Ukraine news – live: Russia withdraws troops from Snake Island
Two Britons were found guilty of being ‘mercenaries’ after fighting with Ukrainian troops
Russian forces have withdrawn from Snake Island off Ukraine's coast in the Black Sea as a “gesture of goodwill”, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
Snake Island, which Russia occupied on the first day of its invasion, achieved worldwide fame when Ukrainian border guards stationed there rejected a Russian warship's demand for their surrender.
The head of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's office, Andriy Yermak, said on Thursday that Russian forces had withdrawn from the island, a strategic Black Sea outpost.
“KABOOM! No Russian troops on the Snake Island anymore. Our Armed Forces did a great job,” Mr Yermak wrote on Twitter.
Ukraine's southern military command wrote on Facebook that following a successful operation involving missile and artillery units, Russian forces had evacuated.
It comes as the European Court of Human Rights issues said on Thursday it had issued interim measures to instruct Russia to ensure the death penalty on two Britons who were captured after fighting for Ukraine was not carried out.
Putin still wants to capture most of Ukraine despite weakened troops, say US intelligence agencies
Russian president Vladimir Putin still wants to seize most of Ukraine despite his weakened troops, according to US intelligence officials.
The consensus among US spy agencies was that the war in Europe will grind on “for an extended period of time”, director of national intelligence Avril Haines said on Wednesday.
Outlining their assessment of the over four-month war, she said: “The picture remains pretty grim and Russia’s attitude toward the West is hardening.”
Read the full story below:
Putin still wants to capture most of Ukraine, say US intelligence agencies
‘The picture remains pretty grim and Russia’s attitude toward the West is hardening’
Pope Francis calls conflict ‘a cruel and senseless war of aggression'
Pope Francis on Thursday implicitly accused Russia of “armed conquest, expansionism and imperialism” in Ukraine, calling the conflict a “cruel and senseless war of aggression”.
The pope was speaking to a delegation of Orthodox leaders who had come to Rome for a religious celebration on Wednesday.
Pope Francis has been outspoken about the conflict in Ukraine since Russia began its “special military operation” on 24 February. Earlier this month he blasted the “ferocity and cruelty” of Russian troops in Ukraine while praising the “heroism” and “courage” of Ukrainians to defend their land.
While sharply criticizing Russia’s invasion, Francis also insisted there weren’t “good guys and bad guys” and that Russia was in some ways provoked by Nato’s expansion east.
Italy Pope
Russian forces withdraw from Snake Island, defence ministry says
Russian forces have withdrawn from Snake Island off Ukraine's coast in the Black Sea as a “gesture of goodwill”, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
The ministry said the move showed Russia is not impeding United Nations efforts to organise a humanitarian corridor to export agricultural products out of Ukraine.
Snake Island, which Russia occupied on the first day of its invasion, achieved worldwide fame when Ukrainian border guards stationed there rejected a Russian warship's demand for their surrender.
Read the full story below:
Russian forces retreat from Snake Island, defence ministry claims
The island was first defended by Ukrainian forces who told a Russian warship ‘go f*** yourself’
Watch: Ukrainian soldiers train on range of complex weapons with British Army in UK
Ukraine says Russian forces have withdrawn from Snake Island
The head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office, Andriy Yermak, said on Thursday that Russian forces had withdrawn from Snake Island, a strategic Black Sea outpost.
“KABOOM! No Russian troops on the Snake Island anymore. Our Armed Forces did a great job,” Mr Yermak wrote on Twitter.
The 100-acre Snake Island outpost has proved to be a valuable strategic position for both sides, sitting some 80 miles off Ukraine's southern coastline in the Black Sea.
Russia Ukraine
Deadly airstrike on Mariupol theatre a ‘clear war crime’, Amnesty inquiry finds
Russian forces committed a “clear war crime” in Ukraine’s coastal city of Mariupol when they launched a deadly airstrike on a theatre they knew was sheltering hundreds of civilians, according to a new investigation by Amnesty International.
The global rights group has urged the International Criminal Court, and all other courts with jurisdiction, to immediately investigate the attack as a war crime in light of the evidence they unearthed.
The human rights organisation spent three months examining the 16 March strike on the city’s Drama Theatre, which they say killed at least a dozen people and injured many more.
Read more from our international correspondent, Bel Trew, in Kyiv:
Deadly airstrike on Mariupol theatre a ‘clear war crime’, Amnesty inquiry finds
Organisation concluded Russian military knew hundreds of civilians were sheltering inside but dropped bombs anyway
European court tells Russia to ensure two Britons do not face death penalty
The European Court of Human Rights issues said on Thursday it had issued interim measures to instruct Russia to ensure the death penalty on two Britons who were captured after fighting for Ukraine was not carried out.
“The Court indicated in particular to the government of the Russian Federation, under Rule 39 (interim measures) of the Rules of Court, that they should ensure that the death penalty imposed on the applicants was not carried out,” the court said in a statement.
British citizens Aiden Aslin (L) and Shaun Pinner (R) and Moroccan Saaudun Brahim (C) attend a sentencing hearing at the Supreme Court of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in Donetsk
Watch: Bernie Ecclestone says he would still 'take a bullet' for 'first-class' Vladimir Putin
UK promises extra £1 billion of military aid for Ukraine’s fight against Russia
The UK will provide an extra £1 billion of military aid for Ukraine, dramatically increasing its support for Volodymyr Zelensky’s defence of his country.
The new funding amounts to a 77 per cent increase on the £1.3 billion already provided, with Boris Johnson claiming British support was “transforming Ukraine’s defences” against the Russian onslaught.
The promise of extra military support comes after Ukraine’s president urged Nato leaders to do more to help his country resist Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
At the Nato summit in Madrid, which ends on Thursday, the UK promised funding towards capabilities including sophisticated air defence systems, drones and electronic warfare equipment.
Read the full story below:
UK promises extra £1 billion of military aid for Ukraine’s fight against Russia
Boris Johnson said the commitment would help ensure Vladimir Putin’s invasion fails in Ukraine
Watch: Vladimir Putin an 'appalling dictator' who is perpetrating illegal war, Truss says
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