Ukraine news – live: Punishing Russia could ‘threaten humanity,’ says Putin’s predecessor

Taking action against one of the biggest nuclear powers would be ‘absurd’, Medvedev said

'Third World War has already started', Ukraine defence minister claims

Vladimir Putin’s predecessor has warned the US that any attempt by the West to punish Russia over its invasion of Ukraine risked endangering humanity.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said attempts to use courts or tribunals to investigate Russia’s actions in would be futile and catastrophic.

Mr Medvedev, now deputy chair of the Russian security council, said on Telegram: “The idea of punishing a country that has one of the largest nuclear potentials is absurd. And potentially poses a threat to the existence of humanity.”

Russia and the US control about 90 per cent of the world’s nuclear warheads, with around 4,000 warheads each, according to the Federation of American Scientists. Relations between Russia and the West have not been so low since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Meanwhile, Mr Putin’s troops are moving towards Donetsk amid his plan to seize the entire Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, days after he declared a “major victory” in neighbouring region Luhansk.

Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said the Russians are “shelling everything in their path”.

Key Points

• Punishing Russia could risk nuclear war, Medvedev says
• Heavy shelling as battle for Donetsk rages
• Boris Johnson: ‘Ukraine can retake territory from Moscow’
• Russia blocks oil pipeline to Europe citing ‘environmental concerns’
• Lavrov touring Asia to drum up support for Russia

[5 July 2022 11:15 · Holly Bancroft]

Pictures show the aftermath of fighting in Lysychansk

Russian forces have captured Lysychansk allowing the army to claim “substantive progress” in its invasion, the UK MoD said this morning.

Here are some photos which show the aftermath of fighting in Lysychansk:

(REUTERS)

(REUTERS)

(REUTERS)

(REUTERS)

[5 July 2022 11:03 · Holly Bancroft]

Russia plans to launch a railway link with Donbas, Russian media reports

Russia plans to launch a railway link between its southern Rostov region and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine, state news agency TASS reported on Tuesday, citing the Rostov region government.

Russia established full control of Luhansk region on Sunday and is fighting to drive Ukrainian government forces out of Donetsk.

[5 July 2022 10:43 · Holly Bancroft]

FSB spy takes over the government of Moscow-occupied Kherson region - reports

An FSB spy has taken over the government of the Moscow-occupied Kherson region in southern Ukraine, Kremlin-installed authorities have said.

Sergei Yeliseyev “became head of the government in the Kherson region”, head of the Russian occupational administration Vladimir Saldo said.

His government reportedly took office on Tuesday.

A former Ukrainian lawmaker who switched sides to Russia in the conflict, Alexei Kovalev, was appointed as Mr Yeliseyev’s deputy, according to the reports.

It comes after the Russian authorities in Kherson said that “Russia is here forever”.