Vladimir Putin has signed a decree simplifying the process for residents of Ukraine’s occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to acquire Russian citizenship and passports.
The decree marks a further step towards the “Russification” of the two southern regions, where Moscow’s troops have established a land bridge between Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014.
Putin’s move extends a scheme which was already available to residents of areas controlled by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where Moscow has issued around 800,000 passports since 2019.
Russia claimed full control of the Kherson region, north of Crimea, in mid-March, and holds parts of the Zaporizhzhia region to the north-east.
In Kherson, the Ukrainian governor has been ousted and a military-civilian administration said earlier this month that it plans to ask Putin to incorporate it into Russia by the end of the year.
Ukraine has pledged to recapture all of its seized territory.
Follow the latest updates below.
02:49 PM
Estonia: Kyiv can only avoid ‘bad peace’ if it has upper hand over Putin
Ukraine must deal with Russia from a position of strength to avoid a “bad peace” because it is “much more dangerous” to show Vladimir Putin weakness than make him concessions, Estonia’s prime minister has said.
Kaja Kallas issued the warning after Henry Kissinger, the former US Secretary of State, said Ukraine should give up territory to secure a peace deal and as splits emerged between EU member states on how tough to be on Moscow.
“We must avoid a bad peace, a badly negotiated peace for Ukraine would mean a bad peace for us all,” Ms Kallas said in a speech in Stockholm, Sweden.
“It is much more dangerous giving in to Putin, than provoking him. All these seemingly small concessions to the aggressor lead to big wars. We have done this mistake already three times: Georgia, Crimea and Donbas.”
Ms Kallas was referring to Russia’s 2008 invasion of Georgia and its 2014 annexation of Crimea. Parts of the Donbas are controlled by Russian separatists and fighting is now fierce in the Eastern region.
Read the full story from James Crisp here.
02:31 PM
Putin visits wounded soldiers for first time
Vladimir Putin has met soldiers wounded in Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine, pictures on Russian television appeared to show, in the first such visit since he sent troops into the country.
Wearing a white medical coat, Putin chatted to a soldier in hospital pyjamas about his baby son, saying: “He will be proud of his dad.” The Kremlin said the president visited a military hospital in Moscow.
02:13 PM
Mariupol official says first cargo ship to depart port in coming days
A Russian-backed official in the occupied Ukrainian port of Mariupol said that the first ship to leave since pro-Russian forces completed their capture of the city would leave in the next few days, the Russian TASS news agency reported.
The official said the ship would take around 3,000 tonnes of metals to Rostov-on-Don in Russia.
Earlier, Russia’s defence ministry said that Mariupol’s port, a shallow-water harbour on the Azov Sea, was “operating normally”.
01:59 PM
Kuleba calls on West to ‘kill Russian exports’ at Davos
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, called on the West to “kill Russian exports” as a price for Moscow’s invasion of his country, asking the world not to finance the Kremlin’s “war machine.”
“My message is very simple. Kill Russian exports,” Kuleba said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“Stop buying from Russia. Stop allowing them to make money which they can invest in the war machine that destroys, kills, rapes and tortures people in Ukraine.”
01:48 PM
Fighting reaches ‘outskirts’ of Severodonetsk
Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces has reached the limits of the key eastern city of Severodonetsk, the regional governor said today, describing the combat as “very difficult”.
“Russian troops have advanced far enough that they can already fire mortars” on the city, Luhansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said in a statement on social media, adding that, “yesterday there was already fighting on the outskirts of the city.”
01:40 PM
Kuleba says Russia attempting blackmail with Black Sea blockade offer
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russia was trying to “blackmail” the international community by raising the possibility of an offer to unblock Black Sea ports in return for a relaxation of sanctions.
The Interfax news agency earlier cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying Moscow is ready to provide a humanitarian corridor for vessels carrying food to leave Ukraine, in return for the lifting of some sanctions.
Ukraine’s Black Sea ports have been blocked since Russia sent thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24 and more than 20 million tonnes of grain are stuck in silos in the country.
01:22 PM
Ukrainian MP calls on Germany to urgently back Kyiv with arms
Western countries such as Germany must overcome reluctance to supply Ukraine with modern weapons as Kyiv risks running out of stocks, Ukrainian politician Anastasia Radina has said.
