Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature Valentyn Reznichenko, the governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, posted on Telegram that the city of Nikopol in his region was shelled overnight. He said: Russian troops pounded Nikopoli several times during the night with anti-aircraft guns. More than 60 shells were directed at residential areas and city infrastructure. One person was injured. She is a 75-year-old woman. Is in the hospital. Dozens of private residential buildings were destroyed. Updated at 07.13 BST
The EU will discuss strengthening sanctions against Russia
EU foreign ministers are expected to meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss the sanctions, according to a senior EU official. Among the measures being considered is a ban on gold purchases from Russia, a move already put in place by international partners. The EU could also act to sanction additional Russians. A senior EU official told AFP the EU was likely to discuss further sanctions at the meeting but would not make an immediate decision. The new measures come as “Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine continues unabated,” Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. We are therefore proposing today to toughen the EU’s tough sanctions against the Kremlin, implement them more effectively and extend them until January 2023. Moscow must continue to pay a high price for its aggression.” Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, added: EU sanctions are tough and tough. We continue to target those close to Putin and the Kremlin… I will also submit proposals to the Council to list more individuals and entities, with their assets frozen and their ability to travel restricted.” Updated at 06.56 BST In case you missed this exchange earlier, British prime minister-designate Liz Truss said she was ready to sit down with Vladimir Putin at the G20. In the final televised debate on Sunday night, the Conservative leadership candidates were asked whether they would sit next to the Russian president at a G20 summit. Truss said he would “call Putin” and it was important for the free world to confront Russia. Penny Mordaunt, Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch said they would not sit down with Putin, at least under the current circumstances. Rishi Sunak said he has walked out in the past rather than sit down with the Russians. Updated at 06.39 BST China is not a party to the Ukrainian crisis, but it will not stand idly by, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly said during a phone call with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó. Yi and Szijjarto spoke by phone on Sunday about bilateral ties between the countries and the crisis in Ukraine, according to a report by China’s Xinhua news agency. Russian state media agency RIA Novosti quoted Yi as saying: China is not a party to the Ukrainian crisis, but we are not going to be indifferent spectators and, moreover, we are not going to add fuel to the fire, we have always been adamant and consistent in encouraging peace and negotiations.” Lessons from the Ukraine crisis are “profound and worth learning for all sides,” Wang noted, saying that in the long term, the parties should discuss building a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework to achieve lasting peace and security. Updated at 06.45 BST
Russian journalist who made televised protest arrested, later released
Russian police have arrested journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, who in March interrupted a live television broadcast to denounce military action in Ukraine, her lawyer said earlier Sunday. No official statement has been made, but her entourage posted a message on the journalist’s Telegram account on Sunday, according to AFP. Marina has been taken into custody. There is no information on his whereabouts.” The message included three photos of her being driven by two police officers in a white van after apparently being stopped while cycling. Ovsyannikova also posted photos of herself and two dogs on her Facebook page, later revealing that she had been released. I went for a walk with the dogs, just outside the gate I was approached by people in uniform. Now I sit in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Krasnoselsky. Three hours later, Ovsyannikova said she was released. “I’m home. Everything is fine,” he wrote. “But now I know it’s always better to bring a suitcase and passport if you go out.” In Moscow, the police arrested a journalist and a former employee of Channel One Marina Ovsyannikova. Transferred to the department for Krasnoselsky district, a lawyer of OVD-Info Dmitry Zakhvatov went to help https://t.co/NSbJrHI9TW Photo: Maria Ovsyannikova telegram channel pic.twitter.com/LgqPZutXaK — OVD-Info (@OvdInfo) July 17, 2022 Her lawyer, Dmitry Zakhvatov, confirmed her arrest to the Ria-Novosti news agency, saying he did not know where Ovsyannikova was taken. “I guess it’s connected in one way or another to her act of protest,” he added. In March, Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One TV, went to the set of the flagship evening news show Vremya (Time), holding a poster that read “No War” in English. On Friday, Ovsyannikova posted pictures of herself on Telegram showing her near the Kremlin holding a protest placard highlighting the deaths of children and denouncing Putin as a “murderer”. Updated at 06.59 BST
Russia is preparing for the next attack
Russia is preparing for the next stage of its offensive in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian and British military officials, after its military claimed it had entered into an “operational pause”. The Ukrainian military said Russia appeared to be regrouping units for an attack on Sloviansk, a symbolically important Ukrainian-held city in the eastern Donetsk region. The British Ministry of Defense added that Russia is also strengthening its defense positions throughout the occupied territories in southern Ukraine. A child walks through the debris left by an explosion after a rocket attack on a civilian neighborhood in Bakhmut, near Sloviansk, Ukraine. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered Russian military units operating in all regions of Ukraine to intensify operations to prevent strikes in eastern Ukraine and other Russian-controlled territories, the ministry said in a statement on its website. of on Saturday. It said that Shoigu “gave the necessary instructions to further increase the actions of the groups in all operational areas in order to exclude the possibility of the Kiev regime launching massive rocket and artillery attacks on civilian infrastructure and settlement residents in Donbass and in other areas”.
