World

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is “not on schedule” and Vladimir Putin’s forces “are in some significant areas of disarray”, the defence secretary has told Sky News. Ben Wallace said the invasion launched last week is not having the “strategic impact” that Moscow believed it would. His comments come after the Ministry of Defence shared an

Russia is preparing to hold peace talks with Ukraine as fierce fighting continued into a fifth day without a breakthrough into a major city. Satellite images showed a more than three-mile-long Russian military convoy nearing Kyiv as Ukraine’s president warned of a “crucial” 24 hours. There were more Russian air attacks and fierce clashes between

Vladimir Putin has ordered that Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces are put on high alert. Mr Putin said aggressive statements by NATO leaders and economic sanctions against Moscow were behind the decision. Speaking on state television on Sunday, he said: “As you can see, not only do Western countries take unfriendly measures against our country in

Russian missiles have hit an oil terminal and a gas pipeline overnight, as Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine continues. The oil terminal was set alight in Vasylkiv, southwest of the capital Kyiv, according to the town’s mayor NataliaBalasinovich. In a video posted online, she said: “The enemy wants to destroy everything around.” Russian advance ‘slows’

Ukraine’s president has said his forces are still in control of Kyiv and is appealing to the country’s “friends” abroad to join the fight. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a fresh address on Saturday: “Everyone who can defend Ukraine abroad please do it directly in a united way. “Every friend of Ukraine who wants to join

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned his country’s citizens that Russian troops are preparing to storm Kyiv, urging them “to stop the enemy wherever you can”. After unleashing airstrikes, Russian tanks rolled into Kyiv on Friday, and troops were descending on the capital from two fronts. In a message posted on social media, Mr Zelenskyy

Russian President Vladimir Putin has appealed directly to Ukrainian troops and told them “it will be easier for us to agree if you take power in your own hands”. During the address, he added it was “easier to negotiate with you” than the “gang of Nazis that has captured Kyiv” – an apparent reference to

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia has made him “target number one” in the wake of the country’s invasion, as he ordered a mass mobilisation decree which paves the way for civilians to take up arms against Vladimir Putin’s forces. The decree was signed at the end of a day of intense fighting on multiple

Vladimir Putin has said clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces are inevitable and it is just a question of time. In a television address, the Russian president said he had authorised a “specialised military operation” in Ukraine’s Donbas region. He said the aim was to protect people, but circumstances demanded decisive action from Russia. He

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine in a “full-scale” assault by land, sea and air – in what is the biggest attack by one country on another in Europe since World War Two. Ukraine reported troops pouring across the borders with Russia and Belarus from the north and east, and landing on the coasts from the

Vladimir Putin is “highly likely” to be planning a move on Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has told Sky News – as she warned Russia that “nothing is off the table” when considering further Western sanctions. The UK, US and EU have announced a raft of fresh sanctions on Russia following Mr Putin’s

Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked legislators for permission to use armed forces outside Russia – a move that could pave the way for a broader attack on Ukraine. On Monday, Moscow recognised the independence of Russian-backed rebel regions in eastern Ukraine. Some western leaders have said Russian troops had moved into Ukraine’s east –

European football’s governing body, UEFA, is under pressure to strip the Champions League final from Russia. Four English sides – Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United – are in the last 16 of the competition, and the final is due to be played at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg on 28 May. However,

Vladimir Putin has declared he recognises the independence of two separatist regions in Ukraine – and there is now the heightened threat that Russian troops could enter the areas. The Russian president defied Western warnings against such a move over Luhansk and Donetsk, announcing it at the end of a TV address which lasted around

Downing Street has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan for invading Ukraine has effectively “already begun”. Number 10 suggested that Russia’s “playbook” for launching military action against its neighbour had begun to “play out in real time”. But a “window for diplomacy” still remains to prevent war in Europe, Downing Street added. Live updates

Russia has extended military drills near Ukraine’s northern borders – sparking fears an invasion could be more likely. The exercises, which brought a sizable contingent of Russian forces to Belarus, were originally set to end on Sunday. The presence of the Russian troops raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the

Intelligence suggests Russia is planning “the biggest war in Europe since 1945”, Boris Johnson has warned. The prime minister said “all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun” – telling the BBC that evidence indicates the Kremlin’s intent is to invade Ukraine and encircle Kyiv. “People need to understand the

As warnings of war in Ukraine grow louder, the fear and tension felt in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv are also felt in neighbouring Poland – for the two countries share far more than just a border.  Some two million people have left their homes in Ukraine seeking work and opportunities in their western neighbour. This

Even as we arrived at the command headquarters about four kilometres from the frontline proper, we could hear the sounds of outgoing rockets from the Ukrainian military, which they maintain is a response to incoming fire from Russian-backed separatists. The frontlines near Popasne have been kinetic for the past two days – an intensification in

Russian military drills are “purely defensive” and “not a threat to any other country”, Vladimir Putin has said. The Russian president denied he was going to invade Ukraine following Western leaders warning an incursion is imminent as Moscow amasses more than 150,000 troops at the border. Talking at a news conference with Belarus President Alexander