“We have only one choice, and this is to receive modern Nato style weaponry because we cannot win the war with the Soviet style weaponry that we have,” Ms Radina told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
She said stocks of Soviet-built weapons were limited around the world, and Moscow had much more of these arms than Kyiv.
“What they are doing is waiting for us to run out of weapons or (the) collective West to be less united and more preoccupied … with their own problems,” Ms Radina said in an interview on Tuesday.
01:11 PM
Kremlin official calls Italian peace plan a ‘fantasy’
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson said that an Italian peace plan for Ukraine was a “fantasy”.
“You can’t supply Ukraine with weapons with one hand and come up with plans for a peaceful resolution of the situation with the other,” Maria Zakharova said at her weekly briefing, referring to the Italian initiative.
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio gave the broad outlines of the plan last week and said that he had discussed it with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres during a visit to New York.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday it had not seen the initiative but hoped to receive it through diplomatic channels. Ms Zakaharova said of the reported proposal: “If they hope that the Russian Federation will seize on any Western plan, then they haven’t understood much.”
01:03 PM
Britain calls on Russia to let Ukraine export its grain
Ben Wallace has called on Russia to let Ukraine export its grain to help countries where grain scarcity could trigger hunger.
Russia must “do the right thing”, the Defence Secretary told reporters in Madrid where he met with his Spanish counterpart Margarita Robles.
He rejected the idea to lift sanctions against Russia in return for grain release and welcomed the suggestion to make Black Sea nations, such as Turkey, escort the Ukraine grain shipments.
12:44 PM
Ukraine says it is fighting to keep control of key supply route in Donbas
Ukraine is battling to remain in control of a key highway to the front-line city of Severodonetsk, the country’s defence ministry said today.
Defence ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said in a briefing that alternative routes existed to supply Ukrainian units in Sievierodonetsk, which is enveloped on three sides by Russian forces.
Mr Motuzyanyk said that Russia’s aim was to fully surround Ukrainian units in the city, as well as in nearby Lysychansk.
12:33 PM
Alexander Lebedev cuts ties with Independent after sanctions hit
Alexander Lebedev has cut ties with the Independent after the former KGB agent was sanctioned in Canada, reports Ben Woods.
The billionaire was hit with an asset freeze and visa ban last Friday over his links to the Kremlin, while Vladimir Putin continues to wage war on Ukraine.
Mr Lebedev, who bought the Independent and Evening Standard newspapers in 2010 before shifting ownership to Lord Evgeny Lebedev, his son, resigned from his position as a director of Independent Print Limited on Sunday, according to company filings.
The Telegraph called attention to Alexander Lebedev’s links to Independent Print Ltd on Saturday.
12:10 PM
Captured Mariupol fighters will not be swapped until they stand trial for war crimes
Captured Mariupol fighters will not be exchanged for prisoners of war until they have been tried for war crimes, reports Nataliya Vasilyeva.
The idea was first floated on Tuesday by a separatist leader in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk.
Andrei Rudenko, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, said on Wednesday he was aware of the preparations but would not comment on the details.
The Ukrainian government last week ordered several hundred soldiers to surrender and leave the sprawling Azovstal plant in Mariupol, which fell in Russia’s hands after two months of incessant shelling and air strikes.
11:51 AM
MoD issues Ukraine intelligence update
11:50 AM
Russia to make foreign debt payments in roubles
Russia has said that it will start paying its foreign debt in roubles after the United States ended an exemption allowing Moscow to make the payments in dollars.
“Noting that the refusal to extend this licence makes it impossible to continue servicing government foreign debt in US dollars, payments will be carried out in Russia’s currency,” the finance ministry said in a statement on Telegram.
11:48 AM
Sweden says Nato talks with Turkey will clarify misunderstandings
Swedish diplomats will discuss Turkey’s demands during meetings in Ankara today aimed at resolving Turkish reservations over Sweden and Finland’s applications for Nato membership, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said.
“We will naturally go through and discuss the list and sort out a number of things that have been unclear in reporting in the media and statements from other places,” Ms Andersson said.
“Clearly, it’s about where we send our financial aid, for example, and that we sell weapons. We don’t send money to terrorist organisations, obviously – or weapons either.”
