Ukraine news – live: Twelve Putin officers killed in Kherson strike, Kyiv claims

Twelve senior Russian officers have been killed in a Ukrainian strike on a strategically key airport near Kherson, Oleksiy Arestovych, a controversial aide to Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed.

The airport has repeatedly been targeted by Kyiv since Vladimir Putin’s forces seized it at the outset of the war, with the latest strike claimed to have been carried out using HIMARS rockets supplied by the United States.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have declared nine more people dead as rescuers clear the rubble left by a Russian strike on a five-storey apartment block in the Donetsk town of Chasiv Yar.

The death toll now sits at 24, while nine people have been rescued from the building’s ruins, emergency services said.

A further three people were also said to have been killed and 31 wounded in Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv in what officials alleged was Russian multiple rocket launcher fire at civilian areas. Moscow claimed to have struck deployment points for Ukrainian troops and foreign fighters.

Key Points

• Twelve senior Russian officers killed in airport strike, Zelensky aide claims

• Death toll ‘rises to 18' after Russian strike on five-storey apartment block

• Three reported dead and 31 injured as Russian ‘hits civilian areas’ in Kharkiv

• Ukraine massing million-strong fighting force to fight in south, minister says

• Moscow says missile strike hit and killed Ukrainian troops on Snake Island

• Russian fighters facing lack of scheduled breaks, claims UK

Twelve Russian officers killed in airport strike, Zelensky aide claims

13:11 , Andy Gregory

A Ukrainian strike on a command post at Chornobaivka Airport near Kherson is claimed to have killed 12 Russian officers, according to Oleksiy Arestovych, a controversial aide to Volodymr Zelensky.

The attack is claimed to have been carried out using HIMARS rockets supplied by the United States.

The airport was seized by Russia early on in its invasion and has been subjected to a large number of Ukrainian attacks.

Russian Duma to hold extraordinary session

12:12 , Andy Gregory

The lower house of the Russian parliament will gather on Friday for an extraordinary session, its council has decided, just days after Vladimir Putin warned that he had not had not even started to get serious in the war in Ukraine.

Mr Putin used a meeting with parliamentary leaders on Thursday to dare the US and its allies to try to defeat Russia in Ukraine.

The Russian parliament did not disclose what would be discussed at the extraordinary session.

Vladimir Vasilyev, the head of the United Russia party, which has 325 seats in the 450-seat parliament, said politicians would discuss more than 60 issues at the session, adding: “It is necessary that the processes going on now receive a legal response.

At the meeting with Mr Putin on Thursday, Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin told Mr Putin that the Russian parliament would help two Russian-backed self-declared breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine to develop their legal system.

Ukrainian forces claim to recapture village in Kherson

11:50 , Andy Gregory

Ukrainian forces claim to have recaptured a village named Ivanivka, in the southern Russian-occupied region of Kherson.

“The only thing left of the Russian occupiers in Ivanivka are horrible memories and ‘dead’ military equipment,” a Ukrainian infantry brigade said.

There is more than one village of Ivanivka in the area. One of them is located along the front line.

Dozens taken to hospital in Kharkiv after Russian strikes, mayor says

11:22 , Andy Gregory

The mayor of Kharkiv has said that Russian shelling struck civilian infrastructure including a commercial property and a tyre repair shop.

These are “places which had no military significance,” Oleh Synehubov said, adding that two children aged 4 and 16 were among dozens of people taken to hospital.

“Several shells hit the yards of private houses. Garages and cars were also destroyed, several fires broke out,” he said.

The number of people said to be wounded has risen to 31.

Image claimed to show Russian ‘board of shame’ of soldiers who refused to fight in Ukraine

10:57 , Andy Gregory

An image being shared by Ukrainian officials purports to show a Russian list of hundreds of soldiers who refused to fight in Ukraine.

“They decided to stigmatise those soldiers who refused to take part in the war against Ukraine. Now in the military units of the Russian Federation you can see boards of shame,” claimed Anton Gerashchenko, a former deputy minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Russia claims to hit military targets after three reported dead in Kharkiv

10:45 , Andy Gregory

Russian missiles struck ammunition depots in Ukraine’s central Dnipro region used to supply rocket launchers and artillery weapons, Moscow’s defence ministry has claimed.

It also said that it struck deployment points for Ukrainian troops and foreign fighters in Kharkiv region – where three people were reported dead after Ukrainian officials said Russian missiles hit residential areas.

Flow of Ukrainians into EU reaches pre-war levels

10:33 , Andy Gregory

The number of Ukrainians crossing into European Union countries has returned to levels witnessed prior to Russia’s invasion, the bloc’s home affairs commissioner has said.

More than six million people have left Ukraine for EU countries since Vladimir Putin launched his invasion, with some three million thought to have already returned home, border guard agency Frontex said at the end of June.

“When it comes to the refugee flows, the situation now is stable. The crossings between the EU and Ukraine, the numbers are pre-war, pre-Covid level, so we are back to like a normal number of people crossing,” home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson told reporters.

At the moment, almost the same number of people were entering the EU as returning to Ukraine, Ms Johansson said on arriving for a meeting of EU home affairs ministers in Prague.

“I foresee that a lot of Ukrainians in the EU will take a decision before school starts – where to start school, in an EU member state or going back to Ukraine to start school there,” she said. “I think the coming month, a lot of people will make a decision if they will go back now or if they will stay further on here.”

Three killed and 22 injured in Kharkiv shelling

09:45 , Andy Gregory

Three people have been killed and 22 wounded on Monday after Russian shelling hit Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, the regional governor has said.

An official from the president's office said residential areas had been struck when Russia fired rockets from multiple rocket launchers at the city.

Kaliningrad governor proposes ban on movement of goods after Lithuania widens curbs

09:42 , Andy Gregory

The governor of Russia’s Kaliningrad region has proposed a total ban on the movement of goods between three Baltic states and Russia, in response to what authorities in the exclave have called a “blockade” of it by Lithuania.

“As a reciprocal measure we propose to completely prohibit the movement of goods (including those in transit from third countries) between the three Baltic States and Russia,” governor Anton Alikhanov said.

The Kaliningrad region would be excepted from the ban, he added.

It comes shortly after Lithuania expanded restrictions on trade through its territory to the exclave, as phase-ins of European Union sanctions against Moscow took effect.

