Russia-Ukraine latest news: Moscow to build new military bases on western front in ‘response to Nato’

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has said that Moscow will create new military bases in western Russia in response to the expansion of Nato.

“By the end of the year, 12 military units and divisions will be established in the Western Military District,” Mr Shoigu said at a meeting in remarks carried by Russian news agencies.

The army expects to receive more than two thousand units of military equipment and weapons, Mr Shoigu added.

Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine has shaken Sweden and Finland such that – after decades of military non-alignment – the Nordic nations decided to seek Nato membership despite warnings from the Kremlin.

​​Follow the latest updates below.

11:19 AM

Putin cuts off gas supplies to Finland

Finland will become the third European country to be cut off from Russian gas after it refused to pay for the fuel in roubles.

State-owned energy company Gasum said it had been told by Gazprom that flows through a main pipeline will stop in the early hours of Saturday.

It comes after the Kremlin turned off the taps to Poland and Bulgaria last month for the same reason.

The move will likely have a limited impact on the Nordic nation’s economy, as the fuel accounts for just 5pc of its energy.

But it highlights the escalating stand-off between Europe and Russia over energy supplies as payment deadlines loom.

The EU has told member states they can keep paying for Russian supplies but must not open rouble bank accounts.

10:40 AM

Ukraine’s Azov Regiment says civilians and heavily wounded fighters were evacuated from Mariupol plant

The commander of Ukraine’s Azov Regiment said in a video statement today that civilians and heavily wounded Ukrainian fighters had been evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks in the devastated city of Mariupol.

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Denys Prokopenko, the commander, said in the video that the process of taking out the bodies of those who had died defending Azovstal was still under way.

10:32 AM

Ukraine slams Russian attacks on Donbas ‘hell’

Incessant bombardment has turned Ukraine’s Donbas region into “hell”, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as the first post-invasion trial of a Russian soldier for war crimes neared its closely watched climax Friday.

Zelensky’s government received a fresh boost as the US Congress approved a $40 billion aid package, including funds to enhance Ukraine’s armoured vehicle fleet and air defence system.

Ukraine sorely needs enhanced capability to fend off the kind of onslaught Russia is waging in the eastern region of Donbas, a Russian-speaking area that has been partially controlled by pro-Kremlin separatists since 2014.

“In Donbas, the occupiers are trying to increase pressure,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address late Thursday. “There’s hell, and that’s not an exaggeration.”

In the eastern city of Severodonetsk, 12 people were killed and another 40 wounded by Russian shelling, the regional governor said.

10:16 AM

Ukrainian PM thanks EU Commission for ‘standing with us’

The European Union has disbursed 600 million euros ($634.98 million) to Ukraine as part of a macro financial assistance program, Denis Shmyhal, the Prime Minister, said on Friday.

10:06 AM

New military bases in western Russia ‘in response to Nato expansion’

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has said that Moscow would take “adequate countermeasures” and create new military bases in western Russia in response to the expansion of Nato.

“By the end of the year, 12 military units and divisions will be established in the Western Military District,” Mr Shoigu said at a meeting in remarks carried by Russian news agencies.

09:41 AM

Almost 2,000 Ukrainian fighters from Azovstal have surrendered

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that almost 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers holed up in Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks have surrendered so far, TASS news agency reported.

Hundreds of Ukrainian fighters have surrendered from the labyrinth of bunkers and tunnels below the plant, though Moscow and Kyiv have given different estimates on numbers.

Mr Shoigu also said that Moscow was nearing full control of the separatist region of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.

“The liberation of the Luhansk People’s Republic is nearing completion,” he said.

09:16 AM

Verdict in war crimes trial due Monday

A verdict for the Russian soldier who is being tried for war crimes in Ukraine will be delivered on Monday, the judge presiding over the case has said.

Vadim Shishimarin, 21, is being tried for shooting dead a 62-year-old civilian who was riding his bicycle through Sumy. Mr Shishimarin said he was acting on orders from a superior officer.

The soldier told the court that he is “truly sorry” for his actions, with his lawyer saying in closing arguments that his client was “not guilty” of premeditated murder and war crimes, even though he has admitted to killing a civilian.

“I believe that (Vadim) Shishimarin is not guilty of the crime that he is accused of. I ask you to acquit my client,” lawyer Viktor Ovsyannikov told the court.

08:51 AM

Russian parliament to consider allowing over-40s to sign up for military

In a sign of Russia’s urgent need to bolster its war effort in Ukraine, parliament has said it will consider a bill to allow Russians over 40 and foreigners over 30 to sign up for the military.

The website of the State Duma, parliament’s lower house, said the move would enable the military to utilise the skills of older professionals.

