Ukraine Russia war – latest news: Battle for Bakhmut ‘stabilising’ due to Kyiv’s ‘tremendous efforts’

The battle in the besieged city of Bakhmut is “stabilising” due to strong pushback from Ukrainian soldiers, said Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Lt Gen Zaluzhnyi in a Facebook post said he spoke to UK’s chief of defence staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and informed him that the situation on Ukraine’s frontlines “is the toughest in the Bakhmut direction”.

“Due to the tremendous efforts of the defence forces, we are managing to stabilise the situation.”

The US yesterday imposed sanctions on seven Belarusian elections officials, two state-owned automotive manufacturers and president Alexander Lukashenko’s aircraft.

Mr Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, intensified his repression after a wave of protests in 2020 following a presidential election that the West and Belarus’ opposition denounced as a sham.

The president also has close ties to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and has allowed him to station troops and weapons there to support his war in Ukraine.

Skimming the treetops, three Soviet-era attack helicopters bank and swoop down on a field after an early-morning mission to the front lines in the fight against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Each day, they might fly three or four sorties, says the commander, whose two-crew Mi-24 helicopter, built about 40 years ago, is older than he is.

“We are carrying out combat tasks to destroy enemy vehicles, enemy personnel, we are working with pitch-up attacks from a distance from where the enemy can’t get us with their air defence system,” said the commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity for operational security reasons, in line with military regulations.

Nearly five million Ukrainians do not have access to drinking water due to Russia’s year-long war, according to the Ukrainian minister of environmental protection and natural resources.

Ruslan Strilets at a UN conference in New York said that nearly 70 per cent of Ukraine’s population is at risk of being without water due to damaged infrastructure caused by Russia’s incessant attacks, the Kyiv Independent reported.

The minister also warned of a possible nuclear disaster as the release of water from the Kakhkovka reservoir threatens to disrupt the cooling systems at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The nuclear plant has been occupied by Vladimir Putin’s forces since last March.

“This would mean a possible Fukushima scenario in the middle of the European continent because of Russia,” the minister said.

Ukrainian children who returned from Russia after months of being deported have recounted the political indoctrination and mental trauma they endured during their detention.

At least 17 children, residents of besieged Kharkiv and Kherson, came back to Ukraine this week, non-profit Save Ukraine said in a release on Thursday.

An emotional video of their return to Ukraine from Crimea showed at least eight children, including teenagers, being reunited with their families after stepping out of a minivan.

US president Joe Biden and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau yesterday vowed that the two nations remain committed to defending Ukraine as it tries to repel a Russian invasion that has no end in sight.

Mr Biden and Mr Trudeau met just days after Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping held talks for the first time since the start of the war.

But Biden argued that Western resolve remains stronger and warned Russia that the US, Canada and their allies would defend “every inch of Nato territory.”

“We have significantly expanded our alliances,” Mr Biden said with Mr Trudeau by his side during a joint news conference. “Tell me how in fact you see a circumstance where China has made a significant commitment to Russia? What commitment can they make?”

At an earlier appearance with Biden before the Canadian Parliament, Mr Trudeau said his country — which has provided Kyiv with artillery, ammunition, armor and tanks — remained committed to Ukraine’s cause.

“As you well know, Mr president, Canada will continue to stand strong with Ukraine, with whatever it takes,” Mr Trudeau said.

The comments seem to be the first sign that India could recalibrate its dependency on Russia amid continuing border challenges it faces from its nuclear neighbours Pakistan and China.

The IAF told a committee of India’s lower house in parliament in a statement published on Tuesday that Russia had scheduled a “major delivery” this year, without specifying what this delivery was.

British households taking in Ukrainian refugees who have been in the country for more than a year are to receive an increased “thank you” payment as Kyiv’s ambassador implored more sponsors to offer accommodation.

The Ukrainian ambassador to the UK thanked the British people for their generosity in coming to the aid of those fleeing the conflict caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But Vadym Prystaiko added that “some still need your help” as he called for “those who can” to open their doors to families displaced from their homeland.

The UK should stay out of negotiations to halt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a former foreign secretary.

Lord Owen said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should not talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin and any peace talks should be conducted by the two warring countries.

But he added there could be a role for US President Joe Biden as he is the negotiator that “really matters”.