Russia-Ukraine latest news: Russia ‘drops phosphorus bombs’ on Azovstal steelworks

Ukraine has accused Russia of dropping phosphorus bombs on the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

An aerial video shared on social media on Sunday showed a missile detonating in mid-air before releasing an array of ‘sparks’ – a grouping of incendiary munitions – that fell to the ground over the plant and ignited.

The footage appears to show numerous explosions on the ground following the munition drop.

Ukrainian officials said that Russian forces used 9M22C incendiary shells with thermite layers in the attack. The temperature of combustion for the bombs is around 2-2.5 thousand degrees Celsius.

Petro Andriushchenko, the adviser to Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko, said specialists will assess the area and make a conclusion on the nature of the attack. He also shared the video footage on Telegram.

Around 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers remain trapped in the besieged steelworks, their last remaining stronghold in the Russian-controlled port city, following weeks of intense fighting.

On Saturday night, a large convoy of cars and vans evacuating civilians from Mariupol arrived in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia after waiting days for Russian soldiers to allow them to leave.

​​Follow the latest updates below.

11:28 AM

Finland’s PM calls joining Nato an ‘act of peace’

Finland’s prime minister has said the country’s decision to apply for Nato membership was necessary following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to guarantee security.

Sanna Marin said: “When we look at Russia, we see a very different kind of Russia than we saw just a few months ago.

“Everything changed when Russia attacked Ukraine, and I personally think we cannot trust any more that there will be a peaceful future next to Russia with our own.

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“That is why we are making the decision to join Nato. It’s an act of peace.”

She added that Finland has historically “had wars with Russia and we don’t want that kind of future for ourselves or for our children”.

10:56 AM

Ukrainian adviser shares footage of alleged phosphorus bomb strike on Azovstal steel plant

10:55 AM

MoD: Russia has lost a third of its forces in Ukraine

Russia has likely lost around a third of the ground forces it deployed to Ukraine, British military intelligence said on Sunday.

The Ministry of Defence said on Twitter: “Despite small-scale initial advances, Russia has failed to achieve substantial territorial gains over the past month whilst sustaining consistently high levels of attrition.

“Russia has now likely suffered losses of one third of the ground combat force it committed in February.”

The MoD added that Russia was unlikely to dramatically accelerate its rate of advance over the next 30 days.

10:52 AM

Italian police blocked Russian hackers during Eurovision

Italian police prevented numerous hacker attacks by pro-Russian cyber groups during the Eurovision semi-final and final in Turin, authorities said on Sunday.

During performances and voting, the police cybersecurity department blocked several cyber attacks on network infrastructure conducted by the ‘Killnet’ group and its affiliate ‘Legion’.

The police also gathered information from the pro-Russian group’s Telegram channels to prevent other security breaches and identified the attacks’ geographic location.

On 11 May, ‘Killnet’ claimed responsibility for an attack on the websites of multiple Italian institutions, including the Senate, the upper house of parliament and the National Health Institute (ISS).

10:14 AM

Finland to apply for Nato membership

President Sauli Niinistö has confirmed that Finland will apply for Nato membership.

He said: “Today, the President of the Republic and the Government’s Foreign Policy Committee have jointly agreed that Finland will apply for Nato membership, after consulting parliament. This is a historic day. A new era is opening.”

The Finnish parliament will convene on Monday to debate the decision, with current projections showing that the majority of lawmakers are set to support the bid.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin said: “We have reached today an important decision in good cooperation with the government and the president of the republic. We hope the parliament will confirm the decision to apply for the Nato membership during the coming days. It will be based on a strong mandate.”

10:12 AM

Nato must strive to be more global, says Truss

Some more words from Liz Truss at a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Berlin, following our previous post.

The Foreign Secretary said: “Ukraine must win the battle in Ukraine. We must also win the struggle beyond Ukraine, the struggle to shape the future of the world.

“We must build an international system that protects states’ freedom and sovereignty, defends their right to trade fairly, determine their own future and prosper.”