“For the use of high-precision weapons, the operation of weapons and military equipment, highly professional specialists are needed. Experience shows that they become such by the age of 40–45,” it said.

Previously only Russians aged 18-40 and foreigners aged 18-30 could enter into a first contract with the military.

Russia has suffered huge setbacks and heavy losses of men and equipment in the 86-day-old war, prompting Western military analysts to say it urgently needs to mobilise more soldiers.

The Duma said the planned initiative would also make it easier to recruit civilian medics, engineers and operations and communications specialists.

08:32 AM

Azov commanders still in Azovstal steel works

08:10 AM

Mountains of grain left to rot as Vladimir Putin ‘blackmails the world’

The Kremlin’s blockade of Ukrainian ports is crippling the world’s food production as shipping containers sit loaded with immovable crops, reports Colin Freeman.

You can read Colin’s dispatch from Odesa in full here.

07:49 AM

China quietly increases purchases of low-priced Russian oil

China is quietly ramping up purchases of oil from Russia at bargain prices, according to shipping data and oil traders who spoke to Reuters, filling the vacuum left by Western buyers backing away from business with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in February.

The move by the world’s biggest oil importer comes a month after it initially cut back on Russian supplies, for fear of appearing to openly support Moscow and potentially expose its state oil giants to sanctions.

China’s seaborne Russian oil imports will jump to a near-record 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd) in May, up from 750,000 bpd in the first quarter and 800,000 bpd in 2021, according to an estimate by Vortexa Analytics.

The United States, Britain and some other key oil buyers banned imports of Russian oil shortly after the invasion. The European Union is finalizing a further round of sanctions, including a ban on Russian oil purchases. Many European refiners have already stopped buying from Russia for fear of running afoul of sanctions or drawing negative publicity.

07:29 AM

US missiles could end Putin’s food blockade

The United States is considering sending Ukraine advanced anti-ship missiles to sink Russian war vessels in the Black Sea and end the Kremlin’s naval food blockade, report Colin Freeman and our US Editor Nick Allen.

US officials said sea-skimming Harpoon and Naval Strike Missiles [NSMs] could be dispatched, either directly, or by European allies equipped with them.

A handful of nations were said to be open to sending Harpoons, which have a range of up to almost 300km, but there was hesitation over being the first to do so amid concerns over escalation.

Vladimir Putin has been blocking Ukrainian ports to stop grain and other produce leaving the so-called “breadbasket of Europe”, triggering a global food crisis.

You can read Colin and Nick’s report in full here.

07:05 AM

Paramedic’s smuggled footage shows horrors from Mariupol

06:45 AM

Ukraine today, in pictures

06:22 AM

US, Russia trade blame on food insecurity

The United States and Russia blamed each other Thursday for the worsening food situation around the world as the war in Ukraine unfolds.

Washington called on Russia to allow exports of Ukrainian grain that is held up in Black Sea ports. Ukraine is one of the world’s top producers of wheat.

“Stop blocking the ports in the Black Sea. Allow for the free flow of ships and trains and trucks carrying food out of Ukraine,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a UN Security Council meeting organized by the United States.

“Stop threatening to withhold food and fertilizer exports from countries that criticize your war of aggression,” he said.

“The food supply for millions of Ukrainians and millions more around the world has quite literally been held hostage by the Russian military,” Mr Blinken added.

Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, countered by saying his country is being blamed for all of the world’s woes.

He said the world has long suffered from a food crisis caused by an inflationary spiral stemming from rising costs of insurance, logistical snarls, and speculation on Western markets.

He argued that Ukraine’s ports are blocked by Ukraine itself, which, he said, has placed mines along the Black Sea coast.

05:52 AM

Multiple dead after missiles hit Chernihiv region

Several people have been killed in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region, north of Kyiv, after the village of Desna was struck by Russian missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

In his nightly video address on Thursday, Mr Zelensky called the missile strikes a “terrible blow” for Desna, which is located about 40 miles from the border with Belarus.

Rescuers continue to scour through rubble where dead bodies have been pulled from the destruction.

“There is an analysis of debris, many dead,” Mr Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian President claimed the strikes were a “deliberate and criminal attempt to kill as many Ukrainians as possible”.

05:37 AM

Civilians dead as Russian shelling bombards Luhansk

Russian shelling has killed 13 civilians over the past 24 hours in Ukraine’s eastern region of Luhansk, the regional governor, Serhiy Gaidai, said on Friday.

Twelve people were killed in the town of Sievierodonesk, where a Russian assault proved unsuccessful.

The town and the city of Lysychansk are located in an area where Russian troops have launched an offensive.

