Two US researchers say they have identified a possible deployment site in Russia of the 9M370 Burevestnik; a nuclear-armed cruise missile touted by President Vladimir Putin as “invincible”.
Putin has said the weapon - dubbed the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO - has an almost unlimited range and can evade U.S. missile defenses.
Using images taken on 26 July by Planet Labs, a commercial satellite firm, the two US researchers identified a construction project abutting a nuclear warhead storage facility known by two names - Vologda-20 and Chebsara - as the new missile’s potential deployment site, news agency Reuters reported.
The facility is 295 miles (475 km) north of Moscow.
Despite Putin’s claims on the weapon, some Western experts say it will not add capabilities that Moscow does not already have and risks a radiation-spewing mishap.
Russia’s defense ministry did not respond to a request to comment on his assessment.
Also on Monday, Russian forces launched a missile on Dnipro in Ukraine, killing one person and injuring three, Dnipropetrovsk Regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said. At least 13 people were also injured in an airstrike on Ukraine‘s northeastern city of Kharkiv.
Key Points
- US researchers find probable launch site of Russia’s new nuclear-powered missile
- Russian missile attack rocks Kyiv and other areas of Ukraine
- Poland ‘has duty’ to shoot down Russian missiles
- Russian guided bombs wound 13 in Ukraine's Kharkiv
- Putin makes first visit to member country of court that issued arrest warrant for him
Ukraine criticises Mongolia as it fails to arrest Putin
04:43
Arpan Rai
Ukrainian officials have hit out at Mongolia for its failure to arrest Vladimir Putin during his visit there.
Mongolia’s failure to detain Putin was “a heavy blow to the International Criminal Court and the system of criminal law”, said Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi.
The Russian leader is wanted on an international warrant for war crimes in Ukraine, meaning Mongolia – an ICC member state since 2002 – has a treaty obligation to arrest him.
“Mongolia has allowed an accused criminal to evade justice, thereby sharing responsibility for the war crimes,” Tykhyi wrote on Telegram. Ukraine, he said, would work with its allies to ensure Mongolia felt the consequences.
Putin arrived in Mongolia on Monday for talks likely to focus on a new gas pipeline connecting Russia and China.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had no worries about any action in connection with the warrant, saying Russia had “a great dialogue” with Mongolia and all aspects of the visit had been discussed in advance.
An International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued last year against Putin obliges the court’s 124 member states, including Mongolia, to arrest the Russian president and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.
Vladimir Putin ‘gifts Kim Jong-un 24 purebred horses in exchange for artillery shells used in Ukraine war’
04:30
Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine frontline latest: Zelensky reports tough battles against Russian brigades
04:19
Arpan Rai
Ukraine is facing difficulties in confronting “the most combat-focused Russian brigades” on the eastern front, Volodymyr Zelensky said in his latest remarks on the war’s frontline situation.
“In the Pokrovsk sector, no matter how difficult it is, there has been no (Russian) advance for two days,” he said addressing journalists in the Ukrainian-held city of Zaporizhzhia alongside Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof. Mr Zelensky said he had been in discussions regarding the situation for two days with commander in chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Military blog DeepState also reported a stabilised situation in villages near Pokrovsk. Ukraine’s General Staff, in an evening account, reported fighting around Selydove and Russian attacks on the city of Ukrainsk.
Yuri Podolyaka, a Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, said fierce fighting was gripping Selydove, 20km (12 miles) south of Pokrovsk, and Ukrainsk, 14km south of Selydove.
He said both sides were pushing forces into the battles for the towns, which had populations of over 20,000 and 10,000 respectively before the full-scale war began in February 2022.
In Moscow’s reports, Russian state news agency TASS said that Ukrainian forces had been driven out of a part of Selydove. The Russian defence ministry has claimed its forces have taken control of the village of Skuchne, east of Pokrovsk.
Putin tells schoolchildren about war gains in Ukraine’s east
04:00
Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin boasted of Russia’s battlefield gains during a visit to a school on Monday, claiming his forces are taking several square kilometres per day.
“We have not had such a pace in the offensive in Donbas (region) for a long time,” Mr Putin claimed to children at Secondary School No 20 in Kyzyl, in the remote region of Tuva, about 4,500km (2,800 miles) east of Moscow.
