Ukraine-Russia war – latest: Putin’s forces strike eastern towns after Kyiv makes gains in Bakhmut

Ukrainian forces have made incremental gains in blood-stained Bakhmut, provoking a wave of revenge attacks from Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said the Ukrainian military managed to retake nearly two square miles during the past week around the ruined eastern city of Bakhmut.

But Russian troops were continuing their assault around the eastern towns of Kupyansk and Lyman, where she said they were regrouping.

“The Russians have intensified these offensives after success of the Ukrainian army on Bakhmut axis,” she said.

She added: “The Armed Forces are facing complete mining of the territory, cement fortifications of the key heights, (and) constant mortar and artillery shelling,” she said. “Additionally the Russians are densely using aviation.”

Troops were also fighting for control of the neighbouring settlement of Urozhaine, the deputy defence minister said.

A Moscow-installed official in an occupied part of Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia region said on Sunday that Kyiv was attempting to pierce Russian lines by gaining a foothold in both villages.

Key Points

• Russia to equip new nuclear submarines with hypersonic missiles

• Ukraine reports fierce fighting, 'some success' in counteroffensive

• Baby among seven killed as Russia strikes Kherson

• Russian troops ‘forced to retreat’ as Ukraine ‘retakes key Donetsk village’

• ‘Realistic possibility’ Kremlin no longer funds Wagner, says UK

Putin’s forces strike eastern towns after Kyiv makes gains in Bakhmut

15:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian forces have made incremental gains in blood-stained Bakhmut, provoking a wave of revenge attacks from Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said the Ukrainian military managed to retake nearly two square miles during the past week around the ruined eastern city of Bakhmut.

But Russian troops were continuing their assault around the eastern towns of Kupyansk and Lyman, where she said they were regrouping.

“The Russians have intensified these offensives after success of the Ukrainian army on Bakhmut axis,” she said.

She added: “The Armed Forces are facing complete mining of the territory, cement fortifications of the key heights, (and) constant mortar and artillery shelling,” she said. “Additionally the Russians are densely using aviation.”

What are hypersonic missiles and how do they work?

14:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia is in the process of equipping its new nuclear submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles, the head of Russia’s largest shipbuilder has said.

“Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will ... be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis,” , Alexei Rakhmanov, chief executive officer of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), told RIA.

“Work in this direction is already underway.”

Yasen-class submarines, also known as Project 885M, are nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines, built to replace Soviet-era nuclear attack submarines as part of a programme to modernise the army and fleet.

The sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles have a range of 900 km (560 miles), and can travel at several times the speed of sound, making it difficult to defend against them.

What are hypersonic missiles and how do they work?

Twenty-two Russian diplomats leave Moldova as relations slide

14:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Twenty-two Russian diplomats flew out of the Moldovan capital of Chisinau on Monday, leaving behind a skeleton staff as relations between the two countries deteriorate.

Moldovan officials have said the reduction of staff at the Russian embassy to 25 from 80 will establish parity with Moldova’s embassy in Moscow.

Ex-Soviet state Moldova has been buffeted by Russia‘s war in neighbouring Ukraine and its pro-European President Maia Sandu has denounced the invasion and accused Moscow of trying to destabilise her country.

Moldovan media outlets published a video of two buses being escorted out of the Russian embassy by police and driving in the direction of the airport.

A source at Chisinau airport told Reuters that the plane carrying the embassy staff had left for the Russian city of Sochi, from where it would continue to Moscow.

Twenty-three technical support staff and their families were also asked to leave along with the diplomats.

Two Russian citizens held in Poland on claims of spreading propaganda for Wagner

14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Two Russian citizens have been arrested on allegations of spreading propaganda for Russia‘s Wagner mercenary group, Poland’s security authorities said.

The Internal Security Agency, or ABW, alleged the men had been acting on behalf of Russia‘s secret services and were distributing leaflets in Warsaw and Krakow advocating joining the mercenaries.

The two, identified only as Alexei T and Andrei G, were to receive the equivalent of some 5,000 dollars (£3,940) for their work, the agency alleged.

They were arrested on Friday on allegations of working for a foreign intelligence agency and participation in an organised group having terrorist goals.

If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison.

In recent months Poland has arrested 22 people suspected of spying for Russia or for its ally, Belarus, in what Warsaw sees as part of a hybrid war on Poland due to its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia‘s aggression.

In pictures: Aftermath of Russian shelling

13:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Pictures show local residents search for their belongings in the ruins of a house destroyed by recent shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine.

Russia targets Odesa again

12:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia launched three waves of night-time air attacks against the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa, officials said on Monday, but the Ukrainian air force said it intercepted all 15 incoming Shahed drones and eight Kalibr missiles.

Falling debris from the interceptions damaged the dormitory of an educational facility in the city, a residential building and a supermarket, Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said.

Two employees of the supermarket were taken to hospital, he said.

The Kremlin’s forces have pummelled Odesa recently, aiming at facilities that transport Ukraine‘s crucial grain exports and also wrecking Ukrainian historical sites.

The stepped-up barrage followed Moscow’s decision to break off a landmark agreement that had allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia and help reduce the threat of hunger.

Following that withdrawal, Russia carried out repeated strikes on Ukrainian ports, including Odesa, and declared wide areas of the Black Sea unsafe for shipping.

On Sunday, a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the south-western Black Sea.

Russia‘s Defence Ministry said the ship was heading north to the Ukrainian Danube River port of Izmail.

