Ukraine army headquarters ‘attacked by Russian missiles’
The Russian military has attacked the command headquarters of the Ukrainian army’s southern grouping, Russia’s defence military has said.
The attack was carried out using Russian air force missiles and artillery, Moscow’s defence ministry said.
“The headquarters of the operational command of the southern grouping of the armed forces of Ukraine was struck by operational and tactical aviation, missile forces and artillery,” said the ministry.
It gave no further details about the attack on the HQ in the port of Odesa, but said that Russian forces were fortifying their defence across the entire front line.
The southern military command said administrative and residential buildings, as well as medical and educational institutions, were also damaged in the strike.
Odesa has been a frequent target by Russian forces throughout the war, with many of its attacks at the city’s port facilities.
It comes as Russia ordered more weapons to Ukraine as its generals hope to break through Ukraine’s frontlines.
“To maintain the required pace of the offensive... it is necessary to increase the volume and quality of weapons and military equipment supplied to the troops, primarily weapons,” Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister, said.
02:36 PM BST
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01:38 PM BST
Russia orders more weapons to Ukraine to break front lines
Russia ordered more weapons to be delivered faster to the front lines in Ukraine as generals eye a breakthrough following weeks of gains.
“To maintain the required pace of the offensive...it is necessary to increase the volume and quality of weapons and military equipment supplied to the troops, primarily weapons,” Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister said.
With Kyiv blaming lack of weapons, Russian forces have made nearly daily tactical advances in recent weeks along the frontline in Ukraine’s southeast.
Ukrainian forces defending the strategic eastern stronghold of Chasiv Yar said on Wednesday that they are still waiting for fresh ammunition after the United States amid intensifying attacks from Russian troops and drones.
Meanwhile Russian forces killed two in the continuing bombardment of Kharkiv, using increasingly effective guide bombs.
01:24 PM BST
Russia orders more weapons to Ukraine to break front lines
Russia ordered more weapons to be delivered faster to the front lines in Ukraine as generals eye a breakthrough following weeks of gains.
“To maintain the required pace of the offensive...it is necessary to increase the volume and quality of weapons and military equipment supplied to the troops, primarily weapons,” Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister said.
With Kyiv blaming lack of weapons, Russian forces have made nearly daily tactical advances in recent weeks along the frontline in Ukraine’s southeast.
Ukrainian forces defending the strategic eastern stronghold of Chasiv Yar said on Wednesday that they are still waiting for fresh ammunition after the United States amid intensifying attacks from Russian troops and drones.
Meanwhile Russian forces killed two in the continuing bombardment of Kharkiv, using increasingly effective guide bombs.
01:05 PM BST
Watch: Ukrainian drone blasts set Russian oil refinery ablaze
As we reported this morning, fires broke out overnight at a Russian oil refinery in Ryazan after being struck by suspected Ukrainian drones (see our post at 10:16 am).
Ryazan governor Pavlo Malko said inspection of the site was ongoing. No fatalities have been reported.
12:45 PM BST
Ukraine’s army HQ targeted by missiles, Russia claims
The Russian military has attacked the command headquarters of the Ukrainian army’s southern grouping, Russia’s defence military has said, according to Reuters.
“The headquarters of the operational command of the southern grouping of the armed forces of Ukraine was struck by operational and tactical aviation, missile forces and artillery,” the ministry said.
It gave no further details about the attack on the headquarters, based in the port of Odessa, but said that Russian forces were fortifying their defence across the entire frontline.
12:03 PM BST
‘Number three’ at Russian defence ministry questioned over bribery case
A senior Russian defence official has reportedly been questioned by the Federal Security Service in relation to the detention of one of his colleagues on bribery charges.
Ruslan Tsalikov is the “number three” in Moscow’s defence ministry, following the minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov, said the UK defence ministry in its intelligence update today.
He was reportedly pulled in for questioning after the arrest of Timur Ivanov, a long-time ally, on 21 April.
Mr Ivanov, who oversaw construction for Russia’s military infrastructure projects, is accused of accepting large bribes and will be kept in custody until 23 June after appearing at a Moscow district court last week.
A number of defence ministers have already been questioned or detained following his arrest.
11:12 AM BST
Zaporizhzhya announces plans for first underground schools
Five underground ‘bunker schools’ will be built in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, the governor has announced.
Three schools will be built in the centre of Zaporizhzhya, and the other two elsewhere in Zaporizhzhya Oblast.
