INDEPENDENT
Russia-Ukraine latest: Putin ‘will target West next’ as world leaders gather in Kyiv to mark anniversary
Russian forces unleash drone strikes across southern Ukraine overnight
Namita Singh
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
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Russian forces clear out abandoned military equipment after Ukrainian troops' retreat from Avdiivka
As western leaders gather in Kyiv to mark two years since Russia‘s invasion, Ukraine has warned the West it will be Russia’s next target if Vladimir Putin is allowed to win.
Anya, a volunteer and programmer from Kharkiv, whose family are living under deadly missile fire every day in the north of the country, delivers a stark warning to the UK and the US.
“If Ukraine loses, the West will be the next,” she says. “I don’t want the world to turn into a slaughtered mess.”
It comes as Vladimir Putin has been accused of “behaving like Nazis” in a scathing attack by David Cameron.
Addressing the UN in New York on the eve of the anniversary, the foreign secretary said: “We’ve heard every excuse in the book. One minute he says it was about attacking Nazis, the next minute it was because there was a threat to Russia, then he tells us it was Nato provocation, then he says this country doesn’t really exist.
“The only people behaving like Nazis are Putin and his cronies who thought they could invade a country, take its territory and ultimately the world would look away.”
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KEY POINTS
- Western leaders arrive in Kyiv to mark two-year war anniversary
- Two years of war: Ukraine warns West it will be Putin’s next target if Russia is allowed to win
- Russia unleashes strikes across southern Ukraine on anniversary of war
- Putin accused of ‘behaving like Nazis’ on two-year war anniversary
- Kyiv claims Russia used North Korean ballistic missiles in attacks
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18 hours ago
Switzerland plans peace conference
Switzerland has told the United Nations it intends to organise a high-level Ukraine peace conference by the summer, as the 193-member world body met to mark the second anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of its neighbour.
Ukraine is seeking to rally support for president Volodymyr Zelensky’s 10-point peace plan amid signs of war fatigue as the front lines remain largely unchanged and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has become a more pressing focus of global attention.
“At Ukraine‘s request, we intend to organise by the summer a high-level conference on peace in Ukraine,” Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told the UN General Assembly. “I would therefore like to take this opportunity to invite all nations ... to work together towards our common goal.”
Mr Zelensky’s peace plan envisages the restoration of Ukraine‘s territorial integrity, withdrawal of all Russian troops, protection of food and energy supplies, nuclear safety and the release of all prisoners of war.
“Russia cannot ignore the voice of the world majority if we all take a principled stance and act together. The peace formula ... represents exactly such an opportunity,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the General Assembly.
Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said: “One should not waste time on Kyiv’s futile plans to negotiate on the basis of Zelensky’s so-called peace formula.
“It is nothing other than an ultimatum to Russia and an attempt to lure as many countries as possible into endless meetings on this utopian project.”
Jane Dalton23 February 2024 19:30
20 hours ago
Two years since Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s forces are bloody but unbowed
The people of Ukraine are unsurprisingly weary of death and destruction, but two years on Kim Sengupta finds their spirit still burns bright
Two years since Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian forces are bloody but unbowed
The people of Ukraine are unsurprisingly weary of death and destruction, but two years on Kim Sengupta finds their spirit still burns bright
Tom Watling23 February 2024 17:15
21 hours ago
Artistic expression is vital – my experience making a film with a Mariupol siege survivor proves that
Pauline Amos has written, directed and performs in ‘Branded’ a film in support of artists who face repression. As we reach the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the film goes on a UK tour, she talks about how important Art is and the heroic Kateryna Polishchuk who provides the voice for the film
My experience making a film with a Mariupol siege survivor
Pauline Amos has written, directed and performs in 'Branded' a film in support of artists who face repression. As we reach the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the film goes on a UK tour, she talks about how important Art is and the heroic Kateryna Polishchuk who provides the voice for the film
Tom Watling23 February 2024 16:45
21 hours ago
Watch live: UN meets ahead of second anniversary of Russia invading Ukraine
Watch live as the United Nations General Assembly holds a meeting on Ukraine on Friday, 23 February, ahead of the second anniversary of the Russian invasion.
The two-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion comes as the US announced its largest single package of sanctions against Moscow.
Sanctions and export controls have been announced to slow Russia down, “making it harder for them to fight their war of choice,” Deputy US Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said.
Watch live: UN meets ahead of second anniversary of Russia invading Ukraine
Watch live as the United Nations General Assembly holds a meeting on Ukraine on Friday, 23 February, ahead of the second anniversary of the Russian invasion.
