Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk has caused Russian elites to question Vladimir Putin’s war, CIA director William Burns has said.
Speaking in London alongside MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore, who praised the “audacious” incursion, the CIA chief said he did not see any evidence that Mr Putin's grip on power was weakening as a result, but that “it did raise questions on the part of people we could see across the Russian elite about where is this all headed”.
Warning that Britain and the US face “an unprecedented array of threats”, the spymasters warned that staying the course in resisting Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine “is more vital than ever”.
And CIA director William Burns warned of the growing and “troubling” defence relationship between Russia, Iran, China and North Korea, as reports claim the US has warned allies that it believes Tehran has sent ballistic missiles to Russia, in what the White House said would mark a “dramatic escalation” in their relationship.
Moscow launched a fresh round of drone attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of Monday.
Key Points
- Ukraine’s Kursk incursion has left Russian elites questioning war, CIA chief says
- Iran sending Russia ballistic missiles would mark ‘dramatic escalation’, warns White House
- Russia lost 6,000 troops in Kursk, claims Volodymyr Zelensky
- Zelensky presses for long-range strike support
- UK to send 650 air defence missiles worth £162m to Ukraine
World order under threat ‘not seen since Cold War’, say heads of MI6 and CIA
04:45
Arpan Rai
The international world order is under threat in a way not seen since the Cold War, the heads of MI6 and the CIA have warned.
In the first joint op-ed penned by the leaders of the British and American intelligence services in their shared 77-year history, the MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore and CIA director William Burns warned that both countries now “face an unprecedented array of threats”.
Writing in the Financial Times, the intelligence leaders reflected on their decades of cooperation over the course of two world wars and in their fight against terrorism, warning: “The challenges of the past are being accelerated in the present, and compounded by technological change.”
“There is no question that the international world order – the balanced system that has led to relative peace and stability and delivered rising living standards, opportunities and prosperity – is under threat in a way we haven’t seen since the cold war,” they wrote.
Romania, Latvia report Russian drones breach airspace
04:13
Arpan Rai
Romania and Latvia are investigating instances of Russian drones breaching their airspace before being downed, officials in both countries said.
While Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets to monitor the attack and residents of the southeastern Romanian counties of Tulcea and Constanta were warned to take cover, Latvia shared photos of a crashed drone in the eastern part of the country.
In Latvia, president Edgars Rinkevics posted on social media platform X that a Russian military drone had crashed in the eastern part of the country, which at one time was part of the Soviet Union.
“There is an ongoing investigation. We are in close contact with our allies,” Rinkevics wrote. “The number of such incidents is increasing along the Eastern flank of Nato and we must address them collectively.”
The Romanian defence ministry said the “radar supervision system identified and tracked the path of a drone which entered national airspace and then exited towards Ukraine.”
“From existing data, the possibility of an impact zone on national territory was identified, in an uninhabited area near the village of Periprava,” the ministry added.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, also writing on X, described the incidents as “a stark reminder that Russia’s aggressive actions extend beyond Ukraine“ and called for maximum support from Ukraine’s allies in the conflict.
Nato member Romania shares a 650km (400-mile) border with Ukraine and has had Russian drone fragments stray into its territory repeatedly over the past year.
ICYMI: World order under threat ‘not seen since Cold War’, say heads of MI6 and CIA
04:00
Andy Gregory
The international world order is under threat in a way not seen since the Cold War, the heads of MI6 and the CIA have warned.
In the first joint op-ed penned by the leaders of the British and American intelligence services in their shared 77-year history, the MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore and CIA director William Burns warned that both countries now “face an unprecedented array of threats”.
Writing in the Financial Times, the intelligence leaders reflected on their decades of cooperation over the course of two world wars and in their fight against terrorism, warning: “The challenges of the past are being accelerated in the present, and compounded by technological change.”
You can read more in this report:
Russia claims it has captured Ukrainian town in advance on Pokrovsk
03:59
Arpan Rai
Russia said its forces had taken full control of a town in eastern Ukraine as they advance on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk.
Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had taken the town of Novohrodivka, which lies 12km (7 miles) from Pokrovsk, an important rail and road hub for Ukrainian forces in the area. The town had a population of 14,000 before the war.
Yuri Podolyaka, an influential Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, published maps showing Russian forces attacking beyond Novohrodivka in at least two places less than 7km (4 miles) from Pokrovsk.
However yesterday evening, the General Staff of the Ukrainian military gave details of fighting throughout the Pokrovsk sector, including Novohrodivka.
It said 29 attempted Russian advances had been repelled, with seven skirmishes continuing. “Our troops are taking measures to maintain designated positions,” it said.
An interview with a Ukrainian officer broadcast last week by US-funded Radio Liberty said Ukrainian forces had abandoned Novohrodivka on the basis that it was becoming too difficult to defend.
Popular Ukrainian war blog DeepState said Russian forces had also captured the village of Nevelske, to the southeast.
Two men killed in Russian strike on Donetsk hotel, officials say
03:01
Andy Gregory
Rescue teams pulled the bodies of two men from the rubble of a hotel destroyed on Saturday evening by a Russian air strike in Donetsk, according to Ukraine's state emergency service.
Death toll from Poltava strike rises to 58
02:00
Andy Gregory
The death toll from a massive Russian missile strike on Tuesday that blasted a military academy and nearby hospital in the eastern city of Poltava rose to 58 on Saturday, regional governor Filip Pronin reported, as funerals were held for those killed in the attack.
More than 320 other people were injured in the Russian strike.
Air raid sirens rang out on Saturday as funeral rites took place.
Analysis | Zelensky’s latest reshuffle has one major aim
01:01
Andy Gregory
Dmytro Kuleba is one of Ukraine’s most recognisable faces to Western officials, seemingly never afraid to speak his mind.
It is that independence that has contributed to the foreign minister becoming the highest-profile member of president Volodymyr Zelensky’s cabinet involved in another major shake-up of Ukraine’s top brass. One which will end up the largest of the war.
Kuleba has offered his resignation as part of what is seen as a political “reset” for Kyiv engineered by Zelensky and his close circle. A number of other ministers also submitted their resignations on Tuesday.
Zelensky has said that the cabinet overhaul is part of an effort to “give new strength” to Ukraine’s government and, in the process, solidify Zelensky’s ability to guide policy.
Our international editor Chris Stevenson has more details here:
Analysis | Ukraine’s attack on Russia started as a triumph – but could turn into a catastrophe
Sunday 8 September 2024 23:59
Andy Gregory
Ukraine took more than 300 square miles of the Kursk region in the first month of its counter-invasion of Russia, raising morale at home and challenging a growing sense in the West that stalemate was the best Kyiv could hope for. Yet as a daring incursion looks set to become an open-ended occupation, doubts are growing about its long-term wisdom.
Russian historian and author Mark Galeotti shares his concerns in this piece:
‘Robust support for Ukraine’ on agenda on Starmer’s Washington trip, White House says
Sunday 8 September 2024 23:00
Andy Gregory
PJoe Biden is set to host Keir Starmer for talks at the White House on Friday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “continuing robust support to Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression” will be on their agenda.
Zelensky discusses restoration of Ukraine’s energy system with Italy’s Meloni
Sunday 8 September 2024 22:02
Andy Gregory
President Volodymr Zelensky has said he discussed Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction – particularly the restoration of its energy system – in talks with Italy’s premier Giorgia Meloni this weekend.
On the sidelines of the Ambrosetti Forum, I had a meeting with the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy, @GiorgiaMeloni.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 7, 2024
One of the key topics we discussed was Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, particularly focusing on the restoration of our energy system. We… pic.twitter.com/ZKBFzoIniF
Watch: Putin remarks on US presidential election
Sunday 8 September 2024 20:59
Andy Gregory
Winter will complicate Russia’s push in eastern Ukraine, military chief says
Sunday 8 September 2024 20:01
Andy Gregory
Winter conditions will likely complicate Russia’s efforts to make further gains in Donetsk, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence unit has claimed.