She said the member states’ also discussed “the future of the Nato alliance – one that is strengthened and modernised, more global, more geopolitical and more assertive”.

A particular focus for Nato should be reaching out to partners in the Indo-Pacific, she added, which “will ensure we retain our tech and industrial edge, standing up for the rules and principles that matter to us”.

09:53 AM

Nato must maintain ‘open door’ policy for new members, says Truss

Nato must maintain its “open door” policy for admitting new members, Liz Truss has said.

Following a meeting of member states’ foreign ministers in Berlin, the Foreign Secretary said security in Europe will be strengthened if Finland and Sweden forge ahead with their plans to join the alliance.

She said: “Nato’s open door policy is essential and if Finland and Sweden decide to apply to join, it is clear that they would strengthen the alliance and European security as a whole.

“Putin must face a sustained defeat in Ukraine, Russia must be contained and such aggression must never happen again. Ukraine’s security must come from it being able to defend itself. Allies must support Ukraine’s move to Nato-standard equipment, immediately providing artillery, training and the required expertise.”

09:33 AM

Azov wives: ‘Our husbands were betrayed by Ukrainian traitors’

In the warren of nuclear-proof tunnels in the vast Azovstal iron and steelworks in Mariupol, an almost pathetic grinding sound could be heard. There, amid the foetid smell of rotting, gangrenous wounds, hundreds of Ukraine’s most committed fighters – Azov regiment men shelled, cut off and besieged by Russian forces – are eking out the last of their supplies.

“I spoke to Dmytro last night,” says Hanna Naumenko, 25, fiancee of Dmytro Danilov, 29. The connection was terrible, so the couple communicated by text. “He wrote they only had a little rice left, and were trying to make a kind of flour.”

Currently on a tour of Europe, the women this week spoke to Pope Francis on Wednesday, hoping he might intervene. “He said he wanted to prepare a [humanitarian] corridor for Azovstal, but Putin doesn’t want to let [the soldiers] go,” says Yuliia Fedosiuk, whose husband Arseniy Fedosiuk, 29, is an Azov sergeant. Now in Paris, they hope to visit Britain to ask Boris Johnson for help too, but have yet to secure visas.

“I spoke to my husband last night,” says Kateryna Prokopenko, married to Lieutenant Colonel Denis Prokopenko, 30. “He said he’d eaten only once and had only one glass of technical water.”

You can read the full report by Harry de Quetteville here

09:15 AM

Ukrainian and US diplomats meet as Blinken sends ‘more weapons and aid’

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Sunday he had met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Berlin and that “more weapons and other aid is on the way to Ukraine”.

“We agreed to work closely together to ensure that Ukrainian food exports reach consumers in Africa and Asia. Grateful to Secretary Blinken and the US for their leadership and unwavering support,” Kuleba tweeted.

08:58 AM

Nato deputy chief ‘confident’ about quick admission of Finland and Sweden

Nato is confident that it can overcome objections by Turkey and quickly admit Finland and Sweden, its deputy chief said on Sunday.

Foreign ministers from Nato’s 30 member states are holding two days of talks this weekend in Berlin that are focused on the two Nordic countries’ membership bids.

On Saturday, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu unexpectedly raised objections, saying it was “unacceptable and outrageous” that the prospective new Nato members gave support to the outlawed Kurdish militant group PKK.

Nato’s Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana said: “Turkey is an important ally and expressed concerns that are addressed between friends and allies. I am confident if these countries decide to seek membership in Nato we will be able to welcome them, to find all conditions for consensus to be met.”

Mr Geoana also congratulated Ukraine for winning the Eurovision song contest with their “beautiful song” that was a testament to its bravery in fighting Russia.

08:38 AM

Croatia says talks between Turkey, Finland and Sweden over Nato ‘on track’

Croatia’s foreign minister has said talks between Turkey and Finland and Sweden over its concerns about the latter two’s potential Nato membership were on track after the three countries met.

Gordan Grlić-Radman said: “Discussions are on a good track and we hope we will have a good outcome today to show solidarity and speak with one voice.”

