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Ukraine war: Macron says Russia 'cannot be allowed to win' as Germany and France toughen approach

Emmanuel Macron said that Russia cannot be allowed to win the war in Ukraine, as Germany and France toughened their stance.

The French president told a news conference at the G7 summit: "I really hope that the end [of the conflict] can be achieved by the end of the year, with a certainty and a desire, which is that Russia cannot and must not win," he said.

It comes after Olaf Scholz, the German said: "There is only one way out: for Putin to accept that his plans in Ukraine will not succeed".

The German Chancellor has previously been criticised for appearing in favour of a quick end to the war, including Ukrainian territorial concessions.

Follow the latest updates below.


06:52 PM

Condemned British fighters must be released without delay, says minister

Two Britons condemned to death for fighting Russian forces in Ukraine must be released and repatriated without delay, a foreign minister has insisted.

The pair's "so-called trial" had "no legitimacy", Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon told Parliament, where he was pressed over the plight of the two men.

Aiden Aslin, 28, originally from Newark in Nottinghamshire, and Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, have been treated as foreign "mercenaries" by pro-Russian authorities in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), who handed down the sentences to the men who were fighting for the Ukrainian army.


06:22 PM

'Allow Russia to ruin OSCE or find a way to suspend Russia', urges Kuleba


06:08 PM

Nato talks with Turkey over Finland and Sweden 'difficult', warns Johnson

Boris Johnson warned that talks with Turkey over Sweden and Finland's membership in Nato would be "difficult" but said "progress" had been made.

"Finland and Sweden, breaking decades of historic neutrality, are now wanting to join. It will be a difficult conversation," the Prime Minister told reporters on the plane taking him to Madrid for a Nato summit.

"I think the key thing here is that... progress is being made," he added.

"I think it's very important for our alliance that those two countries should be brought in."

For a new country to join the military alliance, all existing members must agree.


05:57 PM

Deadly combat drones to bolster Ukraine arsenal after donation by Turkish manufacturer

A Turkish manufacturer has promised to donate three combat drones to Ukraine free of charge after a crowdfunding campaign raised over £16 million towards a purchase.

Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) emerged as one of Ukraine’s most effective tools of war against Russia which has outgunned it on almost every other front.

A crowdfunding campaign launched by a Ukrainian TV celebrity earlier this month aimed to raise enough money to buy three UAVs for the war effort.

Read the full story from Nataliya Vasilyeva here


05:34 PM

Whilst the G7 dithers, Putin is rebuilding his strategic power

Despite claims in the West that Russia has already been defeated strategically, Putin has been rebuilding alliances that had frayed at the start of his invasion.

China, the Kremlin's most important partner, hedged its bets when Putin sent his forces in, calling for peace while laying at least part of the blame on Nato and the US.

But just over a week ago, President Xi pledged greater economic and defence ties with Russia, flying in the face of Joe Biden’s direct warning to him in March against aiding Putin.

Read the full story from Richard Kemp here


05:14 PM

Rescuers search rubble in Ukraine's Dnipro after missile strike

Rescue workers searched for people under rubble in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Tuesday after a Russian missile strike in the region, the governor of Dnipropetrovsk region said.

The official, Valentyn Reznychenko, said that railway infrastructure and an industrial enterprise had been damaged in the city and that a services company was burning.


05:02 PM

Pictured: Ruins of shopping mall after Russian missile attack

 Ruins of the Amstor Shopping Mall after the Russian missile attack in Kremenchuk in Central Ukraine on Monday - JULIAN SIMMONDS/The Daily Telegraph
Ruins of the Amstor Shopping Mall after the Russian missile attack in Kremenchuk in Central Ukraine on Monday - JULIAN SIMMONDS/The Daily Telegraph

05:00 PM

Bulgaria to expel 70 Russian diplomatic staff

Bulgaria will expel 70 Russian diplomatic staff, the EU country's prime minister announced on Tuesday, the biggest number ordered out in one-go from the Balkan nation.

"Bulgaria is going to expel 70 Russian diplomats... Our services identified them as people who worked against our interests," Prime Minister Kiril Petkov told reporters.