Governor Ivan Fedorov did not specify a timescale for their completion.
The schools are designed to shield students from Russian bombardments. Kharkiv was the first Ukrainian city to open purpose-built subterranean schools.
As the front line runs through both Zaporizhzhya and Kharkiv oblasts, both regions frequently suffer Russian attacks, forcing many schools to teach online throughout the war.
10:16 AM BST
Ukrainian drone blasts set Russian oil refinery ablaze
A Russian oil refinery was set ablaze after being struck by suspected Ukrainian drones, the region’s governor said.
The oil refinery in Ryazan was hit by drones overnight, causing a fire, the Russian Telegram news channel Astra reported. A source told the Kyiv Post the operation was carried out by the Ukrainian military intelligence service.
Ryazan governor Pavlo Malkov said an “inspection is ongoing” at the site on Tuesday morning. There were no reports of fatalities.
The US has urged Ukraine to stop striking Russia’s oil and energy infrastructure, warning that the drone attacks risk driving up global oil prices and provoking retaliation.
The refinery, owned and run by Rosneft, refines about 5.8 per cent of Russia’s total refined crude. It has been a frequent target for Ukraine’s air attacks.
09:56 AM BST
Ukrainian military conducts security checks in capital
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is today carrying out counter-intelligence measures in the capital, Kyiv.
The measures are being conducted to inspect individual buildings, including private apartments, offices and various public places, to root out prohibited items, said the SBU.
It added the checks will mainly revolve around the district of Shevchenkiv, including Sofiyska and Mykhailivska squares in Kyiv’s city centre.
The SBU will also carry out checks, some of whom may be asked to show identification documents and abide by a curfew, on citizens in the central part of the capital. They called on people to “respond appropriately.”
09:28 AM BST
Russia has lost 469,840 troops in Ukraine since the start of the conflict
Russia has lost 469,840 soldiers in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported.
This number includes 1,1200 Russian just over the past day, said the report released on Wednesday.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 7,312 tanks, 14,067 armored fighting vehicles, 16,175 vehicles and fuel tanks, 12,024 artillery systems, 1,053 multiple launch rocket systems, 780 air defense systems, 348 airplanes, 325 helicopters, 9,538 drones, 26 ships and boats, and one submarine.
08:52 AM BST
G7 commits to reduce dependency on Russian nuclear fuel supplies
Members of the G7 vowed to reduce dependency on Russian nuclear energy supplies to create “a diversified fuel supply chain free from Russian influence,” they said in a joint statement on Tuesday.
Despite Western efforts to detach itself from Russian energy supplies, Moscow continues to dominate the global market’s supplies of enriched uranium.
Rosatom, Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, supplied 30 per cent of enriched uranium supplies bought by the EU and 23 per cent of those bought by the United States in 2022, according to the Royal United Services Institute’s March report.
G7 members also committed to assisting countries attempting to diversify their fuel supply.
The statement came the same day the US Senate approved legislation banning imports of enriched uranium from Russia.
08:31 AM BST
New York businessman pleads guilty to exporting drone parts to Russia
A US citizen has pleaded guilty to conspiring to sell more than $250,000 worth of sensitive drone technology to Russia, the United States Justice Department has said.
Nikolay Grigorev, 36, pleaded guilty to exporting US-sourced dual-use electronics used in Russian military drones, after more than 11,500 electronic components were uncovered at his residence, to Russian companies fuelling the war against Ukraine.
He faces up to five years in prison.
Lisa Monaco, deputy attorney general in New York, said: “The justice department will continue to hold accountable those who defy our sanctions and export controls to support Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression in Ukraine – whether they’re based in New York City or overseas.”
The justice department are still searching for two other people connected to the allegations.
Despite Western nations imposing extensive sanctions against Russia, Russia has continuously found pathways to bypass them by exploiting loopholes in trade restrictions and relying on third-party intermediaries.
07:58 AM BST
Russia orders more weapons for war
Russia has ordered more and swifter delivery of weapons for Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, said the Russian defence minister on Wednesday.
The Kremlin’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu said: “To maintain the required pace of the offensive it is necessary to increase the volume and quality of weapons and military equipment supplied to the troops, primarily weapons.”
The comments come just days after Ukraine’s outnumbered troops were forced to retreat from three villages on the eastern front lines, as Russian forces have continued to break through its besieged front lines.