Zelensky fires Ukraine’s spy chief and chief prosecutor
Volodymyr Zelenskiy fired the head of Ukraine’s powerful internal security service, the SBU, and the prosecutor general, citing dozens of cases of cooperation with Russia by officials in their services. Sunday’s surprise dismissals of SBU chief Ivan Bakanov, a childhood friend of Zelensky, and prosecutor general Irina Venediktova, who played a key role in prosecuting Russian war crimes, were announced by executive orders on the president’s website. Zelensky said he fired the top officials because it had been revealed that several members of their services had worked with Russia. Zelensky fires Ukraine’s spy chief and prosecutor, citing cooperation with Russia – video To date, 651 criminal charges have been filed regarding treason and cooperation activities of prosecutors, pre-trial bodies and other law enforcement agencies. In particular, more than 60 employees of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Security Service of Ukraine remained in the occupied territories and are working against our state. Such a series of crimes against the foundations of the national security of the state and the connections identified between the employees of the security forces of Ukraine and the special services of Russia pose very serious questions to the relevant leadership. Each of these questions will receive an appropriate answer.”
Summary and welcome
Hello and welcome back to the Guardian’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine. I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be bringing you all the latest developments for the next while. In a fairly explosive new development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy fired the head of the country’s security service and attorney general on Sunday, citing dozens of cases of cooperation with Russia by officials in their services. Military officials in both Ukraine and the UK have also warned that Russia is preparing for the next stage of its offensive. It’s 7:30 in the morning in Kyiv and here’s how things are:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has fired the head of the country’s security service and attorney general, claiming more than 60 of their employees were “working against” Ukraine in Russian-occupied territories. He added that 651 criminal proceedings related to high treason and cooperation by employees of prosecutor’s offices, pre-investigation bodies and other law enforcement agencies have been recorded.
Russia is preparing for the next stage of its offensive in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian military officials, after Moscow said its forces would step up military operations in “all operational areas”. The Ukrainian military said Russia appeared to be regrouping units for an attack on Sloviansk, a symbolically important Ukrainian-held city in the eastern Donetsk region. The British Ministry of Defence…
title: “Russia Ukraine War Live News Zelensky Fires Top Officials. Moscow Is Preparing For The Next Attack Ukraine " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Tracie Thomas”
Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature Here is a selection of photos sent to us today via the news from inside the occupied port city of Mariupol, which was under siege for several weeks at the start of Russia’s invasion. Pensioners queue outside the post office to withdraw their monthly payments in occupied Mariupol. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Construction works are being carried out in the occupied Mariupol. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Repair work is being carried out in occupied Mariupol. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Residential buildings showing signs of damage in occupied Mariupol. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images The daily business update was released by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic. It claims that its forces, along with those of Russia and the similarly self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, now control 253 “liberated” settlements. This is a slight increase from the number he claimed last week. It claims that 12 of these settlements were shelled by Ukrainian forces in the last 24 hours. He did not report casualties. None of the claims have been independently verified. Updated at 10.13 BST Oleksandr Syenkevych, mayor of Mykolaiv, did not report casualties from the overnight shelling on Telegram, but said: “It is already known that Russian missiles hit a car showroom and an agricultural machinery showroom. The invaders also bombarded the outskirts of the city. Fortunately, there were no victims.” Updated at 09.39 BST The governor of Luhansk, Ukraine, Serhai Haidai, gave a sparse briefing today. He posted on Telegram to say that part of the Luhansk region is still resisting Russian occupation and “doesn’t let the enemy through.” He says the shelling continues all the time and that “the Russians are still losing personnel and equipment in our area.” He implies that Ukrainian resistance groups are active in the occupied areas of Luhansk, commenting “locals in the underground are helping us hold the defense”. Updated at 08.43 BST Maksym Kozytskyi, governor of Lviv, posted on Telegram that his western region of Ukraine was quiet overnight with no airstrike warnings. He said that on the last day, 304 people arrived in Lviv on evacuation trains from eastern Ukraine and that 805 people had left for Przemyśl in Poland. Updated at 08.33 BST During his interview with Sky News, Oleksii Makeiev, the special envoy for sanctions at Ukraine’s foreign ministry, was asked about the dismissal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s SBU Ivan Bakanov and war crimes prosecutor Iryna Venediktova. He said “under no circumstances are these two people accused of treason. This is not right”. He went on to say: “What is important is to get rid of the Soviet past and of Russian agents throughout a country that is now at war with Russia.” In a Telegram post, Zelensky said he fired them because several members of their agencies had collaborated with Russia. Updated at 08.33 BST Oleksii Makeiev, the special envoy for sanctions at Ukraine’s foreign ministry, was interviewed from Kyiv by Sky News in the UK. He was asked about the prospect of further EU sanctions on Russia. He said: We are glad that the sanctions coalition and the European Union