In an interview with Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne, Kyrylo Budanov warned that this does not mean Russian forces will completely stop assaults on Ukrainian positions, the Institute for Study of War think-tank said.
Kursk incursion impacting Russia’s offensive efforts across Ukraine, Kyiv military chief claims
Sunday 8 September 2024 19:02
Andy Gregory
The head of the GUR, Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, has claimed that Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk is having impacts across Russia’s offensive operations in Ukraine.
According to the Institute for Study of War think-tank, Mr Budanov told state broadcaster Suspilne on Saturday that the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk had complicated Russia's plans for offensive operations in August and later this autumn.
Nato member Romania says a Russian drone violated its airspace
Sunday 8 September 2024 18:10
Andy Gregory
A Russian drone violated Romania’s airspace during nighttime attacks on neighboring Ukraine, the Nato member reported on Sunday, urging Moscow to stop what it described as an escalation.
The incident occurred as Russia carried out attacks on “civilian targets and port infrastructure” across the Danube River in Ukraine, Romania’s Ministry of National Defence said.
Romania deployed F-16 warplanes to monitor its airspace, and Nato allies were kept informed, the ministry said. Romanian emergency authorities also issued text alerts to residents of two eastern regions.
Preliminary data indicates there may be an “impact zone” in an uninhabited area near the Romanian village of Periprava, the ministry said. It added that an investigation is underway.
We’ll be bringing you more here and in this report:
Video report: Putin has two secret sons with gymnast who live life of luxury isolated from world
Sunday 8 September 2024 17:17
Andy Gregory
Starmer must urge Biden to do more for Ukraine, former British ambassador says
Sunday 8 September 2024 16:29
Andy Gregory
Britain’s former US ambassador Lord Kim Darroch has warned that Keir Starmer must urge Joe Biden to give more support to Ukraine during his visit to Washington this week.
Speaking to Sky News, Lord Darroch said: “I think he needs to talk to Biden about Ukraine, because what the West is doing at the moment is giving Ukraine just enough to ensure it doesn’t lose. Not enough to win.”
He added: “I think he needs to say to Biden, is there more that you can do?”
Russian forces ‘advancing’ in Donetsk, analysts say
Sunday 8 September 2024 15:41
Andy Gregory
An update published on Saturday evening by DeepState, a Ukrainian battlefield analysis site, said Russian forces had “advanced” in the Donetsk town of Novohrodivka and captured Nevelske, a village in the south-east of the Pokrovsk district.
Pokrovsk, which had a pre-war population of about 60,000, is one of Ukraine’s main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region.
Its capture would compromise Ukraine’s defence and supply routes, and bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the entire Donetsk region.
Trump’s ideas on Ukraine are ‘very dangerous’, warns former UK-US ambassador
Sunday 8 September 2024 15:06
Andy Gregory
A former British ambassador to the US has warned that he worries “more about a Trump second term than his first term”, labelling the former president’s foreign policy “dangerous”.
Speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme, Lord Kim Darroch – who was forced to quit his stateside role in 2019 after cables in which he called the Trump administration “dysfunctional” were leaked – said he thought Britain would find it “difficult” to deal with Donald Trump.
Asked whether his views had changed since then, Lord Darroch said: “I worry more about a Trump second term than his first term because first of all, he will be better prepared. He will have a greater understanding of how to get his agenda through.
“Second, foreign policy, which is my area, his ideas on Ukraine, his comments on Nato, his threats of imposing tariffs on the rest of the world. This is all very dangerous stuff.”
Nato condemns ‘irresponsible’ Russian attacks as Romania searches for drone debris
Sunday 8 September 2024 14:37
Andy Gregory
Mircea Geoana, Nato’s outgoing deputy secretary-general and Romania’s former top diplomat, has condemned Russia’s “irresponsible and potentially dangerous” actions after Romania reported that a Russian drone had violated its airspace.
The incident occurred as Russia carried out attacks on "civilian targets and port infrastructure" across the Danube River in Ukraine, Romania's Ministry of National Defence said.
Romania deployed F-16 warplanes to monitor its airspace, and Nato allies were kept informed, the ministry said. Romanian emergency authorities also issued text alerts to residents of two eastern regions.
