Ukrainian forces have stalled Russian attacks around the besieged eastern front line city of Pokrovsk, Ukraine’s military chief said.
“We’ve been able to stabilise the situation in this zone of operations,” Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Tuesday on a visit to the front, calling it “one of the most difficult sections” of the war.
“And in some places have seized back the tactical initiative,” he added.
Pokrovsk is a key logistics hub and a major obstacle to Vladimir Putin’s plan to capture the whole region of Donetsk.
It is surrounded on three sides by Russian forces but is still held by Ukraine, despite months of intensive Russian attacks that have only led to incremental advances.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed on Tuesday to have captured the village of Lysivka, just seven miles south of Pokrovsk. Ukraine has not yet commented on the report.
Moscow was forced to close all of its airports after the Russian capital was targeted by a swarm of Ukrainian drones for a second night in a row.
The city is busy preparing for Victory Day celebrations to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two on Friday. Xi Jinping, among other world leaders, will be arriving in Moscow tomorrow for the event.
At least 19 Ukrainian drones were destroyed on their approach to Moscow “from different directions,” causing no major destruction or injuries, Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow’s mayor, said.
Flights were halted at all four airports serving Moscow for several hours and a number of regional airports were closed, Russia’s aviation watchdog said. The drone attacks on Monday had also disrupted flights to the city.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, has said that Kyiv “cannot be held responsible” for what happens on Russian territory during the upcoming commemorations.
Vladimir Putin declared a three-day ceasefire for May 8-10 as the country commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Soviet and Allied victory, with the “grandest” ever parade in Moscow promised by officials.
Mr Zelensky has dismissed the 72-hour truce offer as a “theatrical performance” designed to protect Moscow during the parade, instead calling on Russia to commit to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
Mike Pence, the former vice-president, has returned from political hibernation to blast Donald Trump over his actions in Ukraine.
Mr Pence, who served during Mr Trump’s first administration, said the US president’s declining support for Ukraine has “only emboldened Russia”.
“If the last three years teaches us anything, it’s that Vladimir Putin doesn’t want peace; he wants Ukraine,” Mr Pence told CNN.
“The wavering support the administration has shown over the last few months, I believe, has only emboldened Russia.”
Mr Pence, who feuded with Trump after he certified the 2020 election in favour of Joe Biden, went on to warn that if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, he expects Russia to invade a Nato country.
“This is not just about Ukraine for me. I really do believe that if Vladimir Putin overruns Ukraine, it’s just a matter of time before he crosses a border where our men and women in uniform are going to have to go fight him,” he said.
Oil prices play a crucial role in Russia’s budget and the Russian economy overall, but Russian national interests take precedence above all else, the Kremlin said.
It was responding to Donald Trump’s comments on Monday that Vladimir Putin may be more inclined to “settle” the conflict in Ukraine following the recent drop in oil prices (see 7.20am post).
“Oil prices cannot be a factor that can influence Russia’s attitude towards its national interests,” Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said. “Russia’s national interests are above all else, above any oil prices.”
Russia is closely monitoring the global oil market and has long collaborated within the OPEC+ framework “to maintain prices at an optimal level,” Peskov added.
The US defence secretary Pete Hegseth temporarily cancelled Ukraine aid without Donald Trump’s permission, sources have claimed.
A week after Mr Trump returned to the White House, the US military transport command (Transcom) issued an order to block 11 flights loaded with artillery shells and other weaponry bound for Ukraine.
The cancellations came after the president wrapped up a January 30 Oval Office meeting about Ukraine, during which he issued no instruction to halt US support, insiders told Reuters.
It has now emerged that the verbal order – which remained in place for a week – came from Mr Hegseth, according to Transcom records reviewed by Reuters.
The White House has denied the allegations, claiming that the defence secretary had followed a directive from the president to pause aid to Ukraine, which it said was the administration’s position at the time.
It comes amid a string of security leaks from the department of defence, sparking concerns over Mr Hegseth’s ability to lead the department.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry urged countries not to send any troops to take part in a military parade in Moscow on May 9.
“The participation of foreign military personnel in this event is unacceptable and will be regarded by Ukraine as an outrage to the memory of the victory over Nazism,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
North Korea will allow the families of soldiers killed fighting for Russia the “privilege” of moving to Pyongyang, and build a monument to its fallen soldiers, it has been reported.
Being permitted to move to the capital is a rare honour under the authoritarian rule of Kim Jong-un, and is likely a calculated move to limit criticism of his regime by the relatives of the dead, experts have said.
One analyst also suggested the offer may also be a way of concentrating families and reducing the spread of rumours about the losses that North Korean forces have suffered and the conditions they endured fighting in Vladimir Putin’s armies.
A report by the Seoul-based South and North Development Institute claimed that the government of Kim Jong-un is considering granting “capital residency rights” to families of the war dead after it became apparent that there is a groundswell of public anger over the dispatch of troops to the war against Ukraine.
Moscow’s troops have captured the settlement of Lysivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, Russian defence ministry has claimed.
The Telegraph could not independently confirm the battlefield report, which Ukraine has not yet commented on.
The village is just south of Pokrovsk, a key garrison town that is surrounded by Russian forces on all sides.
Earlier, we reported (see 9.30am post) that Ukraine’s military chief said his forces had stabilised the front line surrounding Pokrovsk, and in some places, “seized back the tactical initiative”.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian forces still planned to commit to a ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8-10 as per Vladimir Putin’s orders.
However, they would respond “immediately” if Ukrainian forces tried to strike Russian positions, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman said.
He added that Kyiv had not responded to the proposal.
However, Ukraine has effectively rejected the 72-hour truce, with Volodymyr Zelensky calling it a “game” and “manipulation”, instead calling for Russia to commit to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv ‘stalls’ Russian attacks on worst part of front – The Telegraph