Tom Watling23 February 2024 16:15
22 hours ago
Russian authorities have issued ultimatum to Navalny’s mother, says spokesperson
Russian authorities have told Alexei Navalny’s mother that she has just three hours to decide whether to agree to a secret funeral for her son or allow him to be buried in the colony where he is being held, his spokesperson has claimed.
In a statement on X, Kira Yarmysh wrote: “An investigator called Alexey’s mother an hour ago and gave her an ultimatum. Either she agrees to a secret funeral without a public farewell within 3 hours, or Alexey will be buried in the colony.
“She refused to negotiate with the IC, as they are not authorised to decide how and where her son should be buried. She is demanding compliance with the law, according to which investigators are obliged to hand over the body within two days of establishing the cause of death.
“According to the medical documents she signed, these two days expire tomorrow. She insists that the authorities allow the funeral and memorial service to take place in accordance with normal practice.”
Lyudmila Navalnaya (L), the mother of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, is accompanied into a car as she leaves the IK-3 penal colony, where her son served his jail term and where he died (REUTERS)
Tom Watling23 February 2024 15:45
22 hours ago
Russia says its forces push further west after taking Ukraine's Avdiivka
Russian forces have advanced further to the west after taking control of the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, the defence ministry has claimed.
It said Russian forces had also destroyed a number of Western-provided Ukrainian weapons in the past week including seven British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles, a US Patriot anti-aircraft guided missile and launch vehicle, and 42 HIMARS rockets fired by multiple launch systems.
These reports could not be verified.
The frontlines in the war, which started two years ago on Saturday, had not shifted substantially since late 2022 before the taking of Avdiivka, and Russia still controls just under a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
The capture of Avdiivka, following months of fighting with heavy casualties on both sides, was Russia’s first significant gain since taking the city of Bakhmut last May.
After taking Avdiivka, units of the “Centre” group of Russian forces “continued advancing in a westerly direction”, the defence ministry statement said.
“In cooperation with aviation and artillery, they defeated accumulations of manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces” in six nearby settlements, it said.
Ukrainian soldiers get out of a military vehicle in a location given as Avdiivka, Donetsk Region, Ukraine, in this screen grab taken from a video released February 17, 2024 (via REUTERS)
Tom Watling23 February 2024 15:15
23 hours ago
US announces charges against Russian businessmen and their facilitators in a message to Putin
The Justice Department announced a series of arrests and indictments Thursday against Russian businessmen and their facilitators in five separate federal cases that span New York, Florida, Georgia and the District of Columbia.
The action was timed to coincide with the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began Feb. 24, 2022.
US announces charges against Russian businessmen and their facilitators in a message to Putin
The Justice Department has announced a series of arrests and indictments against Russian businessmen and their facilitators in five separate federal cases that span New York, Florida, Georgia and the District of Columbia
Tom Watling23 February 2024 14:45
23 hours ago
Biden hits 500 Russian targets with sanctions after Navalny’s death on second anniversary of Ukraine war
On the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden announced more than 500 new sanctions would be placed against Russia in part for the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the continued war against Ukraine.
The sanctions include export restrictions on nearly 100 entities for providing “backdoor support” to Russia and actions to reduce the country’s energy revenues.
Biden hits 500 Russian targets with sanctions after Navalny’s death
Sanctions come after days after the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny
Tom Watling23 February 2024 14:14
1 day ago
Imprisoned opposition figure Kara-Murza urges Russians not to give up after Navalny's death
Imprisoned opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza on Thursday urged Russians not to give up after the death of Alexei Navalny, and he alleged a state-backed hit squad was taking out the Kremlin’s political opponents, according to a video posted to social media.
A British-Russian citizen, Kara-Murza is serving a 25-year sentence for treason at Penal Colony No. 7 in the Siberian city of Omsk. He comments came as he appeared via a video link in a court hearing over a complaint against Russia’s Investigative Committee for what he believes were two poisoning attempts against him. He alleges the committee didn’t properly investigate the attempts.
Imprisoned opposition figure Kara-Murza urges Russians not to give up after Navalny's death
A prominent opposition figure is urging Russians not to give up after the death of fellow activist Alexei Navalny, and he alleged a state-backed hit squad was taking out the Kremlin’s political opponents
Tom Watling23 February 2024 13:45
1 day ago
Putin’s mission remains to fully conquer Ukraine after series of frontline successes, Western officials say
Vladimir Putin still wants to fully conquer Ukraine and impose regime change in the belief that Russia’s greater numbers in weaponry and soldiers will prevail at the end, according to Western officials.
A series of successes on the frontline, the capture of Avdiivka in the Donbas most notable, and £47bn economic and military aid package for Ukraine blocked in the US Congress, is said to have buoyed the Russian president’s hopes of total occupation.
Tom Watling23 February 2024 13:11
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