Russia warned Lithuania and the EU on Friday that it could adopt “harsh measures” against them if the transit of some goods to and from Kaliningrad did not resume “within the coming days”.

Chasiv Yar apartment strike death toll ‘rises to 18'

08:49 , Andy Gregory

The death toll from a Russian rocket attack that hit an apartment block in the eastern town of Chasiv Yar on Saturday has risen to 18 after three more bodies were found, with rescuers still racing to reach survivors in the rubble, emergency services said.

Rescuers were in voice contact with two people trapped in the ruins of the five-storey block in the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region that was struck late on Saturday, the service said.

Six people have been rescued from the building’s ruins, and some 137 tonnes of rubble were cleared, it added.

Russian parliament mulls calling ‘extraordinary meeting'

08:28 , Reuters

The Russian parliament’s organising council was due to meet on Monday to decide on calling an extraordinary meeting of parliament on 15 July, but it was not immediately clear what was to be discussed.

The lower house of parliament said the council was to meet on Monday due to “issues that require urgent solutions” and the need to consider “government initiatives”. It gave no further details.

At the scheduled start of the council meeting, there was no public live translation on the meeting and no agenda was published, Reuters reporters said.

Ukraine amassing million-strong force to retake southern areas, defence minister says

08:02 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine is amassing a million troops armed with western weapons to retake southern territory captured by Russia, Kyiv’s defence minister has told The Times.

Oleksii Reznikov said Volodymr Zelensky had told Ukraine's military to retake coastal areas vital to the country's economy, saying: “We understand that, politically, it's very necessary for our country.

“The president has given the order to the supreme military chief to draw up plans. After that the general staff are doing their homework and say to achieve this goal we need XYZ ... This is my job. I’m writing letters to counterparts in partner countries, the generals talk about why we need this kind of weaponry and then we get the political decisions.”

Warning that “each day we're waiting for howitzers we can lose a hundred soldiers”, he suggested that Western countries were stepping up arms supplies now because Ukrainians had proved that they could fight, adding that Nato had underestimated Kyiv’s determination and overestimated Russia’s strength.

“I tried to explain that after eight years of hybrid war we have more than 400,000 veterans plus their relatives in different parts of the world,” he told the paper. “Workers from Poland to Portugal decided to return to Ukraine to defend their country.”

‘It was all chaos’: Residents describe deadly rocket strike in Chasiv Yar

07:54 , Andy Gregory

Survivors have spoken to Reuters after the rocket strike on a five-storey apartment building in the eastern town of Chasiv Yar on Saturday night killed 15 people and left two dozen people feared trapped in the rubble.

On Sunday, rescuers used a crane to lift a concrete slab and their hands to dig through the debris, while dazed residents who survived the attack retrieved personal belongings and told stories of their escape.

One woman was seen walking out of the destroyed building carrying an ironing board under her arm, an umbrella and a plastic shopping bag. Others simply watched rescue efforts, fearing the worst as the dead were removed.

“We ran to the basement, there were three hits, the first somewhere in the kitchen,” said a resident who gave her name as Ludmila. “The second, I do not even remember, there was lightning, we ran towards the second entrance and then straight into the basement. We sat there all night until this morning.”

Another survivor, who gave her name as Venera, said she had wanted to save her two kittens.

“I was thrown into the bathroom, it was all chaos, I was in shock, all covered in blood,” she said, crying. “By the time I left the bathroom, the room was full up of rubble, three floors fell down. I never found the kittens under the rubble.”

German fears over gas pipeline as it closes for scheduled maintenance

07:30 , Andy Gregory

A major gas pipeline from Russia to Germany is shutting down for annual maintenance today, amid concerns in Berlin that Russia may not resume the flow of gas as scheduled.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Germany’s main source of Russian gas, is scheduled to be out of action until 21 July for routine work which the operator says includes “testing of mechanical elements and automation systems.”

But German officials are suspicious about Russia’s intentions, particularly after Russia’s Gazprom last month reduced the gas flow through Nord Stream 1 by 60 per cent, citing technical problems involving a gas turbine held up in transit after maintenance due to sanctions.

German politicians have dismissed Russia’s technical explanation for last month’s reduction in gas flows through Nord Stream 1, saying the decision was a political gambit to sow uncertainty and push up prices.

German vice chancellor Robert Habeck has said he suspects that Russia may cite “some little technical detail” as a reason not to resume gas deliveries through the pipeline after maintenance.

Russia targets Kharkiv with heavy ammunition - official

07:01 , Arpan Rai

Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv as they opened fire with artillery, multiple rocket launchers and tanks, officials said on Monday.

A Russian missile struck an apartment building in Kharkiv overnight, however, no casualties have been reported, officials said.

The Russian fighters have shelled cities in the eastern part as well in Donetsk where at least 15 people were killed, Ukraine’s general staff said on Monday.

Russian fighters facing lack of scheduled breaks, claims UK

06:31 , Arpan Rai

The British defence ministry said that the Russian military is facing one of the most damaging issues as their soldiers are unable to go on scheduled breaks from intense combat conditions.

Citing a Russia report, the British MoD said: “In late June, a Russian-language media agency based in Russia’s far eastern Lake Baikal region uploaded a video in which the wives of soldiers from the Eastern Military District’s (EMD’s) 36th Combined arms Army directly appealed to a local politician for their husbands to be returned home from service in Ukraine.”

“One woman claimed that personnel of EMD’s 5th Separate Guards Tank Brigade are ‘mentally and physically exhausted’ because they have been on active combat duty since the launch of the ‘special military operation’ on 24 February 2022,” the latest intelligence update read.

It added: “The lack of scheduled breaks from intense combat conditions is highly likely one of the most damaging of the many personnel issues the Russian MoD is struggling to rectify amongst the deployed force”.

On the Ukrainian frontiers, the ministry said that the Russian artillery bombardments continued in the northern Donbas sector “but probably without any major territorial advances. Ukrainian forces continued to apply localised pressure to the Russian defensive line in North East Kherson oblast, also probably without achieving territorial gain”.

Rescue ops underway in Donetsk housing block, says Ukraine

05:50 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian officials said rescue workers are ploughing through rubble of an apartment building, looking for missing people, in eastern Ukraine after it was struck by a Russian missile on Sunday.

The search is on for at least two dozen people, including a child, trapped in the debris of the five-storey building.

