Russia has launched its long-awaited all-out assault on eastern Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian government, unleashing thousands of troops in what Kyiv described as the Battle of the Donbas. The Kremlin has also now declared that its main goal is to capture the Donbas region, after it failed to overrun Ukraine’s capital. What is coming
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The world must brace itself for an economic slowdown, a burst in inflation and a potential wave of social unrest as energy and food prices rise to intolerable levels, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned in its first assessment of the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war. The IMF said that Ukraine’s economy would contract
Russia has started its expected major new offensive in eastern Ukraine, President Zelenskyy has said. “The Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas, for which they have been preparing for a long time,” Ukraine’s leader said in a video address on Monday night. “A significant part of the entire Russian army is now
The first images of one of Russia’s most prestigious warships shortly before it sank are being shared online. Ukraine says it struck the Moskva in a missile attack. However, Russia says the damage to the flagship vessel was caused by a fire which detonated ammunition on board. It says the warship then sank during a
We’d only been out with the police for a few minutes. The thud was distant. But close enough to abort the patrol. “Turn around, turn around…” Lieutenant Colonel Sasha Malysh said. “It’s shelling.” Then the police radio crackled. “Attention to all patrols… go to the shelter.” Pope condemns ‘Easter of war’ as Kharkiv hit by
Crew members who survived the sinking of the Moskva missile cruiser have met the head of Russia’s navy, it has been claimed. Pictures released by the country’s defence ministry appear to show sailors coming face to face with Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov in the Crimean city of Sevastopol. According to a statement, the commander-in-chief told the
Russia has demanded the surrender of the last remaining Ukrainian troops in Mariupol, with the city on the brink of falling. Moscow claimed it would spare the lives of the troops holding out in a blockaded steelworks plant – but only if they surrendered by 11am GMT. Earlier, Russia said it had cleared the urban
The Kremlin has banned Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Ben Wallace and 10 other UK politicians from entering Russia. The Russian foreign ministry said the action was taken “in view of the unprecedented hostile action by the British government, in particular the imposition of sanctions against senior Russian officials”. The list will be expanded soon, according
The sinking of the Moskva missile cruiser means that the crucial city of Odesa is now a bit safer, and any Russian attack on the port would be harder. The loss of the Russian ship has dominated news stories about the war in the last day or so, and has raised questions about what it
A Russian warship which was allegedly attacked by Ukraine has sunk, according to state-owned media. The missile cruiser Moskva is the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet and sank as it was towed back to a port during bad weather after an explosion and fire, according to reports. Earlier, Russia’s defence ministry said the Soviet-era
Russia has admitted that the flagship of its Black Sea Fleet – the Moskva – was in flames on Thursday, with Ukraine claiming to have hit it with missiles. Russia’s defence ministry said the Moskva missile cruiser had been badly damaged after ammunition on board was blown up by the fire. In comments reported by
IS ‘Beatle’ El Shafee Elsheikh has been found guilty of hostage-taking and conspiring to murder journalists and aid workers in Syria. Prosecutors argued that Elsheikh was a member of an Islamic State terror cell that operated in Iraq and Syria, and whose members were nicknamed “The Beatles” for their British accents. The cell caused outrage
One image dominates Ukrainian news sites this morning. The photograph of a dishevelled, handcuffed man in his 60s wearing army camouflage was posted on Instagram by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last night. His name is Viktor Medvedchuk, he’s a central character in the story of Ukraine’s recent political history and he’s never been seen like
US President Joe Biden has described Russia’s actions in Ukraine as “genocide” and says Vladimir Putin is trying to “wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian”. In a speech to voters in Iowa about rising fuel prices, Mr Biden said: “Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of
Russia is concentrating its firepower on the southeast of Ukraine in a new phase of the war that could see up to three times as many Russian troops in the Donbas region. Ukraine’s military, after defeating a Russian attempt to storm the capital Kyiv and forcing Russian soldiers to withdraw from across the north of
The UK is “working urgently” to verify details following unconfirmed reports of a Russian chemical attack in a besieged city in Ukraine, the foreign secretary has said. Liz Truss said any confirmed use of chemical weapons in Mariupol would be a “callous escalation” of the war. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, used his nightly video address