“Now we are not talking about moving 200 or 300 metres forward... The Russian armed forces are already bringing territories under control not by 200 to 300 metres but by square kilometres,” he said.
The Russian president’s claims cannot be verified and contradict Kyiv’s assessment that Russia’s troops have made no further advance in the past two days. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged the difficulties in the east, particularly near the city of Pokrovsk.
But it is true that Russia, which now controls 18 per cent of Ukrainian territory, has been making steady advances in eastern Ukraine since the failure of Kyiv’s 2023 counter-offensive to achieve a major breakthrough.
Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is legitimate, says NATO’s Stoltenberg
03:30
Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is legitimate and covered by Kyiv’s right to self-defence, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told German weekly Welt am Sonntag in his first reaction to the advance into Russian territory.
“Ukraine has a right to defend itself. And according to international law, this right does not stop at the border,” Stoltenberg told the paper, adding that NATO had not been informed about Ukraine’s plans beforehand and did not play a role in them.
The NATO chief said Ukraine was running a risk with the advance onto Russian territory but that it was up to Kyiv how to conduct its military campaign.
“(Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky has made clear that the operation aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further Russian attacks from across the border,” he said.
“Like all military operations, this comes with risks. But it is Ukraine’s decision how to defend itself.”
Kyiv launched a major cross-border incursion into the Kursk region on 6 August, while Moscow’s troops keep pressing towards the strategic hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.
Russia has called the Kursk operation a “major provocation” and said it would retaliate.
Russia launches a barrage of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles at Kyiv, Ukraine’s military says
02:30
Jabed Ahmed
UK and Ukraine make AI deal to help post-war rebuild
01:30
Jabed Ahmed
ICYMI: Putin arrives in Mongolia, which is key link in planned gas pipeline to China
Tuesday 3 September 2024 00:30
Jabed Ahmed
The Kremlin said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had arrived for a state visit in Mongolia, which lies on the route of a planned new gas pipeline connecting Russia and China.
Russia has been in talks for years about building the pipeline to carry 50 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas a year from its Yamal region to China via Mongolia.
The project, Power of Siberia 2, is part of Russia’s strategy to compensate for the loss of most of its gas sales in Europe since the start of the Ukraine war. It is the planned successor to an existing pipeline of the same name which already supplies Russian gas to China and is due to reach its planned capacity of 38 bcm per year in 2025.
The new venture has long been bogged down over key issues such as the pricing of the gas. However, Putin said on the eve of his visit that preparatory work, including feasibility and engineering studies, were proceeding as scheduled.
He is due to hold talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on Tuesday.
Ukraine urged Mongolia last week to arrest Putin on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court warrant last year, when it accused him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
The Kremlin has dismissed the accusation, saying it is politically motivated, and has said it has no worries about Putin making the trip.
The warrant obliges the court’s 124 member states, including Mongolia, to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.
Asked whether there had been discussions with Mongolian authorities about the ICC warrant, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that “all of the aspects of the visit have been thoroughly discussed.”
Special dispatch: Behind enemy lines with Ukraine’s troops in Russia
Monday 2 September 2024 23:30
Jabed Ahmed
Comment: I’ve always dreamed of crossing the Russian border on a Ukrainian tank – now I’ve done it
Monday 2 September 2024 22:30
Jabed Ahmed
In a career which has spanned four decades, journalist Askold Krushelnycky has seen first-hand the brutality of the Russian regime. But as Ukraine establishes a foothold in Kursk, could the tide finally be turning?
Read the full article here:
Poland has duty to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, minister says – despite risk of dragging Nato into war
Monday 2 September 2024 21:28
Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine criticises Mongolia's failure to arrest Putin
Monday 2 September 2024 20:45
Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine‘s Foreign Ministry has said Mongolia’s failure to arrest visiting Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, wanted on an international warrant, dealt a severe blow to the international criminal law system.
Putin arrived in Mongolia on Monday for talks likely to focus on a new gas pipeline connecting Russia and China.
An International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued last year against Putin obliges the court’s 124 member states, including Mongolia, to arrest the Russian president and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi said Mongolia’s failure to detain Putin was “a heavy blow to the International Criminal Court and the system of criminal law.