At least 15 people have been killed, Volodymyr Zelensky has said, indicating that the death toll can go up.

Rescuers are using a crane to lift concrete slabs and their hands to dig through the debris as the dazed residents who survived the Saturday evening attack.

The missile strike has been termed as “another terrorist attack”, said Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Mr Zelensky.

He added that Russia should be designated a state sponsor of terrorism.

Lamiat Sabin has the full report here:

Russian missile attack kills 15 in Donetsk housing block, says Ukraine

Public support for Ukrainian refugees already waning in UK, poll shows

05:22 , Arpan Rai

Polls in Britain have suggested that the public support for Ukrainian refugees is dwindling, even as the war rages on for more than four and a half months.

About three-quarters of people supported resettling Ukrainians in the UK and 42 per cent thought the figure should be in the tens of thousands “at least” in March, polling by YouGov showed.

However, this number has now dropped to 71 per cent of people supporting resettlement and of these 39 per cent want to see tens of thousands refugees welcomed.

A total of 175,100 applications have been marked to the scheme, 148,300 of which have been granted, and 91,000 Ukraine visa holders have arrived in the UK.

Read the full report here:

Public support for Ukrainian refugees already waning in UK, poll shows

Zelensky rejects ‘operational pause’ by Russia: ‘34 strikes in 24 hours’

05:11 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky mocked the “operational pause” alleged in Russia’s military actions and said that the Ukrainian army is still repelling attacks in various directions.

“In the past week, many talked about the alleged ‘operational pause’ in the actions of the occupiers in Donbas and other parts of Ukraine. 34 airstrikes by Russian aircraft over the past day is an answer to all those who came up with this ‘pause’,” Mr Zelensky said.

He said: “The Ukrainian army is holding on firmly, repelling attacks in various directions. But, of course, a lot still needs to be done so that Russian losses really cause such pause”.

“Moreover, the pause not before new offensives of the occupiers, but before their retreat from our Ukrainian land. And I am grateful to all our fighters who are bringing this time closer,” he said.

Last week, the British defence ministry had claimed that Russian fighters in Ukraine’s east are taking a brief pause to replenish before launching a fresh offensive in Donetsk.

“Russia is likely concentrating equipment on the front line in the direction of Siversk, approximately 8km west of the current Russian front line. Its forces are likely pausing to replenish before undertaking new offensive operations in Donetsk Oblast,” the ministry said on Friday morning.

Punishment inevitable for every Russian murderer, says Zelensky after strikes in Donetsk

04:31 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelenksy compared Russian troops to Nazi murderers after strikes in Donetsk region on Sunday killed more than a dozen people and said that Ukraine will not wait long to serve punishments to Russian soldiers.

“You know, Nazi murderers are found and brought to justice even when they are 90 or 100 years old. They are caught all over the world. Of course, we don’t want to wait that long. But I give this example to show that punishment is inevitable for every Russian murderer. Absolutely everyone. Just as for the Nazis,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address late on Sunday.

He added that the Russian soldiers should not expect that their state will protect them. “Russia will be the first to abandon them when political circumstances change,” Mr Zelensky said.

He confirmed that he received reports from the city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region. “A rescue operation is underway there after a Russian strike at residential buildings. Two high-rise buildings were destroyed. Dozens of people are under the rubble. Six were saved. There are 15 names in the list of the dead and, unfortunately, this is not the final number,” the wartime president said.

Deploring the Russian attack, Mr Zelensky said that for everyone who orders such missile strikes and everyone who carries them in residential areas “kills absolutely deliberately”.

“After such strikes, the killers will not be able to say they did not know something or did not understand something... All those who carried out this shelling, other missile strikes, all those who hit our cities with rocket artillery, as is the case with the Kharkiv region, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Siversk and Vuhledar in the Donetsk region - they will all be found,” Mr Zelensky said.

Russia missile destroys residential building in Kharkiv

04:13 , Arpan Rai

A residential building was struck by a Russian missile on Monday morning in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, officials said.

The missile struck a six-storey residential building in the besieged country’s northeastern part, officials from Kharkiv’s state emergency service said, citing Suspilne news agency.

Casualties from the strike are not immediately clear.

Ukraine: Civilians in Russian-occupied Kherson region urged to leave

03:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Ukraine‘s deputy prime minister has urged civilians in the Russian-occupied southern region of Kherson to evacuate as soon as possible.

Iryna Vereshchuk said on Ukrainian television that Ukraine‘s armed forces were preparing a counter-attack in the region – but she did not say when exactly it would happen.

“It’s clear there will be fighting, there will be artillery shelling... and we therefore urge (people) to evacuate urgently,” Ms Vereshchuk said.

“I know for sure that there should not be women and children there, and that they should not become human shields.”

Ukraine lost control of most of the Black Sea region of Kherson, including its capital of the same name, in the first weeks after Russia launched its invasion on 24 February.

‘Russian Federation will cease to exist,’ Ukrainian minister predicts

02:00 , Lamiat Sabin

The Russian Federation will collapse over the coming years as a number of regions will declare sovereignty, a Ukrainian defence minister has predicted.

In an interview for The Times, Oleksii Reznikov said that he believes that the Russian Federation will collapse and several states will be formed in its place.

He said: “I am certain that in the next couple of years we will see multiple calls for sovereignty across the territory of the Russian Federation.

“The Russian Federation will cease existing as such. Several states will be formed in its place: Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and so on.”

Dozens of Russian airs trikes in space of 24 hours, Zelensky says

01:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Russia carried out 34 air strikes on Ukraine in the space of a day, Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president said that number of attacks took place on Saturday.

One of these attacks was an air strike on a residential block in the Donetsk town of Chasiv Yar, which killed 15 people while about 24 are feared to be trapped under rubble.

Mr Zelensky said that the number of air strikes has shown that Russia has gone against its claim earlier this week that its troops would take an “operational pause” during the ongoing war.

Russia ‘fired Iskander missiles at Chasiv Yar housing block’

Monday 11 July 2022 00:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Russia launched hypersonic Iskander missiles on the housing block in Chasiv Yar, according to Ukraine.

Viacheslav Boitsov, deputy chief of emergency service in the Donetsk Region, said that four shells hit the neighbourhood – in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine – at about 9.17pm on Saturday, and that they were likely Iskander missiles.

