Ukraine news – live: Putin ‘unlikely to make major breakthrough in Donetsk’ - The Independent

Rights radical urges Ukraine to analyse reported usage of rocket-fired landmines

Human Rights Watch has urged Ukraine to analyse accusations that its subject utilized thousands of rocket-fired antipersonnel landmines successful and astir the eastbound metropolis of Izium erstwhile the Kharkiv portion was occupied by Russia.

“Ukrainian forces look to person extensively scattered landmines astir the Izium area, causing civilian casualties and posing an ongoing risk,” said Steve Goose, Arms Division manager astatine Human Rights Watch, noting the the organisation besides issued 3 reports past twelvemonth accusing Russia of utilizing the weapons.

“Russian forces person repeatedly utilized antipersonnel mines and committed atrocities crossed the country, but this doesn’t warrant Ukrainian usage of these prohibited weapons,” helium said.

Human Rights Watch said Ukraine’s lawman defence curate Oleksandr Polishchuk responded successful a missive successful November, penning that Ukraine afloat commits to each planetary obligations successful the sphere of excavation usage, including “the non-use of anti-personnel mines successful the war.”

Mr Polishchuk told Human Rights Watch that Ukraine’s forces strictly adhere to planetary humanitarian instrumentality and the 1997 antipersonnel excavation convention. Ukraine’s overseas ministry echoed those sentiments connected Tuesday and said the study would beryllium “properly analysed by the applicable institutions”.

Andy Gregory31 January 2023 18:54

Kyiv warns of ‘irreparable consequences’ successful relations with Hungary implicit Orban’s ‘anti-Ukrainian rhetoric’

Ukraine has warned of “irreparable consequences” successful its relations with Hungary unless Budapest’s enactment desists with what Kyiv said was anti-Ukrainian rhetoric.

Kyiv summoned Hungary’s ambassador implicit “disparaging” comments made by Viktor Orban connected Tuesday, delivering him with “a beardown protestation successful transportation with the caller disparaging statements” by Mr Orban, the overseas ministry said.

“It was emphasised to the Hungarian diplomat that the anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, which has been heard from the Hungarian enactment for a agelong time, is perfectly unacceptable and causes superior harm to Ukrainian-Hungarian relations.”

The ministry added: “The Hungarian broadside was urged to halt this antagonistic inclination successful bid to debar irreparable consequences for the relations betwixt the 2 countries.”

Hungary has criticised EU sanctions against Russia, saying they failed to weaken Moscow meaningfully and risked destroying the European economy, and opted past twelvemonth not to nonstop weapons to Ukraine.

Kyiv besides complained to Hungary past twelvemonth aft Mr Orban went to a shot lucifer wearing a scarf that it said depicted immoderate Ukrainian territory arsenic portion of Hungary.

Andy Gregory31 January 2023 18:27

No 10 rejects Verhofstadt’s Brexit-Ukraine assertion arsenic ‘nonsense’

Downing Street has rebuffed elder MEP Guy Verhofstadt’s proposition that Russia whitethorn not person invaded Ukraine if Brexit had not happened (see post astatine 11:15am).

The premier minister’s authoritative spokesperson said: “Putin’s amerciable penetration has thing to bash with Brexit. In fact, the penetration has demonstrated the UK’s committedness to European security.

“We person from the commencement been moving highly intimately with our European allies, which is simply a existent tangible objection of the UK’s continued committedness to the information of the continent.

“That volition not alteration and it’s nonsense to suggest otherwise”.

Andy Gregory31 January 2023 17:51

Sunak rules retired sending UK combatant jets to Ukraine arsenic ‘impractical’

Rishi Sunak believes it is “not practical” to nonstop British combatant jets to Ukraine, contempt being keen to boost enactment to Kyiv to debar a lengthy stalemate successful the country’s warfare with Russian invaders.

Downing Street said grooming Volodymyr Zelensky’ forces connected “extremely sophisticated” Typhoons and F-35s would instrumentality excessively long.

No 10 did not, however, reason allies sending their ain jets, arsenic France makes noises to that effect contiguous (see station below).

Our governmental analogous Adam Forrest has much details successful this report:

Andy Gregory31 January 2023 17:27

‘No taboo’ connected supplying combatant jets to Ukraine, says French minister

“There is nary taboo” connected supplying combatant jets to Ukraine, France’s defence curate has suggested – arsenic No 10 insisted it would not beryllium “practical” for the UK to bash so.

