World

Vladimir Putin has ordered that Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces are put on high alert. Mr Putin said aggressive statements by NATO leaders and economic sanctions against Moscow were behind the decision. Speaking on state television on Sunday, he said: “As you can see, not only do Western countries take unfriendly measures against our country in

Any rumour of a Russian advance, and hurriedly formed roadblocks suddenly appear on the streets of Kyiv.  The roadblocks are manned by Ukrainian soldiers, alongside them volunteers and reservists fill sandbags and build defences. It is starting to feel like the defence of the capital is taking on a character of its own: a character

Ukraine’s president has said his forces are still in control of Kyiv and is appealing to the country’s “friends” abroad to join the fight. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a fresh address on Saturday: “Everyone who can defend Ukraine abroad please do it directly in a united way. “Every friend of Ukraine who wants to join

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned his country’s citizens that Russian troops are preparing to storm Kyiv, urging them “to stop the enemy wherever you can”. After unleashing airstrikes, Russian tanks rolled into Kyiv on Friday, and troops were descending on the capital from two fronts. In a message posted on social media, Mr Zelenskyy

Russian President Vladimir Putin has appealed directly to Ukrainian troops and told them “it will be easier for us to agree if you take power in your own hands”. During the address, he added it was “easier to negotiate with you” than the “gang of Nazis that has captured Kyiv” – an apparent reference to

Russian troops are feared to have taken hostages at Chernobyl after capturing the shuttered nuclear plant in northern Ukraine. The site in Pripyat, around 60 miles from the capital Kyiv, was abandoned following what remains the world’s worst nuclear disaster back in 1986. But some workers were stationed there to maintain the facility, which was

Boris Johnson has accused Vladimir Putin of choosing a “path of bloodshed and destruction” after explosions were heard in Ukrainian cities. The prime minister said the UK and its allies will respond “decisively”, adding that he was “appalled by the horrific events” in Ukraine. Mr Johnson has spoken to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the country’s president, to

Ukraine has brought in emergency measures and told its citizens in Russia to flee the country as fears of a large-scale invasion by President Vladimir Putin’s troops mount. In further ominous signs, Moscow began evacuating its Kyiv embassy and the leaders of two Russian-backed separatist-controlled regions in eastern Ukraine asked Mr Putin for military help

Vladimir Putin is “highly likely” to be planning a move on Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has told Sky News – as she warned Russia that “nothing is off the table” when considering further Western sanctions. The UK, US and EU have announced a raft of fresh sanctions on Russia following Mr Putin’s

Vladimir Putin is expected to lay a wreath at Moscow’s Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier today as the current generation of troops contemplates a full-blown war in Ukraine. The Russian president will mark Defender Of The Fatherland Day, which is intended to honour military service personnel, marking the date in 1918 of the first mass

Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked legislators for permission to use armed forces outside Russia – a move that could pave the way for a broader attack on Ukraine. On Monday, Moscow recognised the independence of Russian-backed rebel regions in eastern Ukraine. Some western leaders have said Russian troops had moved into Ukraine’s east –

Vladimir Putin has declared he recognises the independence of two separatist regions in Ukraine – and there is now the heightened threat that Russian troops could enter the areas. The Russian president defied Western warnings against such a move over Luhansk and Donetsk, announcing it at the end of a TV address which lasted around

Downing Street has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan for invading Ukraine has effectively “already begun”. Number 10 suggested that Russia’s “playbook” for launching military action against its neighbour had begun to “play out in real time”. But a “window for diplomacy” still remains to prevent war in Europe, Downing Street added. Live updates

Russian frontline commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack on Ukraine, according to a US official. The intelligence is said to have informed the White House’s belief that Moscow intends to commence a “full-scale assault” very soon. In a potential breakthrough, Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have

Intelligence suggests Russia is planning “the biggest war in Europe since 1945”, Boris Johnson has warned. The prime minister said “all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun” – telling the BBC that evidence indicates the Kremlin’s intent is to invade Ukraine and encircle Kyiv. “People need to understand the

As warnings of war in Ukraine grow louder, the fear and tension felt in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv are also felt in neighbouring Poland – for the two countries share far more than just a border.  Some two million people have left their homes in Ukraine seeking work and opportunities in their western neighbour. This