04:27 PM

G20 head says Putin won't attend Bali summit

Italy's Mario Draghi said Tuesday that G20 chair Joko Widodo, Indonesia's president, had ruled out Vladimir Putin's attendance at the body's November summit - a statement the Kremlin quickly rejected.

Indonesia holds the rotating presidency of the G20 this year and Western countries have pressured Widodo to exclude Russia's president from the summit, after announcing in April he had been invited.

"President Widodo rules it out," Draghi told reporters at the end of the two-day G7 summit in Germany, to which Widodo was invited as a guest. "He was categorical, he (Putin) will not come.


04:12 PM

Russian anti-war opposition figure sentenced to 15 days in jail

A staunch Kremlin critic who refused to flee Russia has been sentenced to two weeks in jail in a case that could potentially land him in prison for a decade.

Ilya Yashin, a vocal opposition figure who defied Russia’s war censorship by publicly renouncing the invasion of Ukraine, has been sentenced by a Moscow court to 15 days in prison for resisting police orders.

Mr Yashin, 38, was detained on Monday night while walking in a park with a friend.

Read the full story from Nataliya Vasilyeva here


04:07 PM

Ukrainian governor allegedly detained by Russia

Pro-Moscow forces have detained Igor Kolykhayev, the elected mayor of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, Russian media is reporting.

"Ex-mayor Kolykhayev has been detained," Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-backed Kherson administration, told state news agency RIA Novosti.

Kolykhayev, the elected Kherson mayor, was "kidnapped" by pro-Russian forces Tuesday morning, his counselor Galyna Lyashevska said on Facebook.


03:53 PM

Pictured: Ukrainian servicemen walk through the centre of Kyiv

Ukrainian servicemen walk past a poster which reads "Bring them home alive! Stop the war now!" in the center of the capital of Kyiv - SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP
Ukrainian servicemen walk past a poster which reads "Bring them home alive! Stop the war now!" in the center of the capital of Kyiv - SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP

03:34 PM

How volunteers delivering wartime aid are sidestepping Ukraine’s corrupt healthcare system

When Rostislav Filippenko began organising wartime aid deliveries to hospitals in his hometown of Kharkiv, north-eastern Ukraine, his sense of achievement was soon replaced with suspicion.

He noticed some of the donated supplies later made their way onto the hospitals’ pharmacy shelves: priced, and listed for sale. At one hospital, after delivering bandages for an appendix operation, Mr Filippenko found out that the patient had been told to purchase them from the hospital pharmacy – cash in hand, no receipt.

“So that’s now also one of our aims, to uncover the corruption schemes,” said the 32-year-old, who founded the medical organisation Mission Kharkiv when war broke out.

Read the full story from Antonia Cundy here


03:27 PM

US to announce new long-term military deployments across Europe in response to Russian threat

The United States will announce new long-term military deployments across Europe in response to the threat from Russia while at the NATO summit in Madrid, a US official said Tuesday.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said there would be "specific announcements tomorrow on land, sea and air of additional force posture commitments over the long term".

The forces will be focused on the Baltics, Balkans and NATO's eastern flank bordering Russia, he said.

NATO as a whole will announce a "historic set of deliverables... on the issue of force posture," Sullivan said.


03:18 PM

Invasion of Ukraine sparked 'fundamental shift' in Nato approach to defence

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a "fundamental shift" in Nato's approach to defence, and member states will have to boost their military spending in an increasingly unstable world, the leader of the alliance said Tuesday.

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg spoke as U.S. President Joe Biden and other Nato leaders began to arrive in Madrid for a summit that will set the course of the alliance for the coming years.

He said the meeting would chart a blueprint for the alliance "in a more dangerous and unpredictable world."

"To be able to defend in a more dangerous world we have to invest more in our defense," Stoltenberg said. Just nine of Nato's 30 members meet the organization's target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense. Spain, which is hosting the summit, spends just half that.


02:49 PM

6.2 million people displaced inside Ukraine, says UN

More than 6.2 million people are now estimated to be displaced within Ukraine due to Russia's invasion, having fled their homes but stayed inside the country, the UN has said.

This is in addition to the 5.26 million people who have fled Ukraine and been registered as refugees in other European countries since the war began.