are increasing the pressure on Russia, but of course I would never say that it is enough, because the sanctions are what actually help us win this war. And weapons are the most important thing. Getting rid of dependence on Russian energy is very important for the entire Western coalition. Let’s see practically. Every day the European Union pays more than 700 million euros to Russia. And that enabled the Russians to keep shooting at us with their cruise missiles. Imagine, 145 days of war, and they launched 3,000 cruise missiles over the territory of Ukraine, hitting urban infrastructure, schools, kindergartens and hospitals. So get rid of this dependency, stop paying the Russians, so the Russians can no longer produce weapons. This is killing my country. Reuters has a quick picture that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered the military to prioritize destroying Ukraine’s long-range missiles and artillery weapons, according to a Defense Ministry statement. Updated at 07.45 BST The UK Ministry of Defense has claimed that Russia is using the private military company Wagner in Ukraine to bolster front-line forces, but that the losses they have suffered are likely to affect their effectiveness. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in its daily briefing on the situation in Ukraine: Russia used the private military company Wagner to bolster front-line forces and reduce manning shortages and casualties. Wagner almost certainly played a central role in the recent battles, including the capture of Popashna and Lysischansk. This battle has caused heavy losses to the team. Wagner lowers hiring standards, hires convicts and previously blacklisted individuals. Very limited training is available to recruits. He goes on to say that “this will very likely have an impact on the future operational effectiveness of the group”. Updated at 07.46 BST Valentyn Reznichenko, the governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, posted on Telegram that the city of Nikopol in his region was shelled overnight. He said: Russian troops pounded Nikopoli several times during the night with anti-aircraft guns. More than 60 shells were directed at residential areas and city infrastructure. One person was injured. She is a 75-year-old woman. Is in the hospital. Dozens of private residential buildings were destroyed. Updated at 07.13 BST
The EU will discuss strengthening sanctions against Russia
EU foreign ministers are expected to meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss the sanctions, according to a senior EU official. Among the measures being considered is a ban on gold purchases from Russia, a move already put in place by international partners. The EU could also act to sanction additional Russians. A senior EU official told AFP the EU was likely to discuss further sanctions at the meeting but would not make an immediate decision. The new measures come as “Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine continues unabated,” Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. We are therefore proposing today to toughen the EU’s tough sanctions against the Kremlin, implement them more effectively and extend them until January 2023. Moscow must continue to pay a high price for its aggression.” Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, added: EU sanctions are tough and tough. We continue to target those close to Putin and the Kremlin… I will also submit proposals to the Council to list more individuals and entities, with their assets frozen and their ability to travel restricted.” Updated at 06.56 BST In case you missed this exchange earlier, British prime minister-designate Liz Truss said she was ready to sit down with Vladimir Putin at the G20. In the final televised debate on Sunday night, the Conservative leadership candidates were asked whether they would sit next to the Russian president at a G20 summit. Truss said he would “call Putin” and it was important for the free world to confront Russia. Penny Mordaunt, Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch said they would not sit down with Putin, at least under the current circumstances. Rishi Sunak said he has walked out in the past rather than sit down with the Russians. Updated at 06.39 BST China is not a party to the Ukrainian crisis, but it will not stand idly by, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly said during a phone call with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó. Yi and Szijjarto spoke by phone on Sunday about bilateral ties between the countries and the crisis in Ukraine, according to a report by China’s Xinhua news agency. Russian state media agency RIA Novosti quoted Yi as saying: China is not a party to the Ukrainian crisis, but we are not going to be indifferent spectators and, moreover, we are not going to add fuel to the fire, we have always been adamant and consistent in encouraging peace and negotiations.” Lessons from the Ukraine crisis are “profound and worth learning for all sides,” Wang noted, saying that in the long term, the parties should discuss building a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework to achieve lasting peace and security. Updated at 06.45 BST
Russian journalist who made televised protest arrested, later released
Russian police have arrested journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, who in March interrupted a live television broadcast to denounce military action in Ukraine, her lawyer said earlier Sunday. No official statement has been made, but her entourage posted a message on the journalist’s Telegram account on Sunday, according to AFP. Marina has been taken into custody. There is no information on his whereabouts.” The message included three photos of her being driven by two police officers in a white van after apparently being stopped while cycling. Ovsyannikova also posted photos of herself and two dogs on her Facebook page, later revealing that she had been released. I went for a walk with the dogs, just outside the gate I was approached by people in uniform. Now I sit in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Krasnoselsky. Three hours later, Ovsyannikova said she was released. “I’m home. Everything is fine,” he wrote. “But now I know it’s always better to bring a suitcase and passport if you go out.” In Moscow, the police arrested a journalist and a former employee of Channel One Marina Ovsyannikova, who was taken to…