Russian forces fired shots from automatic small arms to force it to stop, the ministry said on Telegram.

Ukraine‘s presidential office reported on Monday that at least eight civilians were killed and 23 others injured in Ukraine over the previous 24 hours.

Ukraine reports fierce fighting, 'some success' in counteroffensive

12:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine on Monday reported fierce fighting along its entire front line and “some success” in pushing back Moscow’s troops in one part of the southeast where Ukrainian forces are trying to retake Russian-occupied territory.

Progress has been hampered by widespread Russian-laid minefields and strong fortifications, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said.

But the Ukrainian military had pushed forward around the village of Staromaiorske, around 60 miles southwest of Russian-held Donetsk, and was pressing on two fronts in the south, Maliar said.

Troops were fighting for control of the neighbouring settlement of Urozhaine, she said. A Moscow-installed official in an occupied part of Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia region said on Sunday that Kyiv was attempting to pierce Russian lines by gaining a foothold in both villages.

“Hostilities are taking place in the vicinity of Urozhaine and the fight is for this particular locality,” Maliar said in a statement to an official military platform. “There is some success on the southern and southeast axes in the vicinity of Staromaiorske.”

Russia's weapons showing effectiveness in Ukraine, Shoigu says

11:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday that Russian weapons were showing their effectiveness in Ukraine.

In remarks shown on state television, Shoigu said that “much-hyped” Western weaponry had shown itself to be “far from perfect” in the course of fighting in Ukraine.

Russia supplying S-400 air defence systems to India on schedule - defence official

11:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia will deliver an order of S-400 anti-aircraft systems to India within the agreed timeframe, Interfax news agency quoted a senior Russian defence export official on Monday as saying.

India is the world’s biggest arms importer and still mostly uses Russian technology for traditional arms, but officials in New Delhi have expressed concern that Russia‘s war in Ukraine could delay planned deliveries of weapons and equipment.

“The production of S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems is being carried out according to schedule,” Interfax quoted Dmitry Shugaev, head of Russia‘s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, as saying.

“The delivery of the equipment of the S-400 Triumf system is expected to be completed within the agreed time frame,” he said in comments made during an armed forces event.

India purchased the S-400 Triumf air defence system units in 2018 for $5.4 billion. Three of the systems have been delivered and two more are still awaited.

The deliveries are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024, according to Interfax.

The Indian Air Force said in March that the war in Ukraine was holding up vital defence supplies from Russia.

New Delhi has been seeking in recent years to diversify imports or replace them with home-built hardware.

It is buying French fighter jets, Israeli drones and U.S. jet engines. But Russia still accounted for $8.5 billion of the $18.3 billion India has spent on arms imports since 2017, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Wagner tracker: Charting Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mercenary group through the Ukraine war

10:36 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Since Vladimir Putin rose to power as Russia’s president 23 years ago, few things have rocked his leadership as much as Saturday 24 June when Wagner mercenaries barrelled towards Moscow.

The “army within an army” who had been ruthlessly grinding away for months at the vanguard of some of the bloodiest fighting in eastern flanks Ukraine were now on the verge of triggering a war within a war - this time, against the Kremlin.

But the Russian president was spared that when the mutiny was halted in its tracks about 125 miles from the capital, in a deal between the leader of the mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin and Putin – brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin himself was due to head to Belarus – although he has been pictured in Russia since – with an invitation for Wagner fighters to gather in Belarus. Thousands are set to entered the country since.

Below we track Wagner’s involvement in the invasion of Ukraine and their infamous- but failed- march to Moscow:

Charting Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary group through the Ukraine war

Danish air force intercepts Russian bombers headed to Dutch NATO airspace

10:14 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Danish air force has intercepted two Russian bombers that were identified over Denmark and flying towards the area that the Netherlands monitors for the NATO military alliance, the Dutch Royal Airforce said on Monday.

It added that Dutch F-16s were called into action Monday morning, but the Russian bombers were intercepted before they could enter Dutch NATO airspace and have now turned back.

A spokesperson for the Dutch Royal Airforce said that planes are intercepted if they do not have a unique identifying code, did not provide a flight plan, and if there is no two-way conversation.

He also said that it’s not rare for Russian airplanes to violate a European country’s airspace or approach it.

Reuters could not immediately reach the Danish Ministry for Defence for comment.

German network regulator names 2nd managing director of Rosneft Deutschland

09:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Germany’s network regulator on Monday said it had appointed Udo Giegerich as a second managing director of the German subsidiary of Russia‘s Rosneft , Rosneft Deutschland, which Berlin put under a trusteeship last year.

The regulator said Giegerich was a proven financial expert as a former finance chief at various companies and would be responsible for Rosneft Deutschland’s finance department.

Chinese Defense Minister Li to visit Russia and Belarus in show of support despite West's objections

09:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu is visiting Russia and Belarus in a show of support for those nations which the West has sought to isolate over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Li departed Monday on the six-day trip, during which he will deliver an address at the Moscow Conference on International Security and meet with defense leaders from Russia and other nations, the Defense Ministry said on its social media account, citing spokesperson Col. Wu Qian.

Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov is due to speak at the conference on the topic of the “Majority World countries’ search for ways to development outside Western mechanisms, including strengthening multilateral associations of a new type,” Russia’s official TASS news agency reported.

It said representatives from about 100 countries and eight international organizations had been invited to attend.