“Mongolia has allowed an accused criminal to evade justice, thereby sharing responsibility for the war crimes,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Ukraine, he said, would work with its allies to ensure Mongolia felt the consequences.
Ukraine urged Mongolia last week to arrest Putin during his visit.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had no worries about any action in connection with the warrant, saying Russia had “a great dialogue” with Mongolia and all aspects of the visit had been discussed in advance.
The ICC warrant accuses Putin of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. The Kremlin has dismissed the accusation, saying it is politically motivated.
Ukraine’s defence minister says he discussed frontline with French counterpart
Monday 2 September 2024 20:30
Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said he met his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu on Monday to discuss the situation on the frontline and air defences.
Umerov said on Facebook officials from Ukraine‘s general staff briefed Lecornu on the battlefield situation and the critical needs of Kyiv troops in fighting Russia’s invasion.
Joint defence industries ventures were also discussed, he added.
What is Russia's nuclear doctrine and how might it change?
Monday 2 September 2024 19:31
Jabed Ahmed
Russia has said it will make changes to the doctrine that sets out the circumstances in which it might use nuclear weapons.
The current doctrine was set out by President Vladimir Putin in June 2020 in a six-page decree. It states, in part: “The Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of nuclear weapons and other types of weapons of mass destruction against it and (or) its allies, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation using conventional weapons, when the very existence of the state has been placed under threat.”
As this risk is not defined explicitly, Putin was able to make thinly veiled threats to use Russia’s nuclear arsenal to deter any direct Western response to his despatch of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin’s arms control point man, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, said on Sunday that the planned changes were “connected with the escalation course of our Western adversaries” in connection with the Ukraine conflict. He did not refer to specific events. Public discussion about the nuclear doctrine has been taking place for more than a year and intensified this year after French President Emmanuel Macron floated the possibility - dismissed by NATO alliance partners - that Western troops might be sent to fight in Ukraine.
Press US to give Ukraine go-ahead to use Storm Shadow missiles, urge Tories
Monday 2 September 2024 19:03
Jabed Ahmed
Pictured: Ukrainian Children mark the start of the new school year, known as the ‘Day of Knowledge'
Monday 2 September 2024 18:26
Jabed Ahmed
Children return to school in Ukraine's Kharkiv as Russia bombards city
Monday 2 September 2024 17:34
Jabed Ahmed
As children across Ukraine return for the start of the academic year, in the country’s second largest city of Kharkiv they could only do so at an underground school amid Russian bombardment.
Kharkiv’s schools have been teaching children online since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Throughout the ensuing war, the northeastern city has been near the front lines of fighting.
Only one Kharkiv school, purpose-built in May 2024 in an underground metro station, offers in-person lessons.
On Monday, it held the traditional first day of school festivities that are commonplace in Ukraine and other post-Soviet states, with parents bringing bouquets of flowers and children arriving in their best clothes.
“We brought them here because we thought it is safe and our children won’t be afraid of missiles and strikes,” said Tetiana Hubina, a mother of a first-year student starting school.
“They will be safe here,” she said.
Russian guided bombs wound 13 in Ukraine's Kharkiv
Monday 2 September 2024 16:44
Jabed Ahmed
A Russian attack on Ukraine‘s northeastern city of Kharkiv on Monday hit a residential area and wounded at least 13 people, local officials said.
The regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said in televised comments that four guided bombs hit garages near residential buildings. City major Ihor Terekhov added that a private house and a sports facility were damaged.
A 60-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man were in a critical condition, Mr Syniehubov said.
The number of strikes at Ukraine‘s second-largest city and surrounding region appeared to drop after Kyiv launched a major incursion into Russia’s western region of Kursk on 6 August.
But in recent days Kharkiv has been pummelled by Russian attacks again.
On Friday, a strike hit a residential building, killing seven people and wounding 97. On Sunday, at least 50 people were injured after Russian missiles struck a shopping mall and events complex.
UK and Ukraine make AI deal to help post-war rebuild
Monday 2 September 2024 16:00
Tara Cobham
The UK and Ukraine have signed one of the world’s first digital-only trade deals to benefit both countries with physical trade is disrupted by the Russian invasion.