11:24 AM
Russia offers fast-track citizenship to residents of occupied areas
Vladimir Putin signed a decree today simplifying the process for residents of Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to acquire Russian citizenship and passports.
The decree extends a scheme available since 2019 to residents of areas controlled by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
11:18 AM
Russian parliament scraps age limit for army recruits
Russia’s parliament approved a law today removing the upper age limit for contractual service in the military, amid heavy casualties during its invasion of Ukraine.
Lawmakers in the State Duma lower house approved the bill in three readings in a single session, with the upper house, the Federation Council, giving its assent shortly after. The bill now only needs the signature of President Vladimir Putin to become law.
State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said: “Today, especially, we need to strengthen the armed forces and help the Ministry of Defence. Our Supreme Commander is doing everything to ensure that our armed forces win, and we need to help.”
Currently, only Russians aged 18-40 and foreigners aged 18-30 can enlist as professional soldiers in the Russian military.
11:00 AM
Delegations from Sweden and Finland in Turkey for Nato talks
Senior officials from Sweden and Finland met with their Turkish counterparts in Ankara today in an effort to overcome Turkey’s strong objections to the Nordic nations’ bids to join Nato.
Sweden and Finland submitted their written applications to join Nato last week. The move represents one of the biggest geopolitical ramifications of Russia’s war in Ukraine and could rewrite Europe’s security map.
Turkey has said it opposes the countries’ membership in the Western military alliance, citing grievances with Sweden’s – and to a lesser extent Finland’s – perceived support of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and other entities that Turkey views as security threats.
The Turkish government also accuses Finland and Sweden of imposing arms exports restrictions on Turkey and refusing to extradite suspected “terrorists”.
10:42 AM
EU seeks power to strip sanctioned Russian oligarchs of assets
The EU has proposed new rules that would make it harder for Russian oligarchs to evade sanctions and open the way to confiscating their assets to help pay to rebuild Ukraine.
“While the Russian aggression on Ukraine is ongoing, it is paramount that EU restrictive measures are fully implemented and the violation of those measures must not be allowed to pay off,” the European Commission said in a statement.
“Today’s proposals aim to ensure that the assets of individuals and entities that violate the restrictive measures can be effectively confiscated in the future.”
10:28 AM
Dmytro Kuleba meets European leaders at Davos
Building on President @ZelenskyyUa’s dialogue with @PrimeministerGR Kyriakos Mitsotakis, we met in Davos to discuss further defensive support, new sanctions on Russia, and granting Ukraine EU candidate status. Grateful to Prime Minister for standing by Ukraine at this tense time. pic.twitter.com/v46zdfcIiV
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) May 25, 2022
10:11 AM
EU cracks widen as Italy and Hungary urge truce
Italy and Hungary have urged the EU to call explicitly for a ceasefire in Ukraine and peace talks with Russia, putting themselves at odds with other member states determined to take a hard line with Moscow ahead of a summit next week.
A draft concluding statement for the May 30-31 summit, seen by Reuters and dated May 19, describes the European Union as “unwavering in its commitment to help Ukraine exercise its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression.” It does not mention peace talks.
At a meeting of EU envoys on Friday, Italy’s ambassador proposed changes to the text saying it should refer to peace talks and set out an immediate ceasefire as one of the EU’s first goals, according to people who attended the meeting.
That proposal was backed by Hungary and Cyprus, which are among the states most critical of a new package of EU sanctions against Russia that has been blocked for weeks because of internal divisions.
Hungary opposes a planned oil embargo, while Cyprus has concerns about a proposed ban on property sales to Russian citizens.
09:55 AM
Orthodox spiritual leader says Russian church has ‘disappointed us’ over Ukraine
The Russian Orthodox Church has let Christian Orthodox fathers down by supporting Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of some 260 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, said in an interview.
Moscow calls its three-month-old invasion a “special military operation” to rid Ukraine of fascists, an assertion Kyiv and its Western allies say is a baseless pretext for an unprovoked war.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill has supported Moscow’s action and his stance has splintered the worldwide Orthodox Church. The World Council of Churches (WCC) has asked Patriarch Kirill to “intervene and mediate” to help stop the war.