Fifteen people died in the attack, and dozens are feared to still be trapped under the rubble. Six people have been rescued so far.

Mr Boitsov said: “There were likely four missiles. According to the experts’ preliminary evaluations, they were the Iskander missiles.

“The building that was attacked by the Russian occupiers is a dormitory; there were civilians there. There are no military facilities nearby.”

Russia has denied targeting civilians and claimed that “Ukrainian militants” were encamped in the building.

Doubts grow over Ukraine’s grain harvest amid export blockade

Sunday 10 July 2022 22:00 , Lamiat Sabin

In case you missed it...

Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports has put the fate of the upcoming harvest in Ukraine in doubt.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says the ongoing invasion is a huge threat to food supplies for many developing nations and could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people around the world.

Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine could export up to 7 million tons of grain per month, but in June it shipped only 2.2 million tons, according to the Ukrainian Grain Association.

Meanwhile, many farmers in Ukraine could go bankrupt. They are facing the most difficult situation since gaining independence in 1991, according to the head of the association.

Read the full story here:

Anxiety grows for Ukraine's grain farmers as harvest begins

War in Ukraine ‘may be contributing factor to Sri Lanka crisis' - Blinken

Sunday 10 July 2022 21:00 , Lamiat Sabin

The Russian invasion of Ukraine “may be one of the contributing factors” to the food shortage in Sri Lanka, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

During a visit to Thailand, he said that the blocking of tens of millions of Ukrainian grain exports continues to threaten the food security people in many developing nations around the world.

Meanwhile, thousands of protesters in Sri Lanka have been occupying Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office and presidential palace amid the ongoing political and economic crisis that is the worst the island nation has had since its independence from Britain in 1948.

Earlier this week, Mr Rajapasksa had a call with Russian president Vladimir Putin. He said he “requested an offer of credit support to import fuel” amid the severe fuel shortage that resulted in schools having to shut down for weeks.

‘Russian troops’ family under surveillance by the state’ - report

Sunday 10 July 2022 20:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Close relatives of troops who have died while invading Ukraine have been put under surveillance by the Russian state, according to a report.

The report by news website The New Voice of Ukraine cites the intelligence wing of the Ukrainian ministry of defence.

The family members are considered by the Russian federal security service (FSB) as prone to “the public dissemination of false information and actions to discredit the Russian Armed Forces”, according to a Ukrainian intelligence report.

The crime of “dissemination of knowingly false information” about Russian troops is punishable by a fine of up to about £10,000 or up to three years in prison.

The Russian legislation was enacted earlier this year weeks after Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.

Siemens says it will get pipeline turbine to Russia as soon as possible

Sunday 10 July 2022 20:00 , Reuters

Siemens said Canada’s decision to allow a turbine to be sent from its repair shop in Canada to Germany was a necessary first step towards returning it to the Russian pipeline it operates, and that it was aiming to get it there as soon as possible.

“The political export decision is a necessary and important first step for the delivery of the turbine. Currently, our experts are working intensively on all further formal approvals and logistics,” Siemens Energy said in a statement.

“Among other things, this involves legally required export and import control procedures. Our goal is to transport the turbine to its place of operation as quickly as possible,” it added.

Reporting by Reuters

One person pulled out from Chasiv Yar apartments rubble - report

Sunday 10 July 2022 19:30 , Lamiat Sabin

One more person has reportedly been found under the rubble of an apartment block in Ukraine.

Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne cited the source as Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office.

At least 15 people have been killed after air strikes hit the five-storey apartment block in Chasiv Yar, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Six people have now been saved – but 23 people including a child are still trapped under the rubble, Suspilne also reported.

Russia has claimed that the apartment block had been housing “Ukrainian militants”, and denies that its troops has targeted civilians.

Ukraine 'deeply disappointed' by Canadian decision to return turbine

Sunday 10 July 2022 19:00 , Reuters

Ukraine's energy and foreign ministries said they were “deeply disappointed” by Canada’s decision to hand back a repaired Siemens turbine used for the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline to Germany.

The statement, published on the energy ministry’s website, called on the Canadian government to reverse its decision and said that returning the turbine would amount to adjusting the sanctions imposed on Moscow “to the whims of Russia.”

Reporting by Reuters

Senegal secures £102m loan for emergency crops amid Ukraine war

Sunday 10 July 2022 18:30 , Lamiat Sabin

The African Development Bank Group has approved a €121 million (£102m) loan to Senegal for an emergency crop-growing scheme after the war in Ukraine severely limited imports of food.

The bank said that the scheme that will benefit 850,000 small farmers, 35 per cent of whom are women.

Mohamed Cherif, the bank’s manager for Senegal, said: “Senegal’s dependence on the outside world for basic commodities and foodstuffs is a real bottleneck and poses a threat to the country’s food sovereignty, which has been sharpened by the war in Ukraine.”

He added: “This operation is intended to mitigate exogenous financial, economic, social and climate shocks and to maintain the upward trend in cereal production seen in recent years, especially by focusing efforts on the availability of key inputs including seeds and fertilizers to producers.”

This loan is the first approved under the bank’s $1.5 billion (£1.25bn) scheme – named the African Emergency Food Production Facility – which was set up in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

ICYMI: Zelensky sacks Ukraine’s ambassadors to five countries

Sunday 10 July 2022 18:00 , Lamiat Sabin

In case you missed it...

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has fired several of Kyiv’s ambassadors abroad.

They include Andriy Melnyk, the outspoken Ukrainian ambassador to Germany.

Ukraine’s envoys to the Czech Republic, India, Norway, and Hungary were also dismissed.

Mr Zelensky said the decision was “a normal part of diplomatic practice.”

Read the full story here by Chiara Giordano

Zelensky sacks Ukraine’s ambassadors to five countries including Germany and India

Russia claims Ukrainian troops fired shells on Donetsk civilian areas

Sunday 10 July 2022 17:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Russia is claiming that Ukrainian troops have fired 26 artillery shells at residential areas in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine.

Russian state news agency Tass is alleging that the Ukrainian military had fired the 155mm artillery shells within the space of 30 minutes on Sunday.

It claimed that two civilians were wounded after Ukrainian troops allegedly “opened fire at Donetsk’s Kievsky and Kuibyshecsky districts”.

The news agency said its source was the Moscow-backed separatist group Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).