Businesses in the allied countries are expected to be boosted when the UK-Ukraine Digital Trade Agreement (DTA) comes into force.
Ukraine was one of the largest exporters of IT services globally, with areas such as outsourcing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and mobile applications in rapid development before the war.
Barney Davis reports:
US researchers find probable launch site of Russia’s new nuclear-powered missile
Monday 2 September 2024 15:58
Tara Cobham
Two US researchers say they have identified the probable deployment site in Russia of the 9M370 Burevestnik, a new nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile touted by President Vladimir Putin as "invincible."
Putin has said the weapon - dubbed the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO - has an almost unlimited range and can evade U.S. missile defenses. But some Western experts dispute his claims and the Burevestnik's strategic value, saying it will not add capabilities that Moscow does not already have and risks a radiation-spewing mishap.
Using images taken on July 26 by Planet Labs, a commercial satellite firm, the two researchers identified a construction project abutting a nuclear warhead storage facility known by two names - Vologda-20 and Chebsara - as the new missile's potential deployment site, reported Reuters. The facility is 295 miles (475 km) north of Moscow.
Decker Eveleth, an analyst with the CNA research and analysis organization, found the satellite imagery and identified what he assessed are nine horizontal launch pads under construction. They are located in three groups inside high berms to shield them from attack or to prevent an accidental blast in one from detonating missiles in the others, he said.
The berms are linked by roads to what Eveleth concluded are likely buildings where the missiles and their components would be serviced, and to the existing complex of five nuclear warhead storage bunkers.
The site is "for a large, fixed missile system and the only large, fixed missile system that they're (Russia) currently developing is the Skyfall," said Eveleth.
Russia's defense ministry and Washington embassy did not respond to a request to comment on his assessment, Burevestnik's strategic value, its test record and the risks it poses.
A Kremlin spokesman said these were questions for the defence ministry and declined further comment.
Senior Russian military commander detained in fraud case as investigation widens
Monday 2 September 2024 15:50
Tara Cobham
A senior Russian military commander has been detained in a fraud case, the latest high-profile arrest in what appears to be a sweeping investigation into abuse of office in Russia's military leadership.
Major General Valery Mumindzhanov, deputy commander of the Leningrad Military District, was detained on suspicion of receiving a bribe of more than 20 million rubles (£169,700), Russia's Investigative Committee said.
He is the ninth top military figure to be arrested on charges of fraud, bribery or abuse of office in recent months, including deputy defence minister Timur Ivanov, who was arrested for bribery in April and later dismissed from his position.
The arrests began shortly before President Vladimir Putin replaced defence minister Sergei Shoigu with an economist, Andrei Belousov.
Analysts suggest the arrests are a sign that Mr Shoigu's associates are being removed from power and that the most egregious corruption in the Defence Ministry will no longer be tolerated.
Mumindzhanov received the bribe from suppliers who wanted to secure a contract with Russia's Ministry of Defence for the supply of military uniforms, including for soldiers fighting in Ukraine, the Investigative Committee alleged.
It added that, at the time the bribe was allegedly paid, Mumindzhanov was the head of a department which sourced supplies and resources for the Defence Ministry and that the contract for uniforms was worth 1.5 billion roubles (£12.7 million.)
Investigators are also assessing how Mumindzhanov and his family acquired more than 120 million roubles (£989,000) of property in the Moscow and Voronezh regions and whether it was legal, the committee said.
Putin arrives in Mongolia, which is key link in planned gas pipeline to China
Monday 2 September 2024 15:47
Tara Cobham
The Kremlin said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had arrived for a state visit in Mongolia, which lies on the route of a planned new gas pipeline connecting Russia and China.
Russia has been in talks for years about building the pipeline to carry 50 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas a year from its Yamal region to China via Mongolia.
The project, Power of Siberia 2, is part of Russia's strategy to compensate for the loss of most of its gas sales in Europe since the start of the Ukraine war. It is the planned successor to an existing pipeline of the same name which already supplies Russian gas to China and is due to reach its planned capacity of 38 bcm per year in 2025.