Speaking aft a gathering with his Ukrainian counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu besides announced that Paris would nonstop Kyiv 12 further Caesar howitzers and dispatch 150 service unit to Poland to bid up to 600 Ukrainian troops determination each month.

Mr Lecornu acceptable retired France’s presumption erstwhile it came to supplying arms to Ukraine, saying it should not weaken France's ain defence capacity, that it should beryllium utile to assistance Ukraine successful the struggle with Russia and that the weapons beryllium utilized lone by Ukraine to support itself.

Andy Gregory31 January 2023 16:55

Ukraine to person up to 140 tanks successful ‘first wave’ of deliveries, says Kyiv

Last week’s volte look from Washington and Berlin volition spot Ukraine person betwixt 120 and 140 tanks successful a “first wave” deliveries from 12 countries, Kyiv’s overseas curate has announced.

While Kyiv has said that hundreds of tanks volition beryllium needed to marque a important quality connected the battlefield, Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukrainian officials are moving down the scenes to transportation much countries to nonstop tanks.

“The vessel conjugation present has 12 members. I tin enactment that successful the archetypal question of contributions, the Ukrainian equipped forces volition person betwixt 120 and 140 Western-model tanks,” Mr Kuleba told reporters.

“We proceed to enactment connected some expanding the rank of the vessel conjugation and expanding the contributions of those already pledged,” the overseas curate added.

Andy Gregory31 January 2023 16:28

Russia stepping up attacks with ‘systematic shelling’ and ‘redeployment of troops’, claims Zelensky aide

A statesmanlike adjutant to Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia has intensified its attacks arsenic helium called for Ukraine’s allies to nonstop much weapons.

Mykhailo Podolyak alleged that “systematic shelling of frontline cities, accumulation of ordnance, redeployment of troops, further forced mobilisation surely bash not indicate” Moscow’s readiness for peace.”

“These are nonstop signs of important escalation. Therefore, weapons, weapons and much weapons for Ukraine,” helium wrote.

Since winning Western pledges past week to supply main conflict tanks, Kyiv has requested much weapons – including combatant jets. France has indicated a willingness to perchance nonstop jets, but Downing Street warned connected Tuesday that it would not beryllium applicable for the UK to bash so.

Andy Gregory31 January 2023 16:04

Ukraine ‘stops Russia from seizing proviso enactment to Bakhmut'

Ukraine has prevented Russia from gaining power of a important proviso enactment starring to the frontline municipality of Bakhmut from Chasiv Yar, a Kyiv subject spokesperson has said.

Speaking aft Moscow said its forces had seized power of Blohodatne, a tiny colony conscionable northbound of Bakhmut, Serhiy Cherevaty said: “Russian troops could not chopped disconnected the roadworthy which is utilized for supplying the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian service successful Bakhmut is supplied with everything necessary.”

Andy Gregory31 January 2023 15:41

KEY POST: Conflict volition grind connected passim 2023, accidental officials

Our governmental analogous Adam Forrest reports:

Western defence officials person said that Russia is improbable to marque important breakthroughs beyond caller gains successful the outskirts of the metropolis of Bakhmut successful south-east Ukraine.

The Russian seizure of the salt-mining municipality of Soledar and creeping gains successful villages adjacent Bakhmut were described a “sideshow”.

The struggle is apt to grind connected passim 2023, officials said, adjacent if some sides marque territorial gains astatine antithetic times.

Officials besides said the pledges made by UK, US, Germany and others to nonstop tanks present exceeds the 300 vehicles president Volodymyr Zelensky has asked for successful caller weeks.

But tanks are improbable to beryllium sent to the battlefield until the extremity of March.

Andy Gregory31 January 2023 15:22

Russia whitethorn person mislaid much troops than Ukraine, says official

Russia and Ukraine are some thought to person suffered much than 100,000 casualties since Moscow’s invasion, Western officials person said.

However, 1 authoritative suggested that, Russia has sustained a higher fig of fatalities than Kyiv fixed that they person been connected the offensive.

“I would accidental the ratio is antithetic connected each side,” the authoritative told reporters. “The Russians person been attacking and that means they person suffered much fatalities than the Ukrainians have, connected balance.”

Andy Gregory31 January 2023 15:13