Chasiv Yar apartment block attack 'should be deemed act of terror’

Sunday 10 July 2022 17:00 , Lamiat Sabin

The air strikes on an apartment block in eastern Ukraine should be considered a terror attack, said Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

He said in a Telegram post that the strike on the building in Chasiv Yar, in the Donetsk region, was “another terrorist attack”, and that Russia should be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The attack on the five-storey block has killed at least 15 people, and up to 30 more people are feared to be trapped under the rubble while rescue efforts are ongoing.

Russia has denied targeting civilians, denied that civilians were among those dead, and has claimed that Ukraine had “turned [the block] into military facilities”.

Russia claims ‘no civilians in Chasiv Yar block where 15 people killed’

Sunday 10 July 2022 16:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Russia is claiming that an apartment block that was reduced to rubble – killing at least 15 people – had been housing “Ukrainian militants”.

This is according to Russian state news agency Tass, which reported that the five-storey block in Chasiv Yar, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, had been “turned into military facilities” before the attack was launched.

The news agency quotes a source, who said: “According to reports coming from there, only bodies of Ukrainian soldiers are being retrieved from under the debris. There were no civilians there.”

Up to 30 people may still be trapped under the rubble, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration.

He said: “Two sections of the building are completely destroyed. Rescuers are working at the scene of the attack in an attempt to rescue those trapped under the rubble.”

Number of sexual violence cases in Ukraine war ‘more than 124’

Sunday 10 July 2022 16:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Some 124 cases of sexual violence have been recorded in Ukraine during the Russian invasion, according to the UN.

But this number does not reflect the scale of sexual violence during the war as many of the crimes have gone unreported, according to Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Russia has committed more than 22,500 war crimes and crimes of aggression against Ukraine since the invasion started on 24 February, according to Ukrainian media outlet Ukrinform.

‘Germany blocking EU plans for billions of euros in Ukraine aid’

Sunday 10 July 2022 15:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Germany is reportedly blocking €9 billion of aid to Ukraine for more than a month.

German finance minister Christian Lindner has opposed the European Union’s planned aid to Ukraine over debt fears, according to the Kyiv Independent citing Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera.

Russia hits Ukrainian hangars storing US-made artillery weapons

Sunday 10 July 2022 15:00 , Chiara Giordano

Russian forces struck two Ukrainian army hangars storing US-produced M777 howitzers, a type of artillery weapon, near Kostantinovka in the Donetsk region, the Russian defence ministry said today.

Ukrainian military spokespeople were not immediately available for comment.

Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to force it to withdraw.

In the south, Ukrainian forces fired missiles and artillery at Russian positions including ammunition depots in the Chornobaivka area, Ukraine's military command said.

Fifteen dead and 20 trapped after Russian missile destroys apartment building in Donetsk

Sunday 10 July 2022 14:13 , Chiara Giordano

At least 15 people have been killed and 20 more are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-storey apartment block in Ukraine's Donetsk region, local officials have said as rescuers continue to pick their way through rubble.

Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the strike on the apartment building took place on Saturday evening in the town of Chasiv Yar. The regional emergency service gave the death toll at 15 on Sunday afternoon, adding that 24 more people could still be under the rubble.

"We ran to the basement, there were three hits, the first somewhere in the kitchen," said a local resident who gave her name as Ludmila, speaking as rescuers removed a body in a white sheet and cleared rubble using a crane as well as their hands.

"The second (strike), I do not even remember, there was lightning, we ran towards the second entrance and then straight into the basement. We sat there all night until this morning."

Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in a Telegram post that the strike was "another terrorist attack," and that Russia should be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism as a result.

Anxiety grows for Ukraine's grain farmers as harvest begins

Sunday 10 July 2022 13:40 , Chiara Giordano

With Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, the fate of the upcoming harvest in Ukraine is in doubt.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says the war is endangering food supplies for many developing nations and could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people.

Meanwhile, many farmers in Ukraine could go bankrupt. They are facing the most difficult situation since gaining independence in 1991, according to the head of the Ukrainian Grain Association.

Anxiety grows for Ukraine's grain farmers as harvest begins

Zelensky sacks Ukraine’s ambassadors to five countries including Germany and India

Sunday 10 July 2022 13:10 , Chiara Giordano

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has fired several of Kyiv’s senior envoys abroad, including the country’s outspoken ambassador to Germany.

The leader announced the sacking of Ukraine’s ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary and said new candidates were being readied for the positions.

Read the full story here:

Zelensky sacks Ukraine’s ambassadors to five countries including Germany and India

Russia restricts access to website of German daily Die Welt

Sunday 10 July 2022 12:40 , Chiara Giordano

Russia has restricted access to the website of Germany's Die Welt newspaper at the request of prosecutors, according to the country's communications regulator.

Russian officials accuse the West of spreading false information about what Moscow describes as a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Since sending troops to the neighbouring country on 24 February, Russia has blocked or limited access to BBC, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle and other media outlets.

It was not immediately clear why prosecutors asked for the restriction in respect of welt.de page.

Roskomnadzor, the communications regulator, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The only way out: the volunteers rescuing Ukrainians from hell on the frontline

Sunday 10 July 2022 12:10 , Chiara Giordano

To escape the worst hit areas of the war, the most vulnerable Ukrainians are reliant on volunteers using buses to ferry people to safety.

Our international correspondent Bel Trew joined one such convoy in Donbas:

The only way out: the volunteers rescuing Ukrainians from hell on the frontline

Ukrainian soldiers arrive in UK to be trained up by British forces

Sunday 10 July 2022 11:40 , Chiara Giordano

Ukrainian soldiers being trained by British forces to help them in their fight against Russia have arrived in the UK.

The first cohort in the UK-led military programme met with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on Thursday as they started their several weeks-long training, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

Here’s the full story:

Ukrainian soldiers arrive in UK to be trained up by British forces

Volodymyr Zelensky sacks Ukraine’s ambassadors to five countries including Germany

Sunday 10 July 2022 11:10 , Chiara Giordano

Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed several of Kyiv's senior envoys abroad, including the country's outspoken ambassador to Germany.

The Ukrainian president announced the sacking of Ukraine's ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary and said new candidates were being readied for the positions.

"This rotation is a normal part of diplomatic practice," he said in a statement.

It was not clear if the envoys would be assigned new positions.