The new venture has long been bogged down over key issues such as the pricing of the gas. However, Putin said on the eve of his visit that preparatory work, including feasibility and engineering studies, were proceeding as scheduled.
He is due to hold talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on Tuesday.
Ukraine urged Mongolia last week to arrest Putin on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court warrant last year, when it accused him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
The Kremlin has dismissed the accusation, saying it is politically motivated, and has said it has no worries about Putin making the trip.
The warrant obliges the court's 124 member states, including Mongolia, to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.
Asked whether there had been discussions with Mongolian authorities about the ICC warrant, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that "all of the aspects of the visit have been thoroughly discussed."
Putin makes first visit to member country of court that issued arrest warrant for him
Monday 2 September 2024 15:43
Tara Cobham
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Mongolia, a member of the international court that issued an arrest warrant for him.
The official visit, in which he is to meet on Tuesday with Mongolian leader Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, is Mr Putin's first to a member country of the International Criminal Court since it issued a warrant for his arrest nearly 18 months ago on charges of war crimes in Ukraine.
Ukraine has called on Mongolia to arrest Mr Putin and hand him over to the court in The Hague.
A spokesperson for Mr Putin said last week that the Kremlin is not worried about the visit.
Vladimir Putin ‘gifts Kim Jong-un 24 purebred horses in exchange for artillery shells used in Ukraine war’
Monday 2 September 2024 15:00
Tara Cobham
Vladimir Putin has reportedly gifted Kim Jong-un 24 purebred horses in exchange for artillery shells used in the Ukraine war, signalling the two leaders’ increasingly close bond.
The new consignment of Orlov Trotters, which are said to be the North Korean leaders’ favourite breed, were brought over the narrow land border on 25 August, according to an announcement made by the veterinary authorities in Primorsky Krai, which is the Russian Far East region connected by rail to North Korea, reported The Times.
The delivery of the 19 stallions and five mares is reported by South Korean media to be partial payment for North Korean artillery shells sent to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukraine.
Read more here:
Zelensky urges West to permit long-range strikes and supply the weapons
Monday 2 September 2024 14:28
Tara Cobham
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday Ukraine was "more positive" about the prospects of getting permission from its Western allies to conduct long-range strikes on targets inside Russia.
Speaking at a briefing after meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof in Ukraine's southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, Zelensky also urged allies to supply the weapons for such strikes.
With men at the front lines, women watch over Ukraine's night sky for Russian drones
Monday 2 September 2024 14:00
Tara Cobham
When the air raid siren bellows in the dead of night, the women in arms rush to duty.
Barely two months since joining the mobile air-defense unit, 27-year-old Angelina has perfected the drill to a tee: Combat gear fitted, anti-aircraft machine gun in place, she cruised behind the wheel of a pickup, singing along to a Ukrainian song about rebellion.
The rest unfolded in seconds: Under a tree-lined position near Kyiv’s Bucha suburb, she and her five-woman unit mounted the gun, checked the salvo and waited. The chirp of crickets filled the silence until the Russian-launched Shahed drone was shot down — on this August night, by a nearby unit — another menace to near daily life in Ukraine eliminated.
Vasilisa Stepanenko and Samya Kullab report:
Explosion also heard in Kharkiv in early hours with fires sparked, according to Ukrainian media
Monday 2 September 2024 13:00
Tara Cobham
An explosion also rang out in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, early on Monday morning, according to Ukrainian media.
Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv region, confirmed an early morning strike on Kharkiv's Industrialnyi district and said it set a residential building and several others on fire.
Russia’s reported barrage comes day after ‘one of biggest Ukrainian attacks of war’
Monday 2 September 2024 12:00
Tara Cobham
The barrage reported in the early hours of Monday comes a day after Russia's military reported intercepting and destroying 158 Ukrainian drones targeting multiple Russian regions in one of the biggest Ukrainian attacks of the war.
It also comes weeks after Ukranian forces' incursion into Russia's Kursk region, which Moscow's forces have struggled to push back so far and to which the Kremlin has vowed to respond.
Three Ukrainian teens begin their final year of high school holding onto hopes for the future
Monday 2 September 2024 11:00
Tara Cobham
This week marks the start of the school year in Ukraine, a pivotal time for any student, especially for teenagers in their final year of high school. Ukrainian teens have more than just grades and university choices on their minds — they are grappling with the realities of war.