Chinese Defense Minister Li to visit Russia and Belarus in show of support despite West's objections

Ukraine condemns 'provocative' Russian actions in Black Sea

09:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine on Monday condemned what it called “provocative” Russian actions and called for decisive countermeasures by the international community, a day after Moscow said one of its warships had fired warning shots at a cargo vessel in the Black Sea.

Moscow said in a statement on Sunday that its Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired automatic weapons on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after the ship’s captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection.

Russia has said it will treat any ships approaching Ukrainian ports as potential military vessels after it left a U.N.-brokered deal last month that allowed the safe passage through the Black Sea of Ukrainian grain.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the provocative actions carried out by the Russian Federation on August 13 in the Black Sea in relation to the Turkish dry cargo vessel ‘Sukru Okan,’ which was en route to the port of Izmail,” the ministry said in a statement.

Kyiv said the incident was a gross violation of international law and “exemplified Russia‘s deliberate policy of endangering the freedom of navigation and safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea”.

“We express our support and solidarity with Turkiye, our strategic partner, and we call on the international community to take decisive action to prevent Russian Federation’s actions that impede the peaceful passage of vessels through the Black Sea,” the ministry said.

Russia to equip new nuclear submarines with hypersonic missiles

08:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia is in the process of equipping its new nuclear submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles, the head of Russia‘s largest shipbuilder told the RIA state news agency in an interview published on Monday.

“Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will ... be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis,” , Alexei Rakhmanov, chief executive officer of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), told RIA.

“Work in this direction is already underway.”

Yasen-class submarines, also known as Project 885M, are nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines, built to replace Soviet-era nuclear attack submarines as part of a programme to modernise the army and fleet.

The sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles have a range of 900 km (560 miles), and can travel at several times the speed of sound, making it difficult to defend against them.

President Vladimir Putin said earlier this year that Russia would start mass supplies of Zircon missiles as part of the country’s efforts to boost its nuclear forces.

The Russian multi-purposes frigate Admiral Gorshkov, which has tested its strike capabilities in the western Atlantic Ocean earlier this year, has been already equipped with Zircon missiles

Ukraine condemns 'provocative' Russian actions in Black Sea

08:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukraine has condemned Russia for its "provocative" actions, a day after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo vessel in the Black Sea.

"The ministry of foreign affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the provocative actions carried out by the Russian Federation on August 13 in the Black Sea in relation to the Turkish dry cargo vessel 'Sukru Okan,' which was en route to the port of Izmail," the ministry said in a statement today.

"The Russian Navy grossly violated the UN Charter, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and other norms of international law. These actions exemplified Russia's deliberate policy of endangering the freedom of navigation and safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea."

Purported video shows huge fire as Russia strikes Odesa

07:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukrainian forces blow up minibus used to transport Russian soldiers

07:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Footage shows the Russian vehicle being hit and exploding, with black smoke rising into the air as it burns.

The images were shared by Colonel General Oleksandr Stanislavovych Syrskyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Wednesday saying: “The 63rd OMBr destroys the minibus that the Russians used to transport their personnel. Good job.”

Ukrainian forces blow up minibus used to transport Russian soldiers

Search teams comb rubble after factory explosion close to Moscow

06:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Rescuers in Russia combed through the rubble following an explosion on the grounds of a factory in Sergiev Posad, north of the capital Moscow.

Twelve people remained missing after the explosion on Wednesday at a factory that makes optical equipment for Russian security forces, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing emergency officials.

Russia’s Emergency Ministry released footage showing crews clearing the debris, with excavators and heavy machinery being used to comb through the site.

Watch: Search teams comb rubble after factory explosion close to Moscow

Russia fires warning shots at ‘Ukraine-bound’ international cargo ship

06:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A Russian warship fired warning shots at a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea yesterday, after the Russian defence ministry said it intercepted the Palau-flagged “Sukru Okan” ship heading towards Ukraine.

Issuing a statement, Russia said its Vasily Bykov patrol ship open fired with an automatic weapon at the vessel after its captain did not respond to their request to halt for an inspection.

"To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons," the Russian defence ministy said. A Ka-29 helicopter carrying Russian soldiers was then scrambled to inspect the ship.

While Russia claims the ship was heading towards Ukraine’s port of Izmail, Refinitiv shipping data showed the ship was heading north towards the coast of Bulgaria, reported Reuters.

"After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail," the Russian defence ministry said.

Namita Singh has more.

Russia fires warning shots at ‘Ukraine-bound’ cargo ship in Black Sea

Russia equipping new nuclear submarines with zircon missiles, says shipbuilder

05:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia is in the process of equipping its new nuclear submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles, the head of Russia’s largest shipbuilder has said.

“Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will ... be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis,” Alexei Rakhmanov, chief executive officer of the United Shipbuilding Corporation told RIA state news agency.

“Work in this direction is already underway.”

Yasen-class submarines, also known as Project 885M, are nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines, built to replace Soviet-era nuclear attack submarines as part of a programme to modernise the army and fleet.

Russian president Vladimir Putin said earlier this year that Russia would start mass supplies of Zircon missiles as part of the country’s efforts to boost its nuclear forces.

Russia vows retaliation after Ukraine attack on Crimea bridge

05:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia has vowed revenge after claiming to have shot down Ukrainian missiles targeting a key bridge linking them with the annexed Crimea.