Preliminary data indicates there may be an “impact zone” in an uninhabited area near the Romanian village of Periprava, the ministry said. It added that an investigation is underway.
Writing on X, Mr Geoana said: “While we have no information indicating an intentional attack by Russia against Allies, these acts are irresponsible and potentially dangerous.”
RT will continue to work around Western sanctions, editor claims
Sunday 8 September 2024 14:10
Andy Gregory
Russian state media outlet RT will continue to work in the West by seeking to work around any limits or sanctions, its editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan has claimed.
The United States this week announced sanctions targeting RT and Ms Simonyan as it filed money-laundering charges against two employees of RT for an alleged scheme to hire an American company to produce online content to influence the 2024 election.
Ms Simonyan, whom Washington dubbed “a central figure in Russian government malign influence efforts”, said on RT that the West had been cracking down on the network since 2014, when Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea, and more strongly since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022.
“We stayed in those countries, we worked there, and we shall work there – just not now in a straight line,” Ms Simonyan said. “We will continue to do that as far as we can – so far it is working out – it’s almost like an exquisite gambling thrill.”
“They close entry to us, and we will go through the window, close the window and we will go through the vents and we will see what holes there are in the organism of the United States of America.”
Three women killed by Russian shelling in Donetsk village, governor says
Sunday 8 September 2024 13:46
Andy Gregory
Russian shelling has killed three women in the Donetsk village of Cherkaske, the region’s governor has said, urging residents to flee.
Vadym Filashkin said Russian forces hit the village with cluster munitions in the morning, killing the women, aged 43, 45, and 53, wounding a man, and damaging at least nine private houses and cars.
Russian artillery, bombs and missiles have been hitting settlements in the Donetsk region for months, with Ukraine’s military reporting around 100 clashes in the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours in its daily frontline update.
Romania looking for possible drone fragments after Russian attack on Ukraine
Sunday 8 September 2024 13:25
Andy Gregory
Romania was looking for possible drone fragments after its national airspace was breached during an overnight Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine, its defence ministry has said.
Ukraine’s air defence units destroyed 15 of 23 attack drones and one guided air missile launched by Russia overnight, Ukraine’s air force said on Sunday.
During the strike, “the radar supervision system identified and tracked the path of a drone which entered national airspace and then exited towards Ukraine”, Romania’s defence ministry said, condemning the attack.
Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets to monitor the attack. Residents of the southeastern Romanian counties of Tulcea and Constanta were warned to take cover.
“From existing data, the possibility of an impact zone on national territory was identified, in an uninhabited area near the village of Periprava,” the ministry added.
Zelensky continues reset of his team after announcing largest reshuffle of Russian war
Sunday 8 September 2024 12:58
Andy Gregory
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has continued to reset his team after ordering the largest government reshuffle since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
After declaring that Kyiv’s government needs “new energy”, Mr Zelensky published several decrees on new appointments in his office on Sunday, including that of former arms production minister Oleksandr Kamyshin as an external adviser for strategic issues.
“I will continue to work for our defence industry,” Mr Kamyshin said shortly after his appointment.
Mr Kamyshin oversaw a significant increase in Ukraine’s domestic arms production in recent years and was a driving force in efforts to bring more Western financing, experience, and technologies into the Ukrainian weapon production industry.
Mr Zelensky also appointed Viktor Mykyta, the governor of the western Zakarpattia region, as a new deputy head of his office to oversee the regions.
Mr Mykyta said that one of his key tasks would be to ensure the efficient work of military administrations in the regions and develop communication and trust between authorities, local communities and businesses.
Russian hackers charged over cyberattacks in US
Sunday 8 September 2024 12:30
Andy Gregory
US prosecutors have brought new charges against members of Russia’s military intelligence service and an alleged conspirator, accusing them of engaging in a hacking campaign to “sow concern among Ukrainian citizens” regarding their government’s cybersecurity.