One student, still haunted by memories of his hometown in the Luhansk region, nearly all under Russian control, struggles to adapt to life in the Kyiv area after surviving the Russian occupation. Homesickness lingers, a constant reminder of what he left behind. Two other teens agonize over choosing their future professions: They make plans for the future while navigating daily threats from Russian-guided bombs and missiles in their front-line cities.
Just before the school year started, the three found a time of peace and healing at a summer camp on the opposite side of the country. The camp for children affected by the war was created and organized by the Voices of Children charity foundation and sponsored by the Olena Zelenska Foundation, the charity set up by the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Hanna Arhirova reports:
Russia says it takes control of village of Skuchne in eastern Ukraine, RIA reports
Monday 2 September 2024 10:40
Tara Cobham
Russian forces have taken control of the village of Skuchne in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, the RIA news agency cited Russia's Defence Ministry as saying on Monday.
Skuchne is located in the Pokrovsk district of the region, where Russian forces have accelerated their advance in recent weeks.
Ukraine criticises 'absurd' restrictions on long-range strikes on Russia
Monday 2 September 2024 10:40
Tara Cobham
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Kyiv's partners to grant permission for long-range strikes into Russia after Moscow staged a missile attack on Kyiv on Monday.
"In defending itself against these two barbaric war machines, Ukraine is forced to fight with hands tied behind its back. Isn’t this absurd?" Kuleba said on X.
He added that Russia fired North Korean missiles on Monday, and called on Asian partners to consider increasing military aid to Ukraine.
Russia says Telegram boss Durov is a victim of his own independence
Monday 2 September 2024 10:39
Tara Cobham
Pavel Durov, the Telegram boss arrested in France, was "too free" in his approach to running the social media platform, and this was his undoing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.
A French judge put Russian-born Durov under formal investigation last week for suspected complicity in running an online platform that allows illicit transactions, child sex abuse images, drug trafficking and fraud.
His lawyer has said it is "absurd" to suggest he should be held responsible for any crimes committed on the app, which has nearly 1 billion users and is widely popular in Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet countries.
Lavrov, in a speech to students at Moscow's elite MGIMO university run by the foreign ministry, echoed the Kremlin's position that the probe into Durov is part of a larger political ploy by the West to exert power over Russia.
"Pavel Durov was too free," Lavrov said. "He didn't listen to Western advice on moderating his brainchild."
Russia, after years of pressure on Durov and his tech ventures, has rallied behind him.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that there were no negotiations between the Kremlin and Durov, who also holds passports from France and the United Arab Emirates.
"The main thing is that what is happening in France does not turn into political persecution," Peskov said last Thursday. "We know that the president of France has denied any connection (of the case) with politics, but on the other hand, certain accusations are being made."
French President Emmanuel Macron has denied any political motive in the tech entrepreneur's detention.
Lavrov earlier warned that Durov's arrest - the first of a major tech CEO - had plunged relations between Moscow and Paris to a new nadir.
Ukraine's attacks on Belgorod disrupt school sessions, governor says
Monday 2 September 2024 10:00
Tara Cobham
Some kindergartens will shut for a week in the Russian city of Belgorod near Ukraine's border while several schools will hold online classes after a Kyiv attack destroyed a child care facility on Monday, the region's governor said.
"It's a bad morning for the Belgorod region," the governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said in a post on social network VKontakte the day classes were set to resume after the summer vacation.
"A kindergarten in the city of Belgorod has been almost completely destroyed."
After the attack, authorities decided that several schools in the city's large district of Kharkovskaya Gora would hold classes online, while kindergartens would be shut for a week, Gladkov said.
Russia's air defence units destroyed one Ukraine-launched drone overnight, the defence ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports. Ukrainian forces have long subjected the city of Belgorod and nearby districts to shelling and other attacks. Kyiv says its attacks target infrastructure key to Moscow's war efforts.
Both sides deny targeting civilians in the 30-month-old war unleashed by Moscow's invasion of its smaller neighbour.