Bernie Ecclestone finally apologises for saying he would ‘take a bullet’ for Putin

Sunday 10 July 2022 10:40 , Chiara Giordano

Bernie Ecclestone has finally apologised for saying Vladimir Putin was a “first class person” and that he would “take a bullet” for him.

The former Formula One boss faced a backlash after also claiming Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “not intentional” and implying the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, could have done more to avoid the war.

Read the full story:

Bernie Ecclestone finally apologises for saying he would ‘take a bullet’ for Putin

Moscow ‘rubbing its hands with glee’ over Boris Johnson departure and will ‘exploit it if they can’

Sunday 10 July 2022 10:10 , Chiara Giordano

Boris Johnson is now the head of a Potemkin government – a false and hollow structure – that leaves it vulnerable in uncertain times, world affairs editor Kim Sengupta writes.

In Ukraine, the current state of the British government puts the British nationals captured in the conflict, and being held in the separatist “Donetsk People’s Republic”, at even more risk.

Moscow ‘rubbing its hands with glee’ over Johnson departure and will ‘exploit it’

Ukraine reports more civilian casualties after heavy Russian strikes in east and south

Sunday 10 July 2022 09:40 , Chiara Giordano

Russia has been accused of raising “true hell” in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartlands this weekend, as an onslaught of shelling and numerous civilian deaths were reported in the south and east of the country.

Despite assessments that Vladimir Putin’s forces were taking an operational pause after seizing the city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the Luhansk region, this was dismissed by the region’s governor Serhyi Haidai on Saturday.

Andy Gregory has more details:

Ukraine reports more civilian deaths as Russian strikes unleashing ‘true hell’

Russia threatens broad Ukraine offensive as US presses China over war stance

Sunday 10 July 2022 09:10 , Chiara Giordano

Ukrainian defenders battled on Saturday to contain Russian forces along several fronts, officials said, as the United States urged China to align itself with the West in opposing the invasion following an ill-tempered G20 meeting.

A missile strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv wounded three civilians, its governor said, though Russia's main attacks appeared focused southeast of there in Luhansk and Donetsk.

Those two provinces, parts of which were held by pro-Russian separatists before the conflict began in February, comprise the eastern industrial region of the Donbas.

Ukrainian officials reported strikes in both on Saturday, while Britain's Ministry of Defence said Moscow was assembling reserve forces from across Russia near Ukraine.

Donetsk regional Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on the Telegram messaging service that a Russian missile had struck Druzhkivka, a town behind the front line, and reported shelling of other population centres.

Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Telegram that Russian forces were "firing along the entire front line", though a subsequent Ukrainian counter-attack had forced Moscow to halt its offensive.

Public support for Ukrainian refugees already waning in UK, poll shows

Sunday 10 July 2022 08:40 , Chiara Giordano

Public support for Ukrainian refugees is already waning in Britain, polling suggests as the war continues to rage.

Polling by YouGov shows that in March, three quarters of people supported resettling Ukrainians in the UK and 42 per cent thought the figure should be in the tens of thousands “at least”.

But the figures have now dropped to 71 per cent of people supporting resettlement, with 29 per cent wanting to see tens of thousands of refugees welcomed.

Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden has this exclusive report:

Public support for Ukrainian refugees already waning in UK, poll shows

At least six killed and 34 trapped after rockets hit apartment block

Sunday 10 July 2022 08:10 , Chiara Giordano

At least six people have been killed and more than 30 are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-storey apartment block in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, collapsing the building, the region’s governor said.

Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram that the strike took place on Saturday evening in the town of Chasiv Yar.

He said six people had been confirmed killed and five wounded, and that according to information from residents, at least 34 people were likely trapped in the ruins.

Russia ‘made some further small territorial advances’ in Luhansk

Sunday 10 July 2022 07:45 , Shweta Sharma

Russia has likely made some further small territorial advances around Popasna, Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, the British ministry of defence said in its intelligence on Sunday.

Russian artillery continues to strike the Sloviansk area of the Donbas from around Izium to the north and near Lysychansk to the east.

It added that strikes from Izium continue to focus along the axis of the E40 main road, which links Donetsk to Kharkiv.

It said the control of the E40, which links is likely to be an important objective for Russia as it attempts to advance through Donetsk Oblast.

Ukraine to strengthen air defense systems, says MoD

Sunday 10 July 2022 07:00 , Shweta Sharma

Ukraine’s defense minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Ukraine has to strengthen its air defense system despite Ukrainian forces’ success when downing Russian missiles and aircraft.

He said an “Iron Dome” would be ineffective in Kyiv as it does not provide protection again cruise and ballistic missiles which are being fired by Russia.

He said US-sent HIMARS, light multiple rocket launcher, has made a huge difference on the battlefield.

“More of them as well as ammo & equipment will increase our strength and help to demilitarize the terrorist state. I highly appreciate the efforts of the @POTUS & @SecDef to support Ukraine’s struggle for freedom!”

At least 6 killed after Russia strikes apartment block, Donetsk governor

Sunday 10 July 2022 06:42 , Shweta Sharma

Russia has struck an apartment block in Chasiv Yar town of Donestsk region, killing six and wounding another fivem regional governor said.

More people are feared trapped under the rubble after rocket strike on the building.

Russia has territorial ambitions beyond Donbas

Sunday 10 July 2022 06:30 , Shweta Sharma

An assessment by the Institute for the Study of War has said that Kremlin has a “broader territorial aim” beyond Donbas.

In its 9 July assessments of developments in Ukraine, it said Russia likely wants to annex Kharkiv Oblast after Russian proxies in the region unveiled a new flag, claiming it to be an “inalienable part of Russian land.”

it said Russia is “aggressively pursuing the legitimization and consolidation of the Kharkiv Oblast occupation administration’s power” for its ambitions beyond Donbas.

It suggested that the Russian troops are facing challenges regarding the direct censorship of Russian war correspondents and milbloggers, and may seek to promote self-censorship.

Zelensky to make ‘important news’ announcement next week

Sunday 10 July 2022 06:00 , Shweta Sharma

In his latest video address, Ukrainian president said he is “preparing for the new week” and “there will be important news, including from government officials”.

He said there will be important announcement for Ukrainians next week.

He added that he signed a decree for the dismissal of some Ukrainian ambassadors in foreign countries.