Videos on social media appeared to show smoke rising from near Kerch Bridge, an important resupply route for Russian forces.

The Kremlin accused Ukraine of terrorism, while also claiming to have thwarted an attack by 20 drones targeting Crimea overnight.

Russian foreign spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram: “There can be no justification for such barbaric actions and they will not go unanswered.”

More here.

Russia vows retaliation after Ukraine launches attack on key Crimea bridge

Three injured in Russian attack on Odesa

04:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

At least three people sustained injuries in Russia’s overnight attack on the port city of Odesa, the governor of the Ukrainian region said.

“As a result of the enemy attack in Odesa, several fires broke out from falling rocket fragments,” the governor, Oleh Kiper, said today.

“Windows in buildings were blown out by the blast wave.

Baby dead in Russian attack on Kherson

04:19 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Artillery shelling in the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River killed a family — a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old girl — and another resident.

Two men were killed in the neighboring village of Stanislav, where a woman was also wounded.

The attack on Kherson province followed Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar’s comments on Saturday attempting to quell rumors that Ukrainian forces had landed on the occupied left (east) bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.

“Again, the expert hype around the left bank in the Kherson region began. There are no reasons for excitement,” she said.

7 killed in Ukraine's Kherson region, including a 23-day-old baby girl

Ukraine is the most mined country in the world, claims defence minister

04:00 , Matt Drake

Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces have been laying down landmines year after year in an effort to thwart any counteroffensive.

The Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov claimed that millions of explosive devices have been placed along the frontline which extends roughly 600 miles.

Speaking to The Guardian, he said: "Russian minefields are a serious obstacle for our troops, but not insurmountable.

"We have skilled sappers and modern equipment, but they are extremely insufficient for the front that stretches hundreds of kilometres in the east and south of Ukraine.”

Polish minister says reinforcement at the border with Belarus is due to hostile rhetoric and actions

03:00 , Matt Drake

Poland’s defense minister said Saturday that the country has increased the number of troops protecting its border with Belarus as a deterrent amid “destabilizing” actions by its pro-Russian neighbor.

Mariusz Blaszczak met in Jarylowka, in eastern Poland, with some of the troops recently deployed close to the Belarus border.

He insisted that the increased military presence is purely a deterrent move, not a hostile act, as Minsk and Moscow are claiming.

“There is no doubt that the Belarus regime is cooperating with the Kremlin and that the attacks on the Polish border are intended to destabilize our country,” Blaszczak said.

Read the full report by Rafal Niedzielski below.

Polish minister says reinforcement at the border with Belarus is due to hostile rhetoric and actions

Further shelling in Kherson region

02:00 , Matt Drake

There has been further shelling in the village of Bilozerka on the outskirts of Kherson.

It comes after reports that shelling in Shikora Balka killed seven people, including a 23-day-old baby.

Air raid sirens were reported across the region for the rest of Sunday.

According to military officials on Telegram, 12 houses were damaged, injuring a man and a 31-year-old woman.

Ukrainian troops shoot flyers at Russian positions urging them to surrender

01:00 , Matt Drake

Images show Ukrainian soldiers preparing artillery shells filled with flyers near Bakhmut, Donetsk region.

The flyers have messages urging Russian troops to give up and are then fired towards enemy positions using a Grad multiple-launch rocket system.

Russia says it has foiled Ukraine drone attack over Belgorod region

Monday 14 August 2023 00:00 , Matt Drake

Russia’s defence ministry claimed on Sunday that their air defences shot down another drone over the western Belgorod region at around 10 pm Moscow time.

The ministry said in a post on its Telegram channel: “There were no casualties or destruction.”

Newborn baby girl killed alongside parents and brother as Putin’s troops bombard Kherson village

Sunday 13 August 2023 23:00 , Matt Drake

An entire family including a newborn baby girl and her 12-year-old brother were among seven people killed during intense Russian shelling in a village in southern Kherson on Sunday.

Russian shells hit the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River, and killed a family that included a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old baby girl, Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Ministry said.

Another resident was also killed, as well as two men in the neighbouring village of Stanislav.

Ukraine’s interior minister Igor Klymenko said the shells hit the family’s home in Shiroka Balka, adding: “Terrorists must be stopped. They must be stopped by force. They don’t understand anything else.”

Read the full report by Matt Drake below.

Newborn baby girl killed as Putin’s troops bombard Kherson village

Torture is ‘antithesis of a peaceful settlement,’ warns UN special rapporteur

Sunday 13 August 2023 22:26 , Andy Gregory

War crimes such as torture are “the antithesis of a peaceful settlement”, the UN’s special rapporteur on torture has warned, after writing to Russian authorities to detail allegations brought to her concerning Moscow’s forces in Ukraine.

“Torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of your enemy is one of the crimes which is so hard for societies and individuals to recover from. That is the antithesis of a peaceful settlement,” said Dr Alice Jill Edwards, in an exclusive interview with The Independent.

“It’s not the investigations into these allegations, it’s the actual acts themselves. There really is never any peace without justice, and I think the Ukraine context is very interesting how this [bid] to investigate crimes of torture is being carried out in real-time while a war is underway. That is rare.”

Ukrainian accounts of torture ‘go way beyond rogue Russian troops’, UN warns

Charting the Wagner mercenary group’s movements through the Ukraine war

Sunday 13 August 2023 21:29 , Andy Gregory

The UK’s Ministry of Defence first reported that Wagner mercenaries had been deployed in Ukraine on 28 March 2022, little over a month into Moscow’s invasion – after Russian losses had already begun to hamper the pace of the initial assault.