In an interview aired on Greek state TV ERT on Tuesday evening, Patriarch Bartholomew said he expected Patriarch Kirill to stand up against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine and resign, if needed, in an act of opposition.
“It would not be possible for all churches not to condemn violence, war. The Russian church disappointed us. I did not want the Church of Russia and Brother Patriarch Kirill to be this tragic exception. I do not know how he can justify himself in his conscience,” he said.
09:15 AM
‘We must avoid a bad peace for Ukraine’, Estonian PM says
Ukraine has to be able to negotiate with Russia from a position of strength so that Moscow is not encouraged to take further aggressive action, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday.
“We must avoid a bad peace, a badly negotiated peace for Ukraine would mean a bad peace for us all,” she said in a speech in Stockholm.
“It is much more dangerous giving in to Putin, than provoking him. All these seemingly small concessions to the aggressor lead to big wars. We have done this mistake already three times: Georgia, Crimea and Donbas.”
08:49 AM
Moscow says Ukrainian fighters to stand trial before possible swap
Moscow has said it would be “premature” to consider a prisoner swap with Kyiv before Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered to Russian troops stand trial.
Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said Moscow would consider a prisoner swap with Kyiv after the surrendered Ukrainian fighters “are appropriately convicted, sentenced”.
“Before that, all talk of an exchange is premature,” Rudenko told reporters as quoted by Russian news agencies.
Last week, hundreds of Ukrainian defenders of the strategic port city of Mariupol in the country’s southeast surrendered after holding out at the city’s Azovstal steelworks for weeks.
Among the Ukrainian fighters who gave themselves up were members of the Azov regiment, a former paramilitary unit which has integrated into the Ukrainian armed forces.
Russia describes the unit, which has had previous links to far-right groups, as a neo-Nazi organisation.
08:46 AM
Russia claims it is ready to set up corridor for ships leaving Ukraine with food, Interfax reports
Russia is ready to provide a humanitarian corridor for vessels carrying food to leave Ukraine, in return for the lifting of some sanctions, the Interfax news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying on Wednesday.
“We have repeatedly stated on this point that a solution to the food problem requires a comprehensive approach, including the lifting of sanctions that have been imposed on Russian exports and financial transactions,” Rudenko was quoted as saying.
“And it also requires the demining by the Ukrainian side of all ports where ships are anchored. Russia is ready to provide the necessary humanitarian passage, which it does every day,” he said.
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of planting drifting mines in the Black Sea.
08:35 AM
Russian defence ministry: Mariupol port operating normally
Russia’s defence ministry has said that the port of Mariupol, the Ukrainian city which was taken by Russia after a three-month siege, is operating normally.
The ministry said that Russia is in touch with the United Nations, and that Moscow “does not rule out the possibility of global talks to unblock Ukraine’s ports.”
08:34 AM
Russia says will monitor Moldova ex-leader’s case
Moscow has warned it will “closely” monitor the treatment of a pro-Russian ex-president in Moldova who had been detained on suspicion of treason and corruption.
On Tuesday, prosecutors in the Western-backed country announced the arrest of former president Igor Dodon, as the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine has heightened tensions between Moscow and Chisinau.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said that Mr Dodon’s detention was Moldova’s “internal affair”.
“At the same time, we would not like the current authorities to start settling scores with their former political rivals in the current situation,” Mr Rudenko told reporters in comments carried by Russian news agencies.
He said Russia would “closely monitor” the case to make sure that “all of Dodon’s rights” are respected and that they comply with international standards.
Mr Dodon led Moldova between 2016 and 2020 and was openly backed by Moscow.
08:33 AM
Lithuania to transfer 20 armoured personal carriers to Ukraine
Lithuania will transfer 20 M113 armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine, as well as military trucks and de-mining vehicles, Defence Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The coordinated help from us and the allies is the deciding factor for the Ukrainian victory”, defence minister Arvydas Anusauskas said in a statement.
The vehicles are worth a total of 15.5 million euros, said the ministry. Previously, Lithuania has provided military support to Ukraine worth 100 million euros, it added.
08:25 AM
Sanctions need to be lifted to avoid food crisis: Moscow
International sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military campaign in Ukraine need to be lifted to avoid a global food crisis, a Russian deputy foreign minister has said.