05:29 AM

Russian forces likely to target Donbas region

Russia is likely to order its forces to reinforce operations in the Donbas region once it has secured Mariupol, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said.

As many as 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol since Monday.

An unknown number of Ukrainian troops remain inside the steelworks.

“Staunch Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol since the start of the war means Russian forces in the area must be re-equipped and refurbished before they can be redeployed effectively,” the ministry said in a statement.

“This can be a lengthy process when done thoroughly.

“Russian commanders, however, are under pressure to demonstrably achieve operational objectives. This means that Russia will probably redistribute their forces swiftly without adequate preparation, which risks further force attrition.”

04:32 AM

US missiles could end Putin’s food blockade

The United States is considering sending Ukraine advanced anti-ship missiles to sink Russian war vessels in the Black Sea and end the Kremlin’s naval food blockade.

US officials said sea-skimming Harpoon and Naval Strike Missiles [NSMs] could be dispatched, either directly, or by European allies equipped with them.

A handful of nations were said to be open to sending Harpoons, which have a range of up to almost 300km, but there was hesitation over being the first to do so amid concerns over escalation.

Vladimir Putin has been blocking Ukrainian ports to stop grain and other produce leaving the so-called “breadbasket of Europe”, triggering a global food crisis.

Read the full story here

02:08 AM

Ukrainians blocked from crossing into Zaporizhzhia

More than 1,000 cars with Ukrainians inside have been blocked from crossing into the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian-held territory, according to the regional military administration.

Several cars were stuck at a Russian checkpoint in the city of Vasylivka after attempting to evacuate on Friday.

“In Vasylivka, the occupiers have not allowed more than 1,000 cars to enter the territory controlled by Ukraine for the fourth day in a row,” a post on Telegram stated.

Women and children were among the evacuees in the cars, with the administration adding that most of them no longer had money for food and water.

A number of cars managed to evacuate to the city of Zaporizhzhia on Thursday.

01:54 AM

In pictures: Kharkiv residents shelter from horrors of war

12:35 AM

UK’s medical aid donations to Ukraine to reach 11 million items

Medical aid donations from the UK to Ukraine will surpass more than 11 million items in the coming days after a fourth tranche of aid departed for delivery last week.

The supplies include 4.2 million doses of medicines – such as painkillers and antibiotics that are critical for treating infections caused by battlefield trauma and 1.5 million other items – including PPE and respirators.

Specialist brain and spinal injury equipment will be used to treat the severely injured, with further deliveries of ambulances expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

The items in the latest deliveries total 5.78 million, bringing the UK’s overall supply aid donations to 11.07 million.

“The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with our Ukrainian friends. As the medical emergency inflicted by Russia escalates, we have responded with life-saving medical supplies where they are needed most,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said Ukraine was in desperate need of medical supplies, with Vladimir Putin targeting healthcare facilities like maternity units, hospitals and ambulances.

“The UK’s support for our friends in Ukraine is unwavering, giving medicines and equipment they desperately need, which has saved tens of thousands of lives,” he said.

12:14 AM

Zelensky thanks US for $40 billion aid package

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the United States for the $40 billion emergency aid package, which received final congressional approval on Thursday.

The final vote was 86-11 and the bill will now go to President Joe Biden for his signature.

“This is a demonstration of strong leadership and a necessary contribution to our common defense of freedom,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address to the nation.

He also thanked the European Union for its support.

“And for our partners this is not just an expense or a gift. This is their contribution to security,” Mr Zelensky said.

“For defending Ukraine also defends them from new wars and crises that Russia could provoke if it is successful in the war against Ukraine.”

12:09 AM

Today’s top stories

• The US is considering sending Ukraine advanced anti-ship missiles to sink Russian war vessels in the Black Sea and end the Kremlin’s naval food blockade

• Several people have been killed following missile strike in a village in the Chernihiv region

• A senior Chernobyl manager has been arrested after Ukrainian forces accused him of collaborating with the Russians attempting to seize the nuclear power plant

• Russian troops are intensifying their attacks in the Donbas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said

• 12 civilians have been killed and more than 40 wounded by Russian shelling in the city of Severodonetsk, in the Luhansk region

• President Zelensky thanked the US for the $40 billion aid package, which got final congressional approval

• US President Joe Biden welcomed Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto and Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson to the White House, where they discussed the latter two’s application for Nato membership

• The G7 countries committed $18.4 billion in transfers and loans to help Ukraine meet its immediate financing needs, according to a draft communique seen by Reuters

• Russia said on Thursday that 1,730 Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered this week at Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant, after a desperate battle that has become emblematic of the nearly three-month-old war

• The UK targeted more Russian airlines – Aeroflot, Ural Airlines and Rossiya Airlines – with sanctions