Military consultant Nicholas Drummond told The Independent: “Wagner was involved from the start but the group started to become a key player when the initial assault ran into difficulty. By the end of March, it was very evident that the invasion had gone wrong. Putin used Prigozhin as a troubleshooter and Wagner was there to fill the gaps.”

But despite handing Mr Putin the rare opportunity to vaunt a military success in Ukraine with the grinding and costly capture of Bakhmut, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin would ultimately turn on the Kremlin, and his exact whereabouts now are up for debate, as his mercenaries’ presence in Belarus raises concerns across the border with Nato.

My colleague Maryam Zakir-Hussain takes a look below at Wagner’s movements since the war’s outset:

Charting Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary group through the Ukraine war

Russian scientists ‘begin processing first data’ from Luna-25 space mission

Sunday 13 August 2023 20:22 , Andy Gregory

Russia has switched on the scientific instruments aboard its lunar lander and scientists began processing its first data, as the space craft sped towards the moon in a bid to be first to find ice on the Earth’s only natural satellite.

The Russian Luna-25 mission, the first since 1976, is racing against India, which launched its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander last month, to complete a soft landing on the moon’s south pole where scientists believe there are pockets of water ice.

A Soyuz 2.1 rocket carrying the Luna-25 craft blasted off from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East at 2:11am on Friday Moscow time and was boosted out of Earth’s orbit an hour later.

There is much riding on the Luna-25 mission for Russia – if it succeeds, Moscow is likely to say it shows that the West’s sanctions over the Ukraine war cannot hold it back, while failure would again raise questions over Russia’s space ambitions after decades of superpower competition with the US during the Cold War.

Seven killed in Ukraine’s Kherson region, including a 23-day-old baby girl

Sunday 13 August 2023 19:26 , Andy Gregory

Seven people – including a 23-day-old baby girl – were killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region on Sunday, the country’s Internal Affairs Ministry said.

Artillery shelling in the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River killed a family — a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old girl — and another resident.

Two men were killed in the neighbouring village of Stanislav, where a woman was also wounded.

Susie Blann has the full report:

7 killed in Ukraine's Kherson region, including a 23-day-old baby girl

Ukraine claims to have ‘liquidated’ 560 Russian troops in 24 hours of fighting

Sunday 13 August 2023 18:31 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine claims to have “liquidated” a further 560 Russian troops in its daily roundup of Moscow’s losses.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also claimed to have destroyed 20 vehicles and fuel tanks, 11 armoured personnel vehicles, three tanks, and 19 artillery systems.

Ukraine’s count of Russian losses is somewhat higher than estimates by Western allies, media outlets and other analysts, which in turn are significantly higher than those admitted to by Moscow.

Large fire extinguished at fertiliser warehouse in Moscow region, Russian authorities say

Sunday 13 August 2023 17:34 , Andy Gregory

A large fire that broke out at a fertiliser warehouse in the Moscow region on Sunday has been extinguished, Russia’s emergency service has said.

The size of the fire in the town of Ramenskoye reached 2,700 square metres before it was localised and put out, Russian state news agency RIA reported.

Videos of the fire posted online earlier showed thick black smoke and a flame, seen from hundreds of metres away.

Moscow region prosecutor’s office said the preliminary cause of the fire was a violation of fire safety requirements during welding work, state news agency Tass reported, citing the warehouse’s owners as saying that all employees had left the premises.

Kerch bridge reopens after suspension, official says – day after ‘rocket strike’

Sunday 13 August 2023 16:25 , Andy Gregory

Road traffic on the bridge linking Russia to the Crimean peninsula has resumed after a brief suspension on Sunday, an official Telegram channel said.

It did not state the reason for the road closure, but it came a day after Russia’s defence ministry claimed Ukraine had unsuccessfully tried to strike the bridge across the Kerch Strait with S-200 rockets, forcing its temporary closure.

The bridge, a prized trophy of Vladimir Putin built following his illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, and has been targeted on more than one occasion since Russia’s full-scale invasion last February.

Exclusive: Ukrainian accounts of torture ‘go way beyond rogue Russian troops’, UN warns

Sunday 13 August 2023 15:27 , Andy Gregory

Allegations of Ukraine’s civilians being snatched from their homes and abused in makeshift detention centres go “way beyond” the actions of rogue Russian soldiers, the UN’s special rapporteur on torture has warned.

Dr Alice Jill Edwards has written to Russian authorities detailing the accounts she has received of harrowing and widespread human rights abuses by Moscow’s troops in Ukraine – including electrocutions, mock executions and threats of genital mutilation.

The 22-page letter serves to put Russia on notice of the extensive war crimes allegations, and in effect triggers Moscow’s obligations to investigate them under its international obligations.

But a two-month deadline to formally respond to the warning has now passed – with Russia failing to do so, while ignoring Dr Edwards’ requests for a meeting to discuss the allegations, as she prepares to embark on a fact-finding mission in Ukraine.

Speaking exclusively to The Independent, Dr Edwards warned that consistencies in the geographically widespread testimonies she has received “show not just a pattern, but really state authorisation” by Moscow.