As of June 23, there were an estimated 6.275 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine, the United Nations's International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.


02:33 PM

Pictured: Aftermath of Russian missile attack

The Daily Telegraph The ruins of the Amstor Shopping Mall after the Russian missile attack in Kremenchuk in Central Ukraine on Monday  - JULIAN SIMMONDS/JULIAN SIMMONDS
The Daily Telegraph The ruins of the Amstor Shopping Mall after the Russian missile attack in Kremenchuk in Central Ukraine on Monday - JULIAN SIMMONDS/JULIAN SIMMONDS

02:31 PM

Chances of UK forces being deployed in Europe 'have shortened' in wake of Ukraine invasion

Ben Wallace is delivering a speech at the Royal United Services Institute land warfare conference in London.

The Defence Secretary said the odds of UK forces having to join a war in Europe "have shortened" in the wake of the Ukraine invasion.

He said: "Our job is to protect people and that will always require presence on land so long as that is where people live. Just as you will always have to go to war with the army you have, not the army you would like, because even today we can't predict where or when it might be so we must mobilise to deter and contain with the forces that we have now.

"The odds of it being a war in Europe have shortened almost as much as the timeline so we must act. We can't protect the British people or our allies with just transformation strategies and glossy equipment brochures."


02:01 PM

Russia cannot be allowed to win the war, says Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron said that Russia could not be allowed to win the war in Ukraine, that Western powers would support Kyiv for as long as necessary and were ready to ramp up efforts to target Russian energy exports.

Speaking at the end of a summit of the world's Group of Seven countries, Macron told a news conference it was clear that Moscow now had the sole objective of trying to force Ukraine to surrender.

"I really hope that the end (of the conflict) can be achieved by the end of the year, with a certainty and a desire, which is that Russia cannot and must not win," Macron said.


01:46 PM

Stats about scale of Ukraine war 'staggering'


01:34 PM

G7 agrees to explore cap on Russian oil price

The Group of Seven economic powers have agreed to explore imposing a ban on transporting Russian oil that has been sold above a certain price, they said on Tuesday, aiming to hit Russian President Vladimir Putin's war chest.

The war in Ukraine and its dramatic economic fallout, in particular soaring food and energy inflation, dominated this year's summit of the group of rich democracies at a castle resort in the Bavarian Alps.

An oil price cap would ratchet up existing Western pressure on Russia from sanctions, which German Chancellor Olaf Scholz insisted would stay until Putin accepted failure in Ukraine.

"There is only one way out: for Putin to accept that his plans in Ukraine will not succeed," Scholz told a closing news conference at the three-day G7 summit he hosted.


01:13 PM

Boris Johnson to break manifesto commitment on defence spending

Boris Johnson is set to break a flagship manifesto commitment on defence spending, amid calls for an increase to the budget in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

On the eve of a Nato summit in Madrid, where Western countries will agree to boost their forces on the alliance’s border with Russia, ministers are set to miss their target of increasing defence spending by 0.5 per cent above inflation every year.

The Telegraph understands Ben Wallace has privately made the case to the Treasury and Downing Street that the war in Ukraine justifies more spending on troops and equipment.

Read the full story from Tony Diver here


01:05 PM

Foreign Office working to close 'loopholes' in Russian sanctions

A top civil servant in the Foreign Office has said that the department was working to close "loopholes" in Russian sanctions.

"We are looking to close loopholes, as and when they arise in terms of trust structures and legal structures," director general of economics in the Foreign Office, Kumar Iyer, told the Foreign Affairs Committee, appearing alongside Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

He said civil servants are working "with the business community, with banks, and we're working with lawyers, to ensure that it is not possible to take advantage of loopholes".


12:51 PM

Ukraine facing 'brutality' unseen in Europe since WWII, Nato chief

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg  urged alliance leaders heading to a summit in Madrid to keep up their backing for Ukraine as it faces an onslaught from Russia.

"It is extremely important that we are ready to continue to provide support because Ukraine now faces a brutality which we haven't seen in Europe since the Second World War," Stoltenberg said ahead of the gathering in Spain.