Myriam Page has more in this report:
Russia claims to seize Donetsk town eight miles from Pokrovsk
Sunday 8 September 2024 10:12
Andy Gregory
Russian forces have taken control of the Donetsk town of Novohrodivka, the RIA news agency reported, citing Russia's defence ministry.
Novohrodivka lies some 8 miles from Pokrovsk, the key supply hub upon which Vladimir Putin’s forces have been intent on seizing in recent months.
Portugal calls on EU to begin preparations for Ukraine to join
Sunday 8 September 2024 09:45
Andy Gregory
Portugal is advocating for the European Union to begin preparations for Ukraine’s entry into the bloc, Bloomberg reports.
During an interview at a conference at Lake Como, the country’s foreign minister Paulo Rangel told the outlet that Portugal is very engaged in the EU enlargement process, adding: “We need to prepare to receive Ukraine in the EU when that’s possible,” he added.
That process “will require a financial and institutional reform that we should take care of immediately”, Mr Rangel said.
He added that Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region “has clearly changed the perception of the balance of the war”, while calling for negotiations toward a peace process, Bloomberg reported.
Ukraine’s Kursk incursion left Moscow elites questioning war, CIA chief says
Sunday 8 September 2024 09:17
Andy Gregory
Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk has caused Russian elites to question Vladimir Putin’s war, CIA director William Burns has said.
Speaking in London alongside MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore, who praised the “audacious” incursion, Mr Burns said he did not see any evidence that Mr Putin's grip on power was weakening as a result, but that “it did raise questions on the part of people we could see across the Russian elite about where is this all headed”.
You can read more on the spymasters’ remarks here:
MI6 and CIA chiefs accuse Russia of ‘reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe'
Sunday 8 September 2024 09:17
Andy Gregory
The international world order is under threat in a way not seen since the Cold War, the heads of MI6 and the CIA have warned.
In the first joint op-ed penned by the leaders of the British and American intelligence services in their shared 77-year history, the MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore and CIA director William Burns warned that both countries now “face an unprecedented array of threats”.
Writing in the Financial Times, the intelligence leaders warned that staying the course in resisting Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine “is more vital than ever”, saying that Russia “will not succeed in extinguishing Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence”.
The spymasters criticised the “reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe being waged by Russian intelligence, and its cynical use of technology to spread lies and disinformation designed to drive wedges between us”.
US ‘tells allies Iran has sent missiles to Moscow'
Sunday 8 September 2024 08:50
Andy Gregory
The United States has informed allies that it believes Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine, the Associated Press reports, citing sources.
It is the latest such report in recent days to suggest Tehran has sent missiles to Moscow.
The White House has not confirmed the claims, but spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement: “Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and lead to the killing of more Ukrainian civilians.”
US secretary of state Anthony Blinken to discuss Ukraine on trip to Britain
Sunday 8 September 2024 08:22
Andy Gregory
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to travel to the UK on Monday to open the US-UK Strategic Dialogue, “reaffirming our special relationship,, his department has said.
Mr Blinken will discuss collective efforts to support Ukraine in Russia’s war, as well as the Indo-Pacific and the Aukus defence pact, the US State Department said.
Two killed in overnight Russian air strike on Sumy, officials say
Sunday 8 September 2024 07:55
Andy Gregory
Two people died and four were injured as a result of an overnight Russian air strike on Sumy, local officials in the Ukrainian border region have said.
Two children were among the injured, and several residential houses and cars were damaged in the strike, Sumy’s military administration said.
Sumy has been subject to frequent attacks by Russian forces, and has been cited as a reason for Ukraine’s incursion into the neighbouring Russian Kursk region in order to hamper the Russians’ ability to launch such attacks on Sumy.
Russia uses 23 drones and four missiles in overnight attack on Ukraine
Sunday 8 September 2024 07:26
Andy Gregory
Ukraine’s air defence units destroyed 15 of 23 attack drones and one guided air missile launched by Russia overnight, Kyiv’s air force has said.