On Sunday, Gladkov said Ukraine's shelling killed one person and injured more than a dozen in the region, the administrative centre of which is the city of Belgorod.
Russian missile attack rocks Kyiv and other areas of Ukraine
Monday 2 September 2024 09:15
Tara Cobham
Loud explosions rocked Ukraine's capital Kyiv early on Monday as Russia launched a barrage of missiles, sparking fires and damaging homes and infrastructure, officials said.
The air force said it had destroyed 22 out of 35 missiles and 20 out of 23 attack drones. Those included nine ballistic missiles and 13 cruise missiles in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Poltava, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. Air raid alerts sounded across Ukraine for nearly two hours before the air force declared the skies clear at 6:30 a.m. (0330 GMT). Neighbouring NATO member Poland activated Polish and allied aircraft to keep its airspace safe during the attacks. The broad bombardment, a week after Russia unleashed its largest air attack on Ukraine since full-scale war began early in 2022, coincided with the first day back at school for many children.
"It was supposed to be school today," said Alina, standing in the courtyard of a school. "We were asleep and woke up to a bang," said her friend Amina. A boiler house at a Kyiv water plant was partially damaged, as was the entrance to a metro station doubling as a bomb shelter in Svyatoshynksyi district, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, although the station was still operating.
The district is home to a cluster of universities and schools. The attack injured at least two people, Klitschko said. Cars were set ablaze across the city as well as at a non-residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, he added. Emergency services rushed to several locations, including the Svyatoshynksyi, Solomyanskyi and Holosiivskyi districts, where debris had fallen from destroyed missiles. Solomyanskyi is home to a major train station and Kyiv's main airport. The historic neighbourhood of Svyatoshynksyi is on the city's western edge, while Holosiivskyi is in the southwest. An Islamic centre was badly damaged in the attack, Crimean Tatar leader Refat Chubarov said on Telegram.
Reuters witnesses in Kyiv heard a series of loud explosions in what sounded like the work of air defence units, some in the central area.
Last Monday, Russia fired more than 200 missiles and drones at Ukraine, killing seven people and striking energy facilities nationwide in what Kyiv called the war's "most massive" attack.
Russia denies targeting civilians in the 30-month-old war.
Pro-Russian bloggers say Moscow's forces push into two eastern Ukrainian cities
Monday 2 September 2024 09:04
Tara Cobham
Russian forces are fighting in the eastern Ukrainian cities of Selydove and Ukrainsk, pro-Russian bloggers said on Monday, as Moscow's forces try to smash through part of Ukraine's defensive line.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the purported Russian advance.
Russian forces, which control 18% of Ukraine, have been advancing in eastern Ukraine since the failure of Kyiv's 2023 counter-offensive to achieve a major breakthrough.
Despite a major Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region began on Aug.6, the numerically stronger Russian army has in recent weeks been pushing relatively swiftly though settlements on the approach to the strategically important city of Pokrovsk.
Yuri Podolyaka, an influential Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, said that intense battles were underway in Selydove about 20 km (12 miles) south of Pokrovsk and in Ukrainsk, about 14 km (10 miles) south of Selydove.
He said both sides were pushing forces into the battles for the cities which had populations of over 20,000 and 10,000 respectively before the war began in February 2022.
The Rybar pro-Russian blogger also said that fighting was going on in both cities. Russian state news agency TASS said that Ukrainian forces had been pushed out of a part of Selydove.
By pushing south towards the city of Kurakhivka, Russian forces are seeking to break through Ukrainian defensive lines while increasing their sway over the Pokrovsk-Donetsk road and encircling a chunk of territory, Russian bloggers said.
The Russian advances in Donetsk come as Moscow's forces try to expel Ukrainian soldiers from Russia's Kursk region after an Aug. 6 incursion aimed partly at forcing Russia's generals to scramble forces from other parts of the front.
Behind enemy lines with Ukraine’s troops in Russia
Monday 2 September 2024 09:00
Tara Cobham
As the Ukrainian armoured vehicle rumbled across the border into Russia’s Kursk region, one of the crew turned around and grinned broadly. Another officer said: “I’ve crossed the border quite a few times since our operation in Russia started and it feels great each time. Perhaps we should have done this a long time ago.”