“This rotation is a normal part of diplomatic practice. New representatives of Ukraine will be appointed to the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Norway and India. Candidates are being prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Mr Zelensky said.

Russian pounds Luhansk, Donetsk while three wounded in Kharkiv

Sunday 10 July 2022 05:19 , Shweta Sharma

Russia pounded Ukrainian cities on Saturday in Luhansk, Donetsk and the northeastern city of Kharkiv.

Kharkiv governor said three civilians were wounded in a missile strike by Russian forces, though the Russian assault remained focused on the southeast of there in Luhansk and Donetsk.

Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Telegram that Russian forces were “firing along the entire front line” while there was a subsequent Ukrainian counter-attack that hit weapons and ammunition stores, forcing Moscow to halt its offensive.

Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on the Telegram that a Russian missile had struck Druzhkivka, a town behind the front line, and reported shelling of other population centres.

Ukraine’s military defeats 58 Russian troops in southern Ukraine

Sunday 10 July 2022 04:33 , Shweta Sharma

Ukraine’s Operational Command “South” reported on Saturday that it defeated 58 Russian troops.

The unit also destroyed two Russian Msta-B howitzers, four ammunition depots, a jamming communication station, and 15 armoured and military vehicles.

Zelensky sacks Ukraine envoys to India, Germany and other nations

Sunday 10 July 2022 04:26 , Shweta Sharma

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Kyiv’s ambassador to five countries on Saturday, the presidential website said.

Ambassadors to Germany, India, Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary were removed without giving any reason for the move.

Zelensky later said it was part of “normal diplomatic practice.” He said he would appoint new ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary.

The president urged his diplomats to drum up international support and high-end weapons to slow Russia’s advance.

Ukrainian soldiers arrive in UK to be trained up by British forces

Sunday 10 July 2022 02:14 , Holly Bancroft

In case you missed it..

Ukrainian soldiers being trained by British forces to help them in their fight against Russia have arrived in the UK.

The first cohort in the UK-led military programme met with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on Thursday as they started their several weeks-long training, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The programme will train up to 10,000 Ukrainians over the coming months.

Mr Wallace said: “This ambitious new training programme is the next phase in the UK’s support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression.

“Using the world-class expertise of the British Army we will help Ukraine to rebuild its forces and scale-up its resistance as they defend their country’s sovereignty and their right to choose their own future.”

Ukrainian soldiers arrive in UK to be trained up by British forces

‘True hell’: Ukraine reports more civilian casualties after heavy Russian strikes in east and south

Saturday 9 July 2022 23:59 , Holly Bancroft

Russia has been accused of raising “true hell” in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartlands this weekend, as an onslaught of shelling and numerous civilian deaths were reported in the south and east of the country.

Despite assessments that Vladimir Putin’s forces were taking an operational pause after seizing the city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the Luhansk region, this was dismissed by the region’s governor Serhyi Haidai on Saturday.

Moscow’s forces were “still attacking and shelling our lands with the same intensity as before”, Mr Haidi said, later claiming that Russian bombardments of Luhansk had stalled because Kyiv’s forces had destroyed Russian-held ammunition depots and barracks.

Read the full story here:

Ukraine reports more civilian deaths as Russian strikes unleashing ‘true hell’

Russian missile strikes cause widespread damage across eastern and southern Ukraine, regional officials say

Saturday 9 July 2022 22:58 , Holly Bancroft

In case you missed it..

Russian missile and rocket strikes have caused widespread damage across eastern and southern Ukraine, it has been reported.

One regional official Pavlo Kyrylenko said that four civilians have died in a strike on Siversk, a town in the Donestk region.

Civilian areas in Druzhkivka have also reportedly been hit.

Ukrainian governor: Russia raising 'true hell' in the east

Saturday 9 July 2022 21:38 , Holly Bancroft

Russian forces are managing to “raise true hell” in Ukraine‘s eastern industrial heartland despite assessments they were taking an operational pause, a regional governor said Saturday, while another Ukrainian official urged people in Russian-occupied southern areas to evacuate quickly “by all possible means” before a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Deadly Russian shelling was reported in Ukraine‘s east and south.

The governor of the eastern Luhansk region, Serhyi Haidai, said Russia launched more than 20 artillery, mortar and rocket strikes on the region overnight and its forces were pressing toward the border with the Donetsk region.

“We are trying to contain the Russians’ armed formations along the entire front line,” Haidai wrote on Telegram.

Last week, Russia captured the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk, the city of Lysychansk.

Analysts predicted Moscow’s troops likely would take some time to rearm and regroup.But “so far, there has been no operational pause announced by the enemy. He is still attacking and shelling our lands with the same intensity as before,” Haidai said.

In a later post, he claimed Russian bombardment of Luhansk was suspended because Ukrainian forces had destroyed ammunition depots and barracks used by the Russians.

Zelensky dismisses several senior envoys abroad

Saturday 9 July 2022 20:34 , Holly Bancroft

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday dismissed several of Kyiv’s senior envoys abroad including the country’s outspoken ambassador to Germany, the presidential website said.

In a decree that gave no reason for the move, Zelensky announced the sacking of Ukraine‘s ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary.

It was not immediately clear if the envoys would be assigned new positions.

Zelensky has urged his diplomats to drum up international support and military aid for Ukraine as it tries to fend off Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion.

Kyiv’s relations with Germany, which is heavily reliant on Russian energy supplies and also Europe’s biggest economy, are particularly sensitive.

Andriy Melnyk, who was appointed by Zelensky’s predecessor as ambassador to Germany in late 2014, is well-known among politicians and diplomats in Berlin.

The 46-year-old regularly engages in outspoken social media exchanges, and has branded politicians and intellectuals who oppose arming Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion as appeasers.

He once accused German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of behaving like an “offended liver sausage” when Scholz did not immediately accept an invitation by Zelensky to visit Kyiv.

Kyiv and Berlin are currently at odds over a German-made turbine undergoing maintenance in Canada. Germany wants Ottawa to return the turbine to Russian natural gas giant Gazprom to pump gas to Europe.

Pictured: Houses burn in Kostiantynivka following Russian strike

Saturday 9 July 2022 19:02 , Zoe Tidman

Here are some more pictures coming out of following the cluster rocket strike:

What is behind the Russian invasion of Ukraine?

Saturday 9 July 2022 18:34 , Zoe Tidman

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to rage months after the first troops moved in.

