03:57 AM
Moscow announces another ceasefire
Russia’s defence ministry announced a local ceasefire on Thursday to allow civilians to be evacuated from Ukraine’s besieged port city of Mariupol.
It said a humanitarian corridor would be opened to Zaporizhzhia with cooperation from the UN refugee agency and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
But previous attempts to allow civilians out of the devastated town have failed, and Ukraine’s deputy prime minister described the proposal as “another manipulation”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he did not trust Russian claims it would scale back military activity around the capital Kyiv and another city.
“We don’t believe anyone, not a single beautiful phrase,” he said in a video address, adding that Russian troops were regrouping to strike the eastern Donbas region.
03:07 AM
US offers another $500m for Ukraine aid
The White House has pledged an additional $500 million (£380 million) in direct aid for Ukraine as the Russian invasion grinds on.
US President Joe Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a 55-minute call that the additional aid is on its way.
Just finished an hour-long conversation with @POTUS. Shared assessment of the situation on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. Talked about specific defensive support, a new package of enhanced sanctions, macro-financial and humanitarian aid.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 30, 2022
The leaders also reviewed security aid already delivered to Ukraine and the effects that weaponry has had on the war, according to the White House.
02:26 AM
One-quarter of humanity live in conflict areas: UN
The United Nations chief said that one-quarter of humanity – two billion people – are living in conflict areas and the world is facing the highest number of violent conflicts since 1945 when the Second World War ended.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cited conflicts from Yemen, Syria, Myanmar and Sudan to Haiti, Africa’s Sahel, “and now the war in Ukraine – a catastrophe shaking the foundations of the international order, spilling across borders and causing skyrocketing food, fuel and fertiliser prices that spell disaster for developing countries”.
He told the UN Peacebuilding Commission that 84 million people were forced to leave their homes last year because of conflict, violence and human rights violations.
The Ukraine war has already seen four million people flee the country and displaced another 6.5 million within the country, according to UN agencies.
12:41 AM
Innocent Ukrainians and Russians pay for Putin’s ‘personal war’
Vladimir Putin’s advisers are scared to tell him the truth about the progress of his Ukraine invasion but the extent of the Russian leader’s “misjudgements” must be “crystal clear to the regime”, the head of Britain’s GCHQ spy agency said.
In a rare public address during a visit to Australia, Sir Jeremy Fleming said Putin had “massively misjudged the situation”.
“It’s clear he misjudged the resistance of the Ukrainian people,” Sir Jeremy said.
“He underestimated the strength of the coalition his actions would galvanise. He under-played the economic consequences of the sanctions regime. He over-estimated the abilities of his military to secure a rapid victory.
“We’ve seen Russian soldiers – short of weapons and morale – refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft.
“And even though we believe Putin’s advisers are afraid to tell him the truth, what’s going on and the extent of these misjudgements must be crystal clear to the regime.”
Sir Jeremy said it had become Putin’s personal war, “with the cost being paid by innocent people in Ukraine and increasingly, by ordinary Russians too”.
12:30 AM
Donetsk offensive operations intensifying
The leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, said offensive operations were intensifying.
“We are well aware that the longer it takes us to liberate our territory – those settlements that are now under control of Ukraine – the more victims and destruction there will be,” he said.
Donetsk includes the besieged port city of Mariupol, which has seen some of the war’s heaviest fighting and bombardment and where about 170,000 people are trapped with scarce food and water.
“We cook what we find among neighbours; a bit of cabbage, a bit more of potatoes, we’ve found tomato paste, some beetroot,” said former steel worker Viktor from Mariupol.
They cook using a rudimentary barbecue and sleep in a basement, which he termed their “peaceful oasis”.
Russian forces have taken half of the strategic port city, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
12:24 AM
Zelensky: Ukraine preparing for new Russian offensive
Ukrainian forces are preparing for new Russian attacks in the east of the country as Moscow builds up its troops there after suffering setbacks near the capital Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.
Tough resistance has prevented Russia from capturing any major city, including Kyiv.
At peace talks this week in Istanbul, Russia said it would curtail operations near Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv to build trust.
But Ukraine and its Western allies, including the US, dismissed Russia’s pledge as a ploy to stem its losses and prepare for other attacks.
Russia said its forces were regrouping to focus on “liberating” the breakaway eastern Donbas region.
In an early morning video address on Thursday, Mr Zelensky referred to Russian troop movements away from Kyiv and Chernihiv and said that was not a withdrawal but rather “the consequence of our defenders’ work”.
Mr Zelensky said Ukraine is seeing “a build-up of Russian forces for new strikes on the Donbas and we are preparing for that”.
11:41 PM
Today’s top stories
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Vladimir Putin’s advisers “are afraid to tell him the truth” about Russia’s rapidly faltering campaign in Ukraine, according to the head of the UK’s intelligence, cyber and security agency
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Britain may send armoured Land Rovers on a mercy mission to the besieged city of Mariupol, Boris Johnson has said
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Russian spies are believed to be operating in the far north of Norway in an attempt to spread disinformation and turn the population against the Government
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Putin set out to capture Kyiv and topple its government at lightning speed when he launched his invasion of Ukraine under the guise of a “special operation”, but five weeks into the war, there is mounting evidence that the Russian president is turning on his own spy chiefs and military advisers as his invasion falters
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The leader of the Russian republic of Chechnya has foiled his own attempt to appear as though he is in Ukraine by posting a photo of himself at a petrol station outlet that only exists in Russia
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Russia shelled a clearly marked Red Cross hospital in the besieged city of Mariupol, the charity’s head said, comparing the strike to something from Hitler’s Germany
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Britain will not give Nato-style security guarantees to Ukraine to secure a peace settlement, Dominic Raab has said, despite a request from Ukrainian negotiators
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Eight Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the UK over their links to Putin were granted “golden visas” to live in Britain
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The refugees minister has blamed Home Office red tape for the “unacceptable” delays to Ukrainians’ applications for refuge in UK homes that have seen just 2,700 visas granted in two weeks