Two of the drones and three other missiles did not reach their targets, the air force said. Those drones likely were intercepted by Ukraine’s electronic warfare systems, it added
Italy’s Meloni vows unwavering support for Ukraine
Sunday 8 September 2024 07:00
Holly Evans
Italian premier Giorgia Meloni has pledged unwavering support for Ukraine after a meeting with president Volodymyr Zelensky, warning that the conflict cannot be resolved by abandoning Kyiv.
The hard-right prime minister met the Ukrainian leader on the sidelines of the annual TEHA business forum on Lake Como, as Italy prepares to host next year’s conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Ms Meloni told the forum Italy would never backtrack on its support for Ukraine. “It’s a choice that won’t change,” she said, adding that China and India also had a “role to play” in resolving the conflict. “The only thing that cannot happen is to think that the conflict can be solved by abandoning Ukraine.”
Putin has two secret sons with gymnast who live life of luxury isolated from world
Sunday 8 September 2024 06:00
Holly Evans
Russian president Vladimir Putin has two secret sons who live an isolated life of luxury in a heavily-guarded mansion, according to a Russian investigative journalism website.
The Dossier Centre reported that Ivan, nine, and Vladimir Jr, five, spend most of the year at their father’s vast mansion near Lake Valdai, northwest of Moscow.
Their mother is Alina Kabaeva, the former Olympic rhythmic gymnast whose relationship with Putin has been an open secret in Russia for more than a decade, the Dossier Centre claim.
Read the full article here:
Kyiv continues strikes against Russia
Sunday 8 September 2024 05:00
Holly Evans
Kyiv has continued to launch its own strikes against Russia. In the Russian border region of Voronezh Saturday, Gov. Aleksandr Gusev said that a drone strike had sparked a fire and the detonation of “explosive objects.”
Writing on social media, he said that a state of emergency had been declared for the region’s Ostrogozhsky district and that several villages had been evacuated.
He did not provide the names of the villages affected and urged followers not to share photos or videos of the fire that could be geolocated.
US and UK spy chiefs praise Ukraine's 'audacious' Russia incursion
Sunday 8 September 2024 04:12
Namita Singh
The heads of the British and American foreign intelligence agencies said on Saturday that Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia is a significant achievement that could change the narrative of the grinding war, as they urged Kyiv’s allies not to be held back by Russian threats of escalation.
Richard Moore, the head of MI6, said Kyiv’s surprise August offensive to seize territory in Russia’s Kursk region was “typically audacious and bold on the part of the Ukrainians, to try and change the game”.
He said the offensive — which Ukraine said has captured about 1,300sq km of Russian territory — had “brought the war home to ordinary Russians”.
Speaking alongside Mr Moore at an unprecedented joint public event in London, CIA Director William Burns said the offensive was a “significant tactical achievement” that had exposed vulnerabilities in the Russian military.
It has yet to be seen whether Ukraine can turn the gains into a long-term advantage.
Iran denies sending ballistic missiles to Russia
Sunday 8 September 2024 04:02
Namita Singh
Iran has denied providing Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine.
“Iran considers the provision of military assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict — which leads to increased human casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a distancing from ceasefire negotiations — to be inhumane,” according to a statement from Iran’s mission to the United Nations.
“Thus, not only does Iran abstain from engaging in such actions itself, but it also calls upon other countries to cease the supply of weapons to the sides involved in the conflict.”
‘I could die any moment’: Indians forced to fight for Russia in Ukraine say they feel abandoned by Delhi
Sunday 8 September 2024 04:00
Holly Evans
“I want to see the clear blue sky that is not raining drones and missiles if I make it out of Russia alive,” says Hardeep Gill*, a 24-year-old Indian man caught in the middle of the first major European conflict since the Second World War, fighting for a country that isn’t his own.
Gill, from a city in Punjab, is one of nearly 100 Indian nationals who have found themselves fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine, many of them ensnared by human traffickers tasked with recruiting foreign fighters to bolster the ranks of Vladimir Putin’s army.
Gill speaks to The Independent from a frontline location in southern Ukraine, talking in Hindi via WhatsApp voice notes for fear of being caught by his Russian superiors.
“I could die any moment. I am in a dangerous place where we are being attacked by drones constantly,” Gill says.