Joe Sommerland takes a look at its origins:

Why did Putin start the Russia Ukraine conflict?

Ukraine thanks US for military support

Saturday 9 July 2022 18:04 , Zoe Tidman

Ukraine’s defence ministry has thanked the US for its recent military support package:

Probe into destruction of crops

Saturday 9 July 2022 17:30 , Zoe Tidman

Ukraine‘s national police force said it was opening a criminal investigation into the Russian military’s alleged destruction of crops in southern Ukraine‘s Kherson region.

In a Telegram post, it accused Russian troops of not allowing residents to put out fires in fields and otherwise sabotaging the harvest.“Because of the constant shelling, it is extremely difficult to extinguish [field] fires in the deoccupied territories, and in the occupied lands, the Russians deliberately do not allow the extinguishing of fires,” the police force said.

AP

Konstantinovka cluster rocket strike

Saturday 9 July 2022 17:02 , Zoe Tidman

Russian strikes continue to fall on Ukraine either way.

On Saturday, cluster rockets hit a residential area in Konstantinovka, a city in Donetsk Oblast in the country’s east.

Here are some images:

ICYMI: Analysis say Russia could be easing offensive - for now

Saturday 9 July 2022 16:32 , Zoe Tidman

Foreign analysts have suggested Russia may be temporarily easing its offensive in Ukraine as the Russian military attempts to reassemble its forces for a renewed assault.

See more here:

Russia taking 'operational pause' in Ukraine, analysts say

Six injured in Kharkiv strike

Saturday 9 July 2022 16:05 , Zoe Tidman

Officials say six people have been injured in the rocket strike on Kharkiv on Saturday, including a 12-year-old girl.“An Iskander ballistic missile was probably used in the strike,” the city’s regional prosecutors office said.

“One of the missiles hit a two-story building, which led to its destruction. Neighboring houses were damaged.”

AP

Moscow ‘rubbing hands with glee’ with Boris Johnson departure

Saturday 9 July 2022 14:53 , Zoe Tidman

“The clown is going,” said Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s parliament after the fall of Boris Johnson. “He is one of the main ideologues of the war against Russia until the last Ukrainian.”

Kim Sengputa, our world affairs editor, takes a look at how the UK’s politicial instability may play out on the global stage:

Moscow ‘rubbing it’s hands with glee’ over Johnson departure and will ‘exploit it’

‘Our commitment to the people of Ukraine is resolute,’ US says

Saturday 9 July 2022 14:03 , Zoe Tidman

The US secretary of state says the country will be supporting Ukraine with more than £300m in humanitarian aid:

Kharkiv strike

Saturday 9 July 2022 13:33 , Zoe Tidman

Here are some more images coming out of Kharkiv this morning after a Russian attack on a residential neighbourhood.

Rescue workers have been seen clearing rubble of a destroyed house:

Full story: Russia continues to ‘raise hell’ in East, Ukrainian governor says

Saturday 9 July 2022 13:02 , Zoe Tidman

Russian forces are managing to “raise true hell” in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland despite reports of them taking an operational pause, a regional governor said Saturday.

Read in full here:

Russia continues to 'raise true hell,' Ukraine governor says

Where has been hit in recent strikes?

Saturday 9 July 2022 12:31 , Zoe Tidman

Luhansk

Its governor says Russia launched more than 20 artillery, mortar and rocket strikes in the province overnight.

Donetsk

Five were killed and eight injured in shelling in Siversk and Semyhirya on Friday, according to the regional governor.

He also said multiple people were trapped in debris after a building was hit by shelling in Sloviansk on Saturday morning.

Images also show damage from a suspected missile strike in Druzhkivka in the early hours of the morning.

Kryvyi Rih

Two people were killed and three injured in a Saturday morning missile attack in the city.

Kharkiv

Seven were injured in a rocket strike on Ukraine’s second largest city this morning, according to the regional governor, who said three - including a child - were hospitalised.

Rescue workers were seen clearing rubble in a residential neighbourhood on Saturday.

Mykolayiv

The mayor of the southern city said on Saturday a Russian missile attack was underway.

Ukraine urges residents in Russian-occupied areas in South to flee

Saturday 9 July 2022 11:49 , Zoe Tidman

Ukraine‘s deputy prime minister has appealed to residents of Russian-held territories in the South to evacuate so the occupying forces cannot use them as human shields in the event of a Ukrainian counter-offensive.

Iryna Vereshchuk has told a news conference a civilian evacuation effort was under way for parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

It was not clear how civilians were expected to safely leave Russian-controlled areas while missile strikes and artillery shelling continue in surrounding areas, or whether they would be allowed to depart or even hear the government’s appeal.

AP

Russia ‘raising true hell’ in eastern Ukraine, governor says

Saturday 9 July 2022 11:07 , Zoe Tidman

Russian forces are managing to “raise true hell” in Ukraine‘s eastern industrial heartland despite reports of them taking an operational pause, a regional governor has said.

The governor of Luhansk, Serhyi Haidai, said Russia launched more than 20 artillery, mortar and rocket strikes in the province overnight and its forces are pressing towards the border with neighbouring Donetsk.

“We are trying to contain the Russians’ armed formations along the entire front line,” Mr Haidai wrote on Telegram.

“So far, there has been no operational pause announced by the enemy. He is still attacking and shelling our lands with the same intensity as before.”

AP

US says Russia ‘isolated’ at G20

Saturday 9 July 2022 10:28 , Zoe Tidman

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, has said Russia was “left isolated” at the G20 meeting of foreign ministers.

Some ministers shunned conversations with Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, at the meeting in Bali.

Mr Blinken noted Mr Lavrov had left the meeting early, suggesting it may have been because he didn’t like what he was hearing from his counterparts.“It was very important that he heard loudly and clearly from around the world condemnation of Russia’s aggression,” Mr Blinken said at a press conference on Saturday.

He added: “We see no signs whatsoever that Russia at his point is prepared to engage in diplomacy.”

US ‘raises concerns with China over alignment with Moscow’

Saturday 9 July 2022 09:58 , Zoe Tidman

Antony Blinken also said he had discussed Russia’s aggression in Ukraine during five-hour talks with the Chinese foreign minister, which lasted five hours.

The US secretary of state said he raised concerns over Beijing’s alignment with Moscow.