Nato allies have funnelled billions of dollars of arms to Kyiv - including increasingly heavy and longer-range weapons - as it battles to hold back the Kremlin's forces.


12:42 PM

Invasion of Ukraine has 'reconfigured geopolitics'


12:21 PM

Boris Johnson says he doesn't think Britain will end up at war with Russia

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said he did not think Britain would end up at war with Russia.

Asked if Britain was preparing for war with Russia, he told reporters at the G7 summit: "I don't think it will come to that and clearly we're working very hard to make sure that we confine this to Ukraine.


12:10 PM

Grain prices rise as weak US crop adds to Russia blockade fears

Grain prices have rebounded as concerns about the outlook for US crop production compounded the disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The percentage of US corn in good to excellent condition dropped to 67pc from 70pc a week ago, according to the latest Department of Agriculture report. That was the third straight week of declines.

Wheat climbed from the lowest level in four months to hit $9.31 per half bushel, while corn was up from its lowest since mid-February and soybeans advanced for a third day.

Growing fears of a recession have given some relief to prices in recent weeks, but markets are still gripped by worries over the war in Europe, with millions of tonnes of grain trapped in Ukraine.


11:57 AM

Russian strike on shopping centre was 'war crime, says Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron said that Russia's strike this week on a Ukrainian shopping mall was a "war crime" and that France would keep supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary.

"Russia cannot and must not win this war," Macron said at the G7 summit in Germany.

Firefighters and soldiers searched on Tuesday for survivors in the rubble of a Ukrainian shopping mall, where authorities said 36 people were still missing after a Russian missile strike that had killed at least 18


11:52 AM

'Putin must not be allowed to win', says Scholz

The world's top industrialised powers vowed to make Russia pay for its invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday, stressing that "Putin must not be allowed to win".

"The G7 stands united in its support for Ukraine," Scholz told a press conference after a summit of G7 leaders.

"We will continue to keep up and drive up the economic and political costs of this war for President (Vladimir) Putin and his regime."


11:50 AM

Russia must me labelled a 'state sponsor of terrorism', says Zelensky

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia must be labelled a "state sponsor of terrorism" after a missile strike on a crowded shopping mall in the city of Kremenchuk killed at least 20.

"Only total insane terrorists, who should have no place on Earth, can strike missiles at civilian objects," Zelensky said on his Telegram channel, accusing Russia of carrying out "calculated strikes" at civilian infrastructure.

"Russia must be recognised as a state sponsor of terrorism. The world can and therefore must stop Russian terror," Zelensky added.


11:43 AM

Kremenchuk shopping mall: Drone footage shows extent of destruction as survivors describe attack


11:38 AM

G7 leaders condemn 'illegal and unjustifiable war'

In the summit communique, the G7 leaders condemned "Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine".

The statement said: "We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, providing the needed financial, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic support in its courageous defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"We are ready to reach arrangements together with interested countries and institutions and Ukraine on sustained security commitments to help Ukraine defend itself and to secure its free and democratic future."


11:38 AM

G7 'united in support for Ukraine', says Scholz

The G7 is 'united in support for Ukraine', Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, has said.

He said: "We need a Marshall plan for Ukraine".


11:17 AM

Lavrov to attend G20 next week

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting in Bali next week, a spokesperson for the Russian embassy in Jakarta told Reuters on Tuesday.

The meeting, hosted by current G20 chair Indonesia takes place from July 7-8.


11:09 AM

'Sickening' to see conspiracy theories denying strike happened, says Kuleba


10:58 AM

Nato an 'aggressive bloc' - Kremlin

The Kremlin has cast Nato as an "aggressive bloc" which was created for confrontation.

The Western military alliance announced on Monday a massive troop buildup across Europe designed to bolster its defences.

In a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also said that Russia's campaign in Ukraine, which it calls a "special military operation" was going to plan and would achieve its aims.


10:55 AM

Russian hackers cut off '70 pc' of Lithuania's internet

Russian-affiliated hacker group Killnet claims to have cut off 70 per cent of Lithuania's internet infrastructure in 39 hours.

The group said it took the action in retaliation for Lithuania's "blockade" of Kaliningrad, cutting the enclave off from goods and freight from the rest of mainland Russia.

