Russia-Ukraine war live: Putin tries to claim Russia isn’t after Kharkiv – despite massive attack on region
Volodymyr Zelensky claims his forces have ‘stabilised’ a Russian attack in northeast Kharkiv region
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed there are “no plans” to take the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv despite tens of thousands of his forces having recently stormed across the border into the region and getting within artillery range of the city.
Speaking on the second day of his two-day tour of China, Putin claimed he had ordered the attack to create a “buffer zone” between Ukrainian soldiers and the Russian region of Belgorod.
When asked if Russian forces planned to take control of Kharkiv city, some 20 miles from the current fighting, Putin said: “As for Kharkiv, there are no such plans as of today.”
While Ukrainian officials and military analysts maintain that Russian forces in the Kharkiv region do not have the manpower or weaponry to take its namesake capital, and that the attack is likely an attempt to create a “buffer zone”, as Putin puts it, as well as draw Ukrainian forces away from other battles further east, there is little doubt that Russia would try to invade the city if it had the capability.
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Russia claims oil refinery fire contained after drone attack
Russian authorities say they have managed to contain a fire at the Tuapse oil refinery in Krasnodar, which broke out after a Ukrainian drone attack.
They claimed that there were no casualties in the incident, according to preliminary information.
Russian air defence and the Black Sea Fleet destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones and six uncrewed boats last night, Russia’s defence ministry said this morning.
An electrical substation was damaged in Sevastopol as a result of the attack, local governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said on Telegram. “There will be isolated blackouts,” he said.
“In view of the situation, I made a decision to cancel classes in all schools, institutions of secondary vocational education and kindergartens.”
People with disabilities face some of the most brutal conditions during war. We need urgent change
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But it is also a fact that these harmful effects are not uniformly felt. Instead, studies show that minority groups are more significantly impacted by the destructive effects because war amplifies inequalities and vulnerabilities that already exist in society.
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Sevastopol closes schools after Ukrainian drone barrage
All schools have been closed in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol and classes cancelled after the region came under a heavy Ukrainian drone attack overnight.
At least 51 drones were intercepted overnight in Crimea, Russia’s defence ministry claimed.
Local governor Mikhail Razvozhaev took to Telegram and confirmed the shutdown.
“In view of the situation, I made a decision to cancel classes in all schools, institutions of secondary vocational education and kindergartens,” he said, adding that the region will see isolated blackouts.
In a major overnight aerial raid, Ukraine’s military hit an electricity substation in the region, causing rolling blackouts throughout the city housing Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet.
Ukraine does not typically comment on attacks on Russia and Russia-occupied Crimea but it says attacking energy and military infrastructure there aids Kyiv by weakening Russian capabilities.
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The US, South Korea and others have steadfastly accused North Korea of supplying artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine in return for advanced military technologies and economic aid. Both North Korea and Russia have repeatedly dismissed that.
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What’s the latest in Russia and Ukraine? Day 814
Good morning.
As Ukraine claims the fighting in its northeast Kharkiv region has “stabilised” a week after Russia launched its surprise attack, both sides say they have successfully repelled overnight drone attacks.
Ukrainian forces said they shot down all 20 drones fired by Russia. Among the regions attacked was the Kharkiv region.
It damaged five buildings, one of them belonging to the district administration, Kharkiv’s regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said on Telegram.
In Russia, authorities said they had managed to contain a fire at an oil refinery in the town of Tuapse that broke out after a Ukrainian drone attack. The coastal town in southwest Russia is hundreds of miles from the nearest Ukrainian soldiers and demonstrated, again, the increasing range of Kyiv’s drone programme.
In Belgorod, just across the border with Ukraine, the region’s mayor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed that a mother and her son were killed by a Ukrainian drone strike. He did not provide evidence.
Further afield, Vladimir Putin began the second day of his two-day trip to China. He arrived in “Little Moscow” this morning, located in Harbin, the capital of China’s north-eastern Heilongjiang province, which shares a border with Russia. He lauded the two countries’ “inseparable” partnership in a speech.
And in the Middle East last night, Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk held a press conference with British boxer Tyson Fury ahead of their Saturday heavyweight boxing clash.
Mr Usky was wearing a traditional Ukrainian embroidered band in honour of Vyshyvanka Day, an annual celebration of Ukrainian unity. He is fighting to unify the heavweight division.
Zelensky says situation in Kharkiv region ‘stabilised' as of Friday
Russian forces have advanced six miles into Ukraine‘s Kharkiv region in one area but the situation has “stabilised” as of Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said, according to by RBC-Ukraine media outlet.
”Today, our defence forces have stabilised the Russians where they are now. The deepest point of their advance is 10 km,” Mr Zelensky told journalists.
Footage appears to show the aftermath of a Ukrainian drone attack on southwest Russia
Footage collated from various Russian Telegram channels appear to show the aftermath of a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on southwest Russia.
Satellite imagery shows destroyed Russian fighter jets
Satellite imagery released this morning has shown that at least Russian fighter jets have been destroyed at an airbase in occupied Crimea.
The Russian defence ministry reported an attack on Tuesday night on the Belbek airbase on the port city of Sevastopol, claiming that US-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles had been used in the assault.
But they claimed that they had “destroyed” all ten missiles fired.
This new satellite imagery appears to cast doubt on that claim.
Zelensky: Not a single week in more than two years has gone by without Russian terror
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that “not a single week” in more than two years of war has gone by without Russia committing “terror against our people”.
In a message on Telegram, which included images of the latest attacks in Ukraine perpetrated by Russian forces, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine “must force Russia to a real, just peace”, referring to recent claims by Vladimir Putin that he was interested in a peace deal - though only one on his terms.
“There has not been a single week in more than two years of this war when Russia refrained from terror against our people,” Mr Zelensky wrote.
“Russia is trying to expand the war, accompanying it invariably with empty words about peace. We must force Russia to a real, just peace by all means. Our defence against assaults and blows is decisive.
“Thank you to everyone who defends Ukraine! Thanks to all the countries that help us!”
Vladimir Putin tours ‘Little Moscow’ as he trumpets deepening ties with China
Vladimir Putin kicked off his second day in China with a visit to Harbin city as the Russian president trumpets deeping economic and strategic ties between the two powerful neighbours.
Harbin in the northeastern Heilongjiang province, which borders Russia’s Far East, has deep social, economic and cultural ties with its neighbouring country. The city was once known as “Little Moscow” for its substantial Russian population and cultural influence.
It remains a centre of Sino-Russian cooperation.
Vladimir Putin tours ‘Little Moscow’ Harbin as he trumpets deepening ties with China
Russian leader’s visit to northeastern Harbin city with Xi Jinping is meant to symbolise growing strategic, economic and cultural ties
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