The Independent accompanied the Ukrainian military over some of the hundreds of square miles of territory Kyiv has claimed during its surprise cross-border assault, which is now three weeks old. Every piece of land taken is another embarrassment for Vladimir Putin.
Our armoured personnel carrier (APC) crossed along the main road from the city of Sumy, capital of the eponymous Ukrainian region adjoining Kursk. It swayed and jolted as we careered along roads cratered by Russian artillery, rockets and glide bombs trying to hit the hundreds of Ukrainian military vehicles, moving in both directions.
Askold Krushelnycky reports from Kursk:
Putin says Kursk 'provocation' failed to stop Russia's Donetsk offensive
Monday 2 September 2024 08:55
Tara Cobham
Ukraine's "provocation" in Russia's Kursk region has failed to stop the Russian military from advancing in Ukraine's Donetsk region, the RIA news agency cited Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying on Monday.
Putin, on a trip to Russia's Tuva region, said Russian forces were reclaiming territory in the Kursk region "by square kilometres" and the Ukrainian incursion force there would "be dealt with".
Poland ‘has duty’ to shoot down Russian missiles
Monday 2 September 2024 08:53
Tara Cobham
The Polish foreign minister has said his country and others bordering Ukraine have a “duty” to shoot down incoming Russian missiles before entering their airspace to protect their citizens.
Radosław Sikorski told the Financial Times this obligation stands despite Nato opposition that is centred around fears interceptions over Ukrainian territory could draw the Atlantic alliance into Russia’s war.
Ukraine downs 22 out of 35 missiles, 20 drones used in Russian morning attack, Air Force says
Monday 2 September 2024 08:00
Tara Cobham
Ukrainian forces destroyed 22 out of 35 missiles and 20 out of 23 attack drones launched by Russia on Monday morning, Ukraine's Air Force said.
It said on the Telegram messenger that it had destroyed nine ballistic missiles and 13 cruise missiles in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Poltava, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Russia launches a barrage of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles at Kyiv, Ukraine’s military says
Monday 2 September 2024 07:13
Arpan Rai
Russia launched a barrage of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles at Kyiv, Ukraine’s air force said early today.
Several series of explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital in the early hours this morning, sending residents into bomb shelters.
Kyiv mayor Vitalii Klitschko said emergency services were called to the Holosiivskyi and Solomianskyi districts of Kyiv. One person was reportedly injured by falling debris in Shevchenkivskyi district, Mr Klitschko said.
Kindergarten school sessions disrupted by Ukraine attack, governor says
Monday 2 September 2024 06:57
Arpan Rai
Some kindergartens will shut for a week in the Russian city of Belgorod near Ukraine’s border while several schools will hold online classes after a Kyiv attack destroyed a childcare facility today, the region’s governor said.
“It’s a bad morning for the Belgorod region,” the governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said in a post on social network VKontakte the day classes were set to resume after the summer vacation. “A kindergarten in the city of Belgorod has been almost completely destroyed.”
After the attack, authorities decided that several schools in the city’s large district of Kharkovskaya Gora would hold classes online, while kindergartens would be shut for a week, Gladkov said.
Russia’s air defence units destroyed one Ukraine-launched drone overnight, the defence ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukrainian forces have long subjected the city of Belgorod and nearby districts to shelling and other attacks. Kyiv says its attacks target infrastructure key to Moscow’s war efforts.
At least two injured in Russian attacks, cars set ablaze
Monday 2 September 2024 06:25
Arpan Rai
The early morning missile attack on Kyiv has injured at least two people, mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Cars were set ablaze across the city as well as a non-residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, he added.
Russia pounded Ukraine’s capital with missiles early today, while falling debris from the downed weapons sparked fires and damaged homes and infrastructure, officials said.
Emergency services also went to the districts of Svyatoshynksyi, Holosiivskyi, and Solomyanskyi, where debris fell from destroyed missiles, Mr Klitschko added.
Zelensky’s aide vows retribution after Russia bombs Ukraine
Monday 2 September 2024 05:46
Arpan Rai
One of Volodymyr Zelensky’s senior aides has immediately pledged retribution to Russia’s latest attack on Ukraine with dozens of missiles and drones.
“Ther