Russia last week threatened reprisals against the Baltic state for having banned the rail transit of certain goods to the Russian outpost of Kaliningrad. Vilnius said it was simply applying European Union sanctions.

The Telegraph's Joe Barnes travelled to Lithuania to document the contentious blockade. You can read his dispatch in full here.


10:42 AM

Jill Biden and daughter banned from entering Russia

US President Joe Biden's wife and daughter have been banned from Russia, along with 23 other Americans, the Russian foreign ministry announced.

"As a reaction to the constantly expanding US sanctions against Russian political and public figures, 25 American citizens are added to a 'stop list,'" the ministry said in a note accompanying the list.

The list featured several US senators, including Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Charles Grassley of Iowa, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

It also included several university professors and researchers and former US government officials.


10:21 AM

Sweden, Finland must show more than 'empty words' - Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he expected to see action instead of "empty words" from Sweden and Finland as they seek to appease Ankara's resistance to their Nato membership bids.

"We do not want empty words, we want results," Mr Erdogan told reporters before flying to Madrid for a Nato summit that will start with his meeting with the leaders of the two Nordic countries and the Western defence bloc.


10:07 AM

Russia will be 'more dangerous' after Ukraine - army head

Russia is likely to emerge from the war in Ukraine as an even greater threat to European security despite the setbacks it has suffered in its campaign, the head of the British Army has said.

General Sir Patrick Sanders said UK forces, together with Nato allies, needed to be prepared to fight if they were to avert future conflicts.

Speaking to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) land warfare conference in London, Sir Patrick said it was "dangerous" to assume that Ukraine was a "limited conflict".

"Historically Russia often starts wars badly. Because Russia wages war at the strategic and not the tactical level its depth an resilience means it can suffer any number of campaigns, battles and engagements lost and yet regenerate and still ultimately prevail," he said.

"While Russia's conventional capability will be reduced for a time at least, Putin's declared intent to restore the lands of historic Russia makes any respite temporary and the threat will become even more acute.

"We don't know how the war in Ukraine will end but in most scenarios Russia will be an even greater threat to European security after Ukraine than it was before.

"The Russian invasion has reminded us of that time-honoured maxim that if you want to avert conflict you had better be prepared to fight."

Ukraine war: Kremenchuk shopping centre strike 'one of most brazen terrorist attacks in European history' - Andrew Matthews /PA
Ukraine war: Kremenchuk shopping centre strike 'one of most brazen terrorist attacks in European history' - Andrew Matthews /PA

09:53 AM

Kremenchuk strike was 'on weapons depot' - Kremlin

Russia's defence ministry has claimed responsibility for yesterday's deadly bombing on a shopping centre in the Ukrainian town of Kremenchuk but insisted it did not know what the mall was open, reports Nataliya Vasilyeva.

Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian military, said on Tuesday morning that Russia on Monday used "high-precision weapons" to target hangers at a local factory storing fresh ammunition and weapons supplies from the US and Europe.

Mr Konashenkov said the Russia airstrike destroyed the weaponry that was bound to be sent to the eastern Ukraine, the epicentre of the war's heaviest fighting.

He admitted that the shopping centre went on fire because of the Russian attack but insisted that Moscow thought it was shut down.

"Ammunition for Western weaponry stored at the warehouse denoted, causing a fire at a shopping centre nearby that has not been operational," he said.

Russia media last night either avoided reporting on the Kremenchuk fire or offered a string of mutually exclusive theories about what happened including an outright denial of any casualties.


09:35 AM

G7 to work to 'develop a price cap' on Russian oil

G7 leaders have agreed to work on a price cap for Russian oil, a US official said, as part of efforts to cut the Kremlin's revenues.

G7 leaders will "task ministers to work urgently towards developing, consulting with third countries and the private sector in an effort to develop a price cap around oil", the senior official told reporters.


09:19 AM

G7 to pledge up to $5 bn to assist global food security

G7 leaders will pledge about $5 billion Tuesday to help resolve food supply problems spreading worldwide, in large part due to Russia's invasion of major agricultural supplier Ukraine, a US official said.

"The G7 will commit to contribute up to $5 billion to address global food security, over half of which will come from the United States," the senior official told reporters.


