Russian helicopters taking a beating; Brittney Griner loses 'sham' appeal: Live Ukraine updates - USA TODAY

Russia's fleet of onslaught helicopters is taking a beating astatine the hands of Ukraine's portable aerial defence systems, the British Defense Ministry said successful its astir caller appraisal of the war.

There person been astatine slightest 23 verified losses of Russia’s Ka-52 HOKUM onslaught helicopters successful Ukraine since the invasion, representing over 25% of Russia's fleet of 90, the appraisal says. Dozens of different helicopters besides person been changeable down.

"Russia is inactive failing to support capable aerial superiority successful bid to reliably transportation retired effectual (airplane) enactment adjacent the beforehand line," the appraisal says. "And its artillery ammunition is moving low."

Russian commanders are apt resorting to high-risk onslaught chopper missions arsenic 1 of the fewer options disposable to supply adjacent enactment for troops successful combat, the appraisal says.

UKRAINE SHOOTING DOWN DRONES: Up to 85% of Russia's slayer drones reportedly changeable down by Ukraine. Live updates

Other developments:

►Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the U.S.-led West of expanding arms supplies and providing quality to the Kyiv authorities successful an effort to "destroy our centuries-old nationalist statehood."

►Norway’s home scurity bureau says it has detained a antheral who entered the state arsenic a Brazilian national but is suspected of being a Russian spy.

►German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived successful Kyiv for his archetypal sojourn to Ukraine since the commencement of Russia’s invasion. He said helium wanted to "send a awesome of solidarity to Ukrainians.” In April, Ukraine made it wide Steinmeier was not invited due to the fact that of his erstwhile enactment of person ties with Russia, which helium aboriginal said was a mistake.

GRINER 'VERY NERVOUS': Brittney Griner's drug charges entreaty successful Russia: What we know

White House blasts 'sham' Russian entreaty proceeding successful Griner case

A Russian court's rejection of Brittney Griner's appeal of a nine-year situation condemnation for cause possession means the WNBA hoops star will "continue to beryllium wrongfully detained nether intolerable circumstances aft having to acquisition different sham judicial proceeding today," nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the medication is continuing to speech with Russian officials astir a imaginable captive swap, and helium lauded Griner's household for "courage successful the look of these unimaginable circumstances."

Carl Tobias, a prof astatine the University of Richmond School of Law, said the Russian court dispensed a precise speedy solution dissimilar the appeals process successful U.S. national courts.

"Griner’s champion anticipation present appears to beryllium immoderate signifier of captive swap with Russia," helium said. 

Griner, who appeared in a Moscow-area courtroom via videolink from a compartment astatine her detention facility, was arrested Feb. 17 aft constabulary said they recovered vape canisters containing cannabis lipid successful her luggage astatine Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Griner, 32, said she had inadvertently packed them successful haste and that she had nary transgression intent. One week aft her arrest, Russia invaded Ukraine and U.S.-Russia relations sank to a near-historic low, complicating efforts to escaped her.

Progressive Democrats instrumentality backmost petition that Biden negociate extremity to Russia's war

Facing swift backlash for their timing and message, 30 progressive House Democrats connected Tuesday withdrew the missive they sent President Joe Biden the time earlier urging him to negociate an extremity to Russia's warfare successful Ukraine.

Coming 2 weeks earlier the midterm elections and amid Russia's progressively hopeless attempts to reverse people connected the battlefield, the letter appeared to undermine U.S. enactment for Ukraine, pressing Biden to prosecute "a proactive diplomatic push, redoubling efforts to question a realistic model for a ceasefire.''

Many chap Democrats and Ukrainian officials, who person said Russian President Vladimir Putin won't negociate successful bully faith, denounced the letter, prompting the stunning reversal. Biden has maintained it's up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to decide the presumption of a bid woody with Russia. 

Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, chairwoman of the Progressive Caucus, said successful a connection the missive was written months agone and required further vetting earlier its release. She besides sought to region its contents from past week's comments by GOP House Leader Kevin McCarthy that Republicans won't springiness Ukraine a "blank check'' if they retake the House.

“The proximity of these statements created the unfortunate quality that Democrats, who person powerfully and unanimously supported and voted for each bundle of military, strategic and economical assistance to the Ukrainian people, are someway aligned with Republicans who question to propulsion the plug connected American enactment for President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian forces,” Jayapal's connection said.

Chechnyan person wants Ukraine cities 'wiped off the look of the Earth'

The Kremlin-backed caput of the Russian portion of Chechnya says the Russian subject should destroy Ukraine cities successful retaliation for Ukrainian shelling of Russian towns on the border.

Authorities successful Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions person reported Ukrainian shelling that damaged infrastructure and residential buildings. Ramzan Kadyrov said connected Telegram that if a "shell flies into our region, full cities indispensable beryllium wiped disconnected the look of the Earth truthful that they don’t ever deliberation that they tin occurrence successful our direction.”

Kadyrov has been a predominant professional of the Russian subject effort. Earlier this month, Kadyrov said Colonel-General Alexander Lapin should beryllium fired aft retreating from the Donetsk-region metropolis of Lyman.

"If I had my mode I would person demoted Lapin to private, would person deprived him of his awards and would person sent him to the beforehand enactment to lavation disconnected his shame with the firearm successful his hands," Kadyrov wrote connected Telegram.

IAEA to inspect 2 Ukrainian nuke plants aft 'dirty bomb' claims 

International Atomic Energy Agency main Rafael Grossi said the bureau is preparing to inspect 2 Ukrainian atomic facilities amid Russia’s claims that Ukraine is processing a “dirty bomb.” Ukraine requested the inspection aft its atomic vigor institution Energoatom claimed that Russia was carrying retired unauthorized operation work near the Zaporizhzhia plant's Dry Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility. Energoatom warned that destruction of containers stored determination could pb to radiation contamination implicit hundreds of quadrate miles.

Contributing: The Associated Press