His Romanian counterpart Bogdan Aurescu said it was important that the two Nordic states should push ahead with their membership pledges to send a message to Russia.

Meanwhile, German’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has said Germany has prepared everything for a quick ratification of Finland’s and Sweden’s Nato membership.

She said: “If they decide to join they can join quickly… We must make sure that we will give them security guarantees, there must not be a transition period, a grey zone, where their status is unclear.”

The ratification period can usually take as long as a year, during which time the countries in question would not be protected by Nato’s article 5 – which guarantees that an attack on one ally is considered an attack on all member states.

08:15 AM

Ukraine’s Eurovision presenter reacts to win from bomb shelter

Timur Miroshnychenko, Ukraine’s Eurovision presenter and commentator, reacted joyously to the news his country had won the contest on Sunday.

He was broadcasting his commentary from a bomb shelter due to ongoing rocket attacks.

08:01 AM

Finland to announce Nato plans, as Putin issues warning

Finland’s government is expected to officially announce its intention to join Nato on Sunday, as Sweden’s ruling party holds a decisive meeting that could pave the way for a joint application.

“Hopefully we can send our applications next week together with Sweden,” Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin said.

The countries broke their strict neutralities after the end of the Cold War by joining the EU and becoming partners Nato in the 1990s, solidifying their affiliation with the West. But the concept of full Nato membership was a non-starter until the war in Ukraine saw public and political support for joining the military alliance soar in both countries.

Three days after publicly saying their country “must apply for Nato membership without delay”, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin are due to announce Helsinki’s decision on whether to seek membership at a news conference at 1pm (10am GMT).

After a government council meeting, they are expected to submit a membership proposal to parliament on Monday.

Vladimir Putin on Saturday warned Finland it was making a “mistake” joining Nato, saying relations would be “negatively affected”.

07:55 AM

Missile hits military infrastructure in Lviv

A missile strike hit some military infrastructure in the western Ukrainian region of Lviv early on Sunday, the region’s governor said.

“Four enemy missiles hit one of the military infrastructures in the Lviv region,” Maxim Kozitsky said on Telegram.

“The object is completely destroyed. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties. No one sought medical help.”

The report has not been independently verified.

The regional ‘West’ Air Command of Ukraine’s Air Force said in a post on social media that several missiles were fired from the Black Sea toward Lviv.

Two of the missiles were destroyed before hitting targets, it added.

07:36 AM

MoD: Russia’s Donbas offensive has ‘lost momentum’

British intelligence suggests that Russia’s offensive in Ukraine’s southeastern Donbas region has “lost momentum and fallen significantly behind schedule”.

The Ministry of Defence’s latest update also said that the Russian-imposed administration in Kherson has asked Moscow to include the region in the Russian Federation, in a move that continues Putin’s ploy to place Ukrainian regions under Kremlin authority.

07:30 AM

‘I defended Macron’s approach to Russia – now it’s unforgivable’

The French President’s realpolitik is turning him into a Putin-enabler, writes Anne-Elisabeth Moutet.

You can read the full comment piece here

07:26 AM

Glory for Ukraine at Eurovision – but UK’s Ryder was a worthy runner-up

He soared towards the stars but ultimately gravity – and a huge public vote for eventual winners Ukraine – brought Eurovision front runner Sam Ryder, representing the UK with his song Space Man, back down to Earth, at the end of a breathlessly tense final from Turin.

Given the backdrop of Russia’s brutal invasion of their homeland, nobody could begrudge Kalush Orchestra their victory at this 66th Eurovision Song Contest (BBC One). It helped that their entry, Stefania, was a classic Eurovision bopper – mixing pop, rap and traditional woodwind. However, with Space Man having held pole position through the national jury voting, Ryder’s eventual second-place finish potentially carried the tiniest whiff of anti-climax…

Still, in the end the night belonged to Ukraine. They had concluded their performance of Stefania with a plea: “Please help Ukraine… please help Mariupol… right now.” And, as they accepted their trophy, they looked more stoic than ecstatic. “Thank you so much. Thank you for supporting Ukraine,” they said. “This victory is for every Ukrainian.” Team Ryder or not, who would want to take these 15 minutes of glory away from them?