“Solving the food problem requires a comprehensive approach, including the removal of sanctions that have been imposed on Russian exports and financial transactions,” Andrey Rudenko said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies.
“It also requires Ukraine to de-mine all ports where ships are docked and Russia is ready to provide the necessary humanitarian passage,” Mr Rudenko added.
Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine and a barrage of sanctions on Moscow over the offensive have disrupted supplies of fertiliser, wheat and other commodities from both countries.
The West has accused the Kremlin of using hunger as a weapon during its offensive in Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine alone produce 30 percent of the global wheat supply.
08:06 AM
West lacking ‘unity’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the West remained divided over the extent of its support for Ukraine.
“Unity is about weapons. My question is, is there this unity in practice? I can’t see it. Our huge advantage over Russia would be when we are truly united,” Mr Zelensky said during a panel discussion on Ukraine at the World Economic Forum.
07:46 AM
Russia ready to set up corridor for ships carrying food
Russia is ready to provide a humanitarian corridor for vessels carrying food to leave Ukraine, the Interfax news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said.
Russia will discuss the possibility of holding a prisoner exchange with Ukraine once prisoners who surrendered have been convicted, Mr Rudenko also said. Russian and separatist officials have said some of those who surrendered should be put on trial for war crimes.
He added it was premature to establish a Russian military base in the Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Kherson region.
07:27 AM
Watch: Ukrainian wine may have a hint of missile as Russian rockets land in vineyard
[embedded content]
07:14 AM
Volodymyr Zelensky offers condolences over Texas school shooting
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered his condolences to the relatives of the victims of the Texas school shooting, the worst school massacre in the United States for nearly a decade.
“I would like to express my condolences to all of the relatives and family members of the children who were killed in the awful shooting in a Texas elementary school,” Mr Zelensky said as he addressed an event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos via video link.
“As far as I know, 21 people were killed, including 19 children. This is terrible, to have victims of shooters in peaceful time,” he added.
You can read all the latest on the horrific shooting in Texas here.
06:59 AM
Volodymyr Zelensky says will only talk directly to Putin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he was only willing to talk directly to Vladimir Putin and not via intermediators.
He added that if the Russian President “understands reality” there was the possibility of finding a diplomatic way out of the conflict.
Mr Zelensky, speaking to an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos, also said that Ukraine would fight until it recovered all of its territory.
The Ukrainian President said that Moscow should withdraw its troops back to the lines in place before Russia began its invasion on Feb. 24.
“That might be a first step towards talks,” he said, adding that Russia has been playing for time in its talks with Ukraine.
06:38 AM
Ukraine today, in pictures
06:14 AM
Latest MoD update
The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing.
The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 25 May 2022
Find out more about the UK government’s response: https://t.co/nYJGqHGoUQ pic.twitter.com/rq82WgaKji
— Ministry of Defence ???????? (@DefenceHQ) May 25, 2022
05:51 AM
Germany to reopen idled coal plants
Berlin will bring back coal and oil-fired power plants it closed to hit climate change targets to prevent shortages if Russia cuts off gas supplies to Germany.
German industries, the backbone of Europe’s largest economy, would be forced to shut down within weeks if Vladimir Putin turned off the taps.
The United States and European Commission on Tuesday condemned Russia’s use of “energy blackmail” after Moscow shut off supplies to Poland and Bulgaria.
More than half of Germany’s gas imports come from Russia, which helps fund Moscow’s war machine in Ukraine.
READ MORE: Germany to reopen idled coal plants if Russia cuts gas supply
05:15 AM
Russia claims its offensive is slow to allow civilians to evacuate
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has said Moscow is deliberately slowing its offensive in Ukraine in order to allow civilians to evacuate, RIA news agency has reported.
The claim comes as a Kremlin spokesperson said Russia had not yet seen an Italian peace plan for Ukraine, but it hoped to receive it through diplomatic channels.
04:06 AM
Kyiv looks ahead to rebuilding Ukraine – at Russia’s expense
Ukraine is considering the possibility of issuing debt receipts backed by frozen Russian assets to raise funds for rebuilding its country, a presidential adviser has said.