Read the full article here:
‘Audacious’ Kursk incursion has ‘raised questions among Russian elite’, MI6 chief says
Saturday 7 September 2024 18:49
Andy Gregory
Richard Moore, the head of MI6, has praised Kyiv’s surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region as “typically audacious and bold on the part of the Ukrainians, to try and change the game.”
Speaking alongside CIA director William Burns at an unprecedented joint public event in London, Sir Richard said the offensive had “brought the war home to ordinary Russians” and had raised “questions on the part of people we could see across the Russian elite about where is this all headed”.
Zelensky meets Netherlands politician Geert Wilders
Saturday 7 September 2024 17:07
Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has met Dutch politician Geert Wilders, the leader of the largest Dutch parliamentary party, at the Ambrosetti forum in Italy.
The Ukrainian president “thanked the Netherlands and the entire Dutch people for their comprehensive support of Ukraine: defence, financial and humanitarian”, a statement on Mr Zelensky’s website said.
The two men discussed Ukraine’s peace plan for ending the war with Russia, the statement added.
Iran appears to deny reports it has sent ballistic missiles to Russia
Saturday 7 September 2024 16:34
Andy Gregory
Iran has appeared to deny reports carrying claims from senior Western officials that it has supplied hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia.
Following reporting by CNN and the Wall Street Journal, Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York said on Friday that Tehran’s position on the Ukraine conflict was unchanged.
“Iran considers the provision of military assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict - which leads to increased human casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a distancing from ceasefire negotiations - to be inhumane,” it said.
“Thus, not only does Iran abstain from engaging in such actions itself, but it also calls upon other countries to cease the supply of weapons to the sides involved in the conflict.”
Iran sending Russia ballistic missiles would be ‘dramatic escalation’, warns CIA chief
Saturday 7 September 2024 15:50
Andy Gregory
CIA director William Burns has warned of the growing and “troubling” defence relationship between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea
Speaking at an FT event following reports in the Wall Street Journal that Tehran had defied G7 threats of further sanctions by supplying Russia with hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles, Mr Burns warned that such a move would be a “dramatic escalation” of the relationship.
His comments echoed those of White House national security council spokesperson Sean Savett, who told reporters: “Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”
North Korea has sent ammunition and missiles to Russia to use against Ukraine, while Iran supplies Moscow with attack drones. Mr Burns said the CIA had yet to see evidence of China sending weapons to Russia, “but we see lot of things short of that.”
‘Too early’ to say how long Ukraine can hang on in Kursk, says MI6 chief
Saturday 7 September 2024 13:36
Andy Gregory
The head of MI6, Richard Moore, has said it is “too early” to say how long Ukrainian forces would be able to hang on in Russia’s Kursk region.
Speaking at an FT event which Mr Moore also attended in London, CIA director William Burns called Ukraine’s Kursk offensive in Russia “a significant tactical achievement”.
Ukraine expresses concerns over reports of Iran sending ballistic missiles to Russia
Saturday 7 September 2024 13:08
Andy Gregory
Ukraine’s foreign ministry has expressed its deep concerned over reports about a possible impending transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia.
The ministry said the deepening military co-operation between Tehran and Moscow was a threat to Ukraine, Europe and the Middle East, and called on the international community to increase pressure on Iran and Russia, after CNN and the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia.
Reuters reported in August that Russia was expecting the imminent delivery of hundreds of Fath-360 close-range ballistic missiles from Iran and that dozens of Russian military personnel were being trained in Iran on the satellite-guided weapons for eventual use in the war in Ukraine.
On Friday, the United States, a key ally of Ukraine, also voiced concern about the potential transfer of missiles.
“Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” White House national security council spokesperson Sean Savett said.
Air raid sirens sound as funerals held for victims of Poltava attack
Saturday 7 September 2024 12:21
Andy Gregory
Funeral services have been held for victims of one of the deadliest Russian airstrikes since the war in Ukraine began, which president Volodymyr Zelensky said left 55 people dead and 328 injured in the city of Poltava.