08:57 AM

Boris Johnson wraps up G7 summit

Boris Johnson had an early-morning swim in the lake at the G7 summit venue in the Bavarian Alps before a meeting with Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.

The Prime Minister said: "Thank you very much for meeting so early, it's great to see you. Actually, I've already been for a swim in the lake."

He told the Japanese leader: "This is a relationship that's going from strength to strength under your leadership, Fumio.

"Two great island democracies, united in our values, determined to stand up together against autocracies and the dangers of drifting backwards in the world, but also wanting to do more together on technology, on security, on trade, and of course I'm delighted that tomorrow - finally - we are able to have Fukushima-origin products all over the shops in the UK."

Products from Fukushima, the site of a nuclear accident in 2011, had been restricted due to concerns about radiation contamination.

Ukraine war: Kremenchuk shopping centre strike 'one of most brazen terrorist attacks in European history' - Stefan Rousseau /PA
Ukraine war: Kremenchuk shopping centre strike 'one of most brazen terrorist attacks in European history' - Stefan Rousseau /PA

08:23 AM

Michelin to transfer its Russian activities to local management

Michelin intends to transfer its activities in Russia to local management by the end of the year, the French tire maker said on Tuesday.

"Michelin now confirms that it is technically impossible to resume production, due in particular to supply issues, amid a context of general uncertainty", the company said in a statement.

It added that the new entity would operate through an independent structure.

The company in April said its balance sheet exposure to Russia and Ukraine still amounted to roughly 200 million euros (£172.6m), adding that it was its goal to stop raw material imports from Russia by June.


08:15 AM

Russia defaulted on debt - Moody's

Moody's ratings agency has confirmed that Russia defaulted on foreign debt for the first time in a century after bond holders did not receive $100 million (£81.4m) in interest payments.

"On 27 June, holders of Russia's sovereign debt had not received coupon payments on two eurobonds worth $100 million by the time the 30-calendar-day grace period expired, which we consider an event of default under our definition," Moody's said.

"Further defaults on future coupon payments are likely," the agency said in a statement.

Moscow said Monday there were "no grounds to call this situation a default" as the payments did not reach creditors due to the "the actions of third parties".

Russia lost the last avenue to service its foreign-currency loans after the United States removed an exemption last month that allowed US investors to receive Moscow's payments as part of a package of sanctions.

The country last defaulted on its foreign debt in 1918, when Bolshevik revolution leader Vladimir Lenin refused to recognise the massive debts of the deposed tsar's regime.


08:04 AM

Kremenchuk attack 'act of terrorism' - Chris Philp

Technology minister Chris Philp told Sky News that a Russian attack on a shopping centre in Ukraine was "sickening and appalling".

Russian missiles slammed into a shopping centre in Kremenchuk on Monday, prompting international condemnation.

Mr Philps likened it to an "act of terrorism", as he pointed to UK efforts to support Ukraine in the war.

He was asked about comments by General Sir Patrick Sanders, the Chief of the General Staff, who has likened the current situation to the run up to the Second World War.

"I think that refers to the fact we need to do everything we can to support Ukraine.

"We don't want to see an escalation into a wider conflict. I think Russia would be literally insane to attempt to do that, because Nato is a far larger and a far stronger bloc."


07:43 AM

Russia destroys shopping centre in Kremenchuk, in pictures

Ukraine war: Missile strike on shopping mall branded 'abominable' as death toll rises - Efrem Lukatsky /AP
Ukraine war: Missile strike on shopping mall branded 'abominable' as death toll rises - Efrem Lukatsky /AP
Ukraine war: Missile strike on shopping mall branded 'abominable' as death toll rises - Efrem Lukatsky /AP
Ukraine war: Missile strike on shopping mall branded 'abominable' as death toll rises - Efrem Lukatsky /AP
Ukraine war: Missile strike on shopping mall branded 'abominable' as death toll rises - OLEG PETRASYUK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock 
Ukraine war: Missile strike on shopping mall branded 'abominable' as death toll rises - OLEG PETRASYUK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock
Ukraine war: Missile strike on shopping mall branded 'abominable' as death toll rises - OLEG PETRASYUK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock 
Ukraine war: Missile strike on shopping mall branded 'abominable' as death toll rises - OLEG PETRASYUK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock

07:15 AM

Latest MoD update


06:50 AM

Explainer: Why Britain faces a '1937 moment' in Ukraine

The head of the British Army has likened the country's current defence situation in the wake of Russia's "brutal aggression" to the lead up to the Second World War, warning Britain is facing its "1937 moment".