03:38 AM
Hundreds of bodies found in Mariupol apartment complex
Workers digging through the rubble of an apartment building in Mariupol have found 200 bodies in the basement, Ukrainian authorities have said, as more horrors come to light in the ruined city that has seen some of the worst suffering of the three-month war.
The bodies were decomposing and the stench hung over the neighbourhood, said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor.
He did not say when they were discovered, but the sheer number of victims makes it one of the deadliest known attacks of the war.
03:01 AM
Russians ‘brought over an insane number of fighters’
Twelve people were killed by Russian shelling in the Donetsk region of the Donbas, according to the regional governor.
And the governor of the Luhansk region of the Donbas said the area is facing its “most difficult time” in the eight years since separatist fighting erupted there.
“The Russians are advancing in all directions at the same time. They brought over an insane number of fighters and equipment,” the governor, Serhii Haidai, wrote on Telegram.
“The invaders are killing our cities, destroying everything around.” He said Luhansk is becoming “like Mariupol”.
02:30 AM
Ukraine says ‘fate of the country’ could be decided in Donbas
The Russian offensive in the Donbas has made significant gains, with Ukrainian officials saying the “fate of the country” could be decided in the ongoing battles.
Moscow’s troops were close to encircling the neighbouring cities of Severodonetsk and Lyschansk, whose capture would give them control of half of the eastern region.
The cities straddle the Siversky Donets river, and Ukrainian forces are heavily dug in after resisting Moscow-backed separatists in the war of 2014.
There were unconfirmed reports Russian forces had cut off the road through which Kyiv has been resupplying its fighters in Severodonetsk.
“Now we are observing the most active phase of the full-scale aggression which Russia unfolded against our country,” Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian ministry of defence, said.
“The situation on the [eastern] front is extremely difficult, because the fate of this country is perhaps being decided [there] right now.”
Read the full story here.
01:12 AM
‘They are erasing Severodonetsk from the face of the earth’
Sergiy Gaidai, governor of the eastern region of Lugansk, has said Russian forces were bombarding the industrial city of Severodonetsk with air strikes, rockets, artillery and mortars in an effort to solidify control over the province and move further into Ukraine.
“The situation is very difficult and unfortunately it is only getting worse. It is getting worse with every day and even with every hour,” Mr Gaidai said in a video on Telegram.
“The Russian army decided to completely destroy Severodonetsk.”
He added: “They are simply erasing Severodonetsk from the face of the earth.”
12:16 AM
Russia bedding in for a long war in Ukraine
Three months to the day since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymr Zelensky mourned the thousands of Ukrainian men and women who have perished.
Mr Zelensky renewed calls for heavy weapons from foreign partners, saying arms for Kyiv were the best investment in stability in the world.
But in Moscow, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu made it clear Russia was bedding in for a long war in Ukraine.
“We will continue the special military operation until all the objectives have been achieved,” Shoigu said, using Moscow’s name for the war.
12:07 AM
Kateryna among the innocent people losing homes
Kateryna Kostiantynivna, above, walked with a neighbour to her shell-damaged home in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
She said three Russian shells hit her house during the first week of the war.
Although she has remained living in an adjacent family home, the neighbourhood remains without electricity.
12:02 AM
Today’s top stories
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The Russian offensive in the Donbas made significant gains on Tuesday, with Ukrainian officials saying the “fate of the country” could be decided in the ongoing battles
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George Soros, the billionaire investor and advocate of European integration, has warned that the conflict in Ukraine could spiral into a Third World War that ends western civilisation
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Kremlin insiders are discussing a successor to Vladimir Putin amid growing discontent with the course of the war in Ukraine, according to a reputable Russian media outlet
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A retired Russian general has reportedly been killed after his plane was shot down over Ukraine, with colleagues saying the 63-year-old returned to the front lines because he “could not stand aside” from the war
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Soldier or civilian, Russian or Ukrainian, the wounds are the same: punctures from flying shrapnel that can cut any organ, at any angle; and respiratory shock from blast waves that can wreck the lungs. And medics risk becoming casualties themselves every time they respond to a call
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Dozens of masterpieces loaned between European and Russian museums are stuck in limbo amid a raft of sanctions imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine
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Russia has stepped up its efforts to plunder Ukraine’s grain reserves, new satellite images have shown, amid fears that Putin’s invasion will lead to a global famine