Ukrainian accounts of torture ‘go way beyond rogue Russian troops’, UN warns

Russia fires warning shots at ‘Ukraine-bound’ international cargo ship in Black Sea

Sunday 13 August 2023 14:00 , Tara Cobham

A Russian warship fired warning shots at a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea on Sunday, after the Russian defence ministry said it intercepted the Palau-flagged “Sukru Okan” ship heading towards Ukraine.

Issuing a statement, Russia said its Vasily Bykov patrol ship open fired with an automatic weapon at the vessel after its captain did not respond to their request to halt for an inspection.

"To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons," the Russian defence ministy said. A Ka-29 helicopter carrying Russian soldiers was then scrambled to inspect the ship.

Namita Singh reports:

Russia fires warning shots at ‘Ukraine-bound’ cargo ship in Black Sea

Russian troops ‘forced to retreat’ as Ukraine ‘retakes key Donetsk village’

Sunday 13 August 2023 12:19 , Tara Cobham

Russian troops have been forced to retreat as Ukraine has retaken a key village in Donetsk, according to reports.

Moscow’s forces have abandoned their positions in Urozhaine, which is a strategically-significant southeastern village that Kyiv has been attempting to recapture for days as part of its counteroffensive.

In reports that The Independent has been unable to independently verify, it has been suggested that Ukrainian soldiers used US smart bombs that were shipped over in March.

Ukrainian forces seek to pierce Russian lines in south, says official installed by Moscow

Sunday 13 August 2023 11:30 , Tara Cobham

Ukrainian forces are trying to pierce Russian lines in the western parts of Donetsk region where waves of Kyiv’s fighters were used to gain a foothold to the east of the town of Staromaiorske, a Russian-installed official said.

Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-installed official in parts of Zaporizhzhia controlled by Moscow, said that there had been intense fighting south of Velyka Novosilka - in that area - as Ukrainian troops try to pierce Russian lines to push down to the coast on the Sea of Azov.

"The enemy managed to enter and gain a foothold in the northern part of Urozhaine after two weeks of the heaviest and bloodiest battles for this settlement," Rogov said, referring to the same part of the frontline.

He said Russian soldiers still controlled the southern part of Urozhaine, adding that Ukrainian forces were clearly aiming to take control of a town further south, Staromlynivka.

Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in June, attempting to retake swathes of territory captured by Russia in the south and east of the country. It has recaptured several villages in the south and some territory around the ruined city of Bakhmut in the east, but has so far not achieved major gains against well-dug in Russian troops.

Moscow says the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed.

Russia’s emergency service 'reports large fire at warehouse in Moscow region’

Sunday 13 August 2023 11:08 , Tara Cobham

Russia's emergency service said on Sunday that a large fire broke out at a warehouse in the town of Ramenskoye in Moscow region, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

"The size of the fire is 1,800 square metres," TASS quoted the statement.

Another state news agency, RIA, reported that the fire broke out at a fertiliser storage.

Videos of the fire posted online show thick black smoke and a flame, seen from hundreds of metres away.

The footage below, tweeted by an advisor to the Ukrainian government, has not been independently verified by The Independent.

Russian warship fires on dry cargo ship in Black Sea, says Moscow

Sunday 13 August 2023 11:03 , Tara Cobham

A Russian warship opened warning fire on a Palau-flagged dry cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea on Sunday as it made its way to Ukraine, the Russian defence ministry has said.

Russia said its Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired with automatic weapons on the "Sukru Okan" vessel after the captain did not respond to a request to halt for an inspection.

The Sukru Okan was making its way towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail, the defence ministry said.

"To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons," the Russian defence ministy said.

The Russian military boarded the vessel with the help of a Ka-29 helicopter.

"After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail," the defence ministry said.

Shipping databases list the Sukru Okan as a Palau-flagged vessel with a tonnage of 2155 whose home port is Istanbul.

Baby among seven killed in Russian shelling of Kherson, says Ukrainian minister

Sunday 13 August 2023 10:45 , Tara Cobham

A baby is among the seven civilians who were killed when Russian forces shelled the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson on Sunday, Ukrainian authorities have said.

A couple, their 23-day-old child and another man were killed in the village of Shyroka Balka, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. The couple's 12-year-old son was critically wounded and died in hospital, he added.

Two people were killed and one wounded in the neighbouring village of Stanislav, which Klymenko said was struck 12 times with artillery.

"The terrorists will never willingly stop killing civilians," Klymenko wrote in a Telegram post along with two photos of damaged houses. "The terrorists must be stopped. With force. They don't understand anything else."

Three people were wounded when Russian forces shelled Kherson city in a separate attack on Sunday, said Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's presidential administration.

Ukraine's military reclaimed the western part of the Kherson region from Russian occupation last November but Russian troops have continued regularly shelling the area from across the Dnipro River.

At least four Ukrainian drones launched over Russia, says Moscow

Sunday 13 August 2023 09:55 , Tara Cobham

At least four Ukrainian drones have been launched over western regions of Russia on Sunday, Moscow’s defence ministry has said.

Russian air defences shot down three drones over the Belgorod region and another over the Kursk region, it said, adding there were no casualties or damage caused by the incidents.

Drone air strikes deep inside Russia have increased since a drone was destroyed over the Kremlin in early May. Civilian areas of the capital were hit later in May and a Moscow business district was targeted twice in three days earlier this month.