You can read Ed Power‘s full 4 star review here

05:57 AM

Eurovision 2023 will be in Ukraine ‘one way or the other’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed his country’s Eurovision victory, Ukraine’s third since its 2003 debut in the competition, and said “we will do our best” to host next year’s contest in the hotly contested port city of Mariupol.

He underlined “Ukrainian Mariupol”, and added “free, peaceful, rebuilt”.

“I am sure our victorious chord in the battle with the enemy is not far off,” Mr Zelensky said in a post on Telegram messaging app.

With Ukraine still fighting Russian forces, it is unclear where next year’s Eurovision contest will be held, with the event hosted by the winning country.

When it was suggested on Twitter that if Ukraine cannot host it, the UK should offer to, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace replied: “One way or the other it will be in Ukraine!”

05:25 AM

Envoy says Russian diplomats in US are threatened

Russian diplomats in Washington are being threatened with violence and US intelligence services try to make contact with them, Tass news agency cited the ambassador as saying.

Anatoly Antonov told Russian television that since Russia invaded Ukraine, face-to-face meetings with US officials had ended.

“It’s like a besieged fortress. Basically, our embassy is operating in a hostile environment … Embassy employees are receiving threats, including threats of physical violence,” Tass quoted him as saying.

“Agents from US security services are hanging around outside the Russian embassy, handing out CIA and FBI phone numbers, which can be called to establish contact.”

04:45 AM

Fighting continues as food shortages fears rise

Ukraine’s forces were fighting off a fierce Russian onslaught on the east of the country Sunday.

President Volodymr Zelensky warned on Saturday that the war in his country risked triggering global food shortages, adding that the situation in Ukraine’s Donbas is “very difficult”.

04:33 AM

Zelensky: ‘Any victory is very important’

Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest in the early hours of Sunday in a clear show of support for the war-ravaged nation.

The band’s frontman, Oleg Psiuk, took advantage of the enormous global audience to make an impassioned plea to free fighters: “I ask all of you, please help Ukraine, Mariupol. Help Azovstal, right now.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave signs that he was watching from Kyiv.

“Indeed, this is not a war, but nevertheless, for us today, any victory is very important,” Mr Zelensky said, according to a presidential statement. “So, let’s cheer for ours. Glory be to Ukraine!”

Read the full story here.

04:25 AM

Putin warns Finland it would be ‘a mistake’ to join Nato

Vladimir Putin on Saturday warned Finland it was making a “mistake” joining Nato, saying relations would be “negatively affected” if Helsinki ended decades of military neutrality.

The Russian president made the thinly veiled threat after Sauli Niinisto, the president of Finland, spoke to him by phone to confirm that Helsinki would apply to join the alliance in the next few days.

Putin has previously demanded that Finland and Sweden never join Nato, and invaded Ukraine in order to stop it from doing the same despite the low likelihood of it being granted membership.

Read the full story here.

04:24 AM

Today’s top stories

• Michael Gove has pledged to shut down the “racket of illicit money” from Russian oligarchs who use remaining loopholes to buy and sell vast homes under a cloak of anonymity

• Ukraine appears to have won the battle for Kharkiv, a US report has said, as Russian forces retreated from around the eastern city due to an apparent lack of troop reinforcements

• First their yachts were impounded, then their assets frozen. Now, in possibly the most painful blow yet, Russians have been told they may not shop at Harrods – not seriously, at any rate

• Anastasia Gulej makes no attempt to veil her hatred for Vladimir Putin: the Russian leader, she says, is “evil” and no different to Stalin and Hitler. It’s a bold statement, but she is one of the few people left alive in the world personally qualified to make such a judgement

• The leader of Russian activist band Pussy Riot has told The Telegraph she plans to return to Russia in a few weeks despite the fact that she likely faces years in prison after recently escaping Moscow while under house arrest

• Putin on Saturday warned Finland it was making a “mistake” joining Nato, saying relations would be “negatively affected” if Helsinki ended decades of military neutrality