Hundreds of mourners, including grieving families, local residents, and officials, gathered at the Cathedral of the Assumption in the city, some 200 miles southeast of Kyiv, for the solemn ceremony.
Relatives, many holding red carnations, stood over caskets placed outside the church, draped in yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flags. An air raid siren sounded during the service.
Local residents knelt in silent tribute as hearses carrying the victims passed by on their way to a military cemetery outside the city for burial.
Zelensky ‘discusses peace plan' with Italy’s Meloni
Saturday 7 September 2024 11:50
Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has discussed his peace plan to end the war with Russia and reconstruction with a focus on Ukraine’s energy system in a meeting with Italy’s premier Giorgia Meloni, the Ukrainian president said.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy.
Russia claims to seize Donetsk village 20 miles east of Povrosk
Saturday 7 September 2024 10:47
Andy Gregory
Russia’s defence ministry claims its troops have seized the Donetsk village of Kalynove.
Kalynove lies some 20 miles east of Povrosk, the key supply hub which Vladimir Putin’s forces are desperately seeking to seize in their current push on the eastern Ukrainian front line.
Three killed by Russian shelling in Donetsk town, governor says
Saturday 7 September 2024 10:01
Andy Gregory
Three people have been killed and three others wounded by Russian artillery shelling of the eastern Ukrainian town of Kostyantynivka, Donetsk’s regional governor has said.
Three men aged between 24 and 69 were killed and a multi-storey block, administrative building and a shop were damaged, governor Vadym Filashkin said on Telegram.
Analysis | Ukraine’s attack on Russia started as a triumph – but could into a tragedy
Saturday 7 September 2024 09:22
Andy Gregory
Ukraine’s counter-invasion of Russia saw it take more than 300 square miles of the Kursk region in its first month, raised morale at home and challenged a growing sense in the West that stalemate was the best Kyiv could hope for. Yet as a daring incursion looks set to become an open-ended occupation, doubts are growing about its long-term wisdom.
When Ukrainian forces crossed the Russian border on 6 August, Kyiv was tight-lipped about its objectives, both to keep Moscow guessing and also because it did not want to set itself up for a fall. It needed a victory for both foreign and domestic audiences.
Since then, though, the goals seem to have changed – and gaps opened between the military and political leadership.
Historian and author Mark Galeotti has more analysis on the incursion here:
Drone debris found next to Ukraine’s parliament after overnight Russian attack
Saturday 7 September 2024 08:55
Andy Gregory
Debris from a drone shot down in an overnight Russian attack was found next to Ukraine’s parliament building, Kyiv’s parliament said in a statement on Telegram.
Ukraine’s air force said earlier that Russia had launched 67 drones in a nationwide overnight attack.
Chair of Ukrainian parliament meets with House of Commons speaker
Saturday 7 September 2024 08:28
Andy Gregory
The chair of the Ukrainian parliament has met with the speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle at the sidelines of a G7 summit in Italy for parliamentary leaders.
Ruslan Stefanchuk thanked the UK for its support for Ukraine and stressed the importance that this remains unchanged, as he highlighted the need for Ukraine to be granted permission to strike military targets in russia with Western weapons, according to a statement issued by Ukrainian officials.
MI6 and CIA warn ‘staying the course’ in Ukraine is more vital than ever
Saturday 7 September 2024 08:03
Andy Gregory
In their first ever joint statement, the heads of MI6 and the CIA have warned that “staying the course” in backing Ukraine’s fight against Russia was more important than ever and vowed to further their cooperation.
Writing in the Financial Times, CIA Director William Burns and Richard Moore, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, said: “The partnership lies at the beating heart of the special relationship between our countries.”
The agencies “stand together in resisting an assertive Russia and Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” they said, noting that their services marked 75 years of partnership two years ago.
“Staying the course is more vital than ever. Putin will not succeed in extinguishing Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence,” they said, adding that their agencies would continue aiding Ukrainian intelligence.
The spy chiefs said their agencies would keep working to thwart a “reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe by Russian intelligence” and its “cynical use of technology” to spread disinformation “to drive wedges between us.”