Recap: Watch search teams comb rubble after factory explosion outside Moscow

Sunday 13 August 2023 09:13 , Tara Cobham

Recap: Russia vows retaliation after Ukraine launched attack on Crimea bridge

Sunday 13 August 2023 08:10 , Tara Cobham

Russia has vowed revenge after claiming to have shot down Ukrainian missiles targeting a key bridge linking them with the annexed Crimea.

Videos on social media appeared to show smoke rising from near Kerch Bridge, an important resupply route for Russian forces.

The Kremlin accused Ukraine of terrorism, while also claiming to have thwarted an attack by 20 drones targeting Crimea overnight.

Russian foreign spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram: “There can be no justification for such barbaric actions and they will not go unanswered.”

Holly Evans reports:

Russia vows retaliation after Ukraine launches attack on key Crimea bridge

‘Realistic possibility’ Kremlin no longer funds Wagner, says UK MOD

Sunday 13 August 2023 07:28 , Tara Cobham

There is a “realistic possibility” the Russian state no longer funds the Wagner Group, the UK Ministry of Defence has said.

In its latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine, it states: “Since the abortive mutiny of June 2023, the Russian state has acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin. There is a realistic possibility that the Kremlin no longer funds the group.”

The update suggests the Belarusian authorities are “the second most plausible paymasters”, but adds, “The sizable force would be a significant and potentially unwelcome drain on modest Belarusian resources.”

Overall, the MOD writes of the mercenaries currently experiencing “financial pressure”. It says: “The Wagner Group is likely moving towards a down-sizing and reconfiguration process, largely to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure.”

Polish minister says reinforcement at the border with Belarus is due to hostile rhetoric and actions

Sunday 13 August 2023 07:03 , Namita Singh

Poland’s defence minister said on Saturday that the country has increased the number of troops protecting its border with Belarus as a deterrent amid “destabilising” actions by its pro-Russian neighbour.

Mariusz Blaszczak met in Jarylowka, in eastern Poland, with some of the troops recently deployed close to the Belarus border.

He insisted that the increased military presence is purely a deterrent move, not a hostile act, as Minsk and Moscow are claiming.

“There is no doubt that the Belarus regime is cooperating with the Kremlin and that the attacks on the Polish border are intended to destabilise our country,” Mr Blaszczak said.

More here:

Polish minister says reinforcement at the border with Belarus is due to hostile rhetoric and actions

One killed, six wounded in Donetsk, says Russian-installed official

Sunday 13 August 2023 06:33 , Namita Singh

A civilian was killed and six people were wounded, including a 12-year-old girl, following intense Ukrainian shelling in Donetsk, including cluster munitions, a Russian-installed official in the eastern Ukrainian region said on Saturday.

One civilian was killed in a district of the city of Donetsk, while the six wounded people were in Makiivka, which lies east of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, the Russian-appointed head of the region, said on his Telegram channel.

“In total, the enemy fired 127 rounds of ammunition at peaceful cities and regions in the republic,” Mr Pushilin said, referring to the Donetsk People’s Republic as Moscow calls the region it said last year it was annexing.

Mr Pushilin said cluster munitions were among the artillery used. Both sides have used cluster munitions in the course of Russia’s 17-month-old invasion of Ukraine. Kyiv received cluster munitions from the United States last month and vowed to only use them against concentrations of enemy soldiers.

Reuters could not independently verify the information out of Donetsk, which had been partly controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014.

Russia, which early last year launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that it calls a “special military operation,” says Ukrainian forces shell the Russian-controlled parts of the Donetsk region on a daily basis.

Ukraine begins consultations with Britain on security guarantees

Sunday 13 August 2023 06:00 , Matt Drake

Ukraine has been holding consultations with the UK to secure security guarantees.

Kyiv aims to have the first agreement in place by the end of the year and is pushing to secure guarantees from powers including the US in hopes it may be let into the NATO alliance.

Ukrainian president’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said: "Our goal is to have the first such agreements in place by the end of the year.

"Our consultations with Britain have begun."

Rheinmetall to deliver Luna drone system to Ukraine by year end

Sunday 13 August 2023 05:30 , Namita Singh

Germany’s Rheinmetall will deliver a Luna New Generation drone system to Ukraine by the year end, Bild am Sonntag reported on Sunday, citing company sources.

Ukraine is desperate to boost its weapons arsenal, from drones and munitions to tanks, as it battles to repel Russia’s invasion.

The “Drones Package” consists of a ground control station with several drones, a launch catapult and military trucks, Bild said, adding the drone system could be used as a reconnaissance system, provide an LTE network and intercept or jam communications.

The company was not immediately available for comment.

Zelensky thanks Germany for additional Patriot launchers

Sunday 13 August 2023 05:00 , Matt Drake

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz for two additional Patriot air defence system launchers.

Speaking in his evening address, Mr Zelensky said: "This is very important. Thank you. Thank you, Germany.

"Thank you to the people. Thank you, Olaf!”

Ukraine border guards remind Russia Snake Island is again theirs

Sunday 13 August 2023 04:30 , Namita Singh

Ukrainian border guards placed a new sign on Snake Island this weekend, recalling the early hours of Russia’s invasion when a comrade on the strategic Black Sea outcrop used a choice phrase to refuse to surrender to a warship.

“The next border sign will be installed in our Ukrainian Crimea after its liberation by the defence forces of Ukraine,” a uniformed man said, standing before a post painted blue and yellow like the country’s flag, in a video shared on Facebook late on Saturday by the head of the border service, Serhiy Deineko.