In an address on Tuesday, Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders, is set to say that Britain's armed forces must be prepared to "fight and win" to prevent the war from expanding across Europe.

It comes as Russia's relentless invasion of Ukraine becomes deadlier by the day, with Vladimir Putin posing one of the largest threats to peace and democracy ever known.

Patrick Sanders visiting Tapa Army Base Estonia - Eddie Mulholland
Patrick Sanders visiting Tapa Army Base Estonia - Eddie Mulholland

Read the full story here to learn what the Army chief's comments mean


05:36 AM

In pictures: Russian missile blows up crowded shopping mall

Videos and images have emerged of flames and black smoke billowing out of a shopping mall in Ukraine following a Russian missile strike.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said that there were "a thousand people" inside the Amstor shopping mall in Kremenchuk when the missile struck in the middle of the afternoon on Monday.

"The mall is on fire, firefighters are trying to extinguish the fire, the number of victims is impossible to imagine," he said on his Telegram channel.

Read the full story here

Firefighters clean the rubble of the destroyed Amstor shopping mall in Kremenchuk - Shutterstock
Firefighters clean the rubble of the destroyed Amstor shopping mall in Kremenchuk - Shutterstock
People watch as smoke bellows after a Russian missile strike hit a crowded shopping mall, in Kremenchuk - AP
People watch as smoke bellows after a Russian missile strike hit a crowded shopping mall, in Kremenchuk - AP

04:22 AM

Don’t let war with Russia drag on over winter, Zelensky urges West

Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western leaders to make a big push to end the war with Russia before the winter sets in.

The Ukrainian president told G7 leaders that battle conditions in the cold weather would make it more difficult for his troops to resist the Russian invasion, as they committed to back his campaign for as long as it takes to reach a “position of strength”.

The war has dominated this week’s summit, with Boris Johnson, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and others signing a joint statement condemning Vladimir Putin, proposing new sanctions and pledging to help rebuild the country when the war is over.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a speech via video link to G7 leaders - Getty Images Europe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a speech via video link to G7 leaders - Getty Images Europe

 Read the full story here


03:34 AM

British Army chief: Ukraine is our ‘1937 moment’

Britain is facing its “1937 moment” and must be ready to “fight and win” to ward off the threat from Russia, the head of the British Army will say on Tuesday.

In his first public speech as the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders will warn that the UK must be prepared to “act rapidly” to contain Russian expansionism.

Sir Patrick's comparison of Russia's invasion to the rise of Nazi Germany came as a missile strike on a crowded shopping centre in Ukraine's central city of Kremenchuk on Monday killed at least 16 civilians and wounded dozens more.

General Patrick Sanders visiting Tapa Army Base Estonia where he met British and French troops - Eddie Mulholland
General Patrick Sanders visiting Tapa Army Base Estonia where he met British and French troops - Eddie Mulholland

Read the full story here


02:04 AM

Today's top stories

  • A Russian missile destroyed a crowded shopping mall in central Ukraine on Monday, continuing Vladimir Putin's attacks on civilians living far behind the frontline

  • Britain is facing its “1937 moment” and must be ready to “fight and win” to ward off the threat from Russia, the head of the British Army will say on Tuesday

  • Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western leaders to make a big push to end the war with Russia before the winter sets in

  • Mr Johnson said that the “price of freedom is worth paying” as he compared Ukrainians’ resistance to Russia’s invasion to the Allied fight against Nazi Germany

  • On Monday night, Nato pledged to increase forces available on high alert to more than 300,000 troops – a more than sevenfold rise

  • In the Donbas, Russian officials said that street battles were now being fought in and around Lysychansk after Russian soldiers completed their conquest of the neighbouring town of Severodonetsk over the weekend