Tiny Snake Island became synonymous with Ukrainian resistance in the first hours of the 24 February 2022 invasion, when Russian officers on the Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva radioed Ukrainian guards stationed there and ordered them to surrender or die.One of them radioed back “Russian warship, go f*** yourself.”

The phrase became a national slogan, depicted on Ukrainian billboards, T-shirts, and eventually a postage stamp.

Russia's defence ministry says it destroyed Ukraine drone over Belgorod

Sunday 13 August 2023 04:16 , Namita Singh

Russian air defence systems destroyed a Ukraine-launched unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of the Belgorod region early on Sunday morning, the Russian defence ministry said.

“There are no casualties and no damage,” the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app, adding the attack took place around 4am local time.

The report could not be independently verified. The Belgorod region in Russia’s south borders Ukraine.

Germany to deliver Luna drone system to Ukriane by the end of the year

Sunday 13 August 2023 04:00 , Matt Drake

A delivery of the Luna New Generation drone system will be sent to Ukraine by the end of the year, according to Bild am Sonntag.

The drone pakcage will consist of a ground control station with several drones, a launch catapult and military trucks.

Ukraine is said to be desperate for a boost in its weapons arsenal.

The drone system could be used as a reconnaissance system and could intercept or jam communications.

UN Security Council members demand Russia gives back seized land to Georgia

Sunday 13 August 2023 03:00 , Matt Drake

The US, UK, France Albania, Japan and Malta have issued a joint statement demanding Russia gives back land in the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions, occupied after the 2008 invasion of Georgia.

Russia's brutal invasion of Georgia was also condemened and they claim it marked a "more aggressive trend" in its policy toward neighbouring countries.

The statement spoke out against the “continuous provocations which go in parallel with the Russian Federation’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine”.

Russia vows retaliation after Ukraine launches attack on key Crimea bridge

Sunday 13 August 2023 02:00 , Matt Drake

Russia has vowed revenge after claiming to have shot down Ukrainian missiles targeting a key bridge linking them with the annexed Crimea.

Videos on social media appeared to show smoke rising from near Kerch Bridge, an important resupply route for Russian forces.

The Kremlin accused Ukraine of terrorism, while also claiming to have thwarted an attack by 20 drones targeting Crimea overnight.

Russian foreign spokeswoman Maria Zkharova wrote on Telegram: “There can be no justification for such barbaric actions and they will not go unanswered.”

Read the full report by Holly Evans below.

Russia vows retaliation after Ukraine launches attack on key Crimea bridge

Ukraine amputations as bad at First World War

Sunday 13 August 2023 01:00 , Matt Drake

Since the Russian invasion of 2022, both soldiers and civilians have faced devastating injuries.

According to the Wall Street Journal, between 20,000 and 50,000 Ukrainians have lost one or more limbs since the start of the war but the real number could be much larger.

The numbers are comparable to the injuries sustained by British and German soldiers in the the First World War.

Around 41,000 in Britain had some form of amputation while Germany had around 67,000.

There were fewer than 2,000 military personel lost a limb in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Polish minister says reinforcement at the border with Belarus is due to hostile rhetoric and actions

Sunday 13 August 2023 00:00 , Matt Drake

Poland’s defense minister said Saturday that the country has increased the number of troops protecting its border with Belarus as a deterrent.

Mariusz Blaszczak met in Jarylowka, in eastern Poland, with some of the troops recently deployed close to the Belarus border.

He insisted that the increased military presence is purely a deterrent move, not a hostile act, as Minsk and Moscow are claiming.

“There is no doubt that the Belarus regime is cooperating with the Kremlin and that the attacks on the Polish border are intended to destabilize our country,” Blaszczak said.

Read the full report by Rafal Niedzielski below.

Polish minister says reinforcement at the border with Belarus is due to hostile rhetoric and actions

Ukraine military reports progress in south

Saturday 12 August 2023 23:47 , Matt Drake

Ukrainian military officials said on Saturday that Kyiv’s forces had made progress in the south, capturing unspecified territories and claiming partial success near the key village of Robotyne.

“Tavria direction,” General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukrainian forces in the south, wrote on Telegram, referring to the southern front. “There are liberated territories. The defence forces are working.”

He did not specify where or when the advances were made. Separately, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said they had “partial success in the Robotyne area of the Zaporizhzhia region.” The battlefield report has not been verified.

Video has emerged of Russian fighter jet before crash

Saturday 12 August 2023 23:00 , Matt Drake

Two pilots were killed when their Su-30 fighter jet crashed during a demonstration in Russia's Kalingrad region.

Footage has emerged on Twitter of the plane flying above a crowd of spectators before taking a sudden dive and disappearing out of view behind a tree.

According to Russian state media, local officials said early investigations suggested the crash was caused by a technical malfunction.

Ukraine military reports 'partial success' at Robotyne in south

Saturday 12 August 2023 22:00 , Matt Drake

Ukraine’s military said on Saturday that its forces had made progress near Robotyne on the front line in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also said children were among the dead or wounded civilians following a day in which Russians launched six rockets and 36 air strikes and fired 32 rocket salvo fire systems at populated areas and Ukrainian troop positions.

It said 33 combat clashes had taken place and noted that Ukraine’s defence forces continued an offensive operation in Melitopol and Berdyansk directions.

It said they had “partial success in the Robotyne area of the Zaporizhzhia region.” It added that Ukrainians had dug in at the point of their advance and were conducting defensive attacks from there.